I grew up in Albany, NY and came to DC to go to college at GW. I’m the oldest of 6 kids (the first 5 of us were born within 6 years). I lived in a neighborhood where everyone had big families (6-12 kids) so there were always lots of kids to play with. We lived in houses with front lawns and would play huge kickball games for hours. It was one of my favorite things to do. I also liked riding my bike and playing outside with my friends. I loved to ice skate and ski, and we could walk to a nearby pond to skate on. My father took us skiing on weekends. In the summer I liked to swim. I was always a big reader and loved to go to the library and get books to read — Laura Ingalls Wilder books were favorites. My sister and I are one year apart and we liked to read the same books (we still do sometimes).
We had a cat and a dog when I was growing up, and also had turtles,fish, guinea pigs and gerbils at different times. I have always had cats but my cat died in November. I am planning to get two rescue cats or kittens soon.
I have two children, Christophe and Melissa. My son got married in September and now I have a daughter-in-law named Sarah. They live in DC right across the street from me. My daughter turned 30 this week and we had a big birthday party in New York where she lives and works.
I love teaching, and one of my favorite times of day is reading aloud to my class. I love how they really get into the stories and share great insights into the characters and story. My students often look at things in a different way than I had when I first read the book. I love to hear their ideas.
I really love all the people at Maury. I think the whole staff is wonderful — they’ve all been so welcoming and helpful and everyone really works well together. I’m especially enjoying my class’s partnership with Ms. Battle’s class. I love seeing my students read with their kindergarten buddies. I definitely want to continue the partnership next year. I like the diversity at Maury among staff and students and how supportive everyone is of each other.