Hello.  I am excited to be starting my fourth year as an Instructional Specialist at Trailside.  I am looking forward to getting to know the new sixth grade students and their families.   I am especially interested in getting students excited about reading.

I attended Wellesley College and graduated with a degree in Biology.  I did research in a science lab at Massachusetts General Hospital, then earned an MEd. in Secondary Science from Boston College.  After a year of teaching, I moved to Virginia and stayed home with my four children.  After years of volunteering in classrooms and short and long-term substituting, I began a program in Special Education at George Mason.  I have a provisional license in special education and endorsements in Middle school science and Biology.  I worked at Lunsford Middle School and am excited to be starting my fourth year as a member of the pack at Trailside.   I want to inspire and guide students as they build connections with each other, the curriculum, and their world! I love the challenge of finding creative ways to interest students and let them show what they have learned. 

I live in the southern part of the county with my husband and 4 children.  I have two students at Virginia Tech and one who is a Sophmore in high school and playing football.  My oldest is starting as a first-year teacher for LCPS in another school.  We like to play board games like Settlers of Catan and 7 Wonders, find interesting words in the dictionary, visit museums, hike, and hang out with our Finnish Spitz dog.  This summer I read, spent time with my family, and traveled to upstate New York for a family reunion on a lake. I am looking forward to starting another great year at Trailside.