California Avenue Elementary has welcomed several new teachers to the campus for the 2018-19 school year. Those now on board include second and third grade R.A.M.E. (Riverbank Academy of Multilingual Education) teachers Marimar Gonzalez and Silvia Gutierrez, Special Day Class teacher Kim Nguyen, fourth grade teacher Emily Lehikainen, first grade teacher Brougane Schlegel, Title 1 Coordinator Maria Cruz, and Mandarin teacher Beige Cheng.

The News caught up with the new teachers and offered a ‘Question and Answer’ opportunity to introduce them to the community.

Kim Nguyen, Special Day Class Instructor

Q: What is the best part about being a teacher?

A; The best part about being a teacher is seeing my students excited about learning. I teach them that it’s okay to fail at something as long as they persevere and try their best.

What are you looking forward to at Cal Ave this school year? This year, I am looking forward to getting to know all my students and challenging them to try new things, even something as simple as making a new friend.

What was your favorite subject in school? My favorite subject in school was art.

Marimar Gonzalez, Third Grade R.A.M.E. Teacher

What is the best part about being a teacher? The best part about being a teacher is being able to see all your students succeed. Watching them succeed and get so happy when they understand something they may not have understood before is an amazing feeling.

What are you looking forward to at Cal Ave this school year? One thing that I am looking forward to at Cal Ave this year is to be a part of all activities that involve students, teachers, and parents.

What was your favorite subject in school? My favorite subject in school was Language Arts/Literature. I was in AP classes all through high school and I’ve read so many amazing books and plays thanks to my teachers.

Emily Lehikainen, Fourth Grade Teacher

What is the best part about being a teacher? Being someone my students can always rely on.

What are you looking forward to at Cal Ave this school year? I loved teaching Kindergarten the last two years, but I’m excited to be in fourth grade with an older group of students. I also really enjoy fourth grade curriculum.

What was your favorite subject in school? I enjoyed most subjects in elementary school. It’s hard to choose just one.

Maria J. Cruz, Title I Coordinator

What is the best part about being a teacher? The best part about being a teacher is having students understand a concept or skill after struggling with it. It just reassures them that they have what it takes to accomplish anything.

What are you looking forward to at Cal Ave this school year? This year I’m looking forward to getting to know the students in this campus and making connections with fellow teachers.

What was your favorite subject in school? English wasn’t my first language, so I really struggled with ELA. Math was always my favorite subject growing up because it was universal, and (back in the day) it was just arithmetic and I could do it with little assistance. As I got older I enjoyed Science, mostly Earth Science and Biology.

Beige Cheng, Mandarin Teacher

What is the best part about being a teacher? The best part about being a teacher is being able to play a part in someone achieving their goals.

What are you looking forward to at Cal Ave this school year? I am looking forward to introducing Mandarin to more students and help broaden their horizons.

What was your favorite subject in school? My favorite subject in school is English and PE.

Silvia Gutierrez, Second Grade R.A.M.E. Teacher

What is the best part about being a teacher? The best part about being a teacher is building relationships with my students and being able to instill the love of learning so that they can become lifelong learners and continue their development and improvement of their knowledge and skills needed to have a successful future as law abiding citizens.

What are you looking forward to at Cal Ave this school year? This school year at California Avenue, I am looking forward to working with students and parents together to build relationships that create multiple opportunities for students to acquire high academic achievement in all subjects within a culturally diverse learning environment.

What was your favorite subject in school? I enjoyed all subjects at school. However, my favorite subject was mathematics. I enjoyed solving problems using a variety of strategies. Especially when using manipulatives to solve problems.

Brougane Schlegel, First Grade Teacher

What is the best part about being a teacher? I have found that helping students to develop a feeling of pride in themselves and supporting them in gaining ownership over their own learning is by far the best part of being a teacher. I love watching students develop grit and perseverance in problem solving when things start to get tough.

What are you looking forward to at Cal Ave this school year? I am really excited to collaborate with my fellow educators at California Ave. As a new teacher at Cal Ave, I want to learn from my fellow educators and gain insight from their experiences within the Riverbank community.

What was your favorite subject in school? My favorite subject in school was English Language Arts. An early reader, my love for reading began when I was four years old. Ever since then, I have had a book in my hands. As a student I have always been drawn towards reading and creative writing.