Mrs. Franco, Miss Gallegos, and Miss Terada |
Did you know... Hi! My name is Mrs. Franco and this is my 12th year at Palms, my 3rd year as the librarian. A fun fact about my family is that my husband and two sons went to Palms many years ago. When I am not working at school I love reading, listening to music, and hanging out with my family. I have two dogs, Gizmo and Alfi. I love working at Palms.
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Did you know....Hi I am Miss Gallegos. This is my second year at Palms Elementary. I teach 5th Grade Language Arts intervention and Enrichment. I graduated from Cal State Fullerton with a major in Child and Adolescent Development. Shortly after I graduated I began working at Palms and I absolutely love it! A cool fact is that through the Enrichment class I teach, I am able to see every single student in the school. I love being able to know all of the students on campus. When I am not teaching at Palms I’m usually off having fun at Disneyland. My favorite ride is Big Thunder Mountain. My other passion is football! My favorite team is the Denver Broncos and I look forward to watching the games each week with my family. I also love listening to country music, reading, and baking brownies. In the Enrichment lab this year we have been experimenting with different ways to create art, with oil pastels, mixing colors, and torn art. In 2012 we are going to continue learning new things like different types of dances, music, and how to be a person of great character, a Peacebuiler.
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Did you know...Hi! My name is Miss Terada and I teach 3rd grade intervention and the technology/media lab. This is my first year teaching and I absolutely love it. I graduated from San Jose State University in 2008 where I originally majored in animation/illustration with a minor in teaching. As time went on I realize drawing is my hobby but teachingis my passion. I then went to Cal State Long Beach where I got my teaching credential, which is one of my proudest moments because I worked very hard to achieve my goal. During my free time I love taking pictures with my camera and going to the beach. One day I hope to learn to speak Spanish, travel the world, and complete a marathon. This year in the tech/media lab we will be learning how to use the different applications on an Apple desktop like Microsoft Word, Power Point, and using the Internet. We will also be learning how to use an iPod touch.
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Teacher Spotlight: Mrs. Arvizu, 4th Grade Teacher
Did you know....
Mrs. Arvizu is an avid video game player and a fan of Disneyland, cats, and of course, her husband. Mrs. Arvizu's cats all have Disney character names. She is also a fan of baseball (the Angels), hockey (the Long Beach Ice Dogs), and soccer (whichever team her brother, Jeremy, is playing on). Mrs. Arvizu is best friends with sister and shopping buddy, Ashley. Mrs. Arvizu was a dancer from age 8 to 18 and has over the years danced almost every part in The Nutcracker. Mrs. Arvizu loves teaching and is in her 15th year at her second home, Palms Elementary.
Teacher Spotlight: Mrs. James, 4th/5th Grade Combo Teacher
Hi, My name is Mrs. James and I have been teaching at Palms for 17 years. That sounds like a long time, but I have enjoyed every minute of it. I have taught third grade and fifth grade, and now I am teaching a 4/5 combo. One of my favorite things to do is cook. I like to experiment with new recipes and create my own versions of them. The best thing I have ever made was an enchilada casserole that my family just loves. I have 2 sons that love to play sports and a husband who is a teacher and a coach. One of my other favorite things to do it to ski. Over the winter vacation my family and I are going to Utah to ski and play in the snow.
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Teacher Spotlight: Mrs. Azucenas, 4th Grade Teacher
Did you know...
Mrs. Azucenas loves to do three things during her spare time.
She enjoys spending time with her family. Her parents, her sister's family, and brother's family live very close to each other. They get together for family dinner once a week. During this time, they share stories with each other and enjoy a delicious home-cooked meal together, usually prepared by her mom. Mrs. Azucenas loves going to Hawaii with her family and friends during the summer months. She loves discovering different parts of the islands and relaxing on the beach with a good book to read. During her last excursion to the Big Island, she visited Kilauea, an active volcano. She had a blast! Lastly, Mrs. Azucenas loves to hula dance. She remembers her first dance lesson. When she was in fourth grade, her teacher, Mrs. Finney, taught the girls in her class a very simple hula dance. From then on, she appreciated the dance and eventually learned about the hawaiian culture, during her own travels. Mrs. Azucenas passed her love of hula to her daughter, Malia, who has been dancing since she was three years old. Mrs. Azucenas is always busy bringing Malia to dance practice and shows every week. |
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Teacher Spotlight: Mrs. Bronner, Third Grade Teacher
Did you know...
I am Dawn Bronner, and I teach third grade. I have taught both third and fifth grade here at Palms for 15 years. I love it here!
I chose California as my home over 22 years ago. I was born and raised in Illinois, where my parents and one sister still live. I am the youngest of five kids, two boys, and three girls. My mom, dad, and all us girls are in education. I came to California originally to go to USC. I only went there for a year and then went back home to Illinois State to get my degree. I have been to a total of 6 colleges, 5 here in California. Now I am married and have one daughter who is in 4th grade. We live in Lakewood with our two dogs and a hamster. We are crazy about our pets. We have a French bulldog who is 4, named Roxy, and an English bulldog who is 1, named Brick. My daughter named him Brick because the day we brought him home, he promptly fell into the pool and sunk like a Brick. Bulldogs can't swim! I love my family and my life here in California, and you can't beat the weather. |
Teacher Spotlight: Ms. Garcia, Third Grade Teacher
Did you know...
Ms. Garcia has been working in ABC Unified School District for 7 years. She started her teaching career at Benito Juarez Elementary and recently moved to Palms Elementary. Currently she teaches 3rd grade, and has taught 2nd and 6th grades in the past. Those who know Ms. Garcia know she has a few things she REALLY loves: her family, her puppy Bella, her Dodgers, Disneyland, and traveling! She has visited countries such as Panama, Costa Rica, Belize, Honduras, the Bahamas, and her ultimate favorite, Mexico! Visiting Mayan Ruins is something Ms. Garcia really enjoys; therefore, you will most likely bump into her if you are visiting the Yucatán!
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Ms. Garcia in front of the pyramid
Chichen Itza in Yucatan, Mexico |
Teacher Spotlight: Mrs. Irish, Third Grade Teacher
Mrs. Irish as Peritwinkle in the
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Did you know...
Mrs. Irish has been involved in dancing and the performing arts since she was two years old. Her singing and dancing has given her the opportunity to tour, dance, and compete all around the world. In high school she was the captain of the Los Alamitos High School dance team and soon after graduation she began to start teaching dance classes to kids ages 2 - 22. While in college, she worked as a parade dancer at Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm and did choreography for school choirs. She still teaches dance classes in the evenings and enjoys bringing the performing arts into the classroom where ever possible. |
Teacher Spotlight: Mrs. Runge, Primary SDC
Did you know....
Did you know I have a background in music (piano and voice)? I have been fortunate to have sung in the chorus at the Performing Arts Center for the operas Aida and Norma. (This was in 1986 and 1987). The operas featured Leona Mitchell and Joan Sutherland. I performed the role of the witch in Hansel and Gretal and gave recitals in a few towns in Germany.
I love to cook as well.
I love to cook as well.