Wilmarie Alvarado |
This is my third year at The Village School. I moved to Houston in 2012 from Florida. I have an energetic four year old boy, who also attends the Village School. In my fifteen years of teaching, I have taught Kindergarten through Fifth Grade in both private and public schools within Texas, Florida, New York, and Pennsylvania.
I am originally from New York City and attended Lehigh University where I received my B.A. in Psychology and M.Ed. in Elementary Education. I used the knowledge I gained from my degrees to understand my students better and identify ways to help them obtain their goals successfully. As a young girl, I entered school as an English Language Learner. Because my school did not accommodate such a learner, my mother became my first teacher in learning this new language. With support and the perseverance to achieve my learning goals, I became an honor roll student and the first to graduate in my family from college. With the help of Mrs. Lakshmi Iruvanti, another experienced teacher with an international background, I want to continue supporting my students by instilling in them the same determination I had to achieve all their goals. If you need to contact me, please do not hesitate to send an e-mail to [email protected]. Lakshmi Iruvanti I am an experienced teacher who has had exposure to various cultures. I has lived in The Netherlands, the U.S.A and India, teaching young children for fifteen years in international schools. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Education. I also have two grown daughters and a loving husband. Some things I enjoy are yoga, gardening and hiking expeditions. I love to help students excel, realize their potential and provide them with a positive environment in which to learn and hone their skills. If you need to contact me, you can reach me at: [email protected] |
Stephanie Bates |
Welcome to 1st Grade!
I am Mrs. Bates and I am excited about having your child in my class. I am a native Texan and grew up in Kerrville. It's a small town in the hill country northwest of San Antonio. I have three grown sons and twin girl grandbabies that are just adorable. This is my 8th year teaching and my 5th year teaching first grade. Before coming to The Village School, I previously taught in Alief ISD for 5 years and in the United Arab Emirates for 2 years. I earned my education degree through the College of Education at U of H and my master's degree in education through the University of St. Thomas. My hopes and dreams for this year are for your child to have fun learning, become life long learners, and enjoy coming to school. We look forward to a great year with lots of exciting projects and hands on exploration. I look forward to meeting all of you. You are welcome to email me at [email protected] Suneet Dinglay-Takkar Hello and a Warm Welcome to First Grade! My name is Dr. Suneet Dinglay-Takkar, but you can call me Mrs. Suneet! I work alongside Mrs. Stephanie Bates. I was born and raised in England, UK where I attended Kings College for my undergraduate work in Medical Biochemistry, followed by a PhD in Cancer Research, DNA Repair at the Imperial Cancer Research Fund, now Cancer UK. I then jumped on a plane and headed to Houston where I worked at Baylor College of Medicine first as a Postdoctoral scientist and then as the schools Scientific Liaison. I encouraged young college students to be passionate about science, and to pursue a career in research, and helped recruit scientists from around the world to the college. Well, along with the plane ride over fifteen years ago came marriage and then the baby carriage! My husbands name is Randeep, and we have a loving boy who is in Fourth Grade here at The Village School. He loves to swim and play soccer. I enjoyed my time at home with my son until he entered into Kindergarten. Since being at the school I was fortunate enough to be able to certify myself to teach from Early Childhood to 6th Grade, carrying out my teaching internship at the school itself. I enjoy working as part of the First Grade Team and this will be my third academic year here. In my spare time I enjoy being with my family and friends, watching my son swim, reading and going to the movies. I look forward to meeting all of you and your children. Remember, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”, Nelson Mandela. Contact: [email protected] |
Sara Cooney |
Welcome 1st grade families,
I am Miss Cooney and I look forward to having your first grader this year! I am a native Texan and most of my family is in and around the Houston area; I love being close to them. I have two dogs at home and I will be getting married this summer to my fiancé Derrick. I am a Texas A&M University graduate and this is my sixth year teaching. This is my first year at The Village School and I am so happy to be working in such a wonderful school. I taught for five years previously in Spring Branch ISD and loved my time there as well. I cannot wait for you to find out who our teacher’s assistant will be this year. I think some of you will recognize Mrs. Elizabeth Aviles-Padilla from Kindergarten last year. She is one of the nicest women I have ever met, and I know we are going to have the best year with you and your students. Together with you, we are your student’s team, ready to serve and enrich their lives each and every day. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at [email protected] Elizabeth Aviles-Padilla Hello 1st grade! My name is Elizabeth Aviles Padilla. I am working alongside with Sara Cooney. I am a mother of three handsome sons and a gorgeous daughter-in-law. I am soon to be a grandmother of a beautiful baby girl. Yay! I graduated Cum Laude at the Inter American University of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. I did my BA degree on ESL. Teaching is what I have always wanted to do all my life. I believe that learning can be one of the best ways of discovering the world through the simplicity of having fun. You can contact my through: [email protected] |
Emily Jones |
This will be my fourth year at The Village School and my second year as a first grade teacher. I am very excited about this school year! Teaching children is such a joy for me, and I look forward to work everyday.
I was born and raised in Houston, TX. I am a graduate of Stephen F. Austin, and I love my cat and 72% dark chocolate. I am very anxious to meet your child and to introduce my wonderful teaching assistant, Ms. Rebekah Blocker. With her help and your support, I know that we will have a fantastic year! If you should have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to email me at [email protected] Rebekah Blocker My name is Rebekah Blocker and I work alongside Emily Jones. This is both my 2nd year at Village and in Texas. I moved here after completing my bachelors degree in Communication Sciences and minoring in Chican@/Latin@ studies at the University of Wisconsin Madison. I am concurrently pursuing a Masters in Public Health and additional teacher certification for ESL and special education. I possess a great wealth of educational experiences. I have taught elementary/middle gifted and talented programs, ACT/SAT test prep, and high school technology. In addition I taught Sociology and Undergraduate Research at the collegiate level. In my leisure I enjoy playing piano, singing, and spending time with my family. I have a 3 year old daughter, Selah, who amidst my working and studying keeps me calm. I look forward to meeting you all this year and bringing out the best in your student. If you have any questions or concerns, you may contact me at: [email protected] |
Pat Mckenzie |
I am so excited to be starting my fourth year teaching First Grade at the Village School. I love my job and am passionate that my classroom should be a happy and nurturing place to learn.
I was born and raised in Scotland and taught there for several years before broadening my career through teaching in Sarawak, Malaysia and here in Houston. I am married to Garry and we have two sons Cameron and Alasdair. We settled in Houston having lived in Indonesia, Malaysia, Canada and the USA (California and Texas). I am eager to meet the new families of Class1D and want to instill a love of learning in my students. I know with the support of you all and my wonderful Teaching Assistant Mrs. Sunita Rao we will achieve this goal. I am looking forward to meeting my new pupils and am never surprised at their ability to learn and move through the challenges that First Grade brings. Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any concerns or questions. [email protected] Sunita Rao Hi I am Sunita Rao and I look forward to working with Mrs.Pat Mackenzie to make your child’s year a memorable one. My children have been students of the Village School since 2009 and I believe I have a good understanding of the expectations and aspirations of a Village parent in the learning and development of their child(ren). While I hold a Master’s degree in Accounting and Finance, I followed my passion of working with children and have been enjoying my job since last year. I am currently pursuing Texas Teacher’s certification course, which will provide me further professional insights in this field. I believe in the potential of each child and look forward to a great year. You can reach my through: [email protected] |
Michele Reguera |
I am thrilled to begin my ninth year teaching at The Village School. I am married to Ernie and we have a son and daughter, Ernie and Madeline. My daughter is attending Baylor University this fall. My son attends Stratford High School. I can not wait to get to know your children this year. My goal for the year is to foster a love of learning and to encourage curious minds. We will have a wonderful time exploring this year. My Teaching Assistant is Angela Giedeon; a wonderful help and a great support.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at [email protected] I look forward to a great year! Angela Gedeon Hello 1st grade! My name is Angela Gedeon and I work alongside Michele Reguera. This is my second year at The Village School and I am thrilled to be part of this school's diverse community. I graduated from the University of Houston - Downtown in 2012 with a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education. After earning my teaching certification I decided to pursue a post bachelor's degree in Communications Sciences and Disorders at the University of Houston. This past year I earned my license as a Speech Language Pathology Assistant. I hope to utilize my knowledge and gathered experiences to engage students, spark their curiosity, and love of learning. This past summer I got married overseas to my best friend Pary. In our spare time we enjoy exploring different restaurants in the Houston area, watching every movie and TV show we possibly can on Netflix and going for long walks or runs. I know that we will have an exciting and productive year as we work together in our classroom community to grow as learners. I looking forward to having an awesome school year! Contact: [email protected] |