Let me begin by telling you a little about myself professionally.  I received my teaching degree from Central Washington University in Ellensburg, a school known for its outstanding education program.  This is my 22nd year of teaching, and all 22 of those years have been spent right here at our beloved Rose Hill Elementary.  I began my career as a primary special education teacher.  I spent a number of years in that position before I made the move into a “regular” second grade classroom.  After one year in that position, I was asked to teach a 2/3 multi-age program.  The following year, a teammate and I established the first 1/2/3 multi-age classroom here at Rose Hill.  After two years in that setting, I, once again, returned to the 2/3 multi-age classroom setting.  Finally, approximately ten years ago, I was offered the opportunity to return to the “regular” second grade classroom, and, with the exception of one year, I have been there ever since. I like to think of second grade as my “home”.

On a more personal level, my grandma and grandpa raised my dad and his brother and sisters right here on Rose Hill.  In fact, two of my aunts were among the first students to attend Rose Hill Elementary when it opened in 1954.  I attended kindergarten and first grade at Thoreau Elementary in our very own Lake Washington School District.  At the end of first grade, my family and I moved to a farm in Colville, Washington, where I lived until I met my wife and returned to the beautiful Pacific Northwest.  By the way, my lovely wife’s name is Cathy, and she is an outstanding first grade teacher in our district. 

I love to draw, and have done so all my life.  I am a Disney and Looney Tunes enthusiast.  I collect comic books, and I have a fairly extensive CD collection (too extensive, Mrs. Daly might say).  I also love books and movies!

In the summer I enjoy working on projects around the house, taking classes, relaxing, and spending time with my wife, our therapy dog, Silas, and our therapy dog-in-training, Jett (maybe you’ll meet Mrs. Daly, Silas, and Jett on “Reading with Rover” nights at Borders!).