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I graduated from with honors San Jose State University in 1985. I majored in English Literature with a emphasis in American Literature and my minor was US History, which uniquely prepared me to teach 8th grade Core. I also have 25 years of theatre experience which enables me to both direct the annual Christmas play and teach the middle school drama elective.

I have been a parent, a room parent, a board member and/or a teacher at Good Shepherd since 1995.

I have lived in Santa Cruz since 1985 and have two grown daughters, both of whom attended Good Shepherd and Monte Vista before going to college. My daughter, Julia, graduated from Santa Clara University and my daughter, Ellen, is a senior at San Francisco State University.

As the Librarian, I am filled with optimism and hope for the future and I strive to live our school's mission every day. This is my 14th year at the school and I continue to enjoy educating our students. My top goal is to build a welcoming community of intellects in the library. I am not content with just educating; it is my passion to give each student a foundation to find his or her love for making a difference in our community. 

I look forward to building a great library for our great school-a home for the heart, soul, and mind. I strive to prepare our students to be lifelong library users in schools and public systems. Since our lives are becoming dependent on the use of technology, a fascinating fact is prevalent: the use of libraries is on the rise. Students come to the library to find what a digital age cannot give them: a book to hold in their hands, a quiet space, and library skills. 

I am a graduate of Pepperdine University with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism. I hold a California Teachers' Directors Credential and a Full Catechist certificate from the Diocese of Monterey. 

Both of my children are alumni of Good Shepherd -- Nick ('06) and Kristi ('07). They are graduates of Archbishop Mitty High School and are full time college students. My husband Mike and I have been married for 23 years. We are active parishioners at St. Joseph's Catholic Community in Capitola, where I serve the Lord as a Eucharistic Minister. 

I am proud to be a part of a school that embraces the Catholic education and spreads the Gospel news that we are "Children of God".

This year, I celebrate my 27th year on the faculty of Good Shepherd Catholic School and my 38th year as a teacher. This school year, 2011 - 2012, I will be teaching Kindergarten through Fifth Grade Music, Kindergarten through Second Grade Physical Education, and Fourth Grade Religion. I have seen this school blossom into a strong community of faith, learning and love, and I am happy to still play an integral role in its continued growth. 

My passion for music and education is fostered daily in the spiritually rich environment of Good Shepherd Catholic School. I hold a Lifetime K-12 Teaching Credential from San Jose State University, where I also earned my Bachelor's Degree in Music. 

A native of the Bay Area, my husband and I bought our cherished home in the Santa Cruz mountains almost 37 years ago and raised three wonderful children there. I have been truly blessed in life to have a loving family and to share my creative passion with the bright and shining students of Good Shepherd.

¡Hola y Bienvenidos!

I am thrilled and honored to be back at Good Shepherd. 

Santa Cruz County has been my home for the most part since 1972. I attended Aptos Junior High and Aptos High schools. I studied for my confirmation at Good Shepherd School and was confirmed at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Capitola. 

My love for Spanish began in junior high school. My teacher was Sra. Reed. She showed that through hard work and commitment it is possible to learn a foreign language well. Unknowingly to me at the time, I began the path to do the same for other students. After graduating from Aptos High school, I continued studying Spanish while earning a Bachelor of Arts in General Humanities from Santa Clara University. My junior year of college I studied a semester in Madrid, Spain, where all of my university classes were taught in Spanish. The fall after graduation, I then attended Cal-State Hayward and earned both a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential as well as a Bilingual/Cross Cultural Multiple Subject Teaching Credential Emphasis: Spanish. That summer I studied Spanish and dance in Guadalajara, Mexico, through the University of San Diego. Because of my studies at Santa Clara and while abroad, I also have earned a Spanish Major equivalent. 

My first teaching job was with Alum Rock School District in San Jose California. I was a bilingual third grade teacher for six years. By then I had married my husband, Bret Sisney, whom I had met while a student at Santa Clara University. In 1987, our son Brian was born and then 2½ years later, our daughter Kelly was born. My husband and I decided to enroll Brian at Good Shepherd not only because of the faith-based quality education it provided but because of the specialty programs: music, computers, PE, art and Spanish! 

When Kelly entered Kindergarten, I was offered the job of teaching Pre-K-8th grade Spanish. I took the job and immensely enjoyed teaching Spanish for nine years at Good Shepherd. Because of my dance classes in Mexico, I decided to teach not only Spanish at Good Shepherd but also Ballet Folklorico to the Pre-K through 8th graders. By celebrating another's culture comes accepting of not only that culture specifically but all cultures generally. 

Upon Kelly's graduation from Good Shepherd, I decided to take a break from teaching and returned to school to earn a Master's in Education and a Single Subject Teaching Credential in Spanish from Santa Clara University. Since Brian was attending Bellarmine College Preparatory and Kelly would be a freshman at Presentation High School, we decided to move to San Jose during the school year. 

In the fall of 2008 with Brian attending Boston University and Kelly off to the University of Southern California, I took a job teaching Spanish at St. Francis Central Coast Catholic High School in Watsonville. At the end of that year, I decided teaching full time was not what I wanted to do. Luckily for me, Dan Anderson learned that I was not teaching and offered me the job of teaching 5th-8th Spanish at Good Shepherd.

I love teaching here. Good Shepherd is looked upon by me and my children as family. Good Shepherd is a very special place. You are lucky to have your children at Good Shepherd.

Creating art is a therapeutic process. It not only helps us to express our dreams and emotions, but also helps us to be conscious observers, curious listeners, and mindful thinkers! Art allows us to visualize our experiences, our world, and our history. You can bring your dreams to life throughout this process. A painting is like a portal into the imagination and intention of it's creator ... what a gift! 

Since childhood I have always had a strong connection to the arts. I remember attending the Santa Cruz Children's Art Foundation as a youngster, and also enjoyed private classes with local artists. Throughout middle school and high school I continued to pursue my love for drawing and painting, enrolling in art every semester. It became clear that this would be a life-long adventure for me. I achieved my Associate's Degree (focus: studio art) at Cabrillo College and my Bachelor's Degree in Studio Art (focus: drawing and painting) from San Jose State University. 

Many of you may recognize me from Gayle's Bakery ... I worked there from 2005-2010 in sales, catering, wedding cake consultation/design, and staff training! In my spare time I love taking walks down by the harbor, soaking up the beauty of this ocean town. I am also passionate about animals, and have helped support the Monterey Bay Area community by donating my artwork to animal rescue charity events. Finally, I taught weekly art lessons to the children of New Horizon's School in Soquel, and most recently completed my first year here at Good Shepherd. The 2010-2011 school year was filled with memories, and my wonderful middle school students completed the vibrant mural on the side of our office building! Talk about team work! 

This has all been a dream come true for me! The limitless creativity and imagination of our students is magical- a true inspiration! I am blessed with the opportunity to teach art to such wonderful kids!

© 2010 Good Shepherd Catholic School