Faculty Lead Teachers Karen Mariano Kindergarten Lead Teacher Karen will be joining our staff this year and comes to us with more than 15 years of preschool teaching experience. She earned her California teaching credential in May 2008 and is ready to begin a new phase in her career as an elementary school teacher. Karen has two teenage kids and is married; their family lives in the Santa Clarita area. John Foley K-1 Lead Teacher John began teaching in the K-1 in September 2004. He is a graduate of Antioch University’s teaching credential and Masters in Education program. Previous to becoming an elementary teacher John taught preschool children, and worked in various non-profits and managed props for a theater company. He lives with his two cats in West Hollywood. John is the faculty rep for the OCS Board of Directors this year. Suzy Ohanian K-1 Lead Teacher Suzy will be starting her second year at OCS this fall after teaching first grade for more than 4 years at a private school and teaching last year’s third grade class at OCS. She earned her credential from Pacific Oaks College in Pasadena and enjoys inventing cooperative learning projects for her students. Suzy has a brother living in Brazil and uses her summers to travel around the world. Vanessa Lopez Kindergarten Lead Teacher Vanessa was a teaching assistant for 6 years and an after school program director prior to becoming the kindergarten teacher at OCS in 2006. She completed her credential in the spring of 2008 and will also be earning her Master’s Degree from Phoenix University. Vanessa was recently married in April of 2008 and will be taking some time off in October when she has her new baby! Kim Krell Associate Teacher Kim is an experienced credentialed teacher who will be working along-side Vanessa Lopez in September with the intention of taking the lead role while Vanessa is on maternity leave. Kim will stay on staff upon Vanessa’s return and become the associate teacher, supporting the 4th grade classroom. Kim is married with 2 daughters; the oldest one will be in the first grade in September. Staci Hammerschmitt 2nd Grade Lead Teacher Staci is starting her fourth year at OCS, but previously taught Kindergarten at the First Presbyterian Weekday School in Northridge. This will be her first year teaching second grade, but she has been an amazing K/1 and 1st grade teacher during her first three years at OCS. She has her credential from CSUN. She and her husband, an officer for the Sheriffs Department, recently bought a home in Santa Clarita. She enjoys bicycling, cooking and the spending time in the mountains. She was born and raised in nearby Santa Clarita. Hilary Anderson 2nd Grade Lead Teacher Hilary is a graduate of Antioch University’s teaching credential and Master’s of Education program. She has taught a combination K/1 class and began teaching a first grade class in the 2005-2006 school year at OCS until she gave birth to her beautiful son. She returned to us as the 2nd grade teacher in the 2006/2007 school year after taking some time to spend with her son and actor husband Todd. Hilary enjoys activities such as, Pilates, soy chai lattes, karaoke, and zany old horror movies and has such a fun sense of humor that keeps the staff laughing! Vanessa Murcia 3rd Grade Lead Teacher Vanessa earned her credential in education from the University of Phoenix. She began her career at OCS in the 4th/5th grade class in the fall 2005, then moved to 3rd grade in 2006, and moved again to teach a 2nd/3rd grade class in 2007. This year she will teach a 3rd grade class. Previous to that Vanessa was a teaching assistant in both private and public progressive schools for 5 years. She has a son who attends middle school and another beautiful son who was born in June 2008. Needless to say, Vanessa and her husband are quite busy these days! Robin Greene 3rd Grade Lead Teacher Robin Greene joins our staff as our new 3rd grade teacher. He received his California teaching credential from CSUN in May 2008. We were fortunate enough to have the opportunity work with Robin as he did his student teaching in our 2nd grade class in the spring 2008 with Hilary as his mentor teacher. His passion for education and natural ability to work successfully with young children made him an obvious choice when we were able to expand the school and add another 3rd grade classroom! Danielle Quinto 4th Grade Lead Teacher Danielle taught in a Catholic School in Orange County before coming to OCS in 2006. Previous to that she taught for three years in public schools in Chicago where she also earned her credential and Master’s degree. Her Master’s thesis was about building responsible communities within a classroom. Danielle is married to another 4th grade teacher who teaches at Crossroads school in Santa Monica. Danielle is the alternate faculty rep for the OCS Board of Directors this year. Jude Stabiler 5th Grade Lead Teacher Jude Stabiler: Jude is a graduate of Antioch University’s Teacher Credentialing program. He has been the lead teacher at OCS in the 5th grade for the past three years. Previous to teaching, Jude worked in the music recording industry. He lives in Sherman Oaks with his husband Darryl. Catherine Campbell 6th Grade Lead Teacher Cat is a graduate of the University of Phoenix’s Masters of Education program, and received her bachelors from CSU Fullerton in journalism. She has taught 6th grade since OCS opened in 2005 and previously taught 5th and 6th grade for two years at another charter school. Cat also did substitute teaching for several years at various schools in both public and private sectors within the Los Angeles area. Cat is also a singer and actor and she is a performer with and the director of a Renaissance singing group called the Belles of Bedlam. Assistant Teachers Charles "Cha-chi" Lewis Assistant Teacher Charles was a K-1 teaching assistant last year for OCS. He also works in the morning and after school care. This year he will be going back to school to earn his teaching credential. He has worked as a volunteer mentoring teens through the same church as Vanessa Garcia. Dan Wolfe Assistant Teacher Dan has been a teaching assistant for three years. He was with OCS last year as the 3rd grade assistant and worked in various schools through Teachers on Reserve before that. Teresa Hernandez Assistant Teacher Teresa worked last year as the office assistant and this year returns to the classroom. She has worked for several years as a teaching assistant in elementary and preschools. Robin Hottenstein Assistant Teacher Robin has recently earned her credential and is working on her Master's degree in Education at the University of Phoenix in Woodland Hills. She has worked in after school care and mentoring programs and was a teacher in training last year in the 1st grade. Specialists Nancy Sheanin Literacy Support Teacher Nancy works both individually and with small groups at all grade levels but her greatest emphasis is in the younger classrooms on supporting reading development and teaching specific reading skills. She has over 20 years experience as a teacher and she is the proud grandmother of 4 grandkids. Emily Wells Music Teacher Studies show that children who participate in music programs improve in all academic areas, especially math and memory. The students have an accomplished and talented multi-instrumentalist music teacher who combines various music education methods to form a program specifically tailored to each grade level. Through the use of Orff instruments (wooden xylophones), glockenspiels, drums and voice, the students are exposed to rhythm and melody while learning how to create music of their own. Songs of social justice, which correspond to curriculum from each class, are also incorporated into the music program. Special Education Special education teachers and service providers are hired through LAUSD and offer on-site assistance to students who qualify.