Hello! I am Miss Francis. I just turned 43 years old on August 4th. I have two children; Mireya-20 and Christopher-19. I live in Mason City so its a quick 20 minute drive to CIS. I love to travel and photography but most of all, I love every second that I get to spend with my family. My kids along with my nieces and nephews are the most amazing little humans and I enjoy spending every minute I can with them.
Contact me anytime:
Email: gfrancis@athens-213.org
217-487-9082 or the Remind App
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND/TEACHING EXPERIENCE:
I graduated high school in 2000 then went to Lincoln College where I earned an Associated Degree. From there, I attended the University of Illinois in Springfield to get a degree in Visual Arts with a minor in Psychology then after a short break, continued forward and earned a degree in Elementary Education as well. This is my fifth year at CIS but I have additional teaching experience at a neighboring district. In 2007, I began working with Special Needs students. Then, I moved into a Elementary Fine Arts position where I taught Art and Music for just one year. After that, I began a nice long stay in 4th grade where I feel at home the most. Before coming to CIS, I did one year as a STEM/Technology specials teacher. I began my Masters in Technology and gained certifications as both a Google Certified Educator and Apple Teacher. Having that bit of technology background was good to have during the pandemic but to be back in the classroom is where I belong.
So now I am doing what I absolutely love...4th grade!!!
FAMILY AND FRIENDS
Many of my family members are teachers along with most of my friends! It is just weird how things work out like that. My Mom is a retired Elementary Art Teacher and my brother is a current Elementary Special Education Teacher.
My family is really close. I have one sister who live in Washington, IL and one brother who lives in Mason City, IL. Both are married and have the cutest kids on the planet. (I may be a bit biased.. lol) We all get together quite often. Did you catch the name of my puppy? Could you have guessed that we are BIG St. Louis Cardinal fans? We try to get to as many Cardinals games as we can each year.
My nieces and nephews are the most important people to me. My nieces are; Khloe-12, Macy-8, and Maggie-3. Then, my nephews are; Drew-7 and Simon-5. We try to spend time with them every chance we get.
Miss Francis's FAVORITES
Which ones do you agree on?
Food: Pizza - I could eat it every single day. Haha
Movie: I really loved the new Cruella movie this summer!
Book: Anything by the author Elin Hilderbrand
Color: Hot Pink or Any shade of Teal/Mint
Drink: Water with Orange Mio or Caffeine Free Diet Pepsi
Season: Summertime! I am a warm weather girl.
Sports: Swimming and Golf
Sports Team: STL Cardinals or Fighting Illini
Fast Food: Chic Fil-A or Wendy's
Music: Country or Pop - The older stuff you can sing to also!
Hobby: Photography and Graphic Design
Subject: Math and Writing
Store: Ummm... Amazon? Lol. I'm not a big shopper.
Scents: Vanilla or Fruity Scents usually
Dessert: Anything with Lemon or Blackberry
Candy: Hot Tamales or Mentos
Restaurant: The Melting Pot
Flower: Anything bright but I'm more of a plant person.
RANDOM FACTS ABOUT ME:
-I was a swimmer in college and coached swimming for many years.
-I spent a summer in Spain and Switzerland right out of high school.
-I love living in Illinois during the fresh fruits and veggies seasons! Sweet corn, strawberries, apples, green beans, blueberries and so much more! It all tastes so much better grown here.
- I am a cancer survivor.
-I love to sing! It may not be perfect but its fun. We will play music often in class too!
-I am a published author.
-Prior to teaching, I was a cosmetologist!
-I can wiggle my ears! LOL
- I have now been to 49 states and 12 countries!