As we go through life, school and classes may end, but learning never stops. I love to learn new things each day, whether it is in a classroom, by a mistake I made, or in a book/article that I read in my spare time! This year we will learn a lot together, and I am here to help you succeed! All that I ask is that you come to school energized and ready to exhibit your best effort so we can be successful, together, as a TEAM! I am a firm believer and conveyor of the "Power of Yet", the theme that Mojo from ClassDojo lives by as well. In addition, I frequently quote Duke Caboom's motto from Toy Story 4, "Yes we Canada!" Even though we are Americans, I feel both trains of thought allow us to persevere to overcome challenges and maintain a positive mindset as we work to accomplish our goals.

I promise you that I will work hard to prepare, just as I expect you to work hard to learn. I will be considerate and respectful of you, just as I expect you to be considerate and respectful of me and each other.

I promise to help each and every one of you learn for I KNOW that each and every one of you is capable!

Believe it or not, I know just how excited you are to come back to Marion Elementary after a fun summer vacation, as I, too, was once a student in this exact building! My third grade classroom was just across the hall in what is now Room 132!

My fondest memory as a student at MES would have to be when I won the 5th Grade Spelling Bee in 1996! After attending Marion Elementary, I moved across the campus to Bellmar Middle School (now Belle Vernon Area Middle School), and then proceeded to graduate from Belle Vernon Area High School in 2003. Learning doesn't stop once you graduate high school, however! My further education includes:

B.S. in Elementary Education, Penn State University (2003-2006)

M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction, Gannon University (2009-2010)

I am truly blessed to have been working here at Marion Elementary since 2007. Since being hired, I have taught in the role of PSSA Tutor, fifth grade differentiated reading/math, and fifth grade Math/Science. I have been part of the third grade team since the 2011-2012 school year.

I had a terrific time at MES as a student, but am having even more fun as a teacher because I get to work with students like you! I am humbled to have the opportunity to be in the role that I am in, and I will ensure that you not only receive the very best from me daily, but also have just as much fun as I did when I was in your shoes!

I am blessed to be married to my wife of twelve years with whom together we have three wonderful children - two girls and a boy! We furry member of our family - a grey pet cat! I have both a brother and a sister, and I am the oldest child!

Quote - "Do something nice for someone, today!" My Gram would remind me of that every morning when I would stop by on my way to school in order to wish her a good morning.

Hero - My Gram, the bravest and kindest person I've ever known

Color - Blue

Animals - Our pet cat and Grey Wolves

Numbers - 4 and 144

Hobbies (I have lots of them!) - reading, working on projects in my garage (cars, bicycles, mopeds, and tractors), gardening, and mowing grass ** Fun Fact - in 2019, I read 41 books in a year!

Food - Angel Hair Pasta w/Meat Sauce and Breadsticks

Beverage - Iced Tea or Vanilla Iced Coffee

Snack - Nectarines, Chocolate Donuts, and Nacho Chips with Pico de Gallo

Book Genres - Historical, Military, Mystery

TV Show - The Mandalorian, Bluey!

Season - Spring (because it's time to start working in the garden and on my lawn!)

Place - Locally ... Ohiopyle

Vacation ... Outer Banks or Virginia Beach

Sightseeing - Lake Erie, PA and Gettysburg, PA

Sports Team - Penn State & Pittsburgh Steelers

Restaurant - La Eda's, Olive Garden, Mama Pepino's

One of my favorite things to do is overcome challenges! I like to solve problems and don't stop trying until I figure out an answer!

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2019-2020 school year forced students, parents, and teachers alike to face a reality that none of us could have ever imagined or thought possible - we would not be going to school in a normal sense. We all had to adapt suddenly and rely on technology to interact, communicate, and learn, far more than we had to previously. The stunning development that school would not be in session was both scary and unexpected, as was the premise as to how we would move forward and what "school" would be like if we couldn't go back to the building.

When this seemingly monumental task of teaching remotely began, I was honestly nervous at the prospect of expectations, overwhelmed at not being able to teach in the way I was accustomed, and ultimately saddened that the progress, routine, and relationships built within my physical classroom walls at school would possibly suffer due to being "socially distanced". But, despite being out of the classroom, colleagues, students, and their families all embraced this journey and, I can attest to my own class, truly made this the best possible experience daily for the kids via the utilization of opportunities available online that we hadn't explored previously as a group. Ultimately, by the end of the school year, my students and I did not allow this pandemic to stifle our interactions as we modified our routines from having fun in class to having fun on Zoom, continuing to make progress together and strengthening already great relationships.

The fourth nine weeks of the aforementioned school year was truly a test for me professionally, as I had to embrace this unforeseen change and strengthen my skills as an educator to better serve my students. I tally this part of my life up as knowing how to ride a bicycle without training wheels because of lots of practice, but then having my bike taken away and swapped with a unicycle and told to jump on and ride it. Similar skills, but a bit different of an application needed applied to succeed in riding it. I am thankful to have, in my opinion, grown during this time in terms of technology implementation and resource usage. I have certainly picked up on a number of new tricks to bring more dynamic learning opportunities to future students, and I hope this will show through my efforts daily. I believe this was a key example in my life, as well as possibly many of yours, that served as proof that learning doesn't just take place at school during your childhood, but instead takes place everywhere, no matter your age.

The image to the left will take you to an exclusive "rap" I created for the class that I served during this trying time in order to summarize that school year. Feel free to give the picture a click and have your volume up to hear a bit about how our year went in 2019-2020. Enjoy!