Hello Walrus Families-

My name is Renee Rivera and I am the Walrus teacher for the 1^st and 2^nd grade. I am entering my sixth year with CMP Carmichael.

Before becoming a Montessori teacher, I was a parent of a CMP student. It was the first year CMP offered Transitional Kindergarten and as I toured the Carmichael campus, I was impressed by the Montessori approach to teaching and the layout of the Montessori classroom. I appreciated the Montessori philosophy of “following the child” and thought this environment would be a good fit for my son and daughter. I had my teaching credential and expected to teach in a more traditional classroom- but decided that once my daughter entered the CMP TK/Kinder program, I would pursue a Montessori certification. I fell in love with the Montessori materials and the classroom environment.

I enjoy supporting my students in their individual learning styles and guiding them in taking ownership of their learning. I encourage them to bring ideas into the classroom to share, to have meaningful discussions, and to organically exchange the roles of teacher and student throughout the school year.

On my free time, I enjoy time with my kids, road trips, travel abroad, and exploring new things.

My name is Sumithra Palanisamy and I am the Teaching Assistant for the Walrus Class. I am looking forward to working with the Walrus students this year!

I have completed 5 years as a Teaching Assistant at CMP Carmichael, which feel like another family to me. Having my Bachelors in Management and Masters in Computer Science, teaching was always my passion and I have the goal of completing my teaching credential in the near future.

One of my greatest strengths is helping Ms.Renee to maintain a productive learning environment for the students and helping the students focus on their learning. I am so proud of the Walrus students’ achievements and I am eager to work with them in the 20/21 school year!