Meet Ms. Lala

Hello, my name is Marianela and I was born in Lima, Peru. I live in Denver with my husband Chris. I am the proud mother of two Edison Elementary graduates, my son Peter and daughter Corina. I was lucky to be their teacher in second grade. Cori graduated from Fresno Pacific University in Fresno, California with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology after also completing four years of collegiate soccer.  She is now completing a masters degree in Sports Psychology at Fresno State. As many families in the Edison community know, we lost Peter four years ago in a skiing accident. He was an avid athlete who lived each day to the fullest. Peter played soccer in Germany after high school and once he returned to Denver he started running ultra marathons in the mountains and also rediscovered his love of skiing and climbing. Our family continues to honor Peter's zest for life, humor and love of adventure.  

I have been at Edison since 1995 when I did my student teaching through UCD. At that time I taught in Spanish and I had a combined 2/3 grade classroom.  I graduated from UCD with a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction.  My undergraduate is a BA in Physical Education with an emphasis in Athletic Training.

I came to the United States after high school to attend college.  I was lucky enough to receive a full scholarship to the same university Cori is now attending through volleyball and academics. I played volleyball for four years in college and that is where I met Chris. I love playing sports, being active and being outdoors but preferably in warm weather! Chris and I moved to Denver in 1994 to be close to his family who are all here in North Denver.

Peru is still a big part of my life.  My parents are still there and we visit often.  We have a house in the countryside of Lima where we have our horses and a house at the beach.  I really love it there.

I love being a teacher. But most of all I enjoy watching my students become independent learners, students that are aware of their academic needs and can make decisions towards those goals. I enjoy learning from my students and always look forward to building relationships with them and their families. Parents are always invited into the classroom and I count on that support to create the best learning environment for all of us.

Please don't hesitate to contact me. Can't wait to meet all of you!

   Ms. Lala