Mr. Tate

Welcome to Fourth Grade at Westridge Elementary School! It is fantastic to be your child's teacher, and I look forward to meeting and working with all of my students and families this year!  It is going to be exciting!

I moved to Glendale Heights, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, at a very young age and spent my childhood in the Chicago Land area.  I left Chicago to start a career in Naval Aviation.  26 wonderful and fulfilling years in the Navy included volunteering to teach English language learners on several different continents; this is when I fell in love with teaching kids.  I also traveled the world, having the tremendous pleasure of being exposed to and interacting with unique cultures. While in the military, I continued to develop my teaching skills, teaching aviation technology and maintenance to older adolescents.

I have two amazing boys, Joel and Nathan, aged 15 and 16, who occupy most of my time. Joel enjoys snowboarding, working out, and plays on the Columbine High School football team. Nathan enjoys basketball, mountain biking, snowboarding, and Disc Golf, where he is slowly climbing the ranks, hoping to go pro. The whole family loves to enjoy our local surroundings, and we spend plenty of time camping and hiking during the summer.

 When I have time to relax, I enjoy flying kites, a good game of pool, and ballroom dancing. I attended the University of Colorado at Denver, where I received my Elementary Education licensure and earned a degree with honors in Education and Human Development.  Thank you for allowing me to be your child's teacher. Children are absolutely amazing, and I am honored to partner with them on the adventure that awaits.