Ms. Thomas' Bio

This year will be my 11th year of teaching and I'm so happy that nine of those years have been at Vestal! I love teaching Kindergarten and couldn't imagine teaching anything else! Being part of the first year of school for students is such a fun process. Watching and guiding them through tremendous amounts of learning is such an honor. I love to have fun and try my best to make sure that students have fun in Kindergarten!

I've lived in Portland for 16 years, but am originally from Florida. I grew up playing in the mud, hunting for insects and catching crawdads in the ditches in our neighborhood. I had so many interests and changed "what I wanted to be when grow up" dozens of times. I've been to Space Camp, took a flying lesson on my 16th birthday, studied fashion design, dreamed of being a Rockette and a race car driver. I eventually settled on Art School and studied photography! But, nothing ever felt "right." After I taught a children's art class, I knew this was it! I love the creativity of being a teacher and the opportunity to show students that they can learn about anything!

In my time away from school, I love to wander in the forest, take pictures, play in my garden, look for mushrooms, swim in rivers and play with my six year old son.

Degrees

BFA in Photography - University of Florida, Gainesville, FL

MA in Education - Portland State University, Portland, OR