Getting to know your PE teachers

This is my thirteenth year working at Laurel Mountain Elementary, and my 10th year in the PE Department. I am super excited to be your Physical Education Teacher, working with our new PE Educational Assistant Jerry Taylor.

I have been in the Austin area since 1988 and can't imagine a better city to live in. We are fortunate to live in the healthiest region of our great state of Texas that offers us lakes, trails, parks, and so much more.

My husband John and I enjoy a two mile walk in the evenings in our neighborhood for exercise. There are very few days we miss this time together and I'm thankful he makes this part of our day a priority.

I have three daughters and one son. Morgan has started her adult life after graduating from Texas Tech University in May 2018. Ashlyn graduated from Texas Tech last spring and is now a 3rd grade teacher at our neighboring school Spicewood Elementary. Mady graduated from UT Arlington in 2017 and is working in the Dallas area. Rylee is living and working in Leander.

Many of the students at LME know my dog Truman. He has been fortunate to attend many Enrichment clusters over the past few years. One of my favorite hobbies has been showing my dogs, which has been an interest of mine since my elementary years. I have two English Cocker Spaniels and have finished Championships on both Truman and his mom, Val. Determination helped me through the handling process as I knew I could do this on my own without hiring a professional handler. This was truly a gratifying experience for me that I enjoy sharing with the students.

I am also looking forward to sharing my love for health and fitness with our students at LME. My wish is for all students to find a love and respect for their bodies and develop a desire to maintain a healthy lifestyle that will last a life time.

With great sincerity,

Debbie Bretsch

Hello, I am Jerry Taylor. I am very excited to be at Laurel Mountain Elementary school. I am very passionate about P.E. and teaching children how to be active and healthy for a lifetime.

Outside of school I coach soccer for Barcelona Academy Austin. I grew up playing soccer in the central Texas area. I also like playing basketball with my friends and watching the San Antonio Spurs.

When I'm not coaching soccer I love to try new foods and restaurants. My favorite foods are ramen noodles and cheeseburgers. I have two siblings. My younger brother is a junior at Texas A&M and my sister is 8 years old. She is in the third grade. All of us still play soccer to this day.