Hello, Eagles! 

This is my 2nd year at Sunset Hill Elementary and I am so excited to start learning, creating, and reading with you! I have been a Library Media Specialist for 7 years. I previously was a 4th and 5th grade teacher for 4 years. I absolutely love my job in the library where I get to connect with each student at Sunset Hill throughout the entirety of their educational years here. Watching students grow from Kindergarteners just learning to read to 5th graders conquering chapter books is the best part of my job. 

I grew up in Central Kansas and moved to the Lawrence area where I attended Baker University for Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education. After a few years away, I returned to Lawrence 8 years ago. My husband and I love raising our son here in Lawrence with our 9 year old Corgi named Fawkes. I completed my Master's degree in Educational Technology and Library Media in 2016 from Pittsburg State University. 

Being a Library Media Specialist means that I work with students to find the right books for them. Sometimes kids need a book where they can see themselves reflected in the pages and other times kids need a book with a window to a completely different world unlike their own. Books have magical empathy-building properties that help our students to become compassionate citizens of the world. Curating a library collection to meet the needs of our students and staff requires a vast knowledge of just what each patron of our library needs as well as staying up-to-date with current literature trends. 

Beyond the books in our library, I also teach students about online safety and digital citizenship including becoming critical thinkers and kind internet users. I also open up our students to the world of technology by allowing them to create and design utilizing different apps and devices. Students learn to code in our library as well as learn to design digital presentations and posters.

Lastly, in the Sunset Hill library, students get to become engineers and artists by using our building and art supplies to design and make something entirely new and all their own. Our students at Sunset Hill love to build and show off their limitless creativity on a daily basis. I am always in awe of what these kids can do. We are constantly adding to our supplies and will always take donations.

As the Library Media Specialist, I wear many hats, but the most important one is the hat I wear while making connections with our Sunset Hill Eagles. It is my ultimate goal to always be guiding our students to be the best that they can be. I love being a Sunset Hill Eagle!