There is a new classroom on the third-grade hallway this year, and if you walk past it during reading time, you are likely to hear the sound of laughter mixed with the careful sounding-out of words — a sure sign that Mrs. Elena Garcia has settled in beautifully at May Catholic School.
Mrs. Garcia joined the faculty this past August, stepping into the role of third-grade lead teacher after fifteen years working in Catholic education across two states. She comes to May Catholic School with deep roots in faith-based learning and a teaching philosophy centered on what she calls “whole-child education.”
“I want every child in my classroom to feel known,” she explained on a recent afternoon, her room still warm with the evidence of the morning’s lessons — a handwritten anchor chart on fractions, a bulletin board covered in student drawings of their favorite saints, a reading nook tucked into the corner with a small wooden cross above the bookshelf.
Getting to know Mrs. Garcia reveals a person of remarkable energy. She grew up in a bilingual household and uses her fluency in Spanish regularly in the classroom, something that has been warmly received by the school’s growing number of Spanish-speaking families. She has already begun a small Spanish conversation circle that meets during lunch on Wednesdays, open to any student who wants to participate.
Students have taken to her immediately. “She makes math actually fun,” reported third-grader Tommy Nguyen with the kind of absolute sincerity only a nine-year-old can muster. His classmate Priya Shah agreed: “She tells us stories about the saints like they were real people. Because they were!”
Mrs. Garcia is also an advocate for parent engagement. In her first month, she launched a monthly newsletter — written in both English and Spanish — that gives families a detailed window into classroom life. She has already hosted two parent coffee mornings and has plans for a classroom “open day” in the spring where parents are invited to sit in on a full morning of lessons.
Principal Mrs. O’Brien described Mrs. Garcia’s arrival as a gift to the school community. “She walked in on day one and immediately felt like she had always been here. That is rare, and it speaks to who she is.” The sentiment is shared by her colleagues in the third and fourth-grade wing, several of whom have already begun collaborating with her on cross-classroom projects.
When asked what she loves most about May Catholic School, Mrs. Garcia did not hesitate. “The spirit here. The way the children and the parents and the staff all share something — a common purpose, a sense of belonging. You can feel it the moment you walk in. That’s what Catholic education looks like at its best.”
May Catholic School is grateful and delighted to have Mrs. Garcia as part of its family. If you have not yet had the chance to introduce yourself, she welcomes a visit — her door, like her classroom, is always open.
