FACULTY LOUNGE mable shares faculty fun facts

Four Fabulous Facts About Four Fabulous Teachers

Lisa Napier: Born and raised in Vancouver, Canada but attended Vanguard University on a basketball scholarship.

Kathryn Baham: Has had many unique experiences including raising Black Angus cattle, spending a summer on a Navajo Indian Reservation, owning a Mynah bird named Bo, and plucking chickens for an entire day.

Lainie Kelbaugh: Grew up on a 40 acre Arabian horse ranch.

Gustav Gratzer: Worked for the Miss Universe Organization for a year as an assistant to the Director putting on the TV telecast.

Contributed by Karen, Mable campus

FACULTY LOUNGE anaheim hills' marissa dominguez wears many hats

Those at the Anaheim Hills campus may know Ms. Marissa Dominguez best as an extended day staff member and summer camp counselor, but did you know that she’s also a credentialed teacher who sometimes steps in as a guest teacher as well?  This is Marissa’s seventh year with Fairmont where she is a familiar face in student services.  She earned her CA teaching credential and BA in Liberal Studies from CSU Fullerton.  In addition to her varied roles at Fairmont, she works as a guest teacher and summer school teacher with the Placentia Yorba Linda and Brea Olinda school districts.  She is also an accomplished dancer with 16 years of experience in jazz, ballet and lyrical dance.  Her hobbies include taking zumba classes, salsa dancing and scrapbooking.  “I feel such a bond with the students here at Fairmont.  I love being able to watch children grow, play, and learn,” she says.

Contributed by Vicky, Anaheim Hills campus

FACULTY LOUNGE edgewood cheers for ms. blaire bradley

This is Ms. Blaire Bradley’s fourth year as a guest teacher at the Edgewood campus. Currently, she is a long-term guest teacher for Mrs. June Huang, teaching Jr. High Literature and English. She also coaches the award-winning Edgewood Eagles Cheer Squad and recently joined the Preparatory Academy faculty as their cheer coach. Blaire has a BA in Liberal Studies from Chapman University and is in the process of completing her Masters degree and teaching credential at Chapman University as well. 

“My favorite part of being at Edgewood is all the wonderful people I get to surround myself with everyday: enthusiastic students, supporting co-workers, and friendly parents. It is my hope that someday I can be a permanent member of the Fairmont family.” In her free time, Blaire enjoys reading, cooking, shopping, and spending time with her family.  

Contributed by Jonna, Edgewood campus

FACULTY LOUNGE citron shares ms. shelley bivens' passion for teaching

Ms. Shelley Bivens believes “teaching is the best career on earth!” and it shows in her zest for guiding the junior kindergartners in her class at the Citron campus.  She has been with Fairmont for the past four years; teaching junior kindergarten for three years and kindergarten for one year.  She is also the campuses’ math and science curriculum coordinator.  Shelley came to Fairmont with a BA degree in Cross-Cultural Teaching and she also has her CA elementary teaching credential.  

“We were not given knowledge to keep for ourselves, but to impart to the next generations,” she says.  Her favorite part of her job is “experiencing the joy that comes when students understand a concept and begin applying it. I love it when students go home and share what they learned in the classroom that day!”  In her free time, Shelley enjoys running, reading, watching football, Bible study and spending time with friends and family.

Contributed by Elly, Citron campus

FACULTY LOUNGE edgewood teacher strikes a chord

Junior High English teacher Ms. Denise Miller was born and raised in Portland, Oregon.   She was involved in many different clubs and organizations growing up, including soccer, basketball, Girl Scouts, and band.  Not only was she a part of her high school marching band, but for three summers in high school she was part of a band from the Northwest called Northern Lights. She has visited most states in the country as a result and has participated in the Portland Rose Parade, Starlight Parade, Junior Rose Parade, and Disney Magic Music Days at Disneyland.

Ms. Miller earned her BA in English from the University of Oregon where she was part of the Oregon Marching Band, Symphonic Band, and Concert Band. While at UO, she participated in many activities, including the Holiday Bowl and Parade, Fiesta Bowl and Parade, the Sun Bowl, and the Seattle Bowl. After graduation, she enrolled in Pacific University’s Masters in Teaching program, graduating in December 2004 and spent the next six months in on-the-job training as a substitute teacher in Eugene and Springfield.

The summer of 2005, she relocated to California where her brother was living. Her first job here was in Riverside County at a school called Harvest Valley Elementary. She taught junior high English and computers there. In 2006, she began here at Fairmont teaching computers K-8. In 2007, she added junior high English to her responsibilities.

On weekends and holidays, Ms. Miller enjoys watching college football and basketball games, visiting Disneyland with friends and family, and watching movies. She enjoys reading and watching most genres, but science fiction is her favorite. Ms. Miller still visits her family in Oregon and Washington once or twice a year, but she also loves to travel to other states.  Her next goal is to visit either Florida or Hawaii.

Contributed by Jonna, Edgewood campus