Ms. Shainna 

Shainna Breslow received her Bachelors in Arts at The University of San Francisco, with studies in Politics and Media. She found her passion for teaching, volunteering with foster youth in Los Angeles, then working at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Long Beach. After receiving her credential from CSU Long Beach, she began positions in P.E., Reading Intervention, then moved into a role as a Third Grade teacher in public education. From there, Shainna worked as a Kindergarten teacher at a local private school. After moving back up to her home in San Francisco and having her daughter, Shainna substituted in grades PreK through High School, and then back to positions as a Kindergarten and First Grade teacher. 

As the pandemic hit, Shainna started mixed aged nature learning pods at the forests, parks, and beaches along the San Mateo coast, with her daughter as one of her new students. Along with Waldorf and Gymboree trained teachers, the children learned about the ecology of the area, sang songs, constructed crafts, played cooperative and inventive games, climbed trees and were engineers at the beach. At the same time, Shainna tutored First Grade homeschoolers at family homes. She organized fieldtrips, scheduled guest speakers, and helped build a strong community.

When Shainna's daughter was ready for Kindergarten, she moved her family back to Orange County, to attend a learning center where she taught Fourth Grade Physics, Astronomy, ELA, and Yoga. Shainna is trained in Emergency Preparedness, CPR / First Aid, Mindfulness, Community Circles, Reading Intervention, and Social Justice teaching. 

Shainna is a dedicated teacher and mother. She loves to surf on her free time and her daughter, Sierra and her enjoy spending time in nature, rock hounding, going to the movies, listening to music, and having fun with family and friends. 

Ms. Norely

Ms. Norely Nava grew up in Costa Mesa California. She received her B.A and Multiple Subject Teaching Credential at Cal State Long Beach. Norely has a Google Certification Level 1 and Google Education Training for diverse learners. Her teaching focuses on hands-on instruction as part of an engaging experience. She promotes a positive classroom environment to build the joy of learning. 

She enjoys baking, biking and hiking in her free time. 

Mr. Darryl

As a middle schooler, Darryl grew up in South Lake Tahoe skiing and building tree forts. As a Huntington Beach high schooler, he spent his time studying psychology, philosophy, Latin, surfing and playing the harmonica. As a Junior, he got invited to teach his own class. At Golden West, he pursued philosophy, music, teaching phonics, mathematics and learning to play several instruments. He discovered his passion for teaching by working with illiterate adults and tutoring mathematics at the Golden West Math Lab. As a result, he earned his Instructional Aide Certificate in Phonics and Mathematics and his A.A. in Music and Mathematics. At UCR, he received his B.A with a major in Psychology, a minor in Education and earned both his Multiple Subject and Single-Subject Math Credentials. He has taught for more than 18 years at the primary, middle school, and high school levels. As a primary teacher, he taught for 4 years at a private school in Laguna Beach, and developed a progressive multi-subject class that “grew-up” with his students and created the music performance school there. He loves to ask the type of questions that will encourage his students to think in new ways. 

He is married and lives in Huntington Beach. For fun and relaxation Darryl meditates daily, writes songs, takes long bike rides with his brother, and attends rock concerts.

My name is Greg Sewalt, a.k.a. ¨Mr. Greg". I received my bachelor's degree from UC Davis before earning my teaching credential from Cal State Freso. I'm a sixth year teacher with a focus on equity and excellence, having taught in San Jose, the Los Angeles area, and the Austin area. In my freetime, I enjoy meditation, playing guitar, hiking, yoga / strength training, and playing with my two children of 3 and 4. I am looking forward to getting to know y'all throughout the school year and working together to support your child's academic growth!

Mr. Andrew

Mr. Andrew attended the University of California, Riverside earning a BA in Liberal Studies and graduating with cum laude Latin honors. He was selected and inducted into Omicron Delta Kappa, a national leadership honor society, as a lifetime member. He has previously received the Senator Jim Brulte Scholastic Achievement Award.

Although Mr. Andrew has had successful experience working in various organizations and industries, his heart will always reside and thrive in the education sector. In the classroom, he utilizes a student-centric approach and emphasizes the growth mindset, resilience, and 21st century skills to nurture every student to be his or her best at ISSAC and beyond. 

Outside of the classroom, Mr. Andrew enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, hiking, camping, and following the MLB and NBA.

Ms. Susie

I began my teaching journey 25 years ago as a graduate teaching assistant at Cal State University Los Angeles. While there, I learned and practiced the ideas and philosophies of Paulo Freire and bell hooks. Those are still remarkable, creative, and transformative ideas that I strive to apply in my classroom. After finishing my MA in Language Arts; Communication Studies, I earned my CLAD Credential, and began teaching in K-12 schools. I worked with students of multiple ages, abilities, cross cultural, and socio-economic backgrounds.

When my four children were very young, I became interested in language development and began instructing EFL and ESL students from all over the world. These experiences gave me a varied spectrum of students and cultures, and have informed my instruction to allow for and adapt to various learning styles, cultural strengths, and the various individual talents in our learning environment. My own learning continues as I take Art courses and enjoy reading great books. In my spare time I love to go hiking, swimming, and take in live performances. I believe each student has a story, a hope for a future, and a reason to be exactly where they are. It is my desire to facilitate learning in such a way that the journey to your goals is affirming, insightful, and produces quality results. I am eager to work with you in safe, encouraging, and challenging ways forward.

Ms. Lisa Verdamen

More information to come