Ms. Shainna 

Shainna is a passionate educator who has been teaching TK / K at ISSAC for three years. Shainna attended Loyola New Orleans for college and graduated from the University of San Francisco with a Bachelors in Media Studies and Politics. She completed her Teaching Credential from California State University, Long Beach and Clear Credential with Orange County Department of Education. Shainna was born and raised in San Francisco, where her family resides and where she spends her vacations. During the summers, Shainna works at an enrichment program in SF, where she has taught Ancient Egypt, Literature, Math & Mind Games, Journalism, Maker's and Inventions Workshops, and Chemistry. She has had fifteen years experience teaching children in both public and private school and spent some time in homeschooling and outdoor education inspired by Waldorf. Shainna's love of her life is her daughter, Sierra, who will be going into Second Grade and whom she is incredibly proud of. 

Shainna is an avid surfer and enjoys camping, playing sports, listening to music, reading, dancing, and spending quality time with her daughter. Shainna feels blessed and grateful to be a member of the wonderful ISSAC Community.

Ms. Norely

Ms. Norely Nava grew up in Costa Mesa California. She received her B.A and Multiple Subject Teaching Clearn 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. This is her fourth year at ISSAC and she promotes a positive classroom environment to build the joy of learning. 

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

Mr. Andrew

Teaching Philosophy: Mr. Andrew places students at the center of the learning process. Each student brings a unique set of experiences, strengths, and perspectives to the classroom. By recognizing and valuing this diversity, he creates a nurturing and inclusive environment where all students feel respected and motivated to participate. He employs a variety of teaching strategies to address different learning styles, such as collaborative projects, hands-on activities, gamification, culturally responsive teaching, technology integration, and so on.

Professional Experiences: Mr. Andrew is entering his fourth year of teaching at the International School for Science and Culture and has taught multiple subjects from kindergarten to eighth grade. 

Prior to teaching, Mr. Andrew worked in a variety of operational/administrative services roles and professional settings from agile startups to established educational institutions in Stanford University.

Education: Mr. Andrew attended the University of California, Riverside earning a BA in Liberal Studies and graduating with cum laude honors. He represents California State University, Fresno’s Multiple Subject Credential program (CalStateTEACH). 

Interests and Hobbies: Outside of the classroom, Mr. Andrew enjoys spending time with his family, reading, watching TV, eating international and plant-based cuisine, hiking, and exploring national parks.

Fun Fact: Last year, Mr. Andrew’s class participated in a quiz game that provided his students with multiple opportunities to pie him in the face. 

Ms. Susie

Ms. Susie began her teaching journey 25 years ago as a graduate teaching assistant at Cal State University Los Angeles. While there, she learned and practiced the ideas and philosophies of Paulo Freire and bell hooks. Those are still remarkable, creative, and transformative ideas that she strives to apply in the classroom. After finishing her MA in Language Arts; Communication Studies, she earned her CLAD Credential, and began teaching in K-12 schools, currently with a Multiple Subject Clear Credential. She worked with students of multiple ages, abilities, cross cultural, and socio-economic backgrounds and this is her second year at ISSAC!

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

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 and guitar.. 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 his Multiple Subject Clear Credential and Single-Subject Math Credentials. He has taught for more than 20 years at the primary, middle school, and high school levels.As a middle-school teacher of Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies this year, he is particularly excited about implementing the Math for All textbooks (Courses 1,2, and 3), the Supercharged Science curriculum, and the Core Knowledge History and Geography curriculum.

He is married and lives in Huntington Beach. For fun and relaxation Darryl meditates daily, writes songs, plays piano,, takes long bike rides with his brother,, and attends rock concerts. This is his third year at ISSAC!

Ms. Cheryl Erskine

More information to come

Mr. Hiroshi has been dedicated to physical education for over a decade, specializing in working with young children from preschool age through elementary school. Since 2013, Mr. Hiroshi has been a P.E. teacher at Montessori International Academy, where they have been nurturing the physical development of children from ages 3 to school age. In 2022, he expanded his expertise by joining Tampopo Club and Tampopo Bilingual Children’s Center, where he currently teaches physical education to children aged 2 to 5. 

Additionally, Mr. Hiroshi has been providing both Japanese language instruction and physical education to students in grades 1 through 6 at East West Language School since 2020. He also serves as a P.E. educator for Kindergarten to 2nd-grade students at Lyceum Village and Higashi Honganji Temple. He is passionate about promoting physical activity and fostering healthy lifestyles in young children, ensuring they develop the skills and confidence needed for lifelong well-being.