*UPDATED SEPTEMBER 2014*
Here's the returning Kindergarten team for 2014-15, with their answers from last year's Friday Faces:
Mary Knudson
Kindergarten Lead Teacher and Educational Consultant
Q: What is your degree in?
A: Communications and a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential
Q: What was your last job before your SLOCA life?
A: Stay at Home Mom
Q: What is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?
A: Look at the clock
Q: What is your favorite local restaurant?
A: Giuseppe’s in SLO
Q: What was your favorite book when you were a child?
A: The Little Engine that Could
Q: What is your favorite piece of literature that we've read at SLOCA?
A: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Sarah Root
Kindergarten Core Teacher (Track A) and Friday Foundations Kindergarten Teacher
Q: What is your degree in?
A: BA in Psychology; MA in Teaching with Elementary Ed. Emphasis; Multiple Subject Teaching Credential
Q: What was your last job before your SLOCA life?
A: Before kids, right out of college, I worked with Santa Barbara County in the Mental Health field with children and adolescents doing behavioral plans and on-call crisis intervention.
Q: What is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?
A: Change my 2 year old's diaper 
and get ready to work-out.
Q: What is your favorite local restaurant?
A: Giuseppe’s in Pismo Beach
Q: What was your favorite book when you were a child?
A: Charlotte's Web (still a favorite today!) and when I was a little older The Baby Sitter's Club series from Ann M. Martin. I still have books #1-100 sitting in a box in my garage – I'm sure my husband would be happy to see them go
Q: What is your favorite piece of literature that we've read at SLOCA?
A: I have two favorites: Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney and The Raft by Jim LaMarche
Amy Houser
Kindergarten Core Teacher (Track B)
Q: What is your degree in?
A: BA in Diversified General Studies
Q: What was your last job before your SLOCA life?
A: I taught Kinder and 1st grade in Orange County for 5 years then worked in the SMBSD for 5 years as a Teacher Tutor.
Q: What is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?
A: Let the chickens out of their evening coop.
Q: What is your favorite local restaurant?
A: I wish I was able to rattle off a long list, but the only restaurant I seem to get to is In-n-Out.
Q: What was your favorite book when you were a child?
A: “Stand Back,” said the Elephant, I'm Going to Sneeze!” by Patricia Thomas
Q: What is your favorite piece of literature that we've read at SLOCA?
A: I enjoyed The Prince and the Pauper as much as my kids did.
Caroline Vaccaro
Kindergarten Art Teacher and Intermediate Art Teacher (both tracks)
Q: What is your degree in?
A: I have a Bachelors Degree in Economics and Business with an emphasis in Marketing and Management. I also have a second degree in Art with an emphasis in Fine Art and Art History from Westmont College in Santa Barbara. I attended Concordia University in Irvine for a secondary teaching credential in Art.
Q: What was your last job before your SLOCA life?
A: I spent many years in corporate sales for Verizon Wireless and Abbott Pharmaceuticals before my boys were born. I also owned a ceramics business for many years. In 2006 I opened Monart Art School to provide art education to the central coast.
Q: What is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?
A: I love to work late! I create new lessons, read, paint, and so the first thing I do in the morning is have a cup of coffee and give my boys a big kiss!
Q: What is your favorite local restaurant?
A: My parents house is my favorite local restaurant. My mom is the most wonderful cook and my father is a fisherman, hunter and gardener. We have dinner together at least three times a week.
Q: What was your favorite book when you were a child?
A: Heidi and The Black Stallion. I still own the copies. Heidi reminded me about my grandmother’s house in Germany and I always loved horses when I was young. When I was in high school I started reading biographies and fell in love with them, especially about artists! I just finished a book about Emily Carr, a Canadian Artist who is famous for painting Totem Poles.
Q: What is your favorite piece of literature that we've read at SLOCA?
A: 6. My favorite piece of SLOCA literature was The Apprentice by Pilar Molina Llorente. It really made me want to live in the Renaissance.
Kindergarten teachers featured elsewhere:
Kindergarten – Intermediate Music Teacher
Thank you ladies, for the opportunity to get to know you a little more! We appreciate all you do for our precious kinder students.
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