2nd Grade *

Kristi Hanretta, 2nd Grade

   kristi.hanretta@simivalleyusd.org

  I’m Kristi Hanretta. I went to the University of Santa Barbara for 5 years. I earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications and then got my Teaching Credential there. I became a teacher at Sycamore in 2014, after Simi Elementary was closed. I had been teaching kindergarten through 2nd grade at Simi Elementary for 21 years, 8 of which I taught a 2nd grade GATE (Gifted and Talented Education) cluster class. Sycamore has become my new home!

     I am married and have 2 sons. Nathan is 23 years old and Kevin is 16. I attended schools in Simi Valley from kindergarten through 12th grade. I went to Garden Grove Elementary, Sequoia Junior High, and graduated from Simi Valley High School. I enjoy music and dancing. Growing up, I took ballet, tap, and jazz classes, and now I like doing Jazzercise. If you are looking for the shortest teacher on the staff, that would be me! 

    I truly enjoy working with young students. I have been teaching 1st grade, 2nd grade, and 3rd grade at Sycamore. I love watching the children grow academically, as well as become more independent, confident students. I feel honored to get to be a part of their educational journey here at Sycamore.

Lara Davis, 2nd/3rd Grades

lara.davis@simivalleyusd.org

 

I have been teaching elementary school for the last 18 years. I received my Bachelor of Arts degree from Pepperdine University and my Teaching Credential and Masters in Education from California Lutheran University. I began my teaching career in Kindergarten and have taught 1st, 2nd and 3rd grades. I was hired at Sycamore Elementary School the day before school started and have been lucky to be here ever since! 

I have one daughter who is married and now living in North Carolina. I was born and raised in Colorado and remain a die-hard Denver Broncos fan! I am passionate about reading and traveling. I have lived in Germany two different times and love to study and learn about WWII. I absolutely love my job and feel fortunate be a part of children’s lives and their learning. Their joy and passion, as well as struggles, inspire me to work hard, stay positive and enjoy life!

Megan Suzuki, 1st/2nd Grades (SDC)

megan.suzuki@simivalleyusd.org

I am Megan Suzuki, and I am a special education teacher here at Sycamore Elementary School. I earned both my Bachelor's Degree in Child Development and my Education Specialist Credential from California State University-Northridge. I have taught in the Simi Valley Unified School District since 2002. I worked as an Inclusion Specialist for my first four years in the district, and had the chance to work at several of our district's schools, including Sycamore. I enjoyed working with the teachers and students at Sycamore, and when the opportunity arose to take over one of the special education classroom here, I jumped at the chance! Both of my daughters attended Sycamore throughout their elementary school years, and I loved having them on campus with me.

I have worked with children in a variety of settings for all of my adult life. In addition to being an elementary special education teacher, I've also worked as a preschool teacher and early intervention teacher. My favorite parts of teaching are getting to know my students, watching them learn to do something for the first time by themselves, and seeing students' pride and excitement in learning.