Our Faculty

Ms. Julianne Macairan 

Administrative Assistant

 

Ms. Julianne recently graduated from UC Davis with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. She has previous experience working with children as a behavior technician in the Davis/Sacramento area. This is her first school year as the Mission Hills School Administrative Assistant for the Castro Valley Campus. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, traveling, and going to the beach. She also loves her 2-year-old calico cat named Zuko, which she found in her backyard.

 

 

 

Junior Kindergarten

Mrs. Divine Diaz

Jr. K Teacher

 

     This is Mrs. Diaz's sixth year at Mission Hills School on the Castro Valley campus. She worked as a Junior Kindergarten teacher for almost 20 years in a private school setting and has a background in Early Childhood Education. Four to five year-olds are her favorite age group to teach. She loves watching how the students grow, mature, and begin to read. She cannot imagine a more rewarding job. Her goal in teaching is to get children excited about school and make them feel loved and respected.  

    When she's not teaching, she likes spending time with her little family and exploring new places. Her child attends Mission Hills Middle School in Union City. She loves coffee, the color pink, Math, anything Disney, the SF Giants, SF Niners, Lakers, F1 racing, dancing, and photography.  

 

 

Ms. Nature Obazee

Jr. K-2  Teacher

 

     Ms. Nature is the Junior Kindergarten teacher in room 2 at Mission Hills School Castro Valley. She has been with the Castro Valley campus for two years and recently graduated from California State University East Bay with a bachelor's degree in Sociology. She is passionate about teaching and eager to learn from her colleagues and grow.

 

 

 

Ms. Raquel Sebastian

Jr. K Teacher's Assistant

 

 

 

 

 

     

 

 

Kindergarten

Mrs. Carol Abe

Kindergarten Teacher

 

     With 17 years of experience as an educator and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Child Development, Ms. Carol is deeply committed to fostering young minds and creating a nurturing learning environment. She is the proud mother of two amazing children, ages 17 and 10, as well as two beloved fur babies. Her family has called Castro Valley home for over 20 years, a testament to her dedication and pride in the community. Ms. Carol feels truly blessed to be an educator and to share in her students' daily growth and development.

 

 

Ms. Terry Remien

Kindergarten Teacher

 

   This is Ms. Terry’s 8th year at MHS Castro Valley; she spent three years as a Jr. K teacher and is now enjoying her fifth year as one of our Kindergarten teachers. Ms. Terry has a background in Early Child Development and over 20 years of experience. She loves to help spark a love for learning, creativity, and exploration in the hearts and minds of the children in her care. Ms. Terry’s goal is to use her many years of experience to create a safe and nurturing environment that supports each child’s

individuality while ensuring they are socially and academically prepared for 1st grade. Ms. Terry enjoys gardening, reading, traveling, and outdoor adventures with her family in her free time.

 

 

Ms. Jessica Lenida

Kindergarten Teacher's Assistant

 

     This will be Ms. Jessica Lenida's first year at MHS! Ms. Jessica is a Kindergarten Teacher Assistant and is excited and eager to contribute to young learners' growth. Ms. Jessica recently graduated from California State University East Bay Hayward with a BA in Liberal Arts, focusing on Early Childhood Education. She is passionate about fostering a nurturing and educational environment. She finds joy in working with children towards their growth, witnessing their curiosity, and helping explore innovative ways to promote knowledge and play. Besides her love for early childhood education, Ms. Jessica loves to catch a Giants baseball game, explore different cities in the Bay Area, or go to concerts with friends and family.

 

   

 

1st Grade

Ms. Mary Torres

1st Grade Teacher

 

     In her 11th year as a Veteran Educator with the MHMS and MHS in Castro Valley Campuses, Ms. Mary continues to love, teach, and guide the students. She brings her expertise, passion, laughter, and creativity to the students, engaging them every step of the way. Ms. Mary holds a BA in Interior Design from the University of Guadalajara, Mexico. She holds her Early Childhood Education credentials from Ohlone College; she has experience teaching middle school Spanish, being a librarian, and working with different age levels from junior K to 5th grade. The multiple courses she has obtained throughout her work with the MHMS and MHS campuses make her portfolio a bountiful box of tools to help and guide students. Ms. Mary has two children of her own: a son, Michael, who is 21 years old, and a daughter, Emma, who is 15, who attended MHMS for five years since kindergarten.

 

     Furthermore, our MHS Parents know Ms. Mary from junior K-5th grades from her interactive hands-on and original after-school clubs; Ms. Mary has nurtured and given the foundation as a cornerstone everywhere possible to the MHS campus since the doors opened to the great community in Castro Valley and all its surroundings.

 

 

 

Ms. Kathryn Haidinyak

First Teacher's Assistant

 

Ms. Kathryn is new to MHS and excited for the upcoming school year. She enjoys going on walks with her dog and has a passion for dabbling in interior design. A graduate of Sonoma State with a degree in Liberal Studies, Kathryn focused her studies on child development and learning. While earning her degree, she worked at a preschool where she developed a year-long project called "A Preschooler's Promise." For this project, Kathryn worked with children ages 3 to 5, either in groups or one-on-one, helping them come up with inspirational messages to share with the students of SSU. The children created the messages, painted the backgrounds, and wrote them themselves—with some help along the way! This experience was incredibly rewarding for Kathryn, allowing her to work closely with young children and learn more about how their developing minds work.

 

2nd Grade

Ms. Poonam Shriwastow

2nd Grade Teacher

 

     Ms. Poonam is from the beautiful country of Fiji. She holds a Bachelor of Science, a Graduate Certificate in Education, and a Postgraduate Certificate in Biology from the University of the South Pacific. Her majors include Biology, Chemistry, and Education, and she has recently completed her Early Childhood Education (ECE) Units. Before moving to the United States, Ms. Poonam was a high school teacher in Fiji for ten years. She is also a proud mother to her wonderful son, whom she loves and adores.

     Teaching is Ms. Poonam's passion. She finds great joy in spending time with children, and her greatest accomplishment is witnessing her students' success. In her free time, she enjoys reading books, watching movies, traveling, and spending quality time with her family.

 

 

3rd Grade

Ms. Florence Hunt

3rd Grade Teacher

 

 

 

4th Grade

Ms. Sarah Anderson

4th Grade Teacher

    

     Ms. Sarah's passion for teaching and dedication to making a difference in how children learn have always driven her to reach where she is today. She graduated from Cal State East Bay with a bachelor's degree in Human Development, focusing on Child Development, and has worked with children for nearly 15 years.

 

     This is her first year teaching at Mission Hills School, and she could not be more excited. She teaches because she wants to make a lasting impact on how children learn by helping them develop the skills they need to become lifelong learners, and, in turn, develop a love for learning. She believes that confidence is key in life, especially for young learners. Children need to feel empowered and confident in their abilities. She approaches this year with the mindset of "yet"—for example, "I don’t understand fractions... yet," or "I can’t remember the correct word to use... yet." This approach helps children adopt a growth mindset, allowing them to shift to a more positive perspective on life and learning. She looks forward to creating an environment where students are excited to learn, unafraid to make mistakes, and where their efforts are consistently acknowledged and praised.

 

     Her greatest gifts are her two amazing children. She feels blessed to have the best of both worlds, a son and a daughter. Her son, Matthew, is thirteen and just started 8th grade, while her daughter, Willow, is two and a half years old.

 

5th Grade

Mr. Will LaMarche

5th Grade Teacher

 

     After spending two years as the PE teacher and one year as the 4th-grade Science and Social Studies teacher, Mr. Will is eager and excited to take on a new role as the 5th-grade teacher.

 

     While this role is new for him, working with kids is not—it has become a passion of his since retiring from his professional baseball career (Detroit Tigers and SF Giants; 2013-2018). Outside of school, he spends even more time running his private baseball business, coaching young kids (ages 8-18).

 

     At this point, he’s ready to take on anyone in a Roblox, Minecraft, or Pokemon trivia game.

Some of his favorite things include chocolate chip cookies, watching Survivor, relaxing at home, and spending time with his wife, Ms. Pelin!

Electives

Ms. Terilynn Nash

Physical Education

 

Mrs. Nash loves fitness, dancing, and singing. She attended Humboldt State University, where she earned her Bachelor's in Science in Kinesiology and also studied various types of dance. She is married and has a one-year-old daughter. This is her first year at MHS as a physical educator, and she also teaches children's ballet outside of MHS. Her greatest success as a teacher is witnessing many of her students overcome their fears and gain confidence in areas where they previously lacked it.

 

Mr. Carl Nash II

Music

 

Carl Nash was born in Oakland and is a pianist in the Bay Area. As a child, he taught himself piano until college. He studied Jazz, Afro-Cuban, and Gospel music for most of his musical career. He is also a producer who scored a documentary on Oakland's cultural history. He teaches piano and performs locally.

 

 

Mrs. Veronica Pena

Spanish and Librarian

 

Mrs. Veronica was born and raised in Los Reyes, Michoacán, Mexico. She has been married for 25 years and has three children. She has worked as a Spanish teacher for almost two years, though she has been working with kids in general for six years. Veronica loves her job and enjoys working with children, as it allows her to teach them new things while nurturing their knowledge and creativity. While the students learn from her, she also has a fantastic learning experience through them. She hopes to continue growing in her role and is excited to see what the future holds for both herself and her students.​

 

 

Mrs. Ish Kaur

Drama

 

Mrs. Ish is an educator and a theatre activist. She has been teaching drama for 26 years, and this is her 10th year in the Bay Area. She has a master's in Theatre. Ish teaches drama electives and after-school clubs in various public and private schools and city recreational facilities in the Bay area. Her unique process has instilled social and leadership skills in her students, who have taken it further in whatever professions they have undertaken, whether CEOs of tech companies or Nickelodeon and Disney stars. Currently, she is directing Disney's Lion King, Willy Wonka Jr, Pinocchio, Jack and The Beanstalk, and A Charlie Brown Christmas. Mission Hills Campus is very dear to her because many of her students have graduated from the MHMS campus, and her son is a proud MHMS student!

 

 

 

Supporting Staff

Mrs. Maria Morones

Supervisor

 

    Mrs. Maria is a head supervisor and teachers' aide at Mission Hills School, where she supervises during all recesses, lunchtime, and before- and after-school care. She has been a part of the Mission Hills School family, serving both the Union City and Castro Valley campuses, since its grand opening. She has many fond memories of being involved with the school. Watching the students grow and achieve significant accomplishments brings her both joy and a sense of bittersweet emotion.

 

Ms. Mytzi Perez

Supporting Staff

 

Ms. Mytzi has been working at Mission Hills School as an aide for six years and thoroughly enjoys it. She loves spending time with the kids and learns from them every day. In addition to her work, she enjoys being with her family and especially cherishes time spent with her baby, Elius. She is excited to return to work after the summer and looks forward to a great school year ahead.

 

Mr. Brandon Harter

Supporting Staff

 

This is Mr. Brandon's first year at MHS, and he couldn't be more excited about the experience. In his spare time, he can be found on a basketball court, hiking on trails, or playing Madden on his living room couch. He has always loved working with kids and looks forward to making this school year a memorable one.

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