Meet our staff
Nancy Schlenke, Principal
Growing up the daughter of a Navy doctor, we moved around a lot. Between Kindergarten and twelfth grade I attended 10 schools. My last two years of high school were in London, England where I was the only American in the school, and the only one they had ever had. It was a learning experience for both of us!
Before I became a teacher, I worked for seven years in a research lab at UCSF. After my children were born, I stayed home for a few years. When my son started Kindergarten at Mira-loma, I volunteered in the classroom and got hooked on teaching. For two years I ran a science program for the students at the school while getting my teaching credential. I then taught at Alvarado for ten years before be-coming Teacher-in Residence at the Exploratorium. From there I went to the District’s curriculum office as a science resource teacher prior to coming to Sunnyside.
I love being here! It is such a nice place to work, with great kids, friendly and committed teachers, and parents who are involved and supportive. I love that we are a small, neighborhood school with a diverse population. The teachers work hard at developing a sense of community and caring that works not only in their classes but across all grades. The PTA has always been very supportive of school activities, and parents have worked hard raising funds to buy the extras we couldn’t otherwise afford. My hope is that parent involvement will continue to grow as new families join the school.
This year with five new staff members there is excitement and energy in the air. I believe that we are going to have a really great year. Be involved and be part of the action!!
Leah Plack, Kindergarten – I was born and raised in East County San Diego. After many hours of practicing, I received my BM in Clarinet Performance at SDSU. Once I finished my degree in music, I went to SFSU to work on my teaching credential. It had been a dream of mine to move to San Francisco for a long time, so I went for it! I may never go back…
This is my second year at Sunnyside and my third year teaching kindergarten. I enjoy working at Sunnyside for many reasons. The parents and families are fantastic, and the kids are great to work with. Our staff is so supportive of each other, which makes the environment of the school very positive. Our school is small and has a great neighborhood feeling, which I love.
I did not expect that I would teach such a young grade when I began student teaching. I had always worked with older children when I taught music lessons. However, I quickly realized that I love working with kindergarteners. I get the opportunity to see the kids grow and change so much over the school year, not to mention the years that follow. We learn through singing, playing, artistic expression and hands on activities. What could be better than that?
When I’m not at work, I love to ride my bike everywhere! I also enjoy knitting in the wintertime, reading the news, listening to NPR, and cooking like a fiend.
Jennifer Yee, Kindergarten - Working with children for the past six years, I knew that my passion is to teach. After field work in the educational field and obtaining my Bachelors of Art from the University of California, Berkeley, I knew my passion was in working with children. After a year working in the preschool setting, I decided to pursue for my Multiple Subjects Credentials. While attending school full time and working as a substitute teacher both in the San Francisco and South San Francisco Unified Districts, I learned and gained vital information and teaching tools in bettering myself as a teacher. I was delighted to be offered a kindergarten position at Sunnyside after being a student teacher here for one and a half year.
My present goal for myself as a teacher is to continue my understanding of how to reach and meet the needs of all students from different educational backgrounds. I truly enjoy working as a teacher because everyday I am challenged by the students. I am enlightened by the knowledge they have. My hope is for families, the teacher, and the school to continue working collaboratively as a team in igniting their thirst for this knowledge.<
Carol Converse, Kindergarten - I grew up in the East Bay during the ’50s and ’60s. In those days, parents raised their children to be self-sufficient early on and it was possible because the economy was thriving, the dollar was strong, jobs were plentiful, and employees were well-compensated. Imagine this: with only the salary I earned as a hospital ward/emergency room/admitting clerk, I was able to spend 9 months traveling in Europe, 6 months studying in Italy, and a summer practicing Italian on islands in the Mediterranean (!) while putting myself through college debt-free (granted, it was on the 8-year plan). In 1978, I joined the Peace Corps and went to Morocco where I was trained to English as a Foreign Language and made lifelong friends who accompanied me on many of the adventures that were to follow. I got a Master of Arts (in Teaching English to Speakers of other Languages) which together with the Peace Corps experience led to 4 years in Portugal, 2 in Italy, 2 summers in Turkey, and 8 years in Egypt where I (we) developed curriculum and worked as teacher trainers for the Peace Corps, USIS/USIA, the Fulbright Commission, and USAID. In 1995, most of us came back to the States, almost all of us to cities near our families. I activated both my teaching credentials, got the CLAD certificate, and was hired by the SFUSD. It was while I was teaching first grade that I got National Board Certification (in Early Childhood education). This is my first year both teaching Kindergarten and working at Sunnyside. Miraculously, I was assigned to the most charming, spacious, light-filled classroom I have ever seen. I spend my days with students who – without exception – are interested in every possible topic, enjoy wondering, and consider new concepts from surprising perspectives. My colleagues, even the retired teachers who substitute, are remarkably generous with their original and very useful suggestions as well as their moral support. I am very grateful for this, another life-changing experience, and hope that I will be able to inspire
others as much as they inspire me.
Leslie Quillin, 1st Grade – I was born on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and grew up in Northern Virginia near Washington, DC. I went to Virginia Tech and got my BS in Human Nutrition and Foods. While there I spent an amazing summer living with a family in Kenya and studying public health.
After college I moved to DC and started working in the non-profit sector on nutrition and women’s health advocacy and policy issues. At Center for Science in the Public Interest I helped create nutrition education campaigns, including activities for kids in schools. Then eleven years ago I packed up and moved to San Francisco. I love it here, especially all the great food, beautiful hiking and camping, and wonderful people; however I do miss the hot, sunny summers of the east coast.
Since arriving here I’ve had several interesting jobs including cooking at a vegetarian restaurant and managing Youth and Adult Courses at the California Academy of Sciences. When the Academy of Sciences closed its doors in 2004 to rebuild, they canceled my program and I was out of a job. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do next but remembered how alive I felt working with the Camp Academy children. I started volunteering in a second grade classroom and was hooked on teaching.
I got my Multiple Subject Teaching Credential at San Francisco State University. I did my student teaching at Sunnyside and have been teaching first grade here ever since. This is my fourth year here, and I really enjoy the diversity and enthusiasm of our students and families. It’s very rewarding working with children and witnessing their excitement as they gain new skills and discover the world around them. I am so excited that the PTA is forging ahead with the garden project this year and can’t wait to incorporate it into my lessons.
Mabel Chen, 1st Grade – I graduated from SFSU and am a native San Franciscan. I have lived in 10 different residences, have either lived in or visited 4 continents and have traveled to at least 14 states including Washington, D.C. I have three children; one was born in Taiwan, one in New York and the baby (now 15 yrs. old) was born in San Francisco.
Now that four of my colleagues at Sunnyside have retired, I have been bumped up the ladder as one of the seasoned teachers here (now, I don’t feel so young). This is my 11th year at Sunnyside and my 18th year with SFUSD. I also taught in Chicago and a U.S. Dept. of Defense contracted international school in Taiwan. I have 26 years of experience teaching pre-school through fourth grade – minus Kindergarten.
During the first six years at Sunnyside, I was an active parent in the PTA and a first grade teacher. I wanted my youngest child to be in a safe and caring public school. It was my hope that the school and the Sunnyside community would work together to bring about many wonderful programs for our children to have a memorable elementary experience. I am proud to have been a part of the team who introduced October-fest, the Spring Fair, the Sunnyside Dragon Parade and the Egg Drop Contest. I am pleased to see that the PTA and the currant staff have continued to make Sunnyside a strong academic school with enrichment programs. Many substitute teachers have commented that Sunnyside is a hidden gem!
Emily Grande, 1st Grade - Iam very happy to be teaching first grade here at Sunnyside School! This is my second year teaching first grade and I find it to be a great match for me. Being a part of the excitement children have when they of learn to read is a real joy and an experience that remains close to my heart. I have fond memories playing school with my sister and cabbage patch dolls as a young girl. Writing on our mini whiteboards and making big stars on the top of our homemade worksheets lead me happily to where I am today. I spent many years as a child helping my parents out in their classrooms and listening to their stories of teaching at the end of the day. It was no surprise to my family and friends that I went to college knowing clearly that I wanted to be an elementary school teacher.
While studying education and theater at UCDavis, I spent several years volunteering at local elementary schools. I combined my interests in teaching and theater by teaching English Language Development lessons to Spanish bilingual first and second graders through readers’ theater and music. In 2006, I attended the credential program at San Francisco State University. I student taught in first grade at Hillcrest Elementary School and learned a great deal about teaching from my wonderful mentor teacher. After completing the program, I began my first year of teaching in Fremont Unified School District. Although I really enjoyed my year here, I missed San Francisco and decided to come back! I am so glad my path led me to Sunnyside. I am looking forward to my class taking off in their academic success these next few months as we continue to learn and grow together. Thank you for welcoming me so warmly to Sunnyside School.
Katherine (Kit) Bell, 2nd Grade – coming soon
Heidi Leontie, 2nd Grade – coming soon
Lisa-Anne Lee, 3rd Grade – I was born on Christmas Day, but not on December 25th. I was born in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that I am of mixed ethnicities. Both of my grandfathers are Chinese; my maternal grandmother is of French and Irish descent; and my paternal grandmother is Chinese, Spanish, and indigenous/native Carib. Needless to say, my 3 sisters, our children and our relatives look different from each other.
I’ve lived in San Francisco since 1970. I attended St. Agnes and St. Cecilia Grammar Schools, Mercy High School, City College and San Francisco State University, where I graduated with a BA in Anthropology. I worked as a pharmacy technician at Walgreens to put myself through college.
As my daughters began to grow, so did my interest in education. Some of my past educational experiences include teaching ESL to Laotian women and as an intern in a Workplace Literacy program at Career Resources Development Center.The most influential reason for becoming a teacher was from being an active parent at Forest Hill Christian Church Nursery School, Excelsior Cooperative Preschool, and Lakeshore Elementary School. While volunteering, I met some awesome teachers, who I consider my mentors.
Energized, I chaired PTA committees, observed the School Site Council, decided budgets, attended Parents for Public Schools meetings and helped elect School Board Commissioners. I began working as a full-inclusion, special education paraprofessional helping students with special needs learn in general education classrooms. I was thrilled when the SFSU Chair of the Early Education Department recruited me for a special cohort like no other. The program was designed for Paras of Color to become Teachers of Color in urban, multicultural, metropolitan cities, such as our SF Bay Area. After I earned my Multiple Subject Teaching Credential, I subbed because I didn’t want the heavy responsibility of teaching in a self-contained classroom as one of my own daughters was going through the special education process. Nevertheless, all these prior teaching experiences and perspectives were synthesizing my knowledge of early, public school education. I found my place in the sun at Sunnyside in February 2006: my colleagues were welcoming, the location was in my neighborhood, and best of all, I was teaching children of many different ethnicities and socioeconomic life chances. Many are immigrants, from working-class families, multicultural- just like me! It is a source of personal pride to be of multicultural heritage; and naturally, this is how I teach: to be open-minded to multiple perspectives, and to honor our diversity which makes us strong.
BTW, Eastern Orthodox Christmas is January 7th.
Kenneth Yee, 3rd Grade – I attended City College of San Francisco and U.C. Santa Cruz, where I obtained my Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. Since then, I have had many work experiences before my return to school at San Francisco State to acquire my teaching credential. I started work as an assistant teacher at a preschool, then onto the Options floor at the Pacific Stock Exchange. Followed by, work in an accounting department for an ice cream giant to the rollercoaster ride in the real estate market. As diverse as my resume was, none of my work experiences were as rewarding as my first teaching job. I had worked with preschoolers for over five years and continue a wonderful rapport with former staff, parents and students. I have also student taught 4th grade at Tenderloin School and had my first 2nd/3rd classroom at Daniel Webster Elementary. My past teaching experiences have been invaluable and helped shape my teaching style today at Sunnyside.
Living in a city that embraces diversity in culture, religion and individuality, I believe that it is also important to value the diversity of thought. Within the classroom setting, it is easy for teachers to rationalize things and forget that students’ thoughts and opinions equally matter. We need to consider their thoughts and ideas and believe in them like they believe that we are knowledgeable of everything in the world. I feel that by fostering this kind of teacher student relationship will be conducive to fruitful learning and provide a safe environment where it is acceptable to make mistakes or go against the grain.
As a product of San Francisco’s public school system and native to this beautiful city, I am fortunate to have the opportunity to be part of the Sunnyside community. Sunnyside reminds me of my former elementary school, nostalgic and full of wonderful people that embrace the importance of education. I can only hope to enrich the lives of my students as much as the teachers that have enriched mine.
Joelle Capitan, 4th Grade – coming soon
Sarah Rensman, 4th Grade – coming soon
Kristin Hilmoe, 5th Grade – coming soon
Moira Duffy, Special Day Class Teacher, K-2 -Although most of my family origin is from Northern Ireland, I grew up on the Peninsula and in San Francisco. I went to U.C. Berkeley as an under-graduate and graduate student. My major was English literature. I had to study two languages so I chose French and German. I left the Ph.D. program with a Masters and switched to Art as my major. I studied painting, drawing and sculpture at Parsons in New York, the San Francisco Art Institute, and San Francisco State University.
I have worked as a teacher at Mission High, teaching Art and ESL, Denman Middle School, teaching 8th grade English, and now at Sunnyside as a Special Education teacher. I was hired by Dr. Margaret Penn and have been at Sunnyside since 1997.
Teaching young children with severe cognitive and physical disabilities has been one of the most challenging educational experiences in my life. I think every child can learn and Sunnyside is a productive learning environment. I encourage parents and staff to learn languages other than English. It helps one understand some of the hurdles that many of our students face in learning English. As someone who still dangles participles, I ought to know!
Annie Bovone, Special Education Teacher 3rd – 5th – I have worked in special education for 10 years as a teacher in schools and as a volunteer in the Peace Corps. I have a Multiple Subject and a Special Education credential. I grew up in San Francisco with my parents and four brothers and sisters. I went to St. Brendan Elementary for grammar school and graduated from Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep High School downtown. I went to college at Gonzaga University in Spokane, WA and later earned a Masters degree at CUNY Hunter College in NYC. I came to Sunnyside in the fall of 2004 and am enjoying my 5 th year at this wonderful school.This school year I hope to create a fun and safe learning environment for my class. I aim to continue building community relationships between my students and all of the people in our school, especially our buddies. I like teaching at Sunnyside because it is a small and diverse school. There is a real feeling of community and friendliness here.
Mr. Bell, PE – coming soon
Stuart Briggs, PE – coming soon
Ronna McMurray, Music Teacher – coming soon
Jacki Ng, Music Teacher – Coming Soon
Meg Sandine, Art Teacher
- I was born and raised in San Francisco. I earned my B.A. in art from San Francisco State in 1993. I have been a working artist since 1988, focusing mostly on sculpture. I work in many materials including: clay, metal, wood, yarn, paper mache, paint, found objects and more. I have an upcoming show this November. My teaching career spans my daughter’s lifetime, 14 years. I began teaching adults with developmental disabilities and from there moved into schools. I have taught art to children from preschool age through middle school. My primary focus has been teaching children in grades K to fifth. I have worked at the same school in SF for over seven years. I love teaching, art and children and feel fortunate to have found work which encompasses all three.
Laura Yanow, Librarian - coming soon
Kelly Tucker, Resource Specialist Program (RSP) – My family and I immigrated to the States from S. Korea when I was ten. It was the end of October when we landed in LA, so my first memory of the States is Halloween. My cousins dressed me up and we went trick-or-treating. What? All you have to do is ring someone’s door bell, say few words, and they give you candy?! Needless to say, I thought America was the greatest place.
While attending Cal State, Long Beach, I worked as a teacher’s assis-tant in an elementary school and I loved it. It didn’t feel like just a job; I was making a difference. I always knew I wanted to work with children, but now I had a clear goal to become a teacher.
I worked as a Special Education teacher in LA for six years before moving to San Francisco in 1999. In SF, I taught General ed for six years to grades third – fifth and now I’m back in Special Ed.
This is my first year at Sunnyside. I work part time with RSP and At-Risk students. I love the diversity and friendliness of everyone at this school. I know it will be a great year.
Lisa Malloy, Paraprofessional – coming soon
Nancy Evans, Paraprofessional – coming soon
Hope Gini, Paraprofessional – coming soon
Nazareth Zimpel, Paraprofessional – coming soon
Sandeep Kumar, Learning Support Professional – coming soon
Ruby Bell, Student Advisor – coming soon
Adilia Galvez, Office Clerk - coming soon
Cecilia Roman, ExCel Program – coming soon
Josie Miranda, YMCA Program – coming soon
Sue Kwong, Custodian – coming soon
