New Teachers Feeling Right at Home

Experience and passion seem to go hand in hand when you meet new faculty members Amanda “Mandy” Gandara in fourth grade, and Janet Hale in kindergarten. Each also brings a particular expertise in the field of working with small children.

Mandy, a Pasadena native, became a mother fifteen months ago and spends most of her outside-of-school time getting to know her toddling son, Jack Henry. Mandy's introduction to the Holy Child philosophy began in high school at Mayfield Senior School, where she felt very much a part of a community, as she does here at MJS, an environment she described as, "cohesive, warm, and nurturing." She taught for fourteen years before joining our MJS staff, and is “thrilled to be here.”

Her new colleague, Janet, brought with her not only eighteen years of teaching experience, but she also faced the child-rearing challenge of raising triplets! Her four children are now grown--a twenty-four-year-old and three twenty-one-year-olds--but when they were all under the same roof, her hands were full. "That helped prepare me for the organized chaos you face in kindergarten," she said.

Both women emphasized the countless greetings and offers of help they've received since their arrival at MJS. "From the business office to buildings and grounds," Janet said, "I've felt so welcome here." She described Mayfield as, "a hidden gem," and summed up her new work environment as, "Warm, friendly, very organized, and busy!" Welcome to Mayfield, ladies!