Pinkerton Principal

How long have you been teaching at Pinkerton?

8 years

What do you love about being the Principal at Pinkerton?

Pinkerton Elementary truly has a special atmosphere that is so unique and welcoming.

One of the things I appreciate most about our school is the sense of family that we have here. From the moment you walk through our doors, you can feel the warmth and love that our staff, students, and families bring to the school every day.

We celebrate and embrace all of the little moments and achievements that our students experience throughout the school year. Whether it's reading a book for the first time, conquering their fear of the monkey bars, or just a kind act to a friend, we recognize and honor these moments because they all contribute to the unique and diverse community that we are building together.

Speaking of diversity, I am proud to say that our school community represents people of all cultures, backgrounds, and experiences. It is through this diversity that we are able to learn from each other and grow as individuals and as a community.

What I love most about Pinkerton is the active involvement of our families and community. You are all such an integral part of our school and your support and participation mean everything to us. Whether it's volunteering in the classroom, attending school events, or simply staying engaged with your child's education, your involvement makes all the difference.

Tell us what you love about being an IB Principal:

The IB Program allows learners to become more involved in their own learning by encouraging them to ask questions and explore the world around them. Our teachers use inquiry-based teaching to inspire students to think critically and dig deeper into their learning.

Through the IB Program, students are not simply passive receivers of knowledge, but active participants in their own education. They learn to become independent thinkers and lifelong learners who are able to apply their knowledge to real-world situations.

In addition, the IB Program places a strong emphasis on developing intercultural understanding and respect. Our students come from a variety of backgrounds and cultures, and it is through this diversity that we are able to learn from one another and grow as a community.

5th Grade Exhibition is a unique and important part of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program. It is a culmination of all the learning that our students have experienced from kindergarten through fifth grade, and it allows them to design and present their own IB unit of inquiry.

During the Exhibition process, students work collaboratively to investigate and explore real-world issues and problems. They use the knowledge and skills they have acquired throughout their years at Pinkerton to create a project that demonstrates their understanding of these issues and their solutions.

Exhibition is not only a celebration of our students' academic growth, but also an opportunity for them to develop important skills such as communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity. It is an experience that they will carry with them throughout their lives.

2nd Grade Teacher

How long have you been teaching at Pinkerton?

2nd year, 11th year in education

What do you love about teaching at Pinkerton?

Pinkerton holds such a special place in my heart! My first experience with Pinkerton was before I had ever seen the building or really knew where it was located. I had heard fond stories from my husband and his family, as my husband attended Pinkerton during his elementary years. Once we married and moved to Coppell, we were fortunate to be zoned to the school that helped raise him and sent him on with a great foundation and life-long memories. Fast-forward a few years, and we now have all 3 of our kids, plus myself here! It truly feels like a dream to have this opportunity. I love these kids here like my own, the staff feels like family, and with the amount of time we spend here, it truly is a second home for all of us!

Tell us what you love about being an IB teacher:

I love that the IB program encompasses the whole learner. The program is rigorous but allows scaffolding to make sure every child feels successful in their learning journey. They are able to ask questions, dig deeper into their learning, make connections to real-life scenarios, and share their learning with others. I have lots of 'favorite activities', but one of my favorite traditions is the 2nd grade Cultural Feast. After researching and studying cultures around the world, learners are asked to make and bring a dish from their culture to share with the entire grade. After a pandemic hiatus, we were able to bring it back this year, and it was a huge success! Learners were risk-takers and tried so many foods from around the world. Many perspectives were broadened and many asked for recipes or seconds!

Kindergarten Teacher

How long have you been teaching at Pinkerton?

6 years

What do you love about teaching at Pinkerton?

What I love about Pinkerton is the family atmosphere. Our small size allows for everyone to be fully known. Staff, students, and families collaborate together to create an amazing and unique learning environment for all. The families are directly involved in the IB education here, from presenting about their cultures to mentoring 5th graders for exhibition. This creates a community where the kids just flourish, knowing that everyone around them is there to champion their success.

What do you love about being an IB teacher?

I love being an IB teacher because I love to watch my students discover the world with their own eyes! We try our best to plan for learning opportunities each day where students get to learn through their own curiosity and inquiries. Our units of inquiry are concept-based and allow for state standards to be taught in a way that allows for more meaningful and cross-curricular connections to be made. I also love the focus IB has on international-mindedness – it teaches the students that the world is so much bigger than what they see every day. Students learn to celebrate and value cultures other than their own. The IB learner profile teaches to the whole child and creates empathy in the children that is unlike anything I have ever seen before. The students are so passionate about making a difference in the world and are constantly coming up with ways to take action for issues they care about. The IB program is creating world changers!

K-5 Spanish and English as a Second Language

How long have you been teaching at Pinkerton?

8 years

What do you love about teaching at Pinkerton?

Three basic things make Pinkerton super special to me: families, learners, and teachers. I think, because we are a small school we have the ability to connect in a different way. We feel like a family and that is no easy task.

Tell us what you love about being an IB teacher:

IB is unique in that it offers learners an opportunity to learn a second language as enrichment. This is amazing for many different reasons but especially because it teaches learners to think through language. They might not be fluent but they understand how languages "work." If they are advanced then they are provided extra Some of my favorite lessons happen when I make connections to their classroom units and they begin to discover similarities between languages or differences and start questioning or developing an understanding that simply goes deeper. We always find real-world applications to the way they are learning and that alone is amazing!

K-5 Art

How long have you been teaching at Pinkerton?

I am receiving my 10 year service award this year!

What do you love about teaching at Pinkerton?

I love the depth of character at Pinkerton. Our staff and children and our families are uniquely focused on making our world better just a little bit each day, and we have a very unselfish community "vibe" here at our school. Sometimes it's the little things that stand out most to me, I keep some small brooms and dust pans in the Art room and it seldom fails that a generous learner will see something in need of tidying and go grab them without my asking. Our kids here know that they are part of something greater than themselves because our culture reminds them that their class is part of a great school which is part of a city and a state and a country and a globe. Our kids take pride in all of it! Our school truly does boast some pretty spectacular awareness of and enthusiasm for global culture. This is so amazing in Art because we explore culture through the lens of creators. Whether I'm teaching about Arpilleras from Chile or Hokusai's block prints in Japan, our kids are deeply curious and want to share and expand upon what they already know.

Tell us what you love about being an IB teacher:

I was trained in a model of teaching art that included rich conversation about art as well as creating. My foundational model comes out of the John Paul Getty Center in California and it is a constructivist approach to teaching art that includes history, discussion of aesthetics, criticism and production. Our kids are eager for all of it and at every developmental level, our kids are wonderful critical thinkers. IB is definitely an echo to the way I was trained to develop curriculum in my undergraduate and graduate studies. You might travel to another school and find areas where culture is not so valued or celebrated. Culture is one of the biggest reasons why I personally value and take interest in Art, because of its universality. I want our kids to be both proud of themselves and curious and open-minded about what is different outside their family. Pinkerton has that. Our 5th Graders are ending their year working on a symbolic self-portrait inspired by an artist named George Rodrigue. The paintings they are making show both innovation and self-expression. Some of our kids are incorporating math and science knowledge and putting circuits on their art, other kids are connecting to travel and sports, we have dancers and creators adding touches from what truly expresses their authentic selves. We don't ask our kids to be the same here, we celebrate difference. I can't think of a better way to set young artists up for success and joy in their creative lives - it makes me so happy!

Kindergarten Teacher

How long have you been teaching at Pinkerton?

This is my 3rd year at Pinkerton

What do you love about teaching at Pinkerton?

In my 9 years of teaching, I’ve never had such incredibly supportive parents and I believe that is a major part of what makes Pinkerton feel so special! The relationship between parents and teachers is so critical for learner success and in my experience at Pinkerton, we are blowing this out of the water. I also love our small, family feel and old building full of history, quirks and character! Our school family is full of incredible educators that come in each day ready to challenge kids and change lives. Our out of the box, pave your own way and make a difference in this world vibe is so exciting to me!

Tell us what you love about being an IB teacher:

One of my favorite examples of this at the Kindergarten level is our Jack O’ Lympics in the fall. This is a giant event that ties together and celebrates all of the concepts we’ve been learning prior, particularly focusing on force and motion. Through inquiry and learner led ideas, they design each station to test how pumpkins can and will move. This year we collaborated with the IB learners from the high school to build and run the catapult station. Every year this event gets bigger, better and more exciting for kids and adults alike! We couldn’t do it without such strong support from our amazing Pinkerton families!!

3rd Grade Teacher

How long have you been teaching at Pinkerton?

9 years

What do you love about teaching at Pinkerton?

Pinkerton stole my heart with its small campus size. It is like my second home and family.

Tell us what you love about being an IB teacher:

I love that IB gives kids the opportunity to do and learn things that they want within school. Through the years I have seen so many of our learners show their passions through service projects. One of my favorite lessons my grade level does is our Mock Congress. Our grade is broken into the House and Senate where they create bills that they hope will be voted into third grade law! It’s a great lesson on our government model, and always a good laugh at some point with the kids!