Kamusta (hello in Tagalog) HTHeCV families! My name is Sandra Aquino and I am a second generation Filipino- American. I grew up here in the Southbay community of San Diego. I fell in love with diverse cultures and teaching kids when I taught first grade for two years at an international school in Shanghai, China. I learned first hand how hard it can be to navigate a new culture and learn a new language. I also taught a combination class in grades four and five at San Diego Unified School District and was an instructional aide in special education for many years. I’m ecstatic to work with multilingual learners in grades K-5 this year and help them navigate the learning process while learning English alongside their peers in their classroom.

I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Science and hold a Master of Arts degree and teaching certification in Elementary Education. One of the things I love about teaching is that I never stop learning. I love that I get a chance to come up with ideas, plans and solutions for how to make learning accessible for all. I love that I get to collaborate with my colleagues and learn from their experiences and expertise. When I’m not teaching, I’m outdoors running, SUPing or practicing yoga.