Montalvin logo Katherine Acosta-Verpraskus
Principal
Born and raised in Lima, Peru and moved to Kansas when she was 10 years old. Katherine is a first-generation college student and earned her master's and undergraduate degree from the University of Kansas. She is dedicated to serving youth and supporting them to reach their goals and dream. In the past she has served as a vice principal in a K-8th school in East Oakland and as a special education teacher at Lincoln Elementary School in WCCUSD. Ms. Acosta-Verprauskus values working in partnership
 Montalvin logo Michael Small
Vice Principal
I was born and raised in Maryland and came to the Bay Area as a professional musician in 2006. I play many instruments! I got into education while giving lessons at a school and fell in love with the art of teaching. I have taught Middle School Math and Science for ten years prior to coming to Montalvin. I have a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership from Mills College and am currently finishing up a Doctorate degree. I am very excited to be the new Vice Principal of a great school in a great
 Montalvin logo Kim Kays
Dean of Climate & Culture Unconditional Education Coach
Born and raised in the Midwest, Ms. Kays brings nearly 15 years of experience as an educator, school leader, and nonprofit founder and director. Her experience in education spans from Kindergarten to Twelfth Grade general music, theater, dance, and technology. Most recently, she was the Interim Assistant Principal at Erie Elementary Charter School in Chicago where she coached teachers in classroom culture, student engagement, and effective teaching strategies. She attended Greenville College, ea

Office Staff

 Montalvin logo Donnell Bonini
Office Manager

 Montalvin logo Nelda R. Welten
Typist Clerk Bil./ Translator

Ms. Neldas worked for the NASA Space Center Houston and met very interesting people and Astronauts. She is married to Dr. Kees Welten of UC Berkeley and has three daughters and one grandson, Nolan. She was born and raised in Brownsville, Texas. She has 5 sisters and 2 brothers. She attended Porter High School in TX and is a big Dallas Cowboys fan. Her interests are meeting new people, getting to know them, and learning about their culture. Her hobbies are shopping, gambling and wine tasting.

 Montalvin logo Stephanie Lucero
Transitional Kindergarten

Where did you grow up? I grew up in Los Angeles. Where did you go to college? I attended California State University at Los Angeles where I received my BA and MA in sociology. Why do you like teaching or why did you become a teacher? I have always enjoyed expanding peoples horizons. What do you like about Montalvin Manor K-8? We have an amazing population. What are your hobbies? I enjoy swimming and quilting. Do you speak any other languages? Yiddish


 Montalvin logo Carmen Flores
Transitional Kindergarten Aide




 Montalvin logo Ana Maria Libunao
Kindergarten

Where did you grow up? I was born and raised in the Philippines. I moved to Los Angeles, California in 2004 then moved to the Bay Area in 2015. Where did you attend college? I graduated from De La Salle University in the Philippines. I took my Masters in Education in National University last 2012 . Why did you become a teacher? I wanted to be a teacher because I wanted to make a difference in the lives of as many students as I can. ​
What are your hobbies? I'm a foodie! I like trying food from different countries/cultures. I love watching movies and binge watching shows on Netflix.

 Montalvin logo Erika Hix
Kindergarten

Where did you grow up? I grew up here in West Contra Costa. What do you like about Montalvin? I love teaching kinder her at Montalvin. Kindergarten in my opinion is the most important grade there is. What are your hobbies? When I am not teaching I enjoy cooking and eating good food with friends and dancing.


 Montalvin logo Maria Gonzalez
Kindergarten

Where did you grow up? I was born and raised in the Bay Area and I have one brother and one sister, both younger than me. I was the first person in my family to go to college and I got my BA from San Francisco State University. I enjoy reading, spending time with my family and traveling to new places.


 Montalvin logo Martinique Perry
1st Grade

Where did you grow up? I grew up all around California. I grew up mainly in Sacramento and Salinas/Monterey area. Where did you go to college? I attended Dominican University of California. What are your hobbies? I love to travel. I go visit my parents in Louisiana twice a year. I like creating things for other teachers and for my classroom. I love reading new books and working out. I really love staying home and catching up on my T.V. shows on the weekend.
Anything else? I commute from a small town in the north bay called Petaluma because I love my school, the families and the community I teach.

 Montalvin logo Laura Terry
1st Grade

Where did you grow up? I grew up in Mesa, Arizona Where did you go to college? I graduated from Arizona State University. Go Devils! Why did you become a teacher? I am a proud Teach for America teacher and am passionate about teaching. What are your hobbies? Outside of school, I enjoy hot yoga and singing. I have a little dog named Tucker who lives with me in Oakland. I also love to cook.


 Montalvin logo Kelly Becker
1st Grade

Where did you grow up? Lancaster CA and Pacific Grove CA Where did you attend college/university? University of California Santa Barbara Graduated with Master of Education What are your hobbies? Spending time with my family
Why do you like teaching or why did you become a teacher? I became a teacher because I knew it would be fulfilling and it has been. As a graduate of Cal State Monterey Bay I learned the value of hard work and as UCSB graduate I learned the importance of research and continuously working to become a better teacher. I teach because I have pride in the schools I've taught at and I apply this to my classroom and my every day life.
What do you like about Montalvin Manor K-8? I love the community, sense of family, the pride, and the growth mindset of the team here at Montalvin! Is there anything else you would like to share? I grew up in the desert in the aerospace industry and I love magic mountain and Disneyland. I've gotten to see the Gates of Ghiberti, I sampled crepes on the streets of Paris, and I was a secretary at the rocket site that launched the Mars Rover.
Family is everything to me and my family began in Pacific Grove. I love falling asleep to the sound of waves and waking up to the smell of seaweed. I've always known I wanted to be a teacher, a wife, and a mom, and I am so lucky to be all of these things, especially at Montalvin.

 Montalvin logo Susan King
2nd Grade

Where did you grow up? ​I was raised in Seattle, Washington. Where did you go to college? I attended Washington State Univ. and Cal State East Bay. Why did you become a teacher? I love to teach and enjoy seeing and exploring the world with my students. What do you like about Montalvin? The students and my colleagues!!​ What are your hobbies? I love gardening, cooking, and book sales!!! And, my youngest daughter is teaching English in Japan.


 Montalvin logo Zsarleen Posadas
2nd Grade

Where did you grow up? San Francisco Where did you go to college? I went to Diablo Valley College & Hayward State “Cal State Eastbay” and graduated with a degree in Liberal Studies with an emphasis of Early Childhood Development. Why did you become a teacher? I've taught Preschool, Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade. This is my 18th year of teaching with the WCCUSD.
What do you like about Montalvin? Students and families and working with a great group of teachers What are your hobbies? ​I LOVE spending time with my family, teaching, eating, cooking, staying active, and being outdoors. Most importantly I enjoy being a mom of 2 young daughters.

 Montalvin logo Aaron Leonard
2nd Grade

Where did you grow up? Martinez, CA Where did you attend college/university? San Francisco State University and currently at Mills College working towards a Masters in Education What are your hobbies? Soccer and I’m a comic book writer
Why do you like teaching or why did you become a teacher? It’s the most fun I’ve had at any job. What do you like about Montalvin Manor K-8? Grit. A teacher once changed my life because of his rigorous standards. I believe we are doing the same here. The students and teachers here know how to hustle. ​Anything else? My wife Megan and I have three sons, Ebb, Casey,and Wesley

 Montalvin logo Renae Kekauala
3rd Grade

Where did you grow up? Idaho Where did you go to college? University of Arizona Why did you become a teacher? I enjoy being around kids way more than adults! What do you like about Montalvin? I love the students and families at Montalvin. They are so respectful and hardworking! What are your hobbies? I like to sew and quilt, be with family, and eat delicious food!


 Montalvin logo Ronald Serranzana
3rd Grade

Where did you grow up? I grew up in the Bay Area. Where did you go to college? I attended UC Berkeley. What are your hobbies? My hobbies are lifting weights, self-improvement, building electric skateboards and riding them fast. My favorite sport is MMA.


 Montalvin logo Gary Collins
3rd Grade

Where did you grow up? I was born and raised in Oakland California. Where did you go to college? I attended Saint Mary’s College High School in Berkeley Class of 2008. I graduated from Morehouse College in Atlanta Georgia in 2012 where I studied business administration with a concentration in marketing. I am currently enrolled as a graduate student at San Francisco State University where I am studying elementary education.
Before I became a teacher, I worked for Kellogg’s as a sales representative. Why did you become a teacher? ​I'm thrilled to take on an entire classroom by myself and be part of the Montalvin team! What are your hobbies? My hobbies include, cooking, hiking, sports, technology, reading and film.

 Montalvin logo Beth Levine
4th Grade, Literacy

Where did you grow up? I grew up in California in San Mateo. Where did you go to college? I went to school at University of California at Santa Cruz for two years. I decided to study civil and environmental engineering, so I attended the University of Wisconsin at Madison. Why did you become a teacher? I like helping students succeed.
What do you like about Montalvin? The great families and students What are your hobbies? I love hiking in the mountains and also taking my students hiking. I love to run and organize the Girls on the Run team at Montalvin. I also enjoy helping students to love reading and writing!
Anything else you would like to share? I worked for ten years as an engineer helping landfills and sewage treatment plants to not pollute the environment.

 Montalvin logo Erica Fisher
4th Grade, Math

Where did you grow up? I grew up in Honolulu, Hawaii. Where did you go to college? I attended College/Grad. School at The Evergreen State College, University of San Francisco. Why do you like teaching or why did you become a teacher? I like teaching to help students who are struggling in math like I did as a kid.
What do you like about Montalvin Manor K-8? Our community What are your hobbies? I love gardening, dancing, baking. Do you speak any other languages? A bit of Spanish and Hawaiian

 Montalvin logo Ethan Sorscher
5th Grade, Math & Science

Where did you grow up? I grew up in the East Bay of California. Where did you attend college? I went to UC Davis and CSU Sacramento.
Why did you become a teacher? 1) I get to learn new things every day. 2) I get to share what I know every day. 3) I get to see the joy that human beings experience when they learn new things. 4) I get to help people learn how to be human beings as well as academics. 5) If I am good at my job, more people will grow up to be productive, tax-paying members of society that contribute to my Social Security/ Medicare.
What do you like about Montalvin? The sense of community among staff and families, the pervasive and empowering solutions-oriented mindset that everyone seems to share, the clean and well-maintained facilities, the comprehensive school-wide systems in place to promote behavior and growth mindset, the students are eager to learn and want to do well, the material support for teachers to do the job, the new copier, the abundant supply of paper, the breakfast potluck, the food at PDs/ meetings,
the reliable and beneficial Wednesday PD/Collaboration schedule, and much, much, more! There is nothing I do not like. What are your hobbies? I love Reading, Watching Netflix, Taking Naps, and Playing Video Games.

 Montalvin logo Jessie Welcomer
5th Grade Literacy

Where did you grow up? I was born in Alabama ut grew up here in the Bay Area. Where did you go to college? Pomona College in Southern California. I have a Master's Degree through Loyola Marymount University. Why did you become a teacher? One of my favorite things about teaching is helping students discover great books. I also love teaching writing and encouraging students to find their voice.
What do you like about Montalvin? I love working with all the amazing students and families in our community. This is my fourth year teaching fifth grade at Montalvin! What are your hobbies? When I'm not teaching, my favorite thing to do is travel - I've been to 25 countries and lived abroad twice, in Ecuador and Spain. I also love hiking, reading, and spending time with my family and friends (and two dogs!).

 Montalvin logo Shaundra Miller-Washington
6/7 Grade, Science & Visual Performing Arts

Where did you grow up? Richmond, CA Where did you go to college? UC Santa Cruz & UCLA with a Master Degree in Public Policy. ​Why did you become a teacher? To work with kids in the same community where I grew up and be a positive influence like teachers were for me. I have taught fifth and sixth grade in this district for 12 years.
What do you like about Montalvin? The community and our effort to be great academically What are your hobbies? I enjoy helping kids learn, doing science experiments with them, as well a swimming and binge watching television shows.

 Montalvin logo Shelly Moore
6/7 Grade, Math & History

Where did you grow up? Louisville, Kentucky Where did you go to college? University of North Carolina Why did you become a teacher? Teaching is a second career for me. I have a degree in textiles from the University of North Carolina, and I spent many years in retail management. Teaching, however, is the most rewarding job anyone could have.
What do you like most about Montalvin Manor K-8? Everything! What are your hobbies? Reading

 Montalvin logo Sandra Holloway
6/7 Grade, Middle School, Literacy

Where did you grow up? I grew up in Central America & Sacramento CA. Where did you go to college? I graduated from the Universidad de Montemorelos in Nuevo Leon, Mexico with my degree in education. What are your hobbies? I enjoy spending time with my family. I love to see orchids in bloom & play words with friends.


 Montalvin logo Mr. Castro
zSharp Music Teacher, Grade TK-8

Where did you grow up? Concord, CA Where did you attend college/university? Cal State East Bay What are your hobbies? Singing, hiking, and trips to Lake Tahoe Why do you like teaching or why did you become a teacher? I believe that everyone has something to share with the world.
I love that I get to empower my students to try new things and to explore their interests through the discipline of music. Music is everywhere! Even our hearts have beats. What do you like about Montalvin Manor K-8? I love the positive culture that all of the faculty has created here! It provides a great foundation as well as a spring board for our students to achieve new heights! Do you speak any other languages? Spanish