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“REMEMBER: IT MAY BE HARD, BUT IT’S WORTH IT. IT MAY SEEM IMPOSSIBLE, BUT YOU CAN DO IT.”
“I LIKE TO STAY UP-TO-DATE WITH CURRENT TITLES SO I CAN MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO MY STUDENTS.”
COREY
KATE
Henderson is a teacher of Spanish in the Middle and Upper Schools. He is the child of hardworking parents who always encouraged him to be himself, to reach his dreams, and to help people whenever he can. He studied Spanish and Education at Keene State College in New Hampshire, where he was awarded the prestigious Blackington Endowment Award for Spanish Proficiency. Corey completed his graduate studies at Middlebury College in Vermont. In 2012, he published an article in the New Hampshire Journal of Education and won “Best of Conference” for his workshop on Differentiated Instruction, sending him to represent NH at the regional languages conference in Baltimore. He’s lived in Ecuador and Argentina, and has traveled to Spain, Mexico, Uruguay, and England. He’s been a teacher his entire professional career, and recently moved to California this past summer. He’s enjoying being a part of the Viewpoint family and teaching students the importance of traveling the world, building bridges not walls, and speaking a second or third language.
Iacoi says that Fourth Grade has always been her favorite grade to teach. After teaching Fourth Grade for 12 years in Wellesley, Massachusetts, Kate moved west with her husband in 2014 for his job opportunity at UCLA. When she received the offer from Viewpoint School to be their Fourth Grade Reading teacher, it was the perfect match. Kate always knew she wanted to be an educator, as her family has a long history of teachers, and she began teaching tennis and swim lessons at an early age. Kate attended Boston College and received a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and also her Master’s degree at BC, making her a Certified Reading Specialist. She enjoys exploring California and is excited to come to school each day to inspire her students.
Corey Henderson
Kate Iacoi
THE BOOK THAT CHANGED MY LIFE I was a pretty typical child: happy, full of life, and always excited to be around people. When you’re from a small town in Vermont, you rely on the outdoors to gather with friends, play “kick the can,” basketball, or ride your bicycle. An early indicator that I’d love language was that I loved spelling. Honestly, I always wanted to be in a spelling bee! In Second Grade, we’d receive a Scholastic magazine full of that month’s books that were available for purchase. I noticed for the first time that there was a bilingual poetry book called Arroz con leche. Spanish? That seemed fun! When the book arrived, I spent all of my free time at school reading and learning the poems inside, with the help of a neighboring teacher who was from Mexico. That did it; it was the spark that began my love for the Spanish language – it was the book that changed my life!
WHEN I’M NOT TEACHING I am a big music enthusiast; I enjoy all genres, particularly when it’s live. Live music can be so special, so therapeutic, and so intimate. Right now,
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V I E W P O I N T
M AG A Z I N E
I can’t get enough of Lady Gaga’s Joanne, Shawn Mendes’ Illuminate, and The Chainsmokers’ Collage, to name a few albums. Other than music, I love Zumba, hiking, going for a long drive, hanging out at the beach, and meeting new people. I love traveling to new places too! As a new Angeleno, I’m really excited about all that the city has to offer!
YOU CAN DO ANYTHING I’ve always believed that hard work pays off and that if something is difficult, it just means that you have to work harder. A personal accomplishment that I’m really proud of is reaching a weight-loss milestone last year. I’m proud to say that after a year of intense dedication and commitment, I lost and have kept off 100 pounds. It was so symbolic, so inspiring, and so empowering. My words of advice: be yourself, be happy, work really hard, spread positivity, and make people smile. People remember the way you make them feel; even 20 years from now. Remember: it may be hard, but it’s worth it. It may seem impossible, but you can do it. You can do anything. ■
THE GREAT OUTDOORS
READING
With the beautiful California weather, I always want to be outside. We enjoy exploring the bike path and canals in Venice, hiking the Santa Monica Mountains, and swimming in the Pacific Ocean in November! I even try to walk the beach several times a week when I get home from school. I definitely miss the many ski trips we used to take in New England, but I’m looking forward to checking out Mammoth and Big Bear this winter.
Curling up in bed or lounging on a beach chair with a good book is my way to relax. These days many of my book selections are the latest children’s books. I recently just finished Raymie Nightingale, Echo, and The One and Only Ivan. I like to stay up-to-date with current titles so I can make recommendations to my students. Over the winter break, I couldn’t put down All the Light We Cannot See and up next is A Man Called Ove.
SPORTS
IN THE KITCHEN
I am usually always on the move and never sit down on the couch, but we’re avid sports fans in our house. There’s always a game on in the background, usually football, baseball, or basketball. As many of my students know, I root for the New England Patriots, Red Sox, Celtics, Boston College Eagles, and UCLA Bruins. Lucky for me, I’ve lived through many championship titles which has made it so fun!
I grew up in a cooking household and have learned many recipes from my family which I like to continue. I even have a cookbook of my favorite family recipes. On a weekend, I’m usually baking cookies, cakes, or cupcakes. I have a huge sweet tooth! ■
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