I am the Principal of Sylvia Mendez Elementary School and am greatly honored to have the opportunity to lead the school where I began my teaching career 20 years ago. I am greatly honored to return as an educator, but more importantly as a partner, leader, and parent for this school! I came to Sylvia Mendez in the 2023-24 school year with over 13 years as an administrator of our Early Childhood Education program (three preschools - Franklin, Hopkins, and King CDC) in our district and seven years of teaching experience at Sylvia Mendez, formally known as LeConte. At Sylvia Mendez, I taught first grade for five years, third grade one year, and a combo class for third and fourth grade another year.

On a personal note, I was born and raised in Berkeley. I began as a student at Franklin Preschool in the bilingual program. I then went to Thousand Oaks where I attended the Bilingual Program there as well, and finally graduated from Berkeley High. Thanks to my early years in bilingual education I was able to take AP Spanish classes which also helped me in my higher education. In addition to my bilingual education and upbringing, my husband and I want to also provide this experience to our three children, our eldest son who came to Sylvia Mendez and is now at Longfellow and our twins who are following his footsteps and are here in 2nd grade. We truly feel blessed to have this community be part of our family and continue to grow together for all of our children and community!

Ely Amador (Portable #1)

Hi, my name is Ely Amador and I have been a TWI teacher in Berkeley since 1999. I received my bachelor’s degree in Developmental Psychology from UC Santa Cruz and my Masters in Education from Mills College. I was born and raised in San Francisco. My parents are Nicaraguan and I grew up bilingually. My experiences in bilingual education sparked a passion in me for educating students to be bilingual, bicultural, and biliterate. I believe it is important to create a fun and safe classroom environment which fosters creativity, trust, self-confidence, and acceptance of individual differences. In my spare time, I enjoy being outdoors in nature, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.

Lourdes Rivas (Room 101)

My name is Lourdes. Students call me Maestre Lourdes. My pronouns are they/them. This is my 10th year teaching Kindergarten at Sylvia Mendez. I am dedicated to creating a safe and joyful classroom environment for all students to learn and thrive. I am passionate about Abolitionist Teaching pedagogy, stress relief running, staying caffeinated, training and co-regulating with my dog Monster. As a teacher, I strive to be the adult in kids’ lives that I wish I had as a kid: honest, patient, unapologetically pro-queer, and socio emotionally in tune to my students. Aside from being a teacher, I am also an author (They Call Me Mix), filmmaker, amateur photographer, and aspiring voice over actor.

Denisse Perez Estrada (Room 109)

Hi! My name is Denisse. Students call me Maestra Denisse or Denisse. My pronouns are she/her.  I love teaching Kindergarten. I firmly believe that everything you need to know you learn in Kindergarten. I am very fortunate to get to spend the day with 5 year olds who love fully and openly. I taught Kindergarten in San Francisco for 6 years and started teaching at Sylvia Mendez in 2021. Every morning I look forward to my first sip of coffee and really enjoy the coffee jitters. When I’m not working, I love reading and traveling with my wife and our four legged son, Remy.

Rocio Guzman (Room 110)

My name is Rocio Guzman. I was born and raised in Lima, Peru. I moved to Oakland, CA in 2002. I am a graduate of the University of Lima in Lima, Peru. I obtained my BCLAD teaching credential at San Francisco State University in 2009. Since then I have been teaching in public schools in the Bay Area. I have been at Sylvia Mendez since 2013. I am a big believer in a class community full of love, respect and passion for learning. I am also a proud mom of a Sylvia Mendez 5th grader! I love our bilingual school community and I am proud of the willingness and passion of our staff to make our Spanish TWI Program better every year. I am passionate about teaching, learning, music, dancing, family, building relationships and community.

Andrea Calderon (Room 107)

I am Maestra Andrea Calderon, although my students call me Maestra Andrea. I was born and raised in Chile - proud to be Mapuche, Aymara (indigenous nations) and Jewish. My partner is from Mexico and we have a daughter and son- both came to Sylvia Mendez, were awarded the Orgulloso de Ser Bilingue seal when graduating from TWI from Longfellow in 8th grade, and now attend BHS. I grew up during the dictatorship and from a very young age believed in the importance of human rights, social and environmental justice, and the importance of being allies. I have worked in the field of human rights- including indigenous, LGBTQ, domestic violence and immigrant rights. I began teaching when I was 19, in public education for over 2 decades, and at Sylvia Mendez since 2014. I feel very lucky to be a teacher. I have always been a bookworm, love spending time with my family, plants, being in nature, and laughing. I love to laugh with my students.

Emily Blossom (Room 103)

My name is Emily Blossom. I began my career in Oakland and moved to BUSD in 2018. Originally from New Mexico, I have lived in Berkeley for many years. I earned my BA (English and Spanish) at the University of New Mexico and my teaching credential at Mills College. 

First Grade is a magical year! Each child is unique and brings their own strengths and personalities into our class “soup”. I am so lucky to have a job that I love! Outside of school, I am very active and love to hike, ski, and travel. At home, I like to cook big, messy meals for family and friends, play the piano, and sing.

Regina Santa Cruz (Room 104)

Hello, My name is Regina Santa Cruz. Staff and students call me Maestra Regina. . I taught 2nd grade at Rosa Parks in Berkeley for many years and I am now at Sylvia Mendez teaching 1st grade. I was born and raised in San Francisco. My mother is from Nicaragua and my father from Peru. I received my B.A. in Liberal Studies with a minor in Raza studies and my Bilingual credential at San Francisco State University. I live with my husband and 3 kids. I love to run, hang out at the beach, eat chinese food, drink coffee, and red vines!!! I believe that a strong classroom community will create a safe place for students to learn and support each other. Students must feel safe and loved in order to learn in school. I am looking forward to an amazing year!

Greg Martin (Room 106)

Hello. My name is Greg Martin and I have been teaching for a really long time! The fact that I am still teaching after well over 30 years is a testament to how much I love it. I am thrilled to be starting a new year as part of the Sylvia Méndez staff. Our shared goal of developing bilingual students with deep multicultural understandings and sensitivities is so essential during these complicated times. I also feel lucky to have the opportunity to teach, learn and laugh alongside my students during the year. I am also so excited to be job-sharing with Maestra Lupercio. I think we will make a great team to support our students’ growth. 

When I'm not teaching, I enjoy going on new adventures with my wife both locally and abroad.  Both of my beloved daughters are now graduated from college and living their “adult lives” in San Diego. I look forward to the new adventures this year will bring.

Lucero Lupercio (Room 106)

I go by Maestra Lupercio and  I feel grateful to be your child's teacher this school year. A little about me: I have taught 3rd grade in Sylvia Mendez Elementary since 2013! I help lead our assemblies and I love teaching the school community about our socioemotional themes. It is also a  big part of my teaching in the classroom!

Some personal information about me: I grew up in Modesto, CA. My parents are originally from Tlaquepaque, Jalisco. I generally go to Mexico at least once a year. Maestro Greg and his wife have even come to visit me in Tlaquepaque! I am the oldest of 4 girls and my younger sisters have greatly influenced who I am as a teacher. Currently, I live in Hercules with my husband and my 2 year old daughter, Romina. Now, she is the greatest influence in who I am as a teacher. I believe my education and all of my life experiences positively influence my teaching so that I can be the best teacher for your child!

Gladis Estrada (Room 102)

Hi! My name is Denisse. Students call me Maestra Denisse or Denisse. My pronouns are she/her.  I love teaching Kindergarten. I firmly believe that everything you need to know you learn in Kindergarten. I am very fortunate to get to spend the day with 5 year olds who love fully and openly. I taught Kindergarten in San Francisco for 6 years and started teaching at Sylvia Mendez in 2021. Every morning I look forward to my first sip of coffee and really enjoy the coffee jitters. When I’m not working, I love reading and traveling with my wife and our four legged son, Remy.

Betty Zabala (Room 105)

My Name is Betty Zabala. I teach 2nd grade. I am a big believer in the power of love and unity. I also believe a teacher can have a huge impact in the life of her/his students by building strong relationships and holding high expectations of them. I am an alumnus of City University of New York (B.A.) and St. John's University (M.A.). I have spent more than 12 years teaching Bilingual and Dual Language students at the elementary level and 3 years teaching special education at the middle school level. I live with my husband Ernest and my two daughters Jillian and Camille.  I am passionate about teaching, meditating and exploring in nature.

Miriam Macias (Room 202)

Hi! My name is Miriam Macías. I have been teaching at Sylvia Méndez over 10 years, but I also taught at Rosa Parks for 8 years and in the Central Valley for 8 years. I am a proud daughter of immigrant farm workers. I was born in Guadalajara, Mexico, but I was brought here as a little girl. School was not always easy because I was learning English and my teachers did not speak Spanish. In college, I had to re-learn Spanish when I realized I was no longer strong in my language.   

As a child, I collected postage stamps from all over the world. I would dream of one day traveling to all of those countries. My dream came true when I got the opportunity to study abroad in college.

Mayra Joseph (Room 203)

My name is Mayra Joseph I was born in LA  to  Mexican parents originally from Guadalajara. Growing up I traveled back and forth from Mexico to the US and attended school in both countries.  I attended UC Santa Cruz for my undergraduate work. I received my teaching credential from Cal State Eastbay. I currently reside in Oakland with my three beautiful children (Jason, Quetzali and Itzel) all of whom attended or have attended Sylvia Mendez. I love teaching at Sylvia Mendez because it is an especially diverse and warm and welcoming community. I am passionate  about art in all its aspects (music, visual and performing).  I feel that when we encourage children to be creative we make way for the expression of the love inside their little souls. Outside of school, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, going on hikes, taking trips, movie nights, impromptu family dance parties, cuddling with my little ones, and doing art.

Asucena Dávila (Portable #2)

I am Teacher Asucena and I am really happy to return to Sylvia Mendez for another school year. My teaching career began in Oakland Unified School District where I taught 6th and 7th grade math and science before making the move to Berkeley Unified School District. In Berkeley I have had the opportunity to work as a bilingual teacher at Thousand Oaks Elementary School and now Sylvia Mendez. I have two wonderful daughters who are students here at Sylvia Mendez and are also part of this wonderful community.

Andy Henderson (Room 204)

Mi nombre es Andy Henderson y he sido maestro de escuela primaria bilingüe-TWI desde 1996, mayormente en el Área de la Bahía. He enseñado  en la escuela que ahora se llama Sylvia Mendez desde 2010. Crecí en la costa este en una familia multilingüe pero aprendí  español de mis compañeros de clase. Me encanta ser parte de la maravillosa comunidad de Sylvia Mendez como maestro, y como escuela para mi hijo quien estuvo aquí por siete años antes de progresar a Longfellow.

Erika Englund (Room 205)

Hi, I am Teacher Erika and I use any and all pronouns (they/them, she/her, he/him). As a fourth grade teacher I enjoy helping kids see how satisfying it is to work hard and overcome challenges.  I love how music and dance bring people together and I work to bring those experiences to our students and community. I work passionately to make school a joyful and loving place for children to maximize their learning and development. I grew up in Minneapolis, MN, earned my B.A. from Oberlin College in Ohio and my teaching credential through UC Berkeley. In my 20+ years of teaching I have also taught transitional kindergarten, kindergarten, 5th and 6th grades.

Yessica Frias-Gonzalez (Room 206)

My full name is Yessica Frias-Gonzalez. I was born in Mexico and moved to the United States when I was 5. I grew up in Southern California, in Riverside. I attended UCR for my undergrad and got my masters in Mathematics Education at SF State. I have been living and teaching in the Bay Area for more than 17 years, in Berkeley. I have a beautiful daughter that also attended Sylvia Mendez.

Rebecca Goodin (Room 207)

My name is Rebecca Goodin and I teach 5th grade. I have been teaching elementary school for over ten years and I’ve been here at Sylvia Mendez since 2017. I was born and raised in Berkeley, and I lived in Santiago de Chile for many years, before moving to Seattle to study bilingual education at the University of Washington. I love to read, swim, and laugh. I also love to travel! I am a big believer in the power of a caring community for learning. I am passionate about bilingual education and I love being part of the Sylvia Mendez community!

Gabriela Casal (Room 201)

I am Maestra Gabriela.  I grew up in Berkeley and went to Berkeley public schools, from Centro Vida to Berkeley High.  I did my credential and Masters in Education at UC Berkeley.  I have lived in Spain, Mexico and Brazil and I love to travel.  I worked for 10 years at Melrose Leadership Academy in Oakland (second, sixth and seventh grades) and I am excited to come back to my roots in Berkeley.  Last year was my first year at Sylvia Mendez and I taught kindergarten.  It is really important to me to create an environment in the classroom where all students can be themselves, feel that their identities are seen and valued, be kind, and grow.

Karin Morris (Room 201)

I’m excited to join the staff of Sylvia Mendez after almost a decade working at Melrose Leadership Academy in Oakland. My undergraduate degree was in Latin American Studies, and I obtained my Masters in Education from San Francisco State University. My greatest passions as a teacher are social emotional development and science. I love everything connected to the natural world – especially rocks, plants, insects and ecosystems – and spend a lot of my summers backpacking in wilderness areas. I also love to swim, to dance, to deepen my meditation practice and personal growth, and to travel. I have two children, Jobi (27) and Sisi (23), and I live in Oakland.

Liliana Aguas (Literacy Coach)

Hello, my name is Liliana Aguas and I’m the Bilingual Literacy Coach. I have been teaching over 15 years at Sylvia Mendez. I majored in Conservation and Resource Studies at UC Berkeley where I also received my masters in Cognitive Development with a focus on bilingual education. I start each day with a big cup of coffee. I love to read, explore our beautiful rocky coasts, eat cheese with artisanal breads, listen to my daughter’s stories and spend time with my family.

Neelam Patil (Science)

Coming soon…

Gloria Muñoz (English Language Development/TWI Support)

My name is Gloria Muñoz, students call me Maestra Gloria, and I use the pronouns she/her/ella. I have taught for more than 20 years, mostly at the elementary level, but I have also worked at the middle, high, and district levels. I attended SFSU for both my undergrad and  masters degrees, and CSU East Bay for my teaching credential. I am both a 2nd & 3rd generation Chicana/Indigena who grew up in the East Bay, and this part of my identity largely shapes how I enter the classroom. I am a dedicated educator that roots teaching in uplifting student strengths, making connections to our collective historical pasts, and developing a critical lens on society. I am also a proud parent of an amazing 6th grader, who also attended Mendez.

Indelisa Carrillo (Intervention - RTI)

My name is Indelisa Carrillo. I have been an educator for almost 20 years. I graduated from UCSC, SFSU and USC. I have taught and worked in K-5th grades/schools in Redwood City, San Francisco, Cambridge, Los Angeles and San Lorenzo before landing here in Berkeley. In addition to teaching, I have worked as an EL Coordinator,  S.E.A.L Coach and Reading Interventionist. I will be entering my 6rd year at Sylvia Mendez. I am currently the RTI Coordinator/TWI Support teacher. I also co-teach our designated ELD classes K-5th. I am inspired and love children’s books, particularly those with themes on social justice. I believe every child has the right to access the world of books and that children of all ethnicities and children all along the gender spectrum should see themselves represented in books. I am passionate about working with our most vulnerable students to support them in achieving access to the curriculum, particularly reading. My greatest hope for this school year is that all our students rise to meet the challenges ahead to becoming confident bilingual, bi-literate scholars.

Dario Ciarlantini (Physical Education)

I was born and raised in Italy. After finishing college, I moved to California and started teaching. First math and then physical education in Middle School for 15 years. I have two daughters in secondary education, and my wife is also a teacher.

My Italian language helps me understand some of the Spanish spoken on campus. I am very excited to reconnect in person with all my students. I look forward to playing many fun and educational games and practicing a wide variety of sports.

 I am a big supporter of the AC Milan soccer team!

 (Bilingual Substitute)

Coming soon….

Sandra Loza (K–5 Full Inclusion)

I was born and raised in Hayward and as a child I was in a TWI program which I loved. I instantly fell in love with Sylvia Mendez Elementary because of this connection. As a bilingual child, being in a TWI program was so crucial for me & it gives me great joy to now be a part of it as an educator. This is my 5th year at Sylvia Mendez as the full inclusion specialist. Many of you might be familiar with the learning center which is my office space, and most importantly a safe space for students when they are having a tough day. The biggest and most special change in my life is that I am now a mother to a beautiful baby girl, Olivia Rose!!

Karime Blanco (School Psychologist)

Hola Sylvia Mendez!

I am entering my 2nd year here at Sylvia Mendez and loving the strong, kind and powerful community you have all worked so hard to cultivate! I am a proud product of Berkeley public schools and have worked with children and families in different capacities both in and out of Berkeley for over 10 years. I am passionate about equitable access to education, full inclusion, and am a strong believer that we at schools have the capacity to change the world. During my free time I love to hike and explore beautiful bodies of water with my hairless pup and enjoy learning to cook new dishes. I am so excited for this year! Please come say hi if you see me around the school or in the community!

Kathryn Dunn (Occupational Therapist)

Coming soon…

Ashley Hunsberger (Occupational Therapist)

Coming soon…

Rebekka Dagher (Speech & Language Pathologist)

Hello! I am the speech therapist here at Sylvia Mendez! I grew up in Marin, raised in a multicultural (Mexican + Lebanese) and multilingual home. As an SLP, I am eager to work with a diverse array of students to help them not only be able to better express themselves but gain the confidence and self esteem they so deserve. In my free time, I can be found rock climbing, spending time with my nephews, taking on a random hobby, or finding a new cheesy joke.

Hilda Lopez (Behavioral Health Counselor)

Hi! My name is Hilda Lopez and my pronouns are she/her/ella. I have had the privilege of providing family engagement support and mental health services as an employee of Bay Area Community Resources (BACR) since 2013. Born and raised in Stockton, CA, a native Spanish speaker, and child of immigrants, I was thrilled to be placed as the full time mental health clinician for Sylvia Mendez Elementary in 2021. My clinical experience has focused on supporting children as young as four with issues such as trauma, anxiety, and depression (among other things). In my work with clients of all ages, my hope is to provide support in uncovering what they need to move forward in a healthy way in collaboration with the support network around them.

Gaddy Barbero-Reyes (Librarian)

Coming soon…

Farmer Brasa (Farm and Garden)

Coming soon…

Alejandra Frias (Family Engagement Specialist)

Coming soon…