4th Grade Teaching Team

Kelly Earlywine

4th Grade Teacher

• I began teaching in 2005 here in San Carlos - this is the start of my 15th year with the district. I have been teaching 4th grade for 13 years, wow! I taught at Brittan Acres for 12 years where I primarily taught 4th grade (with one year teaching 3rd/4th combination and one year teaching 3rd). I love having the opportunity to be collaborative as a teacher, and was lucky enough to convince Jen Heinschel to jump on board to 4th grade. She and I have been teaching partners for the last six years. We get the opportunity to share students and meet our students’ needs with a rich and team-focused learning environment. Teaching brings me the most joy when I see kids realize their potential is limitless - that’s when magic truly happens! 

• Fourth grade has been my absolute favorite grade level to teach. Kids make so many strides academically in 4th grade, their creativity is astounding, and the curriculum is challenging but also a lot of fun to teach!

• My husband and I are peninsula natives! Together we have two kids - my son is seven and my daughter is four. We love having time together going for walks, playing at the park, riding bikes, and swimming. I love to be outdoors enjoying some beautiful scenery and the warm sunshine. When I’m not in mom and teacher mode, I try to get some exercise in, read a book that has been on my long overdue list, or catch up on a Netflix series.

• The start of a new school year brings a lot of excitement and wonderful, fresh experiences. 

Jennifer Heinschel 

4th Grade Teacher

• This is the start of my 17th year of teaching - I started teaching in the San Carlos School District and I’ve never left! I taught 3rd grade at Brittan Acres for about 10 years (with a 2/3 and 3/4 combination class thrown in there) and then transitioned to 4th grade where I was able to partner with Kelly Earlywine. We’ve taught 4th grade collaboratively for the last six years and we love working together to meet the needs of our students. It’s the absolute best when you see the ‘lightbulb’ go on when you’re teaching and when you see students start to nurture different passions within their own lives.

• Fourth grade was one of my favorite years as a student in school and it’s by far my most favorite grade to teach! Students are really starting to develop their independent thinking and take their ideas to a higher level. There’s a wide variety of interests and skills - and 4th graders are just plain fun to talk with! I majored in journalism in college and love to teach writing and share my love of all things grammar to my students (they don’t always share my enthusiasm!). Math is also pretty awesome to teach - I wish I had learned math the way we teach it now.

• My family is everything to me - my husband and I have two kids. My daughter is 10 and my son is eight. While I can’t believe that they’re going into 3rd and 5th grades, they make me proud every day. We have a dog (a result of me chaperoning my daughter’s Girl Scout troop to Pets in Need last year) and a cat (who doesn’t really like the dog), and we love to spend time in our backyard barbecuing by the creek. I love to read, craft, and bake - but I don’t get a lot of time to do any of those!

• Ever since I started school, I’ve always loved the beginning of each year. School supply shopping was a favorite, with new pencils, a binder, folders, and erasers being just about the best thing ever. There’s something special about a fresh, new start every year - for both teachers and students!

• I began teaching in 1998 at a private school in Los Altos and then in Palo Alto at an NPS where I worked with students aged 5-16(and their families), were on the Autistic Spectrum, and had severe learning and behavior issues. I enjoyed working closely with my team and although an intense and challenging job, I learned the power of teamwork. MakerSpace is a new position for me(I am also the impact sub at work and have been for a couple of years) after taking time off for family and school. I love teaching because I love that kids have a genuine curiosity about things. I enjoy being a part of their learning process by helping meet their needs to better support their learning styles.  
• My favorite thing about 4th and 5th grade is learning their lives, hobbies and interests and realizing they’re more talented and interesting than me!
• I have 2 daughters, Gabi (CMS)-13 and Elisa(Arroyo)-9 who keep me on my toes. They are both fun to be around and have a good sense of humor(most of the time(-;0). Gabi is the goalkeeper for her soccer team and also loves her orchestra class/teacher where she plays the bass. Elisa likes to rock climb and any kind of dance. My husband John is an air rescue helicopter pilot. Our entire family loves sports and the outdoors: we love to hike, camp, frequent the beach, playing soccer, bocce, basketball, kickball, cornhole, or whatever we’re in the mood for. I also love to read, listen to music and visit the farmer’s market. This past summer we hiked from the Yosemite Valley up to Glacier point and back together and also had a blast rafting and floating in the Merced River.
• I look forward to the new school year mostly because I know how much growth will be happening. I’m amazed at what kids are capable of and am inspired to teach and learn from them and other teachers.

Joel Porter

4th Grade Teacher

• This is my third year teaching--my first year I taught 5th grade in San Jose, and last year I taught 4th grade at Heather in San Carlos. As a student teacher, I taught kindergarten and 3rd grade, so I’ve taught almost every grade! For me, teaching is the perfect chance to do something I love while making a difference in the world.

• The Tiger Rising is one of my favorite books.  I almost cried a few times while reading it out loud last year, because it tells such a beautiful and moving story.  I’m very excited to share it with my class this year with a focus on understanding different characters’ perspectives.

• I love reading fantasy and science fiction novels.  I am a huge Harry Potter fan, and I play Quidditch when I can.

• Every year, my students amaze me with their hidden talents, unique perspectives, or spontaneous jokes.  I’m excited to get to know the students in Room V!

Yasmeen Hijazi

4th Grade Teacher

• This is my second year teaching. I have worked with a wide range of ages from 2 year olds receiving Early Intervention and 18 year olds earning their diploma. However, I must say 4th grade seems to be the perfect grade.
• I look forward to meeting all the new students and supporting them on their journey to being confident learners.
• When I am not working or spending time with my family, I can usually be found on a hiking trail somewhere in the Bay Area.  More often than not, my amazing dog is right by my side ready for an adventure.