English Learner Department T.E.A.M.

Together EL's Achieve More

EL Department Head

Mrs. Gina Ledesma

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Mrs. Ledesma has been with Connecting Waters Charter Schools for 9 years. Personalized learning is such an exciting gift to students. Mrs. Ledesma has worked with EL Students for many years and is excited to step into this new role as Department Head. Mrs. Ledesma has one daughter in college, majoring in American Sign Language Interpretation.   Mrs. Ledesma plays with her 3 cats, a dog, and a turtle in her spare time.  She enjoys the ocean, music, traveling,  and theatre. 

Mrs. Melissa Alcorn

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Mrs. Alcorn is thankful for her CW family! She loves making learning fun and meaningful. She enjoys the experiences and knowledge each of her students bring to class.

When not teaching you are likely to find Mrs. Alcorn outdoors with her husband and dog. She especially enjoys kayaking and hiking. She also enjoys spending time with her three grown daughters and son-in-law.

Mrs. Lauren Bassard

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Mrs. Lauren Bassard, also known as Mrs. B., began working for Connecting Waters Charter Schools in 2008 and is beginning her sixth year as an online teacher. What Mrs. B. loves most about her job is finding new solutions to improve learning for our students, and meeting new people, especially from other countries.

Mrs. B. has two sons, two daughter-in-loves, and a husband, Edward, who works at the CWEB Resource Center. Mrs. B. and her husband enjoy studying and learning together. This March they were blessed with their third grandchild!

In her free time, Mrs. B. relaxes by taking long walks with her Jack Russell Terrier-Chihuahua pup, Jett, weight training, camping, traveling, and serving in her church. Her ideal vacation would include warm weather, snorkeling, hiking, and sight-seeing. Mrs. B. looks forward to learning about her students and listening to their stories.

Mrs. Casey Blair
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My love for teaching started when I was young. I followed my dreams into the classroom. I have 3 awesome kids and wanted to spend more time with them, but at the same time continue my passion for teaching. Connecting Waters allowed me to teach the English class as well as be a mom. I absolutely adore my students and love watching them bloom and find their love for reading.

Ms. Wendi Digerness

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Ms. Wendi understands that the traditional classroom does not meet the individual needs of all students. She is very thankful for CW and its emphasis on supporting EL students at all levels. She has four children who all participated in different forms of education: public schools, private schools, and homeschooling. Ms. Wendi is passionate about reading, travel, hiking, and recently became SCUBA certified with her seventh-grade daughter. She lives the motto: The world is our classroom.

Mrs. Sharon McGuire

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Mrs. McGuire loves teaching Language Arts classes! Her favorite part of teaching is playing games with the students and making sure all students are involved and participating in class. When she is not teaching, Mrs. McGuire enjoys hiking and spending time with her husband and 3 daughters. She has been an ES for 14 years and loves all of her Connecting Waters students and families!