Sara Elliott finds teaching niche in Sisters

"I've taught art in middle and high school, but I really enjoy working with kids at that emerging level, where they are really excited about school and about learning" says Sara Elliott, one of the new teachers at Sisters Elementary School (SES) where she teaches a blended first/second-grade home room.

Elliott is a third-year teacher, but this is her first year in one full-time classroom of her own. Sara substituted last year at SES, finishing out as a long-term sub in the grade that she now teaches. The year before she was a "floating" teacher at Highland Magnet School in Bend, where she taught a variety of subjects at all different grade levels.

"I'm really excited about teaching in Sisters. It has been a very nice experience. I have been very welcomed by the parents, staff and kids," Elliott said. "I feel like this is a perfect place for me and my style."

While completing her undergraduate and graduate work at the University of Oregon, Elliott was a recipient of a highly completive Laurel Scholarship. As a Laurel scholar she worked at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art. She was a traveling art teacher for schools that did not have their own art program. She also taught art in the museum's studio and for their children's camps.

Sara and her husband moved to the west side in Bend after graduate school, with their dog and cat.

"It is a drive," said Sara, "but I feel lucky because it is one of the most beautiful drives you could make. The drive home allows me to decompress from the excitement and energy of the day."

The new schedule at SES, where kids rotate between classrooms for reading and math focus, seems to be working out well, Elliott observed. She likes the fact that you get to see and get to know a lot more kids. She still gets to focus by teaching a full class of first-grade reading and a full class of second-grade math. The kids seem to enjoy the activity of moving between classrooms, but they still seem to bond with their home-room class.

Elliott grew up in the small town of Rochester in central Washington, "...two stop lights and a Dairy Queen, so I'm used to and fond of small towns," she said. Her family had a home in Black Butte Ranch, so growing up Sara spent a lot of time hanging out in Sisters and learning to ski.

"I always enjoyed Sisters. I'd heard about the excellent schools in Sisters and used to think 'What a great place to teach!,' and six years later, I'm here!"