KINDERGARTEN - Tina Lorch

A seed was planted in Tina in the early 70’s as a student in a team-taught 4th-6th grade "open classroom" in Oxnard, California. The walls of three classrooms were opened and the team was facilitated by 3 male teachers.

Before she knew it, she had graduated from the University of California at Davis with her BS in Child/ Human Development. She continued her education at San Francisco State University and earned a Masters Degree in Special Education and a Communication Handicapped Credential with an emphasis on teaching the Deaf and Hearing- Impaired.

However, it was during her student teaching at Ohlone Open School in Palo Alto, California, that the seed actually sprouted. She was paired with a fabulous kindergarten master teacher who awakened in her the passion for educating kindergarteners--nurturing a “child’s garden”.

Tina has been in education for 23 years, and she continues to grow and blossom as an educator. All her full-time teaching has been in kindergarten. She began her teaching career with her husband, Kevin, in Moorpark Unified School District where he continues to encourage young leaders at Mesa Verde Middle School. After staying home for 6 years to raise her sons, Michael (a Junior at UCSD) and Danny (a Freshman at UCSD), she began teaching at Horizon Hills: 3 years in the team class, 3 years as the first Clay teacher, and 5 years as a kindergarten teacher! Her sons loved Horizon Hills and continued their education at Bedford/Los Senderos Open School in Camarillo, which is now CAPE Charter School, where Tina was an involved parent, PTSA Vice-President of Curriculum, and an innovative teacher/coordinator of the school’s Mini-Courses.

Tina comes to BRIDGES after being replanted to start a charter school in Las Virgenes School District and most recently from a peaceful year of cultivation in the Santa Monica Mountains at Calmont, a child centered private school.  She is excited about returning to the community she calls home to join the committed parents and BRIDGES staff to plant a new garden in which we will all flourish.

Tina enjoys watching her sons swim and play water polo at UCSD, reading, traveling, hiking, going to movies, exercising and being with family and friends.