- Sharon Elementary
- Meet the Gifted Teachers
Gifted
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Meet the Gifted Teachers
School Phone: (770) 888-7511
Phone: 122035
Email:
Degrees and Certifications:
Ms. Lauren Sarnacki
I am so excited that I will get to work with some of the third grade gifted learners this year! While you may know me primarily as a fifth-grade teacher, I am passionate about challenging gifted learners and helping them continue to grow. I graduated from the Ohio State University in 2007 with a Bachelor's Degree in Human Development & Family Science, and I graduated again from Ohio State in 2008 with my Master's Degree in Middle Childhood Education. I have an Associate Level certification through the Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners, gifted certification, and an online teaching endorsement. I will graduate in December of 2024 with my Specialist Degree in Instructional Technology. This will be my 17th year of teaching, and my 11th year at Sharon Elementary!
My family is so important and special to me! My sister is married to my awesome brother-in-law and they have two little girls that I am so lucky to call my nieces! I love spending time with Emma (11) & Nora (8)! My family moved around a few times when I was growing up. I was born in Michigan, then lived outside of Toronto, Ontario for six years. Next, we moved to a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio. Lastly, I lived in Columbus, Ohio for ten years until I moved to Georgia in the fall of 2013 to be closer to my parents! My sister just so happens to be Mrs. Kleinhenz, another fifth-grade teacher here at Sharon Elementary! I couldn't ask for anything better! We are best friends and love getting to work together!
Another very special part of my life is my sweet dog Belle. She is a 15 year old Maltipoo and my very best friend :). She loves to play fetch with small tennis balls and have her belly rubbed, and she has her mom wrapped around her paw! In my free time I love to cheer on the Atlanta Braves and the Ohio State Buckeyes (Go Bucks and Go Braves!), read a good book, listen to all kinds of music, do jigsaw puzzles, bake something yummy, spend time with my family (especially Emma & Nora!), learn new technology tricks, volunteer at my church, and play with Belle!
I am looking forward to a school year filled with fun, laughter, and lots of learning!
Phone: 122135
Email:
Degrees and Certifications:
Mrs. Kim Tate
My name is Mrs. Kimberly Tate. I’m originally from Alexandria, Virginia. I grew up in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. I’m currently living in Suwanee, Georgia with my husband, and two teenage children. In my spare time, I enjoy horseback riding at the Equestrian Reserve, photography, and tent camping with my family. I graduated from North Georgia College and State University with an Undergraduate Degree in Early Childhood Education. I also have a Master’s Degree in Gifted Education from the University of Connecticut. I completed my Specialist Degree in Curriculum and Instruction at Piedmont University. Gwinnett and Forsyth County have provided me with 22+ years of teaching experience in Elementary Gifted Education.
Phone: 122131
Email:
Degrees and Certifications:
Mrs. Wendy Wing
"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire." William Butler Yeats.
Teaching is what I was meant to do. I love motivating students to develop a passion to learn, to explore, and to create. After graduating from the University of Central Florida with a B.S. in Elementary Education, I started my teaching career at North Habersham Middle School teaching sixth grade language arts and social studies. In the years since, I have taught every grade from kindergarten through eighth. I earned my gifted certification in 1998 and taught at The Torrance Center for Gifted Children at the University of Georgia. In the 1990’s, I was asked to present two units at the Georgia Middle School Conference and was recognized by Georgia's Secretary of State for the "Wall of Remembrance: Children of the Holocaust" unit. I was Teacher of the Year in 2019 for Sharon Elementary and was a semi-finalist in the county.
In 2017, I presented my unit on bats to the National Science Teachers Association’s National Conference in Los Angeles and in Atlanta, Georgia in 2018.
I help produce the Sharon Elementary Knightly News with Mrs. Pritchard.
I am married to Bruce, who is the best husband in the world, and we have two wonderful children, Megan and Jon. Megan, our oldest, graduated from The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill with a degree in economics and political science. She was selected for Teach for America, where she taught in Phoenix, Arizona and where she met her husband Nick. Megan and Nick had their first child Lily in September of 2019. Needless to say, she is the apple of our eyes. Megan is the Curriculum Director of Education at East End Prep in Nashville. Jon graduated from California State University, Fullerton with a degree in accounting and is married to our wonderful daughter-in-law Lauren. We have four rescue dogs, Murphy, Roo, Riley, and Ozzie who bring us so much joy and are valued members of our family. Three of our four dogs are named for Atlanta Braves players as I am an avid fan.
I have retired from coaching the Sharon Robo Knights FLL Robotics Team, but once a Sharon Robo Knight, always a Sharon Robo Knight. I love teaching coding and robotics to my students, as well as STEM and literature. I love developing my students’ curiosity in the world and helping them to realize that they can make a positive impact.