Hi! My name is Karen Denove and I am teaching First Grade at Yerba Buena. I made the change from Kindergarten to First Grade two years ago and I love it! I have been teaching 24 years, but I started teaching when I was 10 years old (ha,ha!). I love animals, I love nature and I love working with children. I am looking forward to a fun and productive year with you and your child

Welcome to the 2012-2013 school year. I am very excited to teach your first graders this year! I attended UCSB for my undergraduate degree in life science, and then earned my credential and masters from Pepperdine. I began teaching in Las Virgenes in 1996 at Lupin Hill (3rd grade). After four years of full time, I began job-sharing at White Oak for the next four years (3rd and 4th grade). I took three years off to stay home with my three children, and since 2007 I have been working 50% at White Oak (2nd grade), Willow (K), and Yerba Buena (1st). This is my second year back full time in first grade.

!GO BRUINS!

GO BRUINS!

Welcome to the 2012-2013 school year. When I'm not teaching and sharing my passion and love of learning with my 4th and 5th grade students, I can be found spending time with my five favorite guys...my loving husband of 16 years, Kerry, my three wonderful sons, Brett, Tate, and Trey and my big yellow lab, Wilbur.

Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season!

GO BRUINS!

Go Bruins!

I absolutely love teaching! Throughout my career, I've had the joy and honor to teach kindergarten through eighth grade. When I'm not at our fabulous Yerba Buena, I'm at home puttering in my garden or taking long walks with my wonderful and supportive husband, John and our highly energetic Golden Retriever, Jake. All three of us are music aficionados, especially jazz. Paws down...my favorite moments are those spent with my 'boys!'

If you combine kids, pizza, math, crafts, and jazz music, you'd find me. I am affectionately called Mrs. 'Pizza' Stagg because I love pizza and try to incorporate it into the curriculum whenever possible. I have taught grades 1-5 at Willow for 19 years. This is my fourth year at YB-Go Bobcats! I am originally from Brooklyn, New York. I have been married to the same wonderful man for almost 35 years. I have two sons, Ashley, a YB alumnus, Matthew, a Willow graduate, and two Dachshunds named Nathan and Emma. I can't wait to get to know you all better. Love, Mrs. 'Pizza' Stagg

Welcome! One of my greatest pleasures in life is teaching here at Yerba Buena, where I have taught first and third grades for the past 16 years. Currently, I live with my wonderful and supportive husband, Mark, and our 6 y.o. puppy, Tito. Our son, Nathaniel, is a Post Doctoral Fellow at CalTech, and he lives in Long Beach with his wife, Ekaterina. Our daughter, Valerie, is a classically trained pianist who lives in Century City. However, now she has a record contract and a pop album will be released in October in Japan! She plays keyboard and does vocals for her band, Layla Lane. I am looking forward to another wonderful year here at Y.B., the best school ever!

This is my 4th year teaching in the Las Virgenes School District! Wow! Time flies. I have taught kindergarten, first grade, and this year I am teaching K/1! It is going to be a great year!