Ms. Nguyen

            I was born and raised in Columbia, Missouri, and also attended college there.  It was a wonderful experience for me.  I worked as an aide with second graders all four years of college, and was also a nanny for a family with three little boys, who I still remain very close to to this day.  I student taught and later worked as a substitute teacher for infants to nine-year-olds in the University of Missouri’s Child Development Lab, which has been rated as one of the top 10 centers in the country by child magazine.  During my last three semesters of college, I student taught children ages two to five at three different schools in Columbia, which gave me many great ideas to use in my own classroom.   I moved to Gainesville in June of 2001 (I love the warm weather and the sunshine!)   I was a nanny for one of the former UF football coaches, as well as the Kindergarten assistant here at QPA during the 2001 school year.  In 2002 I became the PreK teacher. 
            I enjoy sports (especially college basketball), running, reading, movies and scrapbooking.  I also like to travel, bake, spend time with my friends, and, of course, see my family.  My parents still live in Columbia, as does my younger brother, who is currently pursuing his doctorate in educational and counseling psychology. 
            I am truly looking forward to getting to know all of you and your children this year.  Please let me know if I can do anything to help you!

Miss Nguyen

 

 

Mrs. Funston

           My name is April Funston and I am very excited to be a part of the QPA staff as a teaching assistant to Miss Nguyen.  My husband Mike, our twin daughters, Madison and Lydia, and I moved to Florida from Atlanta six and a half years ago.  We lived in the Orlando area for a year and a half before moving to Alachua in 2003.  It had been my husband’s dream to return to this area since graduating from UF in 1981, so when IBM decided that he could set up a home office anywhere he desired, we packed our bags and headed to Gator Country!
            Two of my greatest passions in life are music and teaching, and I have been fortunate in my career to be able to pursue them both.  I was born and raised in Mobile, Alabama and received my Bachelor’s degree in Music Education at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg.  While performing as a flutist with the Gulfport and Pensacola Symphonies, and the Gulfport and Mobile Orchestras, I was the Director of Elementary Bands for the Mobile County Parochial School System and taught instructional music at McGill-Toolen Catholic High School.  In 1986 I moved to Atlanta to continue my career as a musician and private flute instructor, and completed a Post-Baccalaureate program at Kennesaw State University in Early Childhood Education PreK through Grade 5.  I taught first grade at Nicholson Elementary School in Marietta, Georgia for seven years until becoming a mom to Madison and Lydia. 
            In addition to spending time with my family, I love to listen to classical music, play the flute and piano, read, travel and go canoeing on the Santa Fe River.  I am thrilled to be back in the classroom, and to be able to spend this year with you and your children.

Mrs. Funston
(Monday & Tuesday)

 

Mrs. Kisida

 

            I am very excited to be working with your children in PreK this year as an assistant.  I received an Associates of Science degree in Early Childhood Education from Santa Fe Community College.  After I graduated from college, I began working at the KinderCare on the University of Florida campus.  While employed there, I was a teacher of 2-year-olds for two years.  I then moved up to the three-year-old class for two years.  My last year there, I became the Assistant Director.
            I decided to be a stay at home mom for five years with my daughter Kelly, who is 8, and my son Michael, who is 6.  Kelly is now in the 3rd grade class and Michael in the 1st grade class here at Queen of Peace Academy.
            My husband, Todd, and I have been married now for eleven years.  My husband and I have been members at Queen of Peace for the last eleven years.  I taught 1st and 2nd grade Faith Formation classes at Queen of Peace for three years. 
            I enjoy playing sports and spending time with my family.

Mrs. Kisida
(Wednesday, Thursday & Friday)