Kindergarten

Nicola Gonzalez | Kindergarten Teacher

Hi! My name is Nicola Gonzalez and I have been teaching Kindergarten at Diamond Valley for 5 years. This upcoming year will be my 10th year teaching. I have taught 2nd grade (both in school and virtual), 3rd grade and also Kindergarten. Although I have loved teaching the other grades, Kindergarten has a special place in my heart. Teaching them to read is hard, but so rewarding when you get to see how excited they are when they learn to do it.

When I'm not teaching, I love spending time with my family and dogs, Blue (Mini Aussie) and Bindi (Red Heeler mix). My husband is also a teacher so it's nice to have the same days off together to spend with our family. We have 3 boys ages 25, 23 and 18. My oldest son is married and his wife also teaches in the district. We love to travel and go camping anywhere in nature. We love to visit National Parks and one of our favorite places to visit is the Pacific Northwest beaches.

Tonya Leavitt | Kindergarten Teacher

My Email: tonya.leavitt@washk12.org

I grew up in the small town of Marysvale, Utah surrounded by these incredible mountains. I have a deep appreciation and love for the beauty and wonder of nature. This definitely influences the way I teach and I recognize the power of authentic learning experiences.

I am always "in" for ways that I can improve and learn new things. I have my Masters in education and an assortment of endorsements including the recent LETRS endorsement.

I believe in educating the WHOLE child. In our class, we will learn math and reading of course, but also science, technology and engineering. I teach social/emotional skills AND we will do art and sing and dance.

I have taught quite a few years now but can honestly say I LOVE teaching!

DVES FACULTY

Our teachers at Diamond Valley Elementary are highly experienced, educated, and dedicated. We have a combined total of over 100 years of teaching. Most of our faculty have taken Gifted and Talented post-graduate classes with many receiving the full endorsement. Many have also received their Master’s Degree, Reading Endorsement, Math Endorsement, or ESL Endorsement. Each faculty member works their hardest to provide a high quality education for every student. The teachers have fun and professional personalities that make Diamond Valley a place that children love to be.

“LEARNING FROM THE PAST, PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE, SUCCEEDING IN THE PRESENT.”