John B. Wright Elementary School
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Lacey Petterson4th Grade Teacher
What started as a substitute teaching role for Lacey at John B. Wright Elementary more than a decade ago has turned into a now-12-year teaching career.
After graduating with her degree, Lacey was a substitute teacher for two years. The last sub position she filled in for was a teacher that was out on maternity leave. Except, that teacher opted to not come back after her leave. So, once the position was available, Lacey was able to take on the position full time.
Lacey also serves as the school’s AVID teacher.
“I love AVID because it brings unity to the school and it sets the students up for success in the way that we teach them and the way that we encourage higher level learning and college career readiness,” Lacey said.
Anais Mejia3rd Grade Teacher
Anais came to John B. Wright Elementary as a student teacher through the University of Arizona but fell in love with the diversity of the student body that she chose to stay when a position opened up. Anais grew up on the southside of Tucson, so her own experience growing up in local schools was with predominantly Hispanic student bodies.
She loves that Wright celebrates all holidays, regardless of cultural, religious or national affiliation. “For Ramadan, we decorate lanterns, and the kids get to talk about their culture, just like we do with traditional American holidays,” Anais said. “So, I think that’s just really exciting to see.”
Manal TafishLanguage Acquisition - Arabic Teacher
Manal has been at John B. Wright Elementary for over a decade, but she’s not just a teacher at that one school. Wright serves as a feeder school to Doolen Middle School, where Manal also teaches Arabic Language.
Because Manal teaches a language that isn’t commonly taught, she knows getting students interested in learning Arabic comes down to how she teaches and how fun she can make the course. At Wright, there are over 24 native languages represented throughout the student body.
“The kids will love it because they discover something different than their native language,” Manal said. “And it really opens the mind because you teach the language and the culture.”