TRICIA McCANDLESS
Currently @ Sunrise teaching developmental pre-school
Position/Representing - Special Education

What am I most looking forward to at Edgerton?
I am most looking forward to help plan from the ground up. I see this as a perfect opportunity to get preschool and special education into the school as a true, equal part of the school. I think there is misconception and misunderstanding about what our preschool is all about. I'm excited to share information on how kids qualify and about the spectrum of disabilities we see. I have a lot of experience with autism, and as the numbers rise more and more integration will be happening. I'd like to help others understand, as well as provide and help implement classroom strategies that will help make kiddos successful in the mainstream.
Activities I enjoy when not spending time with work:
I most enjoy my family. I have had the best summer on record! My kids (Claire 5, Jack 4) are amazing and a blast to hang out with. Andy (my husband) took a lot of vacation time this summer so we had a ton of family outings that we don't manage to do during the school year.
I also love to run! I run with 3 friends 4 times a week and it is as much of a social "bonding with the girls" time as it is physical fitness. We have run races from 5k to ½ marathons to a 150 mile relay this summer. My family knows that "a running mom is a happy mom!"
Places I enjoy traveling (or want to travel) to:
Any place with an ocean to view and walk on. Warm, cold...I'll take it all.
A few of my favorites (movies, food, restaurants, etc.):
Food...one of my favorite subjects. COFFEE! Does that count as a food? Love the taste, love the smell, love the ritual. I LOVE Thai food and a big salad with just about anything under the sun put into it. Anything with garlic and anything chocolate. Also seafood...my favorite restaurant being The Crab Pot on the Seattle waterfront.
As for movies, I love a good really pointless comedy that just makes my sides hurt from laughing. Sleepless in Seattle-I'm always a sucker for a sappy love story.
A book I would recommend:
I am currently reading "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell for my book club. It's an interesting theory on society. I also really liked "The Namesake" by Jumpir Lahiri
A quote that has personal meaning to me:
"We are all about as happy as we make up our minds to be." - Abraham Lincoln
I think it's pretty self explanitory.
Something interesting that others may not know about me:
I am a closet organization freak. I LOVE it when everything has a "home" and it's even better when it all fits in the same, color coordinated containers with labels. Interesting or just plain scary??