Welcome to Mrs. Monge’s 4th Grade Classroom 2025-2026

Letter of Introduction from Mrs. Monge 
                                                                                   August 20, 2025

 

I am so happy to be your child’s new classroom teacher starting in August 2025! We will have a wonderful time in Room 14 at Lunada Bay Elementary, filled with lots of learning and fun along the way!

Let me introduce myself. My name is Laura Monge. I am married to Julius Monge, have two grown daughters, and a 10-year-old grandson, Owen. We live in RPV, have one cute chihuahua doggy, and two huge cats. In my spare time, I am in a book club, go on bike rides at the beach with my husband, and enjoy socializing with friends. My main past time is spending time with Owen taking him to drum, piano, and swimming lessons, and going on many varied excursions with him. 

My professional story is that I retired from teaching in June 2024. I thought that was it. Then I reversed my retirement. Then I retired again. I have been subbing at private schools and love interactions with students. I’ve wondered why not try to go back to teaching in PV again. I am happy and excited that the district hired me back in January 2025, as they had a teaching position opening mid-year. Teaching 4th Grade is my wheelhouse. It is my thing! 

I feel so lucky to have this opportunity to come back to the classroom. My energy level is all there, and my enthusiasm for the work is too. I’m feeling like a brand new teacher! However, I am a very experienced veteran teacher.

I taught school for 38 years. For my first 15 years, I taught special education including being a resource teacher, a SDC teacher, and inclusion facilitator. During those years we lived in and moved to four different states for my husband’s job. So, I taught school in AZ, CA, VA, and IL!

After that, for 2 years, I taught special education at Rancho Vista Elementary. Then for 14 years I taught 4th grade at Rancho Vista, and for three years there I was a combo 4th/5th grade teacher. This makes a total of 19 years at that school!

After that, I taught for three years at Dapplegray Elementary. In that time, I taught 3rd grade, 4th grade, and lastly combo class (4th and 5th grade together). I just loved Dapplegray! I thought I was ready to retire because of all of those years of teaching, and did so in June of 2024. See photo of me attached from May 2024 when I received a HSA award from the Dapplegray PTA. Little did I know, but it really was too early for me to stop this very fulfilling and meaningful work. I learned and know that this is my calling and it always has been. 

You may know me from my work teaching 4th grade at Lunada Bay Elementary last year from January to June. It was a successful half year and I’m so happy to be working at this wonderful school!

Other information about me: I have a Bachelors degree in Elementary Education from ASU and a Masters of Science Degree in Education, Mathematics, from Walden University. My teaching credentials are in Special Education, Multiple Subject credential, and CLAD endorsement. 

Five years ago I was the Wonders language arts program pilot teacher for fourth grade at my school, and I know the program very well. Four years ago, I piloted the MIF (Math in Focus) 4th grade program so I know that program well too.

Google classroom, Google Slides, and Google Forms were all utilized by me for the last several years. I will post my lesson plans in the Google classroom for the students and you to see, every Sunday for the coming week. 

I’ll post my welcome back video I made on YouTube also in our Google classroom. Here is the QR code for the movie if you’d like to see it here instead. Just aim your phone camera at the QR code. 

 

 

Please feel free to email me any time at [email protected]. I’m very good about answering emails. Warmly, I welcome your child to this year ahead. We are going to have a great school year!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Monge
4th grade teacher, Lunada Bay Elementary, PVPUSD