Hello and Welcome to Second Grade. My name is Mrs. Tamara Erwin. I am a member of St. Mary’s Parish and I live nearby with my husband and three sons; two of which are teenagers. I am a biological and an adoptive mom. After graduating from Gwynedd Mercy University in 2002, with a BS in Education, I taught first grade for 6 years here at St. Mary’s School when the building was new. When I became a mom, I stayed home for a few years to be with my children but when they entered school full time, so did I. My first year back was in 5th grade at St. Francis. I then went to 2nd grade at St. Ann’s for a year and, now, I am delighted to be back in this great community teaching second grade. I am currently enrolled at LaSalle where I am working toward my M.Ed. Teaching was not my first profession. As a young adult, I worked as a case manager in a family preservation program for children with exceptional needs. I enjoyed watching children and families thrive and grow. I believe those early experiences have contributed to my ability to meet some of the social/ emotional and behavioral needs that can sometimes occur in the classroom. Firm with expectations and loving in delivery is my management style. My absolute favorite thing to do in my free time revolves around traveling. Our family has been to 44 of our beautiful United States with a goal of seeing all 50 before my children leave for college in a few short years. We were in Rome for the beatification of St. Pope John Paul and pray for a day we can return. I also love nature, Snoopy, Alaska, learning and the sacraments. Sadly for some, I do not have any interest in or knowledge about sports but I like the stories the children share of their experiences on a team. I can throw down a great Pokemon card, engage in a video game discussion and recommend a book which will be “just right” for a variety of readers. I am so happy you chose this great school. This is going to be a super year for our Spectacular Second Graders!