NAME:
Mrs. Charlotte Harkness
SCHOOL:
Notre Dame School, Chico
CLASS:
6,7,8, Math; 8th Religion, Language Arts, Homeroom
SCHOOL PHONE / E-MAIL:
530-342-2502 / charkness@ndschico.org
According to my mother, I decided to be a teacher after I attended my first
day of Kindergarten! Devastated when I was told I could not stay in school
forever, I brightened when I realized that I could be a teacher and THEN I
could stay in school forever!!
Well here I am, 35 years after earning my teaching credential at Chico State
in 1974. Quite simply, I love to teach, and I love to learn. I love to learn
anything new, and I encourage my students to do the same. I love that look
on a student's face when he or she "gets" something for the first time.
I was born in Red Bluff at St. Elizabeth's Hospital and baptized across the
street at Sacred Heart Church. Although I lived most of my childhood in Los
Gatos, I spent much of my summers and holidays in the North Valley--helping
my grandpa raise olives in Corning, swimming in the creek at French Gulch,
visiting grandparents in Westwood and Redding, and shopping in Chico. I
attended St. Mary's in Los Gatos, and after graduation in 1965, I went to Los
Gatos High School and graduated with honors in 1969. I chose Chico State
because it had the best reputation for teacher education, and I graduated
magna cum laude in 1973 with a BA in Psychology, Honors in English, and a
teaching minor in Speech & Hearing Pathology. While earning my credential, I
taught in the Oroville area and learned how to design and set up Early
Childhood Centers.
In 1974 I began my teaching career in the 4th grade at Notre Dame School. I
married my high school sweetheart Bill, and our two children, Sarah and
Billy, attended Notre Dame School, pre-K through graduation! I have taught
every grade from Pre-K through 9th grade, and I have been in the Junior High
Section here at Notre Dame School since 1986.
My interests include camping/hiking, skiing, tennis, swimming, reading lots
of different books, sewing, music, travel, and community service. In
September 2002, I fulfilled a childhood dream and hiked to the top of Mt.
Whitney. I started playing piano when I was 4 and I enjoy playing for the
Masses at St. Thomas More. I also sing in the Chico Women's
Chorus -- Bella Voce.
I have designed and led many student study tours to Washington, D.C. and
Europe for the 7th and 8th graders and their families. In 2007 I traveled to
China with the Chico Chamber of Commerce. I have traveled to at least 27 of
the 50 states.
For many years I was a Girl Scout leader and a merit badge counselor for the
Boy Scouts. I was a board member of the Chico Community Ballet, served as
PTO President for Notre Dame and PTO Secretary for Mercy High, and sat on the
Chico Planning Commission, the Chico Housing Task Force, and Chico's
Architectural Review Board.
In 1995 I was named an Outstanding Girl Scout Leader in the Sierra Cascade
region, and in 2002 I was nominated for Disney's American Teacher Award. I
have been listed several times in Who's Who Among America's Teachers, and in
2005 I received one of the Wells Fargo Teacher of the Year Awards in the
Chico area. In 2007 I was awarded a Sarah D. Barder Fellowship from Johns
Hopkins University - Center for Talented Youth.
I believe in challenging my students to have dreams and work hard to achieve
them. Year after year I have seen students of every ability "rise" to the
expectation that has been set for them. When I challenge them with a tough
assignment (ie. their first MLA research paper), my reward is the pride I see
in them when they are finished. I have had the wonderful delight of helping
many 8th graders make the successful transition to high school and come back
to share their excitement, confidence, and successes.
I encourage my students to arrive in my classroom "ready to learn". When the
students point out how hard they are working, I remind them that my job is to
build strong minds and strong bodies.
Most importantly, I believe in my students and I strive to make sure they
know that I care about them and their learning and that God will always be
there for them. I want them to experience learning in an environment that is
Christ-centered, positive, energetic, fun, and motivating.