I’m Mary McGrady from Ireland and I’m so excited about working with all the children, staff and parents at St Felicitas. I hope to embrace your culture and traditions here in the US and look forward to sharing some Irish warmth and typical customs with the children at St Felicitas. I have been a qualified teacher for 21 years. I previously worked in a Catholic school in Ireland for the last 16 years, teaching 8-10 year old students. My teaching philosophy is inspired by Benjamin Franklin: ‘Tell me and I forget, teach me and I remember, involve me and I learn.’ Interesting facts about myself: I love to travel the world and embrace all cultures (and exercise as I do so!) My favorite highlights have been: trekking the Jordan desert and staying with Bedouin tribes, skydiving in New Zealand, cycling the Camino de Santiago in Spain and the Atlas Mountains in Morocco, climbing the highest mountain peak in SE Asia and learning Muay Thai in Thailand. I have also lived and worked as a teacher in Peru and learned some Spanish as I traveled all over South America. I’m grateful to get this opportunity to teach and inspire all the inquisitive little minds in kindergarten at St Felicitas. It’s a special year for them, and a new beginning for us all. Thank you for entrusting your child into my care. I will teach and look after them with the utmost care and dedication. Go raibh maith agat agus slán go fóill (Irish for thanks and see you soon!)