Middle School

Greetings!

The kids call me Miss. B., but the truth is that I’ve been happily married for fifteen years now and am really Mrs. Greshock!  I am the proud mother of two young sons – James and Ethan.

I was born and raised in Pennsylvania where I received my Bachelors degree in English and Education at Kutztown University. I moved to Virginia eight years ago and have been employed at Saint Ambrose for just as long. I am the 7^th grade homeroom teacher, and teach Literature and Language Arts to all the middle school classes.

Literature is my passion – I love to read and write. I believe words are the most powerful tools we have, and I plan on teaching my students how to use them properly. Anyone who knows me (including my kids) knows that I’m also crazy about grammar. I tell my students all the time that grammar takes guts, and I expect a lot of them when it comes to speaking and writing properly. I encourage creativity through various projects, and my two favorite things about the school year are the 6th grade Greek Festival and the 7th grade trip to Gettysburg.

Lastly, I’m a huge sports fan. I expect all my students to cheer for Penn State, the Steelers, and (of course) the CAPS!!

Hola, my name is María Teresa (Tere) Balda. I am the new Spanish Teacher!. “La profe de Español”. I am from Quito, Ecuador, a beautiful city in the middle of the Andes!
I have been living in the United States for about 17 years. After living away from home for such a long time, teaching my language and sharing the Hispanic culture has become my passion.

While living in the United States, I appreciated the importance of learning a second language. I also learned how hard it is to learn a new language. That is the reason why I am here. I am here to make learning Spanish fun!

Using myself as an example, I remind my students that it is ok to make mistakes, and it is ok to sound different. The important thing is to keep trying! I like to share with my students about my own experiences, my traditions, and stories about how different it is to grow up in a country that does not have four seasons. I also tell them about all the volcanoes that I have seen! That is their favorite part.

I have been working in education for over 8 years. I worked for Fairfax County Public Schools for 7 years and last year I taught Spanish at St. Bernadette Catholic School.
I cannot wait to meet my students and be part of the Saint Ambrose Community!

My name is An Cao (pronounced “Awn” and “Cal” like Cal Ripken). I’m known to students as Mr. An. In Vietnamese, the full name means “highly graced”. I grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland and spent lots of summers in Orville, Ohio where my best memories were playing pickup basketball games, fishing, camping, and building tree houses.

I earned a Bachelors of Science in Electrical Engineering from the Catholic University of America. My career path has been in Engineering Consulting, Medical Research, and Healthcare Technologies for the past 20 years. I love solving problems with innovation by applying science and technology to better serve and enrich humanity. I am joyfully married and consider being a dad to be my greatest promotion. My passion is teaching, mentoring, and being a life coach to young people. I love to read about strange things, watch super hero movies, and play street basketball.

My mantra over the years has been “Every day is a bonus”. This stems from being grateful to breathe, laughing, eating, smiling, and simply being the better version of yourself each day. At the end of the day, I will have hoped I learned something new and offered my work as a gift to others no matter how little. “Do little things with great love” – St. Mother Teresa

After graduating from the Franciscan University of Steubenville, I taught algebra to students from 7th-12th grade at Lincoln International Academy in Managua, Nicaragua. Upon returning to the states, I accepted a physical education teaching position at St. Michael’s Catholic School in Annandale and taught there until I left to start a family,  11 years later.

When my children were older, I returned to teaching and feel very blessed to be a part of the St. Ambrose community and look forward to having a fun-filled year teaching your children.

St. Augustine said “Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you.” My husband and I have this quote posted in a place where it is the first thing we see in the morning and the last thing we see at night.

As a child of educators, I was raised with the credo that our children are our nation’s greatest resource. My parents also taught me that the best way to love and serve God and others was first through seeking to know Him and all of His gifts. To help young people grow in knowledge is a privilege. I believe learning is a continuous process and I have been blessed through many opportunities to learn. I have a B.S. in Mathematics from Georgetown University. My graduate studies have helped me earn my Virginia license to teach mathematics at the secondary level. In addition to over ten years of teaching experience at the
middle and high school levels, my ten years working in educational policy for Congress taught me valuable lessons I use regularly in the classroom.

While one of the life roles I play is teacher, my favorite is mother. My husband and I were blessed with six wonderful children; the youngest is now in college. I also enjoy exploring the beauty of our world (especially our national parks).