Our Team - Newport Beach Campus

TK

I was born and raised in Newport Beach. I got both my BA in Communication and MA in Education at USC. I have 4 children: Reagan is a senior at the University of Wisconsin, Maddy a junior at the University of Georgia, Brady is a senior at CDM, and Dylan is a sophomore, also at CDM. I love spending time with my family and friends. When I’m not working, I also enjoy reading, paddle boarding, and swimming. I’ve been at Seashore for 4 years now…I taught Kindergarten and now I’m in TK at the Newport Beach campus. I love my job and am so thankful to be working at Seashore, as we have the best staff and families!

1st Grade

I work at the Newport Beach campus teaching first grade. I am so excited to shape the minds and create memories with the students of Seashore Academy. When I am not teaching, I enjoy being creative and hanging out with family. I cannot wait to share my passion for learning and my joy of working with students.

I always loved school growing up. As a teacher, I try to make the learning experience as enjoyable and engaging as possible. I am also an artist and I integrate creativity into my lesson plans as much as possible. I have a MA in Education, B.A. Fine Arts, and B.F.A. Graphic Design. I graduated Cum Laude from the University of California at Santa Barbara and Corona del Mar High School. In my free time, I enjoy going on walks or hikes and spending time with my family and friends. I am very happy to be at Seashore and I do my best every day to make it a joyful experience for the students.

2nd Grade

I grew up in Arizona and moved to Newport Beach just a couple of years ago. I absolutely adore working with children and love knowing that I'm making a positive impact in the lives of others. I have a BA in Art Studies, and an MA in Education. This will be my fourth year teaching and I couldn’t be more excited. In addition to my teaching role, I also work as a part of the administration team using my art and design background to assist with marketing.  In my spare time, I love to hang out with my puppy named Otis, travel, and horseback ride. Teaching remains to be a passion of mine year after year, and I am thrilled to be a part of the Seashore team!

Campus Manager

Seashore's philosophy and approach to learning are what attracted me to the academy. 

I grew up in both the Netherlands and France and I am fluent in Dutch, French, English & Spanish. After graduating from Leiden University in the Netherlands, I worked as an international conference child care director, where I traveled around the world managing large groups of children and counselors from diverse backgrounds. I also gained valuable experience working as a consultant in the industrial labor force business, bridging communication gaps between management and the labor force. I am excited to use my background in childcare and communication to contribute to Seashore Newport Beach, a wonderful place for children to learn and grow! In my free time, I enjoy swimming, beach workouts, music and being creative.

Spanish Imersion

I have started as a substitute teacher at Seashore Academy in February 2020. Later in 2020, I started teaching History, Science, and Spanish at the Huntington Beach Campus to TK/K and Elementary level, as well as Spanish to various grades in Newport Beach. I currently teach 2nd and 3rd grade in our Spanish Immersion program in Newport Beach, which I enjoy immensely! Besides my love to teach and learn for myself, I’m passionate about Astrology, travel, good food, and spending time in nature. To stay fit, I take Yoga/Tai chi classes, and also bike, hike, and swim.

5th-8th Grade

I am so happy to be at our Newport campus teaching 5th -8th grade ELA and History. In my spare time, I love traveling and learning about and experiencing new cultures. I also enjoy being outdoors, listening to music, reading, and just spending time with my family and friends. I am looking forward to a wonderful school year and learning about and from my students and their families.

7th & 8th Science

I teach 7th-grade life science and 8th-grade physical science at the Newport Beach campus. I love teaching and getting to see the children grow in their academics and social skills throughout the year. I love to teach all ages but have found that I gravitate towards first-grade and middle-school ages. Outside of teaching, I love to do art, go to the beach, and be with my friends, family, and my dog.

Early Childhood Education

Hello! This is my second year teaching at Seashore Academy! This year I am working with the youngest group on Newport Beach’s campus, our Early Childhood Education program. This group is so much fun! I love that I get to make our classroom a Home away from Home for kiddos who are experiencing school for the first time! 

At home, I love spending time with my family outdoors, swimming and playing water polo.  I have two dogs, Ghost and Houston, and I love Halloween and popcorn!

3rd & 4th grade and Spanish Immersion

My favorite part about teaching is building relationships with my students and their families! Because Seashore Academy has small class sizes and such a strong community bond, I’m able to teach to my full potential! When I’m not teaching, I love to cook, travel, and exercise. I also love riding my beach cruiser to the beach with my family.

2nd Grade

I was born and raised in Orange County. This is my fourth year at Seashore Academy teaching 2nd grade at the Newport Beach campus. My goal for all my students is for them to love school and learning. In my spare time, I enjoy sailing, being with friends and family, going to the lake, and traveling. I am looking forward to another great year!

TK and ECE

It's my second year teaching TK and ECE. I'm currently getting my Early Childhood Education Degree at Coastline College. Outside of work I like to swim, hike, and see friends and family. I'm very happy to be back at Seashore. I can't wait for another amazing year! 

Director of Academics

As an educator with a passion for shaping young minds, I've had the privilege of serving as a 4th and 5th-grade teacher at the Huntington Beach campus for the past two enriching school years. In the pursuit of continuous growth and a commitment to educational excellence, I've now embraced a new role at Seashore Academy as the Director of Academics.

In my role as Director of Academics, my focus is on designing a dynamic curriculum, fostering accountability, and collaborating closely with families to ensure that each student at Seashore Academy reaches their full potential. I firmly believe in the power of education to transform lives, and I am dedicated to providing a supportive and nurturing environment for our students to thrive.

Outside of work, you'll often find me doing what I love most, like surfing or playing beach volleyball. I also enjoy traveling to new places, reading books that expand my horizons, and passionately following my favorite soccer team, Arsenal FC. 

I look forward to continuing this exciting journey of education and personal growth with Seashore Academy, as we strive to create a brighter future for our students.

Tutor

I started working in 2012 for the Redlands Unified School District as a math tutor for the AVID program. It is a program that is meant to teach students good note taking, test taking strategies, and study habits to succeed in grade school and beyond. From there I have been working as an online math teacher since 2017 in all grade levels. My approach to teaching is that I believe that it is important for my students to feel comfortable making mistakes and not be afraid of having the wrong answer. However, I also believe that it is crucial for students to understand why their answers are wrong so that they can learn from their mistakes and improve their understanding of the material. By encouraging my students to view mistakes as opportunities for learning, it allows them to develop a growth mindset and build their confidence as learners. Outside of teaching I enjoy playing instruments, snowboarding, cooking, and rock climbing.

3rd/4th Grade & Spanish Immersion 

I grew up In Newport Beach and this is my 3rd year teaching at Seashore Newport Beach. I recently obtained my MA in Elementary Education. I am passionate about teaching and love building relationships with my students and their families. In my spare time, I enjoy going to the beach, golfing, and spending time with my family and friends. I love being a part of the Seashore team!

English, 5-8th grades

Lynette Planto is a dedicated educator with a diverse background, teaching at all grade levels for over twenty years. Her desire to be at home raising her two children led to a career in teaching. With many long-term assignments in English, Drama and German at the middle school level, she is eager to be a part of the Seashore Academy staff! Passionate about fostering an environment for learning success, she enjoys sharing insights with students to make writing more enjoyable. As an army veteran and USO volunteer, Mrs. Planto has had the honor of facilitating support groups for military families and veterans, to include working with children in many volunteer roles. A graduate of University of Arizona in communications and drama, she also enjoys working with young people in the area of public speaking and theater.