Hi! My name is JoAnna Gorkaya, and I will be your student's teacher this year in fifth grade! I grew up here in Parker, and am so happy that I get to raise my family here, too. I graduated from Metropolitan State University of Denver with a degree in English and Elementary Education. I then went on to get my master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction. I have been at Prairie Crossing since 2012 and have taught third and fourth grades, along with supporting 6th grade math. My passion is with the discovery in learning. I enjoy having students work together to share thinking, discover different ways of thinking, and draw conclusions. I believe that we are a team and we can learn a lot from each other!
Along with being a teacher, I am a wife and a mommy. My husband, Max, and I have a daughter named Mila and a son named Ryder. Being a parent has brought so much joy to my life. I love watching them grow, learn, and develop into themselves. Mila is a spitfire and is constantly making me laugh with her wise beyond her years phrases. She is an observer, and takes a lot of the world in through watching people and life happen around her. Ryder has been the perfect piece to complete our family. He is contagiously happy, and always has a smile on his face.