Dr. Amrik Singh  
                     Principal

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My name is Dr. Amrik Singh. I am honored to have been appointed your principal for 2018-19 school year.  I come to you with 7 years of experience at SVCS which includes three years as a teacher and four years as principal and vice principal. My pursuit with SVCS started in 2011 when school opened with great hopes in the community. It has been an exciting journey as I saw SVCS growing into a unique institution over the years. In my capacity as a teacher of English, and World Language Punjabi, I took guidance from the latest research which upholds that learning a world language starting from Kindergarten leads to higher academic achievements on standardized tests, provides cognitive benefits to students, and strengthens their social and problem solving skills.  It is quite evident from high academic performance in high schools of 90% of students who had studied 4-6 years in SVCS.
I came to SVCS in 2011 with 20 years of teaching experience both at school and college levels. I started my career from Robert J. Fite Elementary school in Elk Grove Unified School District and on getting teaching credential from National University, joined Franklin High School as English Teacher in 2006-2007. In the same year, I was offered the position of an Adjunct Professor at Sacramento State University which afforded me an opportunity to work with college students that I continue to enjoy all these years. I became excited to bring in my two decades of experience as professor of English language and linguistics in colleges of Panjab University Chandigarh (India).  
I earned a Master in English and an M.Phil. in Anthropological Linguistics from Punjabi University Patiala, and a Ph.D. in English from Panjab University Chandigarh (India). Continuing my education in the US, I earned a Master in Special Education (M.S.) from National University, California along with Single Subject Credential in English, Single Subject Credential in Punjabi, and Administrative Service Credential.
As your principal, I will create a positive school culture that promotes learning and engagement; that makes possible to provide a rigorous, standard-based curriculum for all SVCS scholars; and that creates a safe and compassionate environment for social, emotional and intellectual growth of your child.
As administrator, I am committed to support an environment of high expectations, outstanding achievements, and good citizenship. I will spare no effort to create a spirit of mutual trust, productive collaboration, and continuous effort to make SVCS a premier institution in the region.

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Mrs. Nijjar
  Punjabi Teacher (Elementary)

     My name is Sarbjeet Kaur Nijjar and this is my fifth year at SVCS  as an elementary Punjabi teacher. After completing  my bachelor’s degree from Guru Nanak Dev University Amritsar, I earned a master’s degree in Economics. I joined the teaching profession after completing a  bachelor’s degree in Education. In addition, I have earned a Single Subject Credential in Punjabi. 

During my four years at SVCS,  I have enjoyed the company of my beautiful stars. My students not only learn to read, speak and write in Punjabi, but they also sing Punjabi poems, multiplication tables (ਪਹਾੜੇ) and make better ethical choices. By learning multiplication tables, scholars were able to perform better in their math classes. For the incoming students, I have made the curriculum simple and easy enough for them to smoothly transition into. 
 Starting last year, I began to teach art to students once a week. I saw a very creative side of my scholars.
Before joining SVCS, I taught multiple subjects for 15 years at many government schools in India. I also have one and half years of experience working as an instructional assistant with Elk Grove Unified School District. 
I love spending time with my family. We enjoy watching TV and going on long trips! My son is currently a student at Sacramento State University and my daughter is a freshman in college. I am looking forward to having a wonderful time with my dazzling stars from kindergarten to 4th grade!

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Mrs. Cheema
2nd. Grade Teacher

    ​Dear wonderful SVCS family,

My name is Preet Cheema. It has been a pleasure to be working at SVCS for the past four years. I am excited to be teaching second grade again this year! I bring along 19 years of teaching experience in public and private schools.I have earned my Bachelors degree from Panjab University Chandigarh, and also completed my B.Ed(Bachelor in Education)with emphasis on Teaching of language arts and Social studies. I hold a clear California Multiple Subjects Teaching credential.  ​I have also completed a diploma in Early childhood care.I enjoy painting,reading,travelling and spending time with my family in my free time.
I encourage creativity in class where there is room for flexibility,differentiated instruction,lots of reading ,projects and learning with fun.
Looking forward to an enriching experience with our wonderful second graders this year!
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Mrs. Vargas
3rd. Grade Teacher

“Hello! My name is Emma Vargas and I’m thrilled to join SVCS as a third grade teacher this year. I have my Bachelors in Psychology from California State University, Monterey Bay where my studies focused on motivation and behavior analysis. I have over 12 years experience working in a variety of educational settings and diverse populations. I am currently earning my Multiple Subject Credential and Masters in Education through Alliant University.  In addition to teaching and graduate studies, I also am a fitness instructor (Ujam Fitness and LesMills BODYCOMBAT). In fitness and in the classroom, I love finding the motivations that my students have and building from them. I believe that every student has a special talent in them that they can bring to the world. Every scholar has the capability to learn and I’m honored to be with them on their road to discovery.”

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Ms. Olson
4th Grade Teacher

​Hi! My name is Courtney Olson and this will be my first year teaching 4th grade at Sacramento Valley Charter School.  I am very excited to get a start to my career here at Sac Valley Charter!

​ I grew up in Southern California and received a softball scholarship to continue my education at William Jessup University where I earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology. After graduating I became a behavior therapist which is how I fell in love with teaching. I earned my teaching credential at William Jessup University and I am currently pursuing a master’s degree in teaching.
I enjoy spending my free time reading, playing and watching many different sports, training for and running half-marathons and spending time with my family and friends.
I love teaching and believe that every student can and will learn. I am looking forward to building relationships with students and watching them grow both academically and socially this upcoming year.

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Ms. Champlin
4th Grade Teacher

My name is Molly Champlin, and I was born and raised in Rochester, NY. I have been teaching for 6 years, and will begin my 7th year at Sacramento Valley Charter. I received my undergrad in Teaching English as a Second Language at SUNY Oswego. I then completed my Master’s in Literacy at St. John Fisher College. In addition to my education I spent some time teaching overseas in South Korea teaching English as a Foreign Language. 

I am moving to Sacramento from Salt Lake City, UT. I am looking forward to teaching at the Sacramento Valley Charter School and learning about the community in Sacramento. In my free time I love to ski, run,  bike, and hike with my dog Genny. 
I look forward to a great year with 4th grade!

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Mrs. Duhra
​Middle School Math Teacher

My name is Apparjit Kaur Duhra.   I am very excited to teach Middle School Math for my 2nd year.  Math has always been my passion. Ever since my school years and helping my own kids with their math classes.  I hold a Bachelor Degree in Electrical Engineering from the California State University of Northridge. I earned my teaching credential in Math from the National University. I worked as a Communications Engineer for the City of Los Angeles for 10 years before I decided to stay home with my two daughters.  My interest in teaching began when I volunteered at my kids’ school and enjoyed working with children.   I believe it is very important to give quality time to our children for their success in the future.  This will be my Fifth year with Sacramento Valley Charter School.       Outside of teaching, I enjoy spending time with my family, listening to music and participate in cultural and outdoor activities.

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Mr. Henderson
Middle School Social Studies Teacher

Hello, my name is Brian Henderson and this will be my second year teaching Middle School Social Studies at Sacramento Valley Charter School (SVCS). As your student’s Social Studies teacher, I will be helping your student to build a wide-reaching understanding of the cultures, people, events, religions, and ideas that have helped to create the world as we know it today. Your student will work to master an array of academic skills such as analytical reading, evidence-based writing, and organized public speaking to build an understanding of the class content and for their future as they continue their educational development beyond this coming year. I look forward to working with your student to continue their growth into becoming capable and confident scholars.

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  Ms. Phillips
Teacher In Charge &
  Middle School English Teacher

​             My name is Ginny Phillips, and I am excited to begin my fourth year as the 6-8 English Language Arts teacher at Sacramento Valley Charter School! I hold a bachelor's degree in English and education from Augustana College, as well as my California clear teaching credential. My goal is to help students become lifelong readers, writers, and learners. I believe that it is my job to provide students with the tools and support they need to engage in a deep understanding of what they read and write. In my spare time I like to read (especially mysteries!), work on art projects, hike, and camp. I look forward to the new school year with your scholars!​

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Mr. Tracy
​School Secretary 

My name is Andrew Tracy, and I am the School Secretary at SVCS. I joined SVCS in August of 2016, and oversee all the parents, students, and staffs’ clerical needs. In addition, I serve as an on-call substitute for SVCS. I have a BA in History from Southern Oregon University, in Ashland, Oregon. I am also a few credits shy of receiving my MA in History from CSU Sacramento. I am a dual citizen (America & Canada) and I am married, with two children, a boy and a girl. I love the academic environment, and I enjoy working with young scholars to helping them excel in whatever way I can. I have a varied experience, ranging from the printing field, to food service, to security, to student government and civics, all of which help me excel at performing my duties at SVCS. In my free time, I work on computers, play (board/card/video) games, and enjoy studying a variety of languages, including Spanish, French, German, Swedish, as well as Punjabi, though I admit my Punjabi is minimal at best.

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Mrs. Kang
  Kindergarten Teacher

     My name is Sandip Kang. This will be my fifth year as the Kindergarten Teacher at SVCS.
I completed my Bachelor's in Business Administration from CSU Fresno. I soon realized I was happier when I was working with children. I went back to school and earned my multiple subjects credential from Brandman University.
I am married and have two beautiful children.  My daughter will be starting high school this year . My son will be returning with me as a 4th grader here at SVCS.  My free time is spent with my family and friends in Yuba City. My children are involved in sports, music and dancing so they keep me pretty busy.  We love visiting our local library. They enjoy reading a good book just as much as I do. I have enjoyed getting to know my students and their families over the last four years. I’m really looked forward to meeting my students and getting to know them this year.

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Ms. Ruffino
1st. Grade Teacher

My name is Cammi Ruffino. I moved to California in 2015 and have greatly enjoyed my time here. I received my Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education from Southern Illinois University. I hold a teaching credential for K-9 in both Illinois and  California. This is my 5th year teaching and my 3rd year working at SVCS. I have taught in all grades K-2. This year I am happy to be teaching 1st grade. 
In my free time I enjoy spending time with my family, including my infant son Forrest. We love to spend our free time outdoors at the river, beach, or hiking. I also have a huge love for reading! I hope my love of reading encourages my students to read for enjoyment outside of the classroom.
In my free time I enjoy traveling, hiking, cooking, reading and hula-hoop dancing. I enjoy being active and encourage my students to do the same. I try to find the positive in every situation and always keep a smile on my face. If the teacher is happy- the students are happy! 

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  Mrs. Sanders
  2nd Grade Teacher

    My name is Caitlin Sanders. I grew up in the Bay Area and moved to Sacramento in 2004 to go to school at CSU Sacramento. After completing my Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Development, I earned my Multiple Subjects Credential. Before working in an elementary school, I taught in several preschools throughout Sacramento.
I am married with two wonderful girls. My oldest, Heather, will be in 1st grade this year and my youngest, Aspen, is enjoying her days in preschool. I look forward to my fourth year teaching at Sacramento Valley Charter School and my 3rd year teaching 2nd grade. ​

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Mrs. Phillips
​3rd. Grade Teacher

Dear SVCS   Parents, Scholars and Friends,
 
My name is Mrs. Teresa Phillips and I am excited to be returning to SVCS for my 4th year. I bring to SVCS over twenty years of experience working with students K-12 in multiple subjects.  For the 14 years prior to my work at SVCS, I also taught piano and guitar.
I earned my undergraduate degree in Liberal Studies at Northern Illinois University, in DeKalb Illinois, with multiple concentrations in Science, Math, Child Development and Language Arts. I hold a Creative Writing Certificate and have been honored to earn scholarships for poetry writing.  I received my California teaching credentials through the graduate program at Alliant International University. 
​I look forward to helping your students grow in citizenship as well as their scholarship over the next several months.  I believe every child is a treasure. Thank you for entrusting yours to me.​

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Mrs. Koven
​5th Grade Teacher

Hi folks! My name is Kristine Koven and I have two passions in life. My family and teaching, and I am excited to be a part of the SVCS team again for the 2018-2019 school year! Having earned my bachelor’s degree in education and then professional certification to teach K-9 in multiple subjects with a minor in English after earning a degree in broadcast news and communications in 1998 has kept me busy working with kids ever since. This will be my fourth year at SVCS and having gained such insight with the families here I have learned much and have so much to give. Here I can share my now twenty years of experience working with kids. Having taught in Washington for over 10 years and Southern California before that gives me a wide array of skills to teach with. My two children are now off to university and the military. The oldest is taking his time at E.W.S.U. studying computer animation and the youngest is in the U.S. Marines and studying fire science.

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Ms. Bugni
​Middle School Science Teacher

Welcome to both new and returning SVCS families! 

​My name is Alex Bugni and this is my 4th year teaching overall and I am very excited to return for my 2nd year teaching Middle School Science at SVCS.  I received a B.A. in Speech Communications from Wake Forest University in North Carolina many (many) years ago.  After I had children of my own, I felt a strong pull to become an educator and worked hard to earn my Science teaching credential while also working in Special Education in the Davis Unified School District and continuing to raise my own children.  I have been working in elementary and middle schools in one form or another for the past 9 years. It has been quite the illuminating journey!
 
I am so glad to be teaching at a time in which the new Next Generation Science Standards are being implemented.  Some of the ideas behind this new framework include using the amazing world around us to encourage students to ask questions and develop their own investigations to answer them. We engage in lots of hands-on activities and group collaboration.  One of my goals is to help students learn the critical thinking skills that will help them become independent, self-motivated life-long learners.   I care deeply about my students and try very hard to model good citizenship and inspire stewardship of the land upon which we live.

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Mrs. Sekhon
​Punjabi Teacher Grade 5-8

My name is Manjit Kaur Sekhon. I am really excited to start my career as a Middle School Punjabi Teacher. It was my longtime dream career. I  hold a Master's degree in English and a Master's in Punjabi. I also completed a B. Ed. and M.Ed.  degrees to be eligible to teach in public schools. I believe that will help me address learning needs of students coming from both Punjabi and Non-Panjabi backgrounds. My experience at City College W. Sacramento as an adjunct Professor of Punjabi will further assist me to innovate Punjabi courses for our middle school scholars. 

           My motto in life is, 'Good- better- best, Let's never rest.'  Let's join hands together and take our goals to the Best. Looking forward to meeting with my students shortly.






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