Kindergarten

Jessica Boardman serves as a Kindergarten teacher at The Compass School of Texas, where she is committed to fostering a love for learning in her students and supporting their holistic development as well-rounded individuals. She looks forward to continuing her journey as an educator at The Compass School of Texas and contributing to our vibrant school community.
Jessica holds a Bachelor of Arts and Sciences from Dallas Baptist University with a course emphasis in psychology and child development. She is certified to teach Pre-K through 6th grade and has enriched her skills by completing multiple training programs in reading instruction. She is currently pursuing further education in Sequential English Education (S.E.E.)
at The Shelton School and Evaluation Center to become a Certified Academic Language Practitioner (CALP) and is working towards her Masters of Arts in Teaching. Previously, Jessica taught 1st and 2nd grades at The Winston School, a small college preparatory institution for students with diverse learning profiles. Here, she developed a deep appreciation for personalized instruction and small class sizes, fostering strong personal connections with her students. She also contributed to curriculum selection and development, strategic planning, and the ISAS Accreditation team.
Before joining The Winston School, Jessica taught 1st and 2nd grades within the Dallas Independent School District, where she honed her skills in differentiated instruction and classroom management. During her tenure, she served on the curriculum selection and adoption team, the faculty advisory committee, led several community projects, and was
appointed team lead, continuously fostering a supportive learning environment.
Outside the classroom, Jessica enjoys photography and music. She and her husband live in Richardson and have six children and two grandchildren. They are passionate about travel and often take in concerts or live music, both locally and nationally.

Reference remarks:

 “Jessica is a phenomenal educator.  Her calm and deeply attentive demeanor brings a very individualized approach to her classroom”.
 

Mara Brachtl serves as a Kindergarten educator at The Compass School of Texas. Mara has been an associate teacher for the last two years at Greenhill School. During that time, Mara managed her classroom’s project-based learning initiatives, transforming her classroom multiple times into a life-size learning environment. Most notably, Mara altered the classroom to become an underwater world where students’ learning about the ocean, coral reefs, and wildlife came alive.

Mara is extremely passionate about creating opportunities for students to take ownership over their learning and make it visible. Prior to teaching at Greenhill School, Mara had the opportunity to work across Kindergarten through 5th grade classrooms, at an environmental magnet school in California. She graduated with a Bachelor’s in Sociology from California Baptist University and received a Master in Teaching degree from Pepperdine University. Mara grew up in Thousand Oaks, California and moved to Texas in August of 2021. 

Mara loves working with young students because she has a strong desire to help foster a love for school at this age that will hopefully carry on to the rest of their educational careers. Her favorite thing about teaching is the wonder and excitement that each day brings with this age group that is so naturally curious.
 

Reference Remarks:

“She is a skillful teacher who cares deeply about children.”