All students at Canyon receive science instruction from a dedicated science instructor, Courtenay Pfau. Students visit the science lab once a week in lower grades and twice a week in upper grades.
Welcome to the Science Lab!
I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself and express my excitement about being the science teacher at Canyon. I have been busy creating and planning what I hope will be an amazing experience for your child in the science lab. I continue to reach out to other science colleagues, read blogs and websites, and use social media to seek an ideal curriculum that is aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).
One of my main goals this school year is to ignite and/or maintain your child's love for science. Students will be engaged in group conversations, collaborative group work, engage science experiments, and inquiry-based learning activities. I will begin the school year with physical science, move to earth and space science, and bring the year to a close with life science. I will be keeping you up-to-date with an outline of our objectives, standards, and activities/experiments that students will complete in the Science Lab each month.
I grew up in Santa Barbara and attended college in South Bend, Indiana. After graduating from Saint Mary's College in 2002, I moved back to Los Angeles and began teaching in L.A.U.S.D. I spent six years teaching third grade at 74th Street Elementary School in Los Angeles and then moved to Loyola Village Elementary in Westchester where I taught first grade for three years. I was fortunate to become a part of the Canyon community in 2011, where I have spent five years teaching first grade and three years in fourth grade.
I have very high expectations of myself as a teacher as well as of my students and I have always found that to be a formula for success. I want this to be an enjoyable year for all my students, but also a productive, challenging, and memorable year.
I encourage open communication with everyone. Please feel free to approach me in person, via email (clpfau3@gmail.com), or write me a note with any comments, questions, or concerns. I will do my very best to respond to you in a timely manner.
I am honored and thrilled to have the opportunity to play a part in your child's science education. I am looking forward to a wonderful school year! I hope you will visit often to share in the growth and excitement that will be taking place in the Science Lab!
Warm regards,
Ms. Pfau
P.S. If you want to donate supplies to the Science Lab, we are always in need of Seventh Generation cleaning wipes and Amazon gift cards to buy supplies throughout the year. Thanks for supporting science at Canyon!