Katya Elkassem
PK3 Teacher
At WES Since: 2012
What excites you about teaching your grade level?
What excites me the most about teaching nursery is how pure and honest children are at that age. The level of the genuine love and trust that they give you is humbling and incredibly rewarding.
What is one of your goals as a teacher?
My goal as a teacher is for the children to feel that they are loved and cared for no less than they are at home. My duty as an educator is to build a caring and loving relationship with each child and create a happy, joyful, and safe environment where they can shine and thrive with a high level of self-esteem and confidence.
Bio:
I am blessed that I was born and raised in the most beautiful city in the world, Saint-Petersburg, Russia. There, I attend the University of St. Petersburg, where I earned my B.S. and my master’s in science and engineering. Growing up, I was a competitive cross-country skier and spent most of my summers with my family exploring the natural beauty of different parts of Russia while covering hundreds of miles kayaking and camping. During my college years, I met my husband, Mehdi Elkassem, who is also a teacher at WES. We have three sons who all graduated from WES. My favorite things to do outside of WES are spending time with my husband and my three sons, traveling, hiking, exploring national parks, and nature photography.
