I was born in Tsingtao, China as an only child. I am from the era of the Chinese One-Child Policy, which means I have no siblings.
Mandarin is my 1st language; English is my second.
Moved to Seattle when I was 11. We lived around a lot of areas in the Puget Sound, but I enjoyed the city of Mill Creek the most.
I have 2 kittens named Mafi and Mok. Mafi Mok means “without brain” in Arabic. I graduated from high school in Bahrain in the Middle East. Moving back to Seattle, I attended the U of W.
Travelling is something I love to do. I’ve traveled to most Asian countries and parts of Europe. The top travel destination for me is South America.
Memories for me of Chinese New Year include huge family feasts, fireworks (we could set off at home), red envelopes filled with money, ceremonies and different foods.
I graduated from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. and played varsity soccer, basketball, and baseball in high school. In college I was on the school's bowling team. I have taught PE for 24 years and this will be my 11th year at Cleveland High School. I also taught middle school in L.A. for 7 years and at Mercer Middle school for 6 years. I love working with high school age students teaching PE. I live in Port Orchard and commute on the ferry every day. I have been married for 23 years and have 5 children including a senior and sophomore in addition to a 6th grader, 8th grader, and college sophomore at BYU. I am passionate about family, traveling, basketball, and (this is an odd one) fantasy baseball!! :-)
Hello! My name is Chanda E. Oatis and I am the proud Principal of Meany Middle School in the Seattle Public School District. I have held several roles in the Seattle School District; student, teacher, parent, house administrator, assistant principal, interim principal and principal. As a school leader, I strive to build authentic relationships with students, families and other educators, as we excel in our educational goals.
I have had the privilege and responsibility to teach and lead the development of the academic minds of the next generation and future society. Our society is a reflection of how we were educated in schools. As a leader, I have always been clear about our important charge. We are charged with creating educational opportunities that allow for ALL children to feel intelligent, valued, challenged and socially and emotionally supported every day. We are the students, the parents, the staff and the community. We will accomplish this by working collaboratively to ensure that all learning opportunities are inclusive and differentiated for our diverse learners, having high expectations for all, and planning engaging and culturally relevant instruction that is data-driven with clear goals and outcomes.
I have had the privilege and opportunity to serve as the principal of two Seattle Public Schools elementary schools and currently a middle school. Prior to that, I served as an instructional leader (House Administrator and Assistant Principal) at an SPS middle school. Nine years ago, when I was called upon to step into the role as an elementary school leader, I was honored and proud to be selected. I felt prepared to elevate to the next level of leadership in the district because my time spent at the middle school was purposely designed to prepare me to be a transformative leader. I really valued the experience of getting to know the elementary level in a more intimate way. Throughout my time in elementary school, my heart called out for the opportunity to serve at a secondary level again as a principal.
I have been a proud employee of the Seattle Public Schools for many years. I am a believer in this district. I started and finished my K-12 personal educational in the Seattle School District. I am very proud to say that my oldest daughter started and finished her K-12 education in the Seattle School District. She is now a graduate of Hampton University and a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army. My second daughter is an amazing 1st grader who has conquered the world of online learning in Seattle Public Schools. My third daughter is a brilliant three-year old that loves to learn through song, dance and she is already an iPad genius. My passion as a parent additionally connects me to the importance of the parent voice and being a black parent during this time in this country.
With my leadership experience at two diverse comprehensive middle schools and my success with two different socioeconomic communities at the elementary level, l am excited for the opportunity to learn alongside this group to continue to grow my leadership skills and knowledge.
I joined the Meany family during the 2023/24 School year as a long-term sub but I am so happy to be back for my first full year! Feel free to reach out with any attendance questions and I will be happy to help!
Greetings Mountain Lions! I am excited to be joining you at Meany Middle School this fall. I have been teaching middle school social studies for the last three years in Kent and I am looking forward to teaching students who are my neighbors in the area (I live in First Hill).
A little bit about Mr. Simpson: I grew up in Ohio and joined the US Army after graduating from high school. I was in stationed and Joint Base Lewis McCord (near Tacoma) and spent a year in Iraq. After my enlistment ended I decided to stay in the Pacific Northwest and co-founded a veterans’ resource center called Coffee Strong and received my Bachelors of Arts and Masters in Teaching at the Evergreen State College. My emphasis was on history and political economy and I am a huge history nerd. An interesting fact about me is that I am the first in my family to get my Bachelors degree, let alone a Masters degree!
When it comes to teaching history, I believe it is fundamental for students to not only study history for its anthropological lessons but to also view themselves as active and crucial participants in the making and writing of history. Prompted by my own experiences as an Iraq War veteran and later as a social justice activist, I have learned and continue to believe, that history is in the making every day. If the newest generations of students realize how history is relevant to present, students can become the world’s next and most influential leaders.
My name is Lisa St George, and I teach French and Spanish. I’m very happy to be here at Meany Middle School!
I attended the University of WA for undergrad, studying English and French, then Seattle University for a Master’s in Teaching. In between those two degrees, I took language classes in Paris at the Alliance Française, and in addition to living for a short while in France and the French-speaking part of Switzerland, I have traveled widely. In between I also took some university classes for Spanish, and part of my travels included living with a family in Spain. I love learning languages!
I was previously at a middle school in Shoreline for five years, teaching both French and English/Language Arts; after more than 15 years in the private sector working as the Director of a small company that promotes children’s social and emotional well-being, I am happy to have returned to the classroom.
I am so happy to be here at my neighborhood school! I have lived in the Madrona neighborhood for more than 27 years, and my children attended Seattle Public Schools – MLK, Stevens, Lowell, Washington, and Garfield. In my free time I enjoy reading, traveling, cooking, hiking and biking, cross-country skiing, and running half-marathons.
