Principal's Message

Welcome to Newport Heights Elementary School!

About NHES

Welcome to the home of the sharks! At Newport Heights Elementary, we believe that education is about inspiring student curiosity, nurturing a community of lifelong learners, and cultivating kindness. Our school is a dynamic, student-centered place where students are encouraged to explore their unique talents and show their creativity, develop unwavering confidence, build friendships, strive for academic excellence by stretching their minds and strengthening their skills, and start their foundations for positively impacting the community and beyond.

From individualized instruction through Walk-to-Learn rotations, small group work in our Learning Labs, Multi-Tiered Systems & Supports to our Shark Tank Technology Lab to our playground partnership with Active Learning to our extra-curricular clubs and everything in between, we celebrate accomplishments both big and small, all with a singular purpose: students achieve great heights.

Guided by our core focus: "Be Proud. Be Kind. Be You!" - we teach our students that true achievement goes hand-in-hand with character. Every day, our sharks are learning what it means to show Shark P.R.I.D.E. - polite, responsible, independent, determined & engaged, lead with kindness, and treat others with deep respect, creating a safe, inclusive, and positive environment where everyone can thrive.

About Our Staff & Community 

Behind every successful student is a team of dedicated educators. I am incredibly proud to lead a staff defined by their drive, commitment to instructional rigor, and deep collaboration & teamwork. Our talented teachers strive to ignite a passion for learning and foster a lifelong love for knowledge. Our devoted staff ensure NHES is a safe, healthy, and positive place for our sharks to live and learn each and every day.We recognize that a student's success is a shared journey, with our school & community motto: “Together for Success at NHES.”  

We are profoundly grateful for our loyal community and our deeply engaged parent organizations, including our PTA, Foundation, and ELAC. True education requires a strong partnership between home & school, and we look forward to connecting and collaborating with you to make this school year SHARKtastic for our students.

About Me

My heart is happy as I continue to serve you and our students this school year, embarking on my 8th year as principal & 11th year at NHES. 

Hailing from Northern California, I became a SoCal transplant while attending UCI for undergrad earning degrees in Theatre Arts & Dance. After working in Hollywood for a stint, my heart kept pulling me towards education, my true passion. I earned my teaching and administrative credentials plus Masters in Educational Leadership from CSU, Long Beach. I have been a teacher and administrator in NMUSD for 23 fulfilling years and was proud to represent NMUSD as the district Elementary Teacher of the Year way back when. 

I am also a proud NMUSD parent! Mr. Clarke and I have two boys, embarking on high school at Newport Harbor HS & middle school at Ensign Intermediate this year.  We spend most of our time driving them around Orange County to watch them play the sports they love.  We enjoy running into our NHES families around town…my boys think I’m a mini local celebrity.

I am passionate about what I do, and there's no better place to do it.

GO SHARKS!

Check out our weekly highlights @ Clarke the Shark: Principal Newsletter portal!