Second Grade Teachers

María Bernadette Peterson was born and raised in Windsor, California. She was in the second graduating class of the bilingual immersion charter school in Windsor, Cali Calmécac Language Academy. She graduated from Sonoma State University with a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Environmental Studies, with a minor in Biology. She has eight years experience in natural resource management in Sonoma County and seven years experience as an exclusively bilingual substitute teacher at Cali Calmécac Language Academy. Although she is very passionate about protecting our natural resources, she realized her heart was in teaching and decided to become a teacher. She completed her multiple subject teaching credential program in May of 2018 and has been teaching at César Chávez Language Academy since 2016. She is an asset to CCLA with diverse experience, strong ties to the community, tech knowledge, willingness to help others and love of teaching young children. She enjoys re-discovering with her two children, enjoying diverse foods with her husband, playing board games with girlfriends and meditating while gardening.

Email: mbpeterson@srcs.k12.ca.us | Extension: 23205

Maureen Promis was born in Santiago, Chile, but grew up in beautiful British Columbia, Canada. She later moved to Tucson, Arizona during her high school years, and attended Northern Arizona University where she obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. Later she obtained her Master’s degree in Bilingual/Multicultural Education in 2006. She taught in Tucson, Arizona for 15 years before making the move to California in the summer of 2017 to be closer to family. Maureen is married, and has 2 boys: Nicolas and Matias. She enjoys spending time with her family, being outdoors, tennis, gardening, trying new restaurants and traveling. She feels fortunate to be part of this wonderful community and school as she aspired to teach at a bilingual school, and looks forward to new adventures, experiences and memories to be made here at CCLA.

Email: mpromis@srcs.k12.ca.us | Extension: 23203

Jessica Wood was born in Boise, Idaho and moved to Santa Rosa when she was a sophomore. She attended Santa Rosa Junior College and got two associate degrees and a Children in the Justice System certificate as well. She transferred to Sonoma State and obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice Studies. At that time she was doing lots of advocacy for Parent Voices and 4Cs of Sonoma County. 

Her goal was to work with troubled youth in Sonoma County. She then continued and went straight into the Masters in Public Administration Program and graduated in May of 2021. While there she was the President of the Masters in Public Administration Association and put together many different events connecting government and Nonprofit Leaders. She has been a Credentialed Substitute Teacher for Santa Rosa City School since 2019 and has now gone back to school at NCOE to get her multiple subject credential. She is currently very blessed to be a first year teacher and looks forward to all the ways she can learn and grow into the best educator she can be. She has worked for a few Supervisors and has strong ties to the government and nonprofit sectors in Sonoma County. She currently serves as Vice-Chair on the Commission for the Status of Women and loves to teach about democracy, diversity, and teach all kids that they matter and have a voice.

She is a single mother to the two of the sweetest boys in the world - one who has attended CCLA since kindergarten. In her free time (when there is free time) she enjoys music, art, and hiking. She loves coffee and enjoys having fun with friends and traveling to new places and seeing new things.

Email: jwood@srcs.k12.ca.us | Extension: 23207