Katherine James and Carly Schmiess

Fourth grade is a fun and exciting year at Mountain View School. Here are just a few of the things we will learn about:

Fourth grade math covers place value, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, geometry and statistics.The language arts program includes writing personal narratives, summaries, and responses to literature. We will write lots of poetry, and participate in a six -week session with a poet-in-residence. Some of the books we will read are Island of the Blue Dolphins and By the Great Horn Spoon.Our science curriculum is divided into three units; life science, earth science, and physical science. Fourth grade social studies is all about California! We will study about the geography of the state, early peoples, missions, gold rush and more. Computer skills developed will include keyboarding, powerpoint and web page design.

Katherine James

I have been teaching for 23 years, 22 of which have been at Mountain View. I am what Bob Wood (former Mtn. View teacher and principal)  refers to as one of the most “senior teachers” at Mountain View. You will not hear me refer to myself in this way. I feel close to the Mountain View community. Both of my children (Jared, age 20) and Carly (age 17) attended Mountain View K-6. I value the camaraderie, professional relationships and life long friendships I have with staff members, as well as relationships formed with members of the community. In the last couple of years, I have moved from third grade to fourth grade. In this new chapter, I will continue to build a challenging, engaging environment in which every child will have the opportunity to explore and learn. This year brings a unique change for me, as I will be on medical leave for a portion of the year. I am thrilled to have Allixandra Harrison step in as my substitute. We will work closely as a team to create a positive and productive school year.

Carly Schmiess

Born and raised in Santa Barbara, I spent some time traveling abroad after graduating from Point Loma University in 2005. Upon returning to town, I began my career teaching in the Goleta Union School District as a 6th-grade teacher at Hollister Elementary School. Since then, I've gone on to teach 5th grade, but 10 of my 13 years in the district have been spent as a fourth-grade teacher - a grade I simply love! In addition to starting a career after returning to Santa Barbara, I met my future husband, Andy, with whom I've built a family, adding two really fun boys along the way. They will both be attending Mountain View this year, with one in third grade and one in first. When not teaching, I enjoy trail running, playing beach volleyball, reading, gardening, and adventuring with my family. I'm a regular at farmers market and am passionate about sustainable, healthy eating. I am actively looking forward to joining the team at Mountain View this year and sharing the honor of teaching your children. It is one of my life's joys to play a role in the development of our youth aiming toward building a brighter future for our community.