April Raguindin

For as long as she can remember, April Raguindin, who teaches first grade at Fletcher
Elementary in Kern County, has always wanted to be a teacher. As a child, she
attended eleven different elementary schools and yet, each one became a place of
refuge for her. Her favorite space was always the library, where she found books that
took her on endless adventures. Even as a student, she says, this was the beginning of
shaping her own teaching pedagogy. As she realized her dream of becoming a teacher,
she knew that each step her first graders took towards learning to read was a step
toward helping them to discover their own worlds, filled with wonder and adventure. This
belief propelled her to become certified as a Reading Interventionist in order to provide
her students with the best possible literacy instruction during the school day.

When you enter Ms. Raguindin’s class you’ll find warm muted tones, a sign that reads,
“You are Amazing,” and bulletin boards overflowing with student work. Her classroom is
designed for collaboration, with writing centers and exploration areas that encourage
hands-on learning. Each day ends with interactive centers that, in her words, “buzz with
excitement and learning.”

After school, Ms. Raguindin transitions to the Extended Learning Program, where she
teaches gardening and kitchen lessons to 2nd through 5th graders. Establishing an
Edible Schoolyard program, that she now coordinates, has been one of her greatest
joys as a teacher. As she describes it, “I teach my students to be stewards of nature,
and I know I am laying down the roots of connection between the classroom and their
home — the roots I never had.” The Edible Schoolyard’s mission is simple: The
students learn to cultivate the garden, harvest the vegetables they have grown, and
prepare them for cooking. And while the mission is simple, the results have been
profound. In Mrs. Raguindin’s words, “Together, we are cultivating more than a garden;
we are cultivating a community.“