My name is Mary Rddad.  I have been working at LNFI since 2002 and in 1st grade since 2004.  I am a graduate of Concordia College in Moorhead, MN where I got my B.A. in International Relations and French.  I also have a B.S. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Minnesota and a MAed from Hamline University. 
Before teaching at French Immersion, I was an ESL teacher at another St Paul elementary school.  During this time I developed a passion for teaching reading to students who are learning the language of instruction.  I have also taught English as a Foreign Language in Midelt, Morocco for two years as a Peace Corps Volunteer. 
I have 2 children.  My son has studied audio-production and is back in college majoring in communications.  My daughter, who was in the first class to graduate from LNFI, is an aspiring artist majoring in painting.  I enjoy spending time with my kids, watching films, traveling (when I can), making cards, doing Sudoku puzzles, and swimming.