Hello!  My name is Mrs. Nolen, and I want to welcome you to my first grade classroom!  I am looking forward to the start of the 2023-2024 school year and meeting all of my incoming first graders.  This will be my eleventh year teaching elementary-aged students and tenth year teaching at FTE.  

When I’m not teaching, I enjoy spending my free time with my husband, our son (Everett), and daughter (Harlyn).  Everett turned seven in July and will be in first grade this year! Harlyn will turn four in September and is in preschool!  Over the summer, we enjoyed traveling to Idaho, New York City, Pittsburgh, and Eagle Bay, New York.

My husband and I are always busy with home renovations, and I enjoy the process of giving new life to old homes and furniture.  Another hobby of mine is table tennis.  In college, I started a table tennis club, and I continue to play when I can.  I also like to read, watch movies, travel, play board games, spend time with my family and friends, and experience new adventures. Some of my favorite places that I’ve visited are The Grand Canyon, France, England, Scotland, and Ireland. 

I also like being active outside whether I’m walking, hiking, playing tennis, or discovering a new town or city.  With my love for nature, I am very passionate about taking care of our environment; I do what I can to reduce my “environmental footprint,” and I incorporate eco-friendly practices into my classroom as well.  A few years ago, I completed my Master’s Degree in Environmental Education, and I've learned so much about environmental practices through my graduate work.   

If you have any questions for me, feel free to ask!

A Few of My Favorite Things:

Books:  The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

              Elephant and Piggie books by Mo Willems

              Mercy Watson books by Kate DiCamillo

Sports:  Tennis and Table Tennis

Dessert:  Chocolate cream pie with graham cracker crust

Vacation Spots:  Big Moose Lake in the Adirondack Mountains (New York) and Virginia Beach

Season: fall

Gameshow:  Family Feud

Color: purple