Welcome to 3rd grade!  I’m Sophia Penkala, and I couldn’t be more excited to begin my first year here at St. Ann.  I’m honored to be a part of such a wonderful and welcoming community. 

I’m a West Coast girl who has recently moved to Kansas! I grew up in Portland, Oregon, as the oldest of 3 girls.  I attended Saint John Fisher School and continued on to Jesuit High School.  I was passionate about my athletic career as a volleyball player, and accepted a scholarship to play at Pepperdine University, in Malibu, California.  I was fortunate to be a 4-year starter and All-Conference player and also had opportunities to train with the USA Women’s Volleyball National team during my collegiate career.  I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts and continued on at Pepperdine University to earn my Masters in Education.  Upon completion of graduate school, I moved to the Bay Area and taught Kindergarten for ½ year and 3rd grade for 2 years at Saint Nicholas School in Los Altos, California.  I then moved back to my hometown in Portland, Oregon and taught 4th grade for 3 years at Cathedral School.  I have enjoyed working at Catholic schools because sharing my faith with others is very important to me.

I met my husband in the Bay Area and we got married in October 2013.  We were blessed to welcome our first child, Henry James, in October of 2015.  We have loved exploring the Kansas City area and learning about the Midwest.

I have a passion for teaching, technology, and your children.  I love being a teacher and I look forward to each new day and recognize each one as an opportunity to learn something new about my students and myself.  I look forward to a great year of learning, growing, and excelling!