Angela Kava

I started at Kalamazoo Country Day School in 1993 as a teacher's aide in the preschool. During my years as a teacher's aide, I earned my teaching degree at Western Michigan University. Graduating in 1998, I took the position of third grade teacher, and have been teaching third grade up to the present. I enjoy teaching third graders because they are old enough to really work hard and learn a lot, but they are also young enough to still love their teacher!

In 2001, I received an Excellence in Education Grant to travel to Mackinac Island and Sault Ste. Marie to study Michigan history, one of the main topics of study in Third Grade. I also received the 2004 Odyssey Award for Outstanding Michigan History Educator from the Michigan Historical Museum. I have also been honored to be nominated as one of Who's Who of American Educators. 

I have a strong interest in helping other people, so for the 2008-2009 school year I encouraged students to join me in helping kids across the world, as I lead our O Ambassador's Club. This is a leadership club organized to help educate the school about issues of poverty, education, health, and sustainable development in other countries through the Millenium Development Goals. Throughout the year, we organized fund raisers to raise money for kids in East Africa.  I also organize school-wide activities for Earth Day each year, as saving the planet is another topic in which I take great interest. Some activities have included decorating brown grocery bags with Earth Day messages that were then distributed at a local grocery store on Earth Day, as well as, encouraging every member of our school to make an environmental pledge for our "Humanitree".

My husband, Joe, and I have been married since 1996. We have two beautiful children, Alexa and Dominic, and they have both been at KCDS since preschool.  We live in Portage with our dog, Max.

I enjoy spending time with my family and friends. We are avid Disney fans, and we usually take at least one trip to Disney World every year. I also enjoy listening to my kids play piano, watching my daughter dance, and seeing my son, now a Black Belt, compete in Tae Kwon Do.

My favorite thing to do for myself is yoga. I enjoy practicing and teaching yoga.  I often incorporate yoga into my classroom by starting the day with yoga breathing and a few yoga warm-up exercises to get my students ready for a great day of learning.