Sewell Elementary School

Art and music has always been a part of Jodi’s life. After graduating from Northern Arizona University with a degree in Vocal Performance, Jodi moved to New York City. There, she worked as an actress and went on national tours for 10 years before she and her husband decided to move back to Arizona to start a family. 

“It was real hard trying to raise kids in New York City and trying to work as an actor at the same time,” Jodi said. “So, we decided to come here where we had a lot more family support and just started teaching.” 

Now, as Sewell’s Arts Integration Specialist, Jodi gets to blend arts and music into everyday lessons. She meets with teachers to see how she can help them reinforce lessons. When a student is struggling to understand perimeter vs area, Jodi writes a song about it. 

Olivia is one of Sewell Elementary’s newest additions, joining the staff as school monitor and teacher’s assistant in December 2023. It’s actually Olivia’s second stint as a school monitor, having previously served in that position at Lawrence Elementary in 2007. 

Olivia loves being able to work with kids – and how they keep her on her toes. 

“It’s fun, though, working with all these kids and the staff,” Olivia said. “There’s always something new, which I love.” 

Outside of work, Olivia has recently picked up a new hobby. She spends a lot of her off time cooking and making artwork, drawing and painting on canvases. 

A product of Tucson Unified schools, Charlena joined the District as a teacher 11 years ago – and all of those at Sewell Elementary. She loves the eastside school for the great staff that is able to work seamlessly together. She also loves the variety of programs offered at Sewell, like OMA and GATE. 

“I think it really helps reach kids in a lot of different ways, and it really increases their learning opportunities,” Charlena said.  

Charlena spent her entire teaching career in kindergarten, up until the 2023-2024 school year. That year, she decided to go up to first grade, following her last class of kinders. And she’s been loving it. She really enjoys working with the younger students and seeing the “a-ha” moment when they understand a new concept.