La maîtresse (The teacher) 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 also taught English as a Foreign Language in Midelt, Morocco for two years.  I am married and have 2 children.  My son has studied audio-production and is contemplating his next steps.  My daughter, who was in the first class to graduated from LNFI, is a senior in high school and an aspiring artist.  I enjoy spending time with my kids, watching films, travel (when I can), making cards, and swimming.