My name is Kathleen Henschen and I am the 8th grade homeroom language arts and literature teacher.  I am starting my fourth year here at St. Rita.

I was born and raised in Manila, Philippines to a Spanish father and a Portuguese- Filipino mother. I am the younger of two daughters.  I spent my elementary and high school years at the Maryknoll Schools in the Philippines. My only deviation from the Catholic schools occured when I became a Rotary Exchange student to Edmeston, New York during my senior year in high school.  I hold a Bachelors Degree in International Studies from the University of the Philippines, a second Bachelor's Degree in Education from Rockford College, and a Master of Education Degree in Teaching and Leadership from Saint Xavier University. I hold an Illinois Teaching Certificate fro students in Kindergarten to 9th grade.

Outside of school, I am a busy mother to three children: Evan is in fifth grade and Erica is in third grade at Keith Country Day School. Little Derek is 9 months old.  My husband, a native of Ohio is a Landscape Artchitect for a local firm. As a family there are activities that we love to do together. Music plays a vital role in our household.  We play the piano and the violin. We also enjoy both acting and watching theatrical productions.  Because my husband is an alumnus of The Ohio State University, we are a big supporter of the Buckeyes!  Our biggest interest is in travelling. We love to travel, learn cultures of the world, and learn different languagess. We would be a great family to qualify for The Amazing Race...  We have a unique household beacause three languages are spoken. Our goal is to eventually travel to every continent (minus Antarctica) together as a family.

Because of my diverse background, I hope to instill to my students the value of individual differences and the diversity that is represented in our great United States.  Through character education, I hope to teach the students that people are the same no matter what color or creed. "We all smile in the same language"   In my classroom I hope to establish a place where there is no room for mere tolerance, but rather, room for acceptance and appreciation.

My email address is: khenschen@stritarockford.org