Home | Calendar | Parent Login

Teacher Biographies

Jump to:

Alexa Eurich , K/1 Lead Teacher

Alexa Eurich

Alexa is excited to be part of Aurora's creative and vibrant staff. She comes to Aurora with teaching experience in both public and private Bay Area schools. Alexa has worked as an art teacher, a reading specialist, and has taught kindergarten through fifth grade. She attended UC Santa Cruz, and graduated from UC Berkeley. She earned her teaching credential and masters degree in education from Mills College. Alexa is fond of singing and dancing and has performed in local theater productions. She also loves to read and play games with her husband Joe.

Nick Williams, K/1 Co-Lead Teacher

Nick Williams

Nick grew up in San Jose, CA, and received a BA in Film and Digital Media with a minor in Education from the University of California at Santa Cruz. He earned his Multiple Subject teaching credential through Cal State East Bay. While doing so he had the wonderful opportunity to student teach in a 2/3 classroom at Aurora, and is now ecstatic to be a part of the Aurora family as a K/1 Lead Teacher. Nick comes from a family of educators, and views teaching as his way of positively impacting the community in which he lives. In his free time he enjoys traveling around the world, watching movies and sunsets, and taking his pet Pug to the park.

Regina Sorey, K/1 Co-Teacher

Regina Sorey

Regina grew up in the Bay Area and received her B.A. in anthropology and dance at San Francisco State University. She recently received her teaching credential at Cal State East Bay. Regina was also recently married and is proud to say that she is a new mom to a beautiful daughter that has changed her life in the most wonderful of ways! Aside from teaching, Regina also loves traveling, dancing (hula mostly!), reading and writing.

Stephanie Lowe, K/1 Teaching Assistant

Stephanie Lowe

Born in Tennessee, Stephanie spent her Air Force childhood in California, England, Texas and Virginia. California has been her home since attending UCLA and graduating with a degree in Fine Arts. She taught art in the Japanese American community in San Francisco and substitute taught in Oakland public schools before joining Aurora. She loves sharing her interests in art, science, math, reading, and gardening with Aurora's youngest students. Most of all, she enjoys working with Alexa and being part of Aurora's community.

Tony Cifra, 2/3 Lead Teacher

Tony Cifra

Born and raised in New York City, Tony relocated to the Bay Area in the Summer of 2008. In past years, he has worked as an educator with homeless adults, LGBT adolescents, and with 4th graders in NYC's Greenwich Village. He received his Bachelor's degree in Human Development from Cornell University, and completed a Masters in Childhood Education at New York University. During his spare time he enjoys playing tennis, softball, biking, and visiting his nieces and nephew in NYC! Tony is eager to share and grow with Aurora's diverse community of learners.

Estrella Nash-Tempkin, 2/3 Lead Teacher

Estrella Nash-Tempkin

Estrella Nash-Tempkin teaches second and third grade in Room 4 with Connie Real. A Bay Area native, Estrella received her credential from the Bay Area Teacher Training Institute, which she attended after graduating from UC Santa Cruz. She brings to the classroom over fifteen years of experience as an outdoor educator, as well as a commitment to social justice. When not in the classroom, Estrella spends most of her time reading, hiking, and experimenting in the kitchen. This is her fifth year at Aurora and she is thrilled to be a part of such a caring and thoughtful community.

Nikki Truax, 2/3 Teaching Assistant

Nikki Truax

Nikki grew up as the youngest of five children in a family of sports enthusiasts. She brings to Aurora's playground nearly 10 years of experience as a youth coach in a variety of sports. Nikki received her B.S. in Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing and Management from the University of West Florida. Before joining Aurora, Nikki worked with the Cal Women's Basketball team where she assisted with the teams' operations, as well as the coordination of summer camps. But her love of children combined with her love of sports is what determined her career decision. She feels that teaching has been the most rewarding and stimulating career. Aside from teaching, Nikki enjoys traveling the Caribbean islands, last minute weekend getaways, casting her fishing pole into the deep blue waters, catching live music shows throughout the Bay Area, and watching a football game from the comfort of her own couch. But when she leaves the playground for the day, you can always find her on her ranch caring for her favorite horse, Lacy.

Connie Real, 2/3 Teaching Assistant

Connie Real

Connie grew up in the Bay Area. She lives with her husband in Oakland where they have reared four children. During their school years, Connie found herself volunteering on parenting boards, was PTA president, took parenting classes, was a scout leader and finally ended up at Merritt College, where she earned her Early Childhood Education Certificate. She then learned about Aurora School, which has become her second home. This will be her 17th year at Aurora! When she is not at school, you may find her hiking the trails in the Oakland hills, dancing and singing along with her kids' music or reading in her backyard.

Courtney Friedman, 4/5 Lead Teacher

Courtney Friedman

Courtney is originally from New York where she received her BS in Human Development from Cornell University. After spending time in San Francisco, and abroad, she returned to New York where she earned her Masters degree in Childhood Education. She recently moved back to the Bay Area and has acquired her multiple subject teaching credential. Courtney has been teaching for five years with time spent in 3rd grade and in 4th/5th grade classrooms. In her free time she can be found skiing, biking, surfing, and anything else that keeps her outside. She also loves to travel and has been to many places in Europe, South America, and the United States.

Josh Gallup, 4/5 Lead Teacher

Josh Gallup

Josh is in his seventh year of teaching in the 4th and 5th grades at Aurora School. His Masters in Teaching and credential are from the University of San Francisco. In addition, he received an MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute in 1982. His interests include, playing the guitar, banjo, and fiddle. Each year, Josh writes a curriculum-based musical as a method of teaching his students social studies curriculum. He believes that integrating art and learning is an important aspect of a good education. He lives in Berkeley with his wife, Josie, and their teenage son, Spike He also has two adult sons, Noah and Eli, an adult stepson, Jason, as well as two young granddaughters, Haley and Grace. Teaching elementary school is a second career for Josh. Having spent the first 25 years of his adult life in the bicycle retail business, and owning a bicycle store for 16 of those years, Josh came to the realization that something was missing. After some soul searching and studying to be a teacher, there is no doubt that he has found a meaningful calling.

Holly Schneider, Music Specialist, 4/5 Teaching Assistant

Holly Schneider

Holly has been an educator for over 10 years. Her natural love and enthusiasm for teaching, whether it be ceramic sculpture, movement or music, is always felt by her students. Trained and certified in the Orff Schulwerk method and having established her own after school program, Creative Music Project, Holly is now delighted to be a part of the Aurora team of specialists. Holly is also a Teaching Assistant for one of the 4/5 classes.