Hello! My name is Chris Sajdak and I am the Transitional Kindergarten teacher at Manzanita. I graduated from Indiana University in 2015 with a degree in Geography and received my teaching credential from North Carolina Central University in 2019. I moved to California at the beginning of 2020 after growing up in the Midwest and living for four years in North Carolina. I have a background in environmental and outdoor education. I have experience going into elementary classrooms teaching students about composting worms, guiding a group of kids on a 14 day wilderness canoeing trip, and everything in between.  

Teaching Transitional Kindergarten for me is fulfilling because I love giving kids a strong foundation. I strive for the scholars who leave my classroom to be kind friends, hard workers, independent problem solvers, and excited to spend the next 7 years at Manzanita.