Hello!

My name is Yana Vinnitsky, and I am excited to be teaching at Manzanita Public Charter Schools. Although this is my first year as a lead teacher, I bring over 20 years of experience working in classrooms—primarily as an instructional assistant and assistant teacher in both general and special education.
I was born and raised in the former Soviet Union for the first ten years of my life before my family moved to California, where I’ve lived ever since. I hold an Associate of Arts degree in Behavioral Psychology from Santa Barbara City College, a Bachelor of Arts from Brandman University, and a teaching credential also from Brandman.
My husband, Stephen, and I have been married for 33 years and have raised three wonderful daughters: Kayc (32), Tyler (28), and Tristan (24). We moved to Lompoc in 1997 to raise our family and now reside in Solvang.
Outside the classroom, I enjoy reading, gardening, and spending time with family and friends. While I don’t have any pets myself, my kids have quite the collection—including horses, pigs, goats, dogs, and cats!
I look forward to making great memories this year with both the scholars and my colleagues.