Mr. Chino

Chino’s passion for writing has evolved into his mission: to teach students how to become strong and confident writers. Sentence Center is the result of his goal to create the perfect writing program.

While earning his teaching credential and master's degree in education, Chino taught English and Language Arts to diverse populations. His journey brought him to a Jesuit school in Manila, an inner city middle school in East Palo Alto, an innovative high school in Sausalito, and a high-achieving K-8 school in San Francisco.

Though Chino has won accolades for his teaching and mentoring, nothing makes him prouder than seeing his students improve as writers. He still gets overly enthusiastic after reading a well-written essay. When he is not teaching, he devours nonfiction, plays video games, chases frisbees, and tries to dance ballet with his daughter.

Ms. Margaret

Margaret is a writer and educator who has followed her passion for storytelling across the country. She received her BA from Vassar College and MFA in Creative Writing from SFSU. The daughter of writing teachers, she finds joy in helping someone develop a passion for the written word. She has worked in classrooms from New York to San Francisco, helping students find their voices as writers.

A recipient of the competitive PEN Emerging Voices Fellowship and James Kirkwood Literary Prize, Margaret is a published author whose work has been translated to Italian. Her novels Marrow & Pith and The Room with Too Many Doors will be making their appearance on bookshelves soon.

When she is not writing, Margaret explores national parks with her husband, roots for the Oakland Athletics, or engages in-depth intellectual conversations with her two cats.

Mr. David

A graduate of Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory and San Jose State University, David brings a wealth of teaching experience to Sentence Center. He has worked at the school districts of Burlingame, Pacifica, and South San Francisco. School administrators and co-teachers praise his “positive class presence” and “constructive student feedback.” In addition, he has tutored students in writing and created individual lesson plans that are tailored to their needs.

Having earned a degree in psychology, David enjoys analyzing history and current events. He loves engaging in intelligent and healthy debates with students about today’s relevant issues. One day he would like to host a political forum to discuss ideas that will help improve our society.

Ms. Tina

Tina’s passion for teaching writing is in her blood.  Her father was a high school principal, her mother a preschool owner, and her sisters Doctors of Philosophy in education.  A master’s degree holder in Early Child Development, she has been teaching Pre-K through second grade for over twenty years. Before moving to the Peninsula, she worked as a first grade teacher at a private school at Pacific Heights in San Francisco. Currently, “Teacher Tina” serves as a director at a Catholic preschool.

While Tina’s ultimate goal is to write and publish books for younger readers, her sights are currently set on helping students become strong and confident writers. Her first story book entitled Orville in Orbit is in the works.