Hi, my name is Mrs. Collins and I’ve been teaching 1^st grade for 19 years at Centennial. I am also the team leader.  I have a passion for teaching 1st graders because they are full of life, they treat every day as a new day, and they make teaching exciting!  I believe that grit, perseverance, and resilience are key factors when creating a lifelong learner.  I feel this is done by building strong relationships with students and their families.  I hope to make a positive mark on each and every student that is in my class that will last a lifetime.  I share my home with my husband Tom, a small business owner in Plano, and fun-loving twin 6-year-old girls, Ella Beth and Emmie Gail, who will also be in first grade this year!  I spend my free time creating memories with my family and friends, cooking, and researching new and innovative ideas for my classroom.  I was rewarded Centennial’s Teacher of the Year in 2013 and the PTA Lifetime Member Award in 2015.  I look forward to getting to know each and everyone of you this year! 

"Every child deserves a champion: an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection and insists they become the best they could possibly be."  Rita Pearson, Educator