Pali Elementary Welcomes Two New Teachers

By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

The start of the 2021-22 school year means new faces—including two teachers that have started at Palisades Charter Elementary School: Tamara Morozov and Sophia Frazier.

Morozov, who was born in Ukraine and moved to the United States at the age of 7, will be teaching first grade. She is the youngest of 10 kids, sharing that she was part of a “huge family,” and grew up in Massachusetts before moving to California with her husband six years ago.

“I have been working with children for as long as I could remember,” Morozov said to the Palisadian-Post. “Whether it was tutoring, assistant teaching, volunteering or substitute teaching—I did it all.”

She said that along the journey, she discovered her “deep love for children” and chose to pursue a career in teaching.

“I love creating a safe and fun environment for students,” Morozov shared. “I love seeing their eyes light up when they learn something new. I love seeing the unique potential that each student carries and genuinely believe that my students are the next generation of history makers.”

This will be Morozov’s first year as a teacher, and she said that she “couldn’t think of a better place to embark on this journey than at Pali Elementary.”

Morozov lived in Santa Monica for two years while working with parents and students in Pacific Palisades. She shared that she thought the community was “so incredible” and that she “always knew that it would be a dream to work here as a teacher” when she finished her teaching credential program.

“When I started to research schools, Pali Elementary really stood out to me, and I ended up contacting Principal Juliet Herman before any openings were posted—I am so glad I did,” Morozov said. “She told me about the vision of the school, the culture, the love for the arts and the wonderful parent-teacher relationships. I was sold.”

Frazier, who was born and raised in Southern California, shared that she knew she wanted to come back after college, so she used those four years to try something new by attending the University of Richmond in Virginia where she earned a B.A. in psychology, as well as received her K-6 teaching license.

“I have always known that I have wanted to be a teacher because I absolutely love being around kids,” she said. “For as long as I can remember, I have always been drawn to working with kids, starting with babysitting as my first job, and going back to my own preschool and elementary school to spend time with the kids each summer.”

Like Morozov, this will also be Frazier’s first year teaching, and she will be working with fourth-graders. She shared that she has always been drawn to the Palisades because it is a “close-knit, charming and beautiful” community.

“I was drawn to Pali Elementary specifically because of its charter school status, but also its affiliation with LAUSD,” Frazier explained. “Because of both of those titles, Pali Elementary exudes expertise and innovation, but also has a local, intimate and welcoming feel.”

One of the challenges Frazier said that she foresees this year is the transition back into the classroom after more than a year of virtual and in-person learning with restrictions, which Frazier acknowledged may have felt overwhelming to students and families.

“Now that students are starting the school year coming back into the classroom, I want to ensure the smoothest transition back and allow my students a sense of normalcy and comfort,” she shared. “I cannot wait to be back in the same class as my students and will give them endless support in this process.”