I am very elated and excited to be serving as principal at Farine Elementary.  I earned my bachelors and masters degrees from the University of Texas at Dallas and my principal certification from the University of Texas at Arlington. This will be my 16^th year serving our students and families in Irving ISD. I began my educational career at F.M. Gilbert Elementary as a special education teacher.  I served in that position for three years and then entered the classroom as a 5^thgrade Bilingual teacher.  My desire to be an administrator was fulfilled the following year at M.C. Lively Elementary where I served as an assistant principal for four years.  After having two sons, I returned to the classroom for four years as a 5^th grade Bilingual teacher.  I love being in the classroom teaching our students, inspiring them, and motivating them to DO GOOD and BE GREAT!  My two oldest sons attend Farine Elementary and participate in the Dual Language Program.  Four years ago, I had the opportunity to join the Farine Falcons Family as a 5^th grade science dual teacher and it was a memorable experience. I LOVE my Farine Falcons!  This school year will be my third year to serve as one of the assistant principals. I look forward to another fantastic school year at Farine Elementary!  I can’t wait to meet and get to know all of our Farine Falcons and see all of the wonderful learning taking place throughout our building! GO FALCONS!

I have had the privilege of serving Irving ISD for 20 years. I started my career at Paul Keyes Elementary as a Kindergarten teacher and then as a second-grade bilingual teacher. After 11 years, I moved to F.M. Gilbert Elementary, where I taught third grade bilingual and then served as a Literacy Specialist for students in K-5th grade. Following my dreams of growing and helping bilingual students, I took the opportunity to serve as an Instructional Coach at the district level in the Bilingual and ESL Language Services Department for four years, providing support for language acquisition at our elementary and early childhood schools.

This school year, I have the absolute honor of serving as an Assistant Principal at Farine Elementary. I'm looking forward to the opportunity to work collectively with teachers, parents, and community members to meet our goals and have a successful school year.

My name is Mauricio Valdovinos, and I am ecstatic to return to my home district in my first year as assistant principal. As an Irving ISD graduate, I attended Elliot ES, Barton ES, Good ES, De Zavala MS, and Nimitz HS. I received my bachelor's degree from the University of Notre Dame, a Curriculum & Instruction master’s from UTA, an Educational Leadership master’s from Texas Tech, and am currently working on my Doctor of Education from Texas Tech. This will be my 8^th year in Education. Previously I was a 2nd grade teacher, 3^rd grade teacher, administrative intern, and instructional coach all in Grand Prairie. I am so glad to be back home in Irving and give back to my community.