Administration

My name is Tammy Heffernan the Assistant Principal at Oppe Elementary School. I have been an educator with the Galveston Independent School District for 28 years; 26 years have been at Oppe where I have taught numerous grade levels and served as the campus curriculum facilitator. I hold a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration from Lamar University and a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Early Childhood Education with a Specialization in Mathematics from The University of Houston - Clear Lake. I also hold professional teaching certifications in Gifted and Talented and English as a Second Language.

Each day I am inspired by my colleagues and excited to work with such dedicated educators at Oppe. The commitment of the staff, families, and the spirit of the students create and amazing community! I believe every child should be inspired, engaged, and encouraged to be the best they can be in and out of the classroom.

My name is Adriana Rendon. I am the Collaborative Learning Leader (CLL). I have been an elementary teacher in Galveston ISD for 15 years and I have had the opportunity to work with bilingual students at different grade levels. I believe in the power of high expectations, good relationships, commitment and motivation. I am very proud of what I do every day, and I take this pride not in my accomplishments, but in being able to help the people I work with accomplish common goals that help our students succeed.

I am originally from Colombia where I worked as an Industrial Engineer before coming to the United States and getting certified as a Bilingual EC-4 teacher in 2004. I also have a Masters Degree in Education of Teacher Leadership with a specialization in ESL.

I am a wife and mother of two children. I love music, concerts, traveling, and spending quality time with the people I love.

Hello! My name is Paula Phelps the Professional School Counselor at Oppe Elementary Campus of Coastal Studies. I have been an educator for 27 years; 10 years in the classroom as a secondary mathematics teacher and 17 years as a Professional School Counselor. I hold a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, a Master of Arts in Counseling, and a Master of Education in Educational Administration. I am a BNI (Born Near the Island in Beaumont, TX), and arrived as soon as I could.  I am married to a wonderful man and we have three remarkable adult sons, and one incredible granddaughter. I enjoy reading, traveling, and spending time with my family.

I feel extremely blessed to join the Oppe Family and look forward to continuing the amazing work with our dedicated students, parents, and educators and staff of Oppe!

 For more information about the Counseling Program at Oppe, click on the link Counseling Program Overview.

Hello! My name is Sarah Hopkins and I am honored and excited to be the new Magnet Coordinator at Oppe Elementary Campus of Coastal Studies.  I graduated from University of Houston in 2007 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. I have been an educator for 11 years, spending four years teaching second grade in a neighboring district and seven awesome years teaching gifted and talented third graders here at Oppe. 

I have been married to my husband since 2009, and we have been busy loving life and making memories for our son, Kane, and daughter, Sage, ever since. We have a chocolate lab, Bruce, and a hedgehog, Prickles. We are passionate about raising our children with an appreciation and respect for the environment. We love spending our weekends on the bay or the beach, boating, surfing, and fishing