About Mrs. Margaret (Meg) Upchurch & Miss Kendall McCarthy

Mrs. Upchurch

Mrs. Upchurch is ecstatic to join the Saint Mark family this year teaching first grade! She has experience teaching preschool - upper elementary in a variety of settings. Mrs. Upchurch focuses on creating/maintaining relationships with each of her students and will do everything in her power to help her students succeed.

Mrs. Upchurch was born and raised in Wisconsin (yes, she does love cheese!) She attended Catholic schools from kindergarten through college and strongly believes in the special community Catholic schools generate. Mrs. Upchurch graduated from Marquette University with degrees in elementary/middle education and communication studies. 

When she is not in the classroom, you can find Mrs. Upchurch doing yoga, golfing, hiking, reading the next best mystery/thriller novel, or cooking up a new recipe.

Teaching is Mrs. Upchurch’s passion. She is thrilled to meet you and take on this new adventure together!

Miss McCarthy

Miss McCarthy is joining the Saint Mark community this year and she couldn’t be more excited to teach first grade. Miss McCarthy graduated from the University of San Francisco in 2019 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts while also minoring in STEM Education. For this reason, she loves to integrate art into her classroom and teach students of all ages how to block code. In 2020, Miss McCarthy completed her Masters of Arts in Teaching and her Teaching Credential at the USF Graduate School. She has experience teaching in a wide variety of classrooms in both San Francisco and Los Angeles, where she most recently taught 5th grade in Inglewood. Because Miss McCarthy grew up in Southern California, she is ecstatic to be teaching near the beach. Outside of the classroom, you might find her taking her cat Dexter on a walk, creating art, or watching a true crime documentary.

Miss McCarthy is committed to creating a space where all students feel safe, supported and challenged. She believes in teaching growth mindset, which teaches students to embrace challenges, understand that failures lead to growth, and develop a curiosity for the world around them. Miss McCarthy values building personal relationships with her students and loves that each school day brings new opportunities to explore, create and grow.