Debbie Hanna

Educational Achievement Specialist (EAS) / Vice Principal

Debbie Hanna is our Educational Achievement Specialist (and our Vice Principal!). Mrs. Hanna was born and raised in Ireland where she met and married her husband back in 1989. They moved to California and have been blessed with four wonderful children (all of whom attended Holy Spirit School) and three beautiful grandchildren.

Mrs. Hanna’s love of learning was initially nurtured in Ireland where she was educated in Catholic schools from elementary through high school. The Irish sisters along with some amazing teachers ‘lit the spark’ in her for education. She received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from UC Davis and then attended graduate school at Chapman University to study teaching. Later, she returned to Ireland where she earned her master’s degree in Educational Psychology from Queen’s University in Belfast. More recently, Mrs. Hanna has become a Certified Educational Therapist through UC Riverside and a Certified Autism Specialist through the international board of credentialing. Today, it is her students who keep the fire burning and inspire her to be a lifelong learner.

Mrs. Hanna has been working at Holy Spirit since 2004. Prior to her current responsibilities as EAS and Vice Principal, she spent her first few years as a homeroom teacher in 7th Grade and 1st Grade. Her current role “provides the opportunity to work with a diverse group of amazing students across all grade levels. Interacting with the students is ultimately the best part of her role, as she enjoys “guiding them to harness their strengths and realize their full potential.”

Mrs. Hanna enjoys “partnering with my colleagues, team teaching, facilitating student support (SST) meetings, and working together to ensure student success in this loving and Christ-centered environment” and is “passionate about providing a highly effective inclusive environment for all our students.” In her spare time, Mrs. Hanna enjoys spending time with family and friends, boating in Sausalito, playing guitar, singing Irish songs, traveling, day trips, eating out, photography, reading and getting together with her book club pals.