As the writing teacher at Valley View Elementary, Julie Asaro doesn't take the use of a comma lightly. What for many is merely a breath, pause or hesitation in speech means something much more to the sixth-grade teacher.

Asaro said she's in charge of setting a tone for her students before they move to the next phase of their education in middle and high school, where commas and other parts of speech carry more weight.

"We do a lot of grammar in my class and I have to ask them: 'why did you put a comma here?'" Asaro said with a smirk after school on Thursday. "They usually don't know why and I want to correct that. Commas aren't for decoration."

The 39-year-old, who also teaches social studies, shares her passion for the apostrophe with her students in different character voices. She draws upon her years of experience with the theater. She recently scored the role of the "wicked witch" in "The Wizard of Oz" with Rocklin Theatre and Arts.

"It's fun to be someone else for awhile," Asaro said. "I've been singing forever, that's how I got started. I've come to like the acting just as much. I get to be totally outrageous on stage."

Also a veracious reader, Asaro was studying classics as an English major at Sacramento State and began substitute teaching in 2001, the same year she graduated from college. Her first interaction with Rocklin students was in 1998-1999, teaching colors, shapes and manners at Rocklin Preschool. She is currently in her fifth year with Valley View Elementary and said she couldn't imagine herself anywhere else.

"I enjoy working with the kids here in Rocklin," Asaro said.

As a two-subject teacher, Asaro said sharing teaching responsibilities with two other teachers at Valley View is a huge help. Ms. Feliz and Mr. Rowsey take on mathematics and the sciences while Asaro pushes ancient civilizations and sentence variety.

"I hate the word 'the,'" she said. "I tell my students there are thousands of other words in the English language - pick one."

Asaro said she is also a big time sports mom. Her daughter Mallory, 12, is very involved in softball in the area. Asaro managed the team for several years. Her son Jacob, 14, and Mallory were both students in Asaro's classroom at one point.

Over the past week Asaro has been preparing her students for Science Camp, a week-long expedition sponsored by the Marin County Outdoor Education Office. The camp gives students a hands-on opportunity to learn about the natural sciences.