Praise God, we made it through the school year! Now we can all relax and rest for a while! Wishing all my graduating 8th graders a wonderful summer as they prepare for high school. Wishing all my upcoming 8th graders a fun summer as they prepare to become our new leaders. And, finally, I'm looking forward to meeting all our incoming 7th graders. Don't be too anxious- you will have a great year.
Welcome to my classroom! I have energetic, intelligent 7th and 8th graders who help me look forward to coming to school each morning. I welcome parent involvement and input to help your children grow into committed Christians who love to learn and are well prepared for success in high school and beyond. God has amazing plans for each of them, and I count it a privilege to be part of helping each student to be ready for those adventures.
About Me:
I love teaching here at Rogers and I look forward to working with each Junior High student. It is a great privilege to work and learn in a school where God is the center of all we do. My goals for my students are: 1) To seek God with all their hearts; 2) To see God's design in the world around them; 3) To desire to care for the earth and their own bodies as God's temple; 4) To recognize and value the opportunities they have here for an excellent education and to strive to do their very best in all their studies; and 5) To seek God's plan for their lives and make service to Him and others their highest priority.
This school is a dream place to work. The Junior High teachers truly enjoy each other. We work closely as a team to make this the best possible place we can for our students to grow in Jesus, to become confident leaders and learners, and to be ready academically for great success in high school.
My responsibilities include teaching Science to the whole JH, teaching Algebra I, and coordinating Geometry instruction. Because I'm a former high school teacher and have seen what it takes to be successful right from the start at that level, I have high expectations for my students. I believe JH students can be responsible for following instructions (critical in science labs!), turn in work on time (important for ALL classes!), and learn to stay organized independently. These skills take time to develop, but I've seen from experience how they prove to be the foundation for future academic success. I also am the 8th grade class sponsor, so I work all year with the 8th grade officers to plan activities and coordinate the 8th grade trip and graduation.
My Background:
I have a Bachelor's Degree in Music (Piano and Organ) from Andrews University. After graduation, I taught music for 4 years at Cedar Lake Academy. During that time I also continued school to finish Pre-Med requirements and science and math certification. We moved to Forest Lake Academy in Orlando where I taught Science and Math for 7 years. Just as I was ready to start medical school I discovered I was pregnant with our son. Around the same time, my husband and I had calls to come teach here in Walla Walla. We decided that God was pointing us in this direction and we have not been sorry! I have all but the thesis done for a Master's Degree in Curriculum and Instruction.
My Family:
I am married to Benjamin (orchestra director at WWVA). We have a son and a daughter - Jamie Gish and Dr. Julia Salerno. Jamie is an industrial designer for Amazon in Everett, WA. and is married to the beautiful Kristen from Hawaii. They just recently had their first baby. Julia is married to Tres Salerno. They live in Spokane, WA, where Julia is a very successful real estate agent, private violin teacher, and performer. They are the proud parents of 3 of our grandchildren. We also have one big dog - a 7 year old Goldendoodle named Rudy who is quite lazy and loves to get hugs and snuggles!
Some of my Interests:
I love to play with the grandkids, work in my yard, cook, play with the dog, read, travel, listen to music, cheer for the Seattle Mariners and Seahawks, do puzzles, watch HGTV, and do things in my home.
