Issue link: http://latinschool.uberflip.com/i/686133
Do You Know? WHAT ARE THE BEST PARTS OF YOUR JOB? Every day is entirely different, with new challenges and surprises. WHY DID YOU DECIDE THAT YOU WANTED TO WORK AT A SCHOOL? I came to it accidently. While working at Girls in the Game, an after school program for inner-city girls, one of my colleagues told me she was moving and wanted me to apply for her job as a high school counselor. I applied, and I got the job. Now I couldn't see myself anywhere else. High school can be hard. Because I struggled through those years, I feel like I can really relate to our students. WHAT ARE YOUR HOBBIES AND INTERESTS? I enjoy exercise and meditation. My favorite thing to do is to get up early, work out, meditate and savor the silence before anyone else is up. I also love hanging out with my two kids, my husband and my friends. ey feed my soul. WHAT TRAITS DO YOU ADMIRE IN OTHERS? I appreciate people who are authentic and not afraid to speak their truth, those who are comfortable in their skin and grounded. WHAT ARE YOUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES? Look for the good in people. Everyone has strengths. No one is better than anyone else; everyone has a story, and you never know what someone is going through. Care about people. Be kind. I tell my daughters every day, "You get what you give." Be vulnerable with people. If you can't, then you could lose out on some of the most rewarding relationships. DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE QUOTE? "When someone shows you who they are, believe them." — Maya Angelou Each year, senior kindergarteners get to know themselves inside and out during their unit on the human body. One at a time, they investigate all the major systems of the body, including the circulatory, respiratory, nervous, digestive, skeletal and muscular. They also learn lots of interesting details about fingerprints and teeth. The unit is capped off by welcoming visitors from the healthcare field into the classroom to do demonstrations and answer questions – mostly about stethoscopes. A highlight of the project is when the students lie perfectly still on a huge sheet of paper while teachers trace an outline of their bodies. These life-size silhouettes become the canvases on which students draw their bones and veins, place their hearts made from plastic gloves, brains filled with messages – pipe cleaners and beads – and small and large intestines made from pink tissue paper. SK HUMAN BODY UNIT: INSIDE INFORMATION The children take such pride and care with their paper selves. They are learning that their bodies are amazing, complex and fragile." – Vicki Kendall, SK Blue teacher Latin Magazine » Spring 2016 15