Welcome!
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Dear Students,
I remember my first day as a seventh grader, over a decade ago. Of course, I had braces and wore awful nineties clothes. I also hated the fact that eighth graders called the seventh graders “sevies”. Besides that, I remember awesome dances and the fun times with my friends: Julia, Michelle, and Kellie. Luckily, we survived all the hormones and the fights over boys, and we remain best friends to this day. High school was a lot tougher, but I discovered how cool science was. I did a lot of musicals, and joined the dance team. When I went to college at UC Davis, I decided I would major in evolution and ecology (the interactions of animals and their environment). I worked a lot with lab rats, amphibians, and reptiles. But besides science, I was a proud member of my college marching band. I had a blast playing clarinet and trumpet. After I got my degree, I decided it was time to leave the small cow town of Davis, and head back to hometown to become a teacher through Santa Clara University. I received the opportunity to teach at my old middle school in Cupertino, CA. After two years of teaching sixth and eighth grade science, I decided I needed to go somewhere where I could teach life science. As a result, I taught for four years at Rancho Milpitas Middle School. One of my biggest accomplishments there was completing my Masters in Education with an emphasis in online learning and technology. Yes, I love anything to do with the Internet. Hopefully, by the end of the year, you'll be as tech savvy as I am. In 2011, I decided to ditch the hectic life of the Bay Area, and move closer to my parents and brother in Nevada. As a result, I started teaching at Shaw and bought my first home. I love my close commute to work and the friendly students. This summer I had fun cruising to Alaska, doing farm work, and becoming hunter safety certified. I enjoy visiting America's beautiful national parks, but look forward to my first hunting trip in the fall. Welcome to our class! It’s going to be a fun two years together. ~Ms. Reinders |