The Great Minds Behind It All Journalism Fall Class 2015
North High School 501 Holcomb Ave. Des Moines, IA 50313 A Public Form For Student Expression
Journalism Staff
The Great Minds Behind It All Issue
2 ENGLISH DEPARTMENT:
HISTORY DEPARTMENT:
3 - Melissa Daniels 4 - Cheyenne Landrith 5 - Suzanna Sieren 6 - Diane Brummer 7 - Janet Downey 8 - Joe VanHaecke 9 - Alyssa McDonald 10 - Lana Gertsen
17 - Homer Hill 18 - Brandon Coleman 28 - David Jordal
ELECTIVE DEPARTMENT:
SCIENCE DEPARTMENT: 11 - Jean Schwendau 12 - John Chai 13 - Anna Brown
19 - Jennifer Dryden, Journalism 20 - Angela Greaves, Foods 21 - Heather Rosewall-Sevedge, Health 22 - Emily Spencer, Spanish 23 - Dave Brown, Band 24 - Gabriel Arroyo, P.E.
MATH DEPARTMENT:
STAFF:
14 - John Kerr 15 - Maria Ruhe 16 - Jody Hramits
25 - Loretta Martzahl, Counselor 26 - Ric Baring, Campus Monitor 27 - Montez Anderson, Campus Moni-
Student journalists in block 1, fall semester 2015.
Editors: Yer Lee Laura Christensen Ashley George Terriance Foster Chyanne Airhart Morgan Perdue Harry Nguyen Rose Wallace-Smith Rachel Chinyama Zach Anderson
Student journalists in block 6, fall semester 2015.
Note: This is not a comprehensive list of North High teachers and staff.
Front Cover:
Reporters:
Yer Lee Morgan Perdue Terriance Foster
RaeAnn Valdez Elijah Facey Pascaline Silas Reba Thompson Ayden Thompson Harry Nguyen Adrianna Campos Rachel Chinyama Talissa Vegas Marvin Cavanh Brodie Bates
Back Cover: Laura Christensen Ashley George
Haylee Maes Rose Wallace-Smith Luis Montoya Ymanie Heard Laura Christensen Brylie Huddleson Yer Lee Ashley George Morgan Perdue Itzel Gallegos Chyanne Airhart
Sarahi Villasenor-Hernandez Jayteaira Benson Mya Rudison Terriance Foster
Adviser: Jennifer Dryden
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Movement 515 in action! Melissa Daniels is the teacher to this after school on Tuesday’s. Photo Credit: RaeAnn Valdez
Melissa Daniels: North High English Teacher! RaeAnn Valdez Melissa Daniels is a English and she enjoyed English. What teacher at North High School. made Daniels come to North High Daniels has been teaching at School? “North High was the first North High School for three years school to hire,” Daniels said. now. Daniels never pictured her This is Daniels’ third year at self as an English teacher, she North High, she is involved in never pictured herself anywhere English and Movement 515 after where her life is now. school. Daniels was born in Omaha, NePlans after teaching? She would braska. She is currently 28 years like to continue her teaching as a old, born on July 29, 1987. As a English teacher, wants to come child she always enjoyed writing to classes and help students who but never thought she’d be any- need the extra help. Also, would where where she is now. Daniels like to continue with Movement is married with three kids. Being 515. a English Some of the “Hoping and planning one teacher hardest things does influ- day to publish something as as a teacher ence Danshe has expethe years go by.” iels’ home rienced are life, she says it’s very “stressed... “dealing with students with atmajor!” Daniels said. titudes, not wanting to do their All the paperwork she has to do work, being late, drop outs,” Danat home is a lot for her. English iels said. was never her choice in profesDaniels enjoys English and sion. would like her students to get There was another path she involved in it with her and share wanted to explore and that was the pros of it. What Daniels loves being a editor or a publisher but about English is just love uswith that being said that sadly ing words, spoken words. They wasn’t a option for Daniels. mean so much and have meaning Teaching is Daniels’ second ca- to them. reer. First she did insurance but Even though she has a passion she didn’t want to do that forever for English it does get hard and
sometimes she does want to give up her job. She says it is tiring. Things Daniels enjoys doing during her free time are hanging out with her dog, reading, watching TV and cheering. Yes, English Teacher Mrs. Daniels does do cheer! She’s interested in reading, food and writing better. Teachers also want to better their self in their own career. That’s how you know they are really into their job, and that’s a good thing. Daniels also has a little sister that she “admires,” Daniels said. Daniels spoke that her little sister is who inspires her, looks up to her because she went through a lot growing up.
A time where Daniels struggled is when she got out of college, she couldn’t find a job anywhere. Teachers do not have it easy like you think they would. Teachers are just like students. We have trouble finding jobs, just as well as she was close to our age and couldn’t find one. But what Mrs. Daniels is proud of is a time she thrived. She thrived when she joined Movement 515. She is really proud of them! Something very interested Daniels said is she is hoping and planning on one day is to publish something as the years go by. Look out for Melissa Daniels soon to be a published author.
FUN FACTS:
CHEERLEADER WANTS TO BECOME A PUBLISHER MOVEMENT 515
Melissa Daniels reads “Feed” with a student. Photo Credit: RaeAnn Valdez
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Landrith gives an example of a topic from the book. Photo Credit: Elijah Facey
Cheyenne Landrith: A teacher who cares “Never lose sight of why you teach.”
Elijah Facey Mrs. Cheyenne Landrith is a caring and dedicated teacher with a passion to provide students with the education they need. She has overcame obsticles in her life to get where she is today and without overcoming those obsticles she wouldn’t be doing the thing she loves most. Helping others. She states that “Through the obsticles, we have two choices, give up or overcome.” This is a moral she thinks everyone should live by to succed in life. What she thinks keeps most teachers coming back is the relatitionships teachers build with students and the adults in the school. She claims that “just knowing that there is one kid every year that I have made a differemce for is enough pay for me.”
The biggest struggle for Mrs. Landrith is the fact that so many students have bigger problems than failing English and trying to convnce them that school is an important aspect in life and can change the way they think and veiw things. Landrith is a hardworking individual who wouldn’t trade her job for anything. S he says that “one important thing as a teacher is to always make sure it’s about your students. Never lose sight of why you teach and when you feel like you are failing, take a moment and reflect.” Landrith thinks North High School is doing amazing things. “The model for educsation isn’t perfcet but as a whole I think the goals for students are exceptionally perfect.”
Fast Fact: Landrith has four boys of her own. One of which is not hers by birth. They range from kindergarten to college.
One thing she would change about the teaching here at North is to get away from standardized testing and focus more on real world applications and skills students will need in life. A pivitol moment in Landrith’s life is finding out she was going to be a mother. She states that it changes every aspect of who you are as a person. Teaching is not an easy job Landrith claims but she feels good about what she does and what she accomplishes. She wants students to realize how much their thoughts are occupied towards students such as “how can I teach this better so you can learn it.” This is her ninth year of teaching. Landrith teaches her class a lesson on the book Feed. Photo Credit: Elijah Facey
Bio: Landrith did not come from a rich family. She mainly had to do things for herself and didn’t always lsiten to what her parents told her. She was just like how many teenagers are today. The people that motivated her to become a teacher were her grandparents. The person that motivated her the most was her old tecacher, Mrs. Reen.
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Suzanna Sieren, ELL English teacher at North, works with a student on English IV work. Photo Credit: Pascaline Silas
Suzanna Sieren: ELL teacher explains her role Pascaline Silas Suzanna Sieren grew up in a small town in Iowa called Murray. She dreamed about becoming a teacher. “My dream job was to teach, I didn’t give up on what I wanted [to do]. Now I am the teacher. I choose to be a teacher because I want to help people to achieve their dreams,” she said. Sieren, graduated college with a bachelors degree in Engilsh and a masters in teaching ELL English and was hired two years ago by the Des Moines Public School District to teach Engilsh 1-4 to students that would not achieve excellency in the regular English classes, usually due to a language barrier. To become a teacher, Sieren went to many colleges to equal six years
of school total. “I went to the University of Hawaii at Minoa, Grinnell College, and Drake University,” she said. When searching for her first teaching job, North found her before any other school. “I choose North High School because it’s the place that gave me the job,” she said. Sieren has a pretty big family. “[My] family, I have Mom and Dad, two older sisters, two nephews and two nieces’,’ she said. “I have a husband and two puppies.” Overall, Sieren believes teaching is hard, but not the hardest job out there. “I think it’s hard to be a teacher, [but] there are harder things,” she said.
“My dream job was to teach, I didn’t give up on what I wanted.”
She likes to sing on her free time. She was about to open her own bakery. Sieren made a CD of her singing.
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Brummer teaches a student in English. Photo Credit: Reba Thompson
Diane Brummer: A look into North High’s English department and her ability to adapt if something Reba Thompson isn’t working out makes her a good Diane Brummer is a English teachteacher. “[If] something isn’t worker who has taught at North High ing I’m willing to change,” she said. School for three years. She has been Outside of school Brummer likes teaching for 30 years all together. She to spend time with her children, said she teaches because she loves grandchildren and her husband. She the interaction with young people. likes to read. Brummer has a pretty big family What made her want to teach was - three children and six grandchilthat her mother was a teacher. “As dren. Out of all of her grandkids she a child we played teacher, I always only has one granddaughter. played it with my younger sisters,” A unique thing about Brummer is she said. She thinks that teaching is a she “never gives up”. She enjoys helpvery interesting occupation. ing with people who want to quit The hardest part about being a school. She said she is with them teacher is “seeing that some kids are through every step of the way. She not successful,” said Brummer. She also added how she “never gives up said this is the hardest part of her job on them”. because she doesn’t like seeing kids Brummer’s favorite thing about her give up. job is interaction with young people. She said that in a way this is her “You have a lot “Seeing them achieve ream job. “It’s very of energy and rewarding to see a lot of futures their goals”. kids successful ahead of you,” and seeing them she said. She also explained how she achieve their goals,” she said. has great coworkers. Brummer told us that the skills Brummer’s first year teaching until people need to have for her job are now has changed because she taught people skills and good communicamany classes her first few years, “I tion skills. You need personal skills taught five art classes with no backsuch as reading, writing and acaground,” she said. She explained that demic skills. she was always trying to figure out She got this job at North High new lesson plans. when she chose to come to North She believes that remaining flexible three years ago when a teacher had
taken a different position and she volunteered for the spot. “I’m so grateful. I love it here, there’s great students and staff, it was a very good move for me,” she said. Her greatest achievement is having a great husband, children and grandchildren. It makes her feel good. She said another one of her greatest achievements is how close her family is. A time when she struggled was in college she said “taking a lot of classes and working was stressful.” Brummer thrives when “everyone in the family is healthy, when my job is going well.” She also said she thrives at being able to feel good about herself. She said the most positive experience of being a teacher is “seeing someone being successful and seeing the lightbulb go off that they get something.” Brummer said she teaches because she likes helping individuals be the best they can be and likes helping in their lives. Brummer lives by the moto “everyday is a new day.”
Quick facts about Brummer: 1. She used to sew 2. Likes to read 3. Taught for 30 years 4. Got her masters at Iowa State 5. Teaches her dream job
Brummer shows what students are learning in English. photo credit: Reba Thompson
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Janet Downey
English teacher making an impact on North High School t Ms. Downey first started her teahcing career at Dowlong Catholic High School. t Ms.Downey has four kids. t M.Downey grew up in the suburbs of Chicago. t Ms. Downey enjoys reading a variety of books in her free time. t Ms.Downey actually wanted to be a lawyer before she was a teacher.
Downey teaches sophmore English now, after she taught Algebra for a couple of years.
Ayden Thompson Janet Downy is one of North High School’s sophomore English teachers who likes to make learning fun and engaging for students. Downey was an algebra teacher at North before she was switched to sophomore English, and she really loves the teaching experience and students that she’s privileged to teach. Downey started her teaching career at Dowling Catholic High School, and eventually found h English teacher making an impact on North High School er way to teaching at North where she has been teaching for 10 years. Downey, although a teacher in Des Moines, she grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and attended an elementary school that made her decide what she wanted to do for her career. “I think ever since
my second grade teacher was so encouraging and kind , you know ? it was just kind of something that I thought would be good,” she said. After Downey went to and graduated from Thornton Fractional High School South in Lansing, Illinois, she eventually went to college at Western Illinois University, in Macomb, Illinois, where Downey got her bachelors of arts degree in com-
munications. Then Downey went to the University of Iowa for her masters degree in speech and also went to Drake for extra classes, too. Many can tell Downey is a hard working, and very intelligent but people can see she also has a very special talent in the math and English departments, which is very interesting because if you think about it you will realize that a teacher who’s so experienced in both math and English is very hard to come by. This makes you think doesn’t it? Making yourself wonder if you are also good at both subjects or in just one? Making people think how can you be so good at two completely different subjects? About how much talent that must take to be able to master two opposite skills? Well if you’re wondering how this could be or why someone who was good at one subject would engage themselves into learning and experiencing a whole different subject, then Downey has the answer for you. “Take things one step at a time, build one skill and then another. It’s interesting how taking things in segments makes learning more manageable,” she said. Just that line right here could effect so many students life in an enormous way because nowadays kids think and tell themselves that they can’t accomplish something that challenges the way they think or the way they do things because
no one really wants to do something that they don’t think they can accomplish, but Downey has proven to students otherwise, she shows students that they can accomplish any challenge given to them if they really believe and try to engage themselves into something that they never thought they could do. She inspires others to do what many think can’t be done. Downey reinforces the importance of education and hopefully encourages students to take away something important and be able to explain to people that teachers aren’t just here for their job, they’re here to help students accomplish things in their life, to show themselves that they are able to be greater than what they think they can be, to help students become better people, and to show students that they have someone that cares about them and about their education. Downey has shown the North High School environment that this is true. “ I would like for students to like to learn,” she said.
Downey ‘s set of North’s class rules that she follows and teach by. Photo Credit: Ayden Thompson
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Joe Van Haecke
WHAT IS THE DRIVE THAT DRIVES A TEACHER? Harry Nguyen
Students are not alone. Even teachers have rough days and stressful moments during their lives, that is English teacher Joe Van Haecke who has identified these challenges to advocate for students and especially himself. Joe Van Haecke, to students a teacher, to his two sons a father, to North High School another faculty member. But to himself he is an individual that continues to seek ambition and positivity in his everyday life as a human being and a teacher. But the reason why he educates simply comes from experience. “Find your passion, follow that and you’ll be rewarded more than you can imagine,” Joe Van Haecke, said. “You’re going to be challenged more than you can ever imagine, but overcoming those challenges will become completely worthwhile.” His words of wisdom arrives from the obstacles that he faces in the education field, and one of those obstacles are the occasions of when it becomes stressful. “It has its ups and downs. There are times where it’s a good stress, where you’re like ‘Alright, I got this!’ and there are times where the stress is so heavy that you just want to curl up under your covers and not move,” he said. “But then you just force yourself to get out of bed realizing: ‘got work to do, important work to do.’” Although he realizes this now,
Joe Van Haecke and his students enjoy a book as he reads it outloud to his English class. Photo Credit: Harry Nguyen
this was never the case when he His love for North comes directly started teaching. He said during his from the students and staff. “North first year of teaching middle school, is the best place to work. Your staff it was “not the best experience”. and administration are very tight During the statement he admitted and we have a lot of fun together, that it was even “difficult” for him and we also support each other to talk about. very well,” he said. “The students “Even though I was successful are amazing. The perseverance student teachthe grit that “I can always be better and ing at a midthey display day dle school, the and I can always learn in and day out, middle school I and the stories something new” was hired at was that they have at much more challenging,” he said. times are unimaginable to me.” “It just didn’t fit my style of teachVan Haecke then described his ing, and come about December, I motivating factor in teaching. was just ready to completely walk “Some people know they want to away and quit.” be teachers and some people feel With the help of administration that they are called to teaching, in the process, he soon found a I felt that I was called,” he said. “I school that fit him best, as it is his think there’s no greater good than sixth year teaching at North High. teaching and helping others learn
and develop the skills that they need to succeed.” He mentioned that sometimes before school he repeats this mantra: “Every day that we’re here is a win for our students,” he said. “Even though when I am not feeling like a win, the fact that I am here and providing consistency and stability for their lives helps out a lot.” His notion on education is what makes him passionate in the position that he is in. In his times of hardships and struggle, he still sheds light on the students that needs it most. “Don’t think that you’ll ever stop learning, because you’re not. You have to come in with a mindset of: ‘I can always be better and I can always learn something new.’”
FUN FACTS • Has lived in Wisconsin, Montana, Louisiana, and Ohio • Graduated from Lincoln High School in 1986 • Studied at ISU and Drake University • Worked at Target during college Mr. Van Haecke gives a hall pass to one of his students. Photo Credit: Harry Nguyen
• Originally wanted to major in computer science
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McDonald works with senior Eli Repp, on English IV assignment. Photo creds: Adrianna Campos
Alyssa McDonald What is your perspective on teachers? Adrianna Campos Alyssa McDonald, English IV teacher and something or if they are passing that class, or if academic interventionist, shows passion and in- they’re doing well in and outside of school. Mcterest in her students and their learning. After Donald is the complete opposite of that, she exbeing told in eleventh grade that she should be presses her love for her students and their learna teacher and switching her major in college five ing, changing the way students think of teachers. times, she decided on being an English teacher. “The toughest thing about being a teacher is Many of the students think that an essay needs knowing that you have kids that have amazing to be so many words long or that on a test for skills and seeing them not fully utilize those skills, a short answer their teacher is only looking for and not having the power to make them fully one right answer. But McDonald believes that in utilize those skills. I can’t fix peoples’ life stuff, English, there and as a “ The toughest thing about being a teacher is knowing that are many right teacher answers as you have kids that have amazing skills and seeing them that’s so long as you can frustrating not fully utilize those skills. � tell her why. because I “I like English because there’s not one right know that the majority of my kids had put tons answer. So in some subject areas like Math or and tons of effort into this project and I have History, there are very concrete things that you nothing to prove that,� she said. have to know, and there’s only one right way to McDonald shares a classroom with Jennifer know them. With English, there are tons of right Dryden, an English and journalism teacher, answers as long as you can defend your thinking who has seen a different side of her that a lot of and analyze why you think that, and I love that people haven’t. She has seen the sweet “angelic� about English because it gives you a choice in side of her, and the side that no one really unyour freedom of learning in the way that other derstands. subject areas don’t,� she said. “She’s the hidden angel in this school. She At school, a lot of the students think that the does a lot of things for the students that nobody teachers are just there to teach them things, and else sees. She’s here for all of the right reasons,� that they don’t really care if they understand Dryden said.
Fast Facts: • Born and raised in Des Moines, Iowa • Graduated from East High School
t %VSJOH DPMMFHF TIF TUVEJFE BCSPBE JO &OHland, Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Wales, France and Italy. t 4IF PODF BUF B TQJEFS
McDonald and her best friend Jennifer Dryden Photo creds: Adrianna Campos
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Lana Gertsen talks to one of her students for ideas about the year book cover. Photo Credit: Rachel Chinyama
Lana Gertsen: Makes students’ days and who’s been through a lot, but is always moving forward Rachel Chinyama Lana Gertsen is not only an English teacher, but also a woman who knows how to overcome things that come up in life. She’s been a teacher since 2007, but she’s been working at North for nine years now and she is a tenth and eleventh grade English teacher. Some of the obstacles she went through are getting hit by a car while she was running and broke her knee, and dealing with her mom suffering from breast cancer. She wasn’t worried that her mom would die or any of that, now her mom is doing fine. She stayed strong just like Gertsen. One of the struggles she is currently trying to overcome is technology use with her students. “Trying to help students use technology for learning instead
of games and working long hours ing and watching horror movies. during the school year is the Her dream job is “becoming a hardest experience as a teacher,” freelance writer”. Gertsen said. A goal Gertsen hasn’t accomAnother time when she strugplished yet is running a marathon, gled was when she finished college. and some that she has already acIt was hard to find a job and she complished are her education and also worked a lot but didn’t make having a home and lots of really much. great friends. Her mom continues “I’m from central Iowa and I like to be a very important part of her teaching because I like helping life. students and I also “My mom is my in“The most positive thing as like learning new spiration because she a teacher is helping people things,” she said. has always been a hard Before becoming and learning new things.” worker,” she said. “My a teacher, Gertsen best friend is my faworked in public relations and vorite person in the world. I like it management. She was also a manwhen students work together and ager of a book store. are excited about what they are The most positive thing as a learning about, and when students teacher is helping people and are having fun while learning.” learning new things, she said. Gertsen enjoyed being in school Gertsen’s favorite things to do in especially when she was in graduher spare time are running, readate school.
“I went to Ballard Elementary, Ballard High School, Iowa state University and Minnesota State.”
Gertsen listens carefully as one of her students talk to her. Photo Credit: Rachel Chinyama
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Jean Schwendau: The Fun LiFe oF a bioLogy Teacher here aT norTh high Talissa Vegas Jean Schwendau has been teaching since 1981. She was born in Chicago, 1957. Something unique about her is that she was raised in the south. Jean loves everything all the way from her family down to her job. She loves teaching because “I really love working with young people, and I think having a good education is vital to success, especially now because it’s gotten so competitive,” Schwendau said. A time in her life where she has struggled was “Grade school because I was horrible at spelling so it made me sick every week,” Schwendau said. A time in her life where she has thrived was “College, because I thought I had a lot more self confidence”. Something that tends to cause problems is “When you can’t connect with students, because then they don’t do well, and if you can’t make a connection then you are both kind of angry,” Schwendau said. She loves being a teacher because “when students come back after they graduate, and tell me how I’ve helped them believe in themselves” or “That they still use my notes to help them in their classes,” Schwendau said. Jean did not originally want to become a Biology teacher. Shaking her head she said, “The
Schwendau said. She really wants to go to Belize which is in Central America. They have resorts and snorkeling, which are some things she loves to do. Jean was a part of a lot of school activities in high school. She was in drama and was manager for all sports and sometimes score keeper. She also loves to read and does it everyday. “My favorite genre is historical fiction,” Schwendau said. Possibly while listening to jazz music because that’s her favorite. When asked why she chose to teach at North she proudly responded with “I really like the diversity, I really think the administration is super supportive, I think the faculties are amazing, you can always go to somebody to help or make you feel better,” Schwendau said. She went from being pre-med her first three years of college to becoming a biology teacher because “I love biology, I just love it,” she said. “It’s so interesting, I mean Schwendau helps students on find DNA and compare it to RNA. Photo Credit: Talissa living things are so weird ….. the Vegas more I learn about it the more I love it,” Schwendau said. first three years of college I was pre- went back,” Schwendau said. Her inspiration to become a med, and was doing really well but Some of the activities she likes I worked in hosto participate teacher was “Sister Jenny”. “It’s so interesting, I mean living “She was my biology teacher in pitals during the in are campthings are so weird … the more I high school, and she was amazing, summer, and afing, gardening, ter seeing the life learn about it the more I love it.” walking, and “I has really high energy and is really doctors had... I love to travel, smart,” Schwendau said. wanted to be a teacher all through I travel a lot, two big trips a year grade school and high school so I and five, three or two little trips,”
Fast Facts
Schwendau teaches her AP Biology students about identifying key parts of a DNA molecule. Photo Credit: Talissa Vegas
1. She grew up in Kentucky
4. She is 58
2. She is the oldest, & only girl
5. She has 2 brothers
3. She has 3 cats
6. She has lived is 7 states
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John Chai
: John chai is teaching his 9th grade students about physics. Photo Credit marvin cavanh
John Chai is a teacher at North High School, loves to work with kids. Marvin Cavanh John Chai, is a science teacher at North High School and he likes to be at North because “It’s a great day to be a polar bear”. The best things he likes about North is the people, staff and students. He really likes to be a teacher and has thought about another career, but for now he wants to stay with education. Chai’s family consists of a mom who lives in Iowa City, a dad who lives in Indiana and two sisters - ones lives in Georgia and the other lives in the Chicago area. “They are pretty cool,” Chai said. In Chai’s free time he goes to the gym almost every day after school, he goes to Farrell’s where he goes to kickboxing and does resistance bands for strength training; he also instructs classes there. What made Chai become a teacher was when he graduated high school and throughout college he was in a camp counselor and that made him learn that he likes to work with kids. He had a lot of great inspiring teachers throughout his life. Chai has taught for nine years, the subjects he has taught are physics (conceptual and AP physics) and earth science. He taught at Lincoln for three years and six years at North. Where
fun facts
- John Chai was a lifeguard and pool manager in college. - In high shcool John Chai played tennis and on the swim team. - Has a part time job instrucing resistance bands for stength training . - Also likes ska music and enjoy mosh pits.
“work hard and you’ll get there”. would he like to teach next? “I’m pretty happy where I am now. The only thing that would get me to leave North is if I move away from Des Moines area to be closer with family,” he said. He hopes his teaching career won’t end soon. He really enjoys the look in a student’s eyes when something clicks in their brain and they heads “Aha” moment that’s caused him or her to understand a difficult concept. His advice for the students in North High School is to “work Jonh Chai really likes to be a teacher at North : Photo hard and you’ll get there”.The last thing he wanted to say is ,”go Credits- Marvin C. Hawks!”
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Anna Brown using a track and car for physics. Photo Credit: Brodie Bates
Anna Brown: A teacher that would choose teaching over everything Brodie Bates Anna Brown is a science teacher grow and change at North. To kids at North High School. She grew up that want to be teachers she says, in Cedar Rapids as an only child. “Use their talents right now and A lot of her free time is spent try it out with your friends tell revolved around her son. She does them that its not always easy and cub scouts as a family “North is a great there are moments where it’s and she likes to travel. place to be.” overwhelming and frustrating She is married and has but it’s worth it and it takes one son. She enjoys reading as a a while to adjust to it and think luxury and working in the garden. about how they can improve.” She wanted to teach because She tries to find a way to laugh she liked to learn and helped her every day. She likes North and friends in class. She liked both teaching most days. She wouldn’t math and writing, but after high change her carrier and has no deschool she started to like science sire to do anything else. If Brown because it was a combination of could have another carrier she math and writing. She was inspired would be a writer. by her AP biology teacher because She likes being with kids and he connected with his students as being in the class room. She also people instead of just students. likes the staff at North because of She wanted to study biology and the friendships she has made. to go into the medical field; she deShe likes seeing how North has cided that wasn’t what she wanted grown. Her craziest experience at to do so she went back to teaching North is the crazy fights and when “I do enjoy teaching and explain- they had to evacuate the class ing things to people and I like the because of one. She likes the pep challenges of it and like that I get rallies and people getting excited to be creative and I get to use my for North. writing and math skills,” she said. “North is a great place to be,” she Brown likes seeing the kids said.
Map of Cedar Rapids where she grew up.
Anna Brown uses a spring scale. Photo Credit Brodie Bates
#14 John Kerr: All About School
John Kerr, Math teacher, is teaching his 4th block about Quadulaterials. Photo Credit: Haylee Maes
Haylee Maes
He also likes how North can be themselves instead of trying to fit in and be someone they aren’t. But he hates that North doesn’t get as much money as the bigger schools like East and Roosevelt. Before teaching anywhere, he was a Millwright farmer.
He has some advice for the freshman and for high schoolers over all. For freshman, “take your classes seriously” because if you don’t, it will come and hurt you later. For high schoolers overall, “Study... learn it now. Better to learn it now than later on in life.” Is Mr. Kerr really the big, mean grizzly bear of a teacher that everybody thinks he is? No, he isn't. Students just need to get to know him better. But once they do, he is a complete teddy bear.
Mr. John Kerr is a math teacher at North going on his third year. He teaches mostly Geometry, but he also teaches other types of math. He is a husband and a father to 6 kids. Three of his kids are biological and three of his kids are adopted. He tries hard at “They had a view that education his job to set a posicould change the world.” tive example for his adopted, biological and foster kids. Mr. Kerr wouldn’t change his profession . He likes his job. His favorite part Kerr went to Simpson College and about teaching is “the relationships I then he went to Ashton College. “The get to built with my students.” His least experience was really good.” Kerr favorite thing is having to discipline stusaid. He had very supportive teachers. dents when they get into some trouble. “They had a view that education could But he did say that if he won the Powchange the world.” Even though he erball jackpot, he would move to Africa liked college and his teachers, the best and build churches and schools. memory he has was when he graduKerr’s favorite subject in math is trigoated. nometry. He said that he was really good He has taught in other places besides in math, but even though he was good, North. He has taught in Kansas and math wasn’t his favorite subject in high Colorado. But North is the best place Mr. Kerr helping student, Huong Le, during testing. school. His favorite subject was P.E. he has taught at, he said. His favorite Photo Credit: Haylee Maes part about North is the diversity it has.
Below: Ruhe (3rd from left) gears up her student study group for a morning of geometry practice. Photo Credit: Rose Wallace-Smith
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Maria Ruhe: Laughing with Students
we haven’t always been given the tools on how we might reThere’s a good chance you’ve lay that information and get to met Maria Ruhe, known until thinking,” she said. “I’d rather last year as Maria Kasparbauer. teach thinking than math. StuFrom teaching math to academ- dents don’t necessarily need ic interventions, Ruhe interacts this particular math skill when with a diverse range of students they get out of high school, but daily, and she loves every min- they need the ability to think ute of it. She is conscious of her and problem solve throughout position to impact students’ fu- difficulties.” tures and strives to do good. As for how she aims to acRuhe said, “Most things I do, complish this with her students, I do them with a purpose. I’d Ruhe said, “I would start with like to think that purpose has my excitement. If I’m excited what’s best for kids in mind as about it, I hope some of that opposed to just getting through spills over to my students.” content.” As an Aca“If I’m excited about it, I Ruhe says demic Interstudents strug- hope some of that spills v e n t i o n i s t , gle with math Ruhe has many over to my students.” because it’s additional opuninteresting to them, which is portunities to apply her phiclosely tied to how it’s present- losophy. She discusses teaching ed in the classroom. strategies with the Geometry “Teachers as a whole are and Algebra II data teams, as caught up in a style of teaching well as working directly with that is a bit outdated, and we’ve small groups of students and been given this curriculum that helping them to pass and to exwe’re supposed to teach, and cel. Rose Wallace-Smith
“We talk about how to get better, a little bit better every day,” she said with a smile. Surprisingly enough, before choosing a career as a teacher, Ruhe hoped to become a veterinarian like her sister, in spite of her dislike of blood. Then she considered instead being a veterinarian’s secretary so that she could see the animals without having to perform surgery— ”but I decided that was not my style,” she said. “So since I’m kinda good at math, I would help students in my class, and everyone told me, ‘You should be a math teacher.’ So I was like, ‘…Okay!’” Ruhe laughed, adding, “I think I picked the better option… ‘cause my life is exciting in the classroom, holy smokes.” Ruhe always hopes to leave a positive impression on students, in both the long term and the short term. “I love seeing students at a job at, say, a department store, and for them to be so excited to see
More Facts
• On top of her two other jobs, Ruhe is an Assistant Activities Administrator: She helps to coordinate and facilitate events. • When she has free time, Ruhe enjoys biking, traveling, and spending time with her family. • Ruhe signed up for rugby in college without even knowing what it was, and loved it! you, first of all—you know that you’ve had a positive impact on them—and then when they’re excited to share their story and where they’re going.” And the biggest thing (apart from water) that keeps her going: “Being able to leave a classroom with a smile,” Ruhe said, “I’ve won.”
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Who is Jody Hramits? North High’s long time math teacher
Hramits’ job entails putting cus on being a good mom.” Hramits has a lot of memo- together lessons and presenting those lessons and helping ries here at North. One was Jody Hramits is an Algebra when she and the teachers students understand those 2 teacher at North. Hramits lessons. Hramits likes to teach put on a No Talent Show, a has taught at North for 10 at North because she believes talent show where teachers years. Hramits teaches bethe students and staff are did something they have no cause she “likes being around talent doing. great people. She has worked people, like helping people at North for 10 years, already Hramits does many things learn what they need to know during her free time such as she expects many more. to be successful, and to reach read books, ride her bike, whatever goal they set out watch movies, and different for themselves.” Hramits YV shows. Hramits has gothas always wanted to teach ten many educational accombut she states, “My mother plishments. She got her under wanted to be a teacher, so that graduate degree at Michigan kind of influenced me to become a teacher.” “I believe if people work Hramits says she likes hard enough they can to be a teacher. achieve any goal they set One of Hramits struggles in life was out for themselves.” when her husband moved to Iowa, she was still in Michigan and had State, she also got her math to take care of her Three chil- degree at the University of dren on her own. One of her New Brunswick in Canada. friends helped her through Even more, she got her masthis time by helping take care ter’s degree at Viterbo. of the kids. Many students may wonder A time where she thrived how colleges or any type of in her live was when she was school in a foreign country is, living with her family and well Hramits seems to think her children were young, she they are about the same as didn’t have to work outside of here in the United States. the home and she could “fo-
Luis Montoya
FUN FACTS
- Hramits’ children are named Mayim, Aden and Sheya. - If Hramits could be any animal she would be a bird because she thinks it would be kind of cool to be able to fly.
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A typical day in Mr. Hill’s skinny class consists of taking attendance and writing the daily schedule on the board. Photo Credit: Ymanie Heard
Homer Hill: born to be a teacher Ymanie Heard
Homer Hill is a teacher from North In 1975, he went to Vietnam and was a High School who has been working part of the last group of Americans to go there for seven years. Hill enjoys his job there. Growing up as a solder he served at North and teaches both regular and 31 complete years and was glad to leave ELL US history, general psychology and in one piece. “The Army helped me learn American history in the 60s. about myself and about how to live with Hill’s interest in teaching started as far other people,” he said. back as he can remember. Hill clarified that he does not support “I am a humanist and do not violence even though “I think it’s what I am supposed to do,” he’s been in active duty advocate violence.” he says. before. Aside from his teaching he likes to play “I am a humanist and do not advocate music and read. He enjoys spending time violence,” he said. with wife, his seven children, and two of After spending 30 years in the army, his five stepchildren who live closeby Hill said retiring from it was his best and his nieces nephews and grandsons. memory. He served in two wars and was Hill also enjoys sports like basketball and a military instructor for most of his serfootball and played them when he was vice. Hill has done a lot of interesting younger. stuff in his life such as riding motorcyHill started the army when he was 19 cles, playing at the World’s Fair in 1986 and by the time he was 21 he had been and moving country to country. Now he a solder for two years and was question- settled down in the smaller city of Des ing if he wanted to stay enlisted. He was Moines and teaches students at North not sure he wanted to be in the army, but High School about America’s history and found a purpose and a life that he en- the basics of psychology. joyed. North enjoys Hill here at NHS; his sev-
en years of teaching will forever be utilized in the lives of the students.
Random Facts
• Mr. Hill completed 31 years of service (10 years of active duty and 21 years in the reserves). • By the time Hill was 21 he had been a soldier for almost two years.
• Hill has seven kids (two bio-
logical and five step children); four grandsons, lots of nieces and nephews, and two sisters & a wife as well.
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Coleman showcases a wall of different newspapers from events in history. Photo Credit: Laura Christensen
Brandon Coleman: New teacher at North High School Laura Christensen Brandon Coleman, history teacher at North High School, wants to write a book as an accomplishment some day. “I think that books teach people things in a way that no other median can. Books can open up ideas and imaginations to teach people like no other thing,” Coleman said. He is passionate about when students work hard. When they work hard they can accomplish more and get done what they need to be successful. Coleman didn’t always want to be a teacher he started out wanting to major in business but switched over to teaching during his freshmen year of college because he realized that teaching was a better choice for him. “I didn’t want to spend my life just wanting to make money. So I decided I could go into teaching because I could make a difference,” Coleman said. Coleman attended Drake Univer-
sity in Des Moines. He played foot- awesome. Why we came to North class work it’s about finding your ball there but focused more on be- even though there are kids here way around, which doors are open coming a teacher. “It’s harder to get that come from rough backgrounds when, what copiers work, where noticed by NFL teams when I went and not a lot of money, this place is the paper is, and where to park.” to such a smaller college,” he said. succeeding despite all those things. Lastly, when asked if he has any After he got out of college he The teachers and the administra- advice for students who want to taught at St. Charles East and he tion are working together to make become a teacher he said, “I would said it was difficult to leave but he this a better place and I want to be say- this is the best advice I’ve ever was glad to come to North. “A proud a part of that.” gotten and I have to tell myself this moment when I was over there Apart from teaching history here everyday is don’t take yourself as a was when at North he helps teacher too seriously because there “I think that books with FCA on Fridays are going to be days where it’s so I had to tell my teach people things in and is a part of the easy to think you have to have the students building leadership perfect lesson planned. And eva way that no other meI wasn’t team, which means ery kid has to get everything you coming he gets to see how say but really at the end of the day dian can.” back next students and teach- the kids aren’t going to remember year. Like it’s really hard to get up ers are handling different situations everything about the Cold War, every morning be there by 6:30 but in the classroom. for example, they’re going to rethen in the end they were really Once Coleman starts working at member how I made them feel and sad to see me leave and I guess that a new school he said, “The hardest about who they are and who they kind of stood out as proud moment part isn’t about the students and the want to be.” because it seemed I made an imColeman helps a student understand a question on a test. pact on their lives,” Coleman said. Photo Credit: Laura Christensen When asked why he came to North he said, “Two reasons, one my wife and I love Des Moines, it’s a sweet place to be and downtown’s
5 Interesting Facts About Mr. Coleman You Might Not Know Are... 1. He has recorded multiple hip-hop tracks. 2. He reads the Lord of the Rings series once a year, at least. 3. He got to talk to the Vikings and Rams about the possibility of playing professional football. 4. He is teaching himself to play the guitar. 5. He is deathly allergic to sesame seeds.
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Jennifer Dryden and her two editors-in-chief Hannah McNichols and Tanna Jones, both seniors figure stuff out for the next edition of The Oracle, North’s newspaper. Photo Credit: Brylie Huddleson
Jennifer Dryden: human motivation speacial type of relatonship with her kids and Brylie Huddleson expresses it in a good, amazing way. When I look at Ms. Dryden, she reminds me of a human motivator, her personality and Jennifer Dryden, journalism teacher and newspaper adviser, has worked hard to reach happy-go-lucky attitude makes me, and I’m sure where she is, and her students depend on her others as well, some of the happiest people. Dryden usually starts off her day like everyone to be at her door welcoming them to share their else, wakes up with a positive, happy, go-to atmind on a piece of paper every day. “It’s just good motivation every day knowing titude. Having a positive mindset is very imporI’m coming to school or work where students I tant to her. Other than writing, Dryden usually reads for care about share the same passion as me,” she fun, talks on the phone with friends and also said. Dryden thinks it’s nice to be grounded, and goes out for dinner. “Not the most exciting, but always know where you come from. Knowing still fun to me”. Her friends love to catchup as where you come from “Having a voice is probably the well. also helps develop a most important thing to me, with- Little things mean a lot voice, she said. out a voice, you can’t have any- to Dryden; the reason she loves Taylor Swift so Her knowledge and thing else.” much is because of the happiness put together little things Swift does and who she is as a permake people eager to learn her passion. “If I wasn’t passionate enough, I don’t think I son. Dryden is a spitting image of Swift’s attiwould’ve got a tattoo of the thing I have a pas- tude, she stands up for what she believes in, and sion for,” she said, showing her left wrist tattoo that’s who Dryden is. She’s probably one of the biggest Taylor Swift that reads “write.” in typewriter font. Her drive and excitment for her job and shar- fans too, when we were talking, Dryden said she ing her passion with everyone really is what she wouldn’t want to stand up on the stage and sing wanted to do in life, loving something so dearly and dance, she’d rather try stand up comedy, makes you want to share it with as many people she’s already funny, so it wouldn’t be very hard for her. We won’t be seeing Ms. Dryden dancing as you can. Dryden thinks of work as not really work, she on a school desk singing Shake It Off anytime thinks of her students as family. She creates a soon anyway.
“I’ve worked hard to get here, and I intend on staying and sharing that deep passion.”
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Angela Greaves
Emitting Passion to the Unpassionate
Angela Greaves, assisting in putting away ingrediants from a student cooking lab. Photo Credit: Yer Lee
to be honest, but I think later on in life, hopefully they’ll think back and Angela Greaves is the culinary arts remember the fundamental ideas I teacher at North High School. She had given them, and hopefully at that teaches Foods 1 and Foods 2. Greaves point it will play a part. But right now has been teaching for a total of six I don’t hold my breath, at least they years, and has begun her second year had fun,” she said. at North. She teaches culinary arts beHowever her advice she wants all cause she believes food and nutrition her students to know is to, “try and plays a big role on one’s body. make small changes to overall betGreaves believes that nutrition ter yourself. Whether that’s drinking helps a person “Try and make small changes more water in the long or just eating run. Health is to overall better yourself... Little more vegan important changes make a difference.” etables. Little matter to her changes make and she plans on spreading her idea. a big difference.” “I love nutrition, I love how you can After spending two years at Marbenefit your life and overall wellness shalltown Community College where by the food that you eat, and I think she earned her associate degree, it’s super cool that you have the ability Greaves transferred to Grandview to change your future potentially with University. She then received her food,” she said. bachelor’s in secondary education Although Greaves plans on sharing with endorsements in family consumher love for nutrition and health, she er science, health, psychology and seemed to feel a bit skeptical whether coaching. It wasn’t until her junior her passion would reach out to the year of college when she decided to students. learn more about nutrition and food. “I hope so. I think that a lot of teen- She said she learned a lot and desired agers don’t care about what they eat
By : Yer Lee
to learn more. “Not until junior year of college, I took nutrition class at Grandview, I learned a lot about how our body works, and how food plays a role in our body... it was very interesting to me and I wanted to learn more,” she said. Greaves credited her aunt and younger brother as someone who helped inspire her to be where she is today. They helped played a part in her past and at the right time to help shape who she is now. “My aunt was the first one that pointed out FCS because she knew I liked health, wellness, nutrition, and she thought I’d be really good with teenagers. My brother was a junior or senior in high school at the time and he was going through all the craziness you guys go through and it was fun mentoring him and helping him grow into a young man,” she said. Ever since coming to North High School, she enjoys teaching her students and claims her job to be “lots of fun!” She loves her students and wants them to come to her for help and guidance. “I love the students, interacting, getting to know them, earning their trust so they can come to me,” she said. Aside from food and nutrition, Greaves also enjoys singing. You can find her in many hallways at North, singing. Not only this, she claims she would be a singer if she had the opportunity. She said, “I think about it all the time. I have that little hope in the back of my mind when I’m watching “The Voice”, that one day I’ll be on there.”
How To Make “Chocolate Dream Cookies” Preparation: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Ingrediant List: - 1 3/4 C flour - 1/2 C cocoa (Unsweetened Powder) - 1 tsp of baking soda - 1/2 tsp salt - 1 C sugar - 1/2 C crisco (not butter, won’t work) - 2 eggs - 1 tsp vanilla - Large marshmellows (cut in half) - pecan halves (optional) Step 1) Beat eggs, sugar, crisco, & vanilla Step 2) Sift remaining dry ingrediants together Step 3) Stir egg mixture and dry mixture together. Mixture will be very dry and stiff Step 4) Drop by teaspoon onto a lightly greased cookie sheet. (if you wish to use pecan halves, press one pecan half into bottom of each dough ball and place on cookie sheet) Step 5) Bake for 8 minutes, remove from oven and lightly press one marshmellow half into each cookie. Step 6) Return to oven and bake for additional 3 minutes. Step 7) Remove from oven and set to cool Frosting: - 1 C real chocolate chips - 1/2 C milk - 1/4 C butter Put ingrediants in a sauce pan and heat slowly until chocolate chips and butter are melted. Stirring consistantly, beat in powdered sugar until frosting consistancy. Frost each cookie after they cool.
After passing out a test to her students, Angela Greaves happily responds to student emails and questions. Photo Credit: Yer Lee
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Rosewall jokes around with a few students in her first block while teaching them about healthy relationsips. (hoto Credit: Ashley George)
Heather Rosewall Sevedge
Struggles in high school but grows up to help students face the same problems. Ashley George Heather Rosewall-Sevedge, health, family and relationships teacher, has a husband named Scott, a 12-year-old named Mackenzie, a nine-year-old named Maddaux, and a three-year-old named Chance. She has a fourth child not many people know about. When Rosewall was 17 she got pregnant. She was scared at first, but later got excited. She packed the room full of toys, clothes and a crib for the baby. She was 36 weeks along when something unexpected happened, resulting in having an emergency C- section. “Shortly after she was born they struggled to get her to breathe. After a while they claimed she would have too much brain damage. They kept her long enough for me to hold her. She looked at me and grabbed my finger and closed her eyes and passed away. After that I went into shock. I couldn’t talk or move. When I left the hospital I couldn’t get out of bed. I thought about suicide. I couldn’t see past my own pain to see if she would have lived she would have had a lot of complications. It took me till I lost everything that I had to realize I had to get better,” she said. In 2004 Rosewall lost her job at Wells Fargo. She took that opportunity to go to college to be a teacher. “I finished my four-year degree in two years. I loved every minute of college. I wish I would have had more faith in myself and went to college sooner,” she said. When asked what her dream job is, she replied with teaching, but later adds that
she wouldn’t mind being a counselor one day. She loves teaching now, but didn’t always want to be a teacher. “I wanted to be a big wig at some huge company. I started working at Wells Fargo when I was 19. I was hoping to work my way up,” she said. Rosewall’s goal in teaching initially was to teach health above everything else because she wanted to help students understand that the choices they make such as drugs, sex and pregnancy will affect them when they get older. Rosewall spoke about teaching at North as being significant because she graduated from North. “As soon as they offered me the job, I didn’t even think twice. I gave my notice at Wells Fargo and came to North,” she said. Her favorite thing about teaching health is getting to teach students about what she wished she had known more about as a student in high school, specifically drug education and sex education. Some advice she would give to students is to pay attention in class because even if the information doesn’t relate with you now, it might in the future. Her favorite part about teaching is the students. She talked about how much she loves the students at North, like they are family versus only her students. After Rosewall graduated from North High in _____. She got her bachelor’s from Grandview University and will start her master’s at Drake University in the spring of 2016. She said her favorite subject to teach was fashion because she loved seeing the kids create and take pride in their ideas.
“Dare to dream. You will never know your true potential unless you follow your dreams, fail and try again.”
She talks about emotional health being her least favorite subject to teach. “Kids come up to me about some really sad stories. It breaks my heart. I’m glad I get the chance to help, it just makes me sick to my stomach knowing that kids go through so much at a young age,” she said. In 10-20 years, Rosewall sees herself at either Scavo or getting her master’s in psychology and addiction. When asked what lesson she wants every student to know, she replied with following dreams. “Dare to dream. You will never know your true potential unless you follow your dreams, fail and try again.”
Fun Facts: 1. She plays recreational volleyball during the summer. 2. She met her little sister through the big sister program. They’ve been together for 9 years. 3. She took 16 years of kick boxing classes. 4. She loves Rock and Roll music and has been 20+ concerts. 5.She went to Lalapalooza and saw Kanye West, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Queen of the Stone Age, Panic! at the Disco, Death Cab for Cuties, Gnarls Barkley, Lady Sovereign, and Matisyahu.
Rosewall reads an article and explains healthy relationships Photo Credit: Ashley George
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Five fast facts about Miss Spencer! 1. She loves animals. 2. She likes the musician Stro Mae. 3. She has a fiance. 4. She loves to teach. 5. It’s her first year teaching. Spencer helping a student with his work. Photo Credit: Morgan Perdue
Emily Spencer The first-year Spanish teacher who is just as into her teaching as she is her students’ success. Morgan Perdue North’s newest Spanish teacher believes that a second language is essential in your school experience. Emily Spencer, a first year teacher at North, talks about how she wanted to become a teacher, and her thoughts on school and the Spanish language. Spencer’s fiancé, and her family: mom, dad, older sister Amanda, and her two nieces and one nephew all live in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Her high school experience was great for her, she says, “I played soccer, I was
all-around involved in school.” Spencer also believes students should be involved during high school and make the best of your experience, “because you won’t get it back.” She tells about her first time in the busy hallways of North. “Were we really like this [in high school]? Just listening to the different slang and stuff used, it’s just interesting,” Spencer said. Spencer got into teaching at a young age. “When I was little, I used to read books to my family like a teacher,” she said. Her kindergarten teacher was
“Second language opens us up to other cultures.”
in band and Spanish club. I was
one of her inspirations to begin
teaching and reading. Her other inspiration was her AP psychology teacher, Spencer always took after her leadership and what the teacher taught her to be “passionate about what she does”. It is Miss Spencer’s first year teaching at North. She teaches level one and level three Spanish. She decided to teach Spanish because she believes “[a] second language opens us up to other cultures.” Her teaching method is quite helpful; she takes a new concept, then teaches it, and to practice the concept, students will speak, write, listen to and read the language. Aside from teaching, Miss Spencer likes to spend her free time watching Netflix and Hulu, and spending time with her family. Her favorite quote is, “It’s not your aptitude, but your attitude
Spencer listens to Cody Armstrong’s question. Photo Credit: Morgan Perdue
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Jazz teacher Dave Brown loves teaching North High students as much as the students love being in his class, Photo Credit; Itzel Gallegos
Band Teacher Dave Brown strives to keep passion with music
He got his bachelor’s degree from Iowa State University and master’s degree from the University of Northern Iowa. Dave Brown teaches band, jazz band, percusSome things Brown would like to accomplish sion ensemble and teaches lessons at North, as a teacher is to keep kids in the band program, Harding, Madison, Findley, and Cattell Elebuild up the band program, get more students mentary. He has two kids, James (5) and Anna involved and raise up the achievement level of (1) , a dog named Walter and a wife Arkay, who the band program so that they are recognized as he has been married to for 12 years. a good program throughout the state. Brown knew he wanted to be a teacher of Some advice he wants to give to students taksome sort because his mom is a teacher. He ing the same path is to “make sure you got good was thinking about teaching English or history piano skills because that’s going to save you a but he realized he liked lot of trouble, and band as well, “When “Im excited about north, Its a you want to do a I was a junior in high good place to be and I think ifcareer in music the school, I kind of really we’re headed in the right earlier you can start started to enjoy band studying music thedirection.” and so I just kind of ory the better.” put those two together, band and teaching, and Brown has been teaching at North for three you’re a band director,” he said. He wasn’t interyears and so far he likes it. “I’m excited about ested in moving all over the country and that’s North, it’s a good place to be and I think we’re what you have to do if you want to teach at a headed in the right direction,” he said. “I think college. He wanted to stay close to home so he that being at North is a peak so far.” figured he would teach high school. Itzel Gallegos
Fast Facts: 1.) Brown is colorblind 2.) Plays 9 instruments (Fute, clarinet, saxaphone, trumpet, french horn, trombone, tuba, percussion, and euphonium) 3.) Has a younger sister 4.) Can say the alphabet backwards 5.)Favorite band composer Gustav Holst 6.) likes to read history 7.)Started playing when he was in fifth grade
Brown plays the trombone his favorite instrument, Photo Credit; Itzel Gallegos
Brown teaches jazz block 5, Photo Credit; Itzel Gallegos
Gabriel Arroyo
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North gym teacher hopes to head coach for North some day.
Gabriel Arroyo goes head to head with student and basketball athlete Jaylyn Trotty in a basketball game, preparing for the upcoming season. Trotty is a senior at North High School. Photo Credit: Chyanne Airhart Chyanne Airhart
Coach Yo is your new gym teacher at North High school. But did you know he is also a Hoover football coach? How does a man bounce back and forth between two rivalry schools? And whose side is he really on? Gabriel Arroyo has a family with his wife Cadee. They he met in high school in Florida where he grew up. Two sons and, “one princess”. After moving to Iowa to live with his wife and her family, he attended and graduated college at Grandview University. Coach Yo decided that his “dream job” is to be the gym teacher at North High School. He graduated from Grandview in December of 2014, but there was no job opening. In January, the job opened up and he applied for the position that is now the new gym teacher. C o ach Yo is proud to be a Polar Bear, he says what he loves ab out North High is the atmosphere. North is a similar lifestyle to the way Yo had grew up in Florida. “I know it turns some teachers off you know, of being a little hood; but where I came from this is perfect. I fit right in,” said Yo. He’s got his dream day job, so what’s next? Hoover Football Coach? How could
he? Well Coach Yo is on “our” side. He has a passion for coaching football, but the coaching staff at North High is full. He has been the defensive coordinator at Hoover for five years, and has been a defensive coordinator for 13 years. “My next stop is to be a head coach, the head coach here at North,” Yo said. Once again he is waiting for a position to open up at North, to fulfill his dream of being a Polar Bear coach. He feels he can personally connect with student and athletes, and wants to not only teach them in gym class or coach them about the game but also about life. “One of my coaches always said, ‘I don’t coach-slash-dad,’ and I don’t ever want you to grow up saying no one gave me the opportunity, no one ever gave me the chance to do that, or I wasn’t i n f o rmative about that. So I love coming here so that you guys, when you guys get older and become adults, cant say those things,” he said. Although he is torn between two schools right now, it is clear that his heart is with the Polar Bears. “I’m gonna die a Polar Bear,” he said. He is waiting for his opportunity to open up and when it does, he is going to shine and be the best that he can be. Coach Yo is going to take North High School to
“I know it turns some teachers off you know, of being a little hood; but where I came from this is perfect. I fit right in.”
Fast Facts About Arroyo: 1. Great chess player 2. Horrible at golf 3. Had a two door Honda Hatchback car, and used to pile six people in it 4. Would live in water if he could 5. Has an older sister who used to beat him up 6. Nickname is Goober 7. Has superman underwear that his kids always want him to wear 8. Afraid of mice and frogs 9. If he could go anywhere in the world he would go to Atlantis 10. Favorite sport to watch is basketball
Gabriel Arroyo plays basketball with student baketball player Devonte Florence. Photo Credit: Chyanne Airhart
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Miss Loretta Martzahl A counselor who’s here to stay Sarahi Villasenor-Hernandez
only being a mother but also a grandmother. Like most other peoMiss Loretta Mortzahl has been a ple, she likes to spend her time with counselor for about five years. This family or doing some of her favorite is her first year as an official counhobbies. Her mother’s name is Joy, selor at North High School. Like any her father’s name was Ernest; he other teacher Miss Loretta hopes to passed away many years ago. Her help many students, if they need to older sister’s name is Carla and her talk to someone or need someone youngest sister is Peggy,leaving her there to listen to them. as the middle child. Miss Loretta Miss Loretta can help in a unique finishes her family tree by having way from being the only girl within 4 kids that are now grown adults a family of 13 grandchildren to have and with their own children, brown eyes while the rest have blue making her a grandmother. to being there to help many stuBut outside dents and to of her fampossibly to “ If you do what you’ve always ily business save lives. done you’ll always get what her counselH a v e ing life begins. you’ve always gotten.” you ever She enjoys being stopped and a counselor for thought: what does it mean to be many different reasons. “Just bea counselor? Many people would cause I think that it’s always good say “someone that is there to help to provide support for others who you or someone that is there for maybe stressed or struggling or you”A counselor really is someone who feel very lonely or who are that earns your trust. Someone that struggling... and just don’t know helps people through tough times how to move forward,” she said. and is there to offer advice. When She likes to be there for students you meet Miss Loretta, she showd who need someone to talk to, and what being a counselor offers - a to offer advice in many different safe place to talk and a person who ways. is there to listen. One thing she dislikes is not beMiss Loretta was born here ing able to help many students in in Iowa in a small town. “Right a day. She mentioned she could be smacked down in the middle of with one student at a time when Clear Lake and Mason City,” she another student comes down and said. She attend a University named not be able to be with them. Being Buena Vista located in Northwest a counselor is an important role Iowa. where she graduated with a in our school, because the help counseling degree. they offer can change many stuBeing a first year counselor here dents lives , from being all down to at North High, Miss Loretta has an achieving their goals. interesting life outside of work,not Did you know? *Her favorite color is green. * This is her 5th year as a counselor. * She worked in Webster City for 2years at their High School. (before coming to North) * She knows some Sign languagae. * Loves to scrapbook
Above: Martzahl’s daughter Jaymee(left), Her son Eric in the middle, and here son Jordan right corner. Her 2 grandchildren Sophia and Emma.
Emma and Ayden her grandchildren
RIC BARING: WHO IS HE REALLY? Jayteaira Benson
Home Life
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“I LOVE MY JOB!”
Baring has four children, they Ric Baring is a coach at Des are all “grown kids”. He is divorced. Moines’ very own North High and always is looking forward to School. He coaches track and field, the next day. and also varsity boys basketball, both at North High. Along with Thought About coaching, he is one of three hall moniters. At home, he is a father of North High School “My goal is to have all North High four kids. students be successful. A part of this job is “catching students when Work & Schooling they are falling”. Coach is very pasCoach coming to North wasn’t a sionate about being at North. “I bedecision. He was asked by a peer lieve every school has their highs and he thought it would be a good and lows but overall North is an opportunity. And the position was amazing school.” open so he took a shot. Baring went to Merrill Middle School. also went to Tech High School, which is now Personality Central Academy. He agrees he Baring is always there when stuloves his environment at school. dents need him. Anytime we are And the best part of this job is “be- late or in the hallway, he is always ing able to help students reach a concernerd and makes sure we are better future that they may or may on the right track. He is in the the not known they could reach.” One front entrance every morning hapof hardest is “believing I let a stu- pily greeting everyone who walks dent down, when I was only trying through the doors with a “Good to help them.” morning” and “how are you”. He is overall an amazing person.
Baring in the gym, hes a coach . It’s where he belongs, he said. Photo Credit: Jayteaira Benson
Q & A with Students What is your favorite thing about Baring? “ Keeps me on task and motivaed.” - Mya Rudison, junior
What does Baring say often ? “‘What class you got? Get to it.” -Zheyon Johnson, freshman
Where can you find Baring? “In the front or in the hallways.” -Kortnie Brooks, freshman Baring at the entrance of NHS, being the guardian. Photo Credit: Jayteaira Benson
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Fun Facts
• Anderson taught in Washington D.C. as a gym teacher. •Anderson lived in Iowa as a younger child and young adult and recently decided to move back. •Anderson loves online shopping. •Anderson likes Jordan tennis shoes.
Montez Anderson Do you know him like you think you do? Mya Rudison Mr. Montez Anderson, you may just see him from time to time in the hallway and he might tell you to get to class, but of course there is more to him than that. Mr. Montez Anderson was born and raised in Des Moines, Iowa, and is a hall monitor at North High School since the beginning of the 2015-2016 school year. Before working at North High School Montez lived in Washington, D.C and taught as a gym teacher for 12 years. Montez also went to college, two years at Ellsworth Community College and then to the University of Iowa. Mr. Anderson says he moved away because “I thought I needed to experience different parts of the country before it was too late.” What inspired Mr. Anderson to move back was the fact that in Iowa there are opportunities that we take advantage of that we don’t know about. Mr. Anderson says one of his biggest inspirations was his mother. “During my interview I saw how the faculty really care about the kids and want to make North a bet-
ter school,” Anderson said. “Because I enjoy working with kids and trying to help them accomplish their goal,” Anderson said while explaining why he likes to work at North High School. Nothing has been hard to keep up with except he’s still trying to remember everyone’s name. “There’s so many of you minions running around,” he said. Anderson says the reason he became involved with the school setting whether a teacher or a hall monitor was his mother. While a kid, teen and adult, Mr. Anderson played baseball and football. A dream job Mr. Anderson still has is to be a college coach, he says because he likes to help young athletes achieve their goals. Mr. Anderson has a grandmother who just turned 94, his mother, three brothers, one sister, and his father passed away this past August. In his free time Anderson is a personal trainer so he also tries to work out and help people achieve and maintain their healthy goals.
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Jordal reads a book about pope francis. PC: Terriance Foster
Human Geography teacher David Jordal shows his passion for what he teaches. PC: Terriance Foster
David Jordal
Human Geography has different drives and motivations than others. Terriance Foster The surprisingly young teacher at North High "I motivate myself; the students here moSchool has different motivations than others. A lot tivate me because I love school," he said. of teachers have motivations, but Human Geog- Some teachers might not say that the students raphy Teacher Mr David Jordal thinks differently. or themselves motivate themselves, they'll say Jordal, 38 years old, grew up in Des Moines. He is family, friends or the teachers around. Jordal married and has two wonderful kids. After graduat- shared why he was so motivated. ''Because I ing from Roosevelt High School, Jordal started in the like school I like being here, I like the flow, I teaching business the fall of 2000. “THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE love the kids, I just like being at school Jordal met with Dr. Roberts, other than home. NORTH HIGH”. who was the principal at North School is the place a the time, and had an interlove to be," he said. view about a teaching position. Roberts is who the I Interesting facts Jordal shared while he was North auditorium is named after. The Interview went well, the next day Jordal received a call from Roberts in high school would include his experioffering him a job. Jordal said he did not pick North ences being involved in sports and havto be the school he would teach at, North picked him. ing good friends to support him. In high Jordal shared how he feels about human geography. school, he played golf, basketball and base"Love it, great class, very real world, everything we do ball. He was a first team all-state pitcher. can connect to what happens in the real world," he said. A few fun facts he shared deals with his interests. He saw the band Widespread Panic nearly 50 The biggest surprise Jordal said about his mo- times. His dad was the Iowa State University Cytivation to be the teacher is related to students. clone's mascot when he was in college. So therefore he said you could say he was "Born a cyclone".
He also shared if he could give advice to a college student teacher than he would say, "Be patient and really get in good bonding with the students because it's a lot much easier to teach and be able to help them more on their work."
Fast Facts 1: He’s 38 years old .. 2: He’s been teaching for 15 years 3: He loves the students at North High School. 4: He played 3 sports during his highschool career.
Fill In The Blank
How well do you know NHS teachers? Read the issue to find the answers.
2. years.
has taught for 30
3. played tennis and swam in high school. 4.
grew up in Kentucky.
5. is one of the biggest Taylor Swift fans. 6. has a math degree at the University of New Brunswick in Canada. 7. pitcher.
was an all-state
8.
has 7 kids.
9. cian Stromae.
loves French musi-
10. has recorded multiple Hip-Hop tracks.
a. David Jordal b. Jennifer Dryden c. Joe Van Haecke d. Homer Hill e. Jody Hramits f. Brandon Coleman g. Jean Schwendau h. Emily Spencer i. John Chai j. Diane Brummer
ANSWER KEY: 1. C 2. J 3. I 4. G 5. B 6. E 7. A 8. D 9. H 10. F
1. has lived in Wisconsin, Montana, Louisiana and Ohio.