Teacher's Summer Plans
Alyssa Hanner ‘24
This year has had a lot of twists and turns for a lot of people. Being virtual for half the year and then in person the other has been hard. I think we can all agree it’s been a little stressful. With only a couple weeks of school left, we got a chance to ask teachers, Mr. Kirkland, Ms. Royer, and Ms. Rowley about what they plan on doing this summer.
While Mr. Kirkland is going to a camp in Northern Michigan to lifegard, Ms. Royer is planning a trip to Traverse City. When we asked Ms. Rowley, she told us about how she might be going on a cruise that they had cancelled or a camping trip with her family. All three teachers agree that with or without COVID, their plans would most likely remain the same. They all had different answers when asked things they plan on getting done since school will be out. “My biggest productive goal this summer is to train my dog better!” Answered Ms. Rowley, as for Mr. Kirkland he plans to work on his landscaping and Ms. Royer plans on cleaning.
Even though they think students will have the option of either in person or virtual next year no one knows for sure. There are a lot of pro’s and con’s for both choices. They all prefer in person over virtual. “It’s a whole lot easier doing projects with student’s in person,” answered Mr. Kirkland. Both Ms. Rowley and Ms. Royer hopes to see everybody’s faces back at school in August. Since none of us know what next year holds for us, we have this summer to look forward to! What are your plans for this summer?
This year has had a lot of twists and turns for a lot of people. Being virtual for half the year and then in person the other has been hard. I think we can all agree it’s been a little stressful. With only a couple weeks of school left, we got a chance to ask teachers, Mr. Kirkland, Ms. Royer, and Ms. Rowley about what they plan on doing this summer.
While Mr. Kirkland is going to a camp in Northern Michigan to lifegard, Ms. Royer is planning a trip to Traverse City. When we asked Ms. Rowley, she told us about how she might be going on a cruise that they had cancelled or a camping trip with her family. All three teachers agree that with or without COVID, their plans would most likely remain the same. They all had different answers when asked things they plan on getting done since school will be out. “My biggest productive goal this summer is to train my dog better!” Answered Ms. Rowley, as for Mr. Kirkland he plans to work on his landscaping and Ms. Royer plans on cleaning.
Even though they think students will have the option of either in person or virtual next year no one knows for sure. There are a lot of pro’s and con’s for both choices. They all prefer in person over virtual. “It’s a whole lot easier doing projects with student’s in person,” answered Mr. Kirkland. Both Ms. Rowley and Ms. Royer hopes to see everybody’s faces back at school in August. Since none of us know what next year holds for us, we have this summer to look forward to! What are your plans for this summer?
Teaching Online
Natalie Garcia ‘22
It’s been a long school year! Looking back, how did virtual learning affect you? Here to discuss their experiences are Ms. Royer and Mr. Podolan.
Ms. Royer had a few things that she enjoyed about teaching online. She said, “The things I enjoyed about teaching virtually were being at home with my daughter and my puppy, wearing comfy clothes, and not having to pack a lunch or dry my hair!” As for the challenges, she said, “Other than the perks of being home, I really don't enjoy teaching virtually. It is really hard to motivate the students. I would much rather be at school and be able to have hands-on learning for my students. I also like getting to know everyone and that is really hard to do online.”
Mr. Podolan also found a couple good things in the midst of this crazy year! He said, “I learned how to use some tools I had never tried, such as Flipgrid, to make different activities work. I also think the YouTube recordings of my lessons could be useful going forward.” But just like everyone else, he had some struggles. He said, “Not getting to know my students in the normal way was a major challenge, but I think we still made it work. Also, virtual learning requires a lot of discipline and self-motivation from students; not being able to directly help students in the ways I normally would was a challenge.” By next year Mr. Podolan said, “I think the plan is to provide students and families with options, but so many things could change between now and then. I hope people make good choices and that the world is safe enough for us to safely return to normal!”
It’s been a long school year! Looking back, how did virtual learning affect you? Here to discuss their experiences are Ms. Royer and Mr. Podolan.
Ms. Royer had a few things that she enjoyed about teaching online. She said, “The things I enjoyed about teaching virtually were being at home with my daughter and my puppy, wearing comfy clothes, and not having to pack a lunch or dry my hair!” As for the challenges, she said, “Other than the perks of being home, I really don't enjoy teaching virtually. It is really hard to motivate the students. I would much rather be at school and be able to have hands-on learning for my students. I also like getting to know everyone and that is really hard to do online.”
Mr. Podolan also found a couple good things in the midst of this crazy year! He said, “I learned how to use some tools I had never tried, such as Flipgrid, to make different activities work. I also think the YouTube recordings of my lessons could be useful going forward.” But just like everyone else, he had some struggles. He said, “Not getting to know my students in the normal way was a major challenge, but I think we still made it work. Also, virtual learning requires a lot of discipline and self-motivation from students; not being able to directly help students in the ways I normally would was a challenge.” By next year Mr. Podolan said, “I think the plan is to provide students and families with options, but so many things could change between now and then. I hope people make good choices and that the world is safe enough for us to safely return to normal!”
In Full Bloom
Natalie Garcia ‘22
What comes to mind when you hear the word “garden?” Do you imagine sky-high sunflowers? A tomato plant? Many people garden in a lot of different ways. To discuss what gardening means to them is Mrs. Treadway and Mrs. Avery.
Mrs. Treadway loves to garden! She says, “We do flower beds at our house and pots. Zinnias are one of my favorites to plant along with sunflowers. Petunias are also beautiful. We planted a pumpkin patch last year and didn't have much luck. We are going to try again this year with those as well as try to do a small garden. I love working outside in the yard. It is relaxing, and I love getting a great tan!”
Mrs. Avery says, “I love to garden! My favorite plant or plants are Hydrangea bushes, Peonies, and Geraniums. I also love to plant tomatoes and cucumbers. My father taught me about plants and gardening. He loved roses, but I have not figured out how to grow those yet. I can grow the Knockout ones fairly well, but that's it. I do my own landscaping and have a small garden on the side of my house for veggies.”
Gardening is something that you can do to connect with the earth, yourself, and other people. It’s beautiful!
Mrs. Treadway loves to garden! She says, “We do flower beds at our house and pots. Zinnias are one of my favorites to plant along with sunflowers. Petunias are also beautiful. We planted a pumpkin patch last year and didn't have much luck. We are going to try again this year with those as well as try to do a small garden. I love working outside in the yard. It is relaxing, and I love getting a great tan!”
Mrs. Avery says, “I love to garden! My favorite plant or plants are Hydrangea bushes, Peonies, and Geraniums. I also love to plant tomatoes and cucumbers. My father taught me about plants and gardening. He loved roses, but I have not figured out how to grow those yet. I can grow the Knockout ones fairly well, but that's it. I do my own landscaping and have a small garden on the side of my house for veggies.”
Gardening is something that you can do to connect with the earth, yourself, and other people. It’s beautiful!
Mr. Kuhse
Valerie sykes ‘24
If you don't know Mr. Kuhse, he is a math teacher here at Pennfield High School. We interviewed him to get a better understanding of him and his teaching career.
Mr. Kuhse was in sales for 17 years before moving to his teaching career. Mr. Kuhse says, “I had always liked teaching and this I thought would be a challenging and fulfilling career.” Mr. Kuhse says that his favorite thing about teaching is probably seeing his students succeed where they were once struggling. This only being his 3rd year teaching, he's not sure what his least favorite thing would be. One piece of advice Mr. Kuhse would give his students is, “Never restrict yourself in anything you do because everyone can succeed.”
Mr. Kuhse was in sales for 17 years before moving to his teaching career. Mr. Kuhse says, “I had always liked teaching and this I thought would be a challenging and fulfilling career.” Mr. Kuhse says that his favorite thing about teaching is probably seeing his students succeed where they were once struggling. This only being his 3rd year teaching, he's not sure what his least favorite thing would be. One piece of advice Mr. Kuhse would give his students is, “Never restrict yourself in anything you do because everyone can succeed.”
Teacher Spotlight: Mr Boyd
Reilee Myers ‘21
The past school year has been one of many different difficulties for everybody. We all have had to adjust to a virtual format for class, and the split between virtual and in-person students seems to have only complicated things. Mr. Boyd has found teaching this year to be a major adjustment, requiring a great degree of patience and flexibility. He noted that it can be scary to have to do something that you’ve never done before and never even imagined happening.
When asked about what he has been doing differently this school year compared to others, he said that he found teaching from home to be a very different experience. He also felt that he had a greater focus on students' well-being. He also found it harder to keep in touch with the students, but found that his involvement with school sports did help due to the fact that he sees some students regularly through that. He found it harder to keep in touch with students around both holidays and any disruptions in our schedule, such as the recent SAT and PSAT testing. Mr. Boyd also found it difficult to find assignments that work for the variety in technological access for the students. He feels the need to accommodate the different technology situations that all the students have at home. He has found it necessary to work around technical issues, such as videos that don’t load or links to dead websites, and found a need for greater vigilance in order to ensure everybody can do the assignments. Mr. Boyd found the greatest difficulty resulting from the in-person/virtual split is the need to keep both the virtual and in-person students in a similar place in the pacing of the class. He has also found it difficult to ensure the multiple students who have switched between the two-groups have as little difficulty as possible in making the transition. |
Teacher Spotlight: Mr. Lessnau
Ayden Ramos
Mr. Lessnau is a well respected English teacher as well as head LINK coordinator. He makes learning fun and gets the job done. Let's get to know more about him. Mr. Lessnau’s dream job as a kid was professional sports, but realized pretty early on that he did not have that ability. As he grew up, he decided he wanted to become a teacher. He has been teaching for 13 years and 7 of those years at Pennfield. He believes that teaching is the best use of him as a person in our society. He loves meeting new students and new faces.
If Mr. Lessnau had 1 million dollars he would not stop teaching because that’s not enough money to stop working in his opinion. He would then use that money to travel the world and do a lot of interesting things after his great career of being a teacher came to an end.
Mr. Lessnau said if he could take a vacation anywhere in the world, he would take a trip to Italy because he has always wanted to try food from there and see the amazing sights they have.
He prefers teaching in person rather than virtual. Teaching online is not the reason he became a teacher. That said, this has provided a safer way to teach people during a pandemic and he likes that it has kept our community safer over the past year.
If Mr. Lessnau had 1 million dollars he would not stop teaching because that’s not enough money to stop working in his opinion. He would then use that money to travel the world and do a lot of interesting things after his great career of being a teacher came to an end.
Mr. Lessnau said if he could take a vacation anywhere in the world, he would take a trip to Italy because he has always wanted to try food from there and see the amazing sights they have.
He prefers teaching in person rather than virtual. Teaching online is not the reason he became a teacher. That said, this has provided a safer way to teach people during a pandemic and he likes that it has kept our community safer over the past year.
Teacher Spotlight: Mrs. Fleisher
Austynn Ramos
Teachers are back to school and teaching online too! Do you have any idea of what it is like teaching in today’s world? Well Pennfield High School’s Biology teacher, Mrs. Fleisher gave us an inside scoop. “I did not enjoy teaching online because I wasn't able to make connections with students the way I am able to do when we are face to face; I couldn't have those little side conversations that I have while we're face to face when I wander the room checking on students' work. I love being face to face with students.” Mrs. Fleisher doesn't like the fact that she cant see the virtual classmates on the other side of the screen, she doesn't know if they are working, sleeping etc. “Being virtual wasn't so much a challenge, I just didn't enjoy it. It was annoying that when I started teaching my dogs would decide "Oh mom's talking, we should get up so everyone can hear our toenails on the floor!" She sees better engagement in students in person, and would rather be in person than virtual.
As students, we care about our teachers' mental health and how they are doing. “I feel great! Since we were sent home a year ago, I made sure that I kept myself busy with work and projects around our house; we had a choice to sit around and be pouty about our temporary new normal, or we could take advantage of the time at home. I definitely did not sit around the house binge-watching Netflix (except for Tiger King!).” Thank you Mrs. Fleisher for sharing some information about being online and in person!
As students, we care about our teachers' mental health and how they are doing. “I feel great! Since we were sent home a year ago, I made sure that I kept myself busy with work and projects around our house; we had a choice to sit around and be pouty about our temporary new normal, or we could take advantage of the time at home. I definitely did not sit around the house binge-watching Netflix (except for Tiger King!).” Thank you Mrs. Fleisher for sharing some information about being online and in person!
Teacher Spotlight: Mrs. Hendryx
Reilee Myers ‘21
Our classes have been very different this year due to the extraordinary circumstances that we have faced over the past year. Many of our teachers have been handling things differently. Mrs. Hendryx said that the past year has been the most challenging year of her teaching career.
Mrs. Hendryx felt that this year has been different due to the need for her to become more tech savvy to teach the class. She said she had already believed that technology would be important in teaching our generation, but this past year has made it more necessary than ever. She said that she found herself in more of a learning role than she has been in previous years, and that it has been an adjustment in this regard. Mrs. Hendryx has also found it hard to keep in touch with all of the students. She said she found it important to connect with each of the students, something that she has found substantially more difficult over the internet than in person. She finds it difficult to adapt all of the assignments to a virtual environment because all the curriculum and assignments had mostly already been written in previous years, so the virtual adaptations require more planning. She said the experience reminded her of her first year of teaching due to the need to redesign the lesson plans. Mrs. Hendryx found the struggles to have increased since the school has been split between in-person and virtual classes. She finds it difficult to teach the virtual classes due to the fact that they have less time in class than the in-person students. One particular difficulty she noted involved due-dates. She has found it necessary to set different due dates for the in-person and virtual classes. She has found it difficult to communicate the differing expectations between the two groups of students. |
Mrs. Hendryx did find the partial reopening of the school to be a sign of hope that we might one day return to a state of relative normalcy. She found the past year to be “very apocalyptic” and said that she needed the hope that the partial reopening provided.
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Teacher’s Plans for Summer
Alyssa Hanner ’24
I know that everyone was hoping there would be a dramatic change from last summer to this summer, but it doesn’t look like that is going to happen since we are still under certain rules and regulations. We had the chance to interview teachers Mrs.Galbraith and Mrs.Hammond about what their thoughts and plans are for this upcoming summer vacation!
When asked about vacation plans for this summer, Mrs.Galbraith said she has no plans, while Mrs.Hammond said she plans on going overseas with her family as soon as the borders reopen to visit her life-long pen-pal. Mrs. Hammond said some safe activities they plan on doing this summer are,“Hiking, biking, swimming, fishing, boating and kayaking.” While Mrs. Galbraith plans on becoming a Doula-a trained labor companion for her pregnant daughter.
While Mrs.Galbraith is looking forward to holding her granddaughter for the first time, Mrs.Hammond is looking forward to hopefully getting accepted into the Summer Program for Teachers, because if she is accepted, it qualifies her students for a scholarship to attend a similar program in the Fall. When asked there suggestions for some safe outdoor activities to participate in, Mrs.Galbraith mentioned gardening and going on long walks while Mrs. Hammond answered with hiking, biking, swimming, fishing, boating, skiing, kayaking and paddle boarding. Another thing she mentioned was working at Binder Park Zoo for a summer job.
There are many things we can look forward to this summer even though many of us have been stuck in our houses all winter. So be creative, but most importantly be safe.
When asked about vacation plans for this summer, Mrs.Galbraith said she has no plans, while Mrs.Hammond said she plans on going overseas with her family as soon as the borders reopen to visit her life-long pen-pal. Mrs. Hammond said some safe activities they plan on doing this summer are,“Hiking, biking, swimming, fishing, boating and kayaking.” While Mrs. Galbraith plans on becoming a Doula-a trained labor companion for her pregnant daughter.
While Mrs.Galbraith is looking forward to holding her granddaughter for the first time, Mrs.Hammond is looking forward to hopefully getting accepted into the Summer Program for Teachers, because if she is accepted, it qualifies her students for a scholarship to attend a similar program in the Fall. When asked there suggestions for some safe outdoor activities to participate in, Mrs.Galbraith mentioned gardening and going on long walks while Mrs. Hammond answered with hiking, biking, swimming, fishing, boating, skiing, kayaking and paddle boarding. Another thing she mentioned was working at Binder Park Zoo for a summer job.
There are many things we can look forward to this summer even though many of us have been stuck in our houses all winter. So be creative, but most importantly be safe.
Mrs. Hammond
Mrs. Hammond is one of our science teachers at Pennfield High School. Mrs. Hammond says, “Even during a pandemic it is exciting and rewarding to have students have those "ah-ha" moments when they get protein synthesis or understand why cellular respiration is important.” When asking why she likes teaching Science she says, “Science is a great subject because it isn't just memorizing facts, it is learning how to think and to reason--which really does prepare you for life and your career!”
Mrs. Hammond has been teaching at Pennfield for a little over 15 years, and can't wait for the next 15. So what has changed since Mrs. Hammond started teaching at Pennfield? She says, “Many things have changed since I started here. I can remember having to reserve the computer lab months in advance in order to have students work on desktop computers. Now all Pennfield students use chromebooks daily. Another change is the other day we completed a karyotype lab simulation online that we used to complete with paper and it would take at least three days.”
Mrs. Hammond says “One thing that hasn't changed, and that is just as fun as it was 15 years ago, is hosting guest speakers. Over the years students have learned about future careers they hadn't considered before and it is always a blast when I see them in that very career after graduation. This school year we have had a couple guest speakers and they have provided great programs and opportunities for our PHS students. And we are planning for next school year--let's hope it is a good one!”
Mrs. Hammond has been teaching at Pennfield for a little over 15 years, and can't wait for the next 15. So what has changed since Mrs. Hammond started teaching at Pennfield? She says, “Many things have changed since I started here. I can remember having to reserve the computer lab months in advance in order to have students work on desktop computers. Now all Pennfield students use chromebooks daily. Another change is the other day we completed a karyotype lab simulation online that we used to complete with paper and it would take at least three days.”
Mrs. Hammond says “One thing that hasn't changed, and that is just as fun as it was 15 years ago, is hosting guest speakers. Over the years students have learned about future careers they hadn't considered before and it is always a blast when I see them in that very career after graduation. This school year we have had a couple guest speakers and they have provided great programs and opportunities for our PHS students. And we are planning for next school year--let's hope it is a good one!”
Teacher Vaccine
Austynn Ramos
Pennfield teachers are finally getting the COVID vaccine! Are they nervous? Ms. Royer, a teacher at Pennfield, decided to tell us about her thoughts on the vaccine. Ms. Royer isn't nervous at all to get her COVID vaccine, she is actually excited! “I am not worried about side effects, nothing can be worse than the 2 cavities I just had filled!” She seems very confident. Ms. Royer wants this COVID vaccine to hopefully lead everyone down the road to a semi-normal life. “I can't wait to hang out with friends again and go out to restaurants and just live life!” The students want the teachers to feel safe, and she feels that she will feel safer after having both vaccines and knowing her chances of getting sick are unlikely.
Mrs.Treadway isn't nervous either! After thinking about it she isn't worried about side effects. “I have read quite a bit of information about COVID and the shot. I am expecting and hoping to be protected after getting it.” She thinks that it's best for everyone to get the vaccine, so that this pandemic can be over with hopefully. “I will definitely feel safer at school once I am vaccinated.” It looks like some of the teachers are pretty confident about getting the vaccine. Being safe is all that matters! |
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Teacher Spotlight: Mr. Corcoran
Reilee Myers ‘21
Teaching this year has been difficult for the teachers due to the difference between this year and previous years. It’s been harder to keep in touch with the students and the recent split between in-person and virtual classes has only escalated the complexity. For Mr. Corcoran, many adjustments have been made for the virtual classes.
Mr. Corcoran said that his chemistry class typically involves a lot of labs and hands-on activities. This year, he has had to rely mostly on simulations and video demonstrations to replace the labs. He also said that he found breakout rooms to be helpful for getting students to work together. He found it hard to keep in touch with all of the students. He said that some students don’t show up to the meets or do any of the assignments, something he could do more to rectify in-person. He also found difficulty with adapting assignments for the virtual environment. Many of the assignments he would have printed have to be converted from PDF format to work with a Google Doc. He also found that it is much harder to gage the students’ understanding of the material due to the fact that he can’t see anyone’s face and his attempted workarounds have not worked. He also found it hard to keep the in-person and virtual students at a similar place due to the fact that the in-person students are at school three days a week, while the virtual students are only in class twice a week. He finds keeping the two groups together is made worse by half-days and snow days.
Mr. Corcoran said that his chemistry class typically involves a lot of labs and hands-on activities. This year, he has had to rely mostly on simulations and video demonstrations to replace the labs. He also said that he found breakout rooms to be helpful for getting students to work together. He found it hard to keep in touch with all of the students. He said that some students don’t show up to the meets or do any of the assignments, something he could do more to rectify in-person. He also found difficulty with adapting assignments for the virtual environment. Many of the assignments he would have printed have to be converted from PDF format to work with a Google Doc. He also found that it is much harder to gage the students’ understanding of the material due to the fact that he can’t see anyone’s face and his attempted workarounds have not worked. He also found it hard to keep the in-person and virtual students at a similar place due to the fact that the in-person students are at school three days a week, while the virtual students are only in class twice a week. He finds keeping the two groups together is made worse by half-days and snow days.
PHS Choir Teachers
Macy Gwynne ‘24
What do you think of when you hear choir? Singing? Notes? Lyrics? Music? Well. because of covid, so far the choir hasn’t done much singing. Plus, have you ever thought of the people who teach choir? What is their connection to singing? We’ll learn about our amazing choir teachers themselves, Mr. Bowen and Miss Sayles.
Mr. Bowen enjoys teaching choir. He says, “What I enjoy about it the most is when my students make an emotional connection to the music. That enhances their performance so much.” The singing masks are not ideal, but he says we will manage the best we can. Mr. Bowen is very happy to be back in class with his students, the choir is like a big family. He missed them terribly. He missed the laughter, music and all the joy that comes with being in choir. He’s looking forward to hearing his students sing again, but that singing will have to wait awhile longer, so that they can find the best way to make it work. There is a lot of research needed, so that his students can go back to singing, and be safe.
Miss. Sayles loves teaching music. She remembers that in preschool she had told her teacher that she wanted to teach music when she grew up. She has taught music in many ways. Private lessons, college music and band, but working with choir has been her favorite. The first singing masks they ordered were disappointing, but she hopes the replacements will be better. She has her sewing supplies ready if needed. She is “thrilled to see our choir family in person again, even if it's just the top half of your faces.” She has missed her students more than words can express. When it comes to hearing her students sing again, she says she's, “Abso-freakin-lutely” ready to. She is psyched to hear choral do warm ups.
In choir students got to choose between doing a recording or doing a project about a music genre, artist, or group. When asked if they are looking forward to hearing the students projects, they both are very excited to hear about them. Mr. Bowen says that the projects are always fun for him, even though it’s not always super fun for students. The reason he likes them is because he gets to learn new things. Some students are covering artists that he’s never even heard of, and he’s excited to be the one being taught something for a change. Miss. Sayles is looking forward to the projects, because her playlist needs some updating, she says “us Old Folks count on you youngin's to introduce us to new artists and music, and learning about your favorite styles helps us to get to know you even better!”
Choir is an amazing class, with amazing teachers who love doing the jobs they have. Both teachers feel like our choir is a big family, and we wouldn’t be surprised if the students felt the same.
Mr. Bowen enjoys teaching choir. He says, “What I enjoy about it the most is when my students make an emotional connection to the music. That enhances their performance so much.” The singing masks are not ideal, but he says we will manage the best we can. Mr. Bowen is very happy to be back in class with his students, the choir is like a big family. He missed them terribly. He missed the laughter, music and all the joy that comes with being in choir. He’s looking forward to hearing his students sing again, but that singing will have to wait awhile longer, so that they can find the best way to make it work. There is a lot of research needed, so that his students can go back to singing, and be safe.
Miss. Sayles loves teaching music. She remembers that in preschool she had told her teacher that she wanted to teach music when she grew up. She has taught music in many ways. Private lessons, college music and band, but working with choir has been her favorite. The first singing masks they ordered were disappointing, but she hopes the replacements will be better. She has her sewing supplies ready if needed. She is “thrilled to see our choir family in person again, even if it's just the top half of your faces.” She has missed her students more than words can express. When it comes to hearing her students sing again, she says she's, “Abso-freakin-lutely” ready to. She is psyched to hear choral do warm ups.
In choir students got to choose between doing a recording or doing a project about a music genre, artist, or group. When asked if they are looking forward to hearing the students projects, they both are very excited to hear about them. Mr. Bowen says that the projects are always fun for him, even though it’s not always super fun for students. The reason he likes them is because he gets to learn new things. Some students are covering artists that he’s never even heard of, and he’s excited to be the one being taught something for a change. Miss. Sayles is looking forward to the projects, because her playlist needs some updating, she says “us Old Folks count on you youngin's to introduce us to new artists and music, and learning about your favorite styles helps us to get to know you even better!”
Choir is an amazing class, with amazing teachers who love doing the jobs they have. Both teachers feel like our choir is a big family, and we wouldn’t be surprised if the students felt the same.
In-Person With Mrs. Rzepka
Madison Wood 23’
Going back to school hasn’t been easy for anyone, not just students but teachers too. Everyone had gotten used to virtual life and now we have to switch back to seeing people in person. I asked Mrs. Rzepka to give her input and experience with the first few weeks of the switch.
Some people are happy to have gone back and be able to see friends again while others want to go back to virtual learning. Even with all the restrictions in place, Mrs. Rzepka is happy to have gone back and have a normal schedule again. She said, “I would have felt better if we all could have been vaccinated, but reality is what it is. If we all practice covid safety protocol, it will make me feel better about being back in school.” To keep everyone and their families safe, following the restrictions is a big thing everyone should keep in mind.
Even though the students in Mrs. Rzepka’s class can’t use the kitchen equipment due to COIVD restrictions they do make great taste testers. Mrs. Rzepka has said that she has been filming herself cooking so virtual students can still get the cooking experience. Mrs. Rzepka is still trying to make the best out of a bad situation and said, “It’s great to be back in school, where the restrictions are still the same, but at least some of my students can have a live experience with cooking and be the taste testers of the end product.”
Even though the students can’t cook she still tries to make the experience “fun, real and relevant.” She wants to make sure her students have the skills to provide for themselves once they leave high school. Knowing how to cook is a very important and necessary skill, it's also important to be confident while you cook and that is what Mrs. Rzepka is trying to help her students accomplish.
With classes that are pretty hands on it can be hard to teach virtual classes but Mrs. Rzpeka is pushing through and trying to keep her virtual classes as close as possible to her in-person classes, the only difference is that in-person kids get to be her personal taste testers.
All in all, COVID is a very serious situation but taking the right precautions can help everyone stay safe.
Some people are happy to have gone back and be able to see friends again while others want to go back to virtual learning. Even with all the restrictions in place, Mrs. Rzepka is happy to have gone back and have a normal schedule again. She said, “I would have felt better if we all could have been vaccinated, but reality is what it is. If we all practice covid safety protocol, it will make me feel better about being back in school.” To keep everyone and their families safe, following the restrictions is a big thing everyone should keep in mind.
Even though the students in Mrs. Rzepka’s class can’t use the kitchen equipment due to COIVD restrictions they do make great taste testers. Mrs. Rzepka has said that she has been filming herself cooking so virtual students can still get the cooking experience. Mrs. Rzepka is still trying to make the best out of a bad situation and said, “It’s great to be back in school, where the restrictions are still the same, but at least some of my students can have a live experience with cooking and be the taste testers of the end product.”
Even though the students can’t cook she still tries to make the experience “fun, real and relevant.” She wants to make sure her students have the skills to provide for themselves once they leave high school. Knowing how to cook is a very important and necessary skill, it's also important to be confident while you cook and that is what Mrs. Rzepka is trying to help her students accomplish.
With classes that are pretty hands on it can be hard to teach virtual classes but Mrs. Rzpeka is pushing through and trying to keep her virtual classes as close as possible to her in-person classes, the only difference is that in-person kids get to be her personal taste testers.
All in all, COVID is a very serious situation but taking the right precautions can help everyone stay safe.
Teachers Coming Back
Austynn Ramos
As you may know we have teachers who came back to teach in school and online! It might be a little harder with this current situation, so lets get some answers from a teacher with experience:) Math teacher Mr. Collins is glad and happy to be back in school and able to work with students in person. “It has been a little weird since I've never actually taught at Pennfield with students in the building so I feel like I'm learning new things about what happens in the high school. There are processes that are different from my old school district, so I'm unlearning those old processes I used for 24 years. It's been okay, though.” Mr. Collins said. “I post assignments on Google Classroom. The students who are remaining virtual are starting to use Jamboard together in the Google Meets. It will make it a little more individualized, hopefully, because I can see the work they are doing easier now.” Mr. Collins doesn't agree that students wear the masks properly. He doesn't like that he can't see the students' whole face either, but he doesn't mind them. Mr. Collins is older than teens, and feels that his chances are higher with COVID, he is worried because his wife had some issues with her lungs and he doesn't want to bring it home to her. He is working a lot outside of school hours for all students, now that he is in person teaching and online! We like teachers that interact with students right? Mr. Collins is one of them! “I like to interact with students. Interaction happens some virtually, but it happens much more in person. Plus, it means we have three days to learn Algebra 2 instead of two days.” Stay safe and continue to wear those masks!
PHS Staff Making the Best of 2020!!
Mrs. Podolan's Holiday Traditions
Valerie Sykes 24
Mrs. Podolan is an English teacher at our school. She shared with us some of her holiday traditions.
Mrs. Podolan’s favorite Thanksgiving tradition is to EAT! “That's a tradition right?” says Mrs. Podolan. She also likes to make a sweet potato souffle. She's been doing these traditions for a very long time.
Mrs. Podolan’s holiday traditions are changing a little though. “Since my daughter is 1.5, my husband and I are starting to make new traditions. One tradition that I hope to continue is to take a walk in the woods on Christmas Eve. My family and I would bring food to one tree in particular and decorate the tree with food--this way the animals could have a good Christmas celebration, too. On Christmas Eve we would go to a candlelight service (sometimes we go to church twice that night).”
Mrs. Podolan says that it’s really hard to choose a favorite holiday because that's like asking for her to choose a favorite parent. But Mrs. Podolan wastes no time and has her Christmas tree up already and decorated.
When asking what her favorite christmas songs are she replied with, “I really like Feliz Navidad. You have to feel good listening to this song. And it's easy to learn! The other day, though, the Vince Guaraldi Trio "Linus and Lucy" song was on the radio and my daughter, Lois Rose, started wiggling and dancing. It was adorable.”
“Lois Rose has a favorite Christmas book called, “Jolly Jingle Christmas” and she is learning words and sounds now. When we get to the part of the book that says, "Santa's coming!" She'll respond "ho, ho, ho!"
Mrs. Podolan couldn't really share any of her childhood holiday traditions with her daughter last year because she was so little but this year she hopes to continue and start new traditions with her own family. Mrs. Podolan and her daughter are both VERY excited about all of the pretty decorations and all of the cookies they will be making.
Mrs. Podolan’s favorite Thanksgiving tradition is to EAT! “That's a tradition right?” says Mrs. Podolan. She also likes to make a sweet potato souffle. She's been doing these traditions for a very long time.
Mrs. Podolan’s holiday traditions are changing a little though. “Since my daughter is 1.5, my husband and I are starting to make new traditions. One tradition that I hope to continue is to take a walk in the woods on Christmas Eve. My family and I would bring food to one tree in particular and decorate the tree with food--this way the animals could have a good Christmas celebration, too. On Christmas Eve we would go to a candlelight service (sometimes we go to church twice that night).”
Mrs. Podolan says that it’s really hard to choose a favorite holiday because that's like asking for her to choose a favorite parent. But Mrs. Podolan wastes no time and has her Christmas tree up already and decorated.
When asking what her favorite christmas songs are she replied with, “I really like Feliz Navidad. You have to feel good listening to this song. And it's easy to learn! The other day, though, the Vince Guaraldi Trio "Linus and Lucy" song was on the radio and my daughter, Lois Rose, started wiggling and dancing. It was adorable.”
“Lois Rose has a favorite Christmas book called, “Jolly Jingle Christmas” and she is learning words and sounds now. When we get to the part of the book that says, "Santa's coming!" She'll respond "ho, ho, ho!"
Mrs. Podolan couldn't really share any of her childhood holiday traditions with her daughter last year because she was so little but this year she hopes to continue and start new traditions with her own family. Mrs. Podolan and her daughter are both VERY excited about all of the pretty decorations and all of the cookies they will be making.
Superintendent Simmons
Ally Keown ‘23
Do you know Mr. Simmons? If you don’t he is the Superintendent of the Pennfield District. As a newer superintendent we should learn a little more about him and his views.
Before we talk about Mr. Simmons and his job we should get to know him first. He grew up in Boonesville, Mississippi, and always wanted to work with kids. He has worked with many schools as an Athletic Director, Elementary School Principal, Middle School Principal, High School Principal, and now a Superintendent. He also has a son and 2 daughters.
Being in education for 32 years it must be hard, but how does he like this job so far? "It is exciting and I say that in all seriousness. I knew that I wanted this opportunity because the more teachers and staff that I can help, I know we are helping more students."
There are always struggles at any job but what are the struggles in his job? The main one is trying to find positives to balance the negatives of the job. One of them is to change things to fit the students' needs. Remaining professional knowing that people will hurt during this difficult time is another struggle.
With all the other schools out there why did Mr. Simmons come to our school? The main reason was the community. Pennfield has a lot of traditions and activities for the students to do and have fun with. Boonesville, Mississippi and Pennfield are not that different. It's a small part of town. It's both in the city and countryside; and you can’t find that in the other bigger schools.
There are many good superintendents and bad superintendents. Mr. Simmons saw both in his years of education. Being a superintendent is an important part of any school system. Mr. Simmons said he wanted to stay in education to help more students. The more students that are helped make more of an impact.
There have been many changes due to COVID-19 especially for the schools. But what has been the biggest change for Mr. Simmons? Visiting Classrooms was one of the biggest changes. He likes to visit the students, especially the adorable elementary kids. With not being able to go visit the students, he felt this has been one of the biggest changes for him.
Mr. Simmons added that there are changes being made to help student's needs. “Location, location, location.” He stated, 3 things all students need to know. Where you are supposed to be, when you are supposed to be there, and doing what you are supposed to be doing. These 3 locations are the key to make positive improvements to our district to make our focus out front.
Mr. Simmons is working hard to keep our schools open and safe in the best way possible. Thank you Mr. Simmons for all your hard work!
Before we talk about Mr. Simmons and his job we should get to know him first. He grew up in Boonesville, Mississippi, and always wanted to work with kids. He has worked with many schools as an Athletic Director, Elementary School Principal, Middle School Principal, High School Principal, and now a Superintendent. He also has a son and 2 daughters.
Being in education for 32 years it must be hard, but how does he like this job so far? "It is exciting and I say that in all seriousness. I knew that I wanted this opportunity because the more teachers and staff that I can help, I know we are helping more students."
There are always struggles at any job but what are the struggles in his job? The main one is trying to find positives to balance the negatives of the job. One of them is to change things to fit the students' needs. Remaining professional knowing that people will hurt during this difficult time is another struggle.
With all the other schools out there why did Mr. Simmons come to our school? The main reason was the community. Pennfield has a lot of traditions and activities for the students to do and have fun with. Boonesville, Mississippi and Pennfield are not that different. It's a small part of town. It's both in the city and countryside; and you can’t find that in the other bigger schools.
There are many good superintendents and bad superintendents. Mr. Simmons saw both in his years of education. Being a superintendent is an important part of any school system. Mr. Simmons said he wanted to stay in education to help more students. The more students that are helped make more of an impact.
There have been many changes due to COVID-19 especially for the schools. But what has been the biggest change for Mr. Simmons? Visiting Classrooms was one of the biggest changes. He likes to visit the students, especially the adorable elementary kids. With not being able to go visit the students, he felt this has been one of the biggest changes for him.
Mr. Simmons added that there are changes being made to help student's needs. “Location, location, location.” He stated, 3 things all students need to know. Where you are supposed to be, when you are supposed to be there, and doing what you are supposed to be doing. These 3 locations are the key to make positive improvements to our district to make our focus out front.
Mr. Simmons is working hard to keep our schools open and safe in the best way possible. Thank you Mr. Simmons for all your hard work!
Teacher Spotlight: Mrs. Dollaway
Jessica Brosky ‘23
There are many great teachers at Pennfield, but Mrs. Dollaway sticks out from the rest.
We have all had so many different teachers over the years of our schooling, though there are always certain ones that stand out from the rest. Whether because they are good at making you understand the material or simply they are just fun to be around, Mrs. Dollaway is one of those teachers in many ways.
Mrs. Dollaway really loves what she does. This is evident when she says,
“The students. I love it when you are teaching them something new and you see the recognition that they truly understand what you are saying. I love it when they share stories about themselves and we can laugh at silly things that happen at school or home.”
Her love of teaching didn’t just happen overnight either. She wanted to be a teacher for a very long time. Mrs. Dollaway backed this up by saying,
“I was 5 years old when I was with my aunt who was a math teacher looking at papers, she was grading and talking about her job. From that point on I had a lot of amazing teachers who inspired me and opportunities to work with kids that made me want to help kids however I could.”
It is no wonder that Mrs. Dollaway wouldn’t be very happy going virtual knowing that she couldn’t be in person with students. This is very evident when she says, “I absolutely hate that I do not see the students. I really miss the daily check-ins with students; hearing about sports, new challenges, family activities, etc.”
Though she does give some advice for students to succeed in a virtual environment.
“Everyday is a day to learn something new. If you keep that mindset and devote a minimum of an hour a day to each class, you will see success in all of your classes. This will also help you in your future endeavors,” she stated.
Mrs. Dollaway is a teacher that knows what she is doing. This could be due to the fact that she has been teaching for 15 years.
All in all, Mrs. Dollaway is a great teacher for many reasons and these aren’t even close to all of them. Mrs. Dollaway is a teacher that will always be there for students, and for that, will always be remembered by many.
We have all had so many different teachers over the years of our schooling, though there are always certain ones that stand out from the rest. Whether because they are good at making you understand the material or simply they are just fun to be around, Mrs. Dollaway is one of those teachers in many ways.
Mrs. Dollaway really loves what she does. This is evident when she says,
“The students. I love it when you are teaching them something new and you see the recognition that they truly understand what you are saying. I love it when they share stories about themselves and we can laugh at silly things that happen at school or home.”
Her love of teaching didn’t just happen overnight either. She wanted to be a teacher for a very long time. Mrs. Dollaway backed this up by saying,
“I was 5 years old when I was with my aunt who was a math teacher looking at papers, she was grading and talking about her job. From that point on I had a lot of amazing teachers who inspired me and opportunities to work with kids that made me want to help kids however I could.”
It is no wonder that Mrs. Dollaway wouldn’t be very happy going virtual knowing that she couldn’t be in person with students. This is very evident when she says, “I absolutely hate that I do not see the students. I really miss the daily check-ins with students; hearing about sports, new challenges, family activities, etc.”
Though she does give some advice for students to succeed in a virtual environment.
“Everyday is a day to learn something new. If you keep that mindset and devote a minimum of an hour a day to each class, you will see success in all of your classes. This will also help you in your future endeavors,” she stated.
Mrs. Dollaway is a teacher that knows what she is doing. This could be due to the fact that she has been teaching for 15 years.
All in all, Mrs. Dollaway is a great teacher for many reasons and these aren’t even close to all of them. Mrs. Dollaway is a teacher that will always be there for students, and for that, will always be remembered by many.
Mr. Kirkland Returns to Teaching
Brielle Barber '23 and Madison Wood '23 (10/11/20)
Does the name Mr. Kirkland ring a bell? Mr. Kirkland is the new art teacher here at Pennfield High School but has been working at Pennfield schools for many years, as an art teacher and a principal. You might have had him for art in elementary school! Mr. Kirkland gave us some insight into what it’s like to be a teacher during COVID and his personal life. Mr. Kirkland has a wife and two sons, as well as a one year old foster son that he’s hoping to adopt. “We love doing things outdoors as well as music, games and other things,” said Mr. Kirkland. “Each year, my boys and I go back-country camping and fly fishing. We also work at a camp during the summers where I am a head lifeguard and the rest of my family does different jobs throughout the week. So, needless to say, we spend a lot of time outside.” Mr. Kirkland also mentioned, “We mountain bike, hike, and go for walks.” He says, “Michigan is the perfect place to raise a family that loves to be outside. Yes, even in the winter!” Mr. Kirkland first started his higher education at Lansing Community College, Which he says to, “never underestimate the value of a good community college.” Then he got his Bachelor's degree in Art at Spring Arbor University. He then went on to get a Master's Degree at Spring Arbor and another one at Michigan State University. Mr. Kirkland said he has always loved art. “Since I was a kid I have been creative. I became an art teacher because of my love for art and because of the influence of my high school art teacher, Mr. Wissner,” said Mr. Kirkland, “I had always thought I didn't need to take art because I could do it all on my own. When I took a class with him I realized that he could show me so many things that I didn't know I was lacking. So, I felt that I could perhaps influence someone the same way he did for me.” When asked what the transition was like from principal to teacher Mr. Kirkland said, “Well, I was a teacher for many years before I became a principal. I missed a lot of the fun parts of being a teacher, especially the art. So moving back to teaching has been great. I love being able to work with kids in the art setting. And I will say, I'm very glad that I didn't have to manage the online teaching from an administrator's position.” Mr. Kirkland says there are lots of differences between teaching high schoolers and elementary students. |
He says, “Well, first of all, I can fit in the chairs at the high school! But there's a big difference between teaching the basic skills of art and perfecting those skills. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely loved teaching elementary students. It's so fun watching them learn a new skill and actually put it into action. Sometimes their face lights up like they just struck gold.”
He went on and said, “In high school, students are taking those foundations and moving on to a more in-depth study of what they can do with them. I can really dig into techniques with students to help them create truly fine art.” When asked why he took this position he said, “When I first came to Pennfield from Battle Creek Public Schools, I taught at the three elementaries. I really enjoyed teaching foundational skills to the younger kids. Hopefully, you all enjoyed it too! But I've always wanted to get back to teaching older students who I could work more closely with creating refined art. To go past the basics with them and really push their skill. When this position opened up, I was overjoyed to get that opportunity.” Lastly, we asked him about the online environment, and how he felt about all this change. “Being online has definitely been a challenge as an art teacher. Showing how to do the work has been the biggest issue. I've tried a few different methods, from pre-recording videos to doing examples on the board behind me. I don't know that I've found the perfect solution yet.” He went on to say, “I also have been unable to really help students if they are struggling with a technique. I think it's important in visual art for students to be able to get that personal assistance when needed. I also miss the interaction with students. I am one who enjoys being around kids and sharing with them. Being online has made that difficult. But, I have enjoyed the chance to learn new things. Adapting to online learning has certainly given me that opportunity!” Mr. Kirkland seems to be an amazing teacher! If you want to take art in high school go for it! Mr. Kirkland seems to know his way around art and knows how to have a good time! |
Ms. Rowley: New PHS Math Teacher
Valerie Sykes (10/11/20)
Ms. Rowley is one of our new math teachers here at PHS. She teaches Algebra I and Pre-Algebra. This is her first year teaching, although last year she was a middle school teacher. She was also a substitute teacher for a couple years, and says she knew she wanted to become a teacher since the 7th grade!
When asked how online teaching has been for her she responded with, “Teaching online is really hard.” With it being her first year, it would have been hard anyway, but teaching online has not made it any easier. It's also been difficult because she lives an hour away from Battle Creek. There is some good news, though; through all of this she finally gets to move into her new house this weekend!
She says that not being able to see her students' faces makes it even harder because most of her energy as a teacher comes from the students. It's difficult to see if she needs to go back over something or slow down because she can't see her students facial expressions.
Her favorite thing about online learning is that she gets to stay home and cuddle/play with her dog between classes. Her least favorite part is not being able to meet and get to know her students, “I wouldn't be able to pick most of them out of a crowd which really stinks,” she says.
She doesn't really know her plans yet for returning to school because she doesn't know the guidelines and it's hard to picture what we will even be able to do when returning.
Ms. Rowley is the oldest of 4, she has a dog, and a niece and nephew. Ms. Rowley doesn't have many hobbies besides hanging out with her siblings, and taking care of her dog. She hasn't had much time to collect hobbies with all of the jobs she's had and finishing college at the same time.
When asked why she chose Pennfield this is what she said, “As a first year teacher I was ready to work anywhere, but Pennfield hit all the marks of an ideal place. It's only an hour from my family, so I can see them often. The technology here was a huge draw, especially with Distance Learning. The biggest thing though was during my interview I felt like the people I was talking with were meant to be my co-workers.”
Lastly she gave some great advice for students struggling with keeping up on assignments, she says, “I cannot say it enough, If you are struggling, communicate with your teacher. We have 3 hours a week where we are online to be able to help you (office hours), we are checking our emails frequently, and if you need/want 1-on-1 help we can try to schedule that. We can only help you if you reach out for it!”
Pennfield welcomes Ms. Rowley, and we hope to get to meet her in person soon!
When asked how online teaching has been for her she responded with, “Teaching online is really hard.” With it being her first year, it would have been hard anyway, but teaching online has not made it any easier. It's also been difficult because she lives an hour away from Battle Creek. There is some good news, though; through all of this she finally gets to move into her new house this weekend!
She says that not being able to see her students' faces makes it even harder because most of her energy as a teacher comes from the students. It's difficult to see if she needs to go back over something or slow down because she can't see her students facial expressions.
Her favorite thing about online learning is that she gets to stay home and cuddle/play with her dog between classes. Her least favorite part is not being able to meet and get to know her students, “I wouldn't be able to pick most of them out of a crowd which really stinks,” she says.
She doesn't really know her plans yet for returning to school because she doesn't know the guidelines and it's hard to picture what we will even be able to do when returning.
Ms. Rowley is the oldest of 4, she has a dog, and a niece and nephew. Ms. Rowley doesn't have many hobbies besides hanging out with her siblings, and taking care of her dog. She hasn't had much time to collect hobbies with all of the jobs she's had and finishing college at the same time.
When asked why she chose Pennfield this is what she said, “As a first year teacher I was ready to work anywhere, but Pennfield hit all the marks of an ideal place. It's only an hour from my family, so I can see them often. The technology here was a huge draw, especially with Distance Learning. The biggest thing though was during my interview I felt like the people I was talking with were meant to be my co-workers.”
Lastly she gave some great advice for students struggling with keeping up on assignments, she says, “I cannot say it enough, If you are struggling, communicate with your teacher. We have 3 hours a week where we are online to be able to help you (office hours), we are checking our emails frequently, and if you need/want 1-on-1 help we can try to schedule that. We can only help you if you reach out for it!”
Pennfield welcomes Ms. Rowley, and we hope to get to meet her in person soon!
Mr. Collins: New to PHS Math Department
Mr. Collins is a new math teacher here at Pennfield high school. Since COVID happened we would usually get to see Mr. Collins and meet him face to face, but we had to meet him virtually instead. Mr. Collins likes Pennfield. With the virtual learning he hasn't had the chance to really meet any staff members, but the people he has met so far are really friendly and helpful. He feels that students over the past few weeks online are nice and responsible. Mr. Collins was a Panther at Western, so he is happy to be a Panther again! He likes teaching, but he doesnt think virtual teaching is the same. Mr. Collins values the students and the interactions with them, but it's very hard to do that right now since everything is online. He says he likes to see the students grow in class whether it's math or life, he thinks it’s very important.
Mr. Collins taught swimming lessons in the summer when he was in high school and college before teaching. The past two years he has tutored middle school and high school students in math and worked in a dining commons at a university. Mr. Collins went to Taylor University in Indiana for his bachelor's degree, and he just recently completed a Masters degree there this past spring, he also has a masters degree from Spring Arbor University.
His parents were both teachers and they enjoyed the profession, which encouraged him to start teaching. He has been teaching for 26 years all together, but 25 in Michigan. He spent his first year near Cincinnati, OH. Mr. Collins likes math, and had two math teachers in middle school who did not teach it so well, so he wanted to help students learn and understand.
Mr. Collins said, “Google Meetings are better than no meeting at all..., but trying to provide instruction in two hours per week instead of five hours per week is tough for me and the students.” Being able to teach online for his first year, he's doing amazing! Welcome to Pennfield High School Mr. C, we hope you enjoy it!
-- Macy Gwynne, Austynn Ramos (10/11/20)
Mr. Collins taught swimming lessons in the summer when he was in high school and college before teaching. The past two years he has tutored middle school and high school students in math and worked in a dining commons at a university. Mr. Collins went to Taylor University in Indiana for his bachelor's degree, and he just recently completed a Masters degree there this past spring, he also has a masters degree from Spring Arbor University.
His parents were both teachers and they enjoyed the profession, which encouraged him to start teaching. He has been teaching for 26 years all together, but 25 in Michigan. He spent his first year near Cincinnati, OH. Mr. Collins likes math, and had two math teachers in middle school who did not teach it so well, so he wanted to help students learn and understand.
Mr. Collins said, “Google Meetings are better than no meeting at all..., but trying to provide instruction in two hours per week instead of five hours per week is tough for me and the students.” Being able to teach online for his first year, he's doing amazing! Welcome to Pennfield High School Mr. C, we hope you enjoy it!
-- Macy Gwynne, Austynn Ramos (10/11/20)