Tuesday, August 21, 2012

School has begun!


Jenna and Carl 2 of our seniors
2 beauties

Friendship and happiness 

A few characters 

Sabrina our child prodigy with a freshman little Gillman 

Armando giving directions at lunch time

Elisa And Noah being silly 
Heaven at the school

Welcome back Titans




At the plaza 1st day of school


What a great school year lied ahead of us, so many opportunities to reach our potential, and yes we are the mighty Titans ready to "Work Hard" and "Play Hard" , we have the best Faculty and the best support from the administration to be better than ever.

Let's get started and we have some words of advise from one of the greatest mind Bill Gates.
Bill Gates recently dished out at a high school speech about 11 things they did not

learn in school. He talks about how  feel-good,
politically correct teaching has created a full
generation of kids with no  concept of reality and how
this concept  sets them up for failure in the real
world.

     RULE 1
     Life  is not fair - get used to it.

     RULE 2
     The  world won't care about your self-esteem. The world
     will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you  feel
     good about yourself.

     RULE 3
     You  will NOT make 40 thousand dollars a year right out
     of high school. You won't be a vice president with
     car phone, until you earn  both.

     RULE 4
     If  you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a
     boss. He doesn't have tenure.

     RULE 5
     Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your
     grandparents had a different word for burger flipping
     they
     called it Opportunity.

     RULE 6
     If  you mess up,it's not your parents' fault, so don't
     whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

     RULE 7
     Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as
     they are now. They got that way from paying  your bills,
     cleaning your clothes and  listening to you talk about
     how cool  you are. So before you save the rain forest
     from the parasites of your parent's generation, try
     delousing the closet in your own room.


     RULE 8
     Your  school may have done away with winners and losers,
     but life has not. In some schools they have  abolished
     failing grades and they'll  give you as many times as
     you want to  get the right answer. This doesn't bear the
     slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

     RULE 9
     Life  is not divided into semesters. You don't get
     summers off and very few employers are interested in
     helping you find yourself. Do that on your own  time.

     RULE 10
     Television is NOT real life. In real life people
     actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to  jobs.

     RULE 11
     Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for
     one.

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Welcome to the Titan family to April Harris new science teacher

April Harris
Many people ask “ Are you the new science teacher?” and all I can say is “Yes, Yes I am!”  Words can’t express my excitement to be here at Tuacahn High School.  The atmosphere is supportive for both the students and the staff.  I can feel the excitement in the air and the students smiles outweigh their “beginning of the year fears” and I can feel that they are just as happy to be here as I am.   So far (after two days of class) I have been really impressed with the students and how respectful and mature they all seem to be, it’s different from where I was but similar to what I experienced in the last few years of high school, where students were dedicated and focused on success, both their own and that of their peers.  I’m glad to be around students that are driven to learn and succeed.
I have had the opportunity to travel and live in a few very different places in my life.  From experiencing the fall of the Wall in Germany as  a child to experiencing the cultural differences of Louisiana, Brazil, and Seattle, I’ve had many precious moments that have helped me appreciate people and their culture and strengths.  I was permitted to attend a residential high school in Louisiana that focused on math, science, and the arts (LSMSA).  I was able to live in dorms on a college campus and even take part in the college marching band.  In this atmosphere I grew in appreciation for the Arts and people that made them a major part of their lives, and continue to be drawn towards people with an Arts background.
I left Louisiana for college in Idaho, Brigham Young University – Idaho (formally Ricks College), where I majored in Biology Education with a  minor in Chemistry Education.  I took a few semesters off to live in Brazil and then moved to Washington state to do my student teaching.  I found an amazing school in Graham Washington where I taught for 6 years.  During that time I returned to college and earned my Masters of Education from the University of Washington. 
I love teaching and working with students.  I’m excited that I get to do what I love in an atmosphere such as Tuacahn.  The best part is having all of this AND living near some family! It’s my first time living in Utah so it’ll be a little of an adjustment to the culture but it’ll be one more experience I can add to my list so I’m excited!


Sunday, August 12, 2012

Kyle Lewis Drama Teacher Welcome to Tuacahn Hgh School

Lewis Family

Armando asked if I would share a few words on this blog, so I will begin by saying “thank you.” So many people have reached out to us since we made the decision to accept the position at Tuacahn. From administration, to faculty, to parents and students, we have been encouraged, helped, and supported in ways that made our transition from Salt Lake City to St. George so much easier than we had originally imagined, and we couldn’t be more grateful.

Here’s a quick introduction to our family, we’ll start from youngest to oldest:

Gavin is eight (but will be nine in October). He loves to read, swim, play the guitar, draw, and play with his dog “Sy.” Gavin’s the celebrity of the family and has been on the cover of a few magazines, started his own ocean rescue campaign (http://www.rescuingtheocean.com/), and spent a weekend as a special guest with the Jonas Brothers. He originally asked if I could get a job in California, somewhere close to Disneyland if at all possible. While this isn’t exactly what he wanted, he said that at least we’re moving in the right direction.

Colleen was born in Salt Lake City and her early interest was in ballet. She was fortunate to train with Willam F. Christensen and danced with Ballet West for a number of years. She graduated from the University of Utah 2nd in her class, and then later did her graduate studies in Youth Theatre at BYU. She went on to create and be the Artistic Director of Theatre Arts Conservatory in Salt Lake City (which accounts for the boxes and boxes of homeless trophies in the garage). Colleen is also a member of Actors’ Equity Association, but puts her career on hold to be the best mother a little boy could ask for.

Then there’s me. I was born in San Francisco, California and grew up moving up and down the coast. My father was in the United States Navy. We moved to Utah as I was heading into my final years of high school and that’s when I gave up a career in visual art (and dreams of a career in basketball) to pursue theatre. I graduated from Weber State University with a degree in Theatre Education and completed my MFA in Directing at Arizona State University. I’m a member of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (one of only twelve members in the state, the rest of them are either university professors or artistic directors for companies like Pioneer Theatre Company or the Utah Shakespeare Festival) and, like Colleen, I’m also a member of Actors’ Equity Association. I’ve been honored as both an actor and director by the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. I’ve been the President of Utah Theatre Association and State Coordinator of Theatre for Utah High School Activities Association. I’ve even been accepted to, and fortunate to attend, Lincoln Center Directors Lab West. But my favorite accomplishment to date is the role of father. When I’m not in class or on the stage I sketch, teach myself to play guitar, and play with Gavin.

We had some choices to make when the offer was made to come to Tuacahn. We looked at the options, discussed what was best for our family, relied a bit on gut instinct, and now here we are.  If what we have experienced thus far is any indication of what’s to come, I can’t imagine a better outlook for the future. This should be a fantastic year at Tuacahn. Thank you.

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Back to school night.



Student council getting the building ready to welcome back a new school year. Mrs Duffy the student council advisor supervising everything run smoothly.