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SAN JUAN ISLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT |
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New teachers excited about FHHSposted 08/31/05
The three have diverse backgrounds, Ray is from Carnation, Myers spent the past two years teaching in London and Zhu is from China. While their backgrounds are different, their delight in moving to the island and excitement about teaching at the high school was universal. Ray visited the district's Web site and was "blown away" by what the high school and middle school were doing. "I don't know if the community realizes what they've got here. How very special it is," she said. "Everyone is focused on kids and doing wonderful projects." Ray and her husband purchased property on San Juan Island three years ago and have been slowly spending more time on the island. She went to the district office to apply to be a substitute and ended up applying for the Special Needs position. Myers and his wife decided to return to their native Seattle area after their two-year stint in England. Friday Harbor was on the top of his list of the four school districts he applied to. "We're extremely happy to be here," he said. They hadn't been to San Juan Island before but had visited Henry Island.The small community and beautiful environment have convinced them this is where they want to stay. He'll be teaching geometry and Algebra II this fall. His approach to teaching includes making students see how math applies to their every day lifes. "I want to show them the opportunities that are open to them if they study math," he said. "It opens a lot of doors to you. It is nothing but a benefit." Zhu also wants students to become aware of the opportunities that are out there as a result of studying science. Breaking down the barrier students have in their minds about studying science and math is important, he said. "Kids don't realize it is not as hard as they think it is. They need to conquer that fear and believe they can be very successful," he said. "It is important to themselves and to the nation." He hopes parents and community members will help reinforce those ideas. "Most times we scare ourselves," he said. Learning to ride a bicycle, we tell ourselves it is impossible and we'll never be able to do it, he said. Zhu cited several studies which show the need for better science education in schools. Japan with half the U.S population graduates twice the number of engineers. China graduates ten times as many. In an article by Thomas Friedman, Craig Barrett, chief executive of Intel is quoted as saying his company can be successful without ever hiring another American. The jobs are going to Poland, Japan, China, India and Russia. Intel is working to improve education in the U.S. According to the National Center on Education, 42 percent of undergraduates in China are in science and engineering compared to 5 percent in the U.S. Zhu taught at the college level before moving to Washington. He earned his state teaching credential at St. Martins University in Olympia as part of the STAR program. The state program works to find teachers to fill shortages in specific subject areas. While the three may have come to the San Juans from very different places, it still is a small world. Ray's brother also attended St. Martins University. |
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