For this “Getting to Know” column, we decided to spotlight the the school’s administrative secretaries.

We interviewed Nicole Danielski and Nancie Whitesell. We asked both of them a series of questions to get to know them, and here’s what they had to say.

Nicole Danieleski

Q: Please describe your job to me, what you do?

-Feels like the center point. Everybody comes through here parents, students family members etc.

Q: What are some examples of interesting/funny things you encounter throughout your day?

-Getting to know the student creating the relationships with them. A lot of laughing in here. It could get very stressful sometimes.

Q: How do you feel about students coming in late?

-Regular students, that’s frustrating they should know they need to take responsibilities.

Q: What kind of advice do you have for students?

-Be yourself. Enjoy school don’t worry too much.

Q: What is your favorite color ?

-Yellow

Q: What school did you go to?

-College of st.Catherine

Q: Do you have kids?

-No kids just a dog

Q: Do you prefer pizza or lasagna?

-Pizza

Q: What’s your favorite season?

– I like to be warm, summer

Nancie  Whitsell

Q: Please describe your job to me, what you do?

-I am the part time Budget clerk and part time Counseling Department clerk…so that means I pay the bills for the school (things teachers order, supplies for the building, etc) and I also take care of the records for the Counseling Department

Q: What are some examples of interesting/funny things you encounter throughout your day?

– The Counseling Office is always an interesting and funny place to be because it is different every day, you learn all sorts of things about life and the Counselors are pretty hysterical!

Q: How do you feel about students coming in late?

– no comment

Q: What kind of advice do you have for students?

– Show up and do your work.

Q: What is your favorite color ?

– Purple

Q: What school did you go to?

– Como

Q: Do you have kids? If so how many?

– Yes, 2

Q: Do you prefer pizza or lasagna?

– Pizza

Q: What’s your favorite season?

– Summer

At HPSH we have an excellent art department. I was able to ask Ms. Shomion and Ms. Schultz some questions about art. Their responses were as follows:

Ms. Shultz

1) What is art to you?   Art is a visual language. Art is a language that all people can use.

2) What do you like about art?   I like that art can mean so many things to so many people. I like that art can be “tight” or “loose”. Art can be very expressive and offer the artist a time to be still and think in different ways than they do at other times in their day.

3) What made you wanna become an art teacher?  I knew I would always be learning about new artists and new techniques. I also knew I would be working with other adults who are specialists in many other interesting areas like math, science, and history.

4) Who’s your favorite artist and why?   I really admire the work of the American Regionalists, who capture the curving landscapes and political figures from the Midwest. I also really like other artists whose work is more abstract or stylized like Harlem Renaissance artist Jacob Lawrence.

5) Do you work on your art on your free time?   I really enjoy it when I have time to paint, sculpt, or take photographs in my spare time. In the IB Art & Design class I sometimes have the luxury of creating art alongside students to model artistic thinking.

6) What makes a good artist in your opinion?   A good artist is anyone who is willing to risk sharing their own point of view through art.

7) How does art make you feel?   Art makes me feel calm. Art makes me feel connected with my natural environment, and the world of materials. Art can be very tactile because so much of it is made with your own hands.

Ms. Shomion

1) What is art to you?
Art is a creative expression of ideas, thoughts and emotions.  Art can be seen, heard and/or felt.

2) What do you like about art?
I love that Art both fulfills the need of the artist to express and the audience’s need to experience.

3) What made you wanna (want to) become an art teacher
Of the many things I enjoyed studying in school, Art was what I kept choosing to do in my spare time.  It took a few years to realize Art filled a need within me to be both solitary and social.  I could be completely quiet and introspective while creating and communicate so much in the sharing of my Artwork afterwards.  The thought of being surrounded by Art all day, and guiding young people through the process of creating and appreciating Art really resonated with me.  Teaching also fills my need to be both independent and social.  While I’m teaching I’m communicating constantly with my students; listening, watching and responding to their needs.  When I’m alone, prepping and planning, I do a massive amount of remembering and reflecting on the hundreds of tiny interactions I had that day.  Many people say teaching is an Art, I agree 100%.  Although I am exhausted at the end of each day, I enjoy almost every minute of it.
   
4) Who’s your favorite artist and why?
Wow, I can’t possibly choose one.  Intellectually I favor abstraction and/or surrealism over realism and visually I really love the contrast of combining a limited color palette with dark blacks and bright whites.

5) Do you work on your art on your free time?
Yes! I am currently working on a 28×28 painting of the three generations of women in my family and an 18×24 mixed medium piece that explores the upheaval, despair and anger I feel surrounding my mother’s death last Winter.

6) What makes a good artist in your opinion?
I know it sounds cheesy, but throw a dart at the IB Learner Profile poster and a good artist would need to embody that characteristic.  It takes a lot of hard work and self awareness to be able to push yourself, encounter obstacles, reflect, persevere and do it again, and again and again.  Good artists learn and grow everyday from both themselves and the world around them.      

7) How does art make you feel?
Art makes me feel human.

Ms.  Hedwall, Ms. Rowheller, and the student council were in charge of the Homecoming week festivities. We interviewed some of the winners of the Homecoming Court and here is what they had to say.

Q: What was going through your head before they mentioned the winner?

Max: I was hoping someone else would get the chance.

Emilia: I was nervous.

Sid: Nothing, there were so many people. I was so nervous I couldn’t think

Sidney: I was nervous.

Q: How long did it take you to pick an outfit?

Max: Five minutes.

Emelia: Two hours.

Sid: Thirty minutes.

Sidney: Not that much.

Q: How did your family about you winning the title?

Max: My mom was really enthusiastic.

Emelia: They were really happy. My mom took a lot of pictures.

Sid: They thought it was cool.

Sidney: Really happy.

Q: How are you involved in school?

Max: Theater, Link crew, and HS.

Emelia: Link crew, volleyball.

Sid: Cross country, Nordic skiing, and track and field.

Sidney: FFA, Theater.

Q: Were you excited?

Max: Yes.

Emelia: Yes

Sid: I was pretty excited I didn’t think I would win.

Sidney: Yes.

Q: Did you think you were going win?

Max: No.

Emelia: No.

Sid: No.

Sidney: No.

Q: Did you do anything or celebrate?

Max: No.

Emelia: No, I just went to the dance.

Sid: I just went to the dance.

Sidney: Yes, I went out to dinner with my mom.

Max has won last year and Sidney was nominated.

By: Maeve Gimpl

As many of you already know, Highland has welcomed two student teachers from Saint Cloud State University. They stand alongside our current teachers here at HP to further engage in their final steps of learning before finally becoming educators themselves. I was able to spend a little time with Mr. Johnson and Ms. Meyer last week to ask them what a normal day for them would look like, as well as how they’re liking it so far.

To start off their regular morning, both student teachers get up bright and early to head to Highland for a long day of work. Ms. Meyer can be found teaching U.S. government with Mr. Zeitchick during the day, while Mr. Johnson heads up to Ms. Rise’s room to help teach geography. Both student teachers were telling me how much they enjoy working with not only their designated teachers but with the students as well!

For Ms. Meyer, this wasn’t her first time student teaching at a school; in fact, she’s on her fourth and final school that she has to teach at before she can finally become a teacher! I asked Ms. Meyer what her first day here at Highland was like. “I LOVED it,” she immediately replied. She proceeded to tell me that her favorite part of teaching so far has been interacting with the students–”and having them make fun of me,” she added with a laugh. When I asked her if she had a least favorite part of teaching, she said she didn’t have one! “I’m right where I’m supposed to be…I’m lovin’ life at HP!”

Mr. Johnson, just like Ms. Meyer, also said that his favorite part of teaching has been being able to interact with all the people at Highland. “I’ve had a lot of fun meeting the students and getting to know them,” Mr. Johnson admits. “It makes my day to be able to hang out with kids who are fun and have really good things to say!” He also told me that he has enjoyed his time with Ms. Rise both inside and outside of school, adding that they’ve even gone canoeing together on Lake Calhoun. Besides student teaching, Mr. Johnson loves biking, video games, and fantasy football.

It was great being able to get to know Ms. Meyer and Mr. Johnson this past week. One response really stuck out for me. When I asked both of them what their dream job would be, if they knew they could be successful in any career that they pursued, they both responded with confidence, “high school teacher.” This really shows how passionate and excited they are to continue their last bit of student teaching so that they can finally become teachers themselves!

Last week, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Mr. Sager, who is a new admin at Highland this year and will be in charge of the Freshman and Sophomore classes.

Mr. Sager, who is looking forward to finally working with high school students and discussing their future with them, decided to be an administrator after he was left wanting more responsibility after a few years of being a social studies teacher. He said that he loved teaching and misses it at times, but is very happy to be at HP. He hopes that people learn that he is very approachable and isn’t there just to discipline students.

Sager, who participated in FFA and a multitude of sports in high school wishes he had iPads during that time. He has high hopes for the implementation of technology at HP and believes that it will help students stay organized, just like it has already helped him, and that it will severely cut back on the amount of paper that needs to be constantly being exchanged between students and staff.

Sager also has very strong beliefs that a great member of an administrative team must be consistent, compassionate and operate with honesty, integrity and dependability. He gathers his inspiration from his family and the Livestrong Foundation motto, “Unity is strength, knowledge is power and attitude is everything.” He also drives himself to live “everyday with integrity, strength and, most importantly, values.”

 

I sat down for an interview. Dr. Shipp, who has been in the district for 25 years, is a new admin at Highland this year and will be managing the Junior and Senior classes.

Dr. Shipp, is eager to get to know the staff she will be working with and build relationships with students. She decided to be an administrator after discovering her love for working and developing students during her work as a school social worker. She hopes that people learn that she is very shy but hopes to get to know all the students she works with.

Shipp, who played the flute and participated in Student Council in high school is excited about the implementation of iPads this November. She has high hopes for technology at HP and believes that it will help students become true global citizens and put Highland on the same playing field as schools around the world. She also thinks that it will be a “game changer” in individualized instruction.

Dr. Shipp also believes that a great administrator must follow all aspects of the IB learner profile. “Perhaps the greatest aspect is to be a communicator, which means to not only be a good speaker but a superb listener,” said Shipp. She also thinks that broad knowledge and political savvy are important in being able to understand people’s views. She garners inspiration from the following quote from George Washington Carver: “Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom”. She interprets this quote to mean that without education, a person becomes imprisoned within their own mind.

You can contact Dr. Shipp at: deborah.shipp@spps.org, 651-744-4655