"Make us raise the bar for your kids."
DPS Superintendent Tom Boasberg, to northwest parents at the September 2009 Denver Plan presentation at North High

Northwest Neighborhood Middle Schools NOW was formed in 2009 by parents who were in search of an academically strong neighborhood middle school option in Northwest Denver that was socioeconomically and culturally diverse. Currently many NOW members have children attending Skinner with great success.

NOW members worked with the leaders of the already strong Skinner Middle School to win a $500,000 grant that strengthened honors options, Spanish (beginning and advanced) and instrumental music programs. Dedicated leaders and talented staff paired with the strong commitment to academic growth and the full range of sports and academic offerings have made Skinner a school of choice in Northwest Denver.

We encourage all families that seek the well-rounded education of a neighborhood school to join our mailing list (below) to learn about Skinner's programs, success stories, and garner information about how to get involved.

Sep 6, 2011

Meet the 6th Grade Core Classes Teachers

New Skinner 6th graders are excited about their new school! They're making new friends and loving their classes and 6th grade core teachers. As new 6th grader Sarah said, "I love Skinner, especially my teachers."

So we'd like to introduce you to Skinner's excellent 6th grade core team:

Jessica Goebel

Jessica is from San Diego, California. She attended the University of Southern California where she studied Communication and Cinematic Arts. Jessica has been teaching for four years, this is her second at Skinner. Jessica also worked at MTV News as well as in the press office for the mayor of Los Angeles. Her mom inspires her to work hard and achieve her goals. Jessica’s favorite book is The Bell Jar by Silvia Plath. She enjoys the 16th Street Mall as well as all the hiking, snow, special events, venues for live music and restaurants around Denver.

  • would most like to visit Peru
  • favorite food is sushi
  • has a grey and white striped kitty named Panther
  • enjoys playing basketball, watching movies, spending time with family and friends and reading magazines

Jessica Hale

Jessica was born in Wichita Falls, Texas, but she grew up in Colorado. Jessica graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies and Special Education. This is her 8th year teaching and it’s her 3rd year at Skinner. Jessica’s mother, who is an elementary school teacher, inspired her to teach and support public school. She has had a variety of jobs including substitute teaching, waitressing, and serving in the Air Force Reserve. Jessica lives in Evergreen and loves to hike and play outdoors with her family.

  • has a perfect 11 month old son named Caise who loves being outside
  • favorite store is Whole Foods
  • loves Fuego flavored Takis (which are not found at Whole Foods)
  • favorite author is David Sedaris

Christopher Martin

Christopher is from Kalamazoo, Michigan. He attended Western Michigan University where he received a degree in Secondary Education – Biology/Science. Christopher has been a teacher for four years and has been at Skinner for two years. He has held a diversity of other jobs including farm help, cook, barista, at a skateboard shop. Christopher’s college professor Dr. Bielby inspired him to teach. His favorite book is A Brief History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson. Christopher enjoys Colorado’s mild weather, low humidity, mountains, skateparks and fondly describes Denver as the “biggest little city.” He describes South America and Europe as top priorities for places he would most like to visit.

  • favorite foods are pizza or anything sweet
  • has a handsome cat named Ignacio
  • enjoys cooking, skateboarding, biking, snowboarding, yoga, exploring and buying shoes

Meghan Nelson

Meghan is from Denver, Colorado. She studied Human Development and Family Studies at Colorado State University and earned her teaching license from Metropolitan State College of Denver. This is Meghan’s first year teaching and her second at Skinner. Meghan has always had jobs that focus on children, from being a nanny to being a mental health worker at a residential treatment home. Her mother, a teacher for 30 years, inspired Meghan to join the field of education. She enjoys reading non-fiction and two of her favorite books are A History of the World in 6 Glasses by Tom Standage, and A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah. Meghan loves hiking, biking, reading, and playing tennis in the wonderful Colorado weather.

  • Would love to travel the world, starting with Africa
  • Favorite foods are pizza, sushi, and tinga
  • Enjoys cooking, reading, playing with her niece and nephews, and spending time with her two sisters

Luz Torres

Luz is from Juarez, Mexico. She studied Metallurgical Engineering in El Paso, TX and got her teaching license at CU Boulder. Luz has been teaching for fourteen years, 10 at Skinner. Luz also worked as a manufacturing quality control engineer as well as a chemical lab supervisor. Her personal hero is her dad, a retired middle school Biology teacher and an inspiration. She enjoys the weather and the vegetation of Colorado.

  • would most like to visit Europe
  • favorite foods are enchiladas and chiles rellenos
  • depending on the weather, Luz enjoys riding her bicycle, watching movies, listening to music or reading science magazines

Share/Bookmark
Labels: ,

0 comments:

Post a Comment