For abounding association of the Santa Clarita Valley, bonds to the burghal and its association run deep.
The aforementioned is accurate for abounding of SCV’s best agents who begin their affection for apprenticeship sitting in classrooms throughout the area’s bristles accessible academy districts.
In fact, bristles elementary academy agents from the Saugus Union Academy Commune accept begin themselves aback at the schools they already attended, teaching in classrooms they already sat in and alive alongside educators they already admired.
Debbie Rocha, admiral of the Saugus Teachers’ Association, said these agents apperceive the association and acknowledgment to the commune because of the ancestors ambiance it provides.
“The Saugus Academy Commune is still babyish abundant to be a ancestors environment, at anniversary site, and district-wide,” Rocha said. “We booty affliction of our colleagues and accept asperous some boxy issues including RIF- abridgement in work-force at atomic alert in my career. Alive area you went to academy is addition affiliation that ties you to the community.”
These bristles SUSD agents knew they capital to accord aback to the commune and to the association they admired so much.
Kim Corona, Rosedell Elementary School
For Kim Corona, a additional brand abecedary at Rosedell Elementary School, teaching in the Saugus Commune was consistently a ancestors affair.
“My mom is a abecedary and my aunt was a abecedary so it affectionate of ran in the ancestors and came artlessly to me,” Corona said.
After she accelerating college, becoming her teaching credential, got affiliated and confused aback to SCV, Corona activated for a position in the Saugus Commune area her mom was still teaching.
“I aboriginal got a job at Bouquet Canyon Elementary and actually that was the aforementioned academy my mom was teaching at,” she said. “When that academy bankrupt I had the befalling to move to Rosedell. It was abutting and some of acceptance from Bouquet were actuality transferred over actuality and I knew some of the families.”
Now, Corona has been teaching at her above elementary academy for eight years, a anamnesis she generally shares with her acceptance on the aboriginal day of school.
“I accept lots of acceptable memories and I bethink all of my agents all the way through. I went actuality from kindergarten to sixth grade,” Corona said. “I consistently acquaint them about that on the aboriginal day of academy and my own kids go actuality as well.”
When Corona aboriginal abutting the Rosedell agents she formed alongside her fifth brand teacher, who is now a substitute, and a kindergarten abecedary who accomplished at the academy aback she was young.
And although she does not advise in a classroom she already sat in, she still shares memories with her acceptance from her time at the elementary school.
“It’s all so altered now from aback I went here. It was retrofitted and they did a remodel,” Corona said. “I get actual cornball and I anticipate it’s appropriate to accept the roots that go that abysmal and to allotment that acquaintance with my acceptance and it connects me to them.”
Dan Kurtz, Highlands Elementary School
Before he began his about 14 year career in the Saugus District, Dan Kurtz, a fifth brand abecedary at Highlands Elementary School, capital to specialize in sharks.
But, afterwards he formed as a additional brand teacher’s abettor for his above abecedary Pete Bland in aerial school, Kurtz knew he capital to become a abecedary as well.
“I was TA for his chic and actually admired it. I absolutely got forth with Pete and I absolutely saw myself afterward his footsteps,” Kurtz said. “My mom was additionally an appointment ambassador in this district.”
After he becoming his teaching credential, Kurtz absitively to acknowledgment to the Santa Clarita Valley and, particularly, the Saugus District.
“I absolutely advantaged the Saugus District,” Kurtz said. “I affix able-bodied with the kids actuality in Santa Clarita because I was one of them. So I absolutely accept how they’re growing up, what they’re adventures are, what they aren’t apparent to and what they are apparent to… I can accompany that into the lesson.”
He additionally capital to assignment in the commune because of its affiliation of technology in the classroom with Chromebooks and Flat Panels and because of its assorted apprentice makeup.
Now, the fifth brand abecedary is aback in his elementary school, alive with his above third brand abecedary Mara Kavanagh and teaching acceptance in his additional brand classroom.
“You anticipate it would be crazy but it’s absolutely not that impactful because the academy has afflicted so abundant so it’s absolutely altered that it acclimated to be,” he said. “The alone affair that’s absolutely different is the three walls so we accept the accessible pods. To me that’s affectionate of accustomed area for others it’s not.”
Kurtz said he loves watching acceptance accretion aplomb in themselves and their acquirements throughout the day.
“I additionally appetite to advise because I’ve had some absolutely amazing agents that absolutely went out of their way and they absolutely helped shaped the actuality I am today,” Kurtz said. “I appetite to be like them and accord the acceptance the aforementioned adventures I had.”
Robyn Ortiz, Skyblue Mesa Elementary School
When Robyn Ortiz was a apprentice at UCLA, she apparent her admiration to assignment with accouchement as an elementary academy teacher.
“My mother was a abecedary for 39 years, with 25 of those years in our [the Saugus] district,” Ortiz said. “I listened to her belief of struggles and successes, and aback I was offered an befalling to assignment with her acceptance as allotment of a abstract chic at UCLA, I accomplished how adored accouchement are to me and how life-changing this career can be.”
After she becoming her teaching credential, Ortiz knew she capital to acknowledgment to her home commune and advise alongside educators who aggressive her.
“It agency I can account the apprenticeship – both amusing and bookish – I accustomed as a apprentice by casual those acquaint on to my own students,” she said.
Ortiz begin herself at her above elementary academy aback Skyblue Mesa’s above arch assassin Ortiz due to her acquaintance teaching upper-grade acceptance English at Sierra Vista Junior Aerial School.
“Initially, I had accepted to advise at Skyblue for a brace of years and afresh alteration to Highlands so that I could advise with my mom; but I never begin the ‘right’ moment to leave abaft the students, colleagues and families at Skyblue I’d developed to love,” Ortiz said.
The fifth brand abecedary additionally acquainted affiliated to the academy due to the memories she had on the elementary academy campus and the contest Skyblue Mesa still captivated for its families.
“I reminisced about my own adventures adequate ‘after-school time’ aback at school, bistro ice chrism and arena with my accompany and my sister,” Ortiz said. “I anticipate those memories are additionally a allotment of the acumen I backward here.”
She additionally was aflame to see her above fourth brand teacher, Maggie Chesnutt, at the academy aback she alternate to Skyblue Mesa.
“Since I was teaching 6th brand at the time, I never had the adventitious to advise with her directly, but it was still heartwarming to sit with her during agents meetings,” Ortiz said. “I additionally never got over calling her ‘Mrs. Chesnutt,’ alike as her adolescent colleague.”
Katherine Solomon, Emblem Academy
Since she was a child, aboriginal and additional brand abecedary Katherine Solomon has had a appropriate band with Emblem Academy.
“My mom served on the PTA and after became the school’s librarian. She retired aloof a few years ago from the district,” Solomon said.
Solomon additionally got her alpha in apprenticeship at Emblem Academy aback she began volunteering in her sixth brand teacher’s classroom aback Solomon was in seventh grade.
“She was activity aback to advise kindergarten and asked for some help,” Solomon said. “I concluded up acceptable her anniversary year until I became a teacher.”
During this time, Solomon additionally formed in several afterschool programs at Emblem Academy aback she was 18 years old.
This assignment at Emblem and alongside above agents aggressive Solomon to acknowledgment to the classroom as a kindergarten abecedary herself.
“I had amazing agents who were consistently auspicious and amorous about what they were teaching,” Solomon said. “Working with the best kindergarten agents that I accept anytime met absolutely aggressive me to appetite to advise kindergarten. Afterwards I was assassin by Saugus I accomplished kindergarten for the abutting 10 years.”
Today, Solomon still keeps in acquaintance with her sixth brand abecedary who alien her to kindergarten teaching. For her, the agents at Emblem feels added like ancestors than colleagues.
“I feel actual appreciative to assignment at Emblem. As our principal, Mr. Baker, says, ‘Emblem is the best-kept abstruse in Saugus,’” Solomon said. “I can’t delay for my babyish babe to appear Emblem in the future. I wouldn’t appetite her to go anywhere else.”
Monica Tatlock, Emblem Academy
Following in her mother’s footsteps, Monica Tatlock knew she capital to be a abecedary from a adolescent age.
“Each of my elementary academy agents acutely admired what they did,” Tatlock said. “As I got older, I started allowance in my mom’s classroom whenever I could, celebratory how she fabricated anniversary assignment agreeable for her students.”
After admission from academy and earning her teaching credential, Tatlock absitively to acknowledgment to the Saugus Commune as a abecedary at James Foster Elementary area she remained for 12 years.
In 2013, aback it was appear that Emblem would reopen as a STEM school, Tatlock activated to alteration to the elementary school.
“The abstraction of teaching at my above academy was intriguing… I spent the determinative years of my activity acquirements and authoritative memories at this school, and it absolutely impacted my admiration to acknowledgment and be a allotment of educating children,” she said. “Also, the befalling to assignment with Jon Baker as my ambassador afresh was a huge affairs point. Jon had been the arch at Foster years above-mentioned and his affection and activity are contagious.”
When the academy opened, the fourth brand abecedary was reunited with several accustomed faces and above aeon that enrolled their own accouchement at Emblem Academy.
“I was not afraid at how abounding of us ‘flew aback to the eagle’s nest,’” Tatlock said.
Tatlock is additionally alive with her above acquaintance Katherine Solomon and alongside her above fourth brand abecedary Tiffany Desmond.
“She was, and still is, a hard-working, friendly, adorning teacher,” Tatlock said. “Three years ago, I was her daughter’s fourth brand teacher. Two years ago, she was my daughter’s third brand teacher. I am appreciative to assignment alongside her at Emblem.”
As she works about the Emblem campus, Tatlock said she generally thinks about how the concrete campus, classrooms and amphitheater has afflicted back she abounding the academy in the 1980s.
“However, the aforementioned spirit is still there. The students, agents and families still accept that aforementioned Emblem pride,” she said. “I am appreciative to still be an Emblem Eagle, this time as one of those adults that can appulse approaching generations. The agents collaborates to actualize a absolute acquirements ambiance area apprentice acquirements is the focus, and I adulation actuality allotment of that.”
ccox@signalscv.com661-287-5575On Twitter as @_ChristinaCox_
