principal: dr. traci townsend assistant principal: kimberly … · quote good libraries build...

Principal: Dr. Traci Townsend

Assistant Principal: Kimberly Heidler

3701 Saul Rd

Kensington, MD 20895

240-740-2200

2017-2018

Inaugural Year

SILVER CREEK MIDDLE SCHOOL HUSKIES ON THE M.O.V.E. 2

June 2017

Dear Students, Parents, and Guardians, Welcome to Silver Creek Middle School! I know that you are just as excited as I am to begin the new school year. There is so much going on behind the scenes to ensure that materials and equipment are ordered, staff is hired, and the building is ready so that we are prepared to open our doors for the first day of school on September 5, 2017. Our school building will be beautiful with many wonderful features and I am sure that you will love it. However, the most important aspect of a school is the community – the students, parents, and staff that work together each day to ensure that our relationships are strong and that the teaching and learning is of the highest quality. I am so excited about the community that we are building at Silver Creek Middle School. I have had the opportunity to meet our students and I am looking forward to spending quality time with them this coming school year. I have met and spoken with so many parents and I appreciate their dedication and their willingness to help in so many areas to support our school. Finally, our staff is incredible. I believe that we have the best staff in Montgomery County Public Schools! This booklet will introduce you to several members of our staff and tell you a little about each one. I encourage you to reach out to them during the school year if you ever have any questions or require assistance with anything. Each of us is here to help. This booklet also includes our school vision, as well as information about the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (MYP). We are officially an MYP school and will be implementing the program for our students. I am truly humbled and honored to be your principal and I am looking forward to an awesome school year!

Sincerely,

Traci L. Townsend, Ed. D.

Principal

Silver Creek Middle School


Silver Creek Middle School

VISION STATEMENT

Silver Creek Middle School provides each student the opportunity to engage in rigorous

instruction that fosters critical thinking and problem-solving in a collaborative and reflective

environment built upon genuine and meaningful relationships. Our learning environment

cultivates knowledgeable, innovative, and culturally-minded students who are equipped to

lead and make positive contributions to our society.

INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE

MIDDLE YEARS PROGRAMME

The MYP aims to develop active learners and internationally minded young people who can

empathize with others and pursue lives of purpose and meaning.

The programme empowers students to inquire into a wide range of issues and ideas of

significance locally, nationally and globally. The result is young people who are creative,

critical and reflective thinkers.

HUSKIES ON THE M.O.V.E.

Motivated, Open-Minded Visionaries for Excellence


ADMINISTRATION

Name Dr. Traci Townsend

IB Learner Reflective, Principled

Position Principal

Education Shenandoah University

Ed. D. School Leadership

Fun Fact I love health and fitness

Quote Your desire to change must be greater than your desire to

stay the same.

Name Mrs. Kimberly (Kim) Heidler

IB Learner Reflective, Caring

Position Assistant Principal

Education Loyola University

M.ED in Curriculum and Instruction

Fun Fact I received my first teaching job offer while on vacation in the

Bahamas.

Quote “Success means doing the best we can with what we have,

reaching for the highest that is in us, and becoming all that

we can be.”

MAIN OFFICE STAFF

Name Mrs. Susan Katz

IB Learner Inquirers, Principled

Position Administrative Secretary

Education University of Maryland

B.A. Communications

Fun Fact I’ve worked in elementary school and high school, but not

middle school.

Quote I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to

the death your right to say it.


STUDENT & STAFF SUPPORT

Name Ms. Renee S. Hill


Position MYP Coordinator

Education Indiana University of Pennsylvania

M. Ed in Elementary Education K-8

Fun Fact I love having cook-off challenges with my 25 great nieces &

nephews

Quote Excellence is not perfection. Excellence is giving your best!

Name Ms. Kimberly Sexton

IB Learner Inquirers, Caring

Position Staff Development, AEIST

Education University of Maryland, College Park

M.Ed in Curriculum and Instruction

Fun Fact I have moved 15 times. I spent a whole week with the entire

cast of Baywatch

Quote "We do not see things as they are, we see things as we are." -

Anais Nin

LIBRARY MEDIA CENTER

Name Ms. Trayce Diskin

IB Learner Reflective, Open-Minded

Position Media Specialist

Education Columbia University, New York

MA in English and Creative Writing & MS Library Media

Instruction

Fun Fact I love to run half marathons, and cook Mediterranean food.

Quote Good libraries build collections. Better libraries build

services. The best libraries build communities. -- Neil Gaiman

Name Ms. Joyce Raynor

IB Learner Open-Minded, Inquirers

Position Media Assistant

Education University of Maryland at College Park

B.A. in Journalism & B.A. in English Literature

Fun Fact I coach my daughter's softball team.

Quote “Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.” –F. Douglass


COUNSELING SERVICES

Name Mr. Tim Skillings

IB Learner Reflective, Thinkers

Position 7th Grade Counselor

Education Canisius College

Masters in School Counseling

Fun Fact I like to play video games - right now, Splatoonislife

Quote Believe you can and you’re halfway there. –Theodore

Roosevelt

Name Mrs. Lauren Robinson

IB Learner Caring, Principled

Position 6th Grade Counselor

Education Johns Hopkins University

Masters in School Counseling

Fun Fact I love to dance!

Quote Learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all, have

fun!" Julia Child

Name Mr. Eddy Luna

IB Learner Open-Minded, Communicators

Position Counseling Secretary/Registrar

Education San Carlos University/Guatemala

High School Diploma/College courses

Fun Fact I like soccer and cooking

Quote Live life to the fullest and focus on the positive

ART ✤ MUSIC ✤ WORLD LANGUAGES

Name Ms. Julie Gross

IB Learner Open-Minded, Communicators

Position Content Specialist - Studio and Digital Art

Education Towson University

BS Art Education

Fun Fact I'm a painter!

Quote “Creativity takes courage”- Henri Matisse


Name Ms. Jessica Snyder

IB Learner

Position Art

Education

Fun Fact

Quote “You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more

you have.” Maya Angelou

Name Ms. Ashley Tauber

IB Learner Inquirers, Principled

Position Instrumental and Choral Music


M. ED in Human Development

Fun Fact I play in a professional saxophone quartet!

Quote "The more I want to get something done, the less I call it

work." - Richard Bach

Name Mrs. Daysi Castro

IB Learner Risk-takers, Caring

Position Spanish teacher

Education Mc Daniel College

M. S. in Curriculum & Instruction, Leadership

Fun Fact I was born in El Salvador

Quote Surround yourself with positive energy, good vibes translates

into good moods and better health all around.

Name Mrs. Roxanne Hodges


Position Teacher: Spanish 1AB

Education Texas A&M University

M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction

Fun Fact I'm from Texas

Quote “We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the

changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.” Maya

Angelou


Name Ms. Michelle Miller

IB Learner Inquirers, Communicators

Position French 1 and Spanish 1


Master of Arts in Teaching

Fun Fact I am a certified Yoga Teacher (RYT-200).

Quote “Always be a work in progress.”

ENGLISH ✤ READING

Name Mr. David O'Shell

IB Learner Balanced, Communicators

Position Content Specialist - Advanced English 7

Education Carlow University

Masters in Secondary Education

Fun Fact I love to play tennis

Quote “Whereas the young - in almost an optical sense - look

forward to life through literature, the old look back at life

through it.” — Roger Shattuck “Proust’s Way”

Name Mr. Matt Chandler


Position Advanced English 6

Education George Washington University

M. Ed in Teacher Leadership

Fun Fact I was a Rural Education Peace Corps volunteer in DuWatra,

Suriname

Quote "New knowledge is a valuable commodity. The more truth we

have to work with, the richer we are.” -Kurt Vonnegut

Name Ms. Alexia Chatfield


Position Grade 7 English Teacher

Education Tulane University

Master's of English Literature

Fun Fact I've been to every continent but Asia and Antarctica

Quote One day or day one. You decide.


Name Ms. Sarah Gayman

IB Learner Communicators, Caring

Position Advanced English 7; Reading Intervention

Education University of Pittsburgh

Master's EQ Secondary English Education

Fun Fact I love horror movies

Quote "Everyone you meet knows something you don't."

Name Ms. Rachel Mannheimer

IB Learner Communicators, Principled

Position Advanced English 6

Education Penn State University

B. S. in Secondary Education (English/Communications)

Fun Fact This summer I am spending three weeks traveling Europe:

Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, and Prague!

Quote “Improvement makes straight roads, but the crooked roads

without improvement are roads of genius.” -William Blake

Name Ms. Sandra Lang


Position ESOL

Education Teachers’ College, Columbia University

M.A. TESOL

Fun Fact I lived in the Netherlands for 2 years and taught at an

international school.

Quote “What we learn with pleasure, we never forget.” – Mercier

MATHEMATICS

Name Ms. Jeanni Chin

IB Learner Reflective, Knowledgeable

Position Content Specialist – IM and IM Support


M. ED Teacher Leadership – Secondary Mathematics

Fun Fact I’ve snowboarded in Canada, France, Italy and Japan

Quote “The future depends on what we do in the present.” Gandhi


Name Mr. Daniel Ankrah

IB Learner Reflective, Balanced

Position IM and IM Support

Education Loyola University of Maryland

Business Administration

Fun Fact I speak Twi, a language from Ghana

Quote “With Dedication, Hard Work and Determination, whatever

your goal is, you will achieve it.”

Name Mrs. Michelle Marquardt


Position Math 6

Education McDaniel College

M. ED Administration and Supervision

Fun Fact I have run 12 marathons, including two Boston Marathons

Quote "The more that you read, the more you will know. The more

you will learn, the more places you'll go." Dr. Seuss

Name Ms. Stacy Shiffman


Position Math 6, IM

Education University of Delaware

Bachelor's in Elementary Education / Master's Equivalency

Fun Fact I'm a huge D.C. sports fan

Quote "Do more of what makes you happy."

Name Mrs. Thea Singleton Alexander


Position Algebra 1, IM

Education Stanford University

M.A. in Education

Fun Fact I was training to be a professional ballet dancer in middle

school & still take open adult classes at Maryland Youth Ballet

when I find the time.

Quote "The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into

windows" - Sydney J. Harris


HEALTH ✤ PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Name Mr. Jeffrey Herrod


Position Content Specialist - PE 6 and PE 7

Education Hood College

Masters Degree in Educational Leadership

Fun Fact My best friend, brother, and I, are all born within 2 days of

each other

Quote "Failing to plan, is planning to Fail!"

Name Mr. Ryan Bingaman

IB Learner Balanced, Thinkers

Position PE and Health, Grades 6/7

Education McDaniel College

Master's Degree in PE/Administration

Fun Fact I can and plan to ride my bike to school some days; I live that

close to the new school!

Quote Take care of your body. It's the only place you have to live.

Name Ms. Christine Li


Position Physical Education Grade 6 and 7 / Health 6 and 7

Education Indiana University

B.S. Kinesiology - Teacher Prep

Fun Fact Went to Houston, TX and had a blast at Superbowl

LI! (brought back a collection of "LI" gear :)

Quote Always Be Kinder Than Necessary

Name Ms. Maura Roddy


Position Physical Education, Health, and Investigations in Science 7

Education Ohio University and Salisbury University

Masters in Athletic Administration

Fun Fact I know how to juggle.

Quote "A person who never made a mistake never tried anything

new." Albert Einstein


SCIENCE ✤ TECHNOLOGY

Name Ms. Rosemary McNary

IB Learner Reflective, Inquirers

Position Content Specialist - 7th Grade Science

Education Johns Hopkins University

Master in the Arts of Teaching

Fun Fact I have a twin sister.

Quote Science literacy is the artery through which the solutions of

tomorrow's problems flow.-Neil deGrasse Tyson

Name Ms. Sandra Cornell

IB Learner Open-Minded, Risk-takers

Position Investigations in Science 6

Education George Washington University

MA in International Education; NBCT

Fun Fact I have lived in 8 different countries.

Quote Science. Adventure. Fun!

Name Mr. Andrew Brodeur

IB Learner Open-Minded, Principled

Position 7th Grade Science Teacher

Education Duke University, Loyola College

BS in Biological Anthropology and Anatomy

Fun Fact My fastest mile is 4:06.

Quote Life is about how much you can get hit and keep moving

forward. - Rocky

Name Ms. Lorelei Dinger


Position 6th grade science

Education University of North Carolina Wilmington

B.A middle grades education, concentrating inscience and

language arts

Fun Fact I am scuba certified and have swum with whale sharks

Quote In the end everything will be OK, so if it's not OK it's not the

end


Name Mr. Ollie Hardy


Position Technology Education: Computer-Aided Drafting and

Design & Applied Robotic Engineering (CADD-ARE),

Information & Communication Technologies Grade 6 (ICT-6)

Education Virginia State University

M.Ed, Technology Education

Fun Fact I used to work as a chef at an NBA basketball camp.

Quote "Do or Do not, there is no try."

WORLD STUDIES

Name Ms. Sharon Fitzgerald

IB Learner Balanced and Reflective

Position Content Specialist – World Studies 6 and 7

Education Teachers College Columbia University

M. ED. Educational Administration

Fun Fact Love Broadway shows and traveling. Recently saw Hamilton

and have plans to travel to Dubai & Egypt.

Quote When students become inquirers through reading, writing,

discourse, media and projects, they are taking ownership of

their education.

Name Ms. Katie Frank


Position 6th Grade Science and World Studies


BS Middle School Education: Science and Social Studies

Fun Fact I love cooking and trying new foods!

Quote There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.

Name Ms. Christinae Guignard

IB Learner Knowledgeable,

Position 6th Grade World History

Education City University of Seattle

M. ED. Curriculum Development

Fun Fact I worked in leadership roles in sales and marketing for Fortune

500 Corporations in New York. I love to sing.

Quote "Live life as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were

to live forever.” Mahatma Gandhi


Name Mr. William Kavanaugh


Position 7th Grade Team Leader and 7th Grade World Studies

Education UMBC

Master of Arts in Teaching Social Studies

Fun Fact I love to cook and hangout on the beach

Quote "Don't bother just to be better than your contemporaries or

predecessors. Try to be better than yourself." - William Faulkner

Name Mrs. Kimberley Lansell

IB Learner Knowledgeable, Principled

Position 7th Grade World History

Education American University

Masters in Secondary Social Studies

Fun Fact I taught U.S.History in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1995.

Quote "Practice what you preach"

SPECIAL EDUCATION

Name Ms. Rebecca Lusman

IB Learner Caring, Thinkers

Position Resource Teacher, Special Education (RTSE)

Education Hofstra University

MS. Ed. in Emotional Disabilities & Elementary Education

Fun Fact I was bitten by a shark while scuba diving.

Quote “Failure is not an option” - Gene Kranz

Name Mr. Ryan Celestino


Position Special Education - Mathematics

Education University of Maryland

M. ED in Curriculum and Instruction - Middle School

Mathematics

Fun Fact I play drums in two bands; a hard rock band and a funk band

Quote “As you walk down the fairway of life you must smell the roses,

for you only get to play one round.” -Ben Hogan


Name Amanda Hishmeh

IB Learner Open-Minded, Inquirer

Position Reading and Resource


M.A. Teaching in Special and Elementary Education

Fun Fact I am proud to say that I have never drank a soda.

Quote “If Plan A fails, don’t give up. You have 25 more letters to go!

Name Mr. Keith Shivley

IB Learner Principled, Caring

Position English

Education Temple University

M. ED. Special Education

Fun Fact I am a life-long Baltimore Orioles fan and share season tickets

with my father.

Quote "Never stop fighting until you arrive at your destined place -

that is, the unique you. Have an aim in life, continuously

acquire knowledge, work hard, and have perseverance to

realize the great life. - A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

Name Mrs. Carmen Romero

IB Learner Communicators, Caring

Position Para-educator

Education

Fun Fact I like to walk in park trails on my free time, listen to music, and

read

Quote "Don't study to earn, study to learn, what you learn today is

who you will become tomorrow."

To access a digital copy, please visit: http://tinyurl.com/SilverCreekStaff2017-2018

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Created by: Jeanni Chin

principal: dr. traci townsend assistant principal: kimberly … · quote good libraries build...

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