Meet the new teachers

Q: “Where did you go to get your degree?”  A: “I got my undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame where I studied English and Studio Arts, and I got my Masters degree from the University of Oregon. Studio Arts, also known as Ceramics, is one of my favorite things to do on the side. It’s a great stress reliever, and I thought about pursuing it, but I realized trying to make a ...

Is your style of teaching inspired by any of your past teachers? “My style of teaching was not inspired by a high school teacher that I had, because I didn’t like any of my high school teachers. My style of teaching was really mentored by, maybe my college professors, but it’s also based off who I am as a person. “I think that one of my skills and gifts that I have is my relationship with kid...

Q: Why did you get into music and teaching? A: It's the only thing that makes me feel something every day, and it's the only career I can imagine where I would be passionate about one part of my day every day. Q: How did you get into music? A: I grew up as a pianist, and I got recruited when I was in high school to a company for orchestra, jazz bands and pianists. My choir director was lik...

Q: How was your summer and did you go to anywhere? A: My summer was great. It was very busy because I was getting ready for my new job.   Q: Did you have fun during summer with your family? A: Yes, my wife and I took our dog around the mountains to do a little hiking, and it was great.   Q: Did you read any books this summer? A: Yes, I read so many books this summer. I re-read the...

Q: What are your hobbies? A: “I am a big tap dancer, I have been tap dancing ever since I was in fourth grade. I am part of  a performance group, we perform at nursing homes and occasionally we put on our own performances. I also really like skiing in the winter and I’ve recently started playing tennis with my fiance, I’m not very good at it but it gets me out.” Q: What do you l...

Q:How has the school year been so far? A: Amazing! It’s been really good, I love my students, I love the other teachers and it’s a very supportive welcoming environment.   Q: What was the hardest part about transitioning to a new school? A: Even as a grown up it’s hard to make friends or know if you’re going to fit in but I feel again, really lucky that I ended up here beca...

Did you play any sports this summer? This year was actually the first year I haven't. I stopped playing because I got a knee injury but I played softball since I was six. My mom played all the way through college and she was really good, she's like the best, she wanted me and my sister to play because she still loves softball. So I started playing when I was six and eventually when I was 12 my pa...

Kenny Ewbank is one of the newest editions to our math department, and recently moved from San Jose, Calif. As a graduate of Georgetown University for his undergraduate, and Stanford University for his graduate, he is a well skilled math teacher, ready to teach the next generations of students.   Q: What made you want to be a math teacher?   A: “Some of the reasons I became a math teacher, I guess...

Q: How long have you been teaching for? A: “This is my second year teaching full time. I’ve been working in education for about eight years. Last year I taught in Hawaii at Kauai High School, so this is my second year.”   Q: Do you like West Linn so far? A: “I love West Linn. Students here are so nice, the staff is really positive and welcoming and supportive. I’ve never ...