Welcome to Scotts Valley High School! Home of the Falcons and the new art teacher, Judy!

Hi everyone,

If you have not been hearing through Facebook, things have changed drastically on the job front. I had verbally accepted the job in Felton, but had not signed a contract yet, when Scotts Valley, a neighboring school, called to offer me another job! Their position is teaching International Baccalaureate Art as well as their Foundations course, and this is what I've been wanting to do for a very long time...ever since my old principal, Joe Wilson, talked about making Ithaca High School an IB school. So, I had both schools calling multiple time, changing their offers, fighting over me, each telling me how they were better than the other, and finally, I had to make a choice. I chose Scotts Valley. It was partly that their offer was significantly better financially, but mostly because I really wanted to teach IB Art. It's kind of like AP, but even more so, if you catch my drift. IB is a diploma program that is extremely rigorous, and is highly favored by colleges and universities. Students have to keep Investigation Workbooks and create a portfolio of their work from their junior and senior years. Their IB exam is an interview and presentation to the IB people, either in person or by video.

Here are some pictures of my rooms. Keep in mind that they are newly hauled out, but I have not had the time yet to make it my home. I'm working on it, today, Thursday and Friday. I want it to be warm, welcoming, inspiring and colorful for my new students when they walk through the doors on Wednesday of next week.

The mascot is a falcon and the campus is called the Nest. There is something I really like about saying I'm going to work in the nest. It's very maternal, don't you think?

Here's my big classroom:

This is one of my storage rooms....probably where I'll have students keep works in progress.

Another storage room:

This is where I will give the IB students their own special studio spaces and storage spaces, since they are the most advanced and most serious artists.

I have 15 electric wheels. The kiln is outside. I can't get into the gated area where it lives yet, as my keys don't work. Once I get the gate re-keyed, I have some cleaning to do to get it all ready to fire up my first test fire.

The fog is rolling in over the nest!

This is my door. The IB students are working on painting all of the doors around campus.

My big motto is going to be, "Why Copy When You Can CREATE?" There seems to be a habit of copying and tracing going on in the student work here....and that's going to stop NOW!

(You can see the copy of the Alfonse Mucha and the hand that was made by tracing a photograph on an overhead projector....)

Magnetic poetry on the front of my desk....an art room essential!

The most important things on my desk...my Dad, who inspires me as a teacher every day, and my mug, made by Ursula Hilsdorf...one of the best art students and by far the best student teacher I've ever had and now, she's the new art teacher at Ithaca High School! Best of luck, Ursula...have great fun in my old darkroom!

Let's hope we never have to use this. It's a kit of things we'd need if we were ever locked down for an extended period of time. I've never seen one of these. It even has bags to go pee in with tablets to cover the smell! Ugh.....

After school, I met Chris, Grayson, Carla and Bridgette at one of the top tourist attractions in Santa Cruz...the Mystery Spot. It's a crazy place in the Redwoods where for some reason, gravity is not quite right. Even when the ground seems level (confirmed by a carpenter's level), people are leaning at strange angles. It's hard to explain, but you all should Google it. It's really bizarre. 

They have this car out front...I think it even tops the Ithaca is Gorges Car, in terms of having total coverage! I have to admit, I'm a little jealous.

Here is out tour guide. Check out how she's standing.....

Here is Carla pushing a pendulum.

The kids are trying to walk inside the cabin which is built over the vortex of this phenomenon. It is not easy...some of us even got really nauseous! Something very strange is happening here.

Don't know who this guy is, but he's standing here, totally relaxed, at this angle. Can you explain it? Chris will be able to tell us all about it, after he reads the book I bought him in the gift shop that tells about this place and others like it around the country.

And last, but not least, I wanted to share this photo...my good friend, the banana slug, was back this evening...sliming his way across the driveway. I put him back in the garden and hosed him down, so he wouldn't dry out and die. Isn't he a beauty?

 Goodnight, John Boy. Goodnight, Pa.  Goodnight, Grandma.  Goodnight, Banana Slug.......