Friday Faces: Lower + Upper Middle School

Have you enjoyed getting to know our staff and teachers so far? We have just three weeks left of this fun series and it’s been wonderful getting to know everyone! 

This week we advance to our middle school team. This group is responsible for helping our emerging independent learners build the foundation they need to enter into the rhetoric stage in high school.

Join us as we get to know a bit more about this amazing group of educators.

In Lower Middle School (LMS)

1. Who had the most influence on you growing up?

• Jenn: I always admired my grandmother for her independence and adventurous spirit. She was always busy working in her beautiful garden, cooking, and painting,  eagerly took on new hobbies in her later years including sailing, and weaving on a giant loom, and traveling. My heart breaks that she is no longer living. She truly lived life to the fullest.
• Wendy: My mother had the most influence on me growing up. Being a single mom of two daughters, she worked hard to provide and be present in our lives. She loved her time with us and would always find ways to have fun together.
• Pamela: Mother & Father:  work ethic of a farmer
• Guy: Italy and Scotland.

2. What was the first thing you bought with your own money?

• • Jenn: I suppose when I was young and earned an allowance I’d always walk into town in Upper Montclair, NJ and by a candy bar. As a teenager I bought a lot of clothes. Growing up outside Manhattan, I loved going into the city and shopping on Canal Street and Chinatown.
  • Wendy: I can’t quite remember, but it was probably some gummy fish. It’s still my favorite candy:)
  • Pamela: probably a gift for my mother (Fiberglass grapes…a real treasure!)  🙂
  • Guy: A 2″ tall Paddington Bear toy.

3. Have you ever had your 15 minutes of fame yet?

• Jenn: Not really. A few times I was interviewed for random things and would be on KSBY’s nightly news for about 3 seconds.
• Wendy: Yes, but don’t tell anyone;). As an exchange student in Brazil at the age of 18, I convinced a few key people that I was a reporter for Rolling Stone magazine in Brazil to write a story. My goal was to get a free 2-night hotel stay and a free dune buggy to drive around the area. The plan worked! Had to do a few photo shoots in the lobby for it. And at age of 10 I was in a commercial for my Dad’s ski shop. I wore some huge brightly colored snow pants and a big ol fluffy hat with a knitted hot dog through it. Gotta love the early 80’s!
• Pamela: Not really…and that is okay with me.
• Guy: :-/  … locally yes. Today I am working on national… TOMORROW THE WORLD!

4. How do you like your eggs?

• Jenn: Low heat fried with a dash of cayenne pepper and a sprinkle of oregano.
• Wendy: Depends on how I’m feeling. I eat them all…even green!
• Pamela: Eggs? Over easy with garlic salt, parmesan, kale and avocado
• Guy: Sunny side up on homemade bread.

5. Do you have any phobias you’d like to break?

• Jenn: Heights and being too close to the edge of a steep cliff or drop
• Wendy: Going on the Nemo ride at Disneyland. I really love being on the water, but can’t go inside anything under the water.
• Pamela: Probably my fear of heights…especially when hiking in the mountains.
• Guy: Stairwells where you can see through the steps into any 36.5+foot empty void in earthquake country.

In Upper Middle School (UMS)

1. Would you rather be able to run at 100 miles per hour or fly at 10 miles per hour?

• Cade: Fly at 10, for sure.
• Sarah: run 100 mph
• Isaac: Flying at 10 miles per hour, because it seems a little more practical–Running that fast also seems a little reckless.
• Jenna: fly
• Guy: Fly at 10 miles per hour, Absolutely! Free movement on X, Y, and Z axis!

2. What is your most used emoji?

• Cade: Yellow thumb’s up.
• Sarah: smiling cat
• Isaac: Unfortunately, I don’t use emojis.
• Jenna: a smiley face with tears
• Guy: Bitmoji (You Go Girl!)… only for my sisters.

3. If you could bring back any fashion trend, what would it be?

• Cade: That’s easy.  The mullet so when people saw my high school picture, they wouldn’t fall on the ground laughing.
• Sarah: scrunchies
• Isaac: Men’s bell bottoms.
• Jenna: Retro, 1950’s-style A-line dresses.
• Guy: Tie-Dye

4. What’s the most naughty thing you did as a child?

• Cade: I don’t remember this, but I’m told I asked my cousins to lay on the ground then proceeded to stomp on their heads with my heavy boots on.
• Sarah: provoked my brother into hitting me, thus getting him in trouble
• Isaac: I stayed up past 10pm on a school night!
• Jenna: I filled my mouth up as far as I could with water from the drinking fountain and sprayed it all over the boy I liked.  I think he got the message.
• Guy: Uh… I claim the 5th (answer to my 5th question)

5. 60’s, 70’s, 80’s or 90’s, which decade do you love most and why?

• Cade: 80’s because that’s when I was coming of age, and whenever I hear a song from that time, it brings me back to more simple times.  Like a good country song.
• Sarah: 80’s–an exciting time intellectually in college, making friends, studying in Rome, fulfilling my dream of living in NYC, well . . . The Bronx anyway
• Isaac: 1960s, because that’s when bell-bottoms became fashionable for both men and women in Europe and North America.
• Jenna: 80’s because it was the decade when I was born and the music was great.
• Guy: 70’s, Roots of the DIY movement!

If you need to catch up on the last six weeks of Friday Faces, you can find the teams below:

1. Seen Support
2. Behind-the-Scenes Support
3. Safety Team
4. Tiny Wonders
5. Little Wonders
6. Primary + Intermediate

Thanks for joining us!