Quick note: we hope some of you will be able to come out and support our high school girls volleyball team tomorrow in their first tournament! It starts at 9 am at Arroyo Grande High School, and there is a small admission fee to attend (we think it's $5). It definitely creates a lot of energy and shows strong support when we have a big group to root for our team!
Friday Faces returns today with another group of new Team SLOCA staff! Today it’s the library, playground, and bookstore bunch, and all of our new staff happens to be on the playground this year. (See the link below for returning staff in this category.)
Here are the new faces you’ll see on the playground:
Ross Landgreen
Playground Supervisor, High School Chemistry Teacher,
and Thursday Enrichment Teacher
Q: What is your degree in?
A: I have a B.S. in physics and astronomy from University of Georgia. I'm also certified to teach high school physics and chemistry in California.
Q: What was your last job before your SLOCA life?
A: I've been teaching high school science for 8 years. I moved to SLO from Los Angeles where I taught physics and chemistry at Camino Nuevo High School for the last 4 years. Camino Nuevo is a charter school that focuses on helping first generation immigrants adapt to language and cultural differences.
Q: What is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?
A: I “try” to spent an hour each morning exercising. My favorite exercise is hiking.
Q: What is your favorite local restaurant?
A: Taco Temple in Morro Bay, been going there for years.
Q: What was your favorite book when you were a child?
A: Either Lord of the Rings, or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Q: What is your favorite piece of literature?
A: Here are a few favorites:
Classic literature: The Odyssey by Homer
Modern: Anathem by Neal Stephenson
Nonfiction: QED by Richard Feynman
Taylor Tucker
Playground Assistant (Track A)
Q: What is your degree in?
A: I will be working on the playground and am a state licensed paramedic. I also have an associates degree in math and science.
Q: What was your last job before your SLOCA life?
A: I currently work as a paramedic here in San Louis Obispo County. I also work as a phlebotomist in a local hospital.
Q: What is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?
A: I get a cup of coffee, figure out what day it is and then wake my kids up for school.
Q: What is your favorite local restaurant?
A: Kai Lana in Atascadero
Q: What was your favorite book when you were a child?
A: The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
Q: What is your favorite piece of literature that we've read at SLOCA?
A: Pompeii…Buried Alive! by Edith Kunhardt Davis
Kary Antoniadis
Playground Assistant (Track B)
Q: What is your degree in?
A: B.A. in English from Cal Poly SLO
Q: What was your last job before your SLOCA life?
A: My last job was translating software from English into Spanish for a local company in Paso Robles.
Q: What is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?
A: I think I am in the minority when I say I wake up with all cylinders firing in high gear. In order to calm myself I look out my bedroom window to a view of our neighbor’s tree that is usually filled with red-winged blackbirds, and I reflect on the Bible verse Matthew 6, verse 26-27.
Q: What is your favorite local restaurant?
A: Buona Tavola in SLO or Paso. I worked there the first year they were open in SLO and I saw first-hand the quality, skill and passion that goes into their meals.
Q: What was your favorite book when you were a child?
A: That is the toughest question! Books were my lifeline as a young girl but there was a series of children’s travel books written by Miroslav Sasek that completely fascinated, inspired, and granted me a peek into great cities throughout the world. They are titled “This is…” (insert Greece, San Francisco, Hong Kong, Paris, Venice, London), and contain some of the most fun and unique illustrations. One of my highlights was reading his This is San Francisco book while living in San Francisco and being able to make a personal connection to the content.
Q: What is your favorite piece of literature that we've read at SLOCA?
A: Another tough question. Toss-up between The Rag Coat and Seeker of Knowledge.
Jean Svadlenka
Small Playground Assistant (Track B)
Q: What is your degree in?
A: I have a BS in Environmental Engineering from Cal Poly.
Q: What was your last job before your SLOCA life?
A: Before our son, I worked as a Winemaker. More recently, I worked as a Compliance Specialist for the alcohol beverage industry.
Q: What is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?
A: The first thing I do when I wake up is feed our very persistent cats and start the coffee or tea!
Q: What is your favorite local restaurant?
A: In North County, we really enjoy Panolivo Bistro in Paso Robles.
Q: What was your favorite book when you were a child?
A: Although I liked many different books as a child, one of my favorite books was The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White.
Q: What is your favorite piece of literature that we've read at SLOCA?
A: This is our first year at SLOCA, but so far my favorite piece of literature is The Hobbit, which I read to my son for the first time this summer.
CLICK HERE to read last year’s Friday Faces on our returning staff in Library, Playground and Bookstore!
Thanks everyone, for watching over our kids on the playground! We are very happy to meet you all and look forward to connecting with you on campus.
