A Little Bit of Hawaii at Design39

A Little Bit of Hawaii at Design39

by Nitya and Angelyn, School News Reporters

There are many students and teachers here at our wonderful school. Some are new to the program.  Others can consider themselves to be experts of Design39. But does everyone know all the people that makes this school so great?  Does everyone know about one great teacher named Mrs. Cotton?

Mrs. Cotton is a teacher from Hawaii. With a passion for early childhood, she taught preschool in Hawaii for 11 years before coming to California, because her husband’s work shifted to a new area. When she came to California, she became a substitute for our school district, PUSD.  Once Design39 was built, she came to teach preschool at Design39, and in her second year here, she is now teaching kindergarten.

Mrs. Cotton has taught in many places, but out of all the schools there were, she choose Design39 as the best.  Why did she choose PUSD? Why Design39?

 

She started teaching as a substitute in PUSD, because it was the school district that her children went to.  But then the question still remains.  Why Design39?  She said, “For as long as I can remember, I have ALWAYS wanted to be a teacher. Not just any teacher, a teacher that will make a difference. And now at D39C, I can and I will!”

From a preschool in Hawaii to a substitute in PUSD. From the Design39 Preschool to Design39 Kindergarten. Ms. Cotton is one of the many teachers that make Design39 so great.

Guess Who’s Back?

Guess Who’s Back?

Article by Ella M. & Fiona M.

After spending almost a year of student teaching at Design39Campus, Mrs. Duggan has finally joined the Design39 teaching staff! “I loved her as a student teacher, I'm so excited so see what talent she brings to Design39Campus,” says Fiona McKenna, a 7th grade student.

Currently teaching in the 4-5 span, Mrs. Duggin has been enjoying her time at D39. “I love my homeroom and all the kids in this grade,” says Mrs. Duggin. She also has some exciting plans for her class! Right now, they are working on a design project, which was been really fun, and they are all ready to dive into the curriculum.

 “I wanted to become a teacher to make a change in my students’ lives, just like my teachers did,” she says. So far she and her students have been having a lot fun in class! “She's really nice and fun to be around!” says Clara, one of the students.

We are so happy Mrs. Duggin joined the D39 staff and we can't wait to see what fun and exciting things she has in store. It’s so cool that we  knew her while she was student teaching and now we know her as a D39C LED. It's going to be a great year, now that we have the help of Mrs. Duggin!

Mrs. Hawkins: New to the Crew

Mrs. Hawkins: New to the Crew

Article by Bella and Fiona

School News Team

For many of the students here at Design39Campus, this is their second year. For others, this is their first trimester. But have they all heard about the new Administrative Specialist, Mrs.Connie Hawkins? Mrs. Hawkins is new to the D39C team, and deserves a warm welcome.                                 

On the 21st of August, we sat down with Mrs. Hawkins as she expressed her opinions on the school. “My job position requires me to work in the Welcome Center, and I will be meeting parents and students as they come into the lobby area, directing them to where they need to go. I’ll also be working on ordering supplies and computers, everything the school may need to run,” Mrs. Hawkins explains.  Mrs. Hawkins works alongside Mrs. Wrisley, our principal, and our assistant principals daily. She has quite the important job to do!

“I love that the school uses so much technology,” said Mrs. Hawkins. “I love seeing students walk up to me with different means of technology, like laptops, ipads, or tablets, and that they’re using them for learning.”

Mrs. Hawkins strongly supports the school’s values, “...I really am a believer in the school’s mission and guiding principles… I like the belief that everyone is a learner and you continue to learn throughout your whole life, so you’re just starting out with your education in elementary school and middle school. I firmly believe that the Growth mindset promotes learning till your later years. I really like that, and also that you’re not just stuck, you’re open to new ideas and learning new things. I [also] love the Design Thinking concept ... and thought that it would be a great place to work.”

Mrs. Hawkins has worked at other schools for more than ten years. During the interview, she expressed her thoughts about the many schools she’s worked at, versus Design39Campus. “There are a lot of differences...the fact that you have homeroom and then after homeroom you can go to many different locations on campus for learning, the fact that you don’t have bells, [instead] you have music that plays when it’s time to go to your classrooms. You don’t have scheduled recesses, so class gets to go to recess when ever you and the... LEDs decide to go, that’s different. [Also] the fact that you have Minds in Motion so often, you get a lot of physical activity into your school day…”  There sure are many differences between standard public schools and Design39Campus!

Mrs. Hawkins loves D39C. “I think this is a perfect position for me. I like doing this. I like being right out in front [of the Welcome Center]… I can meet the parents and the students every day, but then I also get to do some challenging work that provides for the school… I’m going to say that I like working here better, just because it’s a new way of learning and I really enjoy what I see here.” As you can see, Mrs. Connie Hawkins really likes this unique school. The only thing she doesn’t especially like about the school is that it’s a bit far away from her house! Mrs. Hawkins is going to be a great member of our team this year. Come and visit her sometime down at the Welcome Center!