History Teacher

Rosemont Middle School students looked up as they walked the halls of their school this week as banners proclaiming the names of Rosemont graduates who have and are currently serving in the armed forces. “I got the idea for the banners from the Crescenta Valley Town Council and from the article [Valley Sun newspaper] ran on Armed Forces Day,” said Lynn McGinnis, history teacher. “Right now I have 40 banners hung,” he said. “I have 53 names altogether and get more calls every day.” During morning announcements, Principal Sally Buckley read short biographies on some of the veterans whose names are on the banners.

Gary Moskowitz SOUTHEAST GLENDALE -- One look at Nancy Witt's classroom and it's no surprise she is an American history teacher. Witt often wears patriotic sweaters and her classroom walls are covered with a colonial-styled rug, Norman Rockwell prints, a portrait of Theodore Roosevelt, an Uncle Sam doll and many American flags. Even photo albums of her students' trips to Washington, D.C. are decorated with American flags. Witt, an Advanced Placement American history teacher at Glendale High, will be one of many high school teachers and college professors scoring the AP American history exams this June in San Antonio, Texas.

As about 30 eighth-grade Rosemont Middle School students settled into their chairs Thursday, Abraham Lincoln prepared them for what they were about to hear. "I'm here to talk about how I got shot," he said. Lincoln, played by school history teacher Mike Anker, then launched into the story of how the 16th U.S. president came to pull the country through its bloodiest fight — the Civil War. Anker was one of six teachers and community members who had stations set up around the school's soccer field for most of the day as about 700 eighth-graders moved from one character to the next for an up-close and personal take on the war. Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, a Union soldier, a housewife, a social director and field doctor Mary Edward Walker — the only woman ever to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor — were also out on the field.

Judy Seckler GLENDALE -- Two Glendale residents spent 11 days of their summer getting a bird's-eye view of how the federal government works. Henry "Hal" Tyler, 15, a student at Campbell Hall in Studio City, attended a 12-day session of The National Young Leaders Conference held in Washington, D.C., and New York City. Bryan Kinney, 17, a student at Village Christian High School in Sun Valley, attended an 11-day session held in the nation's capitol. The program involves 350 high students from all over the country and challenges them to work as a team to examine worldwide conflict and come up with viable solutions, said Michael Lasday, executive director of the Congressional Youth Leadership Council.

Gary Moskowitz At 81, Joe Bonanomi's memory of the World War II Battle of Iwo Jima is still crystal clear. "I was there when it hit," Bonanomi said. "It was supposed to be a three-day affair. We were headed to Okinawa, but we never made it." Wilson Middle School students attended two special assemblies Thursday during which faculty honored five war veterans for their service to the country. Students walked up to Bonanomi and other veterans to say things like "Thank you" and "Can I shake your hand?"

“People often say that, in a democracy, decisions are made by a majority of the people. Of course, that is not true. Decisions are made by a majority of those who make themselves heard and who vote — a very different thing” said the late Walter Judd, former representative from Minnesota. Taking that philosophy to heart, Clark Magnet High School students went to the polls on Tuesday and joined peers around the state in participating in a mock election. Clark was part of the MyVote California Student Mock Election sponsored by the state of California.

Judy Seckler CLARK MAGNET SCHOOL Clark Magnet School teacher John Laue won an all-expense-paid trip to Japan, and it wasn't a game show that made the trip possible. Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. sponsored a merit-based competition for high school teachers in six states -- California, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri and West Virginia -- where Toyota operates major facilities. Laue, an English, psychology and U.S. History teacher, was one of 50 educators selected for a two-week trip from June 8-23, where he visited Tokyo, Kyoto and Hiroshima to get a firsthand look at the country's cultural, educational and industrial institutions.

History teacher offers instruction Next week we will go to the polls to elect our local leaders. As an American history teacher at Rosemont Middle School, I would like to share a few concerns facing our community in next week’s election. The nation is in a serious recession and the California economy is in critical condition. In fact, voters must pass all five statewide initiatives in next month’s special election in order to balance our current budget.

The subject of ethics arises on a daily basis at our school, and in a variety of applications. Some of us who have been teaching for a couple of decades or more in the district have expressed a concern that our students, taken as a whole, are more ethically challenged than students who went before them. Two brief stories to illustrate. One involved a young man three or four years ago who raised his hand to relate a traffic mishap that he had turned to his advantage. Here's what he told the class: "I was practicing driving in the Rose Bowl parking lot. At one point I started backing up and, 'crash,' I hit another car behind me that was standing still.

While students take a break from their studies, local history teachers are using the summer holiday to brush up on a particularly relevant chapter in history. Working in conjunction with Facing History and Ourselves , an international education organization that seeks to address modern-day moral dilemmas using lessons from the past, Glendale Unified is hosting a five-day seminar examining the historical implications of the Armenian genocide. “The fact that we are able to host this workshop is awesome,” said Nancy Witt, a teacher specialist who helped facilitate the event this week.

History teacher offers instruction Next week we will go to the polls to elect our local leaders. As an American history teacher at Rosemont Middle School, I would like to share a few concerns facing our community in next week’s election. The nation is in a serious recession and the California economy is in critical condition. In fact, voters must pass all five statewide initiatives in next month’s special election in order to balance our current budget.

“People often say that, in a democracy, decisions are made by a majority of the people. Of course, that is not true. Decisions are made by a majority of those who make themselves heard and who vote — a very different thing” said the late Walter Judd, former representative from Minnesota. Taking that philosophy to heart, Clark Magnet High School students went to the polls on Tuesday and joined peers around the state in participating in a mock election. Clark was part of the MyVote California Student Mock Election sponsored by the state of California.

Rosemont Middle School students looked up as they walked the halls of their school this week as banners proclaiming the names of Rosemont graduates who have and are currently serving in the armed forces. “I got the idea for the banners from the Crescenta Valley Town Council and from the article [Valley Sun newspaper] ran on Armed Forces Day,” said Lynn McGinnis, history teacher. “Right now I have 40 banners hung,” he said. “I have 53 names altogether and get more calls every day.” During morning announcements, Principal Sally Buckley read short biographies on some of the veterans whose names are on the banners.

As about 30 eighth-grade Rosemont Middle School students settled into their chairs Thursday, Abraham Lincoln prepared them for what they were about to hear. "I'm here to talk about how I got shot," he said. Lincoln, played by school history teacher Mike Anker, then launched into the story of how the 16th U.S. president came to pull the country through its bloodiest fight — the Civil War. Anker was one of six teachers and community members who had stations set up around the school's soccer field for most of the day as about 700 eighth-graders moved from one character to the next for an up-close and personal take on the war. Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, a Union soldier, a housewife, a social director and field doctor Mary Edward Walker — the only woman ever to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor — were also out on the field.

The subject of ethics arises on a daily basis at our school, and in a variety of applications. Some of us who have been teaching for a couple of decades or more in the district have expressed a concern that our students, taken as a whole, are more ethically challenged than students who went before them. Two brief stories to illustrate. One involved a young man three or four years ago who raised his hand to relate a traffic mishap that he had turned to his advantage. Here's what he told the class: "I was practicing driving in the Rose Bowl parking lot. At one point I started backing up and, 'crash,' I hit another car behind me that was standing still.

DAN KIMBER As a history teacher, I spend the better part of a year trying to convince my students that studying the past is important. If our ignorance of it does indeed condemn us to repeat it, then it is only right that we hold forth its lessons for the next generation who will soon be making their own history. In light of this, I find it most interesting at the end of the year to ask my students to use their knowledge of the past (and their fixation with the present)

Gary Moskowitz At 81, Joe Bonanomi's memory of the World War II Battle of Iwo Jima is still crystal clear. "I was there when it hit," Bonanomi said. "It was supposed to be a three-day affair. We were headed to Okinawa, but we never made it." Wilson Middle School students attended two special assemblies Thursday during which faculty honored five war veterans for their service to the country. Students walked up to Bonanomi and other veterans to say things like "Thank you" and "Can I shake your hand?"

Gary Moskowitz NORTHEAST GLENDALE -- Twelve-year-old Daria Slezko didn't used to care much for learning history. But the eighth-grader at Wilson Middle School has found a new interest in learning U.S. history in Kris Kohlmeier's class this year. And Kohlmeier's enthusiasm for teaching history is has not gone unnoticed. Kohlmeier is one of 12 teachers selected from 63 applicants in Los Angeles County awarded a 2001-02 Teacher of the Year award last week.