As the class size at M-A has steadily been growing each year, so has the number of staff members. Here is an opportunity for you to get to know three of our many new staff members for the 2016-2017 school year.
Mitchell Vedar
What does he teach?
This year, Vedar is teaching Modern European History and Advanced Placement (AP) U.S. History.
Where can you find him?
Room B-11
How many years has he been teaching?
This is Vedar’s 23rd year teaching. He formerly taught in San Francisco at Phillip & Sala Burton High School and George Washington High School.
Learn more about Vedar:
Vedar is excited to be in a new environment with students who teach him new forms of technology. He is particularly interested in learning about Kahoot!. He loves M-A’s beautiful campus, including the benches, trees, and open-air setting. Vedar previously enjoyed playing tennis, but switched to biking, as it is a solo sport. He offered advice to students hoping to have a great year in his class: “Don’t fall behind. Don’t procrastinate. If you have trouble, ask for help early.”
Carla Ferreira
What does she teach?
This year, Ferreira is teaching Advanced Studies (AS) English I and English Language Development (ELD) 2.
Where can you find her?
Room G-9
How many years has she been teaching?
This is Ferreira’s third year teaching. In the past, she taught English in Bordeaux, France, and was a teacher’s assistant in Los Angeles.
Learn more about Ferreira:
Ferreira is incredibly excited to be at M-A this year. Last year, she student taught at Mountain View High School and heard many people praise M-A. Now that she is here, Ferreira enjoys the highly collaborative environment between teachers. She loves the open exchange of ideas, yet also feels that each teacher’s intellectual freedom is respected. In her free time, Ferreira enjoys spending time on Tumblr, reading, and writing. To have a successful year in her class, she encouraged open communication and advised: “Communicate with me! I think it’s really the most important thing — you don’t have to be perfect, you just have to come talk to me if you’re having difficulty. Send me an email, come to my classroom… I’m there to help. That’s my job. I really want students to learn through my class how to self-advocate and reach out for help when they need it.”
Stephanie Owens
What does she teach?
This year, Owens is teaching Environmental Chemistry and Biology.
Where can you find her?
Room D-2
How many years has she been teaching?
This is Owens’ 13th year teaching. She has actually been at M-A since January, as last school-year she was a substitute teacher in the mornings and worked with Advanced Biology students in the afternoon.
Learn more about Owens:
Owens just moved to the San Francisco Bay Area from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where she taught at a technology magnet school for six-and-a-half years. Prior to that, she was teaching in south Florida for five years. Owens says that M-A actually reminds her of the high school that she attended because of the large campus, abundance of trees, and clean, safe environment. In her free time, Owens enjoys running in races. Currently she is training for a race in Washington state. To have a great year with Owens, and at M-A in general, she advised students to “be kind.”
