PLANET PINER
LAUNCHING TOWARDS THE 21ST CENTURY
THE CREW
Principal, Sally Bimrose
Sally Bimrose: 30 years in education with background experience that includes teaching middle school and high school English, serving as Director of the Reading and Literature Project at Sonoma State University, working at the SRCS District Office in a variety of capacities (BTSA Trainer and Support Provider, Coordinator of C & I, 7-12, and Director of Program Improvement), and experiencing all levels of site administration (Assistant Principal for Slater Middle School and Santa Rosa High School, Vice Principal of Piner High School and Principal of Piner High School). Sally’s experience has taught her that growth as a professional is key to staying engaged in the important work of education. Her current mantra is: be a learner; inspire learning. This fits right in with STEM and the 21st century learning that is happening at Piner. Sally feels honored to be a part of a community of learners and looks forward to participating with fellow staff in the Summer Institute.
Science Teacher, Judy Barcelon
Culinary Arts, Debbie Grove
Debbie Grove: 30 year teacher @ Piner. Consumer & Family Studies has been constantly evolving over my career so I have developed new courses and curriculum to meet student’s needs and changing times. Presently working on getting a Culinary Chemistry course approved, which hopefully will make chemistry feel more approachable for students who might not ordinarily take it. I am excited about the changes Common Core and 21st Century Learning are bringing to our school. I enjoy working on the Common Core Network, Piner Leadership Team, and the SRCS Strategic Plan Task Force.
Physics Teacher, Steve Carpenter
Math Teacher, Zach Alexander
Art Teacher, Michael Doucette
Zachary Alexander: A teacher of mathematics at Piner High School now for ten years. He is a Sagittarius who does not care for pina coladas but does enjoy getting caught in the rain, especially if there is singing involved. This is his first year teaching MESA (Mathematics Engineering Science Achievement) where he led students in the building of sumo robots, mousetrap cars, and balsawood gliders. The experience has taken him out of his comfort zone and has helped push him to grow as teacher, although he states, "I’m certain my addiction to mochas has helped me grow a bit as well." Zach hopes to gain some insight and skills that will help him improve his MESA and mathematics courses.
Michael Doucette: He is currently in his ninth year at Piner High School and his fourth year as the Visual and Performing Arts department chair. He teaches ceramics, film studies, dabbles in theater and helps lead community garden events in our PHS Organic Garden. We have a difficult time keeping him out of the mud. He consistently seeks to grow as a teacher and community member by engaging in collaboration with a variety of teams. He is rencently married and is also now a new father!
Judy Barcelon: As a veteran teacher of 28 years I am still thrilled with the daily learning that happens in our Science classrooms. To me the perfect opportunity has arisen to freely explore and refresh our education philosophies in order to incorporate the Common Core, Next Generation Science Standards , 21st century skills and I believe the Design Thinking protocol will provide the tools for me to weather my perfect storm.
Steve Carpenter: As a physics teacher, I am drawn to design and engineering tasks. I enjoy hobbies that require design, experimentation, and the challenge of exploring and developing new skills. The challenge, I find, is to meaningfully incorporate these activities and interests into my classroom. I don’t want my interests in robotics, electronics, and MAKE projects to merely satisfy my own personal interests. I hope, most of all, to facilitate similar learning opportunities for my students. The best way to learn to do this is to experience Thinking by Design for myself, to reflect on the experience as deeply as possible, and to purposefully engage in collaborative curriculum development on campus as we continue to grow as a STEM learning community.
