So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye!

Five teachers that we have had the privilege to learn from  in past years won’t be returning in the fall.  They have shared with us their future plans and their favorite memories of Pres:

Ms. Russo

Ms. Russo came to Pres right out of college and has been here for the past three years.   She has enjoyed all of the immersion trips she has attended  at Presentation. However, Ms. Russo has decided to follow a call to action against injustices and will be attending law school at the University of Denver this coming fall.

Mr. Hutchinson

Mr. Hutchinson has loved Pres, his first job out of college.  For the past seven years he has grown here and hopes to be able to come back and coach the alumni soccer game and still be part of the community after he leaves.

Mr. Hutchinson will be marrying Ms. Russo this coming summer and they will move together to Colorado where he will be teaching at an all-boys school, Regis Jesuit High School.  He has wanted to move to Colorado since his teens and looks forward to enjoying the activities that the Rocky Mountains have to offer.  Some of Mr. Hutchinson’s favorite memories at Presentation have been making the Men of Pres movies, coaching soccer and being asked to speak at the 2006 graduation ceremony.

Mrs. Kissane

Mrs. Kissane has been at Presentation for 29 out of her 35 years of teaching and has decided that it is now time to leave.  When asked what her favorite memory at Pres has been she said, “There have been far too many memories for me to narrow it down.  Probably doing demos like my fireball demo because the kids always get excited.”

Mrs. Kissane said that her life at Pres has been great but, “when I don’t have to get up with an alarm clock, it will be worth it.”

Mr. Cozort

After 11 years at Pres, Mr. Cozort has accepted a position as an Instructional Technology Specialist at Bellarmine.  He has formed many favorite memories at Pres, from coaching memories and technological advancements, to the Men of Pres events, the Baptisms of his two sons and his own Confirmation.

Mr. Cozort said, “I have a billion things I want to say.  At Pres you are never at a loss for people who care about you.  It’s a lot more than a job.”

Mrs. Teresi

Ms. Teresi will be leaving Presentation after seven years of teaching in order to teach AP psychology at Harker.  Although she has many favorite memories, especially pertaining to May Day, Feast and other “community stuff,” Mrs. Teresi has especially enjoyed her 6th period AP psychology class this year.  Ms. Teresi said, “I have been really lucky to work in such a wonderful place and I look forward to seeing everyone at the alum events.”

Undercover Teachers

Ms. Collins

Presentation Career: 25 years

Why She Returns to Pres: First, the students, and also because there are lots of different jobs and areas at Pres you can be involved in, so teachers aren’t always doing the same thing. Ms. Collins has done an array of things such as being a CI moderator, teacher, and a counselor.

Before Pres: The only other place she has ever taught was Independence High School, where she taught for a year.

Advice For Us Pres Girls: Not to take high school so seriously. It feels big while we’re here, but if we make it a job we won’t enjoy it and it doesn’t matter where we go to college as long as it’s a good fit.

Random Fact: Not many people know that she was an administrator for 9 years when it was just her, Ms. Miller and Ms. Hernandez.

Ms. Kissane

Presentation Career:  29 years, but retiring this year

Why She Returns to Pres: The students.

Before Pres: She taught for a year at St. Lawrence Academy.  Before that she taught in Smithfield, Rhode Island and Edison, New Jersey with Ms. Renner’s uncle.

Pres Changes Over the Years: When she first came here, student enrollment was in the 400s. There was also no gym, no pool, no CLC, and no theater.

Advice for Us Pres Girls: Don’t get too wrapped up in Facebook and other things.  Expand and experience the other things in life and find your calling.

Random Fact: She didn’t want to become a teacher when she went to college. However, her father was paying for her college and wanted her to take courses in education, and being the obedient daughter she was, she complied and found that she really enjoyed it.

Ms. Lagana

Presentation Career: 26 years

Why She Returns to Pres: Her passion for the subject she teaches, her love for the students and her belief in the school’s philosophy keep her coming back.

Before Pres: She started her teaching career at Sacred Heart Prep and went on to teach at Santa Teresa High School, Harker Academy, and finally Pres.

Pres Changes Over the Years: When she attended Pres, the only two sports were volleyball and softball. Because there wasn’t a gym, heir gym classes were held outdoors on the parking lot pavement.  They wore one-piece polyester gym suits that they had to iron and starch themselves.

Advice for Us Pres Girls: There are so many opportunities to be involved in so many different things, so when plan your schedules carefully and learn to balance things.

Random Fact: She holds a current EMT certificate with Santa Clara County, as well lifeguard and CPR instructor certifications.

Mrs. Newton

Presentation Career: 27 years

Why She Returns to Pres: She finds joy in watching students grow and succeed.  They always thank her for teaching them how to type.

Before Pres: Mrs. Newton and her husband owned a hardware store in Balboa, CA.  She originally hoped to major in music yet changed to a business major. She later became a community college teacher and taught at San Jose State University for four years.

Pres Changes Over the Years: Skirts have gotten shorter.  Current Pres students are smarter and more flexible than in the past. They are inquisitive, opinionated, and on the cutting edge.

Advice For Us Pres Girls: Focus in school, spend time learning, travel and become more global. She also recommends taking the class Women and Money.

Random Fact:  Long before she became a teacher at Pres, Mrs. Newton raced cars and loved spending time speeding down raceways.

Ms. Ray

Presentation Career: 30 years

Why She Returns to Pres: The fun students, creative opportunities, and great staff keep Ms. Ray returning to Pres each year.

Before Pres: She was a black jack dealer at Harrah’s in Tahoe where she attended pit school.

Pres Changes Over the Years: The students are similar. They are lively, outspoken, and fun loving, but fragmented.

Random Fact: Teaching at Pres was her first job out of graduate school. She obtained her undergraduate degree at Scripps College and Pomona and her graduate degree at Stanford. She has also traveled extensively and enjoyed her experiences across the globe. Five generations of her family members have grown up in Lake Tahoe, and she has many ancestral stories about the early pioneers and settlement of the west.