Colleagues

ALE CASTANEDA - HS Art

Ale is hardworking and a great colleague to work with. She is always willing to help out and follows through to check with you if everything went well. She is a multitasker and a very efficient teacher.

She has guided the Fine Arts department for a while now and we have become one of the strongest teams in the MSHS building. Her students speak well of her as well as other teachers. She is positive and energetic and her presence is felt when you are around her. She is a great coworker and friend.

ANDREA FOSSUM - MSHS Curriculum and Instruction Administrator

You have made a fantastic transformation as a classroom educator, pedagogist and Team Mentor over the past two years. Truly amazing the dedication you’ve shown toward personal growth and developing a sense of collective efficacy in the Fine Arts department.

ANTONIETA MANZUR - HS Spanish

BARBARA SUNDAY - AP Art and Design Teacher and Colleague

Thank you for such a wonderful day. I very much enjoyed meeting your staff, meeting your students, and especially, reviewing the portfolio beginnings. You have a very promising group and I wish you the very best as you move forward with them

I really appreciated your kindness today - the tour was amazing and lunch was fabulous!!!!

I do hope we meet up at the Reading - fingers crossed for both of us!

Sincerely,

Barbara

DANIEL MARINES - MSHS Band

*How have I supported you as a teacher?You have supported in many aspects just to mention a few, curriculum work orientation and clarification, budget spending and funding of projects and administrative questions.

*How have I supported you as a DH?Specially when I need to communicate complex issues to Admin

*How can I know what support a teacher needs? I think I have very open communication with you so in my case usually an email or snap meeting usually works very well!

*How can I support you in collecting authentic data? Observations

*How can I support you in using data for learning design? Generally verbal feedback works really well for me.

DANIELA SEDAS - AP Coordinator

I’ve been working at this school for approximately 6 years at this school. During this time, Ale has always been a supporting colleague; every time I needed help, she was always available to lend a hand, an ear and even share wise words.

Though we never shared a department or a common class, I’ve had the privilege of working with Ale in different scenarios such as AP related materials and the school plays. As AP coordinator I can honestly say that Ale has always been on top of things, she was always the first teacher to respond to my emails. She constantly made my work easier by planning her assignments around deadlines and other AP requirements however, always considering students interests and needs.

When working with school plays, I often got artistically blocked, Ale always had a creative solution for a costume issue, make up, etc. She was always willing to share her materials and expertise in order to provide a sustainable, effective and aesthetic solution.

I have no doubt Ale is a great teacher, but as a colleague, I know I can count on her.

ELIZABETH SALINAS - HS Business and Technology

Ltr of Rec ACfinal.pdf

FREDA CHRISTIE-FREY - HS English

Ale Cantu: A Mistress Teacher

JAMES KING - HS Learning Specialist

Ale Cantu Letter of Rec. 2019

JOELLE HERNANDEZ - HS Teacher

Ale Cantu Fall 2019.pdf

This is a note Jonathan Chenier given to me at the end of the year Department Head meeting.

LETY GERBER - MSHS SPANISH LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

Hola Ale,

Gracias por darme la oportunidad de agradecerte todo el apoyo que como maestra me has brindado a lo largo de mis años en ASFM. Nunca olvidaré que desde el primer día te interesaste en mi labor como maestra de estudiantes internacionales y me apoyaste para llevar a cabo ese hermoso y significativo "Field trip" con mis estudiantes al Museo de Historia Mexicana e inclusive lograste que el tranvía viniera por ellos! Fue una experiencia muy enriquecedora lo cual los motivo muchísimo al sentirse apreciados y valorados.

Gracias también por ser la madrina del Multicultural Club, siempre apoyándonos y preocupada por saber cómo vamos, qué necesitamos, y tomándonos en consideración para las ventas de snacks en las obras de teatro para reunir fondos para poder costear la Feria Internacional!

Gracias por participar activamente en el 'tea party" que organizamos para las mamás internacionales y promover la inclusión entre todas ellas y por supuesto por ser la Catrina más linda en el festejo del día de los muertos que también organizamos para ellas!

Gracias por todo lo anterior pues me has ayudado a ser una mejor maestra y apoyar a mis alumnos de la mejor manera posible!

MARCO LAGARDA - AV Manager

Ya son unos buenos años los que tengo haciendo equipo con Ms. Cantú y el departamento de Fine Arts del ASFM, Ale es una linda persona en todos sentidos, siempre me recibe con su gran sonrisa, dispuesta a escucharme, a ayudarme y a facilitarme la vida.

Nosotros aquí hacemos escenografía y cuando llegamos a esa parte artística, "bonita" de pintar, dar color, dar volumen y textura que pues nomás no se nos da, corremos a pedir ayuda a Ale, haha.

Yo no soy maestro pero puedo percibir la buena vibra que se siente en su salón de clases y puedo apreciar esa atmósfera de libertad de creación artística que hace que sus alumnos se sientan "como peces en el agua".

Marco Lagarda

MARIANA GARZA - MS Art

Dear Ale,

I will like to thank you for being such great support in my life. First of all, you help me get this job position, and once I had it, you became my constant guide. You unselfishly share with me your art program and guide me to do it my own. Every single doubt I have school or life-related, you are there to guide me or comfort me. You are one of my best friends, and I thank life for putting us together.

Love,

Mariana

MARY BREY - EDUCATOR AND CONSULTANT

Ale's Letter of Rec..pdf

MELANIE HENNING - MSHS Instructional Coach

Ale Cantu and I have been working together for the past few years.

Ale is one of those reflective teachers who is always analyzing student performance and finding ways to have more of an impact on the process leading to improved final products. When we started working together, I came in to collect feedback from students. With this feedback, we set goals. Often the goals were developed around how students gave each other feedback in the classroom and how students used the feedback to improve their art. Each year, we have seen growth in the quality of the work that students are creating because of the different strategies she has used.

She is very visible with her practice and is not afraid to try new strategies, thus making her a mentor for other teachers. She has been a lead and model teacher in the SEL initiative. She is the first to share out the ways with which she encourages feedback. She shares her stories of embedding SEL in access. You walk into her room, and see evidence of the strategies she is trying. And she takes risks. Risks that she knows will have a positive impact on students, their learning and their well-being. Just today, for example, we worked on the intentional embedding of social emotional learning targets as we considered skills that were important for creative work and planned a lesson that would help students develop a goal around the one area that could have a positive impact on their artwork.

She is also a dynamic leader. Her department is unique in that they fall under the same umbrella of the arts but have different needs and goals. She is supportive, gives teachers a voice and advocates for each one. Ale is a huge supporter of the arts at ASFM and this is evident in the way she works with teachers. She can be seen painting posters to promote the musical, creating bulletin boards to showcase upcoming events or staying late once everyone has left the building to paint backdrops.

Our school is lucky to have such a dedicated educator. And I am lucky to work with her.

MICHAEL CONSTANTINI - HS English

Ale Cantu!

Every time I walk into her classroom the atmosphere is always hospitable and engaging. She's always rockin' the best 80/90s music

I would also consider Ale a humanist, as she is always willing to help her colleagues with anything and everything. She is also interested in the well-being of her colleagues and their family members. It is Ale’s caring heart, positive attitude, and human connection that not only touched the hearts of her Access class and her Art students but her colleagues as well.

It has been a privilege to work with a person who has compassion and the ability or knack to understand the people around her.

When it comes to collaboration, Ale is the type of teacher that collaborates well with everyone, which is a wonderful character trait in any department. She’s the best!

When Ale asked if I would write a few words for her portfolio, I had no hesitation in extending my gratitude. For me, she is not only my department head and partner Access teacher, but she is also my mentor.

You’re the best, Ale!

OLIVIA MUNIZ – PowerSchool Student Information System Administrator

I have had the privilege to work with Ale for the last 10 years and I can give testimony of her professionalism, and her passion in the roles of Art teacher, leader of Middle School Advisory class and Art Department Head.

She is extremely organized, hard worker, leader. Any Project she is involved, she sets a mark. Her level of responsibility and professionalism has no words. If something needs to be done, she gets it done.

She is also very friendly and supportive to all her department and colleagues. Working or being involved in any task with Ale is a guarantee that it will be completed with professionalism and on time.

I feel fortunate to know Ale and being her friend.

Es un EXCELENTE ser humano!!!

Love!

Oli

PACO SEGOVIA - HS Drama

Ale is an amazing person to work with. She is always positive, encouraging, and with an incredible disposition to work. She always finds a way in her busy schedule to help out. She is a great department head. I believe we are the best department, the Fine Arts Department, because we all collaborate and help each other and it is because she leads with that example. I am extremely lucky to have such an amazing colleague and department head.

She is also an amazing teacher. Her students are empowered to make master pieces with their art. She guides their work through discovery and improvement. Students understand the artistic process and feel the freedom of creating through her classes. She also enhances their creativity with specific instructions that take students to create superb art with limitations.

She is an essential part of ASFM. A true example of what it means to be a teacher that collaborates, works, and aims for a learning environment in our school. There are no limits to her help and guidance.

TERESSA PACE - HS Learning Specialist

This is my first year at ASFM, and my first year living outside of the US. When I interviewed with Dr. Adams in New York City back in February, 2018 everything seemed to click. I felt drawn to ASFM, like I was meant to be a part of it. However, I seriously freaked out from March to July, second guessing my decision, panicking, being overwhelmed with anxiety.

Then, I received the news that I would have a mentor for the school year. That mentor is Ale Cantu. Not only did Ale reassure me that I made the right decision and I would love it in Mexico, her presence in my life before I even met her in person helped get me here. Her presence in my life when I arrived at ASFM has helped keep me here.

Ale Cantu is the type of person that everyone needs in their life. She is the type of person that would drop whatever she is doing to help others. On multiple occasions she has done just that for me. I believe that mentoring is an important aspect of education that can be overlooked. But, if it wasn’t for mentors throughout my life I would not have become an educator. If I did not have Ale as a mentor this year my transition to Monterrey would not have gone as smoothly. Ale is so much more than a mentor to me, she has supported me as my advisor, therapist, cheerleader, auntie, and sister. I am happy to say that I have made a life long friend in Ale Cantu, and I am so grateful for the mentoring program at ASFM for bringing us together.

Teressa Pace

VICKY NORIEGA - MS Spanish Teacher

2 de octubre del 2019

A quién corresponda.

Hace 6 años me presentaron a la Lic. Alejandra Cantú y durante todo este tiempo ella me ha permitido conocerla. La Lic. Cantú es una persona íntegra, trabajadora, cumplida, honesta, totalmente responsable, con un ánimo de superación personal y profesionalmente que la hace competente para cualquier tipo de actividad que se le encomiende.

Algo que admiro de ella, es la relación que fomenta con sus estudiantes, esta la hace ser un ejemplo en la vida de sus alumnos. Cantú siempre está al pendiente de las necesidades de ellos y busca apoyarlos en lo que necesiten, siempre buscando que desarrollen sus capacidades al máximo.

Ella para mí, es una compañera en la cual te puedes apoyar cuando tienes alguna necesidad, hará lo que esté en sus manos, sabiendo que da su máximo esfuerzo para que salgamos adelante. Tengo la seguridad de que Alejandra representa todos los valores del Colegio y a la fecha lo hace de manera excelente.

Por lo anterior no tengo inconveniente para recomendar ampliamente a la licenciada y extiendo la presente a solicitud del interesado y para los fines a que haya lugar.

Virginia H. Noriega Collins

ZENNHYA ESCAMILLA - MS TEACHER

I have had the pleasure of knowing Alejandra Cantú Rueda for ten years. During the years of our friendship, I have known Ale in many capacities. She has been an Art teacher for Middle School and High School, an Advisory coordinator. Her responsibilities in that capacity have grown since she became the Art Department Head, nonetheless, her willingness to help everyone who asks her has never changed.

School has given us opportunities to grow as professionals, for example when we traveled to Panama to attend the Tri Association in 2015, but mostly, during our daily interactions, I have been able to work with her in different projects (even though our subjects might not seem to work side by side and we belong to different grade levels and departments). Some of the things we’ve worked together are:

Escape room activity-access- She helped me create all the artistic work to review the Renaissance Unit. Later on, we collaborated again when she used this with her Access students.

Based on her “Live Curious Go Beyond” Visual arts journal- I created an end of the year extension project for Social Studies 8.

Introduction to Early Childhood-Online Journal- Based on her students’ online portfolios, I was encouraged to implement this in my classes for student to be able to track their progress.

On a more personal note. -

The biggest thing in the globe is having a friend who will do for you what you'd do for them. I have found in you a faithful friend/colleague, standing by my side in moments of joy, moments of need, and you have had my back numerous times. I consider myself fortunate to be part of your life, to have you as part of mine. I will always be there for you, no matter where life takes us, because true friends always stick together and never leave each other. We will always overcome everything, no matter what obstacles life may throw at us, because two are always better than one. You and I are the perfect team (no matter how different we are) we give the same value to the important things. My dearest friend, I love you so much.

Sincerely,

Zennhya Escamilla de Leon, MEd