Mrs. Valerie Petty - Band & Orchestra

vapetty@capousd.org

I have been teaching at Newhart and this coming year brings me to year 30! I love this school & we have loads of fun doing what we love to do.

Being a part of a musical family was an important part of my upbringing. My father was a middle school music teacher in Santa Fe Springs for 35 years. I began playing the French Horn in 3rd grade which was fun, exciting, thrilling, hard-work, and friend making. I have also learned the flute, played trumpet in jazz band, and sung in choirs. I went to U.S.C. (fight on!) on a full scholarship (thanks to the French horn) and earned a Bachelor's Degree of Music in Music Education and California Teaching Credential while learning to play many, many more instruments, including piano, percussion, and strings. I have also performed in numerous bands and orchestras throughout the years including the the 1995 All American College Band at Disneyland, the 1996 National Orchestral Institute in Maryland, and the Henry Mancini Institute Jazz Orchestra through the American Jazz Philharmonic in 1997. In 2010, I earned a Master's Degree is Educational Leadership with an Administration Credential California State University, Fullerton.

I have 2 amazing daughters (20 & 23), a wonderfully supportive husband, and still carve away a little time to play my horn. My oldest daughter, Allison, went through CUSD schools and graduated from the University of Utah (U of U) with a B.S. in Elementary Education and a Utah teaching license. She hopes to teach kindergarten soon but in the meantime she is pursueing a Masters in Fine Arts with an emphasis in Elementary Arts Integration at the U of U while substitue teaching in CUSD and neighboring districts. My youngest is starting her junior year at Cal Poly SLO also studying elementary education, is studying abroad in Florence this Fall, is a Cal Poly Ambassador, and participating in the University Summer Arts Education Research Project. 😉 They both love playing soccer, creating art, cooking, baking, going to the beach, running, and being musicians themselves. Both of my daughter's CUSD music teacher's went to Newhart either as MY band student or as a my student teacher. Talk about full circle...makes a teacher proud!

Outside of teaching, I like to go for walks with our dog, watching soccer or football games, going to concerts, and travel. We live in Wagon Wheel and have a cute rescue dog (chi-weenie), Paisley.

In Spring 2024, I received 2 Music Educator Awards! The first one was the SCSBOA award for "Best Middle School Teacher 2024" at their conference on Jan. 27th. This was in recognition of being the best middle school teacher in Southern California. Click here to see the CUSD Insider article about Tesoro's Orchestra and myself being honored at the conference. On Feb. 27th, I also earned the OCMAA award nomination for the Orange County Department of Education Outstanding Music Educator Award. Not everyone nominated received a nomination. "It is such an honor and pleasure to receive the recognition!"

My teaching goal for every student is that they enjoy music, gain a greater love for music now and in their future, learn more than they thought they ever knew they could, to work as a positive member of their musical team to make amazing music and most importantly to have fun! One of my favorite music quotes is "music can change the world because it can change people." Bono

• Bachelor's Degree in Music Education from USC, May 1997

• K-12th Grade Single Subject Music Credential from USC, May 1997

• Master's Degree in Educational Leadership from CSUF, May 2010

• Administrative Credential from CSUF, May 2010

• Band & Orchestra Teacher at Newhart M.S. from 1997 - Current

• Choir Teacher at Newhart M.S. from 1997-1998 & 2012-2017

• 2024 Southern California School Band & Orchestra Association "Middle School Teacher of the Year"

• 2024 Orange County Music & Arts Administrator Award Nominee for Outstanding Middle School Music Educator 

• 2016 Newhart M.S. Teacher of the Year

• Master Teacher for Student Teachers at CSUF, CSULB, Univ. of Redlands, and Vanguard (7 students = 2006, 2007, 2009-2010, 2012, 2017, 2018, & 2024-2025)

• Manager of District Honor Groups for 6 Seasons (various years, most recent in 2019)

• Technology Lead Teacher for CUSD, 2000-Current

• Southern California School Band & Orchestra Association "Middle School Teacher of the Year" 2024

• Elective Department Chair, 2005-2009 & 2024-Current

• Induction Mentor for New Teachers 2023-24

• CUSD VAPA Representative 2023-Current

• High School Graduate from Troy High School, Fullerton, 1997

• Local freelance French horn player playing in various local groups, 1988-Current

• Performed as a member of Orange County Youth Symphony Orchestra, Santa Ana Winds Youth Marching Band, Tournament of Roses Honor Band, All CA State & All Southern CA Honor Bands & Orchestras, National Orchestral Institute, Henry Mancini Institute, Debut Chamber Orchestra and in the Disneyland's All American College Band

Mrs. Alex Forester - Band & Choir

arforester@capousd.org

This is my second year teaching at Newhart and I am so grateful to be returning! Thank you to the administrators, colleagues, parents and students who advocated for my return. Your support means the world to me and it is an honor to call myself a Panther again!

As many of you know, I attended Newhart Middle School as a student growing up in Mission Viejo. This is where I fell in love with music and the idea of one day becoming a music teacher. I went through the music program at CVHS, then spent a few years at Saddleback and IVC performing in the Wind Ensembles and Orchestras.  To finish my Bachelor's Degree, I transferred to  UCSD majoring in flute performance and graduated in 2014. After earning my degree, I spent a few years teaching privately and coaching  woodwinds in CUSD at Newhart, CVHS, DHHS and Tesoro, before attending UCI for grad school.

At UCI, I was enrolled in the M.A.T. programs which involved earning a Masters in Teaching alongside my credential. I also met my husband there! He was working on a Physics credential and now teaches College Prep Physics and A.P. Physics 1 at Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA). We have been married for two years and are proud parents to one spoiled rotten dog-ter Zuzu (seen in the photo). We love being a dynamic teaching duo and do our best to support events at each others' schools. He even chaperoned last year's Disney trip!

While completing the student teaching requirement of earning my credential, I was lucky enough to have another opportunity (post coaching) to be at Newhart with Mrs. Petty as my master teacher. Not only has Valerie been a mentor to me for years, but she has also been a close personal friend (who was at our wedding!) which part of what makes us such a good team! Outside of teaching, we enjoy taking Zuzu on fun adventures (she loves my dad's boat), trying new restaurants or coffee shops, spending time with our friends and family, and playing video games. He even got me into World of Warcraft during lockdown so now we raid together with friends across the country twice a week!

My career post grad school started in Fountain Valley School District where I taught TK-5th grade general and vocal music. Next, I applied for an instrumental music position at Yorba Middle School in Orange Unified School District and worked there for 6 years. I shepherded the band, orchestra and guitar programs through COVID, and the transition of the school from 6th-8th grade to 7th-8th grade. While I loved my students and was proud of the programs I rebuilt, when Mrs. Petty texted me that a position at Newhart was opening up, I knew that I had to try to return to my Panther home! My first year was amazing - I revived the choir program, we were able to add a third band level, and I introduced guitar to the elective wheel. Hearing that I was on the district surplus list was devastating. I couldn't imagine anywhere that I would love as much as Newhart. It felt like I had been being pulled back here since Middle School! Thankfully, everything ended up working out and with only 2 days before school starting, I got the call that I would be back! 

I am passionate about music, but I am even more passionate about creating a sense of belonging for students through music. The Newhart Music classroom is where I felt like I belonged as a Middle Schooler, met my best friend and discovered something that would bring me joy for a lifetime. I do not expect every student to fall in love with music to the extent that I did and make a career out of it, but it is my goal that every student feels like part of the group, like they matter and like they belong. I hope they find fun in music along the way but I know they will feel pride in their expression, teamwork, and perseverance.

• Bachelor's Degree in Music Performance from UCSD, June 2014

• Master's Degree in Teaching from UCI, June 2018

• Single Subject Credential in Music, 2018

• Woodwind Coach for Capistrano Unified School District, 2013-2017

• Elementary VAPA Teacher for Fountain Valley School District, 2018-2019

• Instrumental Music Teacher for Orange Unified School District, 2019-2025

Michael Ellerby

Percussion Coach

Ann Ludwig

Oboe & Bassoon Coach

Christy Alesi

Violin & Viola Coach

Karen Deaner

Cello Coach

Christine Allen

String Bass Coach