Hello! 

I'm Mr. VanHatten (Mrs. V. for short) and I am very excited to be teaching 7th grade Science on Team Colorado!  This is my first  year teaching at Sierra Middle School but I love middle school science and math and can't wait to work with a new group of young scientists!

I grew up in Iowa but have lived in Colorado for over 20 years and am proud to call Colorado my home.  I am a single dad to an amazing daughter (Evie) who is in 6th grade in Littleton.  We have 2 cats - Ninja and Zorro and 1 leopard gecko -Larry.  I have 4 college degrees (yes 4!) - BS in Forestry from Iowa State University, Masters in Computer Information Systems from University of Phoenix, MBA from University of Phoenix, and Master of Arts in Teaching from Metro State University of Denver.  I am also an Army combat veteran and have been stationed in Germany, Kuwait, and Iraq.  Other interests include:  dad jokes, Hawaiian shirts, Legos, video games, reading, tacos, and travelling & exploring new places.

My motto for class is:  Improvise, Adapt, Overcome!  I believe this is lesson all young students can learn from and implement throughout school, college, work, and life!  Don't stop learning and never give up!

I absolutely love teaching middle school science and inspiring young scientists and am looking forward to an exciting year in science!