Mr. Bizzarro is a graduate of the University of Florida College of Journalism and has been teaching English for 6 years. He was awarded Rookie Teacher of the year in his time at North Marion Middle School. He has taught 6th-8th grade throughout his career. He has experience teaching a wide range of levels from remedial reading to 8th grade honors ELA. He enjoys watching, coaching, and playing sports in his free time, with tennis as his current passion.

Hello! My name is Mrs. Arp, and I am a Language Arts teacher at Oak View Middle School. I am a Newberry Alumni (from all Newberry Elementary, Newberry Middle School, and Newberry High School.) I am a University of Florida graduate, and love cheering the Gators on! I have taught for 19 years, and have four boys- twin boys and two amazing step-sons. I live in Newberry with my husband, where we spend time relaxing and boating on the water!

Students will be engaging in a writing workshop. Students will use all of the steps of the writing process including: prewriting, drafting, peer evaluating, revision, editing, and publishing.

Over the course of the year, students will continually add to their writing portfolios. The writing portfolio will include writing for multiple purposes and audiences and the revision of that writing.

Greetings, I'm Lauren Marlowe.  Thanks to the power of caffeine and a Master's degree in English Education from the University of Florida, I have been teaching since 2005.  I started my career at Kanapaha Middle School but became an Oak View Panther in 2013 and love the fact that I get to work with teachers who, like me, are driven by curiosity, intellectualism, and humor.  In 2017, I had the honor of representing Oak View and my community as the Alachua County Teacher of the Year and received the Shine Award from Governor Rick Scott.  When given the opportunity for a hiatus from grading essays, I spend my time practicing Kung Fu, nerding out on a good book, gardening, and raising my two children.

8th Grade CAAT Language Arts is designed to help students matriculate into advanced English classes in high school through a rigorous study of dystopian, Romantic, and Neoclassic literature.  A heavy emphasis is place on precision of language (through grammar and vocabulary studies) as well as analytical and critical thinking skills (which are fostered through essays, discussions, and debates).  Because this is a blended classroom, a high degree of responsibility, maturity, and independence is expected from students as their homework is directly connected to the content and lessons in the classroom.

My name is Belinda Howerton and I have been teaching Math and Science in Alachua County Schools for 21 years (26 total). I attended Liberty University where I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Early and Middle School Education. I went back to school to get my ESOL and Gifted Endorsements.  I grew up just outside of Philadelphia, Pa. I enjoy reading, cooking, gardening, hiking, camping, watching football and spending time with my family. This is my first year here at Oakview. I moved from the Archer Magnet. I’m so excited for this new adventure and to meet my new and former students. I have been married for 33 years and have three grown sons. Ian (28), Noah (25) and Paul (18). Ian works in Gastonia, NC as a Polysomnographer. Noah works at Ocala Regional Hospital Radiology Dept. doing cat scans and ultrasounds. Paul will be attending college soon. My husband Allen works for the State of Florida.

In sixth grade, we will be delving into fractions, ratios, percents, geometry and probability to name a few. We will have lots of engaging and hands-on activities and technology. We will work on critical thinking skills and notebooks to not just teach facts but to train  our minds to be confident problem solvers and the leaders of the future.

My name is Aimee Womack and have been an educator in Alachua County since 1998. I am originally from Pensacola, FL and moved to Gainesville to attend UF and then decided I didn't want to leave. I graduated with a Bachelors degree and then a Masters degree in Elementary Education. After 21 years in elementary school, I decided to make the move to middle school. I am so excited to be at Oak View this year. Both of my children went here and I know from experience it's the best middle school in the county! My husband is a PE teacher at Norton and Duval and both kids are at Buchholz this year. When not at school, my family and I all either play or coach soccer, take lots of trips to the beach, and just generally spend a lot of time together.

7th grade advanced math focuses on getting students ready to take Algebra and other higher level math classes. Students will finish working on the 7th grade book and then complete the entire pre-algebra course! The year will be fast paced as tons of skills are covered so students will be expected to stay on top of their studies. I plan to incorporate lots of hands on activities and group work in my classroom to make sure all students are engaged in their learning. We will learn why math is important in our lives and how we can use it everyday. I look forward to working with the students this year and know I will learn as much from them as they do from me!

My name is Jenise “Marsan” Thomas and have been an educator in Alachua County since 1997. I was born and raised in Gainesville.  I attended Santa Fe Community College for my A.A. degree and graduated from UF with a Bachelor’s degree in Exercise and Sports Science.  I Started my teaching career at Fort Clarke Middle school for 2.5 years Teaching PE, then 23 years at Newberry high School teaching PE, ESE, Algebra 1, Informal and regular Geometry, and moved over to Oak View last year to teach Algebra 1 and Pre-Algebra. I am so excited to be at Oak View this year and a part of the CAAT program. When not at school, I’m either hiking, biking, paddle boarding, and/or camping. I am also a life group leader with college students at my church and work with international students.

My name is Brittany Young, and I have been teaching in the CAAT program for 5 years. I’ve been an educator in Alachua County since 2016. I am originally from West Palm Beach, Fl and moved to Gainesville to attend the University of Florida. I earned a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education and a Masters in Reading. I began my teaching career at Alachua Elementary,  teaching both 3rd and 5th grade, but have always loved history, and decided to transition to middle school. In my spare time, I like to read and watch sports, particularly my Lakers, Patriots, and Gators!

In sixth grade U.S. History, we will dive into content from the exploration and colonization of the United States to the American Civil War and Reconstruction. Students will be exposed to multiple dynamics of history including economics, geography, politics, and religion/sociology. Through the use of artifacts, primary and secondary historical documents, historical fiction books, creative projects, and Socratic seminars, students will become critical thinkers, use technology, and work collaboratively to explore the realm of American History in a new and exciting way.

My name is Katie Marsh and I have been teaching Civics at Oak View since 2014. I graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor's in Health Science. I am from Alachua County, so I am a devoted Gator! When I'm not teaching, I love hiking, reading, tutoring, gardening, and fostering dogs. I am looking forward to having a great year with you all.

Civics is an in-depth examination of the role we all play as residents in the United States. We will learn about the responsibilities and obligations citizens have, the origin of the United States after breaking apart from Great Britain, and most importantly, the rulebook for our country, the Constitution. Our curriculum will be infused into your other core classes, and by the end of the year you will have a better idea of how you can be a more active and involved member of our community. There is an End of Course exam that tests your knowledge of all of these concepts, and by the end of the year you will be ready to show what you know!

Hello! My name is Brianna Barden. I've been teaching on the eighth-grade team Oak View since 2020 and love collaborating with my colleagues to cultivate an incredible learning experience for our students. I am a graduate of the University of Florida, where I obtained my Bachelor's of Arts in English and Master's of Art in Mass Communication. When I'm not at Oak View, I love to read, crotchet, hang out with my cats, and hike with my husband and dogs.

8th Grade US History will explore important components of American History from exploration and colonization to the Civil War and Reconstruction. Students will practice using primary and secondary sources to develop strong critical thinking skills through interactive assignments and DBQ's. My goal is to combine the use of analytical and writing skills to guide your student through history with a critical eye that prepares them for rigorous AP courses in high school.

I’m Mrs. Ashli Newton and I’m excited to be joining the 6th grade team at Oak View this year! I am fresh from Clay County, where I was born and raised most of my life. I’ve moved here with my husband and two little boys. I am a thirteen year veteran teacher with the majority of my experience being in 6th grade Math and Science. Middle School has always had my heart and I can’t wait to meet my new students.

In Science this year, CAAT students will expand upon each topic with labs, projects, and presentations. We will be incorporating several different hands-on learning materials to aid in developing research and presentation skills. In the beginning weeks we will dig into the What, Why, and How behind Science. Other topics throughout the year include severe weather and climate, classification of living organisms, and the Earth’s atmosphere and systems. I am especially excited to see the students engage in such activities as experiments, creating models, and my personal favorite, the human body project! 

My name is Andrea Bradley and I have been an educator in Alachua County since 2017. I joined the Oak View Panther family in 2018. I graduated from Western Kentucky University with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and Medical Technology. I spent a little over fifteen years working in clinical and research laboratories. My primary focus was cytogenetics and fluorescent in-situ hybridization for cancer diagnostics. When I started volunteering in my childrens’ classrooms I discovered my love for teaching. Through Santa Fe College, I completed my career change to teaching, and am so happy to be a Panther!

My goal is to challenge students while promoting curiosity and developing a love of learning. Through many engaging hands-on activities and projects, we will explore a variety of physical, earth, and life science topics and how they relate to our everyday lives. In physical science we will cover thermodynamics and electromagnetic waves. Earth science includes Earth’s interior, plate tectonics, and the history of the Earth. Life science covers genetics (my favorite!), ecosystems, and human impacts on the environment. 

My name is Larissa Garcia and I have been a science educator for 7 years. I have a BS in molecular biology from Oregon State University. I began teaching science in South East Asia and have been teaching at Oak View Middle since 2023. In my free time I am an avid backpacker and traveler. 

8th grade CAAT Science is designed to prepare students for their end of course FSA and future AP/Honors science courses. This year we will further study the structure of our solar system and introduce students to the inner makings of the periodic table. This class challenges students to test their questions using inductive and deductive reasoning, while making inferences about the world around them. 

Welcome to CAAT Technology! My name is Adam Fournier. I began my teaching career in 2008, and moved to Oak View's technology program in 2018. Prior to joining Oak View, most of my teaching has been in gifted science. Outside of school, my wife and I have two daughters, and we're huge Disney fans! I graduated from the University of Florida in 2007 with my bachelors in Health Education and Behavior and again in 2019 with a masters in Educational Leadership (Go Gators!) 

This will be a challenging class in which we will be pursuing certifications in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint in sixth grade, and Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator in seventh grade. The exams are challenging, but the projects will be a lot of fun! Students will have the opportunity to explore many different topics as we work through these applications, including photography, graphic design, illustration, 3D printing, and other cross-curricular activities. These skills will build up to the 8th-grade course, which allows students to spend the entire learning how to build and run their own business! Each class will have a CEO, vice presidents, and other positions within the company as we apply for business loans, create a sales pitch, design our own company logos, business cards, and websites, and enter our company's product into a trade show with other middle schools around the country!