MEET YOUR TEACHERS

Ryan McDermott (7Th Grade)

Regístrese para una reunión virtual con el Sr. McDermott

Growing up in a big family and a small house, I spent a lot of time outside. I loved every sport including roller hockey, soccer, football, and baseball. I also got a love of music from my parents--who always had Tom Petty or The Beach Boys playing on long car rides.

I ended up playing competitive travel baseball when I was 11, and played all the way through high school, while playing soccer and singing in my high school choir. I signed on to go to college on a baseball scholarship, but I decided that I loved soccer more. I ended up playing on the California Lutheran University (Thousand Oaks, CA) soccer team for all four years, and was captain for two of those years. I'm lucky I ended up at CLU, because I met my wife, Mayan, there. Many of you will see her cheering on your students with me. (After working in education for years, she went back to school and is preparing to be a Marriage and Family Therapist!)

My degree was in Music, Business and Multimedia, and I worked for a music management firm in Los Angeles before returning to school to get a Master's in Teaching at Concordia University. I bring a wide array of connections to students--whether it's through music, sports, cats, or my childhood learning disability.

Nothing gives me greater excitement than seeing a student's 'aha' moment, and I work hard every day to make as many of them happen as I can.

Do you think you know McDermott? Try to prove it HERE on Kahoot!

JOSHUA TOOLE (6th & 8th Grade)

Bio coming soon!

Kali Tagomori-Lai (SPED/LC Support)

I grew up in the heart of San Francisco, attending neighborhood schools and participating in various volunteer programs working with children; that was when I realized that I enjoyed sharing time and knowledge with others and began exploring a possible future in education. I also spent many summers and breaks in Hawaii where my grandparents live and saw how much diversity in people and culture adds to the richness of life.

While attending the University of Portland, I worked with students in classroom settings and, due to the Covid pandemic, developed graphic and visual skills teaching my students remotely as well. I learned that there are many different ways that a student learns and that there is no one way that fits every student. This is why being a Learning Center Resource Teacher is so exciting to me; I get to work with students with varying learning styles and have the opportunity to tailor the lessons to their individual needs.

I look forward to getting to know each one of my students individually so that we can discover together through our own unique ways of learning and experiencing life!

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