New teachers bring wealth of experience to Lowry

New teachers bring wealth of experience to Lowry

By Trenton Smith Posted October 19, 2011

Lowry has nine new teachers this year teaching a variety of subjects.

Mr. James Williams is an Algebra 1 and Geometry teacher. He attended high school at White Pine High in Ely, Nevada. After high school, he went to the University of Montana Western, in Dillon, Montana. Coincidentally, Lowry PE teacher, Mr. Taua Cabatbat, was there at the same time.

When asked how he feels about his classes, he said,” So long as they work hard, try hard, that’s all I care about.”

Before coming to Lowry, Williams taught at White Pine. He said that while teaching there, he felt the same way as to how he feels as he currently teaches here. Williams is a football coach here. He helps coach the wide receivers and defensive backs.

Mr. Andrew Meyer is Lowry’s welding teacher. He said, ”I’ve wanted to teach welding since I was a freshman in high school. It’s been a passion of mine and my high school teacher looked like he got a pretty good paycheck, so I’ve kind of always wanted to be a welding teacher.” Meyer attended high school in Carson City and graduated in 2005. Then he went to the University of Nevada-Reno for college. He went straight out of college to work as a student teacher at his alma mater, Carson High. Meyer thinks Winnemucca is a pretty big change for him because he’s used to the feel of a bigger city. When asked what he thinks of his welding classes, he said, ”Everyone is determined, respectful, and nice, for the most part.”

Mr. Clay Sagers went to high school at Tooele High in Utah. After graduating high school he went to Trinidad State University and Utah State University for college. He has never taught anywhere else because this is his first year teaching. He teaches Spanish and English classes, and he thinks the people in these classes are awesome. So far, Sagers loves it here and thinks that Lowry is a great school filled with great kids.

Mrs. Ferol Donalson said that she loves it at Lowry. She said that Lowry is a high school that’s filled with energy and is surrounded by a loving community. Donalson went to St. Vincent’s High School in Petaluma, California and then got her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Special Education at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona, and then got her Doctorate degree in Special Education at Clayton College in Birmingham, Alabama. Before coming to Lowry, she taught Kindergarten to 3rd grade (all subjects) for Special Education at Alyce Taylor Elementary School in the Washoe County School District. At Lowry, Donalson teaches Special Education (Inclusion) Algebra 1, Geometry, and Study Skills.

In the same room is Mrs. Alexis Maga-Mattson, who loves the fact that she is now teaching at her alma mater. She was in the graduating class of 1988, and went on to attend the College of Southern Idaho and then to Great Basin College to finish her degree. She loves her classes and has no complaints. Her classes are a good student body. Maga-Mattson was a student teacher for Mrs. Michelle Pasquale last year at Lowry.

Another new teacher in the Lowry Special Education department is Mrs. Mary Keith, who teaches out of room 116. She said that she loves it here and that the students are very hospitable. She teaches a variety of subjects; she helps Mrs. Meissner with English, four periods of the day, she helps with inclusion, a Special Education version of study hall, and teaches Foundations Reading. She said that her day goes by quickly because she’s always busy helping her classes read and write. Keith attended Havre High in Havre, Montana and earned her Bachelor’s degree at Montana State Northern and her Master’s at MSU in Billings, both degrees in Special Education. Keith has also taught at Eureka High School, Havre High School, and McDermitt as a Special Education teacher.

Mr. Ty Lucas isn’t technically new to Lowry since he has been at PASS and working with student discipline for the past several years. However, this will be his first year in a classroom at the school.In room 604 in the art building, he teaches U.S. History, World History, and World Geography. He said that he likes his classes because they are extremely bright and have smiles on their faces. He went to Dayton High School in Dayton, Nevada, and then to UNR for college. He said that he likes Lowry so far and that it’s a great school in a great city.

Mrs. Pamela Bidart is the new librarian with a little experience as a teacher. She taught 1st and 2nd grade as a Literacy Specialist. Bidart went to Miramonte High in Northern California. She then attended a junior college in Pennsylvania, a junior college in California, and then finally to the University of Nevada-Reno. She said that she loves it here and that it’s a change from elementary school. She said that she likes seeing kids she used to teach in younger grades.

Leave a Reply