New Teachers' Pages

Willkommen zu Dickinson
By: Amber Batool

Mrs. Gordon, Dickinson's new German teacher, came all the way from Sante Fe, New Mexico. She grew up with her grandparents in Germany and came to the United States when she was eight years old. She went to Colorado High School and then attended Hawaii University. She did not continue her education at Hawaii University because her family moved, so she transferred to California State University at North Ridge and received her bachelor's degree in German. After that, she returned to Hawaii University and earned a teaching certificate.
As a teacher, she believes her biggest achievement occurred when one of her students won the National German Exam. The student earned a six week trip to Germany. Mrs. Gordon said, "It gives you a lot of satisfaction when one of your students does something outstanding."
Does Mrs. Gordon like teaching   here? She said that she enjoys teaching no matter where it is. "Schools are same all over the country, and kids are kids; they don't change a whole lot," she said.
Mrs. Gordon has a variety of interests and hobbies. "I try stuff; it's fun to have a lot of interests," she said. In her extra time, she likes to paint, play tennis, figure skate, play piano and guitar. Her musical tastes include both classical and German music.
Mrs. Gordon chose to teach German because she "did not want to forget the language, and I read a lot of novels and go to Europe every year. It gives me a chance to get to practice my language with my friends."  She hopes to be a positive influence on all of her students at JDHS. 

A New Teacher on the Block
By:  India Sutton

Who is Mr. DeStefano? He is the new driver's education teacher at Dickinson. Because he is one of the "new teachers on the block," The Dickinson Patriot wanted to give students a little insight about him to get to know him a little better.
Mr. DeStefano, a native of Wilmington, Delaware, attended West Virginia University for two years. Then he attended the University of Delaware. His major at the U of D was physical education, and he earned his bachelor's degree in this program at Delaware.
In order to earn the job at Dickinson, Mr. DeStefano then attended Wilmington College for postgraduate work. He is currently finishing a master's degree program in administration and school leadership.
Mr. DeStefano has been a teacher for the past five years in the RCCSD. He previously taught at various high schools, both private and public.
When Mr. DeStefano was asked what the hardest part of teaching driver's education is he answered, "Taking the students out on the road. Some days my nerves are shot."

It's a Wortonful Life
By: Brian Reece

This year, we are proud to have a Dickinson graduate here to teach in the graphic arts department. Mr. Worton graduated from JDHS in 1983. He completed college afterwards and majored in architectural engineering. So, what did he do between then and now?  "I worked in the graphic arts industry for the past twenty years," he said.  He said he came to Dickinson because "this is the high school to beat. I like it." This will be Mr. Worton's first year teaching full-time, although he did teacher part-time for a year.
Behind the scenes, Mr. Worton enjoys hunting, fishing, and boating. He also enjoys going to the beach. Mr. Worton has been married to his wife, Anne, for ten years. When asked if he had any kids, he showed his humorous side by replying, "Approximately 130 a day." Mr. Worton's loyalty is obvious as he finally commented, "I'm glad to be at Dickinson; Go Rams!"

An Interview with Mr. Trujillo
By: Erica Sontowski

"I enjoy working with the students here; it's a lot of fun," declared Mr. Trujillo, one of the new science teachers here at Dickinson. Before coming to Dickinson, Mr. Trujillo was a chemistry and physical science teacher at Mt. Pleasant High School. Before his teaching career, he worked as a research chemist for Hercules and Zeneca.
Mr. Trujillo attended college at LaSalle University in Philadelphia for his bachelor of science degree in chemistry. Afterwards, he also attended Lehigh University for his master's degree in chemistry. He earned certification in education at the University of Delaware.  Some of Mr. Trujillo's hobbies include swimming, biking, and traveling. Because of his interest in drawing, Mr. Trujillo said he would most likely be an artist if he was not a science teacher.

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