Ann Palmason – Music Teacher

Location: West Mercer Elementary School

What she does: Ann teaches elementary music using the Orff Method, developed by composer Carl Orff, in which musical concepts are learned through singing, dance, movement, drama and the playing of percussion instruments. She helped found the local Evergreen Orff Chapter which holds workshops and retreats in professional growth in music, and has helped train many music teachers. This June she will be teaching an Orff Music class to teachers at the University of Oregon. “The Orff Method is an active form of learning-by-doing that engages mind and body,” says Ann. “I try to create an atmosphere in my classroom that is expressive, and to bring all kinds of music and creative movement to the students. Music training not only helps with vocabulary, reading and writing, it also ties in with the district’s 2020 vision of personalized learning because the Orff method promotes using songs composed by the children themselves.” Ann’s students begin writing songs in kindergarten. Students have the opportunity to experiment with all sorts of instruments, too, from piano to recorder to ukulele to guitar. “This district has always supported music,” says Ann “and we are so lucky to have the PTA and the Foundation.”

Typical day: In the morning, Ann provides six half-hour sessions for different grade-levels, all before lunch. After lunch she teaches three more sessions. “It’s like this,” she says as she snaps her fingers rapidly - snap, snap, snap! “One class is leaving as the other arrives. I change hats from grade-to-grade in order to meet the needs of all age groups.”

Best part of the job: There are two ‘best parts’ for Ann: “Getting to know the kids,” she says, “and the fact that no two days are alike.” Because she minored in art during college, Ann incorporates artistic concepts into her music teaching. “The arts are an amazing way to teach kids. I get to work with their brains, their hearts and their senses of self. I’ll often give them lessons that are infused with art, color and design to show what they’re learning. As they grow up they will find art in everything.”

Something people may not know: “I love to windsurf,” says Ann. “A fellow teacher taught me how, years ago. He and I windsurfed most of the way around the island.” Ann also loves to climb, both mountains and buildings! She climbed Mt. Rainier and the old Mt. St. Helens before doing her really ‘Big Climb’ for lymphoma/leukemia research, walking up 69 flights of the Columbia Tower. Ann hails from a large Mercer Island family with roots on the north end of the island as well as with the school district. Ann and her sister still live on property purchased by their grandparents in 1911. Their father, aged 97, was a member of the school board when West Mercer was built, and both of Ann’s children attended West Mercer. Ann herself attended Mercer View Elementary when a boys’ detention camp was located at present-day Luther Burbank Park nearby. “Sometimes during class we’d hear a loud alarm go off, which meant a boy had just escaped!”

Years in district: Ann began her music-teaching career at MISD and will end it here when she retires in June. She started 39-years ago at South Mercer Junior High School, as well as elementary-level at Island Park, Mercer Crest, and Mercer View. She went on to teach in Bellevue, the Bush school (for 19 years), and six years in Edmonds. Ann returned to teaching on Mercer Island at West Mercer five years ago.

Outside interests: Ann and her husband Jon, a tenor, are very involved in the arts in Seattle. She sings in the choir and produces musicals for her church, and has performed in Gilbert and Sullivan shows. She and fellow teacher David Baxter (“my brilliant co-producer”) have produced musicals for West Mercer. Her entire family, in fact, is musically inclined. “My son, Scott, is an improvisational actor and also performs in musicals in Los Angeles. My daughter, Jenny, works for a record company in L.A. and is a wonderful soprano.”

Ann and Jon enjoy traveling. They’ve been to Iceland and have toured through Europe. After retirement, Ann will substitute-teach, visit museums, and possibly teach private music lessons. She also plans to create a home art studio and do a lot of cross-country skiing.

Debra Vandegrift – Third Grade Teacher

Location: West Mercer Elementary School

Goal as a teacher: “I want to help each of my students grow as a learner,” says Debra. She has taught different age levels but believes “third grade is the best because that’s when students discover their passion for learning. They find that reading becomes a skill they can use. It’s so exciting!” Debra’s own passions are teaching science and math.

Another of Debra’s passions is the environment. “I love to tuck in a lesson on the environment where I can. The kids are composting leftovers from their snacks (apple cores and orange peels) and all paper towels used in the class. It gives them a feeling that they are not powerless. They can do things to keep their environment healthy.” Since 1994, Debra has taken students annually to Padilla Bay, a National Estuarine Research Reserve in Anacortes. At Padilla Bay, they learn that Puget Sound is a watershed, and their actions affect it. If they wash their car, the water goes into Puget Sound. They learn about playing their parts in taking care of the world. “If you talked to former students of mine,” says Debra, “they’d probably remember best our field trips to Northwest Trek and Padilla Bay. To think this is the last year I’ll go there with my class!” she exclaims, referring to her impending retirement.

Typical day: “Busy!” says Debra. “They walk in at 9:00 a.m., sit down and go to work.” In the morning, the class covers math and language arts. In the afternoon they alternate science and social studies. “At the end of the day I often hear them talk about how hard they worked. I have high expectations for them and want them to do their best.”

Something people may not know: Before kayaking became a common outdoor activity, Debra and her husband were paddling around in ‘ocean boats’ in the early 1980’s. “We put the first ocean boats in Yellowstone Lake,” she confides. The couple regularly took ocean-boat trips around Vancouver Island. “At a lot of the places we went,” says Debra, “we never saw anybody.” Now those pristine places are crowded with people and the ocean boats are gathering dust in the Vandegrift garage.

Years in district: In 1978 Debra joined MISD as a special education teacher at Mercer View Elementary, eventually transitioning to general-education third grade. She will retire at the end of this school year.

Outside interests: Debra is a self-confessed ‘bird nerd’ who enjoys hiking, gardening, and reading. She and her husband, Eric, live in Wallingford. “Our backyard is always full of birds,” says Debra. “Also a worm bin and a goldfish pond. This way, we don’t need a pet-sitter when we travel!” The couple went to Yellowstone last summer, and think of Costa Rica as an all-time favorite destination. “If you’re a birder,” says Debra, “it’s an absolute must-do trip.”