Marlene Liranzo - Family and Consumer Science Teacher

Location: Mercer Island High School

Job description: Marlene teaches Image, a course that is mainly for grades 9-10, and Personal and Family Relations (PFR ), a course geared primarily towards grades 11-12. “My classes are about life,” says Marlene. Image, billed as a time management, organizational skills, team building and cooperative learning skills course, covers a spectrum of ‘life’ topics including stress management, self-esteem, healthy coping skills, nutrition, fitness, healthy relationships, and internet safety. PFR covers topics such as goal setting, listening skills, conflict resolution, sexual assault information, alcohol and drug issues, parenting choices, financial health, and social concerns. “I am into happiness,” says Marlene. “I want to be a role model for health. I want my students to see that they can choose to be positive and to take care of themselves. I think parents recognize the importance of these classes and believe they are good for their kids.”

Typical day: “Very hectic!” says Marlene, who works closely with MI Youth and Family Services, colleagues and community experts on regular class presentations. Any day might include a representative from Youth Eastside Services to talk about dating violence. Someone else from the Public Health Department might be in to discuss sexuality. Ron Feinberg, a Mercer Island clinical social worker, has given talks about relationships. Betsy Zuber, from MIYFS, regularly presents information about aging. Why do high school students need to learn about aging? “Because,” says Marlene, “by the year 2030, for the first time in history, there will be more older people than younger people in the United States. These kids will be a part of that demographic.” Betsy also talks to the PFR class about aging relatives and dementia. “I learn from our resource people, too!” says Marlene.

Besides teaching classes, Marlene co-chairs the CTE department and is an advisor to the Students Against Violence Everywhere (SAVE) club, which orchestrates drives for homeless shelters and Childhaven, and presents talks on subjects such as suicide prevention. She is also co-advisor (with Cathy Gentino) for Natural Helpers. The Natural Helpers club is comprised of a group of 9-12^th graders who are selected by their peers to develop their natural communication and empathy skills. These students are identified in their school community as safe people to go to for help with problems who can provide resources, including referring to an adult, if necessary.

Best part of the job: “The kids,” says Marlene. “They are funny and dear. I try to connect with them so that by the end of the semester they will know I’m here as a resource for them and also, maybe, for other people in their lives because relationships are part of health. Even if just one kid knows I’m here and that I care, it makes it worth it for me.” Marlene cherishes the connections she has made over the years and marvels at how small the world can be. “Last Christmas I was in Cabo, watching a Husky game, and a former student found me in the crowd and came up to talk. Another time, I ran into a former student when I was in Sorrento, Italy!”

Something people may not know: “I love humor and being silly,” says Marlene. “The kids make me laugh. I joke with them that I want to be a standup comic and use material about THEM!”

Years in district: Marlene started at Mercer Island School District when her daughter was in first grade in 1987. Her daughter, Lindsey, is now a teacher herself.

Outside interests: Marlene is big-time Husky fan and has season tickets. She lives in Sammamish with her husband, Rich. She enjoys reading, gardening, and spending time with daughter and son-in-law, Lindsey and Matt, and son, Michael. Traveling is a favorite thing to do, and she never knows which former student she might run into!

Libby Wotipka – Third-Grade Hand-in-Hand Paraprofessional

Location: Island Park Elementary

Job description: “I imagine my job is what being a grandparent is like,” says Libby, “We get the fun stuff, while the teachers and counselors, like parents, have the hard work.” But a paraprofessional’s job is more than just fun – it’s hard work, too. Hand-n-Hand Paraprofessionals are unique to Island Park Elementary. The positions are funded entirely by parent donations. They help in classrooms providing learning support and friendship support. “I work with students in small groups and observe things that teachers don’t always have time to see. I catch wind of problems and report my concerns to the teachers and counselors. We brainstorm together to come up with solutions.”

Typical day: “We rarely sit down during the day,” says Libby. “I’m lucky if I get a minute to check emails in the morning!” Libby rotates between all of the third-grade classrooms, where she helps small groups with reading, math, computer lab, or science. “Our third grade has 107 kids and you actually do get to know each of them pretty well.” In addition to her assistance in the classrooms, Libby conducts ‘recess camp’ for 3-5^th graders once a day. Children who are struggling, having trouble making friends, or are simply quieter souls looking for alternatives to the playground, thrive with the TLC provided in recess camp.

“Working quietly on a project in camp will often help children with behavioral issues improve without negative intervention,” Libby says. For her recess camp, Libby started a sewing group that caught on like wildfire with the girls, but not many boys were interested so she started a Lego project for them. “Sometimes we have 30 kids crammed into our little workroom!” Wanting to teach her kids to reach out beyond themselves to those less fortunate, Libby developed the ‘pillows for homeless kids’ project. Both girls and boys took to this sewing project. “On weekends while watching the football game with my husband, I’d cut shapes out of polar fleece – aliens, birds, fish – for the kids to use in their pillow designs.” They pin their creations together, and, until recently, Libby took their pieces home to sew together on her mom’s old sewing machine. But after the PTA granted her request for an inexpensive sewing machine to use at school, they can now do their own sewing. “The kids like the idea of helping others and are okay with not keeping their pillows for themselves. They can always make their own at home,” says Libby.

Best part of the job: While Libby cites the creativity and variety of her job as major perks, she concedes that the best part is “when you connect with a child and they have that ‘aHA’ moment. It’s a terrific feeling.”

Something people may not know: During college, Libby worked in fish canneries in Seattle, the San Juans, and Alaska. “They were smelly, long hours and it was a lot of hard work,” says Libby, “but it paid great. I am not big on cooking fish today but if someone else cooks it, I’ll eat it.” The same goes for donuts, due to a high school job at Winchell’s, which was located on the present-day site of the downtown Bellevue Park.

Years in district: This is Libby’s sixth year with MISD.

Outside interests: Skiing and knitting are two of Libby’s passions. She often, surprisingly, pairs them together – knitting during weekend drives to the mountain passes to ski. “I’m a novice knitter.” Libby confesses, her New Years resolution was to learn to make Norwegian hats.

Tracy Davis – Fifth Grade Teacher

Location: West Mercer

Her job: Tracy uses the principle of Multiple Intelligences in her classroom. Multiple Intelligences theory suggests that there are limitations to I.Q. testing. Instead, a child (or adult) will have natural affinities for one or two of the following multiple intelligences:
• Linguistic intelligence – word smart
• Logical-mathematical intelligence – number/reasoning smart
• Spatial intelligence – picture smart
• Bodily-Kinesthetic intelligence – body smart
• Musical intelligence – music smart
• Interpersonal intelligence – people smart
• Intrapersonal intelligence – self smart
• Naturalist intelligence – nature smart

In the beginning of the school year, Tracy helps her students discover what their learning strengths are. She then tries to craft personalized lessons that will align with those strengths. “I got my Masters in Creative Arts in Learning,” Tracy says. “It’s all about visual arts, drama, movement, poetry, and story-telling. Personalized learning makes teaching so fun for me!”

Typical day highlight: “I love adding some kind of art throughout all subjects,” says Tracy. The class is currently doing a science unit on the human body. “They each read a book about a physical or mental disability,” Tracy explains. “Then they research the disability and complete a project using options that I provide through the Multiple Intelligences.”

Best part of the job: “Brainstorming how to be more creative in my teaching,” says Tracy. “I stick to the curriculum but love coming up with new ways to make it interesting. I taught art at various Mercer Island schools. That’s why I love to integrate arts in the curriculum. Doing this with fifth graders is great because they are still young enough not to think it’s silly. They can still be kids.”

Something people may not know: After growing up on Mercer Island and graduating from college, Tracy became a flight attendant for American Airlines. “I loved the traveling,” Tracy confesses, “but being a flight attendant was hard living. I shared a one-bedroom apartment with six girls in New York City. I had to leave for work three hours early on the subway. It was a great after-college job because I got to travel, but I barely got by, financially.” After three years, Tracy quit the airline and became a substitute for MISD.

Years in district: This is Tracy’s 16th year with MISD.

Outside interests: Tracy enjoys playing tennis and swimming. Husband Jon was a teacher for the Bellevue School District in the 90’s but left teaching for a sales job. When Jon and Tracy married three years ago, Jon decided to return to teaching. He started a job this year as a Learning Support paraprofessional at Lakeridge and “he loves getting back into the classroom teaching kids, boosting their self esteem,” says Tracy. She and Jon have a blended family of four children, ages 9, 12, 13, and 14. Though they live on Mercer Island, the family recently purchased a weekend getaway/future retirement home in Cle Elum.

Jan Lamont – Administrative Assistant for Human Resources

Location: Administration Building

Job description: As assistant to the HR coordinator, Jan processes all employment applications, prepares job announcements and posts them to the district’s website. She is in charge of maintaining all personnel files, including subs, coaches and archived files. Certificated staff must complete 150 clock hours over 5 years to maintain a continuing teaching certificate or to move up on the salary schedule, and Jan assists them by recording their continuing education clock hours. Jan meets with new employees, subs and coaches, and processes their paperwork, fingerprint info, answers questions about benefits and retirement. She prepares the contracts and letters of assignments for all employees.

Typical day: For Jan, it begins at 7:00 a.m. by answering the voicemails and emails that have come in overnight. Then she tackles the project of the moment. Currently, the payroll and human resources departments are in the process of moving to Skyward. It is a new interface to the main database where school districts house all of their records on students and personnel. “We have to clean up a lot of data for the big conversion in April,” says Jan. “It’s a steep learning curve, but we’re getting trained monthly in Everett.” The rest of her day is filled with greeting applicants, welcoming new employees, and answering employment and benefits questions for current employees. “I am a people-person,” says Jan, “so I especially enjoy that part of my job.” “I do a lot of tracking,” says Jan. “I track mandatory employee trainings, staff evaluations, optional hours and technology training forms. A lot of different things go on in our department.”

Best part of the job: “Of course, I work for the best boss in the world,” Jan smiles, referring to Judy Shannon, the HR coordinator. “She’s like no other boss…kind, caring, funny, she’s just great.” Another highlight for Jan is the opportunity to meet new people and learn about current employees. “I’ve always been good at connecting people,” she says. “In a previous job, I knew a person who needed to sell her house. I knew another person who wanted to buy one. I set the two of them up and they closed the deal! I guess you could call it matchmaking.” And yes, over the years she has instigated one or two meetings that led to marriage.

Something people may not know: Jan owned and managed a secretarial/answering service company for 22 years. She also worked in the Issaquah School District for six years prior to MISD. “I dragged my husband, John, out of retirement to be a full-time bus driver,” Jan says. “He was bored, he needed something to do. He loves the eclectic group of drivers he gets to work with, as well as the kids he drives and their parents.”

Years in district: Nine years. Jan started as the receptionist in the MISD administration building.

Outside interests: “I like anything that involves the great outdoors,” Jan says. “I ski, bike and hike.” She and John travel frequently. A favorite destination is Hawaii, where they regularly house/dog sit for two families. “It’s wonderful. We get to be in the sun, play with dogs, and stay in palatial houses.” Back home in Sammamish, Jan and John enjoy spending time with their grown children, son Kevin, and son Darren and daughter-in-law Tracy. The family is completed by two border collies, Louie and Pepper. Jan has a low-key side business as provider of border collie puppies to many district employees. “I often get Christmas cards from MISD employees with pictures of the dogs they got from me. They love them so much!”

Jane Sullivan – MIHS Special Education Teacher/Case Manager

Location: Mercer Island High School

Job description: Jane teaches students in grades 9 through 12 who have been identified as needing specially designed instruction in one or more areas. She manages their caseloads and liaisons with their general education teachers, families, outside consultants, and specialists, such as speech and language pathologists.

Typical day: “It’s long!” Jane replies, laughing, when asked to describe one. Jane teaches three resource classes, where her students work on individual learning goals. As an example, “One might be learning to edit an essay,” Jane offers. “The goal would be to read an unedited paragraph and identify and correct grammar, punctuation and word usage with 75% accuracy. The I.E.P's (Individual Education Plans) are very specific.” After Resource Room, Jane teaches two Foundations classes, which is a special education class in U.S. history and math.

Best part of the job: “When one of my kids feels successful according to his or her own terms,” says Jane, “and not by how society defines success. We all, every one of us, have things we’re not so good at. Learning is hard. If I were to study ballet or the Russian language, I'd make lots of mistakes and be frustrated. When my students walk through the classroom door, I want them to feel welcome and that this is a good place to be. If they can't do something one way, we will find another way. These kids are amazing. I learn from them every day.”

Something people may not know: Jane hated high school, and was not a good student, but went on to graduate from college and earn two masters degrees. Jane had another career for 25 years prior to becoming a teacher. She was in the apparel manufacturing business, with Levi Strauss in San Francisco, and moved to Seattle to become a vice president of merchandizing and design for Britania and Union Bay, finally ending up at Eddie Bauer as a director of women’s product development. After starting her own line of women’s apparel called Favour she decided to change careers - says Jane, “all that travel got old, and the job was definitely not rewarding.” In the MIHS special education classrooms, everything matters. Says Jane, “I used to sit around and agonize over how many boot cut and straight leg and stone washed jeans needed to be in the product line. It doesn't matter!” So Jane went back to school 25 years after earning a Masters in Business, and earned an endorsement in history at the UW. “In college, I figured out how I learned and I loved it. I could go to school for the rest of my life!” She went on to get her Masters in teaching at Seattle University and is now a fully endorsed special education teacher.

Years in district: This is Jane’s eighth year with MISD.

Outside interests: Jane is mother to five children in a blended family; two of her children went through the special education system at MIHS. "I am very proud of all my kids,” she says. “They are each successful and unique.” Jane enjoys sports and keeps fit with bicycling, skiing, and yoga. She also likes to read, and travel. Jane moved to Seattle three years ago after 20 years of living on Mercer Island.

Tyson Peters – Integrated Social Studies/World Cultures Teacher, Head Boys Golf Coach, Kids Corp. Club Advisor

Location: Mercer Island High School

Job description: Tyson teaches an integrated sophomore Social Studies/World Cultures course with English teacher, Erica Hill. Instead of a traditional 50-minute period, they take turns teaching two periods, back-to-back. This block class contains 60 students instead of 30. “Integrated block classes offer a few different benefits,” says Tyson. While his class studied Nigeria’s declaration of independence from Great Britain, Erica’s class read Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe's acclaimed account of Nigerian life before and after colonialism. “The kids get more than facts,” Tyson explains, “they get the depth that comes from feeling and understanding. Also, class time is longer, which gives us more opportunity for varied types of lessons – role-playing, making movies, and oral presentations.”

Tyson challenges his students to develop their own opinions about historical events. “Written history is often biased, depending on who wrote it,” Tyson explains. “Who’s to say only one source has the truth?” Currently, Tyson’s class is in the middle of their Age of Exploration and Colonization unit, studying various accounts of Christopher Columbus by reading his journals, perspectives of the Native Americans, and books by modern historians.

Tyson is proud of the boys’ golf team, which just finished their season. “It was a great year,” he says. “We have won four of the last six KingCo titles, and were State champs in 2005. We hope we will be again this year!”

Tyson is also an advisor for Kids Corp. Club, which matches elementary students to high school student tutors. “The idea is that young kids often respond better to working with a high school student rather than a parent or another adult,” Tyson explains. “It’s a student-managed and operated club. I’m there to provide assistance and help facilitate between families and tutors. Some of our high school students have generated really good relationships with elementary students.”

Best part of the job: “I enjoy being in an academic and social environment where you are building relationships with pretty amazing students and staff,” says Tyson. “We’ve got four history teachers and two English teachers sharing the same office,” says Tyson. “Between my coworkers and my students, I get to have great philosophical discussions. You don’t necessarily get that perk in other work environments!”

Something people may not know: “I love snow!” says Tyson with a chuckle. “Snow, more than anything else, brings out my inner child. Actually, I just love the outdoors in general.” Tyson enjoys backcountry skiing in winter, golf and hiking in spring and summer.

Years in district: This is Tyson’s ninth year with MISD.

Outside interests: While growing up in Washington State, Tyson developed a love of travel. “My family (his parents were both teachers) took trips every summer, all across the U.S. and to Europe. Afterwards, I found it fun to learn about the place I’d just been to. Today, my travels add dimension to the subjects I teach.” Tyson’s last big trip was to India, and he would like someday to travel to the Middle East and East Asia. But for now, travel may have to take a backseat to juggling family life. Tyson lives in West Seattle with his wife Yvonne, an attorney, and their children – Julian, age five, and Lila, five months. With the arrival of the new baby, Tyson says, “we are getting used to having a fourth person around the house!”

Shannon Verschueren - Crest Special Education Teacher/Case Manager, Resource Room/Structured Study Social Skills, HS Drill Team Coach

Location: Mercer Island High School and Crest Learning Center

Job description: Shannon provides direct instruction for students with I.E.P.’s (Individual Education Plans) who need support and additional instruction to be successful in general education. This might involve academic subjects like math, reading, or writing, or it could include instruction in organizational and personal skills. In her social skills class, for instance, students grapple with such subjects as how to go on a date or how to act on an airplane, via games, role play, and problem-solving questions. Shannon is fascinated by the differences in the way students learn and how their brains work. “I could have a student who is in AP level science but doesn’t understand how to have a conversation.” Shannon keeps in touch with students after they graduate, and has received a lot of positive feedback as they navigate through college. “Every day there is something to celebrate.”

Typical day: “My typical day is as structured as humanly possible!” says Shannon. “I have so many kids doing so many different things. Each of my students has a goal sheet so that he or she knows what to work on. Flexibility is the name of the game here.” Shannon, who would be a professional organizer if she weren’t a teacher, feels it is never too early to learn organization skills.

In her first period of the day, at Crest, Shannon focuses on self-advocacy. “When my students go to college,” she says, “they will need to know how to get extra support if they need it.” She does the same the rest of the day with her students at the high school, where she teaches structured study and social skills classes in the resource room, as well as one drill team class. “We are called Case Managers because we help the kids manage their time and plan long-term goals,” Shannon explains. “From eighth grade on, we begin asking them what they’re going to do after high school. They express their interests, and we help them determine the steps to get there.”


Best part of the job: “I love community building,” says Shannon. Working at both Crest, the high school, and as a drill team coach, has given her that opportunity. “Bridging the gap between special education students and Crest students has been awesome,” says Shannon. She has hosted dinner parties for the drill team at Crest, enlightening team members to the fact that there are summer class offerings at Crest. Shannon, who went to Mercer Island schools, learned early about the importance of interested teachers who are invested in the well being of their students. “I had great relationships with all my teachers,” says Shannon. “During times of stress, my teachers were my pillars of support, consistency and comfort.”

Something people may not know: Shannon is deeply rooted to Mercer Island. In fact, her senior class voted her most likely never to leave! Her mother graduated from MIHS in 1974, and Shannon herself graduated from MIHS in 2002. Several generations of Shannon's large family continue to live on the island today.

Years in district: This is Shannon’s third year with MISD.

Outside interests: “I've always done drill team; I was on the team for three years,” says Shannon. “It's a huge part of my life.” She also dances, (hip hop, jazz, ballet) and scrapbooks. She and her boyfriend, Matt Stock, also an MIHS grad, enjoy traveling. Shannon was a chaperone on the MIHS Senior Vietnam trip in February 2010. The money raised by the individual students and families funded orphanages there. The experience, says Shannon, was “life-altering. It was great to feel connected with so many kids I never would have had in classes otherwise.”