by Chloe Sweeney

This year we have had an influx of new energetic teachers. These teachers come from all over the country to join the Palm Valley family. Their varied backgrounds are surprising and welcome here in the desert!

Let us introduce you to a few . . . .

Ms. Sweet, the new Spanish teacher, was born and raised in Rhode Island. In middle school, she and her and her family moved to Mexico. She and her sister were both placed in a school where no one spoke a bit of English. This situation forced her to become fluent, and she still believes the best way to learn a language is to immerse yourself in it. She returned to the states and attended Georgetown University in Washington D.C. At Georgetown, she majored in Global Health and studied other languages including Portuguese. Though her degree is in Global Health, she decided that she wanted a career that was more hands-on. After college, she got a job as a Spanish teacher for elementary kids in Rhode Island. She had always wanted to teach high school, so when she heard about the job at Palm Valley she decided to pack up and move across the country. She packed up her car and her puppy Logan and drove across country. She is getting settled at Palm Valley, and she is extremely excited to coach Cross Country for middle and lower schoolers.

Mr. Krause is the new AP World History and Geography teacher. Until now, he has lived his entire life in Chicago, Illinois. He grew up playing baseball and is a HUGE Cubs fan. He is really excited to coach the Varsity Baseball Team this spring. He played baseball at Wheaton College where he double majored in secondary education and social sciences. He just graduated college this May, and while looking for a job he stumbled across Palm Valley. He came out for his interview and loved it. He was very excited to escape the Chicago traffic and Mid-West winters.

Ms. Lee is now teaching Geometry, Algebra II, and Pre-Calculus in the Upper School. Her previous job was at a public school in the Bronx, a rough neighborhood in New York. She is so grateful to be teaching at a school where the students know how to behave and have a desire to succeed in their studies. She was born in Korea and moved to New York when she was seven years old. She attended the City University of New York, where she majored in math for her bachelor degree and math education for her masters degree. Both of her parents were math teachers so she always told herself that she would never teach. When she was a senior in high school, her mom again mentioned teaching (and the summer breaks!). Ms. Lee started to consider a career in Education. When she went down to Baja California on a mission trip where she worked with local children, she was hooked. This experience helped her realize the value of education and inspired her to be a teacher. After many years in New York, Ms. Lee was very excited to leave the craziness of the city  and move to the peaceful Coachella Valley.