Greetings Falcon Community members,

I hope this newsletter finds you well as we watch summer turn into fall and witness the ever present decent of the snowline down the mountains.  It is an exciting time at Thunder Mountain High School.  I would like to take this opportunity to showcase teachers new to the TMHS community.

Please welcome Heather Ridgeway as an Art teacher new to TMHS.  Ms. Ridgeway comes to us from Juneau Douglas High School where she taught Ceramics and Digital Arts.  Ms. Ridgeway has lived in Juneau over eight years.  Her current assignment is Ceramic Arts.  Her first teaching job was as a French teacher in Anchorage.  Ms. Ridgeway earned her degrees from UAA and London City Guilds.  An interesting fact about Ms. Ridgeway is that she was an exchange student in Norway and has also taught English in Japan.

Please welcome Hunter Silides as a Language Arts teacher new to TMHS.  Ms. Silides is in her first year teaching in a public school, however she taught for five years in a private K-8 setting before earning her Masters degree in education from UAS.  Ms. Silides is no stranger to us as she did her master’s internship under Ms. Herding last year at TMHS.  Ms. Silides has lived in Juneau for 7 years and has four children attending schools in the JSD.  Ms. Silides is very happy to say she now has her dream job.

Please welcome Amelia Rivera as a Social Studies teacher new to TMHS.  This is Ms. Rivera’s second year teaching.  Last year Ms. Rivera taught PE and Health at Floyd Dryden Middle School.  She earned her Master’s in Secondary Education in 2005.  Ms. Rivera is from Juneau and returned to Juneau after earning her bachelors degree.  In addition to teaching she is passionate about participating in city league athletics.  Ms. Rivera is also happy to share that she has landed her dream job at TMHS.

Please welcome Brad Billings as a Math teacher new to TMHS.  This is Mr. Billing’s sixth year teaching after spending part of last year at Yaakoosge Daakahidi and five years in the Bering Strait School District.  Mr. Billings earned his Bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University and a Masters degree in Public Administration at the Kennedy School of Government in Boston.   Mr. Billings lived in Juneau ten years ago, went to the bush and returned last January.  An interesting experience Mr. Billings shares is participating in a Bowhead whale capture and harvest in the Alaska community of Savoonga.

We are confident that these teachers represent the very best in educators and possess  the skills and commitment  to go above and beyond in serving  each and every one of our children.

Very truly,

Dan Larson