Onondaga Central
Mr. Theiss- One of the new educators that has joined us at OCS is Mr. Theiss. He teaches Computer 7, Philosophy, and Digital Ethics. Due to COVID conditions, he has made his classes all virtual. His “students participate in discussions, in addition to developing critical thinking and media literacy skills.” He graduated from the MST (Master of Science for Teachers) program at SUNY Oswego just last year! He has knowledge of technology and computer science. But, besides being technologically savvy, Mr. Theiss has always wanted to teach history. He even has a social studies certification. Outside of his teaching career, Theiss enjoys hiking, reading, and even collecting vintage arcade machines/technology. He has two dogs; a French bulldog-toy poodle mix, who is 11 years old, and a younger puggle dog who is three. Hopefully he can find enjoyment in this fall season being that his favorite holiday is Thanksgiving and hiking trails will be beautiful! We all welcome Mr. Theiss to the OCS family! Mr. Berger- Though we’ve seen his face around since last year, Mr. Berger has now permanently joined OCS! He is a Teacher’s Assistant for a multitude of staff. He mainly works in the Special Education department with Resource teachers and helps students with their schedules every day. Though he assists with every subject, he primarily works with Mrs. Kilpatrick, Mrs. MacLachlan, and Mrs. Casey. He also helps the math teachers such as Mrs. Bort, Mrs. King, and Mr. Stewart. His position is also prominent with Mr. Hyland for US History, Mrs. Ferris for English 9, and especially with Mr. Sharpsteen’s Science 8 Class. He’s been enjoying working with the entire 8th-grade. He supports the kids in-class slightly differently than the teacher does. He usually makes his way around the classroom to help everyone, “But this year has been so unusual!” While the teacher puts their attention more on the students in the room, Mr. Berger focuses on the virtual students, helping them feel like they are actually in the class. Like a lot of high school/college students, Mr. Berger didn’t know 100% what he wanted to do. He worked for ten years with teen/after-school programs and also with a non-profit organization. He was even a stay-at-home parent for his three daughters after his twins were born. He was a substitute teacher at the Junior/Senior High School last year in October and is super excited about getting used to the new position and school in general. He started off in high school in Long Island and he was even ten minutes away from the beach! After high school, he attended Cornell University with an original major in Engineering and eventually switched to Sociology. He’s, “also thinking about graduate school to become a certified teacher.” Some of his hobbies include swimming and playing tennis. You can sometimes catch him playing at the school with his daughters! His family has two cats, Harry and Sally. Similarly to Mr. Theiss, Mr. Berger really enjoys Thanksgiving. “At that point, I’m still enjoying the chilly weather (before I eventually get sick of it).” Finally, he has some advice that he would like to give; “ Have a plan for what you want to do next, but also embrace the idea that your life will be unpredictable. Mine definitely has been. I never would have thought I’d end up here, but I’m very happy that I did.” Super inspiring! Welcome to the family! Mrs. Gawryla-
Both her and what she’s bringing to the table is new. Literally. We all are welcoming Mrs. Gawryla to the Junior/Senior High School! She teaches OCS Farm to Table and Intro to Agriculture 7. Next year, she also plans on teaching various agricultural classes for high school students. These courses are super applicable to students’ lives, especially considering where we are located. She’s also working on starting OCS’s own FFA (Future Farmers of America) Chapter. The extracurricular course prepares students for leadership roles, self progression, and gaining a successful career through agricultural education. In her classes, “students learn about agriculture, food, and natural resources through hands-on experiences.” While using science and agriculture context, students also gain communication and leadership skills. Since Mrs. Gawryla has lots of passion for agriculture and loves sharing what she’s learned with others, she eventually found out mixing the two was perfect for her! Halfway through her freshman year at Penn State, she started studying Agriculture. With that, she also majored in Extension Education and minored in Animal Science and International Agriculture. After achieving her Bachelor of Science, she stayed to get her Master’s in Agricultural and Extension Education. She recently graduated in May of 2020! So impressive! Other than teaching, Mrs. Gawryla “enjoys hiking/exploring state parks, reading, and traveling!” Her family has a black Lab named Stella. Even though she loves the whole of the Holiday Season, she especially loves Christmas! Let’s all make her time here amazing!
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Tiger ProwlCurrent Editon Archives
October 2021
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