Principal's Press: August 14, 2015
GENERAL NEWS & INFORMATION
Important Upcoming Dates:
August 19, 2015:
PTA Ice Cream Social @ 5:30 p.m.
August 24, 2015:
Professional Development Day: NO SCHOOL
August 31-September 4, 2015:
Parent Conferences Week (M, W, Th, Fr: Early Dismissal; Tu: NO SCHOOL)
September 7, 2015:
Labor Day Holiday: NO SCHOOL
Follow us:
@VistaVerdeIUSD on Twitter
School Calendar: Please take a moment to review THIS year’s 2015-16 School Calendar. We hope this
will assist you in your planning for minimum days, holidays, and vacation time. A copy on yellow card stock
was sent home—but here is a web-based link for you as well:
https://www.iusd.org/vv/documents/2016/vv15-16.pdf
Next Year’s Calendar: Here is NEXT year’s (2016-17) IUSD District School Calendar for one year from
now: http://iusd.org/calendars_events/documents/2016-17SchoolCalendarCalendar.pdf . For your
advanced planning, this IUSD Calendar includes the published dates for NEXT year’s (2016-17) recesses.
New Faces on Campus: Many of you met our new staff members the first week of school—or at Back to
School Night. If you haven’t had a chance, we thought we’d let you know a little background on each of our
new Viking Family members.
Amanda Peronto:
Amanda joins our team as a Middle School Social Science Teacher. She earned Bachelor of Arts degrees
(double major) from the University of California, Irvine, in History and Drama, Magna Cum Laude. She was
a Regent’s Scholar and a Chancellor’s Award honoree for Excellence in Undergraduate Research. Amada
holds a Master of Arts in Teaching degree from the University of California, Irvine with an emphasis in
Social Science. She completed the Certificate Course in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) at
TEFL International Barcelona, Spain. Amanda is California credentialed in Social Science, Drama/Theatre,
and English. She completed her student teaching at Irvine High School (World History and Sheltered World
History), and taught World History this summer at Irvine High. She is a product of the Irvine Unified
School District—graduating from Irvine High School herself where she played high school volleyball all four
years.
Brianna Newsom:
Brianna also joins the Vista Verde team as a Middle School Social Science Teacher. She earned a Bachelor
of Arts degree from Chapman University with a major in Political Science, a minor in History, and an
emphasis in International Relations. She was awarded a 4-year Provost Scholarship while an
undergraduate at Chapman. Brianna studied abroad for a semester in Florence, Italy at Scuola Lorenzo De’
Medici. She is Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) certified. Additionally, she completed graduate
work in Counseling, Student Development, and Higher Education at California State University, Long Beach.
She completed, this month, a Master of Arts in Teaching degree from the University of California, Irvine
with an emphasis in Social Science. Brianna is California credentialed in Social Science and English. She
will join us from South Lake Middle School where she was responsible for US History classes. Before deciding
to become a teacher, Brianna worked in the private sector as a Corporate Trainer for the Carnival Cruise
Lines. She is a former competitive figure skating coach.
Kimberly Cashin:
Kim joins our team in an assignment split between our elementary and middle school science programs. She
is, officially, a Science Specialist assigned to us from the district in support of elementary science instruction.
She will teach 5th grade Inquiry/Lab Science and two periods of 6th grade Middle School Science. Kim holds a
Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, San Diego graduating Magna Cum Laude with
High Distinction. She completed her credentialing program at California State University, Fullerton. Kim is
an experienced teacher with a decade of solid work in both parochial and public schools— and prior
teaching assignments in first, second, fourth, and fifth grades. Kim is a former instructor for the UCI Writing
Project Summer Youth Program—where she taught fourth grade math and science standards in a
project-based learning environment.
Kendra Passarelli:
Kendra joins Vista Verde as a Middle School Math Teacher. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in
Liberal Studies with an emphasis in Mathematics from California State University, Long Beach. She holds
a Master of Arts degree in Mathematics Education, also from CSULB. Kendra received Teaching English as
a Foreign Language (TESL) certification from Associazione Culturale Linguistica Educational (ACLE) in
Italy. She is an experienced middle school teacher and taught mathematics the past 5 years in the
Capistrano Unified School District. Kendra was a Beginning Teacher Support Provider and Mentor
Teacher, a member of the Mathematics Textbook Adoption Committee, and a member of the PBIS
Support Committee while in Capistrano Unified.
Kerry Salkeld:
Kerry is the 40% portion our Middle School Counselor position (filling the remaining portion of the
assignment for Jan Wroblicky who is now 60%). Kerry holds a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in
Psychology from the University of California, Irvine. She completed her Master of Arts degree in
Educational Counseling and her Pupil Personnel Services Credential at Azusa Pacific University. Prior
to joining Vista Verde, Kerry worked as a School Counselor at the Lutheran High School of Orange County
and as a Pyramid of Intervention Counselor at Pioneer Middle School in the Tustin Unified School
District. This past year, she was assigned to Vista Verde as our Project Success Support Specialist. We feel
fortunate to have someone with her experience join our team. She has significant college and career
readiness background knowledge, academic and social-emotional counseling experience, and an
understanding of the entire K-12 educational continuum.
Mackenzie Miklas:
Ms. Miklas joins the Vista Verde K-8 School Viking Family as our new Assistant Principal. She holds a BA
degree in Communication Studies from California State University, Long Beach where she also completed
the teacher credential program in special education (Education Specialist Levels I and II). She completed a
MA in Education degree from Concordia University, Irvine in Educational Administration and met
requirements for her administrative credential there, as well. Mackenzie was the Elementary Teacher-OnSpecial-Assignment (TOSA) at Northwood Elementary School here in the Irvine Unified School
District. Prior to her service at Northwood, Mackenzie was Education Specialist at Greentree Elementary
School. She is a former IUSD Teacher of Promise honoree!