The Riverbank Unified School District 2018-19 school year has begun and not only is it a new school year, with new goals, new classes and new clothes, but also new teaching staff. Cardozo Middle School has five new teachers on the roster including James Christie, Leslie Castillo, Anne Rudholm, Jennifer Henderson, and Kevin Smith. Riverbank High School has two new teachers, Galen West and Ashley Estaque with two positions waiting to be filled including the Ag Teacher and the NJROTC instructor after Master Chief Foster retired at the end of last year.
The News recently did a ‘Q&A’ with the new staff members to help introduce them to the community.
Galen West, Riverbank High School
Q: What subject(s) do you teach?
A: Earth Science all day with freshmen.
Where are you from?
Born in Stockton and lived in Modesto for the last 30 years.
How long have you been teaching?
This will be my 24th year.
What other teaching experience have you had?
Two years at Linden High School (before Aaron Judge), two years at Williams Middle School in Tracy, 18 years at Patterson High, retired; hated subbing, went back to teaching at Downey High, hated it, came to Riverbank and liking it a lot more.
What is one thing you like to do on your time off?
Pokemon Go, I love this game.
Ashley Estaque, RHS
Q: What subject(s) do you teach?
A; I teach art, specifically AP Studio Art, Drawing, and Ceramics.
Where are you from?
Originally, I’m from South Carolina, but I’ve lived in Sacramento for the past 15 years.
How long have you been teaching?
This is my first year of teaching in a formal classroom setting.
What other teaching experience have you had?
I worked in nonprofits for over a decade doing event planning and curriculum development.
What is one thing you like to do on your time off?
I love to spend my free time with my two kids – Eve, 10 and Theo, 7.
James Christie, Cardozo Middle School
Q: What subject(s) do you teach?
A; I teach sixth grade math and science.
Where are you from?
I am originally from Santa Barbara, California.
How long have you been teaching?
The 2018-19 school year will be my eighth year as a classroom teacher.
What other teaching experience have you had?
In the past, I have also taught middle school language arts, third and fourth grade, coached a variety of sports and tutored.
What is one thing you like to do on your time off?
On my free time I like to enjoy the outdoors – fishing is my favorite.
Leslie Castillo, CMS
Q: What subject(s) do you teach?
A: I am teaching sixth grade English Language Arts and Social Studies.
Where are you from?
I am from Sacramento, California.
How long have you been teaching?
I have been teaching for six months.
What other teaching experience have you had?
My prior teaching experience was in Kindergarten.
What is one thing you like to do on your time off?
One thing I like to do on my time off is reading.
Jennifer Henderson, CMS
Q: What subject(s) do you teach?
A: I teach intervention for both seventh and eighth grade math at Cardozo Middle School.
Where are you from?
I was born in Fresno, California and lived in the same house until I left to attend college.
How long have you been teaching?
This is my first year teaching and I am loving every minute of it.
What other teaching experience have you had?
I was an instructional aide in a reading intervention class for a year and a half prior to being hired as a math teacher in Riverbank.
What is one thing you like to do on your time off?
I really enjoy going to the beach and playing with my kids and dogs on my time off.
Anne Rudholm, CMS
Q: What subject(s) do you teach?
A: I teach English, Social Studies, ELD, Speech and Drama.
How long have you been teaching?
I have been teaching for around 12 years.
What other teaching experience have you had?
I have taught in many countries such as Pakistan, South Korea and China.
What is one thing you like to do on your time off?
I love to read! It is hard for me to put a book down.
Kevin Smith, CMS
Q: What subject(s) do you teach?
A: Math.
Where are you from?
East Bay (Pittsburg).
How long have you been teaching?
19 years.
What other teaching experience have you had?
Multiple subjects (six years).
What is one thing you like to do on your time off?
Camping with family.
