2929 Green Trails Road

Lisle, IL 60532

August 20, 2007

Dear STAR Team Students,

Welcome to eighth grade science on the STAR team. As your science teacher for this year I would like to introduce myself so that we may become better acquainted. One of the things I value about teaching is getting to know my students, and I’m sure you are curious about me as well. My name is Sandra Frost and this is my twelfth year teaching 8^th grade science. Over the past 9 years at Kennedy I may have taught your older sibling or cousin, either on the TREE team or more recently as a “STAR.”

My teaching career began at Simmons Middle School in East Aurora School District 131. It was during this time I met my husband, Michael, who was then teaching science at East Aurora High School. We have been happily married for eight years. In fact, he joined me at Kennedy in 2001 and taught seventh grade science on the Infinity Team for several years. He is now an Assistant Principal at Lincoln Junior High School.

Mr. Frost and I have an 8 year old “son” named Casey. Casey has golden hair, he’s crazy about peanut butter and bananas (another Elvis fan), and he loves to play with his toys. By the way, Casey is a golden retriever. I miss hanging with my fuzzy buddy now that we are back at school and I know he is watching out the front window in eager anticipation for us to come home. How I look forward to his exuberant greeting at the end of a long day! He never can stay upset with us for having left him alone. Dogs are such a great example of unconditional love in our world. You will see more photos of Casey throughout the year and hear about yet another fuzzy antic of his from time to time. I look forward to seeing photos and learning about any pets you may have as well.

As a native of Naperville, I marvel at the monumental growth that has occurred since the seventies and eighties when I was a student at Elmwood and St. Raphael Schools. In 1988 I graduated from Benet Academy and in 1992 from North Central College with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology. For over a year after graduation I continued to work as a medical secretary, which I’d been doing since high school. I really enjoyed this work and especially liked educating patients and training new employees. I soon came to realize that I would like to become a teacher and I enrolled at Northern Illinois University to earn secondary science teaching certification. That was one of the best decisions I have ever made because I think teaching is an incredibly fun and rewarding career. I honestly cannot imagine myself doing anything else, which is ironic because when I was your age I couldn’t understand why anyone would want to be a teacher.

In particular, one of the things I appreciate about this career is that I am continuously learning and growing, both as an educator and a human being. A few years ago I challenged myself and worked to earn an additional teaching credential known as National Board Certification, and shortly thereafter I also graduated (finally!) from Aurora University with a Master of Arts in Teaching Degree.

My summer began with a goal to read for a minimum of 1 hour per day. Before the end of June I had completed two excellent, non-fiction books. The first, Animals in Translation, was written by an autistic woman, Temple Grandin, who holds a Ph.D in animal science. She parallels the similarities between human and animal minds and emotions, while also enlightening the reader to the differences in animal thought and behavior. For example, animals think in pictures and have more sensitive depth perception than humans. She has designed a humane slaughterhouse for cattle that has been implemented by over half the facilities in the United States. The animal lover in me found her insights fascinating and I believe I understand my dog better as a result of reading her book.

My second read, The Knife Man, by Wendy Moore chronicles the work of John Hunter, an anatomist in London during the 1700’s. He is credited by the Royal College of Surgeons in England with being the “Father of scientific surgery” because he pioneered the application of the scientific method for surgical procedures. He was such a talented surgeon in his day because he painstakingly dissected thousands of animals and humans to learn how the body functioned. His contributions to modern medicine were profound, particularly in a time before imaging technology existed. The Hunterian Museum in London holds his collection of specimens including organs in jars, bones, and wax injected circulatory systems much like the Body Works exhibit recently at the Museum of Science and Industry. I hope to make a return visit across the pond to one of my favorite places and explore his collection.

In July my husband and my father each flew as the copilot in a T6 “Texan” WWII Navy trainer plane. The 30 minute flight included aerobatics and as my husband exclaimed the experience was “amazing.” Being at the controls of an airplane was a dream come true for my dad. Their adventures were videotaped so the rest of my family could better share in the experience. In August my husband and I took our annual week-end trip to Madison, WI for an outdoor festival alongside Lake Monona. Throughout the summer I worked diligently to make our home cleaner and more organized, and finished some redecorating projects. It’s going to be a long time before I have the desire to paint again! I also cherished spending more time with my family and playing with my dog, Casey. I even took an occasional nap – what a luxury! Now I feel ready to return for a successful school year. I hope that each of you are also ready to return, having had the opportunity to spend time with those who are special people in your world, participate in activities you enjoy, and recharge from last school year’s hard work.

As your science teacher this year I will encourage you to make discoveries and decisions as well as nurture your critical thinking skills. I will challenge you to grow as students and individuals so each one of you will continue to develop your unique talents. Additionally, I hope to further cultivate in every one of you greater faith in your abilities and the confidence to tackle challenges. These things I will do so you can be prepared for a smooth transition into high school and continued success in our world. As one of your STAR teachers I am eager to get to know each of you and I look forward to an enjoyable year of learning and growing together. Welcome to a great year on an extraordinary team! Are you ready to shine?

Sincerely,

Sandra L. Frost