This year, many new teachers became part of the Tigard Army including Mr. Robert Hawthorne, Ms. Connie Herington, and Mr. Jesse Abell. They teach health, choir and child development, and they all offer different skills  and perspectives to the school.

Mr. Robert Hawthorne –  Choir

Q: How do you plan on changing the choir program?

A: I don’t think I’m going to change it as much as just build onto its foundation. I’d like to get more guys involved in the program and see how we can get Concert Choir to the state competition this year, how to get Choralation out and about more, to build relationships with the student body, and also the middle schools.

Q: How’s Tigard different than other schools where you have worked?

A: There is a legacy of good singing, the student body is super friendly, even if they’re not in choir, the faculty are welcoming and there’s a lot of ethnic diversity which is really awesome; the last school I taught at did not have that and I missed it terribly.

Q: What was your first day at Tigard High like?

A: It was energizing, fun, and it was great to meet all the students. I felt very welcomed.

Q: If you could live in any other decade, based on music, when would it be?

A: The 1920’s. Because jazz was really going on then and it’d be a lot of fun to be a part of that music scene, like what was going on in Harlem, Chicago, and New Orleans.

Ms. Connie Herington – Child Development

Q: Do you plan on changing the Child Development program at all?

A: The program currently provides really nice opportunities for students. One change that I am currently working is to align with Portland Community College so students can qualify for college credit through the Dual Credit Program.

Q: What do you like about Tigard High?

A: The students here are very friendly and helpful.

Q: What other schools have you taught at and for how long?

A: I was at David Douglas High School for 25 years teaching Child Development.

Q: Would you want to be a child again?

A: I would love to be a child again, play all day, chase butterflies and discover the magic of life.

Mr. Jesse Abell – Health

Q: What made you want to be a health teacher?

A: Well, I think that health is the most important thing you could ever learn about in your life because calculus won’t help you if you’re dead.

Q: How have you first weeks at Tigard been?

A: They’ve been really good. It’s been nice to reconnect withsome former students, and get to know some of the teachers and new students a little bit. And I’m really enjoying it.

Q: If you had the chance, would you gone to Tualatin instead?

A: Absolutely not, never. I won’t step foot inside that place, I hate it there. Not really. I was a little bit sarcastic. I’m much more happy to be here than I would be to be at Tualatin.

Q: If you could be any animal, what animal would you be, and why?

A: A sloth, because all they do all day is hang out upside down and scrat

ch themselves.