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New teachers join Fowler USD staff


New Fowler Unified Staff: Left to right: Ashkhen Aristakessian, Janelle McClain, Lisa Ovalle and new district psychologist Debbie Riverhawk-Helmns.

Published: Thursday, September 3, 2009 9:32 AM PDT
    Three new teachers have been hired in Fowler Unified School District for the 2009-2010 school year, according to district office personnel.

     Janelle McClain is teaching English at Fowler High School. Janelle returned to the Central Valley after teaching first grade at Pleasant Valley Christian School in Camarillo, California last year. Prior to that, she taught ninth grade English for two years in Gustine, where she received AVID training during the summer of 2007 and was also trained in WRITE curriculum. During her college days, she worked as an instructional aide in the special education setting in Turlock Unified.

     The new addition to Fowler High School attended CSU Stanislaus before receiving her B.A. in English with a credential option at California State University, Fresno. She has experience in teaching English as a Second Language with special training in SDAIE strategies.

   “I have taught at many different grade levels, from first grade to high school seniors, and I believe that I have the ability to adapt well to any new surroundings,” stated the new teacher, “and I am looking forward to serving the students at Fowler High School.”


     Ashkhen Aristakessian is teaching physics and chemistry at Fowler High School. She received her A.A. degree in general education from San Francisco City College and her B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from California State University, Fresno. She holds a single subject credential in Physics and Chemistry.  She has taught     She has taught physics and chemistry at Central High School, in the Central Unified School District, Minarets High School in O’Neals in the Chawanakee Unified School District and at Liberty High School in Madera’s Golden Valley Unified School District.

    “Teaching extends beyond the subject matter that is being taught,” stated Ashkhen, “and I plan to engage students in all phases of scientific model construction, validation and application in concrete situations.  This unique method has been proven effective in holding the students’ interest and in helping them balance and enhance their learning process.”

     Ashkhen has also worked as a circuit design engineer for Hughes Aircraft, an event coordinator and an advertising consultant.

     Lisa Ovalle is the new math teacher at Sutter Middle School. She comes to Fowler Unified after teaching four years as a math intervention teacher at Abraham Lincoln Middle School in Selma. Her focus in that position was to provide differentiated instruction to meet students’ individual needs to facilitate comprehension.  She has also worked at Tehipite Middle School in Fresno Unified.

    Lisa holds a Professional Multiple Subjects Credential with a supplemental authorization in Mathematics (32 units) from Fresno Pacific University.  She is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Fresno Pacific.

     “Learning is an interactive process,” began the newly hired math teacher, “where each individual is both a learner and a teacher, with one of the most essential details a student can realize is that the teacher learns from the student as well as the student learning from the teacher.” Ovalle concluded that students must feel that they are a part of a community of learners, growing toward a common goal of improvement.





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