For the 2023-2024 school year, Academic Magnet has seen a surge in new teachers. To replace the ranks of Ms. Aydlette, Mr. Johnson, Ms. Calabrese, Ms. Hoofstetter, and the beloved Ms. Pinckney, we have gained Senora Marquina, Mrs. Weisskopf, Mr. Lovering, Mr. Floyd, and Ms. GG who alread had her own article! One thing each of the teachers mentioned was that the students are their favorite part of our school, which I found really sweet especially considering that they each had their own reasons to love their students. To get to know the new teachers and see what they think about Magnet as compared to other schools, I asked a variety of questions: their name and room number, what classes they teach, how long they have spent teaching, their favorite part about Magnet so far, hometown, their favorite subject as a kid along with any hobbies they enjoy today, anything about their family and pets, alma mater, and if they’d like to share a fun fact about themselves. Read all about our new teachers below!
Senora Marquina is a new Spanish teacher this year! She teaches both Spanish One and Spanish Three honors. She has spent “at least 20” years teaching, and her past schools include the College of Charleston, Trident Tech, the Citadel, Hebrew Academy, Mexico City University, and a school in Baja California. (Side note- I promised her I would not talk too much about Baja California in this article, but after hearing her talk about it I really want to go there now.) Her favorite part about magnet so far is the students; she says they are happy and super nice! Additionally, she says she really likes her 1B class of freshmen because they are very enthusiastic and excited to learn. She grew up in Mexico City, and had originally wanted to study Italian, move to Italy, and never wanted to learn English. She changed her mind once she got to college at National Autonomous University of Mexico! She says she’s very proud of her alma mater; it is super cool and worth looking up if you’ve never heard of it. The campus is beautiful, and the artwork on the buildings is amazing! Pictured below is the campus’s library. She has three daughters, two of them that graduated from Academic Magnet and one that attended SOA. She says it is interesting to be a teacher at the school now, because for many years she was used to dealing with the parent portal rather than the teacher one.
Mrs. Weisskopf is a new math teacher this year! She teaches Geometry and Algebra 2 and is located in room 2121. She attended Old Dominion University along with the University of Southern Maine and George Mason University. She has been teaching for 27 years, and her past schools include Bishop England, which I found quite funny due to their status as our biggest rival; Charleston Day, a high school in Virginia, and Early College High School (I had to look this one up- it seems really cool, you get two years of college credit along with a high school diploma!) Mrs. Weisskopf says her favorite part of Magnet is the students, a common theme amongst the teachers. She lives with her husband Mike and they have three children, three grandchildren, and two dogs named Glory and Dobby. Her favorite hobby is hiking and she’d like to add that she cannot dive into a pool or do a cartwheel. This comment hit close to home as I cannot do a proper cartwheel even though I am in cheer (very embarrassing at tumbling practices). This has led to my pulling a new muscle every time I do a cartwheel during practices and a perpetually sore right leg. Good to know Ms. Weisskopf gets it.
Mr. Lovering replaces Ms. Aydelette as a new engineering teacher! He teaches Principles of Engineering, is located in room 7231, and for those who have never seen his room before, it is absolutely decked out in Star Wars memorabilia including posters, light sabers, and helmets if I remember correctly! I am in his study hall, and although I have never seen them before, he has said that he has $9000 3D printers located in the classroom which I find insanely cool. He says students are welcome to use them, and this is something I definitely intend to do before I graduate. He grew up in Lakeland, Florida, graduated from Florida State University, and currently lives with his wife Heather and their daschund, Baby. He says his favorite subject as a kid was science, and his hobbies include scuba diving, skydiving, and reading. He has been teaching for five years, and before Magnet he taught at middle schools in San Diego. He’d like everyone to know that he is a Star Wars nerd, which again, is made very apparent by the vast collection of Star Wars items in his classroom.
Mr. Floyd joins Mrs.Weisskopf as Magnet’s newest additions to the math department! He teaches Algebra 2 and Geometry which seems to be a common duo of classes among the math teachers. He was raised in Florence, South Carolina, and attended University of South Carolina. Before coming to Academic Magnet, he taught for three years at Stratford High School. He lives with his wife and says they have no pets, but perhaps he should consider getting a dog. He loves to spend time in the great outdoors, and says some of his favorite hobbies include going out on the boat, fishing, or kayaking. Additionally, he loves to spend his weekends on the water. He also used to build wooden canoes! Additionally, he loves cycling and backpacking. Although all of the teachers I interviewed said their favorite part about Magnet is the students, I especially loved Mr. Floyd’s response: “The pride that the Magnet students have in their school and community has been encouraging and welcoming.” Aww!
