During my time at Magnet, I have had some special classes and teachers that will stay with me always. Despite the rigorous and testing moments that many will experience at this school, there are classes and teachers that will erase some of those feelings. In this piece for the fifth issue, I will highlight the ones that have made my time at Academic Magnet High School special. I highly recommend that you take these classes and/or other classes that these teachers instruct, or simply talk to these teachers more, at some point in time during your Magnet experience.

DISCLAIMER: I have had many more teachers I would love to highlight, but I simply did not enjoy the classes you have taught. Thank you to all the teachers and school staff that have helped me along my journey at Academic Magnet.

French: Dr. Altman

By far my favorite classes and teacher I have had in my time at Academic Magnet is Dr. Altman, the teacher of French 2, French 4 Honors and AP French. In my freshman year I took French 2, and despite the challenges of online learning, Dr. Altman made the experience enjoyable and comforting. Doing partner based projects and learning how to write and respond to writing prompts were the highlights of my academic days sitting in my room.  Dr. Altman always gave my class the support we needed to succeed in the transition from middle to high school. Considering the small nature of the congregation of students taking French, all the students have had Dr. Altman as a teacher at some point during their French journey and all only have positive things to say about her personality and her teaching ability. It is also especially fun to watch the relationship between Dr. Altman and Mr. Jent, the other French teacher at Magnet, in the hallways and during the periodic visits to each other’s classes during instructional time. Their relationship reminds me of Ms. Aydlette, the former engineering teacher and Mr. McCormick, a current biology and anatomy teacher. Thank you, Dr. Altman.

History: Mr. Garris

(Mr. Garris was not present today so I was unable to take a picture with him)

The next teacher I will be highlighting is Mr. Garris, who I had during my freshman and sophomore years when he taught me Honors Human Geography and AP World. Again, Mr. Garris is truly one of my favorite teachers I have ever had. His passion for teaching and learning has rubbed off on many students here at Academic Magnet, as he is regarded as a teaching prodigy. Through interesting videos, engaging lectures and group Minecraft projects, Mr. Garris shares his love for history with every student he has, and rigorously prepares all his students to succeed on the AP tests that are taken in May. Thank you Mr. Garris.

Art: Ms. Callicott

The next teacher and class I am highlighting is Ms. Callicott’s Art 1. I took this class sophomore year as my one elective and I would not trade this experience for any other class. I really enjoyed the art techniques that we learned along with the people I was seated with. We had a table of three sophomores and a senior, where we would say immature things and hear her giggling in the corner of the table. Much of the art work we created during class I have at home in my room. I particularly remember when we created a painting of fruit where we were focusing on the use of shading to make our works more realistic. Ms. Callicott’s passionate and carefree personality made each day unpredictable and funny, and it really frustrates me that I was unable to enroll in her Photography 1 class this year. Thank you Ms. Callicott.

History: Mr. Rusciolelli

The next class and teacher that I am highlighting is Mr. Rusciolelli who taught me my junior year when I was taking AP United States History. I also had the pleasure of being coached by Mr. Rusciolelli this past season on the football team and it was a fantastic experience. Mr. Rusciolelli, also known as Coach Rush, frequently tied in films, documentaires, books and life experiences that frequently related to the lesson being taught. These movies that he has recommended have been some of the greatest works of art I have ever watched, read and experienced. His love for American History reminds me of a teacher I had in sixth grade, during my time at Porter-Gaud, named Mr. Jordan, and has furthered my desire to learn more about American history outside of the classroom. 

English & Newspaper Production: Ms. Hurt

Possibly one of the most genuine people I have met is Ms. Hurt, a current Newspaper Production and AP Lang teacher. While I typically do not enjoy english classes, Ms. Hurt made AP English Language and Composition bearable and allowed me to pass the College Board AP Exam, though I was fearful I would not. Throughout her time at Academic Magnet, Ms. Hurt has left a memorable impact on everyone within the community. She always makes classes entertaining, telling funny stories of her and her family. One of my favorite activities was having group discussions about books while putting all the desks in circles. For all students having her for the first time, ask about her experiences with magnets. The story is very comical and incredibly unique. I can genuinely say that you will never hear a story quite like her special story. When applying to colleges and balancing a rigorous course load, Newspaper provides a comforting and relaxing escape, allowing students to provide a meaningful experience for the student community and removing the stress of typically more involved elective classes. 

Science: Ms. Roop

The last teacher and class that I am highlighting is Marine Science, taught by Ms. Roop. Very similar to the personality of Ms. Callicott, there is never a dull moment in Marine Science. Being very opinionated and passionate about the subject she teaches, Ms. Roop is an excellent teacher. After the last unit of Biology freshman year, Ecology, I have been looking forward to learning more about animals, specifically marine life. From a young age, I had a desire to pursue a career in marine biology, working out in the field with animals, collecting data through interacting with said animals. While the first two units consisted of many instruction on the workings of specifically the ocean, we are now beginning to learn about animals.