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Meet the AHS Zoo School Staff : AHS Zoo School Technology : Ribbon Cutting (Photos)
Heather Soja - Biology, AHS Zoo School Lead TeacherHeather Soja is native North Carolinian and resides with her family near Seagrove, N.C. She received her bachelor’s degree in Biology from UNC-Wilmington and earned her M. Ed in Curriculum and Instruction in Science from UNC-Greensboro. She earned National Board Certification in 2004. She has a passion for the sciences and enjoys spending time doing field ecology work with her family when the opportunity arises.
Heather is excited about the AHS Zoo School because of the opportunity for students to learn in an engaging, non-traditional classroom with a curriculum that truly integrates relevant science content. She feels that this unique setting will provide students with the freedom to learn by doing while simultaneously developing relevant conceptual constructs needed to assimilate and then apply such knowledge.
Rhonda Dillingham - EnglishIn addition to a teaching background, Rhonda Dillingham is a certified dental assistant, earning her certification upon completion of the dental assisting program at Guilford Technical Institute in 1984. Having been employed for a number of years in the dental field, Rhonda decided to pursue her first love: teaching. While working full-time, Rhonda enrolled at Greensboro College and graduated with honors in 1996 with a B.A. in secondary English education. She has been employed at Asheboro High School since 1997 and earned her National Board Certification in November 2005.
As a member of the AHS Zoo School, Rhonda’s purpose for participating is reflected in a portion of Henry David Thoreau’s Walden: “If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.” She believes the zoo affords a unique place for students to develop their strengths and to create a meaningful, personal context for learning.
Pete LaClair - Social Studies Pete LaClair is a native of Michigan who now calls North Carolina home. He is a graduate of Portland State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the School of Urban and Public Affairs. He has been an Asheboro City Schools employee for four years. Mr. LaClair is an outdoor enthusiast and, as a result, is interested in examining the current problems facing the sustainability of both natural and human-built environments.
Mr. LaClair’s passion for the process of learning is a strong point in his teaching. He works hard to convey to his students that ineffectuality is the result of being a passive participant in life. Mr. LaClair is excited about the AHS Zoo School’s ability to afford students the opportunity to pursue their studies from a refreshingly new paradigm.
Josh
Underdonk - Math & Technology Josh Underdonk graduated from West Liberty State College in 2004 with a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics Education after receiving training in computer and electrical engineering at West Virginia University. He has taught honors and regular level classes in the Mathematics Department at Asheboro High School for the past 3 years. He is nationally trained as a Texas Instrument’s Cabri Jr. instructor, participated in the STAMP initiative, and is a facilitator of online AP courses.
Being apart of the AHS Zoo School, Josh will have the opportunity to work with students in small learning communities to work with problem-based projects, to show mathematics that occur in nature, and to use technology to enhance the learning process. “What an awesome environment and a great privilege to teach in such a large learning sphere!” (Mr. Underdonk's AHS Zoo School Web site)
Explore more: Meet the AHS Zoo School Staff : AHS Zoo School Technology : Ribbon Cutting (Photos)
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N.C. Zoo is a member institution of AZA and an agency of the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, William G. Ross Jr. Secretary; Michael F. Easley, Governor. A part of the North Carolina Government portal.
The Zoo is closed Christmas day and during severe weather. Call our information line at: 1-800-488-0444.
