Administration
Michele Krantz
Principal
x1101
Mrs. Krantz earned a BFA degree in music composition form The State University of New York at Purchase and a BA degree in Social Studies Education from The State University of New York at New Paltz. She earned a MA degree in Educational Administration from California State University, Northridge. She was first hired as a history teacher and the ASB director of Sierra Vista Junior High School and then went on to teach government, psychology and video production at Saugus High School. In 2003 she returned to Sierra Vista as an Assistant Principal and then moved to West Ranch High School as an Assistant Principal in 2006. Mrs. Krantz loves spending time with her husband, two daughters, and chocolate lab. Her free time is spent outdoors, reading, playing music, and eating Indian food.
Catherine Nicholas
Assistant Principal
x1111Mrs. Nicholas received her B.S. degree in Biology and her M.S. degree in Educational Computing from Pepperdine University, Malibu as well as her M.A. in Educational Administration from Cal. State Northridge. Prior to coming to Rancho Pico, she taught middle school science and coached Science Olympiad Teams at Placerita, La Mesa, and Rio Norte. Mrs. Nicholas loves working with young adolescents in a middle school setting. While not at school, she enjoys bargain shopping and spending time with her husband and four children.
Sherry Rickenbach
Assistant Principal
x1123
Faculty
Samantha Abdullah
English
Room 214
x1214
Mrs. Samantha Abdullah received her B.A. degree in English with an emphasis on literature from California State University, Northridge. She obtained her teaching credential from California State University, Bakersfield. Mrs. Abdullah is a native to the Santa Clarita Valley having gone to Mitchell Elementary, Sierra Vista Jr. High, and Canyon High School. She currently resides in Valencia with her husband. Mrs. Abdullah is very excited to be a part of the Rancho Pico staff and is looking forward to a great year!
Tracey Ake
Algebra/Geometry
Room 204
x1204
Becky Arnold
Special Education
Room 606
x1606
Mrs. Becky Arnold received her B.A. degree in Sociology and a minor in Women's Studies from Cal. State Northridge. Prior to coming to Rancho Pico, she taught 1st through 5th grade at Northpoint School in Northridge. Mrs. Arnold went to school and grew up here in the Santa Clarita Valley. She is very proud to be able to give back to the community which provided so much to her. She currently resides in Valencia with her husband, cat, and dog. She likes to go to the beach, go shopping, and spend time with her family and friends.
Tiffany Bernier
Resource/Special Education
Room 422
x1422
Mrs. Bernier attended USC (Fight On!) and Mt. St. Mary's, earning her Bachelor's in Liberal Arts. She holds a Master's Degree in Psychology from Pepperdine University. Mrs. Bernier has lived in the Santa Clarita Valley her entire life and is thrilled to be teaching in the community she was raised in. When she is not teaching, she loves spending time with her wonderful husband, their two children and their bulldogs, Gracie and Raleigh.
Adam Bratt
U.S. History/Journalism
Room 210
x
1210
Mr. Bratt is truly proud to be part of the Rancho Pico staff. The 17-year veteran is in his came to Rancho Pico in 2007 after spending 13 years teaching U.S. History and Journalism at Van Nuys Middle School and Frost Middle School in the San Fernando Valley. He received his B.A. from California State University, Northridge in 1982. Mr. Bratt is a longtime SCV resident who enjoys spending time with his family – his wife of 27 years and two sons – both attending San Diego State University. He is an avid baseball fan who lives and dies daily with his beloved Atlanta Braves.
April Carey
Science
Room 404
x 1404
Mrs. Carey received her Bachelor’s Degree in Biology and also in French from the University of Southern California. She began her teaching career at Belmont High School in the Los Angeles Unified School District. She has taught in the Hart School District since 1985 at Saugus, Hart and Valencia High Schools. In 1994 she obtained a Master’s Degree in Secondary Science Education from California State University, Northridge. She won Teacher of the Year honors while at Valencia High School in 2002. Most recently she mentored new teachers in the Hart School District’s Peer Assistance and Review (PAR) program. Mrs. Carey is married to a USC graduate and has two sons and a daughter-in-law who attended UCLA. She also has a yellow Labrador retriever named Buckley. She is very excited about teaching science, joining the Rancho Pico team, and starting up the Quilt Block One exploratory class.
Carine Clewis
Special Education
Room 610
x1610
Nancy Durham
English
Room 407
x1407
Mrs. Durham earned her bachelor's degree from Central Michigan University, and her Master's from Western Michigan University. She has three children, all products of the Hart District; in fact two of her children currently teach in the district! She has been with the Hart District for 24 years, teaching English at Arroyo Seco. She has been both a mentor in the district, and is currently a BTSA support provider. She was the regional teacher of the year in 2002, and is very excited about being a Mustang.
Ruben Escobar
Physical Education
Room 809
x1809
Mr. Escobar earned a B.A. degree in Physical Education from The Master’s College. He also earned an M.S.degree in Physical Education from Azusa Pacific University. Prior coming to Rancho Pico he taught Physical Education at Hart High School for 5 years where he coached in the Hart High baseball program. Mr. Escobar is also an Adjunct Professor at College of the Canyons. He loves going waterfowl and upland game bird hunting with his brother and brother-in-law, and with his black lab Max. He also enjoys working out, golfing, fly fishing, playing tennis, spending time with his family, his niece Annika and nephews Aksel and Mason. He is engaged and resides in Valencia.
Chris Forbes
English
Room 202
x1202
Christy Foster
Math
Room 405
x1405
Mrs. Foster earned a BA degree in elementary education from Arizona State University and a MA in curriculum and instruction from California State Bakersfield. She grew up in Santa Clarita and is a proud product of the William S. Hart District. She spent her first three years in education teaching 6 th grade before making the transition into junior high as a math teacher. She is enthusiastic about teaching math and enjoys working with junior high students. Mrs. Foster loves spending time with her husband and yellow lab. Her hobbies include kickboxing, baking, and shopping.
Amy Gaines
Special Education
Room 417
x1417
Gloria Gallagher
History
Room 201
x1201
Gloria Gallagher earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from California State University, Northridge. She holds teaching credentials in Social Studies, English and Journalism and has been teaching for 19 years. Mrs. Gallagher taught at Lawrence Middle School in Chatsworth and Rio Norte Junior High School in Valencia, but this is her first year as a Mustang! Mrs. Gallagher is married and has two sons and a daughter. She loves reading, playing the drums, and watching football, but her secret dream is to drink a frosty butterbeer at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter someday!
Mr. Gately received his BA degree in Economics from the University of California, Los Angeles. He started his teaching career in Mathematics in the Los Angeles Unified School District, and he taught at La Mesa since from 2001-2004. Because Mr. Gately is so proficient at teaching math, he was asked to train other math teachers. Asked why he teaches in a middle school, he responded, "It's where all the excitement is!" Mr. Gately enjoys music, road trips and basketball when he isn't figuring out algorithms.
Rebecca Goldberg
Science
Room 206
x1206
Mrs. Rebecca Goldberg earned her B.S. degree in Earth Science and her teaching credential from Michigan State University. She earned her M.A. in Environmental Education from California State University, San Bernardino. She has been teaching junior high science for 20 years and prides herself on making up new laboratory activities to challenge her students. One of her goals in teaching has always been to pique her students’ curiosity so that they will become life long science explorers who participate in the science in the world around them. Mrs. Goldberg enjoys rock and fossil collecting as well as bike riding and traveling with her husband and two children.
Mr. Johnson completed his BS degree in Political Science, Journalism and Biblical Literature from Indiana Wesleyan University and received his MA degree from the University of La Verne. He has come to Rancho Pico from La Mesa, where he taught World and U.S. History from 1994-2004. Asked why he teaches in junior high school he says, "It's a hobby of mine to ponder the myriad dynamics of teaching junior high students!" Mr. Johnson loves to explore remote and long forgotten places, visit summits of craggy mountains, and reading biographies of those who have done those things.
Mrs. Nicole J. Kim
Mathematics
Room 207
x1207
Mrs. Kim earned her Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, San Diego. She received her teaching credential and Master’s degree in Education from the Graduate School at the University of California, Irvine. Mrs. Kim formerly taught at the School of Advanced Studies at Nobel Middle School in Northridge. When not teaching, she loves spending time with her baby daughter and her husband. Her hobbies include gardening, drawing portraits of her family, and painting landscapes. Mrs. Kim shares, “Plainly stated, teaching gets me excited. This is my passion! I really enjoy the relationship I have with my students as well as being a role model for them.” Mrs. Kim feels privileged to use her education and passion to educate our future generation.
Lori Ann Levy-Holm
Art
Room 409
x1409
Mrs. Levy-Holm received her BS degree from Temple University, and a Masters in Fine Art from the University of Hartford Art School. She has studied art and art history in Italy and England and has served two formal apprenticeships to production potters. Mrs. Levy-Holm has been a studio artist for the last twenty years. She has two children who improve her life experiences.
Julie Marchuk
Special Education
Room 607
x1607
Rebecca Martin
History
Room 408
x1408
Mrs. Martin received a B.S. degree in Political Science from Willamette University in Salem, Oregon and her Masters Degree in Public School Administration at the University of Alaska, Anchorage. She just completed in the spring of 2006, an Ed.S. degree in Educational Leadership with an emphasis in Instructional Leadership from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. In 1983 Mrs. Martin started her career teaching social studies in Alaska (where she grew up) and later worked as a high school assistant principal. In 2002 she moved to Virginia where she taught social studies at an inner-city middle school before moving to the Santa Clarita Valley in the summer of 2006. Mrs. Martin is married and has a daughter and a son. Watching basketball takes up a lot of her after school time as her daughter plays for a local high school and her husband is a college basketball coach.
Erin McHorney
Mathematics
Room 604
x1604
Mrs. McHorney grew up in Santa Clarita, and she graduated from Hart High School. She received a Bachelor's degree in Mathematics from The Master's College. She taught math at Hart High School for two years. Mrs. McHorney lives in Santa Clarita with her husband, daughter and two dogs.
Nuema Montances
Special Education
Room 418
x1418
Linda Myers
Mathematics
Room 212
x1212
Ms. Myers received her degree in Mathematics at the University of Redlands. She Taught at the high school level for several years, then decided to try junior high and absolutely loves this age. For a time, she raced mountain bikes professionally and won two national titles in the downhill event and one medal at the World Championships. She also broke a few bones. Ms. Myers has been a real estate agent (6years), operated a property manegment company for 10 years and raised two wonderful children. Now she is honored to be part of the Rancho Pico Junior High team, Quest. Her passions are spinning at the Spectrum gym, reading, Celtic things including Scottish Gaelic, family, teaching and film. She teaches Algebra and Filmmaking.
Nick Ritchie
Science
Room 611
x1611
Mr. Ritchie obtained his BA degree in Earth and Space Science (and also General Science for Secondary Education) from Pennsylvania State University. He brings excitement to Rancho Pico from the east coast. All of his free time is spent with his dog and friends. He loves to listen to music, play soccer and surf.
Rochelle Slayback
English
Room 209
x1209
Mrs. Slayback gradutated with a BA degree in English and a teaching credential from California State University, Northridge. She began her teaching career in Glendale. This is her first year teaching in the Santa Clarita Valey, and she is thrilled to be at Rancho Pico Junior High. She believes that this campus filled with students of this age displaying this amount of passion and energy for life is THE BEST PLACE IN THE WORLD. If you don't find Mrs. Nelson in her English room, try PE or the Dance Club. Her outside hobbies include golfing, water skiing, snow skiing, and hiking with her family and her friends. She is also the mother of two frisky Jack Russell terriers - whom she believes are closely related to junior high kids!
Kristine Spector
Science
Room 211
x1211
Mrs. Spector graduated from California State University, Long Beach with a B.S. in Health Science and a minor in Physical Science. She taught 9th grade science and health for seven years at South High School in Torrance, CA. where she grew up. She is enthusiastic about teaching science to 8th graders. She feels that a positive environment enhances learning. Mrs. Spector and her husband have two daughters (8 and 5). They spend plenty of time at the pool in the summer and enjoy walking their new puppy Rosie.
Cathy Stone
P.E.
Room 810
x1810
Nicole Sturgeon
P.E./A.S.B
Room 813
x1813
Clark Trowell
Futures
Room 423
x1423
I have been teaching for many years!
I received my Bachelor's degree from Cal State Sonoma,with a double major in Political Science and Psychology, while minoring in Physical Education. I have a Masters from Prescott/Columbia and an Honorary Doctorate in Education from Stanford University. I was in the Army Special Forces during the Vietnam War.
This is my second year at Rancho Pico after living and teaching on the Eastern Sierra side of California- Mammoth Lakes/Bishop.for 28 years.
When I am not teaching school, I am playing outside or working for the National Park Service. I run, bike, hike, climb and ski.And Read.
Cindy Wilken
English
Room 602
x1602
Mrs. Wilken is a graduate of CSUN with an elementary ed. credential as well as an English Secondary credential and has been teaching since 1993. She has two beautiful daughters ages 9 and 6, and loves spending time skiing with them. She met her husband, Phil, when they were in high school and have been together since. she has two dogs and enjoys taking them for walks around the neighborhood. Her favorite place, however, is the beach. She loves to write poetry and short stories about her daughters. She also likes to listen to music and go to concerts
Adam Yassaman
Math/P.E
Room 609/807
x1609/1807
Mr. Yassaman is extremely excited to be teaching at Rancho Pico! After earning his BS in Psychology from UCLA, Mr. Yassaman returned to the Hart District. This is Mr. Yassaman's second tour of duty at Rancho Pico, having been a proud Mustang during his first year as a teacher. He loves being outdoors - running, surfing, playing basketball, or just soaking in the Southern California sun. His second passion is traveling, but only if he is not gone from his beloved pooch Riley for too long.
Staff
Danny Ross
Computer Network Technician
x1119
Heidi Boyette
Speech Therapist
x1416
Gail Castillo
Attendance
x1103
Jodi Ferry
Counselor
Room 410
x1410
Jodi Ferry received her BA degreefrom the University of California, Santa Barbara and her MS in School Counseling from theUniversity of La Verne. Prior to counseling, she taught science for 13 years at the junior high and high school levels. She also coached softball for five years. Her overall focus as a counselor is to help students with problem solving, decision making and coping skills. She believes this is best achieved by facilitating personal connections with her students and forming unique relationships based on trust and understanding. Jodi is an avid sports nut who enjoys running, participating in triathlons, playing softball, biking and hiking. She especially enjoys watching her sons at their sporting events.
Janette Foote
Library Technician
Library
x1125
Mrs. Foote worked at Placerita Junior High for five years before coming to Rancho Pico. She has just completed her AA degree in Library Media Technology. She enjoys spending time with her husband and three grown children. Mrs. Foote also likes working on home improvement projects, traveling, and taking plane rides with her husband, who is a recreational pliot and flight instructor.
Shannon Ford
Counselor
Room 413
x1413
Mrs. Larkins received her BA in Art from California State University, Northridge. She has been working in the Hart District since 1997, most recently as the Registrar at La Mesa Junior High.When asked why she enjoys junior high, she said, "I enjoy the positive energy that comes from the students and the teachers." Mrs. Larkins enjoys traveling, hiking, golf and spending time with her family.
Mary Lively
Admin. Assistant
x1102
Mrs. Mellinger completed her BA degree in Anthropology at California State University, Northridge, and she has two teaching credentials. She is currently working on an MA deagree in Education. She is very familiar with the Hart District since she has been with us since 1981. Her most recent employment was at Arroyo Seco Junior High, where she taught History beginning in 1987. Mrs. Mellinger says, "Junior high students are just fun to be with (on most days)! I enjoy the energy of this age group!" She loves to travel and has been all over the world. Her husband built an airplane and she is his co-pilot. She enjoys riding horses and reads when she has the time.
Cathy Royal
Assistant Principal's Secretary
x1109
Mrs. Royal worked at Canyon High School before coming to Rancho Pico. She is married and has three daughters. She loves spending with her daughters, traveling to interesting places and watching sunsets at the beach. She is currently working on her AA degree in Computer Applications Technology at the College of the Canyons.
Thushrtha Shankar
School Psychologist
x1116
Revised:8/9/11