New sixth-grade math teacher Mr. Teo Cutter is no stranger to the trending Taylor Swift albums, as he has his students collect data daily on everything on their minds–including Taylor Swift albums. By...
When I first entered Upper School Science Teacher Dr. Debrah Fine’s office for our interview, she was seated at a table with students working through notoriously challenging chemistry homework. The students...
“Basically, I’m Beyoncé!” joked Westridge’s new Dance Teacher, Ms. Jacklyn Lewis (more commonly known around campus as Ms. Jackie), as she recalled the intense training behind her college dance...
Stepping into the Computer Science Office, I was welcomed by Middle School CSE teacher Ms. Deborah Orret’s warm smile and her tidy but personalized desk. Her desk was an arrangement of colors, including...
On a hot July afternoon, Valerie Trimarchi stands over a 4-by-8-foot sheet of wood, paintbrush in hand. Three more planks of wood sit around her home studio—one balances on the sink, another on the...
Sr. Ryan Villaverde brings a love of music to his roles as Upper School Spanish and chorus teacher.
Villaverde grew up 20 miles south of Miami, in a small town called Palmetto Bay. As a kid, he developed...
Cindy Lin
Cindy Lin and I sit on the edge of the PAC stage, both nearly consumed by the curtains. Across from us lies the reason we have been pushed to the side: dragon heads constructed from an assortment...
Roni Shnieor is entering this school year excited about inspiring her students. Ms. Shnieor taught three-dimensional art and ceramics at Westridge at the beginning of last year. She returned in the 2022–2023...
Surrounded by crystals, plants, and a diffuser, Catherine Streicher welcomed me into her sleek and geometrically-inclined classroom on a Friday afternoon. Ms. Streicher joins Westridge as the new 5th grade...
Kara Ramirez joins Westridge as a new Middle School English teacher with a kind and social spirit—perfect for teaching 8th graders. Mrs. Ramirez welcomed me into her comfy Mudd office with a sweet smile,...
The first thing Emily Mukai tells me is that she was mistaken for a freshman. She was in the Commons, trying to figure out what Fiesta Friday is—a good question, by all standards—when a senior...
![Dr. Zanita Kelly, Director of Lower and Middle School, pictured above, and the rest of Westridge Administration were instrumental to providing Westridge faculty and staff the support they needed after the Eaton fire. "[Teachers] are part of the community," said Dr. Kelly. "Just like our families and students."](https://westridgespyglass.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/dr.-kellyyy-1-e1748143600809.png)
