New teachers join Panther family
Chris Forrest
Chris Forrest has started his 19th year teaching special education. He gained many experiences in education from previous jobs at Palisades Charter High School and the Conejo Valley Waverly Program. Now, wanting to change his working environment and be part of a bigger school. Forrest began his first year teaching at NPHS. He is also the girls’ volleyball coach. “I want to make a difference in this population of students, to help the school out any way I can,” Forrest said when asked about his goals for the future at NPHS.
Jennifer Graham
Growing up in Conejo Valley, Jennifer Graham wanted to return and be a part of this community. She is joining NPHS as a new special education teacher. Graham has taught a total of 10 years in special education starting from a teaching assistant at Casa Pacifica in Camarillo. Originally, she wanted to teach English, but her experience as a teaching assistant led her to becoming a high school special education teacher. “I really liked it. I liked the staff and I liked the students,” Graham said. “I thought if I like this then I should do it because not everybody does. I felt called to.”
Lora Harney
Lora Harney always dreamt she would become a teacher. She also had an interest in special education in her previous years as a parent educator. After finishing her student teaching at NPHS, Harney took the opportunity to become a special education teacher on campus. This is not only her first year being a staff at NPHS but also her first year teaching. Harney has loved her experience here and aspires to build up the special education program for in her future years of teaching. “I want to do something within the school that gives the students more job skills so in the future when they go to the job sites they feel more confident and are ready,” Harney said.
Megan Lazar
Megan Lazar is entering her first year teaching at NPHS. She is the new directed studies, earth science and biology teacher. Lazar has always had a passion for science and wanted to experience working at a high school so she took the opportunity to become a new member of the Panther family. “I really like working with students. Developing relationships and getting to know who they are as they are getting older is really something that I enjoy,” Lazar said. In her future years teaching at NPHS, Lazar aims to contribute as much as she can to the school. “I would love to continue working here as long as possible, expanding and teaching my knowledge of what I know to more students,” Lazar said.
Danielle Ellis
Danielle Ellis is the new IB and AP psychology teacher. She has worked in psychology for years and the field has become a highlight of Ellis’s life. When Ellis moved to the US she became a high school teacher because she wanted to have the chance to work with students and teach more teenagers about psychology. “I think that psychology helps make people be more thoughtful, more well rounded and able to connect better with others,” Ellis said. Previously teaching in Westlake High School for four years, Ellis came to Newbury Park to experience the IB program. Her goals at NPHS are to spread more knowledge of psychology to students and help them experience the fun in it. “I want to create a really solid psychology program, to have students who really enjoy the class to talk to their friends and recommend them taking it in the future,” Ellis said.
