Welcome scholars and Parents
Click on the buttons under the teachers name to get to your class websites!
Mrs. Barrientos - 7th ScienceThis year I celebrate my 15th year of teaching and my 3rd year as Prieto's 7th grade Life Science teacher. Recently, I was awarded a 1-year fellowship from Michigan State University to study STEM Leadership. To learn more about my work as an MSU-WIPRO fellow, visit my website here http://tracybarrientos.weebly.com/ , or better yet, feel free to visit our classroom where scholars will be carrying out scientific inquiry. When I'm not teaching or studying, I love rollerskating, camping with my family, and watching Top Chef and Race to Escape! "The most beautify thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science." ~ Albert Einstein Mrs. Lamourt - 7th Grade ElAGreetings!
My name is Yolanda Lamourt-Garcia. I earned my teaching degree from Northeastern Illinois University with a double major in Bilingual-Bicultural Education and a minor in Spanish. Additionally, I earned a master’s degree in Middle School Mathematics from Loyola University. This is my 7 th year at Dr. Jorge Prieto Math and Science Academy and my 11th year as a CPS teacher. I was the 5 th grade teacher during my first six years at Prieto and am currently embarking on a new journey as the 7 th grade ELA teacher. I love this new assignment because I am getting the unique opportunity to reconnect with some of my old students. Similarly, the middle experience will allow me to get to know new kiddos that otherwise I would not have had the pleasure of meeting and teaching. I look forward to getting to know each and everyone of you. Thank you all in advance for allowing me to be a part of your middle school experience. Fun Facts: I LOVE to travel!!! I’ve been to Mexico, Canada, Puerto Rico, Bahamas, Florida, California, Nevada, Arizona, Beirut, Lebanon, three major cities in Australia and I had the wonderful opportunity to visit the Great Barrier Reef. I cannot stress enough that traveling makes my heart very happy. I also love to cook and EAT! I love trying new restaurants and spending time with my family. MR. Seitman - 8th Science |
MRs. Tanen - 7th Social StudiesHi there! My name is Jamie Tanen, and I am super excited to be teaching 7th grade Social Studies this year. I have been teaching 6th grade Social Studies at Prieto for 5 years, and I'm looking forward to changing things up a bit! Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, I went to college at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana and received my Master in Education at DePaul University in Chicago. When I'm not at school, you can find me hanging out with my family, walking my dog, cooking new meals, and traveling the world.
Fun fact: I had twin baby boys earlier this year, named Jonah and Avi! Mrs. Orellana - 7th MathHello! I am extremely excited about this year and hope you feel the same. I feel that we will accomplish many great things. My name is Joyce Orellana and this year will be my third year teaching math at Prieto. My teaching experience also includes two years of teaching 6th and 7th grade math. In addition to Math, I am endorsed in Language Arts, Science, Social Science and I am Bilingual certified. With that experience, I can confidently say I know what a middle school scholar needs to meet his or her goals.
Some fun facts about me is that I LOVE to dance, cook, and (I have to admit it) eat! A good day for me ends with a delicious meal. Funny thing is, any meal is pretty much delicious to me. What can I say? This Latina loves to eat! In addition, I have been trying to stay active this summer. I have enjoyed zip lining, running into bikers on the 606 and falling on my daughters skate board trying to teach her how to skate (even though I don't know how). I have high hopes for this year and am super excited to have you join me on this ride! Mr. Petrusic - 8th Math + Algebra |
Hi - I'm Mr. Seitman and I look forward to being your 8th grade Physical Science teacher this year. Born and raised in Chicago, this will be my 12th year with CPS. 11 of those years have been as an 8th grade teacher so you can say I enjoy what I teach.
I am a graduate of CPS and my alma mater is Von Steuben MSC. I received my BA from Elmhurst College, my teaching certificate from North Park University and finally my M. Ed. from Loyola University. For a majority of the time during high school and college, I was a multi sport athlete. Having completed the Chicago Marathon, I still get out for my weekly miles and look forward to training for the Chicago Marathon in 2016. This time I will be running for the American Lung Association in honor of my late father. My wife and two sons are what inspire me to be the best man I can be. Aside from my father, my all time hero is Winston Churchill. He once said, "Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts." Those words keep me going. See you in class. Mr. Gray - 8th ELAGreetings to all the families and students connected to Prieto Academy! I am very excited to be returning to our school for the 7th year and for my 23rd year of teaching in Chicago. It is exciting for me to be working with our 8th grade scholars this year and preparing them for the challenges of High School, College, and Beyond!
Ms. Mabrey - SS student Teacher.
Ms. MahowaldHi! I am Ms. Mahowald! I am beginning my 6th year at Prieto, and I am very happy to be a part of the middle school team!
I was born in Minnesota and spent the first 6 years of my life there. I then moved to Walnut Creek California, near San Francisco and spent two years there. After that, I moved to Washington and spent the next 18 years of my life in the Seattle area. I attended Central Washington University for my Undergraduate degrees in Special and Elementary Education and received my graduate degrees from Northeastern and Dominican University. I am a National Board Certified Teacher and have my Masters in Reading and Learning Behavior Specialist. When I am not teaching, you can find me with my camera in hand, near the lake or riding my bike! I love anything outside and love to read! I have a very large extended family and am one of four children. I look forward to the upcoming year! |
Hello! My name is Mr. Petrusic and this is my 7th year at Prieto. I formerly taught 5th grade for six years and I am now excited to teach 8th grade mathematics! I look forward to reconnecting with former students and building relationships with new ones.
I earned my Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from DePauw University and my Master of Arts in Teaching degree from National-Louis University. I have spent the last few years getting endorsed to teach middle school math and algebra. I am eager to show my students the beauty of mathematics. Outside the classroom, I love being active and spending quality time with my family. I play basketball and soccer as often as I can. I look forward to another amazing year at Prieto! Ms. Gonzalez - 8th Social StudiesHello, my name is Roxana Gonzalez. I am happy to be returning to Prieto for another fun-filled year teaching 8th Grade Social Studies. This is my 3rd year at Prieto and I am really excited to be moving up with with my 7th grade scholars from last year. Prior to coming to Prieto I taught 5th grade for two years. I am originally from Southern California; I attended UCLA for my undergraduate education and received a BA in Political Science. Once I moved to Chicago, I attended Dominican University where I received my Masters in Teaching. I was first in my family to go to college and that experience taught me a lot about who I am and the type of teacher I want to be for my scholars.
Fun Facts: I love to travel; I've visited 12 different countries and have many more on my travel list. I also learned to play bass guitar because someone told me "girls don't play bass guitar!" Ms. GraciaHi, my name is Michele Gracia. I have been a teacher for 15 years. For the first 14 years of my career I taught at Arthur Dixon Elementary. I became part of the Prieto family in the fall of 2014 and love it here.
I went to school for a long time and earned my Ph.D. in Special Education. My dissertation focused on students with learning disabilities and the correlation between their reading comprehension and social information processing skills. It was hard work but I am glad I persevered and completed it. In addition to teaching, I also love to read, watch movies and listen to music. Janet Evanovich novels are a guilty pleasure. I have read all of the Harry Potter novels multiple times and watched all of the movies countless times. I am a complete Harry Potter nerd! I am also a huge professional tennis fan and watch as many matches as I can. I have on occasion even gotten up at 2am so I could watch live matches during the Australian Open! One last tidbit about me, I am a diehard Duke basketball fan - not a popular choice around here, but oh well. Go Devils!! Mr. Gonzalez |
Teamwork makes the Dream work!
8th Grade Team 2015-16 after Prietopalooza!!