- Southeast Middle School
- Ms. Gaspardo - Science (Virtual)

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Degrees and Certifications:
Ms. Laura Gaspardo
Teacher Message:
"I wanted you to see what real courage is ... it's when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do." - Atticus Finch
I am so looking forward to meeting each of you this year. My goal as your science teacher is to involve you in engaging lessons and labs to spark your interest in science and help you gain the knowledge needed to be successful this year and beyond!
Although I will be remote, Mrs. Bell, your in room co-teacher and my partner, and I are both here to help you in any way we can. You have the advantage of having two teachers who are here for you! Science is all around you everyday from the food you eat to the phone you love. Learning the why is what our class is about, and we hope you come to class ready to find the answers.
Success in our class is easy if you come prepared with your fully charged Chromebook, get logged on right away, and participate in our discussions and labs. Staying on top of your classwork and getting it done in class will also help you to succeed. We are both here to answer your questions, help wherever we can, and to foster that curiosity to learn new things that we know is inside each of you!
Biography:
I currently live in the far northwest suburbs of Chicago with my husband and our 3 dogs: Bailey (Golden Retriever), Bandit (miniature Aussie), and Auggie the Doggie (miniature Golden Doodle). We love camping and anything outdoors. We have traveled all over the United States with our Pop-up Camper and our goal is to visit every national park before we die!
I have been an educator for over 20 years. This is my 3rd year at Southeast Middle School;: the first year teaching 6th grade ELA, the second year teaching 6th and 8th grade science, and this year teaching 7th grade science. I have taught everything from a math and science enrichment program for preschoolers to high school English. Each year I try to make it to St. Louis to teach in person for a week and meet my students face to face. I am hopeful of being able to do that this year as well.
I hold a BA in English/Secondary Education with middle school certifications in ELA/English, Science, and Social Studies as well as certifications for high school English. I also hold a MA in Environmental Studies with a concentration in Sustainable Development and Policy. I pursued my Masters in order to marry my two passions: Ecology/Environment and Education. I love teaching science and was blessed to have taught for a park district where I brought animals from the Park District Zoo into elementary classrooms (I got to drive around with a rooster in the front seat and a snake in the back seat!), and for a conservation district where I was a summer program assistant director and worked with young people to learn about the amazing ecosystems we have, the creatures who inhabit them, and how to be good stewards to the land. We engaged in hikes, experiments, observations, prairie restoration, bat watching, and canoeing just to name a few.
Now I get to bring that passion to Southeast Middle School and my students here!