Photo by Siobhan Murphy
Honoka Nakano
News Reporter
This year, Newton South is welcoming a new teacher into the science department: Kim Curtis.
Curtis has spent time teaching Biology to students at the British International School of Boston. She has also had experience teaching middle school science. The school offered an international program, known as the International Baccalaureate (IB), as well as the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE). The Newton South curriculum is different in comparison, but Curtis does not find this to be a struggle.
“I don’t think anything has been very difficult. I would say that the classes are larger than what I have been used to the last few years. The last school I was at was very small. Even if I didn’t have the students in my class, I knew the students’ names and all the kids knew each other. You could’ve asked other teachers about any of the students, so that would be the most difficult. But overall, it is great to be here,” Curtis said.
Other than the school size, she was not worried about transitioning into a new school. She decided to take the job at Newton South because of its high respectability across Massachusetts.
“I live in Newton, and I know what a good reputation Newton South has. I have also seen it with my own daughter who is attending Newton Public Schools, so I have always wanted to teach in the Newton [school system].”
Curtis currently teaches 11th grade Biology, and is hoping to connect with her students and settle into a comfortable environment as the year progresses.
“Eventually I will have more goals, like being involved in the after school clubs. I’m also interested in getting involved with the science extracurriculars,” Curtis said.
