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Mr. Thomas Clark
Mr. Clark is a first year teachers at Cy-Ridge. He is going into his eleventh year or teaching. For the past seven years Mr. Clark had been teaching at the college level including Cy Fair College and Houston Community College. He was born in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan and received his BFA and MFA from Texas A&M University- Commerce. Mr. Clark also studied at The New York Studio School for Drawing, Painting and Sculpture.
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Mr. BJ Douglas
Mr. Douglas has previously taught in Aldine I.S.D. for 18 years (6 in middle school and 12 in high school), and 3 years in C.F.I.S.D. This will be his third year at Cypress Ridge High School which makes this his 22nd year of teaching. He is originally from Lufkin, TX. He attended college at Sam Houston State University where he received his BME (Bachelor of Music Education) and MA (Master of Arts) degrees. He is now in his 16th year of marriage to a wonderful lady named Deidre, who is also a very successful choral music teacher at Cypress Falls High School. He has two beautiful daughters, Rebekah (13) and Leah (11), and a Boston terrier named “Flash.” |
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Ms. Tanisha Ellison
Ms. Ellison is entering her fifth year of teaching Communication Applications and coaching girls basketball and track and field at Cypress Ridge High School. She graduated from Texas Tech University, where she received her Bachelors of Science degree and a Masters’ in Sports Administration. She is also a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
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Ms. Jill Goodwin
Ms. Goodwin is a graduate of Cypress Springs High School where she began her enjoyable, passionate, and determined career in dance. Upon graduating she traveled to Kilgore, TX where she was apart of the world famous Kilgore College Rangerettes drill team. At Kilgore, Jill received an Associates of Arts degree and became a motivational leader for the honored drill team. After attending Kilgore College, Jill transferred to Texas State University where she graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelors of Arts in Psychology, a Bachelors of Science and Dance, and Certification for Secondary Education in Dance. Ms. Goodwin currently teaches Dance I-IV, assists with the Dazzlers drill team and guides the Dazzler new member program, the Stargazers, to achieving the outstanding Dazzler precision in performance criteria. Professionally, Jill also serves as a member of the Texas Dance Educator Association, where she continues her education in the ever- changing trends of the dance world. She is extremely excited to being sharing her passion of dance and the arts with such motivating students at Cypress Ridge and hopes to encourage the importance of all of the arts and their contributing factors across the curriculum.
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Ms. Jaimie Ladysh
Ms. Ladysh teaches Photography I- AP and Electronic Media I- AP. She has been an art teacher since she opened Cypress Ridge High School in 2002. She is also the Art team leader of Cy-Ridge. She graduated from University of Montana. Ms. Ladysh has taught art in many other places, including overseas. She now works as a semi-professional in areas of fine art, documentary, and weddings.
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Ms. Crystal Link
Ms. Link teaches Theatre Arts I. This is her first year at Cy-Ridge. She received a BA in Theatre and Speech Communication from Stephen F. Austin State University. She has taught for three years in Minneapolis, MN. She had worked for Climb Theatre and the Brave New Workshop in Minnesota.
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Mrs. Stephanie Lyle
Stephanie Lyle is a former Cy-Fair High School graduate and has been involved in dance education for thirteen years. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Dance and a minor in English from Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas. Stephanie maintains certification for secondary education in Dance, English, and Physical Education.
Stephanie opened Cypress Ridge High School in Fall 2002. She has been an integral part in building both the Dazzler Dance Team and Dance Program. Stephanie has received great joy in building a strong curriculum of dance for both the Dazzlers and the Cypress Ridge community.
In addition to directing the Dance Team and Dance Program, Stephanie serves as the Fine Arts Department Chair, member of the Homecoming Committee and a mentor for at-risk students. Stephanie is also a member of the Texas Dance Educators Association, where she serves on the Executive Board as Corresponding Secretary. This past year, Stephanie was award the 2008 C.F.IS.D. Spotlight Teacher of the Year Award.
Stephanie is married to her wonderful husband and friend, Joseph W. Lyle, Jr. and they are proud parents to Laney (4 years old) and Lance (2 year old). Stephanie receives great joy in being a teacher and mentor while balancing the many joys of motherhood.
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Ms. Whitney McMahan
Whitney McMahan is a journalism teacher from Topeka, Kansas. McMahan worked on her high school yearbook and was the editor of her college yearbook for two years when she attended Washburn University. She received her bachelor’s degree in English Education in 2005 and taught English for one year in Kansas before joining the Cy-Ridge team in 2006. Currently, Whitney teaches journalism, photojournalism, newspaper, and yearbook.
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Ms. Jill Mitchell
Ms. Mitchell is a first year teacher coming from San Marcos, Texas. She received a Bachelor’s degree from Texas State University with a concentration in Exercise Sports Science and a minor in Photography in May of 2008. She is looking forward to a successful school year. |
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Mrs. Amanda Moreno
Mrs. Moreno received her Bachelor’s degree in Speech Communications from Texas State University in 2002 and began her teaching career at Bleyl Middle School. She joined the Cy-Ridge family in 2004 and teaches Communication Applications. Amanda is married to her husband Keith and has a son, Gavin. She is looking forward to a successful year at Cypress Ridge.
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Mr. Brian Moreno
Mr. Moreno began his career, as a first year teacher, at Cypress Ridge High School in 2004. Currently in his fourth year, Mr. Moreno conducts the Concert I ensemble and is the assistant conductor of the Jazz Band with Mr. Nixon. Mr. Moreno also oversees the private lessons program at Cypress Ridge and teaches the beginner trumpet class at Truitt Middle School. Ensembles under Mr. Moreno's direction have earned "Superior" ratings in the UIL concert and sight-reading competitions.
Mr. Moreno is a graduate of Ball High School in 1998 where Roland Butler served as senior band director. In 2004, he received a Bachelor of Music Education Degree from Houston Baptist University studying trumpet under Mr. Randy Adams, music education with Dr. Richard Fiese, and was a member of the Symphonic Band under the direction of Mr. Robert McElroy.
Mr. Moreno, in his spare time, is a free-lance trumpet player in the Houston area. He is a co-founder of the Seraphim Brass Quintet out of Houston and plays regularly at The Church at Creeks End located in Spring, Texas.
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Mr. Bryan Moses
Mr. Moses is the Director of Theatre and one of the few remaining original teachers that opened Cy-Ridge High School back in 2002. Prior to coming to Ridge, he pulled double teaching duties by teaching at Thornton Middle School as well as North Harris College. He received his Master of Arts in Theatre from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, TX and his Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre from St. Edward’s University in Austin, TX. He has served several years as an active duty soldier in the U.S. Army and toured extensively around the world with the U.S. Army Soldier Show.
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Mr. Andrew Nixon
Mr. Nixon has been Director of Bands at Cypress Ridge High School since its inception in 2002. Under his direction, the Mighty Ram Band has grown from its original 60 members to its present size of almost 200 student musicians. The band program now includes three symphonic bands, marching band, jazz band, winter guard, winter drumline, full orchestra, and numerous chamber ensembles. A native of Kingsville, Texas, Mr. Nixon received his Bachelor of Music Education for Texas A&M University- Kingsville in 1996, under the direction of Dr. Paul Hageman. Prior to his arrival in Houston, Mr. Nixon taught in the districts of Los Fresnos, Harlingen and Victoria. Mr. Nixon is a member of Kappa Kappa Psi Honorary Band Fraternity, Texas Music Educators Association, International Trombones Association, International Association of Jazz Educators and Texas Bandmasters Association.
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Mr. Jose Rocha
Mr. Rocha, cellist, graduated with honors with a Bachelor’s and Masters of Music degrees from the University of Florida. While in Florida, Mr. Rocha taught orchestra at Jewett Academy, Jewett School of the Arts, and Polk Community College. In addition to teaching, Mr. Rocha kept a very busy schedule performing with the Southwest Florida Symphony (Ft. Myers), the Orlando Philharmonic, Savannah Symphony (GA), the Strauss Symphony of America, as well as performing in tours with artists such as Ray Price, Glenn Frey, Frank Sinatra Jr., Marvin Hamlish, and Ray Charles among others. In the summer of 1994, Mr. Rocha was elected to perform with the prestigious Jugend Schwyz Orchestra in Switzerland. In 1995, Mr. Rocha returned to Europe as a soloist with the Texas State University Orchestra, playing in such places as the Chopin Conservatory in Poland. Currently, Mr. Rocha teaches orchestra at Cypress Ridge High School and Dean Middle School, and is working on his Doctorial degree in music at the University of Houston. Mr. Rocha has a young daughter (Sarah), and when available he and his wife, Mrs. Shackelford (Cypress Creek High School Orchestra Director) play with the Symphony of Southeast Texas.
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Mrs. Claire Vining
Claire Vining is one of the original staff members of Cypress Ridge High School. She teaches all avenues of art, but mostly the Sculpture/Ceramics classes. She has 14 years experience, 10 in Cypress Fairbanks I.S.D. She earned her Bachelor’s of Fine Arts degree from Stephen F. Austin State University and her Master’s of Education degree from the University of Houston. She is married and has two children, Julia (7 yr-old) and Layton (3 yr-old).
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Mr. Justin Zanchuk
Justin Zanchuk is in his second year of service as Associate Director of Bands at Cypress Ridge High School. His responsibilities include teaching Music Theory, conducting Concert Band II and the Symphony Orchestra, as well as assisting with Symphonic Band, Concert Band I and the marching band. Mr. Zanchuk graduated from the University of Miami, in Coral Gables, FL; earning the degree of Master of Music in Trumpet Performance and serving as the teaching assistant to Mr. Craig Morris, former principal trumpet of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Justin also received Bachelor’s degrees in both Music Education and Music Performance from Texas Tech University, in Lubbock, TX. A native of Dallas, Mr. Zanchuk has been active as a private lesson and sectional instructor, marching band technician and performer.
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