Modesto Adventist Academy, 2020 Academy Place, Ceres, Ca.
95307
Maverick Chronicle
Modesto Adventist Academy Welcomes New
Religion Teacher/Campus Ministry Director
Born and
raised in the Port-
land, Oregon area
of the Northwest,
and then moving to
Dayton, Ohio sever-
al years later, Mrs.
Jennifer Pettingill
is used to lush,
green landscapes.
The first thing that
she noticed on her
arrival in Modesto
was the “browness”
of the surrounding
area. “I didnʼt real-
ize that the ʻGolden
Stateʼ would be so
brown.”
Mrs. Pettingill
began her education
This year the journal-
ism class is not only
publishing a newslet-
ter, but a monthly
newspaper as well. If
you would like to sub-
scribe or advertise in
the newspaper, please
call Tania Barjesteh at
537-4521.
Page 1
Volume 15 - Issue No. 1
September 6, 2003
Calendar
Sept. 4-5 Teach Out
Sept. 8 Home &
School
at Southern Uni- nifer Maguire met Meeting
versity in Colleg- Mr. Matt Pettingill, Sept. 12-15 MBA Foot-
edale, Tennessee who she married in ball Tourna-
ment
where before her June at Kettering,
Sept. 15-16 Biol-
junior year she Ohio. ogy Class to
became a student Mrs. Pettingill Mono Lake
missionary to Guy- takes on a full load Sept. 15-19 Elemen-
tary Week of
ana, South America. at MAA, teach- Prayer
While there she ing four sections Sept. 21 MAA Footall
taught mathemat- of Bible, as well as Tournament
ics and a variety coordinating cam- Sept. 22-24 ITED/ITBS
Testing
of other subjects at pus ministries, and Sept. 25-28 Leadership
a boarding school acting as the new Conference
literally “in the school counselor. Sept. 30 Honors Class
to Ashland
middle of a jungle.” Since she is an
Returning to college “outdoors girl,” backpacking, plus
she finished up her Mrs. Pettingill she hopes to share
major in religion lists her hobbies as her love of Godʼs
and her minor in driving, basketball, great outdoors
mathematics, then water sports, and with her students.
earned her teaching She says she likes
credentials by doing Modesto because it
her student teach- is primarily a farm-
ing at Collegedale, ing community, and
Academy, a school just a two hour drive
of 350 students that
from the beaches,
is associated with Yosemite, and other
Southern College. attractions that Cali-
It was also at South- fornia has to offer.
ern College where
the former Miss Jen
Page 2
Mrs. Pam Kopitzke returns to
Modesto Adventist Academy
a California native, re-
cieved her formal education
at Pacific Union College in
Angwin, California and at
Stanislas State University in
Turlock.
Mrs. Kopitzke thoroughly
enjoyed the seven years she
spent in Vietnam, saying
“the warmth of the Vietnam-
ese people made me feel at
home.” She also feels very
fortunate to have taught in
the International United Na-
tions school in Hanoi, be-
Modesto Adventist
cause “having students and
Academy welcomes back
experiences from all over the
Mrs. Pam Kopitzke to its
world is a once in a lifetime
teaching staff. Mrs. Ko-
opportunity.”
pitzke started her teach-
Reflecting her wide range
ing career in Tacoma,
of interests and talents, Mrs.
Washington, transfering to
Kopitzke will be teaching
Texas, then moving on to
Home Economics, Computer
Modesto Adventist Acad-
Literacy, an integrated class
emy where she taught for
in American Literature, and
the next thirteen years.
another integrated class com-
The past seven years Mrs.
bining World History with
Kopitzke has been teach-
World Literature. She says
ing in Hanoi, Vietnam, first
that one of her main goals at
at the English Language
MAA is to transfer her love
Center, and then the Hanoi
of reading to the students in
United Nations Internation-
her English classes.
al school. Mrs.Kopitzke,
Mrs. Kopitzke says that
Volume 15 - Issue No. 1
the students have changed
some since she was here
seven years ago, but that
the change is a reflection
of American culture. She
still finds that the cur-
rent students of Modesto
Adventist Academy are
fun to be around, and
states “they listen well
to each otherʼs ideas, are
good thinkers, and seem
to be quite mature.” One
of Mrs. Kopitzkeʼs main
goals for her classes this
year is to expand the
positive characteristics of
her students so they will
learn to respect the ideas
and culture of the world
around them.
The Maverick Chronicle Newslet-
ter is a biweekly publication of the
journalism class of Modesto Adven-
tist Academy.
Editor Tania Barjesteh
Asst. Editor Emily Eavenson
News Editor Ashley Thomas
Features Editor Bonnie Johnson
Reporters Trista Cravey
Alyssa Roberts
Sponsors Ralph and Mindy
Christie