Alvin Ostwalt Room 37 Level 3 Humanities
Goodbye to Iredell-Statesville Schools and Mount Mourne IB!
I will be ending my teaching career and leaving Mount Mourne IB on Thursday, January 31. It was not my intention to leave shortly after the middle of year. But life does not always guarantee that you will be able to follow your original plans.
I have been teaching in the Iredell County and Iredell-Statesville School systems for 30 plus years. I have met many very good people over that span of time and I have no regrets regarding my chosen profession. I would like to thank all of those that have been so helpful and supportive.
I am pleased to announce that the students will have a new teacher starting on Friday, Feburary 1. Therefore, it should be a good transition for the students. In fact, the new face at Mount Mourne will be visiting the school the next several weeks to help with the transition.
I would like to thank the community of Mount Mourne School for making this a pleasant place to work. I will miss the faces at Mount Mourne. But as I have recently spoken to many recently retired colleagues, I am also eagerly awaiting the veil of stress to be removed and begin a new phase for my life.
I wish everyone much happiness and many successes. In closing, I can proudly state that I enjoyed teaching and learning with my students and I also loved the family atmosphere at Mt. Mourne School. And yes, just as the late great comedian and talk show host Johnny Carson did, I loved my job and I do have inner peace. Alvin R. Ostwalt Mt. Mourne School Mission Mount Mourne School exists to inspire its students to become compassionate, lifelong learners who are responsible, global citizens. Our students will use various modes of communication in order to promote peace by learning to accept cultural differences and to respect our world.
My Classroom Mission
The mission of Mr. Ostwalt's Level 3 North Carolina History class is to integrate the knowledge of North Carolina and United States History so that students may prepare for the future and become responsible and respectful citizens. This will be accomplished by becoming informed of current events of the state, nation, and world and also by learning about important people, places, events, and dates so that students may be able to relate the past to the present and future. With the help of all stakeholders, the goals will be achieved by studying diligently and successfully completing all assigned work so the next generation of independent thinkers will benefit the current and future world community. About Me I am a 1981 graduate of Appalachian State University and I also received a masters from North Carolina A and T State University. I taught at South Iredell High School from 1982 to 2002. While at South Iredell, I taught a variety of subjects such as Civics and Economics, United States History, World History, Psychology, Pre-Algebra, Advanced Physical Education, and Weight Training. I also taught and coordinated the Driver Education program at South Iredell High School. I began teaching at the eighth grade level at Brawley Middle in 2002 thru 2009. I am now in my fourth year at Mt. Mourne an IBO World School and I am also still involved with teaching Driver Education through the Lake Norman High School cluster. I am married to Janna Mikhailovna Pak of Tashkent, Uzbekistan. We have two children. Our son, Alexander, graduated from South Iredell High School and is entering his senior year at UNCC. He was planning to study computer engineering but after his first year that has now changed to the areas of business and economics. Our daughter, Tatiana, received a certificate for completing the MYP at Mount Mourne and will be entering her sennior year in the traditional school at South Iredell. My wife will also be continuing her studies in a Masters program at UNCC. The children have adapted very well to the United States since their arrival on July 17, 2003. My wife and children became United States citizens in June of 2009. My philosophy is: "Strive to become the best individual you can be no matter what challenge you may encounter". If you enter my classroom, you will notice my PRIDE wall. That acronym, which stands for Personal Responsibility In Daily Endeavors, parallels my philosophy. It is my belief that each individual must ultimately realize they are responsible for their own actions. The real world will not always be tolerant of one's excuses for their mistakes or failures. As a Level 3 humanities teacher at Mt Mourne, I believe it is my responsibility to prepare my students not only for their future education in high school and beyond, but also to help my students to understand their civic responsibility for becoming a respectful and productive citizen in our world. |
