August 2024 Volume 5 Edition 1

PUHSD staff members are amazing...both on and off our school campuses. Many of them participate in events, especially during the summer, that are worthy of celebrating. Meet two teachers that accomplished goals and chased their dream.

Maidu Virtual Charter Academy (MVCA) Teacher AND MasterChef Contestant How long have you been teaching?

This will be my 30th year teaching; I started in San Juan Unified at Arden MS teaching 8th grade English; then I moved up to high school and opened Whitney High in Rocklin where I taught English & French; when Maidu Virtual Charter Academy (MVCA) opened, I joined the team to open the new online school. I have a degree in French & English and a Master's Degree in English. I also am an adjunct teacher for Sierra College. What have been your roles with PUHSD? I teach Creative Writing, English 9, 10, 11, 12, and Dual Credit English 1AS; with fellow Teacher, Laura Sellers. I have also done many in-services to share what online learning looks like and how to promote student success. How did you get into gardening and cooking? I was going through a hardship 8 years ago, and gardening helped heal me on the inside and out. I love to be outside; I love to learn new things, and gardening gave me that. I found silence in the garden to reflect and to think about what direction I wanted to go with my life. I also got on a healthier track, eating mostly vegetarian food and daily juicing. Once I found out I was good at gardening and I had a lot of amazing harvests, I thought, I really need to learn how to cook garden-to-table meals. And that is what I have done. I love to teach people how to grow their own food and how to turn those harvests into gourmet, beautiful plates. It is my mission to use my online teaching toolkit and passion for gardening and cooking to inspire others that they can do it too! If I had not joined the MVCA team, I would have never felt comfortable making tutorials and posting in my community. MVCA changed my life in so many ways, all for the better. What has been the best part of being on Master Chef? Feeling self-worth. I know. I am small. I am squeaky. But in the MC kitchen, I thrive. I am smart, I am creative, and I am tiny but mighty. I learned that I can compete and challenge myself and even beat out some amazing home cooks who have years of training. I am truly a home cook with just passion and a lust for learning to help me excel. I tell my students to find their passions. I tell my students they can overcome challenges. I tell my students to be brave and follow their dreams. I am living proof that with the right mindset and with the right intentions, dreams can come true.

What's your favorite food to cook? I love to cook what I grow. So my dishes are seasonal, and they are plant-forward. I like simple, yummy food that looks pretty on the plate. Food does not have to be fancy and complicated. Who has time for that? Everyday meals should be fresh, clean, and yummy! What's your favorite food to eat? I love all types of food. I like to learn new flavor profiles. I am a huge fan of the farm- to-table concept. I love going to local restaurants, like Josephines or Chef's Table, where the menu changes with the seasons. Any fun facts about you? I am 4'9" I speak French I paid for college selling used cars I lived in France for a summer I studied at the Shakespeare Globe Theater in England I won the SPCA Hero of the Year Award I am a scrabble nerd I love to read I am writing a cookbook to be published next year!!!! I want to have a learning Garden where visitors can learn to garden, can, cook, and juice their way to a healthy, sustainable life. What do you like to do when you aren't teaching, gardening, or cooking? I love to travel and spend time with my two daughters and hubby. I also love to meditate and work on keeping a positive mindset. I am a lifelong learner, and I need to study, challenge myself, and keep evolving. The Kimberly that was 20, even ten years ago, is not the Kimberly you see now. My mission is to encourage others to #seedthedaytoday; find what you love to do, find a way to make a living doing it, and find a way to plant kindness in the world. I aim on my social media to inspire others to make every day count; life can be hard; but mindset and being thankful make all the difference! Anything else you'd like to add... Dream it, want it, wish it, go for it. #seedthedaytoday If this little Garden Gal can earn a white apron in the MasterChef Kitchen, anyone with heart, grit, and determination can achieve life's dreams!

Follow Mrs. Karver’s Facebook page where she shares her passions for gardening, canning, juicing, and cooking! Great job Mrs. Karver! We are so proud of you and your accomplishments!!! Carpe Diem

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