Magic Apple Staff
Our staff is comprised of individuals who are passionate about education, learning, and providing children with the opportunity to identify, grow, and foster their unique strengths and talents. We also care deeply about the families of our children and work to create a strong sense of community and spirit.
Cisco Jiménez |
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Cisco Jimenez is the Director of Magic Apple Afterschool, Inc. as well as the founder of our immensely popular science camp, Extreme Science. Cisco has a Masters of Physical Science and consistently was recognized as an outstanding teacher (selected by university students in his chemistry classes). At Magic Apple, students have been treated to a remarkable selection of science experiments and love learning with Cisco at the helm. Cisco also leads and directs the Magic Apple choir in our winter and spring shows; he has sung in several university choirs and enjoys sharing his love of music with students. Cisco also shares his love of poetry with students frequently challenging them to commit to memory (and earn special field trips) a variety of different types of poems. Magic Apple has a poetry club that students are able to join and many students take their love of poetry with them onto high school and even college! Cisco also shares his favorite technology toys with Magic Apple and the students have thoroughly enjoyed a myriad of experiences including Cisco's assortment of drones as well as his large 3-D and laser printers as well. Most recently, students assembled their own ukuleles, painted and stained them and now have their very own instruments to enjoy for many years. Cisco is also known for his beloved and amazingly interesting Mysteries of History classes, Greek mythology, and role playing Dungeons and Dragons with students! He also inspires students with his values and social sciences classes and then helps them choose projects to contribute to in a variety of wonderful ways.
Minh Jimenez
Minh Jimenez is the Co-Director of Magic Apple Afterschool, Inc. and students love the many talents she shares with them. Minh has two bachelors of science degrees; Bio-Chemistry and Micro-Biology and loves to conduct "magic experiments" during the summer at Extreme Science camp. Minh loves sharing literature with students and is also appreciated for her vast collection of multi-cultural tales presented with great dramatic flare as well as her wonderful English accent when reading from her beloved Harry Potter collection. Minh also is appreciated for her dances as she prepares students for our winter and spring performances as well as teaching holiday songs in Spanish. Students also enjoy special art experiences with Minh as well as cooking (and eating) projects. Students also love challenging Minh to a game of four-square as she is known for not only her athletic skills but also her great style and constant smiles..
Fran Jimenez
Fran Jimenez is the co-founder of Magic Apple Afterschool. Fran earned a Masters Degree in Sociology and worked as an administrator for Pajaro Valley Unified School District before Magic Apple. Fran is noted for his inspirational style of teaching often using "hands on" experiences to insure student understanding. As part of his lessons on child labor Magic Apple students were profoundly impacted by physically recreating the difficulties in working with sugar cane and carrying water buckets long distances to better understand the lives of child laborers. Fran is also a mater storyteller and published author and students adore his true stories of growing up as a part of a family that migrated across America. Students are often on the edge of their seats with laughter, concern, and smiles as he takes them through different experiences in his life. Francisco has developed many original curriculum ideas as well that students have adored, from Freddy the Leaf (a unit on the cycle of life), to the Dashboard (students designing their own "gauges" that they are able to refer to, to the Wall (a collection of quotes students commit to memory to offer them emotional shielding as needed). Fran also brought mindfulness and meditation to students and incorporates important topics that our students want to discuss and share about into his classes--from bullying to gratitude, problems with friends--to school stress. Fran's also noted for his love of science and presents classes from Black Holes and the Shapes of Nature to the thrill of liquid nitrogen altering the composition of a rose and even "Barbie" (Fran's classes always include jokes, humor, and smiles.
Janice Jimenez
Jan Jimenez is the co-founded of Magic Apple, graduating with a degree in Social Science and a Standard Elementary credential. Jan is noted for her love of the arts and drama and can often be found creating and casting plays with students on Magic Apple's stage. Jan also loves music and has contributed songs and dances to both Magic Apple's holiday and spring shows. Magic Apple students love running for cooking helpers to assist Jan with her delicious cooking projects--from fresh Apple Crisp (made with just picked Apples) to a variety of chocolate recipes (Jan's favorite). Jan is also a gardener and students love working with her in our school greenhouse. Jan's favorite classes are Heroes of History. She has taught about many great heroes from all different walks of life including Ruby Bridges, JK Rowling, Booker T Washington and Wilma Rudolph. Jan also loves unique experiences for her students, including the I CANT funeral where students bury all the things they think they can't do to BABY EGG's (students carefully parent hollowed and decorated babies made of eggs). Typical of Jan is the serendipitous classes that become legendary as with Baby Egg World where student's design and create service businesses for the baby egg community :
Zach Morgan
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Zach Morgan is a teacher at Magic Apple Afterschool, Inc. and is much beloved by his students. Having once been a student at Magic Apple, Zach is particularly valued for insuring that all the great experiences he recalls are able to continue. Zach is much beloved for his athletic prowess and his ability to make sports less intimidating. He frequently shares his skill set from football to soccer to volleyball and more. Magic Apple students also appreciate his creativity in creating original games as well as playing epic renditions of Beckon and Capture the Flag in the beautiful orchards of Magic Apple. Zach is also very musical and has accompanied students on both piano and guitar. As a student he was an outstanding dancer and his skills have only grown stronger as he teachers complex choreography in a variety of styles from hip hop to western line dance. Zach's classes are also great fun and students especially enjoy his Animal of the Week classes as well as tellings of the great stories of Greek mythology.
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