I've been an educator in St. Paul Public Schools for 23 years and in that time have had many roles. I've taught social studies in alternative education and at Harding High School. I was the IB MYP (Middle Years Program) coordinator at Harding and later became a TOSA (Teacher on Special Assignment) in the Office of Teaching and Learning. The last two years I was an assistant principal at Washington Technology.

I received my undergraduate degree from the University of Minnesota, Duluth in Social Studies Education as well as a Certificate in Technology. I also earned a Certificate in Urban Education from Hamline University. Later I went on to earn a Masters in Educational Leadership, K-12 Principal License, and Educational Specialist degree from Saint Mary’s University, Twin Cities.

When I am not working, I spend a lot time with my family on either a ball field or a soccer field. I have two daughters aged 16 and 12.

I believe it is important to balance all the demands of work and home life with something I enjoy. For me, that is running. I've ran 10 marathons, 8 of them in the last 3 years and my 11th is coming up in October.

What energizes me about Gordon Parks is seeing the motivation our students have to earn their credits for graduation and begin their life outside of high school. This is especially true when students find out they are so close to being done.

What I already enjoy about being part of the GPHS team is how hard the teachers work to ensure students are earning their credits. Learning about the projects that many have poured so much time into creating is very exciting. I can't wait to explore more ways for students to earn credits and get closer to walking across the stage.

Sincerely,

Principal Shandyn Benson

Students!

Do you need elective credits? Do you have a part-time job?

Did you know you can earn 2 credits per quarter for working after school?

To take advantage of the work experience program, the first step is to check with your counselor to see if you still need electives. If so, he will direct you to Mr. Iwen, the Work Experience Coordinator who can get you set up with the paperwork and information you need for work experience credit.

This is a great way to earn credit for something you might already be doing!

If you are interested in work opportunities or need help searching and applying for jobs talk to Mr. Iwen in room 1109.

Incoming, and returning students, should take a glance at our Gordon Parks High School website as a place for information. Please click on the image above or URL listed below.

https://www.spps.org/gordonparks

The Lens is called, "The Lens", because of our namesake, Gordon Parks. It would take a lot of time to list all of Gordon Parks accomplishments, but he is best known for his epic photography career that spanned seven decades. To learn more about Gordon Parks, click here.

The Lens is a useful tool for reminding students and parents about important school info, as well as a place for us to highlight the work of students. Expect more content in our future issues, but for now, we just want to remind you about coming back to school next week.