Inspirational Educator of the Month
Congratulations to Beth Dentes on being named the September 2016 Inspirational Educator of the Month.
Ms. Dentes is our chairperson for Art, and teaches Fine Arts and Fundamentals of Art. She's also the co-coordinator for the Academy of Arts and Communication here at LHS. She is well familiar with our community, because her previous teaching assignment was across the street at Lansdowne Middle School.
Although the groundwork for Beth’s inspiration to the teaching vocation began in younger years through her art teachers that encouraged her to pursue her art interest and ability, the real inspiration came when she was in high school. In her junior year, she had a fantastic student teacher from Towson University who made Beth realize the value of building relationships. This teacher was hired on at the same school, and taught Ms. Dentes again in her senior year and became a mentor of sorts to her students. Ms. Dentes credits this teacher with encouraging her to pursue art education at Towson University. She earned her BS in Education from Towson University, and then went on to receive her Masters of Education degree from nearby Goucher College. She also credits her supportive and dedicated family as being tireless cheerleaders who have pitched in and help set up art shows and participated in school events. They taught her responsibility and the value of hard work, all of which has paid off for this talented LHS teacher.
Ms. Dentes loves the diversity at our school, saying that it’s really awesome to get to know so many students from different backgrounds. She says she is consistently amazed by the hard work, dedication, and talent of our amazing students. In particular, she appreciates the students and staff in the Academy of Arts and Communication, and the way they are constantly thinking of ways to better Lansdowne High School, and pushing each other to be the best they can be.
Ms. Dentes says, “My vision for Lansdowne High school is to continue to see our students grow into the amazing people that we know they can become. I want to see our diverse population come together to celebrate our differences and learn from each other. I hope that when our students graduate and move on from our building they leave knowing that they are loved, supported and are ready for life’s great adventures. I want every one of our students to know their value and find their gifts so that they are able to find their place in the world. We have the ability to make a difference in the lives of others and to leave the world a better place. Go Vikings!”
As an art teacher, it is no surprise that she considers painting, drawing, and crafting as her hobbies. She also enjoys hiking, fishing, camping, exercising, playing with and walking her dogs, going to the beach, and spending time with family and friends.
We count ourselves fortunate to have such a talented and brilliant educator here at LHS. It is with great Viking Pride that we celebrate this award for Ms. Beth Dentes. Undoubtedly, her husband Scott is also proud of her. Congratulations!