Web Site & Classroom Experience Testimonials
Tom - I think you should on-line “stream” the MakerSpace activities that you do with your lucky grandkids...so many more could benefit from your knowledge and enthusiasm. Aha- I have it- let’s get you an agent and you do a series!! BTW- I am dead serious!
Bronnie
-- Reply to Bronnie's comment: .. interesting idea! I will say that I have recently been updating my website with a massive section on our MakerSpace adventures since 2016. Here is the web address: https://tclauset.org/c5/MakerSpace/ and on the right hand side are headings for activities by the school calendar year. Each “activity” has its own web page and a slide show of pictures. In addition, on the website’s front page at the bottom is a scrolling carousel of all of our projects. Each picture links to that activity page. While all of this is definitely not “live” it does allow me to pick and choose interesting pictures. --Tom
Facebook exchange on 11/12/2019
Hi Mr. Clauset,
This is Aidan Eliasson (former 6th grader at Chadwick). I was going through my photos and found this selfie, it was taken when we were rehearsing for the 6th grade graduation (I’m the one in the green hat). I thought I’d send you this and say "Hello." I’m currently a junior at Palos Verdes High School in Palos Verdes, California preparing for SATs and college. I hope all is well in North Carolina.
I really enjoyed being your student and you definitely fostered my interest in science (I’ve taken biology, chemistry honors, and now marine bio honors in high school).
Junior year so far has been tough. I’m taking 3 honors classes this year but am doing well in them. I’m also on the boys’ Junior Varsity tennis team were I play the top doubles! This coming spring I hope to make the varsity team which I think will happen :)! Colleges so far are undecided but I’m leaning towards getting an MBA or majoring in finance. I want to apply to lots of colleges, but especially out of state. I think it would be a good change especially maybe applying to university of Florida, Alabama state (lots of scholarships), Southern Methodist, Northwestern, and a whole lot more.
On top of that I’ve also traveled to British Virgin Islands, Peru, Brazil, Argentina, visited Sweden, and few others. I’ve also downloaded an app called “been” which lets you put in countries and states you’ve been to and tells you how much of the world you’ve seen and a map of the globe with countries you’ve visited in bold. I also bought a drone and post blogs of my travels on Instagram under the name “1globerunner”.
I also looked at your website (tclauset.org) and am seeing all the cool science activities you’ve done with your grandchildren such as the bottle rocket lab -- (my favorite).
All the best to you,
fondly,
November 3/4, 2019
Hello Mr. Clauset,
I was wondering how you are doing back in North Carolina. Ever since 7th grade I have realized that science will never be the same without you teaching it. Having you as a teacher was such a great experience, and I was so lucky to be in your final class. Somethings have not changed at all though like the "Wild Things" and "Skippy" are still taking over students' minds. I just wanted you to know that people still talk about how amazing a teacher you were. You might be surprised to hear that many of the students here including myself have seen your YouTube channel and have watched the videos that you have made. I will never forget how great a teacher you were and maybe one day you could come back to California to visit.
Former Student at Chadwick School
Jan. 24, 2018
Jan. 24, 2018
Student End-of-the-Year Notes, 2016:
Thank you for being such a wonderful science teacher! You have truly made these last few months spectacular. Your amazing spirit and energy always brings a smile to my face, even on days I thought it would never show. I hope you have a happy life in North Carolina. Make sure to close your windows so no bugs get in! Feel free to come back to California whenever you can, because I know at least 77 kids will be missing you! -- Ally DeGiorgio
Thank you so much for teaching me this year! I really enjoyed all the labs, projects, and activities in science class. I hope I get to see you again! -- Sky Shia
Thank you so much for such an amazing year in science! You have been the best teacher I have ever had! Congratulations on retirement. I wish my younger sister could have had you. Thank you so much for an amazing year! -- Michael Zbyszewski
Thank you so much for making science my favorite subject. I have learned and had the most interest in science. I learned so much about organizing and writing neatly. You were an awesome role model to not just 6th graders, but to others as well. You were the best teacher and I will miss you so much when I go back to Chadwick International in South Korea. -- Isaac Kim
Science this year was amazing! I really enjoyed the various labs we did -- Bottle Rocket building, boat building, and especially CIMI!! You made me love science even more, and you were such a great teacher this year. -- Rhys Moon
Thank you so much MrC! Science for the past year has been the highlight of my day. Thank you for making class engaging and exciting! -- Ellen Carter
I loved science with you this year! I will miss your funny jokes in 7th grade next year! Thank you for being an amazing science teacher! -- Gabbie Doty
Thank you so much for all you have done for me this year. You are an incredible science teacher, and always managed to make the class laugh with your hilarious impersonations! Advisory was always relaxing and fun, as we would play games or sing silly songs you taught us. You will be greatly missed, Mr. Clauset, and I will always remember the memories I made in your class! -- Hope Galusha
Thanks for an awesome class! -- Carly Blum
Thank you for being the best science teacher I have ever had! -- Mia Jo
Thank you so much for being a wonderful teacher! Have a great summer. We will miss you. -- Michael Chui
Thank you so much for being an amazing teacher. You are always kind and fun to be with. I will miss you. -- Jared Severns
I will miss getting to see you every day! You do a good job dealing with "Skippy." I hope you have a fun time in North Carolina. -- Sarah Ramos
I have learned so many things and had so much fun in science this year. We are going to miss you dearly, MrC. You are the best science teacher I have ever had and I hope you enjoy your retirement in North Carolina. And by the way ..... I will never stop looking for your middle name! (PS. I will bring "Skippy" to 7th grade science just for you!) -- Kiley Keating
Thank you for being my teacher this year! I loved the dry ice unit and making the mouse-trap car with my partner. I also LOVED learning about "Skippy" and the "Wild Things." It has been a great year and I will miss you. -- Noelle Carpenter
Thank you soooooo much for teaching us this year. I learned so much that my brain will spontaneously combust. Or.... it will freeze from dry ice. Or .... just some other amazingly cool thing you taught us this year. I hope you have a great retirement! (PS. The 6th grade class of 2022 loves you and will miss you!) -- Christian Park
C-creative, L-lively, A-adventurous, U-unique, S-smart, E-enthusiastic, T-terrific. I had an amazing year in science. I learned a lot this year from the units we did, which were extremely interesting. You were a very great teacher. -- JJ Udeani
You are an amazing teacher and I am so sad to see you go. I feel so lucky that I got to have you as a teacher before you retired. Every day I always looked forward to science class because I knew we would be doing something fun and interesting whether it was working on our shake table towers or our dry ice lab. I will never forget "Skippy," possessed desks, or the "Wild Things." Not only was science class fun, but we also learned so much. Before coming to your science class, I did not really have any interest in science. But now, I am considering becoming some sort of scientist when I am older. Mr. Clauset you are funny, wise, intelligent, witty, compassionate, respectful, responsible, fair, and honest -- and this is why everyone loves you. I know everyone at Chadwick will miss you but I hope you have a peaceful retirement in North Carolina. Thank you for everything you have taught me. -- Beatrice Pare
I don't know what to say, to sum everything up, I just need to say, "You are the best science teacher I have ever known." I feel honored to be one of your students. You have done everything you could for bottle rockets, Shake Table Towers, and dry ice experiments. The boat races have also been amazing thanks to you. I will make sure not to "fail miserably" in 7th grade and beyond. I am sad that you are leaving, but I am glad that you were my science teacher. Good luck in North Carolina! (PS. I will also miss Skippy, too!) -- Jordan Lee
You have been such a great teacher this year. You are so nice and you make me smile. We have had so many funny times this year and I will never forget them. Thank you for being a great teacher. I'll miss you so much! We have done so many fun projects this year and they have been a blast. It was so much fun building boats and doing bottle rockets. You made it extra special :-). I will definitely miss this so much. You are probably the funniest person I know and I mean that! You make everything so much fun and you add humor to class discussions. You support me in so many ways and that makes you special. I'll never forget you and I hope you will visit Chadwick again! -- Gracie O'Connell
Thank you so much for teaching me this year! I really enjoyed all the labs, projects, and activities in science class. I hope I get to see you again! -- Sky Shia
Thank you so much for such an amazing year in science! You have been the best teacher I have ever had! Congratulations on retirement. I wish my younger sister could have had you. Thank you so much for an amazing year! -- Michael Zbyszewski
Thank you so much for making science my favorite subject. I have learned and had the most interest in science. I learned so much about organizing and writing neatly. You were an awesome role model to not just 6th graders, but to others as well. You were the best teacher and I will miss you so much when I go back to Chadwick International in South Korea. -- Isaac Kim
Science this year was amazing! I really enjoyed the various labs we did -- Bottle Rocket building, boat building, and especially CIMI!! You made me love science even more, and you were such a great teacher this year. -- Rhys Moon
Thank you so much MrC! Science for the past year has been the highlight of my day. Thank you for making class engaging and exciting! -- Ellen Carter
I loved science with you this year! I will miss your funny jokes in 7th grade next year! Thank you for being an amazing science teacher! -- Gabbie Doty
Thank you so much for all you have done for me this year. You are an incredible science teacher, and always managed to make the class laugh with your hilarious impersonations! Advisory was always relaxing and fun, as we would play games or sing silly songs you taught us. You will be greatly missed, Mr. Clauset, and I will always remember the memories I made in your class! -- Hope Galusha
Thanks for an awesome class! -- Carly Blum
Thank you for being the best science teacher I have ever had! -- Mia Jo
Thank you so much for being a wonderful teacher! Have a great summer. We will miss you. -- Michael Chui
Thank you so much for being an amazing teacher. You are always kind and fun to be with. I will miss you. -- Jared Severns
I will miss getting to see you every day! You do a good job dealing with "Skippy." I hope you have a fun time in North Carolina. -- Sarah Ramos
I have learned so many things and had so much fun in science this year. We are going to miss you dearly, MrC. You are the best science teacher I have ever had and I hope you enjoy your retirement in North Carolina. And by the way ..... I will never stop looking for your middle name! (PS. I will bring "Skippy" to 7th grade science just for you!) -- Kiley Keating
Thank you for being my teacher this year! I loved the dry ice unit and making the mouse-trap car with my partner. I also LOVED learning about "Skippy" and the "Wild Things." It has been a great year and I will miss you. -- Noelle Carpenter
Thank you soooooo much for teaching us this year. I learned so much that my brain will spontaneously combust. Or.... it will freeze from dry ice. Or .... just some other amazingly cool thing you taught us this year. I hope you have a great retirement! (PS. The 6th grade class of 2022 loves you and will miss you!) -- Christian Park
C-creative, L-lively, A-adventurous, U-unique, S-smart, E-enthusiastic, T-terrific. I had an amazing year in science. I learned a lot this year from the units we did, which were extremely interesting. You were a very great teacher. -- JJ Udeani
You are an amazing teacher and I am so sad to see you go. I feel so lucky that I got to have you as a teacher before you retired. Every day I always looked forward to science class because I knew we would be doing something fun and interesting whether it was working on our shake table towers or our dry ice lab. I will never forget "Skippy," possessed desks, or the "Wild Things." Not only was science class fun, but we also learned so much. Before coming to your science class, I did not really have any interest in science. But now, I am considering becoming some sort of scientist when I am older. Mr. Clauset you are funny, wise, intelligent, witty, compassionate, respectful, responsible, fair, and honest -- and this is why everyone loves you. I know everyone at Chadwick will miss you but I hope you have a peaceful retirement in North Carolina. Thank you for everything you have taught me. -- Beatrice Pare
I don't know what to say, to sum everything up, I just need to say, "You are the best science teacher I have ever known." I feel honored to be one of your students. You have done everything you could for bottle rockets, Shake Table Towers, and dry ice experiments. The boat races have also been amazing thanks to you. I will make sure not to "fail miserably" in 7th grade and beyond. I am sad that you are leaving, but I am glad that you were my science teacher. Good luck in North Carolina! (PS. I will also miss Skippy, too!) -- Jordan Lee
You have been such a great teacher this year. You are so nice and you make me smile. We have had so many funny times this year and I will never forget them. Thank you for being a great teacher. I'll miss you so much! We have done so many fun projects this year and they have been a blast. It was so much fun building boats and doing bottle rockets. You made it extra special :-). I will definitely miss this so much. You are probably the funniest person I know and I mean that! You make everything so much fun and you add humor to class discussions. You support me in so many ways and that makes you special. I'll never forget you and I hope you will visit Chadwick again! -- Gracie O'Connell
June 14, 2016
Hi Tom!
We just thought of you when we heard that the boat races are tomorrow! Such a great memory. We still have Ilias’ “Flying Narwhal” that was destined to failure!! We need to donate it to the nearest recycling center. ;-)
Ilias thinks that you are retiring this year? Is that true? Well, Michael and I just wanted to let you know how much Ilias enjoyed his time with you in 6th grade. You really challenged and inspired him and we are truly grateful. Chadwick has been so lucky to have you for so long. Just not replaceable!
Thinking of you and wishing you a wonderful summer and an even more wonderful future!
Best,
PS – Go Heels!!!!
June 6, 2016
June 6, 2016
Dear Mr. Clauset,
This is a long over due email but I like to do these things in person.... I just haven't had the right opportunity so before time gets even further away from me....
I would like to thank you and tell you how much I appreciate you for the very thoughtful and very thorough comments you wrote about Karlie on her report card. Of course the fact that they are so complimentary helps make them so great but aside from that, it is very clear that you have taken the time to really know Karlie, and it is for that reason, I am so grateful. To try and tell you how much I appreciate you for raising "her academic game" is impossible - I just want to tell you that you have made a huge impact on her and "pushed" her just the right amount to go above and beyond what she thought she could do - she learned she is capable of even more. I would say most importantly, because of you, I am confident she will be very well prepared for middle school.
Thank you SO, SO much for being so AWESOME!!
With so much gratitude,
Parent of Karlie Davison, 6th grade class of 2015-16 at Chadwick School
April 8, 2016
April 8, 2016
Dear Chadwick Parents,
At Chadwick, we are proud to have exceptionally talented and dynamic teachers and staff members – people who are experts in their fields and eager to take on new challenges and experiences. At times, though, these very qualities lead our faculty and staff in new directions. With that in mind, I am writing to update you on some changes within our faculty and staff ranks. I hope that you will join me in thanking them for their contributions to our community and wishing them well going forward.
Tom Clauset
Sixth-grade Lead Teacher Tom Clauset, who has been a highly valued member of the Chadwick faculty for six years, will be retiring at the end of this school year after 45 years as an educator. Tom’s hands-on, inquiry-based approach to science and technology has helped our sixth-graders forge connections between scientific processes and real-life applications. Tom also has shared his technological expertise with fellow faculty and staff. For these, and many other reasons, Tom was honored as Chadwick’s 2012 Educator of the Year.
February 19, 2016
Hi Mr. Clauset,
I'm Michael Zs mom.. and I just wanted to thank you for making this year so great for Michael. From the moment you entertained his prospective -student tour group a year ago, he's been hooked. You've made science come to life for him and he is really enjoying it. He said he's just sad you won't be teaching when his sister comes through in a few years.
Thank you for your tireless enthusiasm and creativity. You've helped ease his transition to Chadwick and we are grateful.
We wish you all the best!
The Zbyszewski Family
February 24, 2016
Mr. Clauset,
How many kids have you taught to love science? You can count Matthew, Richard, and me.
I'm about to graduate college in Colorado (AH!) with a degree in Education. I'm feeling nostalgic as my undergraduate education comes to a close and also an immense amount of gratitude for the stupendous educators I've had—now that I have an understanding of education's complexities and how we sorely undervalue our teachers in the US.
The Seehausens did a lot of snorkeling during our winter break and the number of fish we could identify was absurd. It's been over 10 years since we took your 7th grade science class with a focus on marine science and traveled to SeaCamp on Big Pine Key in Florida. Goes to show that you taught us well and we learned, in the truest senses of the words. Honestly, your science class was one of, if not the only, science class I ever loved.
I'm not sure exactly where I want to find myself as an educator (starting out as a teaching fellow at an outdoors semester high school) but I aspire to be as intentional, engaging, creative, and devoted as you are.
Thank you.
With enormous gratitude and care,
Melissa
March 7, 2016
While I was preparing for the Village Art Show, Tom popped into the art studio to view the 5th grade bedroom dioramas that he had seen passing the classroom window. He was excited to see them and asked how I was planning to display the multitude of shoe boxes. His wheels started turning immediately after I mentioned stacking them like a hotel and before I knew it, we were mapping out an area on the floor for a better visual. Tom volunteered his time, the materials, and expertise to construct three light weight, movable panels, with collapsible legs to support all 44 bedrooms making up the "Chadwick Dormitory." On top of all that, he had his students transport two of his tables and the artwork to Christensen for set up. I will be forever grateful to Tom for his generous contribution and support!
For the Village Art Show held in May, 2015
Hi Mr. C,
I doubt that you remember me, but I was in your class 5 years ago, during your last year of teaching 7th grade science at Hanes Middle School in Winston-Salem, NC. Over the years, I have actually kept in touch with a lot of students that you taught at Hanes, and it is amazing to see how far we have all come.
I have really changed and matured a lot, since my days at Hanes. Throughout high-school, I have managed to have straight A’s and take almost all the AP classes that my school offers. I am actually valedictorian… but it isn’t official, yet. (I still have a couple months left to keep up my class rank... and no bragging intended) Also, I am co-captain of my tennis team, and in general, I have really excelled in school.
Lastly, I wanted to thank-you for everything you did for our class at Hanes. I love to listen to past projects from Hanes students that you kept on your website. You were such a great teacher, who really cared about science and teaching. I hope you are enjoying your time in California… (Wait… what happened to South Carolina?) Also, have you traveled anywhere lately? I remember that you used to travel a lot. I have actually gone on a lot of big hiking trips with my family and visited the majority of the National Parks, but I haven’t done a lot outside of the country—leaving that for college. Please keep in touch.
August 22, 2013
Mr. Clauset:The 7th grade students you taught in 2008-09 will graduate from high school this year.
I wanted to send you an invitation to a celebration we're having this Saturday for some of those students -- Robby Bessette, Sami Lachgar, Connor Shoaf, Dustin Sneed and Henry White. I learned that you won't be back in Winston until the end of June, so we know you won't to be able join us at the celebration, but I wanted you to know that you were one of the boys' favorite teachers. They learned a lot and truly enjoyed your class. The Florida Keys trip was clearly the highlight of their middle school years.
I also want to thank you for taking wonderful photos and posting them on-line. I grabbed a number of photos you took that include my son Robby. I put them on a rotating photo frame years ago, but still get to see and enjoy daily.
Thank you for being a great teacher to our boys and many, many other students!
Received 6/12/2014
Click on the picture .... or this LINK to view the gallery.
Posted 6/11/2014
Student End-of-the-Year Notes, 2014:
You are the most amazing teacher ever! Because of you, I had the best sixth grade experience possible. Your humor brightens up class and only makes me even more happy to be there. You are great at explaining concepts. There wasn't one science unit that I didn't enjoy learning about. Thanks for a great year. -- Mary Buchanan
It has been a very joyous year with all the great labs like the dry ice labs and density labs. -- Manas Shah
Hello, Mr Clauset! You are my BFF and I will miss you! -- Sarah Sherman
U R amazing! But you did not catch my WILD THING! It has been an amazing year. -- Marisa McGovern
OMG MrC! You are my favorite teacher and you are the best teacher in the whole wide world. Happy summer and thank you so much! -- Annabelle Stoker
Thank you so much for taking time out of your life to teach us wild sixth graders. I really enjoyed your teaching. You have made science this year, amazing for me. It is now my favorite subject. -- Ryan Sullivan
Thank you for a great year in science. From you, I learned so much! -- Sophia Greenberg
I had a great time this year in science. You are a great and funny teacher and I will miss having you around next year! -- Ashley Sarkisian
Thank you so much for being an amazing science teacher! You have made science incredibly fun and my friends and I have created memories including you -- like that one time you said we have three more boat building weeks, but you held up four fingers. Enjoy the jellybeans! Maybe you'll give them a try? -- Kate Hui-Bon-Hoa
I think you are a very, very fun and interesting science teacher, and science was very fun this year in your class. I will miss the "tape wars!" From your student who asks too many questions -- Annie Hale
You are the best teacher I have ever had. You taught me so much in such a fun way. Thank you so much for everything you have done for me this year. -- Cami Taub
Thank you so much for the making this year my favorite year. You were an amazing science teacher and thanks to you, I learned a lot about the Earth. You taught us everything in a way so it was funny, but we still learned the things we needed to learn. Thank you so much! Have a great summer! -- Sophia Chung
You are the awesomest, coolest, funniest, science teacher I have ever had. Thank you for such a wonderful year of science. -- Caroline Armour
Thank you so much for this year. You were amazing as a friend and always very funny. I can't describe how great you are. -- Ilias Stamos
Thank you for being a fantabulous science teacher and friend. I really hope to see you around on campus next year. -- Amanda Kessaris
Thank you so much for being my science teacher this year. You make it so fun! -- Ruby Wheeler
MrC ... You have made my sixth grade an amazing, unforgettable year. I will miss being in your science class so much. I have so, so, so many memories from science class that I will never forget such as the squid hat, pig drawings, who could type the word "mad" the most times, app smashing, how my brother wrote his name with a hot glue gun, and many, many, many, more that I would be sitting here for hours naming. Thanks for the best sixth grade year anyone could ever ask for! -- Cami Taub
It has been a very joyous year with all the great labs like the dry ice labs and density labs. -- Manas Shah
Hello, Mr Clauset! You are my BFF and I will miss you! -- Sarah Sherman
U R amazing! But you did not catch my WILD THING! It has been an amazing year. -- Marisa McGovern
OMG MrC! You are my favorite teacher and you are the best teacher in the whole wide world. Happy summer and thank you so much! -- Annabelle Stoker
Thank you so much for taking time out of your life to teach us wild sixth graders. I really enjoyed your teaching. You have made science this year, amazing for me. It is now my favorite subject. -- Ryan Sullivan
Thank you for a great year in science. From you, I learned so much! -- Sophia Greenberg
I had a great time this year in science. You are a great and funny teacher and I will miss having you around next year! -- Ashley Sarkisian
Thank you so much for being an amazing science teacher! You have made science incredibly fun and my friends and I have created memories including you -- like that one time you said we have three more boat building weeks, but you held up four fingers. Enjoy the jellybeans! Maybe you'll give them a try? -- Kate Hui-Bon-Hoa
I think you are a very, very fun and interesting science teacher, and science was very fun this year in your class. I will miss the "tape wars!" From your student who asks too many questions -- Annie Hale
You are the best teacher I have ever had. You taught me so much in such a fun way. Thank you so much for everything you have done for me this year. -- Cami Taub
Thank you so much for the making this year my favorite year. You were an amazing science teacher and thanks to you, I learned a lot about the Earth. You taught us everything in a way so it was funny, but we still learned the things we needed to learn. Thank you so much! Have a great summer! -- Sophia Chung
You are the awesomest, coolest, funniest, science teacher I have ever had. Thank you for such a wonderful year of science. -- Caroline Armour
Thank you so much for this year. You were amazing as a friend and always very funny. I can't describe how great you are. -- Ilias Stamos
Thank you for being a fantabulous science teacher and friend. I really hope to see you around on campus next year. -- Amanda Kessaris
Thank you so much for being my science teacher this year. You make it so fun! -- Ruby Wheeler
MrC ... You have made my sixth grade an amazing, unforgettable year. I will miss being in your science class so much. I have so, so, so many memories from science class that I will never forget such as the squid hat, pig drawings, who could type the word "mad" the most times, app smashing, how my brother wrote his name with a hot glue gun, and many, many, many, more that I would be sitting here for hours naming. Thanks for the best sixth grade year anyone could ever ask for! -- Cami Taub
Posted 6/11/2014
Parent End-of-the-Year Notes, 2014:
Harrison enjoyed your class so much this year! He was so lucky to have such a funny, innovative and caring teacher/ advisor. Thank you for all of your positive support. -- With Gratitude, The Lennertz Family
Thank you for a most wonderful year. You have really shown us how amazing and fun science can be! Enjoy a well-deserved break! -- The Hamons
Thank you for a fantastic 6th grade science year. Dawson really enjoyed your class. Thank you too, for all the wonderful photos you have taken of the children. -- Sandy Goldsmith
Thank you so much for a great year in 6th grade science. Stephen really enjoyed being in your class and has been inspired by science. -- The Calhouns
Thank you for inspiring Daphne so greatly. She adored your class and learned so much. Happy summer and tree house constructing! -- Warmly, Julie Suh
Thank you for making Emmie's first year at Chadwick so positive and memorable! It has been wonderful to watch her mature, gain confidence in herself, and enjoy learning so much this year! Thank you! We hope you have a relaxing summer! -- Love, The Siddons Family
Thank you so much for being such a wonderful teacher for Jacob this year. He loves science and you helped him to love it even more. The boat races were terriffic, and everything all year was fantastic and kept him involved and motivated every day. Thanks again and have a wonderful summer. -- Best regards, Maggie & Jeff Heisler
Thank you for a most wonderful year. You have really shown us how amazing and fun science can be! Enjoy a well-deserved break! -- The Hamons
Thank you for a fantastic 6th grade science year. Dawson really enjoyed your class. Thank you too, for all the wonderful photos you have taken of the children. -- Sandy Goldsmith
Thank you so much for a great year in 6th grade science. Stephen really enjoyed being in your class and has been inspired by science. -- The Calhouns
Thank you for inspiring Daphne so greatly. She adored your class and learned so much. Happy summer and tree house constructing! -- Warmly, Julie Suh
Thank you for making Emmie's first year at Chadwick so positive and memorable! It has been wonderful to watch her mature, gain confidence in herself, and enjoy learning so much this year! Thank you! We hope you have a relaxing summer! -- Love, The Siddons Family
Thank you so much for being such a wonderful teacher for Jacob this year. He loves science and you helped him to love it even more. The boat races were terriffic, and everything all year was fantastic and kept him involved and motivated every day. Thanks again and have a wonderful summer. -- Best regards, Maggie & Jeff Heisler
Posted 6/11/2014
Hey MrC,You may or may not remember me. My name's Eric Barefoot. It's been a while. You probably get a lot of emails like this from old students, but I thought about you the other day, and I have a fun story to tell you, so I'll add mine into the mix. I am a past 7th grade student of yours from Hanes Middle School (Winston-Salem, NC) [7th grade class of 2006] . You might remember me as the kid who came into class the first day with a broken leg who had to take the elevator and eat lunch in your classroom.
Anyway! The story I have for you is that since being in your class I have graduated high school, and I'm now at UNC [University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill] starting my junior year. Hooray and all that. And I told myself coming out of your class in seventh grade swearing to be a marine biologist (as I think a lot of us did).
But throughout high school I sorta forgot about that and ended up doing chemistry and physics instead. I graduated from Reynolds High School in Winston-Salem planning to do chemistry at Chapel Hill (UNC), but I dropped out of my first chem class because I had a horrible professor. So I put my energy that semester towards my geology seminar, which focused on field exposure (I sense a trend). The difference was that in one class the teacher just told you you were wrong and never offered help, but the geologist really wanted you to learn. He wanted me to experience the geology, which made all the difference in the world.
It was a research and field trip based seminar, where we flew out to California for a week in the fall to hike around Owens Valley, sampling hot spring water and measuring faults and folds. We visited Yosemite for two days and stood on two different plates in the space of a day. It was way cool.
That's when I decided to ditch chemistry and do geology instead. Ever since then it's been all volcanoes and granites and sedimentary rocks and great field trips to Texas and Kentucky. It's been an absolute blast, and I love having a degree that lets me do science outside.
For this summer, I was searching for something to do, and I figured that it would be a good idea to learn about geology in the private sector. I got a summer internship at ExxonMobil, because if I'm going to check out industry why not the biggest and the baddest of them all? I came thinking that I was going to be doing sample analysis or copying or coffee-making or something, but regardless, it was going to have to do with geology and oil. I was totally prepared to see how people find oil and pull it out of the ground.
I was so wrong! It turns out that ExxonMobil has a team of people right now dedicated to figuring out the environmental impacts of seismic surveying. They're conducting and funding research into specifically the effects of ocean sound on marine mammals, and I'm working on their team. My project for the summer is to analyze the current state of the literature on seismic sounds and marine mammals, and provide them with a research road map for the future.
I came in as a hard-rock, only-dead-things, stare-at-the-ground geologist. Instead, I get to spend my summer internship at ExxonMobil fulfilling my seventh-grade dream as a marine biologist. It's kinda funny how these things work out. Later on I'll probably be focusing more on geology and hydrology. My only long-term plans are to find a graduate program where I can do some cool research and answer cool questions. After that it's a toss-up, but I know it'll include science of some kind.
I think really fondly of your class and the cool things that I learned and did in that science classroom. It'll come back in weird flashes, like when I'll pick up a cold wet glass of milk and I'll remember you sitting down with me because I missed the first few days of school to explain how condensation worked (my mind was blown). Or when I load some film into my camera and I'll remember how you had us put dry ice in film canisters to make little cannons.
I'm not really sure exactly what part of my childhood propelled me into loving science and all the things that go along with it. It just gets me excited to talk about oxygen isotopes or satellites or volcanoes. I think that some of it came from myself, but I think that you, and your class (maybe mostly just you) is what turned that from an interest into a love.
So thanks for sending me down a crazy weird path by letting us do kooky science things like build bottle rockets and play with upside-down jellyfish. I wouldn't be where I am without what you gave our seventh grade class.
But anyhoo, I hope all is well. I hope you're enjoying California and teaching. You're really good at it, and it makes me really happy to know that more kids get to experience what I experienced, and hopefully they find it just as valuable and wonderful as I did.
All the best,
former 7th grade student in Mr. Clauset's science class
at Hanes Middle School, Winston-Salem, NC (2006 / 2007)
Email received: 6/10/2014
at Hanes Middle School, Winston-Salem, NC (2006 / 2007)
Email received: 6/10/2014
Dear Tom,
I just wanted to share many heartfelt thanks from my teachers and myself for allowing us access to your classroom on Monday, Jan. 27 and Tuesday, Jan. 28th. All of the teachers including myself left Chadwick inspired to link more technology into their science classrooms. Your educational ideas of student driven inquiry, being prolific, persistence, and constant betterment of student outputs (ie Hall of Fame wall) show what a truly rare and amazing teacher you are. We admire you and your work tremendously.
On that note I would like to ask you if you would ever consider presenting your work at one of the STEM professional developments that I do for public and archdiocesan schools throughout LA? I think the teachers could really benefit seeing STEM and technology work so seamlessly and purposefully in your exemplar classroom.
Thank you again so much!
January, 2014
Thank you so much for your generous help with the high school community service bottle rocket project. The rocket weekend in Salinas, CA is truly the highlight of our year. Not only do the third graders and families in Salinas love it, but our upper school students are awed by the physics of the event. I so appreciate your gifts of time, patience, and generosity! You make a good event great!
December, 2013
This past October, Tom approached me with an idea he had to highlight student artwork via an online, interactive Art Gallery. In the midst of preparing for Winter Break, he came in with his inventive contraption set up to take pictures of the 5th graders' "Dream House" project. He took the pictures, "cleaned" them up in Photo Shop and then made a list of the student's names for me to cross-check. At the beginning of the new year, he is planning to come in to advise the students on how to download Dropbox and Audioboo and give a one minute talk about their imaginative floor plans. Parents will then be able to view and HEAR explanations of their children's work online. This will be a first for upper village art. Tom is a genius!!
December, 2013
Tom, as sixth grade science teacher, has gone out of his way not only to acquire and understand my curriculum, but prepare his students for a smooth transition to my seventh grade science classes. Above and beyond that, he has offered to share his extensive knowledge of technology on the iPad to help me plan a much easier way to do the canyon field studies I intend to do this year, using technology that my students, thanks to him, are already familiar with. This is true collegial professionalism!
December, 2013
Students and parents reflect at the half-year mark:
Thank you for making science so fun! -- Reilly Negri
You are truly a great teacher. -- Steven Song
You are the best teacher anyone could ask for. Thank you for an amazing year already! See you next year! -- Mary Buchanan
Thank you for being an amazing teacher. Science is so fun, and I love the projects that we do. -- Jacob Dulai
Thank you for your time, passion, and dedication. Nate really enjoys your class. We sincerely appreciate all that you do to inspire him to be a better scholar every day. -- Nate Mester's parents
Thank you for making science so much fun and exciting for Ryan. He just loves your classroom! -- The Kim Family
You are truly a great teacher. -- Steven Song
You are the best teacher anyone could ask for. Thank you for an amazing year already! See you next year! -- Mary Buchanan
Thank you for being an amazing teacher. Science is so fun, and I love the projects that we do. -- Jacob Dulai
Thank you for your time, passion, and dedication. Nate really enjoys your class. We sincerely appreciate all that you do to inspire him to be a better scholar every day. -- Nate Mester's parents
Thank you for making science so much fun and exciting for Ryan. He just loves your classroom! -- The Kim Family
December 20, 2013
"Honoring Innovation in Teaching" article appeared in Chadwick's "The Compass" Issue 2, 2013.
Honoring Innovation in Teaching -- Tom Clauset, Chadwick's Educator of the Year for 2012-2013
November 24, 2013
Mr. Clauset,
Thank you for making Hailie's 6th grade experience so meaningful -- she has loved having you as her teacher, and she has grown to love Science (now her favorite subject!!). See you in the Fall .. brother Dawson will be in 6th grade!
June 16, 2013
Mr. Clauset,
Thank you for a great year! I had a wonderful time in your class. My favorite thing was building and racing our boats. I also like being in your class because you are really really funny. Each day when I went into your class you lightened up my day by saying something funny. Some funny things you said were: "Ya gambled and ya lost;" when you called Alex "Bobby" because he called you Mr. Meisel. Also, answering "carefully" and "Yes" to random questions. Thanks for a great year!
June 16, 2013
Dear MrC,
Ahhh, let's see, what do I have to say? Well, this year's science was awesome. But mostly because of you. You made everything fun. You are soooo funny! I loved being around because you always managed to make me smile! I loved to be with you -- even though you sometimes scared me. Thanks for an awesome year!
June 16, 2013
Dear Mr. Clauset,
Thank you for all you do every day to ensure our kids are learning and loving science! Hannah enjoyed every moment in your class and gained so much from the projects you assigned! Have a great summer!
June 16, 2013
Dear Mr. Clauset,
Your humor and wit seems woven into your teaching experience. Your assignments seemed to challenge everyone to think, operate, and experiment in new ways. Thank you for making 6th grade science a memorable experience.
June 16, 2013
The day after the Float-Your-Boat Races, Mr. Clauset asked students to "Look Back" on their year in science and think about their favorite labs and activities. Markers and paper were handed out and then students began to create illustrations and notes to capture the essence of their year in science. This photo gallery contains many of their notes and illustrations.
Click on the picture .... or this LINK to view the gallery.
June 12, 2013
Dear Mr. Clauset,
Please accept our gratitude for teaching and helping Vetta this year. You taught her to think on a deeper level about Science - it is not only about the facts, but also as you put it, "Why do we care?" for them. Most of all, thank you for making Science amusing and compelling for her, and for all the great memories you created this year.
With warmest regards and appreciation,
June 12, 2013
Just a quick note to congratulate Tom again!
It is incredibly invigorating to be part of such an incredible group of teachers in the Village School. Tom exemplifies the passion, energy, and dedication to teaching students. At the Palos Verdes Rotary Club Awards Dinner I laughed out loud, along with the entire room of people, as Tom demonstrated exactly what it is like to be part of his classroom. Every time I walk by Tom's science class, students are active - laughing - talking - trying - doing - examining - challenging - and just plain having fun. What a gift, to have Tom as a teacher, and as a colleague.
Congrats, Tom!
Chadwick Math Coach
November 8, 2012
Thank you for all you do for the children. They LOVE science because of you!
10/29/2012
Dear Colleagues at Chadwick,
I am delighted to announce that Tom Clauset, our enterprising sixth-grade science teacher, will be honored as Chadwick's Educator of the Year by the Palos Verdes Rotary Club. Tom will be recognized along with educators from other P.V. public, parochial, and independent schools at a dinner organized by Rotary on Wednesday, November 7 at the Palos Verdes Golf Club.
As is our custom, Chadwick will sponsor the attendance at the dinner of any of you-all who would like to attend; please email Susan Litwiller if you would like to do so. It is a great evening and a wonderful opportunity to celebrate Tom's contributions as well as those of other great school people here on the Hill. By honoring them, the event underscores the importance of great teaching and lauds the care and dedication of the hundreds of professionals represented by the honorees.
In the meantime, please join me in congratulating Tom for this well-deserved recognition.
All the best,
Ted
Sat, Sept. 22, 2012
Student End-of-the-Year Notes, 2012:
Dear Mr. Clauset -- you are my favorite teacher! We've had so many random times in science and it was really fun! -- Remy
I don't know what to say, except.... "I will miss U!" :( You made science fun! -- Lauren Tong
Dear MrC -- You are an awesome teacher. I will miss you so much and will always visit when I can. -- Andrew Buchanan
Thank you for an amazing year in Science! -- Catie
I will miss your great humor. Thank you for being a great teacher. You are one of the best teachers I have had! -- Andrea
Keep wearing ties! -- Jake Soldera
You were my favorite teacher! -- Henry Johnson
Thanks for being the best teacher in the world! -- Thomas Winter
Dear Mr. Clauset -- Thank you for making science one of my favorite subjects. When I walk into your room I'm always wondering what we will do. From Bottle Rockets to Bottle Boats, you make science the most fun! -- Alexander Kessaris
I don't know what to say, except.... "I will miss U!" :( You made science fun! -- Lauren Tong
Dear MrC -- You are an awesome teacher. I will miss you so much and will always visit when I can. -- Andrew Buchanan
Thank you for an amazing year in Science! -- Catie
I will miss your great humor. Thank you for being a great teacher. You are one of the best teachers I have had! -- Andrea
Keep wearing ties! -- Jake Soldera
You were my favorite teacher! -- Henry Johnson
Thanks for being the best teacher in the world! -- Thomas Winter
Dear Mr. Clauset -- Thank you for making science one of my favorite subjects. When I walk into your room I'm always wondering what we will do. From Bottle Rockets to Bottle Boats, you make science the most fun! -- Alexander Kessaris
Dear Mr. Clauset,
We wanted to extend a sincere thank you for teaching Sophia this year. I think your expectations; your style in how you gain the children’s respect; how you ultimately show them what success looks like and the road map to getting there, is all absolutely ideal in the Chadwick learning environment. My husband and I feel that Sophia is prepared for 7th grade in your subject matter and learned how to study and prepare herself for tests. It was clear when she was prepared and when she wasn’t. Invaluable lessons in the process of figuring out how to be a successful student!
Probably near and dear to your heart, is the fact that she is coming out of 6th grade loving science and looking forward to Mr. Byhower next year.
Warmest thanks for this last year!
Karinna and Mike Cassidy
PS – the boat races were really fun to watch and you can tell that the kids had a blast!
June 10, 2012
Hello Mr. Clauset,
Thank you for a wonderful year, and for engaging Chris in the wonderful world of science! So glad Chris had the chance to learn and experience science in such a fun and meaningful way! Keep up the excellent work!
Best,
Debbie
June 13, 2012
Hi Mr. Clauset,
Feedback: the boat project, although time-consuming for the kids, was SO MUCH FUN! The boys got together several times at our house to design and build. It was fun being a fly on the wall, watching how they collaborated on the designs, carefully did their calculations, and came up with a parts list which they carefully divided among the 4 team members. (Yes, I spied while feeding and watering them with snacks!)
Learning to negotiate without hurting each others' feelings, to make decisions based on quantitative vs qualitative factors, and to prod each team member to participate instead of horse around, was arguably the most important part of the whole exercise. Very clever, Mr. Clauset! This is the skill they'll need the most in life!
I was proud of the way the boys worked without any parental involvement. In fact, they actively shunned all parental input and even got big brother Chris to drive to the hardware store instead of parents. To gather enough bottles, they asked neighbors.
For awhile there, I thought Andrew was going to have a mild coronary event, between Shakespeare, the Fiji project, Club soccer, math testing, and this project. But, as Andrew's Shakespeare character Puck said, "All's well that ends well."
Though it didn't "win" the race, the boat was 100% built by the team of 4, and paddled by their team-member from Korea. What could make a parent more proud?
Thanks for an awesome year in Science! You are such a capable and patient teacher, and I particularly appreciate your hands-on method of teaching Science concepts.
You rock,
Rena Buchanan
June 8, 2012
The 6th Grade Science web site is new for the 2012-13 school year. I hope you like it! A lot of thought and effort has gone into making the 6th grade science program exciting, fun, and stimulating for students. If you have found something you like on the science web site, or you have a comment about the 6th grade science program, please share with fellow visitors. [NOTE: All testimonials must be approved by MrC before they are published.]
8/2/12
Click on the link below to