Captain West

Captain Caitlin West

Welcome to science! Let’s start with a little about who your child’s science teacher is. My name is Caitlin West, formerly known as Caitlin Spinelli. I was born in Buffalo, New York but raised in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. Go Steelers! After high school I attended Kent State University in Kent, Ohio. During my 4 years of undergraduate study I held the position of Vice President of the Undergraduate Biological Student council. I studied microorganisms, physiological processes of animals and chemistry. While completing my school work, I taught for a program called America Reads. This program was used by elementary schools in the area for underprivileged students who needed help reading. I also tutored with the Salvation Army. Both of these programs allowed me to realize that my love for science and education could become one career! After my 4 years at Kent State, I earned a Bachelor’s degree in Biology with a concentration in organismal biology and a minor in chemistry. After college I moved to Cincinnati, Ohio to work for a pharmaceutical company. During that time, I began the process of becoming a teacher. I received my license to teach and moved to Florida in 2007. In 2009 I got married and graduated with my Master’s in educational leadership from Argosy University. In 2010 my husband and I had our first child, who we name Burk Edward after my grandfather Edward Burk. I hope to continue my education in order to better serve my students.

So, What is science? And why is it so important? Science is simply pursuing knowledge of our natural world. It’s asking questions and looking for answers. Science is so important because it teaches our students to ask questions and then actively look for answers. Science allows our students to question how and why things work in our world. This will lead us into new chapters of discovery in the future. Students can learn how scientists think through using the process of the scientific method. Students will learn what we have already discovered and how it was discovered. And hopefully our students will become inspired to make new discoveries. Hopefully, our students won’t settle for the answers that are given to them, but strive for the answers to the unknowns!

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