The team is a group of teachers who manage Gismo. They consist of three of Athena-Weston Middle Schools staff members. They are Mr. Dan Rasmussen the science teacher who is the actual creator of Gismo, Mr. Roy McBride the shop/technology teacher who helps students construct their projects, and Mrs. Marty Bartleson the English/ Literature teacher who helps with the research for background information on projects. With three teachers creating the backbone of Gismo students have many areas of science to draw from.
Mr. Rasmussen:
Dan Rasmussen is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley. He began teaching in 1984 after a successful career in the private sector. He has taught science classes at Athena-Weston Middle School for seven years and lives in the Blue Mountains with his wife and 5 children.
Mr. McBride:
Roy McBride is a graduate of the University of Washington in Seattle, WA. He began teaching in 1973 in Edmonds, Washington. After teaching 4 years he moved to Cove, Oregon where he and his family (wife and 2 sons) operated a private group home for delinquent teens. He has worked in the aircraft industry, cabinetmaking industry as well as residential construction. He taught in Baker, Madras, Stanfield and Hermiston before coming to Athena-Weston Middle School where he has been teaching math, shop and technology for the past 5 years.
Mrs. Bartleson:
Marty Bartleson was raised in California, Oregon and Washington states. She attended the University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA and Eastern Oregon University in LaGrande, OR. Marty lives on a small farm near Athena, OR with her husband who is a land surveyor. She has three children who are grown up. She has been teaching language arts in the Athena-Weston Middle School since 1989.