Hello - Guten Tag - Bonjour - Hola

I am - Ich bin - Je suis - Yo soy

Thomas Birk

Foreign Language Department Chair

French - German - Spanish

We have a great foreign language department! Our teachers have all lived abroad and have a genuine love of their subject area. We are consistently one of the top departments in the district. Learning a language opens the world to our students.

Key Club Sponsor

Along with Mrs. Lantka, I sponsor the Key Club. This is a community service organization with over forty members. Our students do charity drives, work at the food bank, feed the homeless, sponsor a family for the holidays and work on many other service projects. 

Vikingtown Co-Coordinator

Each year, we take about 90 students to Sky-Y Camp in Prescott, AZ. There they learn about leadership, diversity and self-confidence. They make new friends and spend time with other students with whom they may never have come in contact. This is a wonderful opportunity for the outgoing, the shy or anyone in between.

Adult ELL Instructor

At Sunnyslope, we have an adult English program. We meet every Tuesday and Thursday at 6:00 p.m. in my room. This program has been a great success because Sunnyslope students help me teach the class. I explain the lesson and four or five volunteers then help the adult students speak. The adult students are parents and relatives of our students. It's a win - win situation. Adults learn English and students refine their English and learn how to teach.

Biography

I have been teaching at Sunnyslope for ten years. I have taught Spanish, German, French and ELL English. I am really proud of the success that Sunnyslope High School has had in the district, state and in the United States.

After finishing college, I served in the Navy for four years. I then returned to school and studied languages. I worked for a local housing authority for nine years, I owned my own business for eight years and I taught at a university in Japan for five years. I have traveled around the world and I have lived in many different places in the United States. I played three sports in high school and college and I still enjoy sports a lot. I love hiking and photograpy as well.

Why am I at Sunnyslope?

Sunnyslope is an exceptional place to work. The family atmosphere of  the teachers and staff, along with the support of our district make this an enjoyable place to work. Teachers teach and students learn. I believe we are a model which other schools should follow. However, the number one reason is the STUDENTS. There are simply many nice young people here and it keeps me young to spend the day with them. 

Schedule

Period 1 - German 3-4 & 5-6

Period 2 - ELL English 1-2

Period 3 - ELL English 1-2

LUNCH

Period 5 - Prep

Period 6 - French 1-2

Period 7 - French 1-2