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Behind the Chalkboard, Feb. 21

Welcome to Behind the Chalkboard, which gives readers an inside look at the teachers in the community and why they do what they do, as well as a glimpse of their lives outside of the classroom.

Chris Bires

Chemistry and physics teacher at Boulder City High School

Teaching for 17 years; eight at BCHS

Why did you become a teacher?

I just like learning things and this is a good environment for that. I really enjoy learning new things, doing new things and passing that onto someone else seems like the right thing to do.

What is your favorite part of teaching?

The aha moment and being a science teacher, I have a lot of fun toys. It’s a good environment for everyone.

If you were not a teacher, what would you be doing?

Probably steering a nuclear submarine. I was a nuclear propulsion candidate after college. I applied for the Federal Bureau of Investigation before going to grad school.

What do you do for fun when you’re not working?

Video games and building things. I play a lot of video games. In the summer, I build and do home-improvement projects. I’ve built cornhole sets and a customized rack for science equipment. This summer, I’m possibly building a skee ball set, but I also have to prepare for Advanced Placement physics.

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Checking in on the BCHS chess team

Chess is an immersive 1v1 board game that requires high strategies and patience. The rules of chess may seem simple, but it requires deep thinking. Each player has sixteen pieces. These pieces are often black and white so there is no confusion during the match. The white player makes the first move and then from there, the game begins. The goal in these matches is to attack your opponent’s King piece with no way to escape, also known as a checkmate. This will cause the match to end and a win for whoever checkmates. The match can also end with a draw. Consenting to a draw is when there is no way to achieve a checkmate. This year at Boulder City High School, students have decided to take on this challenge of creating a chess team.

A look back at the first half of the year

There is so much joy in watching children learning as they grow.

Boulder City schools meet with Legislative Counsel Bureau

Today, Boulder City High School, Garrett Junior High School, and Martha P. King Elementary School will be visited by the Nevada Legislative Counsel Bureau (LCB).

Busy season at Garrett

December is a busy month of activities in schools, filled with wonderful winter concerts, the challenge of final exams and assessments, and the energy that just seems to come with the season.

Season of giving at BCHS

If you live in Boulder City, you know the community is very busy during the holidays, especially winter holidays.

Taking a look at diabetes

Did you know that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises people with diabetes to get a flu vaccination to prevent flu and serious flu complications and recommends people with diabetes who have flu infection or suspect flu infection be promptly treated with antiviral treatment.

Building a growth mindset at King

Sometimes as adults we can spend too much time focusing on “wins” and “losses.” This is true in education as well.

Busy fall season at Garrett Junior High

As we wrap up the fall season at Garrett Junior High, there’s so much to celebrate.