By Tanisha Gunby ’21

Science teacher Leslie Wang has returned to the Middle School to teach Alex Ras’s seventh grade science classes during her maternity leave.
Wang previously worked at the California Science Center, UCLA and Rolling Hills Prep. In 2006, she moved to the Middle School where she taught seventh and ninth grade biology classes, but left in 2009 to take care of her children full time. Wang said that she is very happy to return teaching at the Middle School.
“I am really happy to be back covering seventh grade science for Ms. Ras. It’s a great curriculum, I think, and it’s a lot of fun to work with the students,” Wang said.
Wang said she teaches science because it is in her blood. She taught college students, but she said teaching middle school students was more rewarding.
Wang said she is enjoying working with both the faculty and the students.
“I love working with the science teachers. My colleagues are interesting people and phenomenal teachers. Secondly, and probably the bigger reason that I like being here, is the students. The students are really interesting and very capable. I feel like we can accomplish a lot in a day’s class,” Wang said.
Wang’s colleagues said they are happy to have her back after a long absence.
“I worked with her for a number of years….she is a great colleague. So when Ms. Ras needed to be on maternity leave, she was actually the first person that I thought of and I called…. We were all happy to have Dr. Wang back,” science department head David Cleland said.
Her seventh grade students said they like having her as their science teacher.
“I think that she is a great teacher because she gives a good amount of homework to help us get better. I like her teaching style because she goes over stuff multiple times so that we can fully understand the lesson,” Braden Poon ’22 said.