NAME:
TERRY KROENUNG (pronounced 'kronin') E-Mail address: Kroenung_Terry@svvsd.org OR: kroenung@peakpeak.com MY PREFERRED METHOD OF CONTACT IS E-MAIL!
SCHOOL:
NIWOT HIGH SCHOOL; Niwot, CO
CLASS:
Mass Media/Film (2nd); Creative Writing (3rd); English 10 (4th & 5th); Honors English 10 (6th); Pre-IB Eng 10 (7th); (Planning periods: 1st and 8th)
SCHOOL PHONE:
(303) 652-2550 (main office); (303) 652-2550, extension 46584 (my office)
Mr. Kroenung in in his 21nd year of teaching, his 9th at NHS, after
serving as a U.S. Army infantry officer for 6 years. He holds a BA in Theatre
and an MA in Fine Arts. Mr. Kroenung also holds an Army Airborne Badge,
Expert Infantry Badge, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, and
is a Certified Advanced scuba diver.
He has performed in over 100 plays in several states and in Europe.
Mr. Kroenung is the author of 6 books, including the new fantasy novels
BRIMSTONE AND LILY and JASPER'S FOUL TONGUE. He also performs at the Colorado
Renaissance Festival (see photo above), where he is William Shakespeare. A
recognized Advanced Actor/Combatant with the Society of American Fight
Directors, he is the sponsor of the Niwot Swashbucklers stage combat club,
which puts on a Community Food Share benefit performance every fall called
FOOD FIGHT.
Mr. K has a Gold Star award from the St. Vrain school district, was a
Boulder REAL Award finalist last year, and has been named one of the region's
'100 Most Interesting People' by the Times-Call newspaper.
His wife, Janet, is a fashion/costume designer. They live in Loveland
with their basset hounds, Portia and Maggie.
They have 3 red-haired grand-babies: Freya, Jasper, and Brigid.
ASPERGER SDYNDROME
Mr. Kroenung has just been diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome, an
inherited condition related to autism. He has had it since birth, but
diagnoses are frequently not made till later in life. It is not contagious
nor is it life-threatening, but it can cause some "eccentric" behavior
which students and parents should be aware of.
SYMPTOMS:
Social skills--
* Has difficulty making friends
* Displays unusual nonverbal communication, such as lack of eye
contact, few facial expressions, or awkward body postures and gestures
* Doesn't empathize with or seem sensitive to others' feelings and has
a hard time "reading" other people
* Doesn't understand the give-and-take of conversation or engage in
"small talk"
* Seems egocentric or self-absorbed
* May speak in a voice that is monotone, rigid, jerky or unusually fast
* Can be extremely literal or have difficulty understanding the nuances
of language, despite having a good vocabulary
Behavior
* Shows an intense obsession with one or two specific, narrow subjects
(such as stage combat and Shakespeare)
* Likes repetitive routines or rituals (he is stressed by desks out of
place, sloppy papers, students not following routine, etc.)
* May memorize information and facts easily, especially information
related to a topic of interest
* May have clumsy, uncoordinated movements, an odd posture or a rigid
gait (he drops keys and dry erase markers daily)
* May perform repetitive movements, such as rocking, pacing, or hand &
finger flapping
*May engage in puns and wordplay (which may be completely off-topic
or "weird")
*May procrastinate and put things off to the last minute (such as your
grades)
* May engage in violent outbursts, tantrums, or meltdowns (he has
learned to control these in most situations, but in rare extreme
situations of stress may yell at a noisy class)
* May be hypersensitive to sensory stimulation, such as light, sound
and texture (sound, in particular, affects Mr. K; he hears all sounds
equally, so a student whispering at the far side of the room sounds like
someone screaming in his ear; this is why he insists on a quiet classroom)
HOW THIS MAY AFFECT YOU
Most likely it won't, but please be sensitive that Mr. K may not
compliment you or your work to your face, he may not look at you when
speaking to you, and may seem very impatient over nothing. He also is very
bad at returning phone calls and does much better communicating by e-mail. He
may seem as if he "doesn't like you" and be very abrupt. He will show very
little emotion except goofiness or anger (when stressed). DON'T BE ALARMED BY
ANY OF THIS! Asperger Syndrome leads to poor emotional expression and poor
sharing, but is NOT indicative of dislike or hatred.
Asperger Syndrome also causes an inability to understand the minds of
others. Mr. K may think that you "of course" already understand what he wants
from you. PLEASE ASK SPECIFIC QUESTIONS IF YOU ARE CONFUSED BY AN ASSIGNMENT!
If Mr. K seems cranky that you are asking, do not take it personally.
My mission is to ensure that all students have the skills required to be
successful in reading and writing. Students will be held to very high
standards and no excuses will be accepted for their not achieving to
their maximum potential. To make this happen, I am available before
school, after school, at lunch, during my planning period, and even on
weekends if necessary.