Estella Lim: Ms. Kuso is a science teacher who teaches AP Environmental Science and Chemistry Honors at Arcadia High School. She has been extremely helpful to students in both Chemistry and Environmental Science classes. With two subjects deemed challenging— both AP and honors courses–Ms. Kuso has been the hand to hold onto throughout it all.
Jonathan Chuang: Taking Chemistry Honors as a freshman has been challenging for me. It is a great jump from middle school science, as we dive into elements, compounds, bonds, and many others I would not want to bore you with. However, throughout her lessons, Ms. Kuso is always there to guide and teach us. Using her quirky antics, like singing the solubility song or referencing ‘cellulitis’ to help us memorize hydro-acids, she makes learning engaging.
Estella Lim: Deciding to take Chemistry Honors as a sophomore after taking Biology as a freshman was also a pretty big jump for me. I was not used to committing a lot of my time to a science class, but this class changed that for me, and I think it is for the better.
Jonathan Chuang: Chemistry Honors, being one of my morning periods, really makes me wake up with something to look forward to, as I genuinely enjoy her classes and Chemistry in general. A day in Ms. Kuso’s class can go something like this: First, she walks around and stamps our homework and stamp sheet. Then, she goes over a lecture on the notes, and we end the period by doing some practice problems or a practice quiz. Ms. Kuso is also very open to questions, answering each one patiently, and I can tell she wants to help each student.
Estella Lim: Science is definitely not my strongest subject— especially in an honors class–but Ms. Kuso is trying her hardest to improve our Chemistry skills. Ms. Kuso also has been encouraging in class. She is always caring, friendly, conversational, and funny. I can tell she genuinely cares about her students doing well in the class, as she provides lunch time on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for extra help. She answers every question with a smile and checks each problem with support.
Jonathan Chuang: Although her class is objectively difficult because of the curriculum, there are a lot of ways to get your grade up. Besides studying hard with her notes that are posted in a Google drive, you can go to lectures at Pasadena Community College, join her for cleaning up the beach at Long Beach, and make Halloween and Winter themed molecule cards for extra credit. For me, these opportunities not only help me improve my grade but also learn even more about chemistry, and it shows how much Ms. Kuso cares about her students and their success in her class.
