Mr. Cobley's wife gets a dream job; Ms. Koldewyn takes over

by Annette Rooney

After a solid start to the 2019-2020 school year, students were shocked to hear the news that one of their favorite science teachers, Mr. Matthew Cobley, would be leaving Judge and moving to California. 

“I’m leaving because my wife took a position as a science policy advisor with the California State Government. It’s a huge opportunity for her, and I think she will really make a difference.” 

The news hit students at an emotional level, and made them realize the importance and significance that Mr. Cobley held in their lives. He was a constant light for all people, both students and faculty, and a true inspiration for everyone to try new things, soar to new and unexplored heights, and be the best versions of themselves. 

“I would say that I have a positive relationship with every single student in every single one of my classes...I really think I did something special in my time here with you guys.”

Students in his classes always felt welcome to his loving and open arms. His enthusiasm for learning, specifically about science, was contagious and evident to all. Everyone knew Mr. Cobley was on to bigger and better things, but it was still a very bittersweet goodbye for the Judge community. 

“Life’s really hard whether you worry about it or not, so try not to worry about things...and if you figure out how to not worry about things let me know how that goes for you ‘cause that’s super hard as well.” 

Thanks to Mr. Cobley, science was a subject that became new, entertaining, and exciting.

Luckily, after many tears and a bittersweet goodbye from Mr. Cobley, the Judge community welcomed new teacher Ms. Julie Koldewyn. From the get go, her bubbly personality and enthusiasm to create meaningful relationships with all of her students, made it easy to love her.

“I was looking to get back into teaching, so when Mr. Cobley asked if I knew anybody who would be interested in replacing him, I jumped at the opportunity… teaching high school science in particular sounds really fun to me.”

Her passion for teaching is evident in her ability to connect with students, and create a learning environment where everyone feels like their opinions and voices are heard. Everyday, she welcomes students with a smile, immediately making all feel welcome in her classroom. 

“My favorite thing about teaching, I think is the opportunity for kids to make a difference… education is the basis of society and giving kids the tools to make the changes that I want to see in the world is really impactful, so that’s why I get excited about teaching.”

I know that all people are looking forward to continue getting to know the wonderful Ms. Koldewyn. Just as Mr. Cobley once did, she makes science entertaining and intriguing, engaging students in everything that she does. 

“I’m mostly just excited to be able to see my students grow and be able to learn the things that I think are really cool… I want to master my science teaching skills, so this is a great opportunity for that.”