Hello, my name is Mr. Tomjack.  I am a Literacy / CLD (ESL) Teacher at Ranum Middle School who is temporarily working with the Westminster Virtual Academy for the 2020-2021 school year.  I have been teaching for 22 years, and this is my seventh year in the district.  Prior to this, I taught Language Arts, Social Studies, and Drama in Jefferson County for 10 years.  Before that I also taught ESL in Hamamatsu, Japan, from 1998-2003, where I met my Japanese wife, who is also now a teacher in Colorado as well.  My hobbies include taekwondo (I am currently a brown belt); juggling; playing video games; cartooning; book, CD, and DVD collecting; and studying history.  I enjoy reading comics books of all kinds and watching Japanese anime, as well as science fiction and horror movies.  Prior to becoming a teacher I also worked as an amateur stage actor, a newspaper reporter, and a radio DJ in the Fort Collins area during the 1990s.  Some of my other former jobs have included being a toy store manager, a table waiter, and an Arby's manager.  I was born in Nebraska and I will be turning 50 this November.  I have also lived in Emporia, Kansas; San Angelo, Texas; and Grenoble, France; but have spent most of my life in Westminster, Golden, Estes Park, Fort Collins, Englewood, Idaho Springs, and Arvada, Colorado.  I look forward to working with you all online in class this year.