Hilltopper
Who's New to the Knights?Monday, November 29, 2010 By Syma Chaudhry and Taylor Johnson
There are some new faces at Morris Hills High School this year. New administrators, guidance staff and teachers have become Scarlet Knights. Tara Casola is a new biology teacher who also works in administration, specifically the attendance office. She chose to be a biology teacher because she loves science. She became interested in administration while teaching education classes at Seton Hall University. Ms. Casola was a biology teacher at Morris Knolls for seven years, but she moved to Hills because she “wanted to be a part of the administration” while staying “in the same district.” She received her Undergraduate and Master’s degrees from Seton Hall University, and she is also currently completing her doctorate in Administration there. As a child, Ms. Casola wanted to be a zoologist. Today, she loves “the New York Giants football team and the New Jersey Devils hockey team.” She also enjoys reading, drawing, horseback riding, country music, and her job, because it is a new experience for her every day. Janel Cleffi is a new physical education teacher for freshman. Ms. Cleffi graduated from East Stroudsburg University. She taught physical education while doing student teaching in Pennsylvania. When asked about her vocation, Ms. Cleffi says, “I was inspired to teach physical education because I love being active. It’s important. I want to share with people about being healthy and taking care of your body. People today are less educated about fitness. That’s why I chose this.” Ms. Cleffi’s favorite hobby is soccer, which she played in college and still does. She loves all animals and has two dogs. She is proud to say that “Morris Hills High School is a friendly school and a good environment.” Alyson Dougherty is the new psychologist in Morris Hills. Mrs. Dougherty grew up in Nutley, New Jersey and recently got married. She chose this career because she was interested in psychology in high school. She took an internship during college and was able to work directly with children. Mrs. Dougherty enjoys traveling, running, reading, and cooking. Additionally, she is a big fan of the New York Giants. She chose Morris Hills because she believes that the district has a lot to offer and a great reputation. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Northeastern University. She completed her MSED/PD in School Psychology at Fordham University. Mrs. Dougherty says at Morris Hills, she enjoys “working with students and teachers. The environment is very welcoming”. Mary O’Shea has joined the world languages department as a Spanish teacher. Ms. O’Shea graduated from Ramapo College in Mahwah, NJ recently, in 2010. She has wanted to teach since she was a child. She fell in love with the Spanish language and wants to help teach students a different language besides English. Ms. O’Shea has fun reading, hanging out, watching the Yankees, seeing movies, and working in the and working at Morris Hills. Ms. O’Shea embraced Morris Hills because it’s a good community, and she likes her new job because she gains new skills by working with students. Nicole McMahon is Morris Hills and Knolls’ new Speech/Language specialist. Mrs. McMahon grew up in New York and got married over the summer. She adores running cross country, reading, and listening to country music. She became interested in speech while babysitting her cousin who was being visited by a speech therapist. She then took sign language in high school. “I always wanted to do a job in which I was working with kids,” McMahon said. Mrs. McMahon worked at schools in Rockaway Township (Copeland, Stony Brook, and Dwyer) before she transferred to Morris Hills because she wanted to have the experience of working with high school students. She got her Undergraduate degree in Speech and Language Disabilities from Elmira College and received her Graduate degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from the College of St. Rose. “I like seeing different personalities, and I like using different techniques to teach my students,” she said. Timothy Mein is a new history and sociology teacher. He has always loved history and believed it was an interesting subject to study. He relishes running, basketball, watching movies, and reading both fiction and non-fiction books. He chose Morris Hills because he is a Morris Hills alumnus. In fact, he was voted Mr. Morris Hills for his class. “I had a great time here as a student and always liked the school.” Mr. Mein received his Bachelor’s in History and Masters in Teaching from the University of Virginia. He believes that the students here at Morris Hills are great, and he really enjoys teaching history and sociology. He is glad to return to New Jersey after leaving for such a long time. Yesenia Rivera. Ms. Rivera is the new head of the Guidance Department. Ms. Rivera graduated from York College in Queens, NYC. She also has her Masters in Counseling from Long Island University. When Mrs. Rivera was younger, she originally wanted to be an attorney, but she changed her mind. She chose to become a counselor because she was misguided when she was in school and recognized the importance of having a good counselor. She said she also loves to help kids make good decisions by providing valuable feedback. Mrs. Rivera is in charge of the all the other counselors, and she loves her job. “The crew is great and they are self-managing,” Rivera said. Ms. Rivera puts a lot of her time into Morris Hills to keep it a safe environment for the students and staff. She said, “I love Morris Hills. The student population is fantastic; the staff is welcoming, and students’ smiles enlighten my day.” Mrs. Rivera plans to stay in her position for a long time. Andrew Shohen is a new teacher in the Technology Department. His classes are Intro to AutoCAD and Intro to Draft Tech, which he teaches in the Academy Building. He graduated from Montclair State University with a Bachelor’s in Technology Education in 2004. He plans to get his Masters in Technology Education online from Ball University. Mr. Shohen enjoys taking part in constructive debate, discussion, and argument. Some hobbies and interests that keep him occupied are woodworking, carpentry, kayaking, and snowboarding. Also, he does a lot of house work and does freehand landscaping. Mr. Shohen chose Morris Hills because it is “a great community to teach at.” Mr. Shohen likes his job at Morris Hills because the students are terrific, the environment is good, and the Technology Department is supportive. Anthony Silvestri is a new physics teacher at Morris Hills. He chose physics because he always enjoyed math and originally thought he would be an engineer. He is a fan of the New Jersey Devils and has coached ice hockey in the past, along with soccer. “I enjoy collecting ‘80s and ‘90s pinball machines and video games, and I like spending time with my daughters.” Mr. Silvestri has two daughters, one two-year-old and a baby girl. He chose to teach at Morris Hills because it is the best school district in the area and close to his home. He received his Physics Degree and Pedagogy Degree from Seton Hall University. He received his Masters in School Administration at Caldwell College and is currently doing his doctorate there. Mr. Silvestri says about Morris Hills, “The kids are very nice and hardworking, and they appreciate the teachers. The faculty is very nice and helpful.” |