Welcome, New Staff!

- What college did you attend?

I did my undergraduate studies at Le Moyne College in Syracuse, and then I went on to a graduate program at DePaul University in Chicago.

- What degree do you have?

I have a Bachelor of Arts in English with Creative Writing from Le Moyne, and I received a Master of Fine Arts in Screenwriting from DePaul.

- What was your major?

At Le Moyne, my major was English with a concentration in Creative Writing. I also had minors in Film Studies and Theatre Arts. Then while I was at DePaul, I was in the Screenwriting program where we did not have specific "majors" or "concentrations," but my thesis was focused on writing the feature film (or full length movie). I guess you could then say my major was writing for film.

- Are you excited to be a part of the ND community?

Absolutely, there is just an energy here that seems to be focused on making a change in ourselves as learners and in the world as people.

- How are you enjoying teaching so far?

It is probably easiest to say that I am a big nerd when it comes to literature and writing, and it has been incredible coming to work and not having to tone down my love of all things related to English Language Arts.

- What's your favorite book?

This is definitely one of my least favorite questions. There are so many great stories out there in the world. The cheesy, cop-out answer would be to say that my favorite book is the next one I read. However, I'll settle for choosing two stories that I would recommend to any student. First, I'll avoid the direct response of choosing one book, and I will go ahead and say that the manga series "Fullmetal Alchemist" by Hiromu Arakawa is one of the most incredibly well composed stories I have read (all twenty-seven volumes). Second, I will recommend the "His Dark Materials" trilogy by Phillip Pullman. I am slightly cheating again because it is not just one book, so I will go ahead and say that the second book, "The Subtle Knife," is my favorite of the three.

 Anna Paltrowitz

Mrs. Carvellas is one of the newest additions to the math department at Notre Dame. She attended Bishop Hafey High School in Hazelton, Pennsylvania. Afterward, she took her talents to Grove City College in Grove City, PA, north of Pittsburgh. She received a PS in math and a MED in Math Education from DeSales University. She majored in math and minored in French. Mrs. Carvellas chose to surround herself with the Notre Dame community because of her past experience teaching at a Catholic High school in Pittsburgh, which she absolutely loved working at for the previous 5 years. After moving to the area she really wanted to teach AP Stats and continue her teaching career at a private Catholic school, so Notre Dame was a perfect match. Mrs. Carvellas says she is excited to be both a teacher and a parent here in the Notre Dame community. She plans to remain teaching at Notre Dame and has had a great experience so far. Mrs. Carvellas would like to share that she started off teaching in West Africa as a volunteer for 2 years. She also likes to spend her spare time partaking in games such as sudoku, reading and loves to run.

  Violet Daly 

We welcome Mr. Trevor Creighton as the new Guidance Counselor for grades 11 and 12! Mr. Creighton was born and raised in Northern Ireland, near Belfast. Unlike many of our staff and faculty, Mr. Creighton did not finish high school but instead got a full-time job at McDonald’s in Ireland. After going on a vacation to the United States, Mr. Creighton decided to move to America. He attended Community College, Columbia University, Harvard University, and Sarah Lawrence College to finish with a GED, Associate of Arts in General Studies, Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing, Master of Education, and Master of Fine Arts in Writing. He settled in Watkins Glen last year and is currently excited to find a house to buy this year! In his free time, he enjoys playing Magic, reading, drawing, and camping. His favorite sport to play is pool. Mr. Creighton’s words of wisdom would be to “Trust the Future.” 

Ally Finnerty

Mr. Cuomo is our new music teacher. He graduated with a Master of Music degree from Binghamton University and did his undergrad work in Ithaca. He has six children and enjoys watching them participate in sports. He’s a big Marvel fan; his favorite character is Captain America. Mr. Cuomo says he has greatly enjoyed his time at Notre Dame so far and that the students have been very pleasant. He would like to share with everyone his life’s scripture verse: “I have shown you, o man, what is good, and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6, verse 8)

Kylie Agan

After graduating from Notre Dame High School in 2013, we welcome back Mr. Devon Montanarella as the new Guidance Counselor for grades 9 and 10! Mr. Montanarella has lived in Elmira for his entire life, except for the years he spent at Mansfield University where he received his Bachelors of Social Work in 2018. After finishing college he returned to Elmira to work for Child Protective Services for a year. He then decided to go more into the direction of counseling and got a job in an inpatient facility, working with Dual-Diagnosis (Mental Health and Drug/Alcohol) patients. Mr. Montanarella is very close with his family and friends and enjoys spending his time with them. In his free time, he can be found at the Mark Twain Golf Course, playing video games, or watching sports. He roots for the LA Chargers in the NFL, and the Miami Heat in the NBA. Something he would share with the student body is that “A bad day does not mean a bad life.” This year Mr. Montanarella looks forward to developing a good rapport with the students and staff!

Ally Finnerty

A huge welcome to our newest addition to the Crusader staff, Ms. Taylor Pavese! We are so excited she decided to return after her student teaching position in 2019-20. She is a graduate of Tri-Valley Granville High school and continued her education at Elmira College. Ms. Pavese has a Bachelor’s in Adolescence Education, with a concentration in Social Studies. Her choice of major was Social Studies. Her choice to work here was inspired by Mr. Wise who recommended her for the job after the student teaching position. Another factor that made her choose the job was the fact she felt completely welcomed by the community. Ms. Pavese hopes to stay a teacher and further her education. She loves teaching at Notre Dame and loves the students here. Ms. Pavese has a cat named Mateer and a puppy named Beverly who is 7 months old. In her free time, she enjoys skiing. As a teacher, her responsibilities vary but primarily she teaches seventh and eighth grade, hosts a homeroom, and teaches a Global 9 class. Once again, we are so grateful to have Ms. Pavese as a part of the Crusader community.  

 Zharia Ashley