January, 2023
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Welcome, Mr. Pollaro!
Welcome, Mr. Pollaro!
An interview with Mr. Pollaro
by Jordyn Tremblay
Q: What inspires you to teach?
A: “Working with one of my friend's daughters, teaching her to drive, and seeing others learn makes me happy.”
Q: What former schools have you worked at?
A: “Wellsboro, All over, All Saints Academy”
Q: What are your all-time favorite books?
A: “Peter Pan and The Hunger Games book series”
Q: If you had a superpower, what would it be and why?
A: “Flying, just to feel the air flowing through my hair and over my skin.”
Q: What would your perfect day look like?
A: “No chores, all things to do are done and I'm able to relax and have fun with my family.”
Q: Why did you choose to become a teacher quarter-way through a school year for middle and high schoolers?
A: “All Saints closed in August, I applied for jobs too close to the school year and teaching jobs were scarce. I just kept looking until something opened up and would be fun and just applied and got lucky to get here.”
Q: Do you have any pets?
A: “Several; Mistletoe the gray-haired lop. 3 cats: the youngest is Sparks, Link is the middle, and the oldest is Belle. 2 dogs: one black greyhound named Phoebe, and the other a black lab mix named Finn and he is my all-time four-legged buddy.”
Q: Did you ever play any sports?
A: “Yes, football, baseball, and bowling.”
Q: Are you afraid of any of your students?
A: “No, no reason to be.”
Q: What school did you work at before this one?
A: “Wellsboro as a substitute.”
Q: How many years of teaching experience do you have?
A: “Between 11-12 years.”
We are delighted to welcome new friends from other countries! We will feature interviews with some of the international students each month so you can get to know them a bit better.
Meet Federica, Gio, and Hao
Meet Federica, Gio, and Hao
by Donovan Dougherty
Federica Angius
Federica Angius
Q: What is one thing you like here at Notre Dame?
A: I like the teachers.
Q: What is one thing you wish Americans understood about Italy?
A: We don’t talk with our hands.
Q: What is your favorite class?
A: Physics.
Q: Who’s your favorite person in the dorms?
A: Jose.
Q: What are your plans for the future?
A: To go to Italy and finish high school.
Giovanni Reale ("Gio")
Giovanni Reale ("Gio")
Q: What is your favorite thing about Elmira?
A: My favorite thing about Elmira is the natural environment around the city and the fact that also the city itself has a lot of nature.
Q: What is one thing you wish America had that Italy does?
A: I wish America had the same Italian food culture, in particular, the structure of the meals (pasta or rice before a second dish and coffee at the end)
Q: What is your favorite moment thus far at Notre Dame?
A: My favorite moment at Notre Dame is the soccer Senior Night. It was a magical night, the atmosphere was amazing and I really enjoyed both the ceremony and the game.
Q: Who is the messiest person in the dorms?
A: Marino is the messiest person in the dorms. He leaves books and other school stuff almost everywhere.
Q: What are your plans after returning to Italy?
A: After returning to Italy this summer, my plan is to celebrate my best friend's 18th birthday before going to the seaside with my family. In September I'm beginning my last year of high school. After my graduation, I'm going to attend an Engineering University in Milan.
Hao Zhang ("John")
Hao Zhang ("John")
Hao is a man of few words! Though his English name is John, he prefers to go by his Chinese name, Hao.
Q: What is your favorite thing to do outside of school?
A: Playing video games.
Q: Where are you from in China?
A: Shanghai
Q: Do you plan to go to university in America or China?
A: America.
Q: What is your favorite food from China?
A: Noodles.
Q: What are your plans for the future?
A: Engineering.
Note: Due to an editorial error, this article was incomplete as originally published. It has been updated to correct the error.
Left to right: John, David, Ricky, Marino, Gio, Rafa, Gui, Jose, Federica, Mariana, Francesca, Julia, Ilaria (missing: Giulia)
-Thanks to Mrs. Crossley for the picture!
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