New Teacher Feature

Mrs. Kane is one of the new teachers at H.B.W. this year. She is the maternity leave replacement for Mrs. Fernandez, the 7C math teacher. Here’s a little bit about Mrs. Kane: She has had many different jobs over the years, but most recently, before teaching at H.B., she was a substitute teacher. She chose to become a middle school level teacher because “this is such a wonderful time in a young person’s life,” Mrs. Kane said, “They are not just learning, but experimenting and figuring out concepts, and bringing a new level to their understanding of the world we live in.” Mrs. Kane likes teaching in Verona because of H.B.W.’s “nurturing environment with such a wonderful staff.” She says that every person in the school she has met has been so nice, friendly, and welcoming. She really enjoys getting to know her students, especially through do now questions. She likes to learn about them not only as students, but as people too. Outside of school, Mrs. Kane is a part of her children’s schools. She has been the P.T.O. president a few different times at a few different schools. She also has been a Girl Scouts troop leader, Boy Scouts helper, and she is currently the president of her town’s Education Foundation. She also really likes to watch T.V.. She binge-watches on Netflix and Hulu. Mrs. Kane decided to become a teacher because she has always really liked being in a classroom, and she really loves math. Some fun facts about Mrs. Kane are that she has never broken a bone, she is allergic to dairy, eggs, and gluten, she has known her husband since age 7 (they were neighbors when they were growing up), and she loves movies (especially superhero and science fiction ones). Over the past summer, she took out her sewing machine and made homemade masks for friends, family, and local essential workers. Welcome to H.B.W., Mrs. Kane!

Ms. Manoochehri is a new guidance counselor for the Olmstead house. Before coming to H.B.W., she was a school counseling intern with the Lodi School District. So far, her favorite thing about teaching in Verona has been the close-knit community. She feels very welcomed, and she feels very supported when entering a new school. Outside of school, Ms. Manoochehri likes to play tennis, hike, and visit coffee shops. She realized she wanted to be a guidance counselor when she was in high school. Her own counselor was a large part of her academic and personal life, and she feels that is one of the reasons she is who she is today. Here are some interesting facts about Ms. Manoochehri: She is a big fan of the N.Y. Yankees and her favorite food is sushi! Welcome to H.B.W., Ms. Manoochehri!

Ms. Schussel is the new Carnegie house guidance counselor. Before teaching here at H.B.W., she worked as a school counselor in Franklin Township for an elementary school for six years. She also spent a year volunteering over 1,700 hours through AmeriCorps, the domestic Peace Corps, as an Education Specialist in Orange, NJ. How cool is that! Before becoming a School Counselor, she got her Masters in School Counseling from Rutgers’ Graduate School of Education. Go R.U.! “I love the sense of community that everyone in Verona shares! It’s so wonderful to work with staff, students, and parents who have so much pride in their school and their town and truly care about one another. I am enjoying getting to know all my H.B.W. colleagues, students, and families!” says Ms. Schussel. The fun does not stop after the school day is over. In her free time, she loves to read books from the New York Times Best Selling list on her very comfortable teal couch. She goes to the gym pretty much every morning at 5am and teaches group fitness classes on weeknights and weekends. She also loves traveling with her friends and family. Some fun facts about Ms. Schussel are she can play the flute and piccolo. She also had frogs, turtles, lizards, fish, hamsters, guinea pigs, and a dog. She is also amazing at Scrabble and loves board games of all kinds. Ms. Schussel wanted to become a school counselor after a really good experience with her school counselor when she was a student. “Becoming a School Counselor seemed like the best fit for me, and I am so thankful every day to be doing what I do and loving it!” she says. Welcome to H.B.W., Ms. Schussel!

Ms. Domanski is the new 7th-grade science teacher. Before she came to H.B.W., she worked at an elementary school in the North Brunswick School District as a 5th-grade general education teacher. She also taught 6th and 8th-grade science when she did a long-term maternity leave in Denville. It was after teaching in Denville that she knew she wanted to be a science teacher. The reason she wanted to become a teacher in the first place is because of her love of working with people and her desire to inspire students like her teachers inspired her. She also enjoys creating fun lessons to engage her students. Her favorite part about teaching in Verona is the supportive and encouraging students and teachers. Teaching during a pandemic can be hard, especially when teaching at a new school, and she says, “there are so many teachers that are willing to help me and make me feel more at home.” In her free time, she likes to re-watch Harry Potter movies, cook new dishes, play Frisbee at the park, and, while her gym was still open, bouldering at an indoor gym. Some interesting facts about her are she earned her Master’s degree in Education at Rutgers University, she was a competitive swimmer for 12 years, and she is bilingual since she is fluent in both Polish and English. Also, her favorite topic is Biology, and she can read and write in basic Braille. Welcome to H.B.W, Ms. Domanski!

Ms. Spinelli is the new 7th-grade Olmsted literacy teacher. This is Ms. Spinelli’s second time as a Literacy teacher, but it is not her first job. Before teaching, Ms. Spinelli worked as a journalist! She explains, “I worked as a digital reporting intern for 5 months at A.B.C. News and as a reporter for the Verona-Cedar Grove Times. Throughout my final years of college, I thought I would end up in the media/journalism industry, but I am happy to now be a teacher!” While she might have been a journalist for some time, Ms. Spinelli wanted to be a teacher since she was little. She said that, “growing up, I always wanted to be a teacher and share my love of writing and reading with kids. I got a little side-tracked in college and after college when I decided to try journalism, but ultimately teaching has always been where my heart is. Working with kids is so much fun, and I know I can always expect something new every day!” And while Ms. Spinelli has had a really fun career path; she also enjoys doing some fun hobbies. She enjoys traveling and is obsessed with dogs. Ms. Spinelli has volunteered at an animal shelter that she has been a part of for six years now, and she has traveled to quite a few places! Can you guess how many countries she has been to? Here’s a hint: It’s more than 10, but less than 20. Ms. Spinelli sure is an interesting person! Don’t forget to say hi to her if you cross paths through meets! Welcome to H.B.W., Ms. Spinelli!

Mrs. Dere is the new school Social Worker here at H.B.W.! As a social worker, she has had a lot of experience and strives to help! In her free time, Mrs. Dere enjoys basketball, hiking, reading, and going to events like concerts and sporting events! Mrs. Dere actually grew up in Verona, so she loves giving back to the community. Mrs. Dere loves being a social worker, and she wants to help and aid people toward healing. Welcome to H.B.W., Mrs. Dere!

Ms. Melillo is a new fifth grade teacher at H.B.W.. She recently graduated from The College of New Jersey with a Master's Degree in special education, and this is her first year teaching. Ms. Melillo loves teaching in Verona. She says, "All the teachers I work with are fantastic and so helpful in my adjustment to the new school. My students are also amazing." Outside of school, Ms. Melillo loves to read and hang out with her friends and family. She became a teacher because she loves working with children and helping them in any way she can. A fun fact about Ms. Melillo is that she played volleyball and softball when she was in middle school and high school. Welcome to the H.B.W. family, Ms. Melillo!