Mrs. Mary Grace Catinella

By Ethan Lee

You may have seen her as you were dropping off the attendance folder for a sub or heard her on the phone as your parents called in sick, but now we present Mrs. Mary Grace Catinella: a gardener, a mother of two, an identical twin, and the new administrative assistant at South High.

Before Mrs. Catinella became a school secretary, she earned a Bachelor’s degree from SUNY Geneseo and then a paralegal certificate from Adelphi University. She worked in criminal law, securities law, and corporate law at the car rental company Avis. However, after another company acquired Avis and moved out of state, Mrs. Catinella decided to take the time to stay at home and raise her son and daughter. When the time came to return to work, she transitioned into clerical and civil service, eventually landing a job as a secretary at John F. Kennedy Elementary School.

At South High, Mrs. Catinella sits at the first desk upon entering the main office. As a secretary, her responsibilities range from answering phone calls and organizing mail to helping seniors receive their caps and gowns. Despite the mountain of tasks to accomplish, she enjoys working in a school environment: “There are a lot of names to become familiar with, but [being in the main office is] a really good way to learn all of them.“

Outside of school, Mrs. Catinella enjoys gardening and cooking. “It’s therapeutic to have your hands in the dirt,” she said, “and it’s great being outside in the fresh air.” She also loves to cook for her loved ones, as long as her son volunteers to clean afterward.

Mrs. Catinella’s approach to her job reflects her overall mindset: “What I like a lot is answering the phone because there are so many different questions. That’s a wonderful way to learn.”

Ms. Pan Sam Chan

By Zoe Sun

Inspired by her grandmother’s motto, “A teacher is the one who could propagate the doctrine, impart professional knowledge, and resolve doubt,” Ms. Pan Sam Chan had always loved the idea of becoming a teacher. As a child, she would imitate her elementary school teachers by grading her homework with a red marker. Today, Ms. Chan uses a red marker to grade the assignments of the Chinese language students at Great Neck South High.

Growing up in Hong Kong, Ms. Chan attended the Chinese University of Hong Kong for her bachelor’s degree in Chinese language and literature. After her family moved to the United States in 2019, she earned a master’s degree in foreign language education at New York University. Despite facing challenges transitioning to a new country, the experience helped Ms. Chan better understand her students who are not also native speakers.

After finishing her master’s degree, Ms. Chan taught in Plainview for two years. Now, she teaches at North High School in the morning, then comes to South High to teach period nine. Teaching at both North and South has allowed her to see a combination of native Chinese speakers and non-native Chinese speakers’ interactions: “Sometimes, [students] will say, ‘Oh, yeah, we celebrate the same holidays,’ or ‘We have some traditions in common,’ but at the same time, they’re also learning something new.”

In her free time, Ms. Chan enjoys writing, traveling, and baking. Having visited over twenty countries, Ms. Chan explored a variety of cultures, ranging from the beautiful architecture of Italy to the historic sites of China. Her traveling experience also contributed to her passion for cooking diverse cuisines, such as Cantonese pineapple buns, Thai mango sticky rice, and Italian tiramisu.

At Great Neck South High, Ms. Chan is pleased to see the excitement for the Chinese language and hopes to spread her love for Chinese literature to her students as well: “As students, they’re all very motivated. They’re well-behaved, and they have a passion for learning Chinese.”

Ms. Jennifer Cooney

By Chantalle Delson

We all have our childhood infatuations. For most, dreams of being a firefighter or a princess die away when their toy trucks and crowns get lost through the rollercoaster of growing up and end up collecting dust in the back of a basement. However, for Ms. Jennifer Cooney, her little Disney Princess desk, which would fold up into a chalkboard that she used to play school every day, did not go to waste.  

Hailing from Massapequa, Long Island, she earned her Political Science and English undergraduate degrees from the University of Connecticut before pursuing a master’s degree in Education from Hofstra University. While Ms. Cooney initially considered a career in law, she discovered her true calling after a legal internship left her re-evaluating her career path. Her love for reading and teaching led her to become an English teacher, where she can help students not only improve their literacy skills but also cultivate a lifelong love for books. 

Before becoming a teacher, Ms. Cooney was already shaping young minds as a tour guide at UConn, where she enjoyed mentoring students and helping them navigate their futures. “I really enjoyed being able to kind of provide some guidance and mentorship to young people as they kind of figured out what’s best for them,” Ms. Cooney said, “Being a tour guide in college was a big part of why I chose to become a teacher.” She also coached her childhood swim team, further developing her skills in leadership and guidance.  Ms. Cooney continued on her teaching path, taking bits and pieces from all stages of her life and incorporating them into her career. She specifically hopes to pass along the support she got from her ninth-grade English teacher to her students. “It’s really important that kids know somebody cares about them,” Ms. Coooney said. 

In the classroom, Ms. Cooney fosters an engaging and inclusive learning environment. She allows students to explore their interests through project-based assignments, where they can choose their own topics while learning critical skills—something she saw her 9th-grade English teacher do. For her last project of the year in 9th grade, she did a presentation comparing Romeo and Juliet to the Cold War while another student performed a science experiment for the class. “I think it’s just her [9th-grade teacher’s] way of allowing you to practice the skills in a way that’s authentic to you, that makes you comfortable being able to talk about the things that you want to talk about.” Ms. Cooney’s approach is designed to accommodate students at varying levels of reading and writing, with a focus on helping them communicate their thoughts and ideas effectively. She loves to give students the freedom to make sure they feel comfortable while still pushing their limits, “One of my main things is trying to give a lot of different avenues for people to complete their work in a way that they’re comfortable doing. But sometimes you do have to challenge people to do the thing that they’re not comfortable with, but you just have to provide support in the process, like public speaking,” Ms. Cooney’s enthusiasm for public speaking, which she encourages her students to embrace, adds an extra dimension to her teaching style. Through her teaching, she continually highlights the importance of finding your voice in the classroom. 

Although she spends most of her work day inside a classroom, there’s no place Ms. Cooney would rather be in her off time than outside. She dreams of traveling to all the national parks, but a nice walk through her neighborhood is always a good time with her golden retriever, who is also quite a Halloween enthusiast! “He was a lion for Halloween. I was very excited. He’s a lion every year..” Ms. Cooney explains. Ms. Cooney’s other interests include cooking, baking (especially cookies), and party planning—skills she taps into when helping organize events like baby showers or weddings for her family. 

Ms. Cooney is also eager to get involved in the Great Neck South community. She has already taken on the role of co-advisor for the Book Cafe, where she hopes to foster a love for reading outside the classroom. Her goal for the year is to not only teach English but also to help students develop a love for the subject. She can perhaps even change the minds of those who are skeptical about literature.

With her enthusiasm, creativity, and commitment to empathy, Ms. Cooney is sure to make a positive impact on South High. Ms. Cooney emphasizes, “My goal is always just trying to get kids involved with learning and find ways to make learning fun. And hopefully for the people who aren’t huge on English, I can change their minds.”

Mr. Thomas DePaola

By Cassandra Zheng

In the morning, you’ll find him at the front entrance waving to students as they enter the school. But from this brief and typical administrator-student encounter, you would never guess that he has five siblings nor that he keeps Excel spreadsheets with all the presidential graves and baseball parks he’s visited. Meet Mr. Thomas DePaola, South High’s new Acting Assistant Principal in the Administrative Department. 

Mr. DePaola initially set his eyes on a career as a medical doctor. “I enjoyed my science classes in high school,” said Mr. DePaola, “So in my mind, I was going to be a biology major in college and then go to medical school.” But while pursuing his bachelor’s degree in biology at Siena College, his calculus professor noticed Mr. DePaola’s ability to explain complex concepts and suggested that he consider teaching. After shifting his career path, Mr. DePaola earned a secondary education certification in biology, chemistry, and general science at Siena, followed by a master’s degree in biology at Binghamton University.

Mr. DePaola spent thirteen years teaching biology and chemistry at his former school, Farmingdale High School. Although it was initially awkward to call his former teachers by their first names, Mr. DePaola says that the years he spent teaching at Farmingdale enabled him to give back to the community that shaped him into the person he is today.

His career path shifted again after working as a Buckley Country Day Camp administrator. “That was a point in my career that I decided that I wanted to do more during the school year, so I went to the College of St. Rose and earned my education administration degree,” he said. Before long, Mr. DePaola served as the vice principal of Long Beach High School for three years and the principal of Carle Place Middle and High School for twelve years.

Compared to classroom teaching, Mr. DePaola found that his role as an administrator came with greater responsibility.  No longer just teaching lessons, he realized that every decision he made would affect hundreds of students across the school in his new position. Nonetheless, seeing his profound impact—both on a large and small scale—remains the most memorable aspect of his administrative career to this day. 

Mr. DePaola continues to carry his love for science with him, even as an administrator. Surprisingly, he has been able to use the scientific method when coming across challenges in his current position, saying, “I find myself using this approach to attack a problem, come up with a hypothesis, test that hypothesis, collect data, and analyze results, and then decide which direction to move in.” 

Outside of school, Mr. DePaola has a keen interest in American history. Currently, he’s reading a book on the inner workings of U.S. presidencies, but he has a longtime passion for visiting presidential graves. So far, Mr. DePaola has visited the graves of twenty-eight presidents, including James Monroe and Thomas Jefferson, and awaits his next trip to Springfield, Illinois, to visit the grave of Abraham Lincoln. When he isn’t immersing himself in our nation’s history, Mr. DePaola spends his evenings watching mystery dramas with his wife while eating “a half-gallon container of Ben and Jerry’s Chunky Monkey ice cream.”

With the numerous years of experience that he’s had as an administrator, Mr. DePaola looks forward to spending his year at Great Neck South supporting Mr. Hopkins’s vision of the school, building relationships with the school community, and learning more about South’s diverse atmosphere. “[Great Neck] is very academically focused, but we still have a bit of fun. Where else can you see Chinese dragons or Korean fans?”

Mr. Thomas Galgano

By Aaron Wu

A Bethpage native, former college lacrosse player, and fishing enthusiast, Mr. Thomas Galgano is one of South High’s newest additions to the Special Education Department.

After graduating from Bethpage High School, Mr. Galgano earned his undergraduate degree at Binghamton University and his Master’s at Adelphi University. During summer break from college, he worked as a teaching aide for a local special education program, which pushed him toward the education field. He then worked at Bethpage High School for two years, teaching life skills, and later transferred to Bethpage Middle School to teach science and math to eighth graders. This year, he works as a special education teacher at South High.

Mr. Galgano’s interest in teaching initially stemmed from his childhood, during which certain teachers positively impacted his life, inspiring him to make the same impact on others through teaching. With the support of his mom, who was also a teacher, he gravitated towards following a career in education. As a teacher, Mr. Galgano aims to create a student-friendly environment where students enjoy their time in the classroom and leave feeling happy and fulfilled. “My dream is to be a teacher that some of my students remember when they get older and can think of as having a positive impact on their life,” he said.

Having been in his hometown of Bethpage for many years, transitioning to a different school was initially challenging. However, the special education department quickly welcomed him into the South High family. “There was no hesitation to reach out to make sure that I had everything I needed,” he said. “So just having a good group of friends, like people in the special education department, made it easy to come here and work.”

When he’s not teaching, Mr. Galgano enjoys fishing. “I’ve been fishing since I was a kid for as long as I can remember,” he said. “I go fishing on the beach, the boat, or anywhere I really can.” If he wasn’t a teacher, Mr. Galgano would be open to other careers, saying, “Maybe one day I would look to move on from teaching and be an administrator, principal, or athletic director.”

Ms. Cara Jeshiva

By Maureen Bai

Ms. Cara Jeshiva approaches her work with unique insight: professional expertise combined with lived experience. “I was an elementary education teacher for a while, and I have my own son who’s in special education; he sparked my interest in getting a degree for it,” said Ms. Jeshiva. As a special education teacher, her empathy towards her students goes beyond providing baseline support. Her work in the field began at home, where raising her son revealed the challenges faced by families of children with special needs. 

Ms. Jeshiva grew up in Merrick, New York, and attended Long Island University to initially pursue a different career: nutrition. It wasn’t until her son was born that she realized she wanted to change her degree to special education—determined to make a difference for students like him. 

Ms. Jeshiva now teaches at both Great Neck North and Great Neck South, doing just that. She starts at North Middle, where she teaches three team-taught social studies classes to students in special education. Then, at South High, Ms. Jeshiva teaches students in her resource room (small group) classroom. After spending two years at South Middle, having taught these same students, she feels strongly connected to them and marvels at their progress. She explained: “For me, seeing different kids in different stages of their life and struggling with different things makes me appreciate their individualities.”

Ms. Jeshiva’s dedication to helping students overcome their challenges reflects her appreciation for growth and discovery. Because of this, she always found it fascinating to observe the unique ways people live their lives. Traveling in London and Spain sparks memories of her window into another continent; the various foods, unique cultures, and beautiful architecture all make Europe one of her favorite spots to visit. When she’s not traveling or teaching, she loves to go to the beach, work on strength training and cardio at the gym, and (once fully recovered from her past pickleball injury) get on the pickleball court.

Ms. Jeshiva’s main goal as a teacher is to find the right path for parents to take and the appropriate support for their children. When speaking with parents at conferences, Ms. Jeshiva relates to their frustrations and understands the challenges that stem from managing expectations and setbacks. She believes that it’s important for each child to have a personalized education plan with the help they need. “Every child, every student, is an individual and has their own unique experiences, and so sometimes it’s very hard to understand what the child needs,” she said. “It’s so important to recognize this as a special education teacher and recognize that it’s always a work in progress.”

Mr. Puneet Khosla

By Kylee Wolf

He likes to skateboard, rock climb, and play video games in his spare time. His childhood dream was to be a Mickey Mouse voice actor. Presenting Mr. Puneet Khosla of the science department.

Mr. Khosla grew up in Queens, New York. He later graduated from Stony Brook University with a general science certification to teach any elective science class. Currently, he teaches chemistry and a forensics course at South High and a physics class at North High. 

Mr. Khosla hadn’t originally planned to become a science teacher. Growing up, he enjoyed watching anime and doing impressions of different characters, which inspired his aforementioned dream of being a Mickey Mouse voiceover actor. However, his high school experiences inspired him to consider a different path. In his relatively new high school, many of his peers struggled. He wanted to improve that and encourage them not to doubt themselves. 

Later, his high school physics teacher helped foster his love of teaching. “My physics teacher was someone who cared a lot about me as a person…[and] when he saw I had an interest in teaching, he would actively give me roles in class like teaching other students and helping out.” Mr. Khosla said. Teaching science became the subject of choice as Mr. Khosla has always been fascinated by knowing why and how something happened.

Mr. Khosla hopes to impact his students the same way his physics teacher impacted him: “I care about [my] students and really growing confidence within students and showing them, especially in science, that they are fully capable of pursuing whatever they want.” 

Outside of the classroom, Mr. Khosla enjoys taking up various hobbies. His current fixation? Rock climbing. He also still loves anime and playing video games. 

As a new teacher, Mr. Khosla is still getting to know the South High community. He hopes to leave a good impression on all students, not just those he teaches. “So if anyone wants to pop by and say hi, I’m always around as a friendly face!”

Ms. Courtney Knacke

By Eric Chen

A former volleyball and lacrosse player, a cheerleader, and a self-described “huge nerd”  in high school, Ms. Courtney Knacke is one of South High’s new staff members this year. After many years as a science teacher at North High, Ms. Knacke has come to South High to fill in South High’s open positions of science department chair and biology teacher. 

Ms. Knacke grew up on the south shore of Long Island and attended Lynbrook Public Schools. She graduated from the University of Maryland with a bachelor’s degree in biology with a concentration in neurobiology and physiology. She originally wanted to be a pediatrician but later discovered that she became faint at the sight of blood. After working in hospitals and doctors’ offices, Ms. Knacke attended a class on adolescent psychology at Hofstra University for a change of pace. This experience motivated her to complete her master’s degree in science education. She was also greatly inspired by some of her high school teachers and her connections with her school community. These experiences inspired her to choose Lynbrook to raise her three children. 

Ms. Knacke has taught many different science courses at North High throughout her career and decided to apply as the science department chair here after Mr. Michael DiPasquale’s promotion to assistant principal. “One of the biggest adjustments in coming here is being with a new age group that I haven’t taught in a while,” Ms. Knacke said. Ms. Knacke teaches freshmen—a significant difference from her years of experience teaching juniors and seniors. She uses a conversational and question-driven teaching style with her current students, aiming to have them evaluate one another’s questions. 

If she were a student here at South High, Ms. Knacke believes she would’ve been interested in the science activities, like Science Olympiad and the Science Research elective: “The way that the kids talk about Science Olympiad here would definitely have piqued my interest, and I think the science research here is incredible, so I think I would have wanted to be involved in that.” Additionally, she would’ve participated in “[volleyball, cheerleading, and lacrosse, which] I did when I was a kid.” In her free time, Ms. Knacke continues channeling her passion for these sports by coaching her daughter’s cheerleading and lacrosse teams. 

This year, Ms. Knacke’s goals are to support South High’s staff and students and make everyone feel welcome: “I always want the staff here to feel like I’m supporting them as a chairperson. [And] I love meeting new people. Don’t be shy, come say hi!”

Ms. Janice Kowalski

By Evan Cho

She’s the youngest of three children, the daughter of a World War II veteran, a science enthusiast, and an animal and environmental activist. Meet Ms. Janice Kowalski, a teacher for 19 years, a mother, a mentor, and Great Neck South High’s newest addition to the study center.

Ms. Kowalski has always enjoyed being around kids. Growing up in Deer Park, New York, she regularly babysat for her neighbors. She fondly recalls sitting for four or five kids and brainstorming activities for all of them to do—otherwise, there would be chaos. She also ran an arts and crafts program and a Girl Scout camp in her youth. “[I’ve] always liked kids; their enthusiasm is catching,” she said.

Before becoming a teacher, however, Ms. Kowalski explored many other careers. She worked in the hotel business, the Roosevelt Raceway, and as an importer-exporter of birds before finding a field she really loved: geology. She went back to school and then traveled widely as a geologist. But after five years, Ms. Kowalski’s priorities shifted: she wanted to be around her family more. Teaching became the clear path. “In a lot of my jobs, I ended up having to train people and educate people,” she said. “But I also wanted to be able to focus on my children, and educating them was important,” she said.

Ms. Kowalski loves spending time with her family and nature, including swimming, horseback riding, and going on nature walks. “My hobbies now are more [about] if I can spend time outdoors. There’s something about it that vibes with me ” she said. However, Ms. Kowalski also appreciates alone time; it helps her find her sense of self and be in the moment. 

After many diverse experiences and meeting many passionate, supportive people, Ms. Kowalski hopes to share her wisdom with the students of Great Neck South High. One piece of advice she gives is “to seize every opportunity you have to do certain things and to always try to enrich yourself with knowledge.” She is excited to be a part of this strong and welcoming community.

Mr. Michael McDermott

By: Neil Marantz

An eager ice hockey fan and an avid skier, Mr. Michael McDermott is Great Neck South’s newest math teacher with six years of educator experience—four within the district.

Mr. McDermott didn’t always have a passion for math, though. Though he was a straight C student in seventh-grade math, he became captivated by eighth-grade Pre-Algebra. “I feel like it just sort of clicked, and things that didn’t make sense in 7th grade started to make sense in 8th grade,” he said. He compared math to learning a “separate language apart from English.” This eye-opening experience in eighth grade made Mr. McDermott fall in love with math. Today, Mr. McDermott even lists doing math as a hobby of his.

Mr. McDermott had originally planned to go into medicine since there were a few medical professionals in his family to whom he looked up. “I really enjoyed science, but I found as I started to get a little bit older […] the only things I really liked about science were doing the computations and all the mathematical facets of science,” said Mr. McDermott. He then figured he would go into physics and become a physicist, but ultimately found that “the only reason [he] loved physics so much was because of the calculus portion of it.” 

From there, Mr. McDermott asked himself what he wanted to do for the rest of his life, recounting his love of computing math problems, practical thinking with solutions, and their applications in various contexts. “So math teacher it was,” he said.

After deciding his career, Mr. McDermott attended SUNY Oneonta for its specialized bachelor’s program in education, which allowed him to dual-major in Mathematics and Secondary Education. Working in three different districts before being hired in Great Neck; once here, he taught at North High School for three years (split between North Middle and High for the third), landing at Great Neck South this year to teach morning math classes. 

Mr. McDermott was attracted to how welcoming Great Neck felt compared to the previous districts he taught at. “[The other districts] had their pros, but I feel like as an overall package Great Neck is such an amazing district. I’m involved in the community, and it’s very tight-knit. It doesn’t matter if you’re North High or South High; we are all one Great Neck, and it’s such a big community where there’s always something going on.”

Ms. Kelly McLaughlin

By Emily Jiang

The teacher memorizes the hallway room numbers and the murals every staircase yields as she navigates the school. She heads to her ninth-period class at the sound of the chirping bell, retracing this familiar route. Just as she enters the classroom, she finds 50 students waiting for their next instruction. She is just as nervous as they are but still remains composed. It is Ms. Kelly McLaughlin’s first day as South’s newest Spanish teacher.

This is Ms. McLaughlin’s first full-time teaching position, fresh out of Suny Geneseo.  She grew up in  Northport, Long Island, located by the shore in Suffolk County. Her own background inspired Ms. McLaughlin’s teaching career. “I had such an awesome [middle and high school] experience and connection with all of my teachers that it inspired me to want to do the same for others and connect with my students and help my students,” she said. Mirroring this memory, Ms. McLaughlin reiterates that students can talk to her“even if it’s a family problem, a friend problem, or even just needing a place to go and talk.”

Although she did not grow up in a Spanish-speaking family or originate from a Spanish-speaking country, the language, food, and music of Hispanic culture captivated her, and she wanted to learn more about them. Ms. McLaughlin believes that speaking a language other than English is also useful in other areas of life, further inspiring her high school teaching journey.

She credits her family for being her biggest supporters in life, specifically her mother, who influenced her to pursue her passion, teaching. “My mom’s like my best friend. Every day when I leave work, if she’s not busy, I’ll give her a call and just tell her about my day, sinceshe was in education too. So, as this is my first year in a school, she’s giving me a lot of advice. And we go home, and I talk about, oh, what do you think about this? Can you give me advice on this? And she’s just been very helpful to me my whole life, but especially now that I’m starting my career as a teacher.”

Ms. McLaughlin loves all the opportunities and diversity the South High community provides. “When I leave the building every day, and I see the students practicing with the Korean drums and the Chinese ribbon, I think it’s so cool that there are students from different cultural backgrounds and heritages,” she said, “Everyone comes together, and they really are excited to show off where their family’s from and what their culture celebrates.” Besides her admiration for the community’s different cultural backgrounds, Ms. McLaughlin describes her experience at South High as warm and welcoming. “I told my students on the first few days that I was brand new to the school, and everyone seemed so welcoming to me,” she said, “They’re excited about learning, especially when you know Spanish class can be something exciting and fun.”

During her free time, Ms. McLaughlin loves to spend time with her chosen family of friends. As someone who used to play basketball in college, she also enjoys going to the gym and taking walks to stay active. During school hours, she looks forward to getting to know her students. “I want everybody to feel free to introduce themselves to me. I know I’m a new teacher, and I’m only here for half of the day…but I’m very excited to continue to meet more students here at South High.”

Mrs. Maja Monterrosa

By Yuna Kim

“If anybody told me if I would be a high school teacher, I wouldn’t believe them. Now that you’re asking, I really think it was fate [that I ended up here],” says Mrs. Maja Monterrosa, Taekwondo teacher of 10+ years, avid baker, and passionate hiker, and a new special education teacher at South High. Mrs. Monterrosa channels her experience and love for teaching into fostering unique relationships with her students, creating a comfortable environment for them, and helping them learn and grow. 

Following high school, Mrs. Monterrosa moved to the States alone from her hometown in Serbia. After her friend introduced her to Taekwondo, Mrs. Monterrosa received her bachelor’s degree in global fitness and wellness. Her experience working with students in martial arts led her to become a special education teacher. Mrs. Monterrosa cites her parents as role models in her life and path, as they were both very hardworking and tried their best to provide for her and her siblings.

As a student, Mrs. Monterrosa’s favorite subjects were art, physical education, and history—they taught about cultures, political systems, and lifestyles worldwide. Now, as a teacher, she teaches the importance of confidence and perseverance, which are emphasized in Taekwondo. Mrs. Monterrosa loves seeing students succeed, whether the success is something small, like completing work, or more pronounced, such as passing classes or getting good grades. To optimize her students’ learning, she works hard to connect with them by getting to know them, making jokes, encouraging them to try new things, and, after a hard working week, rewarding them with a game of Uno to bring their competitive side. Furthermore, her role in the resource room is to help individualize learning experiences for students; she supplies them with the strategies to develop healthy habits and overcome whatever academic or social difficulties they may have.

Outside of school, Mrs. Monterrosa enjoys cooking, developing her own recipes, watching the Great British Baking Show, and listening to playlists based on certain moods or “vibes.” She also enjoys browsing at Marshalls or Homegoods. 

While Mrs. Monterrosa has only worked at this school for two months, she has noticed the many great opportunities offered to students, as well as the welcoming and supportive environment here. She hopes to improve as a special education teacher by “always evolving” and “helping students achieve what they want to achieve.” She encourages students to embrace the present fully. Don’t stress [over] certain things. Enjoy life in the moment, not what’s going to happen, and not what’s [already] happened.”

Mr. Ryan Pingitore

By Oliver Won

For Coach Ryan Pingitore, sports aren’t just a career—they’re a way of life. As Great Neck South High School’s new physical education teacher, he brings seventeen years of experience and a passion for connecting with students. Whether on the wrestling mat or in the gym, Coach Pingitore’s goal is clear: to make physical education fun, meaningful, and inspiring for every student.

“It’s definitely a different world,” Coach Pingitore shared when reflecting on the transition into South High after teaching elementary school students, “But it’s fun to get to know the older kids and work on different levels of skill.” He credits his decision to pursue teaching to his career in coaching, in which he has led the Rebels’ wrestling team after being a lifelong wrestler himself: “It made the most sense to combine my love for sports and working with students.”

In his new role, Coach Pingitore hopes to create a welcoming environment where students can enjoy physical activity without added pressure. “You guys deal with a lot of stress already,” he said. “I want my class to be a place where students can have fun and develop a lifelong appreciation for being active.” 

When Coach Pingitore is not teaching at South High, he coaches the Crash Girls Wrestling Club, an outside sports program where he can spend time with his nine-year-old twins and two-year-old daughter. Noting that his professional experience has helped him connect with his own children, he said, “Teaching kids and raising kids go hand in hand. I think teaching is about connecting with kids of all different backgrounds and all different levels.” When not at school or the beach, Coach Pingitore enjoys watching football and baseball, though his heart is firmly rooted in wrestling.

Looking towards the future, Coach Pingitore hopes to enhance the physical education curriculum by introducing unique activities like cricket. However, his ultimate goal is simple: “If students can leave my class smiling and understanding the importance of staying active, then I’ve done my job.”

Ms. Mary Queally

By Justina Hom 

Reported by Isabella Kim

“What’s your name?” Ms. Mary Queally asks the student as another nurse checks their temperature. “We’re going to need to call someone to bring you home. You can’t stay in school with a fever like this.” After a year-long hiatus from working to care for her husband, Ms. Queally rejoined the nursing field as a new school nurse at South High. 

Ms. Queally’s journey to become a school nurse followed an interesting path. As part of her high school’s mandatory volunteer program, Ms. Queally joined other teenage hospital volunteers—known as “candy stripers” for the white and pink uniforms they wore—at Mercy Hospital in Rockville Center. Ms. Queally said, “It was nice helping people: making them smile, reading to them, and delivering flowers to them.” Her positive experience led her to pursue a nursing degree at Hunter College’s Bellevue School of Nursing. Passionate to learn more about why hospitals spent money the way they did, she also received a master’s degree in business administration at Fordham University.

Ms. Queally has experienced both the interacting and administrative side of nursing in her 46 years of experience. She was a bedside, home care, hospice nurse, and nursing and home care administrator. Now she works as a school nurse here at South to learn even more. “What’s interesting—or fun—about [school nursing] is that it’s different people on different days with different problems. Sometimes it’s just a headache, and sometimes it’s an injury.” Typically, students enter the nurse’s office with a cold, fever, or headache—especially around exam season. However, sometimes students enter with injuries from Phys Ed, like being hit with a frisbee. Often ice is a sufficient solution; however, in more dire cases like a dislocated joint, the nurses must call an ambulance. 

In addition to caring for students, Ms. Queally and the other nurses manage the prescribed medications that students cannot carry on them throughout the day, such as insulin. They also work with the administrative staff and the guidance counselors to protect the students’ mental health. “There’s more I have yet to learn, but that’s where we are,” said Ms. Queally. 

While caring for students, Ms. Queally loves to hear about the things that students are passionate about. “Some kids will come in, and they’ll start talking about a class that was really exciting,” she said. “They’ll come in because they’ve burnt themselves on the Bunsen burner, but they really enjoyed the experiment. So, that’s fun.” 

Ms. Queally says that some people are simply born nurses, and she is one of these people. Perhaps it runs in the family, as her aunt was a flight nurse in World War II. As a caring, motherly person, Ms. Queally’s concern for students permeates her day, and she hopes that they will take better care of themselves. As a new school nurse, she has been enjoying her position caring for the students and interacting with her colleagues. “The students are fun, and the other nurses are nice. I’m very grateful to be here.”

Ms. Lida Rogers

By Madison Jing

A Queens native, a dog lover, a fan of Colombian music, and a dedicated professional in the administrative field, please welcome Ms. Lida Rogers, the new face of the guidance department’s clerical staff.

Although Ms. Rogers was originally interested in microbiology, she began her career working in corporate America. However, she found the work nerve-wracking: “My days there were long—too long—and the commute was messy.” Feeling overwhelmed by the hectic schedule and bustling subway system, Ms. Rogers decided to make a career change into administration. She started in the Lawrence Public School District, followed by a stint at Great Neck North High as a secretary. “It was different,” she said. “[But] I wanted to try something new. The school setting is so much better; people care for one another.”

To Ms. Rogers, guidance was an opportunity to interact with high school students. She enjoys seeing how they are able to express their ambitions and helps them navigate through their life goals. Although it is sometimes tricky to communicate with new students, many of whom speak another language, she delights in seeing their transition to maturity. When reaching the point of college applications, she frequently recommends students to study abroad as she reminisces about her own experience in Spain during her junior year of college.

 Outside of her job, Ms. Rogers loves teaching children’s ministry at her church and playing with her golden retriever, Bubbles, at the park. She also hopes to one day travel across the world and explore the coral reefs of Australia or experience a safari in Africa. South America is another destination where she would like to try new cuisine and see exotic landscapes.

Ms. Rogers enjoys her time at South High: “Everybody here is respectful, kind, and caring; there’s nothing to dislike.” She reminds students to always wear their I.D.s for their safety and welcomes them to stop by Guidance anytime.

Ms. Kristin Smith 

By Irena Jiang

To Madame Kristin Smith, traveling abroad to France with her classmates and her sixth-grade teacher is a memory she holds dear: “[Our teacher] introduced us to [her] family that lived there. She took us to play soccer under the Eiffel Tower.” Being able to see another country alongside her classmates like one big family became a core experience—one that made her fall in love with French culture. 

As an only child frequently around adults, Madame Smith cherished the time she could be around kids. She knew from an early age that she wanted to be a teacher, but it wasn’t until middle school, when she learned French, that pursuing a career in the language seemed possible. Inspired by her bubbly and energetic sixth-grade French teacher, Madame Smith decided to follow in her footsteps. “The energy that she brought to the classroom was what really inspired me. I still try to bring that energy to the classroom every day, even this many years later.” 

After attending Siena College for her undergraduate degree and Queens College for her master’s degree, Madame Smith first worked with children at an elementary, middle, and high school level before becoming a teacher at Great Neck South Middle. This year, also teaches at South High. She explained her reasoning behind the choice: “I love teaching language to new learners from the bottom up.”

Madame Smith does her best to make her students feel comfortable and interested in her class. She found that having a middle school-aged child at home has allowed her to better understand her students and see them through a different lens: “I make a lot of comparisons between my son and my students here, and tailor the lessons and activities that I do.”

In her free time, Madame Smith enjoys traveling, reading, and spending time outdoors. Her favorite places to travel in the summer include Hilton Head Island in South Carolina and Deer Isle in Maine. Madame Smith is also a mom of three, all athletes. She loves to support her children’s hobbies by spending time at the hockey rink, soccer field, or dance studio. In addition to helping her children succeed, Madame Smith is determined to prepare her students for the real world.

Madame Smith hopes to offer her students the same unforgettable experience she once shared with her past teacher. “Being able to eat real French food—” she said, “—taking students to play soccer on the fields under the Eiffel Tower, just little things. [This] way, my students will have memories like I do.” 

Mr. Mark Spano

By Chloe Lee

He intercepts the brown leather ball as it flies through the air. Dodging opponents, he races across the Merchant Marine field. His uniform, the words “Great Neck South High Rebels” written across the front, shines under the gleam of victory. Mr. Mark Spano – former captain of the Rebels football team and 2013 graduate – has returned, only now, in a different pair of shoes.

Growing up in New Hyde Park, Mr. Spano recalls walking inside the South High building as a student. He remembers hanging out with his friends in the lower cafeteria and playing speedball in P.E. class. A passionate athlete, he would race to sports practice as soon as the bell rang after ninth period. Mr. Spano broke South High’s then-tight-end reception record on the football team his senior year. During the summers, he participated in a recreation program, an experience he credits with instilling a love of working with kids. Mr. Spano was most inspired by his two coaches, Coach Mike Passuello and Coach Carmine DeLucia. After losing his mother, Mr. Spano turned to them as his role models; both helped him achieve his goals, whether working out or finding his path in life. “I am so proud of what a great young man he has become,” Coach Passuello said. “Whatever Mark sets his mind on accomplishing, he does.” Mr. Spano remarked, “They taught me to always give an effort and just make the most of every opportunity.” 

Mr. Spano attended SUNY Oswego in upstate New York for college. While he initially chose to pursue teaching, Mr. Spano changed his major several times to explore various career paths. Ultimately, he returned to his pursuit of education, specifically in social studies. 

After earning his bachelor’s degree, Mr. Spano worked as a TA at Floral Park Memorial High School, where he also coached the football and softball teams. However, Mr. Spano never lost his connection to Great Neck while working at Parkville in the summer recreation program. When the opportunity to return to South High finally arrived, he “jumped on it” and described coming back as a full circle. He is both a social studies and resource room teacher. “It feels like I haven’t left at all,” he said. “It’s an interesting experience walking the halls being a student and now running classes here.” 

Aside from his connection to the building, Mr. Spano relates his role on the field to the classroom. Coaching and teaching both involve helping students grow, which is the most rewarding part of his job. “Whether it be academics or athletics, when you get students involved, and they’re able to do the movement or write the sentence, they begin to gain confidence,” he said. “That’s the important thing. I think it translates across the board.”

Outside the classroom, Mr. Spano loves exercising and engaging in sports. While he doesn’t travel often, he recalls fond memories in Nashville with his friends. He’ll also occasionally drive down to Pennsylvania to spend time with his family, who share a lifelong love for the Philadelphia Eagles. On more relaxing days, Mr. Spano can be found playing pool in the basement, watching old comedy movies, going on walks, and playing catch with his French bulldog, Bosco. 

Reflecting on his own SHS memories, Mr. Spano hopes to help build a positive, supportive school community. Relatability and connection are at the core of his teaching goals, and he hopes to continue to build meaningful relationships with his students as he was able to during his high school years. “Looking back, you’ll remember things that happened in class. You’ll remember teachers and the way they made you feel,” he remarked. “But you’ll remember your whole high school experience by your interactions, and I hope that everyone has positive [ones] every single day.”

Ms. Lin Wang

By Faye Lin

She puts her Totoro-themed bag on her teaching desk and boots up her computer before adjusting her glasses. One hand runs through the tied-up strands of her hair while the other clicks into her teaching slides. She makes little adjustments to her class slides until she is satisfied. When the second-period bell rings, she puts her slides on the board, drinks some water, and notes the time. As students file in, she tells them to start working on the day’s do-now. They work quietly while she carefully notes the familiar faces of her class. For Ms. Lin Wang, a new teacher in South High’s World Languages Department, this routine is an everyday part of her job. She might seem strict and give out challenging tests, but there’s more to her than her students might think.

Born in Tianjin, China, Ms. Wang attended Tianjin High School before moving to the U.S. to attend Hunter College. While studying at Hunter College, she taught other college students who didn’t have Chinese classes at their school, which helped her realize the path she wanted to follow. “It was after my college graduation that I knew that I wanted to be a teacher,” said Ms. Wang. 

She first taught at South Middle and North Middle for three years before starting to teach a few classes at South High. Ms. Wang has a deep love for teaching at South High. This year, she teaches two tenth-grade classes, where she often amps up the difficulty level of her coursework. “I deliberately make my classes harder,” she said. “I can’t just make my students think that this class is so easy and that all they need to do is some homework and attend classes to get an A.” She knows the importance of helping them understand new ideas and concepts. “When students learn something new very well, I’m very happy,” she said. “It’s alright if I go through some extra trouble as long as my students learn new things.” 

Outside of teaching, Ms. Wang loves to travel. She buys LEGO sets of the places she wants to visit in the future, builds them with her husband, and then goes to them one by one. She enjoys all the places she’s traveled to, saying that “they’re all unique and have different things.” When she’s not traveling overseas, she loves to take the bus to Manhattan, where she takes long walks there for two to three hours with her husband, occasionally stopping at nearby cafes before walking again. 

If she was a student at South High, Ms. Wang would love to attend clubs. She would cycle between multiple clubs at first before narrowing down which ones she was interested in and liked the most. “In China, it’s always learning and learning,” she said. “In the U.S., I feel like there’s more school community and events, like cheerleading. I would definitely participate [in these events] because I haven’t experienced this before.”

Ms. Megan Wilvert

By Ivy Lin

You may recall The Magic School Bus series, a beloved children’s literature and television classic. This series brings bursts of joy to the hearts of those who grew up with its storytelling. Ms. Megan Wilvert, a science teacher at Great Neck South High School, has a teaching style that is deeply influenced by the iconic Miss Frizzle.  

Growing up surrounded by younger siblings and cousins, Ms. Wilvert and her older cousin often played ‘school.’ “I originally wanted to be an elementary school teacher,” she said, noting her love for children and teaching. Her focus shifted in high school, however, after meeting Dr. Mary Hendrickson , her biology teacher, who ignited her passion for science.

Ms. Wilvert completed her undergraduate studies at St. Joseph’s College, majoring in biology and minoring in chemistry. She later earned a master’s degree in educational technology from LIU Post and earned certifications in biology, chemistry, and general science. 

Ms. Wilvert’s teaching career began at Great Neck South High as a leave replacement for two years, eventually leading her to teach at Village School for seven years. There, she developed curricula for 20 elective courses, including National Treasures (a class on national parks), Marine Science, Inexplicable Universe, Fantastic Beasts—the list goes on. “It was challenging to invent curricula and find interesting and engaging activities for my students, but it was one of the most rewarding things I’ve done,” She said. As fate would have it, all roads lead back to South High, where Ms. Wilvert is now a full-time science teacher. 

At South, Ms. Wilvert strives to create a classroom grounded in mutual respect and empathy. “Through my own love of science and learning, I hope to instill upon my students an enduring sense of inquiry and desire to learn. Guided by Miss Frizzle’s motto—“Take chances, make mistakes, and get messy!”— Ms. Wilvert navigated challenges in her early years, building connections with students while mastering her craft, with the belief that hard work and a desire to succeed can open any doors for any student, regardless of interest.

Outside teaching, Ms. Wilvert is a nature enthusiast and animal lover. If not a teacher, she’d love to be a national park ranger. She has visited many national parks, including Yellowstone, Yosemite, and John Muir Woods. Her family also maintains what she affectionately calls the “Wilvert Family Farm,” where they raise chickens, goats, ducks, sheep, and horses. They also frequently take carriage rides through nearby state parks, enjoying the beauty of nature. When asked about her favorite animal, Ms. Wilvert’s answer is fittingly unique: the blue-footed booby, known for its playful dance. A Ravenclaw and Harry Potter fan, she’d love to dine with Charles Darwin if given the chance, as she is fascinated by his tales of the Galapagos Islands.  

In Ms. Wilvert’s classroom, students are encouraged to be curious, embrace mistakes, and above all, find joy in discovery. For many students, she just might be their real-life Miss Frizzle.