To start the 2020-2021 school year, Naugatuck High School has welcomed a few new teachers to the school community. These teachers teach a variety of subjects including English, social studies, and special education. We look forward to learning from them in the years to come. 

Naugatuck High School has done an amazing job making the teachers feel comfortable and welcomed. 

“I have had the best experience within my department especially and around the building. Everyone is so supportive, kind, and helpful,” said Ms. Decato, a new teacher in the Special Education Department. 

“Both the staff and students have been very welcoming to me. Many of the staff members have popped into my room over the course of the last month to introduce themselves, check in on me, and offer any assistance I may need. Most of my students are 9th graders, so it has been fun to ‘learn the lay of the land’ beside them,” said Miss Ortman, the new World Civilizations teacher.

Most of the teachers agree that they decided to work at Naugatuck High School because there is an emphasis on community and values outside of high school. 

“I decided I wanted to work at Naugatuck High School because last year I had the pleasure of student teaching freshman English with Mrs. Kastelein. I enjoyed the environment I was exposed to here at Naugy. I also really appreciated how comfortable and accepting the staff had been towards me,” said Ms. Carrelo, the new English teacher. 

“I interviewed with a few districts and I was most impressed with the focus on community instruction at NHS,” said Ms. Decato. 

The newest teachers agree that Naugatuck values their students and support their dreams.

“I decided to apply for the job here at NHS because I really enjoyed the way the district talked about learning and their aspirations for students. The Vision of a Graduate depicts a student with transferable life skills who can pursue their dreams (or excellence, as Mr. Harris would say),” said Miss Ortman. 

These teachers expressed a few reasons why they decided to become teachers. 

 “I knew from a very young age that I wanted to be an English teacher. I have always had a passion for reading. I came to the conclusion in high school when one of my English teachers was teaching Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. She taught this play in a way that was so influential to who I wanted to be as a teacher. She used engaging activities that inspired me to want to create a space for students to love reading as much as I did,” said Ms. Carrelo. 

“I love teaching skills for life because I get to help students get involved in their community and build the skills they need to be awesome adults,” said Ms. Decato. 

As the teachers embark on their new journey, we hope for their continued success. 

“I’m enormously optimistic! This class of new teachers comes with passion, dedication, and are undertaking an enormous challenge – coming to teach in a new school in the midst of a global pandemic and all of the ways that teaching looks different right now. I know that they are up for this challenge, that their colleagues are going to be enormously supportive, and will help them learn about our school, our students, and how to best serve them,” said Mr. Harris, the principal at Naugatuck High School.