How hard is it to feel welcomed? Not everyone can feel accepted right away into a community; it usually takes time, effort, and connections between several people. I have asked the new teachers questions about themselves so the school can become more familiar with them. Coming to a new school is not as easy as it seems; it can be intimidating and tremendously stressful. We want to know how we can help and make them feel as comfortable as possible, as they are the new family members in our community.  I interviewed Ms. Tague and Ms. Grom about their new Park Ridge High School experiences and their previous experiences.

Ms. Tague is a special education teacher with a focus in history education. Her favorite aspect about this new school is the “atmosphere and both the students and staff.” Ms. Tague attended the University of Bridgeport and graduated from Caldwell University. The deciding factor for Ms. Tague to become a teacher was because her mother was a Spanish teacher and her father was a vice principal. She liked the way her parents impacted the children’s lives and their futures. History was a class Ms. Tague did not particularly like, especially US History. In fact she “loathed” history until she experienced class with two “phenomenal” teachers who had not just a passion for history, but for the students’ health and well-being. In addition to the role in history classrooms, she has also joined our athletic program at Park Ridge High School. Ms. Tague is currently coaching soccer and winter track at the high school level. Throughout her childhood, she loved playing sports like soccer and basketball; soccer is her favorite sport because it brings people together and she made strong bonds with friends through soccer.

Ms. Grom is a math teacher who enjoys teaching, educating, and, overall, making students’ days better. Since joining Park Ridge High School, she has had a wonderful experience and continues to maintain a positive attitude. Excitedly, she said her favorite aspects of this high school are, “The students! Every morning, regardless of what kind of day I’m having, my students make me happy. They are kind, respectful, and always have a positive attitude. Connecting with students here at PRHS is hands down the best part of my job.” Ms. Grom loves her students and will always be positive and supportive towards them as they are the favorite part of her job. Ms. Grom has had a lot of prior experience in education, as she taught first grade in West New York, NJ for 12 years. She would teach children the fundamentals of math and reading. After teaching younger children for a while, she moved up to teaching middle school, and now, this is Ms. Grom’s first year teaching high school math; she loves math, and teaching it is her passion. She especially likes it when the students get those “aha” moments and the Math starts to “come together.” Ms. Grom hopes “to inspire my students to feel confident in Mathematics. Math can be a source of anxiety, but when approached with the right attitude, it can TOTALLY rock.” She wants them to know she is there for them if they need help and that students can always count on her to help them no matter the situation. In her free time she loves running as she says that it’s her favorite hobby. She runs six days a week and states it helps “clear her mind and body.” Ms. Grom will be running in the NYC marathon in the upcoming years.

These new, inspiring teachers are bound to have fun and productive careers at Park Ridge High School and will undoubtedly help students on their future path. Ms. Tague and Ms. Grom are great examples of teachers who love their new environment at Park Ridge High School and are ready to teach, learn, and grow with their students.