New Sterling Knights: Faculty Edition

By Mary McGregor, '17

Here at Sterling we receive new staff members every year, just like we do with students, and this year is no exception!  Let's learn a little about our newest members of the Castle.

                     



Ms. Strow, World Language Teacher

                        Ms. Strow has come to Sterling from Haddon Heights NJ, attending Rowan University. Ms. Strow is teaching Spanish I and II this year. She says "I knew I wanted to be a teacher because I have always enjoyed being around young people and I love the Spanish language, so teaching seemed like a perfect blend of the two." Ms. Strow's fondest memory of high school would be when her and he best friends went on their senior trip to Disney World; hopefully our seniors this year can have just as much fun! Ms. Strow is looking forward to doing fun things with her classes this year. She says that she wants to share some of her favorite parts of the Spanish language and culture with them while still having fun. Ms. Strow says her first month here at the castle has been very positive and that all the students and staff have been nothing but welcoming to her.



Mrs. DeJesus, Secretary




                        Mrs. DeJesus grew up in Camden.  She went to a private school through fourth grade then moved to Puerto Rico before returning at the age of fifteen. She then graduated from Camden County College and Rutgers University. Mrs. DeJesus is a curriculum and pride school secretary here at Sterling and says "Since having my own children and being a stay-at-home mom, I knew working in a learning environment is where I needed to be." Mrs. DeJesus says she is excited for growing and changing with Sterling and  getting to know everyone. Some things that Mrs. DeJesus enjoys are spending time with her family and friends, playing volleyball and softball, reading, and cooking.






Mr. Carter, Attendance Officer

                        Mr. Carter is a graduate of Woodrow High School, originally from Camden, NJ. He attended college at Central State University in Ohio. Before Mr. Carter was a teacher he was in the Camden City Police Department, retiring in April of 2013 after 29 and a half years of law enforcement. His greatest memory from high school is when he played against Camden High School  on Thanksgiving Day, owning victory with 33-6. Mr. Carter's favorite things to do when he isn't teaching is to play football and basketball, and to get involved in fitness training and coaching. Mr. Carter says "My first month at Sterling High School has been wonderful, I’ve been given the opportunity to work with a great staff and a fabulous group of kids."









Ms. Ciccarelli, Mathematics Teacher

                        Ms. Ciccarelli attended Drexel University for a B.S. in Bio-medical Engineering. She is also currently finishing up her M.A. in Wellness and Lifestyle Management from Rowan University.  She is currently teaching Algebra 1 and says her first month here has been great! It just so happens that Ms. Ciccarelli was also a fellow knight, graduating in 2006. She says, "It's weird being on the other side of things since I was a student here". Ms. Ciccarelli's story of how she knew she wanted to be a teacher is a little different than others. Ms. Ciccarelli said "I knew in college that I did not want to pursue engineering as a career. After graduating, I was set on going back to school to be a Physician Assistant.  While I worked on getting everything together to apply to school, I began substitute teaching in the meantime.  I wound up falling in love with teaching and knew that this is what I was supposed to be doing!" In her free time Ms. Ciccarelli loves to watch hockey and hang out with family and friends.





Ms. Trautz, Art Teacher

                        Ms. Trautz comes not too far from Sterling, originally from Collingswood, NJ. Ms. Trautz attended the Moore College of Art and Design and now teaches 9-12 Computer Graphic Design, Multimedia 1, 2, and 3, and Art 1. Ms. Trautz says that the students here at Sterling have really surprised her with their talents in the first few months of school.  Her greatest memory of high school would be her mom seeing her graduate because she loved seeing how proud she was of her. Some hobbies that Ms. Trautz's enjoys are large scale mixed media paintings, digital drawings, and working on art projects with her three year old artist. Ms. Trautz said "My work and the things I do on the side have kind of meld together, I’m very lucky that way".




Mr. Young, Music Teacher

   Mr. Young is originally from Bucks County, PA which is about one hour north of Philadelphia. He graduated from Council Rock High School in Newtown, PA then moved to Center City, Philadelphia where he then attended the University of the Arts and earned undergraduate and graduate degrees. Here at Sterling he teaches Concert Band, Marching Band, Jazz Band, Percussion Ensemble, Music Theory, and Pull-Out Instrumental Lessons for 9-12 graders. In the future, Mr. Young plans on implementing both a Music Technology and Music Appreciation/History course here at Sterling for the students to participate in. Mr. Young says his first month here at Sterling has been "nothing short of wonderful.  The students, the teachers, the administrators, the parents, and the community have all been extremely welcoming and kind."  Mr. Young's hobbies include spending time with family, composing and arranging music, performing at music venues throughout the city, and enjoying new restaurants.

 
                   

Mrs. Price, One-on-One Aide


                        Mrs. Price, a former Sterling graduate, is a one-on-one aide here at the castle. She is currently attending Wilmington University to complete her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology. She says she is excited to learn new instructional tools this school year. Mrs. Price also loves to read and travel when she isn't helping the students of Sterling.








Ms. Emig, English Teacher

 Ms. Emig is originally from Marlton, NJ and graduated from Cherokee High School.  After graduating from Rowan University with degrees in English and Secondary Education, she joined the English department here at Sterling.  Ms. Emig has always known that she was going to be a teacher, even playing "school" with her younger siblings when she was a kid!  She is also looking forward to serving as a mentor to her students, as an influential teacher one fulfilled the same role for her.  Some of her fondest high school memories were on the volleyball court, so it's only natural that Ms. Emig signed on as the freshman girls' volleyball coach this season.  So far, things have been going great!  "I am continually impressed by the respect, dedication, and compassion of the students at Sterling," says Ms. Emig. When she is not in the classroom, Ms. Emig likes to play volleyball, spend time with her puppy Skippy, read, and is training for a marathon this winter.









Mr. Goffredo, Science Teacher

Mr. Goffredo, Sterling's newest science department member, is another former Sterling Knight.  Mr. Goffredo fondly remembers many things about his time at Sterling High School, especially bonding with his soccer team on "all you can eat wing night."   He is also a former Mr. Sterling winner!  After graduating from SHS, Mr. Goffredo attended Albright College in Pennsylvania where he majored in Biology.  Before coming to Sterling as a teacher, Mr. Goffredo worked in Thomas Jefferson University’s Department of Neuroscience.  His experience helping new graduate students understand lab procedures while at Thomas Jefferson inspired Mr. Goffredo to go back to school to earn a teaching degree.  So far, his experience at Sterling has been very positive. "The Sterling High School Community has been great to me thus far," said Mr. Goffredo.  When he is not teaching, Mr. Goffredo likes to play the drums and guitar, listen to music (Oasis is his favorite band), exercise, and read, especially books related to World War II.  





Mr. O'Donnell, Phys Ed. Teacher

Mr. O'Donnell is originally from Cherry Hill, New Jersey and attended both Gloucester County College and Lock Haven University.  This year, Mr. O'Donnell is teaching a variety of Health and Physical Education classes, and serves as the instructor to the ROTC physical education program.  In addition to his duties in the classroom, Mr. O'Donnell is also the head wrestling coach.  His own high school team won three state titles in four years, so he comes with plenty of great experience!  Mr. O'Donnell remembers several teachers who impacted his life and hopes to do the same for his students as well.  "I want to leave a lasting impression on them so when they walk out of my class they can say they had  a great time and gained valuable experiences."  In his free time, Mr. O'Donnell enjoys coaching wrestling, visiting the shore, exercising, and spending time with family and friends.

 

 

 

The Silver Scroll would also like to welcome the following new staff members to Sterling:



Mr. Loper, One-on-One Aide



Ms. Joyce, Secretary to the Vice Principal





Thank you to Mr. Kozeniewski for the photographs of the new staff members!