The 2020-2021 school year welcomes seven new faculty members at Cinnaminson High School, including a new vice principal, school nurse, guidance counselor, two newly hired teachers, and two teachers transferring from Cinnaminson Middle School. In a year facing many changes to the traditional school landscape, these new faculty members have a different understanding as to what CHS is really like. These newly hired teachers and staff will be faced with challenges throughout this unparalleled school year, while trying to establish their place in a new work environment. 

Ms. McCann, the new vice principal, taught math in Camden for five years and went on to become the principal of that charter school before moving here to CHS. Drawn to the high school setting with its older students and additional school events, Ms. McCann was fond of Cinnaminson because the close-knit, community feel reminded her of the town she grew up in. 

Ms. McCann explains that she has been passionate about education for a long time. “It’s probably a nerdy answer, but I’ve wanted to be a teacher since I was like three. [I would] line up my stuffed animals to read them books.”

When asked about concerns she has about starting her journey at CHS amidst the pandemic, McCann noted, “This is the only reality that I have been exposed to here at Cinnaminson.” 

While there are challenges because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ms. McCann is setting goals for her first year as a Cinnaminson administrator. She is “really excited that there’s a diversity initiative; at my old school, for more than two years, we worked on diversity, equity, and inclusion…I [want to] make sure Cinnaminson feels like a super inclusive place for everybody.”

Vice Principal McCann wants to let students know that she is always open to talk to people about concerns, and she wants to remain available to learn more about the student body, as well as establish connections with individual students. 

Despite the fact that she is new as a teacher to the school, CHS is not a new place for Ms. Weiler; former CHS Pirate, and new English teacher, Ms. Weiler says it’s easier for her to fit in, having known people here already. As a new teacher here during the pandemic, her biggest fear is not being able to make connections with students when each day, around half of her students are not even in the physical classroom. Yet, she also noted that teachers are all in this together. She is  hopeful that soon, through teamwork and flexibility, some aspects of this school year will begin to resemble some normalcy. 

As Ms. Weiler explained, “As far as the experience of teaching during the pandemic, we are all in the same boat… It’s about embracing this new normal and making the best of it.”

From early on in her life Ms. Weiler knew she was going to pursue a life in the classroom.  She said, “I have always loved school, always loved learning…I loved coming to school as a student. For me personally, being in the classroom is one of my favorite places to be. I knew from a very early age that I wanted to be a teacher. To be able to be in the classroom, and learn every single day – I get to live my dream getting to learn alongside students…[School] was just a place of comfort for me.”

Ms. Weiler says she has always felt comfortable in a school environment, and despite the COVID-19 pandemic and all of the various disruptions it has caused to traditional learning, she knows CHS is the perfect place for her. She remarked, “Having been a Pirate, having been an alumna, I absolutely loved CHS, and my experience here as a student. It is surreal to be working with my former teachers who are now my colleagues.This is a place that shaped me into who I am today, and being able to be on the other side of that, and influence other students, is a huge reason for coming back – for me it was about coming home.” 

Mrs. Lyons, a new special education teacher at CHS, started her journey as an educator in a unique manner. Lyons said, “When I was in 4th grade, my mom actually took over for my first grade teacher’s maternity leave…I was a little bit defiant, I hadn’t really thought about becoming a teacher before that; I never really played teacher as a little kid…my mom was really the one who influenced that. It was more [competitive] – I was going to be a teacher, and be a better teacher than [my mom]. But then as I grew older, I really saw and appreciated how much my mom cared about her students, so I definitely have been influenced by that…I really have my mom to thank.” 

Though she is new to CHS, Mrs. Lyons is not new to the district, having begun working with Cinnaminson in September 2001. Hired under Superintendent Dr. Illuzzi, Mrs. Lyons was  drawn to the Cinnaminson School District as her close friend from college, Mary Orphanos, as well as her boyfriend at the time, Rob Lyons, also worked there. Mrs. Lyons wants to work hard at having a centralized focus throughout the school year, despite the difficulties an educator may be faced with during this crazy 2020-2021 school year. 

She also has a message to share with CHS staff and students: “Everyone has been very welcoming, and working well together, and I think teamwork is really important in this situation.” 

In order to get to know Mrs. Lyons a little better, she wants to let students know that she is an identical twin, explaining that if students run into someone who looks just like her but has no idea who they are, it isn’t just her in a bad mood! 

Having worked at Cinnaminson Middle School for twelve years, music teacher Mr. Bacon is joining the CHS faculty this school year. Even though he is in a new building, Mr. Bacon is a veteran of the Cinnaminson School District, something he is thankful for with all of the changes to traditional school. 

Mr. Bacon’s inspiration to become an educator can be traced back to his days here at CHS as a student. He remarked,“The more excitement I found in music and theatre, the more I wanted to share it with everyone else. Education to me is not only a sharing of knowledge, but also a way to share the joy I find in music, theatre, and the arts. The main thing that drew me back to Cinnaminson was a feeling of belonging. I grew up here, and now I can give back to the community that helped shape me as an individual.”

One of the biggest obstacles that Mr. Bacon is facing this year is the fact that indoor singing, for choir class, is not permitted due to the current COVID-19 guidelines. In order to circumvent this challenge, Mr. Bacon and his choir classes have adapted to singing outdoors, while still maintaining social distancing, and wearing masks. Mr. Bacon is used to working with different musical associations and platforms, as he has acted as the director of numerous local choirs and theatres. 

In reference to this school year, Mr. Bacon said, “My biggest goal is to have students make connections to music and art in new and exciting ways. Whether it is a student finding a new musical or movie in my ‘Music for Movies and Stage’ class that really speaks to them, or a student discovering their voice in choir, I hope that these connections they make to music and art will be a part of them forever.”

Mr. Bacon also wants to address the elephant in the room: he does in fact like bacon! 

New CHS guidance counselor, Mrs. Kilroy has always felt the motivation to work with children and adolescents. She was drawn to the field of education because it allowed her to pursue this inspiration that she has had from an early age. Mrs. Kilroy explained that her biggest motivation is to help her students not only find themselves throughout high school, but also help guide them down the right path for the future. As a mother, educator and friend, Mrs. Kilroy has always felt the desire to be kind to others, and longed to genuinely understand other peoples’ stories and who they are as individuals. 

Having previously worked as a middle school guidance counselor, Mrs. Kilroy remarked, “I loved so much watching how kids’ classes, and what they got into, helped develop their further goals. That really sparked something in me.”

Mrs. Kilroy understands that in the face of challenges, being willing to think outside the box and do things a little differently that one might have done in the fast, is important this school year. Mrs. Kilroy wants students, especially seniors, to know she would love to help guide them through the process of selecting postsecondary options, as opportunities are constantly changing. 

Drawn to work at CHS due to stories she heard of her father’s experience, Mrs. Kilroy said, “Believe it or not, my dad was actually the second graduating [CHS] class president… just seeing my dad being so invested [in the school], and the reunions – just seeing how special, and what a tight-knit community it was, and how he kept in touch… it always seemed like such a special thing, and I thought it would be really wonderful to be a part of that.” 

Mrs. Kilroy recalled in a conversation that she recently had with her father, that when he was in seventh grade, Cinnaminson High School was just being built; in his history class, they voted on the Cinnaminson colors and the mascot for the high school. Mrs. Kilroy’s connections to CHS red and black, and the Cinnaminson Pirates go back far!

As it is her first year working at CHS, Mrs. Kilroy said, “Taking the time to really get to know my students, and their interests, and their backgrounds, and what drives them and motivates them is my biggest goal.” 

Experienced teacher, but new to CHS, Mr. Roslowski is taking over as the head of DECA, and as a business and marketing teacher. Mr. Roslowski noted that this position is the job he has always wanted: the marketing program, DECA, close to his home and a close-knit school district. 

Mr. Roslowski remarked, “Out of my fourteen years of teaching, this is probably the most unique year I’ve had…coming back in September, in a new school district, learning new programs, taking over a very successful chapter of DECA, stepping into that role…and of course, having a school store to operate all in addition to meeting all new staff, and learning all new policies. It’s a lot of juggling this year.” 

Outside of his educational experience, Mr. Roslowski also has seven years of industry experience, having worked for a pharmaceutical company. However, he explains this was not by his own choosing; in 2010, Mr. Roslowski was one of almost 4,000 New Jersey teachers who was laid off due to then Governor Christie’s decreasing of the state education budget. As a business education teacher, job opportunities are very specific, so he was thankful when he saw this opportunity here at Cinnaminson. 

Hoping to establish a positive classroom environment, Mr. Roslowski explained, “I just want to have a successful transition – I’m trying to make a forever home so to say, with teaching.” 

Joining the CHS staff this year as the new high school nurse is Ms. Glisson. Having wanted to be a nurse for a long time, a pivotal moment that sparked her pursuing a career as a nurse was the personal connections she saw nurses have with their patients. 

Ms. Glisson said, “With nursing in general, to become a registered nurse, I remember taking my mom to the doctors… how I wanted my parents to be treated was how I wanted to treat patients. It was really a defining moment… as your parents’ age, you want them to be treated well, and have their best interests at heart.”

As a mother of three, the hours that school nursing provided were more compatible with the schedules of Ms. Glisson’s children; it was actually her kids that urged her to apply here at CHS. Prior to working at Cinnaminson, Ms. Glisson was a school nurse in Camden for over five years, worked as a hospital nurse, and also worked in medical chart review. 

In the face of challenges in regards to becoming a new staff member during such a strange year, Ms. Glisson commented, “I’m excited to be here and take on this new endeavour.”

Mrs. Glisson advises anyone who would like to learn more about COVID-19, or the guidelines that Cinnaminson High School is following, to visit the CDC website, or the Burlington County Health Department’s website. The most important reminders Ms.Glisson wants to share with CHS students are the three W’s: wash your hands, wear a mask and watch your distance.

With the COVID-19 pandemic still in the foreground of students and staff, Ms.Glisson remarked, “The role of the nurse is definitely somewhat in the spotlight this year; it doesn’t matter whether you’re a school nurse [or in another setting]… Now with students coming back to school, we are the frontline now. If students are presenting symptoms, we’re the ones assessing them.” 

Ms. Glisson, in hoping to let students know a little bit more about her, said, “I love being a nurse; I think that nursing is a great field to go into. There are so many facets of nursing, and I’m always, always learning… the field is so diverse, the sky’s the limit.”

With seven new staff members, the CHS community is embracing additional faculty into the staff team for the 2020-2021 school year. 

***Editor’s Note: Ms. Weiler oversees The Ship’s Log as its advisor.