Wantagh staff ready for a new year

There were hugs and stories shared as Wantagh’s teachers and staff members went back to school on Monday, marking the beginning of the new year.

In what has been a Wantagh School District tradition for decades, the entire staff gathered in the high school auditorium, joined by PTA leaders, elected officials and other community leaders. Hundreds filled the room as Superintendent Maureen Goldberg welcomed everyone back in anticipation of the students’ return on Tuesday.

Goldberg went through a long list of student accomplishments from the 2014-15 school year in academics, athletics and the arts, and said none of it would have been possible without dedicated teachers. She encouraged teachers to ensure that their students are active learners — they aren’t sitting too long and they are engaged in the lessons.

She also pointed out that this year’s incoming kindergarten class will be the Wantagh High School class of 2028. Many of the careers they will pursue haven’t even been invented yet, she explained. “Who knows what the world will look like by the time these kids graduate from high school?” she said.

Other speakers included Board of Education President AnnMarie Sturniolo, Wantagh United Teachers President Tom Vereline, High School Assistant Principal Jim Brown and Supervisor of Social Studies Christopher Widmann.

Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum John McNamara, new to the district himself, and Assistant Superintendent for Business Adriana Silver introduced the many new faces on the teaching and support staffs.

Caren Strouse is a new business teacher at the high school this year. She has taught in the Harborfields, East Islip and Smithtown school districts, and said she is excited to be in Wantagh. She noted the community feel in the district.

“Everyone is working toward the same goal, which is the students,” she said.

Strouse said she is looking forward to getting to know her students. After previously working in business before becoming a teacher, she wants to share her expertise with them. This year, she will also advise the Future Business Leaders of America club.

She has been working hard to get ready for the school year. In the days before school, she was in her classroom preparing bulletin boards and getting her lessons ready. Strouse also said she has lined up several guest speakers for her accounting classes.

Lauren Glaser will be a new science teacher, splitting her time between the middle school and high school. She will teach seventh-grade science and conceptual physics. In addition to setting up her classroom and reviewing the curriculum, she has been getting to know her colleagues in the science department.

After teaching jobs in North Babylon, Elwood and St. John the Baptist High School, Glaser said she is glad to be settling into Wantagh. She noted the family atmosphere of the district, and said the staff has welcomed her with open arms.

“You come in,” she said, “and you already feel like you’ve been here for years.”

Wantagh’s schools opened on Tuesday, after the Herald went to press. See photos from the first day of school in next week’s paper, and online at www.liherald.com/Wantagh.