English and Social Studies Departments Welcome New Teachers to the Hive

Ms. Haddad on a trip to the Palace of Versailles in France. *Photo: Ms. Amelia Haddad*

By TEHREEM NOOR and YUYU LAI

We meet at last! Bustling busily, the hive has welcomed its latest arrivals to the nest.

The English Department said hello nine new members this year: Ms. Sharon Anthony, Ms. Christina Gavin, Ms. Grace Gutierrez, Ms. Lena King, Ms. Sasha King, Ms. Kathleen Lewis, Ms. Alisa Marcus, Ms. Ashley Melo, and Ms. Eiren Tasher.

The Social Studies Department greeted six: Ms. Marie Borra, Ms. Rosa Buonanoce, Ms. Amelia Haddad, Ms. Keri Palmer, Mr. March Tomasello, and Mr. Albert Watkins.

We sat down with Ms. Haddad and Ms. King to get the scoop on these two new Hornets.

Ms. Haddad

Ms. Amelia Haddad was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. She attended Rye High School in Westchester and Cornell University in Ithaca, where she majored in political science and minored in sustainability science.

Although Ms. Haddad loves teaching, it wasn’t always her first choice.

“One year I worked at a market research company for pharmaceuticals, and the next I did a sustainability consulting job,” said Ms. Haddad. “But consulting is just awful.”

After leaving consulting, Ms. Haddad turned to education. Her interest came from her days in high school.

“I had this one history teacher whom I loved,” said Ms. Haddad. “When I first got into teaching, I emailed her, and she sent me so much advice.”

Now, Ms. Haddad teaches Global II at Midwood. “The kids are awesome, and I feel like everybody’s trying their best,” said Ms. Haddad.

Before arriving at Midwood, Ms. Haddad had two years of teaching experience.

“I taught at a school where I was the only teacher teaching my subject,” said Ms. Haddad. “But now I’ll run my ideas by people, and everyone’s super helpful!”

When Ms. Haddad isn’t busy prepping for classes, she’s occupied with other hobbies.

“I’m the manager of an adult softball team,” she said. “And sometimes I’ll go rock climbing.”

While Ms. Haddad sure is athletic, she also isn’t one to turn down a good read. “I’m in a book club for sci-fi,” she said. “So I’m always trying to read one book per month.”

Though Ms. Haddad’s schedule may be jam-packed, she looks forward to immersing herself in Midwood’s community.

“I’m still trying to stay on top of my work, but I know I want to experience the liveliness,” she said. “I haven’t been able to go to a lot of student performances yet, but I want to. I feel like there’s a lot of talent here, and I can’t wait to experience more of it!”

Ms. King

Ms. Lena King was born in San Mateo, California, where she grew up surrounded by the same people from kindergarten to high school.

“Where I’m from there are a lot of people who speak Spanish,” said Ms. King. “I was in a bilingual elementary school, so I grew up speaking Spanish as well.”

Ms. King later moved to New York to pursue writing and literature, only to fall in love with the city.

“I love how walkable New York is,” she said. “People on the East Coast are much closer, literally speaking.”

Although Ms. King moved to New York because of its literary appeal, she attended Northeastern University as a biology major.

“Biology is all about systems,” said Ms. King. “It’s a great foundation for my life because I have this appreciation for how plants grow, and stuff like what mold is!”

“But I always say that writing and art are a science as well,” she added.

After college, Ms. King student-taught at Murrow High School before settling down at Midwood for her first full year. She currently teaches four ninth grade English classes and one tenth grade class.

“The kids are wonderful,” said Ms. King. “And so are my colleagues.”

Outside of school, Ms. King also has a knack for the creative arts, having sung for her university’s gospel ensemble. She also goes to a ceramic studio, and being an English teacher, she most certainly enjoys reading.

“I’m currently reading this book called The Book of Goose, by Yiyun Li,” she said. “I like to read, surprise, surprise!”

Ms. King says she constantly reminds herself to live in the present, citing her motto: “Wisdom without love is useless.”