Morris Hills is proud to welcome 17 new staff members to its community. All of these teachers and staff bring a warm personality, perfect for the Morris Hills hallways.
We welcome Ms. Montoya, teacher of World Language and ESL, who is excited to be part of the Morris Hills community. Graduating from Clarion University and TCNJ with her bachelor’s and master’s, Ms. Montoya looks forward to teaching and making new connections at Morris Hills. She loves to dance to salsa or indie pop and her favorite color is anything jewel toned. Her favorite food is pernil, a Puerto Rican roast pork perfect for sharing.
Hoping to someday make a trip to Japan, Mr. Gust is the new AP Psychology teacher. He graduated from Montclair State University, earning his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in History & Psychology and Education, respectively. In his first year of teaching, Mr. Gust hopes to prepare his students for the AP exam in May. He loves eating pepperoni pizza and learning about any 20th century American or European History.
Miss Ingling, currently teaching Academy English 2H and English 9 CPB, cannot believe she is back roaming the hallways of Morris Hills. Being a MH graduate, she is excited to come back and teach at a place where she developed her sense of identity. Earning both her bachelor’s and master’s from The College of New Jersey, she hopes to encourage her students to be the best version of themselves while also learning how to properly communicate with others. An avid reader, Miss Ingling would love to travel to Ireland. She loves the color black and some “interesting, but sad” facts (as she calls them) are that she does not know how to ride a bike and she has never been to the zoo.
Teaching AP Language & Composition and English 11, Ms. Jacobson loves the supportive community at Morris Hills—everyone is always willing to help. She graduated from Villanova University and loves her mom’s pasta. She enjoys dancing and participated in competitive dance through college at Villanova’s Dance Company. Ms. Jacobson would love to travel to Italy with her dog, Tucker.
Graduating Rutgers University with her BS in Chemistry and MS in Food Science, Ms. Chiang used to taste-test candy before going into education. She teaches all chemistry classes and loves Morris Hills’ diversity and school spirit. She loves to eat sushi and would love to travel to Japan one day.
Mrs. Leonard is a new school nurse, graduating from the University of Maryland. She loves to eat lasagna and her favorite color is purple. Besides loving dogs and cats, she enjoys hiking and doing sprint marathons as well. She has lived in Arkansas, Alaska, and Germany and has flown on C5 and C17 military planes all around the world (she has been a military spouse for 20 years). Mrs. Leonard would love to go back to Germany, where she was stationed in the past. She is looking forward to having a great career at Hills, attending sporting events, concerts, and plays.
Meet Mrs. Auer, the new school nurse at Morris Hills. She is a healthcare professional with a diverse educational background, having studied Human Nutrition at Arizona State University and Nursing at William Paterson University. Mrs. Auer is not just all about medicine; she’s an outdoor enthusiast who loves hiking and mountain biking. Her favorite dish is Eggplant Rollatini, and if she could travel to one country, it would be Croatia, a place she dreams of exploring. She also has a deep soft spot for dogs.
Mrs. Frendo is a valuable addition to the Morris Hills community. She’s a graduate of the University of Delaware and plays a pivotal role as she serves in the Attendance Office and as the Teacher’s Secretary. Beyond her professional life, Mrs. Frendo is a busy mom of four children and has a particular love for breakfast food. Her dream travel destination is Israel, a place she’d love to visit in the future.
Say hello to Ms. Fischetti, the new Algebra 1 teacher at Morris Hills. She holds degrees from Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, where she earned both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. Ms. Fischetti’s favorite color is blue, and when it comes to food, she enjoys a diverse palate, including Italian, Chinese, and pickles. Her musical taste is just as varied, depending on her mood. In her free time, she’s a photography enthusiast. If she could travel the world, she’d pick either Ireland or Japan as her dream destination. When it comes to sports, she’s an avid fan of many teams, ranging from the Yankees to the Devils and the Giants.
Mr. Mandel is a valuable addition to the Morris Hills community. He teaches ESL Intermediate and co-teaches two sections each of ESL Composition and Environmental Science. His last name, “Mandel,” interestingly means “almond,” and his favorite candy bar is Almond Joy. Mr. Mandel is enthusiastic about joining our team because of the great group of ESL teachers at Morris Hills, which is quite different from his previous role where he was the sole ESL teacher. While block scheduling and team-teaching are new experiences for him, he’s learning on the job and is excited about the start of this school year. Mr. Mandel is an alumnus of Montclair State University, graduating in 2013, and he is currently pursuing his master’s degree there. In his free time, he enjoys a variety of interests, including hiking, gardening, chess, music, and watching his kids play Nintendo. When it comes to travel, he has a fascination with Egypt and dreams of seeing the Pyramids.
Mrs. Sobieski has a significant presence in the Morris Hills community, teaching CPB Biology, AP Biology, and Intro to Aviation (Flight). She pursued her education at Towson University for her Bachelor’s Degree and Long Island University for her Master’s Degree. Mrs. Sobieski is enthusiastic about being part of Morris Hills and looks forward to being the best teacher she can be for her students. Her favorites include Italian food, with pizza being a top choice, lavender as her favorite color, and dogs as her preferred animals. Some interesting facts about Mrs. Sobieski are that she was born on a Friday the 13th, albeit in January, and she’s been playing softball since the age of 5 and even currently participates in a co-ed league. If she could travel to one country in the world, she’d love to visit Africa, with dreams of going on a wildlife safari and witnessing Great White Sharks breach the water at the Cape. Mrs. Sobieski is open to meeting new people, and even if you’re not one of her students, she encourages you to say hello and introduce yourself.
We’re pleased to introduce Ms. Steimke, our Reading Specialist at Morris Hills. She has a passion for learning and has pursued various educational achievements. Ms. Steimke obtained her teaching certification and Master’s degree in Literacy/Reading Specialist from Montclair State University. Additionally, she expanded her expertise by earning a Dyslexia Specialist certification from Fairleigh Dickinson University and is completing a Special Education Certification at Centenary University, with a final goal of becoming a Learning Disabilities Teacher-Consultant (LDT-C) this December. Ms. Steimke’s enthusiasm is evident as she looks forward to working with the wonderful staff and students at Morris Hills. Her favorite food includes anything with chicken, and her preferred colors are pink and teal. She’s a true animal lover and has recently adopted her third pet with reportedly “unique physical and/or health abilities.” In her free time, Ms. Steimke enjoys design, organization, and decorating, and on her travel wish list are Hawaii and Singapore.
We also welcome Ms. Ciullo, the new school secretary. Ms. Ciullo loves the Morris Hills community, especially the friendly staff that has welcomed her with open arms. She loves Thai food and her favorite color is teal (matching with Ms. Steimke!). She has 4 boys ranging from the ages of 8-24 and she loves to make DIY decorations for parties. She would really like to travel with her family to Aruba.
Ms. Bacilo teaches Anthropology, Sociology, and tutors the AVID class here at Morris Hills. She loves the culture. The Scarlet Knights welcomed her with open arms and she is looking forward to getting to know all of her students. She attended Delaware Valley College and loves eating pizza and sushi. She hopes to eat pizza on the streets of Italy. Her favorite color is green and she loves elephants! Ms. Bacilo played field hockey in high school and college and she is a certified yoga instructor.
Ms. Patel teaches Geometry and SAT Prep. She attended The College of New Jersey, surviving college on a diet of quesadillas. Her favorite color is purple and she loves narwhals. She loves how supportive the faculty has been, allowing her to start at her new school on the right foot. Ms. Patel was born in New York and then moved to New Jersey when she was 5. Just like Ms. Bacilo, she’d love to travel to Italy and also Spain!
We also welcome Mrs. Rieger this year to the school community. She is a new staff assistant and loves how close Morris Hills is to her home. She also sees a few familiar faces around the halls from her old school, St. Cecilia School (now Divine Mercy Academy). She attended Middlesex County College and has boxer dogs that she bred herself. Her dogs, Dasher and Dancer, had a litter of Mario Bros (2 boys named Mario and Bowser and 2 girls named Daisy and Peach). She loves steak and the color green. She loves listening to progressive rock and would love to go visit Ireland one day.
Last, but definitely not least, Ms. Sosa will be joining Mrs. Rieger as another new staff assistant. Ms. Sosa will be working one-on-one with students. We wish Ms. Sosa a wonderful, friendly year with everyone in the Morris Hills community.
We extend a warm welcome to all these new staff members in the Morris Hills community and wish them a fantastic first year here!