New Teachers at WMC
By: Lia Nowak and Eliza Pickard
West Morris Central is ecstatic to welcome our new teachers!
Mr. Alverson is the new Ceramics and Sculpture teacher at West Morris Central! This is his very first year teaching. Before deciding to become a teacher, he worked in advertising and marketing, specifically studying industrial design and graphic design. After studying these at Parson School of Design of Manhattan he says, “One day I just decided I didn’t want to do it anymore, and I wanted to become a teacher.”
Mr. Alverson is still transitioning from being the creative director at his previous position with a more flexible schedule to waking up early and having the routine of a structured high school bell schedule. Alverson was here previously as an intern sub, and also taught for a little while at Central’s rival school Mendham. . Alverson says, “I think the schools are slightly different, but I enjoy both of them equally.”
Mr. Alverson worked for several years in Manhattan up until 9/11. After traveling a bit and working from home in St. Louis and then coming to New Jersey, he is back in NJ and working at WMC!
Mr. Crouse is a new member of our history department this year! He is not new to WMC; he has been an intern sub for about five years. He also taught at Chatham for three years.
Mr. Crouse has previously taught world history, which he prefers because he can “teach the culture in world history“ but this year he is teaching US History I and II. He went to a “small Catholic college in Newport, Rhode Island” and he got his first Masters at Rutgers and his second Masters at Brown.
Mr. Crouse is currently in the process of earning his doctorate, as well! When asked to compare the school environment at WMC to Chatham, he told us, “I like it here, I like the community feel.” Welcome to the history department, Mr. Crouse!
Mr. Percelay is a new member of the technology department, and he is teaching IB design tech, and machining and fabrication as his first job! By teaching an elective he gets exposure to all four grades; he doesn’t have a preference as long as they listen and interact with what he’s saying. “I found the best future for myself here,” Perceley said. He just graduated in the spring from The College of New Jersey.
Mr. Percelay also goes back and forth to WMC’s friendly rival, Mendham High School. Mr. Percelay says, “I don’t think the environments are similar, in terms of the buildings. Mendham has a lot of floors and everything. This school, from what I currently understand, is one floor with ramps. In terms of the faculty and the students, it’s very similar. Everyone’s very nice.”
“Besides jobs like construction, delivering pizza, and the occasional guitar lesson this is my first job.” Mr. Perceley plays the guitar, and will occasionally go surfing and fishing as well for fun.
Ms. Fantasia is the new Photography and Introductory drawing teacher! She has been teaching for 12 years overall, this year being her “lucky 13th!” Ms. Fantasia “completed [her] student teaching in Paterson and worked at Sussex County Technical School for 12 years.”
When asked about the differences between her previous schools and Central, Ms Fantasia explained multiple key differences between the schools. Ms. Fantasia notes that she is “used to only 40 minute periods” so here at central, she is loving the “55 and 65 minute classes!”.
The new film classes are a favorite of hers, since those are special courses here at central. Lastly, at Paterson, they “had football games on Saturdays, so games here are extra exciting! There’s nothing like Friday Night Lights during football season! Our school spirit is also second to none!
Ms. Fantasia further observes, “The atmosphere at WMC is positive, inclusive with a sense of pride and excellence that permeates all aspects of the school.” Ms. Fantasia is ecstatic to be a part of WMC staff and school, so we can all welcome her to the WMC community!
The West Morris Central student body is pleased to welcome WMC alumni, Miss. Nugent to the English department. It is Miss. Nugent’s third year teaching overall. She student taught at WMC with Mrs. Kisatsky, and she taught the past two years at Livingston High School. Miss Nugent gets a contrast of grades teaching both freshmen and seniors.
Miss Nugent has not been teaching for long, and when graduated college she received her “bachelors in English, substitute taught, and then…got a masters from Drew University, and then that’s when [she] started student teaching”.
Miss Nugent has her own personal experience with the wolfpack, “I went to West Morris so I love it here, and I think West Morris has a really good sense of community. I think the students here have great manners, and values. It is a smaller school, Livingston was double the size so I like this better.”
