Elise Rubenstein
by David Patkin
Elise Rubenstein worked at Newton North as a Latin teacher for numerous years, but when she saw the opportunity to work at South she didn’t hesitate to make the transition.
Rubenstein has embraced the South community, taking in the overwhelming school pride from her first day on.
“There is a lot of school pride,” Rubenstein said, “which is more than I have seen in other schools…which is a great thing.”
She hopes to expand her students’ way of thinking by exploring different subjects that Latin influences. Rubenstein says her primary goal this year is to help her students consider subjects and topics they may not ordinarily think of.
“I like being a teacher because of the personal interactions with students and opening up [students’] minds to things that aren’t necessarily related to my topic,” she said.
Rubenstein also hopes to add an element of fun to her class to better engage students. For example, she is currently looking into a trip to Italy for Latin students, comparable to trips for the Spanish and French students.
As the first few weeks of school draw to a close, Rubenstein says she is still trying to navigate South’s halls, yet her Latin class gives her much to look forward to in the coming months.
“[I look forward to] teaching more students to appreciate Latin history and learning in general,” she said.
Katherine Wildman-Zinger
by David Patkin
Katherine Wildman-Zinger’s life-long dream of teaching in Newton came true this year at South.
“I came to South because I live in Newton so it works better for me in terms of commute but I have always had a dream of teaching in Newton, I think this is a really fantastic system,” she said.
Wildman-Zinger – the mother of a four-year-old – who loves to sing and be active as well as spend time with her family, was surprised by the diverse yet closely knit South community she joined this year.
She also loves to engage her History students in class lessons and discussions and encourages them to think about history differently.
“I like connecting with kids, I like when the light turns on and people start getting excited about learning, and I love talking about ideas,” she said.
Wildman-Zinger is impressed by the maturity of South’s students and the amount of trust that the students receive.
“[South] is a much looser and casual environment here so I think it strikes me that there’s a degree of trust in students here. I think we are in an era of public education where that is very rare,” she said.
Wildman-Zinger hopes to become a more active member of the South community by becoming involved with student activities in the near future.
Jasmine Lellock
by Noy Alon
Jasmine Lellock is a new sophomore English teacher who teaches three different sections at South.
After getting her PHD in Maryland and moving to Delaware, Lellock returned to Massachusetts with her husband and taught in the Randolph school system. She transitioned to South because of its reputation as one of the top public high schools in the state.
Lellock’s favorite part of teaching is simply interacting with the students.
“The students are really fun, and I love that moment of joy when somebody all of a sudden lights up as though they have learned something they didn’t know before,” she said.
Lellock hopes to be challenged by all the talented educators and interesting students in the school community.
In past schools, Lellock has helped out with the school Shakespeare ensemble and Mock Trial team. She has already taken an active role on South’s marathon team, Dreamfar.
Lellock has found South’s open campus policy for upperclassmen very different from that of her previous schools.
“The open campus, the freedom. There is nothing like that in any of the other schools I have been at before, and its taking me a while to adjust because I don’t know what the limits are, what the rules are” she said. “But I really like it because it inspires students to have this open creative mind.”
Jeremy Ryan Frey
by Noy Alon
Jeremy Ryan Frey is a new science teacher and has two freshman ACP physics classes this year.
Frey came to South due to the appeal of the large campus and the welcoming and supportive faculty.
Frey is already interested in joining and helping out the Ligerbots, the Newton North and Newton South robotics teams. Frey is also interested in gaming, and would love to help out or start a gaming club.
Frey looks forward to forming a connection and friendship with his students.
“I think the best part of being a teacher is interacting with the kids,” he said. “I like to joke around with them and have a lot of fun and educate them and help them learn science which I am really passionate about.”
Frey hopes to be able to continue to further the education of South students and provide them and his colleagues with help when needed. Frey also hopes to just have fun with science.
Frey is adjusting to the schedule and campus at South, which are extremely new to him.
“The wacky schedule….[has] been throwing me off recently. And the deluxe campus with the different communities,” he said.
After school, Frey loves to read science fiction and fantasy novels and watch fantasy television and movies.
Kelly Henderson
by Jacob Denninger
English teacher Kelly Henderson came to South eager to embrace its clear academic goals and values that teachers are given the freedom to achieve and instill in their students.
“It’s clear to me what my mission is, but [South] gives enough freedom to teachers to let me be who I am as a person,” Henderson said. “As a teacher, I feel really supported but also really free.”
Henderson feels that high school students’ mix of adult responsibility and the freedom of children make them a “breeding ground for awesome art.”
Henderson loves reading students’ writing and says that kids teach her so much on a daily basis and impress with ideas she never would have thought of.
After she has settled in to the new school year, Henderson hopes to get involved in any writing, publications, or activist related clubs.
When not in school, Henderson likes to read, run, cook, and play trivia games. She also has a dog named Sadie.
Henderson thinks teenagers get a bad rep, but they are the best age group to work with.
“I hope to learn a lot about the world through all of you students,” she said.
Deborah Bernhard
by Jacob Denninger
A graduate of Newton South and formed student teacher at Newton North, English teacher Deborah Bernhard has been a long-time member of the Newton community.
Bernhard loved English as a student at South and loves working with high school students.
“This is a great age group to interact with,” she said. “I get to…talk to interesting young people, learning together.”
Bernhard hopes that her students will gain a love of literature and learning in general throughout the year.
Outside of school, Bernhard likes to spend time with her friends, sleep, and eating sushi and Thai food.
Bernhard looks forward to seeing her students develop and grow both as students and as people.
“I’m lucky because the classes I teach are kind of all about self discovery, discovering identity and culture,” Bernhard said. “I’m hoping I will gain the joy of watching [students] gain that knowledge.”
