With Coffee and Croissants, Scotch Plains-Fanwood Welcomes its New Teachers

One week before the first bell sounds across the Scotch Plains-Fanwood school district, this year's new hires met at Evergreen Elementary School at 7:45 a.m. Monday for Day One of the district's two-day "New Staff Orientation."

Over bagels, fruit and coffee (it was Monday morning after all), the district's 55 new staff members mingled and shook hands with their future coworkers and supervisors. The teachers, smiling and upbeat despite the early hour, found seats next to those they recognized or whose name tags shared the same school names as their own, and waited for the start or orientation.

"I'm anxious. I'm glad I already sat down with a couple people," said Matthew Goldman, 27, of West Caldwell. "What isn't there to be anxious about? It's my first job out of grad school." He said he will be teaching U.S. Studies at Park Middle School.

Most of the teachers gathered in Evergreen's gymnasium were young, fresh out of graduate school or with only a couple years of experience in the classroom. Others were more seasoned. But with the start of a new school year in a new district they all expressed both nervousness and excitement. 

"I have a little anxiety, but I've done this before," said Jennifer Monto, 41, of Warren, who will teach kindergarten and preschool at Evergreen and J. Ackerman Coles elementary schools. Last year, she taught at the Harding School in Kenilworth, she said. 

"I'm just ready to get started," said Ron Litz, 22, of South River. "I have a lot of new ideas and a lot of new things I want to try – have my students more active, get away from the text book." Litz will be teaching social studies at Park Middle School. 

District supervisors, Board of Education members and administrators circulated among the tables, introducing themselves to the new teachers. Litz's fresh ideas and enthusiasm, they said, are precisely the reason they are invigorated for the coming year. 

"It brings me back to when I was a new teacher and starting out," said Veronica Geyer, director of personnel and staff development, who greeted teachers as they arrived. "A lot of them are new, and a lot of them came with a lot of experience. We're really pleased to have the turnaround." 

At 8:15, Superintendent Margaret W. Hayes took the podium to welcome the new teachers. With a smile, she acknowledged that while she, too, would prefer to be at the beach, she was nevertheless excited and energized for the start of the new school year. 

As sun streamed through the high windows and open door of Evergreen's gymnasium, the teachers listened to remarks from district administrators and officials, including Board of Education president Trip Whitehouse and Scotch Plains-Fanwood Education Association president Dominick Giordano, took part in a "First Day of School" role play activity, then boarded buses for a tour of the community, including local coffee shops and lunch spots.

Orientation resumes Tuesday at 8 a.m., with a question-and-answer session over continental breakfast.