There are many teachers in the New Providence High School and Middle School. Some of them used to go to this school district in the past as students. Some of these teachers include Christopher Brodeur, Steven Siracusa, Nick Sommo, and Nicholas Webber.

When they were in school, the teachers had their favorite subjects, some of which are obvious and some maybe not.

“I had two:  History, and Physical Education,” Mr. Brodeur, a history teacher, said. “History is a given, I enjoyed learning about all the stories of the past. PE was awesome because we had an opportunity to play everyday, and compete with one another.” His favorite sport to play in PE were some intense games of ping pong and his favorite era of history is the 20th century.

“I obviously enjoyed Physical Education class but there were many other classes I liked throughout my four years here at NPHS,” Mr. Siracusa, a PE and Health teacher, said. “Physics with Mr. McGeechan was very interesting, Tech and Construction with Mr. Russo allowed me to create some really cool furniture, and Video Design with Mr. Cook was a lot of fun.” His favorite Tech and Construction project was creating an Adirondack chair that he still uses today, and he loved making storylines and scripts for the videos he would make.

“I was always an active kid when I was younger so naturally I would say PE,” Mr. Sommo, a PE and Health teacher, said. “With that being said, I enjoyed Math and Science as well, and can honestly attribute that to many of the great teachers I had in those subjects over my four years back in high school.” In math, he enjoyed Algebra and in science, he enjoyed Chemistry or Human Physiology. He attributes some of his affection for the classes to his previous teachers.

Mr. Webber, a science teacher in the Middle School agreed:  “My two favorite subjects in school were Physical Education with Mr. Cumming, and Anatomy and Physiology; Mr. Cumming always had us playing wiffle ball or volleyball. Mr. Keaney was my teacher for A&P and he had a way of bringing the subject to life (no pun intended). No matter what the topic, he brought an enthusiasm that showed he loved to teach!”

Just like they had their favorite classes, they also had great memories as students.

“I love getting to know the different people in our school community,” Mr. Brodeur said. “I love talking with the kids, but also with the people I work with. I think you can learn a lot by listening to people.”

“There were many great memories I had both academically and athletically,” Mr. Siracusa said. “I will also never forget winning a state championship in baseball my sophomore year … Lastly, beating GL in football my senior year to earn Coach Bottone his 300th win was an unforgettable moment. At the time, he was 1 of only 4 coaches in the state to achieve 300 wins.”

“Honestly the most memorable part of school for me was my athletic career and being able to spend time with some of my closest friends for the bulk of each day in class and high school athletics,” Mr. Sommo said.

“I think the most memorable part of being a student here was the opportunity to get to know everyone,” Mr. Webber said. That is a special experience and it helped me form bonds of friendship that last until this day! I think there was a strong sense of camaraderie throughout the school.”

They all have had great memories as teachers, too.

“I love getting to know the different people in our school community,” Mr. Brodeur said. “I love talking with the kids, but also with the people I work with. I think you can learn a lot by listening to people.”

“Throughout my ten years as a teacher, the most memorable memories have been building relationships and rapport with the students, teachers, coaches, and administrators,” Mr. Siracusa said. “There are too many fun, exciting, and memorable moments to pinpoint it to a single one.”

“Similar to my feelings about my time here as a student, I really value the relationships I’ve built with my colleagues and students over the seven years I’ve been here teaching,” Mr. Sommo said.

“The most memorable part of being a teacher here, so far, is the time spent with the students,” Mr. Webber said. “I am humbled by the resilience these students face every day. Life is incredibly difficult during this time and it can feel like the ground has been pulled out from underneath us at times. And yet every student makes an effort each and every day. It brings me honor to be a part of it all!”

A lot has changed since they were students.

“The biggest difference is the size,” Mr. Brodeur said. “I know we are not a large school now, but I graduated with around 90 kids. So there are close to twice as many. Also, the middle school was not in the building. Salt Brook and AWR went K-8.” Mr. Brodeur also said that the current middle school hallways were used for Foreign Language and English classes and that his current History classroom did not exist.

“The biggest change from when I was in high school to now has been the integration of technology in the classrooms,” Mr. Siracusa said. “Some other changes [include] the updated cafeteria and media center.”

“The one thing that always comes to mind when I think of changes at the school from when I was here as a student to now as a teacher is the freedom the students have now compared to years back,” Mr. Sommo said. “Not that things were bad back then but I think students have a lot more freedom in certain cases. For instance, when I was here as a student, open lunch was only open to seniors. On top of that, I’m pretty sure it was only an option for the second half of the year or maybe even the fourth marking period. Lastly, and perhaps most obviously, technology has been a huge driving force. We had desktops in the media center and maybe occasionally in the classroom, but typically everything was just done with pen and paper in the classroom.”

“I think there is a certain level of inclusivity that has always been front and center at NP and I think that has certainly grown since I was a student here,” Mr. Webber said. “Everything changes … Additionally, I think there is a much bigger emphasis on social-emotional well being of students since I went here. It’s a beautiful thing. The STEM department has really blossomed into an awesome existence!”

Yet some things have stayed the same.

“Mr. Cattano, Mr. Tracey, Mr. Keaney, and Mr. Srey … were here when I was here,” Mr. Brodeur said. Mr. Brodeur never had Mr. Tracey or Mr. Keaney, but had Mr. Cattano as a third grade gym teacher and as a football coach. He also knew Mr. Srey, a custodian, very well.

“The community feel and support has been the most consistent from when I was a student to now,” Mr. Siracusa said. “This is a tight knit school where everyone helps, encourages and supports one another. This has and always will be a great school for students to learn, grow and develop into successful young adults.”

“One thing that I think will never change about high school is the quality of both the staff and student body,” Mr. Sommo said. “I think that just speaks to the kind of community we have and the type of people we draw into the town. To me, that’s a big part of what makes New Providence such a special place.”

“Many of the teachers who taught me are either still in the same positions or have furthered their careers here at NP,” said Mr. Webber. Some have been married and even started families! Many of the custodial staff, maintenance workers are also familiar faces. The legacy of victory and success in sports, academics and extracurricular activities are as present as ever. All of my former teachers in class have welcomed me back with positivity and encouragement. Even though I might’ve talked too much in some of their classes.”

From experience, the teachers weighed in on what they would tell their students.

“I know sometimes it looks pretty bleak, but if you just keep getting up, putting your feet on the ground, and moving forward, it will work out,” Mr. Brodeur said.

“There are three big takeaways I would like all my students to know moving forward in life,” said Mr. Siracusa. “The first is to find your passion. Love what you do and do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life. Next, believe in yourself. If you don’t believe in yourself, why would anyone else? There might be setbacks, failures, and rejections throughout life, but you have to keep moving forward, trust the process, and believe you can do whatever you put your mind to. Lastly, don’t go through life, grow through life.”

“My biggest two pieces of advice for students is first, to always enjoy the moment and not take anything for granted,” said Mr. Sommo. “As I mentioned before, I had the opportunity to spend four years with some of my best friends on a daily basis here in high school. So as that concept relates to their time here at NPHS, don’t rush it, enjoy it … This idea can simply be applied to any facet of life. My father always used to say ‘life ain’t a dress rehearsal’ and I live my life by that philosophy. The second piece of advice I would give to the student body is to simply be kind to others and treat others with respect.”

“I would want my students to know that making mistakes is a part of life,” said Mr. Webber. “I also want them to realize that a little bit of empathy can go a long way … it might be more meaningful than you could guess. We never know what others are going through and it’s always a good day to be a friend. Mr Rogers said: ‘If you could only sense how important you are to the lives of those you meet; how important you can be to the people you may never even dream of. There is something of yourself that you leave at every meeting with another person.’”