Fresh faces

Kennedy Rusicka, Staff Writer|November 1, 2018

With a new school year comes new students—and three new teachers joined the staff.

“I like it. It’s busy, it’s crazy and there’s a lot more going on than the junior high level,” drama teacher Eric Wells said. “I’m just getting used to how busy everything is and how independent a lot of the students are, which is awesome.”

Drama teacher Eric Wells. “Mr. Springer, when he retired, he recruited me to come take over the theater program here,” Wells said, “I thought it was a great opportunity and it was time for a change.”

Wells, Spanish teacher Kellsi Fuller and German teacher Steven Bareis work on settling in at the school. For Bareis this is a homecoming.

“The biggest thing was just this idea of coming home, because I was a student here; so when I heard through the grapevine that Frau Petrilli was moving to Grosse Pointe, it was like I just had to apply to see what would happen,” Bareis said. “I knew it was going to be really difficult, and I mean this has been a really difficult change, but just the opportunity to be back on my own turf was worth it.”

Not all of the teachers are making a switch from junior high to high school. This is Fuller’s first time as a first year teacher. Her schedule this year is unusual.

Spanish teacher Kellsi Fuller prepares for the day. “I studied abroad in the Dominican and the culture aspect of being abroad made it real for me, so I came back, signed my education major and I’ve been doing this ever since.”

“My first three hours are the only classes I have ever had experience in teaching solo, so that’s why I teach Spanish I and Spanish II solo,” Fuller said. “I have never had experience with Spanish III or IV so doing a student teaching internship with III and IV qualifies me to teach it someday.”