As I walked through the crisp fall air to Hewitt’s Lower School, memories began to swirl in my head. I walked inside and was greeted by warm faces and friendly smiles. It was such an amazing feeling to be back in the lower school; it made me remember the good old days! Ms. Aniero gave me a list of new faculty members, and I walked up the staircase to meet my first new teacher: Maribeth Vasconcelos, associate teacher to the kindergarten class.
Ms. Vasconcelos grew up right outside of Boston and is a huge Red Sox fan. She came to New York and studied education as an undergrad prior to moving to Portugal and teaching there for three years. Then she returned to New York for her master’s degree, joining Hewitt’s faculty as a second and third grade teacher for a faculty member on maternity leave. Ms. Vasconcelos loved the school so much that she pursued a more permanent job here at Hewitt. She gleefully shared, “My favorite thing about Hewitt is how we’re one big happy family- just like in the song.”
Another new faculty member is nicknamed the “Survivor.” Why? Because she grew up in Manhattan and went to The Nightingale School for thirteen years! Her name is Hally Bayer, and she is a new learning specialist in the middle school. After Nightingale she went to Dartmouth, where she majored in psychology and education. Then, Ms. Bayer worked in children’s’ publishing at Scholastic Books and Nickelodeon. After deciding she would rather help kids read than sell books, Ms. Bayer went back to grad school and got her master’s degree in education. This journey led her to a few educator positions at schools in Brooklyn and finally here at Hewitt! What is Ms. Bayer’s favorite thing about Hewitt? “How friendly the community has been.”
Last, but certainly not least, is Tiffany Melville: associate kindergarten teacher. Ms. Melville came from Brooklyn, where she was the head of her school’s cheerleading team! She taught for four years at Ross Global Academy, which recently closed. Fortunately for us, Ms. Melville found Hewitt! Some of Ms. Melville’s hobbies include traveling and attending carnivals around the world. What is her favorite thing about Hewitt? “The fact that everyone works as a community…and the great food!”