New Faculty
Written by Ava Tulipano,
Interviewed by: Lianna Lutchman, Bryanna Thompson
Here at Preston High School we are a community that welcomes new additions to our Preston each year. Over the course of the last two years we have welcomed Mr. Solberg, Mr. Navani Dr.Z, and Ms. Maya.
One of Preston Echo’s writers Lianna Lutchman interviewed Mr. Solberg, one of the school’s newest science and math teachers. His job consists of teaching Algebra 1, Geometry and Algebra 2/Trig, Geometry which is his favorite among them all. Last year he had worked in another Catholic school called Bishop Kearney. He has so far involved himself in conspiracy theory club and the overall community here at Preston. He told Lianna, “I particularly enjoy the sense of community and the religious feeling of the Catholic school which I have been used to my whole life.” Taking the position, it was apparent to Mr. Solberg that a position in a Catholic school was a great fit for him because it’s where he’s most comfortable. Being only a substitute teacher at his previous school the adjustment from over the summer to the first day was a big one. On his first day it was normal but like for any new teacher he was nervous to meet his classes. We wanted to know what Mr. Solberg does on his own time when he’s not teaching he told Lianna, “Currently I go to graduate school at Brooklyn College and I’m constantly grading and prepping for my lessons.”
Mr. Navani is Preston’s newest English teacher his responsibilities include two English classes and two Communication classes per quarter. Mr. Navani grew up in Manhattan and attended the United Nations International High School. He attended Syracuse University for his undergraduate degree and Fordham University for his masters. Every teacher has a different reason as to why they chose their profession, but for Mr. Navani it came naturally. He worked jobs between getting his undergraduate and masters degree but nothing really suited his person. He majored in English throughout school and always had an interest in it. He knew he wanted to take it on because he feels it allowed him to “explore” compared to an office job restraining him from being able to do that. Coming into Preston Mr. Navani was faced with some new challenges. The workload, grading, planning, and general responsibilities is hard to balance out. It’s a lot to handle balancing everything plus adjusting himself to the schedule and life at Preston. His favorite part of the job is the full on experience he told Bryanna, “Nearly every day I laugh. The students make me laugh. I also get new perspectives on things from students that you can't get anywhere else."
Dr. Zeolli is a new science teacher here at Preston. Her job consists of teaching Freshman Biology, Sophomore Earth Science, and Senior Anatomy. Prior to coming to Preston Dr. Z was a college Professor at Iona College, teaching similar subjects at a college level. Coming to Preston Dr. Z came to realize that there was quite a difference between working in and with high school students opposed to college, so adjusting herself will take time. She has involved herself in the school clubs and has taken on mentoring the Albanian club. One of her favorite things about her year here so far was watching the sophomores become juniors and seeing their growth. Since being here her favorite Preston tradition was the end of the year assembly for each student’s involvement and dedication to their clubs. Coming here she felt herself to be very welcomed, students were constantly helping her with anything she needed to know as well as the teachers she confided in for that help. Dr. Z has overall enjoyed her time here at Preston high school. She says its a lot more work than being a college professor but thus far she has taken on the challenge and is loving every minute of it.
Ms. Maya is Prestons newest math teacher, she started off as a substitute and what was supposed to be a three month, position, luckily ended her up with a full time position. Her responsibilities here are teaching freshman Algebra 1, sophomore Geometry, and junior Algebra 2. Prior to coming to Preston she taught at Catholic High School in Rhode Island. She attended the College of Saint Rose in Albany where she studied for her degree. Since her time in Preston Ms. Maya has taken part in the community by being a moderator for step team and Asian Club, as well as offering extra help for math through the honor society program. She is extra excited for her chance to be an Emmaus leader this year and is really looking forward to that time. She has overall very much enjoyed her time and is gradually adjusting to a completely different environment from what she is used to in the past. Ms. Maya has thus since then been able to build on her place here and develop relationships with her coworkers for any help she needs and a tolerance for the block schedule, which was hard to conform to. And as our Preston family grows, our new additions as you can tell were the right ones.
New Administrators
Almost every year, the Preston community welcomes a new member to our family. Over the past few years, in fact, we had many new additions. Every new addition brings something important to the table and we look to welcome them all with open arms. Mr. Pipchinski and Dr. Johnston are the most recent newcomers here at Preston that help us throughout each of our days.
This year we have had the pleasure of inviting Mr. Pipchinski, our new Dean of students into our community. Mr. Pipchinski came from Cathedral High School, an all-girls Catholic school, so he was already accustomed to the all-girls atmosphere. At Cathedral, he was an English teacher, an athletic director, and in charge of co-curricular activities. He is now Preston’s newest Dean of Students, overseeing that the student body is following the rules, while also enjoying themselves. He also runs programs such as Student Government, Junior Ambassadors, and Freshman Academy. When looking back to his first day, he commented that it was like a freshman’s first day of high school: overwhelming and brand new. Mr. P has developed an understanding for how things are run here and has taken a liking to the atmosphere here at Preston, He has stated, “I’ve enjoyed the sense of the community, and how enthusiastic the girls get about what’s going on. My expectations were exceeded in terms of the strength within this community, and I’m happy I made the move, and I hope to be here for a long time.”
We have also welcomed Dr. Johnston as a new Assistant Principal at Preston. Her responsibilities here include being a part of the administration team, organizing and dealing with any and all security issues, and always being available in the office. “There are different things thrown in. I have a finger in many areas,” she relayed. Leading up to this position, Dr. Johnson’s journey was quite interesting. She was raised in the military, so she traveled all over the world. She grew up in Japan, Germany, and different parts of the United States. As a result, she attended eleven grammar schools and three different high schools. She graduated from a high school located in Long Island and attended Good Counsel College, and, after a year, made the choice to join the convent of The Sisters of Divine Compassion where she remained for twenty-three years. Dr. Johnson’s prior work experience was very broad. She taught in both elementary and high schools in New York State. After she had left the convent, she went to California, where she was a principal for nineteen years at an elementary school. She came back to New York and was a principal for five more years. She opened up to one of our interviewer’s, Bryanna Thompson, saying “I couldn't wait to get back to the Bronx. I didn't want to be principal anymore, so now I'm an Assistant Principal at Preston.” Dr. Johnston has very much enjoyed her time here at Preston, meeting every student who walks through the doors. She ended by saying, that “I enjoy the students here at Preston. It’s a special place with special people.”
This year’s new additions to the staff, both educators in and out of the classroom, have been a delight and an absolute wonderful contribution to our community. Our school is lucky enough to say that we have a hardworking and compassionate staff that encourages us to push ourselves in the best ways possible.
Autism Awareness
Autism is a serious developmental disorder which impairs the ability to communicate and interact. Though treatment can help, there is no current cure to this condition. Autism affects the nervous system, and the severity of the symptoms vary. Autism also affects males more than females and is usually diagnosed during childhood or early adolescence. One of our Preston students, Angelina Leib, has shown passion and dedication to raising awareness for autism. Sophomore, Angelina, tried to start a club this year to bring attention to autism, but sadly, because of the lack of a mentor, she could not.
Alianna Guerra: How did you feel about the club not being able to come into fruition?
Angelina Leib: “Honestly, I was disappointed because now not many people in our school community will know that much about autism or how to act when they come across an autistic person in their daily lives.”
Alianna Guerra: Do you have a personal connection with autism that you feel comfortable sharing?
Angelina Leib: “My brother is autistic and my cousin also has Post Developmental Disorder or PDD, which is on the autism spectrum. When I decided to start this club, I had them in mind.”
Alianna Guerra: What were your goals for this club? comfortable sharing?
Angelina Leib: “To raise money for organizations who help autistic people live normal lives.”
Alianna Guerra: Nowadays there are a lot autistic characters being portrayed in the film, television, and books. Based on your experiences with autism, do you think that these industries are doing a good job representing autism in a realistic way?
Angelina Leib: “I think that are doing a good job. I also like how they portray each character differently. We have a saying in the autism community, “If you have met a child with autism, you have only met a child with autism”. Each autistic person is different and is on a different spot on the Spectrum.”
Alianna Guerra: Is there something you would like to say to the Preston Community to get them to start this club next year?
Angelina Leib: “Autism is very serious. Not many people know about it, and they should! Autistic people can be bullied and discriminated against. Instead of bullying autistic people or giving them dirty looks, we should lend them a hand.”
You obviously are very passionate about this cause and on behalf of Preston, I would like to thank you for trying to bring awareness to Autism. Everyone should try to get involved so that by next year Preston can have a club that promotes Autism Awareness.
Prestons Got Talent
Preston High School is not only a community, but a family, and one that holds many traditions. One of those traditions is the annual Preston’s Got Talent, a show where twelve girls showcase their talent in hopes of winning, similar to the TV show. Like every other year, there was no shortage of talent on November 10th, when twelve contestants of all grades took the stage to see who would take the crown. Although they were all amazing, there could only be one winner. This year, carrying on her sister’s legacy, junior Catherine Kien, took home the title.
Her sister, Kareen Kien, won last year’s talent show as a senior, but still came back for a final performance. Catherine credits much of her success to Kareen, as well as her family, whom she describes as musically gifted. Under her sister’s guidance, she was able to pick the perfect songs to showcase her voice; she chose “Warwick Avenue” by Duffy, a song which talked of love and realization, for her main act. Her parents, with music experience of their own, had once been a part of a band in which they sang and played instruments. Even her younger sister plays the violin. Family has a great impact on our experiences and personalities, making us who we are, a sentiment that is especially true for Catherine Kien.
Besides having the voice of an angel, Catherine plays the guitar and has played instruments like the flute, piano, and ukulele in the past. Growing up around music, it made sense she was sent to Barron’s Music to learn about it. Unfortunately, due to a busy schedule, she had to stop. However, this busy schedule did not subdue her passion for music. She continued on her own, self teaching to hone her craft, making her even more impressive. But shockingly, this P.S.71 graduate didn’t plan on auditioning to show our community her talent. In fact, it was designed as a joke between her and her friends, who were also contestants. Catherine considered backing out, but fortunately stayed due to the support she received from friends and teachers.
Catherine feels that Preston’s Got Talent benefited her in many ways. It showed her that she was able to come out of her shell, showcase talent even she was unsure about, and perform in front of a live audience. This experience gave her important skills to know as a young star on the rise: being able to perform in front of others and believe in yourself. As for next year’s contestants, Catherine’s advice to them is simple: “Consider doing it with your friends. It makes the whole experience fun and more comfortable.”
