WOODBURY – A friendly face has made her grand return to Nonnewaug High School.

With her baby and a new sheep — both of whom are both named Jacob — arriving in her absence, Jennifer Jedd is ready to reinstall her veterinary expertise to the agriscience program.

“Although the early mornings are not fun, I missed being here with my students and being in a routine,” Jedd said. “It has been the smoothest transition back to work I could have hoped for.”

During Jedd’s maternity leave, former Nonnewaug ag student Jesse Hungerford took over as a long-term sub.

“Finding a substitute who is knowledgeable about animals and can stay for a long period of time is incredibly difficult,” Jedd remarked. “Ms. Hungerford had gone through the program here herself, so that was a huge benefit to the other teachers in the department since she already had a good idea of the expectations of the program.”

Hungerford was hesitant at first to step up for the job, but ended up enjoying her time as a teacher.

“I honestly wasn’t sure it would be the best fit for me; however, as we started moving through material I found I really enjoyed creating lessons, designing lab activities, and coming up with ways to make real hands-on experiences for students,” Hungerford remarked.

Jedd is grateful for all of Hungerford’s assistance in the difficult field of veterinary science. Hungerford is now in a similar long-term sub position at Shepaug.

“Ms. Hungerford brought in a lot of her own expertise and added some great labs and ideas,” Jedd concluded. “We were lucky to have her around.”

As Hungerford departed, she reflected on her past years as a student in the vet science program here at Nonnewaug and connected it to her teaching skills.

“I frequently thought back to when I was a student in the program,” Hungerford said. “I even added a few of those experiences to the classes I substituted for, as I knew current students would most likely enjoy the activities as much as I did.”

Maddie Orosz, a senior, has especially enjoyed her time in vet class with both Hungerford and Jedd.

“Ms. Hungerford helped us get back in the groove; she didn’t skip a beat,” Orosz said. “She came right in and started teaching us and kept us up with the curriculum. We actually got ahead.”

Although Hungerford made a lasting impression, the students were looking forward to Jedd’s return.

“Personally, I am looking forward to her jokes; I think Ms. Jedd’s hilarious,” Orosz said. 

Overall, students have a positive outlook on the future of their veterinary science class.

“Having her back really gives us a sense of comfort again,” Orosz concluded. “She’s here, she didn’t skip a beat, and she does a really great job teaching us.”