WOODBURY — As another year unfolds, new staff and teachers join the Tribe. New teachers bring fresh ideas and new experiences to the classroom. Their unique backgrounds and different experiences helps to connect with their students in new ways making the subject more interesting and helping the kids learn and improve in different ways.

Nine new staff members shared their journey to end up at Nonnewaug.

Nonnewaug integrated science teacher Joshua Kornblut started his career at Woodbury Middle School. Sports make up a large part of Kornblut’s identity.

“My first teaching job was at Woodbury Middle School, where I spent six years, and now I’m doing my seventh year of teaching at Nonnewaug High School,” Kornblut said. “I like watching all my New York sports teams. I have coached softball for several years. I’ve coached baseball. I coach soccer, and I like to play golf in some of my free time. I now have a 2.5 year old daughter. I love just being able to spend time with her, whether it’s going to the playground, playing outside, taking my dogs for a walk with her, [and] just spending time with my family.”

Kornblut teaches integrated science, the freshman science class that introduces many subjects in the realm of science.

“I hope to be someone my students can count on, can hopefully look up to, come to when they need help, and just kind of be an adult in their life and help them grow as a person,” Kornblut.

Nonnewaug’s new media arts teacher, Katie Blake, had a unique route to becoming a teacher.

“My original bachelor’s degree was in broadcasting with an [concentration] of production,” Blake said. “I also was a newspaper sports reporter. I eventually went back during the pandemic to get my teaching certificate. I love live music, so I attend as many concerts as possible. I love to read, spend time on my Peloton, and catching up with new things on Netflix.”

Blake teaches students many different courses, including video game design and video production.

“I’m hoping that my students can feel my excitement and my passion for what happens within these four walls and that they feel like it’s a welcoming, safe space where they can explore a variety of different skills and discover their own talents,” Blake said.

Allison Buckley, Nonnewaug’s new lab technician, was a graphic designer before landing where she is today.

“I went to college for graphic design, and I worked in my field for 18 years,” Buckley said. “I worked up to art director, and then I switched over to web designer. When my daughter was born, I sort of worked out of my house for a while as a freelance artist.”

Buckley helps organize all lab and experiment equipment throughout all science classes. She finds that her organizational skills have carried over to this job.

“I find that a lot of the skills that I used in design and management translate really well to the schools,” Buckley said. “I know a lot about computers, so that really helps.”

Alexandra Lacroix is the new board-certified behavioral analyst whose job is to work collaboratively with teachers, sharing her expertise and providing support to enhance the learning environment. She shares her excitement and enthusiasm of joining Region 14.

“I’ve been in public school for about 16 years,” Lacroix said. “I started my teaching career in 2009. I was a kindergarten teacher and a first-grade teacher for about eight and a half years. Once I got my degree as a behavior analyst, I’ve been working in that field ever since 2019, and this is my first year in Region 14.”

Lacroix said she loves cooking, exercising, and spending time with her family, including her two children, who are 5 and 7. She noted that

“I love spending time with my family. I have two kids that are 5 and 7, and I love to cook and exercise. My goal is to get to know everyone. Because I’m not here just every day. I’d like for everyone to know me and my role and what I can do and how I can support teachers and students.”

Kyle Tehan, Nonnewaug’s newest addition to the wellness staff, looks to make a difference after returning to campus.

“I taught health and physical education at Crosby High School in Waterbury for eight years. I coached baseball here at Nonnewaug from 2015-22,” Tehan said. “I have my master’s degree in sport psychology and I am currently taking classes to obtain my 092 certification to become a school administrator. Outside of school, I love spending time with my fiancé, my friends, and my family, traveling, eating good food, weight lifting, watching sports/movies, and golfing.”

As a wellness teacher, Tehan wants to help students improve their decision-making skills.

“I would say my goal as a teacher is to mentor students to develop the skills necessary to think on their own and make the best decisions to become their best future self,” Tehan said.

Shannon Belanger, the new Nonnewaug math department instructional leader, has extensive teacher experience that she brings to school.

“For the past 13 years before coming to Nonnewaug, I was at Wethersfield High School,” Belanger said. “I taught pre-algebra, Algebra I, geometry, Algebra II, and integrated math class. I’ve also become an avid golfer. During the pandemic, I gave golf a try with my neighbor, and we did the park and rec lessons and it was so much fun.”

Belanger, being a new math teacher, hopes to fill students with knowledge and help them become more confident.

“I just want to build connections with students and make an impact,” Belanger said.

Natalie Morrison, the new speech language pathologist, at Nonnewaug shares her journey, her interest in hikes and her love for her nieces.

“This is my 12th year teaching,” Morrison said. “My first year, I was in middle and high school, and then I was in an elementary school for two years after that, and then for the past eight years before this, I was in a middle school. I like to go on walks or hikes. I like to go to the gym. I like to hang out with my nieces, but I moved here from Ohio, so I don’t get to see them as much. I also like to read, and watch TV. My goal as a teacher is to just build connections with students and make an impact.”

Todd Gorski, Nonnewaug’s new music teacher, is back at Nonnewaug as his career heads to another stop.

“I taught at Fraser-Woods School in Newtown as Pre-K through 8 general music, then at Bethel Middle School as a chorus teacher, [then at] Nonnewaug High School in 2015 for three years as library media specialist and music, then at Woodbury Middle School as a general music and chorus teacher, [and] now back at Nonnewaug High School [as] fine arts department chair and music teacher.”

Gorski, back at Nonnewaug for Round 2, hopes to fill students with excitement and knowledge for musical arts.

“My goal is to get as many students as possible to enjoy music classes and develop a lifelong appreciation for music,” said Gorski. “Outside of school, I like to go on hikes with the dog, mowing lawns and landscaping, live music and eating at every local restaurant.”

Stephen Sorriero, the new building substitute, has lengthy teaching experience as a physical education teacher.

“I previously taught in the Watertown school system for more than 50 years. My area of expertise was physical education,” Sorriero said. “I enjoy a variety of activities outside of school, including antique automobiles, collecting all items related to advertising, and musical theater. I think that the most important goal of a teacher is to provide students with the best possible education that is possible. It is important that students feel successful in reaching their academic goals, and this can be achieved by creating a positive and productive learning environment.”