WOODBURY – While over a decade has passed, and the hallways have changed, for Nonnewaug High School science faculty member and JV girls soccer coach, Rebecca Pope, it’s nice to be home.
“I live in Woodbury so being a part of the community you live in is important to me,” Pope says. “It’s nice to give back to a school that gave me so much.”
For NHS faculty, having Pope on campus has been a boost for students and staff alike.
“She is proud of being a Chief and is very excited to be back in this new role,” says Melissa Hodges, a science faculty member at Nonnewaug.
“She has watched this school change and grow since she graduated in 2010, but the pride in being at Nonnewaug has stayed the same,” says Hodges.
Pope made her original return to Nonnewaug as the varsity girls basketball coach in the 22’-23’ season replacing longtime coach Adam Brutting.
“I knew that she cared about the program and assumed that she would work to continue the positive culture Mr. Brutting and I tried to create,” says head of science faculty and former JV girls basketball coach Toby Denman.
“I was happy when she got hired as the basketball coach at Nonnewaug given her history here as a player,” says Denman. When she ended up needing an assistant, I agreed to help her because I knew we would be on the same page philosophically.”
For Denman, this was a first-hand view of how Pope would look in the classroom.
After having her daughter, she resigned as a coach but has made her second return to Nonnewaug this year as both a science teacher and JV girl’s soccer coach.
As he is head of science faculty, Denman helped to hire Pope as a science teacher.
“From what I have seen from her so far, she brings the same enthusiasm into her teaching that she does her coaching,” says Denman. “I could tell without ever having been in her classroom that she was a good teacher.”
Chloe Lambert, a freshman who has Pope as her integrated science teacher, is one of the many students who appreciate having a teacher the caliber of Pope.
“She brings excitement to class and she helps you out when you need it,” says Lambert. “She always has a smile on her face and she’s so kind to everyone.”
Although Pope loves her current position as a teacher, there are aspects of being a student here that she misses.
“I think the biggest thing you miss when you graduate is the community you get from school and sports,” says Pope. “When you graduate school all together and have to go work, it’s a totally different lifestyle that you have to get used to.”
Although various parts of the school have changed, to Pope, there are still many similarities that remain.
“As a student, especially from a sports lens, I always knew that Nonnewaug was really competitive,” says Pope. “ I think seeing that sports culture still be alive here is really neat.”
Some of the teachers that Pope had as a student are still teaching here to this day.
“I love that I now get to work with her as a colleague instead of a student,” says Hodges. “She was in my classroom early in my career, when I was still figuring out how to do this job.”
Hodges looks forward to seeing how Pope can continue to make a difference both in the classroom and on the field.
“Ms. Pope has always been heavily involved in sports.” Hodges says. “I hope she inspires many other students to get involved in our various programs.”
And for Pope, being part of the NHS faculty and serving students on the coaching sidelines is a dream come true.
“Once a chief, always a chief,” said Pope.
