Mrs. Myers moved from JMMS to EHHS at the start of the fall 2022 school year and hopes to see students become more inspired through her interactive classroom environment.
Mrs. Myers isn’t new to the EHPS community; she has been teaching within the district for many years now, starting at JMMS. She made the move from JMMS to EHHS because she thought it was time for a new change. She hopes her teaching skills and uplifting personality will inspire students to enjoy school more.
Mrs. Myers teaches one Language Arts Seminar class, three Freshmen English classes, and one American Literature class. So far she has become the co-advisor for the National Honor Society. She says it’s been a little difficult getting out of her “comfort zone.” She has been relying on her colleagues and even students to guide her this school year and help her learn more about EHHS. Her main goal this year is to bring positive energy, develop new connections with staff and students, and make learning more interesting and fun so kids will be inspired to enjoy school more.
Her decision to become a teacher started back in elementary school. Mrs. Myers wanted to live out her mother’s dream of being a teacher that she couldn’t accomplish. Mrs. Myers says, “I really enjoy teaching because it brings a new challenge everyday. I get satisfaction from seeing my students progress and the relationships with highschoolers is way more respectful than middle schoolers.”
Mrs. Myers grew up in Syracuse, New York and attended Ithaca college in New York where she majored in English education. She then became certified to teach 7th through 12th grade. Mrs. Myers wasn’t always a teacher, though. “I always liked to be the boss growing up and when I got my first job I knew I wanted to be the boss of people,” states Mrs. Myers. She worked at different retail stores as the manager before teaching, but quickly got tired and realized she wanted to use her degree and become a teacher. The beginning of her teaching career started as a student-teacher with sophomores which then led to her becoming a sub. She got her first full-time teaching job at a middle school in Ansonia, CT. She then moved to East Haven, living there for two years before becoming a teacher at JMMS.
Outside her teaching life, she enjoys some hobbies like hiking on the weekend with her husband and crocheting. She has two kids, Asa and Taylor, both of whom went to school in East Haven and are now in college. In 10 years she hopes to see herself still teaching, but down in the south. When she retires she hopes to “become a volunteer of some sort, like at a food bank.” Even though her transition has been refreshing for her and she enjoys her new home at EHHS, she does miss her family at JMMS. She misses her old staff and students and especially her advanced classes she taught.
While Mrs. Myers is new this year, she has some coworkers who already have known her for years. English teacher, Ms. Themis Valsamis, has known her for 17 years and they worked together at JMMS. Mrs. Valsamis says it has been “refreshing” to have her here at our school now. She says that Mrs. Myers is great with the freshmen and a comfort for some of them. “She is creative, patient, and has a different unique perspective about things which is beneficial at teacher meetings.” They share a very fun bond and Ms. Valsamis said they love to joke around; “She always laughs at my jokes no matter how bad they are.” Some words she used to describe Mrs. Myers were reliable, trustworthy, and honest. Ms. Valsamis thinks very highly of Mrs. Myers; “with Mrs. Myers, it’s all smiles and love.”
Mrs. Valsamis isn’t the only one who agrees that Mrs. Myers is a great teacher. Mrs. Lisa Veleas, the English department instructional leader, agrees. She says, “Mrs. Myers is a great teacher and a great person. She is always working hard to help students, she is committed to service in the community, and she loves the town of East Haven.” They have been working together now for 18 years. Along with becoming the co-advisor for The Honor Society, Mrs. Veleas also says she was the first teacher to teach an Advanced Reading course at JMMS. She has even helped in the town, like at the local animal shelter and collecting books for students who don’t have any. Mrs. Veleas says, “She is very creative and an inventive teacher, always looking for new and interesting ways to engage her students and get them to think about important issues in our world.” She says her most memorable moment about Mrs. Myers was when she raised money to have a well created in Africa that has the JMMS name on it.
Freshman, Gianna Perciballi, was quite excited when asked about Mrs. Myers. “I love Mrs. Myers. I see her a lot at the end of the day as I know her from last school year. I talk to her about what I struggle with since she knows the type of person I am,” said Gianna. Gianna says that at first, she felt like Mrs. Myers was going to be a tough teacher to work with. However, she learned how to be responsible from Mrs. Myers as well as be a more “attentive learner” in her classes. She loves that Mrs. Myers is an optimist who has such a great outlook on everything in life. She can make anyone’s day go from bad to good. Gianna says, “My most memorable moment with Mrs. Myers is definitely when I went to class with her everyday. Everyday is memorable because class was always fun to be in.” Many of her students agree that overall, everyday is a memorable day with Mrs. Myers.
