Beginning in the fall of 2023, Ms. Sara Chilone began teaching at EHHS as an American Literature and Freshman English teacher. Her goal in this role is to help students believe in themselves through the vigorous course of American Literature and the rest of their high school experience.

While this is Ms. Chilone’s first year teaching at the high school, she has been a member of the EHPS community for years. Beginning to teach at JMMS, she decided it was time for a change and took the opportunity when a spot opened up at the high school. She loves to build her relationships with students and create a safe space in her classroom. While she had teaching experience prior to coming to EHHS, the change of environment was still nerve-wracking for her. “I think no matter what you doubt yourself, and I was like ‘Am I smart enough to teach high school?’” Despite these doubts, she has found herself adjusting to the new environment with the help of her colleagues. “If I had a hard day at the new school and the new transition I just knew that tomorrow would be better and I learned from my mistakes and I also just reached out to my colleagues and they were a lot of support. The English teachers here are really supportive,” states Ms. Chilone.

Ms. Chilone has greatly enjoyed seeing how her students have grown since teaching them at JMMS. Years later, she remembers teaching her past students how to write and what it is like now to read their maturely developed essays as high school students. “I remember teaching APES responses in sixth grade and now I see my juniors who write these beautiful, intricate essays and to think I had a hand in shaping them and allowing them to build those skills is really incredible.” Despite the large transition, she recognized that everything was worth it to see her students grow.

When reflecting further back on why she decided to become a teacher, she responds that school has always been her “safe place” and gave her a place to be a kid after becoming independent at an early age. She adds, “I want to leave everywhere I go a little bit better than when I found it and I had so many teachers that just showed me kindness and if I could do that for one student I’d think my life was worth it.” These formative experiences allowed Ms. Chilone to realize her larger purpose in life which ultimately led her to East Haven’s school system.

Besides her school life, she enjoys true crime and often goes to see live shows with her mother. Eventually, she would like to work with The Connecticut Innocence project which helps get wrongfully accused people out of prison. Ms. Chilone also enjoys working out for her mental health and all the rewards that come with it. Ms. Chilone mentions that her ultimate goal is to spread kindness to as many people as possible, which she is successfully doing day by day at EHHS. Ms. Chilone says, “Love is my legacy.”