As you might have noticed, there are some new staff and teachers at the school this year! We took some time to interview some of the new staff so we could learn more about them. Both Ms. Zheng, our new chemistry teacher, and Ms. Abolafia, our new assistant principal, were interviewed.

First off, as mentioned earlier, Ms. Zheng is our new chemistry teacher! If you are in her classes, you might know that she owns a small business, where she sells keychains, enamel pins, and stickers that are anime and Asian-inspired.

This is her first time teaching at a public school. “I’ve only worked at one other school before this, and at my other school, I was an assistant teacher. So not only is this my first time being in a public school, this is also my first time as a head teacher, or the main teacher.”

She said that she liked the school since it was easy to get used to because of the small size. So far, she said that the students and staff around her are very friendly and understanding.

Since she is the chemistry teacher, it would be silly not to ask her what her favorite thing about chemistry is. She replied that she likes the problem solving aspect of chemistry, and how it is interconnected to other sciences since it is the “central science”.

An interview with Ms. Abolafia was conducted as well. Since she plays an important role in the school as assistant principal, it would be good to get to know more about her.

When asked about what she likes about the school so far, she said so far the students were her favorite part; “I think spending time talking with students about what’s relevant to them.” She said she also enjoys working alongside Dr. Page and Mr. Boyno, and all the other staff as well.

During the interview, she talked about how she had the opportunity to work at many schools, but wanted to be at BSGE because of her interest in the IB program, and its deeper learning approach.

Outside of school, she has a lot of hobbies too. She likes running, reading, and listening to podcasts. However, her favorite pastime is walking her dog. “I could walk him for hours.”, she says.

Ms. Zheng and Ms. Abolafia are new staff, but it seems they already fit into the school community very well, and we hope that they continue to enjoy their time at BSGE!