New Teacher Feature

ENGLISH

Alex Bergren – Dual Enrollment English & English 12

Q: How long have you been teaching? If you’ve taught before, where were you last teaching?

A: This is my 28th year in education, not all of that was teaching [but] this would be my 10th year as a teacher. I was working in the central office in the office of safe schools as a project manager before this.

Q: What are you most excited about in regards to the Salem Community?

A: I was an assistant principal at Salem Middle in 2003 to 2009, and I just always loved the Salem Community. They were great kids then so I’m excited to join the community- a community that’s diverse and connected. I’ve always enjoyed this area.

Q: What was your favorite thing you did this summer?

A: I went on a little getaway trip with my wife and a couple of friends, we went up to Pittsburgh. It’s a really cool city, I don’t think very many people think of it. We went there to see Billy Joel play in concert at PNC Park and then we spent some time exploring the city, finding some good food and good drinks.

Catherine Bond – 10th Grade English

Q: How long have you been teaching? If you’ve taught before, where were you last teaching?

A: This is my 4th year teaching, I just moved here from Citrus County, Florida. I previously taught 9th, 10th, and 12th grade there.

Q: What are you most excited about in regards to the Salem Community?

A: I’m really excited to meet all of the other teachers and of course the students and forming relationships with them

Q: What was your favorite thing you did this summer?

A: I went on my Honeymoon, we went on a cruise [to different Islands in the Caribbean].

Laura Todorovic – 9th grade English

Q: How long have you been teaching? If you’ve taught before, where were you last teaching?

A: This will be my 5th year. I’ve been teaching at Salem Middle School, so I have some of my old students this year.

Q: What are you most excited about in regards to the Salem Community?

A: I like the schedule: I like that we can get out a little bit earlier and have way more time in our day because middle school gets out pretty late. I’m excited about going to football games, swim meets, and things like that.

Q: What was your favorite thing you did this summer?

A: I went to a concert, which was like a pretty good grand finale [to summer], just my husband and I; no kids. We went to see Judah and the Lion, who I love, so it was good.

Taylor Wallace – 9th grade English

Q: How long have you been teaching? If you’ve taught before, where were you last teaching?

A: This is my fifth year teaching English in Virginia. Previously, I taught 6th, 7th, and 8th at Kempsville Middle School. 

Q: What are you most excited about in regards to the Salem Community?

A: I am excited to learn about the visual and performing arts academy. Also, to become a part of the Salem community. 

Q: What was your favorite thing you did this summer?

A: Last summer I spent time in Florida, in particular a VIP Miami pool party with my best friends. 

MATH

Jessica Delgado – Probability and Statistics, Discrete, Trigonometry

Q: How long have you been teaching? If you’ve taught before, where were you last teaching?

A: This will be my 11th year teaching. [I last taught in] California.

Q: What are you most excited about in regards to the Salem Community?

A: I’ve heard the students here are awesome. I am excited about meeting all of you guys. I am excited about working at a performing arts school because I’ve heard the performances and plays are really, really good here. And, I’m excited to just teach in a different state and learn the way Virginia does stuff.

Q: What was your favorite thing you did this summer?

A: Moved across the country with my 2 kids, 4 rats, and a great dane in a 26-foot moving truck. That was an experience.

Lindsey Saunders – Geometry and Algebra II/trig

Q: How long have you been teaching? If you’ve taught before, where were you last teaching?

A: This is my first year teaching, at Salem and in general.

Q: What are you most excited about in regards to the Salem Community?

A: Someone told me that Salem is a place where everyone is someone, and I just look forward to seeing all the personalities and passions of all the students, and getting the school year started

Q: What was your favorite thing you did this summer?

A: I went to the Green Mountain Bluegrass and Roots festival in Vermont, and my family camped outside the music festival. It was really fun.

ACADEMY/FINE ARTS

David Boone VPAA Instrumental Music Director 

Q: How long have you been teaching? If you’ve taught before, where were you last teaching?

A: This is my 12th year of teaching. My last teaching position was at Old Donation School and Kempsville Middle School

Q: What are you most excited about in regards to the Salem Community?

A: Coming to the Visual and Performing Arts Academy at Salem High School and seeing some of the students that I taught when they were in Elementary School at Old Donation School. I am excited and looking forward to working with the Instrumental music students here at the Academy. It’s great to be a SunDevil!

Q: What was your favorite thing you did this summer? 

A: A wonderful two week trip to Hawaii.

Kalin Kane – Art Foundations

Q: How long have you been teaching? If you’ve taught before, where were you last teaching?

A: This is my 5th year teaching, but my first year teaching full time for a public school. Last year, I was a substitute teacher for all grades and subjects across the VBCPS school district. I finished out the fourth quarter last year as a long term sub for Visual Art at Cox High School. Prior to that, I was an Oboe Instructor and Small Music Performance Team Instructor at the US Army School of Music and the US Marine and Navy School of Music on Little Creek base. I also taught a two week intensive instructor course about 10 times, to certify new instructors at the military school house. 

Q: What are you most excited about in regards to the Salem Community?

A: I am excited about an engaged community of learners. I am very excited to watch the student artwork come to life in my studio classroom and I am excited and grateful to work with three other fantastic visual art teachers who I can learn from.

Q: What was your favorite thing you did this summer?

A: My favorite thing about this summer was spending time with my school age children. My daughter turned seven over the summer and my son turned 12 just before summer kicked off. We had a ton of local fun and a great long weekend in Charleston, SC. The aquarium there was great and we happened to be there during Shark Week. 

John Moss – Theatre

Q: How long have you been teaching?

A: I have taught at the undergraduate level for approximately five years.

Q: If you’ve taught before, where were you last teaching?

A: I primarily taught Theatre and Public Speaking courses.  I have also directed youth productions of Peter Pan and Lord of the Flies.

Q: What are you most excited about in regards to the Salem Community?

A: I look forward to working with students pursuing alternative performance opportunities. For example, performing scenes from William Shakespeare’s Star Wars at Tidewater Comic-con.

Q: What was your favorite thing you did this summer?

A: Over the summer, I continued renovation work on a family home.  I am currently in the process of installing several “secret door” bookcases.

AVID

Nick Dimascio

Q: How long have you been teaching? If you’ve taught before, where were you last teaching?

A: This is my 4th year as a teacher. I was a TA prior to that for 3 years. I’ve taught special education and math prior to what I’m doing now. [I previously taught] at Princess Anne Middle School.

Q: What are you most excited about in regards to the Salem Community?

A: I graduated from First Colonial, so I know part of the area and I’m excited just because I know how the kids are around here and how you guys are students: very upbeat, very fresh, always here with ideas, creative and fun. I missed that when I left high school to [teach] middle school. 

Q: What was your favorite thing you did this summer?

A: Honestly, my favorite thing I did was hang out with my dog Luna. I didn’t do much traveling. My sister just had a newborn baby, so I’m a new uncle so I’ve been spending a lot of time with my nephew.

COUNSELOR

Brazil Ford

Q: How long have you been working in counseling?

A: This is my sixth year as a school counselor. In that time, I have worked as a high school, elementary school, and most recently middle school counselor. I think high school is where I can do the most good.

Q: What is your favorite thing about being a counselor?

A: I am honored to watch my students grow and to celebrate their successes with them. There are things students and families share with me that others don’t know, so I feel privileged to acknowledge what they’ve overcome to reach their goals. 

Q: What are you most excited about in regards to the Salem Community?

A: Salem has genuinely high expectations for how we should go out into the world and treat each other. I am excited to be part of a community that takes this commitment seriously.

Q: What was your favorite thing you did this summer?

A: This summer, I moved here from Roanoke, Virginia! My daughter, husband, and I used that time to visit the lesser-known beaches in the area: Buckroe Beach, Stumpy Lake, and any little watering hole we could find

SPECIAL EDUCATION

Keara Forbes 

Q: How long have you been teaching?

A: 9 years.  

Q: If you’ve taught before, where were you last working?

A: Bayside Middle School 

Q: What are you most excited about in regards to the Salem Community?

A: Getting to know our diverse and talented students.

Q: What was your favorite thing you did this summer?

A: I went to Cancun, Mexico. 

Vicki Williams 

Q: How long have you been teaching? 

A: This is my 26th year teaching.

Q: If you’ve taught before, where were you last teaching?

A: I taught at Indian River High School in Chesapeake before I started here. 

Q: What are you most excited about in regards to the Salem Community? 

A: The Salem Community is vibrant. I am enjoying getting to know the students.  They are all so unique and talented. I appreciate the supportive staff that I work with at Salem. 

Q: What was your favorite thing you did this summer?

A: I enjoyed spending time with my family and friends. 

SCIENCE

Justin Henaghan 

Q: How long have you been teaching? If you’ve taught before, where were you last teaching?

A: 5-ish years. I taught for 4 years at Renaissance Academy. Then, I taught/operated a small middle school program at a Montessori school. That school year, the pandemic hit, the program shut down, and I had not taught since then.  

Q: What are you most excited about in regards to the Salem Community?

A: The students! The students have been absolutely wonderful and I’m thrilled to be staying on as their full time teacher. I’m also excited to be collaborating with so many great teachers here at Salem. Everyone has been so welcoming and incredibly helpful.

Q: What was your favorite thing you did this summer?

A: Stayed at a lake house with a couple close friends and left the kids with the grandparents. We had a campfire, made smores, and went kayaking. It was fantastic.

Chris Jackolski

Q: How long have you been teaching? If you’ve taught before, where were you last teaching?

A: 5 years. Northern VA and in graduate school before that. 

Q: What are you most excited about in regards to the Salem Community?

A: The students. They’re very engaged, so I’ve had a great time teaching them.

Q: What was your favorite thing you did this summer?

A: I took good macro photos of an insect that I had never seen before: a bumblebee moth. They mimic bumblebees, but they’re really moths.

NJROTC

Capt. Anthony Kelly (4th Block)

Q: How long have you been teaching? If you’ve taught before, where were you last teaching?

A: This is my first year teaching.

Q: What are you most excited about in regards to the Salem Community?

A: Building a strong citizen foundation with the future leaders of tomorrow.

Q: What was your favorite thing you did this summer?

A: Did crossfit with my daughter 3 times a week.

Classy Meija 

Q: How long have you been teaching? If you’ve taught before, where were you last teaching? 

A: This is my first year teaching.

Q: What are you most excited about in regards to the Salem Community?

A: Building citizens and helping them to achieve their full potential, even when they don’t see it.

Q: What was your favorite thing you did this summer? 

A: Traveled through Europe.

SOCIAL STUDIES

Mary Stevenson

Q: How long have you been teaching? If you’ve taught before, where were you last teaching?

A: This is my 6th year teaching in Virginia Beach City Public Schools. Before Salem, I taught at First Colonial High School as a long-term sub and then 5 years at Larkspur Middle School teaching 8th grade Economics and the AVID elective class (I also ran the AVID program at LKMS). 

Q: What are you most excited about in regards to the Salem Community?

A: I love the high school atmosphere! I am excited to get back into teaching Social Studies again. I have also really enjoyed getting to know the faculty members and the amazing students here at Salem! 

Q: What was your favorite thing you did this summer?

A: I love spending time with my family by the pool or at the beach! I made a really fun birthday cake for my daughter- it was a frog themed cake where I had a little forest scene with cute little fondant frogs jumping in the pond. (making fun and weird cakes is a fun hobby of mine) 

Russell B. Williams- Social Studies

Q: How long have you been working in teaching? I am new to teaching. 

A: I taught Second Semester World History I and AP Human Geography for 3 months at Green Run High and 3 years as a Site Assigned Substitute at Bayside High.

Q: What are you most excited about in regards to the Salem Community?

A: I am excited about the opportunity to help our SunDevil Students and staff to have a successful school year. 

Q: What was your favorite thing you did this summer?

A: I was witness to my oldest Son getting married and the birth of my 4th grandchild. 

GIFTED RESOURCE

Kelly Lepkowski

Q: How long have you been teaching? 

A: This is my 21st year teaching.  

Q: If you’ve taught before, where were you last teaching?  

A: Corporate Landing Middle School.

Q: What are you most excited about in regards to the Salem Community?  

A: There are so many great things to get excited about at Salem.  First of all, Salem High School is a community- it feels like I’m now a part of a very unique and special place. I am excited about working with the many great students and teachers that I have met! I am excited about M/Cing future pep rallies- M/Cing our homecoming pep rally was a dream come true for me!!! I am excited about participating in all the cool events & activities high schools have that middle schools don’t!  I’m just, overall, super excited to be a Salem Sundevil!!!

Q: What was your favorite thing you did this summer? 

A: Interviewed at Salem High School,  found out I got my new GRT job, and went to TopGolf with the Salem leadership team! Got my small craft business up and running and participated in 10 cool craft fairs this summer! Went to Nascar race in Richmond and met Kyle Busch- I even got my picture taken with him!  

BOOKKEEPER

Melissa Wooten

Q: How long have you been working in our school system? Where were you last?

A: I have been in the school system for four years. My last school was Lynhaven Elementary School.

Q: What are you most excited about in regards to the Salem Community?

A: I have always been involved with my son’s high schools. When they were in school and for me coming to a high school I feel like I can continue that not only professional work but voluntary work so I like high school students.

Q: What was your favorite thing you did this summer?

A: I got to go to Ohio. My family is from Ohio and we went to an area called Hocking Hills and I got to go hiking and there were waterfalls and just relax and spend a lot of time with my extended family. It was cool.

CULINARY

Markus Pfeiffer

Q: How long have you been teaching?

A: I have taught about 30 years at almost every grade level.  I taught middle school, high school and college. I taught everything from cooking, to Sewing, to Digital Media Communication and Journalism!

Q: If you’ve taught before, where were you last teaching?

A: I taught last at PAMS. Princess Anne Middle School

Q: What are you most excited about in regards to the Salem Community?

A: I love the creative vibe here at Salem and how students express their creativity in arts, music and clothing style! We have great sports teams and I went for the first time in my life to a HS Football game! It was awesome!

Q: What was your favorite thing you did this summer?

A: I got to travel to my home country of Switzerland. There I took several long eBike trips through amazing and beautiful mountain landscapes and terrain.