Maddy DiGiovanni ’13
Photo credit of Mountaineer Staff
Mr. Fusco and Ms. Zeoli
Mr. Fusco has graduated from Wildwood! Through he originally taught Special Education for a year at MLHS, he spent the next six or seven years teaching history to third graders, then to fifth graders. This year, he has returned to the high school to teach Special Education and Learning Strategies. He also works as an aid for Mr. Price, Mr. Pennisi, and Mr. Nitka.
If he could teach any other class, it would be American History, which he taught at Wildwood. “I miss that…” he says. “ I hear Mr. Cosgrove from across the hall, and he’s great.” Teaching is “a great life,” he says “You get to work with people; you’re making a difference in someone’s life. And you get summers off, too!” The greatest reward is students’ enthusiasm. “My favorite part of teaching is when the students get excited about something you’re teaching or a great discussion.”
In fact, this excitement is what he first noticed about MLHS, remarking that it is “very impressive. There’s a lot of school pride, Laker pride…” He also noted the high level of expectations and excellence. “Whenever there’s a school drama, it’s always the best. Whenever there are sports games, everyone gets really excited. Everyone’s in Honors classes. Students see everything as a challenge.”
“My favorite part of the day is… lunch!” He laughs as he says this, but he does enjoy the teacher-student interactions that MLHS cafeteria provides. “I get to see a lot of my former students, which is great, because at Wildwood, teachers are sort of afraid of the cafeteria.” The Wildwood cafeteria is as infamous as MLHS’s hallway intersection, another “favorite” of Mr. Fusco’s. “Walking in the hallways is always so much fun…” he jokes. His one wish is for proper air conditioning. “It’s so weird how there will be air conditioning in one room, but it won’t work in the next room. I’m willing to open the windows, though, so it’s not too bad.”
Congratulations to Mr. Fusco, who is now MLHS’s new head football coach! “That was a big change. It’s a lot of fun,” he remarks. Mr. Fusco also coaches freshman boys’ lacrosse in the spring.
His enthusiasm carries over from the classroom to the fields; Mr. Fusco makes a huge contribution to the Laker pride he admires. Welcome (back) to Mountain Lakes High School, Mr. Fusco!