By ALINA RAZVI
Ms. DePinto teaches discreet chemistry and loves working with her students. As one of the new hires here at Jericho, she hopes to gain a new family and community this year.
As a child, Ms. DePinto has always wanted to become a teacher. For a little while however, she swayed from this plan. She said, “During a brief period of time, I had thought about becoming a physician assistant.” She interned in an emergency room and even though she loved it, Ms. DePinto missed being in the classroom. She finished her education in science and is now certified in biology, chemistry and Earth science.
Ms. DePinto wanted to be like her teachers so that her students could feel the same way that she used to during school. “I had amazing relationships with my teachers growing up. We had the ability to babysit sometimes for our teachers, and there were programs where the teachers were very involved. They were so supportive that I wanted to be them,” she said.
Before working at Jericho, Ms. DePinto used to work in the Commack middle school and high school. At the start of her career, she worked in Hauppauge at Rocky Point High School. When compared to other schools, Ms. DePinto feels that the Jericho community is unlike any other. She said, “Here, all members—staff, students, and families—truly work together and support each other to reach a common goal.”
Ms. DePinto said, “Going to school brings me joy because I get to see my students’ smiling faces, hear my students’ laughs at my funny jokes, and see the other teachers and staff members.”
Ms. DePinto loves to interact with her students every day. She incorporates interactive lessons into her teaching style by having her students move around the room, work in groups, complete lab or literacy activities, and perform hands-on laboratory experiments. She says, “My students bring so much to the table. They are all so different that it’s exciting for me to be able to learn something from all of them, to be able to teach them, and to have them learn science.”
During her free time Ms. DePinto loves going to the gym, and walking or running outside while taking in the scenery. She enjoys catching up with family and friends over dinner or watching a funny movie.