Scituate High School has welcomed Mrs. O’Donnell as a new Special Education teacher this year. She has been co-teaching in several English and history classes. She has taken over for Mr. Pumphrey, who worked as the previous strategies teacher. A natural fit, Mrs. O’Donnell is happy about joining the Scituate High School community. “I knew I wanted to be a teacher from very early on. I come from a family of teachers; my mom taught for over 25 years, and both of my sisters teach as well,” she expressed. “I would always visit my mom’s classroom and see the way that kids would look at her. I thought, ‘This is pretty cool, and this is something I am interested in.’”
Coming from teaching younger students in Boston Public Schools, working with high schoolers has been a big change for Mrs. O’Donnell. “I absolutely love teaching here and don’t ever see myself going back to working with middle or elementary school students”, she said. “This year so far has been one of the best years of my teaching career. From the students, staff, and administration, everyone has just been so welcoming and helpful; I see myself staying here for a very long time.”
Mrs. Downing, who has been working with Ms. O’Donnell, said, “When we found Ms. O’Donnell, we were very lucky; she brought expertise from her past job, but she’s also one of the most kind people who loves working with kids,” says Mrs. Downing. “You always see her smiling, even if it’s a rough day.” Downing continued, saying that O’Donnell is “really somebody that is there for the good of the kids. She’s always having an open door for them, being present, being positive, and she’s also here to learn alongside them, which is really helpful for kids.”
Fellow Special Educator Roxanne Griffin shared: “We were so happy to have her on board because we started the year without somebody in that position, so we were all excited when she was hired…she is a great addition to the Special Education department because she is so invested in her students’ learning…She is kind, compassionate, caring, and funny, and she helps her students reach their goals. We are very fortunate to have found her.”