As students encounter new experiences throughout their four years at THS, the same occurs for the teachers and staff. To dive deeper into these significant moments, I asked teachers about their favorite memories working at Tenafly!
As you walk down the language hall, it’s hard to miss Ms. Pelaez-Martinez and her vibrant, ever-changing hair, ranging from hot pink to turquoise. Having taught at THS for almost twenty years, Pelaez-Martinez has been able to watch the ups and downs of the school. She reflects upon her many years as a world language teacher at Tenafly and states that her favorite memory was her first Olympics, as she was able to participate alongside her coworkers in the teacher relay. Pelaez-Martinez recalls being enthusiastic in the game due to her competitive nature. “I high-tailed it to the other end of the gym on a little kid’s bike, almost running over Jayne Bembridge, the director of guidance,” she said. “I ran into the wall and kept yelling at her to get out of the way!” Additionally, she reveals that her overall favorite repetitive memory is observing the school’s ducks! “I’ve never seen them live, but the fact that we have this duck that has decided that the high school is the best place to have her babies is very cute,” Pelaez-Martinez adds.
If you have ever taken American Literature or World Literature II here at THS, you may know Ms. Hampson and her bright personality. Besides her love of books, Hampson loves to stay involved with our community, often keeping up with the Tenafly sports news and attending school events. As she enters her 21st year teaching at THS, Hampson thinks back to the school’s first production of Oklahoma in 2004. “I was blown away by the talent, the music, the stage design, [and] the acting,” Hampson said. “It was phenomenal.” As a sports fanatic, Hampson adds that another one of her favorite memories was the 2012 Varsity Ice Hockey season due to the foreshadowing of events she was able to witness. “I taught the captain of the ice hockey team during his sophomore year,” Hampson said. “I remember him coming to me and saying, ‘Ms. Hampson, we’re going to go to state finals during my senior year.’ Lo and behold, we were in the state championship and only lost by one goal to an incredibly difficult team.” Although they ended up losing, Hampson expresses the pride she felt for the 2012 Varsity Ice Hockey team, as she was able to watch many of the players grow during their time at THS.
Although Ms. Capone is known as one of Tenafly’s valued physical education teachers, you may not know that she also teaches our school’s Teen Pep and Peers classes. She states that her favorite part about being the Teen Pep teacher is the family nights because “everyone is just so happy by the end of the evening.” She adds that the purpose of Teen Pep is to educate and create an environment where people can share about themselves comfortably. “My class will never get you into Harvard or Yale, but it will help you make good decisions with life,” Capone said. Another thing Capone loves about teaching Teen Pep is the retreats that are held before the new school year begins. She adds that through these retreats, the future Teen Pep educators are able to connect with one another and learn more about upcoming class units through guest speakers and activities. However, Capone’s favorite memory outside of the numerous classes that she teaches is her two undefeated seasons as the coach of the freshman girls basketball team. “During the last undefeated season, we had a game in Ridgewood in double overtime, which was very exciting,” Capone recalled.
