Two familiar faces from River Bluff Middle School are joining us this year at Stoughton High School: Robert Thompson and Jessica Tomaszewski. In previous years, Thompson taught seventh-grade Social Studies at RBMS, whereas Tomaszewski taught Family Consumer Science classes, such as cooking, sewing, and design courses.
The culinary arts room, formerly occupied by Amanda Olsen, was taken over by Tomaszewski, who entered the high school as the new culinary arts teacher. While taking over Olsen’s classes, Tomaszewski’s courses don’t differ much from classes at the middle school. She has taken on other classes this year as well.
“I still teach [Family Consumer Science], and those classes now include Culinary One, Baking and Pastries, Culinary Two, and World Cuisine,” Tomaszewski said. “It’s pretty similar to the middle school, the only difference being the maturity of the students.”
Tomaszewski looks forward to reconnecting with students she taught at River Bluff, as she feels she can talk to them more as adults rather than as kids.
Many students at SHS are thrilled to have some of their favorite teachers back and teaching new material—but what instigated the change?
“[Our movement] revolved around the staff relocation and budget cuts last year,” Tomaszewski said. “Last year, I was told I would split my time teaching [Family Consumer Science] between River Bluff and SHS.”
Tomaszewski explains that RBMS did take a cut in the 2022-23 school year and that her courses would be less prevalent in the upcoming school year due to declining enrollment. Instead, Tomaszewski chose to take a full-time position at the high school, which she claims is much more enjoyable than the middle school.
“I feel like middle school teachers are a very defined unit,” Tomaszewski said. “Then you get up here, and it feels much more fluid. It’s much easier to find people you’re comfortable with and stick around them.”
Tomaszewski is excited about the new school year at SHS and looks forward to what’s to come.
With his “Star Wars” decor in full swing, Robert Thompson will take the room that once belonged to former SHS history teacher Nate Nelson. Thompson is sticking with his social studies roots and is teaching Modern United States History and Economics.
When asked why Thompson moved up to the high school, he claimed it was not for reasons similar to Tomaszewski’s.
“I chose to move up here voluntarily,” Thompson said. “When I first started teaching, I always intended to be a high school teacher. I stuck around at RBMS for a while, and when that wasn’t going anywhere, I saw this opportunity show up.”
Another aspect that influenced Thompson’s decision was the environment the students created.
“It’s nice, because you can talk a little more in-depth into topics,” Thompson said. “Students are now bringing in more background knowledge, so you can discuss complex topics with ease. I also don’t have to mind my P’s and Q’s quite as much.”
Thompson is having little trouble adjusting to the new high school environment, but there is one thing he’s looking out for.
“I’m trying to find that ‘sweet spot’ of expectations,” Thompson said. “I’m making sure that I’m not getting my expectations too high for high school students, but at the same time making sure I don’t treat them like seventh graders.”
Tomaszewski and Thompson are both happy to have the opportunity to work at SHS, and while this has brought forth temporary challenges for the two of them, they are looking forward to what is to come in their future at SHS. So, if you see SHS’s newest teachers in the halls, be sure to give them a warm welcome.