Mrs. Fanelli (Chemistry)

Background: I'm from Clifton, and have never lived in any other city. In high school I participated in marching band and was the drum majorette my senior year.

My undergraduate degree is from Montclair State University. When I started college I wanted to major in Dietetics and Nutrition, then go to a culinary school. Food is a big part of culture, and I wanted to help people adapt their recipes to meet their nutritional needs. Ultimately, I changed my major to Chemistry with a teaching certification. Chemistry was my favorite class in high school because it made me work hard and I was a trainer at every job I had up to that point. After graduation, I started my teaching career at Paramus High School and began working on my Master’s Degree in Educational Technology at Ramapo. I've also taught at Kittatinny Regional, Indian Hills, and Northern Highlands. My high school chemistry teacher really inspired me, and I hope I can do the same for my students.

Outside Activities: During the week I'm super busy with work and life in general, so I generally like to spend my weekends sleeping in and relaxing at home. I keep up with entirely too many shows to list and enjoy watching sad documentaries on Netflix. When I do go out it's usually to watch some stand-up comedy. I've seen a ton of comics and go to dozens of shows a year. I do attend the occasional concert - notably a yearly trip to see Billy Joel at the Garden. Other than that I enjoy crafting and spending time with family, especially spoiling my niece and nephew. I'm also a fan of playing games like Power Grid and Fluxx, as well as two player strategy games. I've actually have been the adviser to game clubs in two of the schools I've worked at.

First Impressions of CPHS: Cliffside Park seems like a great school to work in. Everyone is very nice; the staff wants to help students learn and the students are respectful and polite.