Ms. Conetta and her Varsity Squad
By Katarina Todorovich and Mia Tomanelli
In our second segment of Wise Words with Warhorse by Mia and Katarina, we had the pleasure of interviewing Ms. Conetta, one of the beloved history teachers at Weston High School who teaches Modern World Studies, Introduction to Sociology, and Introduction to Psychology! Ms. Conetta is known for creating a fun and exciting environment in her classroom where students are encouraged to participate in discussion, voice their opinions, and most importantly, feel comfortable during the school day.
We started our interview by asking Ms. Conetta what made her want to work in education, and she said that one of the things she loved to do was interact with people constantly. She’s always been interested in the sports world and really loved to learn. Additionally, she is interested in sociology, how people and cultures interact, and their impact on our society today.
Ms. Conetta had a quick answer to our question about her favorite part of teaching at WHS, saying, “being with all of you.” Ms. Conetta loves interacting with the students, engaging in exciting discussions, and seeing her former and current students in the hallways. She also loves working with all of the staff in the history department.
Hanging out with friends and attending live sporting events are what she does when she has some free time. One of her favorite hobbies is doing Crossfit and watching sports, hence, why she calls her classes, “The Varsity Squad.” Anything live and entertaining is Ms. Conetta’s cup of tea!
Ms. Conetta has many goals for her students throughout the year, but most importantly, she wants students to enrich their understanding of how the past impacts today and to see the effects history has on our everyday lives. She wants them to learn, be engaged, and not memorize history but rather understand the implications of the events in the past. At the end of the year, students will feel like they have a voice, shouldn’t be afraid to say anything, and, most importantly, are part of a family. She calls the classroom family the “Varsity Squad.”
Some of the most meaningful and important advice Ms. Conetta gave students was, “don’t get caught in what everyone else is doing. Don’t always consider the future because you’re going to be successful as long as you believe in yourself.” She wants students to engage in school spirit and “embrace their four years at high school rather than their next four years.”
Graduating from Darien High School and UConn, Ms. Conetta has a lot of connections with members of our school faculty, including Ms. Klein, who used to be her ninth-grade western civilization teacher. She was a student government advisor for eight years as well. Ms. Conetta loves to volunteer and plans to attend the trip to Europe this year with WHS!