Student/Teacher
Interviews
Allie Foley - School Nurse at WDS
Interview by Zelde CSW and Sunny Guy - Published 6/4/26
Q : What is your favorite part about being a nurse? A: Being with kids, It’s so much fun. I’ve worked with adults before and that's much less fun. Working with kids is really, really enjoyable and it makes me laugh and smile all day long. Q: What’s it like working at the same school your kids go to? A: It’s the best thing ever. Like, Teddy was just standing outside my window and waiting for me, or I'll walk by and see Eloise on the playground, or I will go by the cafe and see Violet eating her lunch. It’s the best case scenario that we're all here, I love it so much. Q: Have you worked at other schools? A: I substituted at Saugerties before. Q: Would you say you like it here more, what’s different than being a substitute to a full time school nurse? A: I love being here. You guys are great here, the kids are wonderful here. I didn’t have any bad experiences before but I love the community here. I love that everyone knows everybody, everyone’s smiling, everyone seems happy to be here, everyone is very kind and polite and respectful. And the difference from being a part time and a full time nurse is that you really get to know everybody. When I was in Saugerties and I was a substitute, I really didn’t get to know the kids that well. Here I feel like in the short amount of time I’ve been here, I feel like I’ve really got to know you guys and get to know everyone’s needs and how to help the best. Q: What is the most difficult part of being a school nurse? A: The most difficult part is when someone’s really hurt or really sick and we need to get help right away, or when someone’s just having a really bad day and I feel like there’s not a lot I can do to help them. Q: Have you ever had to do someone’s stitches? A: So, nurses can't do stitches. But I have removed my brother-in-law's staples out of his head. Q: What’s the most crazy medical related thing you have done here and in general as a nurse? A: Nothing that crazy here. But I’ve worked at the hospital here so I’ve done much more there. Q: What is your favorite snack and/or food? A: I love Thai food, It’s so good. I love Indian food, and I love Ramen. Q: If you hadn’t become a teacher what career path would you have followed? A: I wanted to be a vet when I was a kid. Q: What have students taught you? A: Kindness and seeing the good in everything. Kids are so resilient, they're so strong. I can learn a lot from kids. Q: What was one of your favorite moments when teaching health class? A: I think watching the 8th grade really getting in to do your health projects and finishing even though it's kinda messy. I’d never done anything like that before. I thought that was kinda cool. Q: What keeps you going through the day? A: Caffeine and my kids. But sometimes I will have a sneaky piece of chocolate, Or peppermint. Q: How many kids get hurt per day or week? A: It depends on what's going on. Right now since the weather's nice I'm seeing a lot of kids playing around and running outside and getting hurt. In the winter time I see more sick kids. Q: Do you get sick a lot since you have to deal with sick kids all the time? A: Not really, no. I think the combination of having three kids and being a nurse, and before this I worked at a day care. My immunity is finally built up. I got one cold this year and One time I actually had to call out because I was so sick. And that's it, so I think I have pretty good immunity. Also, I wash my hands until they are, like, dusty. I think that helps too.
Q: What's your favorite subject and why? A: I really love English. I enjoy the thought process behind it. This year we studied great literature, and we really dove into what it means for a book to be good, and the theory behind it, which I really enjoy. Q: What do you love about WDS? A: I would have to say the community. Everyone’s really tight knit here, and that helps me learn, because I can have a one-on-one with my teachers, and I also just enjoy getting to know everyone. I'm a very social person. Q: How did you come up with the idea to start the Howler? A: It was one of my middle school years, I don't remember which one, and I saw one of my upper school friends doing the Battering Ram, which is their blog newspaper thing, so I went to Xhosa and I was like, I really want to be part of this and do something like that, and they don't allow middle schoolers to join, so I just decided to create my own. And then, I didn’t want to conflict with their paper, so I decided to turn it into digital format, and then Xhosa helped me do the rest. Q: How did you ‘gather the troops’ for the class? A: I had my friend Will who helped me out, he sort of co-founded it with me. And then we got a bunch of my friends, and turned it into an official class which really helped out a lot, so people could sign up, and then, people just came to me. Q: Was it hard to make it an official class? A: It took a lot of work, I had to email a lot, and do scheduling, and see if it was even a possibility. I think that the hardest part was just learning to communicate with people, and talking to the administration. Q: What is your favorite event of the school year? A: I think it's changed over the years. I used to really enjoy the Harvest Fest every year, you know that atmosphere, when you would making apple cider, and running around in the feild—I really liked that. I have really enjoyed prom this year, now that that's an option. Q: What would your dream job be? A: I think it would be a filming Director. As far as I can remember, I’ve enjoyed watching movies, and once I was able to pick up part of the Media Arts program here I just fell in love with making them and you know now that I’m looking at colleges I’m going that way. Q: What's your favorite movie or TV show? A: My favorite movie and I believe the best movie ever is the Shawshank Redemption. It’s a fantastic movie based on a short story by Stephen King. I would have to say, for the TV show, Friends. I always love that show and I rewatch it every once in a while and it never gets old. It’s always really funny. Q: Are you on the Battering Ram this year? A: I’m actually not on the Battering Ram. It takes place during elective, and I chose to have my electives be more focused on media this year, because that’s what I wanna go into, although maybe next year. Q: How would your friends describe you? A: I think they’d most likely say it out loud. But if I wanted to be a little more detailed, I think confident, pretty confident, outspoken or not outspoken, but well, I talk a lot.
Milo Nelson - 11th Grade Student at WDS
Interview by Zelde CSW and Sunny Guy
- Published 6/4/26
Q: What grade do you teach and what is it like to teach your grade? A: “I teach 2nd and 3rd grade, and this is my first time teaching a mixed grade so it’s a little busier and more energetic. I'm on my feet more because there are more people to take care of, meaning I have to adapt quicker, and modify my teaching methods for each grade but overall adapt quicker, and modify for each grade but it is really fun and they’ve welcomed each other so sweetly. So I think it's good for them and it's fun in a social way to have more kids.” Q: What made you first want to become a teacher? A: “I've always been someone who's good with kids. I’ve been told by people who I know, and I always knew it. It’s always been very natural for me. When I was younger I used to babysit, and over the summer I worked at a sleep away camp called Ramapo for Children that a lot of other teachers at the school had worked at. Tim Hayes has worked there, Ranya Furiya, and some other teachers. I was working with kids, young adults, all the way up to 30 years old on the autism spectrum. And that was when I was basically like —ok, I'm really good with kids, I want to go into this profession, and maybe be a special ed teacher. I did that but after a while it became a lot, it was a lot more than just teaching. After that I decided that I do want to teach, but I definitely wanted to be in a more typical classroom. Basicly, I always wanted to be with kids and I love having my own class where I'm making a difference with all of my students and their families. I especially love this school because it's so small, and I have the ability to watch them all grow and have them all come and visit me.” Q: What are the Pros and Cons of teaching your grade? A: “I would say that the pros are probably that they are in that sweet spot of development where they are past that young immaturity and they’re becoming more independent and mature, but are still incredibly playful and silly. You get to see them growing into themselves and becoming more socially aware so that you can talk to them normally, and have normal conversations. They really are a perfect mix of playfulness and independence. The cons would be that because they are still at the inbetween age the silliness can sometimes get over the top. For example, I’ll do something fun with them, and then it will become this crazy energy that’s hard to reign in. They’re still working on impulse control and patience, but I really love them. I feel like this is the perfect grade for me and my inner child.” Q: Do teachers have favorite students? “No but there are definitely certain kids that you connect with more, because they ask you questions about your life and want to be friends with you.” Q: Did you like school? I didn't like school and had a hard time paying attention as a kid, which is why I empathize with the kids who have a harder time paying attention in school. I was for sure someone who would’ve loved extra attention from teachers. I had bad focus, and was insecure about asking questions so kind of a quiet kid. I tried to be a class clown. I hated math because it was hard for me.
Sasha Grin - 2nd-3rd Grade Teacher at WDS
