Though this is Mr. Sam Jonynas’s first school year at Choate, this is definitely not his first year of teaching. He has always enjoyed working as a teacher, and started as a high school tutor for swim and ski lessons.
Before coming to Choate, Mr. Jonynas taught calculus at a high school in Maine. Referencing his own past experience as a student, he said, “I attended Williams College, which has a really strong math department, so it was nice that I had lots of good teachers who inspired me and have impacted the way I teach now.”
Mr. Jonynas has always enjoyed the challenge of math. In grade school he was placed ahead in his classes and found that he loved the subject early on. He decided to seriously pursue math in college when picking a major. Mr. Jonynas is currently teaching Honors Calculus, Honors Calculus with Infinite Series, and Honors Algebra II; he is excited to be working with Choate’s many resources and incredible teaching talent. He believes that the amazing collaboration within the math department and the dedication of all the teachers here at Choate makes the school unique.
Mr. Jonynas appreciates the motivation and curiosity of all Choate students, and all he wants is a classroom with kids who truly want to learn. His philosophy on teaching — fostering a sense of collaboration and reaching the end goal with everyone — will bring a lot to the table in his classes in the years to come.
Choate is a very unique place, and Ms. Sandra Rampertab, the new Instruction and Outreach Librarian, can definitely attest to that fact. Ms. Rampertab, a long-time Connecticut resident, previously worked in a public library in Waterbury, Connecticut and learned to help cater to the various needs of both students and adults.
Though she just arrived at Choate this fall, she feels very lucky to be working in such a beautiful, collaborative environment. She loves when students come in, and many do, especially for popular new fiction and electronic materials. She also wanted to emphasize the numerous resources in the library and how many students don’t yet know what a gem it truly is. “We have up to 50 databases, and we even have research classes you can access. You can also schedule individual research appointments with me.” Ms. Rampertab hopes to get more students, especially third formers, in the library.
