Credit: Melina Barris

Join Staff Reporters Melina Barris and Jessi Dretler as they interview Wayland High School’s newest teachers for the 2023-2024 school year.

This school year, eight new teachers joined Wayland High School’s staff. WSPN’s Jessi Dretler and Melina Barris interviewed them to learn more about their backgrounds, experiences and goals.

Joseph Regonlinski
After teaching in the special education department for 16 years, Joseph Regonlinski is WHS’ new special education liaison. He has both teaching and coaching experience.

“I was a special education liaison at Avon Middle High School for the past 11 years,” Regonlinksi said. “Outside of the classroom, I was the school’s head varsity baseball and cross country coach.”

Regonlinski is also a Wayland alum, and took the opportunity to work in his hometown. He has always cared for the town and the Wayland community at large.

“I recognize the benefits of having strong and influential teachers,” Regonlinski said. “My favorite thing so far has been the welcoming community at WHS. I’m really looking forward to getting to know my students and colleagues better, as well as getting involved with the events in the community.”

Philip George
Philip George has taught at nearby schools for 17 years, and is now teaching English at WHS. Although he just began teaching at WHS, he has coached the boys volleyball team for five years.

“What I heard from my volleyball players was that they loved this school,” George said. “They got a really good educational experience here. I also know Ms. Pitcairn from graduate school, and she has spoken very highly of WHS as well.”

George taught at Framingham High School for 13 years. He also taught at Trinity Catholic in Newton for three years. He taught class ranging from Advanced Placement (AP) Literature to college level courses.

“Framingham High School compared to WHS is a much bigger school, and having a small sense of community creates a nice culture and vibe after coming from such a big school,” George said.

Christina Calderon
Christina Calderon is one of the new guidance counselors at WHS, and she is looking forward to being a part the high school and a small-town community. Before joining the WHS staff, she taught in Boston for 13 years.

“I came to Wayland for two reasons,” Calderon said. “I live in Sudbury so it is closer to home, and I wanted to work with a different population of students. Everyone has been really friendly and nice.”

Eric Bosco
Eric Bosco is a new member of the WHS English department, teaching English classes and the journalism elective. Prior to coming to Wayland, Bosco taught at a high school in Springfield for a few years.

“I have never before had the opportunity to teach a journalism class as lead instructor,” Bosco said.

Though he has never been the lead instructor, Bosco has been a teaching assistant for various journalism classes at the University of Massachusetts Amherst while he was both an undergraduate and graduate student there.

Before teaching, Bosco was a journalist for several years, reporting for local, regional and national news organizations. Bosco is very excited to be working at WHS this year.

“My experience in journalism is what makes me so excited to teach here at Wayland and support the talented student journalists at WSPN.”

Eimile Bowden
Although Eimile Bowden has been a part of the WHS staff for two years now, she has now taken the position of teaching English to freshmen, sophomores and juniors this year. This is her first year as a full-time English teacher.

“Before joining the English department, I worked as a [teaching assistant] in the Academic Center for two years,” Bowden said. “I also completed my student teaching here with [English teacher John] Keene and [former English Department head Brian] Keaney.”

While covering a colleague’s maternity leave, Bowden also taught history and film. Bowden liked the challenge of teaching a different subject and helping out.

“Those classes were a blast,” Bowden said. “ I feel very fortunate to be at Wayland with hard-working students and colleagues.”

Sandra Stonebraker
Sandra Stonebraker has been teaching for eight years, and is now a part-time teacher in the WHS math department. Stonebraker has previously taught at Braintree High School and Dexter Southfield High School.

Stonebraker majored in elementary education and minored in mathematics in college. Throughout her first semester of teaching fifth grade, she came to the conclusion that teaching high school level math was where she wanted to be.

“I graduated college with a degree to teach elementary school, and no desire to do it,” Stonebraker said. “I immediately went to graduate school, got my degree in secondary mathematics education and have been teaching high school mathematics ever since.”

The part-time job appealed to Stonebraker, as she wanted to spend her mornings with her newborn son and her afternoons teaching. Stonebraker is also a Wayland citizen.

“The work and life balance is a lot better at WHS than at my previous job,” Stonebreaker said. “I love that I get to better embrace the community I live in, and I get to experience and see the school my son will someday attend.”

Marisa Frydman

Marisa Frydman is a new chemistry teacher at Wayland High School. She previously taught at Oliver Ames High School in Easton and at a school in the Bronx, N.Y. This year will be her 8th year of teaching.

Frydman chose Wayland because she heard that it is one of the top schools in the area. She appreciates how the school operates.

“I value the emphasis the school puts on student engagement in an open campus environment.” Frydman said.

Frydman has taught various levels of chemistry in the past, but she has also taught elective courses. She taught health and a music appreciation elective in her past years.

“I really enjoyed witnessing the sense of strong community [students] shared at the club fair the other week,” Frydman said. “It was great to see the wide range of clubs and student interests here.”

Bill Bobrowski

Bill Bobrowski is a new member of the WHS science department, teaching chemistry and forensics. Bobrowski began teaching forensics for the first time last year.

“I find the students to be really eager and enthusiastic,” Bobrowski said. “They work hard not just for grades, but also because they want to learn more. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”