Q: What has been the most rewarding aspect of working with South Hunterdon students?
JF: When South had a 7-12 middle/high school, it was fascinating to watch them mature year after year. To see that senior, who I first met as an anxious 7th grader on their first day of middle school, walk across the stage at graduation, well, it's a feeling like no other. I am so proud of each one of my students for facing their unique challenges and roadblocks over the years. Now that I work in the new 5-8 middle school, I anticipate that it will be a very similar feeling to witness our 5th graders grow over the course of four years when they prepare for high school and graduate as 8th graders.
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Q: What continues to inspire you in the field of education?
JF: It's the students who continue to inspire me daily. There are few things more rewarding than watching a student leave my office feeling better, with a little less weight on their shoulders than when they came in.
Q: How have students shaped you into the person you are today?
JF: Preteens and teens have such honest and deep insights about their unique lives, and about society and the greater world at large. Any person who tells you that adults can't learn from kids has never spent a lot of time around kids! My experience with each one of my students over the years has affected my practice as an educator and as a human being.
Q: What are you looking forward to most about working at the middle school?
JF: I'm eager to continue to grow as a counselor, as well as to help shape our new school community under the excellent leadership of Principal MacKnight.
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Q: What is the most important thing you hope students learn from you as they grow?
JF: Always be authentic to yourself. You'll be a lot healthier and happier throughout life if you don't try to squeeze your personality into a little box just to fit society's ideals. Ultimately, there is no such thing as "normal."
Q: What makes South Hunterdon a special place to work?
JF: The connections you build with your students and colleagues are incredible. I attribute that to our small size and our caring school environment. We are all willing to go above and beyond for our students and families because we get to know them beyond the surface.
Q: How do you like to spend your time when you're not at South?
JF: When I'm not at South, you'll find me on a horse or on a spin bike, watching pro football (GO BIRDS!), spending time with my husband and three cats, or eating Peeps by the dozen.
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Thank you, Ms. Fenimore, for your many years of service to South Hunterdon students! |
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