West Essex is a tight-knit community, and our beloved school substitutes have been an enormous part of each of our four-year journeys. While there are many more substitutes that support this district in numerous ways, John Comey, Vittoria Aversa and Joyce Van Zeuenbergen have been active full-time subs for the longest time out of all West Essex’s substitutes. These friendly faces are often found interacting with students, monitoring the hallways at school events or stepping in at the last minute to help out an absent teacher. Their flexibility and support deserve to be appreciated this holiday season.
John Comey has been an active sub in the district for six years. His favorite part of being a substitute teacher is interacting with the students, and he recalls learning something new every day here. After bonding with students over the years, he met one who stood out in his second year. It was the student’s freshman year, and at graduation, he told Comey that he had positively impacted his life decisions.
From supporting students at their sports games to handing out candy, Vittoria Aversa, better known as Mr. A, gets students excited to see and talk to him in class. After working here for 14 years, Mr. A has enjoyed speaking to and interacting with the variety of students that West Essex has to offer. He loves the feeling of community at West Essex and watching the students mature after they leave the middle school.
Reflecting on her 15-plus years working at West Essex, Joyce Van Zeuenbergen appreciates the respect and kindness of the students and the warm and welcoming staff team. Through her previous work at the elementary schools, her favorite part is watching students reach their goals and grow from Kindergarten up to graduation. Some of her best memories as a substitute teacher include having conversations about her students’ future colleges and plans.
