Long-Term Subs Support Cape Students

Krista Brittingham '21 - Editor

The 2019-2020 school year has brought many drastic changes to the classroom environment at Cape Henlopen High School. Even before classrooms became digital, several teachers were on maternity leave. Others had left the district, prompting administration to find long-term substitutes and new teachers to educate the students after the year was already well underway. Mr. Gregory Klein, Mr. Brian Gadzinski, Ms. LueAnnn deCastro, Mr. Scott Bleile, and Dr. James VanSciver have all risen to this challenge and accepted long-term substitute teaching positions this year.

Mr. Klein has taught Algebra 2, Statistics, and Geometry this year and has substituted for Physics, Earth Science, and Spanish 2. Klein has an impressive amount of teaching experience, having been an educator since 1979. “The advantage of the long term substitute position is to be able to get to know the students a lot better and help them,” says Klein. One obstacle he has faced while teaching at Cape is the blocked schedule, since he is used to consistently teaching the same classes every day. Some of his teaching strategies include bringing real-world knowledge into the classroom, and helping the students apply this knowledge in their own lives.

Mr. Gadzinski has taught pre-school in New York, fifth-grade and third-grade classes in Virginia, and fifth-grade math and science in the Woodbridge School District in Delaware. He is currently teaching Algebra 2 at Cape. “I have enjoyed working with the staff here at Cape. They are all very helpful, friendly, and positive towards my ideas for the classroom,” says Gadzinski. Like others, Mr. Gadzinski has been given the difficult task of teaching the required material with only one semester remaining. He feels that every student has shown him respect throughout this school year, whether they’re happy to learn or having a bad day.

Ms. DeCastro accepted the position to take over for Ms. Jacobs classes this year after he mid-year departure and states that she is “looking to spark some minds to go beyond the places they’ve never gone before." She has taught English, Spanish, and ESL, and has been an educator since 1982. She has experience teaching adolescents as well as adults, and plans to tackle the challenge of being unfamiliar with the students by listening to their voices and paying attention to their learning styles. Her determination and passion regarding English are sure to make an impact on the students and the way they learn.

Mr. Bleile has been an educator for 16 years, and has taught at Seaford High School and Sussex Central High School. “I’ve enjoyed the school climate amongst the students and teachers at Cape, everyone gets along,” says Bleile. He is currently teaching the 9th grade Civics course. He has also been given the difficult task of teaching the second half of the course. His class consists of “a lot of collaboration and groupings, as well as hands-on projects and real-life scenarios,” says Bleile. Students can expect to gain a great deal of real-world knowledge from Mr. Bleile’s class, and he is looking forward to spending the rest of the year at Cape.

Dr. VanSciver began his career in education as a high school Social Studies teacher. He has 31 years of experience teaching masters and doctorate programs in educational leadership, and has served a position at the Board of Education for the state of Delaware. He has taught 10th grade Economics and World Literature, and will be teaching World History for seniors at the end of February. “I get very excited about the curriculum and I enjoy very much interacting with the students. They are a joy,” says Dr. VanSciver. When reviewing the content for any course he will teach, Dr. VanSciver puts himself in a student’s position to figure out the best way to keep them engaged in the class, and his teaching strategies have proven to be effective here at Cape. His experience as an author, athlete, and educator give him the advantage of always keeping the students interested in what he has to say.

We are grateful for these educators stepping up when the students at Cape needed them most. These unsung heroes deserve our praise and we at Viking Ventures salute them!