​Central Catholic Welcomes Two New Teachers for 2017-2018 School Year

Central Catholic is proud to welcome two new teachers for the 2017-2018 school year. Get to know the new faces in our halls:

Meet Ms. Chelby Collins

Ms. Chelby Collins joins Central Catholic for the 2017-2018 school year as a long-term Spanish Substitute. Most recently, Chelby taught Spanish I, Journalism and Freshman English at Bishop Canevin High School. Chelby graduated from Kent State University with a B.A. in Spanish and a minor in English, and received her Master of Secondary Education from Duquesne University. Chelby has taught Spanish at all grade levels, and has spent time studying Spanish culture in native Spanish areas, most notably Puerto Rico. At Central, Chelby is teaching Spanish 1 and Spanish 2.

What are you most looking forward to this school year?

I’m looking forward to getting involved in the Central Catholic school community. I want to be a present and active member of the school.

What is your favorite Spanish topic to teach?

I love to teach about the festivals and holidays. My favorite to teach is the Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos).

What is your teaching philosophy?

My teaching philosophy is to instill an inquisitive nature in my students and a love of learning. I also make it my goal to make all my students feel safe and welcome in my classroom, by creating a positive environment which encourages learning from mistakes.

Tell us an interesting fact about yourself.

I foster shelter rabbits from the Humane Animal Rescue until they get adopted.

Meet Mr. Walter Nogay

Mr. Walter Nogay joins Central Catholic as the new Physics teacher. Previously, Walter taught AP Physics I, Physics II and AVID 10 at Oakton High School in Vienna, Va. Walter graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a B.S. in Physics and completed his Master of Education at The George Washington University. At Central, Walter is teaching level 2 and level 3 Physics courses.

What are you most looking forward to this school year?

As a teacher, I am most looking forward to learning from the Central Catholic community and continuing to improve my teaching practice. As a learner, I am most looking forward to deepening my faith and learning more about the teachings of the Catholic Church from CCLIP. I completed the RCIA process while studying at Notre Dame. After graduating, I found that I missed the large faith community at Notre Dame and missed being able to learn from faith-related opportunities offered there. I am glad that Central Catholic will be providing me with experiences that will help me to continue to grow as a practicing Catholic.

What is your favorite Physics topic to teach?

I enjoy teaching optics the most out of all of the physics topics. I have found that optics easily allows for me to help the students to connect the concepts to everyday life — for example, how do our glasses work, how do the mirrors in our cars work, how do our eyes work, what causes rainbows, and so on. I have many hands-on experiments for the unit, and students really enjoy exploring the concepts.

What is your teaching philosophy?

The philosophy of teaching the student, not the curriculum, that we discussed at our in-service retreat resonates with me and nicely encompasses my teaching philosophy. I hope to contribute to the excellent work that the rest of the faculty do here at Central Catholic to help our students grow in their faith, in their respect for themselves and their community, and in their ability to learn and be successful in their life pursuits. Hopefully the students also learn a lot about physics in the process.

Tell us an interesting fact about yourself.

My wife and I were at St. Peter’s Square when Pope Francis was elected.