Every year, WHS opens its doors to a new wave of students — and alongside them, a new group of staff ready to join the community and make their mark on our school. This year, WHS welcomes their new staff, including Student Resource Officer Michael DiBella and English Teacher Moriah Cohen.
After Officer Nick Calello left WHS last school year to rejoin the active police force, the students are excited to welcome Officer DiBella as our new SRO. DiBella served as the SRO at RIS for three years before being asked to step up and take over for Calello at the high school.
The high school’s new demographics have been an exciting challenge for DiBella. “It’s definitely an adjustment. There’s a lot more going on; as the kids get older, the job gets a little different. It’s a bigger school, so a lot more responsibilities,” DiBella said.
This year, DiBella hopes to “build a relationship [between] the department and the young residents in Westfield, giving them an outlet to go to.” He wants students and staff to know, “If they need help throughout the school day they can come to me.”
Alongside Officer DiBella, the English department welcomes their own new addition. English Teacher Moriah Cohen is ready to spread her love for writing and literature with WHS.
Although new to teaching full time at our high school, Cohen is no stranger to Westfield. She said, “I grew up in Westfield, I student-taught in Westfield, I live here and my kids go here, so it’s just nice to be a part of the community.”
This year, Cohen is teaching English 3, English 4, and an AP Literature and Composition class, which she said she is most excited about.
Before joining WHS, Cohen taught at Cranford High School for three years and at the Union County magnet school Academy for Information Technology for six years. Outside of teaching, Cohen is also a decorated poet.
Cohen’s works have been published in acclaimed literary journals including Narrative, Cincinnati Review, Gulf Coast, and North American Review. In 2021, she published her acclaimed chapbook called Impossible Bottle with Finishing Line Press. An active member of the local writing community, she co-runs The Fields, an open mic program that showcases local poets.
As Cohen rejoins the WHS community as a teacher, she is ecstatic to have the opportunity to expand on her own experience and continue the legacy of the educators who inspired her.
“I had amazing English teachers here, so it’s really nice to be able to hopefully do the same thing for my students,” she said.
Both Cohen and DiBella are excited to join the high school this upcoming year, promoting safety and education side-by-side.