Spotlight on Mrs. Meloni

Dawn Meloni

Teacher of Grade 5

Walnut Street School






•Name:
Dawn Meloni

• College(s) and degrees(s):
Camden County College (Associate)
Rowan University (Bachelor)

• Work experience:
Mantua School District (substitute)
Woodbury School District (Student Teaching and Instructional Assistant)

• Favorite books
o fiction: Two Bad Ants is a fiction story for children that I love. I read it to any elementary class I can. I also like Of Mice and Men and Invisible Man
o nonfiction: Lucky Man a memoire about Michael J. Fox

• Favorite television show:
Two and a Half Men

• Last movie I loved:
Jerry Maguire I’m not sure if it’s the last movie I loved, but I do love it.

• Music CD that I have almost worn out from repeated playing:
A CD that my daughter made me of the Rolling Stones. (Under My Thumb – my favorite song on there.)

• Person (living or not) that I’d like to have lunch with and why:
I would love to have lunch with my step-father who passed away 9 years ago. I miss him terribly and he was a teacher. When he died I was still in Camden County College with many more years to go. Now I am finished and working and I would like to tell him.

• Visiting this place makes me peaceful:
A beach on a tropical island makes me peaceful.

• One item on my “to do” list that I can’t seem to get to:
I'm not sure there is ONE specific item on my "to do" list that I can't seem to get to. I'm not saying that I always finish my "to do" list because I don't, but the one item always changes depending on the day.

• Favorite animal (domestic or wild):
My favorite animal is my dog Nugget.

Favorite sports team:
The Eagles are my favorite team even though they're not that good, because football is my favorite sport and I have to cheer on my hometown- Philadelphia!

• Destination of my fantasy vacation trip:
My fantasy trip would definitely be Hawaii. I was there 19 years ago on my honeymoon and would love to go back again to see how things have changed. Maybe I'll make it back for my 25th. (There's a goal to shoot for!)

• Details about the teacher I will never forget who inspired me to enter the profession:
I will never forget my 6th grade teacher, Mrs. Hayden. She was a new teacher back then, with maybe only a couple of years experience when I had her. I remember thinking, "she's sooo young!" She was very compassionate, easy to get along with and a lot of fun. She made it easy to learn in her class. I could not believe that when my daughter was ready for 6th grade in 2001, and I went with her for her middle school orientation and guess who was her math teacher? "Mrs. Hayden." There she was on the stage ready to greet the new incoming students. I just had to go up to her after the orientation and tell her who I was and that I couldn't believe she was going to teach my daughter many years later. She retired from teaching the following year. I guess it was meant to be that my daughter had her as a teacher too.