In late September, Southern Lehigh welcomed its newest addition to the English department, Mrs. Ella Fox, who replaced Mrs. Sheryl Ciotti in room 150. Mrs. Fox teaches English 9 and 11 and is excited about the new challenges she faces, coming into the district a month after the start of the school year.
“It is a great school and I liked the area,” said Mrs. Fox. “It seemed like a great place to have my career.”
Mrs. Fox graduated from Queens University of Charlotte with her undergraduate degree in 2017 before continuing to study at Albright College for her master’s degree in 2023. Before coming to Southern Lehigh, she taught seventh grade at Pennridge East Middle School.
“I like teaching [7th, 9th, and 11th] grades, ” Mrs. Fox said. “They are different enough that you aren’t able to compare them.”
Mrs. Fox started her new position a month into the school year when Mrs. Ciotti transferred from the high school to Southern Lehigh Middle School, where she now teaches seventh grade.
“Everyone here has been great as a faculty and welcoming,” Mrs. Fox said. “All my students have also been amazing since I got here.”
Mrs. Fox wanted to become a teacher because of the opportunity to collaborate with others and build relationships with students.
“I’ve worked at other places before becoming a teacher,” said Mrs. Fox, “and my good days there were worse than my worst days as a teacher.”
She found teaching to be a rewarding career, unlike other office jobs she held in the past. Mrs. Fox believes it is up to students to shape the future, and she wants to have a positive impact on them before they go out into the real world.
Outside of the classroom, Mrs. Fox enjoys reading and spending time with her family and friends. She is married and has three dogs: Charlotte, Copper, and Millie. She often goes on walks with her three dogs and enjoys the outdoors.
In addition to working with students in the classroom, Mrs. Fox coaches in her spare time. She coached field hockey and track and field before moving to Southern Lehigh.
A former high school athlete herself, Mrs. Fox set the school record at Pennridge High School for her javelin throw of roughly 131 feet and 11 inches.
Mrs. Fox is excited to become a part of our Spartan community and take on new challenges and experiences.
Her main focus is helping her students to succeed in both their high school careers, and their personal lives. One piece of advice Mrs. Fox emphasizes to her students is the importance of honoring your individualism.
“Always stay true to yourself,” she said. “Don’t try to be someone you’re not.”
