Welcome our new staff to FSS!!

This year First State School added four new staff members. 

Jessica Hanley will teach science to grades 5-12 and CTE, Jennifer O’Connor will teach our K-4 students, and Eva Young will teach math to grades 5-12. Alyssa Kelsey will work with one of our elementary students as a paraprofessional. Please take a moment to read their brief bios below. 

Jessica Hanley has taught middle school science in the Red Clay School District for the past 4 years and high school chemistry prior to that. Ms. Hanley is graduating with her MEd in December of 2023 from Wilmington University. Her philosophy on life is: Learning new things keeps life interesting. To that point, she started taking ballet lessons as an adult and has been learning home improvement projects on the weekends. Her favorite place to be is camping at the beach with her two sons.

Jennifer O’Connor (M.Ed.) is a graduate of the University of Delaware and Wilmington University.  Her teaching experience includes working with students in preschool through fifth grade.  A few of her favorite things include: running, yoga, reading and spending time with her husband and three sons. 

Eva Young-Cromer (M.Ed) has previously taught in Brandywine School District, Christina School district, and Chester Upland School District. She worked for Meadowood and Forest Oak in Red Clay and is so excited to be the 5-12 math teacher at First State School. Some information about her is that she enjoys watching football, completing escape rooms, and reading in her spare time. She just recently was married over the summer. 

Alyssa Kelsey graduated from Thomas McKean High School in June 2023. She is very active in the Special Olympics and did all the unified sports while in high school. Right now, she is a unified partner for the Newark Dragons Flag Football team and their swim team, and just won unified partner of the year!  Ms. Kelsey is a coach for the Arundel Stingrays Swim Team and a sub lifeguard. During her free time she likes to travel the world, go shopping, and hang out with friends and family.