Meet Marple Newtown Teacher Lisa D'Annunzio

Marple Newtown Patch is featuring great teachers in the Marple Newtown area who deserve some spotlight. Teachers give a lot to their students, schools and studies and we'd like to recognize them and say a simple, thank you, for all that they do. This local teacher is active in the community, an advocate of the Delaware County SPCA, and has a passion for English and theatre.

Name: Lisa D'Annunzio

School: Marple Newtown High School

Grade/Subject: 9th and 10th Grade Literature/Poetry/Public Speaking

Years in the Industry: 7 years

Teaching History: 

D'Annunzio graduated from Great Valley High School in Malvern, where she currently resides. She earned an undergraduate degree in English and a Masters in Secondary Education from Villanova University. For her student teaching, D'Annunzio taught 12th grade English and Theatre at Springfield High School. She just began her seventh year of teaching at Marple Newtown High School in Newtown Square where she teaches 9th and 10th grade literature, poetry, and public speaking. In addition, she directs the school's annual One Acts Performing Arts Festival.

What do you like best about your current school (projects, programs or activities that your school is a part of): 

D'Annunzio has her students write original poetry and present them to the class each April to celebrate National Poetry Month. She transforms the classroom to reflect the ambiance of a New York coffee shop during the Beat Generation.

Other English classes are invited to take part in a poetry slam, performing their original poetry and voting for their favorites.  

"It is wonderful to see the students so excited to share their work and being a supportive energetic audience," said D'Annunzio. "The students really get into it!"

Annual Wags 'n Whiskers Luncheon

D'Annunzio adopted her best friend Rocky, a yorkshire terrier mix, from the Delaware Valley SPCA in Media. Rocky took to the catwalk in 2007 at the Annual Wags 'n Whiskers Luncheon in search of a good home and he found one. 

"Adopting from the SPCA was a wonderful experience and I urge anyone considering getting a pet to check there first," said D'Annunzio. "There are so many wonderful furry friends looking for forever homes."

The Importance of Being Ernest

This month you can see D'Annunzio perform live in Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest at Footlighter's Theater in Berwyn. She plays the part of Cecily Cardew, one of the lead characters.

"Being an English teacher and life-long actor, I am thrilled to act in one of the most witty plays ever written," said D'Annunzio. "Wilde pokes fun at high society in the 1800s in the most ingenuous way!"

The play opened September 7 and runs through September 22. General admission is $12. 

If you could do anything else...

"I have always loved watching both the Food and Travel Channels," said D'Annunzio. "I would love to be a TV personality traveling all over the world, learning about other cultures, their traditions, music, and cuisines."