Musketeer Monday: Jennifer Cicero

This week’s Musketeer Monday column highlights a beloved math teacher who is celebrating her 29th year of making a positive, lasting impact on students in the Central Islip School District. Get to know Ms. Jennifer Cicero, who is featured in this week’s spotlight.

Ms. Cicero began teaching full time in 1996 as a math teacher at Central Islip High School. Today, she continues to teach a wide range of math courses, including Pre-Calculus Honors and Calculus Honors—both college-level classes affiliated with SUNY Farmingdale—as well as Geometry.

Asked to reflect on the rewards of the work to which she has dedicated nearly three decades of her life, Ms. Cicero said: “One of the most rewarding aspects of my work is when former students come back to visit. I love to hear how they are doing, what they are up to, and to hear their success stories. So many come back and tell me that my Calculus class helped them so much in college, or that the scholarship they earned from the CITA—Central Islip Teachers Association—helped them tremendously.

"I think most people assume I only teach upper-level classes. I’ve taught Geometry from day one, and I love it. It’s so rewarding when I see one of my Geometry students finally understand a topic they’ve been struggling with—or when I see their faces light up after hearing they passed the Regents. There’s nothing better!”

While Ms. Cicero is, first and foremost, a math teacher, she is also deeply involved in several school-related initiatives. “I am the Scholarship Chairperson and Community Liaison Chairperson for the Central Islip Teachers Association,” she said. “As chairperson, I organize the collection of scholarship funds—this year, Central Islip High School seniors were awarded $89,500 in scholarships from the Teachers Association! I also coordinate Awards Nights for grades pre-K through 12, attend the Central Islip Fire Department’s Open House to distribute free books to children, and organize toy and food drives.”

Ms. Cicero also shared her appreciation for the close-knit spirit among her colleagues. “We are not just colleagues—we are family. My father recently passed away, and the amount of love I received from the staff was truly amazing.

"I graduated from Central Islip High School in 1991. When I came back to teach here—teaching anywhere else wasn’t an option—my ninth-grade teacher, Betty Daly, took me under her wing. We still keep in touch and get together often. I call her my ‘school mom.’ I hope the younger teachers feel the same way. Well,” she added with a laugh, “maybe not that I’m their mom, but that they can count on their colleagues for anything they need, in or out of school. Once a Musketeer, always a Musketeer!”

Ms. Cicero is married to her husband, Vin, and they have two dogs, Milton and Nadia. “They’re like our children!” she said. “We also have a niece, Gina, who is our everything.”

In her free time, Ms. Cicero enjoys watching sports and spending time outdoors. “In my spare time, I love to watch football—go Giants!—kayak, go for walks and hikes, and read outside on a lounge chair in the summer.”