Deborah Bonchek is enjoying her 18th year educating the students of Manchester
Regional High School. As a Manchester alumnus, she was inspired to teach
mathematics at a young age. Senior year, she told her Calculus teacher that she was
going to steal his job someday. He, of course, laughed, but a few years later she came
back as a substitute and was promised a full-time position when she finished college.
So, in the spring of 2001, she graduated from Montclair State University and began her
career at Manchester. Since then, Mrs. Bonchek has taught almost every math class in
the building, but her favorite subject is Precalculus: “I really enjoy this class because the students are taking it by choice. They are there because they love math as much as I do.”
“Love math” is an understatement. Her favorite number is pi and she can be
found cracking nerdy jokes, sporting whimsical math tees, and celebrating Pi Day every
March. Mrs. Bonchek’s classroom is a comfortable environment, encouraging group
discussion, creativity, and problem solving. She lives for puzzles and projects and she
enjoys seeing her students think and argue about math.
Mrs. Bonchek is the advisor of the New Jersey Mathematics League and the
National Honor Society, both of which she was a member as a student. She always
stays late after school to help students with their homework or to prepare for SATs. She
is a huge supporter of the arts; you’ll see her at every concert and play helping out, as
well as singing at the NHS Coffee House. She also shows her Falcon pride by
displaying her old locker in the back of her classroom.
Mrs. Bonchek grew up in North Haledon but is currently residing in Bloomingdale
with her husband, Eddie, and two cats, Chloe and Milo. In her spare time, she enjoys
shopping, trying new restaurants, singing karaoke, and summers at the beach. Family
and friends are near and dear to her heart, as are her current and former students; she
affectionately calls them “her kids”. Of all the advice she can give them, she swears the
key to happiness and success is, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to
work a day in your life.” (Confucius)