Emily Ross didn’t have to wonder where her first teaching job would take her. The answer was always waiting in Newton, where she grew up, walked the same halls, and discovered the spark that led her toward music and art. A 2020 Newton Community High School graduate, Ross knows what it’s like to miss milestones—her senior year ended with a drive-in graduation ceremony, a patchwork of prerecorded moments stitched into a film for classmates to watch together under the open sky. “It was strange, but it was also memorable,” she says with a laugh. “We hadn’t seen each other in months, so even being six feet apart felt special.”

That resilience carried her through college at Eastern Illinois University, where she earned her degree in December 2023. And this fall, she came home—not just to Newton, but to the very school that helped shape her. “It feels full circle,” she says. “It’s a privilege to come back and be able to teach here.”

Ross teaches first through fourth grade general music, along with fifth and sixth grade art. For her, that means every day is a mix of recorders, Christmas program rehearsals, boom whackers (colorful tubes that make pitched sounds when struck), and papier-mâché Squishmallows. “Even just handing a student a tambourine or a shaker, they light up,” she says. “I want them to find joy in music and art the way I did.”

Her inspiration stretches back to her own fifth-grade classroom. “I just thought, I’d like to be a teacher one day,” she recalls. Later, in junior high, music gave her direction. Nervous to try something different, she hesitated to join band, but when she finally did, she found her place. Mentors like longtime directors Jeffrey Finley and Brian Ridlen deepened her love for the artform. “They taught me everything I know,” she says. Now, they’re not just mentors but colleagues—a surreal transition she’s still processing. “Sometimes I have to remind myself I’m their co-worker now, not just their student.”

In art, Ross is learning alongside her students. While her degree is in music, she brings creativity and curiosity into the art room, drawing inspiration from fellow teachers, online resources, and her own students’ enthusiasm. “We’re exploring what excites them,” she says. Whether it’s collages from scrap paper or papier-mâché projects, she keeps the focus on fun and discovery while still teaching basics like primary and secondary colors.

Her philosophy is grounded in belonging. Music and art, she believes, give students a chance to find their place—especially those who don’t feel at home in sports or other activities. “It gives them an outlet, a sense of community, a way to be part of something bigger than themselves,” she explains. “Even if they never pick up an instrument or make another art project after they leave here, it will still have meant something.”

Ross sees music and art not only as creative outlets but as essential to a child’s development. They offer breaks in the day when students’ brains can sort and process everything else they’re learning. They also help build social connections and confidence. “For me, band was always the thing I looked forward to all day,” she says. “I want to give my students that same joy, that same place where they can belong.”

Returning home to Newton has only reinforced her conviction. “This place means everything to me,” Ross says. “My community is here, my family is here, my home is here. All of my musical development has been here. And now I get to give that same experience back.”

For Newton Elementary, that means students are guided not only by a teacher but by one of their own—someone who knows the meaning of belonging and is determined to pass it on.