Students who want to learn the code above should take one of the classes taught by Rida Kas, who has assumed the role of PHS’s programming teacher after the previous teacher, Graciela Elia, retired. She currently teaches AP Computer Science, Algorithms and Data Structures, Introduction to Java, and Object-Oriented Java.

With this year marking her ninth year as an educator, Kas is familiar with the knicks and knacks of the education industry. When she first started teaching in 2014, Kas taught computer science courses and robotics at Piscataway High School, then taught the same subjects at Plainfield High School.

“In my new teacher's orientation, they kept telling us that there is a right way, there is a wrong way, and then there is a Princeton way. I [have] been exploring that Princeton way as a new teacher,” said Kas. “I wanted to see how that is bringing change in our students' lives, [and] how [Princeton’s] opportunities are different from what was offered in my previous school. The climate and culture that the students create [here are] … much different from my previous experiences, and I want to see what kind of impact they have on me.”

While Kas has grown to love computer science and teaching over the years, she didn’t always plan for a career in this field. Initially, inspired by a close friend, Kas dreamed of becoming an architect and even took an entrance exam for an architectural undergraduate course.

“I soon realized that [architecture] was not something I saw myself doing for the rest of my life,” said Kas. “My father motivated me to [major] in IT. Today, I am so glad that I followed his vision, because [now] I see the importance of technology in the growing world.”

Prior to becoming a teacher, Kas had three years of experience in the programming industry. After graduating from Mumbai University with a bachelor’s degree in Information Technology and a Masters in Business Administration, her first job focused on taking outdated, obsolete pieces of software and converting them to cloud services, automating software at technology firms in India and New York.

A defining moment in Kas’s journey to becoming a teacher was the birth of her children. Kas felt that the demanding and inflexible schedules of her previous jobs left little time to spend with her two young kids. After taking a hiatus from working, Kas searched for a profession that could fit with her experiences both as a programmer and as a parent, finding a job in the education industry to be most fitting.

“As a parent, I bring experience from home as to what students like to learn, how they respond to certain things, and that allows me to be a parent and teacher at the same time,” said Kas. “I had a lot of moments where I realized that [teaching] was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.”

In her classroom, Kas hopes to create an environment where her students can not only grow intellectually but emotionally as well.

“My goals I originally created when I started my educational journey were more related to intellectual learning and academics. But recently I revised them.” said Kas. “I want to make sure I incorporate a lot of social emotional learning for my students, wherein you learn not just by being present, but by being happily present in the spot that you have chosen to be in.”

Amy Lin ’25, a current student in Kas’s AP Computer Science A class, appreciates how Kas maintains an engaging and interactive environment in the classroom.

“She walks around helping to explain concepts, which differs a little bit from the past when we would basically learn stuff on our own, and the teacher would be there to help us in that process,” said Lin. “Ms. Kas is more hands-on and she hopes to do activities like her teaching instead of us learning by ourselves.”

On top of her engaging and often pun-filled lessons, her students mention her compassionate attitude and attentiveness toward student needs, making communicating their questions feel easier.

“She keeps in mind the students’ pace so she is never going too fast or too slow,” said Vritika Singh ’26, a student in Kas’s Introduction to Computer Science class. “She puts the students first and always makes sure our questions are answered.”

While a lot of programming-related clubs and events such as HackPHS had a chance of being suspended due to Elia's retirement, who was their previous advisor, Kas plans to take over those positions in coming years.

“I really like the idea of HackPHS, [but] I don’t know whether I’m ready to take the responsibility this year,” said Kas. “Maybe [I will] take my time over the summer break and plan something for our students in the form of an extracurricular activity, or maybe a club.”

Outside of school, Kas enjoys spending time with her kids, going to the park, cooking, and, as of recently, biking.

“These days, we’ve been doing a lot of bike riding,” said Kas. “My youngest one just learned how to ride her bike, so it’s very exciting when we go out to the trails for a bike ride.”

At the end of the day, Kas is grateful for the opportunity to teach at PHS.

“Princeton is such a pinnacle, a standard, [and] a beacon when it comes to education,” said Kas. When you hear the word Princeton, you know it’s coming from high standards, it’s coming from rigor, it’s coming from challenging standpoints.”