Collegiate Honors Faculty and Staff for their Ingenuity and Care

 

 

This teacher’s classroom is a sanctuary, with its eclectic furniture, imaginative artwork and bright sunlight; it welcomes students to decompress and relax. It is an inviting space, but students would still come regardless because they are drawn by our colleague’s willingness to listen, to be empathetic, to be compassionate and, as students would tell you, to be real. While all types of students find their way to her room, during her 25 years of inspiring students, she has often been a mentor to the kids who don’t always fit the mold. The introverts and the quirky creatives, in particular, feel safe with her. This is because her classes are a place where students can explore, experiment, make mistakes, take risks and produce work that they did not think was possible.

 

Our award recipient teaches techniques and builds skills in the service of creativity. She designs classes that are purposeful, as she asks students to take their newfound skills and to make meaningful pieces of art. She teaches them how to critique each other’s work, to give and receive feedback, which serves as another step in building trust and creating a safe environment.

 

Through the years she has not just supported her students, she has served her colleagues as a Lead Advisor, the Upper School Visual Arts Department Coordinator, a valued member of the Department Chairs group and the person responsible for the Art Walk. She was previously recognized with the Joanne Pratt Award for her outstanding work in team teaching an art and English class.

 

It is my pleasure to honor Upper School art teacher Pam Sutherland with the Ann Griffin Award for Excellence in Teaching.

 

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Daniel Bartels is with us today along with his wife, Kate Noon. It is our privilege, Daniel, this afternoon, to have you and Kate here and to recognize you for the truly amazing and transforming work you have done for Collegiate since you came here in 2015. Countless accolades about you and your work, Daniel, have been shared with me from your colleagues — past and present — from parents, from your STEAM and robotics colleagues and from your students. The comments I now offer represent the extraordinarily broad and deep respect across the Collegiate community for you, your leadership of STEAM and robotics and your many enduring contributions to school life.

Courtney Martin describes you as a “true visionary” who has “built a program that has forever changed Collegiate” and says that you have inspired students to pursue careers in fields and disciplines that they may well have not pursued without your mentorship and inspiration. 

Several colleagues have remarked that your passion, your curiosity and your creativity have been game-changers for our School. Your love for ideas, your belief in the power of ideas and your faith in people have provoked in your colleagues and students the love of the creative, intellectual exchange you so enthusiastically model. Daniel, you have been the instigator of so many new imaginings. 

You birthed a robotics program at Hanover High School in 2002 that quickly gained international acclaim and, of course, you created Collegiate’s robotics program that has also earned recognition as literally one of the best programs in the world, placing high two years running in the FIRST Robotics World Championship. That robotics team was nominated as a finalist in this year’s Learning Engineering Tools Competition, whose leaders recently applauded your deep and advanced understanding of the learning process.

You are a model of that quintessential collaborator who connects with teachers and students across disciplines and across divisions and age groups. You have helped our students become thoughtful integrators of design, visualization, fabrication, engineering, robotics and rocketry. 

Daniel — you have been described to me as a polymath, a genius, a true and wonderful “mad-scientist.” Know that we profoundly admire and appreciate your curiosity, your energy, your imagination, your deep care for others and your disruptiveness. As just one manifestation of our esteem, respect and love for you, we are so pleased and proud to present you the Andrew Jackson Brent Award for 2023.

 

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​​This year’s Anne Jones Award recipient is a team player, jack of all trades, multi-tasker, altruistic, versatile, selfless, patient and tolerant, a caretaker, hard worker, genuinely kind, possesses an always positive attitude with a selfless work ethic and is a consummate professional. This year’s recipient undoubtably exemplifies the School’s values of honor, love of learning, excellence, respect and community.

 

There is no job that is not hers. It is rare to find such a selfless, kind person, and for those of us who have had the privilege of working with Debbie Clabo over her 16 years at Collegiate know she is a rare gem; a kind and gentle human being who puts the needs of others and the School before her own. She is the epitome of professionalism and one of our best examples of a team player. Debbie is a huge asset to the School and we are extremely lucky to have her here at Collegiate.

 

Please join me in congratulating the well-deserving 2023 Anne Jones Staff Award recipient, Debbie Clabo.

 

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This year’s Clarence B. Williams Award recipient is an amazing communicator with students, colleagues and families. She encourages and supports students with a calm demeanor while challenging them to learn and grow. This teacher is a thoughtful and careful planner, making sure to include meaning, purpose and fun in all that the students do. She works hard to know all of her students well, and she cares deeply about them developing strong skills as language learners. 

She has the ability to engage with her colleagues in warm and professional ways. As a team leader, she always seeks to be supportive of the needs of others and the School. It is a joy to work with someone with the flexibility to make changes and who sees the best in everyone. 

Her hard work and dedication were evident last year as she mentored three new world language colleagues with grace and kindness along with all of her other responsibilities. Please join me in congratulating Alice Innes, our 2023 Clarence B. Williams Award recipient.

 

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Collegiate teachers in all divisions are known for caring for their students. And this year’s recipient truly has a heart for children. His love and compassion for his students, paired with his willingness to focus on others’ needs, connects beautifully with the children he teaches and their families. Compassion is modeled every day for the students in his classroom. 

This year’s award recipient enjoys using his gift of music and his creativity to make learning come alive in his classroom and across the Lower School. Singing and laughter are a part of everyday life for the young Cougars in his classroom. Additionally, through his love of coaching and all things sports, his students are connected to older Cougars from his sports teams across the bridge, where important and lasting relationships are formed. His commitment to providing wonderful experiences on and off our campus is appreciated by so many families.

 

This year’s award recipient loves all that Collegiate is and does for our community. Please join me in congratulating this year’s Martha Elizabeth Schwarz Award recipient, Robby Turner.