Jane McVeigh-Schultz Middle School English Teacher, 5th Grade Advisor, 37 years By Mary Lynn Ellis, Upper School English Teacher
Trampede of Joy,” after a line in a student’s poem. I feel that joy absolutely trampeding from her — almost daily — when she says, “Wait til you hear these amazing words someone wrote today!” Now, Jane is also teaching health, where she helps kids talk about things like social power and where she shares her own ongoing lessons in mindfulness. Her students talk fondly about “relaxing to the ringing of her singing bowl.” (See? Poetry! It comes so naturally to them now.) Thank you, Jane, for the poem you have made of your life here. Slainte!
Poet Mary Oliver asks, “Tell me what is it you plan to do/ with your one wild and precious life.” What Jane McVeigh-Schultz has done — with all her heart — is teach. She has taught her students about the power of story to explore their lives and about the way a poem can be a strong vessel to hold your deepest feelings and ideas. She has taught her colleagues that teaching is a joyful thing — there is a lot of laughter in her classroom! — and that it can change lives. Colleagues call her kind, wise, open-minded, playful, passionate. They marvel at the way she is always able to see what is wonderful about each child. “Jane took our ideas seriously and always shared one hundred percent of her heart with us,” said one former student. “She believed in me as a writer, despite how young I was,” said another. And a third: “Jane told us that we are all the main characters of our own stories, an idea that has shaped how I craft my life and how I connect with others.” Yes, Jane’s lessons have gone well beyond English. She teaches kids to be brave. She took a class to the People of Color Conference once to share what they’d learned about race from the characters in their books. She creates an annual Poetry Night where fifth graders recite by heart the poems that have mattered most to them. Jane is generous. She was the driving force behind our book, “With a Poet’s Eye.” One of the chapters in that book is called “A
Randy Schwartz Director, Jane & Mark Wilf Learning Resource Center, 24 years By Renie Campbell, Dean of Students, Upper School In her original role as all-school Learning Specialist, Randy was always an essential behind-the-scenes presence, helping us grow as a community in our understanding of how our brains work and how to use that knowledge to enhance teaching and learning. Over the past five years, though, Randy has burst into the Upper School community as a dynamic leader and innovator. In her role as founding Director of the Wilf Learning Center, she has worked to develop support and enrichment programs that have had an impact on every student in the Upper School. From leading the International Students Program, to the Ninth Grade Workshops that help freshmen practice study skills and learning strategies, to her warm presence in her cozy office where students love to gather, Randy has become an essential part of the fabric of the Upper School. The Class of 2016, in particular, feels so connected to Randy — they were the inaugural class for the Ninth Grade Workshops and the first to think of the Wilf Center as a major part of their high school
experience. They say that she is “graduating” with them, and wanted to share a few words of gratitude and farewell with her. “I remember loving the workshops,” one of these seniors said. “While I appreciated the productivity skills I acquired, more meaningful to me was the way in which Randy established herself as a mentor, confidante, someone who cares about and loves every one of her students. At the end of the year, I Photoshopped an image of the Disneyland sign so that it read, “The Wilf Center: The Happiest Place on Earth.” That sign is still taped to Randy’s door.” Another student appreciated how much Randy has supported the international students. “She respects our culture. Randy knows all of the international students personally and gives each one the necessary support. We will never forget her kindness.” What is most special about Randy, another senior said, is her ability to connect with all types of students. “Her work reaches and motivates kids in the middle of the pack as well as academic superstars, and her obvious love of what she does inspires me. She exemplifies the traits that I love about teachers at AFS: their willingness to listen, to care and to develop genuine friendships with students.”
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