Faculty and Staff News

FACULTY AND STAFF

Lower School Teacher Librarian Maria Paz Alegre presented at The NAIS People of Color Conference (PoCC) again this year! She spoke about the Filipina/o/x collectivist approach of kapwa, Tagalog for a shared sense of inner belonging, as a meaningful framework to disrupt individualistic thinking and to liberate the promise of community-wide collaborative problem-solving. She, along with other Filipina educators, facilitated an analysis of how kapwa can create more inclusive communities of belonging, including in pre-k-12 independent school communities.

Ms. Alegre is also in her second year as a committee member for ALSC, the Association of Library Services for Children, a branch of the American Library Association. She will be judging and awarding the most distinguished example of American Digital Media for Early Education. The winner of the award will be announced in January, alongside other the ALSC awards including the Caldecott Award and the Newbery Award. Physical Education Teacher Jon Burgos took time during quarantine to complete a virtual yoga training with the Yoga Alliance. Aside from learning postures and adjustment to become a Certified Yoga Instructor, Coach Burgos also studied mindfulness and meditation, which he hopes to gradually introduce to the boys.

Science Department Head Jack Cooley’s nonprofit organization, The Community Bots, held a Comedy Night Fundraiser on October 22. The Community Bots provides training and resources in STEM-robotics to middle school girls and their teachers in underserved communities in New York City. Spanish Teacher Stephen Krawec’s Action Research report, “We Are Family: Using Student Agency to Build Positive Community in a Grade 7 Advisory” was selected as a top 3 report for the International Boys’ Schools Association. As an honoree, he was interviewed by Bruce Collins, IBSC’s Director of Membership Engagement, for the Exploring Boys’ Education podcast along with the other two top honorees. Sr. Krawec will be headed to Barcelona to present his research next summer at the IBSC’s Annual Conference and will also be presenting a second workshop on building classroom community with Spanish Department Head Samara Spielberg.

Spanish Teacher Stephen Krawec and Spanish Department Head Samara Spielberg created a week-long workshop this summer for the Massachusetts Foreign Language Association. The workshop focused on using interpersonal speaking and writing tasks as a conduit for building community and developing emotional literacy and empathy. Sr. Krawec’s very own eighth-grade Spanish teacher was in attendance during the online sessions! Art Teacher Julia Kunin’s solo exhibition at McClain Gallery in Texas will run from mid-November through midJanuary.

School Nurse Meghan Little and her husband Sean welcomed Seamus Kennedy Little on September 4, 2020.

Communications Manager Lily Miller married Edoardo Migliori in front of a Zoom audience of family and friends on July 4, 2020. They look forward to holding their Italian wedding reception at a future date, when the pandemic allows.