Cleo Roberts Backus wih Martha Shaw, CSG Librarian, when she was honored for her dedicated service at the end of the year Faculty/Staff Luncheon.
Cleo Roberts Backus was recognized at our end of the year staff/faculty luncheon for her dedicated service to our school. Perry Rogers, History Department Chair, knows Cleo well. “She worked at CSG for 25 years. She remembers every student and teacher’s names. She can alphabetize six books at once while putting another two away on the shelf.” Linda Swarlis, Director of Information Systems and Library Services, knows Cleo very well. “Oh, she can suffer from a hurt leg and console herself by sewing herself a new wrap skirt which she wears to volunteer in the library the very next day.”
Julie Biswas was awarded the Dorothy Sehring Award for Excellence in Teaching This award is given to one outstanding teacher each year at Columbus School for Girls. Julie came to CSG in 1998, and from her first day here has set high expectations and encouraged each student to do her best and to achieve more than she ever thought possible. Her comments to parents about the girls are always thoughtful and informative, and she makes herself available to the girls at all times. Julie was the leader in the development of Cynthia’s Woods, our 100-acre outdoor educational facility, for all ages at Columbus School for Girls. Julie applied for and received a grant from AEP to develop the energy bike and for the past two years her team of middle and upper school girls has won top awards for their efforts. For the past three years she has
Julie’s classroom is an exciting place to be because of her creativity and enthusiasm. Moreover, Julie is an innovator: her use of technology is a model for all of us and her use of science materials is astonishingly innovative. In short, Julie is a model teacher, a lifelong learner, flexible and even-tempered with her students and colleagues. She fulfills all the criteria for the Dorothy Sehring Award for Excellence in Teaching. Congratulations, Julie! Joan Hill, Director of Lower School, has accepted the position of Head of School at the Lamplighter School in Dallas, Texas. Although we have all known that Joan Science teacher, Julie Biswas, recipient of the Dorothy Sehring Award for Excellence in Teaching, with Izzy Zox, Form VIII.
Mary Ann Leonard, Upper School Science teacher and Interim Director of Upper School, knows Cleo well. “Cleo, oh she taught a lot of subjects. She taught nutrition, typing, health and ended up being Susan Altan’s right hand woman in the library. Why, just two days ago, she came in to volunteer. She put a whole cart of books away, and then went home to get her sewing done for her hospital volunteer work.” Cleo remembers many Heads of School: Mr. Chapman, Dr. Hayot, Dr. Cooper and Mrs. Lee. She didn’t stop working until she was 80, and has been retired for 17 years. She comes to our yearly staff/faculty breakfast or luncheon and continues to volunteer frequently in the library.
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Class News
Susan Powell, Program for Young Children teacher, knows Cleo. “Yes, I know her. She can give the recipe for chicken salad out of the corner of her mouth while teaching a student to tie her shoes with the other corner of her mouth and get home to make 4 pints of raspberry jam, from scratch!”
Cleo, darling of the library, we thank you for your dedication to CSG!
been the co-leader for Student Council. She plans and executes the much anticipated Form VIII trip to Washington, D.C. and helps organize the Form VIII annual holiday tea. This past year she stepped up and agreed to add teaching science to Form V to her duties, and together with Michael Burton developed a new science curriculum for Forms IV and V. Julie is also the person in charge of first semester bus duty and has been for 10 years; this in itself deserves a special award!