10 minute read
“The Names of Places”
NEWESTBENGALS
Edmund Burke School welcomed the following administrators, faculty, and staff for the 2022-23 School Year:
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NEW FACULTY, STARTING IN FALL 2022:
DEBBIE BALLARD HS Learning Specialist California Lutheran University, MS, BA
“I grew up in Southern California, originally went to college at USC on a D1 swimming scholarship, and moved to this coast 12 years ago. Prior to Burke, I worked for three years at a local Catholic school and for nine years at McLean School in Potomac. When it comes to free time, I like to run, read, cuddle with my pup, play trivia, organize and collect vacuums. Yes, I have 17 vacuums in a storage unit.”
EMILY ZURCHER 6th Grade Core / English Dartmouth College, BA
“Hello! I’m from Philadelphia but I love the Mets – which made the last year I spent working at a K-8 school in New Jersey especially fun. I’ve been picking up lots of hobbies lately, including roller skating (and falling over), embroidery, and what I call extreme podcast listening.”
NATHAN BLANSETT HS English Johns Hopkins University, MFA Emory University, BA
“I lived in Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Baltimore before DC. Before coming to Burke, I taught introductory and upper-level courses in The Writing Seminars at Johns Hopkins, and, prior to that, was an assistant to the curators of a rare book library. I’m a poet and freelance book critic, and I also love spending time playing tennis, traveling to new cities, and exploring used bookstores!”
SARAH BRUNDRETT MS French Michigan State University, MA, BA
“I grew up in Saginaw, MI, and came to Burke from Saint Luke School in McLean. I enjoy spending my free time with my friends and family, cooking, going to the beach, walking my dog, and reading!”
CURTIS HARRIS HS History American University, BA, MA, PhD
“I grew up in Galveston County, Texas, and studied history at American University. Before teaching at Burke, I worked as a tour guide, sportswriter, and adjunct professor. I spend my free time listening to music or playing basketball.”
DENNIS HATHORN Physical Education The Citadel: The Military College of South Carolina, BS
ADDIE HELMKE HS Science
Antioch University of New England, MS Dickinson College Degree, BA “I grew up here in the DC area, and later moved to the White Mountains of New Hampshire. There, I spent many years as an outdoor guide and an environmental educator before returning to the DC area to co-start The Howard Gardner School in Alexandria, VA. I spend most of my non-working time outside as much as possible. I run, camp, boat and rock climb. I am really excited to join the Burke community!”
MONECIA SAMUELS Librarian University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, MLS Howard University, BM
“I grew up in Southern California in the San Fernando Valley city of Sylmar, known for the 1971 Sylmar Earthquake. I worked as a paraprofessional at Howard University Libraries, a Research Librarian at George Washington University, and aSchool Librarian at Military Road Early Learning Center (DCPS). Since I adopted a 13-year-old Snoodle, I have liked discovering new walking routes, neighborhoods, restaurants, and hotels that welcome both of us.” NEW FACULTY & STAFF, STARTED IN SPRING 2022:
JAMES ROBERTS Director of Auxiliary Programs / Admissions Associate University of Maryland, BS
HÉCTOR CATAÑO Visual Arts
Complutense University of Madrid, MFA Polytechnic University of Valencia, MFA Jorge Tadeo University of Bogota, BFA “I grew up in rainy and hectic Bogotá, Colombia. Previously, I worked as Program Manager of an online art program called Youth Arts Movement (YAM), while also teaching visual and digital arts in Montgomery County Public Schools. I like to spend my free time making art, recording original music at home, or just playing the guitar or the piano. I like seeing new art exhibitions in museums and art galleries, and traveling to new places. I play soccer twice a week.”
FACULTY RETURNING IN FALL 2022:
KAY CHRISTY Visual Arts
Savannah College of Art and Design, MFA Rhode Island School of Design, BFA
THE NAMES OF PLACES
BY SHARIELLE APPLEWHITE, DIRECTOR OF EQUITY, INCLUSION, AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
One of the hallmarks of Burke has been the time dedicated to student affinity spaces. Affinity groups are brave spaces where everyone in that group shares a common identity. These groups are particularly important for people who have been historically underrepresented and marginalized. These meetings happen during community blocks every Wednesday and two lunchtime periods. We have 13 affinity groups that fall into four categories: racial, gender, sexuality, and religious. Within these groups students find solace in being in community with people of shared identities. In addition to being a supportive space, some groups worked on special projects.
A major project that emerged from affinity groups at the end of the 2022 school year was renaming the Thomas Jefferson Room in the high school to the Fannie Lou Hamer Room. Some students were long dismayed by a room at Burke being named after Thomas Jefferson given his sordid history of enslavement of Black people and inappropriate relationship with an enslaved woman named Sally Hemmings. His past was at odds with our mission of equity and our work around consent and sexual assault.
Two of the students who desired change were Leah Winston ‘22 and Yael Nemeth ‘22. Yael said she couldn’t understand how the progressive school that she attended since 7th grade ensured that she learned the complete history of Thomas Jefferson while still having a room named after him. They got approval from the former Head of School Damian Jones to pursue efforts to find a better role model for the room to be named after. Leah, who was an invaluable and integral part of student life and organizing at Burke, went to the Black Student Union to ask for their input on finding an exemplary role model. From that, Fannie Lou Hamer, a Civil Rights activist was chosen.
Fannie Lou Hamer, born in 1917 in Mississippi, fought tirelessly and risked her life for Black people to have voting rights in the United States. In addition to helping secure voting rights she also organized for better economic and educational opportunities for Black people in her community, the Mississippi Delta. One of the motivating factors for Hamer being an activist was being forcibly sterilized by a doctor without her consent, like many Black women at that time. Similar to Sally Hemmings, she endured a violation to her bodily autonomy and it feels restorative to have a room named after her. Leah stated that, “Fannie Lou Hamer was a resilient, determined, and effective organizer, activist, and leader. She inspires me through her courage in the face of adversity and her commitment to equity and justice for marginalized communities.”
Hamer is a person I hope our students will look to for inspiration on being a changemaker. I am hopeful this will happen because many of them, like Leah and Yael last year, are already passionately pursuing initiatives to positively contribute to their community. I am looking forward to the greatness that will come from affinity spaces in the 2022-23 school year. SHARIELLE APPLEWHITE
LEAH WINSTON ‘22
YAEL NEMETH ‘22
BOARD BY JADÉA ASANTE Art by Kalea G.P. ‘21
The More Things Change Longtime faculty and staff members reflect on what has changed and what endures over many years at school.
“One of the most significant changes has been carpeting in the High School; despite having 100 more students, it’s now quieter than when I began!”
“We’re not a place of too many heavily-imbued traditions.
We are flexible, and we focus on the people who are here now. We are constantly evolving, and we embrace that ethos of bringing your own interests to the table.”
“We were founded to be a school for the square pegs who couldn’t fit in the round holes. We are small and on a first name basis, and there’s no artificial divide. That family feel has stayed the same.” JOHN HOWARD
Performing Arts Faculty, 1989-present
A resident of Upton Street at the start of his tenure, John is an alumni parent (Sam ‘11, Nora ‘14), soccer coach, and creative force behind Burke’s instrumental music and band program. He also performs in Takoma Jazz, alongside faculty members Eugenio Ibarz and Stacy Smith.
KAREN KLAUTKY
Assistant to the Head of School, 1997-present
In addition to working with every Head of School in Burke’s history, Karen has advised the Black Student Union, serves as an Equity & Inclusion coordinator and a 9th grade advisor. She earned a BA and MA in Economics and occasionally has taught High School math. “Years ago, folks had looser job descriptions. If there was a mailing, everyone was doing the mailing.”
“We have always been the place for the non-cookie cutter kid. We were accepting of kids from all different backgrounds, with diversity in its full definition.
“Burke has established itself as we are, and we always manage to keep that in some form.”
“In recent years, we have done a better job of addressing racial injustice within our walls.”
“The strength of the advisory program has remained the same. [With a different advisor in each High School grade], students have the opportunity to form relationships with more adults in the building.”
“Fundamentally, the adult/student experience is the most important, and they have time to know one another as human beings.” BOB KULAWIEC
Science Department Chair, 1998-present
An alumni parent (Adam ‘16, Claire ‘17), Bob has taught Chemistry and AP Chemistry to hundreds of students. He currently advises the Science Club, serves as a 10th grade advisor, and runs a robust YouTube channel, best known for “Determining the Formula of a Hydrate” (70K views). DAVID PANUSH
Director of Technology & Innovative Learning, 1998-present
While serving on the Administrative team, David continues to teach in the History department, including electives in Social and Behavioral Psychology. He was the Cross Country and Track & Field coach for many years, and he is currently an advisor for 12th grade. “We are no longer all crammed into the High School building, and we now have SIS [Student Information System] and iPads – they changed the way we do things, and yet they haven’t.”
“We had dogs when I started in the late ‘90s and we have dogs now. But now we have an actual Dog Policy. Before, it was just something people did.”
“We are in the same location, [almost] the same size. We’ve made significant changes around the edges.”
“Assemblies are more organized. They used to be highly spontaneous.”
“Faculty always have a willingness to help out when things get kind of funky.”
“When folks come to Burke, they love what it does and the relationships they establish here.” ALLEN JACKSON
Visual Arts Department, 2000-present
A native Washingtonian, Allen teaches digital + darkroom photography, and filmmaking at Burke, as well as Howard University (where he is also an alum). He is a 12th grade advisor, supports the Young Black Men affinity group and Burke Film Club, and is a prolific artist.
DANNY SPELTA
Associate Dean of College Counseling, 2007-present “Fire drills used to be more of a suggestion.”
“I’ve been here, at one school, for so long because we have support from leadership, and that support hasn’t changed. When it comes to leadership, Burke does have a track record of getting it right.”
“Stacy [Smith] often talks about filling your tank, and Burke is very tank-filling.
Hearing all the different points of view from everyone here has helped me grow as a person.”
Last spring marked Danny’s fifteenth year at Burke, where he also was a member of the Leadership Program team for ten years and an 11th grade advisor for two, plus a stint as the Testing Coordinator.
