FA CULTY
Gordon Leese and Dr. Roberts.
110-acre campus that serves nearly 1,000 students, faculty, staff and on-campus families and boarders. A quiet, constant presence among colleagues known for their devotion to GFS, Mr. Leese is the consummate employee and team player, often asking, “Do you want me to work through lunch?” when mounds of packages arrive midday. He has spent many a night in the maintenance shop to be available pre-dawn for snow removal. His tireless commitment is a family affair: Brother Keith, also a 20-year pin award recipient, works in Physical Plant.
deeply about his students. For Mr. O, very little matters other than students truly knowing that they are smart, capable and good human beings. As students embark on their journey to learn about American History, they must navigate a flood of readings, writings, debates, discussions, lectures, research, movies and presentations. With Mr. O pushing them to find their creative muse and interpret what they have learned, students create films, plays, children’s books, original ballads and much more.
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Through creative expression, Mr. O helps his students stretch their understanding of history and the stories of our past to another level. As a soccer coach for Middle School and Upper School, he holds the same philosophies and beliefs for his athletes (see page 4 for more on his passion for the sport). Mr. O joined Garrison Forest in 2009, having worked with all levels of middle school students. A graduate of Colby College (B.A. in economics), he earned his master’s degree in historical studies at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and was selected for the prestigious Mount Vernon Teacher Institute, a residential immersion program to study George Washington and 18th-century life. His passion for teaching and love for history, math and his students is imbued with a daily dose of the absurd, whether speaking with an English accent for the day or freestyling verses as a commentary of the goings-on of the Middle School. His sense of humor and infectious sense of joy spring from the same place of caring as his teaching and coaching. His philosophy—that we can all be better at what we do if we think that we can and we are willing to try—makes for a better classroom, sideline and wherever Mr. O is on the GFS campus.
Doug Oppenheimer with his family at Commencement, from left: Staunton T. Oppenheimer, Doug Oppenheimer, Riley Hanson, Jessica Hanson and Jim Condron.
2016 DISTINGUISHED FACULTY AWARD In 1980, Elinor Purves McLennan ’56 and Courtney McLennan Myhrum ’79 established the Distinguished Teacher Award to recognize excellence in teaching. Selected by a committee of parents, students and faculty, the recipient embodies the highest expression of a selfless life of service.
Douglas Oppenheimer
Middle School History and Math
There are multiple layers to Doug Oppenheimer’s mastery of teaching. On the surface, students are challenged with the highest of standards for every assignment. Scratch the surface of exacting expectations, though, and there’s a teacher who cares
2016 GARRISON FOREST SCHOOL