Tom Smith
Comfort Halsey Cope
Steve Kellogg
Like his favorite folk albums, Tom Smith’s tenure at Park has an “A Side” and a “B Side:” two distinct eras with a brief intermission in the middle. Arriving in 1973, he began his career as a science and math teacher in the Upper School. Over the next ten years, Tom became the head of the Math Department, Yearbook advisor, and a husband—marrying Park teacher, Margo Ayres, in 1976. In 1983, Tom left Park to pursue a career in educational software, programming games that were used in classrooms throughout the country. With a reinvigorated understanding of the educational opportunities that technology could support, he returned to Park in 1994 as the Director of Technology. Under Tom’s leadership, the School engineered its very first network, boldly adopted something called “the Internet,” introduced state-of-the-art computer labs, and set the landscape for Park’s current cloud-based technology. In that time, Tom and Margo watched their three children, Heather ’95, Andrew ’97 and Mally ’01, graduate from Park, and their grandchildren, Anna Hsu ’21 and Andrew Hsu ’24, become Park students. A lifelong musician, Tom is excited about the opportunity to begin recording a new album, to book more stage performances, and, of course, to spend time with Margo and their growing family.
Comfort Halsey Cope came to Park in 1977. Her thirty-eight years at Park have been marked by inspired teaching and wise leadership. Comfort was a beloved classroom teacher in Grades III and V before moving to the Upper Division where she taught Grade VI English/ Social Studies. Comfort has also worked as an associate director of admissions, a secondary school counselor, a Grade IX advisor, and a Growth Education teacher. Closest to her heart, Comfort has taken Park’s tradition of commitment to community service and created a more unified service learning program, culminating with a year-end Grade VIII service trip to Costa Rica. Comfort leaves an important legacy of service; her work has helped Park students to become true global citizens. Park has indeed been a family school for Comfort. She met her husband Greg Cope (Park class of 1971 and former Park teacher) here and their two children Eliza ’04 and Thomas ’07 both attended Park through Grade IX. Comfort looks forward to studying theology, tutoring in Boston, and time for projects, travel, and reading.
For 33 years, Steve Kellogg has inspired Park students with his big voice, his big heart, and his genuine excitement for learning. Steve started teaching just after graduating from college 45 years ago, and he came to Park in 1983 to head the Math Department. Steve has been at the heart of life in the Upper Division across his tenure. In addition to teaching math in Grades VI through IX, he has taught American History and Growth Education, he has been a longtime Grade IX advisor, he has coached lacrosse, soccer, and basketball as well as the Math Team, and he served for five years as the Upper School Division Head. Steve has been a steadfast member of Park’s Faculty Compensation Committee, and he has served as a member of the Board for AISNE and for the Meadowbrook School. Steve’s wife, Emily, joined him at Park in 1998, working in the library, and their two sons, Jeremy Kellogg ’99 and Nathan Kellogg ’02, attended Park from Pre-K through Grade IX. As an ardent history buff, Steve looks forward to now having time for more research and travel around Civil War battlefields, and to spending time with his four children and four grandchildren.
spring 2016
The Park School Bulletin
7