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SCHOOL LIFE
Faculty Notes
Three Giants of the Institution Retire Denise Bencivengo
Denise Bencivengo, Marie Shock, and Jane Spencer to Retire It was announced in the spring that three “giants of the institution,” to use Head of School Paul Stellato’s apt language, will be retiring from Princeton Day School at the end of the year. Denise Bencivengo has been at PDS for 33 years, primarily teaching Spanish to our Upper School students, but also serving as a dedicated and beloved Class Dean and Interim Head of both Middle and Upper School. She received the esteemed Whitlock Award in 2002. Marie Shock has
Tara Quigley and Nichole Foster-Hinds Named OESIS Network Leaders Congratulations to Tara Quigley, Miss Fine’s Center Director and MS humanities teacher and Nichole Foster-Hinds, Interim Math Department Chair and MS math teacher for being selected as OESIS Network Leaders. OESIS, which stands for Online Education Strategies for Independent Schools, is a dynamic network of over 550 independent schools and more than 2,500 leading innovators in education. In addition, both Quigley and Foster-Hinds presented at the OESIS Conference in Boston on October 17-18, with fellow PDS faculty, MS Technology Coordinator Jamie Atkeson and Head Librarian Sheila Goeke. Foster-Hinds presented “Angry Birds with Algebra;” Quigley and Goeke presented “6th-8th Grade Digital Literacies in Humanities;” and Atkeson presented “Aviation & Science: Interdisciplinary Exploration.”
Health & Wellness Team Lectures at NJAIS, NYAIS, VAIS Conferences The Princeton Day School Health & Wellness team, led by Director of Wellness Dr. Maritoni (Candy) Shah, presented at a number of conferences in the fall. The team of dance teacher Ann Robideaux, MS Spanish teacher Rachel Kamen, School Nurse Nina Keller, Learning JOURNAL
Marie Shock
Jane Spencer
worked at PDS for 23 years, serving as Upper School Assistant, Summer Programs Assistant, and, since 2002, as the Assistant to Lower School. Her unflappable and friendly demeanor has been indispensable to our faculty, parents, and, of course, Lower School students. Jane Spencer has taught Upper School Chemistry since 2007, and was awarded a Rosenberg Grant (with Kim Collura) in 2015. Her Mole Day celebrations and special PDS Periodic Table are PDS traditions. These three dedicated and adored members of our school community will be sorely missed.
Specialist Samantha Dawson, School Counselor Rob Tuckman, LS teacher Susan Ferguson, and Dr. Shah presented at the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools Life Skills Summit: Health, Wellness, and Steps to Stronger Learning Communities at the College and Academy of Saint Elizabeth in Morristown, NJ on October 24. Rob Tuckman co-facilitated the New York State Association of Independent Schools Counselors and Health Educators Conference at Mohonk Mountain house on October 26-28. Dr. Shah presented at the Virginia Association of Independent Schools Health and Wellness Summit on November 16.
US Science Faculty News: Visits to Stanford and Rwanda Upper School science teacher Charlie Alt had the opportunity to take five 11th grade students to Stanford University in early April to attend the GAINS (Girls Advancing in STEM) Conference. Princeton Day School was one of a small number of independent schools who were invited to send a delegation of