Employee Milestones & Retirements

10 Years

2020 & 2021 Employee Milestones & Retirements

By Clair Ward

Milestones 5 Years

Each of our fve-year employees has begun to leave their mark on Shore Country Day School in their own way. We appreciate their special dedication and commitment to our students day in and day out. These employees are now a part of our foundation—the foundation of learning. We congratulate them on reaching this important milestone.

• Alex Asacker

Lower School music teacher • Amanda Berg

Grade 5 teacher • Brooke Booth

Director of Annual Giving • Manny Brito

Spanish teacher • Monique Clark

Assistant to Head of Lower School • Bill Fisher

Director of Marketing and

Communications • Ann-Marie Flynn

Director of Finance and

Operations • Pam Haley

Assistant to Head of Upper School • Chris Hubbard

Librarian • James Hubbard

Grade 4 teacher • Sara Knox

Head of Lower School • Whitney Morris ’96

Grade 5 teacher • Stacy Tell

Grade 4 teacher

10 Years

Mary Kinahan Grade 1 teacher Mary has the ability to redirect a child in a way that not only preserves their dignity, but also builds their confdence. She sees each child through the lens of possibility. The result is pure magic in the classroom.

Carol Porter Grade 2 teacher Carol is a master teacher who presents a calm and steady classroom culture. This allows children to grow, knowing that Carol is there to catch them when they fall. Carol is a true role model for children and adults alike. Sarah Sklarsky Upper School history teacher While Sarah demonstrates and efectively models precision, she is always one to see a student’s ability to improve. Sarah is often the person advocating for the underdog. This makes her truly approachable, whether it be in the classroom or during track practice.

15 Years

Gretchen Bowder Spanish teacher Gretchen leads with compassion for her students. She sends a message that she is willing to meet them where they are and take them where they can go. Gretchen is able to communicate both high standards and partnership. She does this with a skip in her step and delight in her heart.

Betsy Smith Business Ofce Assistant A committed member of the Business Ofce, Betsy Smith is always willing to lend a helping hand. Whether it be sorting through the daily bus challenges or rolling up her sleeves to help with COVID testing, we are grateful for all of the ways that Betsy is committed to her colleagues. This commitment shows itself in the form of a great deal of personal loyalty.

20 Years

Linda Grodberg Manager of Print and Digital Media Linda is a champion of polish and accuracy, two things that are so important in her work overseeing Shore’s print and digital content. This is only enhanced by the fact that Linda has worked in several departments at Shore, thereby bringing history and perspective to all that she does. On more than one occasion, Shore has had to rely on Linda’s talents to get us through a challenging moment. We all appreciate Linda’s commitment to Shore and her pursuit of excellence in her work.

Dave Poulo Systems Support Specialist In all of Dave’s years at Shore, it is safe to say that the last two have been a whirlwind. Rolling our teachers and students both into and out of remote learning, along with managing our transition from laptops to iPads, Dave uses good cheer and a positive outlook to ofer technology support. Dave ofers smiles to all of his colleagues and seems to approach each new challenge with enthusiasm. Dave’s work in technology is excellent, but we are all lucky to have him as a welcoming and inclusive colleague.

Pamela Torres Upper School Spanish teacher Pamela is flled with passion for her students and for her work. She is consistently stretching herself in her own learning and growth as a professional. One of the things that makes Pamela such an amazing community member is her sense of empathy. She quietly scans every room for ways to meet folks where they are and enhance their sense of inclusion.

25 Years

Lynn Pisanelli Physical Education teacher For two and a half decades, Lynn Pisanelli has been Shore’s very own energizer bunny. Lynn works to build relationships with each and every colleague and approaches her work as a teacher and coach with so much positive spirit. Always one to encourage each of us to be more active (as if we could keep up with her!) and supportive of one another, Lynn is one of our best examples of someone truly living Shore’s Community Code. She greets each student with a disarming dose of warmth that makes kids want to join in her fun. 30 Years

30 Years

Nancy McNall Athletic Director Nancy is a confdent, compassionate, and steady leader in all that she does at Shore. Always an incredible professional, Nancy makes students the main focus of each day. One of Nancy’s greatest legacies will always be the way she has built such a positive athletic culture. She is able to balance her healthy competitive edge with her belief in every athlete’s potential. She models this for all of Shore’s coaching staf, and the efect on student athletes is nothing short of amazing.

35 Years 35 Years

Loretta Stokes Manager of Human Resources and Student Accounts Loretta is a crucial factor in so much of what makes Shore a success. In addition to her fantastic “can-do” spirit, Loretta is committed to high standards for both Shore and herself. With a memory like a steel trap, Loretta can always be counted on for perspective on the history of Shore traditions. Loretta helps us pursue current excellence, too. We will be forever grateful for her leadership in Shore’s inclusion eforts. Not only did this help move our community forward, but it also set the tone of all of us working together regardless of our specifc roles.

Retirements 2020

Carol O’Neill Comptroller One of the biggest challenges of spring 2020 was knowing that we were saying farewell to colleague Carol O’Neill with no ability to celebrate her in person. For 18 years, Carol was part of the foundation of Shore’s Business Ofce. That means 18 years, 18 audits, two Heads of School, two Business Ofce leaders, and countless spreadsheets making sure the bills were paid and the lights stayed on. Carol’s efciency and drive to do great work are just two of the many traits that others observe about her. Former Head of School Larry Grifn had this to say about Carol: “Her dedication is unparalleled, matched only by her professionalism, precision, and superb character.” Ellen Wright Upper School English teacher This year we celebrate 21 years of Ellen Wright. To sit in Ellen’s classroom is to experience a master teacher in action. With no pretense or need for a frm hand, Ellen meets her students where they are and takes them to all kinds of places in literature. Ellen has a way of inspiring engagement that, while it can look efortless, is actually the result of meticulous planning and preparation. One of the frst things that I noticed about Ellen is her delight for the ages she teaches. She knows well the ways in which sixth and seventh graders can stumble when they do not have a framework or structure to support them. So without judgement

Carol was a devoted member of the Shore community even as she maintained her deep commitment to her own family. With the occasional twinkle of mischief in her eye, she could joke or tease with the best of them. With love in her heart, she would use her lunch hour to help her own mother or provide transportation for her beloved grandchildren. She even managed to ft in the regular exercise and long bike rides that became her signature activity.

Carol, we thank you for your 18 years of Shore and hope that your retirement is bringing you all of the precious moments you had anticipated.

2021

and with a tremendous amount of positive energy, she provides it. Never one to raise her voice, Ellen leads with kindness and compassion for those she teaches.

I loved reading former Head of School Larry Grifn’s description of Ellen: “Ellen is not in it for adulation or to compete for titles; she is in it to help each and every one of her students grow in skills, facility with language, and the ability to express themselves articulately with the written word. Ellen is recognized for her intellect as well as for her character and warmth.” I know that all of Ellen’s colleagues would agree that she is a wonderful role model for children and adults alike. Ellen, we will miss your curiosity and the cerebral way in which you are always striving to enhance your perspective in the classroom. We will miss your ability to collect everyone’s attention with humility and quiet leadership. Our collective Shore hearts wish you the peace and the space to continue growing, and the opportunity to spend even more time with your favorite partner in crime, Bruce.

Sue Cronin School Nurse This spring, I was in the health ofce when a young person came in to report a stomachache. Sue Cronin moved toward the child and got to her level, after glancing briefy at the clock. What happened next was pure poetry. “What did you have for lunch? Have you had any water to drink? It’s so close to the end of the day—what do you have after school?” With more skill (and a lot more love) than an ofcial interrogation, it isn’t long before the child admits that she has tennis after school and that she doesn’t want to go. Without missing a beat, Sue then strategizes with the child about how she could tell mom she isn’t enjoying tennis anymore. This is just one moment in the many of Sue Cronin’s days as our School Nurse. It is a job that requires one to be on their toes at all times. Sue monitors concussions and chronic illnesses, calls families about falls, and sorts out the sick from the “I’d rather not go to math class” in the blink of an eye. She even cares for the Shore adults. And as if that was not already a big enough job, along comes COVID. Either COVID pushed her to the edge, or she decided to go out in a fame of glory! Either way she has been our protector, our cheerleader, our care-giver, and our friend through all of her time at Shore. Former Head of School Larry Grifn says, “What astounds me most about Sue is how she manages to make all visitors feel they are the most important people in the world at that moment, and their concern is of the utmost importance.” We could not agree more. Caring with respect, with softness, or even with tough love when necessary, Sue is the consummate professional. This year we celebrate 25 years of Sue Cronin. Sue, thank you for your years of commitment to Shore and its community. Thank you for being my late night, early morning, and weekend partner this year as we made our way through contact tracing and quarantine decisions. You are leaving big shoes to fll, and we are honored to have worked beside you for so many years. Our collective Shore hearts ofer you best wishes for all of the Maine sunsets and time with your family you have earned.

Debra Parkhurst Kindergarten teacher “Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children, play IS serious learning,” said educator Fred Rogers. This year we celebrate 32 years of Deb Parkhurst, a teacher devoted to creating wonder both in and out of the classroom through play and imagination. From fairy houses, to leprechaun traps, to snowball fghts in the grass on a sunny day, there isn’t anything that Mrs. Parkhurst wouldn’t do to engage and delight her students. This strategy is so efective that one of her students this year actually referred to Mrs. Parkhurst as his very best friend. How could kindergarten get any better than that? Current students, former students, families, and colleagues all refer to the magic of Deb Parkhurst.

While some might believe that these are simply strategies deployed by a master teacher, I am here to tell you that the magic beneath this connection to her students is a mixture of love and empathy. This leaves everyone who interacts with her feeling as though they have been respected and honored. At the beginning of one year, a student wanted to be sure that Deb knew right

away that he was going to be trouble. Rather than to meet him with power or discipline, she set out to help him develop a new identity—that of classroom helper. Within a few short weeks, he was arriving early to help his teacher prepare the classroom for the others. He felt seen and honored; he found a new version of himself, and the two of them never looked back.

Larry Grifn refects on Deb’s magic: “When a child’s frst step at school is greeted by the open-armed reception of Debra Parkhurst, the child is assured of the opportunity to realize one’s dreams. High expectations are achieved in a supportive cocoon that fguratively protects the child from injury when making mistakes, and it encourages both exploration and experimentation.”

Summoner of fairies and leprechauns, champion of imaginative play, believer in what is possible, Deb, you are a Kindergarten marvel. Thank you for what you have given your students. Thank you for being a role model for kindness both seen and unseen. Our collective Shore hearts wish you time with your family and the opportunity to spend long days with a very lucky pug named Ruby Wrinkles.

Sam Hamlin Grade 3 teacher This year we celebrate nearly 40 years of Sam Hamlin. As most of you know, Sam is a jack-of-alltrades. In addition to being a third grade teacher, Sam is a set builder, singer, playwright, emcee, comedian, boat builder, and the list goes on. Who among us can say they have so many skills across so many areas of creativity? I still remember my very frst Egyptian Play at Shore, when Sam wrote me into the storyline and I was face to face with a cadre of young third graders all sporting my hairstyle. I knew at this moment that in addition to all of his other skills, Sam was an observer of people—something that has infuenced scores of young charges in his many years in the classroom.

“Sam believed all of his students were capable learners with diferent approaches to mastery. He recognized possibilities where others saw roadblocks; he never hesitated to simply dive in and seek creative solutions,” says former Head of School Larry Grifn. This not only included solutions for student learning, but I am told by Larry that Sam once fgured out how to make Mary Poppins fy into the rafters on stage during a performance. Passionate about working with his hands, he never hesitated to fnd hands-on learning opportunities for his students. He models creativity and imagination, something to which anyone who has attended the annual Olympic Festival can attest. After all, who else but Sam Hamlin could get the Shore adults to come to school on a Friday afternoon in togas and enthusiastically play the part of chariot race spectators? Sam, thank you for being Shore’s embodiment of a Renaissance spirit. We are grateful for all the hats you have worn and for your commitment to always fnding a way to unlock a solution. Our collective Shore hearts send you best wishes in your next endeavors, and we certainly hope you will still visit.