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2020 Faculty Grant Program Award Recipients

01/6/2020

Created entirely by Waring’s parent community to show their deepest gratitude for Waring’s teachers and staff, the Faculty Grant Program provides funding for Waring employees to pursue enriching experiences beyond the walls of campus. The Faculty Grant Program affords faculty and staff the opportunity to think outside the box, pursuing passions for subjects that they might not otherwise be able to access. In return, they will then bring that experiential knowledge back into the classroom to inform and enrich their students’ learning. In just three years, generous donors to the Faculty Grant Program have already made possible 18 grants. Read below about this year’s grant recipients and about the enriching trips, workshops, and lessons they have planned with their grants.

KB Square-1Travel to London to Visit Kara Walker Art Installation

KB Breiseth
Art Department Chair, All-School Meeting Coordinator, Faculty Mentor

“I have been reading and thinking quite a bit about representation as it relates to race and gender in the art world, and how contemporary artists are moving this conversation forward. Kara Walker is one of the most compelling artists of color working today, and I have followed her career with interest for years. I promised myself that the next time she had a large-scale installation somewhere that I’d try to see it in person.”

Faculty Winter 2018 (2 of 4)Cape Cod Adventure

Edith Fouser
Science, Math, and Writing Teacher, Tutor, Camping Trip Coordinator, Cross Country Coach

“We recharge our spiritual selves with time in nature, shared struggle, and the simple gift of time spent together–time to be fully present and mindful of one another as we unplug and connect on the deepest levels. I bring this mentality to every class and especially Endterm and Camping Trip when we have opportunities to explore new places and feed our sense of wonder.”

Dianne Jirka Square-1Moravian Pottery and Tile Workshop

Dianne Jirka
Buildings and Grounds Manager

“Edith Miles and Isabella Stewart Gardner were either acquaintances or friends. It is from this relationship that Edith got the idea to tile the entryway of the Waring Main House with the same [Moravian] tiles that Isabella used in her house museum in Boston ... hopefully knowing the origin of the tiles and how they are made will foster a greater interest in and respect and appreciation for what is literally under foot.”

Waring New Faculty 2018-7Bicycle Maintenance and Repair Class

Julie Nelson
Math Teacher, Tutor, Soccer Coach, Basketball Coach, Lacrosse Coach

“I’m interested in empowering students to ride their bikes for the sake of sustainability. When I can, I bike to the grocery store, I bike to the gym. Biking is an action we can all take to help our environment, but if you’re going to bike, you need to know how to change a flat and fix you brakes. I’d like to refresh those skills and share them with others.”

201920 New Faculty for web-2-1Guitar Lessons with a Waring Music Instructor

Michelle Ramadan
Humanities Teacher

“I want students to see that it is never ‘too late’ to stretch yourself and try something you want to do and haven’t done before. Learning is a lifelong endeavor. Not just something that happens as a student in school. Learning how to play a musical instrument has always been a goal of mine. I want to be able to take out the guitar and sing to my kids by the fire in the living room. Sounds cliche and idyllic, but why not?”

Faculty Finals Square 20181211 (26 of 28)Flying Lessons

Anna Marie Smith
French Teacher, Music Teacher, Tutor

“It’s helpful for me to be in the learner’s seat on a regular basis, as this is where I ask my students to be daily. It is through flying that I push myself out of my comfort zone, which reminds me just how scary that process can be. As a teacher, I do not want to ask of my students what I am not willing to do, which is to take healthy risks. Flying a single-engine airplane is the way that I spread my wings and remind myself ... that anything is possible, if I have the courage to try.”

Faculty Finals Square 20181211 (18 of 28)Trip to New Orleans to Visit the Whitney Plantation and Cabildo Museum

Josh Webb
Humanities Department Chair, Writing Teacher, Tutor, Soccer Coach

“I love history and I love teaching history. Last year, I got to travel to Montgomery, Alabama [with Group 1]. I got to stand on the spot where Rosa Parks was arrested, sit in a chair that Martin Luther King sat in, and touch the walls of the 16th St. Baptist Church. These experiences made the history come alive. I hope to have a similarly powerful experience when I travel to the Whitney Plantation.”

Graham Pearsall
Written by Graham Pearsall

Waring School's Communications Manager

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