May 24, 2018
During the 53rd Commencement Exercises, the three highest faculty awards were presented by Head of School, Mr. Aaron Schubach. The three recipients honored represent a collective 21 years of service to the school. Each was honored with a major award for the first time in their careers at CSS. Thank you to the incredible faculty/staff who works tirelessly to advance the mission of the school and to positively impact the lives of students.
Sarah H. Elizabeth Hoiles Outstanding Faculty Award
Aaron: “Sarah Hoiles graduated from CSS in the class of 1994 and in July 1997 the school and the Hoiles family established an annual faculty award in her honor. Please welcome Reagan Sanchez, to the podium, Reagan, an 8th grade graduate of CSS, is Sarah Hoiles’s niece. Reagan will describe the award created in honor of her aunt.”
Reagan: “The Sarah Hoiles Outstanding Faculty Award is given to the individual who provides exemplary service to the CSS community, has been here three or more years, demonstrates commitment above and beyond the standard job requirements, demonstrates enthusiasm for teaching, learning, and helping others, and serves as a role model for all faculty and students at The Colorado Springs School.”
Aaron: “This year’s recipient of the Sarah Hoiles Outstanding Faculty Award is in his 6-year teaching at The Colorado Springs School. His peers describe him as a driven, creative teacher who develops inspiring relationships with his students. His approach to teaching and learning is defined by his positive and hardworking attitude. His contributions to faculty meetings are insightful, inclusive, and action-oriented.
This educator has a wonderful relationship with people of all ages, but a special place in his heart for children. He has an uncanny sense of humor and will talk politics with anyone on the planet with an open mind and common sense.
His commitment to the CSS method of education is deep. He loves history, working with his students to draft bills and laws, and the natural world, often beginning fall mornings engaging students in hurricanes tracking sessions. The work that he puts into Fall Adventure and Colorado Expedition are legendary, although up until this year we wondered if he was cursed by the weather gods. This spring, much to his neighbors’ chagrin, he spent his free time designing PVC shade structures that his students could use on Expedition. His commitment to getting students outdoors and exploring their environment doesn’t stop with our Seminar programs. This past fall, he joined our mountain bike team as an assistant coach. His appreciation for nature and “can do” attitude make him a strong asset to this program.
In the words of one of his colleagues, Tim Ferguson is a gentle, powerful soul, and his students are lucky to have him in their lives. We are thankful to have him at The Colorado Springs School.”
Edward E. Ford Foundation Excellence in Teaching Award
Aaron: “This award is given to a faculty member who has taught at CSS for a minimum of five years, epitomizes CSS’s concept of teaching, is committed to the growth and learning of students both in and out
of the classroom, is an example to other teachers and has devoted a significant portion of his or her time to classroom studies.
The 2018 recipient of the Edward E. Ford Foundation Excellence in Teaching Award joined the CSS faculty 12 and half years ago. In that time, she has established herself as a core member of our Upper School teaching team.
Our Upper School Students know her classroom as an enthusiastic and predictable place for them to improve their language skills. She routinely leads our students to high scores on Advanced Placement exams while simultaneously making language acquisition accessible and enjoyable for all students. Engaging and relevant activities and projects are the hallmarks of her classes.
Her students note that:
- In class, they are learning a great deal each day and they enjoy the process
- Her lesson plans and activities are engaging
- And she supports her students outside of class during class or study hall
Particularly effective are the humorous phrases she creates on the spot to practice new vocabulary and grammar. In addition to these distinctions, she is the only member of the CSS faculty to refer to me as “chico”. At least as far as I know.
Juniors appreciate her helpful support organizing prom each and every year. Her colleagues know her as a strong Experience Centered Seminar leader in places like Cuernavaca, Mexico, and Peru. This year, this educator assumed the role of World Languages department chair and worked with our faculty to set lofty goals to continuously improve our teaching and curriculum. We’re grateful for her leadership in this regard.
Profe Marta Kunze is the 2018 recipient of the Edward E. Ford Foundation Excellence in Teaching Award. Congratulations, Marta.”
Mary Flynn Flemke Leadership in Education Award
Aaron: “The Mary Flynn Flemke Leadership in Education Award recognizes outstanding individual accomplishment in the education of students and the advancement of the school. The award is given to a faculty member who leads by example, who is fiercely loyal to the school, who exceeds the traditionally high standards of our faculty, who combines the managerial skills to make sure that things get done with the leadership skills to make sure the right things get done.
When we brought this teacher to The Colorado Springs School three years ago we knew we are bringing in a human energizer bunny— a taller, skinnier, and occasionally, mustachioed energizer bunny. And we were right. He has distinguished himself early and frequently during his time at CSS with his outstanding knowledge of educational theory and his thermonuclear enthusiasm— jumping head-first into Middle and Upper School Science, seminars, soccer and everything in between.
This teacher loves to actually implement the cutting edge theories that educators usually only talk about in grad school. With the thoughtful permission of Amos White and Eric Gaylord he “gamified” his Middle School science class, encouraging students to use their skills and goals to make choices about how they progress through the curriculum. The results have been clear. The students understand science better than they might have in a traditional environment and they have increased responsibility for their own learning.
Unlike many with a strong interest in educational technology and computer science, Andrew constantly talks about kids learning, not technological tools.
- He brings a creative problem-solving approach to tech initiatives and a large toolbox of knowledge.
- He was an integral part of our Google Classroom rollout.
- He has delivered professional development opportunities for faculty.
- He’s developed several new seminars including Hackerspace and the 2019 Imagine the Future Virtual Reality ECS.
- With the help of the Safayan family, Andrew has put us into contact with engineers at Google who are creating partnerships in education.
- Though technological tools are his passion- he is a strong proponent of our outdoor education programs - co-leading Walkabout twice and always looking for greater responsibility in these important areas.
- He is also a humble and thoughtful head soccer coach for boys and varsity assistant for girls. He loves the learning that happens on the field as much as what happens in the classroom.
- When called upon to co-lead the snow science seminar this year on short notice his answer was, “I’ll do whatever is good for the students”, and that seems to be his mantra.
Please join me in congratulating Andrew Julian, the 2018 recipient of the Mary Flemke Leadership in Education award.”
Farewell Celebrations
Last week, the school also honored two esteemed colleagues retiring from CSS with a festive end-of-school Ice Cream Social on the Quad. Mr. Roger Tucker (Science) and Ms. Bette Anterra (Media Integration) were celebrated for their collective 43 years of service to CSS. We also thanked departing faculty and staff Ms. Krista Wills (History), Mr. Jose Arguello (Spanish), Mr. John Cleckler (Counseling), Dr. Krista Bridgmon (Counseling), Mr. Max Ferguson (Drama), and Mr. Adam Hooper (Vocal Ensemble), and wish them the best in their future endeavors!
