Another year at MFS has begun, and the gaps left by last year’s outgoing teachers have been filled by many new faces illuminating the hallways and classrooms.
Among this year’s new faculty is Katie Stutz, who served as a long-term substitute last year for Mrs. Galler. She graduated from MFS in 2009 and has since received her Bachelors in English Secondary Education and her Masters at TCNJ. She has returned this year to teach 6th, 8th, and 9th grade English in her own classroom. The friendliness and community that Stutz valued as an MFS student have aided her in settling in as a teacher. “I’m very lucky and happy to be back,” she says. Ms. Stutz is well aware that her new role at MFS is much different from her previous one, but she says that it is “good different.” This year, she is looking forward to engaging her classes and fostering a love for reading in her students, as well as working as the assistant varsity coach for girls’ soccer and basketball.
Parker Curtis, a well-loved history teacher, has returned this year after taking last year to attend graduate school. He is currently teaching all three 6th grade history classes and a section of 9th grade history. During his absence, the new myMFS portal launched, and learning the new system has been a priority for Mr. Curtis. “It’s a little bit of a learning curve, but I caught onto it quicker than I thought.” He especially likes the Haiku and its many features. The transition from being a full-time student, for the first time since college, to teaching again has gone smoothly. “I’ve been writing less papers, but grading more of them,” he said regarding his role reversal. With him, he brings new and exciting ideas to spice up his classes.
“I’m looking forward to finding out what’s so exciting about Spirit Week,” says new teacher Clare MacKenzie. She attended Haverford college in Pennsylvania, not far from MFS, and has taught at schools in upstate New York and Maryland. Adjusting to the MFS schedule has been a sizeable task for Ms. MacKenzie, given her experience teaching at boarding schools. This year is her 14th year of teaching, and she is particularly fond of her new school. This year, MacKenzie is balancing two sections of 9th grade English, an 11th grade American Literature class, and a Senior seminar. As an English teacher, she has a hard time choosing a favorite book, but among her favorites is David Mitchell’s Black Swan Green.
The teachers who left MFS for good last June will be missed, but they have passed on their classrooms to a new teachers who are eager to bring something new to MFS.
