Wellesley Public Schools and the Wellesley Education Foundation earlier this month honored ten current or former WPS employees who have served the district for 25 years. Some have headed or are headed to retirement, and some are going for whatever the next milestone might be as educators, administrators, or staff.
All receive a fancy wooden chair to recognize their service, and the eight of 10 who attended the ceremony held at Wellesley College’s Tishman Commons on May 20 got to try out a model as colleagues shared accolades and stories about them. Whether the chair was comfortable we can’t say, but some honorees did squirm a bit as praise was showered on them in front of a full room of colleagues, friends, and family during the two-hour event.
The honorees:
- Darcie Ayer (middle school science teacher)
- Margaret Flitsch (physical education teacher at Sprague)
- Ellen Banthin (5th grade Sprague teacher)
- Ann Cole (special educator)
- Nina Kahn (literacy specialist at Hardy)
- Michael Krieger (high school physics teacher)
- Karen Griffith Poole (3rd grade Hardy teacher)
- Valerie J. Spruill (administrative assistant)
- Jamie Chisum (Wellesley High principal)
- J.J. Kelleher (middle school Spanish teacher)
Supt. Dr. David Lussier served as emcee, introducing the introducers. “While this chair is seen as a symbol of rest, these colleagues don’t sit very much,” Lussier said during opening remarks.
During the ceremony, we heard about what has stood out about these Wellesley educators and staff members.
Darcie Ayer is known as a teacher who doesn’t say a ton during staff meetings, but when she speaks, people listen. WMS Science Department Head Kate Morton called Ayer “the ultimate professional” and as for her teaching style, “she never stops thinking about new ways to introduce or reinforce difficult topics.” Ayer was described as going above and beyond, both in her interactions with colleagues and students. For the past two April vacations, for example, she has taken students to southwest national parks.
Sprague Principal Leigh Petrowsky did the honors for Margaret Flitsch, a physical education teacher, and secured the talents of two colleagues to put on a Saturday Night Live-style bit in which they piled on kudos for Flitsch’s gardening and other endeavors… but also shared funny asides on collateral damage. And true to SNL, the skit did go on.
No one in the room was worthy of fifth grade teacher Ellen Banthin, who rises before 4am at times to train for marathons BEFORE getting to school in the morning. One result, she eats lunch super early. Banthin was characterized by colleague Moe Henzel as lighting up rooms, operating with confidence, and running cold (she often wears a heated vest).
Literacy specialist Nina Kahn, according to Kristin Stoetzel, is always looking to figure out what she can do when students struggle. Kahn “breaks down writing tasks until students feel successful,” she said.
No one symbolizes the dedication of teachers more than special educator Ann Cole, who as Ianthe McCarthy relayed, got into the field after being inspired by her twin daughters receiving services in elementary school. Those services changed the kids’ school experiences in such a positive way that Cole decided to “pay it forward,” in her words.
We learned that Valerie Spruill served her country, in the U.S. Marines, in addition to serving the Wellesley school community.
It was clear that the teachers being honored had as big of an impact on their colleagues as on their students in some respects. Of Karen Griffin Poole, her colleague Neysa McNamara talked of hitting the lottery of teaching partners. Caitlin Moniz credited physics teacher and chair honoree Michael Krieger for encouraging her early on to have students spend the last 5 minutes of class cleaning the lab, a lesson she has used every school day since.
Jamie Chisum and J.J. Kelleher were unable to attend, but were recognized in their absence. Retired teachers Brooks and Jeanie Goddard spoke glowingly of Chisum, with Jeanie saying she suspects “the gods intervened” in allowing her to be Chisum’s mentor upon his entering the district. Supt. Lussier spoke about Kelleher, who he said remains in touch with many former students, who still come back to thank her for her work.
In closing remarks, an emotional Lussier said: “I think it’s easy to feel pessimistic today in thinking about role models and leaders and what our children see. What keeps me hopeful are the ten people you just heard about who do the work every single day on behalf of kids with little fanfare, with little press, with little attention, but create a legacy of changing the lives of our students.”
Well, here’s a little more press. Congratulations to the honorees.
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