Retirement

BY ALICE GEARHART FA

A Bittersweet Farewell

Silvia Ribes de Mugnani, Upper School Spanish Teacher and Advisor

With unparalleled humor, energy, and passion for Spanish, Silvia Ribes de Mugnani encouraged Bement students in their study of the language for 24 years. Her devotion to her students and her support of colleagues made her a deeply valued member of our community and meant that her retirement at the end of the 2021–22 school year was bittersweet.

Mrs. Mugnani’s career as an educator stretches back 50 years to her native Argentina. During her time at Bement, she taught students ranging from kindergartners to ninth graders with equal patience and skill. Stephanie Schonbrun LaBonia ’04 wrote of her, “You are the reason I studied Spanish in college and continue to love the language even still. We always looked forward to your class each day, and I still reflect back on you as a teacher 20 years later.” Carol Chan, mother of Lauren Chan ’22, wrote, “Under your guidance, not only has Lauren made tremendous improvement in her Spanish within a short period of time, you have helped her to develop a strong foundation and a genuine interest in Spanish.” Because of Mrs. Mugnani, numerous Bement alumni have pursued further study of, and even careers in, Spanish, and their early start with Mrs. Mugnani surely laid the strongest of foundations in the language.

As renowned as she was for her skills as an educator and her passion for the Spanish language, Silvia Mugnani was just as well known for her joyous and caring nature and her hilarity.

Through plays, telenovelas, and projects, Mrs. Mugnani made sure she was infusing her students’ learning with fun. Her classroom was usually full of decorations and preparations for performances on stage in the Barn, birthday celebrations, songs, and puppet shows, and every production was unfailingly energetic and amusing. Former faculty member Deb Stewart-Pettengill P’01 ’03 remembered that “Mrs. Mugnani’s . . . love of drama and costumes enhanced the experience for students and audience members alike!” Sylvia Mugnani’s humor and energy extended beyond her classroom to advisory, electives, morning meetings, and, most notably, Farewell Evening, where her loving roasts of students usually earned the biggest laughs of the night (and always involved the wildest props). Fueling the humor, though, was always the deepest care for her students. Brie Duseau ’12 said, “I remember on Farewell Evening . . . she made me a blanket with soccer and basketballs on it that I brought with me to college and even still have with me now! It’s always a good memory to think back on how well known and supported I was in middle school because of people like her!”

Those who have had the good fortune to work with Silvia Mugnani describe her as warm, pleasant, supportive, whimsical, and positive. As a colleague, she was always so thoughtful and willing to go above and beyond to support and help others. Ever the caretaker, she once turned a very early morning drive to a professional development workshop for the World Language Department into an impromptu party when she pulled an entire dulce de leche cake out of her purse and began serving pieces from the backseat of the car while regaling everyone with stories of her travels back to Argentina. It turned an otherwise dreary drive into a time of laughter and camaraderie. There was never a dull moment when Mrs. Mugnani was around!

While her retirement brings her time at Bement to an end, Sylvia Mugnani’s legacy will live on in the love of Spanish she has instilled in countless students and in the memories of all the laughs and joy she brought to our campus. While we will miss her greatly, we know that she will make the most of her well-earned retirement. Muchas gracias y buena suerte, Sra. Mugnani!