Retirements

KATHY ARNOLD RETIRES

By Joyce Barnett

Kathy Arnold has worn several hats during her years at Boys’ Latin, the first of which was as a parent. The Arnold family joined the BL community in the fall of 1990 when their son, Judson ‘04, entered kindergarten. At that time, Kathy was firmly ensconced in the Baltimore County school system where she began her career in education as a music teacher and advanced through the years to become an elementary school principal.

Then, in 2010, Kathy received a phone call from Headmaster Chris Post asking if she would be interested in applying for the position of lower school head at Boys’ Latin. Her response to him was that she would be interested in going through the process. As Kathy tells it, she walked onto the campus and thought, “I love the County, but I love BL more.” So when offered the position, she retired after 34 years in the County to become the lower school’s fifth head.

Having been a parent herself, Kathy understood the need to create a strong bond with the parent community. Her eightyear tenure saw curriculum changes, the hiring of quality faculty members, and what she considers to be one of her greatest achievements, the mentoring of Greg Schnitzlein, current lower school head. Never one to be shy, it also saw her leading the annual Halloween parade as Cruella DeVille, donning outrageous costumes as a reward for the lower school students’ participation in Jump Rope for Heart, and singing the National Anthem during Boys’ Latin Night at the Orioles.

In 2018 Kathy decided to take on a new challenge and become director of lower school admissions. Once again, knowing the lower school inside and out was an advantage in bringing in and retaining new families. She is justifiably proud of the number of new students who entered during her four years in admissions, particularly given the challenges during the COVID years. forward to relaxing, to being able to travel, and to having more time with her grandchildren here in Baltimore and in Charlotte, NC. For our part, we wish her a well-deserved retirement and thank her for her many contributions to Boys’ Latin.

JOHN SIEVERTS H’07 RETIRES

By Mac Kennedy

The Alumni/Development Office has lost to retirement its former Director of Development, John Sieverts H’07. John officially retired from Boys’ Latin on August 31.

John worked at BL for over 20 years, beginning with Dyson Ehrhardt ‘59 part-time three days a week in 1999. The two shared an office in Williams Hall that first year together.

An alumnus of McDonogh School, John worked in their Alumni Development Office for 18 years before coming to BL. However, John is quick to tell you that his loyalties are here at BL. John knew Dyson while working at McDonogh, but when John’s son Chris came to BL and graduated four years later in 1991, John got to know Dyson even better. John said, “I always looked upon Dyson as the dean of development among the area independent schools. More than once, I would call upon Dyson for advice and always received great guidance.”

John began his full-time employment on Lake Avenue on July 1, 2000. He said, “I probably do not have to tell you that working with Dyson has been a trip…seriously, it has been a blessing.”

It is fair to say that the Alumni/Development program at Boys’ Latin has enjoyed some great progress and success over John’s 20+ years. The growth of The Laker Fund, the Reunion Homecoming Weekend, and the growth of the endowment all come to mind. But make no mistake, John’s greatest pride and joy come in the success of The Named Scholarship Program that he began in 2001. With just 15 named scholarships in 2001, under John’s leadership, Boys’ Latin now boasts over 100, with those named and endowed scholarship funds accounting for more than $20 million dollars of the School’s approximate $65 million dollar endowment.

John has seen firsthand how meaningful it is to boys, who may not have otherwise had the opportunity, to receive a Boys’ Latin education. Certainly, Boys Latin has made a difference in the lives of these young men, and they, in turn, have enriched our community. John feels there is nothing more meaningful to a student or a donor than a Boys’ Latin named scholarship.

John will also tell you that one of the things he values and takes great pride in was being named a Boys’ Latin honorary alumnus in 2007. John says, “They surprised me…a special moment I will always cherish and remember.”

In 2017, John received the Jack S. Kerns “Clearly Evident” Award,” given annually to a faculty or administrator, who exemplifies the same kind of quality, dedication and devotion to the School as Jack Kerns ‘52 did.

The Alumni/Development Office and the Boys’ Latin community wish John the best of luck in his retirement. He will be greatly missed. However, we know we will continue to see him on campus at events and games.

BARB STARKEY RETIRES

By Paul O’Connor ‘22

After 33 years, Mrs. Starkey has retired.

Her retirement marks the end of a career which spanned nearly four decades. Before coming to Boys’ Latin for the 1989-90 school year, Barb spent some time in Catholic schools. Once at Boys’ Latin, she quickly became a fixture and solidified her spot as a top-notch teacher, working with the kindergarten, pre-first and first grades.

Barb Starkey sought to bring out the best in each of her students. To do this, she developed individual relationships with each of them that went beyond the classroom. She remarked that across her career, she probably attended about 300 after-school or weekend activities. Whether it was baseball, football, lacrosse, karate, music lessons or swim practices, Barb believed that it was “important to me to help build relationships with my boys, and to show the Ann Jung (BL second grade teacher and primary grades department chair) spoke to Barb’s unique commitment to personal relationships. She remarked on Barb’s “topnotch environment” as well as the “warm and welcoming” classroom experience she created for her students. But she also remembered how she spent many of her weekends: “In order to get to know them better, she attended the boys’ off-campus activities all the time.”

Rudy Hurley (BL third grade teacher and parent to two alums, Ryan ‘18 and Tommy ‘19) witnessed this as a colleague and as the mother of two of Mrs. Starkey’s students. “Her caring nature and the class community she built in her kindergarten class made me realize I chose the right school for my sons. “My sons are very different but she brought the best out of both of them!” Rudy also mentioned that she wasn’t a teacher at Boys’ Latin when her sons entered the kindergarten, but that seeing Mrs. Starkey with her sons “inspired me to want to become a teacher at Boys’ Latin.”

Barb remarked that “many tears” have been shed over leaving a place she described as a “home away from home.” She said she’ll miss the “students, parents, and [her] colleagues.” She also said she’ll miss “planning creative lessons to teach different skills” and “watching the boys grow academically and socially.”

She has plenty lined up. She wants to volunteer with Baltimore City Schools and spend more time with her church on mission projects. She wants to travel more with her husband, and last February, Barb became a grandmother. She said she “knew instantly that [she] wanted to spend more time with [her] grandson, Blake.”

She plans to continue to find time to be on campus. “I will definitely not be a stranger to BL. I plan to visit and keep up with what fabulous things are happening at Boys’ Latin!”