News for Collegiate School Families and Friends
Spring 2013
Ready to Go Ten longtime teachers announce retirement in June and make plans for their new free time.
I
n the life of any school, there comes a point where its fabric is altered, not by any compromise, but as old friends leave and new ones join us. Rarely, however, do we have the opportunity to celebrate the careers of 10 retiring teachers at one time. Spanning the decades from the ’60s to the present, these seasoned experts have inspired students, mentored new teachers and contributed to the excellence of our school in significant ways.
Barbara Anderson
Dr. Anderson has taught Upper School history since 1978, but she has taught much more. Passionate about the environment, Dr. Anderson has sponsored the Earth Society club for many years. She has also taken classes on nature walks to see baby hawks, mistletoe in trees and wetlands she helped preserve, next to the football field. She’s led hikes in the mountains and spent summers in Germany where she was born. Q: How will you remain vigilant about our environment’s health? A: I will now have time to attend meetings of the environmental organizations that are active in Richmond and maybe, do volunteer work, although I don’t like chattering groups. I will continue to plant trees in abandoned tree wells and water them around my street.
Joan Barnes
Since 1996, Mrs. Barnes has taught in the Upper School math department (AP Stats, AP Calculus, Multivariable Calculus and
Ten retirees were celebrated at the February faculty/staff meeting in Oates Theater.
Honors Linear Algebra), and she’s also been a sponsor for the Brunch and the academic team. Interestingly, her husband John also teaches math and sponsors the academic team at another school across town (MWGS) … must make for lively dinner conversation. Q: So, where will your new focus be? A: My husband and I have already, over the past decade, planted over 40 apples trees on our land in North Carolina with 14 more ready to plant in the fall of 2013. We don’t buy stock from traditional nurseries, but graft ourselves or buy from heritage orchards that are dedicated to preserving old varieties not available at grocery stores. I am drawn to old southern varieties that have been named, grafted and revered by families and communities through the last two centuries. With names like Aunt Rachel, Dula’s Beauty, or Junaluska, these trees carry a bit of history of the time and lives of the ordinary Americans who had these trees growing in their home orchard.
Ann Cullen
Mrs. Cullen started her Collegiate career in 1980 teaching 5th Grade girls math and also history to her advisory. Several years later she became a 5th Grade boys advisor, teaching her advisory reading and history and also math to both boys and girls. She helped design the 5th Grade humanities block curriculum, and in her spare time, she enjoys gardening. Q: How will you spend your first fall out of school in 33 years? A: An early riser by nature, I look forward to hearing the birds and seeing the dew on the lawn as I water Raymond’s bonsai and our many potted plants in the early morn rather than after 4, and becoming a “regular” rather than a “drop in” at the daily 8am Masses at St. Bridget Church. I see myself fulfilling a personal promise to share my heart and my time with others at The Thomas Palliative Care Unit at continued on page 11