11 minute read
A Middle Schooler At Heart
These are just a handful of the words from colleagues, students, teachers and parents that describe Head of Middle School John Stephens. After more than 30 years in the education field and 15 on the Fort Worth Country Day campus, Stephens is starting a new life chapter.
“When my family moved to Fort Worth, I assumed that this would be a six- or sevenyear chapter, like every chapter that preceded it,” he shared in a February letter to the community announcing his departure. “Fifteen years later, I feel proud of the opportunities I have been given and the things I have been able to be a part of.”
A Wisconsinite, Stephens earned a BA in History from Lawrence University, an MA in History from Xavier University in Ohio, and began his career teaching at the University School of Milwaukee as a full-time substitute, creating and conducting lesson plans for all subject areas in grades 1-12 and coaching high school varsity hockey and baseball. He then taught seventh grade at Cincinnati Country Day School for seven years before being named Head of Middle School at Augusta Preparatory Day School in Georgia in 2000. Head of School Evan D. Peterson H’15 (2002-15) brought Stephens to FWCD for the 2006-07 academic year.
“I came from a family of educators. My mother was a college professor, and my father taught for over 55 years at a school very much like FWCD. Both of my sisters are private school teachers as well,” Stephens shared. “When I got out of school, I was actually going to do anything but teach. After a stock market crash and a few years of sales in Chicago, I had the opportunity to teach and coach at my alma mater, the University School of Milwaukee. I went there from nursery school through high school. It was there that my teaching career took off.”
Jack Carmichael ’22 dressed up as the Head of Middle School for Halloween.
Stephens sling-shotted water balloons at students on the last day of recess this year.
An apple-pie connoisseur, Stephens would enjoy taste-testing all versions of his favorite dessert in various Middle School faculty bake-offs and during Pi Day.
Charming the FWCD Community
Some might say the rest is history, that the quintessential middle school boy, a kind-hearted jokester, won over the entire Fort Worth Country Day Mason Middle School community quickly. He wore green and yellow — Greenbay Packers colors — to school to elicit banter from the Cowboys fans, he dressed up for Halloween and other holidays, he stood out at carpool waving to parents and giving high-fives to students, he played practical jokes on his faculty team during meetings, he made children want to come to school. Stephens’ reach was broad and meaningful when it came to relationships.
“In John, the Fort Worth Country Day community loses incredible wisdom, devotion to middle school students, parents and faculty, and a man of great kindness with an amazing sense of humor,” said Head of School Eric Lombardi. “His legacy lives on through so many programs and the Middle School Expansion, but he forever will be remembered for his faculty legacy. He has built a phenomenal team of educators.”
For Head of Lower School Trey Blair, there is not enough space to answer how much Stephens has influenced him. “Simply put, John is a friend. I can go on and on about mentoring, teaching and coaching someone like myself into the profession, but at the end of the day, John is a really good friend,” Blair said. “He has always been there for me, whether I have asked for help or not, and I hope I can always be there for him.
“My favorite memories are easily the little jokes or silly things that John and I would find funny during meetings,” Blair continued. “I know many senior admins have probably had moments where they look over at the two of us and think, ‘What are these two doing?’ Just like the students we teach in Lower and Middle School, John and I often had to be separated so we weren’t distractions to everyone else.”
Jack Carmichael ’22 recalls a Green Bay Packers flag flying on the Middle School Circle flagpole following a Packers win over the Cowboys. Stephens was seen ushering students into school during carpool wearing his Cheesehead hat. That Cheesehead made multiple appearances each school year. Will Bloemendal ’27 shared that “Mr. Stephens made kids want to come to school,” while Caroline King ’25 called him a “role model.”
Kathy Welch has worked closely with Stephens since 2014, serving as Middle School Registrar. “John has a very special place in my heart, both personally and professionally. He is the brother I never had in the way he protects me, teases me, embarrasses me, and held me up gently when I dealt with profound grief,” she said. “He is an excellent motivator. He encourages people to step up their game, push for excellence, bring something special to the table, and find their personal ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if’ moment.”
The Paul W. Mason Middle School Expansion was a labor of love for Head of School John Stephens, seen here at the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Adding a Footprint
Stephens leaves a legacy of accomplishments at FWCD. In 2011-12, he envisioned, designed and oversaw the building of the new Paul W. Mason Middle School Expansion with Peterson and Assistant Head of School Steve Stackhouse. Much of Stephens’ educational philosophy centered on the Six Cs of the 21st-century: creativity, character, critical thinking, communication, cosmopolitanism/cross-cultural competency and collaboration. The expansion took these characteristics into account, serving as a tool to achieve something bigger, better and different. The look of the building and the flexibility it allows for collaborative learning makes teaching and learning at FWCD even more engaging.
Big Bend was a time to connect for students and faculty. Pictured here are Steve Stackhouse, Robin Willis and John Stephens.
Further innovation came to the Middle School through the 1:1 iPad program in 2013-14 and the Awesomeness Initiative, launched in January 2017, which added engagement to the Middle School’s curriculum through non-graded elective courses that fuel students’ passions.
While excited for the iPad program, Stephens sensed some apprehension among faculty. He worked with Director of Technology Steve Uhr to ensure that both technical support on campus and professional development opportunities were readily available to faculty so they felt prepared and comfortable in the classroom.
The Awesomeness Initiative (AI) was a collaborative effort with the entire Middle School team of teachers, staff and administrators. Recognizing that he was asking teachers to take on an elective course, Stephens put on his “teacher hat,” teaching AI courses alongside his faculty, including a much sought-after beekeeping class, over the years as well.
While the expansion, iPad initiative and AI classes are visible reminders of Stephens’ contributions to the School, he is most proud of the Middle School culture and the relationships that make this culture possible. “It’s always been important to me to do the best job I can. I think I’ve done that in assembling a group of faculty that are committed, love the kids, and have fun with the job,” he said. “This collection of Middle School teachers and staff is the best I have ever seen. They love their subjects, and they love our goofy Middle School kids. They regularly sacrifice their time and energy to show they believe in our students. As a result, the students enjoy and adore their teachers.”
Fostering Meaningful Relationships
Welch enjoyed hearing Stephens speak to the students. “If a student is in trouble, he can be stern but not scary, kind but not wimpy, an enforcer without using shame, then an encourager to make better decisions next time,” she said. “He just has a way with all people.”
Shari Lincoln has had the opportunity to teach in the Middle School with Stephens as her supervisor and to serve as Head of Lower School and work side by side. “John and I actually go way back. We met at a weeklong conference for aspiring middle school heads in the late ’90s in the northeast,” Lincoln said. “It wasn’t until he interviewed on campus for the Head of Middle School job that we chatted and remembered that we had met before [Lincoln was serving as Assistant Head of Middle School when he interviewed.] I had the privilege of working with John for one or two years before I was asked to head the Lower School.
“The bottom line is that John has been a wonderful teacher, mentor, listener and humorist,” Lincoln continued. “He taught me the value of laughter, especially when doing a challenging job. When I decided that I wanted to return to teaching, John was the first to share that a position had opened. I am eternally grateful that he allowed me to return to the classroom and continue to spend my days at the school I love.”
The culture does not end with the faculty — it very much involves the parent community. “Together, with parents, the faculty and administration turned the Middle School into ‘a safe place to fail,’ Stephens said. “I think a lot of administrators allow themselves to be drawn into choosing whose ‘side’ they are on between parents and teachers. Maybe it is because I grew up with so many of both, but I think that is faulty thinking. We are all here for the kids. I think the Middle School took a significant step forward handling discipline situations. We stopped reporting minor-level stuff to parents because it was normal middle school skinned-knee stuff, and on bigger stuff, we explained to parents how we hoped to turn the mistake into a learning experience.
“FWCD parents are passionate about their kids. If they know you care about their kids as well, they are wonderful partners and a lot of fun,” Stephens continued. “I have never been in or seen a community where the parents have been more effusively supportive, encouraging and trusting than I have experienced here. Most interactions feel like friends working on a common project. All these traits have made Fort Worth and FWCD an incredible community.”
Stephen Blan, who Stephens hired in 2016 to teach history, served as Assistant Head of Middle School for two years and is assuming the Head of Middle School role in 2021-22.
“John is a wonderful mentor and friend. I appreciate the unfailing belief that he has in his students and teachers. That belief has empowered students and teachers alike to be better versions of themselves,” Blan said. “When I was teaching, John encouraged me to not put limits on my creativity with regard to how to provide meaningful and engaging experiences for my students. This brought a great deal of enjoyment to me professionally and, hopefully, to my students as well. As an administrator, John has allowed me to learn alongside him, and the trust he has given me allows me to confidently continue to push the Middle School forward.”
Stephens admits he will miss the playful bantering and watching the maturation and the future, amazing successes of “the goofball Middle School kids.”
A favorite Awesomeness Initiative class featured John Stephens the beekeeper.
~ Shari Lincoln
Leaving Fond Memories
Aaron Hoover has been teaching history in the Middle School since 2003. “One of my favorite memories of John involves the first year he went to Big Bend with us in 2007,” Hoover noted. “Some alumni thought it would be funny to pack John’s ancient backpack with rocks before hiking to the South Rim.” Stephens did not discover the added weight until reaching their destination, as the alumni had hoped, and he was such a good sport.
One memory Blan will always have on his mind is of Stephens throwing water balloons at students on the last day of recess this year with a giant slingshot. “That’s exactly how he would want to spend his last recess,” Blan shared. “Whether it be while working or learning, John has always made sure he and others had fun doing it.”
Stephens’ children, Hannah Stephens Genua ’13, Amanda Stephens ’15 and Jack Stephens ’18, weathered the storm of a middle-school-principal-for-a-dad, or was it the other way around? “I think I secretly loved having my dad as my principal … even though I had to act like he was a big dork at school! It made going to school in such pivotal years of my academic growth more comfortable knowing that he could, in a way, oversee what I was going through in my day-to-day. The fact that he was always around to sign my late permission slips didn't hurt either,” Amanda said. “I'm so proud of him because I know he made a lasting impact and ultimately changed the School for the better. I think he set an example to those around him of what a good leader looks like, which is something Country Day tries to instill in their students.”
What will Stephens miss? “The people, the community, wonderful kids, supportive parents, daily interactions with all these people,” he said. “FWCD has been a wonderful, supportive community. Who gets to go to work every day and say they played Knockout at recess?”
A kid at heart, Head of Middle School John Stephens was in touch with his inner middle schooler every day and especially enjoyed the Fifth-Grade Ride-A-Thon.
