6 minute read
Retirements
Well-deserved Retirement
Jenny Treadway Retires After 26 Years
by Kelly Butler, Assistant Head of MS
With a career in education spanning 42 years, Jenny Treadway has dedicated her life to creating a sense of belonging for students and teachers alike. In particular, during her 26 years at PCDS, Jenny has served our community in numerous roles, including but not limited to: MS Teacher, Assistant Head of US, US Dean of Students, Director of Technology, AFS Exchange Student Coordinator, Travel Coordinator, Cheerleading Coach, and most recently, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
When asked how the PCDS community has changed since first starting, Jenny shared that the campus is almost unrecognizable from the gravel driveways being paved, the bridges being added, and all of the new buildings. In regards to education, Jenny feels that the most significant change has been in the approach to teaching—with teachers moving away from strictly a lecture format to more of a mentor approach. Looking into the future, Jenny hopes that we can have more difficult conversations about respecting everyone for who they are, allowing students to question stereotypes, and working through difficult answers.
Jenny is most proud of the relationships she has built with students. Her dedication to advocating for what is best for students is apparent through her leadership in implementing our School’s block schedule. Likewise, Jenny worked tirelessly in recent years to build and develop a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion program which reaches across divisions, providing support in multiple ways to our entire PCDS community. Jenny has guided, mentored, and inspired many to stand up for what they believe is right, use their voice to create positive change, and to lean into difficult, yet important conversations. Creating an environment where our community members feel an even greater sense of belonging is at the forefront of Jenny’s legacy.
It is not surprising that when asked what Jenny will miss most about PCDS, her response was, “Everyone I work with and the students.” She wants to leave students with this message, “Time goes by very quickly. Appreciate each day and what it brings to you while recognizing that change is good.”
As retirement was drawing near, Jenny was feeling nervous, with lots of tears of sadness and joy. “Nobody quite prepares you for retirement. They prepare you for school, for your career, but not for when you sense the later-inlife chapter is set to begin.” Jenny pledges to take her own words of advice and embrace each day and see change as an opportunity to learn and grow herself. With plans to travel, become an AFS volunteer, take master gardening classes at The University of Arizona, and spend more time with family, Jenny’s love of learning and building relationships will continue to impact those around her and beyond. n
Jenny Treadway’s words of advice for educators
History in the Making
Matt Guthrie Retires After 25 Years
by Dr. Colin Reynolds, US History Teacher
This past spring, PCDS History Department said goodbye to Matt Guthrie. For a quarter century, Matt has made himself a legend in teaching, mentoring, and campus involvement.
In 1997, Matt joined PCDS as a Speech & Debate coach, a position he held until 2013. In his earlier years, he held a series of odd jobs in addition to teaching. He sometimes collected lunch tickets. Though he’s now associated especially with moral philosophy and science fiction courses—two of his favorites—there was a time he taught statistics, and one year he even taught Latin to fifth graders. For several years, he was primarily a sophomore history teacher, during which time he invented a spring course in which students immersed themselves in and discussed Tony Judt’s epic tome Postwar: A History of Europe Since 1945. Matt has also routinely played chess with some of the most brilliant players on campus and elsewhere. Despite reports to the contrary, chess Grandmaster Garry Kasparov declined to play chess with Matt during his visit to campus, no doubt intimidated by Matt’s reputation.
As History Department Chair, Matt is a hands-off leader, consistently encouraging teaching innovation through pedagogical independence. To quote some of Matt’s recent students, “His unique perspective on the world and his witty personality allow him to share insights in an exciting way that nobody else is capable of…His passion for making his students prepared and active citizens of the world is evident… He understands that the teacher is also the student and loves nothing more than learning new things from us.”
Given the state of the academic job market, Matt may be our last true autodidact at PCDS. He arrived here and began teaching without a college degree, earning one during his tenure. Yet Matt Guthrie is universally recognized as our History Department’s truest intellectual.
The PCDS History Department and the broader community wish Matt a healthy and happy retirement, filled with travel and continued intellectual engagement. n
“Mr. Guthrie coached me in both chess and debate—probably the two most impactful aspects of my childhood—and they helped to shape my academic career.” — Jon Winer ’98
A Tribute: Math and Mentorship
Sue Mazzolini Retires After 18 Years
by Jake Rodin ’19 and Ty Rodin ’19
It was 6:30 in the morning, and Jake and Ty Rodin were at School after an early morning workout. They made their way into the empty, still-dark quad, and Ty made a beeline straight for a bench, where Jake assumed he was going to lie down after a long morning. Jake was right—that was exactly Ty’s plan. “Ty,” Jake started, “don’t even think about it. We’re going to see Ms. Mazz.” Ty stopped, his face clearly in agony. “Calculus at 6:30 a.m.?”
We made our way to the corner of the quad, where Ms. Mazzolini’s classroom stood. Ty, hoping she wouldn’t be at School yet, even still asleep at home like a normal teacher, peered tentatively into her window to see if she was present. He was so ready to say something to the extent of, “Sorry Jake! She’s not here yet! Looks like no calculus this morning!” Sure enough, her windows were bright, and she looked as if she’d been up for hours studying the ins and outs of the quadratic formula. We opened the door and she greeted us with her perpetually energetic smile, a somehow playful yet serious attitude, and two Expo markers that would likely be dull by the first bell from the math equations she’d coach us through on the white board. It wasn’t just that Sue Mazzolini woke up early, and it wasn’t just that she seemed to have invented math herself. It was the way she cared for her students—and drove them to be their best selves inside and outside of math class—that caught the attention of our entire School community for generations. We’d even bet that students around the country had heard of Ms. Mazzolini and her enlightening knowledge and dedication to her students and her craft.
Sue Mazzolini and her class were seen as a rite of passage. Underclassmen only heard rumors about the class—most of which brought fear to their eyes. It wasn’t until they became juniors and seniors that they realized they’d actually been given a gift: a stand-out math teacher in the form of a life mentor.
Through grade school, teachers used bells, chimes, whistles, or even flashed the classroom lights to get the attention and silence of loquacious students in their classroom. When Ms. Mazz speaks, the room goes silent. Students know that every word out of her mouth might be information valuable enough not only to award them high praise on the next exam, but also to guide them in life far beyond high school.
Looking back on our years at PCDS, there are many teachers we remember, but without Sue Mazzolini, we wouldn’t be the people we are today. Thank you for everything, Ms. Mazz. n
Jake Rodin ’19
