Community News

Andrew Abes

joined SAC as the Associate Head Strength & Conditioning Coach, bringing several years of experience, most recently at the Hill Academy. In addition, he supported the Halifax Thunderbirds box lacrosse team as an associate strength and conditioning coach. Andrew lives on campus and supports the boarding program as Assistant Head of Memorial House.

Trevor Biasi

has been promoted to Director of Middle School, joining the school’s Leadership Team. Trevor has served as Assistant Director of Middle School for eight years. He will leverage his strong faculty and student relationships, communication skills, and positive sense of community to succeed in this leadership capacity.

Laura Byl

joins the Advancement Department as the Stewardship & Planned Giving Officer. In this role, Laura will engage Old Boys, parents, and friends of the school to support our strategic priorities. She will oversee the Planned Giving program to increase giving in the form of bequests and life insurance policies.

Joe Commisso

has accepted the role of Head of Laidlaw House. In the role of day Head of House, Joe will continue to build strong connections with students through the House program by promoting inclusivity, fostering healthy competition and accountability, and empowering student leaders. He is also Head of Community Service in the Upper School. Joe married Ali Keller on July 23, 2021, at Whistle Bear Golf and Country Club in Cambridge – after four previous attempts to get married over the course of COVID-19! Colby Dockerty

has been promoted to Assistant Director of Middle School, Academics. In this role, he will support the Middle School in all aspects of academic programming with a keen focus on curriculum, instructional practice, and assessment.

Janice Hollett

has been appointed Chief Financial Officer. In this key leadership position, Janice will guide the school’s financial planning and oversight, including capital planning, building projects, risk mitigation, and operations.

Stephen Holmes

and his wife, Taylor, welcomed Charlotte on March 28, 2021. Stephen teaches math and science in the Middle School.

Erin Humphreys

has accepted the role of Director of Health Services. As a registered nurse, she has worked in a cross-section of hospital and community settings, including at St. Andrew’s College on a casual basis since October 2020. She started her career working in child and adolescent psychiatry. At the Hospital for Sick Children, Erin cared for children with various types of cancer, hematological diseases, and immunologic disorders. As a public health nurse in the Healthy Families Program, she developed and facilitated parenting programs. Erin also brings experience as a school nurse at a large public high school in Halifax. married Stephanie Micheili at Bellamere Winery in London, Ont., on Aug. 27, 2021. John is SAC’s Head Strength & Conditioning Coach. He teaches personal fitness courses, trains for many teams, and leads the school’s summer fitness and skills programs. Stephanie is a physical therapist and manages a sports medicine clinic in Bradford, Ont. They met while studying kinesiology at Western University.

Chris Papalia

steps into the position of Head of Memorial House and administrator of SAC’s Summer School program. Chris has been at SAC since 2012 and teaches AP statistics and data management courses.

Emma Porter

joins the Middle School Leadership Team as Assistant Director of Middle School, Student Life. Emma finished her Women in Leadership program through Yale University this summer. The Middle School will benefit from her achievements as a French teacher for Grades 5-8, Macdonald boarding duty teacher, and leader of Middle School Guyship.

Matthew Trevisan

and his spouse, Andréa Stanger, welcomed into the world Thomas Asa, their third son, days before the online exam period ended last spring. Older brother, Julian, is thrilled to be a big brother again, while the memory and spirit of their brother, Gabriel, live on in the whole family. >>

Beth Carter

By Nicolette Fleming

After a 23-year career, originally as the school’s first Director of Finance, followed by 11 years as Chief Financial Officer, Beth Carter says farewell to St. Andrew’s College. Over her tenure, Beth developed strong friendships, inspired her colleagues, and influenced not only the people, but the institution. Aside from her incredible work ethic, Beth was known for her storytelling abilities, sense of humour, and delectable butter tarts – all of which were present on Oct. 14, the day of her retirement, when she hosted an open house in her office. It was a come-and-go-as-you-please affair, but true to Beth’s ability to tell a good story, she had sticky notes pasted all over her filing cabinet. Everyone who came to bring well wishes was encouraged to pick a story (all of them three minutes to tell or less). You didn’t know what you were going to get by the titles, such as “the iron lady with the girlish laugh” or “how not to ask for raise,” but each was uplifting or funny, none, as Beth put it, giving away any “SAC secrets.” Rather than tell the grand story of Beth’s career at SAC from her perspective, it seems fitting that we share a few of the anecdotes and compliments said about her. “Beth has been a pillar of support. She has been my right hand, assisting in the development and execution of school-wide major initiatives, including the growth of the Middle School, the campus master plan, renovation projects, various strategic plans, and the forever memorable million-dollar challenge. Beth’s contributions are immeasurable, and her legacy will continue for years to come.” Kevin McHenry, Head of School “Beth taught me a lot. She has such patience, is easy to work with, and is so well informed. She was a stabilizing influence at the school and on the Board of Governors. You knew you could depend on Beth; she had all the answers.” Dan Stock, Chair of the Board “Beth was always focused on what was best for the students. If it was good for the kids, she had no issue spending the money. While they will never know it, the students are the real benefactors of Beth’s dedication.” Courtenay Shrimpton, Assistant Head of School, Director of Upper School & Strategic Planning “Beth always knew how to keep things fun. She made sure the staff were included in the culture and were treated equally.” Wendy Muratoff, Executive Assistant to the Head of School “When I first met Beth during my interview for St. Andrew’s, she was her bubbly self. Right away, I felt welcome and accepted. We developed a great working relationship and became fast friends. Beth encouraged me to play golf, go on cruises, and develop an increased appreciation for wine. One of the things I most appreciate about Beth is that she is one of the least judgmental people. She always listens to the other person’s point of view.” Grace Wyvill, Director of Food Services “Beth is an accomplished, confident, strong, intelligent, and articulate colleague. She has been pivotal in ensuring the school’s financial health during exceptionally busy capital additions, strategic changes, and significant growth. Beth has been a good role model to other women at SAC. With a senior management team, board, trustees, finance committees etc., being traditionally male, Beth has led and been an example for women within the organization. While it may not have been an aspiration of Beth’s, it is certainly an aspect that has become a reality and been important for the culture of our school. Beth has done all of this with humility and humour.” Michael Roy, Director of Admission, Marketing & Business Development “I’ve been fortunate to work with Beth over the years on sustainability initiatives and through the Property and Facilities Committee of the Board of Governors. She never ceases to amaze me with her memory and knowledge that extends well past the numbers that come with being a CFO. She has knowledge stored in her brain that no Google search could replace!” Whitney Elliott, Grade 6 teacher Beth’s reputation extends beyond the Memorial Gates. She is well-respected within the CAIS, CIS, and NBOA communities and is an accomplished speaker, creative problem-solver, and accreditation committee member. “I am so grateful to have worked at St. Andrew’s with all of its wonderful people,” Beth says. Beth and her husband, Chris, will be spending winters in Arizona in their new RV and summers at their cottage in Midland, Ont., but first they are taking a retirement trip to Hawaii where Beth will celebrate this milestone with her son, Richard Oosthuizen ’05, his wife, Erica, and their son, Noah.

Margaret Kirkby

By Julie Caspersen

She arrived on campus in 1999 to help vaccinate students and stayed past her planned retirement in October 2020 to lead the school during the COVID-19 pandemic. With the pandemic in full force, Margaret Kirkby, RN, remained at her post in the Health Centre until the end of the school year in June. Having a person at the healthcare helm during two previous global crises in SARS and H1N1 proved invaluable when the current pandemic emerged in early 2020. “We learned a lesson to hire casual nurses for COVID-19” after the H1N1 influenza pandemic hit the school community hard in 2009, Marg recalls. “Back then, we were all hands on deck 24/7 for many weeks. A lot of kids and staff were affected.” Luckily, the SARS outbreak in 2003 didn’t make its way to the school. It wasn’t all pandemic prep and virus containment for Marg in her more than two decades in the Health Centre. She became the Director of Health and Wellness in 2007 and played a pivotal role in many advances to help meet student health, development, and educational needs. “The development of programs offered through the Health Centre over the years can be largely attributed to her initiatives. We use the term ‘goes above and beyond’ to describe many people, but never has this term been more appropriate than with Marg,” says Head of School Kevin McHenry. “She is the personification of someone who always puts the best interest of students and staff alike at the forefront.” Her commitment to the students and staff extended well beyond Band-Aids and flu shots. “Margaret Kirkby represents the perfect combination of attributes for a school nurse and later Director of Wellness. Her heart and compassion were always on display,” says Courtenay Shrimpton, Assistant Head of School, Director of Upper School & Strategic Planning, who worked closely with Marg during his time as the Director of Upper School. “She cared deeply about the boys under her care and would make whatever sacrifice was necessary to ensure their needs were being met. She was an incredible communicator with people at the school and a warm and open voice at the other end of the line when she supported parents through the challenges that sometimes emerged,” Courtenay adds. Marg worked closely with the boarding staff and ensured boarding students were well cared for. “She would spend evenings talking to the boarders in their common rooms about important health-related issues and encourage them to seek additional information. She always made the boarding students feel supported, and they knew they could trust her knowledge and guidance. On many evenings, she could be found administering flu shots and issuing kind smiles and tasty treats as a reward for their courage,” says Keith Ramon, Director of Boarding. Caring for the complete person was a hallmark of Marg’s approach to her job. One program she touts is the Circle of Care, which brings together faculty, coaches, advisors, and staff members to identify student concerns proactively. She is also pleased that counselling services have increased over the years, something that was not as prevalent when she started at the school. “There are other adjectives to describe her, including kind, diligent, conscientious, committed, but I think selfless describes her best. There was never one person in our community that she would not help, and she was always available for a question or a concern,” says David Stewart, Associate Director, Upper School, Student Affairs. Marg spent her final days at SAC quietly saying goodbye to colleagues and friends. To her surprise, she was awarded the Colonel Tilston Award at Prize Day in June, an honour bestowed on those who set the best example for effort, persistence, and tenacity. “Marg always did the right thing and put the interests of others before her own. She is an amazing colleague and an amazing friend,” Keith says. While she looks forward to relaxing at her cottage and spending time with her grandchildren, Marg also plans to seek out volunteer opportunities. X