FACULTY / STAFF NEWS

FACULTY NEWS

St. Christopher’s faculty outside the classroom

Upper School Academic Dean and Director of College Counseling Jim Jump served as the keynote speaker at the Pennsylvania Association for College Admission Counseling’s annual conference held in Hershey, Pennsylvania, on June 19-21, 2022. Jim was also quoted in articles in “U.S. News and World Report” and “Inside Higher Ed,” was interviewed by a public radio station in Rochester, New York, and had his work cited on prominent education-focused podcasts.

Faculty and administration members Nicholas Brata, Edwin Cowell, Hiram Cuevas, Kimberly Hudson, Warren Hunter, Sarah Mansfield, Derek Porter, Laura Sabo, David Shin, Padgett Shoemake, Todd Stansbery, Anthony Szymendera and Alissa Yazinski joined Headmaster Mason Lecky in attending the annual conference of the International Boys Schools Coalition (IBSC). The IBSC is widely considered the preeminent not-for-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the education, wellbeing and development of boys worldwide. The team from St. Christopher’s, a founding member of the coalition, was among the largest and most respected delegations at this prestigious gathering, and many members presented groundbreaking research and pedagogy.

David Shin presenting at IBSC Conference

Middle School Teachers of Spanish Laura Dugan and Kathleen Hornik attended the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese (AATSP) conference in Puerto Rico in July 2022.

Teacher of History and Music and the Center for the Study of Boys Research Coordinator Derek Porter was accepted to present at three prestigious professional conferences. At the recent Teaching and Education Summit he presented “Don’t Return to Normal; Return Better Than Ever” at the Leaning Forward Educational Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. In December he will present “A Model for Evaluating Professional Learning.” In July 2023, Derek will travel to Sao Paolo, Brazil, to represent St. Christopher’s at the prestigious International Conference on Learning, where he will present “E-learning for Everyone: How the COVID-19 Pandemic Makes Every Classroom More Effective.”

Upper School Teacher of English and Publications Advisor Emily Nason was awarded a fully-funded fellowship to attend Columbia University’s Klingenstein Summer Institute for Early Career Teachers. The exclusive program brings together 80 early career independent and private school teachers from around the world to discuss and receive training in cognitive science, curriculum, diversity, inclusion and belonging.

Lower School Co-Teacher and Theater Educator Jake Simard received his master’s degree in education from Capella University.

Extended Day Middle School Teacher Alex Checkovich published two literary works, “Geographic Death” and “¡¡¡ÖRB!!!.” The author noted that each of the works, in its own way, “renders irrelevant the boundaries between ‘essay’ and ‘short story.’” Alex’s works can be viewed online.

In June, Lower School Co-Director of Student Life and Reading Specialist Jen O’Ferrall attended the Gardner Carney Leadership Institute for an intensive six-day workshop. There, she joined K-12 teachers and administrators from across North America to learn how best to enhance the leadership capabilities of students. Led by a team of esteemed developmental psychologists and scholars, Jen absorbed the latest in brain science research, social and emotional intelligence, and group dynamics.

Lower and Middle School Choir Director Nick Brata presented a workshop at the American Choral Directors Association Voices United Conference in Manassas, Virginia on August 6, 2022. The workshop topic was selecting repertoire for middle school tenor and bass choirs. St. Christopher’s Arts Director Kerry Court assisted with the presentation by accompanying on piano.

Upper School Spanish Teacher Asha Bandal married Ryan Stiles on June 11. They celebrated with a reception at The Hippodrome in Richmond’s Jackson Ward. In July, they honeymooned in Spain.

FACULTY A special welcome to our new faculty and staff

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10 1. CHELSEA AUERNHEIMER joins the Extended Day team as a junior kindergarten teacher. She holds an M.Ed. in early childhood education from Virginia Commonwealth University. Her experience includes eight years of tutoring and three years of being a classroom teacher in Richmond and Henrico elementary schools.

2. BETH BERRY joins the Upper School English Department and serves as an advisor and soccer coach. Beth holds a B.A. in English and an M.Ed. in curriculum and instruction from the University of Richmond. She is a former Deep Run High School teacher of the year.

3. ASHLEY BOEHLING joins our fifth grade faculty team. She previously taught for the Hanover County School District and Chesterfield County Public Schools. Ashley received her B.A. in early and elementary education and an M.Ed from Virginia Commonwealth University.

4. CHRIS BOEHM, a graduate of Rowan University with a B.A. in secondary education and history, also joins the Extended Day team. Over the past decade, Chris has held instructional positions in New Jersey and Virginia. Most recently, he earned his personal training certification and is a trainer at ACAC.

5. ASHLEY CAMERON is the new assistant director of communications. She comes to us from St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Goochland, where she was their inaugural director of communications. Ashley is a graduate from the University of Mary Washington and holds a bachelor of science in economics and Spanish.

6. ALEX CHECKOVICH joined the fifth grade Extended Day team. Alex taught for 15 years at the University of Richmond. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia, a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania, and a state certification for career-switchers in education.

7. Lower School Nurse LIZA CLARK joins us from the pediatric intensive care unit in the Virginia Commonwealth University Health System. She holds a B.S. in public health—health policy and administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a B.S. in nursing from VCU.

8. TIM DAIGNEAU is the Middle School’s assistant director of academic support. He teaches language studies, serves as an advisor, and provides in-class support and small-group instruction. A graduate of James Madison University, Tim holds a Master of Education degree from the University of Virginia.

9. DRAKE DRAGONE ’15 is a co-teacher in kindergarten, working with Meredith Smart, and also co-leads Summer Saints. Drake graduated from the University of Mary Washington with a B.A. in music. He joined the St. Christopher’s Extended Day program in 2020.

10. CHAS FULLER joined the building and grounds department this summer as a painter. Before coming to St. Christopher’s, Chas owned and operated a small painting business for 16 years. He and his wife moved to Richmond in 2008 from Lansing, Michigan.

New faculty continues on next page

NEW FACULTY

A special welcome to our new faculty and staff.

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11. EVA GRAVELY adds her talents to the Extended Day kindergarten team. Eva is a recent graduate of Marymount University, where she earned a B.S. in health sciences. She worked with Summer Saints this past summer as an activity counselor for Morning Mania and Afternoon Adventures.

12. ELLIOTT HAMMOND joins Extended Day to work with 3rd grade boys. She has worked as a counselor with our summer programs since 2014 and has been a substitute teacher in the Lower School. Elliott is pursuing a B.A. in elementary education through Liberty University.

13. JESSICA HEALY teaches Middle and Upper School French. A graduate of Virginia Tech, Jessica also holds a postgraduate degree from National University of Ireland and a master’s in education from the University of Mary Washington. She previously taught French at St. Mary’s Catholic School and Tuckahoe Middle School.

14. Upper School Biology Teacher ELIZABETH JEFFRESS, an alumna of St. Catherine’s School, holds a B.S. in neuroscience from Dickinson College and a Master of Science and a Ph.D. in neuroscience from Georgia State University. She’s an advisor for Raps & Taps and other student publications.

15. CONNIE LANKFORD is working with Extended Day junior kindergarten students and second grade girls. Most recently Connie was a member of the team at First Presbyterian Preschool, working as a nanny and substitute teacher. 16. Third Grade Teacher CAROLINE LOCKERBY graduated from the University of Virginia’s College of Arts and Sciences with a B.A. in religious studies and from the University of Virginia School of Education and Human Development with an M.T. in elementary education in 2019.

17. EMILY MALTBY has also joined the Extended Day team to work with kindergarten students. She is a graduate of Randolph-Macon College, where she earned a B.A. in communication studies and was captain of the women’s varsity swim team.

18. MARIA MALTBY is a kindergarten co-teacher working with Hayden Vick. For the past five years, Maria served as a kindergarten and fifth grade lead teacher in our Extended Day program and also worked as a long-term substitute as a kindergarten co-teacher during the 2020-21 school year.

19. ALEXANDER PETRIE ’17 is a sixth grade PE coach and seventh and eighth grade coach for all three seasons. A recent graduate of Lafayette College with degrees in economics, anthropology and sociology, Alexander is currently enrolled in a master’s program in sports leadership at VCU.

20. ASHLEY PRIDE is the lead teacher for Little Saints. She has held similar roles at The Goddard School, Primrose Midlothian Village, and Rainbow Station Wyndham. She has also been a family ministry director in charge of Sunday morning programming for infants–sixth grade.

21. Upper School Librarian MONTANA ROGERS is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Wheaton College in Massachusetts, where she earned a B.A. in creative writing and literature, as well as music. She received a Fulbright Grant to teach English and literature at the American College of Sofia in Bulgaria.

22. NICK SHEROD ’16 is our new Kate Childrey Teaching Fellow, Upper School advisor and basketball coach. During his two-year fellowship, Nick will receive guidance from English Department mentor Stephanie Barnes. Nick holds a B.A. in English from the University of Richmond, where he is currently completing his master’s in teaching.

23. KAYLEE SQUIRES is a member of our Extended Day and Little Saints teams. A graduate of Longwood University with a B.S. in psychology and an M.Ed. in early childhood education, Kaylee previously worked in a private day school setting with children between the ages of 2 and 6.

24. ANNE TALLEY has joined Extended Day to work with first grade girls. Prior to coming to St. Christopher’s, Anne worked for Your Right Hand, an organization dedicated to assisting seniors and their families in the Richmond area.

25. JOHN TAYLOR joins the communications team as editor of StC Magazine. He brings decades of experience as a writer, content developer and creative director at major advertising agencies throughout the country. John has a B.A. in history and English from Tufts University and an M.A. in education from Mercy College.

26. MOLLY TRICE returns to St. Christopher’s as a second grade homeroom teacher. She was previously a lead teacher in St. Christopher’s kindergarten and fifth grades. Molly is a 1999 graduate of St. Catherine’s School and received her B.A. in history from Sewanee: The University of the South.

27. JIANRU YANG is our new Middle School and Upper School teacher of Chinese. She has extensive experience in teaching Chinese in secondary and elementary schools in Virginia and is a professor of Chinese at Virginia Commonwealth University. Jianru holds a B.S. from the Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Extended Day Kindergarten Teacher Hope Morgan is working with Richmond muralist (and friend to the St. Christopher’s community) Hamilton Glass on a 500-foot-long mural entitled “Transcending Walls.” This mural is part of RVA’s Mending Walls, “a public art project that brings together public artists from different cultures and backgrounds to create murals that address where we are now in society and how we can move forward through understanding and collaboration.” You can learn more about Mending Walls by viewing Virginia Public Media’s Emmy-award-winning documentary on YouTube.

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27 Hope Morgan’s “Transcending Walls” mural is part of RVA’s Mending Walls public art project.

RETIRING FACULTY

Gene Bruner ’78 Leaves a Legacy of Unparalleled Engagement

by George Knowles

Gene Bruner, reflecting on the decades spent teaching and coaching Saints said, “The most rewarding part of teaching is when a former student comes up to me and says, ‘I remember absolutely everything from your class.’” Gene, after decades as a Saint, retired from coaching and teaching this year.

Gene joined the School as a seventh grade student and graduated in 1978. Years later, in 1986, he would return to StC as a cross country coach and Middle School teacher of creative writing, English and Latin. In joining the St. Christopher’s faculty, he followed in the footsteps of his father John L. Bruner, who was hired by Dr. Chamberlayne in 1938.

Gene believed in letting each student find his voice and his own way to the material. “I would simply start them in a conversation,” said Gene. “I’d talk to them in a way they could relate to. I used humor, I was unconventional, and they really responded to it.”

“We talk here about knowing boys. Well, I can’t think of anyone who understood boys better than Gene,” said former student and current StC Leadership Giving Officer Stephen Davenport ‘08. “Thanks to him I, and hundreds of others I imagine, developed a lifelong love of literature. It’s hard to put into words what a difference he’s made.”

Gene’s inspiration as an educator and a coach was his own experience as an StC student. “I vividly remember my seventh grade teachers at StC,” he said. “They were fun. They could be vulnerable, and I admired them. I wanted to do what they did.” And as for his athletic mentors, “I would have followed them to the end of the earth,” Gene said.

Among the many gifts Gene brought to StC, students and colleagues alike remember his generosity and heart. In the classroom and on the track, Gene paid special attention to the students who struggled with the classwork, or the runner who wasn’t the fastest. “I have such a respect for those boys who give it their all. After a race, I’d find that guy who’d struggled and I’d make a point of shaking his hand,” said Gene.

If you’re looking for Gene these days, you’re most likely to find him in Brooklyn with his grandson Cameron or kayaking on the James River. “If you take life too seriously, you’re lost,” said Gene. “Life is meant to be lived.”

“He will give you the shirt off his back, his car if you need it, tubes or kayaks if you want to explore the river. That’s just the kind of friend and colleague he is.” - Hiram Cuevas