W
Thank you,
Mr. Cornish David Cornish—Director of Grades 7 & 8 and English and Classics teacher—retired this spring following a remarkable 47-year career in education, including 21 years of service to St. Sebastian’s.
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ST. SEBASTIAN’S MAGAZINE
hether writing lessons on his blackboard, coaching from the sidelines, or offering sage guidance, David Cornish has been dedicated to helping students flourish both inside and outside the classroom. A highly respected teacher, coach, and advisor, he has set thousands of our youngest Arrows on the right path, helping them to grow into better learners and young men. Prior to launching his teaching career, Cornish, a Harvard graduate, served in the Marine Corps for two years and earned his master’s in education from Boston College. In September 1974, he joined the faculty at the Dexter School where he taught and coached boys in grades 7 and 8 for 26 years. Cornish had gotten to know Bill Burke while they watched their sons play football on opposing teams and when an opening in the English Department at St. Sebastian’s became available in 2000, he decided he was ready for a change. An expert in middle school boys, Cornish made a seamless transition to St. Sebastian’s. His focus remained on educating students in grades 7 and 8. He taught English as well as Latin over the years, and in 2006 assumed a leadership position as Director of Grades 7 & 8. Outside of the classroom, he built deeper connections with his students by coaching them in football and baseball and serving as moderator of The Dart, the middle school newspaper. He also served as Secretary of the Cum Laude Society and an advisor to many students over the years. Being able to watch his advisees develop all the way through senior year at St. Sebastian’s brought him great joy—a big change from Dexter, which at the time he left the school, ended in 8th grade. Cornish was a demanding teacher, setting the stage for the academic rigors at St. Sebastian’s, but always with the same purpose—to help each student achieve success. “During their first day of class in September, I share with my English students two overall intentions for the year—to help them learn to read literature with greater understanding and appreciation and to help them improve their writing both in terms of accuracy and style,” shared Cornish. “I then tell them that my hope was that they would leave for summer vacation the next June confident that they were better readers and writers.” Cornish’s valuable lessons in grammar and essay writing, along with his thorough and thoughtful feedback on each paper and test, helped each of his students reach this goal.
