Bill Muench (left) and Michael Caraco (right) receiving the Rowland Chairs awards.
The recipients of Bigelow and Omrsby Hill travel grants, the Rowland Sabbatical, and the Rowland Chairs were recently announced at a BBA faculty meeting. Headmaster Mark Tashjian said afterward, “This is my favorite faculty meeting of the year because we recognize professional development opportunities as well as the individual initiative for continued personal growth.”
The first faculty travel grant, The Bigelow Fund for Excellence, was awarded to science teacher Dave Curtis. Dave will be spending the summer in Massachusetts learning boat construction and building cedar strip built kayaks. He then will take a class restoring old canvas canoes. Dave bought a 1946 Old Town wooden canoe with canvas skin last year and is looking forward to learning the skills to restore the canoe. Dave said: “I have always loved small crafts and also have always loved carpentry and cabinet making. I look forward to applying my skills and learning new skills on crafts that are not square or rectangular”.
The second travel grant, The Ormsby Hill Trust Fund, supports enrichment opportunities for history and English teachers to renew their love of teaching their subject. This year’s award went to just married English teachers Ashley Frank and Scott Clausen. They will be taking a literary tour of England this summer –– to the Lake District, Hadrian’s Wall, Stratford-upon-Avon, the Globe Theater in London, Canterbury –– and studying Old English literature and history at Oxford University’s Lincoln College as a continuation of their graduate program through the Bread Loaf School of English. Mr. Clausen said, “I’m most excited to see the ruins of Hadrian’s Wall and to study in Oxford’s Bodleian Library, and it will be great to experience the story of the English language through the landscapes and histories that gave birth to it. I feel fortunate to be afforded such a once-in-a-lifetime learning opportunity and to be able to experience it with Ashley!”
The Rowland Sabbatical provides the opportunity for faculty members to continue their education, conduct research, experience other cultures through travel, and pursue projects related to their specific discipline at Burr and Burton. This award is presented to Julie Fifield, Head of the Physical Education Department. Julie said “My goal is to heighten the interest of our students and get them involved in some aspect of fitness. I feel that this is necessary especially for our female students. I plan to immerse myself into fitness and bring what I learn to the BBA community. Manchester and the surrounding area has a lot to offer and I want to make connections with local gyms, yoga studios, personal trainers and nutritionists and ultimately introduce our BBA students to the opportunities they have here in Manchester.”
Finally, the two Rowland Chairs are awarded each year to acknowledge and honor teachers who are innovative, who inspire students and their peers, and who clearly have committed their hearts and souls to meeting the mission and vision of our school. This year’s recipients are Michael Caraco, Mathematics Department Chair, and Bill Muench, cinematography teacher. Their dedication to the school and their students is inspiring and are key to making the educational experience an exceptional one for students.
These awards are unique to Burr and Burton Academy and are provided through the generosity of donors who support excellence in education through continued professional development for Burr and Burton’s teachers. Inspiring them to reach for new levels of expertise, keeping their passion for their craft as well as helping BBA to attract the best and brightest teachers to the school.
Headmaster Tashjian closed with, “Our faculty carries the heart and soul of Burr and Burton to our students, and these awards, received by a few, honor all teachers. These teachers will bring their adventures back to the school and enrich us all.”
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