 |  | Kate Olena
What is your position at Nichols?
I teach theatre to every child at the Middle School and am the Arts Department liaison for the Middle School.
How long have you been teaching at Nichols?
This is my 32nd year. The Middle School drama program has really grown over time, and I’m grateful to Nichols for supporting curricular drama.
Tell us about your education and professional background before Nichols.
I attended Hathaway Brown School in Cleveland, Ohio, where I first began to study theatre. (Well, actually, my mother put me in a creative drama program when I was 4 years old because she thought I needed an outlet for my energy.) I graduated from Smith College with an A.B. in Theatre and an emphasis in Education.
I designed workshops for Theatre of Youth, taught language arts through drama at Follow Through School, directed a play at the Jewish Center, and taught acting classes at Studio Arena Theater School before coming to Nichols. Buffalo has had many opportunities in my chosen field.
I have acted in several local, professional productions and continue to act in one or two shows each year to hone my acting skills and remind me of what I put my students through! I just stepped down from the presidency of the New York State Theatre Education Association, and advocacy organization I’ve been a member of for 17 years.
What extra-curricular activities are you involved in at School?
I’m an 8th grade advisor and the Theatre Team mentor. Theatre Team is a group of students who stay after school twice a week to prepare short plays for Morning Meetings and to help with the curricular productions. I was part of the Faculty and Staff Advisory Group for the Head of School search. I participate in many activities supporting the school-wide themes each year, and any Middle School projects having to do with diversity and multiculturalism are my passion.
You attended a theatre course in Japan a couple years ago. Tell us about that experience.
It was a dream that I never would have realized without the generous support of the Hardner Grant and the Faculty Enrichment Fund. For 27 days I studied traditional Japanese theatre in Kyoto with 30 students from seven countries. My area of emphasis was Noh, and there were only four of us in that concentration which was taught by three luminaries of the Japanese stage. It was a huge challenge. I was twice the age of most of the program participants, out of shape and spoke no Japanese. However, my classmates and teachers were incredibly supportive and committed, and every day brought me new knowledge. I fell in love with this ancient art. It taught me to stay in the moment onstage, to focus my energy more effectively, and to express a message physically and spatially more than vocally. The team spirit of everyone in the cast of a Noh play (the chorus, the stage assistants, the musicians and the actors) is well beyond that of Western theatre. The teaching and support from my classmates and sensei will influence my work for the rest of my life. The following summer, I attended a similar course in Bloomsburg, Penn., and continued my studies. I’d love to go back to Kyoto someday.
What is your favorite Nichols memory?
Oh dear! After three decades, there are so many favorites. Here is a tiny sampling:
- The moment a refugee at Vive la Casa sang a lullaby along with the girl playing a mother when we toured a production there;
- The children who stood backstage with their makeup running in rivulets due to stage fright but went onstage anyway and acted their hearts out;
- When the whole Middle School danced the Electric Slide at a fundraiser;
- The seniors who joined in with a 7th grade talkback after a performance of a play they had performed five years earlier;
- The kid who raised a glowing brand from a campfire at Beaver Hollow and proclaimed to the setting sun, “I feel like a fire god!”
- When we danced the jitterbug with Coley Felser’s gym class;
- The grin on the face of a boy when he got to stage manage the concert;
- Nichols Commencements in ’05 and ’08 when my children received their diplomas;
- The 50th Reunion classes meeting their 5th grade hosts each year;
- The many interdisciplinary projects I’ve had the opportunity to do with my talented and brilliant colleagues .
What are your hobbies and interests?
I belong to the James Joyce Reading Circle that meets on Mondays from autumn to spring. Gardening and seeing other people’s gardens has always given me joy. I love to travel – Ireland, Chile and Bali are still on my bucket list. My guilty pleasure is stalking my children and connecting with past students and colleagues on Facebook.
Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?
Nichols is an ever-widening community. The faculty, the students, the Board and the alumni are all part of this community, as are the people of Western New York and around the world whom we encounter.
The Nichols alumni are “the long green line.” I have been able to tap this valuable resource over the years and hope that I have been of some assistance to some of my former students. Their careers, experiences and adventures are of endless interest to me. My only complaint is that they continue to grow up; so they have to re-introduce themselves at Reunion and tell me what they played onstage before I recognize them! |
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Lisa SauerPosition: AP Biology and Biology
Year Appointed: 2009
Education: BS State University of New York at Buffalo, MA State University of New York at Buffalo
What is your position at Nichols?
I teach AP Biology and Biology. This is my third year teaching at Nichols.
What was your path leading to Nichols like?
I majored in Biology at the University at Buffalo and received my master’s degree in Science Education there as well. My passion for teaching began when I was asked to be a teaching assistant for Evolutionary Biology and General Physiology as an undergraduate student at UB. I loved the challenge of working with students and enjoyed the process of setting up hands-on lab activities. I quickly realized that understanding the course material and teaching it are very different and I embraced the challenge. I began teaching chemistry at Orchard Park High School and taught there for four years. In between teaching at Orchard Park and at Nichols, I was able to enjoy nine years as a stay-at-home mom of four. I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to stay home while the children were very young and I am certain that my patience, listening skills and organizational skills are much improved because of it. While at home, I had the opportunity to tutor various science subjects out of my home, as well as volunteer as a medical assistant at Good Neighbors clinic in downtown Buffalo. I enjoyed working with a variety of people and those experiences renewed my passion for learning and inspired me to return to teaching. As a science teacher, I take pleasure in having my students experience both the classroom and the lab for learning.
What extra-curricular activities are you involved in at the School?
In the fall season, I am the assistant coach for Girls Varsity Field Hockey, in the winter season I am the assistant coach for Girls Junior Varsity Basketball, and in the spring I teach an afterschool Cardio Physical Education class. I serve as a faculty mentor for our Upper School Science Olympiad team and participate in recommending students to our Research Scholars Program. I have been a leader for our Young Scientists’, Young Writers’ and Young Artists’ Workshops.
What is the best part of your job?
The best part of my job is communicating with my students about science and about their lives and interests each day. I enjoy sharing my knowledge of biology and observing as they make connections between what we learn in class to the world
around them. Many times during class, a student will say “I’ve heard of that!” from watching the news, reading the paper or
from another science course they’ve taken. By the time I teach them as juniors, many have already taken physics and chemistry and know great deal of information. I absolutely love this approach and can teach biology at a high level because I can build on what they have already learned. My small class sizes provide the opportunity to get to know my students well. We are able to accomplish a great deal in class and lab and my students are comfortable asking frequent questions. I have also had the benefit of attending various conferences over the summer related to my subject matter. I also look forward to coaching after school because it gives me the chance to get to know students that I may not have as students in my biology classes.
Describe your ideal day at Nichols.
My day begins in the classroom with feeding the fish, Charles, the bearded dragon lizard, and Medusa, the garter snake. I take time to prepare the lab area of my classroom for activities and enjoy the bustle of students in and out of the classroom. Our environment is one of openness and many students trickle in as the day goes on to ask questions or to find a quiet spot to get work done. There is much to do and I benefit from the time I get to collaborate with other science teachers. After school, I look forward to practicing or games with my teams.
What do you like to do on the weekends?
On the weekends, I enjoy spending time with my family and like to get a little exercise, usually running. My four children
are all involved in sports, so we are busy maneuvering from games to practices. We enjoy the four seasons and love living in
Buffalo. On Saturday mornings, we ski together as a family (although I am by far the worst skier in the bunch). Now that the
children are a bit older, we have begun to do a little traveling.
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Russell CombsPosition: Ancient World and U.S. History
Year Appointed: 2007
Education: BA State University of New York at Potsdam, MA St. Bonaventure University
What is your position at Nichols?
I teach Ancient World and U.S. History and am chair of the History Department.
How long have you been teaching at Nichols?
This is my fifth year.
What was your path leading to Nichols like?
My path to Nichols started in the library of Limestone Union Free School in Limestone, N.Y. – a quiet hamlet of less than 400 people on the N.Y./ Penn. border in Cattaraugus County. There are more people in Morning Meeting than where I grew up.
I read Frederick Douglass’s narrative in sixth grade and at that point knew I wanted to study and teach history. From Limestone I went first to the Olean campus of Jamestown Community College, then on to the State University of New York at Potsdam (B.A.) and St. Bonaventure University (M.A). For three years, I was a graduate assistant in the University at
Albany’s doctoral program in history. I left the program for a teaching position at The Doane Stuart School where I spent the
next five years teaching history and serving as the Dean of Students. I worked the next two years at The Albany Academy as their Dean of Students, director of the leadership program and the resident faculty member in their dorm. Shortly after my time at Academy, my family moved to Buffalo and I came to Nichols.
What extra-curricular activities are you involved in?
I am the Chair of the Student Conduct Committee and I work with the Mock Trial and Masterminds teams.
You recently attended a Leadership Conference and brought back some great ideas for how we at Nichols can use what
you learned. Tell us about that.
The Gardner Carney Leadership Institute is a nice fit with what we are trying to build at Nichols through the Zeller Initiative
for Character and Leadership. Their philosophy is that leadership can be taught and that teachers are the best people to do
so. The strongest leadership development programs emerge organically from a school’s cultural values. Young programs are
nurtured carefully and with great patience.
To that end, we are devoting chunks of our professional development days this year to giving tools to teachers that will help them understand their own leadership strengths and tendencies. We have to understand ourselves before we can effectively teach our students about leadership.
What is the best part of your job?
This question reminds me of a conversation I had with one of my professors at Potsdam.
We were talking in his office about grad school and my career goals. Professor Mathews’ office was small with a number
of tall, wobbly stacks of books and papers scattered about. He leaned back in his chair, put his hands behind his head and
said, “This is the greatest job in the world. Every day I get to come to work and talk about history. And they pay me!” There
are many duties associated with being a teacher and almost all of them take a fair amount of time and energy. Despite that,
there hasn’t been a single day in the last 12 years that teaching felt like work. Every day I get to talk with intelligent, interested and interesting students and swap ideas with brilliant colleagues about history and teaching. And they pay me!
What do you like to do on the weekends?
I play as much softball as I can fit in and golf a bit here and there. When I can, I drop in on Thursday Night Hoops. My
favorite weekend activities involve Saturday morning cartoons and chocolate chip waffles with my amazing daughters and beautiful wife.
Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?
I’ve had the good fortune to work at three very good independent schools and attend a number of conferences around the country where I visited and learned about many other schools over the last dozen years. I can say with great conviction that Nichols is not only the strongest school in Buffalo, but it is a rare gem in the independent school world.
This is, quite simply, a special campus.
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Yajie ZhangPosition: Chinese Language and Literature
Year Appointed: 2007
Education: BA, MA Renmin University of China
What is your position at Nichols?
I am a Chinese language teacher. This past year, I taught 5th grade and 6th grade Chinese in Middle School and Chinese I to IV in Upper School.
What was your path leading to Nichols like?
I earned a bachelor’s degree in 1987, and then a master’s degree in 1990 from Renmin University of China on Chinese language and literature. In 1990, I left China to join my husband who was doing his graduate studies in Pisa,
Italy. From Italy we went to Canada in 1991, where my husband completed his Ph.D., and I gave birth to our son, Norman,
in 1994. When Norman was six months old, we went to Oxford, England, where my husband held a research fellow position. At
Oxford, I started teaching Chinese at the Institute of Chinese Studies, Oxford, and also worked one year as a full time librarian at Oxford’s Bodleian Library. In 1997, we came to Buffalo because my husband was offered a faculty position at
SUNY at Buffalo. Since I enjoyed teaching tremendously in England, I decided to go to UB’s teacher program. While pursuing a master’s of education degree and teaching certificate at UB’s School of Education, I also worked as a pre-school teacher and
taught occasional Chinese classes at UB. In 2003, right after I graduated from SUNY at Buffalo, I was hired as a duallanguage
(Chinese/English) teacher in an immersion program in Glenwood Elementary School in Chapel Hill, N.C. After coming back to Buffalo in 2004, I started to teach Chinese to different organizations and schools, such as Sheridan Hill Elementary School and Buffalo International Institute. For many years, I have been a Chinese teacher at Western New York Chinese School (Saturdays) and served as its Principal from 2006 to 2009. I was hired by Nichols in 2007 to start the Chinese program at the Upper School. I have been at Nichols ever since and started teaching Chinese in the Middle School in 2009. This is my fourth year.
What extra-curricular activities are you involved in at school?
Tom Michaud and I share the passion of raising awareness concerning the cultures and customs of different countries for the
Nichols community. In 2009, we started Global Horizons, a club that involves our diverse students and invites outside
speakers in order to reach the goal that we are able to see each other as members of a global community in which we strive to understand and respect those coming from all different walks of life.
What is it like teaching Chinese to both Middle School students and Upper School students?
I greatly enjoy teaching Chinese both to Middle School and to Upper School students. There are, however, differences in teaching MS and teaching US. MS kids are full of energy; they have a shorter attention span, but are more curious and enthusiastic. For them, I am more conscientious to break down lessons, and do more hands-on activities.
Upper School students are relatively mature, and can handle more reasoning. Yet they are shy in terms of opening their mouths, speaking the target language. In teaching them, I make sure the learning environment is friendly and I add a lot of culture content. In my teaching, to all, I believe strongly that music and songs are powerful in language learning.
Tell us about how you helped develop the Chinese cultural exchange programat the School.
Mary Rockwell organized the first Nichols trip to China in 2007 before I came. In 2008, Mary asked me to lead the trip to
China. At that time, the trip was more of an educational tour, but it was fascinating to see how the students can benefit from
the trip. Nichols had many years of language and culture exchange programs with Spain, Costa Rica and France.
After I taught two years of Chinese here, with strong support from the Language Department and the School, I started exploring how to develop a Chinese language and cultural exchange program. Through connections, I made contact
with the Headmaster of the Middle School affiliated with HUST (Central University of Science and Technology). They were very
enthusiastic about establishing the exchange program with us and we formally started the exchange in 2010.
What is the best part of your job?
The best part of my job is seeing and teaching my students, and interacting with my colleagues every day. I just enjoy being
at Nichols, love its atmosphere between students and faculty, its beautiful campus, its wonderful lunch, and, above all, its passion about teaching and learning.
What do you like to do on the weekends?
When the weather is warm, you will find me outside in my garden a lot. I also like to cook and watch movies/shows. I volunteered at Buffalo Chinese School as its Principal for a couple of years on Saturday mornings. I also teach one class there.
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Julie Genco Alford '84Position: 6th Grade Science and Math
Year Appointed: 2000
Education: BS Skidmore College; MS State University of New York at Buffalo
What is your position at Nichols?
I teach sixth grade science and math.
How long have you been teaching at Nichols?
This is my ninth year teaching at Nichols.
Tell us about your education and professional background before Nichols.
After graduating from Skidmore College, where I studied biology and psychology, I went to the State University of New York at Buffalo; the Roswell Park division of graduate studies. I worked and studied in the Department of Clinical Immunology. I was lucky to land my first job working at Bristol-Myers Squibb, here in Buffalo, N.Y, known as Westwood-Squibb. I worked for nine years in the Department of Biochemical Pharmacology, where we developed assays for compound screening. We were mainly designing and studying new anti-inflammatory compounds. It was fascinating work. After leaving BMS, I stayed home for several years with my young children, Mimi ’11, Jack ’15 and Grace ’17.
Tell us about any new projects or programs you are doing this year?
This year we are going to the Penn Dixie Site in Hamburg, N.Y., to do some fossil excavating. With a little luck, we may unearth some brachipods and trilobites! We will also be participating in their Earth Science Day activities. I am also planning a spring bike trip for our students and their families to the birthplace of Niagara Falls. I think a deeper understanding of geology and earth science comes from direct interaction with it, so we often venture out of the classroom.
What is it like having attended Nichols as a student and teaching at the School now?
I am so pleased to be at Nichols teaching, it is like coming home. This school is a gem, and I felt honored to be a student here, and I feel honored to teach here now.
What is your favorite Nichols memory as an alumna?
Dance was my passion, and every year our dance instructor, Donna Armstead, would choreograph a fabulous ballet and cast us all. One year, I think I was in eighth or ninth grade, she choreographed “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” and I was Mustard Seed and danced with Mr. Kimberly! He was cast as a town’s man. We have a lot of laughs together about that performance.
What is your favorite Nichols memory as a teacher?
Every year in sixth grade science we do a project on black boxes. I give the students a black box which they cannot open, and their task is to draw conceptual models and build physical models of what they think the interior looks like. Not being able to open the boxes is pretty frustrating for the some of the students, so I began telling them that they could come back to my classroom when they graduate high school and I will open the box. Now, I really thought they would forget after all those years, but to my surprise and delight, the seniors have come back to open the boxes!
What do you like to do on the weekends?
I enjoy skiing with my family, both downhill and water-skiing, playing tennis, gardening, boating, cycling, reading and traveling. This past summer, my husband and I cycled the entire Niagara Peninsula, and rode along four distinct water ways: Lake Erie, the Welland Canal, Lake Ontario and the Niagara River. It was a great adventure along several bike paths and I highly recommend it! |
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Tim SchwartzPosition: Freshman Music, Sophomore Guitar/Keyboard, Music Theory, Jazz History and Music Director for Orchestra and Jazz Band. Year Appointed: 1977 Education: BM Houghton College Email: tschwartz@nicholsschool.org What is your position at Nichols?
I have taught Freshman music, Sophomore Guitar/Keyboard, Music Theory, Jazz History and I am the Music Director for both the Nichols Orchestra and Jazz Band.
How long have you been teaching at Nichols?
33 years.
What was your path leading to Nichols like?
I grew up in Clarence and attended their school. They were noted for having one of the finer music programs in the country. I was able to play with a number of outstanding performers such as Doc Seversen, Clark Terry and Lionel Hampton. I also studied French horn with Lowell Shaw from the Buffalo Philharmonic. My college years were at Houghton College where I received a B.M. in Music Performance.
What extra-curricular activities are you involved in at School?
I have coached tennis for over 25 years and the team has won over 300 matches in that time.
What is the best part of your job?
I love music and every day I get up and come to work to do exactly what I find the most rewarding. Early in my married life, we lived in an upstairs apartment from a gruff and crusty old landlord who drove a bakery truck for a living for 30 years. He told me once that he felt like he had wasted his whole life at that job. I feel so blessed to be doing something so worthwhile and fulfilling.
What is your favorite Nichols memory?
This question is a little like asking a parent to name their favorite child. However, one of the more significant memories was the building of the FPAC and the impact that it has had on the community life of our School. Concerts used to be held either in the gym, Reading Room and even the Dining Room. We would have to clear all the Kittenger tables out to make room for seating. Assemblies were in the gym as well, with students sitting all around on the bleachers. It was a very “make do” kind of existence. With the new building, we are able to do such a wide array of performances and offer the students a richer education in the arts. I was also pleased to be able to start the music program in the Middle School. We used to occupy a portion of the third floor of the Nottingham mansion. I also started the Nichols Jazz Band.
What else are you involved in outside of Nichols?
I have worn many other hats along with my work at Nichols. I recently retired after 40 years of working in and finally owning our family painting business. I learned early in my life what it is to work hard. I would put in many 12 hour days on the paint job.
One of the great opportunities I have had is to be an active professional musician in Western New York. I have also been a freelance horn player for many years, playing with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Erie Philharmonic, Columbus Symphony, Chautauqua Symphony, National Ballet of Canada, Joffery Ballet, as well as over 30 national musical productions, such as “Lion King,” “The Producers” and “Wicked.” I have also played with many pop and rock performers such as Natalie Cole, Mel Torme, Barry White, Andy Williams, Barry Manilow, Vince Gill, Rod Stewart and the groups Yes, The Moody Blues and Mannheim Steamroller. I was delighted to have played on the stage of Carnegie Hall on two occasions.
I also have a private teaching studio where I work with many of the area’s horn students. A number of my students are now professional horn players around the country.
I am very active at my church and have served as Chairman of the Trustee and Deacon Boards over the years. I am presently the Director of the Adult Choir.
What do you like to do on the weekends?
Besides candlelight dinners and long walks on the beach, and when not performing, I like boating, waterskiing, hiking and jeep trail riding in Colorado, biking, visiting my grandson, and playing tennis. |
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| Mary R. Rockwell What is your position at Nichols?
I am the Director of Studies and I teach history. I coordinate curriculum for the entire school, head the professional development committee and curriculum committee, and teach two sections of history. They include AP European History and senior electives in Urban Studies and China and Japan.
How long have you been teaching at Nichols?
27 years
What was your path leading to Nichols like?
I graduated from Skidmore College and took a sales position after college. I quickly realized that was not my calling. I decided to pursue secondary education and interviewed at Nichols because I was getting married and moving to Buffalo. Once I started teaching here, I studied for a master’s degree and eventually earned a Ph.D. in history from SUNY at Buffalo.
What extra-curricular activities are you involved in?
Over my career at Nichols, my extra-curricular activities included such things as coaching JV Basketball, Swimming and Squash. I’ve advised many clubs, including the Students for Multicultural Awareness. These days I advise the World Quest team, travel with exchange programs whenever possible and enjoy watching our athletic teams compete.
What are some new curricular initiatives you were involved in this year?
This year we began a partnership with the UB Humanities Institute and riverrun called Scholars in the Schools. They already run the Scholars at Muse program bringing faculty members from the University to speak at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery. The new program brings a scholar to Nichols to teach a class and give an evening lecture, which is open to the public. It allows our students to engage with scholars at the leading edge of their fields of study.
Another exciting initiative is the start of a Chinese cultural exchange program. The school is affiliated with the Huazhong (Central) University of Science and Technology in Wuhan province. Our students will live with Chinese families for two weeks over spring vacation and 20 Chinese students and two faculty members will visit Nichols in January.
What is the best part of your job?
Working with talented students and faculty.
What is your favorite Nichols memory?
Receiving the yearbook dedication from the Class of 2007 and receiving the Austin M. Fox Endowed Chair.
What do you like to do on the weekends?
Run, bike, swim, walk, play squash, read.
What is your favorite vacation spot?
Paris, France.
Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?
After my sabbatical year in Paris, France, I returned to Nichols determined to help our students adopt a more global perspective through our curriculum, extra-curricular offerings, and through travel and hosting experiences with our exchanges. We are making great progress in educating our students about the wider world and helping them understand how others view our country and our government. |
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Thomas MichaudPosition: French Language and Literature Year Appointed: 2006 Education: BA Canisius College, MA SUNY at Buffalo Email: tmichaud@nicholsschool.org What is your position at Nichols? How long have you been here?
I teach French language and literature at Nichols. This is my fourth year.
What was your path leading to Nichols like?
I was born and raised here in Buffalo. Early on, I always found the idea of speaking another language fascinating, which is most undoubtedly due to my French Canadian heritage. I thus dedicated myself to becoming fluent in French.
For my undergraduate work, I attended Canisius College where I focused my studies in French, Spanish and Business. Canisius had a variety of study abroad programs in which I had the great opportunity to participate. In order to understand more about the cultures associated with the languages I was studying, I spent several of my summers studying in Mexico, Paris and Quebec City. In addition, I participated in two semester-long study abroads, one in Oviedo, Spain and the other in Lille, France. Since these programs mandated that you live with a host family, this gave me the chance to live like a native of each given country. Overall, I would say that these experiences were once in a lifetime opportunities which I would strongly recommend to all my students.
After graduation from Canisius, I studied at SUNY at Buffalo where I received my master’s degree in French Language and Literature.
What extra-curricular activities are you involved in?
I am a strong advocate of learning about different countries so that we can better understand the lives of people from all around the world. I think it is important that our students get every opportunity possible to meet people from around the globe and to hear their unique stories. It is for this reason why Ms. Zhang and I created a new global initiative program entitled “Global Horizons.” Our mission is to create a greater awareness of people from different countries and to become educated about their respective culture. We have invited a variety of international speakers to talk to our students about their lives and experiences in their native country. Our goal is to present a different perspective of the world to our students in order for them to see just how similar and different we all are.
In addition, I also take part in the organization and scheduling of the French Exchange along with fellow French teachers Mr. Crane and Ms. Zamor. Given that a group of about 20 French students spend three weeks on our campus, our students have the unique opportunity to experience French culture right outside their own door. This is a great way to learn more about people from different parts of the world in addition to forming bonds that will last for years to come.
What is the best part of your job?
In our country, we often have the impression that speaking foreign languages is not our strong suit, or that they are too difficult to master. I, on the other hand, am opposed to this way of thinking. I strongly believe that through proper dedication and practice, anyone can speak a second language (let’s face it, at a young age, we all learned English at one point, right?). Thus, through daily practice and expecting that the students express themselves in the target language, the students are given the means to improving their language skills in leaps and bounds.
It is truly the students that make my work so rewarding. The students come into class everyday energized and ready to take on the new challenges of the day, and to test their own abilities. At the end of every year, I am astonished to see just how much their language skills have improved. They inspire me to become a better teacher and to provide them with a variety of different methods to help them become fluent in the language.
Describe your ideal day at Nichols.
My ideal day at Nichols would start out with an uplifting and inspiring Morning Meditation, followed by a musical moment. In my classes, the students will have demonstrated comprehension of the lesson which would then lead way to great discussion (in French, of course) applying the new concepts learned. Finally, an ideal day would not be complete without, yes, a healthy portion of nachos for lunch. Yum…
What are your hobbies and interests beyond your work at Nichols?
A great hobby of mine is traveling. I love experiencing what life is like in different countries. I love trying different foods, walking through the pedestrian streets, and to experience what everyday life is like outside of the U.S.
I also enjoy keeping up with the latest current events in France by watching and reading news via the Internet. Most French channels allow you to watch their programs online, which is a great luxury that we didn’t have several years ago. Vive la technologie!
What do you like to do on the weekends?
After a busy week, I love relaxing at home spending quality time with my wife and son. Now that the weather is getting a bit warmer, we are able to take advantage of the beautiful spring days by going to parks and introducing our son to the joys of playgrounds. His laughter when swinging high up in the air is priceless. Furthermore, enjoying the regional specialties Buffalo has to offer, varying from a Lenten fish fry to pizza and wings, has become a Friday tradition. |
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Phil CoburnPosition: Freshman and Senior Physics Year Appointed: 1997 Education: BSE Princeton, MA Buffalo State University Email: pcoburn@nicholsschool.org Background/education
I spent the first half of my childhood outside of Boston, Mass., and the second half in Pittsburgh, Penn. I went to high school at Sewickley Academy, a co-ed day school in many ways similar to (and occasionally an athletic rival of) Nichols. I arrived at Princeton my freshman year as an aimless liberal arts major. A “rocks-for-jocks” geology field trip led to a summer spent in Sun Valley, Idaho prospecting for gold. Somehow this eventually landed me in the Civil Engineering department, where I earned a B.S.E.
I have three older brothers scattered up and down the eastern seaboard in law, computer programming and Christian ministry. My father passed away in December of 2004. My mother still lives in Pittsburgh, though she spends a good deal of each summer on Lake Erie in the house built by my grandfather. I’ve had the good fortune to be married to my wife Elizabeth for seven years and we are daily humbled and awed by our son James and our daughters Kate and Lucy (ages 4, 3 and 1, respectively).
I took science education classes at Tufts University and a Master’s in Physics Education from the fine physics education program at Buffalo State University.
Position(s) at Nichols
I teach freshman physics and physics II (to seniors). I also help coach the Girls Varsity Volleyball team and the Boys Varsity Lacrosse team.
Best part of the job
I am constantly amazed by the students I get to teach. Some are incredibly gifted, while some have to work very hard for their successes, but virtually all of them are hard-working, persevering and curious to figure out “how stuff works,” i.e. physics. Their inquisitiveness, their willingness to explore, and their genuine interest every day are astounding and invigorating.
Favorite Nichols moment
One of the most memorable moments was driving into Rochester at 2 a.m. on the Friday of my first interview at Nichols to find that, gripped by a severe ice storm, the city’s transformers were exploding and the hotel I was to stay at had no power and couldn’t legally check me in. (They did anyways, bless them.) My favorite moments now are the times when a student sees for herself why the light bulb connected to a capacitor slowly goes out, or sees for himself why he goes sliding into the left side door when the car turns sharply to the right.
What do you remember about your grandfather? What’s it like teaching at his school?
Unfortunately, I was four when my grandfather passed away. I have fuzzy memories of a kindly voice, a ready smile and a dog-lover. Unfortunately and unfairly, his German shepherd was a thing of terror to this small, timid boy. One of the great pleasures I have in teaching at Nichols is hearing stories from those who knew him better: a colleague whose career started under Phil Boocock, the parent of a current student of mine who was himself a student under Phil, an alumnus relating a story about him from an Alumni Luncheon. I’m always pleased when someone, learning of the family connection, stops by the science building to share a memory. I feel like I am getting a second chance to get to know him that I never expected to have.
Outside of Nichols
As Phil Boocock did, I love to garden. Elizabeth and I look forward every spring to the arrival of our daffodils and anemone and an excuse to get outside to dig in the dirt. We are active in the ministry of the Kenmore Alliance Church. And given the frequency with which we do it, I suppose I should claim going to the zoo with my kids as a hobby, too!
Favorite book and why
By frequency of reading: after 2,000 years the Bible is still trenchant enough for me to read daily. Beyond that, my reading these days tends towards “Go, Dog, Go!” and “Bread and Jam for Frances.” I love the promise of an unread book, the undiscovered countries and unlooked-for truths; that is why my favorite book is often whichever one I am reading next.
Teaching philosophy
I teach physics; whenever I tell people that, I always get a strong reaction, whether positive or negative. My philosophy is that everyone comes into physics with an interest in how things work in the world. My job is to feed that interest even while I demand that students no longer be satisfied with inconsistent or poorly considered explanations and understanding.
Editor’s Note: Phil Coburn is the grandson of Phil Boocock, Nichols Headmaster from 1937 to 1969. |
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Mary SykesPosition: Fifth Grade Central Studies Year Appointed: 1993 Education: BA Universtiy of Toronto Email: msykes@nicholsschool.org What is your position at Nichols?
I teach fifth-grade Central Studies, a double period every day, which includes history, literature and writing, all centered on the Middle Ages.
How long have you been teaching at Nichols?
This is my 15th year.
What was your path leading to Nichols like?
After graduating from the University of Toronto with a liberal arts degree in history, literature, language, anthropology and archaeology, I was unsure about a career path. A few years later, while living in Boston, I heard about a teacher training program at the Shady Hill School in Cambridge. I applied, was accepted, and spent a year there as an apprentice teacher, working side by side with master teachers, learning the craft of teaching through daily hands-on experience. Additionally, I took classes from teachers at Shady Hill who gave seminars on topics important to teaching. During that incredible year at Shady Hill, I discovered in myself a true passion for educating children – I couldn’t wait for my own classroom! I was hired out of that program to teach Central Subject (the same idea as Nichols’ Central Studies) to sixth-graders at The Park School in Brookline, Mass. I taught there for five years until the birth of my daughter, Emmy. After moving to Buffalo when Emmy was young, I looked around for a teaching position. Cornelia Dopkins, who was then Head of the Middle School, hired me to teach fifth grade. I’ve been there ever since.
What is your favorite thing about Nichols?
The fact that after 15 years I look forward to coming into school every day. I really don’t think about what I do as work, because I truly enjoy it. I give full credit for the joy I feel teaching at this remarkable school to my inspiring, supportive colleagues and to the motivated, talented students with whom I spend my days.
Do you have a favorite Nichols memory?
Anyone who’s been through fifth grade will tell you that we stress organization. I’ll never forget a new fifth-grade parent informing me that her 10-year-old son arrived home from his first day of school announcing that he had to head upstairs to organize his binder. The mother said she almost died from shock.
What are your hobbies and interests?
I love the outdoors, so you’ll find me doing lots of activities outside: biking, tennis, sailing, running and gardening. I also enjoy reading, cooking, movies and theater.
What is your favorite book and why?
I don’t really have a favorite book. I’ve always been an eclectic reader, and I tend to enjoy whatever I’m reading at the time. For me, books become close friends. Because I get wrapped up in them, I tend to feel a sense of loss when I finish a book, so I always have the next book I’m going to read on hand. Just today I reread the children’s book “Frederick” about a mouse who stores up good weather memories for the long winter days ahead. Like Frederick, I’ve been soaking up our spectacular, colorful fall days and enjoying them tremendously. |
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