FACULTY The Essence of OES A 6 OES MAGAZINE WINTER 2011 6 AT THE HEART OF THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE IS AN AMAZING FACULTY


few simple instruments can differentiate among teachers from the Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools at OES. A heat sensor could pick


out the Lower School teachers, who are very warm and nurturing. Middle School faculty can be distinguished with a radar gun as they exceed the normal human speed limit, keeping up with those energetic students! From the Upper School faculty emanates a cerebral force field that can be detected with a Geiger counter. Each teacher has gravitated to the


particular age group where he or she can best connect with students. Sue Larson’s use of Mindy Sue the troll to express the alter ego of a second- grader is perfect for that age, while appreciating Corbet Clark’s dry wit requires the sensibilities of an Upper Schooler. Angela Hancock’s patter has just the right amount of zaniness to engage distractible Middle Schoolers. While teachers in different divisions


can be distinguished by temperament, there is no instrument that can differentiate among them by their


enthusiasm for their subject, their commitment to students, and their love of teaching. By whatever measure, they are off the scale. And if you ask “lifer” students or alumnae/i what was the best thing about OES, they almost always say: the teachers.


REACHING HIGHER A goal of OES is to instill in students


a love of learning that will lead them to become lifelong learners. The thirst for knowledge is modeled by the faculty, who relentlessly pursue both professional development and outside avocations. This is ref lected in advanced degrees, with 11 holding PhDs, one with a law degree (Deb Walsh), and one with a medical degree (Tanja Horvat). Of the rest, the majority possess master’s degrees. It’s no surprise that teachers enjoy


going to school, but lifelong learning isn’t just about academic achievement. It’s also about pursuing passions such as music. Among faculty at every level are musicians, from jazz pianist Bill Lamb in the Upper School to former opera singer Deborah Bridgnell in the Kindergarten. The link between math and music is illustrated by Upper School math teachers Jeff Gadette and Gabriel Edge, both of whom perform in clubs around town. A large contingent of Middle School teachers perform en masse on guitars once a year for the students, and ad hoc faculty choirs sing at the St. Nick’s Chapel and the Lower School Giving Chapel. When students see teachers following


their passions, they are more likely to perceive themselves as well-rounded people with many interests. It also shows them what it looks like to commit oneself. They see that bicycling is important


to Jeannie Rawley, Eric Dams, Gary Crossman, and others who pedal to school. When they take aikido workshops with English teacher Art Ward, they observe his respect for self- discipline. They see humanities teacher John Holloran pursuing his interest in photography or hear Ann von Ofenheim and Hope Stevens talk about dragon boating.


EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING Having two months off in the


summer allows faculty members to share their interests with students through the Summer Programs or to attend classes and workshops. It also allows them to get out and experience the world and maybe even run into each other out there. For example, last summer Upper


School English teacher Diane Herschleb and her husband, Kent, were driving down an Alaskan back road toward Anchorage to take a day off from fishing on their salmon boat, and offered a backpacker a ride. He jumped in the back seat with Lulu, their golden doodle, and said his name was Tracy Arensberg and he was headed for a new job teaching Fifth Grade at Oregon Episcopal School. Had she ever heard of it? Indeed she had. She told him he would meet a lot of wonderful students and colleagues there. And he did. In the following pages, you can read


about a few of the faculty members who make OES the place it is. But, as you know if you are a parent, student, or alumna/us, every teacher has a story to tell.


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