Page 27 - Baltimore Fishbowl - 2017 School Guide

“The Johnnie L. Foreman, Jr. Faculty Fellowship introduces aspiring teachers to careers in education
by giving a recent college graduate the opportunity to explore the profession of teaching at Gilman School. The fellowship honors Director of Community and Diversity Johnnie L. Foreman, Jr., who has taught, coached, mentored and advised generations of Gilman men.”
The school also renamed the MIAA track trophy for Foreman in recognition of his years as a Gilman track and field coach.
The continuity and institutional history of the veteran staff members reinforce the values of wisdom and experience so needed in today’s youth culture.
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Director of Athletics and Physical Education Mary Alice Lears has taught and coached Calvert School students for 29 years. In addition to overseeing the K-8 athletic program, Lears is never far from her students, coaching middle school field hockey and squash. Today, she shares her workplace with her daughter, Kait Gentry, middle school learning and support coordinator and a Calvert graduate.
“Twenty-nine years ago, I chose to teach at Calvert because of its impressive educational reputation,”
Lears says. “However, for nearly 30 years, the students, families, and my colleagues have made it my home. Both of my children went to Calvert and received amazing educations, and now I get to work every day with my daughter. It seems the more I gave to Calvert, the more Calvert has given to me.”
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In 2011, Garrison Forest’s Nick Burns was honored with the school’s Distinguished Teacher Award. Burns has served the school as an upper school history teacher, advisor, faculty resident and coach for more than 20 years. He defines his responsibility as helping his “young scholars believe more fully in themselves, as learners and as people.”
His students respond to Burns’s sensory-rich, interactive teaching space. Outside the classroom, Burns is known for his passion on the court. Under Coach Burns, the varsity basketball team earned the league championship in 2015.
Johnnie Foreman, 1990
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Beloved Roland Park Country School
(RPCS) teacher Ereni Malfi traces her career from the science classroom to her current role as upper school head. As a Baltimore native, Malfi recognized the power of our area independent schools and helped to forge a deeper tri-school partnership between RPCS and the neighboring Gilman and Bryn Mawr Schools.
JeanetteBudzik,hertri-schoolcolleague,hascalledBryn Mawr home for 34 years, serving in many capacities — as P.E. teacher and department chair, middle and upper school advisor, varsity field hockey coach, upper school dean of students and now interim upper school head. Upon Budzik’s recent appointment, former Headmistress Maureen Walsh said: “Jeanette is passionate about Bryn Mawr’s mission
and is completely dedicated to the success and well-being of our girls and our school. She is committed to Bryn Mawr’s history and traditions and also embraces a vision for change.”
Several additional Bryn Mawr faculty members have served the school for 20 or more years. Carol Martin, longtime kindergarten teacher, has been in the Lower School for 37 years. For 28 years, Gwen Nkwanyuo has worked
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