Donations Enable Teachers to Attend College Board Seminars

Thanks to Episcopal Fund donations, six teachers from three different departments soaked up two days of subject-specific seminars during the College Board’s Advanced Placement National Conference in Orlando earlier this year. Attending were Margie Stevens (Computer Science), Andy Hostetler (Math), and Marta Pauly, Caitlin Fitzpatrick, Tara Kneale, and Cathy Kanaday (English). Some faculty who attended currently teach AP courses, while others were looking for new ways to enrich their classes.

“This conference really opened up so many opportunities for us. On a practical and immediate level, three departments were able to be on the front end in learning about changes to the exams, and we could take that back to our colleagues. On a richer level, the breakout sessions gave us a chance to investigate new AP offerings and best practices and also swap ideas with educators from across the nation and among ourselves,” said Cathy Kanaday. “Combined with the AP sessions, our time together allowed us to reflect on our own personal pedagogies and departmental priorities. We learned a great deal, but we also came away feeling so confident and fortunate about the resources and support afforded to Episcopal faculty. Opportunities like this, which develop and feed our teachers’ intellect, creativity, and love of collaboration, most certainly translate into our students’ success and growth at ESJ and beyond.”