Academy Students Celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week

Dear members of Academy’s faculty and staff,

On behalf of my peers, I would like to wish you all a very happy Teacher Appreciation Week.

It is with great regret that I cannot express such sentiments in person. On account of social-distancing, it has been three months since we have last seen each other. Three months too long. 

Of course, as Mrs. Kimbler would say, the show must go on. Our world may have turned apocalyptic, yet there’s always time to acknowledge our teachers, our superheroes. 

In commemoration of Teacher Appreciation Week, members of the Academy high school have shared what they love about the Academy staff and what they miss most about face-to-face learning via video. Students have also taken the time to bestow original superlatives upon their Academy teachers. Both the superlative awards and the students’ virtual well-wishes can be found below. 

The English Department:

Ms. Pendleton: Most likely to quote Shakespeare; Most welcoming to underclassmen; Most likely to treat her students like her own kids; Most unforgettable; Best sense of humor; Most positive teacher.

Ms. Jussaume: Most fun socks; Most caring; Best energy; Most likely to be writing a memoir; Most likely to have a reusable water bottle at all times; Most likely to lead by example; Most likely to be seen wearing a taco blanket; Most likely to fangirl over Virginia Woolf; Best heart; Most likely to be found enjoying nature; Most likely to be a college professor; Best energy; Achona’s #1 supporter.

Ms. Cox: Most likely to be a student; Most prepared; Most likely to provide the best constructive criticism; Most intimidating vocabulary; Most likely to do someone else’s job better than them; Most likely to complain about the temperature of the classroom; Most likely to give a helping hand; Most intelligent; Most spirited; The realest; Most energetic teacher.

Ms. Moses: Most considerate & the best Birkenstocks; CEO of looking like Anna from “Frozen” & CEO of funniest daughter; Most likely to have the most creative ideas for decorating;  Most likely to make you smile; Most likely to be an Instagram Mom; Most likely to talk about her daughter; Best hair; Most fashionable; Super sweet, funny, and understanding.

Dr. Oetinger: Most likely to strike up conversation in the cafeteria; Most likely to make a sarcastic comment (in a good, funny way lol); Most likely to be acting out a funny experience; Most likely to have a pet monkey; Most likely to be your mom; Most relatable; Most likely to say, “It’s probably fine”; Most youthful.

The Math Department:

Mr. Bland: Most likely to have Star Wars in all of his rooms; Most likely to be seen helping a student; Most likely to join the Resistance; Most likely to give you weekend homework; The funniest; Most sweet, loving and caring; Most understanding.

Ms. Dubee: Most likely to help pray with you; Most likely to say that mountains don’t exist; CEO of loving her students; Most likely to pray 10 times a day; Most likely to be out of town; Biggest kid at heart; Most considerate; Most likely to cry during religion class.

Mr Quinn: Most likely to play at Wimbledon; Most likely to be tennis coach; Best math teacher; Most likely to wear a lot of hats; Best tennis coach; Most entertaining/crowd favorite; Most likely to give you a high-five in the hallway; Best patience; Most likely to nonplus his students when he doesn’t include a meme on his quizzes.

Ms. Isaacs: Most likely to solve the problems of the universe; Most likely to always help her students; Most hardworking; Most level-headed teacher.

Ms. Lamm: Most Well-Rounded; Most likely to do anything for her sister and family; Most likely to have the prettiest test; Most likely to do yoga and meditate on a daily basis; Most crafty; Most likely to survive an apocalypse.

Ms. Wynn: Most likely to hype you up in homeroom; Most inspiring; Most likely to let you sit in her advisory even when you’re not in it; Most hands-on teacher; Most likely to be staring at Matt Damon during a test; Most likely to crash Achona to bother Ms. Cox; Most likely to make her students laugh.

Ms. Van Pelt: Most likely to provide as many ways to do a problem as possible; Most Logical; Most likely to make you put your phone up; Most likely to survive a zombie apocalypse; Best smiles; Most motivated; Most likely to assign homework every night; Best morning greetings.

The Science Department:

Dr. Dobrin: Most likely to know every bone in the body off the top of her head; The kindest; The most caring; Most cool; Most likely to know the whole Periodic Table; Most likely to make a tik tok account; Most likely to make you feel like a million bucks; Most helpful teacher; Most caring; Most relatable teacher; Most likely to stay after school for hours to help students; Most loveable; The best homeroom teacher ever :).

Ms. Mounce: Most likely to let the seniors go to the senior lounge during study hall; Most likely to pray for you; Most cheerful; Most crazy and fun; Most likely to be the next famous scientist; Most cheerful.

Ms. Perrella: Most likely to be able to do cool tricks with her pinkies; Most likely to make you do weird labs; Most likely to have human bones all around her room; Most likely to catch a student texting in class.

Ms. Quire: Most likely to provide a minion in any science simulation; Most cat-loving; Most patient; Most likely to know the answer to every riddle given by the Ravenclaw common room door; Most likely to relate everything to minions; The coolest experiments; Most likely to attend every lightning game; Best passion for physics.

Mr. Rodriguez: Most likely to greet you; Best sunglasses; Most likely to ask how you are doing; Most likely to get caught singing; Most likely to reschedule a test because there is a track/xc meet; Best study hall teacher; Most athletic teacher.

The History Department:

Ms. Adams: Most likely to be the coolest teacher; Cool; Most likely to be seen wearing Birkenstocks; Most likely to move to Scotland; Best humor; Best at remembering random trivia; Most Likely To Win Jeopardy; Best humor; Most relatable; Most organized; Fastest grader.

Ms. Chase: Most likely to predict the future of the economy;  Most likely to become the president; Most likely to wear a dress to work out; Most likely to make you clean the senior lounge; Best story-teller; Most likely to talk about Tom Brady during class; Most iconic.

Ms. Filocco: Most likely to be the most athletic; Most interested; Most likely to be a bride; Most likely to be seen at a sporting event; CEO of Flocab; CEO of asking us about our day; Most likely to secretly be a yoga instructor; Most likely to become president; Most hardworking teacher; Most organized; Best bone cracks; Most likely to be in the Olympics

Ms. Kearney: Most likely to be the sweetest person alive; Most dedicated; Most likely to survive the apocalypse and keep everyone else alive at the same time; Most likely to be 10 minutes early to everything; Best teacher; Most likely to give you Achona quotes; Always there for you; Best advice and wisdom; Most likely to create her own conspiracy theory related to APUSH; Most likely to share conspiracy theories with her students.

Ms. Nazaretian: Most likely to have the most amount of dogs in the school; Most kind; CEO of Flocab; Would rather be teaching dogs; Most likely to cry to any remotely sad movie; Most likely to mold involved citizens; Best teacher; Nicest teacher; Most likely to win a Nobel Prize.; The kindest teacher at AHN— you can tell she really cares about her students and she’s also very funny :).

The Art Department:

Ms. Lima: Most likely to become the most famous artist; Most likely to laugh with her students; CEO of talking all study hall; Best vibes; Most original; The sweetest; Most fun teacher; Most likely to make up her own rules; Funniest teacher; Most likely to have a new hairstyle/color

Ms. Kimbler: Most likely to dance to each class; Most outgoing and caring; Most energetic; Most likely to show her passion for the arts; Best encouragement and spirit; Most likely to produce a full school musical; Most likely to always have her morning coffee; Most likely to scream at someone for talking during a movie; Most attention-grabbing; Most enthusiastic.

Ms. Mizzell: Most likely to make you feel proud for trying your best; Most likely to be good at everything; Best feelings talks; Most likely to take discreet photos of patrol guards; The best mission trip leader; Most caring; Most likely to always have your back.

Sister Lisa: Most likely to become a saint; Most peaceful; Kindest. Person. Ever; Most likely to make you smile; Most likely to get a speeding ticket; Sweetest and most patient teacher; Most Inspiring.

The Religion and Health Department:

Mr. Butterly: Most likely to connect people with God: Funniest; Most likely to let you get away with things; Most understanding: Most distinguishable voice; Most relaxed teacher; Most easygoing; Best laugh.

Sister Mary Glavin: Most likely to become saint; Hilarious; Most likely to teach you that all Christians are catholic but not all Catholics are Christian; Most likely to talk to your on your way to another class; Most likely to give you candy; Most likely to create world peace; Most likely to help a student in need; The kindest; Most likely to offer you M&Ms.

Mr. Kalinowski: Most likely to tell you a joke; Most clever; Most likely to be seen as Santa at convocation; Most sincere; Most likely to give you a hug and help you with your problems; Most likely to play a movie; Most likely to win a rap battle; Most likely to throw birthday parties for his advisory; Most sincere.

Ms. Meyer: Most likely to wear fork earnings; Most spiritual; Most passionate; Most unique; Best singer; Most likely to join a Christian rock band; Most likely to hold up forks during car parade; Most likely to put on a dance party; A QUEEN; Most likely to tell a cute story about their family; Best outlook on life; Most spontaneous.

Ms. Wiley: Most likely to stand up for the social justice issues in the world and make them better; Most likely to relate everything back to teaching middle school; Most likely to talk about one of the actors in the movie for 20 minutes.

Ms. Suskauer: Most friendly; Best motivation; Most likely to play Just Dance with students; Most understanding; Best dressed.

The Foreign Language Department:

Ms. Lanfranconi: Most likely to give you second chances; Most likely to crochet her class Carlota bottle toppers; Most likely to shut off the Kahoot music; Best how are you’s; Most likely to crochet you something (i.e. a bedspread); Best book-picker; Sweetest lady best at knitting; Most likely to dress code you.

Mr. Ruano: Most likely to make you feel welcome while entering his class; Most likely to make you speak only in Spanish; Most likely to joke with you in Spanish; Most likely to take away a punto; Best story-teller; Most likely to have a fan club; Most likely to joke with you in Spanish; Most likely to roast you in Spanish.

Ms. Louder: Most likely to let you get away with things because you are a senior; Most fun; Most entertaining/fun/unique class; CEO of lacrosse; Most zen teacher; Most understanding; Most likely to put in all grades in one day; Best taste in music; Most genuine.

Ms. P. Rodriguez: Most likely to make people feel welcome; The Kindest; Most likely to let you order Uber eats in a foreign country; The nicest; The best teacher ever, Most compassionate; The best fashion; Most approachable; Most sweet and kind; Cutest teacher.

Ms. D. Rodriguez: Most likely to help prepare students for a medical degree; Most hard-working; Most likely to wave “hi”; Most helpful; Most understanding teacher. 

Ms. Stagg: Most likely to help you become fluent in Spanish; Most likely to say “hi” to you in the halls; Most likely to drink coffee everyday; Most likely to share interesting current events during class; Most loving, caring, and thoughtful; Most sweet.

The College and Guidance Department: 

Ms. Dicus: Most likely to help you when you need it; Most Understanding; Most likely to make you smile; Most organized; Most Friendly.

Ms. Dwyer: Most likely to help you get into the colleges you like; Most likely to help you with the college process; Most likely to get you out of class; Best advice giver.

Dr. Griess: Most likely to offer you candy; Most cooperative; Most kind; Most likely to become a life coach; Most likely to take on a new task and excel; Most likely to have too much candy in her office; Most joyful; The best and most caring counselor for people with extra time— also, she has good candy and a cool humidifier.

Ms. Keegan: Most likely to help you be prepared for college; Most likely to be seen with Ms. Dwyer; Most likely to own a college (or business).

Ms. Pantellis: Most likely to listen; Most likely to show that she cares; CEO of the North Carolina mission trip, CEO of no phones; Most likely to make you smile; Most likely to have the best mission trip playlist; Most dependable teacher.

Ms. Martinez: Most likely to make you feel at home; Most Likely to be Your Friend; Most likely to do the mannequin challenge with her class; Best laugh; The most helpful and nice; Best empathizer; The chillest teacher; Friendliest face; Most likely to make me smile, most happy, most unforgettable, easiest to talk to.

Teachers, please take this week to celebrate yourselves and know that all of your efforts, all of your time, and all of your hard work is very much worth it. 

Thank you, teachers, for all that you do. We could never be more grateful.

Love always,

An Academy Girl