Hannah Moriarty ‘18, Annie Doig ‘18: This year, the Upper School form deans, Cheryl McLauchlan, Holly Johnston, Sam Willis and Michael Letts, each have specific goals for their classes and many activities planned. They hope to build and maintain stronger relationships, keep everybody involved throughout the year, and make this school year as exciting and memorable as possible.
Cheryl McLauchlan, 9th grade form dean and Upper School math teacher, said, “My goal every year is to make everybody in the class feel like a part of the class of 2019, but as a freshman dean, it is especially important that everybody in this class buys into being a member of this class early because when you buy in freshman year, you stay that way for all four years.” She continued, “I just graduated one of my favorite classes of all time, the class of 2015, and they had fun together because they did stuff.” She noted, “I’m hoping that I can develop those same kind of relationships. I had great relationships with kids in that class, and if I could once again duplicate the way I felt about them and the way many of them felt about me, I will have been a success.” She also added, “I like to do a lot of activities, but I like my class officers to have input and since I don’t have class officers yet, I don’t want to tell them what we’re doing. I’m looking for them to tell me what they’d like to do.”
Johnston, 10th grade form dean, also has many goals for the year. “For the sophomore class, my goal is that you all, the class of 2018 have a good sense of who everybody is in the class. I don’t want people sitting in my office saying ‘Who? I don’t know who so and so is.’, when they’ve been in school with them for a year.”
Johnston continued, sharing activities she has planned. “I want to have more events where it’s the whole class engaged and that’s the precedent, when we have an event, it’s just a given, everybody attends.” For example, she said, “I want to do something called sophomore scholars, where essentially there’s a girl sophomore scholar and a boy sophomore scholar chosen at random every week and I’ll put their pictures up and have people like you, who are journalists, do a little interview, and post it on my window.” She also added that she would like to incorporate community service like we did last year.
Each of the form deans have set goals for their respective classes to support each class member. Willis, 11th grade form dean and Upper School english teacher, said, “There are numerous goals I have as a teacher, but I want the students as a class to become unified and learn to support each other as individuals.” He continued, “I also want the students to graduate knowing they put their full effort into every aspect of school.”
There are many rewards in taking on the role as dean, Willis stated, such as “seeing each EA Upper School individual grow up, watch them find their passion, determination, and helping them when they are down.” He continued, “each Episcopal Academy student is incredible, and as dean I’m lucky to see that more often than some people can.”
Another role as a form dean is helping students find their way through high school. Letts, 12th grade form dean and Upper School English teacher, said, “I want to help the students with their college process, minimize their amount of stress, and help them set the right example for the underclassmen. Most importantly though, I want them to have lots of fun and enjoy their last year at Episcopal.”
Setting tasks and accomplishing them is a part of the job as dean. Letts elaborated, “The job is getting to know each and everyone. Finding out what their passions and challenges are, and I feel like I have done a pretty good job.” Letts said,” We have set up activities for the grade like going to the Eastern State Penitentiary, Thanksgiving dinner, s dodgeball tournament, Halloween breakfast, and surprises, things for the senior class to enjoy.”
Letts shared, “I find it as a personal enjoyment to be with the kids everyday. I get to share their growth as students to adults and be apart of their everyday lives.”