news and events 2007-2008

NEWS AND EVENTS 2007-2008
(Recent news here, scroll down for prior events.)
Saints Stationery 2008

On Friday evening, May 30th, the excellent Class of 2008 graduated from St. Mary's Episcopal Day School on a warm and breezy evening. A lovely and thoughtful commencement address was delivered by Josie Little, chosen by her peers to represent the class. Headmaster Laird's remarks brought smiles to the graduates and faculty, as he quoted the students' fond and funny memories of their school careers. It was a very special evening, and a fitting tribute and farewell to the 8th graders as they move on to high school. They will be missed!

All the Letter People and their Pre-K counterparts paraded through the school on Friday, May 23rd. Faculty and older students enjoyed seeing their colorful costumes and smiling faces. Farewell Pre-K, hello Kindergarten!

The Baccalaureate Service for the Class of 2008 was held on Sunday, May 18th. Father Kezar spoke about the decisions we face in life and ended his sermon with Robert Frost's poem, "The Road Not Taken." A reception following the service was held in St. Mary's Hall for clergy, faculty, staff, students, and their families. Everyone enjoyed reminiscing with the graduates.

In chapel on Monday, May 12th, academic awards were given by subject area to top students in each Middle School class. Mr. Laird emphasized that many of the decisions were based on a hundredth of a point and there were a number of students with very competitive averages. Also recognized were St. Mary's Distinguished Faculty. These teachers were honored for their outstanding service to the school. Mr. Laird presented the awards this year to LuAnn Holmes and Helen McGrath.

Alice in Wonderland, Jr. was presented by an auditioned group of talented actors from third, fourth, fifth, and sixth grades on Friday, May 9th in St. Mary's Hall. The cast included 61 well rehearsed students. Directed by Lori Jungers with the assistance of Meg Carte, Leslie Long, Katie Rief, Duane Rector, and Don Luikart, the show was delightful, and a first for St. Mary's families as the cast was selected by audition, rather than being organized by grade level.

Pre-K and K dazzled St. Mary's Friday, May 2nd with their performance of "Jungle Beat". They took us all on safari with their enthusiastic presentation. Thank you to the teachers and students who worked so hard to bring us this delightful show. Mrs. Jungers helped everyone shine! How can our littlest Saints learn all those songs? They were amazing!

The fifth grade patrols had a memorable overnight trip to EPCOT and Blizzard Beach on April 28th and 29th. This annual outing is always enjoyed by our patrols who serve the school all year long in many capacities.

Tuesday April 22nd, the eighth grade left for their annual trip to Washington. Our students always represent us well in the nation's capital. Their extremely busy schedule includes major national monuments and museums, and the popular comedy, Shear Madness, a "whodonit" where the audience gets to participate. This longest running off-broadway play in American Theatre History is always a hit. Friday evening everyone arrived home safely, tired but happy.

A dozen hard working, dedicated students climbed onto the bus on Saturday morning for the Mangrove Clean-up. Everyone chipped in and through their efforts we collected twenty 30 gallon bags of trash and recyclables from our Mangrove area. We arrived back at school at 10:45, unloaded the bus of its cargo, and moved it to the dumpster and recycle bins. Among the treasures found were a steel toed boot, a pair of shoes, a Tom Sawyer like raft, and a couple of interesting fishing rigs. Thanks to all of the students, staff, and parents who participated. This was a very good intrinsic experience and we hope to do it on a regular basis. Keep your eyes open for potential spots that need that special touch. ~ Don Luikart

Wednesday, April 23rd, after a long courtship, Mr. Q and Ms. U were united in marriage. Dressed in their wedding finery, the couple swelled with pride as they enjoyed the company of their Pre-K well-wishers. The ceremony was lovely, and the children enjoyed all of the festivities. "We fell in love quickly," said Ms. U. "I feel like a queen!" After the wedding , the happy couple left to honeymoon in Quebec.

Mr. Joyce leaves the classroom for a short time to embark on a sailing adventure. His boat, the "Cat's Meow" is entered in Regata del Sol al Sol 2008, bound for Isla Mujeres. Students and faculty are able to keep track of his progress by going to www.mexicorace.com. Good luck Mr. Joyce!

The 6th graders left early in the morning on March 27th and drove to scenic Winter Haven, the water ski capital of the world, where they spent the day at Cypress Gardens riding roller coasters and watching the enchanting and mesmerizing water ski show. They then loaded up and drove to Orlando where they ate a rowdy, authentic dinner with their hands and watched a nail biting jousting match at Medieval times. After spending the night at the Hampton Inn in Orlando, we awoke Friday morning and drove to the Renaissance Festival, located on the grounds of MOSI. Students spent the day participating in Renaissance festivities such as sword fighting and eating turkey legs. The girls enjoyed looking the part of a maiden with their hair braids, while the boys jumped at the opportunity to purchase wooden swords. ~ Betsy Bostick

Maybe it is a bit sophomoric, but I still get butterflies in my stomach and jitters in my knees before a big game. When I walked out of last period math today, my knees where shaking and my stomach felt like I had just driven over a sudden drop in the road. As the team gathered before stretching and warming up, I was not the only one with the pregame jitters. We were ready to play. The weather cooperated, the stands were packed, and the St. Mary's Saints were ready to take the field.

For many of the fans, today was their first live lacrosse game. They saw a great one. Logan Peterson won the first face off, Dean Atkinson got the initial ground ball, and we quickly transitioned the ball to the attack. Chas Barber had the ball in the back of the net before the first thirty-seconds were up. We won the subsequent face off, moved the ball back to the attack, and Matt Sanders had an assist to Marky Merrill for goal number two. Our team controlled the first quarter, winning every face off and scoring six goals.

The Saints controlled the entire game, winning every face off and handling the ball more than seventy-five percent of the time. With their strong play and great offense, we kept the St. John's team from taking any shots for the entire game. Our boys played a fantastic home opener, in front of a supportive crowd. The final score - St. Mary's 12, St. John's 0.

Scoring for us: Chas Barber 2 goals, Trey Morrison 1 goal, Austin Curtis 2 goals 1 assist, Dean Atkinson 1 goal, Logan Peterson 1 assist, Chris Carnes 1 assist, Sam Flagg 1 goal 1 assist, Marky Merrill 1 goal, Tommy Frueh 1 goal, Logan Giordano 1 goal 1 assist, Jack Mitchell 1 goal, Jackson Kilcoyne 1 goal, Matt Sanders 1 assist, Cary Brown 1 assist.

Thank you to everyone who came and out supported us. It was a great way to welcome lacrosse to St. Mary's. We have our next game on Thursday against the South Tampa Stix program.

The St. Mary's Pioneer Girls recently raised $8,000 and plan to donate the money to the Hope Children's Home, LifeStraw, and Angel Tree charities. The girls walked many miles to accomplish this amazing goal and our community is very proud of them. In chapel on Monday, March 31st, the girls performed songs they had rehearsed together for the congregation gathered that morning. Their fundraising effort was applauded by everyone assembled. Well done girls!

The Tampa Bay Watch field trip offers a "hands-on" opportunity for our 7th graders to focus on a local marine science issue. This day long adventure provides an up close look at the importance of the Tampa Bay estuary. ~ Jean Bauer

All week preceding Field Day on March 13th, St. Mary's students dressed up according to theme! Monday was blue and gold day, Tuesday was Mismatch Day, Wednesday was Your Favorite Team Day, and Friday was Field Day and a half day of school prior to Spring Break. After a morning of games including the Shuttle Run, Sack Races, and Dodgeball, the Blue Team prevailed and took the cup for the second year in a row. What a spirit filled week!

A polished collection of songs and skits was presented to our school community by the 7th grade on March 11th and 12th. Titled "How to Eat Like a Child", this musical romp through the joys and sorrows of being a child is hilarious. Children give 23 lessons in such subjects as how to beg for a dog, how to torture your sister, how to act after being sent to your room and how to laugh hysterically. The pace is fast, the tone subversive and our students delivered with poise and humor.

Friday, March 7th, St. Mary's welcomed three new headmasters to campus, the Haskell siblings! Bringing their own brand of leadership to school, Christine, Brad, and Nicholas declared out of uniform days, pizza parties, and doughnut snacks as fun events for our students. In the afternoon, they hosted a school-wide assembly.

Great news from Mr. Joyce: “This morning, March 1st, six St. Mary's students traveled to Berkeley Prep for the first middle grades math competition. Although early on a Saturday morning, Claire Luger, Josie Little, Eric Goding, David Yienger, Matt Sanders, and Sean Gilmore were ready. In total, 30 students from 4 area schools (St. John's, Academy of Holy Names, Berkeley and St. Mary's) participated. The competition began with an individual test. Each competitor was allowed 30 minutes to complete a 15 question test. After the individual test, schools divided into teams of 3 students. The team questions were multiple parts, and teams received bonuses for quickly competing the overall problem. There were 8 team questions. St. Mary's performed well in the competition. David Yienger earned recognition as the #1 overall individual. Sean Gilmore was recognized for the #2 individual. St. Mary's also scored #1 in the team division, with the top team of David Yienger, Eric Goding, and Josie Little. Overall, St. Mary's was the #1 school in the competition. Congratulations to Eric Goding, David Yienger, Josie Little, Matt Sanders, Claire Luger, and Sean Gilmore for their excellent performance. They represented St. Mary's well. Go Saint's!” ~ Thomas Joyce

6th Grade Science students are charged at the beginning of the year with the assignment of coming up with a Science experiment to be presented at their science expo this year held in February. At the beginning of December they take a week to review websites, books and other materials to come up with their project. Projects needed to be reviewed by Ms. Sutfin before students left on holiday break. When they returned in January they received official okay from Ms. Sutfin along with a parent letter which parents signed stating they understood their child would be participating in the expo, the experiment itself and that the majority of the work would take place at home, along with the statement that they would not do the project for the child. Once a week after mid-term exams the students and I discussed their projects and where they should be with their data, papers, and the experiment itself. The week of the Expo the students brought their projects to school (on Monday, Feb. 25^th) and presented to their projects to their classmates. On Thursday of the week (Feb. 28^th) the students held their expo in St. Mary’s Hall from 6:30pm to 8pm for their parents and guests. These guests traveled through the displays (46 in all – 6^th graders only) asking students questions about their projects. The evening was a great success. The students more than met my expectations for the Expo and were true scientists even if it was just for the evening.
~ Judy Sutfin

Friday afternoon, February 22nd, the intermediate division participated in our annual Patriot Games. The weather was perfect, sunny, cool and breezy. Lighthearted games including Roosevelt's Rough Riders and tug of war made fun afternoon activities. Snacks provided by our parents rounded out the day, and the red, white, and blue clad athletes all seemed to enjoy the fun.

St. Mary's faculty, vestry and board of trustees gathered for dinner in St. Mary's Hall on Thursday, February 21st. Eloquent speeches were delivered by Father Dennis Kezar and Board President Cindy Ruff. Headmaster Laird opened an envelope containing the school's FCIS evaluation results and shared the overwhelmingly positive news with everyone gathered. Finally, faculty and staff were awarded their service pins. Four staff members received special recognition for fifteen years at St. Mary's. Jean Bauer, Susy DeAlejo, Steve Edwards, and Johnna Henry were surprised with a video presentation in their honor.

At a welcome dinner held in St. Mary's Hall the evening of Sunday, February 10th, members of the FCIS review team were introduced to St. Mary's faculty and staff. The team will spend Monday and Tuesday evaluating our school, a process that takes place once every five years. The Florida Council of Independent Schools was established in 1954 to set high standards for quality elementary and secondary nonpublic education. It assures, through the accreditation process, that member schools maintain those high standards and independence in the areas of administration and academic programs.

Wednesday, February 6th, Gordon Korman spoke to students 3rd grade and up in St. Mary's Hall. Mr. Korman was born October 23, 1963 in Montreal. He wrote his first book, This Can't be Happening at Macdonald Hall when he was 12 years old for a coach who suddenly found himself teaching 7th grade English … he later took that episode and created a book out of it in the Sixth Grade Nickname Game, where Mr. Huge was based on that 7th grade teacher. His first book was published by Scholastic, who also published his next 20 or so books, including several award winning young adult titles. While at St. Mary's, Mr. Korman talked about writing and where he got his ideas for books. He described his father who was an inspiration for some of his book characters. He uses every day events as the basis for many of his humorous plots and characters. Thank you Mrs. Jones for arranging this entertaining author visit!

Last period on Friday, February 1st, the faculty faced their worst nightmare...the awesome 8th grade boys basketball team! In a decisive victory, the teachers were trounced 36-11 by these very accomplished 8th grade boys. Everyone enjoyed the spirited game and the faculty looked forward to their weekend to ice the sprains and strains after doing battle with the boys.

The Boys Varsity Gold Basketball team became the FWCL Tournament Champions by beating St. John's Episcopal 25-20 on Monday, January 28th. The team had a very successful, winning record. Every player improved his individual skills while enjoying all the fun of being on a winning team. A highlight for the boys this season was getting to travel to New Orleans for a tournament that involved 24 teams; the Saints finished in the top third and gained valuable experience. The team was led by seven eighth graders who will be dearly missed, but the six seventh graders are ready to carry the torch into next year. Congratulations on a fantastic season!

St. Mary's chapel congregation enjoyed the well rehearsed Harvard Glee Club on Monday morning, January 28th. Singing a cappella (without instruments), the gentlemen represented their university well. Their lead encouraged students to sing for the fun of it and the joy of performing. The group is comprised of students engaged in a variety of pursuits, with only one music major.

In assembly on Friday, January 25th, Josie Little received an award for reaching 1,500 points in the Accelerated Reader program. Headmaster Laird reminded those assembled that Josie is only the second student in the history of the program to reach this level. As she received her trophy, Mr. Laird asked what her favorite book had been so far. "Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky," was Josie's reply. The Accelerated Reader program was introduced at St. Mary's in 1996.

On Wednesday, January 23rd in chapel, Sister Eliseea Papacioc spoke to us about her beautiful and intricate iconography. Icons have long been revered in the world of religious art for their ability to lead those who look upon them to God. To hear Sister Eliseea Papacioc talk about the icons she paints is to understand why. “To paint an icon is to pray,” said the nun who lives in a hermitage at the foot of a mountain in a tiny village in Romania. We are so fortunate to have several of Sister Eliseea's elegant icons on display in St. Mary's Church.

Wednesday, January 23rd, St. Mary's families and faculty members attended the "8th Grade Speech Extravaganza". Guided by Headmaster Laird, students presented their final speeches at an evening gathering in St. Mary's Hall. Shaking off the butterflies and last minute jitters, our students appeared poised and confident as they delivered their two minute speeches to the audience. Great job eighth grade!

Wednesday, January 23rd: Pirates invade St. Mary's Campus! The buccaneers held us captive in St. Mary's Hall hoping to find recruits to join them on the open sea. When the students explained they would much rather stay in school, the good natured rogues shared their pirate booty and sailed away.

Mr. John Brian Gonzalez joins the St. Mary's faculty, replacing Amanda Amos as Spanish teacher for the remainder of the current school year. Mr. Gonzalez has extensive teaching experience and is very excited about coming to St. Mary's and teaching our students as well as coaching in the middle school program. Brian and his wife Maria are new to Tampa, so please welcome them to our community!

In chapel Wednesday, January 9th, the Watoto Children's Choir from Uganda performed for the St. Mary's community. The Watoto Children's Choir is an African choir that is dedicated to improving the way of life for children in Africa. Their performances are a unique blend of native African rhythms, contemporary gospel music and ethnic dance. The ministry also comprises three villages, a primary school, and high school. Watoto means "children" in the Swahili language, and is made up of children who have lost both or one parent to the AIDS epidemic. The choir has toured Canada, the United States, Europe, Asia, and Australia with a team of adults. They have released four CDs which, along with lovely African jewelry, are available to purchase at their performances. All proceeds benefit the children.

December 14th, the last day before Christmas Break, was relaxing and fun as students and teachers shared snacks, exchanged gifts and got ready for the long holiday. At 10:45 the whole school assembled in St. Mary's Hall to enjoy a performance by Ms. Amos' and Mrs. Hewitt's dancers. Following the presentation, 8th grade blue and gold teams were pitted against each other in a spontaneous Christmas trivia contest, the winning team earning the right to an out of uniform day for the whole school, blue or gold, respectively. Eric Goding, the last man standing for the blue team, held on as long as he could, but gold prevailed. After the friendly competition, we were treated to the original movie, "How the Grinch Stole Christmas". Happy Holidays!

The annual Christmas games for Pre-K through second grade were played this year the morning of December 13th. The fun events included the beanbag toss, cookie decorating (and eating), "snowball fights" and "sled races". Our wonderful eighth graders supervised the games under the direction of Coaches Sandman, Gillisse and Wolf, who work hard to put Reindeer Games together for our younger students. Thank you coaches, and Merry Christmas to all.

The evening of December 12th, 8th grade students gathered at Mr. Laird's home to celebrate their last Christmas together as St. Mary's students with a festive dinner and gift exchange. The "gift swap" tradition found guests competing this year for a variety of gifts including some very popular homework passes! Naturally, most participants tried to avoid Middle School Head Steve Edwards' annual gift, an autographed picture of himself!

Students from the 8th grade traveled to Metropolitan Ministries on Wednesday, December 12th, to assist with unpacking, sorting, and organizing donated items. The extra help was appreciated, especially during the busy Christmas season.

Pre-K's annual jaunt to Mr. Laird's house for Christmas cookies and stories took place Tuesday afternoon, December 11th. This is always an exciting outing for our youngest students who enjoy special attention from the Headmaster and, of course, the sweets. Rookies just a few months ago, they are now seasoned St. Mary's students, ready for adventures!

Monday, December 10th, two groups of students from St. Mary's performed Christmas music at Tampa International Airport. Tired travelers stopped to listen to the serenade, tapping their toes and nodding in appreciation. Our singers were also featured on the six o'clock news in a spot called "What's Right with Tampa Bay".

December 10th ~ In chapel this morning Kindergarten presented the story of Christmas in full costume and perfect voice. Parents, faculty and students were captivated by the beautiful message and traditional carols. Kindergarten didn't miss a cue and even repeated the performance a second time just for parents to enjoy. Thank you Kindergarten, and Merry Christmas!

It was fun to see some familiar faces when Plant High School's Madrigal singers performed in St. Mary's Hall on Friday, December 7th. The talented group shared their talents with our school community by singing forty-five minutes of the over two hour holiday program. Many of our former students performed with the group and their voices and presentation were outstanding. Music ranging from sacred to silly left the students and teachers wanting more. Thank you Plant High Singers!

In a Christmas show featuring fourth graders, supported by first through third, all participants were shining stars as they presented the story of a little girl left in the toy department during hectic holiday shopping. When the toys and dolls come to life around her, the true meaning of Christmas becomes clear through her experience. The children performed flawlessly the evening of December 4th for families and again the morning of December 5th for the student body. Congratulations and thanks to music director Lori Jungers and everyone who worked so hard to present the show for us.

Friday, November 30th, the Lady Saints took on faculty in a down to the last minute contest of wills on the court. Showing their superior expertise and technique, the girls scored in time for the buzzer with just enough on the board to claim victory. Congratulations girls, well played!

5th grader Landon Turner's green, red, and white bird pattern was selected for this year's St. Mary's Episcopal Day School Christmas card. The larger image Landon holds above is her original art, the smaller is the printed card, featuring her work. Landon created her artwork in a class concentrating on a repeated pattern technique called Tessellation taught by Meg Carte. Landon created a "rotation" tessellation using bird templates to reflect the white dove and red cardinal ornaments made by the lower grades for the school's Christmas tree. The tree is decorated with red cardinals created by third and fourth grades, and white doves assembled by first and second grades. The cardinal, christened the "Christmas Bird" for its spectacular red color has become a symbol of the beauty and warmth of the holiday season, and the dove represents peace and love.

Student Council's Thanksgiving food drive for Metropolitan Ministries was incredibly successful this year. The collection was so large it had to be delivered in two van loads. When the first load arrived, the volunteers said it was their largest donation by far for this year. As the second van full of food was unloaded, they expressed thanks on behalf of everyone at the ministry who work so hard to feed those in need. 7,000 cans, or 4,854 pounds of food were donated. The largest donation was contributed by 8th grade...1,826 items. Although they won a pizza party for their generosity, the 8th grade students decided together to ask student council to use the money that would have been spent on the party to add to their donation for the food drive. Way to go Saints!

November 13th, 14th, and 15th the Parents' Association held our annual book fair in St. Mary's Hall. Chaired by Micah Mathews, this years fair had something for everyone, with books ranging from Pre-Kindergarten to Middle School levels, and some choices for adults including cookbooks from popular authors and personalities. Saints Depot was also represented with items for sale promoting school spirit. Special thanks to the PA and Micah for all the time and effort it took to pull the sale together.

8th Graders were treated to a day at Busch Gardens Wednesday, November 7th. By all accounts this was a fantastic surprise outing. Everyone enjoyed themselves and the weather was perfectly suited for a day to set aside the books and papers and just have fun.

October 31st ~ The St. Mary's community enjoyed a spooktacular holiday as students performed for Halloween in St. Mary's Hall. The audience was treated to songs, humor, and poetry, accompanied by music fitting the occasion. It was frightfully delightful

The tale of "The Enchantment of Beauty and the Beast" was recreated by our eighth grade troupers in three performances beginning the 25th of October. This version of the classic French story is slightly different from the Disney version. The set was spectacular, the costumes amazing, and the music beautiful. The ninety minute musical was enjoyed by all. We are extremely proud of our students who worked long and hard to thrill parents, friends, students and faculty.

November 5th found the fifth grade boarding a bus for their annual outing to Cedarkirk. This is the first overnight trip St. Mary's students take and is always a favorite. Working on group activities and problem solving challenges, the students bond and learn how to work as a team. This year the cool weather made it even more fun!

Seventh Grade took their annual field trip to Dayspring in Ellenton on October 23rd. The purpose of the Initiatives Course the students participate in is to promote trust and teamwork. It's also fun to miss a few classes, especially on a cool Florida day!

St. Mary's faculty experienced hands-on math during professional development on October 5th. Guided by an instructor from Marilyn Burns Education Associates, teachers were challenged with problem-solving experiences and reviewed Piaget's ideas about children's intellectual development. Topics discussed and modeled included creating a classroom environment to support problem solving and cooperative problem solving in the classroom. Marylyn Burns believes that, "...teaching math well calls for increasing our understanding of the math we teach, seeking deeper insights into how children learn mathematics, and refining our lessons to best promote students' learning." Many of the lessons learned and methods demonstrated easily apply across the curriculum.

Friday, September 28th, the school day began with Blessing of the Pets, an annual event at St. Mary's. Animals of all varieties, furred and feathered, scaled and slimy, were blessed by the patient and loving hands of Father Kezar, Father Ben, Father Cave, and Deacon Wolfe. Everyone enjoyed this special occasion, inspired by St. Francis of Assisi. This year's biggest pet visitor arrived with Kaki McNeel, who brought her horse, Coastie!

In addition to the show-stopping Mr. M performed by Pre-K, First Grade presented a delightful song and show about Laura Numeroff's "Give a Mouse" book series. Dancing and singing with poise beyond their years, they impressed a full house. The audience enjoyed the entertainment, and the introduction of St. Mary's fall sports teams by the athletic department.

Pre-K treated us to their annual rendition of Mr. M, at assembly on Friday, September 7th. As cameras clicked and flashbulbs flashed, the small performers sang and smiled their way through the familiar tune. Older students joined in as they remembered their turn on stage singing this perennial favorite.

Mrs. Henson and Mrs. Carte devised a joint project to enhance 7th grade students' understanding of their summer reading book, El Lector. Having discussed the book in language arts the students toured Ybor City with a guide, photographing what they saw using digital cameras. The field trip highlighted Ybor City history and architecture. Using art to compliment literature, the students made prints on watercolor paper from their photography with Adobe Photoshop on iMac computers, creating an aged appearance in a multistage process. The student art work is exhibited in St. Mary's Hall through the end of the quarter.

The annual trip to Daysprings for the High Ropes challenge took place August 23rd and 24th, right after the start of school. 8th graders were released from class to travel to the site for team building exercises. As the participants worked together to achieve common goals, bonds were forged and trust increased among classmates. After completing the course, students and faculty chaperones enjoyed a day of relaxation at Adventure Island.

School began August 22nd with the traditional opening chapel service and Headmaster Laird introducing our new Pre-K and 8th grade classes. Some tears were shed by a few moms and dads as they watched their children reach these milestones. There was excitement as friends greeted one another and met their new teachers. Expanding on last year's Water theme, St. Mary's students will focus on the global problem of infectious diseases this year.

Monday, August 13th found St. Mary's primary division and enrichment teachers back in the classroom for a three day seminar presented by the Gesell Institute of Human Development. The experience enhanced the faculty's knowledge of early developmental stages and how to use observation and screening tools to help understand young students. Teachers enjoyed being back on campus and learning from Dr. Norman Heimgartner, the fascinating instructor from Gesell.