There is a lot to celebrate among our faculty and staff! Each year, students in eighth and 12th grades choose a teacher to receive the Duncan and Rivinus Awards, respectively. We also recognize and honor those employees who have achieved milestone years of service at MICDS.
Duncan Award
The Duncan Award reads: “Elected by his students for his hard work, determination, and selfless giving which challenges students to strive for excellence and achieve their full potential.” We are pleased to announce that the winner of the 2022 Duncan Award, chosen by vote of the 8th Grade Class of 2026 is Middle School PE Teacher Dr. Fred Bouchard. Here is what Jay Rainey, Head of School, said about Dr. Bouchard at our recent all-school assembly:
Dr. Bouchard gets a lot of attention in our community through his leadership of our football program, but those of us who know him beyond his coaching role understand that he is the epitome of a teacher-coach in the classroom, too. We happen to be in one of Dr. Bouchard’s classrooms right now, in fact. Dr. Bouchard, thank you for letting us meet today in your classroom.
Dr. Bouchard’s students really enjoy having him as a teacher. Mr. Lay, who is the leader of our PE department, says that last week when he told one of his eighth-grade girls classes that they would have Dr. Bouchard for their next unit, they all cheered. I hope Mr. Lay wasn’t too offended by that!
Perhaps one of the reasons students love Dr. Bouchard is that he does a great job of having fun while he teaches. He creates competitive environments that are enjoyable for students so that they are doing more than just learning a new athletic or fitness skill. They are having fun together and with their teacher. Dr. Bouchard is positive with students and encourages them to do their best. He creates a team out of every class, and, as Mr. Lay says, “Everyone is in it together.”
You can always tell when one of Dr. Bouchard’s classes is over because a group of students will break a huddle by yelling, “CHAMPIONS!” Congratulations on receiving the Duncan Award, Dr. Bouchard. We are proud that you are one of our champions at MICDS.
Rivinus Award
The Rivinus Award is presented to a teacher who is selected by vote of the senior class. The award reads, “Elected by his students for his hard work, selfless determination and selfless giving which challenges students to strive for excellence and achieve their full potential.” The Class of 2022 has chosen Upper School Social Sciences Teacher Jack Fischer as this year’s winner of the Rivinus Award. Rainey also presented Mr. Fischer’s award at the all-school assembly with these remarks:
Here is what several members of the Class of 2022 said about Upper School Social Sciences teacher Mr. Fischer:
“Mr. Fischer is one of the best teachers I’ve had at MICDS. He’s able to build a meaningful connection to economics with students and relate to us as much as any teacher I’ve had before. He is super passionate about what he does and it shows in his teaching.”
Another student said, “He’s good at keeping us on track. He’s good at explaining things in a clear way, and he has flexible lesson plans, so he can easily adjust to the direction that the class takes.”
Finally, a senior reported, “He’s always willing to work with you…he will never leave a class knowing that someone doesn’t understand something. He won’t give up on a kid. He’ll keep working with them, even when class ends. He makes sure to personally connect the topics that he’s covering to their real-life significance. He’s always willing to answer any and all questions that everyone has. He goes above and beyond to make sure that we have what we need to succeed.”
Ms. Carla Federman, who is the leader of our history and social sciences department, told me that Mr. Fischer’s connection with kids is natural. “He puts them at ease and gets them to relax, all while challenging them intellectually and academically.”
Congratulations on receiving the Rivinus Award, Mr. Fischer. We are so fortunate and grateful for your work as a teacher and as a coach at MICDS.
Milestone Years of Service
We would also like to recognize those employees who have achieved milestone years of service:
10 Years of Service
- Malon Carter
- Tiffany D’Addario
- Michelle Fox
- Mirnes Hamidovic
- David Hotaling
- David Manhal
- Ashley O’Toole
- Leanne Rohr
- Darrett Thompson
15 Years of Service
- Laura Bradford
- Kelly Hummel
- Allison Light
- Nick Menneke
- Joe Summers
- Tex Tourais
- Jayme Zimmer
20 Years of Service
- Bill Campbell
- Louise Jones
- Rachael Maurer
- Christine Mayer
- Will Shockley
- Avdo Siljkovic
- Nicole Trueman-Shaw
25 Years of Service
- Michael Fitzgerald
30 years of service
- Carolyn Hood
- Ann Matteson
- Aronda Reeves Austin
- Greg Stevens
35 Years of Service
- Jeff Hall
40 Years of Service
- Jim Barciszewski
- Alison Todd
Thank you so very much to these dedicated employees who work hard for our students and their fellow faculty and staff every day.