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Relaxation was only part of the story this summer for McDonogh’s faculty and staff. While there was plenty of time spent with family and friends, countless teachers also seized the opportunity to expand their knowledge, enhance their curriculum, and contribute to the life of the campus. From the arts to academics to the outdoors, their efforts ensure that when students return, they will find fresh ideas, new resources, and even more vibrant learning spaces.

Director of LifeReady Kevin Costa, who is responsible for allocating the summer professional development funds, says. "I am astounded, year after year, by the creativity and curiosity of McDonogh's most important asset: its teachers. I'm so glad to work here and, even more, to be the parent of a child who benefits from such expertise."

Here are just a few examples of how our faculty and staff spent their summer.

• Colleen (Vernon) MacLean, a self-taught guitarist, took private piano lessons to enhance her ability to perform and accompany her Lower School colleagues at various assemblies, chapel gatherings, and in her classroom. She says, "I was excited to work with an expert to help advance my playing ability! Having clear goals and someone to keep you accountable for progress is extremely helpful when learning something new.”
• Upper School English teacher Christy Jordan dove into the texts that have been taught over the past five years and built a repository of approved works, ensuring there is vertical alignment across grade and academic level, and that texts are relevant, inclusive, and academically rigorous.
• Building on the successful completion of several murals in the Lower School, Evelyn (Hoffmann) Karpeh and Katie McGrain expanded the mural inside Elderkin Hall and further developed the Pollinator Path on the new playground. They even painted outlines of pollinators for students to fill in with chalk during recess, turning the space into an interactive learning experience.
• Gregg Kleiman created instructional videos for his robotics unit, teaching students to customize their robot's control system with the VexIQ coding. “Normally, most of my students just brush over the coding aspect and just go with the default setting that comes with the robot,” Kleiman explains. “These videos will empower them to see something that may be uncomfortable at first, as something that is fun and obtainable. I believe that creating these tutorials isn't just about teaching coding, it's about opening many doors to problem solving, creativity, as well as future innovation.”
• Advisor to the Legacy Yearbook staff, Whitney Schultz attended the Jostens Adviser University, an intensive workshop focused on software tools, design strategies, and best practices for building a cohesive yearbook team. She says, “The program was really motivating and engaging for me, and I feel ready to tackle my second year as the advisor. I'm excited to collaborate with students on new ways to create a yearbook that showcases all the amazing things we do on campus.”
• Jess Bastidas took the opportunity to connect, communicate, and collaborate with other working artists and educators at a week-long Dye, Print, Bind workshop at Arrowmont School of Craft in Gatlinburg, TN. She plans to integrate the skills gained into her curriculum, guiding her Upper School students to create sketchbooks from recycled and hand-dyed papers while also exploring screen printing on diverse surfaces.
• Eric Conn advanced his work developing an online adaptive test that can serve as a science placement tool for rising freshmen. He envisions it also becoming a powerful mastery and study tool, dynamically adjusting questions to support student learning and confidence.
• Don New dedicated his summer to cataloging, organizing, and digitizing McDonogh’s extensive collection of sheet music, ensemble arrangements, method books, and archival materials— including past performances and commissions.
• Upper School Spanish teachers Gabriela Burns and Amanda Alonso-Valenteen modified their upper-level curriculum to incorporate Comprehensible Input—an approach that emphasizes listening and understanding before speaking. Through repeated high-frequency words in stories, students will develop stronger linguistic memory and fluency.
• Jake Trout and Kirk Robertson maintained and improved campus trails, adding learning stations and outdoor classrooms for students in all three divisions to explore.
• Working with a handful of dedicated Lower School teachers, Jen Pineau carefully curated and prepared the Cultivating Character curriculum for the coming year. They added new books and activities to ensure the program remains engaging, meaningful, and developmentally appropriate.
• Mandy Wolfe attended a summer photography workshop to deepen her technical skills, explore innovative visual storytelling techniques, and refine her artistic approach. She says, “As McDonogh’s photographer, my days are often fast-paced—moving from classroom to classroom, field to field, and event to event. This workshop gave me the rare gift of slowing down, immersing myself in the artistry of photography, and refining my craft. More importantly, the experience rekindled my sense of wonder behind the camera.” See examples of her work here.

From enhancing curriculum and professional expertise to beautifying the campus and strengthening resources, McDonogh’s faculty and staff made the most of their summer. Their dedication ensures that when students return, they are welcomed by fresh opportunities, innovative programs, and a community that never stops growing and improving.