Faculty Excellence

In order to honor faculty who have made long-lasting and extraordinary contributions to the Academy, the Board of Trustees has established the Elgin Academy Faculty Excellence Program.

Through this program, the Board will establish specific board-designated funds to honor, at their retirement from Elgin Academy, teachers and faculty who have served the school for 20 years or more. Each fund will be developed in an area meant to represent the teacher’s contributions to the lasting quality of the Academy.

A fund will be considered endowed when it reaches $25,000 or in three years from its approval by the Board and at this point the draw on it will be used to supplement a recipient’s salary in the form of a stipend.

The Establishment of Other Endowed Funds

If a particular donor wants to establish a fund in honor of a community member who is not eligible for such recognition as described above, that donor will work with the Development Office to establish such a fund. In order to do so, the donor will need to make a $25,000 contribution and multiple year annual fund commitment.

Faculty Excellence Funds

The Frederick Fletcher Fund for Independent School Teaching

Established in honor of Frederick Fletcher, the longest serving teacher in Elgin Academy history. “Fletch”, as he is commonly known, leaves a legacy of a career in independent school teaching, serving as the traditional “triple threat” teacher who teaches, advises and coaches. Fletch has always embraced the multitude of impacts a teacher can have on the lives of his/her students and alums.

Recipients will be teachers who truly embrace the importance of working with all students on a variety of levels. They will be an individual who willingly create opportunities to educate students in and out of the classroom.

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The Mary Hannert Open Space Fund

Established to honor Mary Hannert, the founder of our Early Childhood Education program. This fund reflects Mary’s belief in the importance of outdoor education and play in the lives of young learners, and is also a fitting tribute to an avid gardener who truly appreciates the beauty of our campus environment.

A draw on this fund will be put towards the continuing costs of both improving and maintaining our play spaces and grounds.

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The Stephanie Merrill Chair in the Teaching of Writing

faculty staff helping student for improved academic success

The Stephanie Merrill Chair in the Teaching of Writing

Established in honor of Stephanie Merrill, long-time Upper School English teacher. Stephanie’s greatest contribution to Elgin Academy’s students is her insistence that they use writing, in all of its myriad forms, as a way to find and express their voices.

Recipients will be teachers who incorporate writing into their work on a regular basis and encourage its use to help students gain the crucial skills of self-expression so important in impacting the world around them.

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The Karen Bazos Fund for the Promotion of Lower School Science

Established in honor of Karen Bazos, this fund supports one of her primary passions. Karen taught with an emphasis on hands-on experience and believed that students learn best when their minds and hands are engaged. She demonstrated a particular passion for the teaching of science and the ways that it would promote exactly that sort of learning.

Recipients will receive a stipend to purchase additional equipment to enhance the teaching of science and the creation of opportunities for hands-on learning in our Lower School.

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The Joseph Stuart Fund for Excellence in the Teaching of Art

The Joseph Stuart Fund for Excellence in the Teaching of Art

Joseph Stuart understood that the teaching of the arts is an important part of a broader education. Stu, as so many called him, spent hours helping his students gain the complex technical skills necessary to produce art, as well as discovering their individual talents. His love of nature permeated his teaching, and he encouraged his students to look to the outdoors for creative expression. Always attentive to his craft, Stu inspired his students to seek their own artistic paths, and as a result many of our graduates have pursued the arts professionally and as a way to enrich their lives.

Recipients will ensure opportunities to both practice and enjoy the arts in all forms.

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The Bill Harris Fund for Excellence in Teaching and Coaching

Middle School science teacher Bill Harris excelled at keeping students actively engaged by providing transformative experiences for multiple generations of Hilltoppers. His disciplined approach to teaching gave our students a foundation to grow as learners, and he set countless middle schoolers on a path of academic success in all subject areas. For many years, he also taught and mentored EA athletes and imparted not only sport-specific lessons, but also the crucial life skills learned through team participation.

Recipients will embrace the importance of learning inside and outside of the classroom, and will be teacher/coaches who seek to create opportunities for student-athletes.

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The Bobbie Nabor Fund for Excellence in Teaching Science

Bobbie Nabor taught Upper School Science at Elgin Academy for more than 30 years. She provided her biology and environmental science students not only with essential content, but with meaningful lab experiences and engaging, purposeful field trips. Through her teaching, students learned to understand the technical aspects of science, and also its practical uses. Mrs. Nabor inspired many students to environmental activism and to pursue careers in medicine. As Senior Class Sponsor for many years, she helped our oldest learners transition from dependent students to independent young adults.

Recipients will be science teachers who are dedicated to learning not only in the classroom but also through outside experiences that emphasize practical applications of knowledge.

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The Sharon Shatkus Fund for Student Support

A beloved Middle School Assistant, Sharon Shatkus enthusiastically served our Middle School students for over 20 years. As a stalwart supporter of Elgin Academy, she was an enduring presence for our faculty, students, and parents. Mrs. Shatkus understood the importance of relationships and their role in building and strengthening the fabric of our community. Long after students, families, and colleagues left Sears Hall, she remained a primary point of contact and a source of information for many who remained connected to the school.

Recipients will be staff members who do exemplary jobs of enacting the Academy mission by building relationships.

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