Kent School Welcomes New Employees And Announces New Roles

We are excited to welcome several new community members to Kent School as well as wish several colleagues the best in their new roles.

Kathy Shires joined Kent School on August 15 as the Assistant Head of School for Finance and Operations. Kathy comes to us from Roland Park Country School in Baltimore. She was the Controller at RPCS for fifteen years and former colleague of Nancy Mugele, Head of School at Kent School. Kathy is described as bright, hard-working, organized, competent and resourceful. She holds a BS Summa cum Laude in Accounting from Towson University, and a BA Magna cum Laude in Psychology from the University of Richmond.

Christina Jarvi joins us as the Grades 5/6 Humanities Teacher. Christina is an experienced educator who has created and shared virtual 5th Grade Language Arts lessons and has directed curriculum, instruction, and assessment at Stanton Elementary School in Washington, DC for several years. One of her references praised her as being extremely hardworking and dedicated to her students, and noted that her lessons are engaging while maintaining high standards. Christina is looking forward to collaborating with Amanda Mickle, Grades 7/8 Humanities, to create a robust Language Arts and History program that will benefit all Middle School students.

Elisa Goldsborough will be teaching Spanish in Grades Four through Eight. Elisa is a native speaker with a deep and personal connection to Spanish language and culture. She joins us from the Chestertown Christian Academy where she has taught Middle and High School History. She has also worked at Fleetwood Insurance and the Kent Center. Her references noted her kind heart, her work ethic and her passion for teaching. Elisa holds a MS in Cybersecurity Management and a BS in Psychology from Regent University.

Emily Davis is the new Second Grade teacher. Emily, a product of an independent school in Philadelphia, is a self described enthusiastic educator with a passion for creating engaging and meaningful learning experiences for young children. She has most recently taught 4th Grade at Kennard Elementary School and also has preschool teaching experience. Emily has spent numerous summers working at Echo Hill School. She holds a master’s in Early Childhood Education from Temple University and a bachelor’s in Environmental Studies from Dickinson College.

New Roles
Cheryl Plummer will assume a new administrative role as the Dean of Students. Cheryl sought a new challenge after 25 years of teaching First Grade at Kent School. She is an exemplary teacher and she will seamlessly step into a school-wide administrative role. Cheryl has taught the majority of students at Kent School. In her new position, she will have responsibilities in the K – Grade 8 program primarily focused on community expectations, consistent discipline, and consequences, as well as related communication.

Joanie Rybas is moving from Second Grade to First Grade. Joanie, who recently earned her Doctorate in Education, is trained in the Orton-Gillingham approach to reading, along with our Lower and Middle School Learning Strategists. This explicit, cognitive, cumulative, and multi-sensory approach dovetails well with Kent School’s work in Mind, Brain and Education science, and longstanding success with phonics-based curriculum.

Amanda Mickle will take on the role of teaching Grades 7/8 Humanities – Language Arts and History, in addition to directing the 8th Grade Musical. Amanda will help the oldest students at Kent School develop critical thinking skills by investigating differences between cultures and communities in the United States and beyond, and across time, through literature and historical accounts.

Nancy Mugele, said, “It is my true pleasure to welcome our new employees to the Kent School community. I know they will receive a warm and supportive reception. I am also pleased that several of my colleagues were inspired to explore new roles which models life-long learning for our students. It is true that the best teachers never stop learning.”

Kent School, located on the bank of the Chester River in historic Chestertown, is an independent school serving boys and girls in Preschool through Grade Eight. Kent School is an inclusive school community designed for effective learning, immersed in the natural environment. We are research-driven and committed to nurturing our students’ potential for active citizenship in a connected world through academic, artistic, athletic, and moral excellence. For more information visit www.kentschool.org or email info@kentschool.org.