Letter from Chris Pryor

Harbor Country Day is like most other institutions where valued professionals come and go. With Harbor’s strong family connections, high academic expectations and close-knit community we tend to attract superb faculty members who know how to connect with both students and parents alike. We are fortunate in this way; however, with each year we inevitably must say good-bye to faculty and staff members as they move on to various other positions or new adventures. This year is no different. We will say farewell to several close friends who have meant much to us over the years.

Some of you may know that Jo Ann Chiet recently became a grandmother. We were all so happy for her last year when we learned of the good news about baby Aubrey. All of you know that Mme. Chiet is a once-in-a-lifetime teacher who adds quality to each day she spends at Harbor. She pours her heart and soul into her program. The list of her talents and offerings is too long to mention in its entirety. She has decided to leave teaching all together to spend time with her husband and her growing family. In fact, she will be transitioning into a position working full-time with her husband in their family business. We are sad to see her leave us as she has developed our French program to perfection, supported our students on many levels and inspired us all to perform at our highest levels personally and professionally. While she will leave a large void in our foreign language program, we are already interviewing top candidates to replace her.

Mrs. Rixon gave birth to an adorable baby boy this year and is enjoying her new found family with her husband Brian. She has been on maternity leave since February, and she will not be returning to Harbor next year to teach grades 5-8 science. We have begun our interviews to fill this position, and are confident that we will have this filled before the end of the academic year.

Steve Howard spent three years shoring up the Advancement Office and completing his job as outlined as the school’s first Director of Advancement. He brought the Harbor Fund to new heights doubling the parent participation percentage in one year. He spent many hours tracking down a “lost” alumni list and developed a working rapport with many lost Harbor alumni and community members. This will prove to be valuable in the years to come and will help reconnect many people with a school they love so dearly. Steve also was the written voice of Harbor as he wrote most publications, advertisements, web pages and so much more. With a tighter budget heading into next year and the end of the strategic plan funding that partially underwrote his salary, it is no longer possible to afford someone of his caliber and experience. We will miss his expertise and his kind, gentle way he quietly helped advance the school. His support for our school does not go unnoticed and he will be missed dearly.

Christine Spahr has worn many Harbor hats over the last fourteen years she has been with us. She came to Harbor as a curricular specialist. She most recently wore the hat of Lower School Coordinator and Director of Admissions. Christine and her husband Gary will be moving to Chicago to live closer to their family. As Harbor was her home for so long and she reached such great success here, one can imagine this is a very large decision for Christine and Gary. While we will miss her, we respect her greatly, support her with all our heart and wish her luck in her future move to Chicago.

Marissa Burgermaster came to Harbor three years ago as a long-term consultant to help prepare the faculty to differentiate their instruction in a new formal manner, help revamp the k-8 writing curriculum, and usher in a new, outstanding reading program. She has been successful in all areas as well as teaching upper school English. Ms. B has been widely respected for her intellect and her excellence in teaching. She is creating a new career path for herself and returning to graduate school to earn yet another degree on how nutrition and exercise affect cognition and academic potential. Ms. B will not be gone completely. We secured her to return to Harbor on a monthly basis to once again serve as a consultant to the reading and writing program. Her efforts are invaluable to us and we appreciate that she wants to remain connected to Harbor in a strong way even though life’s road will lead her in a different direction.

I am saddened that our friends are leaving the immediate Harbor family and joining the ranks of our extended Harbor family. They play key positions here at school – what I call impact players because they make an undeniably, large impact on both the students and program.

With a newly developed administrative structure in place and some new valuable hires, Harbor Country Day will continue to advance its mission of cherishing childhood, cultivating wonder and inspiring confident learners and leaders.