Comings & Goings in the Middle School

Each year, we learn that we will be saying goodbye to colleagues who are moving on or retiring from their positions at SFFS. As we encourage risk-taking, lifelong learning, and growth in both our students and ourselves, we celebrate our Friends as they continue their adventures and journeys outside of 250 Valencia, and we thank them for their contributions to our community. This year I reached out to colleagues  for some insight about our departures. The quotes you will read below are from unnamed faculty members who have years and decades of collaborative experience with our departing colleagues. I hope their words help convey a fraction of the debt we owe them as instructional leaders and community members. We encourage you to help us honor and celebrate those who are departing, while also welcoming those who will soon be joining this special community of learners and Friends.

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Evelyn Florin:
Evelyn departs the Middle School after 13 years as an humanities teacher, advisor, and leader at SFFS. Evelyn has innovated curriculum, developed and deepened our advisory program, and demonstrated a clear love of learning and empathy towards students. Colleagues will tell you that Evelyn is a skilled listener and a team player. She asks thoughtful questions of colleagues and listens for deeper meaning when engaging the answers. Watching Evelyn run a morning meeting or seeing how she speaks with students and advisees is educational and inspirational. She speaks clearly, with total attention to others and brings humor and simplicity on a regular basis. Evelyn demonstrates that learning is something we do for our entire journeys as teachers. She continually took on new challenges in the middle school and she recently worked as a curriculum integrator and is among the team leads within the advisory program. Evelyn leads with enthusiasm and shows concern for every member of the community. She has a wealth of knowledge regarding how the school runs, but most importantly how the school should feel! Evelyn’s care and concern for others has helped make the middle school an environment  that a generation of SFFS student leaders can call home. She has helped define what it means to be a great teacher at SFFS. We wish Evelyn the best of luck as she moves into a world beyond the classroom. 

Mitch Neuger:
Mitch Neuger departs SFFS to relocate for new adventures in Monterey, California. Mitch has been a critical part of the Learning Services Team since 2007. Mitch is well known for his empathy, self-deprecation, and wisdom. He cares deeply about how kids learn and is a strong advocate for the dignity of all learners. Mitch’s ability to help students speak about their needs, their concerns and their hopes is a special gift that has allowed so many students to find their stride at school. Mitch is also a guide and a resource for teachers. He helps as a collaborative partner, joins classes, offers insight on a range of topics, and does it all with humility and grace. Many people go to Mitch with complicated questions and ethical dilemmas. His sense of service to the school, to students and to the world around him is startling in its depth and authenticity. Students who have worked closely with Mitch know this well. We will miss his unwavering desire to make learning at SFFS more equitable and effective. 

Diali Bose-Roy:
Diali is departing San Francisco Friends School to become the Director of Teaching and Learning at the Julia Morgan School in Oakland. Diali has been a key leader in the middle school for over a decade. She has helped define what it means to be a great teacher at SFFS. She is serious, curious, hilarious, a total softy, a no-nonsense math teacher, a serious advocate for kids, a collaborative colleague, a curricular leader, a tone-setter, an affinity group leader, and much more. Perhaps most critically, Diali has been a fierce advocate for upholding and deepening our understanding of Quaker values and practices at school. She has served as the faculty clerk of the middle school over the last three years, helping run faculty meetings, partnering with a range of teachers to develop programs, design curriculum and have fun! Most community members won’t know this, but Diali hosted faculty meetings during the bulk of the pandemic and led the faculty in a number of games and activities, online dance parties, trivia, and other activities to keep us all going. There is no doubt that Diali will be missed by parents, teachers, students, and alumni. We wish her all the best and look forward to our next opportunity to dance, learn, and have fun in her presence. 

Bora Shin:
Bora Shin departs SFFS after a brief, but impactful tenure as the design instructor during the 2021–2022 academic year. Bora’s work in the design program has reinvigorated the intersection between art and technology at Friends. Bora’s attention to detail, her determination that kids understand and own the importance of the design process and her focus on skill development and safety have shown students that understanding the process of creation is just as important as the final result. Bora’s technical acumen is overshadowed by her care for kids and the care with which she engages colleagues and students alike. Bora is humble and skilled, compassionate, and outspoken. Although Bora will be leaving for Korea this summer, her work in redeveloping the design lab will have long-lasting impacts at SFFS. 

Patrick Smith: 
Patrick concludes an exciting and eventful tenure at SFFS. Patrick served as a Middle School teaching assistant and basketball coach during the pandemic years. Patrick demonstrated resilience and leadership during these unpredictable times. He subbed, observed, led, cajoled and partnered every day. Patrick’s ability to respond to situations brought him to all corners of the school. He worked closely with 5th-, 7th-, and 8th-Graders during his time at SFFS. He showed great skills in connecting with kids, learning about their interests and challenging them to go further than what they imagined. As a coach, Patrick held high standards and encouraged his players towards excellence each day. Patrick dethroned Mike as the tallest student at school and may have had the biggest heart, as well. He will go on to be a middle school math teacher in Oakland next year and will no doubt lead with love and joy. Best of luck, Patrick!

Ashley Mallari: 
Ashley ends a long tenure at SFFS this spring. Ashley joined the middle school as a teaching assistant last fall, but worked as a member of the A3 staff for a number of years. Ashley is an understated leader and advocate for students. Ashley’s relationships with students and the work she puts forth to support their experiences is tremendous. As a member of the 7th Grade team, Ashley’s ability to partner with, support, and understand students has helped many kids through this challenging time. Ashley has led affinity groups, designed activities, actively substituted classes, and worked in the after school program. Quite simply, Ashley brings real joy to school each day. To spend time with Ashley is to be welcomed into a world of curiosity, caring, and enthusiasm. Her eyes light up and she brings a big smile when talking about kids, her family, and Tim Duncan. Ashley’s time as a Middle School TA has been marked by great uncertainty and change, but she has provided consistency and effectiveness without fail. Her ability to stay attentive and flexible during this time is a testament to her professionalism and character. 

Liz Peterson:
This spring also concludes Liz Peterson’s tenure at San Francisco Friends School. Liz served as the 6th Grade teaching assistant this year and spent many years working in the after school program. Liz has long-standing personal experience with Quaker traditions and practices and regularly brought them to school. These values are regularly reflected in her decision-making and her relationships with all community members. Liz is a deeply empathetic person and teacher. She cares deeply about fairness and consistently paid close attention to making sure that all students experience fairness as an essential part of their time at Friends. Liz regularly served as a substitute teacher and supervisor of students on the yard. Liz’s attention to fairness and conflict resolution in these spaces helped set the tone for the 6th Grade. Her determination to help kids see fairness and equity are lived experiences helped 6th-Graders pay close attention to the relationship between values and real life. Liz will no doubt make valuable contributions in her next school and we wish her well along the way. 

Carl Haley:
Carl concludes his time at SFFS after playing numerous roles over the last three years. Though many may know him as the friendly mustachioed man at the morning carpool, Carl first joined as a 5th Grade math teacher during what we imagined was a brief maternity leave. Carl ultimately finished the year and stayed on to play many roles in the Middle School. Carl helped with a range of administrative duties including scheduling, attendance management, substitute teacher coordinator, and general logistical support. Carl is perhaps the most organized person you will ever meet. His attention to systems proved invaluable during the pandemic as it seems like systems have had to change each month. Carl is always eager to pitch in with solutions and offers useful and effective critiques of existing challenges. Carl is also hilarious. He is tough, but he loves to laugh. He is dedicated to making sure the school is arranged in a way that helps students get the most out of their experience. We initially thought Carl would only join us for a few months and are tremendously grateful that he has stayed for three years. His work behind the scenes at Friends has been monumental. We are grateful for his time and wish him all the best.