Athletics News

Playing in the dirt

It started with a simple invitation from a group of art students. 

Motivated by long-time art teacher Tina Cheek, the students were eager to share their knowledge with a busy school administrator who skipped lunch to learn how to throw pottery. 

In telling the story to celebrate Cheek’s 15 years of service to the school, Academic Dean Kim Popham sparked the idea to turn the tables so teachers could become the students. 

Cheek then extended a broader invitation to upper school teachers to join her in the classroom. All spaces in the impromptu pottery class filled in 30 minutes. 

The lively session held during the final day of post-planning was a stark contrast to the start of the academic year in a pandemic with inherent uncertainty and safety protocols. 

Educators could finally lean into a more hopeful future, creating and collaborating with each other as they headed into the summer break, Popham said. 

“It was a fantastic way to end the year with our teachers inspiring each other,” Popham added.