Informer Dr. Miller Issue - Woodlynde School

The Informer
Woodlynde School’s Award-Winning Student Newspaper
October 18, 2010
Issue 1
SPECIAL DR. MILLER RESIGNATION ISSUE
Students Mourn Loss of D-Mill
Dr. Miller, the popular Head of Upper
School, abruptly resigned two weeks ago,
leaving students in shock.
(See details of his resignation on Page 2)
Middle School Head Mrs. Koch has
taken over on an interim basis.
(Learn more about Mrs. Koch on page 4)
By Katie
Schmitz
Magazine Editor
The resignation of Dr.
Miller as Head of Upper
School has left the student
body in a state of shock and
distress.
As I walked the halls trying
to get
r e a c t i o n s
from Upper
School students
for
this story, everyone avoided
me, as if they didn't even want
to think about the issue.
The students I did talk to
had a look of melancholy in
their eyes when I asked how
they felt about Dr. Miller. Others
got irritated and angry.
However, anger and sadness
are all part of the healing
process. Many students had a
special connection with Dr.
Miller. They felt as if they
could go and talk to him about
any problem, whether it was
academic or personal.
I went to talk to Guidance
Counselor Ms. Szmajda about
what the students may be feeling
over the next few weeks.
She explained that first,
when people lose someone
close to them, or go through a
Photo by Ms. Browder
The hallways feel much emptier without Dr. Miller’s familiar presence.
tragedy, they are in denial.
After that, they may get
angry, perhaps blaming other
people for Dr. Miller's departure.
Next, bargaining comes
along. I didn't quite understand
this step in the grieving process.
But Ms. Szmajda explained
that in this specific situation,
it could be like students trying
to talk Dr. Miller into coming
back.
However, once it finally
See RESIGN on Page 3
Dr. Miller‟s Positive Influence Was Everywhere
He Frequently Visited Student in Hospital
"I spent July, the month of my birthday, in the hospital. I had on and
off fevers of unknown origins, and the only visitor I had for the first half of
my stay, other than my family, was Dr. Miller. He
visited multiple times, each time staying for three
or four hours.
For the first half-hour, he would help me with
the Latin course that he had set up, a class that
will enable me to graduate. The rest of the time, he
would sit with me, watching me play video games,
and talking about current events and happenings
from such magazines as Esquire and GQ.
In a sense, it was the best hospital visit I had. I
never expected to have any sort of teacher from
school come and visit me.”
~ Nate Margoshes, senior
He Helped Students Succeed
"It's kind of like losing a member of our family. For
the entire student body — especially upper classmen,
who have been with him for years
— Dr. Miller has been like an uncle.
He was always there to support
us and lead us in the right direction
in order to succeed in all aspects
of our high school careers.
With that said, it's also understandable
why it was his time to
leave. I just hope that everyone can
understand and respect his decision."
~ Mariama Kamara,
Informer Editor in Chief

Page 2
Dr. Miller Gained Students‟ Trust
Dr. Miller,
One person I trust,
Though I might not want to
do the work, I must.
Showing sympathy to people
in need.
Students are the plants and
he is our seed.
Seeing him gone will make
things sad.
I wish him good luck on the journey ahead.
Thanks, Dr. Miller, you are the best.
~Brett Gallagher, freshman
"Whenever I needed
someone to
talk to or
study with,
D-Mill was
always
there.
I would
like to thank
him for
that."
~ Mike Costello, junior
“I remember sophomore year,
during our college
guidance class with
him — our class
was all boys, so we
were fondly known
as „Team Testosterone.‟
He joked around
with us a lot. We all
enjoyed his class and looked forward
to it.”
~ Conor Kennedy, junior
Dr. Miller was all smiles, despite being duct taped to a wall.
Dr. Miller during happier times, with Dean of Students Mr.
Shank, and juniors Dominique Mortelliti and Molly Hicks.
Dr. Miller Resigns for Personal Reasons
The former Upper
School Head hopes to
“strike out on a new
path, one that allows
me to teach, write and
experiment with a few
research ideas.”
By Mariama Kamara
Editor in Chief
On Oct. 4, students, staff
and faculty members were
shocked to hear that Dr.
Kevin Miller had resigned
from his position as Head of
Upper School.
Dr. Miller stated in his
letter of resignation to Headmaster
Dr. Fulco on Sept. 30:
"At this time, some personal
matters, most notably family
stressors related to my father's
death earlier this year, are
drawing too much of my attention,
leading me to be a less
effective school leader than I
would like."
The faculty and staff were
only notified an hour prior to
students.
Dr. Miller said, "I have recently
been reconsidering the
direction my professional career
is taking, so after resolving
some family and personal matters,
I hope to strike out on a
new path, one that allows me to
teach, write, and experiment
with a few research ideas."
Efforts to reach Dr. Miller
for further comment were unsuccessful.
Due to legal restrictions, Dr.
Fulco said he could only answer
certain questions on the
details of Dr. Miller‟s resignation.
"Dr. Miller was one of a
kind, and I think he will be
greatly missed by the Woodlynde
community,” Dr. Fulco
stated. “He worked tirelessly
to help students overcome
learning differences and to get
[them] prepared for college."
Plenty of students and
staff have asked to get in contact
with Dr. Miller, but Dr.
Fulco said, "Dr. Miller has
asked the school community to
respect his privacy as he
works through some personal
issues. Therefore, I am not
able to give out his personal
contact information."
Although Dr. Miller has
asked for space while he
works through his issues, he
does address the Woodlynde
community in his letter:
"I will greatly miss the
faculty, staff, and students at
Woodlynde, but hope to maintain
contact once my personal
and professional affairs have
been settled."
Dr. Miller's last words of
advice to his Woodlynde family
were, "Please remind everyone
of the line I've often
used; stumbling is forward
progress.
“As I stumble forward into
a new direction as an educator,
I will bring with me the
fond memories and the valuable
lessons learned from my
time at Woodlynde."

Dr. Miller Taught Students Learning Strategies
Page 3
"I remember the time when I had [knee] surgery
in March and I was back home and feeling down. The
phone rang and it was Dr. Miller,
just checking up on me to see how I
was doing. It really meant a lot that
he called me, and when I came back
to school, he gave me buddies to help
carry my stuff. He always watched
over me while I was recovering and
gave me good advice."
"I also remember that he always backed me up
whenever I wanted to do something environmental.
Before the end of last year, Dr. Miller approved my
environmental projects that I am now doing. Every
project that I complete will be in his honor."
~ Charlie Bromberg, junior
"During Middle School lacrosse
season, I
joked around
with Dr. Miller.
The team made
ourselves a team
mascot. His
name was
'Jeffrey the
Plant.' It was a
flower that the
team gave to Dr. Miller to be our
mascot. He laughed and said,
„What are you doing What's this
all about‟ We brought the mascot
to every home game."
~ Chase Romero, freshman
"Dr. Miller was one of my
favorite teachers. He knew a
lot about
lacrosse
and he understood
me
and understood
what
I am going
through
now. He
was a great person to talk to.
He gave me advice and
strategies on how to learn.
He was a great person to be
around."
~Patrick Nucci,
freshman
Dr. Miller seemed willing to do just about
anything to help others — even if meant getting
duct taped to a wall to raise money for
Haiti, along with Headmaster Dr. Fulco (top
photo, right side).
Mourning a Loss
RESIGN from Page 1
sinks in that what is done is
done, depression may occur.
From this stage, the griever can
finally move on to the acceptance
stage.
"This all happens at different
paces," Ms. Szmajda says —
though these steps may not
happen in this exact sequence.
Things will get better over
time.
"Change definitely upsets
the balance," says Ms. Szmajda.
"But over time, it will get easier
and easier."
5 Stages of Grief
Dr. Miller‟s Departure May Trigger
the Following Emotional Reactions:
Denial
Anger
Bargaining
Depression
Acceptance
Junior Ck Etherington clowns around
with Dr. Miller.

Page 4
Interim U.S. Head is a Whirlwind of Energy
Mrs. Koch, who is also Middle
School Head, is
incredibly busy — but don‟t
let that stop you from seeking
her out.
By Mariama Kamara
Editor in Chief
Even though Mrs. Koch’s office is
in the Middle School hallway, she certainly
welcomes Upper Schoolers to
drop by.
And though the new Interim Head
of Upper School is very busy, don't get
discouraged, she said — just be persistent.
On a recent morning, Mrs. Koch
was besieged in her office by students,
teachers and Headmaster Dr. Fulco
— all asking questions and bringing
her more work.
But despite the demands that have
to be met and her even more demanding
schedule, Mrs. Koch never seemed
flustered or discouraged. Rather, she
kept her cool and assured others, with
enthusiasm and a smile, that things
will get done and not to worry.
"I have an open door policy, but if I
leave my office, I will leave a note,"
she said.
"I hope it is very easy to find me.
During the transition, I try to be in the
hallway, but my theory is that the
more people see me, the more comfortable
they feel with me. I hope everyone
takes advantage of the policy. I also
plan on visiting classrooms, because I
love to watch kids learn."
Even though Mrs. Koch is no
stranger to Woodlynde's hallways, she
will certainly have her hands full as
both Middle and Upper School Head.
Despite the extra responsibility,
Mrs. Koch said, "I am the kind of person,
if there is a job to do, somehow I
get it done. I also have an incredible
“I Imagined [Dr. Miller] Being Here Forever”
“When I found out with the rest of
the Upper School that Dr. Miller had
resigned, I felt pain
and hurt. I, along
with the large majority
of the Upper
School student body,
saw him as a mentor,
and his office as a
haven when we were
in crisis or in need to
talk.”
~ Sara Reimann, junior
support system from the staff. They
are always willing to help me. They
are my number one go-to people."
Mrs. Koch has been the Middle
School Head for about three years.
She also worked in the Lower School
prior to that. In addition, she taught
in Boston and Florida.
Because she will not be teaching
any of Dr. Miller's previous classes,
her first order of business as Interim
Upper School Head is filling in the
gaps in some students‟ elaborate
schedules. She also wants to make
sure the remainder of the school year
flows smoothly.
Photo by Tereza Olson
Mrs. Koch has an “open door policy”.
"My overall goal is to meet the
need of the students," she said.
Mrs. Koch is also thrilled about
reuniting with some of her former
Middle School students. "I consider it
an honor to be able to work with my
old students and parents again. It's
wonderful to see how much the students
have grown and progressed
academically."
Overall, Mrs. Koch may be incredibly
busy, but she is excited to
carry out the remainder of the year.
The Upper School seems to be in
good hands with Mrs. Koch right
down the hall.
"It was a very big shock. I
knew something was up when
he took four
days off, but I
had no idea it
was this serious.
I am very
upset, but I
wish the best
for him."
~ Mark
Mullany, Senior Class
President
Mrs. Koch Fun Facts:
By Mariama Kamara
Editor in Chief
In high school, Mrs. Koch was an ice hockey
goalie; she also played catcher on the baseball
team. "I was always too short for basketball,”
she said. “I also ran track. I was a relay and
short distance runner. I didn't play in college."
Mrs. Koch doesn't have a favorite food, but
she has a big sweet tooth and believes that
chocolate should be its own food group.
Mrs. Koch has three grown children and two
cats that she rescued — Tigger and Bronco, a
Maine Coon cat who weighs 28 pounds.
Praise for Mrs. Koch
Compiled by Mattie Sweet
Staff Writer
“I think Ms. Koch is going to do a really good job
and it‟s very nice of her to step into a position on
very short notice.”
~ Hannah Lipschutz, sophomore
“Ms. Koch is a very intelligent person and will
do a fine job as a replacement for Dr. Miller.”
~ Ryan Mullen, sophomore
“For the past two years, she's been a great
leader for the Middle School ...”
~ Brett Gallagher, Freshman Class President
“I really like working with Ms. Koch. She‟s creative,
thorough and takes care of business. I
think she‟ll do an awesome job as Interim Head
of the Upper School.”
~ Mrs. Shank, 10th Grade Learning Specialist
"I was
really shocked.
I imagined him
being here forever.
I'm sad I
didn't get to
work with him
more."
~ Hannah
Lipschutz,
sophomore
"I'm still upset. I'm disappointed
that he would leave without
telling anyone.
But it was in his
own interest.
At times, sometimes
people have
to do things for
themselves and
think of themselves
first."
~ Jakki O'Dowd, junior