Connections Spring-Summer08.pdf - Episcopal Academy

Several Special Goodbyes
Merion will be the last stop for four beloved faculty members
At the close of the 2007-2008 school year, Episcopal
not only said goodbye to the graduating
class, the school said goodbye to four very special
teachers—educators who devoted more than
100 years of combined service to Episcopal. Below are excerpts
from tributes and letters written about these teachers
from those who will perhaps miss them most—their colleagues.
All will be sorely missed.
Lance Cave 1970-2008 and Bob Parr 1977-2008
Cave: Science teacher (US and MS); Science Department chair;
Computer Science Department chair; Chair of Faculty Executive
Committee; AFG Evaluation Committee (US chair); 90 lb. and 120 lb.
football coach
Parr: Science teacher (US, MS, and LS); V Form advisor; social advisor
and disciplinary advisor; chair of the Discipline Committee; chair of
the V Form Book Prize Committee; Assistant 9th grade soccer coach;
intramural coach
(We tried to solicit individual comments on Lance and Bob from members of the Science
department. True to form, the department opted to gather and serve up their thoughts family
style.)
“Two talented teachers who helped to create within the science department a culture
of family. Bob and Lance were the glue, the heart and soul of the department.”
–Susan Rubin, Science Department faculty member
“Science teachers are grown-up kids who still like playing with toys. Lance taught
himself how to program a computer, using first tapes for the drive and then floppy
disks. Then he taught the students, who would stay after school until 5 or 6 p.m.
working in the science building because we were the only ones with computers.
Bob and I taught chemistry together
as well as MS science. I can still see a
troupe of 4th graders marching into the
chem lab singing the ‘Yo Parr Science
Song,’ or dragging their friends up to
Bob saying, ‘Call me a maggot.’ He always
obliged.”
–Paul Rosenberg, Science Department
faculty member
“From both Lance and Bob, I tried to
pluck what I could. Bob was king of
the one-liner—he could stop a kid cold
with his humor. And he used his wit
and intelligence to help create a culture
of science in a school largely focused on
the humanities. Lance provided ample
examples of how to run a harmonious
classroom, and how to get kids who
had tuned out on science to tune back
in. He had the magic touch.”
–Crawford Hill, Science Department
chair
“Bob introduced my own girls to chemistry
and made it accessible to them 
as
he has to literally thousands of Episcopal
students. Bob knows his
 science,
but he also knows and cares about
young people and he has been 
instrumental
in helping to develop the great
reputation of our science 
department.
He has helped to teach me the importance
of high standards 
and expecting
the most from one’s students.
“Lance led our science department
to new heights and a well-deserved
excellent reputation, and he did
so by being willing to try new things.
From introducing new electives in
ecology and environmental studies to
emphasizing hands-on lab work, Lance
has pushed science to the forefront
of an excellent academic program at
Episcopal. By his own example, Lance
has taught me that a great teacher can
have high expectations, a great
 sense
of humor, and a very kind heart.”
–Ham Clark, Head of School
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