Spring 2013 TEMPO - Tampa Preparatory School

on the terrapin trailspring 2013 tempo13facing page, top: Peter Shepley; bottom: 2012 Golf Outing: John DeTringo, Peter Shepley, KeithHutchinson ’89, Bumper Fahey ’90. above: The inaugural “3# Project” evening in 2011, Mrs. Sayersand Ryan Buchanan ’00grew,” said Shepley, who has served asDirector of Admissions, Director ofCollege Placement and even as a geometryteacher.Now, he looks forward to the role ofgrandfather.adelaide sayersby jamie amzilAdelaide Sayers came to Tampa Prep as aparent. Her two children, Frances and J,attended school here, and it was when Jwas a junior that she joined the faculty.It is with this dual perspective of parentand teacher that she has communicatedwith her students, their parents, and hercolleagues.“I never forgot that I was a parentfirst,” Sayers said.She recalls moving to Tampa fromChicago when her children were young,staying aware of the schools her newfriends were recommending. Tampa Prepwas always mentioned at the top. Onceher children were enrolled, she was consistentlyimpressed with their teachers.In 1992 she was courted away fromBrandon High School by then-Head ofSchool Susan Grady, who “flattered meinto coming to Tampa Prep” to teachEnglish. She was pleased to work withthe faculty she had admired as a parent.“I thought if I associated with themthat I’d rise to their level,” Sayers said.“Because I had such high ideals for theSchool as a parent,” that I set such highgoals for myself as a teacher here.”She’s seen an evolution in the classroomfrom the focus on communicationskills (“The more students communicateabout what they’re learning, written orspoken, the more they’re learning”) tothe addition of technology as a tool in theclassroom.With the barrage of informationavailable to students, taking this nextstep to discriminate among the messagesis a big one.“My courses emphasize skills overknowledge, so that the brains of studentswho complete them successfully may notbulge with a whole body of literaryknowledge, but they think deeply, evaluatecarefully and recognize that everyonehas a story,” she said.“Few of my students will be Englishmajors, and some will never again readfine literature after high school, but allwill need the skills of analytical and criticalreading and the emotional maturity toempathize.”Looking to retirement, Sayers said sheis going to miss the laughter in her classroom,the student-led conversations, thecircle of responsive young faces lookingback at her.When she retires this June, Sayerswould like to stay involved in teaching ortutoring and work more on her own writing.She’s getting married this summerand will move to Boston, where the nextchapter will begin. “I’m ecstatic andexcited about the future,” she says. “Ihave two grandsons to play with and thehaven of a family farm in Virginia, butit’s not so easy to leave behind the emotionalties I’ve forged here.”“I walk across the courtyard pavershere and there are two with my children’sname on them,” she said. “There’sthat shared history, the same spirit of thisschool at its core that we share.”The community that is Tampa Prepwill be hard to walk away from, but it’s ablessing she’ll cherish. “I’m going to missthe special relationships I have with theother faculty here,” she said, tearswelling in her eyes, “and the 21 years ofmy history here.”During her 21 years of teaching atTampa Prep, Adelaide Sayers receivedthe Faculty Award, presented by theAlumni Association, and held the SigetyChair for three years. She was a co-creatorof verse, A Celebration of theSpoken Word, and “The 3# Project” forseniors. T