Morristown Beard School is thrilled to introduce seventeen new and returning faculty members this year. A shared sentiment among new staff members is their attraction to Morristown Beard’s strong sense of community. The School looks forward to the incredible impact the new faculty will have.
Each new or returning faculty member was asked: “What attracted you to joining Morristown Beard?” Below are some selected responses.
Stacy Albanese, joining the Advancement Office, has spent over a decade in the classroom. She said that part of the reason she came to MBS was to “become part of a more close-knit community.”
Another new addition to Advancement is Brynn Campbell. She said that she experienced her first “wow” moment after her interview, “I have felt at home since day one.”
Danielle Coiro is a new addition to both the Math and Science Departments, but she isn’t new to MBS. Coiro has been coaching various sports at MBS since 2016. She shared that joining MBS as a classroom teacher will enable her “to explore my passions and share them with students” in a different environment.
The English Department welcomes Kim DiMasi, Brendan Flanagan, and Mary Scheurer. Flanagan said that he was excited to “be part of a place that is so engaged and lively.” Scheurer said that she was immediately attracted to “how joyful everyone seemed and how engaged the students were” during her first tour of MBS.
College Counseling welcomes a new, but not so new, member to their staff. Sarah Jahries has come back to MBS after graduating from the school in 1981.
Sakhi Patel has joined the Upper School Science Department. She said she was drawn to the school because “it really feels like a place where both students and teachers are encouraged to innovate and grow.”
Another new addition to the Science Department is Emily Pontius. During her first visit to MBS she noticed that “students were treated with respect and had a lot of autonomy and choices.”
The History Department welcomes Rachael Richard After walking around campus for the first time, she said, “it was obvious that community was […] a core belief and value of the school.”
The Middle School welcomes both Ken Schmidt, science, and Shakeh Tashjian, math. Schmidt said that he left the interviewing process knowing this is where he wanted to be. He said, “MBS had a welcoming culture that I knew I wanted to be a part of.” Tashjian said, “MBS is a place that creatively problem solves to put students and learning as a top priority.”
Kate Vignola joins the World Language Department and teaches in both the Upper School and the Middle School. She’s worked in independent schools for most of her teaching career, and said that she “immediately felt drawn to the close-knit community”.
Alex Wise is also teaching in both divisions. He joins the Performing Arts Department as the new choral director. He said that “the faculty and students are so supportive and lovely.”
Chance Van Sciver joins our community as Interim Chief Financial and Operating Officer, having already been familiar with a couple of faculty members at MBS. Sciver said, “MBS has a great culture, and is filled with wonderful people.”
Meet our 2024-2025 faculty! Each shared a fun fact about themselves. Scroll through the gallery below to get to know them!
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“I’m a certified pediatric sleep consultant, professionally trained aesthetician, and teacher. I’ve taught preschool, college, and am certified to teach K-5!” – Stacy Albanese, Advancement Photo courtesy of Stacy Albanese, left.
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“My favorite show is ESPN’s College GameDay with Kirk Herbstreit and crew. When I was growing up I really wanted to be Erin Andrews, who is now a sideline reporter for the NFL ‘A Team’ on Fox. I love football season – especially when the Boston College Eagles are playing well.” – Brynn Campbell, Advancement Photo courtesy of mbs.net.
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“I have a tuxedo cat named Stache, and yes he has a proper milk mustache.” – Danielle Coiro, Mathematics and Science
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“I was on the Food Network twice. Once judging a cooking competition and the second was a Christmas special with Bobby Flay.” – Kim DiMasi, English
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“I’m an avid runner, having completed my first full-length marathon last year. I’m returning to shorter distances now, though, focusing on 5Ks this fall, and a half marathon this spring.” – Brendan Flanagan, English
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“I’m the youngest of six, and was born and raised in Syracuse, New York. I spent three weeks in France and Israel coaching in the Lacrosse World Championships.” – Steve Manitta, Wellness
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“I saw the Grateful Dead play 53 times before Jerry [Garcia’s] passing. A recent highlight has been sharing my love for their music with my oldest son and taking him to see Dead and Company perform. I also speak Danish fluently.” – Sarah Jahries ‘81, College Counseling
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“[I love] exploring new cultures and cuisines [and have] visited over 16+ countries so far! In addition to my travels and my passion for education, I once tried teaching in Japan!” – Sakhi Patel, Science
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“I grew up in Chicago, not the suburbs, and I know how to operate farm machinery, such as tractors and hay-balers, and can do most tasks on dairy farms.” – Emily Pontius, Science
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“I’ve traveled to East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda), and when in Uganda, I trekked in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest to visit the mountain gorillas.” – Rachael Richard, History
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“I am ambidextrous!” – Mary Scheurer, English
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“I am a certified alpine ski coach for my son’s Special Olympics Alpine Ski Team. They are always looking for volunteers, who participate in the competitions, and unified partners.” – Kenneth Schmidt, Science Photo courtesy of Kenneth Schmidt.
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“When people ask me where I am from, I generally tell them I’m Armenian. My great-grandparents are from Van, Türkiye, and my parents grew up in Iran, but I was born in Ohio and grew up in the Washington D.C. area. I’ve been living in New Milford, NJ for the past 25 years.” – Shakeh Tashjian, Mathematics Photo courtesy of Shakeh Tashjian.
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“I am a long-time rowing coach. I have coached high school crew, and am the current head coach for The College of New Jersey Crew Team, and for an adult rowing club near my home.” – Chance Van Sciver, Interim Chief Financial and Operating Officer
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“I recently completed a 200-hour yoga teacher training program and earned my certification as a yoga teacher.” – Kate Vignola, World Language
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“I was adopted into a very non-musical family and am the only musician.” – Alex Wise, Performing Arts
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