Roles: Groundskeeper, Grounds Supervisor, Varsity Baseball Coach, Varsity Softball Coach, Saturday Morning Work Detail (SMWD) Supervisor, Dorm Faculty, Class Sponsor; and parent of Tyler ’12 and Taylor ’14.

 

Path to George School: When I was a kid, we would drive past George School and I always thought, “What a beautiful place,” but I never dreamed that I’d work here. I went to horticulture tech school and after I got out of the service, I worked for a landscaper. After that, I started looking for work that would be year-round and saw the groundskeeper position available at George School. The rest is history!

 

Favorite campus memories: Lining the athletic fields and cutting grass is the best part of my day. Getting ready for Alumni Weekend and Commencement is hard work, but it’s rewarding. I look forward to it. Saturday Morning Work Detail was a great way to get to know the kids. When they see the real person behind the job, they learn not to take it for granted. I learned to lead by example. I always felt that working with the kids was what kept me young.

 

GS people who inspired you and why: GS folks in athletics inspired me. Bob Geissinger was like a father figure to me. Dusty Miller was a great mentor, and Dave Satterthwaite ’65, Paul Machemer ’65, and John Gleeson ’65 were like big brothers.

 

Points of pride: I joke with the kids when they ask me, “Vince, what do you do on Spring Break?” I tell them, “I turn campus from brown to green!” When I first got here, they hadn’t fertilized any of the fields; I talked them into doing athletic fields and then we expanded little by little to the academic quad, around the classroom buildings and South Lawn. I have friends who say, “You’re still working at George School?” And I say, “Why wouldn’t I be? It’s the best thing that I could imagine. It doesn’t feel like work — it feels like a gift. We’re lucky to be here.”

 

What you’ll miss: The work I do every day. I usually start at 7:00 a.m. To some people it might seem like I do the same thing every day, but every day is different. The difference is in your attitude.

 

I’ll also miss the little ones in the Children’s Center; I catch them outside and show them the tractor; take them on hayrides in the fall; we used to bring them down to the greenhouse to plant flowers.

 

The saddest day of the year for me is Commencement because I know there are kids who graduate that I’ll never see again. The happiest day is over Alumni Weekend when I see some of them back on campus.

 

Roles: Admission assistant, Admission visit coordinator, administrative assistant for Physical Plant, office manager for Physical Plant, Safety Committee recording secretary, Administrative Technology Group Member, Staff/Community Concerns Committee Member; and parent of Dana ’11.

 

Path to George School: My daughter was entering George School as a ninth-grade student, and I was looking for an academic year position so that I could have the summers off. The admission position had not yet been filled, so I applied and got the job!

 

A favorite campus memory: One spring afternoon, I was walking from Red Square over to the campus Post Office. Birds were singing, butterflies were fluttering in the air, and flowers were blooming. Then I heard the intro to one of my favorite songs (“Over the Hills and Far Away” by Led Zeppelin) being played on an acoustic guitar. It was magical. The talented musician was Chris Lyons ’09. He made my day!

 

GS people who inspired you and why. When I worked in the Admission Office, I had the pleasure of working with many students who trained to be tour guides for prospective students and their families. They were outstanding representatives of George School who loved sharing their knowledge and experiences with others. I was very proud of them.

 

Points of pride: After working at GS for over 17 years in two very different departments, I am one you can call with a question about anything. If I don’t have an answer, I can probably refer you to someone who does.

 

What you’ll miss: The beautiful campus and my wonderful, hard-working colleagues in the Physical Plant Department.

 

Role: Environmental Services Associate

 

Path to George School: My younger sister, Marie Denise Plaisime (P’08, ’16, ’16), led me to George School. She retired from the Physical Plant Department at GS in 2022 after 32 years of dedicated service.

 

Favorite campus memory: The special holiday gatherings and moments every year.

 

GS people who inspired you and why: Terry Tuttle was one person who always inspired me to keep pushing. If I was having a bad day, she would always find a way to make me smile and remind me that tomorrow would be a brighter day. She is an uplifting person who has a positive spirit filled with compassion and strength.

 

Points of pride: My job at George School has been the only job I’ve had since coming to this country. It takes a lot of discipline, accountability, and self-respect to hold on to a job for 25 years. This is my biggest accomplishment.

 

What you’ll miss: I will miss my colleagues and all of the students on campus who always give me a warm, “Good morning!” and appreciate all of the little things that I do for them.

 

Roles: Science Teacher & Department Head, Lacrosse and Soccer coach, Service Learning Trip Leader (Vietnam, Nepal, Israel-Palestine, Ghana, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, and Montana), East Main Dorm Parent, Day Student Sponsor, Committee Work including Discipline Committee as both a member and clerk. It was a joy to be a parent of two GS students (Thomas ’12 and Ramzi ’14) and to get to know other students through that avenue. What a gift!

 

Path to George School: I learned that independent schools were looking for people who were passionate about their subject matter, and could coach and live in a dorm. I knew that was me! Working as a counselor at a Quaker camp, I met peers from George School, Westtown, and Brooklyn Friends School. They had deeper, more meaningful connections to their schools than I did to my public school. When I started to look for a teaching position, I knew I wanted to be in a Friends school. My interview with Peggy Anderson (Head Dean at the time) clinched it for me when she described the holistic approach to teaching health.

 

A favorite campus memory: One spring I was coaching JV lacrosse and all the other sports had completed their games against Westtown. The two schools were tied for Moose points, so winning the Patterson Cup came down to this JV game! It seemed half the student body arrived on the sidelines to cheer on the team. The score switched back and forth as each team alternately scored goals, but in the last 30 seconds, George School scored the final and winning goal. It was so exciting!

 

GS people who inspired you and why. I was inspired by colleagues who demonstrated moral courage and leadership on various social justice issues, including Carolyn Lyday, Chip Poston, Fran Bradley, John Davison, and David Bourns. Mac McNaught, Phyllis Sexton, and Rob Orr ’76 were inspirations as kind, funny, and creative science teachers. Nancy Bernardini was an extraordinary coach; it was an honor to serve beside her. Students inspired me everyday to make science interesting, challenging, and fun!

 

Points of pride: I am proud of the work the Science Department did to renovate the Spruance-Alden Science Center about 10 years ago. It was a huge lift, but it was cost efficient and improved our ability to serve the growing interest of students to study science. I am also proud of all the students who went on to study in a science-related field. Not many schools have offered experiences in the countries to which we have taken students, especially Israel-Palestine. I think that speaks volumes to GS’s commitment to Friends’ values.

 

What you’ll miss: I will miss the energy of the students; they are such amazing young people, involved in important issues, with many dreams, while facing incredible challenges.

 

Roles: Math teacher, Theory of Knowledge teacher, Cross Country coach, Math Team coach, Math Help, Math Department head, various committees including Environmental Services Operations (ESOC), Faculty Concerns, Safety Committee, Staff/Community Concerns Committee member; and parent of Owen ’13 and Gabriel ’16.

 

Path to George School: I studied Philosophy at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and completed my doctorate except for my dissertation. My wife and I were starting a family, and I needed a job. We chose George School for the values and community and arrived on a two-year plan — and here we are 30 years later. Favorite campus memories: I have so many wonderful memories — from the Cross Country Team, the Math Team, the Math Department, walking back to Brown House after dinner with my little kids and listening to the owls in the woods.

 

GS people who inspired you and why: I have been deeply inspired by the teachers and professors I had before I arrived at GS. I look at my approach, pedagogy, and practice and see traces of their work all the time. At GS, I found a place where I could nurture those seeds. For that I am forever grateful.

 

Points of pride: I am most proud of the role the Math Department took in transforming math education at GS, and in transforming the student experience at the school in general.

 

What you’ll miss: Great kids! Wonderful colleagues!

 

Roles: Director of Student Activities, Clerk and Co-clerk of the Wellness Committee, Co-founder/ Coach Rowing Program, Coach and Sponsor Chess Team, Community Chorus Member, Student Engagement Committee, Children’s Center Committee, lastly but certainly not least, proud parent of a George School graduate, Henry ’14!

 

Path to GS: I was led here when my husband, Michael Toohey, accepted the job of Chief Financial Officer. I like to say there are no coincidences. We made the decision to embrace George School together. While not Quaker, we found the Quaker S.P.I.C.E.S. to be consistent with our values, and this community of Friends to be one we could call home. My career path has traversed a wide territory, from finance and banking to entrepreneurship. The new Head of School at the time, Sam Houser, wanted to heighten the student experience. As a native New Yorker with a lifelong love of the arts and a deep appreciation for Bucks County, I embraced the opportunity to serve and grow student activities.

 

Favorite campus memories: I have so many! Creating the Haunted Trail, taking students on the Staten Island Ferry to Manhattan and having them feel the excitement of seeing the Statue of Liberty, years of cooking with many affinity groups for Multicultural Weekend...the list goes on. 

 

GS people who inspired you and why: I love the quiet way teachers teach so much more than their subject. Hearing Robert Machemer ’92 draw attention to a profound thought in a most unexpected way in Meeting, watching Prescott Seraydarian ’90 provide hands-on insight to students as they are filmmaking, Mo West affirming students with her unexpected risk-taking casting choices, Vince Campellone on a Saturday morning with students or working all hours of the day because that is what’s best for the campus, Patrick O’Dunne instilling life lessons as he coaches rowing about work ethic, perseverance, teamwork, and the importance of investing in something bigger than oneself, and many others.

 

Points of pride: Successfully founding a rowing program at GS. Being a sculler and having taught adult rowing, I am passionate about the Zen-gifts and fitness benefits of this sport. It’s such a perfect fit for GS students — one that grows character and creates community. I see this every day that I have coached crew and in the enthusiasm students now share. I am thrilled rowing now has a place here.

 

What you’ll miss: Three things: First, seeing JOY on students’ faces! Whether from a first experience kayaking or a first exploration of New York City, seeing them conquer their fears and master a new sport like rowing, creating events like dances, Live Music Weekend, the haunted hayride, karaoke or special food nights — students are free to be themselves at GS, share with their friends, and just be joyful!

 

Second, Collection, which offers the opportunity to get to know students at a deeper level. I will miss challenging students to think and engage with significant issues, to look inward to know who they are, and listen to others with open minds and hearts willing to empathize.

 

Finally, I have treasured living and working on this beautiful campus. The trees are rare in today’s developing world. While I love being with students, I also loved walking home to South Campus in the silent dark of night after check-in. It was my special time with the cosmos, especially in the snow, with moonglow illuminating the landscape. This campus is a magical place.

 

Roles: Chief Financial Officer, parent of Henry ’14

 

Path to George School: I spent most of my career in finance and management consulting in a strategic planning role. My first move into the nonprofit sector was as Chief Operating Officer at the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) in Montgomery, Alabama. When Shari and I decided we were ready to return to the Northeast to be closer to family, I decided to explore the education industry. My sisters are both college professors and since my college days I had an interest in the business of education. When George School popped onto my radar and I began to research the school, one of the first things I learned was that two of our famous alumni were Julian Bond ’57, who was on the board of SPLC, and Lael Brainard ’79, who I went to college with. Julian wrote a very nice reference letter for me.

 

A favorite campus memory: When I first started at George School, Shari was still living in Montgomery, and our son, Henry, had decided to be a boarding student at GS. There wasn’t much housing available (it was late July), so I lived in a small apartment in the basement of the Health Center. I loved the boarding culture right away; it brought something out in me. I loved hearing the students clomp up the steps of the Health Center before check-in at 9:30. During the pandemic, George School housed anywhere from 20-40 students through the spring and summer. Shari and Ioanna Bailey were instrumental in making this happen, providing meals and planning activities; as a “trailing spouse” I spent a fair amount of time with those students, biking and kayaking locally. Over the course of three summers, Shari and I also hosted students from the M-PESA program after graduation; they would work at jobs on campus to earn money for college and we would host them. We later visited them at their colleges.

 

GS people who inspired you and why: Ed Huff, a long-time Board member and trustee of the Barbara Dodd Anderson Trust, set an example for me in terms of his love of the school. He always came in person to board meetings; he would arrive a day ahead of the meeting so he could visit classes and sit with faculty in the dining hall. He always wanted to be part of the fabric of the school, and that resonated with me.

 

Points of pride: Developing the George School Aquatics program with a vision for both what it could do for George School’s swim program and what it could do for the larger community; strengthening the basketball program; growing George School Day Camp into a fully enrolled, high quality program that better reflects who we are as a community; restructuring the Children’s Center to operate on a full year calendar, which enabled us to fully enroll the Center and also increase the subsidy provided to employees.

 

What you’ll miss: I’ll miss boarding school life; Shari and I thoroughly embraced it. I loved running out of my office to see the Cross Country team mid-race on Red Square. I loved seeing the kids at meals, attending arts and athletic events, and getting to know the faculty. Students at this age undergo such transformation; they arrive on campus as babies and leave as well-formed adults-to-be.