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2020 Cary Jones and Sumner Family Faculty Awards

Each year at division commencement ceremonies, Rowland Hall proudly honors faculty who have demonstrated exceptional teaching and mentoring.

Cary Jones Faculty Mentor Award 2020

The Cary Jones Faculty Mentor Award is presented to one faculty member at Rowland Hall each year who demonstrates excellence in teaching, serves as a mentor to others, and contributes to the Rowland Hall community. This award was established through an anonymous gift to the school in honor of Mr. Jones' dedication to the faculty when he was the chair of the Board of Trustees.

Kate Taylor with a student.

Upper School English teacher Dr. Kate Taylor cares—about her students, her peers, and her community. Kate has been called a quiet encourager, who is aware of all of her students and who shows a specific sensitivity to those who feel they are on the margins. She is devoted to representing a variety of voices in her curriculum, helping students see themselves and learn about diverse perspectives through texts; she also gives students opportunities to better understand the lived experiences of characters, as well as to connect with the Salt Lake community, through service and engagement. Kate has further served Rowland Hall as faculty advisor to the Gay-Straight Alliance, and she led the faculty and staff Inclusion and Equity Committee, spearheading school-wide initiatives like the highly successful Dinner and Dialogue series and advocating for curriculum review schoolwide. After stepping down as co-chair of the committee, this year Kate took on the role of mentor to the new Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) student group, helping them develop curriculum for their peers. One of her colleagues summed up Kate’s work by writing, “Kate's passion for a more just and inclusive world inspires me daily.” 

For her dedication to making our school a more just, inclusive, and thoughtful community, Rowland Hall proudly honors Kate Taylor with the Cary Jones Faculty Mentor Award.

Sumner Family Faculty Awards

The Sumner Family Faculty Award is given each year to an outstanding faculty member in each division who has demonstrated a love for teaching and excellence in their field. The award symbolizes the Sumner family's high regard for Rowland Hall's faculty and unparalleled commitment to the school for three generations. Congratulations to the following 2019–2020 recipients.

Beginning School: Mary Swaminathan, 3PreK assistant teacher

Mary Swaminathan in her classroom.

Mary Swaminathan is a deeply kind and caring human who loves, respects, and enjoys young children. She works hard to know each student and their family, and she has a particular talent for connecting with the quietest learners. She is also a wonderful teammate, sharing all classroom work with her teaching partner and lending an extra helping hand to her colleagues. But it is perhaps Mary’s authenticity, sincerity, and willingness to be vulnerable that is most remarkable about her. She helps the Beginning School team stay connected with the magnitude of their work with very young children. This spring she sent a thank-you note to a student that included eight short sentences describing the child. The parent wrote to the school, “I cannot express to you how meaningful this gesture is to our family. For her to take the time to reflect on my son’s positive qualities and to know him so well is such a gift to his development and self-worth as a child.”

Lower School: Kathryn Czarnecki, art teacher

Kathryn Czarnecki with students.

Kathryn Czarnecki is a creative, compassionate, and supportive teacher who welcomes students into a happy, inclusive, and lively classroom where they are free to explore, innovate, and make mistakes. She has a natural enthusiasm with children, respecting and honoring each of them as learners, and does an excellent job keeping them excited and engaged—for example, by playing music (typically in line with the themes covered in class) to inspire creativity. Students love spending time with her so much that they frequently ask if they can have lunch in her classroom. Kathryn is also a wonderful colleague and teammate. She collaborates well with grade-level teachers and is always open to their ideas, helps to provide a cordial and collegial team relationship, and is a great listener. Anyone who has taught with her will tell you that she is fun, patient, creative, and extremely humble.

Middle School: Tyler Tanner, Mandarin Chinese and publications teacher

Tyler Tanner in his classroom.

Tyler Tanner is a respected teacher within the Middle School community, where he has taught a multitude of classes, including this year’s entrepreneurship class, the first of its kind in the division. Modeling continued professional learning and growth, Tyler started the year by flipping his classroom in a way that allowed students to become more self-directed in their learning. (Who knew this would be so beneficial with the closure of campus?) Tyler also stepped up this year to coach sixth-grade basketball, and even managed to complete the yearbook from afar—while still capturing the essence of school life. Tyler loves to share his passions and skill set with students, and he is not one to shy away from a challenge. He believes strongly that success comes from hard work, a value he looks to instill in his students.

Upper School: Dr. Nate Kogan ’00, history teacher and History Department chair

Nate Kogan in his classroom.

Nate Kogan has willingly and gracefully served Rowland Hall in countless ways. In the past two years alone, he’s served as department chair, Self-Study Committee chair, Hiring Committee lead, new faculty mentor, jazz band member, and US History teacher. Nate is a model of lifelong learning. The pursuit of his PhD while teaching is a distinguishing example, but his constant pursuit of knowledge is noticeable every day. He's genuinely curious about students’ research questions and quick to adopt new technology (a skill that’s been a boon during distance learning). Nate is a natural leader, stepping into the role of department chair as if he had been doing it for years and immediately advocating for colleagues and looking for ways to elevate their strengths. One said of him, “Nate supports his colleagues the way he supports his students; offering clear guidance while also respecting one's autonomy.” Another said, “I can't underestimate how much I've benefited from his support, guidance, and motivation this year.”

People

2020 Cary Jones and Sumner Family Faculty Awards

Each year at division commencement ceremonies, Rowland Hall proudly honors faculty who have demonstrated exceptional teaching and mentoring.

Cary Jones Faculty Mentor Award 2020

The Cary Jones Faculty Mentor Award is presented to one faculty member at Rowland Hall each year who demonstrates excellence in teaching, serves as a mentor to others, and contributes to the Rowland Hall community. This award was established through an anonymous gift to the school in honor of Mr. Jones' dedication to the faculty when he was the chair of the Board of Trustees.

Kate Taylor with a student.

Upper School English teacher Dr. Kate Taylor cares—about her students, her peers, and her community. Kate has been called a quiet encourager, who is aware of all of her students and who shows a specific sensitivity to those who feel they are on the margins. She is devoted to representing a variety of voices in her curriculum, helping students see themselves and learn about diverse perspectives through texts; she also gives students opportunities to better understand the lived experiences of characters, as well as to connect with the Salt Lake community, through service and engagement. Kate has further served Rowland Hall as faculty advisor to the Gay-Straight Alliance, and she led the faculty and staff Inclusion and Equity Committee, spearheading school-wide initiatives like the highly successful Dinner and Dialogue series and advocating for curriculum review schoolwide. After stepping down as co-chair of the committee, this year Kate took on the role of mentor to the new Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) student group, helping them develop curriculum for their peers. One of her colleagues summed up Kate’s work by writing, “Kate's passion for a more just and inclusive world inspires me daily.” 

For her dedication to making our school a more just, inclusive, and thoughtful community, Rowland Hall proudly honors Kate Taylor with the Cary Jones Faculty Mentor Award.

Sumner Family Faculty Awards

The Sumner Family Faculty Award is given each year to an outstanding faculty member in each division who has demonstrated a love for teaching and excellence in their field. The award symbolizes the Sumner family's high regard for Rowland Hall's faculty and unparalleled commitment to the school for three generations. Congratulations to the following 2019–2020 recipients.

Beginning School: Mary Swaminathan, 3PreK assistant teacher

Mary Swaminathan in her classroom.

Mary Swaminathan is a deeply kind and caring human who loves, respects, and enjoys young children. She works hard to know each student and their family, and she has a particular talent for connecting with the quietest learners. She is also a wonderful teammate, sharing all classroom work with her teaching partner and lending an extra helping hand to her colleagues. But it is perhaps Mary’s authenticity, sincerity, and willingness to be vulnerable that is most remarkable about her. She helps the Beginning School team stay connected with the magnitude of their work with very young children. This spring she sent a thank-you note to a student that included eight short sentences describing the child. The parent wrote to the school, “I cannot express to you how meaningful this gesture is to our family. For her to take the time to reflect on my son’s positive qualities and to know him so well is such a gift to his development and self-worth as a child.”

Lower School: Kathryn Czarnecki, art teacher

Kathryn Czarnecki with students.

Kathryn Czarnecki is a creative, compassionate, and supportive teacher who welcomes students into a happy, inclusive, and lively classroom where they are free to explore, innovate, and make mistakes. She has a natural enthusiasm with children, respecting and honoring each of them as learners, and does an excellent job keeping them excited and engaged—for example, by playing music (typically in line with the themes covered in class) to inspire creativity. Students love spending time with her so much that they frequently ask if they can have lunch in her classroom. Kathryn is also a wonderful colleague and teammate. She collaborates well with grade-level teachers and is always open to their ideas, helps to provide a cordial and collegial team relationship, and is a great listener. Anyone who has taught with her will tell you that she is fun, patient, creative, and extremely humble.

Middle School: Tyler Tanner, Mandarin Chinese and publications teacher

Tyler Tanner in his classroom.

Tyler Tanner is a respected teacher within the Middle School community, where he has taught a multitude of classes, including this year’s entrepreneurship class, the first of its kind in the division. Modeling continued professional learning and growth, Tyler started the year by flipping his classroom in a way that allowed students to become more self-directed in their learning. (Who knew this would be so beneficial with the closure of campus?) Tyler also stepped up this year to coach sixth-grade basketball, and even managed to complete the yearbook from afar—while still capturing the essence of school life. Tyler loves to share his passions and skill set with students, and he is not one to shy away from a challenge. He believes strongly that success comes from hard work, a value he looks to instill in his students.

Upper School: Dr. Nate Kogan ’00, history teacher and History Department chair

Nate Kogan in his classroom.

Nate Kogan has willingly and gracefully served Rowland Hall in countless ways. In the past two years alone, he’s served as department chair, Self-Study Committee chair, Hiring Committee lead, new faculty mentor, jazz band member, and US History teacher. Nate is a model of lifelong learning. The pursuit of his PhD while teaching is a distinguishing example, but his constant pursuit of knowledge is noticeable every day. He's genuinely curious about students’ research questions and quick to adopt new technology (a skill that’s been a boon during distance learning). Nate is a natural leader, stepping into the role of department chair as if he had been doing it for years and immediately advocating for colleagues and looking for ways to elevate their strengths. One said of him, “Nate supports his colleagues the way he supports his students; offering clear guidance while also respecting one's autonomy.” Another said, “I can't underestimate how much I've benefited from his support, guidance, and motivation this year.”

People

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