Faculty/Staff Update
Hello
We are delighted to share that Cyndi Chambers has been hired as St. Michael's Director of Security. Cyndi will officially start at St M on September 11. During her distinguished career, Mrs. Chambers has spent 33 years as an active duty policewoman for the Chesterfield County Police Department (CPD) with 8 years as a School Resource Officer, been a trainer for CPD's "Crisis Intervention Training Program," worked with schools on emergency preparedness plans and execution, been a hostage/crisis negotiator and crisis de-escalator, and is a board-certified EMT. Her colleagues have shared that her superpower is her excellent communication skills and that she loves working with and building rapport with children. Her expertise in these areas will be invaluable to us as we continue to prioritize the safety and security of our campus, students, and staff.
St M also extends a warm welcome to Joan Spyhalski as she joins our Extended Programs team. Mrs. Spyhalski comes to us with extensive experience both as a teacher and a school counselor for pre-K, elementary, middle, and high school students in public and independent schools. She thrives in implementing curriculum and classroom activities that foster creativity, self-confidence, and problem-solving in students. She most recently was a lead instructor at Redeemer Episcopal Day School. Welcome!
Updated Roles
Tracy Jebo will be continuing her great work as Angie Rowe’s right hand in Kindergarten, but will also be taking on technology education for grades K-4.
Julia Bryan-Diehl will be adding fifth grade Information Literacy and Research support to her library curriculum.
Goodbye
This summer, St M bid farewell to Gaye Frugard and Jenn McCauley.
Jenn McCauley came to us as classroom support during the 20-21 school year. She brought her can-do attitude and abilities, taking over technology education and working with students in our Extended Day program. Her tenure at St M was characterized by her appreciation for children and her warm collegial spirit, making her a favorite of children and colleagues alike. We wish Jenn well as she moves into her dream job teaching middle school theater arts, and we know that we’ll stay in touch with her.
As one of the first hires of the School’s Extended Programs department, Gaye Frugard shared her passion for young children with the Dragon community for seven years. She quickly became known for the personal and caring relationships she built with our families and the enthusiasm and dependability she brought to her role.
We are grateful for the time Ms. Frugard and Ms. McCauley spent at St. Michael’s and wish them much joy in their future adventures.
