Celebrating Our 2020 Retirees

As we prepare to say farewell to another school year, we celebrate the faculty and staff who will retire from The Agnes Irwin School this spring — and the more than 50 combined years of leadership and service that they have dedicated to providing the best to the students in our care.
 

Cindy Bell — Assistant Athletic Director, Middle School Physical Education and Wellness Teacher

An AIS alumna, Cindy has truly embraced our mission every day. After graduating from AIS, Cindy attended Gettysburg College before serving as the varsity tennis coach at Bryn Mawr College. Currently serving as the Assistant Athletic Director and Middle School Physical Education teacher, Cindy has had a long history of involvement at AIS, spanning more than 30 years. Cindy served on the Agnes Irwin Alumnae Board for nine years (including five years as board president), before joining the Board of Trustees in 1997. During her 13 years of leadership to the school as a trustee, she saw the creation of the Laurel Society and the launch of the school's PreKindergarten Program in 2005. In 2010, she transitioned from the boardroom to the school building, serving as the Co-Director of Alumnae Relations, in addition to coaching softball and tennis. In 2016, her passion for learning and teaching compelled her to move into the role that she now holds, teaching in the classroom and on the field. Her colleagues describe her as "the kindest, most genuine person" they know, with a demonstrated love and enthusiasm for the school. Cindy is a competitor, a teacher, a friend, and a colleague who embodies the Agnes Irwin mission and treats every girl like they were her own daughter. She has given her time, talent and treasure to the school as trustee, teacher, coach, administrator, parent, and alumna and epitomizes learning and evolving — modeling that for her students everyday.

Molly Bergh — Kindergarten Teacher

Molly knows how students learn best! She is a master teacher who has taught students across ages and stages since she began her teaching career. In 2007, she joined the AIS community as a PreK teacher, later moving into Kindergarten, where she has filled the girls' days with joy from the start! In her time as a Lower School teacher, she has supported girls as they build their academic foundation to ensure success as students at Agnes Irwin and beyond. A role model to many in the school, she cares deeply for her colleagues and for her students, always offering a kind word, listening ear, or a warm embrace. In addition to her work in the classroom, Molly serves as a member of the Equity & Inclusion Committee, representing the school at the National Association of Independent Schools People of Color & Student Diversity Leadership Conference, teaching her colleagues and advocating for students and families. Molly has been committed, inside her classroom, and in the wider community to do her part to help AIS achieve our highest levels of inclusive excellence. She is warm, compassionate and a sensitive and generous leader who doesn't shy away from modeling vulnerability for her students and colleagues.

Dan Slack — Upper School English Teacher

Dan is the type of educator young teachers strive to become. A dedicated teacher and leader, Dan has contributed to the rich and rigorous learning community that is the upper school at AIS. Dan began his teaching career at Lawrence Country Day School, later moving to Kent School, before arriving at The Haverford School where he served as a teacher and Dean of Faculty. He joined the AIS community as a long-term substitute teacher in 2015 before becoming a full-time faculty member in 2016 as an Upper School English teacher. Dan was an inaugural member of the Edward E. Ford Foundation funded Legacy through Leadership Fellowship, a signature program at AIS. Through this program, he launched the Personal Interest Project initiative, expanding his curriculum to allow students in his course to spend 20% of their time on projects inspired by their hearts. This opportunity, rooted in student voice and choice that we know is best for girls, inspired us to think differently about our academic schedule and in some ways, influenced the creation of our seminar blocks which have reaped tremendous rewards in experiential learning opportunities for our girls. It is no surprise that Dan was an impetus for change in this way, as he is known in the community to be a 'man of many hobbies,' a lifelong learner always willing to take on a new challenge! Fluent in French and skilled in woodworking, hiking, furniture restoration, and cooking, Dan can guide you through the terrifying writings of Edgar Allen Poe and build you a rocking chair all in the same week! As a father of an AIS graduate, Dan has seen first hand the impact of the work he and his colleagues do every day in the lives of girls. He is kind and supportive and brings an encouraging optimism to the school each day.