Knightly News

Congratulations to the 2023 Newton Distinguished Faculty Award recipients!

Emily Richard
Lower School Early Childhood Teacher

“This year’s Newton Distinguished Faculty Award recipient for the Lower School is an exceptional example of the dedication required for teaching excellence,” wrote Lower School Division Head Beth Gardner in Richard’s nomination. “She is devoted to providing students with age-appropriate instructional techniques but is also a lifelong learner. She’s patient but also eager to seek solution-oriented ideas. She’s creative, hard-working, and exudes joy in her daily interactions with students, colleagues, and the school community.”

Richard began her career at Episcopal as an extended care counselor. After teaching in Ascension Parish for more than six years, she returned to Episcopal’s Lower School, where she guides the littlest Knights. In addition to teaching PreK-3 students, Richard serves as a grade level Lower School Chair and leads Lower School tennis clubs. She established the first PreK-3 Step Up Camp and is the Upper School head tennis coach.

Kristina St. George
Middle School Geography Teacher

“If I told you that your child, niece, nephew, or family friend was enrolled in a class where they would learn to understand other points of view, discuss complex topics, and think for themselves about how our world is changing, you would certainly be pleased with the education they were receiving,” wrote Middle School Division Head Mark Engstrom. “Kristina ensures that all of her students learn those skills and she does it in a compassionate and supportive manner. We are lucky that every 8th grade student at Episcopal gets to have her as a teacher.”

An avid traveler, St. George has visited more than 30 countries throughout Europe, Africa and Asia and lived abroad in Saudi Arabia. These experiences enrich her geography lessons. Engstrom says there is another side to St. George beyond the classroom. “She has performed the dance, the Freeze in front of our students, been a consistent chaperone at Middle School dances for years, and even jumped off the Mo Pole at Mo Ranch,” he says. “She not only discusses with students getting out of their comfort zones, Kristina shows them what it means to live an intrepid life.”

Katie Sutcliffe
Upper School Academic Resource Director/Thesis Director

“This year’s Upper School Newton Distinguished Faculty Award recipient has distinguished herself in the classroom with a trademark brand of compassionate rigor, holding students accountable to their own excellence and making sacrifices to get them there,” wrote Upper School Division Head Tom Forti in Sutcliffe’s nomination. “To an entire decade of Thesis students, this person is known as the ‘Thesis Mom’ because of her commitment to nurturing the ‘whole child.’ To colleagues across all three divisions as well as other departments on campus, she is a respected and desired collaborator because of her talent and professionalism.”

Forti points out that Sutcliffe was the visionary who inspired the first Thesis class to create LAUNCH. In addition, she spearheaded the revision of the service learning program and coordinated numerous academic projects. She is one of the founding directors of the Writing Center and recently orchestrated the rebranding of the center to the Academic Resource Center.

About the Newton Distinguished Faculty Awards

Each year, we are honored to recognize three talented and thriving faculty members with the Newton Distinguished Faculty Awards. Patty and Carl Newton established the Newton Distinguished Faculty Award 10 years ago because they believe that excellent teachers make a tremendous difference in the lives of students. The Newtons are very grateful for the positive impact that the teachers at Episcopal had on their children. Three Newton Distinguished Faculty recipients are selected annually and awarded a stipend to support their continued professional development.

10 Years of Supporting Professional Growth

Over the last decade, the awards have made it possible for Episcopal educators to participate in valuable professional development opportunities. Examples of these learning opportunities include project-based learning training at the Duke School, Harvard Graduate School for Business and Education Courses, the Auburn University Aquaculture Workshop and the International Dyslexia Association Reading, Literacy, & Learning Conference. 

“We are incredibly grateful to Patty and Carl Newton for establishing this award which allows us to celebrate exceptional teachers who model lifelong learning for our students,” says Head of School Dr. Carrie Steakley. “Honoring our teachers with professional development opportunities of their choosing fans the flames of their passions and ensures that our teachers are on the forefront of teaching and learning best practices.  When teachers are excited about the subjects they teach, their colleagues and students find that enthusiasm infectious.”

Join us in congratulating this year’s Newton Distinguished Faculty Award recipients. Share a special message with them in the comments section below.

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