July 31, 2023

To the Sabot community,

We all know that a lot happens in a year; a lot also happens in a single summer! This post is to provide you with important information about faculty and staff at Sabot School for the 2023-2024 academic year. Like most schools, our hiring season begins as early as February and does not conclude until the final weeks before the school year begins—and perhaps even later than that! The hiring process at Sabot is one of considerable discernment—of course we are always recruiting new and qualified candidates, but we are also keen to hire from within our own community. And, just as we hope to teach our students, thinking flexibly and interdependently are essential Habits of Mind we aim to model. 

Before we celebrate our new hires and other changes, we thank and applaud those who have bid farewell to Sabot since the school year concluded. We offer our gratitude, respect, and deep appreciation for the following members of our community.

Kendall Nordin accepted a job with The Byrd Theater as a development assistant after five years of service at Sabot. Her mark on our preschool and lower school programs is significant and her talents as a teacher and as an artist will be deeply missed. Kendall was an essential and steadying presence during a time of transition at our school, and we are grateful for her generous spirit and good humor.

Naomi Rader was pursuing other opportunities within education after a fabulous year teaching Grade 2. Though her time with us was brief, it was clear to all and from the outset that Naomi’s gifts are many. We wish her all the best.

Kristin Switzer accepted a part-time position with Riverside School in order to earn her Orton-Gillingham certification, a specialized training in literacy instruction for students with dyslexia. We are eager to learn from her in the months ahead and hope to stay in close touch with her. Her wise presence in Grade 3 especially has been one of calm and compassion.

Here are other important updates we are eager to share with you, all effective August 1.

In preschool

We announced two new hires in an earlier communication and look forward to introducing you more warmly to teacher-researchers Paige Archer and Hannah Larney; we are also pleased to announce the hiring of Madeleine McGann, who joins our gifted preschool faculty as well.



We have added a fifth preschool cohort. In addition to the Garden Room, Rainbow Room, Nest and Nook, we now have the Hive! We have enrolled a total of 64 students in our thriving preschool program; in part because of this growth and in part because we are aware of the unique responsibilities and challenges of operating this kind of program, Elaine Phillips will serve as Director of Preschool and provide dedicated support and leadership, allowing Aja Jones to serve more specifically as the Director of Kindergarten to Grade 3. With two sections of Kindergarten and Grade 2, Sabot’s steady growth calls for the kind of committed leadership Aja has already demonstrated; Elaine has served Sabot for a number of years and her familiar presence and long history with the school make her a valuable companion for families, a generous mentor for faculty and, simply put, the steward we need for such a large and complex program. Elaine will be supported by current faculty, especially Frances Martin who will assume the role of lead teacher-researcher throughout the preschool as well as Jeannette Prest as preschool operations coordinator.

Additionally, Jāna Vītols will assume a new role as our music atelierista, a position Sabot has long hoped to have and one we know our students deserve. She will be teaching music with students in preschool to Grade 2.

Other news in Lower School

With the addition of a second section of Grade 2, we knew we needed to find just the right person to work with Jen Miller as a teacher-researcher. Allison Seay will assume the role of second lead teacher-researcher while maintaining some of her responsibilities in our Communications office. Allison has long wanted to return to the classroom and when this position came available, she jumped at the chance. A career educator, she has worked with students of all ages from age 3 to adults in a variety of settings—university, upper school, primary, middle school—and the best part is that she will still be able to write and blog and post for Sabot, and will continue to work closely with other administrators to promote and nurture our school. 

Another significant first for Sabot this year includes a second section of Kindergarten. We are thrilled that Hope Pianello has accepted this teacher-researcher position after many years of teaching preschool in Richmond, most recently at the JCC.  A dedicated educator with a passion for art, she believes curiosity and creativity should be celebrated to encourage expression and discovery. Hailing from Harlem, Hope is a New Yorker at heart and a Richmonder in spirit! A graduate of Mary Baldwin University with a BFA in Ceramics and Early Childhood Education, Hope is a paint instructor, the owner of a small business, and parent to a five-year-old son.

Our assistant teachers in lower school are nimble, ambitious, and eager and their experience in various classrooms will continue to serve our students well and provide invaluable collaboration and support to faculty. Kathryn Miesse will move to Grade 2 from Kindergarten; Nyisha Straughter will move to Grade 2 from Grade 5; both Jake Schmader and Catherine Boyd will move from preschool to Kindergarten; Anne Rodriguez will move from Grade 1 to preschool.

In Grade 5 and Middle School

As our middle school program has evolved, it has become clear that Sabot’s strong partnerships among our faculty and administrators are key not only to ensure a well-guided high school application and transition process but to appropriately scaffold and steady the experience of the Middle School years. To that end, we will more intentionally collaborate with Grade 5 faculty and students; details of this new model were shared with rising 5th grade families last spring and can be read again here.  

We are excited to share that Sarah Lile will continue to teach Language Arts in Grades 7 and 8 and she will assume additional responsibilities as our Middle School Coordinator, working closely with Jess Khawaja, Director of Grades 4-8, and Ann Reavey, School Counselor. Marla Wilson, our long-time Grade 5 teacher-researcher will co-lead Grade 5 with Ashlei Peters and teach, with Courtney Anderson, Language Arts in Grade 6. 

Over the next couple of weeks, these changes will be reflected on our website with pictures and bios for both new and returning faculty and staff. Of course, in the meantime, you’ll receive additional grade-level details from Director of Enrollment Karen Hurlbert, from your child’s classroom teacher and from the division-level program director. 

As you can see, there is much to celebrate at Sabot. We are positioned well for a fabulous 2023-2024 academic year and look forward to welcoming you to campus later this month. As always, be in touch with any questions you may have and know what an honor it is for us to partner with you.

With gratitude,

Shannon M. Montague

Head of School