Introducing Meghan Stott!

8/17/2021

Carolyn Borman

This is one in a series of news posts about new members of the Roeper faculty and staff who share a little about themselves through questions we have asked. Please join us in welcoming them to our community!

From David Feldman:

I am excited to welcome our new Lower School Director Meghan Stott to the Roeper School. Meghan joins Roeper after serving as Dean of Students and teaching lower school science at the Friends Academy in Locust Valley, NY for the past 15 years. Spend time talking with Meghan and you will quickly discover that she brings a love of elementary school teaching and learning, has a keen interest in design thinking, and has a passion for mentoring. She has spent the summer immersing herself in the history, philosophy, and culture of our School; meeting with faculty and staff and helping to plan for the fall. She is thoughtful, reflective, and I know you will find her eager to connect and learn from you about your Roeper journey. I invite you to reach out to Meghan and provide your personal welcome to our newest director.

Here are the answers to our questions:

What were one or two highlights of your life?

The two main highlights in my life are having my daughters, Maeve and Isla. Maeve, age 13 and Isla, age 11 will both attend Roeper next year. They are both so excited to begin their new adventure in Michigan. Already they feel a sense of independence as they head to the local pool and library on their bikes, which was something they were unable to do in New York.

If you could live anywhere in the world for a year, where would it be and why?

I would love to live in Finland for a year. I have been intrigued and deeply interested in the educational system and would love to immerse myself within this philosophy and pedagogical practice for one year. There is so much to learn from other areas in the world and Finland places a great deal of importance on educating the whole child and spending extended periods of time outdoors in order to learn from nature. This deeply resonates with me.

What are some things you'd like to share about yourself, your family and birthplace?

I was raised in both Madison and La Crosse, Wisconsin. My husband, Philip, is from Scotland and we both spent the past fifteen years living on the East Coast on Long Island where I worked at a co-educational Quaker School. My husband and I met in Slovakia teaching English for one year and spent an additional two years teaching and traveling in Japan and Incheon, South Korea. As a family, we greatly enjoy traveling and experiencing new places whether we are taking a road trip across the country or flying to Scotland to visit family.

4. What are your hobbies and interests outside of work?

I have always enjoyed staying active and spending time outdoors. I love walking and hiking with friends and family. The winter is another time that I love to remain active and outdoors. Skiing and snowshoeing are just two activities that I love to spend my time doing. A quote I try to live my life by, “there’s no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing.”

In addition to spending time outdoors, I am an avid reader and always love a good book recommendation. Currently I am reading, “Just Mercy” by Bryan Stephenson and the book Lupin after watching the series on Netflix.

5. What is a topic or skill that you love to teach or share and why?

I am passionate about science and technology and teaching children how to engage in asking questions about the world around them. By engaging in phenomena based learning, children can collaborate and begin to solve problems together in a meaningful way. This gives them the needed experience to have scientific discussions while using evidence to build and support their ideas.

6. What is it that appealed to you about Roeper when you took the job?

I was drawn to Roeper by the tenets and values highlighted in the mission of the school. Roeper’s faculty and staff strive to teach students to think as individuals but to also understand that they are part of a larger community. Social justice and equity are two evident values that were at the heart of each conversation as I spoke with community members and students during my interview. I am committed to learning and engaging in action that will directly create equitable opportunities for all of our students and faculty.

As I engage in conversations with my colleagues, I hear about the importance of understanding and cultivating the passions of our students, while encouraging them to be critical, collaborative and empathetic learners. I am so grateful to be part of the Roeper community and look forward to growing and learning alongside each and every member this year.

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Introducing Meghan Stott!

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