Scott Ford, Member of the Faculty, 1981–2013
The Lower School and then K–8 counted on Scott. By the time we arrived at school each day, he had unlocked each classroom so we could bypass the fumbling for keys, and made coffee so that we could infuse our bodies with morning energy for greeting the already-energetic students. He’d read his emails and could announce to all faculty the order of the day ahead: who was absent, how the schedule had changed, which dignitaries were visiting, what was forecast for weather and how many days were left in the school year. He treated us like family. His humor was noteworthy, with puns close at...
Read MoreLida Famili, Member of the faculty 1987-2012
For 25 years at Milton, Lida Famili has embodied John Dewey’s idea: “Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.” Lida views her role primarily as helping students develop into young adults, and teaching chemistry only secondarily. Lida deeply respects and cares for students; her focus, in combination with her excellent background in chemistry, has made Lida the heart and soul of the science department. As one Class II student said, “Ms. Famili brightened my day every time I saw her. I will miss her daily hugs. I’m blessed to know Ms. Famili.” Lida’s...
Read MorePam McArdle, Member of the faculty, 1989–2012
“Everything has its season. Everything has its time. Show me a reason and I’ll show you a rhyme.” For many a season, Pam McArdle, versatile performer that she is, found the reason and rhyme to play countless roles in various venues such as admission, the Upper School principal’s office, the studio theater, Thacher, and, most recently, the costume shop. Pam and I shared a summer up in the dusty southeast corner of Kellner, cleaning— folding yard after yard of wool; playing animal detectives trying to identify bedraggled fur pieces; sorting through a decade’s worth of donations,...
Read MoreAnne Neely, Member of faculty, 1974-2012
Anne Neely has given 38 years to persuading her Milton Academy students that beauty and truth, as embodied in artistic expression, is a powerful way to fi nd and to declare oneself. As she has grown—as a teacher, artist, mother, colleague and free spirit—so have her students. The evidence is the extraordinary work of her students. This includes the many Class IV students who never suspected they would fall in love with art until they did their first interpretive self-portrait with Ms. Neely; the Studio Art students who were proud to see their work on display for the first time; and her...
Read MoreJohn Charles Smith, Member of faculty, 1974-2012
When John Charles and I arrived at Milton in September 1974, Richard Nixon was president, and Jerry Pieh was headmaster, his office in the basement of Straus. Deval Patrick had just graduated; Elaine Apthorp was a senior; and Andre Heard wouldn’t be born until the following summer. There were about 175 boy boarding students and 60+ girl boarding students. Milton was three largely separate schools, each with different histories, standards and practices. John Charles has been an important part of several of the changes that have made us the School that we are today. He became director of...
Read MoreCarlotta Zilliax, Member of the faculty, 1992-2012
A champion of literature and literary history in Milton’s Upper School English department since 1992, Carlotta Zilliax began her career with 17 years as a primary and elementary teacher. Not many could successfully cover the scale from The Runaway Bunny to King Lear, but Carlotta has done so with brio and with a wise appreciation of the Möbius-like continuum that connects the very young with the not quite so young—the let’s-play-grownup first graders with the how-sillycan-we-be-today high-school seniors. At either end of the spectrum, Carlotta knew how to have fun with a class and how...
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