Ms. Heflinger
Ms. Maureen Heflinger has announced her departure after five years of teaching orchestra at Boston Latin School.
Her career began at the Josiah Quincy Elementary School ten years ago, where she would teach group classes for the orchestra program. She continued on her path to BLS, where she would predominantly teach viola sections in multiple orchestra levels in addition to conducting the Philharmonic String Orchestra Purple.
Although her work in education began over a decade ago, she has always known that she wanted to mix her passion for music with her love for being around people. Ms. Heflinger comments, “It’s always interesting. I can bring the same materials to each class year after year and there’s a different result based on who’s in front of me.”
Outside of school, Ms. Heflinger keeps herself busy by playing and teaching with different organizations throughout the city. She is currently playing in a faculty quartet at musiConnects, but her favorite gig at the moment is the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra.
As for what she plans to do next, she has several exciting things coming up, but is not ready to settle down in a specific direction just yet. She is, however, determined to continue to work in music.
Mr. Kyriakidis
Mr. Gabriel Kyriakidis is saying goodbye after a year of teaching at Boston Latin School.
During his tenure, he taught Algebra II, Algebra II Honors and Geometry. Mr. Kyriakidis realized his passion for teaching in high school, where he spent most of his time tutoring peers. Mr. Kyriakidis remarks, “Once I thought of [teaching] as an option, it seemed to just make sense to me.”
After college, he worked as substitute teacher and joined the Roxbury Preparatory Charter School, before he ultimately came to BLS.
Mr. K, as his students affectionately call him, prioritizes learning rather than memorization. He explains, “I [hope] to [leave] behind not just knowledge of rules [and] theorems, but a[n] appreciation for math as an outlet for critical thinking and creativity.”
Benjamin Southwick (V), a student of his, shares, “He was casual; I liked his teaching style, and [it] was always fun and exciting to learn. When I heard he was leaving, I had conflicted emotions.”
Mr. Kyriakidis humbly concludes, “I learned a lot here, [and] I still have much I can improve on. I’m grateful for every student [for teaching] me as much as I have taught them.”
Ms. Beaird
Ms. Patricia Beaird is transitioning to a new role at BLS after two years of teaching Unified Science Foundations.
Ms. Beaird’s teaching career started in 2002 in Arizona, but she returned home to Boston back in 2019 and started teaching in Boston Public Schools. Teaching, however, was not what she initially wanted to do — at the start, she was an environmental chemist. Yet halfway through her life, she wanted to change to a different field. She explains, “Teaching was a midlife career change for me, having spent years in the hazardous waste industry. Education had always been a dream of mine.” In total, she has taught for 22 years.
Before BLS, Ms. Beaird taught for three years at Madison Park Technical Vocational High School, but changed schools because of BLS’s culture. She shares, “It may sound corny, but when the loudspeaker announcement at Logan [Airport] welcomes people to Boston, ‘home of the first public school in America,’ I allow myself a sense of satisfaction from be[ing] a part of this tradition.”
After teaching for all these years, she plans on becoming a substitute teacher at BLS in the future. Then, Ms. Beaird intends to settle in the Twin Cities (Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota), where her daughter lives.
Ms. Mbaka
After two years at BLS, Ms. Jemima Mbaka is leaving her role of Community Field Coordinator.
Ms. Mbaka started teaching because of her mother and aunt. Her mom was “always passionate about education,” and her aunt is a preschool teacher. She attended community college before transferring to University of Connecticut, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology. Almost a decade ago, she moved from Connecticut to Boston where she ended up working at BLS.
Ms. Mbaka is finishing up her last semester in graduate school for a master’s degree in social work. In the future, she plans on becoming a school social worker, continuing her passion for education.
Ms. Mbaka loved almost everything here at BLS, including declamation, Capstone presentations, sports games, talent shows, concerts and Spirit Week. One of her toughest moments was the loss of Ms. Cynthia Webb last summer. She explains, “I was shocked and it took a long time to process [the] loss. I was glad to be part of her life and see the community show up at her service.”
Ms. Mbaka hopes that she will be remembered for her tardy passes, detention reminders and her connections with both students and faculty.
Mr. De Velis
Mr. Danny De Velis is departing BLS after four years.
During his tenure, he was a substitute teacher and taught many subjects, including biology and history.
Mr. De Velis realized his passion for teaching when he took his first job as a camp counselor in his senior year of high school. He planned to go to art school, but his camp director suggested that he go into teaching. When he considered it, he was instantly enthralled.
After Mr. De Velis’s student teaching stint at BLS, he took up a long-term substitute teacher position for his old host teacher. Next school year, he will work at TechBoston Academy as a freshman-class U.S. History teacher.
This year, Mr. De Velis’s influence on many students and his positive attitude has culminated in a Crystal Apple Award. He shares, “To me, this is the highest possible award I can imagine. The people that see me [every] day know [me, and] I get recognition from all my students. [Despite] all the homework and classwork that they’re working on, they put in the effort to write such thoughtful passages about me.”
Mr. De Velis concludes, “BLS is both temporary and forever. It’s a unique place that you’ll carry with you. Enjoy it while you’re here, and remember the shared experiences. I hope my students keep these memories.”
Ms. Harari
After nine years of working as a librarian for the Harry V. Keefe Library, Ms. Susan Harari is retiring.
Although most students know her for checking people in for study hall or telling them to put their phones away, her central role is collaborating with teachers to help students learn research skills and maintaining the digital imprint collection of the library.
In her years at BLS, Ms. Harari, along with Ms. Deeth Ellis, has vastly improved the library. Over 75 percent of the print collection is new and the library has become more flexible and student-centered.
Her passion for librarian work began long before BLS. She started by volunteering at children’s libraries when she was young. Then, after finishing school, she taught at Beaver Country Day School and Israel Loring Elementary School.
Concerning the reasons of her departure, Ms. Harari shares, “It’s just time for me to retire. I have a lot of love for BLS.” While she plans to step back from full-time work, retirement to her does not mean stopping everything, as she wishes to continue as a part-time librarian closer to her home. She also plans on fostering some dogs.
