Mr. Fogel

Mr. Nicholas Fogel, who has been teaching world history to freshmen for three years, has not only won a Crystal Apple Award but also the Gerald L. Gitner & Family Award for Outstanding Teaching, which recognizes a teacher’s excellence in teaching.
Last summer, he hosted the podcast Fireside History 1876, which is available on Spotify. It talks about the most contested election in U.S. history, which ended Reconstruction, paved the way for Jim Crow and nearly launched a second Civil War.
Mr. Fogel is also the faculty advisor for the Boston Latin School Youth Climate Action Network and works closely with students to host their Climate and Sustainability Youth Summit at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology each year.
Outside the classroom, Mr. Fogel spends time raising his one-year-old son and enjoys running. The Gerald L. Gitner & Family Award and the Crystal Apple both mean a lot to him, and he is extremely thankful.
Former student QiLin Zhu (III) is happy that Mr. Fogel won both of these awards, commenting, “Mr. Fogel was a really good teacher. He always found ways to make his class interesting but also engaging. He cared a lot about his students, and I felt like each and every individual student had a close bond with him.”

Ms. Lau

Ms. Veronica Lau, one of the three sixie Latin teachers, is delighted to receive the Crystal Apple Award. Starting in 2018, she has now taught at BLS for seven years. Ms. Lau was previously a student teacher at BLS in 2013 and taught for five years at another school before returning to BLS.
Ms. Lau loves seeing students have that “aha moment” when concepts start to click. Interacting with others is one of the main reasons why she became a teacher. Academic work usually tends to be lonely, so she wanted to pursue a path that is more social and engaging, which led her to teaching.
In regards to winning the Crystal Apple Award, Ms. Lau comments, “I feel really touched that somebody would take the time to nominate me for something, especially because I teach sixies and they tend to be more shy. Also, there are a lot of great teachers in the building, so I was really shocked to personally receive the Crystal Apple.”
This year, she won the middle school division of BLS Junior Classical League (JCL) Coin Wars with a total amount of over 1,838 dollars. Coin Wars is a fundraiser where students can donate to a specific teacher’s coin jar to receive a punishment, such as eating a spicy pepper or getting pied in the face. The proceeds will go directly toward scholarships for students attending the National JCL convention in Ohio this summer.

Mr. Morales

Orchestra Director Mr. Anthony Morales has been teaching music to BLS students for the past two years.
Aside from conducting the orchestras at the Spring and Winter Concerts, he also hosts opportunities for students to participate in Chamber Night. Prior to BLS, he taught at the Boston Strings Academy. His contributions to the Visual and Performing Arts department won a Crystal Apple Award.
Mr. Morales’s style of teaching is different from other teachers, as he is more laid-back, focusing more on making a positive connection with his students by being more approachable. This has allowed him to create a strong bond with his students, as he hopes to stay at BLS in the foreseeable future and continue to teach.
Remarking on the award, Mr. Morales states, “It’s really unexpected, but I’m really happy and excited to receive the award, especially at this time of the year when it’s really crazy. It’s good to get some happy and good news. It makes me feel like I am doing something right from teaching these students.”
In addition to his life outside school, he plays with the Vista Philharmonic Orchestra and performs at Symphony Hall, as well as various events around Boston. He enjoys running in his spare time and recently finished a marathon. Much of his free time is also devoted to taking care of his one-year-old daughter.