Blake School - Reflections / Call O Pan Yearbook (Hopkins, MN)

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WITH MENTORS AND FRIENDS When the merger took place, faculty members faced many problems. There was a new administration, different buildings, new colleagues. and new students. Some teachers had never taught a co-ed class. Many teachers were not initially optimistic about the changes. The merged faculty, however, is now pleased with the new school. They have come together to form a unified group that has brought more to Blake than just teaching. The faculty's participation within the school and community makes it a very special group. The diversity of the teachers makes the faculty more than just an ordinary faculty. The faculty is a group of entertainers, authors, politicians, athletes, musicians, artists. travelers, and students. Their talents allow them to teach with authority, sensitivity. and integrity. Teachers are also actively involved in Senior Weekend, college advising. athletics, student organizations, and 6

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WITH MRQ. QTOCK'Q HELP Barbara Finch Stock has been an asset since the three schools were initially brought together as the Blake Schools in 1972. Her part in the development of the merger began with her role as director of Northrop Collegiate School, and she has been a major factor in the making of the Blake Schools as it stands today. Without her. we could not be as pleased as we are with the progress our school has made since its formation nine years ago. Barbara Stock’s devotion and loyalty to our school began long before the merger. She graduated as valedictorian of Northrop’s class of 1949. After college and graduate study, she returned to Northrop to serve as an English teacher and later also as Senior Class advisor. In 1971, she was appointed principal of Northrop Collegiate School. In 1974, she became the director of the Upper School when that division of the Blake Schools was established at the Northrop campus. During this time her two children were also students at the schools. In 1977, Blake's president. David Hersey. appointed her vice-president of the Blake Schools, an appointment that exemplified her importance to the entire school community. Barbara Stock’s concern for the education of young people does not stop at the Blake Schools, however. She is a former council member for the National Association of Principals of School for Girls. Presently. she is on the Board of Directors of the Independent Schools Association of the Central States(ISACS) and a Midwest-area director for the National Association of Independent Schools. She also serves on six sub-committees of these two associations. Through her knowledge and perceptiveness, she has helped make Blake a school that we can be proud of. Through her tremendous energy and dedication. Barbara Stock has been able to provide the leadership so vital to the growth of our school. Having herself been a student, parent, teacher, and administrator at Blake, she has been able to understand all of the problems each of these groups has faced. The ease with which she deals with Blake's problems makes it easier for all of us to deal with our own problems. By staying in touch with all facets of Blake life, from her involvement in the Forum to eating lunch with students to her annual excursions to Camp Warren with the senior class. Barbara Stock has helped to bring the school together. Her devotion to the school is an example for us to live by and follow. Barbara Stock has been an innovator of ideas, an educator in life, and an inspiration to all of us through her warmth, trust, and openness. We are proud to know such a person, for she represents the strength our school has gained in the past nine years. 5

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much more. This year the faculty has organized its own sports day to join together and have some fun. John Hatch Day has become an annual event. Teachers can be found attending athletic events, dances, concerts, and school plays. Blake's faculty is well known for its relationship with the students. The involvement of this group of people does not stop in the classroom. The faculty exhibits a true sincerity with regard to the students. Teachers not only care if an academic question can be answered correctly, but they also care about the students' personal problems. Blake's teachers can always find time for the troubled student. They have overcome the problems of the merger to concentrate on the problems of learning. Besides being the students' educators, the Blake faculty is a friend to the students, to the administration, and to itself. 7