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The first faculty and staff meeting of the school year in Tagart Memorial Chapel on Monday, August 22 began with hellos and hugs and ended with the awarding of two teaching chairs to deserving, yet unsuspecting, faculty members. With the announcement of each recipient, the faculty and staff erupted with applause and family members on hand for the surprise joined in the celebration.

The Rollins-Luetkemeyer Teaching Chair Awarded to Ane Lintvedt

When Headmaster Charlie Britton began to describe the qualities of the seventh recipient of The Rollins-Luetkemeyer Teaching Chair, established in 1998 with a generous gift from the Rollins-Luetkemeyer Foundation, it was not hard to guess who was being honored. Among the clues that the recipient was Ane Lintvedt was the fact that since she arrived on campus in 1984, she has been ready and willing to take on any project for the good of her students and the good of the school. Britton described her as a warm and hard working Midwesterner who began her McDonogh career as a part-time history teacher and quickly became an invaluable member of the department.

With her identity revealed, Britton said, “Ane has always had a passion for building more diverse and inclusive curricula.” He recalled that she shared her teaching philosophy in a recent McDonogh Magazine article, saying, “A teacher’s great human and civic purpose is to expose students to peoples, cultures, and ideas different from their own.”

The list of Lintvedt ’s contributions extends beyond McDonogh, where she has served as the Chair of the History Department since 2007. She has been very involved with Historical Associations and the College Board. Britton said, “For Ane, doing what’s best for the school goes beyond the classroom. She has served on countless McDonogh Committees and AIMS committees and is currently working on transcribing the handwritten business documents of John McDonogh.”

He concluded, “Her heart is as big as the world she seeks to open students’ eyes to, and I am so pleased to acknowledge her many gifts with the Rollins-Luetkemeyer Teaching Chair.”

Lisa Veltri Awarded Raymond B. Oliver '40 Teaching Chair

The seventh recipient of the Raymond B. Oliver '40 Teaching Chair was a little more difficult to guess. First presented in 1998, it is named for legendary teacher-coach Ray Oliver who built wonderful relationships with countless students and colleagues over four decades. On hand for the presentation were Oliver’s children, Craig Oliver '70 and Vickie Oliver Wineke.

Britton began with a quote from Martin Luther King who said, “Intelligence plus character — that is the goal of true education.” The headmaster continued, “Our recipient today embodies his words. If you mention this teacher to colleagues, often the first words you will hear will be praise of her character. All her interactions with students model for them the importance of integrity; they recognize that what she really wants them to learn are values.” He quoted one student as saying, “She wants us to understand that math might not be important in everyone’s life, but determination and self-discipline will be.”

With the recipient of the chair still a mystery, Britton listed the reasons she’s such an effective teacher: “First, her skills in the classroom. Students praise the way this teacher can present the same material in many different ways so that every type of learner can get it. They say she is tough, organized, clear, and passionate about her subject. She will tutor them every day, even twice a day if need be, and to her, no question is a dumb question. But most importantly, she cares about them as people.”

He continued, “Another reason this teacher is so good with students is that she is always walking in their shoes, being a student, challenging herself to learn and grow. A leading proponent of the goals embodied in LifeReady, this teacher regularly attends professional development conferences at McDonogh and elsewhere, and continually revamps how she teaches to improve her craft.”

Finally, when Britton mentioned that the math teacher he was describing has also served as registrar since 2010, the audience of faculty and staff knew for sure the honoree was Lisa Veltri. As she humbly accepted the award, she graciously noted that each member of the faculty and staff is worthy of such an honor.

Endowed teaching awards recognize outstanding service to the school by a faculty or staff member. Recipients hold the chairs for three years and receive an annual stipend in addition to salary.