Teri Hassid

 

R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Respect. It’s not only the name of the song Teri Hassid infamously sang alongside colleagues during her first year at Friends Seminary. According to her colleagues and former students, that moment sums up the qualities they most appreciate about Teri as a teacher and leader: “humorous,” “team-player” and “good to be around.” Also notable is her fantastic personal sense of style and fashion juxtaposed with her humility and proclivity to shine the light on her students and colleagues.  Respect and appreciation for her coworkers and students is central to Teri’s philosophy of education—a colleague said, “Teri respects kids, she finds genuine joy in getting to know each of them individually.”

 

Teri began her career at Friends in 1978 as a Middle School Language Arts and Social Studies teacher, partnering with Larry Carter. Larry stayed and is still here, thankfully, but Teri left in 1982 and returned in 2004 to serve as Lower School Head. During the last ten years, Teri has fostered a culture of creativity and innovation within the Lower School. Under her leadership, Spanish was introduced as the Lower School language that all students study, the math and science curriculums were strengthened and an array of kindergarten electives was added to the program. Teri led Friends through the lengthening of the Lower School day, while also overseeing a smooth transition from two sections per grade to three, creating the largest of the 3 Divisions. During her entire tenure, Teri steadfastly championed the importance of play and remained focused, at all times, on the happiness and success of our students.

 

Teri has brought faculty into closer collaboration as they have sought to maintain a program that has progressive roots, but must also prepare students for higher and higher academic expectations. Her door is always open and her office is always stocked with cookies, pretzels and chocolate. In a variety of ways, Teri has worked and succeeded in bringing people closer together both inside and outside of Friends. She pioneered the partnership with the LearningSpring School, in which Lower School students work with autistic children and learn about patience and differences. For two years, she piloted the SEED program for staff and faculty to discuss issues of identity and diversity. She invited parents to attend Meeting for Worship, allowing lessons of reflection to continue from the Meetinghouse to home. She has led Meeting for Worship with accessible, thoughtful stories that illuminate the Quaker testimonies of integrity, equality, peace, simplicity, stewardship and community in ways that the children under her care can understand.

 

Teri has been a strong administrator because she is first and foremost a teacher. Larry Carter, who co-taught with Teri, remembers some of her advice, "Be fair, but firm.  Don’t hesitate to stretch the kids; they can take it." She continued teaching after becoming division head, leading grammar lessons for 3rd Grade students and staging MacBeth with 4th Graders. As one colleague put it, “She never let those skills get rusty.”

 

We have utmost respect and affection for Teri. It is will heartfelt gratitude for the breadth and depth of service Teri has given to Friends Seminary, that we honor her as Lower School Head Emerita.