As students return to campus for the 2023-24 school year, Pinewood welcomes five new faculty and staff members. The Perennial asked them what they were looking forward to this year.

   Lyndsey Duerden (Junior High Counselor):

   “Number one, I’m most excited to get to know everybody. I feel like the longer I’m here the more people I’ll get to know, and I think we’ve got a nice group. Secondly, we have a lot of events, spirit weeks and extracurricular stuff here, which I find really fun. So, I’m excited to chaperone and participate in those.”

   Sean Clark (K-12 Technology Specialist):

   “I’m excited to learn this new position as I’ve never worked in a school environment in my life. Going from a corporate environment to here is very different, and there’s just more places where I have to help out.”

Monica Llagaria (Spanish 1, Spanish 3, Spanish 3 Advanced):

   “I look forward to learning from both my students and colleagues throughout the year. The shift [from Middle Campus] has been very easy because I already know most of [my coworkers]. Also, many of the students in my Spanish 3 classes were the same students I had when I started at Pinewood, so my sixth graders have become my tenth graders!”

Stéphanie Gervais (French 1B, French 3):

   “This year, I look forward to getting to know the Pinewood community better. In class, I look forward to deepening my students’ French knowledge while building excitement for the topic.”

David Sandoval (Maintenance):

   Facilities Manager Raul Lopez said that Sandoval is a great addition to the team.

   “Since day one when I interviewed David, I knew he was the best candidate to join the facilities team,” said Lopez. “Always positive, he works hard everyday, we make a great team. I’m so happy to work with him.”

   The Pinewood community said goodbye to a teacher this fall. After three years at Pinewood, Spanish teacher Raquel Rubalcaba will be moving to New York to join her daughter, who is attending New York University and family. 

   While initially brought in as a temporary replacement during Spanish teacher and college counselor Carolyn Siegel’s maternity leave, Rubalcaba ended up staying at Pinewood when a permanent position became available. 

   Rubalcaba reflects on her time at Pinewood with fondness.

   “The thing I am going to treasure most is my students, especially the connections and rapport I feel with them: it’s special,” Rubalcaba said. “All the love and willingness they portray in class make my job a joy everyday.”

    While moving on from Pinewood has been bittersweet, Rubalcaba is excited to begin finding her place at a new school.

   “I look forward to finding a job in New York at a good school with good students and good vibes,” she said.

   In a final message to her students, Rubalcaba shared a few words of encouragement.

   “Always keep practicing, making mistakes and taking risks in all that you do,” she said.

   As Pinewood bids her a heartfelt farewell, these parting words echo the spirit of new faculty and staff members: a shared commitment to fostering connections and creating a vibrant community for both students and educators alike.