Most likely to use a saying you’ve never heard of… Dr. O’Brien

Dr. O’Brien is one of RMA’s most notable English teachers for her engaging lectures. She keeps her classes entertained because she is so dedicated to the literature and the education of her students. Sometimes, she is so into her teaching that she starts to use phrases that can really confuse students that have never had her! If you’ve been told to “use your head for something besides a hat rack” or to not “beat your bosom and tear your hair,” you have had Dr. O’Brien!

Most likely to teach you lessons beyond his lessons… Mr. Stancavish

Mr. Stancavish is a well known face at RMA. He is known for his teaching style in high school history classes. Stanc, as most students call him, teaches interesting lessons about famous figures in history, and he often shows very informative and gripping documentaries. His teaching does not stop there, as Mr. Stancavish often ends up giving his students life lessons and quotes to live by.

Most likely to tell you a story so interesting you question its validity… Mr. Stone

When Mr. Stone takes a break from going over class notes, PowerPoints, and how to do tests, he tells students some of the most interesting and slightly unbelievable stories. Mr. Stone is one of the most interesting, well-traveled, and knowledgeable individuals I know. I don’t want to spoil any of these stories, so you’ll just have to take his classes to hear them!

Most likely to run a marathon through flood water to get to school… Mrs. Meadows

If someone asked me to describe Mrs. Meadows with one word, I would definitely use dedicated. She is an amazing teacher, spending immense amounts of her time working on her lessons, helping students, and tutoring. Her dedication shows in her method of stress-relief, as she is a marathon runner in her free time. She also drives an hour to get to school every day from a town that frequently floods, making her the teacher most likely to run 26.2 miles through flood water to get to her students!

Most likely to bring you Food Network level baked goods… Ms. Knox

Ms. Knox is a grammar queen, Brit Lit lover, UNC fan, a cat lover, and an all-around great person. Ms. Knox has been educating 10th and 12th graders for years, showing them how to use proper grammar and appreciate Shakespeare. Her excellence does not stop there. Ms. Knox is a talent in the kitchen! Students of Ms. Knox often enjoy her baked goods on test days or around holidays, as she loves a holiday! Ms. Knox is a winning teacher, and she also could be a winning contestant on the Great British Bake Off.

Most likely to make you sing in class… Mrs. Helms

Mrs. Helms is one of high school’s beloved math teachers, and she has her own signature teaching style. Her classes can often be heard from the surrounding rooms in her hall. She has the students do cheers and songs to remember equations or shortcuts for Algebra. Clapping, snapping, and singing have never made such an impact in math! Thanks to Mrs. Helms’ songs, I know the quadratic formula and discovered one of my favorite songs “Back at One.”

Most likely to have a new story for you… Ms. Baker

Ms. Baker’s English class is always a joy. She chooses the most interesting books for her students to read and always has engaging lessons to go along with them. Sometimes, her intense lessons stray into entertaining stories that have the entire class rolling with laughter. Students who have had ninth grade English have heard stories about small town life in Ahoskie, crazy jobs, and dead roses!

Most likely to tell you a cute story about her grandkids… Ms. Keel

Ms. Keel is one of the newest additions to our upper school, but she is also quickly becoming a favorite! And any student who has Ms. Keel has surely heard about her sweet grandchildren. Whenever she’s not spending time with students, she’s spending time with them and on a Monday at school there is guaranteed to be a sweet story about the time she spent with them over the weekend.

Most likely to have a fan club for him… Mr. Leonard

Everyone in high school knows Mr. Leonard. He teaches a semester of music to all ninth graders, music performance, and leads the high school band. He also helps coach soccer! He is never seen without his coffee cup or his signature socks and sandals. With his legendary ways and membership in a band, Mr. Leonard has gathered admiration from musically talented students at RMA for years. These groups are basically Mr. Leonard’s fan clubs, and he is so deserving of them!

Most like to wear many hats… Mrs. Whitehurst

Giving Mrs. Whitehurst a superlative is quite the challenge because of all the amazing things she does! A lot of people know Mrs. Whitehurst as a drama teacher, having fun classes and directing amazing plays in the fall and spring. Mrs. Whitehurst is also the teacher in charge of yearbook, and she has done an amazing job! All know Mrs. Whitehurst as a fashion icon. She is always seen wearing amazing outfits. No matter which “hat” she is wearing, don’t be afraid to say hello because she is one of the nicest people you will ever meet.

Most likely to give you positive feedback… Mrs. Hunter

Mrs. Hunter sees different types of artwork from grades 9th-12th all day. She teaches ninth grade art, painting, drawing, ceramics, AP Art, and AP Photography. No matter what form and style of art, Mrs. Hunter is always ready with positive feedback for her students, and her suggestions always come from the right place. She is able to bring out the artistic side and just about anyone, and she does it ever so kindly.

Most likely to show your favorite Biology-related Pixar movie… Mrs. Lehnes

Mrs. Lehnes is one of the most fun science teachers you will ever have! She loves letting her students work together by making posters and doing activities together to learn the material. She knows that learning outside the classroom can often be very effective, as she leads several of her classes on nature walks by the creek. One special days, Mrs. Lehnes is also known to show Disney movies related to biology! She loves Nemo and A Bug’s Life, and it is such a neat experience to see or hear something in the movie that reminds you of something you learned!

Most likely to make a sarcastic comment… Dr. Wells

Among the upper school halls, Dr. Wells is known for his humor. He is sure to fill a classroom with laughter by slipping in sarcastic remarks to his lessons or adding on to the jokes of his students. His humor does not take away from the valuable lessons he teaches in his classes about science, religion, and the environment. Sometimes, they even help little parts of the lesson stick. Be careful to not try to out-joke Dr. Wells, for his remarks will surely win.

Most likely to have a good playlist for worksheet day… Dr. Fritschel

Science can be a very trying subject, but Dr. Fritschel does his best to keep things upbeat! He is known for tossing around jokes and puns in the classroom, keeping students engaged in classes like AP Physics and Chemistry. On some days, music can be heard throughout P Hall from the lab room. Dr. Fritschel has great playlists for his students to listen to on lab and worksheet days, giving the class the soothing songs that keep them going!

Most likely to make you cry in a good way…  Mrs. Forero

Mrs. Forero is the role model everyone needs, even if they don’t know it yet. Mrs. Forero encourages her Spanish students to discuss global issues, ideas, history, and customs in Spanish, which opens people’s eyes to problems they never knew existed. The Spanish 4 class recently did a study on beauty and its real meaning, leaving the three students very emotional and grateful for their own ideas about beauty. Mrs. Forero has the most caring soul for the world and her students, always offering a hug and candy after a long day!

Most likely to make a mean crepe… Ms. O’Brien

Ms. O’Brien is known for being a great French teacher, co-prom decorator, and a fun person to talk to. She loves to talk about her travels in France, and she even offers a trip to France for spring break! Anyone who has taken French, from exploratory to the AP level, can tell you Ms. O’Brien can whip up a mean crepe. She brings in lots of supplies to make her crepes, and students can choose from toppings like strawberries, whipped cream, and Nutella.

Most likely to ask how you’re doing… Mr. Tucker

Mr. Tucker is in charge of many things. He takes on the massive job of getting the schedules together, making sure people are happy with their schedule, and working on course changes when the time approaches. He helps calm students down when they are getting a little rowdy, and he often can be seen holding a baseball cap or two, wondering why some people just don’t stop wearing them. Throughout the years, the most constant role of Mr. Tucker’s that I have noticed is how he is like a guardian to his students. He always stops and asks people how they are doing, if they are sleeping enough, or how certain classes are going.

Most divine… Mrs. Andracchio

Mrs. Andracchio is a very special person in the lives of all high school students at RMA. She helps coordinate testing, making the scary process a breeze for most students. She writes a recommendation for every senior while making sure they are on track with all of their applications and grades. Mrs. Andracchio has all the right answers when it comes to questions about college, your personal life, or where you should go to long lunch. She supplies seniors with their own room, candy, and support that we will always be truly grateful for. Mrs. Andracchio handles all of these things so gracefully that it makes her seem divine in some way, shape, or form.