Ms. Gado Returns from England

By Eleanor Keats

This year Hanover High wel- comed Ms. Gado back to the Eng- lish Department. She had spent the previous two years teach- ing at the Ibstock Place School in London. She reflects on her time spent there with excitement. Here are some of her adventures.

At first she lived in an apart- ment right across from the Ibstock School, later moving to one closer to the heart of the town on High Street.

The school days were longer at the Ibstock School than at Hanover, but Ms. Gado comments that they were helped a little by a free hot lunch provided by the school (hint, hint, Hanover High!), and a break during the morning for tea and crumpets!

Another contrast between Ibstock and Hanover was in the dress code for both teachers and students. Students needed to wear jackets with sweaters underneath, and girls had to have matching fabrics. Teachers needed to have closed-toe shoes, and jeans were forbidden! In connection with this, she commented on the feeling that the school was not terribly demo- cratic in its operation, a virtue she commends Hanover High for achieving. Her stay in England involved more than teaching and enjoying the charming British countryside, however. During the regularly spaced, two- week breaks, Ms. Gado found time to explore the rest of Europe and find fantastic adventures elsewhere. These excursions included visiting Malta, a Mediterranean island with a rich history, as well as Madeira, Mallorca, Belgium, Venice, Wales, Sweden, Normandy and Brittany. On one memorable trip, she went with the Ibstock School’s choir to Barcelona, singing on tour in ancient churches and enjoying the excellent acoustics of old stonework.

On being back in the Upper Valley, she talks about enjoying the leaves turning and the iconic New England fall weather. She has also found a new appreciation for Hanover High’s freedom of speech between faculty and students, its lack of class hierarchy, and its communal process as a whole within the administration and student body. In turn, Hanover is grateful to have one of its wonderful English teachers back, with many stories and travels to share with students and faculty!