Kathy Schwanfelder
Kathy Schwanfelder was one of four children of Therese and Frank Dendas and all graduated from Branford High School. While attending the high school, Kathy was very active. She was an athlete and played for Sports Hall of Fame coach, Virginia Moessmang. At the time, she played basketball and field hockey as there were no other sports for girls. She was a member of the French Club, Modern Dance Club, Student Council and an officer for her class for all four years.
After graduating, Kathy attended Emmanuel College in Boston. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English and Political Science. In 1972, she was hired to teach in Branford and started at the Branford Intermediate School the same year it opened. She taught English and History and was the advisor to the cheerleaders.
In 1980, Kathy applied for an opening as an English teacher at the high school and transferred. At BHS, she was the advisor of both the National Honor Society and the Ski Club. At that time, she embraced the use of technology and was in on the ground level of computer use to establish a computer lab for writing. It was very successful and used by many teachers and students. For her many outstanding teaching skills, Kathy earned Honorable Mention as a nominee for the Connecticut Teachers Excellence Award.
Kathy’s gift is in making highly meaningful connections with students and helping them to master English. Her classroom was always alive with activity. She had that unique ability to reach students of all levels, whether they struggled in English or they excelled. Kathy made both feel welcome and pushed both types of students to reach the best of their ability. Her students were always highly engaged in learning. Her efforts to incorporate interdisciplinary learning into the curriculum were a major contribution to Branford High School and was most notably seen in “Junior Humanities”, a course that combined elements of social studies and English. She also taught an English course combining her students with Kathy Doonan’s special education students. All the students and teachers involved found it to be one of their most rewarding experiences.
As a colleague, Kathy also stands out for the way she mentored numerous young teachers. Any new teacher who joined the English department in the years she was a teacher found a colleague with a friendly smile and someone who was always willing to share ideas and support. Over the years, her gentle guidance and common sense was invaluable to fellow teachers as they struggled with the typical challenges of teaching.
It has been said of Kathy that there are adults in the Branford community who floundered until they came under Kathy’s teaching magic and, to a large degree, grew into well balanced, self-confident, productive and happy individuals as a result of Kathy’s influence on them.
After graduating, Kathy attended Emmanuel College in Boston. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English and Political Science. In 1972, she was hired to teach in Branford and started at the Branford Intermediate School the same year it opened. She taught English and History and was the advisor to the cheerleaders.
In 1980, Kathy applied for an opening as an English teacher at the high school and transferred. At BHS, she was the advisor of both the National Honor Society and the Ski Club. At that time, she embraced the use of technology and was in on the ground level of computer use to establish a computer lab for writing. It was very successful and used by many teachers and students. For her many outstanding teaching skills, Kathy earned Honorable Mention as a nominee for the Connecticut Teachers Excellence Award.
Kathy’s gift is in making highly meaningful connections with students and helping them to master English. Her classroom was always alive with activity. She had that unique ability to reach students of all levels, whether they struggled in English or they excelled. Kathy made both feel welcome and pushed both types of students to reach the best of their ability. Her students were always highly engaged in learning. Her efforts to incorporate interdisciplinary learning into the curriculum were a major contribution to Branford High School and was most notably seen in “Junior Humanities”, a course that combined elements of social studies and English. She also taught an English course combining her students with Kathy Doonan’s special education students. All the students and teachers involved found it to be one of their most rewarding experiences.
As a colleague, Kathy also stands out for the way she mentored numerous young teachers. Any new teacher who joined the English department in the years she was a teacher found a colleague with a friendly smile and someone who was always willing to share ideas and support. Over the years, her gentle guidance and common sense was invaluable to fellow teachers as they struggled with the typical challenges of teaching.
It has been said of Kathy that there are adults in the Branford community who floundered until they came under Kathy’s teaching magic and, to a large degree, grew into well balanced, self-confident, productive and happy individuals as a result of Kathy’s influence on them.