A Day in the Life of the Deans: Ms. Carol Pouliot, Class of 2021

Written By: Brooke Weiner

By 6:00 AM each morning, Ms. Carol Pouliot, Dean of the Class of 2021, is already preparing for the day ahead. Coffee in hand, she watches the daily news, completes Riverdale’s COVID health screening, and responds to emails that may have come in the previous night. As a dean, with only one-third of the typical class load of other teachers, she instructs four physical education periods throughout the week. 

As one can imagine, Dean Pouliot does not have many breaks in her day. With weekly grade meetings, deans meetings, meetings with school counselors, meetings with the Learning Resource Team (LRT), leading the City Meals on Wheels activity, and planning for the graduation of her senior class, Dean Pouliot’s plate is quite full. Plus, when school is in person, Dean Pouliot explains, “A big chunk of my day, whenever I’m not required to be in a class setting or a meeting, is getting into the cafeteria, outdoor spaces, or tents to be with my class.” 

Dean Pouliot spends her weekends, Mondays, and Tuesdays in Vermont with her wife and “COVID puppy,” Jackson, whom she adopted in May. In addition to teaching physical education, Dean Pouliot snowboards, takes long walks, and hikes with her puppy, whom she describes as “a ball of love.” Dean Pouliot continued, “A lot of family time is spent with the puppy.” She believes that Jackson’s first birthday is December 14th, 2020! 

When it is time to head to bed for the evening, Dean Pouliot tries “to make sure that [her] computer and phone are as far away as possible.” Going to sleep late has never been an issue because of how early she wakes up: “I make sure I shut down and go to sleep as early as possible,” she explains. 

As for living a healthy lifestyle, Dean Pouliot emphasizes the importance of “having that mindset that all you have to do is get through the moment you’re in. Don’t worry about too far down the road and just tackle one little item at a time… It helps to remember that this too will pass and we can all get through it.” 

A Day in the Life of the Deans: Ms. Susan Polise, Class of 2022

Written By: Jack Henry

Profe Susan Polise’s day begins between 5:00 AM and 6:00 AM, depending on when her 18-month-old daughter Quinn wakes up. To get the day started, Profe Polise and Quinn head downstairs for a family breakfast with her wife, Middle and Upper School Science Chair Dr. Kelly Tracy. Before her first Zoom of the day or before she drives to school, typically three times a week, Profe Polise prepares Quinn’s lunch and whatever she may need throughout the day. Profe Polise says that her “strongest motivations when preparing for a school day are her meetings with students” in the class of 2022 as well as those in her Spanish I and IV Honors classes, whether it be remote or in-person. Quinn drives Profe Polise “not to lounge or procrastinate during the day” in order to spend more time with her during her off time, she has to “get things done quickly.”

Around lunch time, Profe Polise is still very busy, and she usually does not have much time after meetings with students and their parents to have a relaxing lunch. However, despite her busy schedule, she still tries to find time to have a quick lunch and, of course, spend some time with her daughter amidst her busy school day. Profe Polise recommends that, if students have the time, they should “step completely away from their technology, and spend some time in the kitchen making lunch, talking to family members and going for a walk.” She finds the impact of these relatively simple activities to be quite rewarding, so much so that Profe Polise believes that if she does not do so, her “productivity drops a lot.”

After school, Profe Polise drives home and spends time with Dr. Tracy and Quinn in an effort to unwind. She says that breaking up her work after school by making dinner and being with her family is crucial, and she recommends that others try and separate their time similarly in the evening. She stresses the importance of balancing your workload with pleasurable activities: “breaks and downtime will make you better at your ‘jobs’ and will help you enjoy your learning more.” Profe Polise strives to maintain this balance every day, both to improve her own wellness and to set forth a healthy example for her students.

A Day in the Life of the Deans: Ms. Almonte-Ortiz, Class of 2023

Written By: Alexis Muchnik

For Ms. Jannely Almonte-Ortiz, Dean of the Class of 2023, mornings look different during COVID-19 times. Ms. Almonte-Ortiz explained that without the stress of getting herself and her family ready every morning, she has significantly more time. “I do get to sleep in more than I used to, because before I used to have to get in a car, [take care of] two kids [and] get to campus early. So now I get to sleep in a little bit later, which is good. But as a dean, the first thing I do, and this is probably not a healthy habit, is check my phone, and check my emails,” said Ms. Almonte Ortiz.

Ms. Almonte-Ortiz’s school day formally begins at 8:15. Her calendar is filled to the brim with “little tiny slots, fifteen, twenty, or maybe thirty minute meetings with people. It’s mostly face to face meetings with students, teachers, parents, everybody, any constituent at the school, and punctuated by Spanish [class]... Teaching the way we keep connected to the student experience. It also breaks up the day, it’s something different. And I love teaching, I love it.” Ms. Almonte-Ortiz really values teaching Spanish classes and connecting with her students, and she enjoys the change of pace from her normal one-on-one meetings.

Many students are struggling with afternoon time management; such students are unable to begin their work after they finish their last zoom class of the day. To deal with this remote-learning-induced procrastination, Almonte-Ortiz recommends “being realistic with everything we have. If we know ourselves to be procrastinators, then we have to be realistic. And sometimes we need accountability partners... Just get a friend.” Almonte-Ortiz also suggested that students consider “doing [work] in small chunks.” Additionally, she mentioned that she loves time limits for work that she needs to get done, so she likes to create artificial ones to mimic the “adrenaline” that comes from real ones. 

Aside from school related daily activities, Almonte-Ortiz loves reading about adolescent development, running, and playing “Just Dance” with her daughter. For students struggling to develop healthy routines, she proposes, “if you have a phone, or a smart watch, use the many cool apps out there that remind you to do stuff…. With any technology that you can use, set reminders to get you up and move.” Ms. Almonte-Ortiz continues to lead a busy life despite the modifications caused by this year of remote learning.

A Day in the Life of the Deans: Mr. Johnny Hager, Class of 2024

Written By: Maxwell Steinberg

Most ninth graders at Riverdale likely know their dean, Mr. Hager, as the person who sends them those long weekly emails every Monday morning or the person who takes their attendance during assembly every Tuesday. However, students may not know the details of Mr. Hager’s animated life. 

Though he says that he “initially needs a lot of coffee,” Mr. Hager wakes up every morning “itching to connect with his colleagues and students through conversations over Zoom.” He teaches Spanish VI, a course that explores Hispanic theatre in the context of social justice, as well as Spanish VII Honors, which investigates queer identity in Mexico through the lens of capitalism.

During his at-home lunch breaks, he likes to eat leftovers and often spends time facilitating virtual conversations with groups of ninth graders. His eating leftovers makes perfect sense because he loves to cook cheesy pasta and ramen for dinner, and he typically has a lot of extras. 

After school, once he has finished all of his meetings, he likes to exercise by doing yoga and kickboxing. He finds yoga quite relaxing and he suggests that students try it out if they are feeling stressed. He likes to write music, sing, and record himself. Occasionally, he sings in the brief time between meetings to decompress. 

Every night, Mr. Hager stops working at a specific time and he encourages students to do the same. He likes to watch Netflix to chill out before he goes to sleep, but he recommends that “students find the time to do the small things in life that they appreciate in order to relax.” Whether it be by “watching funny YouTube videos, listening to one’s favorite Spotify playlist, or reading poetry,” Mr. Hager thinks it’s important for all students to find time in their day to escape from the stresses of school.