During the spring semester of the 2024-2025 school year, NDB had the privilege of welcoming some new faces and some returning faces to NDB’s campus. Patty Torrey became a member of the Mathematics department, Martin Herrmann rejoined the Humanities department and Patti Andrews was rehired to be a member of the Spiritual Life department once again.
Torrey:
Patty Torrey, who had previously worked at St. Joe’s, joins NDB as a substitute teacher for two sections of Geometry Honors and one of Geometry, while Kathleen Falzon is on maternity leave. She has lived in the area for more than 20 years and enjoys walking her dog, knitting, crocheting, cooking and journaling. Teaching has been her lifelong goal, and she is excited to get to know the students.
“I love [NDB’s] energy. I love the way you guys look at the world. You make me rethink things. And, I think that’s amazing because you always have to learn. And, I love learning from my students as well. I’m still getting to know my students, so they’re a little quiet and everything, but I can’t wait till we start getting more of a relationship,” shared Torrey.
Herrmann:
Martin Herrmann, who has been a dedicated teacher for 20 years, taught at NDB from 2010 to 2018 and has returned to teach AP Government and Modern World History in the Humanities Department.
As Herrmann moved out of the area after leaving NDB, he will be teaching his classes through a mix of in-person and online classes. However, it is evident from wherever he is teaching that he has a strong passion for history and an extensive knowledge of teaching in the humanities.
“Every month, I’ll be down here for a few classes in person, and then the rest of the time it will be hybrid-remote where I’m going to be … piped in on the projector [and] there will be another Notre Dame staff or teacher here working with them,” said Herrmann.
Andrews:
Patti Andrews taught at NDB during the 2021-2022 school year and has returned to NDB after three years. She is a member of the Spiritual Life Department, teaching one block of Being Notre Dame with the Monarchs.
Andrews has engaged in a lot of work with mission integration relating to the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. She initially taught at Notre Dame de Namur University and also instructed aviation for 20 years. A large part of her life has been dedicated to teaching, and she is enthusiastic about returning to NDB.
“I was motivated by, I guess, two things. One: Just the content of the class. And, the other is seeing the students that I had as freshmen a couple years ago, and now they’re seniors. So, it’s just a really great symmetry,” said Andrews.
