Frank Greally
After 13 years as a Masters community member and nine years as head of the science department, Frank Greally is leaving. He said, “Leaving Masters was not an easy decision. It’s been a difficult year for everybody. My wife and I discussed it, and after evaluating where we are in our lives and what we are looking for, we are taking a pause.”
Greally said he and his wife are going to live in Delaware to reflect upon their lives. For right now, they are not sure what the future holds, but he said, “I want to keep in touch with the members of the Masters community, and I hope they keep in touch with me. I really hope there’s a connection between me and the school in the future.”
After leaving his eight year job at The Hackley School, Greally said, “When I came to Masters, I really embraced the idea of being a teacher more than a chemist. The Harkness table helped me think about the craft of teaching. It helped me align my background in chemistry with how to teach around a table. The unique format of Masters classes really helped me open my eyes to hands-on activities.”
Nancy Gormley, another chemistry teacher, who worked closely with Greally during his time at Masters, said, “Mr. Greally is a colleague, a mentor, and a friend.” When discussing Greally’s departure, she said, “We will be losing a teacher who cares about students and faculty alike,” she said.
Morgan Young, a sophomore in Greally’s chemistry class, said, “My whole life, science has been one of my hardest subjects, but Mr. Greally has made me so confident in my knowledge of the material. He makes me excited about it and want to do it.” She said that because of Greally’s encouragement, she chose to take AP Chemistry. “Mr. Greally really caters to his students. He cares about how we learn and goes out of his way to help and understand us. He has so much compassion and care for his students. Even though I am sad to see him go, I am very grateful I was able to have this experience and have this relationship with a teacher,” she said.
Not only does Greally teach several science classes, but he has also served as a junior varsity basketball and golf coach. Living on campus in McCormack dorm, he said, has also been a great way to interact with the community.
Greally said, “I have really enjoyed working with our students. They are very special to me. Everyone brings something different to the classroom, which is enjoyable.”
Aimee Ayala, a sophomore in Greally’s chemistry class said, “Thanks to Mr. Greally, our classroom culture is absolutely incredible. We are all so supportive and kind to one another. I love chemistry because of him.” Ayala adds, “I am happy that Mr. Greally is able to take a break, but am very sad to see him leave. It is a major loss of Masters.”
Greally was a main proponent in creating the ninth grade Environmental Problem Solving and Applications (EPA) course, and although it’s still under development, he said, “This is a course that is very good for our students here at The Masters School.” Through Greally’s leadership position, he has also supported the creation of many more seminars. He said, “I’ve helped build, with the help of the science department faculty, a really strong department with many offerings.” He added, “I think I have really built up the science department to a level where we work together, strongly. We collaborate. We have common goals of inquiry-based labs and aligning all our courses. All the teachers work really well together.”
Gormley said, “Mr. Greally was always working to improve the experience of students. I think the move to seminar classes for upperclassmen gives students an opportunity to try different types of science classes without a year-long commitment and can give them a broader base of science knowledge. It also allows students to delve deeper into specific topics that cannot be covered in a year-long class.”
The Masters School is losing a teacher and friend. Greally said, “I am really going to miss working with the science faculty department. I truly will miss working with every single one of them.”