About Mr. McElheny

I graduated high school from Ridley College (in St. Catharines, Ontario), where I discovered a profound love for, but, unfortunately, little personal talent in the sport of ice hockey. From there, life's journey took me to the University of Pennsylvania, where I earned degrees in Immunology and Medical Technology.

I arrived at Avon in the fall of 1979. I have taught math and science, and coached soccer, hockey, and baseball. 

ABOUT MR. STEPHENS

I grew up in Springfield, Illinois and the Land of Lincoln developed my early interest in history. From Historic New Salem to the Old State Capitol, I was around living history constantly. Family road trips to Maine broadened my horizon. Every summer we drove from Illinois to Maine and each trip had different major historical landmarks, including Williamsburg, Jamestown, Groton/New London Naval Sub Museum, and Mystic Seaport. It was these trips where I came to appreciate and love the Eastern United States, Connecticut College and now Avon Old Farms.

WHAT EXPERIENCE LED YOU TO AVON OLD FARMS SCHOOL?

I enjoy learning history via books and films, writing and researching history, and having lively historical discussions. While at Connecticut College, I developed a close relationship with my advisor who quickly approached me after my first year for help designing an intro-level, semester-long World War One class. Through my second year and into my third we worked many hours finding materials and creating themes for the class that would cross the disciplines of literature, art, science, and history. That spring semester we opened the class and I taught numerous lessons, ranging from the Spanish Flu to the Gallipoli Campaign strategy and chemical weapons. My responsibility also entailed creating and administering biweekly quizzes and advising class groups on their midterm projects. My final year, 2017-2018, I wrote an honors thesis that related back to my childhood Maine trips. It explored the relationship of Bath Iron Works, a naval contractor in Bath, Maine, and the permanent military state that was created in the United States during the period between World War One and World War Two. I hope to bring similar ground-level research and interdisciplinary work to my history classes at Avon Old Farms.

WHY DO YOU TEACH AT AVON OLD FARMS SCHOOL?

History in its essence is the telling of a story and as historians it is our duty to break down that story. The Avon Old Farms mission statement surrounding "pursuit of truth" and "justice" speaks to me. History is an everlasting pursuit of truth and piecing together information gathered from various sources and sides. It is also important to give each source justice and include all points of view before developing an argument. When I first came to visit I noticed the dedication and common purpose of both faculty and students to strive towards this mission and answering questions of why through numerous avenues. To me, this demonstrates wise young men who will serve their community well.