Over the past two years, Upper School World Languages Teacher Olivier Harménil has shared his passion for French language and culture with the Poly community.
In his French III and IV classes, Harménil encouraged students to strengthen their speaking skills and immerse themselves in French culture beyond grammar and vocabulary lessons.
“He really forced me into using my knowledge of French instead of reverting to English, and that helped me gain more confidence. This was especially true when I was in France for the [PolyGlobal] trip over spring break,” shared sophomore Natalia Lakoff, a student in Harménil’s French III class.
His classroom emphasized conversation and projection, pushing students to engage more deeply with the language.
“There is a core group of students who are really dedicated to learning and working, and I value their work a lot,” Harménil shared. “I also care a lot about human connections, and I find it especially rewarding to see students grow as the year goes on.”
Beyond language instruction, Harménil fostered thoughtful discussions about history, politics, and culture with both students and other faculty.
“Those discussions with Mr. Harménil helped me think deeper about how empires work,” Upper School History Teacher Alexander Melonas explained.
During his time at Poly, Harménil served as head coach for girls’ and boys’ varsity tennis and as an advisor for students.
“He really made our advisory unforgettable,” reflected sophomore Sylvie Shapiro, one of his advisees.
“Poly has been an experience which has brought a lot of learning moments. I also had to adopt a growth mindset, but in the end, that growth was very rewarding,” Harménil reflected.
He plans to continue his teaching career on the East Coast while spending more time with his son, who lives there. The Poly community thanks Harménil for his contributions and wishes him the best.
After eight years of mentoring and inspiring hundreds of students pursuing the sciences, Upper School Science Teacher William Mason is leaving the Poly community.
Mason has left a lasting impact on the Integrated Science and Biology curriculums. He integrated the Mudwatt project as a core component of Integrated Science. The project asks students to research and experiment to enhance a biological fuel cell that uses bacteria to generate electricity. Students record their findings and present the results at the end of the year.
Throughout his time at Poly, he has also served as Science Olympiad head coach and advisor as well as assistant cross country coach. In previous years, he has assisted the track and field team and boys JV soccer team.
Sophomore Jones Naliboff, a member of the Cross Country team, praised Mr. Mason’s contributions highly: “It was great to run with him. His constant motivation and energy was always encouraging, and he was always great to talk to when you were bored. He truly cared about everyone on the team and you could tell.”
Beyond his academic and athletic contributions, Mason notes that his impact lies in fostering a positive learning environment.
“ I try to be like a positive person, and just encourage people to maybe try to be a little bit more positive as well,” he said.
Freshman Brooklyn Posin, a student in Mason’s Integrated Science class, shared, “Mr. Mason makes learning fun, and you can tell he’s really interested in what he does. It gives me an incentive to learn more and be more interested in the topics we discuss.”
Upper School Film Teacher Adam Feldmath remarked, “Mr. Mason is a humble and compassionate person who continuously strives to put his all into his time working with students and colleagues while knowing there is always room for improvement. This is a model of humility that should inspire. He is a colleague I will dearly miss.”
“Everytime I took a science class in Poly and every time I will take a science class in the future I will be reminded of Mr. Mason’s Integrated Science class where he showed me the value of learning science,” reflected senior Akhil Venuturupalli.
Mason plans to move to Hudson, Ohio to teach at the high school where he graduated, Western Reserve Academy. The Poly community wishes Mason the best at his alma mater.
Upper School Learning Specialist Maya Seneus is departing from the Poly community after three years of supporting students with learning skills, time management, organization and self-advocacy.
Before coming to Poly, Seneus worked as a special education teacher in public schools. She joined Poly because she wanted to work at a private school while staying connected to students in a small environment.
In her role, Seneus worked to make learning differences feel less stigmatized, giving students advice about learning strategies and reminding them that everyone learns differently. She served as the faculty advisor for the Peer Tutoring program, helping to pair students for homework help.
As sophomore Ben Brady explains, “She actively promulgates teacher cognizance of student learning plans and normalizes it.”
“Ms. Seneus is so easy to work with!” shared senior Anya Patel, one of the Peer Tutoring representatives. “She’s a very patient listener, as well as an excellent note taker. I know she will continue to make an impact on students wherever she goes.”
Some of Seneus’s favorite memories came from Poly’s outdoor education trips, particularly her first trip to Zion and Bryce Canyon. Beyond big trips, Ms. Seneus has enjoyed the small moments with students on campus.
“I love when students come into my office and just start talking or venting or sharing something that happened in their day,” Seneus said.
Seneus plans to move to the East Coast and apply to law school in the fall, possibly focusing on family or education law. She hopes students remember that mistakes are an important part of learning and encourages students to focus less on grades and more on growth, explaining that learning should be about the process, rather than only the final grade.
“I think a lot of times something I’ve encountered at Poly is that students are very focused on grades, and I know that grades are important, and I also try to emphasize that the learning is equally as important, if not more so,” Seneus said.
10th Grade Dean and Human Development teacher Justin Riddle praised Seneus’s influence on the Poly community.
“Working with Mrs. Seneus has been one of the biggest highlights of my four years here at Poly. Her personality and professionalism have transformed the lives of students, families, and her colleagues. She will be greatly missed!” Riddle said.
Your donation will support the student journalists of Polytechnic School. Your contribution will allow us to purchase equipment and cover our annual website hosting costs.
