When school starts on September 8, Rice’s 340 students will be greeted by four new faculty members:
Régine Ananou, French Teacher: Originally from the Southwest of France, Régine is a native French language speaker as well as near-native Spanish speaker. Régine earned her M.A. in English and Spanish with a concentration in International Business from the University of Toulouse-Mirail, France. For the past ten years Régine has lectured in French and Spanish at several universities on the East Coast of the United States. Since her family’s relocation to Vermont in Fall 2018, she has been an instructor for the Alliance Française Lake Champlain Region, in Burlington. She also served as a French Instructor at the Lake Champlain Waldorf School, in Shelburne, and at CVU Access, in Hinesburg.
James Gowdy, English Teacher: Born and raised just outside Boulder, Colorado, Jamie earned a bachelor’s degree in English at the University of Colorado and a Master of Education at Montana State University. He has ten years experience teaching English Language Arts in South Korea, Montana, and Connecticut. He is thrilled to begin a new chapter in teaching at Rice Memorial High School. In addition to teaching, he enjoys playing soccer with his children, going for family hikes and bike rides, writing poetry, and rooting for his Denver Broncos.
Fr. Matthew Rensch, Religion Teacher: Previously assigned to Christ the King Parish in Rutland with former Rice Principal Msgr. Bernard Bourgeois, Fr. Matthew is now the pastoral administrator (pastor-in-training) at a trio of churches in Waterbury, Moretown, and Waitsfield. While his older sister Christina and younger brother Tim both attended Rice, Fr. Matthew's teaching a senior Theology class is his first official role with Rice. In his spare time, Fr. Matthew enjoys reading philosophy, playing basketball, and exploring the beautiful hiking areas around central Vermont.
Juan Garcia Urbina, Spanish Teacher: Juan grew up in Bogotá, Colombia and attended a Catholic school, an experience that shaped his life and prompted his decision to pursue a career in education. After earning a Bachelor in Education at Universidad Francisco José De Caldas in Bogotá, Colombia, Juan worked as a Spanish and an English instructor for young adults, adults, and seniors. Juan later moved to Vermont to pursue his Masters degree in TESOL. He has taught at various Vermont schools and facilities, most recently teaching Spanish at middle school and high school level at Vermont Commons School. He has also taught and helped prepare New Americans for their citizenship exams, language skills tests and the linguistic and cultural changes that are part of life in the United States. Juan and his wife Emly have three children who inspire Juan to work hard and improve himself daily.
Rice's foundation is built on four pillars: Faith, Academic Excellence, Community and Service. Rice is a Roman Catholic high school that was founded in 1917 as Cathedral High School and was renamed after moving to the current location in 1959. Rice boasts over 10,000 Cathedral and Rice alumni.