Moncure is well-known in the Tidewater area as a passionate educator equally enthusiastic about the Rappahannock River, its history, and its ecosystems. Coming from a family of watermen, Moncure graduated from Hampden-Sydney College before joining the Peace Corps as a volunteer in Africa. When he returned to Virginia, he became the first-ever tidal river steward for the Friends of the Rappahannock. Most recently, he was a middle school science teacher at Aylett Country Day School, and was named Innovative Teacher of the Year by the Virginia Association of Independent Schools.
“There is no one more qualified than Richard to lead St. Margaret’s S.T.R.E.A.M. programming,” said Head of School Colley Bell. “He will work hand-in-hand with our faculty to develop river-centric applications that pull students away from their desks and outside to our new dock laboratory, our many boats, and our beach.”
Lessons in physics and fluid dynamics take on new meaning on the river, and the experiences of Native Americans and Virginia’s first settlers come alive as students navigate the same tributaries as John Smith in 1608. Likewise, Moncure will incorporate a heavy emphasis on environmental stewardship and how water quality and animal populations are changing in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
“I’m excited to join St. Margaret’s School and to be a part of the school’s vision that fits so closely to my teaching philosophy,” shared Richard Moncure. “St. Margaret’s girls can expect to be challenged and to have plenty of fun as they learn 21st-century skills in one of America’s oldest waterways.”
