Anna B. Valerius Faculty Development Fund

For more than 30 years, Anna Valerius called the Pace Academy Lower School her home—serving first as a classroom teacher and later as Head of Lower School. She retired from Pace in 2014 and died peacefully on April 13 following a brief battle with cancer.

For generations of Pace students, “Mrs. V” was synonymous with the Lower School. She possessed a unique combination of grit and grace and always kept her students at the center. Pace Academy's signature character education program—now the Noble Knights’ Pillars of Character—was her brainchild, as was Light One Candle, the annual Lower School Holiday Program. She greeted every child, every day with a hug or a handshake, and her educational philosophy was simple: “Teaching brains and touching hearts.” Above all, her students knew that they were loved.

In accordance with the family's wishes, all gifts in honor of Anna Valerius will be contributions to Pace's endowment, and the earnings will benefit faculty and staff professional development.