The Sycamore Community Summer Singers is proud to have with us our amazing Staff Chaperones: Paul Alexander, Victor Harris, Kevin Kreiner and Lee Pittman.
Our Staff Chaperones go above and beyond their ‘call of duty’ to assist our Director, Linda Gartner on these demanding performance tours. Each of our Staff Chaperones are members of the teaching staff at the Sycamore Junior High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. As trusted personnel of the SCSS, our Staff Chaperones contribute greatly to the success of our tours.
Paul Alexander
Paul Alexander just completed his 36th year of teaching at Sycamore Junior High School. In addition to teaching math and science, Mr. Alexander has also coached basketball, golf and cross country. Staying young at heart, Mr. Alexander enjoys biking, golf, skiing, running, basketball, and softball. He is also skilled in playing the guitar, bass and banjo – and is a member of the Alex Thio Trio + One, a combo of musicians (including his son, Ben) that performs with the Sycamore Junior High Choir concerts. Eating is another passion of Mr. Alexander’s – and claims that this is what he does best.
Mr. Alexander has accompanied Linda Gartner and the SCSS for all of the past three Europe tours. For him, each of these tours have been ‘uniquely magical’. Among the cities he has visited in the past with the SCSS, his favorites have been Salzburg, Rothenburg, and Prague.
This is my first SCSS trip as a singer. I am so proud to be a part of this group. This is also my first SCSS trip to a country that I have never visited before!
Victor Harris
Victor Harris has taught Social Studies at Sycamore for 19 of his 20 years in education. He is the Social Studies Department Supervisor and he teaches 8th grade American History. In addition to his teaching responsibilities he coaches three sports both at the junior high and high school. At the junior high he is an Assistant Coach for the 8th Grade football team and the Head Baseball Coach. At Sycamore High School he has been the Junior Varsity Girls basketball Coach for the past 15 years.
Mr. Harris attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and received both his undergrad and Master’s degrees from Miami. He did his student teaching at Sycamore High School and Sycamore Junior High and after teaching his first year at Hughes High School in the Cincinnati Public School system he came to Sycamore in 1990. This will be his fourth European trip with the SCSS and he also chaperones the domestic choir trips with Mrs. Gartner and the other staff chaperones.
He resides in Symmes Township, a suburb of Cincinnati, with his patient and lovely wife Meghan, who is a full time mom, and his 5-year old son Ty and 2-year old daughter Paige. Both children are enthusiastic singers who are both looking forward to singing in the Junior High choirs. Mr. Harris enjoys sports, reading and spending time with his family.
His favorite memories from the SCSS European tours are many:
The first trip in 2003 was special because it was my first time in Europe and because it was a new experience for all of us. We toured the cities of Prague, Vienna and Salzburg. It is still probably my favorite trip because it was so much more than any of us expected. Rooming with Mr. Kreiner and Mr. Alexander was definitely a lot of fun also. The second trip in 2005 also had many happy memories. Seeing Rome, Venice and Florence were incredible experiences. Another vivid memory from this trip was the Venetian woman crying tears of joy when she heard the kids give an impromptu concert after a pizza dinner from her balcony. Another, Venice memory was Neil Gartner using his extensive Italian vocabulary to try to order bread to soothe a student’s upset stomach. That was also the year that one of the parent chaperones tried to set Mr. Kreiner on fire, in an ice cave, on the top of a mountain in Salzburg and also when we experienced the Great Roman Hotel Blackout. The 2007 trip to Lucerne, the beautiful town of Rothenberg, and Innsbruck also holds great memories especially Mrs. Gartner’s great plan that involved Mr. Kreiner and I hauling a piano across a narrow bridge in Lucerne in the rain. It was well worth it however. This year’s trip will no doubt have many more memories and I can hardly wait. It will truly be an experience of a lifetime.
Kevin Kreiner
Kevin Kreiner taught at the Junior High in 1979 and started full time in 1980. As of 2009, he has completed 29 years of teaching. Mr. Kreiner teaches Physical Education and Health and has also instructed in 7th Grade Science. Currently, Coach Kreiner is the 8th Grade Head Football Coach at the Junior High and also serves as Head Boys Track coach. He is actively involved in the Boy Scouts as well.
Mr. Kreiner lives in Colerain Township with his wife Seretha. They are proud parents of three children: Ben, Joel and Kelly. (SCSS had the pleasure of having Kelly as a member of the choir in the Europe Trip 2005.)
This is Mr. Kreiner’s fourth trip with the Sycamore Community Summer Singers.
I will always remember trip one because it was my first visit to Europe. Rooming with Mr. Harris and Mr. Alexander was a blast. The abby a Melc was something I’ll always remember. Trip two was awesome because Seretha and Kelly got to share in the experiance too. As far as advice, be flexible, go with the flow. Soak in the scenery the people it will be awesome. Remember we are visitor. Make every person you meet on this feel appreciated. Our best stories will be things that just happen. We just don’t know how or when, but it will make this trip special.
Quote – “Be careful who you stand next to in an ice cave.”
Lee Pittman
Lee Pittman has been part of the Sycamore Junior High School staff since 1976. She began instructing in science and physical education, but currently instructs full-time in physical and health education. During her term of service, she took a hiatus of 5 years to be with her sons Eric and Bryan (now 28 and 26 years of age, respectively). Mrs. Pittman also coaches basketball, golf, track, tennis and the ski club.
As with the other Staff Chaperones, Mrs. Pittman has travelled with the SCSS since its first tour in 2003. Her favorites cities in past tours have been Prague, Rotherburg and Venice and Rome. Among the best of her memories on these tours have been the Melk Abbey, the Ice Caves in Salzburg, bike rides, the Vatican – and listening to the SCSS choir perform!
I’ve never been to Spain – and I’m looking forward to all of it, especially Montserrat, the art of Picaso and Goya – and the Mediterranean beaches!
