PFA Falcon Wings Honoree: Hester Burdman

FWCD’s Parent Faculty Association honored Assistant Head of Middle School Hester Burdman on Monday, September 11, with the first Falcon Wings of the 2023-24 academic year. Falcon Wings recognize PFA volunteers, FWCD teachers or staff who soar above and beyond the call of duty to enhance PFA programs or events or have improved the greater FWCD community by their dedication and enthusiasm. Your Place in the Universe by Jason Chin was donated to the library in her honor.

A member of the Falcon family since 2013, Burdman began as a Middle School Math and Science Teacher. She had previously taught middle and upper school math in Locust Valley, New York, and middle school math at Trinity Valley School.

At FWCD, she redesigned the sixth-grade math curriculum, transitioned from textbook-based lessons to iPad lessons, and designed curriculum objectives and aligned courses for grades 5-8 math classes. Burdman also established Math Buddies, a program that paired sixth-grade students with students in lower grades.

In August 2017, then Head of Middle School John Stephens named Burdman Assistant Head of Middle School. In this role, she served as Lead Coordinator on the Faculty Education Council, continued serving on the School’s Strategic Plan Steering Committee, and helped launch the Awesomeness Initiative, the Middle School’s nongraded elective course,  which is indeed AWESOME! Fishing? And baking? And beekeeping? At school?? If you don’t know about it, ask a Falcon who has completed eighth grade.

After the 2018-19 school year, she left the Assistant Head position to spend a year abroad with her husband, Michael, and children, Natalie ’30 and Nicky ’28, in Shanghai, China, teaching at an international school with students who also spoke English. 

She returned to FWCD in 2020-21 to teach Middle School math and science and also served as the sixth grade lead. When Stephen Blan was appointed Head of Middle School in 2021, he asked Burdman to assume the Assistant Head position. 

A team player, Burdman has returned to the math and science classrooms for double duty when needed. For two consecutive years, she served as Assistant Head of Middle School and Sixth Grade Math and/or Science Teacher! 

When nominating Burdman for the Falcon Wings award, Upper School History Teacher Jennifer Giroir  said, “My child has her for math, and Mrs. Burdman is a gift in the classroom regarding helping struggling students understand math.”

Head of Middle School Stephen Blan said, “Hester is the most thoughtful person I know. Every day, she asks people, ‘What can I help you with?’ And her help is always amazing. She regularly writes notes of encouragement to faculty in between leading, teaching and ‘mom-ing.’ She is the smartest person in the office and probably the building …. a great educator, and an even better human. No clue how I could manage this without her.”

Speaking of smart, Hester holds a bachelor’s degree in economic analysis and mathematics from the State University of New York at Binghamton and a master’s degree in secondary education from Hofstra University. She is committed to continuing her education and professional development, completing the Klingenstein Summer Institute at Columbia University, Schools Attuned through the All Kinds of Minds Institute, and the Women’s Leadership Seminar through The Heads Network. In her spare time, she became Ropes Course Certified.