Institutional Researcher Denise Labieniec credits an unusual class from her sophomore year of high school for “opening up the world” to her, fundamentally shaping her worldview and her approach to teaching. That class—one that combined AP European history and English, co-taught by English and art history faculty—shifted away from a siloed approach to learning by subject to one where disciplines were integrated and considered within a broader context.

Today, as a science teacher, she still can’t help but consider how her particular area of study connects meaningfully to others such as art, literature, and music. She aims to share that sense of curiosity with her students, making room in class discussions for them to consider what they’re learning in her class in relation to both what they are studying in school and experiencing in their lives.

Hundreds of Winsor students have benefited from Denise’s pedagogical approach—having arrived at Winsor in 1995, she is among the longest-standing members of the faculty and administration. She spends half of her time teaching, and has played a variety of administrative roles at Winsor over the years, formerly serving as Science Department head and director of studies. Denise is currently Winsor’s institutional researcher, a position that allows her to apply her prodigious curiosity to the school itself; she considers various aspects of Winsor and the Winsor community, collecting, organizing, and analyzing data to help shape our plans for the future.

Denise is inspired daily by Winsor students for their resilience, individuality, and dedication. She hopes they take away from their time here “the confidence to ask questions when something isn’t making sense or fitting together,” understanding that such questions are an integral part of their learning experience, which only begins at Winsor, and will continue throughout their lives.