Chris Collins (6th Grade Lead Teacher)
middle school
Chris (she/her) is delighted to be starting her second year at Greene Street Friends School. Her ancestry traces deeply into Quaker lineage, including William Penn and Margaret Fell, and she has been a member of various Quaker meetings. Chris has been a student and teacher in various Friends schools. She got her feet wet in teaching at Oakwood Friends School in Poughkeepsie, NY, where she taught biology in the early 1980’s. Chris found that she felt very much at home as a student or a educator. This experience ignited her calling as a teacher.
Most recently, she was a founding teacher of Lancaster Friends School, which launched in the 2021-2022 year where she taught K-8 science, health and PE. Prior to that she developed and facilitated a robust health and human sexuality program for 7th to 12th grade students at Lancaster Country Day School (LCDS). She also taught 7th grade physical science while at LCDS.
Chris had an early fascination with health and the human body and considered pre-med at Earlham College but opted for a broader under graduate course of study. In 1986, she fulfilled her dream of pursuing a medical education and studied at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. She graduated in 1990 and while it was her intention then to work as a primary care physician, Chris took a detour and followed another life dream, to become a parent. She is Mom to three great kids (adults now) for whom she is deeply thankful.
Things Chris loves about teaching: She is a life-long student and appreciates the lessons learned every day from students. Younger students keep her on her toes literally, and she likes that. Middle school students are, well, in the middle of childhood and adulthood. The opportunity to witness and guide them in their transformation is a remarkable gift.
Fun facts: Chris bicycled from Earlham College in Indiana to Nova Scotia (1,500+ miles), ran a marathon along Lake Ontario in New York, and climbed the back side of Half Dome in Yosemite National Park. She loves to move by foot, wheel or water and, thankfully, her life partner does too. She loves dogs and currently has two beagle-mix rescues, Dobby and Penny. Chris loves to work in her garden and loves spending time with her wife, family, and friends.
