A story of an alumnus and a beloved teacher

Chad Zooker (‘92) fondly remembers being a Grade 8 student in Mrs. (Sima) Abarbanel’s Social Studies class. “I remember her as being one of my favorite teachers. I joke that she sent me out in the hall, but she says she doesn’t remember that. I would go with her version. I really liked having her as a teacher, she really stood out.” Sima similarly has positive memories of Chad as a student. She recalls him as a “great student, always with a smile on his face, sitting in the back of her class.” Looking back, despite having a warm teacher/student relationship, neither Chad nor Sima could have anticipated how their paths might cross in the future.

After graduation from KSDS, Chad went on to attend medical school and become a respected orthopaedic surgeon. He moved back to the Pikesville area to practice medicine and raise his family. Chad and his wife, Lauren, enrolled their daughter at KSDS, and when Chad was at school for various functions, he would seek out his former teachers, “peeking his head in” to say hi. It was during this time that Chad informally reconnected with Sima, who was still teaching at KSDS after 23 years. 

This past year, Sima found herself in need of an orthopaedic doctor for several medical issues. She knew Chad specialized in this area through her interactions with him and his excellent reputation in the community. Soon after scheduling her appointment with him, she found out that being his former teacher meant VIP treatment by his staff, with everyone knowing she was Chad’s former teacher. When asked about this, Chad admitted that there was an electronic “sticky” on her digital file so everyone would know who she was to him and treat her accordingly. 

One of Sima’s medical concerns, a shoulder injury, recently troubled her to the point that it required surgery with Chad. While the procedure went smoothly and Sima is already nearly healed and back to exercising, Chad noted that operating on a former teacher was a bit “surreal”. When asked about the the entire experience being Sima’s doctor and if it was a bit of a role reversal, Chad said, “It’s a funny little flip of roles to some degree. She was the font of knowledge to me as a student, now she’s expecting me to be the same way in terms of the shoulder, the hows and why of surgery, how we are going to fix it, and what to expect in terms of recovery.”

Sima expressed she was thrilled with the result of her surgery, and thankful for having Chad as a doctor. When asked about her final thoughts on Chad becoming such an accomplished doctor, she said, “I guess we (Chad’s teachers) maybe did something right here. It’s nice to see one of our alums succeed like that.” 

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Its six days to go to the…..

Schechter on the Move 5K and 1 Mile Family Fun Run!

The fourth annual Schechter on the Move 5K and 1 Mile Family Fun Run will be on Sunday 31 May at 8 am. After the race there will be the ever-popular post-race festivities which are always tremendous fun for the entire family. There will be free food and refreshments, water tag, a moon bounce, a DJ, and this year visit the GECEC Giftique post-race!

We hope to see a great alumni and alumni parent turn out.

REGISTER HERE.