Classics Department Head Scott Giampetruzzi is broadly interested in the history and literature of Greece and Rome and has devoted his attention more recently to the development of distinctively Roman views on philosophical thought in the literature of the late Republic and early Principate. He holds the Sherrard Billings Chair of Classics, established in memory of Reverend Sherrard Billings, one of the three original masters when the School was founded.

Scott arrived at Groton School in 2003, where he has taught Latin and Greek at all levels and coached soccer, baseball, and lacrosse. He became the head of an Upper School boys’ dorm in 2009, and before that, he was affiliated with a second form boys’ dorm for six years. Scott has a BA from Colby College and an MA from Fordham University. He resides in Giampetruzzi’s Dorm with his wife, Kathleen, and his son, Gus, and already is looking forward to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Mary Frances Bannard joined the teaching faculty at Groton in 2016. She did her undergraduate work at Middlebury College and the University of Virginia, and earned an MA in Classics from Bryn Mawr College, where she wrote her thesis on culinary metaphors in imperial Roman satire. Before coming to Groton, she taught middle and high school Classics and served as a grade level dean at the Agnes Irwin School in Rosemont, PA; she has also taught Latin at Nashoba Brooks School in Concord, MA.
 
At Groton, Mary Frances runs a Third Form girls' dorm and teaches in the Classics Department. She also assistant coaches girls cross country, helps with technical theater, and teaches the occasional yoga class. She lives on campus with her husband, Preston, also a member of the Classics faculty, their three daughters, and two dogs.

Preston Bannard, son of two former Groton faculty members and a graduate of the Form of 2001, returned to the Circle for a third time in 2014 as a member of the Classics Department faculty. Preston is particularly interested in Greek and Roman history and historiography, as well as epic poetry. He came to Groton after receiving an AB from Princeton and an MA from the University of Virginia, and teaching for seven years at the Baldwin School in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania.

Preston lives on campus with his wife, Mary Frances, who also teaches Classics and runs a Third Form girls dorm; their three daughters; and two dogs. In addition to teaching, he coaches basketball and baseball.

Kate Dennison began her teaching career at Kimball Union Academy and joined the Groton faculty as a Classics instructor in 1985, after earning a master’s in Latin at the University of Michigan. At Groton, she met her husband, Science Department Head Stephen Belsky. Following a sabbatical, Kate returned to campus as director of Academic Support, but within a few years had added teaching and coaching back into her schedule. She now coaches the thirds girls field hockey team and is assistant coach of the girls varsity basketball team.

In addition to her master's degree, Kate holds a BA from Wheaton College and an MSW from Boston University. She says her greatest appreciation for Groton surfaced in the last few years, when all three of her children—twins Molly ‘12 and David ’12 and brother Jared ’15—became students. Kate describes the experiences they have had—in the classroom, on the sports fields, in the theater, in the choir, and beyond—and the relationships they've built with adults and peers as “invaluable” to them and affirming to her.

Amy Martin-Nelson is a member of the Classics Department faculty and teaches Latin I, Latin II, Latin IV Ovid, and Latin IV AP Vergil. She began her teaching career at The Seven Hills School in Cincinnati, OH, and came to Groton from All Saints’ Episcopal School in Fort Worth, TX. She is a reader for the AP Latin exam.

Amy has trained as a classical archaeologist and has excavated in Carthage, Tunisia,and Arras, France. She has a BA in classical archaeology from University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and an MA in Latin from University of Georgia.

At Groton, Amy coaches the girls third soccer and basketball teams. She lives on campus with her husband, David, and their dog, Ollie. When she is not teaching or coaching, she enjoys hiking, cycling, and reading.

Mike O’Donnell came to Groton as dean of students in July 2012. In addition to his work in the Deans’ Office, he teaches Latin and US History, and coaches girls cross country.

Prior to his arrival on the Circle, David Ross taught for eight years at Yale University and for 27 years at the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor). During that time he wrote four books on Latin poets. A member of the Groton faculty since 2001, David teaches Classics. He frequently can be seen watching birds and other wildlife on the many acres surrounding Groton School. A boarding school product himself, David attended Hotchkiss School. He has a BA from Yale and a MA and PhD from Harvard.