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Shalhevet news online: When we know it, you'll know it

The Boiling Point

Shalhevet news online: When we know it, you'll know it

The Boiling Point

Shalhevet news online: When we know it, you'll know it

The Boiling Point

Mazel Tov: Mr. Tranchi, Ms. Berkey welcome baby boy

After years of “what-ifs,” curious inquiries, and baby-bump rumors,  English Department Chair Melanie Berkey and General Studies Principal Phu Tranchi welcomed their son Oliver Bui Berkey Tranchi into the world on April 18. Born at 5:07 a.m on a Sunday morning, he weighed six pounds, 10 ounces.

“It’s been nothing but excitement, and staring at him,” says new father Mr. Tranchi. “He’s barely been put down since he got home from the hospital.”

After an easy delivery, the new parents were shocked when doctors informed them that their son was born with an infection. Mr. Tranchi e-mailed the Shalhevet community to pray, and after seven days of antibiotics in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Oliver was healthy enough to go home.

Parents are the only people allowed in the NICU, to protect the sick babies from germs.  While Baby Oliver was there, Ms. Berkey and Mr. Tranchi were the only ones visiting him — until Mr. Danovich took action, and snuck into the NICU to meet the baby.

“He was this precious, tiny thing.” recalls Mr. Danovich. “It was this  really tender and delicate moment at the beginning of his life.”

Excited students had been brainstorming baby names for the four months since Mr. Tranchi and Ms. Berkey ecstatically announced what the dad-to-be called “the bun in the oven.” The most discussed name was Enzo, inspiring Ms. Berkey’s film class to produce their Film Noir project under the name “Enzo Productions.” Her AP English class were vying for a name based on a Literary character, like Iago from Shakespeare’s Othello.

Mr. Tranchi’s AP Chemistry class disagreed, suggesting elements on the periodic table as potential baby names. Argon and Krypton were class favorites.

Mr. Tranchi planned to take two weeks off as General Studies principal, but still planned to teach his AP Chemistry class. But when Oliver’s infection was discovered, Mr. Tranchi took several days off of school entirely to spend time with his wife and son. During that time, Math and Science teacher Christopher Buckley agreed to take his place. When Mr. Buckley left  for personal reasons, Senior Trevor Brandt Sarif took over.

But when Oliver was just 11 days old, Rabbi Weinbach resigned,  and Mr. Tranchi felt he needed to return as General Studies Principal.

“I heard that there was some unrest in the school and I didn’t want my absence to exacerbate  that,” says Mr. Tranchi. “I came back to help calm things down.”

Ms. Berkey will be on maternity leave until next fall, but plans to be in and out of school this year, especially nearing finals. Mrs. Caryn Malkus, who teaches an after-school dance class at Shalhevet, is substituting for all of Ms. Berkey’s classes besides AP English, which was taken over by Ms. Deborah Sokol.

Next year, Ms. Berkey plans to return and teach two classes —  film and AP English — and lead Advisory, leaving Baby Oliver in the loving care of both his parents’ families.  Ms. Berkey also plans to remain English Department Chair.

Ms. Berkey and Mr. Tranchi met at Shalhevet where they have been teaching for 12 and 10 years, respectively. They married in 2006.

Students and faculty alike anxiously wait to meet Baby Oliver, and he is already considered a part of the Shalhevet family.

“The baby is a part of our community because his parents are our teachers,” said junior Idor Edry.

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