the masters school | spring 2016
INTRODUCING
Laura Danforth 14th Head of School
Swimmers launch from the starting blocks at a meet in the Fonseca Center.
C O N T A C T S The Masters School 49 Clinton Avenue Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522-2201 914-479-6400 www.mastersny.org Send letters to: Bob Horne bob.horne@mastersny.org Send address changes to: Judy Donald judy.donald@mastersny.org Send alumnae/i news to news editors listed in Class Notes or: Angelique Chielli angelique.chielli@mastersny.org
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ON THE COVER Head of School Laura Danforth with students outside Masters Hall.
CONTENTS COVER STORY
D E PA RT M E N T S
04
02 FROM BOARD CHAIR TRACY TANG LIMPE ’80 15 CAMPUS HIGHLIGHTS 16 AUTHORS’ CORNER
INTRODUCING LAURA DANFORTH: NEW HEAD OF SCHOOL >> Masters’ new Head talks about her priorities, plans and vision for The Masters School.
20 SNAPSHOTS 22 ALUMNAE/I UPDATE
F E AT U R E S
08 10
MASTERS COMMUNITY EXAMINES ISSUES OF RACE AT SYMPOSIUM >> Students, teachers, staff, parents and alumnae/i engaged in a vital conversation during the Masters Matters symposium, Reimagining Race: What If We Could Transcend Racism?
MASTERS DEEPENS FOCUS ON DIVERSITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE >> The Diversity Initiatives program intensifies its efforts to help cultivate a diverse and inclusive community at The Masters School.
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“DOC” WILSON LOOKS BACK ON TWO DECADES AS MIDDLE SCHOOL HEAD >> Everett “Doc” Wilson reflects
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IN MEMORIAM: Jane Rechtman
on the growth and evolution of the Middle School under his leadership, and shares some poignant memories of his interactions with students over the years.
IN MEMORIAM: Jane Lightner Meads ’42, Barbara McDonald Stewart ’44, Khakasa Wapenyi ’88 and Susan Beck Wasch ’53 the bulletin | spring 2016 | 01
FROM TRACY TANG LIMPE ’80
Laura’s Impressive Debut Dear Friends, By the time you are reading this spring 2016 issue of The Bulletin, Laura Danforth will be completing her first year as Head of School. In this issue, Laura shares her insights on Masters, her personal “guiding principles,” and the beginnings of her vision for The Masters School of the future. Laura has said that she felt “all roads led to Masters” for her. I am confident that I speak for the entire Board of Trustees when I say that for us, “all roads led to Laura.” This began with the head of school search process – a rare opportunity to step back and see Masters through outsiders’ eyes. This experience was hugely affirming on many levels: because of the immensely qualified candidates attracted to Masters, because the committee, a diverse group of 10, was unexpectedly united in our decision-making, and ultimately because this yearlong process brought us Laura Danforth. In the months that Laura has been on the job, I have become more and more impressed by her as a person, a leader and as the right choice to lead Masters into the future. Laura has immersed herself in the daily life and culture of Masters with energy and purpose, eager to know and understand the history, traditions and people of our school. She has shown herself to be a person who listens thoughtfully and with an open heart, and communicates her own ideas clearly and directly. Laura is undaunted by the many challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, whether they be continuing to attract and retain a stellar faculty and student body, expanding and refining Masters’ signature programs, or leading an effort to support these programs through endowment and capital fundraising. As the end of the search process brought a sense of affirmation about the strength of The Masters School and how far we have come, the end of Laura Danforth’s first year as Head brings a sense of confidence and optimism about an even brighter future for Masters.
Sincerely,
TRACY TANG LIMPE, ’80, P ’18 Chair Board of Trustees
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Danforth joins students in a discussion around a Harkness table.
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COVER STORY
INTRODUCING Laura Danforth Laura Danforth was formally installed as The Masters School’s 14th Head of School on October 17, 2015. A leader known for her warmth, energy and bold approach, she brings a wealth of experience as an educator and administrator to her new role. Over the course of her 30-year career in independent schools, Danforth has been a teacher, counselor, dean of students, dean of faculty, coach, and dorm parent. Before joining Masters, she was Principal of the Upper School at Ethical Culture Fieldston School. Prior to that, she served for nine years as Associate Head of School at Miss Porter’s School. We sat down with Danforth in March and asked her a series of questions about her priorities, plans and vision for The Masters School.
Q: A:
When you arrived at Masters, you shared a set of guiding principles with your leadership team. Can you share what principles guide you in your work as Head of School?
Sure! Kindness and respect above all. Even in the most difficult conversations, I’m committed to these principles. Simplicity and stewardship: I’m committed to using our school’s financial and natural resources carefully. Community and inclusion: balancing one’s needs with the needs of the whole; a sense of tribe and belonging; fostering strength through diversity. Equality: honoring all faiths and peaceful traditions; respect and equity for all individuals. Teaching our students about social justice. A community that exists in a container of good: Author Augusten Burroughs uses this term in the context of his marriage. He says: “Even when we fight, we fight inside a container of good.” That is, even when we disagree, there’s an assumption of basic trust and alliance. Creating a working environment that isn’t “siloed”: I want to underscore a
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CAREER HIGHLIGHTS Education M.A., counseling psychology Lesley University B.A., psychology and anthropology Colby-Sawyer College Experience Principal, Upper School Ethical Culture Fieldston School Associate Head of School Miss Porter’s School
Top: Danforth addresses the audience at her
Dean of Faculty Suffield Academy
Installation ceremony on October 17, 2015.
Dean of Students Ethel Walker School
Above: Danforth with two Installation
Director of Counseling St. Paul’s School
family friend and former student of
ceremony guest speakers: Michelle Lee, a Danforth’s, and John Green, a mentor and former colleague.
students’ natural capacity and desire to learn. It works so well here at Masters, and the end result is students who think critically and who know their voice matters – as do the voices of others around the table. Certainly our diversity is a major strength. There’s not another school in this area that has students from 15 states and 31 different countries. In the world that Danforth and her spouse, Dr. Paula Chu, and their children (left to right) – Ting, T’ai and Yani. our students will be shaping, having meaningful, relational experience with a wide variety of Now that you are well into your first year, what do perspectives and cultures is essential. And in light of our consider Masters’ greatest strengths to be? emphasis on a global perspective in so much of our curriculum, having representatives from all over the globe brings depth There’s an overall culture of kindness at Masters. I felt it and integrity to our program. when I first interviewed, and I remember wondering if Because Masters is both a day school and a boarding it was real. It is. This is a tremendous strength that we school, its campus is a hub of activity seven days a week, with should never take for granted. It is a renewable resource we day students joining their boarding counterparts in all sorts of need to safeguard and appreciate. activities. That interaction reinforces the School’s strong sense Also, most of the people here – students, faculty, staff, of community – another of its strengths. alumnae/i, parents, trustees – genuinely want to learn and grow. When you convey that you want to understand their perspective and want to help them be better, most people in When you arrived on campus, you invited all our community are open to holding themselves to higher and students to seek you out so that you could shake higher standards of practice and behavior. That takes courage their hands. Why was that important to you? and a sense of basic trust. It’s a great sign of health within a working culture of collaboration and dismantle the barriers that separate turfs unnecessarily. Caretaking the beauty of our campus: We are stewards of our School and its grounds and are charged with its maintenance, its beautification, its sense of welcome to others. When we’re in peaceful, attractive surroundings, our spirits are lightened, our work is enhanced.
Q: A:
community. The quality and culture of our academic program – including the arts – are signature strengths. Masters offers both a challenging academic program and a supportive environment in which to learn and grow, one that encourages students to fulfill their potential. The way the School employs the renowned Harkness teaching methodology is also key. The Harkness approach teaches our students how to listen closely, how to put their thoughts into words, to take the risk of not knowing. It’s an ethos, really, more than a methodology. Teaching in this way also requires teachers who are willing to guide, trusting in the
Q: A:
It was fun! I wanted to meet every student personally so they could get to know me and become comfortable with me as the new Head of School. Also, I think it’s our responsibility as adults to teach students how to introduce themselves and greet someone. It’s important to me that students know how to properly, confidently and warmly greet newcomers on campus – that goes a long way toward showing people who we are. So if a student gave me a lukewarm handshake or didn’t actually greet me, we’d try again. Most students seemed game and we had fun with it. >>
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COVER STORY
Q: A:
What are three or four programs at Masters that you would like to see take hold as signatures of a Masters education?
First, I want to stress that our academic program will remain our signature strength – one that is both constant and evolving. Our teachers work hard to educate our students to see the world through the many lenses that inform a solid liberal arts program. Alongside that core curriculum, I want very much to see innovation and entrepreneurship programs strengthen and spread at Masters so that we can take advantage of the constant flow of ideas and creative energy that spring from adolescents. These initiatives include our highly successful robotics program and new Innovation & Entrepreneurship Center. In addition, we plan to introduce an engineering program next year. Computer science will continue to merit a spotlight and deliberate use of our resources. I would like the Ethical Leadership Project, which introduces students from grade 9 onward to the concept and practice of ethical leadership, and the Middle School’s innovative theme-based and interdisciplinary curriculum, to become hallmarks of a Masters education. I’m also working on generating support and structure for our work on mindfulness and sustainability – both important commitments that require a long-term perspective on our health as individuals, as the human family, and as stewards of our planet.
Q: A:
What are you most proud of accomplishing in your first months as Head?
I feel as though I’ve quickly gained a good grasp of our strengths and our challenges, and that I’ve dived deep in these first months. It helped enormously to meet one-on-one with each adult in the community this fall. These conversations were substantive, meaningful, and tremendously informative. I’m addressing the issue of inequity among faculty salaries head-on. Most of our teachers are paid less than their counterparts at many of our sister institutions. We’re working hard to recalibrate salaries in a way that is more equitable within Masters and comparable to salaries at similar institutions by outside measures. I don’t want us to lose a fantastic educator because a neighboring school can pay more.
Q: A:
What new practices and policies have you established?
I think I bring an emphasis on transparency and responsiveness in communication, and I hope this is palpable from meetings to missives. I’m working on strengthening our responsiveness to colleagues, parents and alumnae/i. We’re moving toward a greater and greater sense of connectedness and repairing places where relationship and communication need more attention. But nothing is just mine – it takes a village. It takes a community. That includes promoting and practicing sustainability on campus – recycling, reducing use of plastic, turning off lights, that kind of thing. I feel strongly that Masters should expand its “green” practices, so I’m working on that. As a first step, I created a Sustainability Task Force that is studying the various models of sustainability in places similar to Masters.
Left: Danforth meets Middle School students during the All-School Community Meeting in September 2015.
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Introducing Laura Danforth, cont.
Q: A:
What Masters traditions do you like? Are there more to come?
I love that historically girls’ schools are replete with traditions that underscore our connection to something larger and longer lasting than ourselves. This feels familiar and joyful to me. And there are so many wonderful traditions at Masters. Every independent school has some flavor of Morning Meeting, for example, but ours deliberately weaves in all kinds of traditions and so Morning Meeting itself is much more tradition than routine. Founder’s Day was an absolute blast. And I love when the Middle School students dress up before holidays and long weekends. MISH, our service learning program, is thriving, as are time-tested clubs such as Phoenix, Zetetics and of course, DAA. Starting this fall, we’ll be sending freshmen on a retreat as an orientation and bonding experience. I have a couple of other ideas in mind, but want to see how a full year goes before launching them. Some of the best traditions develop organically, so who knows?
Q: A:
What are some of the major challenges facing Masters in the next five to 10 years?
Well, we need to raise a good deal of money to bring Masters to its true potential. As we raise faculty salaries, increase financial aid, and build new programs that help us offer a top-notch 21st century education, the capital demands are significant. We also have a tremendous amount of deferred maintenance that is in need of increasingly urgent attention. From ailing trees to the outdated theater to the worse-for-wear Strayer Hall and dorms, we have lots and lots of projects that are eventually going to cost us more to neglect than to repair. And I haven’t even mentioned the costs of saving our one-of-a-kind Estherwood Mansion! Boarding schools all over the U.S. are dealing with the challenge of finding more domestic boarding students, and Masters is no different. While we are immensely proud of our international student representation, the families of those students rightly have the cultural expectation that their child will be in a
community primarily composed of students from this country. So we will always be searching for replacements for the wonderful domestic boarding students who graduate each year.
Q: A:
What will Masters look like in 10 years?
Masters will be well-recognized as an innovative leader in education, and as a place where young women and men become confident, articulate, and ethical young adults. It will be a place that has met its many challenges – with its might. It will be a place where learning and connecting to others in meaningful ways is mindful and joyful. Masters will be working, again and still with its might, to produce young thinkers who are determined to be forces for good. There will be a greater continuity of learning, a stronger sense of being a cohesive school that serves students from grades 5 to 12. And CITYterm will be even more at the forefront of experience-based learning. I hope there will be a “new” and reconceived library, a reenvisioned dining hall, a modernized theater, state-of-the-art spaces for teaching and learning music, dorms in great shape, a thriving natural campus environment, and a community of people who bring their own reusable bags to the local Stop & Shop! I’m thinking big! As a final note, I want to say that I’m proud that I made the decision to come to Masters – it’s the right place for me. It’s robust, yet I am able to address its areas of challenge and have a positive impact. That I waited for the right place – and that we found each other – feels good.
Below: Sporting a red sneaker and a blue sneaker, Danforth displays her Delta/Phi spirit on Founder’s Day last fall.
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FEATURES
Masters Community Examines Issues of Race at Symposium By Janice Leary
MEMBERS OF THE MASTERS COMMUNITY DELVED INTO THE TOPIC OF RACE DURING REIMAGINING RACE: WHAT IF WE COULD TRANSCEND RACISM?—A DAYLONG SYMPOSIUM HELD ON CAMPUS ON MARCH 4.
Above right: Students gather in the Pittsburgh Library Conference Room to discuss issues raised during the symposium.
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The thought-provoking event was the second in the annual Masters Matters series. This year’s topic was chosen in the belief that Masters should be part of the national conversation about race and young people should be part of the solution as our society continues to grapple with race-related issues. Students in grades 8-12, faculty and staff, and about 80 parents and alumnae/i – some who came from as far as Los Angeles and Georgia – participated in the event. “We have to be able to have these conversations about race, about injustices, blind spots, perceptions, and practices that sometimes divide us in ways we may not realize,” Head of School Laura Danforth said in opening remarks. “We do not want to be a community that is, in the words of Cornel West, ‘well adjusted to injustice and well adapted to indifference.’ The alternative to having these difficult conversations is being in a community that is too afraid to have these conversations. Let us say ‘no thank you’ to that. Let our desire to learn override fear.”
The program began with a screening of the documentary film I’m Not Racist…Am I? The movie follows what happens when a diverse group of 12 teenagers embark on an exploration of race and racism over the course of one school year. After the screening, students met with their advisors and other faculty members to discuss their reactions to the film and the issues that it raised. Meanwhile, parents and alumnae/i participated in a workshop moderated by facilitators from the film’s production company, who addressed questions about the movie and its implications. Activist and author Tim Wise, a prominent antiracist writer and educator, gave the keynote speech at the Fonseca Center. He said that Masters’ decision to engage in substantive conversations about race, racism and racial inequity is commendable, as many Americans believe that because we have an African American president, racism simply no longer exists. “The reality is, we all have internalized a certain degree of bias,” Wise said. “Why? Because we live in this culture and it’s part of the culture. There’s no shame in it. You just have to own it.” All of us have been subjected to the same conditioning about racial stereotypes, he added. Only when we are aware of those stereotypes can we fight them. Wise also emphasized the need to recognize that racism is not only personal but also “a systemic and institutionalized force, with patterns and practices throughout history.” In the U.S., that history includes housing discrimination, redlining practices by banks, and law enforcement agencies’ discriminatory treatment of people of color. Wise, who sprinkled his rapid-fire speech with anecdotes, ended with one about a college housemate who had cooked a pot of gumbo one night, only to leave it on the stovetop for days. After 36 hours, Wise finally cleaned up the mess, even though he had not created it. The incident,
Masters community members gather in the Fonseca Center gymnasium to listen to keynote speaker Tim Wise.
he said, serves as a metaphor for human society. “When we get tired of living with the residue of what people did long before we came on the scene, and the inequities and injustices that they created and perpetrated, then we will clean it up – not because we are guilty for having created it, but because we are responsible for what we do from this point forward.” At Masters, efforts to address the societal problems of racial inequity and bias include the School’s Diversity Initiatives program. Joyce Lewandowski, Associate Dean of Students and Director of Transition and Diversity, and three student Diversity Ambassadors – peer educators – discussed the program during a workshop for parents and alumnae/i. During the session, several parents and alumnae/i asked how they could support the work of the Ambassadors. At the end of the day, symposium attendees gathered for a “Reflections” session to further explore the issues and questions raised during the event. Junior Treasure Brooks, a Diversity Ambassador, told the group that because many white students were engaging in substantive discussions about racism for the first time that day, it understandably will take time for them to fully grasp some of the ideas examined. “If we remain hopeful,” she said, “with time, these ideas will resonate.” However, Treasure said, she noticed a change just over the course of the day on March 4. After watching I’m Not Racist… Am I? in the morning, some students were
Keynote speaker Tim Wise addresses the audience at the Fonseca Center.
skeptical, defensive or dismissive, she noted. But after students participated in follow-up discussions with their peers and advisors, and heard Wise speak, they expressed a greater understanding of the issues. “By the end of the day,” Treasure said later, “there were a lot of aha moments.” Masters plans to continue this vital conversation about race and diversity in the months ahead. As Laura Danforth put it, “This is not work that ends or should end. We all need to be able to be part of the conversation – and part of our evolution toward ever-greater equity, justice and inclusion.” See “Masters Deepens Focus on Diversity and Social Justice” on page 10 to learn about Masters’ ongoing efforts to increase diversity and cultivate an inclusive community.
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FEATURES
Masters Deepens Focus on Diversity and Social Justice By Janice Leary
THERE’S A NEW GROUP AT MASTERS THAT EXEMPLIFIES THE PLEDGE TO “BE A POWER FOR GOOD IN THE WORLD.” THEY ARE STUDENTS, FACULTY AND STAFF MEMBERS WHOSE ROLE IS TO ENSURE THAT THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY IS AS DIVERSE AND INCLUSIVE AS IT CAN BE.
Student Diversity Ambassadors gather with Joyce Lewandowski, Director of Transition and Diversity (second from right).
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Known as Diversity Ambassadors, they are part of Masters’ evolving and expanding Diversity Initiatives program. The primary focus of the program is “to help cultivate an inclusive community through education and awareness,” explains Joyce Lewandowski, Associate Dean of Students and Director of Transition and Diversity at Masters. That goal is carried out primarily by getting students involved as peer educators, says Lewandowski, the first Director of Transition and Diversity at the School. “Students are going to be the main force for spreading awareness of social justice at Masters,” Lewandowski says. After joining Masters in the summer of 2014, Lewandowski’s initial task was to observe and ask questions of the community to help gauge Masters’ needs regarding diversity initiatives. After consulting with Matthew Ives, Head of the Upper School, she designed and
Left to right: Emma Friedman ’18, Tyler Guy ’17, Fatomata Konteh ’17, Nina Hylton ’17, Adriana Bjaringer ’17, and Kintashé Mainsah ’17 at the Student Diversity Leadership Conference in Tampa, FL.
taught a Diversity Seminar that debuted in the fall of 2015, with students, faculty and staff members participating. “I wanted the seminar participants to have official roles, which led to the Diversity Ambassador program,” Lewandowski says. The Ambassadors – 28 students and 14 faculty and staff members – are official peer educators whose mission is to enhance diversity awareness within the Masters community. “It’s really an amazing group,” Lewandowski notes. “It’s important to have a team that is engaged in sharing, collaborating and educating the community on this topic.” The student Ambassadors are actively involved in various diversity initiatives at Masters. For example, they help Lewandowski facilitate discussions during the Diversity and Inclusion segment of the Freshman Seminar program. In addition, the students host open forums and film screenings, develop poster campaigns, share personal stories at Morning Meeting, co-sponsor events with School clubs and organizations, and in the future, will do even more. Students become Ambassadors either by completing the Diversity Seminar or attending the annual Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC), a multiracial, multicultural gathering of upper school student leaders from across the United States. The conference focuses on such topics as developing cross-cultural communication skills, effective strategies for social justice, and practicing expression through the arts. “I got involved in Diversity Initiatives to try to educate the community on social justice matters,” says Emma Friedman, a Diversity Ambassador and sophomore. “I think a lot of people in our society, and even in our community, don't always realize how something they are doing or saying is offensive or hurtful to others. Through educating people on social justice, I want to help them become better equipped to deal with diversity issues that arise, and equipped with knowledge of things that are acceptable and things that are not.” Emma was one of six Masters students who attended the annual SDLC in December 2015. Meanwhile, several faculty members involved in the Diversity Initiatives program attended The People of Color Conference held at the same time and location. Both events are sponsored by the National Association of Independent Schools. Victoria Mayorga, a freshman who is a Diversity Ambassador, recalls that at the public school she previously attended, “diversity wasn’t a topic discussed or even mentioned. Everyone turned a blind eye to it, as well as to social justice issues and worldwide events that affected many people.” When she came to Masters, Victoria adds, “I wanted to dive right into any program that would give me a well-rounded knowledge and open my eyes more. I believe that joining this program was one of the best things I have done at this School.”
Although Masters has had diversity groups, such as Onyx and Latinos Unidos, for years and has participated in the SDLC event for at least a decade, the School’s diversity efforts have become more formalized under the Diversity Initiatives umbrella, according to Lewandowski. “In these days of being ‘politically correct,’ we have shied away from those discussions that would otherwise help educate us about what makes us different and why,” observes Diversity Ambassador Karen Brown, Director of Admission for the Middle School. “I was so excited to become an Ambassador because I realized this would give me the opportunity to not only share my stories with those I see every day but also to learn from their various experiences, backgrounds and beliefs.” Brendon Barrios, an Upper School history teacher who is an Ambassador, also welcomed the opportunity to get involved. “Being a first-generation American citizen and new to Masters, it was important for me to connect and collaborate with students who come from diverse backgrounds, or a shared background,” Barrios says. The program includes a four-member Faculty Diversity Committee, which meets regularly to discuss ways in which it can support students and work with faculty and staff on various diversity initiatives. The committee also sponsors forums and film screenings for the Masters community. One forum topic this year was “Bigotry in the Name of Religion,” while one of the films shown was The Mask You Live In, a documentary about boys and young men struggling “to stay true to themselves while negotiating America’s narrow definition of masculinity.” Masters is also an active supporter of the Independent School Gender Project, which focuses on gender and equity issues at independent schools. Lewandowski, Dean of Students Jessica Nuñez and Stephanie Mestyan, an Upper School art teacher, bring a small group of students to the Project’s biannual summer conference for girls and women, and are also part of the planning committee for this national conference. The next one is scheduled to take place from June 16-18, 2016. In addition, Lewandowski is a member of the Fairchester Diversity Practitioners Network. The members, who come from schools in Westchester County and Fairfield County, CT, share resources, discuss trends at their schools, and brainstorm about next steps.
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FEATURES
“Doc”Wilson Looks Back on Two Decades as Middle School Head WHEN EVERETT “DOC” WILSON BECAME HEAD OF MASTERS’ MIDDLE SCHOOL IN 1996, THE SCHOOL WAS HOUSED IN MASTERS HALL AND HAD AN ENROLLMENT OF 78 STUDENTS. TODAY THE SCHOOL HAS ITS OWN BUILDING AND BOASTS 175 STUDENTS. By Janice Leary “Dramatic enrollment growth has transformed us from a tiny middle school to one that is second to none,” says Wilson, who is retiring after 20 years at the helm of the Middle School. During his tenure, he oversaw the addition of a fifth grade, the establishment of single-gender classes in grades six, seven and eight, and the creation of a theme-based and interdisciplinary curriculum centered on experiental learning. Underpinning his philosophy as school Head, Wilson says, is his belief that “the children come first. I’ve always worked hard to keep in the forefront that every child here should feel known and loved.”
Doc Wilson in his office earlier this year.
“Nothing is more important than the sacred trust that a family puts into a school and by extension, its leader,” Wilson adds. “I tell parents, ‘We will treat your child as I treat my own children.’ We challenge them, guide them, set limits and even scold them when necessary – but always, with love and a desire for them to be their best selves.” The Head and his wife, Melissa, have two children – Sophie ’09, age 25, and Thomas, age 23. Wilson, who greets students as they arrive every morning – usually while sporting one of his signature bow ties – is known for the strong rapport he has with the Middle Schoolers. He starts off Morning
“...the children come first. I’ve always worked hard to keep in the forefront that every child here should feel known and loved.”
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A message to Wilson on one of the paper bow ties sold for a Middle School fundraising effort.
Meeting with an exuberant “Oh, Hello!” to the assembled students. “Doc makes the Middle School feel like a home,” observes Matthew Ives, Head of the Upper School and a former Middle School history teacher who also joined Masters in 1996. “The kids know they can always go back and be welcomed with a hug, a handshake and Doc’s hearty ‘Hello!’ ” Wilson came to Masters at a pivotal time – when the School was transitioning from an all-female educational institution to a coeducational one. Pamela Clark, thenHead of School, hired Wilson in part to oversee the establishment of single-gender classes in grades 6 through 8, an approach that has been shown to create an optimal learning environment for boys and girls in that age group. “It has worked from the get-go,” says Wilson, who studied the extensive clinical research on the approach before putting it into practice at Masters. “The way that preteen boys and girls take in and process information is different, as is the way that many adolescent issues affect them.” During his tenure, Wilson also initiated the development of an interdisciplinary curriculum that is handson and theme-based. When studying the Hudson River, for example, sixth graders learn about pollution by taking water samples from the river. Seventh graders gain a better sense of America’s immigration history by portraying early 20th century immigrants during Ellis Island Reenactment Day and visiting Ellis Island and the Lower East Side Tenement Museum. “It’s that kind of experience that takes learning out of the textbook and makes it come alive,” Wilson notes. “It’s not the spoon-fed type of education that many of us experienced.”
Wilson, who has been an educator for 46 years, can also take credit for recruiting and maintaining a talented and caring Middle School faculty. “One of the things I’m most proud of is helping over time to put together a very skilled and professional faculty,” he says, adding that he has always been impressed by the way that the teachers collaborate, share advice, and respect each other. Faculty members, in turn, say that Wilson has been a source of wisdom and inspiration for teachers and students over the last 20 years. “Doc has been a revered model for students and teachers alike, and his patient, compassionate and upbeat persona has greeted everyone who has walked through the doors of the Middle School,” says Stephen Hildreth, a longtime Middle School humanities teacher. “I am grateful for his unflagging support, for his celebration of the middle school student,
for his Cool Hand Luke demeanor in the midst of storms, and his loyal friendship.” Another veteran faculty member, art teacher Bruce Robbins, says of Wilson: “He is truly a dedicated leader who really ‘gets’ the middle school years and all the growth that occurs. He allows the students to make the mistakes young people will make and then helps turn them >> into teachable moments.”
Wilson presides over the Middle School’s graduation ceremony in 2010.
Fifth graders meet in Wilson’s office for a humanities class. the bulletin | spring 2016 | 13
“Doc” Wilson Looks Back, cont.
FEATURES
Wilson listens intently during an all-school morning meeting on Founder’s Day last fall.
Karen Brown, Director of Admission for the Middle School, notes that Wilson “has inspired me as a colleague and comforted me as a parent. His door has always been open for easy and difficult discussions, he never hesitated to give consideration to my new ideas, and he has always had a positive outlook on even the most difficult situation.” In his first meeting with the faculty at the start of each school year, Wilson would compare the Middle School’s faculty and staff to a flock of geese flying in a V formation. Noting that the analogy borrows from “Lessons from Geese,” a speech given by an American educator years ago, Wilson says, “Geese are loyal and share responsibilities. If one is ill or wounded, another stays with that goose until it’s ready to rejoin the flock. When the lead goose tires, it drops back into the formation and another takes its place at the head of the flock. That is a metaphor for how we try to operate at the Middle School.” Wilson’s geese story became so well known that over the years, students, teachers and trustees gave him figurines and sketches of geese and ducks. He now has about 50 feathered creatures in his collection, including the duck decoys that decorate his home. When asked what he will miss most about the Middle School, Wilson said without hesitation, “The kids. The joy that they bring on a day-to-day basis; their laughter, their tears, their excitement, their frustrations. And the way that they come to
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“Being around these kids makes me a better person...it will be an adjustment to not have 175 kids in my life every day.”
me looking for advice.” Nina Hylton ’17 says that she learned a great deal from Wilson when she attended the Middle School. “One of his most important lessons is that students need to fail in order to reach their full potential,” she says. “Doc will truly be missed in the hearts
of every student who had the chance to know him.” Although Wilson, too, will miss the Middle Schoolers when he retires, he says that his “many tender moments with students” will stay with him always. In one such interaction this year, a fifth grade boy who had done poorly on a vocabulary test told Administrative Assistant Kelly Torielli that “Doc is going to be so disappointed in me.” Moments later, Wilson reassured the tearful youngster that all he had to do was study over the weekend and he would be retested the following Monday. “The student looked me in the eye, stuck out his hand to shake mine and said, ‘thank you!’ ” Wilson recalls. “Stuff like that just touches your heart.” “Being around these kids makes me a better person,” Wilson says. “It will be an adjustment to not have 175 kids in my life every day.” As for the next phase of his life, Wilson is looking forward to spending time with Melissa and doing a little traveling. He also plans to do service work and is particularly interested in volunteering for Habitat for Humanity. As a lifelong educator, he says, “It’s important to me to continue to help others in some way.” Editor’s Note: Tasha Elsbach will succeed Wilson as Middle School Head on July 1, 2016. Elsbach is a veteran educator and administrator who has served as Head of the Middle School at The Brearley School in Manhattan since 2000.
CAMPUS HIGHLIGHTS
Students Net Awards at Model UN Conferences Special Knesset Committee on Cyber Security; and senior Andrew Ciacci received an Honorable Mention in the Cuban Missile Crisis committee. In January, 50 Masters students attended the Yale Model United Nations Conference, joining 1,600 students from more than 40 countries. Junior Willa Dow was named Best Delegate, while freshman James Minzesheimer and sophomore Stephen Boe were named Outstanding Delegates. Masters students and teachers at the Yale Model United Nations Conference in January 2016.
Eight Upper School students won awards and joined classmates in learning about diplomacy at Model United Nations conferences this year. Masters sent 25 students as delegates to the Princeton Model United Nations Conference in November, which drew some 1,100 students from several countries. “We had students participating in 19 committees” says Brendon Barrios, an Upper School history teacher who co-chaperoned the trip. “In every
committee, the awards of Honorable Mention, Outstanding Delegate, and Best Delegate are given.” Senior Grace King was named the Best Delegate in the International Criminal Court; junior Danny Bring won the Outstanding Delegate award in the Napoleonic Wars committee; freshman David Oks received the Outstanding Delegate award in the United Nations Security Council; freshman Drew Schott won the Outstanding Delegate award in the
“The main purpose of the conferences is for students to simulate the inner workings of the United Nations,” Barrios explains. “Students are given a country or particular person (for example, the Secretary of State), and must research, write, and act as if they are acting on behalf of that country or person. The committees range from the World Health Organization to a committee within the UN General Assembly. This allows students to have a better understanding of the many working pieces of global diplomacy, and creates a wonderful forum for students who are interested in the global community.”
CITYterm Turns 20! CITYterm, a semester-long experience-based academic program at The Masters School, is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. The program, founded by Masters in 1996, uses New York City as its classroom and laboratory. CITYterm students learn in a project-based model that emphasizes interdisciplinary thinking and collaborative learning. Participants study New York City through a combination of Harkness seminars, city expeditions and meetings with New Yorkers, including former mayors, artists, authors and urban planners. CITYterm will celebrate its 20th anniversary on Saturday, June 18 in Brooklyn, NY. Activities will include afternoon trips, such as a ride on the East River Ferry, followed by an evening extravaganza at 26 Bridge, an event space in Brooklyn. This summer will mark another milestone for CITYterm: the second annual Teaching for Experience Symposium, which will be held on campus from July 12-15, 2016. Read more about the event in the fall 2016 issue of The Bulletin. For more information about the symposium and the 20th anniversary celebration, visit www.cityterm.org. the bulletin | spring 2016 | 15
CAMPUS HIGHLIGHTS
Masters Kicks Off Squash and Swimming Programs The opening of the Fonseca Center for Athletics and Arts last fall marked a milestone for athletics at Masters: the debut of swimming and squash programs. The Center’s Hamill Natatorium features a six-lane competition swimming pool and a set of bleachers for
A Masters girls’ varsity team member competes in a backstroke event.
spectators. The second floor houses four squash courts, with glass walls that extend to the third floor and provide another vantage point to watch matches. The first swim meet held at Masters took place on December 9, when the girls’ varsity team defeated The Chapin School by a score of 73-71. Two days later, the girls’ and boys’ varsity swim teams triumphed over The Dalton School during the first combined girls’ and boys’ swim meet held on campus. During the spirited event, parents, students, faculty and staff members filled the bleachers and cheered vigorously for the Panthers, as the boys’ team beat Dalton by a score of 85-53, and the girls’ team won by a score of 71-54. Both teams improved steadily during the season, with several members achieving their best times during close meets in January and February, says Susan Greally, Aquatics Director and swim team Coach. Masters’ first squash games were just as exciting. In its inaugural match in the Fonseca Center on December 4, the boys’ varsity squash team faced off against Browning. Team members Jacob Vietorisz ’19 and Youssef Aly ’19 outscored their Browning opponents by winning three of the four games that they each played during the event. While the Panthers lost the match, the team played well against a talented Browning squad that had a lot more experience in its favor.
A Masters player faces off against a Browning opponent at the varsity squash team’s first match on campus.
A large crowd of parents, students and teachers turned out to witness the historic event and cheer on the Panthers team. Many members of the community also attended the first match played by the varsity girls’ squash team in the Fonseca Center, against King on December 11. Skeff Young and Rob Fish, assistant coaches of Masters’ varsity squash teams, say they are proud of the strides that the teams made during their first season, especially since many of the members had never played the sport before. “Having individuals at different levels of ability meant that each of us could learn and be challenged within the context of our own skill level,” Young said in a note to the boys’ team at the end of the season. “Beyond the score sheets and match results, each of you took advantage of the lessons offered, not only by our talented coaches, but also from your fellow players. Helping and instructing others, whether during a match or practice, was an integral part of building a team in a new sport at Masters.” Fish says the girls’ team “showed tremendous improvement over the course of the year. Although Masters competed against much more experienced teams, the games became far more competitive as the season progressed, highlighted by a 3-0 victory over The Avenues School. We anticipate seeing the team’s hard work pay off next season.”
AUTHORS’ CORNER
Baby Stepping Up the Leadership Ladder By Matthew Kammrath Connections Quarterly http://joom.ag/tpsp “Baby Stepping Up the Leadership Ladder,” an article by Matthew Kammrath, co-director of Masters’ Ethical Leadership Project, recommends that educators help students “take ‘baby steps’ up the leadership ladder” so that they become “better future bosses, spouses, parents, and ultimately, better leaders in our communities.” The article was published in the winter 2015 issue of Connections Quarterly, a publication of The Center for Spiritual and Ethical Education.
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To help students develop into the next generation of leaders, Kammrath’s piece states, educators should focus on three areas: “developing genuine relationships, providing meaningful opportunities to practice (and fail), and giving honest feedback.” The article addresses each of these areas and suggests ways that teachers can put them into practice. The following is an excerpt: “Students will be invested, engaged, and ready to work if growing relationships is part of your curriculum. Carve out the time early and watch the results blossom throughout the year.” To read the full article, go to http://joom.ag/tpsp.
Sports Teams End Fall Season on Strong Note Five Masters sports teams pursued championships last fall, the most Masters teams that advanced into post-season play in at least a decade, according to Kevin Versen, Director of Athletics and Physical Education. The girls’ varsity field hockey team participated in the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS) Championship tournament in November after defeating School of the Holy Child on October 30 by a score of 4-0. In the team’s first playoff game in four years, the Panthers lost a hard-fought contest with Holy Child on November 4. But in the game’s final seven minutes, the team played some of its best field hockey of the season and went down swinging, with two corners and three shots in the final minutes of the game. Also in November, the boys’ and girls’ varsity cross country teams participated in both the NYSAIS Championship and the New England Prep School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) Championship. In the NEPSAC meet, the girls’ team came in 11th – the best finish in the team’s history, Versen says. Meanwhile, Gene Perry ’17 came in 15th and junior Emily Guzzardi finished 17th their respective events in the NEPSAC competition. Both the boys’ and girls’ cross country teams had finished fourth in the Fairchester Athletic Association (FAA) Championship meet on November 2, in New Canaan, CT. Gene Perry was overall cross country champion at the meet, while the girls’ team had its highest finish at the event in recent memory, Versen said.
Oskar and the Eight Blessings By Richard Simon and Tanya Simon; illustrated by Mark Siegel Published by Roaring Brook Press, September 2015 ISBN: 9781596439498
Gene also finished fifth in the 5,000 meter race at the NYSAIS State Championship meet in the Bronx, NY on November 8. There were about 130 participants in that event. “As we approached the final stretch, I could see the runner who won the race,” Gene recalls. “Next year I plan be in his place.” On November 9, the girls’ varsity soccer team played its first FAA Championship tournament game in recent years. The team worked hard, but lost in the first round to the eventual FAA champion. The boys’ varsity soccer team also competed in the FAA tournament, advancing as far as the semi-finals. Girls’ varsity soccer team Co-Captain Samantha Coffey ’17 was named the top player in the FAA league during the fall 2015 season among 20 nominees for the award. Samantha, who goes by Sam, received first place in the All-FAA player rankings for the season. Coaches from the nine schools in the FAA voted on the rankings. In addition, team member Ingrid Hirt ’17 was named 12th overall by the coaches and team member Sharon Peña ’18 received an honorable mention. “I love the team and the coaching staff,” says Sam, who has been a member of the varsity team since her freshman year. In the 2014-15 school year, Sam was ranked the highest scoring player in the NEPSAC league’s girls’ soccer teams.
Oskar and the Eight Blessings, which was illustrated by Mark Siegel, also received glowing reviews in such publications as Booklist and The New York Times Book Review.
The following is a synopsis of the plot: “A refugee seeking sanctuary from the horrors of Kristallnacht, Oskar arrives by ship in New York City with only a photograph and an address for an aunt he has never met. It is both the seventh day of Hanukkah and Christmas Eve, 1938. As Oskar walks the length of Manhattan, he experiences the city's Simon’s book was “chosen as the best written, most comprehensive, many holiday sights, and encounters its various residents. Each offers and engaging title,” the Council stated. “Your book now joins the ranks Oskar a small act of kindness, welcoming him to the city and helping of the hundreds of well-respected, classic Jewish books that have him on his way to a new life in the new world.” received a National Jewish Book Award.” Languages Department Chair Richard Simon and his wife, Tanya, coauthored this children’s book, which received the Jewish Book Council’s 2015 National Jewish Book Award in the category of children's literature.
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CAMPUS HIGHLIGHTS
Masters Library Keeps Pace with
D I G I TA L D E M A N D S
Several students work intensely on computers, while others hunch over iPads while seated in study carrels. This is what a typical day in the Pittsburgh Library looks like: students tapping into online resources to research hundreds of topics. Masters’ library, which has become increasingly digital, is now a technologyintegrated learning environment that offers an array of electronic information resources for students at every grade level. “Each year, we add more databases based on the direction of the curriculum,” says Head Librarian Judy Murphy. “And each year, I spend a larger percentage of the library budget on digital resources.” Students can access these resources on a 24/7 basis via the Student Portal on the School’s website, as well as via mobile apps in many cases. By subscribing to the EBSCO eBook High School Collection, the library provides access to some 8,000 e-books covering all academic subject areas, from history to language and literature, to science and technology. The content includes classic literary works, historical documents and general reference materials, and the collection is fully downloadable to mobile devices. Other high-level databases available to students include: • CQ Researcher, which has in-depth reports on a sweeping range of topics – including current events and social issues, government, international affairs, and political ideologies – plus extensive bibliographies and a pro/con section for each social or political issue. The Facts on File Issues & Controversies database
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Students use laptop computers and other digital devices while doing homework in the Pittsburgh Library.
also helps students learn about both sides of current debates and issues, such as gun control, climate change or the refugee crisis. • Project MUSE, which specializes in arts, humanities and social science content from more than 120 publishers. Its collection includes full-text versions of scholarly journals from many of the world's leading university presses and scholarly societies. • Science Direct, which provides access to journal articles and book chapters from more than 3,500 scientific journals and over 34,000 books on science, health science, social science, and humanities topics. • JSTOR, a digital library of more than 1,900 academic journals, over 20,000 e-books, and 2 million primary sources that cover 40 disciplines. The library also subscribes to the online Oxford English Dictionary (OED), in
addition to having all 10 volumes of the print OED. “It’s quite a treasure,” Murphy notes, adding that the library will continue to offer a large collection of print materials, including 16,000 books. As part of the library’s digital trend, however, Murphy plans to replace most of the print magazine subscriptions (now about 40) with the Flipster digital magazine service. That switch will greatly increase the number of magazines that students can read, she says. Flipster, for example, has 31 magazines in the science and technology category alone. The library has been updating its digital assets in other ways. This year, 16 new PC computers were installed in the library. And a Zoom video conferencing system was recently set up in the Library Conference Room, making possible such activities as a Skype session between Masters students and children at Masters’ sister school in Senegal.
IN MEMORIAM
Jane Rechtman 1950-2016 Former Masters teacher Jane Baron Rechtman passed away on March 3, 2016 at her Ossining, NY home. After a long and rich career at Masters, Jane retired in the spring of 2014, a few months after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Jane served at Masters from 1975-1980 (as Ms. Baron) and then again from 1996-2014 as Ms. Rechtman. As a member of the History and Religion Department, she taught world religions and world history I, as well as various religion elective courses, such as bioethics. With colleague Terry Ward, she developed and published the World Religions compendium, which is now used at Masters and other schools. Jane served as acting chair of the History and Religion Department for 2003-2004, was appointed the Henry Sloane Coffin Chair of Religion in 2005, and received the Alumnae/i Board's Anna Howe Faculty Award in 2013. Jane also served as Dean of the Classes of 2009 and 2013. Spirited, sensitive, compassionate, joyful and wise, Jane ministered to so many of her colleagues over the years, nurturing our community through the Matters of Spirit program she stewarded faithfully for so many years, infusing her spirit into the life of the School, sharing her life with her students and her colleagues. Remaining active until the end — she attended an alumnae/i event on campus in January 2016 — Jane defied the limitations of her illness, just as she defied the darkness and despair that threaten to engulf our world. During her Matters of Spirit presentation on the eve of Rosh Hashanah in September of 1999, Jane said this: “Last
week began the new school year, and I bet many of us here – old and new – reflected on the year gone by, the year to come, and New Year's resolutions. If we're honest with ourselves, we take the time to look back and say, ‘You know, there are some things I'm really proud of that I did. But there are other things I could have/would have/should have done differently.’ Now is a new beginning. Some of us need to listen more carefully; some of us need to care more about the others around us or care more about ourselves. All of us need to tend to our spirits and those of others in the world.” The Masters School created the Jane Rechtman Faculty Chair in 2015 to recognize a Masters teacher who most closely exemplifies the humanity, generosity of spirit, self-reflection, and worldview that Jane bought to the
Jane Rechtman with Olivia Mason ’14 (far left) and Jena Goldman ’14 at the Young Alumnae/i Event at the Fonseca Center in January 2016.
classroom and the wider Masters School campus during the years she served on the faculty. In an interview in May 2014 with Tower, the student newspaper, Jane spoke of the lessons she, in turn, had learned from Masters students. “She has learned through questions students have asked, whether it’s about the subject at hand or a broader life question,” the article stated. “She also learned from her students outside of the classroom, through their resilience, their ability to get through tough situations. Her students remind her of her own journey when she was younger and had to get through difficult things as well.”
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SNAPSHOTS A Growing Spotlight for Dobbs 16 >> Dobbs 16 continued to raise its public profile this year, as the ensemble was invited to sing at events ranging from a Glasgowbased conference to a prince’s birthday party. The contemporary a cappella ensemble, along with the Tower Singers, was selected to perform at the 32nd World Conference of the International Society for Music Education in Glasgow, Scotland on July 24-29, 2016. “This is the major international conference in music education and features incredibly fine musical performances,” says Jennifer Carnevale, Music Department Chair. “To be included among this year’s performers is an incredible honor.”
UPPER SCHOOL
Students Put Creative Spin on Shakespeare >> Upper School thespians performed A Midsummer Night's Dream on October 23-24 in the Claudia Boettcher Theatre to the delight of the audiences. More than 30 actors and stage crew members collaborated on the 90-minute version of the Shakespearean comedy about lovers, heroes, fairies and rude mechanicals.
Earlier in the year, Dobbs 16 won the Northeast Semifinals of the International Championship of High School A Cappella (ICHSA), placing the group among the top 10 high school a cappella ensembles in the U.S. The group advanced to the Finals, a national competition, in late April (after press time). Before the Seminfinals, Dobbs 16 was named runner-up in the ICHSA Northeast Quarterfinals after competing against eight other a capella groups. Moreover, Dobbs 16 member Hannah Weiss ’16 won the award for Outstanding Soloist at both the Quarterfinals and Semifinals. On October 22, 2015, Dobbs 16 performed at a charity event honoring the Crown Prince of Serbia’s 70th birthday at Le Cirque in New York City. The group performed several songs during the Lifetime New York event, which raised money for medical equipment in Serbia and celebrated HRH Crown Prince Alexander’s birthday.
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Dance Company Presents An Evening of Dance >> The Masters Dance Company performed jazz, modern dance and other well-executed pieces during An Evening of Dance on November 13-14 in the Claudia Boettcher Theatre. The concert showcased six student works, as well as choreography by Artistic Director Mary Rotella and guest artists Kathleen Fitzgerald and Nathalie Jonas.
MIDDLE SCHOOL
Seventh Graders Take on “Survival” Challenges >> Masters’ seventh grade students created shelters from tree branches, built fires and fanned out across campus during a scavenger hunt as part of the Middle School’s annual Exploration Week this year. “Exploration Week begins the students’ journey through the seventh grade,” says Middle School humanities teacher Mary Chappell. The program is designed to help students learn group communication skills, how to overcome challenges, how to ask for help, and more. The fall program culminated in “Survival Day.” On that day, the students gathered branches to build shelters around tree trunks in woods bordering the campus. Two pairs of students built small fires, using only one match to start each fire. Later, the seventh graders crossed an “acid swamp” by gingerly walking from one carpet square to another on a field, avoiding the grass, which represented the “acid.”
Middle School Shines in Winter Concert >> Middle Schoolers performed before a full house during the Middle School Winter Concert on December 17 in the Claudia Boettcher Theatre. The concert featured the Middle School Orchestra, Middle School Jazz Orchestra, MastersSingers, eighth grade soloists, and the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth grade choirs. The program included songs ranging from the traditional to the contemporary, and was capped by a performance of the traditional round “Now I Walk in Beauty” by the combined choruses and Middle School alumnae/i.
Middle Schoolers’ Talents Showcased >> The Middle School’s Winter Talent Show on February 12 showcased the artistic skills of more than 20 students before a rapt crowd of parents, faculty and fellow students. The 90-minute show, which took place in the Claudia Boettcher Theatre, featured performances of songs and music in a variety of genres, plus an original magic act.
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ALUMNAE/I UPDATE
Paying Tribute to “Mighty” Dobbs Women The Dobbs community has been deeply saddened by the passing of three remarkable alumnae whose heartfelt affection for Dobbs and lifelong commitment to their alma mater placed them in a class unto themselves. Together, we celebrate the full lives and rich legacies of Jane Lightner Meads ’42, Barbara McDonald Stewart ’44, and Susan Beck Wasch ’53.
Jane Lightner Meads ’42 Jane Lightner Meads ’42, the oldest living matriarch of the Lightner/Meads family—one of the greatest legacy families in the history of The Masters School— passed away surrounded by family on October 30, 2015 at the age of 91. After graduating from Dobbs, Jane went on to attend Wellesley College but left after her freshman year to marry Don, her husband of 70 years, before he went off to the war. Together, they raised seven children and although they moved frequently for Don’s work,
Barbara McDonald Stewart ’44 Barbara “Bobby” Stewart ’44 passed away surrounded by her family on the final day of a much-enjoyed family vacation to the Galápagos Islands in Ecuador on December 31, 2015. After graduating from Dobbs, Bobby received her undergraduate degree from Northwestern University and went on
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Jane and Don raised their family in homes full of love, guided by their credo of “Faith, Family and Friends.” Jane served as a member of the School’s Board of Trustees from 19761982, lending her guidance and support to the institution during difficult financial times. During what would be her last visit to campus for Reunion 2015, Jane shared the significance of her appointment to the Board with guests at the annual Estherwood Society Luncheon. She was incredibly proud and honored to have been asked to join the Board at Dobbs, not because she was the “mother of seven children” or “Don’s wife,” but “just because I was Jane.”
to earn a Ph.D. from Columbia University. Bobby, a historian, taught at Pace University as an adjunct professor of American history. Her lifelong passion for history was likely ignited by her father, James Grover McDonald, who served as the League of Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in the 1930s, founded the Foreign Policy Association, and was the first U.S. Ambassador to Israel in 1949. Over the course of several years, Bobby edited a critically acclaimed, three-volume series of her father’s diaries and papers, which were
Her love for her alma mater and the joy she felt being back on campus were palpable and inspirational to all who met her during her visit. Jane will be remembered by those who knew her for her intellectual curiosity, her unwavering kindness, and the strong foundation of family, ethics, integrity, and Christian values upon which she built her life. She will be profoundly missed by the Dobbs community, but Jane’s legacy lives on through the many generations of Lightner/Meads alumnae/i who continue to sustain and enrich The Masters School in her memory, including Jane’s niece, Trustee Suzie Paxton ’88.
published by Indiana University Press and reviewed in The New York Times. Bobby shared her immense knowledge with Masters students when she returned to campus as a guest lecturer in 2008, speaking to ninth grade history classes on the topic of early Israel and World War II. She also served as a Reunion committee member and remained closely connected to her classmates and to Dobbs over the years through her role as a dedicated class notes editor for this magazine.
Susan Beck Wasch ’53 Susan Beck Wasch ’53, a devoted alumna and former Trustee of The Masters School, passed away peacefully at her home in Middletown, CT on February 5, 2016. Susan was an extremely active and engaged Dobbs volunteer over the years, serving as Annual Fund Chair, Phonathon volunteer, Reunion Chair, and a member of the Strategic Planning Task Force. During Susan’s three-term tenure on the Board of Trustees, she took a leadership role in shaping the future direction of Masters, and helped to ensure its longterm financial stability by shepherding
the transition from an all-girls school to a coeducational institution. She helped to promote and establish the Harkness teaching pedagogy and was instrumental in the creation of our CITYterm program. After leaving the Board, Susan remained involved in Masters by serving on the Estherwood Society Planned Giving Committee and through her support of key initiatives, such as the Masters Advantage Campaign, the Kathryn W. Davis International Fund, and the Faculty Development and Sabbatical Aid Fund, which she established together with her husband, Bill, in 1993. In addition to being a passionate advocate for women’s education, Susan
was committed to several important causes and community organizations. She was an energetic member of The Church of the Holy Trinity, the Literary Club, and the Middletown Garden Club. She also took a strong interest in the revitalization of the Middletown, CT waterfront. In her last decade, she and Bill focused their energy on the creation of the Wasch Center for Retired Faculty at Wesleyan University, where he served as the Alumni Director for many years. Susan will be remembered for her warm smile, her generosity of spirit, and her devotion to her family, as well as for her myriad contributions to the organizations and causes she held dear to her heart.
> Visit our website for the latest news from campus: www.mastersny.org > Watch your inbox for our alumnae/i e-newsletter > Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MastersNY > Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mastersny > See what’s happening on Instagram: https://instagram.com/mastersschool > Prefer to talk the good, old-fashioned way? Call the Alumnae/i Office at 914-479-6611.
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ALUMNAE/I UPDATE
Class of 1988 Celebrates the Memory of
Khakasa Wapenyi
Members of the Class of 1988 lost a beloved classmate and friend in the fall of 2013, when Khakasa Wapenyi passed away suddenly, after a short illness. Khakasa was a practicing psychiatrist and advocate in New York City, specializing in the care and treatment of members of the LGBT and AIDS communities. She attended Harvard after graduating from Dobbs and earned her medical degree from Tufts University. Deeply moved by Khakasa’s passing, several members of the Class of 1988 banded together to celebrate her legacy by organizing a special on-campus tribute to their dear friend. Classmate Lisa Ench Semler and her family donated a beautiful redbud tree, which was planted along the circle drive in front of Masters Hall. A memorial plaque, donated by Elizabeth Szatmari Krasnoff with contributions from other classmates, bears the inscription: “Dr. Khakasa Wapenyi; 1970-2013; Beloved and distinguished member of the Class of 1988; Devoted friend, sister, daughter, mentor and advocate of those marginalized by society.”
Above, beginning front left and moving around the table clockwise: Alyson Sivak Grossman ’88, Sandrine Humbert ’89, Lauren Martin ’89, Katy Spahn Thatcher ’88, Jennifer Poole Pride ’88, Diana Pryor Combs ’89, Amy Levitin Walsh ’88, Melinda Panella Insana ’88, Amanda Cox Skinner ’88, Aneesa Majid ’88, Amy Zimmerman Freed ’88, Suzie Paxton ’88, Amy Rice Curley ’88, Heidi Ziegahn ’88 and Adria Devereaux (personal friend of Khakasa).
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Khakasa’s classmates and friends returned to Masters to take part in a memorial service and tree dedication ceremony on September 25, 2015, on the occasion of the opening of the Fonseca Center. The women shared stories and memories, reflecting on the transformative impact that Khakasa’s life, work and spirit had on so many. Following the ceremony, the Class of 1988 held a dinner in celebration of Khakasa’s life in Manhattan, organized by Alyson Sivak Grossman, Aneesa Majid, Lauren Martin and Suzie Paxton. Thanks to the collective efforts of her classmates, Khakasa’s memory will live on at Dobbs, and in the hearts and minds of all who knew and loved her.
Below: First row, left to right: Sandrine Humbert ’89, Adria Devereaux (personal friend of Khakasa), Suzie Paxton ’88, Aneesa Majid ’88. Back row, left to right: Stephanie Dunne Cohen ’88, Alyson Sivak Grossman ’88, Katherine Spahn Thatcher ’88.
Marin Alsop ’73 Conducts West Side Story
Photo: © Grant Leighton
Marin Alsop ’73 played a starring role in a production of West Side Story as Musical Director and Conductor of the performances on March 4-6, 2016 at the Knockdown Center in Queens, NY. Weill Music Institute presented the novel interpretation of the iconic musical as a celebration of Carnegie Hall’s 125th season. The exuberant production featured professional actors in the lead roles, with 15 high school students rounding out the cast, plus a chorus of 200 singers from high schools across New York City. “The production was staged beautifully and conducted artistically by Marin Alsop,” Masters music teacher Curt Ebersole said after attending the March 5 performance. “The venue, with a long dance floor surrounded by table seating and rows of bleacher seating on the long sides, created a dramatic in-the-round setting for the production. “The addition of New York City students in the adjunct theater chorus made for a moving interpretation of this American classic. It was a true pleasure and honor to meet and share a few minutes with Maestro Alsop prior to the performance,” added Ebersole, who directs the String Ensemble, the Symphonic Winds, and the Middle School Orchestra, as well as serving as Conductor/Music Director of the highly regarded Westchester Symphonic Winds. Ebersole was joined at the performance by Head of School Laura Danforth, her spouse, Paula Chu; Masters Trustee Lynn Pilzer Sobel ’71, ’99, ’05 and Eric Sobel; Tim Kane, Associate Head of School for Institutional Advancement; and Annegret Koltze, a sophomore from Germany who plays harp in Masters’ String Ensemble.
orchestra of such size, under the guidance of a first-rate conductor, was a pure pleasure in itself.” Alsop has served as Music Director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra since 2007, and became Music Director of the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra in 2013. She has guest-conducted many of the leading orchestras of the world, including those in Philadelphia and Cleveland, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, La Scala Philharmonic, Orchestre de Paris, and Bavarian Radio Symphony. A recipient of numerous awards, Alsop is the only conductor to receive the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship, which is given in recognition of exceptional creative work. (Left to right) Head of School Laura Danforth, Annegret Koltze ’18, Dr. Paula Chu, Marin Alsop and music teacher Curt Ebersole at the Knockdown Center.
Charles Isherwood, a theater critic for The New York Times, acknowledged Alsop’s contribution to the production in a rave review. An excerpt: “Conducting the lush 40-piece orchestra was the eminent Marin Alsop, Music Director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, who was once a protégée of Leonard Bernstein, the composer of West Side Story, of course…to hear this rapturous score played by an
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ALUMNAE/I UPDATE
Reunion 2016: Meet the Honorees THE RICHMOND BOWL Diana Davis Spencer ’56, P’84 is this year’s recipient of the Richmond Bowl, which was created to honor the late Nell Angle Richmond ’34 and Tom Richmond. It is presented each year to an alumna/us whose exceptional support of and service to The Masters School reflects the same outstanding quality of creative leadership demonstrated by the Richmond family.
including overseeing the creation of an outstanding Middle School program, adding a fifth grade, and establishing single-gender classes in grades 6, 7 and 8. Doc also directed the formation of a Middle School program that is interdisciplinary and theme-based, with experiential learning at its core. In 2007, Doc stated: “The quality of a school is measured by the magic that happens during interactions between students and teachers, when the exchange of ideas and values takes place.” Under Doc’s leadership and example, this magic between students and their teachers has created an environment where children are seen, known and loved.
Diana, who grew up in Tarrytown, NY, graduated from The Masters School in 1956 and from Wheaton ELIZA BAILEY MASTERS FELLOWSHIP AWARD College in 1960. She now lives in Washington, D.C., where she is Claudia Boettcher Merthan ’51 is this year’s Chairman and President of the Diana Davis Spencer Foundation, recipient of the Eliza Bailey Masters Fellowship which focuses primarily on education, public policy, global initiatives Award, which honors an alumna/us who and national security. In 2015, the Foundation made an exemplifies Miss Masters’ philosophy through unprecedented $10 million endowment gift to Masters, the largest outstanding service to his or her community, one-time gift in the School’s history. The gift is used to help offset the seeking a common good beyond personal operating costs of the new Fonseca Center, as well as to provide comfort and influenced by his or her years at permanent funds for faculty salaries, time to develop new courses, The Masters School. and continuing education opportunities. Diana’s commitment to education is evident in her philanthropic work. She became a Masters Trustee in 2008 and serves actively on several other boards, including the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship. Diana is a board member emerita of Wheaton College and the Northeast Harbor Library in Maine.
ANNA HOWE FACULTY AWARD Everett “Doc” Wilson, Middle School Head from 1996-2016, is this year’s recipient of the Anna Howe Faculty Award. The award recognizes an outstanding current or former faculty member who has shaped and changed the lives of students in a positive and impactful way. It is presented to a faculty member who has not only excelled in the classroom, but who, through guidance, encouragement and support, has also made a meaningful difference to his or her students. Doc has had a profound impact on the School since his arrival. In his years at Masters, he has made numerous and important contributions,
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Claudia came to Dobbs as a boarding student from Colorado. She went on to attend the University of Colorado and earned her master’s degree from American University in 1984, after her sons were in college. Claudia’s involvement in community-based philanthropy has its roots in a longstanding family tradition of civic-mindedness. Inspired by his desire to give back to his native state, Claudia’s grandfather, Claude Boettcher, founded the Boettcher Foundation in 1937. The foundation supports the promise of the state of Colorado and the potential of Coloradans by investing in its most talented citizens and high-potential organizations, primarily through capital grants and scholarship programs in four areas: education; civic and cultural programs; community and social services; and hospital and health services. Claudia served the foundation for 21 years and was chair of the board from 1992-2007. After retiring from her work with the Boettcher Foundation, Claudia, who now resides in Eureka, SD, has remained committed to supporting philanthropic causes in her local community. She is actively involved in the construction of a new community hospital in Eureka and serves as the Secretary of the Eureka Pioneer Museum (which she and her late husband, Lee, helped to build) and the Eureka Public Library.
“ MAUREEN FONSECA YOUNG ALUMNAE/I AWARD Ava Bynum ’10 is the inaugural recipient of the newly minted Maureen Fonseca Young Alumnae/i Award. Created in 2015 to honor former Head of School Maureen Fonseca, the Young Alumnae/i Award recognizes an alumna/us under the age of 30 who embodies the values and mission of The Masters School—to learn, to strive, to dare, to do, and to be a power for good in the world—and who maintains a deep connection to Masters and to his or her fellow alumnae/i through volunteerism and active involvement in the life of the School. Ava is the founder of Hudson Valley Seed, a nonprofit organization that educates children in school gardens, empowering students through curriculum!integrated lessons focused on healthy eating, food literacy, outdoor learning, and academic success. This type of farm!to-school education addresses society!wide issues of childhood obesity, poor nutrition, and a curriculum void of life!skill training. Hudson Valley Seed’s work combines Ava’s love of food and education and follows her personal values of making both of these human rights accessible to all children.
To me, Dobbs is about lifelong friendships.
I was only there for a year-and-a-half, and the friends I made at school are the best friends I have. I love Dobbs because it had such a profound impact on me when I really needed it. When I got married and started having kids, the need for a more detailed will became apparent. There was no question that Dobbs would be a part of that process. — Courtney Walthour Lamontagne ’84
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When it came time for Courtney to think ahead for her family, she also thought ahead for her school. Consider making The Masters School a priority in your gift planning. The Estherwood Society is an honorary group of alumnae/i, parents, and friends of Masters who have made future plans for the School through trust, estate, or other future gifts of any amount. Estherwood Society members leave a legacy that extends beyond our generation and provides security to The Masters School for the long term.
For more information about gift planning at Masters, or to receive our semi-annual newsletter, please contact: Erin Fredrick, Assistant Director for Advancement 914-479-6575 • erin.fredrick@mastersny.org
SHOW YOUR PRIDE ! Hats, mugs, T-shirts, sweatshirts, !es, blankets and more…find them all at the Campus Store! Go to www.mastersny.org/campusstore to see the new Dobbs line and other items. To place a phone order, please contact the Campus Store at 914-479-6404 or www.mastersny.org/campusstore. Hours: Monday-Friday 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM and selected weekend events.
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ALUMNAE/I UPDATE
Masters on the Move Head of School Laura Danforth took to the road to meet with alumnae/i across the country in the winter of 2016. Alums in New York City, San Francisco, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. had the chance to celebrate Masters’ momentum and talk with Danforth about her vision for the future of the School. Thank you to all who joined us!
New York City Masters on the Move event at Il Gattopardo Far left: (Left to right): Charlotte Moquin Voznesenskiy ’00, Alex Voznesenskiy, former Music Department Chair Nancy Theeman, Director of Dance Mary Rotella, and KC Tondel Lundy ’99. Near left: Alums enjoy reconnecting, catching up with faculty, and meeting Head of School Laura Danforth.
D.C. event at NPR Headquarters Far right: (Left to right): Standing, left to right: Elgeo Harris ’02, Remy Aronson ’13, Meg Carter; Sitting: Amanda Cooke ’04 and Andrea Martinez. Near right: (Left to right): Edith Chapin ’83 and Nicole Pilevsky ’83.
Chicago event at Celeste Near left: (Left to right): Carole Wood ’89, Natalie Harris Thompson ’87, Dorothy Mixter Crabb ’61, Susan Thompson ’55, Jennifer Block Cromheecke ’85, Susan “Spark” Cremin ’65, Sally Jones Loeser ’60, Laura Danforth.
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Linda Byrne ’85 and Jennifer Nay Masters ’84, P’21 reconnect with each other and with their classmates at the Leap Day Alumnae/i Giving Challenge Connect-a-thon.
Reconnecting through the Annual Fund On February 29, 2016, The Masters School hosted its first alumnae/i Giving Day – the Leap Day Alumnae/i Giving Challenge.
T
he Giving Day had so many laudable results: 35 alumnae/i and current senior students volunteered to contact their classmates and other alums, and over 80 alums made a gift to the Annual Fund. But one of our favorite outcomes is two alums who reconnected by volunteering at our on-campus Connect-a-thon: Linda Byrne ’85 and Jennifer Nay Masters ’84, P’21. Below, Linda and Jenny reflect on their time at Dobbs and the School today.
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Reconnecting with friends from my days at Dobbs was such a treat. It was a fun way to spend a few hours while also raising money for this wonderful school. I feel extremely lucky to have gone here and am so happy that my son, Teddy, is benefiting from all of the positive changes the School has undergone, and that he is enjoying some of the time-honored traditions as well.
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— Jennifer Nay Masters ’84, P’21
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The six years I spent at Dobbs were life-changing. I am ecstatic that the School has expanded to enhance the superior educational experience with unbelievable extracurricular facilities housed in the Fonseca Center. The students who also volunteered at the Connect-a-thon expressed the same core values that existed in the community when I was there. I was really pleased by this. — Linda Byrne ’85
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leadership 2015-2016 T H E
B U L L E T I N
s p r i n g
2 0 1 6
Laura Danforth Head of School laura.danforth@mastersny.org COMMUNICATIONS
ADVANCEMENT
Bob Horne Director of Marketing & Communications bob.horne@mastersny.org
Timothy Kane Associate Head of School for Institutional Advancement tim.kane@mastersny.org
Janice Leary Assistant Director of Communications and The Bulletin Editor janice.leary@mastersny.org
Angelique Chielli Associate Director of Alumnae/i and Parent Relations angelique.chielli@mastersny.org
Judy Donald Development Associate Aisha Mohammed Digital Communications Coordinator judy.donald@mastersny.org aisha.mohammed@mastersny.org Erin Fredrick Assistant Director for Institutional Advancement erin.fredrick@mastersny.org Rosaria Golden Campaign & Special Projects Manager rosaria.golden@mastersny.org Lisa Nussbaum Campus Store Manager lisa.nussbaum@mastersny.org Maryann Perrotta Database Administrator maryann.perrotta@mastersny.org Mary Ryan ’00 Director of Annual Giving mary.ryan@mastersny.org Jen Schutten Assistant Director of Annual Giving jennifer.schutten@mastersny.org Amie Servino ’95 Director of Alumnae/i and Parent Relations amie.servino@mastersny.org
Photography: Bob Cornigans, Bob Horne, Janice Leary, Joyce Lewandowski, Aisha Mohammed, Michael Polito.
Head of School Laura Danforth Board of Trustees Tracy Tang Limpe ’80, P’18, Chair Edith C. Chapin, ’83, Vice Chair Ralph Rosenberg P’13, ’15, ’16, Vice Chair J. Keith Morgan, P’17, Treasurer Beth Nolan ’69, Secretary Jonathan Clay P’19 Laura Danforth Michael D’Angelo P’15, ’19 Michelle DeLong P’17 Karen Feinberg Dorsey ’84 Lucinda Emmet ’57 Michael Greene P’10, ’13 Alexandra Herzan P’13 Sheree Holliday P’16, ’20 Clay Lifflander P’14, ’16 Sydney Shafroth Macy ’70 Edgar M. Masters H’98, Life Trustee Keryn Norton Mathas P’19, ’22 Susan Follett Morris ’57, Life Trustee Christine Grim Neikirk ’84 Suzie Paxton ’88 Janet Pietsch P’09, ’20 Elizabeth “Penney” Riegelman Lynn Pilzer Sobel ’71, P’99, ’05 Diana Davis Spencer ’56, P’84 Shan Zhu P’16 Honorary Trustees Marin Alsop ’73 Cynthia Ferris Casner ’52, P’76, ’86 Lilian Hall Fisher ’37, H’65, P’60, ’65, ’72 GGP’15 Jeannette Sanford Fowlkes ’58, P’87 Ruth Mitchell Freeman ’51 Nancy Maginnes Kissinger ’51 Claudia Boettcher Merthan ’51 Dobbs Alumnae/i Association Board Karen Feinberg Dorsey ’84, President David Heidelberger ’01, Vice President Sujata Adamson-Mohan ’01, Recording Secretary Sharon Nechis Castillo ’84 Linda Vipond Heath ’69 Priscilla Franklin Hindley ’66 Lusyd Doolittle Kourides ’70
Elyse Lazansky ’78 Evan Leek ’01 John McGovern ’07 Hannah J. Miller ’10 Ricardo Oelkers ’03 Mary M. Ryan ’00 Parent Association Executive Committee Janet Pietsch P’09, ’20, President Kristy Fitzgerald P’16, ’18, Co-Vice President Upper School Kim-Adele Rosner P’17, ’18, Co-Vice President Upper School Sara Jazayeri P’21, Co-Vice President Middle School Michelle New P’21, Co-Vice President Middle School Committee Chairs and Representatives Leslie Rusoff P’17, ’17, ’18, Chair, Admission Support Cori Worchel P’19, ’21, Chair, Annual Fund Leslie DuBeau P’14,’18, Boarding Parent Representative Tracey Davies P’16, Co-Chair, Faculty-Staff Appreciation Day Kathy Cohen P’15, ’18, Co-Chair, Faculty-Staff Appreciation Day Anne Termini P’20, Chair, Parent Programs Class Representatives Dana Alonzo P’21 Janet Bernstein P’13, ’16 Pedro Ceron P’16 Marie Fabian P’22 Kristy Fitzgerald P’16, ’18 Rachel Khanna P’17, ’18, ’18, ’23 Mary Lockhart P’19, ’20 Jillian Miller P’22 Allison Moore ’83, P’17, ’19 Janet Pietsch P’09, ’20 Kim-Adele Rosner P’17, ’18 Leslie Rusoff P’17, ’17, ’18 Robin Scheuer P’18, ’20 Anne Termini P’20 Cori Worchel P’19, ’21
Design: White Communications, Inc. Printing: Puritan Capital
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You Own the School. Eliza Bailey Masters wrote in a 1919 letter to alumnae, “you own the School.” Inspired by her call to action, the alumnae raised the money for a new school building, completed in 1921, and named it Masters Hall in her honor. Today—nearly 100 years later— The Masters School still relies on the generosity of our community to continue Miss Masters’ legacy and support our School’s mission, students, programs and future.
FINANCIAL SUPPORT Annual Giving Endowment Support Capital Projects Planned Giving For more information about giving opportunities, please contact the Advancement Office at 914-479-6433 or visit www.mastersny.org.
VOLUNTEERING The Parent Association The Dobbs Alumnae/i Association There are numerous ways to get involved and give back to Masters through the organizations listed above. Please contact Director of Alumnae/i and Parent Relations Amie Servino ’95 at amie.servino@mastersny.org if you are interested in volunteering.
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49 Clinton Avenue | Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522-2201
Non-Profit Organization US Postage Paid Nashua, NH Permit No. 375
Masters Spirit On Founder’s Day in September 2015, Head of School Laura Danforth got in the spirit of things by wearing sneakers in the traditional Delta blue and Phi red.