McDonogh Magazine, Winter 2023

DONOGH

THE HEALTH OF WELLNESS

Nina C. Sinnott, Editor nsinnott@mcdonogh.org

443.544.7035

Meredith F. Bower, Managing Editor

Heather N. McPeters, Creative Director

Carol D. Croxton, Alumni Editor

Danielle E. Schollaert, Alumni Editor

Photography: Meredith Bower, Kelly Blavatt, Carol Croxton, Mickey Deegan, Leslie Finkelstein, Sharon Hood, Irvin Simon, McDonogh Archives, Heather McPeters, Dave Radford, Danielle Schollaert, Jae Terry, and Mandy Wolfe

Cover photo: Mandy Wolfe

Proofreaders: Laura Brown, Christine Krause, Jen Little, and Danielle Schollaert

Design: McAllister Design

Print: Ironmark

McDonogh Magazine is published twice a year for alumni, parents, and friends of the school.

On the cover: Second graders Stella Q. and Vivian T. share a little love on the Lower School playground during recess.

ROB YOUNG ’86 BOARD OF TRUSTEES PRESIDENT

DAVE FARACE ’87 HEAD OF SCHOOL

Q A&

What is your favorite McDonogh tradition?

[DAVE] Most people don’t know about this one because it occurs during faculty and staff meetings. I have the distinct privilege of announcing endowed faculty and staff chair recipients several times a year. It is always a surprise for the recipient, and we secretly invite their family to join them onstage after the announcement. There is always a boisterous and prolonged standing ovation and lots of tears of joy. It is such a lovely way to honor my colleagues.

[ROB] McDonogh vs. Gilman Week (aka Spirit Week)! Combine being from a football family (grandfather and father played at Lincoln and Morgan State Universities, respectively), close Greyhound relationships, and the excitement on campus (even during my Lower School years), and this tradition was a natural fit. Moreover, from my earliest days in competitive sports, the merits of a team were evident—especially the connection between people from varied backgrounds in pursuit of common goals. Later, I realized teams could do the same for communities as evidenced by the fellowship and connection displayed during Spirit Week!

Q A&

Academic excellence at McDonogh was the topic of discussion during a recent parent webinar and at the Board of Trustees fall retreat. In your opinion, what makes the educational experience exceptional?

[DAVE] As an educator who has worked at multiple schools over my 28-year career, this is easy to answer: our commitments to LifeReady, academic excellence, and, most importantly, teachers.

At its core, LifeReady empowers students to be selfreliant, critical thinkers who can form, test, and revise their ideas—for themselves, and in the service of others.

Our Upper School curriculum guide reads like that of a college or university in terms of academic excellence and the diversity of offerings. All McDonogh classes in every division are carefully designed to ready students to meet the challenges of a complex and changing world.

Our teachers, however, are the decisive element of the McDonogh experience. With over 1,200 applications submitted each year to teach at McDonogh, we are able to attract and retain the best educators in the country. What makes them the best? They are knowledgeable and passionate about their subject matter, they set high expectations, and, most importantly, they care deeply about their students.

[ROB] Evolution and relationships. Faced with a world changing at an exponential rate, students must be prepared for a future more uncertain than ever making our educators equal parts prognosticators and child psychologists.

The McDonogh program builds on a time-tested liberal arts curriculum while integrating learnings from neuroscience, cognitive psychology, and global workforce trends. “Stuffing the memory” no longer qualifies as learning. We must build critical thinkers, appliers of knowledge, and people of character capable of navigating jobs that have yet to be invented or will exist in different forms years from now.

Education is only effective if curriculum and pedagogy fuse with varied learning styles. By understanding how students learn and inspiring them to undertake challenging work, faculty and staff help students achieve life-altering experiences that inspire personal and intellectual growth.

Dave, you have identified wellness programming as a priority for the school. What prompted this focus and why do you believe it is so important?

Well, we were already seeing unacceptably high levels of anxiety and depression in children across the nation a few years ago, and then the pandemic hit, accelerating the crisis. It is imperative that McDonogh (and all schools) tackle these challenges and place wellness at the forefront of our strategic vision. I consider wellness in its broadest sense (physical, mental, and emotional) a force multiplier for all other aspects of a student’s life. It leads to better performance in and out of the classroom and healthier relationships. Basic things like sleep, exercise, and nutrition are critical for student success. And let’s not forget our faculty and staff; they need the same levels of wellness support given their awesome responsibility in creating a robust and joyful campus culture.

Rob, you and Dave are both deeply committed to carrying out McDonogh’s Mission, Vision, and Values. How are the duties and responsibilities of the Board President different from the Head of School, and how do you maintain a productive relationship?

The Board sets policy and focuses on the long term while the Head of School and Senior Administration are responsible for day-to-day operations. In short, the Board’s job is strategic, and the Administration’s job is tactical, making our accountabilities different.

This structure is designed to produce a healthy tension ensuring the school always comes first—period. Traditional roles were challenged in recent years while facing unprecedented macro risks, but I am proud of the partnership established between the Board and Administration to deliver solutions that sought to balance the school’s short- and long-term needs.

I enrolled at McDonogh as a full-pay kid in Lower School. Dave joined later in Middle School as a scholarship guy. While we are from different backgrounds, mutual respect and trust came easy. We were teammates beginning in Middle School and for many seasons thereafter. As a result, a healthy combination of challenge, debate, and support was already foundational to our relationship and translated productively into our respective roles.

Most gratifying is how much we learned about one another in service to the school over the last few years. After spending years apart, I am grateful we could build on a relationship established in our formative years on this campus and utilize lessons learned in support of our Mission, Vision, and Values.

Dave, on June 30, Rob completes his term as President of the Board of Trustees. Much has transpired during his time of service. What stands out in your mind?

Rob is extremely uncomfortable receiving praise, so I’m sharing this behind his back! Rob and I wrestled and played football together during our student days at McDonogh, and I love him like a brother. We also argue like brothers but always keep our love for the institution at the center of our relationship.

I believe Rob led McDonogh through one of the most tumultuous periods in school history, a period that encompassed the pandemic, social unrest, political polarization, and economic uncertainty. He did it all with a preternatural grace and humility. I am forever grateful.

Rob, what are your hopes for the future of McDonogh?

I am often reminded that “hope is not a strategy” so I will use the facts to reach, hopefully, an informed view. By most accounts, McDonogh is an extraordinary place. The tangibles include strong enrollment, challenging academic and character programs, a noteworthy physical plant, and a community that “gives back.” Perhaps less tangible is the brand’s strength, prudent oversight of resources and culture, the tireless commitment of volunteers, and the faculty and staff’s love for students.

Conversely, we are ever mindful that a McDonogh education is less accessible today than in the past. Deferred maintenance costs increase regularly on our aging campus and the need to grow the endowment, which is responsible for fueling operational needs and aspirational pursuits, is ever-present. We are also living through one of the most divisive periods in our nation’s history, and we have learned the McDonogh Family is not immune from these influences.

While routinely amazed by the obstacles overcome by this community when coming together in service of others, I am most bullish on today’s students. Rigor and excellence are part of their daily lives, and they are the primary beneficiaries of the sacrifices made, past and present, that make McDonogh unique. When this generation finds their voice, I am confident the world will finally understand what it means to do “the greatest possible amount of good.”

The Health ofWellnes

BY MEREDITH BOWER

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, a nationwide spike in student stress, anxiety, and depression propelled children’s mental health and wellness into the spotlight.

When the pandemic came out of nowhere, virtual learning, health concerns, uncertainty, isolation, separation, and media coverage exacerbated what students were feeling. It also confirmed the need for what McDonogh was doing—making mental health and wellness a top priority.

Since becoming Head of School in 2018, Dave Farace ’87’s commitment to wellness—not just for students but also for faculty and staff—has gone beyond words and is visible in every division. He prioritized additional counseling services and learning support and immediately set schoolwide goals to focus more attention on a coordinated PK-12 program to address well-being from a variety of angles as an integral part of LifeReady programming.

THEHEALTHOF WELLNESS

Removing the Stigma of Mental Health

Another new face on campus in 2018 was Michael Green, LCSW-C, who was brought on to be the Upper School Counselor. Four years later, Green is now the Director of Counseling and is responsible for coordinating the efforts of his department, which has grown to include a dedicated counselor in both the Lower and Middle Schools and two additional Upper School counselors.

Passionate about prevention and early intervention, Green has more than two decades of experience working with school-age kids. “This is my thing. I connect with kiddos. I educate them to reduce the stigma of mental health,” he says.

experience. In other words, Green says, “Counseling services are part of overall health and development. If a kid has a twisted ankle, they see the trainer; if they have a scraped elbow, they go to the infirmary; if they have a bad breakup or are stressing about a test, they see the counselors. Kids feel comfortable seeing us because we have removed the stigma.”

Green uses a tiered framework to illustrate how the school supports students. For 80 percent of the population, setting expectations, teaching skills for success, and providing a positive foundation are sufficient. However, some students need additional guidance from a counselor, and a handful of others benefit from outside support.

students and adults understand mental health care, to learn how to cope with stressful situations, and to seek help when needed. “As we all move down the road of pandemic recovery, I truly hope that everyone will speak more openly about their mental health and take the steps to get the support that is needed,” he encourages.

Coordinating Schoolwide Wellness

At the same time the counseling department was growing, Farace assembled a task force to review the school’s wellness education classes. They were charged with assessing the strengths and needs and outlining the next steps in developing a coordinated, all-school, holistic healthy living program. The group recommended hiring a full-time Wellness Director to align the current programs and enhance the wellness curricula—someone who would understand the complexities of the school and have the ability to shift between “boots on the ground” and big-picture perspectives.

In the spring of 2021, Nancy Love ’81 was named the school’s first full-time Director of Wellness. No stranger to McDonogh, Love is a member of the Class of 1981, she is a parent of two alumni, and over the past 18 years she has held various titles, including Sophomore Dean, Associate Head of Upper School, Director of Boarding, Varsity Lacrosse Coach, and Advisor to the Rollins-Luetkemeyer Leaders program. Her experience, combined with her credentials—a Master of Education in School Counseling and a National Certified Counselor—uniquely qualify her for the Wellness position.

“I feel at peace. I feel like I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. I’ve come full circle with so much

more understanding and awareness,” says Love, explaining, “All of these experiences bring me a deeper understanding of what people are going through.” She adds that her perspective as a McDonogh alumna and past parent drives what she does. “When I work with a student, I feel like I’m working with my child. It’s important to me to get it right.”

Like Green, Love is taking a proactive approach to wellness by focusing on prevention through ageappropriate wellness programming. While she is not starting from scratch, she is keenly aware that there is much work to be done. “We are a diverse community, and we have a responsibility to meet the needs of all our students,” she says, adding, “Times have changed, and we need to be responsive to that. It’s not about coddling kids, it’s about teaching them to be creative problem-solvers and critical thinkers. We don’t just want them to be successful, we want them to have the resources to thrive.”

Using the whiteboards in the LifeReady suite on the second floor of Allan Building, Love, in collaboration

Wearing green in support of children’s mental awareness, Director of Counseling Michael Green, LCSW-C (left) is joined by Counseling Department colleagues (left to right): Sarah Ross, Intern; Brenna LaRose, LCPC (Middle School); Caitlin Cork, LCSW-C (Upper School); Jasmine Crandol, LGPC (Upper School); and Dan Wagner, Psy.D. (Lower School).

Director of Wellness Nancy Love ’81

THEHEALTHOF WELLNESS

with the LifeReady team, is mapping out an ageappropriate PK-12 structure by pulling from evidencebased programs and information such as the Maryland Comprehensive Health Framework. Her goal is to develop an integrated approach to wellness so that students may lead lives of balance, purpose, and whole-person well-being.

Armed with colored markers and Post-its, she is methodically customizing a program for McDonogh that is aligned with national standards, state standards, and various evidence-based programs in areas such as self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, self-efficacy, and physical wellness. Then she goes the extra step by explaining what the standard, such as responsible decision making, should look like for a first grader versus an upper schooler by defining the skills and competencies for each.

As Love aligns McDonogh’s wellness efforts with counseling and builds the framework for the school, she is also drawing from the current programs and curricula in all three divisions. In Lower School, the values-based Cultivating Character program’s

monthly themes are discussed during homeroom meeting times and shared again when teachable moments arise. In Middle School, Love and wellness teacher George Webb focus on topics from selfawareness and responsible decision-making to puberty, healthy relationships, and social media. The Freshman Wellness Practice course (see page 11) takes a deeper dive into these topics and more, and in the sophomore year, all students continue to add tools to their toolbox to achieve a healthy balance in their busy lives. Upper schoolers also benefit from targeted programming, such as Sophomore Stay Safe Night, understanding healthy relationships sessions through the One Love Foundation, and a practical Transition to College program for seniors.

Love is embracing the opportunity to create a structure for the wellness program in conjunction with the other campus support systems. To her, it is the final puzzle piece of LifeReady. “Wellness makes LifeReady complete,” she says. “Healthy minds are better learners. That’s the foundation of success. We’re simply trying to teach kids to take care of themselves in order to thrive in school and in life.

>>> Members of the LifeReady team (from left): Aisha Bryant, Kevin Costa, Hilary McDonough, Nancy Love ’81, Enaye Englenton, and Bridget Collins ’90 discuss how wellness and LifeReady work together.

MAKING HEALTHY CONNECTIONS THROUGH PEER EDUCATION

“I’m a major procrastinator,” senior Mikey Markels confessed to a group of eighth graders. “Just last night, I had English homework to do and it was already late. Then, I scrolled on Instagram for an hour, but I still hadn’t started my homework. By the time I finished and went to bed, it was after midnight.” He quickly added, “Don’t do that. That’s bad.”

Mikey, one of nearly 100 peer educators in the junior and senior classes, used himself as an example in an effort to connect with the younger students who had just finished watching Like, an eye-opening film about social media and why it is so irresistible. “Being honest about my own experience as a high school senior resonates with them.

I made it clear that I need to do better, so hopefully, they learned something,” Mikey says. Learning from someone they look up to is precisely the goal of McDonogh’s Peer Education program. This fall, having completed a daylong orientation, the peer educators were paired with a seventh- or eighth-grade advisory. Then, each month after a brief training period, the older students meet with the middle schoolers to discuss a film on a topic relevant to both groups. In October, the discussion followed the movie Angst. The role of the peer educators is to initiate a conversation with the younger students using prompts provided by program coordinator, Nancy Love.

Aneel Ahuja ’23, one of the other three educators in the advisory with Mikey, says he signed up for the opportunity because he remembers the peer educators being helpful when he was in Middle School. Looking at the relationship from a new perspective he says, “They feel comfortable talking to us. They see us as friends.”

Later in the year, the peer educators will meet with middle schoolers to discuss the last film in the series: The Race to be Human. In the meantime, both groups look forward to bumping into each other on campus.

Peer educator Mikey Markels ’23 and eighth graders discuss the film Like

THEHEALTHOF WELLNESS

WELLNESS STARTS EARLY WITH CULTIVATING CHARACTER

In Lower School, students learn about values, such as advocating for self and others, developing empathy, and practicing mindfulness during homeroom meeting times and through age-appropriate literature, monthly chapel gatherings, and assemblies. The themes are reinforced when children apply the lessons in their everyday lives as teachable moments arise.

TRY FIVE-FINGER BREATHING TO REBOOT YOUR BRAIN

Five-finger breathing, popularized by Dr. Jud Brewer, is a simple, multisensory exercise that helps focus breathing, and reduce anxiety, worry, and other negative emotions.

• Hold one hand in front of you, fingers spread.

• Slowly trace the outside of your hand with the index finger on your other hand, breathing in when you trace up a finger and out when you trace down.

• Move up and down all five fingers. When you’ve traced your whole hand, reverse direction and do it again.

FRESHMAN WELLNESS BEGINS AND ENDS WITH A CLEAR MIND

When freshmen arrive in the large and cozy L-shaped room in the basement of Allan Building for their wellness class, they usually have a lot on their minds. Maybe it’s a math test they took in the previous period, a soccer game later in the day, or something they saw on social media.

Michelle Kriebel, who has been teaching Freshman Wellness for

almost 10 years, understands that the students are coming into her space from different places and that it’s important to take the time at the beginning of the period to help them clear their minds so that they can be present for her lesson. To demonstrate what the first few minutes of her class can feel like, she picks up a snow globe and shakes it vigorously. Just as the flakes inside the globe eventually settle,

so do her students. To aid in the transition from stormy to calm, she begins each class with a few simple breathing exercises to focus her students’ minds and bodies.

Fresh Start

The Freshman Wellness program is designed to give students information, resources, and tools they can draw upon during Upper School and beyond. Kriebel’s class

like snow settling in a globe.

THEHEALTHOF WELLNESS

is just one part of the program. During the first two months of the school year, the ninth graders also benefit from a weekly seminar-like orientation called Fresh Start in which they are introduced to different elements of the Upper School and the many resources available to them. They learn who the counselors are and how to seek support, gain an understanding of the Honor Code, learn how Greatest Good McDonogh is an integral part of the school, hear from the Learning Specialists about the academic support available, and discover ways to become involved with campus life. Wellness lab, another feature of the program, provides an opportunity for freshmen to move and connect with peers during the school day, outside of the traditional classroom and athletic teams.

Kriebel is responsible for focusing on health and safety themes that freshmen want and need to know about, providing them with strategies to make thoughtful and informed decisions. Topics range from alcohol and substance abuse to healthy relationships, social media use, and self-advocacy. “Kids are trying to figure their way through things, and I try to meet them where they are,” Kriebel says, noting it’s one more important layer of being life-ready. “If we are teaching how to write, paint, and understand mathematical theories, it’s important for students to understand what self-awareness is, what emotional regulation is, and what it means to be in connection with and around other people.”

Relatable Lessons

Relaxed and sitting on the floor in a circle, Kriebel begins the lesson. Over the next 70 minutes, she will take her students on a carefully curated journey using the many different ways they learn. To pique their interest and hold their attention, she blends “test your knowledge” questions with thoughtprovoking facts, interactive activities, movement, and a playlist of songs that apply to the topic.

In her lesson on the importance of sleep and what good sleep hygiene looks like, she gives relatable reasons for why it’s important to devote eight hours of their day to it. “Sleep is not a waste of time. It helps with creativity, memory, and emotional regulation,” she says, illustrating her point with interesting anecdotes. Then, with Simon and Garfunkel’s “Sounds of Silence” playing softly in the background, she asks them to consider, “What gets in our society’s way? What gets in your way of getting the sleep we need?”

Kriebel moves the discussion along with an interactive quiz, each question introduced with a song about sleep related to that question. Information about melatonin and the importance of light is choreographed to a snippet of The Weeknd’s hit song “Blinding Lights.” After explaining how cell phones and other devices are disruptive to restorative sleep, she says, “We treat our phones

better than ourselves. We plug them in at night to charge them but don’t do that for ourselves. Sleep is our recharging station.”

Toward the end of the class, she hands out a checklist she calls Xxxxxs for Zzzzzzs and asks her students to put an X next to everything they do to get the sleep they deserve. Then Kriebel asks, “Is there one thing on the list that you don’t currently do that you could try this week?”

She ends the session teaching a breathing technique to help them relax at night—a tool she hopes they will add to their wellness toolbox. By the end of class, students are on their backs on yoga mats, practicing a relaxing stretch, lights off, listening to the sound of silence.

Whether Kriebel is talking about substance abuse, social media, or sleep, she knows some information may not be immediately relevant to the freshmen. She points to a string of three large incandescent light bulbs hanging above her shoulder. She says, “They are a symbol of hope that with each class, something from the topic and our discussion will click and light up, and they will think, ‘That makes sense’ or ‘I never thought of it that way,’ or ‘I could try that to help me navigate my life.’”

10 TIPS

TO GET THE SLEEP YOU DESERVE

During the day, get at least 10-15 minutes of natural light

Avoid watching TV, eating, and discussing emotional issues in bed. Set your phone clock to a bedtime alarm to remind you to go to sleep. Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Staying up late

At night, turn your screen to black and white and place your phone on bedtime mode to silence notifications. Alarms and important calls can still get through, but everything else can wait until morning. Develop a pre-sleep ritual or routine to break the connection between all the day’s stress and bedtime. Rituals can include powering down from tech, reading something light, meditating, taking a hot bath or shower, changing into comfortable clothes, and practicing gratitude.

7. Do not take your phone into bed with you.

8. Avoid sleeping with a pet.

9. If you wake in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, keep the room as dark as is safely possible. Don’t turn on a bright light or Don’t hit “snooze” over and over in the morning. As soon as you get up, open the blinds or curtains to let in natural light.

THEHEALTHOF WELLNESS

TAKING CARE OF FACULTY AND STAFF

Taped to the wall in Janet Graham’s office is a permission slip. It’s a reminder that everyone who works at McDonogh—faculty, staff, and administrators—has permission to work hard, but not so hard that they don’t have anything left for themselves or their families. They have to find balance.

Balance isn’t easy when they are juggling their personal and professional lives and everything that goes along with each. As Director of Human Resources, it’s Graham’s job to educate employees and provide wellness tools to help alleviate stress, so they can be happy and productive, and do what they are passionate about—educating children.

In her role, Graham not only helps employees understand their health insurance and retirement benefits, but she also encourages participation in a variety of preventative wellness offerings from fitness challenges and nutrition education to smoking cessation support. And when they are faced with stressful life transitions,

she connects employees and their household members with experts in the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) who offer in-themoment support to help with personal or professional problems that may interfere with work or family responsibilities.

But it’s the extra wellness features that she coordinates that really make a difference for faculty and staff, and ultimately for students. Beyond arranging biometric screenings for physical wellness, Graham arranges retirement seminars with financial planners and sessions featuring speakers on topics such as navigating Medicare to provide informational resources to employees as they engage in planning for their futures.

“Wellness is not just physical,” she says. “It’s holistic, which includes emotional and mental health, being involved in a community, doing good for other people, and looking at your current and future financial circumstances— making sure you are taking steps to ensure you are not facing financial stress as you get older.”

As a result of her efforts and employee participation in the five essential areas of well-being—purpose, social, financial, physical, and community—as stated by the Association of Independent Maryland and DC Schools (AIMS) WellEducated program, McDonogh has earned an “A” rating for the past five years. This designation qualifies the school for grant money to further support employees and show gratitude for all they do. Graham has used a portion of the funds to create employee appreciation bags that she fills with snacks and items that encourage being active, and at the same time, support the school’s sustainability goals.

“We recognize that people have been through a lot in the past few years and the faculty have shown significant resilience while taking care of the kids,” Graham says. “The bags are a fun way to show appreciation and provide a little care and comfort for the adults in our community.”

Director of Human Resouces Janet Graham stands with members of the Transportation Department after giving them bags filled with items that provide comfort and care.

Upper School teachers Cindy Tindall and Josh Jones dig into the self-care bags that Director of Human Resources Janet Graham delivers.

PARENTS AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF THE PUZZLE

Parent education goes hand-in-hand with student wellness, and the administrative team and the McDonogh Parents Association (MPA) are committed to hosting a variety of parent education events on an ongoing basis. The counseling team also regularly shares helpful information and tips in parent newsletters on topics from “the Sunday scaries” to resilience. Additionally, the MPA, in conjunction with the Wellness Department, is screening a series of films and hosting discussions on key areas impacting society today. Angst (the prevalence of anxiety worldwide), Like (the impact and addictiveness of social media), and The Upstanders (bullying and the brain science behind it) have been well-received by parents and students and offer opportunities for connection and conversation. The fourth film in the series, Human (impact of race and racism on mental health), will be shown this spring.

McDonogh also remains committed to hosting professional speakers, and in March, parents will have an opportunity to attend an on-campus presentation by Julie Lythcott-Haims, New York Times bestselling author of How to Raise an Adult She will speak on the topic “How to Raise Successful Kids Without Overparenting.”

Plans are currently underway for the 2023-2024 Parent Education series!

HOW TO HAVE HEALTHY AND EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION WITH YOUR KIDS

Don’t trap your kid in the car and try to have meaningful conversations after practice or after school. They have nowhere to run. They are not in control. They press their head up against the window and put ear pods in. They are transitioning from heavy stuff: academics, sports, and social life. Even on the bus, they have to keep their social mask on. Give them time to recover and reset. Don’t push in on them.

Michael Green, LCSW-C

PARENT EDUCATION SERIES

WINTER/SPRING 2023

TEACHERS HONORED WITH ENDOWED CHAIRS

An endowed teaching chair is the most prestigious honor an educator can earn. The award recognizes great teaching as well as commitment to the McDonogh community. Each recipient, selected by the administrative team, holds the chair for two to three years. Two of McDonogh’s 10 faculty chairs were presented at the annual back-to-school faculty and staff meeting in August.

MARGARET BITZ

THE ROLLINS-LUETKEMEYER TEACHING CHAIR

“Teaching is my calling,” fourth-grade teacher Margaret Bitz has often said. “If my students leave my classroom in

June having mastered all the academics I taught, I am pleased and proud. But, if they leave me feeling loved and accepted for exactly who they are, then, and only then, do I feel I have done my job.”

Bitz’s devotion to students is among the reasons she was named the recipient of the RollinsLuetkemeyer Teaching Chair, an honor that thrilled her colleagues, family, and friends. In announcing the award, Head of School Dave Farace ’87 shared that Bitz—a steadfast advocate for children and a faithful friend—is joyful, loving, positive, compassionate,

Lower School teacher Margaret Bitz and Middle School Librarian Stasha Gibbs

nurturing, humble, hopeful, and inspiring.

He reminded the audience of the many ways she is committed to serving the community. Farace said she says “yes” to every opportunity and doesn’t shy away from a challenge, noting that in addition to teaching and coaching, she eagerly accepts extra responsibilities and assumes leadership roles—particularly those that involve character development and service. He shared a long list of examples to illustrate his point, including her commitment to Greatest Good McDonogh, the fact that she helped develop the Lower School Cultivating Character program, and how for years, she coordinated the third-grade shoeshine stand which resulted in hand-tied Blankets of Hope lovingly made for cancer patients.

STASHA GIBBS RAYMOND B. OLIVER CLASS OF 1940 TEACHING CHAIR

Before Craig Oliver ’70 presented the teaching chair named for his father, Ray Oliver, Farace shared the qualities that made Stasha Gibbs the worthy recipient of the honor. A trusted educator, her connection with students and her colleagues reaches beyond her domain in the Middle School Library.

In her role as librarian, Farace said, “She is most passionate about connecting students with great books.” He quoted a colleague who noted, “She has a remarkable understanding of those who find refuge in books. She is a keen observer of the shy, the pensive, the academically gifted, and the struggling learner. Like a physician, she prescribes the exact cure for each reader depending upon what they need at that moment.”

Beyond recommending the perfect book, Farace shared that Gibbs is a patient listener, known to offer subtle suggestions for putting friendships, projects, papers, and peace of mind back on track. For 15 years, students and colleagues have shared information, opinions, questions, concerns, confidences, hopes, and fears with her. In return, they have received kindness, compassion, wisdom, sensitivity, discretion, and a sense of safety.

Farace also recognized that Gibbs is a crucial part of the school’s diversity, equity, and inclusion work due to her leadership qualities and ability to share insights without judgment. He emphasized that she has been invaluable in her role as Middle School Equity and Inclusion Coordinator, and in 2021 as the school’s Team Leader.

JACK LUETKEMEYER NAMED TRUSTEE EMERITUS

McDonogh’s Board of Trustees announced in November that it conferred upon Jack Luetkemeyer the honorary designation of Trustee Emeritus in recognition of his contributions to the school. The announcement came as Luetkemeyer stepped away from the Board after 37 years of service to McDonogh.

During his time on the Board, Luetkemeyer, principal of the Rollins-Luetkemeyer (R-L) Foundation, supported McDonogh School with both transformational philanthropic gifts and deft strategic work. Under his direction, the R-L Foundation supported every major capital campaign the school has undertaken. In addition to the Foundation’s largest and most visible contributions to McDonogh—The Rollins-Luetkemeyer Athletic Center, the Rollins-Luetkemeyer Leaders Program, and the Rollins-Luetkemeyer Endowed Teaching Chair—over the years, dozens of special programs and funds have also been made possible with the foundation’s incredible support.

The R-L Foundation was created in 1961 by H. Beale Rollins, a scholarship student who graduated from McDonogh in 1915 as valedictorian of his class, with his friend and longtime banking partner, John A. Luetkemeyer, Sr.

“At every turn where the school had a need, two generations of stewards deeply committed to this great institution have stood at the ready. Their impact is impossible to measure,” said Board President Rob Young ’86 and Head of School Dave Farace ’87 in a letter to the community expressing their sincere appreciation to Luetkemeyer.

VOLUNTEERS MAKE ROOTS FARM WORK

BY MEREDITH BOWER

In 2022, from March to November, 1,412 volunteers put in more than 2,404 hours at Roots Farm assisting Director Sharon Hood and Chef Mallory Staley with planting, weeding, hauling, and harvesting; caring for the chickens and turkeys; preserving honey, making jam, and processing tomatoes and peppers. The work is not easy, so why do the volunteers keep sprouting up on a regular basis?

On any given day throughout the spring, summer, and fall, students, parents, alumni, and faculty and staff can be found working in the fields and in the barn helping Hood with bushels of tasks. Among the reasons they return is because she is

intentional about the chores she assigns to the students and adults. “One thing I won’t do is bring people out here to weed. They have to do something very meaningful, and I look for what they are good at,” Hood says, explaining how she draws on her teaching skills. “I always find what kids and adults like. Some are detailed workers, and others are like a wrecking crew. Then, I assign jobs they will find enjoyable. It’s like being in the classroom and figuring out what works.”

In late summer when everything seems to ripen at once, the rows of produce are filled with the buzzing of bees and chatter of the

volunteers working in tandem on either side of the lanes. Friendships begin to grow among the crops as her helpers discover what they have in common. Hood says the vibe is like a quilting bee. “While you are doing your task, you end up talking about all kinds of things. As I go down the tomato lanes, I hear ‘Who’s your advisor?’ ‘Do this, don’t do that.’ The kids are mentoring and don’t even know it,” Hood notes. “It’s something that can’t be replaced by technology.”

Becoming hooked on helping at Roots is not uncommon for many volunteers. Grace Jackson ’95 was first introduced to Roots through her son’s Middle School Farm to

Richard Silberstein ’77 (left) and employees from Silberstein Insurance Group take a break after a day of service at Roots.

Fork class. After observing his growth and passion for Roots, she began to volunteer and soon was at the farm every day, harvesting, washing, weighing, and bagging the produce. Jackson’s enthusiasm for the farm matches that of her children and she appreciates how Roots connects McDonogh’s vision, purpose, and excellent curriculum. “We have an incredible learning opportunity on our campus in the life lessons that teach compassion, integrity, and character,” she says.

Each June, employees from Silberstein Insurance Group, owned by Trustee Richard Silberstein ’77, spend the day doing community service at the farm. “It is a fan

favorite of our team who love the mission of Roots and working together outside,” Silberstein says. “They are doing community service, but Farmer Hood also teaches them to better understand the farm ecosystem and sustainable farming.” This year, they planted butternut squash that was later harvested by Lower School volunteer families and donated to the Maryland Food Bank. Similarly, McDonogh’s Business Office looks forward to their biannual volunteer days not only for team-building but also as a handson way to support the operation.

The appeal of helping at Roots is ageless. On an early Saturday morning in late October while the swim team dove in to help put the farm to bed for the winter, another group of student volunteers was assisting with an Admissions event for preschoolers and their families. As the event came to a close, one little boy who was more interested in what the older kids were doing than the farm games, picked up a small bale of hay to help the swimmers with their tasks.

“Roots Farm brings out the best in people,” Hood says, adding, “Volunteers make it possible for the farm to operate.”

Honey of a JamFest

One of the most popular back-to-school events is the annual Honey of a JamFest at Roots Farm. The festive Friday afternoon event includes farm games, a corn maze, live music, pumpkin picking, and a country store featuring Roots Farm honey, jams, and baked goods. It’s fun for the whole family and would not be possible without the support of the McDonogh Parents Association and the help of student, faculty, staff, and parent volunteers. This year, 113 volunteers contributed 274 hours of their time. How sweet!

Freshman volunteers Aanya Korgaonkar (left) and Onyeka Nwulia pick potatoes.

Maxwell Jackson ’27 and Landon Tamaddon ’26 wash and prepare apples for Roots Farm spple jam.

MPA volunteer Brandi Rey helps with farm games.

COMPOSTING IS COOL

Composting began in earnest at McDonogh this fall. With the help of upper schoolers in the McDonogh Goes Green club, students in all three divisions quickly learned what dining hall waste was compostable and what was not. Perhaps one of the reasons they adapted with enthusiasm is they can see the direct impact it will have on their school.

Working with Waste Neutral, a business dedicated to providing sustainable waste management solutions and cost-effective ways to divert needless waste from landfills, McDonogh will earn credit for every ton of waste the company collects from campus. The credit will be used to “buy” compost that will be mixed into the soil at Roots Farm, adding nutrients to the crops that will eventually be served in the dining halls.

“Roots is an integral part of the program,” says Director Sharon Hood. “It’s a tangible reason to compost. Kids are learning that when they compost, what comes from the farm goes through a process and ends up back here to start all over again. It’s a full circle. Kids think it’s really cool. It is.” –Meredith

Bower

The second season of McDonogh Voices kicked off in November with a look back at life at McDonogh in the 1950s and 1960s through the eyes of alumni who were students at the time. Upper School history and social studies teacher Ane Lintvedt set the stage for the first of three webinar discussions planned in conjunction with the school’s approaching 150th-anniversary celebration.

“My job is to give a bit of historical context by pointing out some of the bigger, mid-20th century historical themes that may have had an impact on what was going on at McDonogh at the time,” she explained. Having taught upper schoolers for 38 years, Lintvedt noted that while significant events were taking place locally, nationally, and globally, it was likely that the attention of the teenage boys was focused on their lives at McDonogh.

The conversation was guided by moderator Carol Croxton, Director of Alumni Engagement, and featured panelists John Beever ’50, Hank Chiles ’56, Mike Koppisch ’60, John Sieverts ’63, and Tim Wright ’66. The five men shared memories and offered their perspectives on life at McDonogh when they were students. They also spoke about their semimilitary education and how it prepared them for the future. Although the group had different feelings about the storied program, there was consensus that the lessons it taught were invaluable. Chiles, who had a long and distinguished career in the U.S. Navy, said he was grateful for the opportunity to be given significant responsibilities as a student. On the other hand, Koppisch, who admits the military was not his thing, said in retrospect that he could see how the program created a sense of order and taught them the correct way of doing things.

Sieverts, who has been involved with the school in countless ways since his graduation, recalled being so homesick that he ran away from campus with a plan to hitchhike to his home in Carroll County. His plan was foiled when he was caught having only made it as far as Horsehead Woods. In contrast, Beever, a day-hop, said he initially thought he was lucky to go home every night until it occurred to him that the boarders were probably having more fun. Wright saw the advantages of both situations and painted a picture of the unsupervised freedom the boarders had on the weekends to roam the campus and ride horses.

The full conversation, The 1950s and 1960s: Prosperity and Protest, is available for viewing on the McDonogh website at www.mcdonogh.org/voices. The January installment, The 1970s: Times of Transition with historian Louis Hyman ’95, is also available. Be sure to tune in for the final McDonogh Voices session of the year, The 1980s: An Era of Opportunity on Thursday, March 23 from 7:00-8:30 p.m. –Meredith Bower

Seniors Megan Lu, Lucy Bonat, and Sophia Park proudly take a selfie with the sign they painted in the dining hall to promote composting.

LITTLE HEDGEHOG SETS AN EXAMPLE

After reading the tale of Little Hedgehog who shared his hat, scarf, and mittens with his woodland friends in the story One Winter’s Day by M. Christina Butler and learning about the need for winter coats for children at nearby Owings Mills Elementary and Owings Mills High School, the first graders set out to follow the example of the generous little creature.

They discussed the difficulty of winter for children in need, wondered what happens with the coats they outgrow, and initiated a Lower School coat drive. They shared the message of kindness and giving with every Lower School class and encouraged participation in a weeklong coat collection. Then, before winter weather set in, they delivered 200 coats to McDonogh’s neighbors in need.

“We are so grateful to each of you for taking the time and effort to help other students in our community,” a thank you note from the schools read. “Can you imagine not having a warm winter coat when it is so cold outside?”

Not only did the Greatest Good McDonogh effort show the first graders they have the power to make a difference, collecting the coats gave them a warm feeling inside, too.

Mrs. Alperstein (back row, center) and her first-grade class pose with Director of Greatest Good McDonogh Bridget Collins ’90 (back row, left) and Greatest Good McDonogh Program Manager Artie Spruill (back row, right) with coats they collected.

First graders keep track of how many coats they collected using hedgehog stickers.

NEW WAYS OF LOOKING AT FOOD PRODUCTION

THE

Can you really grow herbs, greens, and vegetables without light or soil? Eighth-grade scientists recently discovered the answer is “yes” in a lesson on the basics of botany through the lens of hydroponics and growing food.

Using a Nutritower and other hydroponic systems in which plants grow in a soilless growing medium (like peat moss) and are saturated with a water-based nutrient solution, students discovered that hydroponic gardens not only save water and require less work but also that plants grow more quickly. They were also surprised to learn that nutritious and delicious microgreens don’t require light to grow and can be enjoyed within weeks of planting. The lesson, grounded at the intersection of nature and technology, illustrates the future application of growing food year-round, inside and out.

Jonathan Lee ’27 aligns the Nutritower tubing with the plant pot to prevent water from leaking.

Elianna Vandermeer ’27 labels the plant pot so that it is easily identified.

SHARING MCDONOGH’S STORY WITH YOUNG AND OLD

Like a pied piper, Jon Aaron ’72, McDonogh’s Special Projects Coordinator for the Sesquicentennial and Archives Liaison to the Faculty, is often seen leading campus tours for all ages from prekindergartners to grandparents.

On a crisp fall morning, after learning about the McDonogh seal on their blazers, Aaron guided four- and five-year-olds on a mission across campus to discover the special places where the school seal appears. “They love moving, searching, discovering, and sharing observations, and I take on the role of the trickster to playfully test their confidence in what they observe,” Aaron explains. “For example, on the walk, we came across the huge ‘M’ centered on the Rosenberg Green, and I proclaimed, ‘Look! There’s the McDonogh seal!’ A few voices agreed, but others could not be fooled!”

In contrast, Aaron’s popular tours for older adults offer a perspective on the way so many facets of life at McDonogh—academics, arts, athletics, economics, and culture— are woven into the evolving story of the school. He says this audience is intrigued by the parallels between McDonogh School’s story and America’s story.

A natural storyteller, Aaron enjoys connecting and balancing the historical and anecdotal. “I think that studying and sharing histories—the history of particular societies and nations or the personal history of individuals and families—is a natural extension of how we value building relationships at McDonogh,” he says. “Appreciating and honoring a classmate’s perspective as part of civil discourse—a highly personal interaction—can more effectively evolve when we practice looking over our shoulders at historical times, challenges, and relationships.”

On a tour, parents and grandparents learn the background of significant campus locations and how the school’s rituals and values have evolved over the years.

Jon Aaron ’72 and his prekindergarten friends study the elements of the McDonogh seal in the foyer of the Rollins-Luetkemeyer Athletic Center.

SHOP TALK: TEACHING EVERYTHING AT ONCE

BY KEVIN J. COSTA, PH.D., DIRECTOR OF LIFEREADY

In the fall, the LifeReady Team delivered a webinar for the Association of Independent Maryland Schools (AIMS) entitled “Teaching Everything at Once.” This real-time session gave participants handson experience with what we call “The LifeReady Classroom,” a method of instructional design that develops mastery of subject-area content and practice with the intellectual, relational, and personal qualities required in our world.

LifeReady is a vision for teaching practice, grounded in research and best practice, where classrooms are vibrant spaces of inquiry, analysis, and sense-making— not passive experiences where students merely receive information. It is important to underscore that LifeReady is not a curriculum or program—curriculum is what we teach. It is, rather, a framework guiding us to make good decisions about how we teach.

The LifeReady Classroom provides an approach to meeting the needs of students in the 21st century while not compromising any of the cognitive rigor required to engage deeply with core subject matter. This is important because it seems that today’s teachers have to know it all: brain-based pedagogy, inclusive instruction, social and emotional practices, cuttingedge technology, global competence—phew! Current baseline expectations of teachers have changed. But McDonogh is in a strong position to take on these challenges because we have LifeReady.

Shifting Ground in Education

For most of the 20th century, the paradigm for school instruction was “transmission” teaching where knowledge was passed on to students largely through presentation. In my early days as an English teacher, for example, I thought transmission was precisely the recipe for good teaching. I’d model a close reading of a poem and take students through my critical process in order to arrive at my understanding. I felt pretty good about my insights, but this approach foreclosed student thinking. I didn’t intend this, but what should I have expected when I was doing all the thinking? What did they really understand? What could they really do? Honestly, I didn’t know. And while some knowledge

may get through to students through this mode, such pedagogy largely ignores the development of other essential abilities like critical thinking, collaboration, and communication.

As Daniel T. Willingham, a world-renowned psychologist at the University of Virginia, reminds us, “Your memory is not a product of what you want to remember or what you try to remember. It’s a product of what you think about.” Teaching, then, must involve student thinking—and teachers need evidence of such thinking to know if they’re really helping to develop understanding in students. With this in mind, if I were designing a poetry class today, I would insist that students struggle with analysis and sense-making in class, where I can be of most use to them as they develop powerful critical abilities. Such a class would also involve students working individually and together to crowdsource the wisdom that sparks when people think and solve problems together.

Does teacher expertise matter? Of course—as much as ever. But the teacher designs the conditions for creative and critical thinking to take place and then intervenes strategically to carry students to higher planes of understanding and reasoning.

This approach is what LifeReady teaching is all about. The “magic” of LifeReady is that by creating spaces of critical thinking, where students are responsible for lifting heavy cognitive loads, we also create the conditions to help them develop what education thought leader Tony Wagner calls “survival skills” for life in the 21st century.

The Future

When LifeReady was first released, we admitted we couldn’t know every future reality we would encounter. Instead, we described a school experience that would develop in graduates flexible, adaptable, and transferable intellectual and practical abilities. Indeed, we couldn’t have foreseen the many challenges that have presented themselves in recent years. But with our dynamic faculty, we were ready—and we’ll continue to be LifeReady!

BY NOREEN LIDSTON

In the Company

CCreating artwork is often considered to be a solitary activity. A painter stands alone at an easel; a fabric artist guides material through a sewing machine; a graphic designer critiques the images on a computer screen; a cartoonist labors over a series of drawings. “Putting in the hours” is an essential ingredient in making art, and usually those hours are spent in isolation.

But not always. Sometimes artists seek the company of one another in order to share their work, receive feedback, or just spend time with those who have a similar creative mindset. All that is required is a time and place to gather. Thanks to the efforts of two members of the Upper School visual arts faculty, such a time and place exist at McDonogh. It is called Open Studio, and it is located in the art classrooms of the Edward St. John Student Center. On Wednesday afternoons until the early evening, students and teachers gather to support each other, commiserate, or simply “hang out” with an understanding, uplifting community.

Open Studio was created by arts faculty members Jessica Bastidas and Robert Penn. Bastidas, in her

third year of teaching at McDonogh, is a professional painter and illustrator. Penn, who began teaching at McDonogh in 2018, describes himself as a multidisciplinary artist. He is also the current team leader of the Upper School Visual Arts Department. Both teachers understood that their students needed more time outside of regular classes to develop their art, but minutes stolen from lunch or community time were not enough.

In response, Bastidas and Penn offered random Open Studio sessions during the last school year, with varying days and times. The teachers received a great response from students but felt the need to formalize the schedule this year. Now students can count on having time and space reserved and available to them on a consistent basis.

The teachers have observed a great deal of growth in student work since Open Studio became a reliable resource. Director of Arts Kara Zimmerman says, “Open Studio provides uninterrupted time for our dedicated visual artists to complete a great deal of

Art teacher Jess Bastidas puts the finishing touches on “Mercat de Sant Antoni” during the afternoon Open Studio.

of Artists

work on their pieces in one sitting. This time also forges relationships among students in multiple visual arts classes.”

Bastidas admires the dedication of the students who regularly spend time in Open Studio. “It is a myth that in order to create art you must be gifted with some innate talent. Rather, the students who really grow as artists are the ones who have drive, the motivation to create, and discipline—the work ethic to realize their vision,” she says. “Art is an iterative process. In time, an artist’s work becomes more conceptually and technically sophisticated, but that development cannot happen without commitment. This investment of time and effort is the norm for artists, not the exception.”

Penn appreciates the social benefits that Open Studio offers to students, especially after the isolation of the pandemic. He says, “The student artists watch their peers work with different mediums. They talk about their pieces, share ideas, and feed off each other’s energy. It is fun to see them interact and relate to one another. They are as tight-knit as any theater group or team of athletes.”

Open Studio is available to upperclassmen who are part of the junior year honors-level visual arts classes or A-Level Senior Art Capstone. The students are enthusiastic about the opportunity to work in a community and receive feedback from an understanding audience. Sophia Park ’23, who spends a lot of time in Open Studio, says, “I love the space and the people. Our schedules are so crazy; this is like selfcare to me. It makes me happy.”

Maggie Vertrees ’23, a relative newcomer to Open Studio, adds, “I enjoy the quiet environment and having close friends nearby. I can focus on my work and get a lot done. I also enjoy the snacks!” Speaking candidly, Finn Mitchell ’24 confesses, “I find it hard to meet deadlines, so it is easier for me to work on my art here at school. I like doing surreal drawings. The process of drawing them is awesome, but it is time-consuming. Despite that, art is my default. It re-centers me.”

Open Studio is receiving rave reviews from all parts of the Upper School visual arts community. Zimmerman says, “I value the opportunity that our budding artists have to work alongside their teachers, who are often painting, constructing, and building their own pieces during Open Studio. It’s like a master class in the artistic process; students and teachers learn from each other as they work shoulder-to-shoulder on their own creations. This is truly a LifeReady experience!”

Maggie Vertrees ’23 and Zoe North ’23 work on their Senior Art Capstone projects.

Nailah Muhammad ’24 sews a puffer jacket, a project for her Honors Fashion and Fibers II class.

THE POWER OF WORDS

Imagine a world with only 1,000 words—words that can be both precious and dangerous. That is the premise of Where Words Once Were, a play by Finegan Kruckemeyer about language and its absences, performed by the McDonogh Middle School Players in October. Set in a dystopian time where language is rationed, a sentence can get you sentenced, and the silent are rising, the young hero, Orhan, discovers that a word can change the world.

Middle School Vocal Music and OnStage Director Suzanne Eldridge chose the play after scouring the internet for a production that would be poignant, relatable, and family-friendly. She says that coming out of the pandemic, where facial expressions were hidden by masks and student interaction was confined to a digital box, she saw a need for the uplifting spirit of the play. “I was taken by the messages of love, hope, and a bit of rebellion.”

As the middle schoolers prepared for the production, the young actors had the opportunity to Zoom with playwright Kruckemeyer in Australia. They asked him about his process of writing Where Words Once Were for the Kennedy Center’s Theater for Young Audiences in 2016. Finegan told them he is a “language nerd” and loves how it can be used in ways that are unexpected when communication is a challenge.

The poignant performances left audiences wondering what it would be like to live in a world where language is rationed and how they would communicate things like love, fear, or anger.

—Meredith Bower

Asghar Mohmand ’27 (Issac) explains to Izzy Goldsmith ’29 (Orhan) and Riv Wagner ’27 (the baker) why Yasna Filatova ’29 (Angela) has been silenced.

The ensemble acts out why the city has limited the number of words the residents can speak.

STUDENTS TAKE THE LEAD IN ALMOST, MAINE

A cold, clear, moonless, slightly surreal Friday night in the middle of the deepest part of winter in a small town in Northern Maine, so far north it almost doesn’t exist, is the setting for Almost, Maine, a charming and witty play by John Cariani.

McDonogh’s production of Almost, Maine—nine vignettes that take place in the same 10-minute span—was the work of students in five Upper School electives: Theatre I, Tech Theatre I, Honors Tech Theatre II, Fall Play I, and Honors Fall Play II. The classes are not only designed to teach the fundamentals of theatre in front of and behind the curtain, they also provide opportunities for leadership and collaboration as students stage and perform a play for the larger McDonogh community.

Director of Arts Kara Zimmerman explains how the show came together and left audiences wanting more. “After placing students in roles that interested them in September, we spent the next two months working hard to rehearse, design, build, light, and costume the show,” she says.

The 35 students involved in the production played multiple roles

including actors, directors, stage managers, audio designers, light designers, costumers, prop masters, and more. Throughout the process, Zimmerman says that she, along with Theatre Technical Director Bill Marks and Performing Arts Teacher Scott Barton, served as “quality control.”

In mid-November, when the lights came up on the stage in the Ceres M. Horn Theatre, it all came together. “Our actors did a beautiful job portraying the 16 heartbroken and love-struck individuals in the town of Almost, Maine, and our student designers and technicians really held down the fort backstage,” Zimmerman says. “It was a wonderful show!”

Meredith Bower

SEEKING PERFORMING ARTS ALUMNI

Thursday, November 2

Performing Arts alumni are invited to have a role in a signature arts event to kick off McDonogh’s 150th Anniversary celebration. The one-of-a-kind show in the tradition of the Orange & Black Varieties from yesteryears, invites dancers, actors, singers, and musicians who continue to perform to return to McDonogh’s stage for this special production. Contact Director of Arts Kara Zimmerman at kzimmermann@mcdonogh.org if you are interested in sharing your talent with the McDonogh community.

HOME AGAIN

Ginette played by Yasmeen R’ghioui ’24 and Mason Bainbridge ’25 as Pete, set the stage in the prologue of Almost, Maine.

In this vignette, Aeiris Faloni ’23 plays the everhopeful character, Glory.

Almost, Maine cast members (from left) Jo Turner ’24, Ella Nadeau ’25, Zoie Jackson ’24, Duncan Sciubba ’26, Paige Fried ’23, Will Kibel ’23, and Mason Bainbridge ’25 take a bow.

SOCCER TEAM PUTS THE INTO THEIR what

The 21 girls on the varsity soccer team play soccer. It’s their what. But Coach Harry Canellakis believes it’s their why that consistently propels the team to the top of the IAAM A Conference. Asking his players to reflect on the why behind their what is one strategy in his playbook, and the timing is key to its success.

why

For the past few years, just when the team could use a shot in the arm, Canellakis engages the girls in an off-field exercise to focus on why they play. Gathered around a computer screen, they watch a short video called “Know Your Why” in which comedian and motivational speaker Michael Jr. illustrates when you know your why, your what becomes more impactful. Then, after reflecting on their why, each player shares what drives them.

It was early in the 2022 season, shortly after conference play began when Canellakis and his assistants decided it was already time to bring out the video. “We had a slow start. Probably the slowest start we’ve ever had,” he says, explaining that the team was coming off a tie with John Carroll, a loss to Mercy, and that St. Paul’s was next on the schedule.

As coaches do, he analyzed the rocky beginning and attributed it to the fact that for the first time anyone can remember, there were no seniors on the team. “Juniors were thrust into the role of leaders. It was hard for them

Coach Harry Canellakis addresses the team.

to process that role and still play well,” says Canellakis who has been leading the girls team for the past 14 years. So, in preparation for their next game and the bulk of the season ahead, he showed the video.

“We all think about the what,” Canellakis says. “As a coach I think, ‘what is it I need to do to prepare the players, to organize the season?’ No matter what job we’re in, we often don’t reflect on why we are doing things. It’s important to slow down and ask the question. It helps you do it better.”

Prior to watching the video, most girls on the team had not given much consideration to why they play— soccer is something they’ve been doing from a very young age. Freshman midfielder Maya Rodriguez shared her thinking: “At first I thought about writing how I love the adrenaline rush or being able to do cool tricks with the ball.”

It didn’t take her long to realize she was focusing on the what. After adjusting her thinking, she found her why, which was similar to that of other girls on the team. She said, “I play soccer because it simply makes me happy. Soccer brings joy to my day by distracting me from any outside pressures. Being part of a team with incredible spirit, skill, and support is what makes me happy, which is exactly why I play soccer.”

Similarly, throughout his career, Canellakis has shifted his focus from the what (wins and losses) to the why (teaching his players skills they can use). “I really feel that soccer teaches how to overcome adversity, how to work as a team, and how to operate as something bigger than yourself. I’m always trying to think how we can use soccer to equip kids to go on and do whatever they want.”

It was adversity that helped two of his players uncover their why. Junior Lauren Zappacosta, who has played soccer for so long that she says it’s part of her identity, was sidelined for five months with a knee injury. Her why grew out of being unable to play. In sharing her thoughts with the team, she said, “While there are hard times within the game, part of my love comes from overcoming the challenges I’ve faced. I didn’t truly understand the positive impact soccer had on my life until I had to watch on the sidelines. My why is to play for that injured 13-year-old self who would’ve given anything to play and who had wished she appreciated soccer more when she was healthy.”

Prior to coming to McDonogh, sophomore Maddie Rose suffered an injury during a game. She admitted to her teammates how difficult it was to return to the field and told them, “After my accident, I was at one of my lowest points. I have truly never wanted to play more and give it everything I have. When I play soccer nothing else matters. I look forward to every practice because I get to work to get a little better every day, and my teammates are like my second family. Playing soccer has made me who I am today, and I’m so

grateful for it. That’s why I give 110 percent at every practice, that’s why I play like I’m not guaranteed tomorrow, why I cherish the game that I fell in love with at age four.”

Despite their preparation on and off the field, at half-time in the game against St. Paul’s, the Eagles were down 0-2. “That was rock bottom,” Canellakis recalls. He pauses and then adds with a smile, “We came back and won 3-2 in overtime. From then on, we were flying.”

The team earned a second seed in the IAAM playoffs and faced Mercy, their only loss of the season, in the A Conference championship game—a position they couldn’t imagine being in only six weeks earlier. While Mercy ultimately earned the title in a nail-biter (1-0), the Eagles were nonetheless proud of their season.

Whether or not the video was the game changer, there’s no question it had an impact on the girls’ thinking. As Maya said in her reflection, “Now I finally understand the difference between the what and the why The what makes the why possible.”

—Meredith Bower

Friends and teammates Isabella Sodhi ’25 and Mckenzie Brown ’25 at practice.

The soccer players celebrate each other and their love of the game.

FOOTBALL PLAYERS HUDDLE OVER PRE-GAME BREAKFAST

Hours before the first snap of the ball in the game against Gilman, McDonogh’s varsity football players huddle over a bountiful breakfast in Paterakis Hall. Joining them are fathers, grandfathers, or other male figures who have played significant roles in the players’ lives. At this breakfast, the players have an opportunity to thank the men who are so important to them and also to enjoy some fellowship before they go into battle in the storied rivalry.

These gatherings began in November 2018, not long after the death of McDonogh alumnus Jordan McNair ’17, who suffered a heat stroke after participating in a football practice session at the University of Maryland. The morale of McDonogh’s football team was low following Jordan’s death, and the breakfast was meant as a way to boost the players’ spirits and bring them closer together as a team. The event, now a tradition, was created by Varsity Football Coach Hakeem Sule ’05.

Each breakfast features an adult guest speaker, and this year, former Baltimore Ravens’ running back Femi Ayanbadejo, Sr., had the honor.

On the morning of Saturday, November 5, Ayanbadajo, whose son and namesake is on McDonogh’s team, stressed to the players the importance of being “coachable.” He urged them not to take the coaches’ feedback personally but to recognize the input as a way to improve their performance. He urged the players to take what they need from the coaches’ direction and

FOR THE RECORD

On the fields, on the courts, in the pool, and in the riding ring, McDonogh athletes turned in stellar performances in a display of talent and sportsmanship. Congratulations to all our fall athletes and coaches. Following are the IAAM and MIAA records of the varsity teams:

Girls Cross Country: 7-0

Girls Field Hockey: 5-3-1

Girls Soccer: 3-1-1

Girls Tennis: 6-0

Girls Volleyball: 2-5

Boys Cross Country: 1-4

Boys Football: 3-3

Boys Soccer: 10-9-1

Boys Water Polo: 6-4

use it to build their confidence. He added, “Taking things personally results in a negative outcome.”

The players themselves also have an opportunity to speak at the breakfast. Mason Robinson ’23 appreciated the chance to share his thoughts. He says, “This year was special for me because, as a senior, this was my last McDonogh vs. Gilman breakfast ever. Traditionally, Coach Sule asks all the seniors to say a word about their fathers or the guests they brought to the breakfast. This year it was my turn to say something about my dad. This was so nice because it was really my first time being able to express how much my dad has been there for me to make me who I am today.”

That afternoon, McDonogh was victorious in the 106th game against Gilman. Down 13-0 at halftime, the Eagles soared back to beat the Greyhounds 34-13, securing their hold on the Price Memorial Trophy for another year.

—Noreen Lidston

Senior football players, and the men who have played a significant role in their lives, gather before the annual game against Gilman.

Former Baltimore Raven Femi Ayanbadejo, Sr. addresses the football team and their guests at a pregame breakfast.

GIRLS TENNIS AND CROSS COUNTRY TEAMS TAKE HOME CONSECUTIVE TITLES

For the second year in a row, both the girls varsity tennis team and the girls cross country team took home the IAAM A Conference titles. Despite the individual nature of the two sports, each student contributed to the success of their team.

Speaking about the 12-player tennis squad, McDonogh Coach Terry Solins told an IAAM reporter that the Eagles enjoyed contributions from everyone on the roster this fall. “They really came together as a team. Everybody came through,” she said.

Co-Athletic Director Mickey Deegan added that Solins challenges her players. “She expects them to work hard, and it paid off.” The topseeded girls won four of the five

singles events, and they swept all three doubles matches.

After the season ended, Solins, who announced her retirement earlier in the season, was named IAAM Coach of the Year by her peers. Her nomination was punctuated by the naming of all eight varsity players to the All-Conference team, and Sophia Koman receiving Athlete of the Week in recognition of going undefeated during her entire McDonogh tennis career.

At the cross country championship meet held on the rolling hills of the Center for Maryland Agriculture and Farm Park, the Eagles flew away from the seven other teams in the A conference with five runners placing in the top 15. At least one runner

from each grade level earned points for the team, including senior Sophie Bredar, junior Mary Gorsky, sophomores Zewdi Tesfayohannes and Caroline Birdsall, and freshman Allie Keffer.

Sophie told the IAAM that she liked the course, which had changed in the past year, and that she also liked the Eagles’ exceptional attitude. “After being the underdog last year, we had a lot of new girls this year who were young and hungry,” she said. “We ran for each other.”

Coach Phil Turner said the team’s leadership was key to their success. “They were motivated all season,” he said, adding, “They are everything a coach could ask for.” —Meredith Bower

Doubles partners Sophia Koman ’23 and Navia Vohra ’24 celebrate after winning their match and clinching the IAAM Tennis title.

The 2022 IAAM Tennis champions and coaches.

Co-Athletic Director Mickey Deegan joins the girls cross country team for a selfie after they earned the IAAM A Conference championship crown.

SCHOLARSHIP

I AM BECAUSE WE ARE

BY MEREDITH BOWER AND DANIELLE SCHOLLAERT

“I am because we are,” said alumna speaker Courtney Vaughn ’11 at the annual Scholarship Celebration. After pausing to let the words sink in, she asked the audience to say them with her. “I am because we are,” the more than 300 guests recited in unison.

“Yes, you are, because we all are,” Vaughn replied, adding, “McDonogh would not be what it is if it weren’t for every single person in this room.”

Speaking before the gathering of Upper School students, faculty, donors, and mentors, Vaughn, a member of the newly formed Alumni Scholarship Committee, told the crowd that when she was asked to speak, her memories of McDonogh ran through her mind like a movie montage. She recounted highlights from boarding the bus on her first day of school in first grade to the recent wedding of one of her best friends in Tagart Chapel. And she recalled a vivid memory of being in sixth grade and learning that she was a scholarship student. “Navigating a place that already felt awkward as one of a few Black students was hard, and now that was layered with socioeconomic status. I didn’t have the words then to describe exactly what was happening, but today I know that intersectionality was hard at play,” she said.

An Evolving Experience

The Scholarship Program has endured many iterations since its inception. While the core tenet “we give something more than we take’’ has remained the same, the format has varied. Driven by the desire to improve the student experience, the school’s Scholarship Committee— comprised of administrators and staff—has taken a look inward in order to further evolve.

The primary change, initiated in 2021, was taking a more engagement-based approach to the program. Each scholarship recipient is now paired with a mentor from the McDonogh community who believes deeply in student success and the opportunities that McDonogh offers. The Admissions and Philanthropy teams intentionally and thoughtfully make these matches based on shared interests with the goal of creating mutual and authentic connections. When the opportunity arose, Vaughn was eager to serve as a mentor.

Traditionally held in the spring, the Scholarship Celebration dinner shifted to the fall so students and their mentors could foster relationships early in the year. Holding the event on a Sunday evening rather than during the school day also allows for more time to socialize and get acquainted.

Additionally, an Alumni Scholarship Committee was created to support the ongoing work of the school. Vaughn has been thrilled to collaborate with fellow committee members Tom Dance ’66 and Kiernan Michau ’09 who are also scholarship alumni. “The goal is to connect different generations of scholarship students who are willing to listen and learn from each other,” Vaughn says. She says she appreciates Dance’s efforts to understand the post-2000 McDonogh experience. In fact, after comparing stories of their time at McDonogh almost 50 years apart, Vaughn says he has become somewhat of a mentor for her. “Hopefully, that’s how the cycle keeps going. Mentorship relationships can be back and forth over generations and time.”

New Format Well-Received

During the fall 2022 Scholarship Celebration dinner, Paterakis Hall buzzed with conversation. Vaughn and her mentee (both softball players) talked about sports, what school is like today, and the teachers they had in common. “I wanted to know everything,” Vaughn says with a laugh.

Head of School Dave Farace ’87 congratulates speakers Zach Hayashi ’23 and Courtney Vaughn ’11 at the Scholarship Celebration.

Feedback from the event and the move to the beginning of the year were positive. Scholarship Committee Chair Steve Birdsall says, “It has been rewarding to watch the student and mentor relationship blossom over a short amount of time, and it is exciting to know that these connections will only continue to flourish in the years ahead.”

Vaughn’s words at the podium during the celebration dinner reflected her hope. Referring to the African proverb, “I am because we are,” she concluded her remarks by saying, “The impact we have on each other goes far beyond this event.”

Then, before thanking the donors and mentors for their investment of time and resources, she addressed the students, saying, “I hope you will look back at your time at McDonogh in awe, with gratitude and pride for what you accomplished in this community, and how this campus shaped or is shaping you into the person you will become. And as you remember when, I hope you will never stop looking forward on the path that you have forged for yourself.”

STUDENT REFLECTS ON SCHOLARSHIP EXPERIENCE

ZACH HAYASHI ’23 , the student speaker at the fall Scholarship Celebration, shared how a change in his family’s circumstances when he was a freshman left him unsure of how to navigate his new status as a scholarship student. He added that he was lost when his freshman lacrosse season was canceled because of COVID, but Zach realized he wasn’t the only one. He recalls the seniors on the team telling the younger players to cherish their time and to value the relationships at McDonogh. Zach told the audience, “Seeing what the seniors lost led me to the following realization: I realized that I can’t take any day for granted, and there’s no shame in being different at McDonogh.” He explained that from that moment on, his self-confidence and his grades improved, and he was motivated to work out more and manage his time better.

“At that moment I felt that being a scholarship student was something I should be honored and proud of. It’s something that is unique to me and should be celebrated. It’s an opportunity.”

As he hit his stride over the next two years of Upper School, Zach recalled, “I felt confident and motivated.” During that time, he said he also began to really think about what the phrase “we give more than we take” really means.

He said, “After a lot of thought, I finally realized that throughout my McDonogh career I’ve taken so much. The lessons from teachers, administrators, and staff. The extracurricular opportunities. The amazing experiences with all of my coaches and teammates. The special bonds with all of the boarders and dorm parents. The support from the Learning Center. The relationships with my friends, teammates, and peers. The countless hours of help from Ms. Margraff on my college application. The generous donations from donors to the Scholarship Program. The relationships with all members of the McDonogh community. And last, but definitely not least, the gift of finding myself.”

He continued, “Giving back more than we take is what honors the ones who came before us and inspires the next generation. To me, this is what McDonogh is. Challenging yourself to leave it better than when you first came.”

LOOK BACK

The Evolution of the McDonogh Uniform

BY CHRISTINE AMEDURI, DIRECTOR, MCDONOGH SCHOOL ARCHIVES & SPECIAL COLLECTIONS

For 150 years, school uniforms have been an integral part of the student experience at McDonogh. Whether military or civilian, the ever-evolving uniform has provided continuity, stability, and a sense of identity for all who have worn them.

Issued to all boys entering the school beginning November 1873, military uniforms were required dress until the program was abolished in 1971. During that century, there were many variations of the uniform, and styles changed, overlapped, or were occasionally modified. As new uniforms were phased in, they did not always become standard for all cadets at the same time.

One of the earliest mentions of uniforms is an entry in the Board of Trustees minutes from November 1873, which notes, “It was then ordered that the matter of uniforming the pupils be referred to the Building Committee with power to select a uniform, as to style color, and material, and contract for the same.”

AThe boys’ uniforms, including their various embellishments, continued to be a great topic of interest throughout the years as evidenced by an article in the July 21, 1883 issue of The Week. Charles O. Dannelly, Class of 1886, observed, “The McDonogh boys have one sort of uniform for winter and another for summer. The pantaloons are without any ornament, but the jackets have eight brass buttons (six on the front, and two on each sleeve) and red braid around the collar, the outside pocket, and the sleeves. Until last winter, the jackets were cut with tails, but then a new style was adopted, without the tails.” He noted that despite the elimination of the tails, which required less fabric, the price of the material went from 55 cents a yard to 90 cents.

Dannelly goes on to describe the summer uniform writing, “The summer clothes are made of grey cottonade, a cotton material which is very strong. In climbing a tree a boy may hang by his breeches without tearing them. On Sundays, we have a military cap, higher behind than in the front, and with a leather visor. On ordinary occasions, in

the summer we wear broad straw hats, and in the winter our old caps of the year before.”

Around 1904, the jacket was superseded by the West Point pattern jacket and over the next 45 years, minor modifications were made–black trim, sky blue trim, bottom slits, then no slits—until a totally different jacket style was introduced—the Eisenhower, or “Ike” jacket in the fall of 1949. In 1956, the Eisenhower jacket was replaced by what was generically referred to as the “dress jacket,” which was worn by students until the military program ended in 1971.

Even as the program was winding down, but before it was formally abolished, the administration continued to tweak the school uniform. The Board of Trustees minutes from May 1970 recorded the following: “Dr. Lamborn explained how changes in the present uniform had been investigated, studied, evaluated, and judged by a faculty group which is carefully considering the following: a single material of a fall-spring weight, partly of synthetic materials; campus jacket to be eliminated and one jacket to be worn for dress and any other appropriate use, such as on campus; stripes to be eliminated from trouser legs; and adoption of a short-sleeve, open neck, no tie shirt in spring and fall. Many of the proposed changes have been adopted in recent years by some of the branches of the U.S. Armed Forces.”

The end of the military program and the transition to a civilian culture brought many changes to the school, not the least among them a new dress code. Decisions had to be made, and lively discussions continued, as is reflected in the April 1971 minutes of the Board of Trustees. Headmaster Robert Lamborn reported on the “…establishment of an advisory committee on civilian structures, composed of faculty, administration, parents, and student leaders, and … four sub-committees, with the same composition, to investigate and recommend procedures in specific areas,” regarding rules and regulations, student government, and dress and appearance codes.

An article entitled “Civilian Procedures” in the June 23, 1971 edition of The Week noted the extraordinary time and effort of the Study Committee, by quoting the following from its final report completed in May of that year: “Of all the judgments which have been necessary in developing the plans for next year, those related to standards of dress and hair have proven to be the most difficult. The members of the McDonogh community…feel that extreme fashions in clothing should be avoided.”

Charles D. Delphey, Class of 1885, wears an 1883 “pattern jacket” with eight “Maryland Seal” brass buttons (six on the front and two on each sleeve) and red braid around the collar, sleeves, and outside pocket. This is the second oldest documented style in the collection.

The culmination of this newly approved dress code was summarized in the Fall-Winter 1971-72 McDonogh alumni newsletter.

“Of course, the most noticeable changes among the boys are the civilian dress and the longer, but restricted, length of hair. A school jacket of blue, black, and red plaid was created, the plaid design bearing a resemblance to the McDonogh clan plaid. Boys in the Lower School wear the jacket, McDonogh tie, and prescribed shirt and trousers daily, whereas Upper and Middle School students are required to wear it only on special occasions designated by the school. A popular piece of apparel, most boys use the school jacket as part of their everyday wardrobe.”

However, only a few years later, the Administration was forced to yet again modify the school’s uniform; this time for economic reasons, as recorded in the April 1975 minutes of the Board of Trustees: “Mr. Michaux then discussed the question of dress code. He stated that there was no more of the specially woven McDonogh blazer material on hand and accordingly that a blue blazer with a McDonogh patch would have to be adopted as the school uniform. This was questioned by a number of Trustees, but the general feeling was that it would be unduly expensive to have new cloth woven and dyed to continue the present McDonogh blazer as standard.”

According to the June 1979 Board of Trustees minutes, girls’ uniforms were addressed for the first time.

Headmaster Bill Mules ’59 noted that staff “strongly suggested that a more uniform dress code be implemented in 1980, including the possibility of a uniform selection for girls. After discussion on this point, it was noted to the Headmaster that any decision on this matter should rest with faculty and administration.”

Today, the McDonogh uniform includes khaki pants and skorts, a custom plaid jumper, and polo shirts in McDonogh colors. All students wear a navy blue blazer with the McDonogh seal on special occasions.

Members of the Class of 1973 graduated in the short-lived McDonogh clan plaid blazer.

Today’s uniform features a custom plaid in McDonogh School colors for Lower School girls. All students wear a blue blazer with a patch featuring the school seal on special occasions.

>>>

Students in 1952 wearing Eisenhower-style jackets

The youngest cadets celebrate John McDonogh Day wearing the West Point-style jacket, which was retired in 1949.

Students in 1937 wearing the West Point-style uniform

REUNION WEEKEND 2023

APRIL 28–30 CONNECT WITH CLASSMATES, FACULTY, AND FRIENDS; TOUR THE CAMPUS AND LEARN ABOUT STUDENT LIFE TODAY; AND MAKE NEW MEMORIES DURING THIS FUN-FILLED WEEKEND OF EVENTS!

FRIDAY

An alumni memorial service, a cavalry and riding reunion, and a cocktail party featuring the presentation of the Young Alumni and Distinguished Service Awards.

The Alumni Association will present the Young Alumni Award to Gerrard V. Sheppard ’08.

The Board of Trustees will present the Distinguished Service Award to Richard N. Knowles ’53.

SATURDAY

Campus tours, the family Crab Feast and Picnic, and reunion year parties for classes ending in 3 or 8.

SUNDAY

McDonogh Black Alumni Committee Brunch

VISIT MCDONOGH.ORG/REUNION FOR MORE INFORMATION.

2023 ALUMNI CALENDAR

PHILADELPHIA REGIONAL EVENT

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8

MCDONOGH VOICES SESSION III: THE 1980S–AN ERA OF OPPORTUNITY

THURSDAY, MARCH 23

REUNION WEEKEND

FRIDAY, APRIL 28–

SUNDAY, APRIL 30

47TH ANNUAL MCDONOGH CLASSIC GOLF TOURNAMENT AND HAPPY HOUR

MONDAY, MAY 15

MEMORIAL DAY SERVICE

THURSDAY, MAY 25

Mc Donogh Classic

47TH ANNUAL SAVE THE DATE MONDAY, MAY 15

Alumni, parents, families, and friends: don’t miss your chance to participate in the 47th Annual McDonogh Classic at Woodholme Country Club on Monday, May 15. Enjoy golf, happy hour, raffles, and more!

Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to McDonogh’s Alumni Association to support its endeavors by becoming a 2023 sponsor.

For more information and to register, visit mcdonogh.org/golfclassic.

MAKE THE MOST OF MCDONOGH CONNECT

• Post or view job opportunities and internships

• Offer mentoring to students and recent graduates

• Search and find former classmates

• Promote your business and offer special promotions

To join more than 1,000 fellow alumni in the network, simply visit connect.mcdonogh.org to create an account, build your profile, and make connections! To publish your business, choose “Business Directory” from the menu, select “Start Posting” on the right sidebar, and enter your company’s information.

Questions? Contact alumni@mcdonogh.org.

A GLORIOUS DAY ON THE GREENS

On October 10, the Alumni Association hosted the 46th Annual McDonogh Classic. Alumni, parents, parents of alumni, grandparents, faculty, and friends—comprising 18 teams—gathered on the greens at Hayfields Country Club for an afternoon of fun and friendly competition. After lunch, golfers enjoyed 18 holes of play followed by raffles, refreshments, and hors d’oeuvres.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THIS YEAR’S WINNERS:

1ST PLACE TEAM:

Sean Bannantine ’09

Parker Bratton ’09

Adam Gold ’10

2ND PLACE TEAM:

David Katz ’98

Hunter Lochte

Ben Salsbury ’97

Lance Scott ’99

3RD PLACE TEAM:

Mike Fancher

John Holtz ’86

Craig Phillippe ’85

Greg Spiegel ’85

The Ladies and Men’s Longest Drives were hit by Morgan Koopman Silcott ’09 and Hunter Lochte, both on hole 11. Morgan also earned the Closest to the Pin award on hole 4, and Peter Allen was the closest on the 18th hole.

Many thanks to the sponsors, players, and volunteers who contributed to the success of the day.

1. Kyle Quaranta, Brandon Herbert ’07, Steve Banks ’07, and Jared Jorgensen ’07

2. Jon Poole ’09, Casey Pugatch ’06, Alex Pugatch ’02, and Scott Pugatch

3. Patrick Toohey ’09, Morgan Koopman Silcott ’09, Rob Owen ’09, and Andrew Fernandes

4. Julie Brafmann-Dorkan ’88, Brian Timian ’88, Laura Stone ’88, and Ron Zappacosta ’88

5. Noni Heller, Josh Hershkovitz ’96, and Vik Uberoi ’00

3 4 5

DEDICATION DAY REMEMBRANCES

The McDonogh community and guests gathered on an autumn morning in October at Childs Memorial Terrace for the Dedication Day ceremony. The annual event honors the people whose labor, commitment, vision, and generosity led to the establishment and growth of the school and remembers beloved members of our community who left this life this past year.

Sixty-eight members of the McDonogh Family who passed away in the year prior to September 7, 2022, were remembered. Alumni Association President Caitlin C. Xenakis ’07, said, “Each of their lives provided us with examples of excellence, integrity, and honor. Their lives and contributions enriched both the McDonogh community and the wider world. And for that, we are forever grateful.”

In remembrance, as each name was read, a bell tolled in Tagart Memorial Chapel, and Alumni Association Vice President Kimmy Hilson Carmichael ’10 and Secretary Morris Garten ’85 reverently placed a white snapdragon in an urn. Together, the flowers created a lovely memorial arrangement. The ceremony concluded with the playing of “Taps.”

BLACK ALUMNI COMMITTEE HOSTS DESSERT RECEPTION

On September 28, more than 120 Black students and their families enjoyed a beautiful evening and a dessert reception on on the Ritter Terrace. The event, hosted by the Black Alumni Committee of the Alumni Association, was an opportunity for alumni, students, parents, faculty, and staff to see old friends and make new acquaintances.

1. Students carry wreaths that were placed in recognition of those whose dedication and sacrifice played a part in the creation of McDonogh School.

2. Alumni Association President Caitlin Xenakis ’07 reads the names of members of the McDonogh Family who passed away in the past year, as Alumni Association Vice President Kimmy Hilson Carmichael ’10 and Alumni Association

Secretary Maury Garten ’85 place snapdragons held by Demitrius Smith ’23 and Harnoor Jagra ’23 in remembrance.

3. The McDonogh Singers, the Upper School Concert Choir, and the Ninth Grade Chorus sing the “Dedication Hymn.”

1. Mark Howie ’88 and Dave Holland ’90

2. Janine and Curtis Stewart

3. Alumni, current families, faculty, and staff enjoy dessert on Ritter Terrace.

“McDonogh propelled me to be who I am ... to live a life centered on service and hard work.”

—PIROZ BAHAR ’16, UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN MEDICAL STUDENT

Gifts to the McDonogh Fund help students soar higher. Make your gift today.

EAGLES SOAR PAST GILMAN IN 106TH GAME

The Eagles and the Greyhounds were back on the field November 5 for the 106th time. Sportsmanship, spirit, community, and beautiful weather made for an enjoyable afternoon on Gilman’s campus. The festivities began in the community tent, sponsored by the McDonogh Alumni Association, where fans picked up orange and black swag and learned about the historic rivalry. Down 13-0 at halftime, the Eagles soared back to beat the Greyhounds 34-13, securing their hold on the Price Memorial Trophy for another year.

Boston-area alumni spanning eight decades were welcomed by Head of School Dave Farace ’87 at a reception at the Hotel Commonwealth on November 9. The room was abuzz as Eagles from the classes of 1958 to 2016 connected with one another and shared favorite McDonogh memories. They listened intently as Farace provided an update from campus and outlined the school’s strategic goals, and they happily offered feedback on their alumni experience.

ALUMNI REUNITE IN BOSTON ALUMNI AND ALMOST ALUMNI NETWORKING DINNER

Caitlin Xenakis ’07, Lauren Snyder Ades ’99, Abby Caso Holmes ’06, Nathaniel Margolies ’10, and Kathy Reider ’96 met with McDonogh juniors and seniors at the Almost Alumni and Alumni Networking Dinner. In addition to hearing tips and tricks for successful networking, students learned about the career paths of each alum during a panel session. Attendees then broke into small groups where students shared their future career interests and alumni discussed the power of building connections with fellow alumni.

1. Farah Qureshi Nur ’04 and Amal Nur

2. Aaron Finkelstein ’75 and Jon Aaron ’72

3. Heidi Pollokoff Topaz ’04 and Spencer Topaz ’34

4 The team celebrates their win.

Front row, from left: Vahishta Engineer ’24, Jaden Dahan ’24, Taylor Wu ’24, Kare Coley ’24, Zach Hayashi ’23, Paige Johnston ’23, Mehek Bajaj ’23, and Nicholas Bolduc ’23; second row, from left: Alexa Klein ’24, Gabrielle Ward ’24, Gabe Gerecke ’23, Nathaniel Margolies ’10, Kathy Reider ’96, Lauren Snyder Ades ’99, Abby Caso Holmes ’06, Caitlin Xenakis ’07, Avari Ayanbadejo ’23, Vir Rami ’23, Jackson Dollenberg ’23, and Aiden Fries ’23; back row, from left: Ojoo MacApiyo ’24, Connor May ’24, and T.J. Marshall ’24

Front row, from left: Dave Farace ’87, Howard Fineman ’58, George Keverian ’73, Kerry Johnston, Beth Sauer Hopkins ’02, Stephanie Levin ’94, and Jay Jarrett ’84; back row, from left: Darl Packard ’00, Lou Hyman ’95, Ryan Lee-Young ’10, Justin Hupp ’02, Tank Urban ’63, Ravi Singh ’91, Laddie Levy ’63, and Travis Allen ’93

YOUNG ALUMNI GATHER BEFORE THANKSGIVING

The night before Thanksgiving, young alumni from the classes of 2008 to 2018 gathered to kick off the holiday weekend with old friends and fellow alumni at Diamondback Brewery in Baltimore.

1. Dan Kershner ’12, Andrew Hofmeister ’12, Grant Ringelman ’12, and David Cromwell ’12

2. Lindsey Clark ’16, Michael DeShields ’16, Shannon Cason ’16, Lydia Parker ’16, and Maya Christian ’16

3. Jack Jankowski ’18 and Will Eisner ’18

4. Lindsey MacGregor and Leland Brigham ’18

5. Peyton Barranco ’17, Clint Schroeder ’12, Patrick Rollo ’12, Eric Hofmeister ’15, and Alejandra Paull ’14

6. Rebecca Mitchell ’14, Paget Barranco ’14, Sherry Levine ’14, Ben Fish ’16, Lauren Fish ’14, Andi Cwieka ’14, and Lizzie Taylor ’14

BOYS LACROSSE ALUMNI FACEOFF IN ANNUAL ODDS VS. EVENS GAME

On the day after Thanksgiving, boys lacrosse alumni from the Classes of 1999 to 2022 worked off their holiday meals by participating in the annual odds vs. evens alumni game, which was followed by lunch on campus.

HOLIDAY DINNER AND CONCERT

While the weather outside was frightful, the Holiday Dinner and Concert held on December 6 was delightful. Retirees, members of McDonogh’s Living Legacy Society, and alumni from the Class of 1972 and earlier gathered to celebrate the holiday season in the Aarsand 1873 Room. Head of School Dave Farace ’87 welcomed guests and the Office of Alumni Engagement introduced the Half Century Club—a new program designed to recognize McDonogh alumni who have celebrated their 50th reunions. Following dinner, attendees moved to the Ceres M. Horn Theatre where they enjoyed the Upper School Winter Concert featuring performances by the Jazz and Concert Bands.

1. Bridget Collins ’90, Emily MacGeorge Clark ’90, Mike MacGeorge ’61, Donna Sieverts, and John Sieverts ’63

2. Al Howard ’71 and Ted Severe ’65

3. Rod Baker ’65, Laddie Levy ’63, Phil Stackhouse ’65, and Dave Farace ’87

4. Jim Dawson ’64, Jay Weiss ’50, Diane Weiss, John Beever ’50, Karen Aldridge, and Wade Gowl ’69

WEDDINGS

’05 Kathryn M. Blaha and Ned Foster, 10/22/22

’07 Matthew D. Hellauer and Samantha Berenblum, 6/18/22

’07 Megan E. Richards and Tom Halleran, 4/23/22

’08 Gregory S. Barber and Sarah Chang, 10/8/22

’08 Elizabeth G. Feroli and Ryan Brewster, 10/1/22

’09 Montana L. Blum and Alec Strull, 5/29/22

’09 Kathleen M. Cullen and Lindsay Conner, 7/23/22

’09 Cori D. Kaylor and Mike Stethem, 9/3/22

’10 Conor C. Byrne and Kelsey MacDonald, 10/29/22

’11 Erin F. Fitzhugh and Mandy Wolfe, 6/25/22

’11 Alexa M. Goldstein and Izzy Sheck, 10/8/22

’11 Heather A. Hodge and Paul Hosmann, 6/25/22

’11 Jamie B. Levine and Scott O’Connor, 7/9/22

’12 Taylor Cummings and Greg Danseglio, 9/17/22

’13 Kyle B. Simmons and Madison Schoen, 9/11/21

’14 Alejandra H. Paull and Eric R. Hofmeister ’15, 9/10/22

’15 Eric R. Hofmeister and Alejandra H. Paull ’14, 9/10/22

’15 Alexander N. Krause and Danielle Levenson, 8/6/22

BIRTHS

’97 Daniel S. Gelber and Anne Gelber: Fiona Hazel, 5/31/22

’03 Tamara A. Newcomer-Johnson and Michael Johnson: James Thomas, 4/11/22

’04 Farah Qureshi Nur and Zak Nur: Amal Celine, 2/18/22

’04 Stephen E. White, Jr. and Emily Polidan White: Stephen Eric, 5/29/22

’05 Jeremy L. Sieverts and Jenna Sieverts: Spencer Lily, 4/17/22

’06 Rashida A. Honeycutt-Holmes and Shanika Honeycutt-Holmes: Theo Aiden, 11/6/22

’06 Elizabeth Kaiser Stroud and Mike Stroud: Flynn William, 8/3/22

’07 Kirstyn B. Atkinson Norris and Cade Norris: Dottie Scout, 5/14/22

’07 Laura R. Kornhauser Todres and Andrew Todres: Emma Madison, 9/19/22

’08 Kira A. Paterakis Nissley and Jason Nissley: Kaylie Ann, 9/22/22

’09

Erika H. Petty Johnson and Joe Johnson: Gabriel Miles 7/23/22

’09 Jennifer A. Lowe Morse and William Morse: Julia Kathryn, 10/24/22

IN MEMORIAM

’47 Godfrey K. Kelly

’48 Irvin Greif, Jr.

’48 Hartwell C. Self

’48 Jack D. Waterfield

’50 Paul L. Diehl

’51 Max B. Gross

’52 R. Harrison Pledger, Jr.

’54 William R. Powel III

’56 David R. Stefansson

’58 Patrick L. Geary

’61 Charles E. Utermohle III

’64 Howard Tom Ford

’64 Byron L. Warnken

’67 Edward G. Weitzel

’87 W. Scott Sanders

Faculty and Staff

Ernest A. Black

Aurélie Miller

As of December 2, 2022

1957

JOHN O. MITCHELL III is proud to announce that his son, JOHN O. “JACK” MITCHELL IV ’89 , was installed as the 141st President of the National Funeral Directors Association at their annual convention this fall. Because the convention was held in Baltimore, the whole family was able to attend.

1958

GERALD K. C. CLARENDON, SR., MICHAEL H. EVERNGAM, GEORGE E. RAMSEY III , and ALEXANDER B. VOLLMER have teamed up to try to raise interest from classmates in attending their 65th Reunion in April. If you haven’t received their letter and email, please notify Mike at meverngam@aol.com to add your name to the contact list.

1963

THOMAS L. HARPER and wife Barbara have been married for 58 years and have five children, eight grandchildren, and four greatgrandchildren. Tommy graduated from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in 1968 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Agricultural Education and from the University of Richmond in 2010 with a Master’s Degree in Disaster Science. He has retired from Jefferson College of Health Sciences (now Radford University at Carilion) as an Assistant Professor Emeritus where he taught classes in the Firefighter/Paramedic Program.

As an antique car enthusiast, Tommy takes his totally restored first car, a 1935 Ford Standard Tudor Sedan—the car in which he learned to drive—to car shows all over the country. The car has been as far west as Lake Tahoe, CA; as far north as Saratoga Springs, NY, and New Ulm, MN; as far east as Virginia Beach, VA, and Hilton Head Island, SC; as far south as Boca Raton, FL; and many places in between. His goal is to take it to every state east of the Mississippi at least once, and to more states west of the Mississippi. He also enjoys his model train hobby.

WILLIAM R. HOPKINS “HOPPY” finally hung up his T-square in June 2021 after 51 years practicing architecture throughout the Southeast. Hoppy, his partner, Robin, and their faithful diva-dog, Luna, split their time between Cary, NC, and Fancy Gap, VA, where they have a wonderful house on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Hoppy serves on the board of directors of his family’s amusement park, Trimper Rides in Ocean City, MD.

Marty Cullen ’56 and his 33 greatgrandchildren welcomed his first great-great granddaughter, Navy Layne Stewart, in August.

Jolie Mitchell, Jack Mitchell ’89, Josette Mitchell ’86, and John Mitchell ’57.

Tommy Harper ’63’s 1935 Ford Standard Tudor Sedan along with the Norfolk and Western’s 611 steam engine at the Virginia Transportation Museum.

1968

After graduating from college 50 years ago, JOHN M. THOMAS started a career in education, and he finally retired in June. His first job was back “home” at McDonogh. He says it was an exciting, eventful, and rewarding career working with students, parents, fellow teachers, and school leaders. His wife, Emily, also worked at McDonogh, and the two were employed there for 16 years. John learned so much from many role models, mentors, and incredible students.

After McDonogh, they headed west and spent 17 years working at some amazing schools in a variety of roles and always loved making connections with McDonogh graduates around the country. Their journey ended after John completed 17 years as Headmaster of Flint Hill School in

Virginia. Throughout the years, John says he reflected on the amazing foundation McDonogh had given him—both as a student and as an employee—to be a lifelong learner who loved all the experiences that go along with working in a school. He is grateful to McDonogh for trusting in him and Emily, allowing them to start their journey, and providing the skill set necessary to have an exciting adventure over all of these years.

1969

MICHAEL K. ANDREWS served in Ukraine in 2018 and 2019 as a U.S. Peace Corps Response Organizational Specialist with an HIV and AIDS organization. He was on the ground until shortly before the Russian invasion in February 2022 and remains engaged remotely. Concurrently, Mike was a photojournalist with the Baba Yelka Cultural Expedition and spent time documenting songs, recipes, material artifacts, and stories in remote villages, primarily through the experiences of grandmothers—the keepers of Ukraine’s unique culture. His photographs have been curated into a special exhibition called “Resilience—The Heart of Ukraine,”

which was on display in Charlotte, NC, and Lexington, KY. The exhibit offered a unique glimpse into village life in the Kirovoghad Oblast of Ukraine before the invasion and documents the lives of resilient grandmothers. Mike’s photography can be found at mandrewsimages.com.

1971

TIMOTHY D. WOLFE and his wife, Mary, moved to Colorado Springs, CO, in September to be close to son Matthew, daughter-in-law Christi, and their two grandsons, Duke and Evan. Tim and Mary spent their honeymoon 42 years ago traveling around Colorado—1,400 miles in 10 days—and are happy to be back.

1974

ROBERT J. BROOKS retired at the end of October from a 41-year career as a psychotherapist. He and his wife, Diane, moved to Swansboro, NC, where they will stay while building their retirement home at Pine Knoll Shores on North Carolina’s Crystal Coast.

John Thomas ’68 and his wife, Emily, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.

A photograph that Mike Andrews ’69 took in Ukraine while working as a photojournalist.

Wade Gowl ’69 ran into Phillip Sharp and McDonogh summer campers at an Orioles game over the summer.

R. B. DIFFENDERFFER, JR. recently retired after 44 years in commercial banking. He is enjoying retirement and looking forward to his 50th McDonogh reunion!

MARK H. HELLER has been a volunteer for the Fore!Kids Foundation for more than 20 years. In recognition of his service, Mark was honored to serve as the Tournament Chairman for the 2022 Zurich Classic of New Orleans PGA Tour Event. The Fore!Kids Foundation raises money to fund children’s charities through golf events such as the Zurich Classic and has distributed more than $42 million since its inception, providing healthcare, education, and hope for over 200,000 children in the region each year.

JEFFREY M. ROGERS won an award from the Maryland chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) for a Fells Point home he built. Now, Jeff owns two self-serve laundromats in Baltimore.

Several members from the Class of 1974—ALBERT K. LANE III, BARRY D. ROLLINS, STEPHEN H. MACNABB, JERRY W. WITOWSKI, and ROBERT J. BROOKS— gathered for a late summer family crab feast at Bert’s home near Cove Point on the Chesapeake Bay. They are all looking forward to their upcoming 50th reunion!

BRIAN M. SIEGEL is partially retired from his psychiatry practice and living in New Orleans, LA, with his wife, Donna, and his pitbull, Buddy. The couple recently celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary with a cruise from Hungary to Germany.

1975

DAVID N. FISHER and brother JOHN C. FISHER ’72 have section hiked the Appalachian Trail together for 22 years. To date, they have completed more than 1,100 miles. Last April, they finished Pennsylvania at the Delaware Water Gap where they started back in May 2000.

1976

STEPHEN C. STEC spends half his time in Maryland after having lived in Europe for 30 years. One of his children, Kaidi, is a sophomore at Bates College and his other child, Riley, is a junior at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School. Steve stays in touch with DAVID L. HOATSON, ALFRED A. DECKER, LEROY B. KATZ, BRIAN W. KOPPE , and several other classmates.

Steve Worthy (CEO of the Fore!Kids Foundation); Kristof Terryn (CEO of Zurich North America); Zander Chauffe and Patrick Cantlay (2022 Team Champions); Brian Cheramie (Fore!Kids Board Chairman); and Mark Heller ’74 (Tournament Chairman).

From left: Bert Lane ’74, Barry Rollins ’74, Steve MacNabb ’74, Jerry Witowski ’74, and Bob Brooks ’74

Brian Siegel ’74 and his wife, Donna, celebrate their 40th anniversary.

David Fisher ’75 and John Fisher ’72 hike the Appalachian Trail.

1977

After a 37-year career with the U.S. State Department, VIRGINIA I. KURAPKA KEENER retired to Monterey, CA. Ginger had served in embassies and consulates in Haiti, Indonesia, Germany, Egypt, Kuwait, Pakistan, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Brussels (at NATO) as well as in Washington, D.C.

1978

MICHAEL S. BARRANCO was appointed an Associate Judge of the Circuit Court for Baltimore County by Governor Larry Hogan and was sworn in on September 21.

1979

RUDOLPH C. BROWN, JR. is living in Alpharetta, GA, with his teenage daughters, Cameron and Lucy. They enjoy this growing suburb of Atlanta, and Rudy says both girls attend excellent schools and participate in singing and music. This year has been bittersweet for the family; it is the fifth

anniversary of the girls’ mother, Rebecca, losing her battle with a chronic cardiac health issue. Rudy reports that members of the McDonogh Family have been incredibly compassionate and supportive throughout this time and continue to keep in touch about campus events and ideas to help the family enjoy quality lives. He has been carving out time to join the helping hands of the McDonogh Fund and says he is always grateful for the benevolence that allowed him to attend such a special educational institution.

PAMELA H. SHRIVER continues to enjoy broadcasting for ESPN and the Tennis Channel. Her twins, Sam and Kait, are juniors at Viewpoint School and Harvard Westlake High School in Los Angeles, CA; both schools have strong McDonogh connections. Her oldest son, George, passed his GED test and is studying for his real estate license. Pam is still an

mini donkeys, mini pigs, navajo-churro sheep, highland cows, chickens, and more

1985

NANCY E. COHEN shares that her poetry chapbook (a small book containing ballads, poems, tales, or tracts), ThousandYear-Old Words, came out last year from Glass Lyre Press. Recent poems and prose have appeared or are forthcoming in the Beloit Poetry Journal, Terrain.org, Poetry Ireland Review, and Electric Literature. You can learn more about Nan on her website at nancohen.org.

Robin Kemp, John Kemp ’77, Bernie Sandler ’77, and Susan Sandler at the Golan Heights in Israel with the Syrian mountains in the background.

Mike Barranco ’78, daughter Peyton ’17, and wife Kim Smalkin Barranco ’83, celebrate his appointment to Associate Judge of the Circuit Court for Baltimore County.

Terry Covington ’79 and her husband, Joe Beyerl ’77. The couple first met in the fall of 1975.

Bill Ayares ’81 is pictured with some of the animals he has rescued.

Dave McIntyre ’81, Eddie Seaman ’81, and Tom Barranco ’81 caught up in Ocean City, MD, over the summer.

Rudy Brown ’79 lives in Alpharetta, GA, with his daughters.

1987

ANDREA G. HENDLER recently moved back to the Baltimore area after having spent the last nine years working in Jerusalem, Israel. She is currently living in the Canton neighborhood, working in nonprofit leadership development, and looking forward to reconnecting with McDonogh friends.

1988

In the spring, JOSEPH S. SOLIMAN and his St. John’s School Varsity Girls Golf team won their fifth consecutive SPC State title in Texas. Jack was also named the Houston Chronicle’s Coach of the Year for girls golf.

1989

GINA DEL CARMEN COBURN , a mother of three living in Washington, D.C., recently launched a skincare company for teens called RALLY Skin. The plant-powered products and easy routine are great for student-athletes.

JOHN O. “JACK” MITCHELL IV was sworn in as the 128th President of the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) on October 11 in Baltimore. He was thrilled how the stars aligned so he could be sworn in as national President in his own hometown, which allowed him to share the moment with family and friends, including John Grega, JOHN W. SIEVERTS ’63 , and Donna Sieverts.

NFDA has 20,000 individual members from 11,000 funeral homes around the United States and from 49 countries around the world. Jack’s term will conclude at next year’s convention in Las Vegas. He will then serve as Chairman of the Board, responsible for overseeing all of the association’s programs and initiatives, keeping members informed about trends and innovations in death care, and supporting lobbying efforts in Washington, D.C.

Jack and his father, JOHN O. MITCHELL III ’57, are the owners of Mitchell-Wiedefeld Funeral Home and Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens.

1990

BRENDAN M. DAVIES had his first art show of 20 original cartoon drawings at Roots Cafe in Brooklyn, NY. Bren’s work can be found at brendandavies.com/ drawings.

1996

SHERREE A. “NIELA” MAGWOODPHOENIX recently became the Assistant City Administrator for Employment and Labor Relations for the Baltimore City Mayor’s Office after serving as the Chief People Officer of the Baltimore City Health Department. Niela’s portfolio includes the Office of the Labor Commissioner, the Office of Equity and Civil Rights, and the Department of Human Resources. She is excited about making a positive impact on Baltimore City.

1998

MEGAN A. MCCULLOUGH , husband Glen, and their two sons, Elliot (4) and Sawyer (2), will head to Chennai, India for her third tour as a foreign service officer with the Department of State. After tours in the Philippines and El Salvador, the family is excited for their new adventure.

1999

The Bald Eagles lacrosse team, led by the class of 1999’s BRENNAN P. ADAMS, RYAN A. FLOYD, JOSEPH M. ROSENBAUM, ROBERT R. SCHERR, and AUSTIN H. WIDDOWSON , went undefeated this fall in Washington, D.C. to win their second consecutive PLL Sixes Classic Championship. The team is

Niela Magwood-Phoenix ’96 (pictured with Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott) is the new Assistant City Administrator for Employment and Labor Relations for Baltimore City.

Jack Soliman ’88 and the winning St. John’s School Varsity Girls Golf Team he coaches.

Jack Mitchell ’89 is sworn in as President of the National Funeral Directors Association.

open to all Eagles over 40. If you want to help them defend the title in 2023, please reach out to joe.rosenbaum@ gmail.com.

2000

NILE H. RUSSELL accepted a job as the first Director of Education for the American Dance Festival in Durham, NC. He and his husband, Isaac, moved from Denver, CO, to Durham to begin this exciting new chapter.

LAUREL J. DAMASHEK reports that, as of this past summer, she has a new “dream job” as the founding Executive Director of the International Society of Glomerular Disease (ISGD)—a medical

society for physicians specializing in this class of kidney diseases. Having received a kidney transplant herself in 2016 due to a rare glomerular disease, she is thrilled to support the organization’s mission. As ISGD works to develop resources and programming, Laurel would love to hear from McDonogh alumni who work in nephrology.

2004

FARAH QURESHI NUR and her husband, Zak, welcomed their first child, Amal Celine, in February 2022. After living in Boston for nearly a decade, Farah and her family moved back to Baltimore, and she joined the faculty at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Population, Family, and Reproductive Health. Farah is a social epidemiologist who completed her doctoral and postdoctoral training at Harvard University.

2005

KATHRYN M. BLAHA and Ned Foster were married on October 22 at McDonogh’s Tagart Chapel followed by a reception at Rolling Road Golf Club. Philip Olsen, Katie’s Concert Choir instructor, played the organ and Buck Lyon-Vaiden performed on the Carillon during the ceremony.

Katie is the Advancement Manager for the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels, MD. She invites McDonogh alumni to reach out to her and schedule a visit to see the beautiful waterfront campus—to explore Waterman’s Wharf, their beautiful

The Class of 1999’s Austin Widdowson, Joe Rosenbaum, Ryan Floyd, Brennan Adams, and Rob Scherr (pictured with Rob Floyd, third from right) led the Bald Eagles lacrosse team to their second consecutive PLL Sixes Classic Championship win.

floating fleet, or check out the Hooper Straight Lighthouse (and grab lunch by the water after)! Ned and Katie both attended Washington College and currently reside in Queenstown, MD. They love being able to frequently visit family back in Baltimore.

JEREMY L. SIEVERTS and wife Jenna welcomed another baby girl into the world on April 17; she is named Spencer Lily Sieverts, after Jeremy’s greatgrandfather. The family lives in Las Vegas, NV, where Jeremy teaches at Pinecrest Sloan Canyon, a Charter School, and is very much involved in the lacrosse world. He is the Director of Lacrosse for his local youth program, Pirates Lacrosse, as well as a co-founder of a new venture launched last summer called Westward Lacrosse that hosts leagues, travel teams, and events. Jenna performs as a synchronized swimmer in Cirque du Soleil’s “O” at the Bellagio. They keep busy but are enjoying life and always rooting for the Eagles from a distance. They actually attended a carillon concert at McDonogh this past summer while visiting Baltimore.

Nile Russell ’00 is the first Director of Education for the American Dance Festival in Durham, NC.

Katie Blaha ’05 and Ned Foster were married on October 22 at Tagart Memorial Chapel followed by a reception at Rolling Road Golf Club.

2007

MATTHEW D. HELLAUER ’07 married Samantha Berenblum on June 18 on a beautiful day in Greenwich, CT. The couple met in New York City in early 2019.

KIRSTYN B. ATKINSON NORRIS and her husband, Cade, welcomed their first child, Dottie Scout, in May. The family lives in Virginia Beach, VA, with their dog, Bandit. They hope to move back to Baltimore one day.

2008

GREGORY S. BARBER married Sarah Chang on October 8 in St. Michaels, MD. Greg recently completed his psychiatry residency at the University of Maryland and Sheppard Pratt and started a psychiatry and psychotherapy practice in Montgomery County, MD.

ELIZABETH G. FEROLI married Ryan Brewster in Lewes, DE, on October 1. The couple reside in Alexandria, VA, where Lisa works in management consulting.

KIRA A. PATERAKIS NISSLEY and her husband, Jason, welcomed Kaylie Ann on September 22. The family lives in Harbor East where Kira is a

Leasing and Special Projects Manager, and she also owns a commercial brokerage company called KAP Space. Jason owns two boxing gyms called Knockout Fitness in Towson and Federal Hill. The couple met when Kira was working out at his gym.

2009

KATHLEEN M. CULLEN lives in San Diego, CA, where she teaches art at The Winston School, a sixth through twelfth-grade school for students with learning differences. Kitty is also working on her second master’s degree, studying expressive art therapy. She is the varsity lacrosse coach at La Jolla High School—the 2022 San Diego Champions! On July 23, Kitty and Lindsay Conner tied

Matt Hellauer ’07 married Samantha Berenblum on June 18 in Greenwich, CT.

Tyler Ghingher ’07, Rachel Millman ’07, Sydney Blum Williams ’07, Caitlin Xenakis ’07, Alyssa Sabapathi, and Prashant Sabapathi ’07 participated in the Team Hope Walk for Huntington’s Disease.

Greg Barber ’08 married Sarah Chang on October 8 in St. Michaels, MD.

Lisa Feroli ’09 married Ryan Brewster in Lewes, DE on October 1.

Kitty Cullen ’09 married Lindsay Conner in Cromberg, CA, on July 23.

the knot in Cromberg, CA. KATHRYN L. BANNANTINE ’08 was the officiant and the daughter of REBECCA C. COX LAZARIS ’08 was the flower girl.

CORI D. KAYLOR married Mike Stethem at Arlington Hall in Dallas, TX. The couple met in the fall of 2018 during the first year of their MBA program at The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Six fellow McDonogh classmates were in attendance: ALIVIA F. PINEAU HUNT, MONTANA L. BLUM STRULL, BRIANA R. IACOBONI BIRDSONG, CLAIRE E. GOFF PRADO, EMILY A. HOPKINS, and SARA B. MILLSPAUGH

SARA B. MILLSPAUGH earned her clinical psychology license in July and is working as a psychologist with Gold Standard Forensics, a clinical and forensic psychology practice in Albuquerque, NM.

JENNIFER A. LOWE MORSE and husband William live in Phoenix, MD, and are enjoying life as a family of three after welcoming their first child, Julia Kathryn, in October. Jenny has been working at Constellation Energy for nine years where she is currently the Product Owner for the commodity pricing, forecasting, and contracting systems for the retail natural gas business.

CONOR C. BYRNE and Kelsey MacDonald were married on October 29 in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico. Conor’s sisters, LISE D. BYRNE ANDERSON ’97 and DEIRDRE A. BYRNE KIMBERLY ’00 , joined in the celebration. The couple lives in Seattle, WA.

Cori Kaylor ’09 married Mike Stethem on September 3 at Arlington Hall in Dallas, TX.

Conor Byrne ’10 married Kelsey MacDonald on October 29 in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico.

Montana Blum ’09 married Alec Strull in Austin, TX, on May 29.

After McDonogh’s annual Scholarship Celebration, several alumni gathered at the Greene Turtle to mingle and reminisce. Front row, from left: Elizabeth Gilbert ’11, Mallory Schonk ’12, Angelique Herring ’15, Kimmy Hilson Carmichael ’10, Courtney Vaughn ’11, and Vickie Lee ’16; back row, from left: Freshman Dean Alex Gardner, Nyjay Nelson ’17, Joe Gilbert ’14, Terrence Rice ’09, Keegan Michel ’11, Milton Gholston ’09, Tony Koshar ’15, and Director of Enrollment Management Steve Birdsall.

Sara Millspaugh ’09 is a clinical psychologist in Albuquerque, NM.

2011

ALEXA M. GOLDSTEIN was married to Izzy Sheck on the beach in Narragansett, RI, on October 8. The couple met in college as members of the Cornell women’s club soccer team, and they currently live in New York City. Lexi is finishing up her last year of residency as a family medicine physician at Mount Sinai Hospital, and Izzy is working on her Ph.D. in applied developmental psychology at Fordham University.

2012

TAYLOR CUMMINGS married Greg Danseglio on September 17 at the Winslow, an event space in Baltimore, MD. The couple met at the University of Maryland where they both played lacrosse. They currently reside in Eldersburg, MD, with their two dogs, Moose and Xena. Taylor is the Head Coach for the McDonogh varsity girls lacrosse team, and Greg works as a financial advisor.

In November, Forbes Magazine named KAI M. CUNNINGHAM one of the top young investors under 30 in their “30 Under 30 for Venture Capital 2023” list. At Limited Ventures, Kai helps professional athletes and entertainers invest their wealth and become more financially literate and successful investors in the process. Over 80 high-profile athletes currently invest through Limited Ventures. Kai was recognized as a recipient of McDonogh’s Young Alumni Award in the spring for his work.

2013

JOHN I. LINGAN published a new book titled A Song for Everyone: The Story of Creedence Clearwater Revival. The book is based on extensive original interviews with members of the band and their collaborators, including

Booker T. Jones and Steve Cropper, and it charts their entire career—from their formation as eighth graders to their early work as the Blue Velvets and the Golliwogs, and then on to Woodstock, the Fillmore West, and the creation of many well-loved records. Look for the book online.

Over the summer, JACOB M. POPE won two major equestrian events, one national and one international. In July, he took first place in the USHJA International Hunter Derby at the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival (GLEF IV), and in August, he scored his first FEI grand prix victory on the last day of the Silver Oak Jumper Tournament in the $138,600 Agero CSI3* Grand Prix. Jacob has been coming to McDonogh to give clinics to the next generation of McDonogh equestrians.

2014

ALEJANDRA H. PAULL and ERIC R. HOFMEISTER ’15 were married in Tagart Memorial Chapel on September 10. They currently reside in the Mt. Washington area of Baltimore, MD, where Eric works as a data specialist with YouthWorks, Mayor’s Office of Employment Development, and Ali is a Medical ICU Social Worker at the University of Maryland Medical Center Midtown Campus.

Jacob Pope ’13 and Madeline McManus ’18 lead McDonogh riding clinics.

Lexi Goldstein ’11 married Izzy Sheck in Narragansett, RI, on October 8.

Taylor Cummings ’12 and husband Greg Danseglio were married on September 17 in Baltimore, MD.

Alejandra Paull ’14 and Eric Hofmeister ’15 were married in Tagart Memorial Chapel on September 10.

Charlotte Messaris ’20 speaks at Georgetown University’s New Student Convocation as the 2022 recipient of the Thomas P. McTighe Prize.

2018

CLAIRE M. MCGONIGLE graduated from Vanderbilt University in 2022 with a double major in computer science and Spanish. She received a Fulbright Scholarship for the 2022-2023 academic year to work in Spain as an English teaching assistant and to start a program providing introductory computer science classes to her students. She will be spending the year working with lower and middle school students in Tenerife, Spain. Claire says her interest in computer science and Spanish developed at McDonogh while taking classes in both subject areas, participating in robotics, and tutoring ESOL students.

2019

ALASTAIR S. CHO won the gold medal in squash at the Korean National Sports Festival (which is the Olympics for

Korea on a national level) held in Ulsan, South Korea, from October 7-13. The U.S. delegation also got to meet the Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol. Alastair is a junior at Princeton University, majoring in economics and playing at the #3 spot on the Princeton squash team.

2020

SURYA KHATRI is a junior at Brown University studying economics and enrolled in the Liberal Medical Education, which guarantees acceptance into Brown’s Medical School. He recently received a grant from Brown University’s Saxena Center for Contemporary South Asia to continue research he had started while at McDonogh (research on the South Asian Immigration to the United States in the Early 1900s) and fly across the country to visit several primary sites and sources. Surya credits his McDonogh education, particularly his advisor and history teacher, John Wood, for helping him expand beyond his academic comfort zone, take advantage of Brown’s open curriculum, and continue the work he was introduced to at McDonogh.

CHARLOTTE R. MESSARIS spoke at Georgetown University’s New Student Convocation as the 2022 recipient of the Thomas P. McTighe Prize. This prize is awarded each year by the New Student Convocation Committee to an

SUBMIT YOUR PHOTOS & CLASS NOTES

THE DEADLINE FOR THE NEXT ISSUE IS MAY 15, 2023.

UPLOAD CLASS NOTES AND PHOTOS TO MCDONOGH.ORG/CLASSNOTES

PHOTOS WILL BE PUBLISHED BASED ON QUALITY AND AVAILABLE SPACE. PLEASE BE SURE TO IDENTIFY EVERYONE. DIGITAL IMAGES ARE PREFERRED AND SHOULD BE AT LEAST 2 MEGAPIXELS [1600 X 1200 PIXELS].

outstanding rising sophomore, junior, or senior who has demonstrated superior achievement in scholarship and service to the university community. The prize winner, who receives a cash award of $250, is asked to deliver a five-minute welcoming address to incoming first-year students during New Student Convocation.

Jackson Bonitz ’20, now a student at the Naval Academy, and Kira MacMullan ’22, who is attending West Point, caught up at the annual Army vs. Navy football game in Philadelphia in December.

NOTES BABIES

1. Danny Gelber ’97 and his wife, Anne, welcomed Fiona Hazel on May 31.

2. Tamara Newcomer-Johnson ’03 and husband Michael welcomed James Thomas on April 11. James’ sweater was handed down from her brother, David Newcomer ’05. It was originally a gift to David from their mother, retired Lower School art teacher Joan Newcomer.

3. Farah Qureshi Nur ’04 and her husband, Zak, welcomed their first child, Amal Celine, on February 18.

4. Eric White ’04 and his wife, Emily, welcomed Stephen Eric “Wes” III on May 29.

5. Jeremy Sieverts ’05, wife Jenna, and big sister Quinn welcomed Spencer Lily on April 17.

6. Rashida Honeycutt-Holmes ’06 and her wife, Shanika, welcomed Theo Aiden on November 6.

7. Liz Kaiser Stroud ’06 and her husband, Mike, welcomed Flynn William on August 3.

8. Kirstyn Atkinson Norris ’07 and husband Cade welcomed Dottie Scout on May 14.

9. Kira Paterakis Nissley ’08 and husband Jason welcomed Kaylie Ann on September 22.

10. Erika Petty Johnson ’09, husband Joe, and big brother William welcomed Gabriel Miles on July 23.

11. Jenny Lowe Morse ’09 and her husband, William, welcomed Julia Kathryn, on October 24.

1873

McDonogh School will commemorate its 150th anniversary during the 2023–2024 academic year, and we invite the entire community to celebrate with us!

A full calendar of events will be available soon. In the meantime, save the date for three days of fun:

Thursday, November 2

150

CELEBRATING OUR JOURNEY MCDONOGH SCHOOL

2023

• Home Again, a signature arts event

Friday, November 3

• 150th Anniversary Gala

Saturday, November 4

• 107th McDonogh vs. Gilman Football Game

• Reunion Parties for 4s and 9s

Get Ready

toCelebrate!

Owings

www.mcdonogh.org

A group of seniors met on the Lower School playground to show off their Spongebob, Sonic, Scooby-Doo, and Super Mario backpacks. Inspired by a TikTok trend, the cartoon backpacks being carried this year are a fun way for the Class of 2023 to express themselves as they finish their McDonogh careers.

Our mission is to provide life-altering educational experiences that inspire personal and intellectual growth.