Tatnall Today Fall/Winter 2019-2020

Senior Sparks Hope for Kenyan Refugees

Jeremy Zhong ’20 inspires at Tatnall— and beyond—thanks to his work with the U.N.

Page 20

8th-Grader Spreads Joy through Animal Therapy

When she was 4, Josephine Catalano ’24 was diagnosed with ganglioneuroblastoma cancer. Animal therapy played an important role in her recovery and has inspired her to help others in the same way.

Page 21

Tatnall: A Saving Grace

Classmates E. Virginia “Ginny” (Shaw) Martin ’49 and Margaret “Maggie” (Marvel) Sanger ’49 reconnect during their 70th Tatnall reunion.

Page 22

A Tatnall Education Promotes a Love of Nature

Love of nature and environmental stewardship are woven into the fabric of a Tatnall education. Learn more about how Tatnall provides students with the perfect outdoor learning experience.

A Tatnall Welcome

Learn more about Head of School Elect Andrew (Andy) D. Martire, Ed.D., with a casual question-and-answer session.

One More Showcase for Chipman

After 47 years, Dr. Bruce Chipman is retiring as Showcase director. Learn more about his impact on generations of theater students.

Ten Great Points

After receiving the Alumni Faculty Award, former coach, teacher, and Head of Middle School Steve Esmond offered his thoughts on what makes Tatnall special.

West Point Grad Salutes Tatnall for His Success

Ben Boswell ’15 credits Tatnall with giving him the maturity, professionalism, and people skills he needed to succeed.

Page 24

Tatnall Cultivates Love of the Lens

With a passion for music, writing, and theater, Jonathan Champagne ’09 has always seen the world through the eyes of an artist. At Tatnall, he realized he could combine his talents in pursuit of one creative goal.

A MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

As we prepare to move into the second half of the school year, I am energized by the undeniable progress evident across our campus. Our students continue to make tremendous strides forward, academically, athletically, and artistically. More important, they are working together to sustain the Tatnall “way of life,” which encompasses a balanced curriculum, community values, and a broad spectrum of student activities.

Over the last several months, I have seen the Tatnall Family come together in support of our school and our students. The community was fully engaged in our Head of School Search—a rigorous process that resulted in the selection of Andrew D. Martire, Ed.D. Andy is an extraordinary school leader who will successfully guide Tatnall into the future (see page 6). We raised a significant amount of money during our Giving Tuesday fundraiser, and we had packed houses during the Kickoff Party and High School Musical performance. As always, I’m grateful for our community’s profound commitment to the success of our school.

Heading into 2020, I’m deeply impressed by our students and the meaningful work they do. From an 8th-grader who helps others through animal therapy (see page 21) to a senior who spent his summer working with the UN (see page 20), our students are taking the skills and values they learn right here on campus and making a difference in the world. Our former students share that same drive. During Homecoming weekend, two members of the Tatnall Class of 1949 reconnected (see page 22), and two other young alumni are applying the lessons they learned in Tatnall to their day-to-day lives (see pages 24 and 25). These stories prove that our students thrive not just on campus. We are preparing our students to engage the world at large with courage, intelligence, passion, and purpose.

I look forward to continuing to work with the remarkable students, parents, alumni, and faculty and staff members who make Tatnall such a special school, and I am honored to support this school and its mission.

The Tatnall School

1501 Barley Mill Road | Wilmington, DE 19807 (302) 998-2292 | www.tatnall.org

Tatnall Today is published twice a year by Tipton Communications. Copyright by The Tatnall School. Alumni and faculty articles encouraged.

EDITORS

Nicole Fullerton, Tipton Communications (302) 454-7901

Page McConnel, Director of Marketing and Communications | (302) 892-4338

PHOTOGRAPHY

Brandon Bolinski, Jim Graham ’77, and Tatnall Staff

2019-2020 BOARD OF TRUSTEES

President, Stephen D. Marvin ’88 | Vice President, Frank J. McKelvey III | Secretary, Caroline Tatnall Ketcham ’58 | Treasurer, Thomas P. Ferry

Matthew C. Beardwood ’89 | Rebecca L. Collins | Michele M. Cross | Christopher W. Daniels ’05 | David L. Hamilton | Carter H. Lee ’89 | Caroline Brown Lintner ’83 | Jamie Magee ’89 | Keith E. Morton ’74 | Calvin B. Stempel | Gregory W. Werkheiser | Cindy Pettinaro Wilkinson ’88 | David T. Woods | Bonnie Wu | J. Cameron Yorkston ’67 | Terri M. Young

2019-2020 ALUMNI COUNCIL

President, Jamie Magee ’89 | Vice President, Rebecca King Rogers ’79 | Secretary, Amanda Jacobs ’02

Brian J. Carney ’97 | Christopher C. Debnam ’81 | Anne Tatnall Gross ’56 | Caroline Brown Lintner ’83 | Keith E. Morton ’74 | Abigail Williams Schneider ’97 | Jonathan B. Silver ’06 | Linda Archangelo Sygowski ’71 | Cindy Pettinaro Wilkinson ’88 | Daynell M. Wright ’97

The Tatnall School admits students of any race, color, national, and ethnic origin, gender, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. (Tatnall retains the right to make admissions and retention decisions on the basis of the school’s ability to reasonably accommodate students with disabilities.)It does not discriminate on the basis ofrace, color, national, and ethnic origin, gender, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and other school-administered programs.

Timothy M. Burns, Ph.D. Head of School

Around Campus

Pennies for Patients

The Early Childhood division has a new community initiative!

Lower School LEGO League

Tatnall’s 5th-grade students have been busy preparing for the first LEGO league competition scheduled to take place this winter. Working in teams, the students have been learning to program EV3 robots they will maneuver through a series of obstacles, or missions, in keeping with this year’s “City Shaper” theme. As part of the competition, the students are also selecting problems that cities face, researching that problem, and brainstorming ways to solve that problem. The innovative solutions created by each team will be shared with judges during a final presentation.

In support of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LSS) Pennies for Patients program, the students have been collecting spare change to help accomplish the LSS mission: To cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease, and myeloma, and to improve the quality of life of patients and their families. The program has been teaching our students about service, leadership, and philanthropy. More importantly, the program helps to honor our very own Emily Higgins ’33 who is a blood cancer survivor.

Playbill 2019: High School Musical

This year, Tatnall students wowed the crowd with the 2019 Playbill production, High School Musical. This modern-day take on Romeo and Juliet has been a favorite for all ages since it debuted on the Disney Channel in 2006 as a madefor-TV movie. In this musical, handsome basketball star Troy and beautiful, brainy Gabriella want to be more than the “basketball dude” and “math girl.” But breaking out of the “status quo” won’t be easy since the cliques of the school expect them to “stick to the stuff they know.” Things get even messier when Gabriella and Troy decide to try out for the school musical, setting up a clash between the Jocks, Brainiacs, and Thespians. In the end, their friends realize that everyone deserves to be who they want to be. Stereotypes and cliques are abandoned as the friends find a way to save the day, helping the couple break free and perform on stage together. This year’s performance set a new record, selling out on opening night!

Around Campus

Tatnall Buddy Bench

The Tatnall campus has a new “buddy bench” thanks to the youngest Hornets. Having seen what being left out is like, children in The Buddy Bench by Patty Brozo become agents of change, convincing their teachers to let them build a buddy bench so every student feels included. Inspired by the characters in the book, our Early Childhood students picked out a bench and painted it, creating a new space for children to read and play within the Early Childhood outdoor classroom.

ChemistryClubStudentsCelebrate National Chemistry Week

In recognition of National Chemistry Week, members of the Chemistry Club traveled to The Independence School to lead chemistryrelated activities that demonstrated the different reactions that occur when pennies come into contact with a variety of substances. Jane Penn ’21, Mackenzie Prettyman ’20, Naval Lappalainen ’21, Abby Soja ’20, and club advisor Meghan Heasley were all in attendance to represent Tatnall.

8th-Grade Play: The Music Man

With a lot of hard work and deadline-driven prop construction, line memorization, choreography, and musical rehearsals, the 8th-grade students pulled off this year’s annual theater performance— The Music Man. Each year, the 8th-grade class and their advisors participate in a weeklong theatrical engagement in the Performing Arts Center where they learn how to successfully produce, prepare, and perform a musical. With an emphasis on teamwork and providing exposure to theater production, every student has a role on stage, and helps make sets, create costumes, choreograph scenes, and learn songs. The play is then performed for Tatnall classmates, family, and friends before Thanksgiving.

Solar-Powered Charging Bench

Thanks to the Tatnall Class of 2019, Mac’s Garden has a new addition! The class gifted a solar-powered charging bench that fits perfectly with the sustainability efforts taking place all across campus.

Mykee Fowlin Visit

During a special assembly, psychologist, performer, and poet Mykee Fowlin spoke to Tatnall’s Middle and Upper School students. Mykee’s program combines his professional acting talents with psychological training. His mission is to create an atmosphere of worldwide inclusion, not just tolerance, toward all people. He has worked extensively with all age groups across the United States, and his work includes peer meditation, diversity training, gender equity workshops, and violence prevention seminars. The students were extremely engaged in the program and provided positive feedback about the experience.

Tatnall Students Develop “Families” Over Lunch

In order to foster friendships between students in each grade of the Lower School, Lower School homeroom and special teachers have created lunch “families” that give students the opportunity to eat and talk with students outside of their normal classes.

Runcie Tatnall

Upper School art students received a special visit from fine artist, illustrator, and professor Runcie Tatnall. Tatnall, who is perhaps best known for his portraits and boxing paintings, trained in painting and illustration at the University of Delaware and the Art Students League in New York City, and received his MFA in painting from the University of Miami. During the visit, Tatnall spoke to our art students about his career and demonstrated some of his techniques. Runcie Tatnall is also Mrs. Frances D.S. Tatnall’s great-great nephew.

Congressional Delegation Youth Conference

In October, Omari Banks ’21, Micah Jacobson ’21, Mallory Strmel ’20, and Kimmi Woods ’20 attended the 50th annual Congressional Delegation Youth Conference hosted by U.S. Senator Tom Carper, U.S. Senator Chris Coons, and U.S. Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester. The conference, hosted at Delaware State University, brings high school juniors and seniors together for a day of constructive and thoughtprovoking conversation about issues that are important to them.

All Aboard the Kalmar Nyckel

Tatnall’s 4th-grade students crewed the Kalmar Nyckel and discovered what it was like to be an early settler in Delaware. The tall ship Kalmar Nyckel serves as a floating classroom, providing a fun, hands-on learning experience. During the visit, Tatnall’s students traveled back in time and learned about Delaware’s colonial and maritime history. The visit included educational “underway” stations on the ship as well as interactive learning opportunities on land.

Learn More About Head of School Elect Andrew D.Martire,Ed.D.

In October 2019, The Tatnall School Board of Trustees announced its unanimous decision to appoint Andrew (Andy) D. Martire, Ed.D., as Tatnall’s 12th Head of School. The appointment, scheduled for July 1, 2020, is the result of a thoughtful and detailed search process that took place over the course of six months.

The Board of Trustees and Head of School Search Committee sought to find a collaborative leader, a nimble decision-maker, an authentic champion of diversity, and a highly relational educator with a track record of building community while implementing change. They were also looking for a leader who was businessminded, financially adept, and energized by Tatnall’s opportunities and challenges. Andy meets and exceeds these criteria and we look forward to officially welcoming him to campus this summer. In the meantime, we caught up with Andy for a casual question-and-answer session.

WHAT DREW YOU TO TATNALL?

I’ve known about Tatnall’s outstanding reputation for many years. I feel a tremendous amount of synergy with the mission and how Tatnall focuses on a balanced education within a warm, caring family environment. To me, the family environment really came alive when I visited campus and witnessed the collegiality among members of the faculty and student body. There was a great deal of enthusiasm everywhere I went.

HOW WILL YOU INSTILL TATNALL’S VALUES IN YOUR POSITION?

It seems to me the Tatnall education is based on the positive interaction of many people every day. I’m a people person, and the most rewarding part of the job is walking around and seeing students and faculty in action—popping in to see a class, watching a sport, seeing a performance, or interacting casually in the hall. I try to lead with enthusiasm, and I hope that by being visibily positive and energetic, I will reinforce the Tatnall values each day.

IF YOU COULD CREATE ONE COURSE AT TATNALL, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

On a lighthearted note, I love food, so I might suggest a course that involved a lot of field trips to the best restaurants in greater Wilmington! I also love sports, so I’d be interested in a course about the business of sports, and the economics, media, technology, statistics, and data that are involved.

WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR NEXT YEAR?

I have several! One of my key goals is getting to know as many people as possible, as soon as possible, in a systematic but authentic way. I really want to get to know the students, faculty and staff, trustees, alumni, and parents so I can understand what’s important to the community and what they love about the school. I also want to know what these groups think is going well and what can be improved. Relationship-building is number one.

Secondly, I will sit down with the Board of Trustees and determine my tactical goals for my first year. I absolutely want to continue the good work that has been taking place across campus while continuing to focus on enrollment management and fundraising.

I also want to be a very stable and reassuring presence as I learn more about this community and work with everyone to lead Tatnall into the future.

DO YOU HAVE ANY INTERESTING STORIES YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE?

When I was in 9th grade at Gilman, my advisor called my parents in for the fall meeting. He told them, “Andy’s doing fine, but I wanted to tell you he’ll marry my daughter one day.” He also told his daughter Eva the same thing. Her response? “Dad, if you like him, he’s a loser.”

He was right, though! Eva and I started dating during our senior year of high school and ended up getting married two years after college. We’ll be celebrating 25 years in April.

HEADSHIPS

▼ Andy was the Head of School at The Kinkaid School in Texas, a PK-12 school serving 1,465 students, for five years.

During his time at Kinkaid, Andy raised $40M through two capital campaigns, created a schoolwide curriculum committee, and oversaw the construction of numerous campus improvements.

▼ Before Kinkaid, Andy served as Head of School at Calvert School in Maryland.

During his nine years at Calvert’s helm, a PK-8 school of 600 students, Andy oversaw significant enrollment growth, increased annual giving by 250%, and completed a $20M capital campaign.

EDUCATION

▼ Andy received his undergraduate degree cum laude in politics from Princeton University, where he was a member of the Ivy League Championship football team. He earned a master of liberal arts degree from Johns Hopkins University and his doctorate of education in educational leadership from the University of Pennsylvania. His dissertation was entitled “Moving from Diversity to Community: Listening to Parents of Color at Calvert School.”

INTERESTING FACTS

▼ Andy’s grandparents owned an Italian restaurant in Fort Lee, New Jersey, where he watched a lot of pizza being made. He adds, “I love Grotto’s pizza!”

▼ The Martire family has three dogs—a 6-year-old Lab mutt, a 4-year-old Mastiff, and a 2-year-old Boxer mutt.

▼ Andy previously taught a Civil War history course and he enjoys visiting Civil War battle sites in the mid-Atlantic region.

Around Campus

welcome!

Alima

Bucciantini

Upper School History Teacher

NEW FACES IN OUR LEARNING SPACES

What inspires him to teach: “Students inspire me to teach. While I certainly love teaching physics, what I love more is the energy that young people bring to the learning space and being able to share what I love with those who are seeking knowledge.”

Why she joined Tatnall’s team: “I wanted to join Tatnall for the progressive, flexible curriculum and the beautiful setting, as well as the great people I met during my interview. Also, I was happy to be near so many wonderful museums in the mid-Atlantic!”

Caitlin Campion

Middle School Science Teacher

What drew her to Tatnall: “Tatnall is special because it’s independent, academically rigorous, authentic, and loving. I’m excited to help represent this school to our families and the community.”

Evan CantuHertzler

Upper School Science Teacher

What she loves about her job: “I like meeting all the students and helping them throughout the day.”

What he loves about his job: “I love watching students reach the moment when they overcome a

Why she loves Tatnall: “The classroom expands beyond the four walls to the entire campus.”

hardship. It is moving when they feel empowered to pursue their dreams knowing that it will not be easy, but it will be worth it.”

Milagros

Chiri-Zapata

Upper School French Teacher

What inspires her to teach: “Teachers are able to encourage students’ passion in a subject and help promote their interest in exploring a world beyond what they have already experienced. I hope to help my students gain new knowledge and perspective and prepare them for a globalized world.”

Karen Erskine

Lower School Art Teacher

Why she became a teacher: “Mrs. Clara Graham, my 3rd-grade teacher, was amazing! She encouraged me daily to do my best and always made me feel capable and loved. I wanted to be just like her when I grew up, so I teach in honor of her.”

Jim Brice Upper School Physics Teacher, Upper School Science Department Chair, Head of Innovation for Upper School

Pam Brice Admissions Associate

Nicole Brodsky Admissions Coordinator, Beekley Receptionist

Tatnall is excited to welcome new faculty and staff members to campus this year.

How he approaches teaching: “I try to make my material both interesting and relevant. When talking about the Roman world, it can make a big difference if you connect words, culture, and practices to the students’ lives.”

Meghan Heasley Upper School Chemistry Teacher

What she loves most about teaching: “I love teaching chemistry most when we are able to laugh about our mistakes and grow together.”

Carrie Simpson

Upper School English Teacher

What she loves most about her job: “My favorite part of my job is talking with prospective students in morning homeroom and then again at the end of the day before they are picked up. It is amazing to see the transformation from being tentative and nervous to excited at the prospect of being a Hornet next year.”

Dan Shockley & Tim Millsip Operations

What Dan loves most about Tatnall: “Having grown up in the area, the Tatnall campus feels like my backyard. The campus is also one of the most beautiful in Delaware.”

What Tim loves the most about Tatnall: “It’s so rewarding to work in a tight-knit community where everyone has so much respect for one another.”

Jaymi Pennington

Middle School English Teacher

What inspires her to teach: “Initially, I was drawn to teaching because of my love of children and all that they represent— enthusiasm, innocence, curiosity, and creativity. Through the years, I have discovered that teaching is not just a profession, it is a daily pursuit. I can’t think of anything more rewarding or gratifying.”

How she approaches teaching: “I subscribe to a student-centered approach, with a focus on student comprehension and achievement. My goal is to support student learning, and my aim is to make my classes a collaborative activity between the students and myself.”

What she loves most about Tatnall: “My favorite part of working at Tatnall is that, as a small community, staff and students are able to closely look after one another with care, so we may all strive to be the best we can be.”

Kara Vanni

3rd-Grade Teacher

Why she became a teacher: “I became a teacher because I wanted my life’s work to be meaningful. Every day is an opportunity to make the world a better place.”

Simone Wellington

Lower School Science Teacher

What she’s looking forward to this year: “Getting to know the students and taking them out to enjoy all of the abundant nature that is right outside the back door of our classroom on this gorgeous campus!”

Adam Gross Middle and Upper School Latin Teacher & Assistant Swim Coach

Kathleen Maloney Middle School Math Teacher, Learning Services

Alissa McGrisken Associate Director of Enrollment and Financial Aid

Beyond the Classroom

Get to Know Some of the Showcase Alumni

One More Showcase for Chipman AN ALUMNI REUNION

It’s been more than 20 years since Wilmington attorney John Sensing ’96 took part in a Showcase production at The Tatnall School, but during Homecoming weekend in October, he was part of a Showcase ensemble again—this one assembled to pay tribute to the program’s longtime director.

Sensing was among the 130 Showcase alumni and spouses who gathered for an informal reunion to honor Dr. Bruce Chipman and his 47 years leading productions of the esteemed Tatnall theater program. Chipman, Emeritus Head of English, is retiring as Showcase director next year.

“I’m annoyed that I’m here at all, and I’m annoyed that Bruce is retiring,” Sensing joked to the crowd, explaining that his children attend Tatnall and he had hoped they, too, would be directed by Chipman one day.

Sensing was one of 11 Showcase alumni speakers who celebrated—and roasted—Chipman at the October 19 reunion.

In short presentations, they recounted what their director and the program meant to them. Some, like Sensing, were no longer active in theater but used the skills and discipline they gained in the program to develop their careers. Others used their Showcase backgrounds to pursue careers in theater, media, or the arts.

Regardless of the fields they chose, many credited Chipman’s guidance and the program’s emphasis on high expectations for their success in life—personally and professionally.

Lauren Lovett ’89, a voice dialect and character coach for actors in Los Angeles, rarely returns to Delaware. She made the trip for the reunion and told fellow alumni that in her years working on stages across the country, “the Showcase experience was always with me, like a love letter in my back pocket.”

Showcase, which is shorthand for Showcase: Advanced Production and Design, is the longest-running

program

theater

Don Kammann ’94: Vice president of marketing and workplace strategy at Price Modern; actor in Baltimore community theater

Tracy FriswellJacobs ’89: Owner and artistic director at the Delaware Arts Conservatory; theater teacher at MOT Charter High School in Middletown, Delaware

Kaitlyn Harrow ’10: USC School of Dramatic Arts grad (major: Technical Direction); technical director for ModelLand, Tyra Banks’ new themed attraction in Santa Monica, California

Lauren Lovett ’89: Juilliard graduate; voice dialect and character coach for actors in Los Angeles

Showcase 2015: The Laramie Project

at Tatnall, dating to 1963. It’s an academic offering in which students learn all aspects of production, including set construction, lighting, and sound.

Chipman, who will still teach at the school after leaving Showcase, has directed Showcase productions since 1973—assisted for the past 36 years by tech director Rick Neidig and hair and makeup designer Robin Laskey Chipman, a former Tatnall teacher and Chipman’s wife. Both drew praise and thanks from alumni for helping to make Showcase a memorable experience.

The Showcase team had high expectations for everyone involved, Sensing recounted. “Those high expectations—and what you get from having high expectations—have been a very valuable lesson to me throughout my life,” he said.

Chipman unintentionally kickstarted the reunion when he sent out a letter to Showcase alumni a few months ago announcing his retirement from the program. There were no formal invitations or RSVPs, he said—“It grew organically.” Alumni from as far back as the class of 1967 to as recent as the class of 2013 attended, and the event was filmed for posterity.

Held in the lobby of the Marvin Theater in the Laird Performing Arts Center, the reunion featured memorabilia from Chipman’s decades of directing. The lobby was decked out in 47 T-shirts from all of Chipman’s productions as well as photo collages from shows. But aside from the props, the gathering was mostly a chance for everyone to come back to a place they loved and share stories.

Amanda Ploener ’13 described how she and Chipman got off to a rocky start, but he soon became like family to her. If it weren’t for him, she told her fellow alumni, “I wouldn’t be where I am or

Even for those who couldn’t make it to the reunion, the pull of Showcase was strong.

Marc Paul ’87 is a telecommunications lawyer in Washington, D.C. Though he couldn’t attend the reunion, he sent Chipman a letter thanking him for the lessons learned in Showcase, lessons like the importance of being prepared, working as a team, and understanding that everyone has an important role to play.

Showcase by the Numbers

130

Alumni and spouses who attended the reunion

11 Speakers at the reunion

3 Minutes allotted for each speaker—though not everyone stuck to the time limit

3 Hours the event lasted

62

1967

2013

Oldest attendee who was directed by Dr. Bruce Chipman

Most distant class represented

Most recent class represented

1,000+ Students directed by Chipman

120 + Average hours spent putting on each production

47 Years Chipman has overseen Showcase

Memorable Showcase Productions

Sweeney Todd

The Laramie Project

The Good Doctor

The Diary of Anne Frank

A Doll’s House Dracula

The Heiress

The Nerd

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

The Elephant Man Steel Magnolias

who I am today.”

“So many important skills learned all while having so much fun and bellyaching laughs,” Paul wrote. “I’ve never experienced anything like it since and likely never will.”

Zachary Chipman ’94: local dentist; Tatnall parent; married to Tatnall’s Director of Learning Services, Casey Chipman

John Sensing ’96: Partner in the Delaware law firm Potter Anderson & Corroon LLP

David Racca ’76: Policy scientist at the University of Delaware

Scott Bell ’87: Senior staff accountant with the U.S. Department of the Treasury; public speaker; adjunct college professor at George Mason University; lead singer in a cover band

Amanda Ploener ’13: Creator and producer of golf-related videos; golf social media personality with an avid online following

Showcase 2012: The Diary of Anne Frank

TEN GREAT POINTS AT THE TATNALL SCHOOL

On Friday, October 18, former Tatnall coach, teacher, and Head of Middle School Steve Esmond was presented with the prestigious Alumni Faculty Award. Steve, who was an inspirational and respected member of the Tatnall staff for 26 years, spoke to the crowd about the values—and people—who make up the family school.

Remarks from Steve Esmond

1. I would like to thank Anita Marcial for her work in the Alumni Office for making all of this possible tonight. But my thanks to her goes beyond her work as an Alumni Director and extends to her time as the Athletic Director as well as when she supported me as a young coach in three different sports.

Steve Esmond and his wife Theresa

2. I would also thank both Bill Ricketson and “Doc” Peter Dalleo who made me the formal offer of a job on a payphone in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Now some of you in the audience tonight may have never seen a payphone. It was a black box attached to a wall with a steel cable connecting the handset. You had to drop quarters in it before you could speak to the person. “Doc” Dalleo told me to call him after my interview early on a Wednesday morning. On the following Thursday evening, at 7 p.m., I did, and he offered me a job that included three seasons of coaching.

3. I would really like to thank Bill Schluter for his interest and intellect in a younger teacher. Battle Hamilton, for his spirit, soul, and caring for a younger teacher. Also, Pete Perialas for his planning, procedures, and willingness to let me develop my own procedures under a watchful eye.

4. I would really like to thank a man that is often confused as a brother, a man by the name of Greg Fields. Greg took me under his wing as a varsity wrestling coach and had me on the mat the first day of practice, even though I was inexperienced. Those lessons soon began to grow outside of the wrestling mats to life in general in how to treat and interact with people. There are dozens of others that I could mention. I will just read a list here of some names: Larry Karas, Bill Bergey, Mike Gnade, Jim Straub from Tower Hill, Peg Shapiro, and Mary-beth Howard.

5. Most of you here tonight think of me as Head of the Middle School, but there was an entire six years spent in the Upper School as I transitioned to the Middle School. The people that helped were people like Rosemary Crawford. Rosemary and my mother are the only people that call me Stephen. Out of the blue, Rosemary would call me into her office and ask me what I thought about a poem by Emily Dickinson. I would shoot back with a quote from Mark Twain. There was also Sarah Baylin playing the nurturing role, just like Mrs. Tatnall. Mrs. Anne Mailey and also Mary Garrett, who I looked forward to chatting with every day.

6. I will let you in on a little secret (**wink, wink**). The fix was in with my sidekick Cindy Horgan. We were neighbors for years, lived six feet from each other, shared a common alley, and really got along well. So when Eric asked if I had someone in mind to recruit as my assistant, I said I would work hard to find the right person with the right skill set and the rest was history. Thank you, Cindy, from the bottom of my heart.

7. Fred Palfrey. Need I say more? Fred is still the eyes, ears, and heart of The Tatnall School and the one true blue who always supported me no matter what was going on.

Additional Award Winners

Steve wasn’t the only member of the Tatnall community honored with an award! Timothy M. Huang ’93 was given the Distinguished Alumni Award and Abigail Williams Schneider ’97 was named the Lucille Sala Meharg Alumni Service Award recipient.

8. Eric Ruoss, the true personification of a mentor. Steady, focused, and intelligent. To this day, I remain his loyal opposition; down at Nativity Prep School.

9. I would also like to thank the 3rd-floor Business Office; there are some mighty good people up there. Here is a little anecdote from my first year when I opened my first paycheck and my heart skipped a beat when I saw the number. Soon I felt a hand on my shoulder and Frank Clark brought me down to his office where Denny Hauck was already seated. They both showed me mathematically to max out on my TIAA-CREF and to start a college savings plan through a 529 and they showed me how in 30–35 years this would grow to be a significant amount of money. The math was on their side because now we pay two Villanova tuitions.

10. There was once a woman who, during the height of the Depression, had the foresight and the inner strength to open a school and start her own business. No one thought it would last, but no one could stop her. Thirty-nine years ago when I sat down in my homeroom and looked across the row I met a girl named Theresa Devine. She possessed the traits that Mrs. Tatnall had also and then some as well. On October 16, we celebrated our 27th anniversary. All through my career at Tatnall, she endured so much of the rough spots. Through the tough losses, late-night phone calls, and late-night emails, she constantly put her own things aside and lent an ear to my problems. But she is cut from the same cloth that I believe Mrs. Tatnall was cut from, and that is a blessed thing in my life. She is the reason I am still alive and able to stand here before you tonight and share these thoughts about this school and its history. I love you, Theresa. I love you, Tatnall School. Thank you to the Alumni Association for even considering me for this award. And now we are the proud parents of two members of your Alumni Association as well—Sean and Ryan.

FALL SPORTS ACCOLADES

CROSS-COUNTRY

Finished 2nd in Boys and Girls in DISC

Championship

Boys Finished 2nd in County Meet

All Conference

BOYS

Declan McDonnell ’21

Andre Latina ’22

Brett Balthis ’21

GIRLS

Lydia Colasante ’23

Elaina Teklits ’20

Grace McKelvey ’20

All County BOYS

Declan McDonnell ’21

Brett Balthis ’21

Nic Pizarro ’22

Andre Latina ’22

All State BOYS

Declan McDonnell ’21—1st team All-State Division II State Champion

GIRLS

Lydia Colasante ’23—1st team All-State Division II State Champion

FIELD HOCKEY

DISC Conference

Champions

Advanced to DIAA Semifinals of Division II

Rachael Whitehead ’23—1st team All-Conference, 1st team All-State Division II

Holly Brennan ’21—1st team All-Conference

Alisia Lovejoy ’20—2nd team

Ashley Marvel ’21—2nd team

Teryn Singer ’22—2nd team

Carlie McKenry ’21—2nd team

Sophia Mitchell ’21—Honorable Mention

Hadley Morgan ’20—Honorable Mention

Evie Hill ’22—Honorable Mention

FOOTBALL

All Conference

Julian Nevin ’20—1st team defensive tackle

Brycen Anderson ’20—1st team linebacker

Chase Brothers ’20—1st team wide receiver, 2nd team defensive back

Bryce Scott ’21—1st team defensive back

John Tigani ’21—2nd team AllConference linebacker

Nate Ruoss ’20—2nd team linebacker

SOCCER

All Conference

Evan Cox ’22—1st team

Rohan Chugh ’20—2nd team

Gabe Dobrzelewski ’21—2nd team

Cam Mills ’20—2nd team

VOLLEYBALL

Conference Runner-Up

All Conference

Ashlin DeLucia ’20—1st team

Abby Soja’20—1st team

Mackenzie Prettyman ’20—2nd team

Emma Donovan ’21—2nd team

Catie Marvin ’20—3rd team

All State

Ashlin DeLucia ’20—3rd team

A Tatnall Education Promotes

a Love of Nature

There’s a tradition of sorts at Tatnall involving students who begin and complete their education at the school. Affectionally referred to as lifers, these students return to the Early Childhood center for a yearbook photo during their senior year. They’re quickly flooded with fond memories of their introduction to nature and the environment.

“They say, ‘Oh my gosh, I remember the frogs in the habitat, and when we hatched the butterflies and let them go,’” said Aimee Neff, Head of Early Childhood. Added Brendan Minihan, Head of the Middle School, “The fire is lit in the Lower School.”

Love of nature and environmental stewardship are woven into the fabric of a Tatnall education. From Early Childhood’s Outdoor Classroom and Lower School’s hiking to Middle School’s campus beautification and Upper School’s Apiary, students are constantly exposed to and learning from their environment.

The message of awareness resonates with the students. “The environment is really important to me,” said Daphne Chandler ’24, an 8th-grader and

president of the Middle School Student Council. “I’m just hoping we can preserve it and help make it better.”

There is strong support among students for the three environmentally focused campus clubs—350DE, the state’s first 350. org affiliate group; the Environment Club; and, new this year, the Naturalist Club for students who are interested in the different flora and fauna on Tatnall’s 110-acre campus.

“They go out looking to identify all those different types of organisms and create a relationship with nature,” Cantu-Hertzler said.

Whether it’s Early Childhood or Upper School, teachers believe Tatnall provides students with the perfect outdoor learning experience.

“Our campus provides this amazing opportunity for kids to immerse themselves in nature in a very real way,” said Simone Wellington, who teaches 1st through 4th grade. “We are really lucky to have this resource.”

“Our hope is that everyone who comes through Tatnall learns about climate change, our impact on the environment, and how to support sustainable growth.”

•

Evan Cantu-Hertzler Upper School science teacher

Getting Their Hands Dirty

Aimee Neff, the Head of Early Childhood at Tatnall, has just the right quote in mind for an outdoor mural: “Allow children to love the earth before we ask them to save it.”

It’s from environmental educator David Sobel’s book Beyond Ecophobia: Reclaiming the Heart in Nature Education, and it speaks to the way Neff thinks of Early Childhood education.

“The big umbrella is loving the earth, wanting to take care of the earth, using the earth for how it’s been given to us,” said Neff, “and then appreciation and empathy for living things.”

For the youngest children at Tatnall, that means spending time in the natural world. Long before outdoor classrooms resurfaced as an educational trend, Tatnall teachers were leading youngsters outside to explore the school’s wildlife and learn about native plants and animals. Now Tatnall wants to take the school’s tradition a step further and have the Early Childhood outdoor space certified as an Outdoor Classroom through a national program. Last summer, Amanda Peltz, Early Childhood science teacher and the Early Childhood administrative assistant, attended sessions to learn more about the certification standards.

The good news: The school already has at least five or six things beyond the requirements, Neff said, and is creating many more, such as music and art areas and a “mud kitchen” where the children can fill up buckets with rain collected in rain barrels. The goal is to be certified by April 2020.

For now, all children in the division spend one hour every Wednesday learning outside, working on subjects like language, math, and science. “It’s not recess,” Neff said. “There’s a beginning, middle, and end to every lesson.”

And as much as the children love outdoor learning, their parents seem equally invested, even when their children come home covered in mud.

When that happens, Neff said, “we take a picture of it. Clothing and children are 100 percent washable, so don’t worry!”

EARLY CHILDHOOD Having Fun & Learning Outdoors

Tatnall students begin developing a love of nature and respect for the environment from the beginning. Here are highlights of outdoor programs and other projects for Early Childhood.

▼ Working toward Outdoor Classroom certification; spending class time outdoors once a week to promote love of nature, creativity, critical thinking, and problem solving, while caring for the Earth

▼ Science curriculum based on the nature classroom, located in the Wildlife Habitat and certified by the National Wildlife Federation

▼ Growing vegetables in the outside garden; weeding, watering, and harvesting food; creating new soil for the garden through use of composting bin

▼ Recycling items such as paper and plastic in the classroom; participating in the ColorCycle program by recycling markers

Learn It, Love It, Protect It : Students Embrace Nature

Lower School science teacher Simone Wellington recently took her 1st-graders into the woods around Tatnall on a decomposer hike. The kids were looking for ground beetles, millipedes, worms, and pill bugs—slimy things that eat dead stuff like leaves and turn it into soil.

“We had a good time,” said Wellington, who teaches 1st through 4th grade. And while the children were having a good time, they were learning about soil components and how soil is created.

“Kids love being outdoors,” Wellington said. “They come in with a great attitude to get messy with me.”

Wellington takes advantage of Tatnall’s extensive woodlands and trails to provide real-world examples of what she teaches in the classroom.

For example, her 2nd-graders are learning about trees, so they trekked into the woods armed with tape measures to calculate the age of some of the countless trees on Tatnall’s 110 acres. Back in the classroom they used an interactive program to identify the trees they were investigating.

Wellington’s 4th-graders have been learning how plants and animals adapt to survive harsh winter conditions. So they hiked outdoors to study broadleaf and coniferous trees. They measured leaves and needles and studied the structure of the trees and how they’re positioned to make it through the winter. Students generally spend 35 minutes of their class period outdoors. Firstand 2nd-graders hike about every other week, while the older students get out about once a week.

Wellington said taking the class outdoors helps students feel part of their environment.

“Kids can’t love something they don’t feel connected to,” she said. “And they can’t protect something they don’t love.”

Wellington’s students may not yet think of themselves as stewards of their environment, but they are all in when it comes to hiking outdoors.

“My favorite part of doing science outdoors is seeing nature and what it’s really like outside and not just being inside the classroom and reading books,” said 4th-grader Kenzie McGrisken ’28. “It makes science more exciting.”

LOWER SCHOOL Exploring the Great Outdoors

Tatnall students take a hands-on approach to studying the environment. Here are highlights of some outdoor projects for the Lower School.

▼ Studying soil components and soil creation through firsthand investigation of decomposers such as millipedes, worms, and pill bugs in the woods: 1st grade

▼ Learning how to identify trees by their bark, leaves, and seeds. Using tape measures to calculate their age: 2nd grade

▼ Using binoculars to identify birds in the woods as part of a classroom migratory bird study: 3rd grade

▼ Measuring leaves and needles of broadleaf and coniferous trees to complement classroom study of how plants adapt to survive harsh winters: 4th grade

▼ Pairing with 8th-graders for Make a Difference Day, an on-campus community service project devoted to campus beautification: 5th grade

Middle Schoolers Spruce Up Tatnall Grounds

MIDDLE SCHOOL Eye on the Environment

Tatnall students take an active interest in their environment. Here are highlights of campus beautification and other projects for the Middle School.

▼ Insect classification project and observation walks in Tatnall woods: 6th grade

▼ Birding and bird identification project, stream water analysis project, and adopt-a-spot in Tatnall woods: 7th grade

▼ Maintenance of nationally certified Wildlife Habitat/Butterfly Garden: 7th and 8th grades

▼ Make a Difference Day—on-campus community service devoted to campus beautification and collaboration with 5th grade: 8th grade

▼ Visual art installations in Beekley Gallery and hallways: 6th–8th grades

Middle School Head Brendan Minihan has a special way of exploring Tatnall’s idyllic campus.

“If I’m lucky enough to finish my day before the sun sets, then I like to get out and run on the trails,” he said. “It’s beautiful.”

Minihan’s Middle School students share his appreciation for Tatnall’s 110 acres and the adjacent 90 acres of the Downs Conservancy. They, too, have a special relationship with Tatnall’s natural surroundings.

Whether inside the science classroom or outside on the campus grounds, Middle Schoolers learn about the environment and gain an appreciation of the world around them. Take the recent Fall Make a Difference Day when 8th-graders partnered with 5th-graders in an on-campus community service project devoted to beautifying Tatnall and maintaining the student-kept gardens.

“We have a wonderful campus and we love using it,” Minihan said. “And part of loving it is taking care of it.”

To that end, students spent the morning of October 16 weeding, mulching, and preparing the Lower School Native Garden for winter. They also spruced up the Middle School Interior Courtyard. They painted planter boxes and tended to the river stones, which needed arranging.

Then the students decided to paint rocks in different colors. They added designs and mindfulness messages that people could read as they walked through the area. The painted rocks are nestled among the river stones and enhance the courtyard’s surroundings.

Eighth-grader Daphne Chandler ’24, is president of the Middle School Student Council and among those who took part in Make a Difference Day. She’s happy the students were able to make a meaningful contribution to Tatnall.

“By doing these beautification projects, we really helped make the environment around Tatnall look a lot better,” she said.

Nature is hard at work in a remote part of the Tatnall campus. There, in a secluded wetland between the varsity soccer and baseball fields, stands Tatnall’s Apiary, an engine for honey production and learning opportunities.

Upper School students in nature-related clubs have tended to the Apiary for several years with assistance from teachers and parents. Together, this small and devoted group has monitored the progress of the hives and harvested the honey—200 pounds this year.

Now, teachers are hoping they can extend the Apiary’s reach and incorporate it into the Upper School curriculum and programs at other grade levels. Students in the Lower School are already contributing by making bee cakes to sustain the bees through the winter. And teachers in Early Childhood and Upper School are hoping to pair older students with the youngsters as Bee Buddies on a native plant garden project that would provide more habitat for the bees.

Such hands-on experiences help students become better stewards of the land, said Jim Brice, head of the Middle and Upper School science levels. Evan Cantu-Hertzler, a member of the Upper School science faculty, agrees and has big plans for using the Apiary in the classroom. It’s a great resource, he said, but it hasn’t really been used as a learning piece of the curriculum.

Upper School Head Bill Schluter helped start the Apiary about seven years ago. Since then, it has grown from one hive to about six. And the honey harvest has raised money that is funneled back into other activities, primarily the Beekeeping Club. Schluter estimates this year’s crop could raise as much as $5,000.

Though the fundraiser is a nice bonus, it’s not the motivation behind the program. Students, Schluter said, are gaining an understanding of an ancient natural process.

“There’s a lot of science that’s taking place,” he said. “It’s absolutely fascinating.” Beyond the science, there’s the relaxation that nature provides. Just ask junior Amanda Janusz ‘21, who founded the Naturalist Club and tends to the bees.

“My love for birding drew me to an interest in nature in general and to environmental causes,” Amanda said. “I’ve also found nature to be a stress reliever and encourage others to enjoy it for positive mental health.”

Tatnall Apiary Keeps Students Buzzing

UPPER SCHOOL Stewards of the Earth

As Tatnall students progress, they take on more sophisticated challenges. Here are highlights of Upper School projects.

▼ An annual apiary project in which students learn about and participate in beekeeping practices

▼ A cross-curricular project in which students in competing “companies” create a proposal to landscape a piece of Tatnall’s campus

▼ Opportunity to use Tatnall’s campus for environmental research and bioassessment

▼ Trail development project (in the works) to research the ecosystem and create a self-guided, informational system through the trails in Tatnall’s woods

▼ Water table survey project (in the works) to determine the depth of the campus water table throughout the year; done with a parent well-versed in hydrology

Tatnall senior Jeremy Zhong ’20, has proved that you can truly go anywhere if you set your mind to it.

Before his freshman year at Tatnall, Jeremy watched a YouTube video posted by SAVIC (now Resilience Action) about the Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya. Opening a window into a world so different from his own opened his eyes. All it took was one message to the organization on Twitter, and Jeremy was off to Kenya for the next two summers to work with Resilience Action and the United Nations to improve the lives of refugees through education.

Those first two summers showed Jeremy how hard it was, because of a lack of volunteers and materials, to improve the conditions for the refugees at Kakuma. He was inspired to provide a spark of hope for the camp, so, this past summer, he established an NGO called Spark Project. The goal of Spark Project was to give refugees a higher chance of finding employment to jumpstart their careers. Jeremy and his team devised four levels of learning programs for refugees and created official educational materials for these programs.

Senior Sparks Hope for Kenyan Refugees

This past summer Jeremy also got to intern for a month and a half in Geneva with the UN. He noted that this internship completely reshaped his path going forward, prompting him to choose international relations as his college major.

“Getting to sit and listen to a real General Assembly and see the ambassadors from all the different nations was so amazing and motivating,” Jeremy said. “They are just trying to bring peace and make the worldwide family more harmonious.”

During his sophomore year, Jeremy held a Chinese food sale on campus at Tatnall, raising around $2,000 for the refugees at Kakuma Refugee Camp. The students were excited to get involved.

Both summers in Kenya, Jeremy took a multitude of photos to convey the reality of the refugees’ life to others. His love of photography was sparked in Tatnall’s art classrooms. Now Jeremy uses his photos and travel experiences to inspire other students across the campus.

Photo credit: Jeremy Zhong ’20

8th-Grader Spreads Joy through Animal Therapy

When she was 4, Josephine Catalano ’24 was diagnosed with ganglioneuroblastoma cancer. Animal therapy played an important part in her recovery and has inspired her to help others in the same way. “I want to give back to our community the love, kindness, and smiles I experienced from animal therapy,” she said. “Animal therapy really helped my confidence and self-esteem and now I want others to be able to feel that joy.”

Josephine volunteers with Miracles on Hooves, a nonprofit organization devoted to animal therapy. The programs empower adults and children in assisted-living facilities by stimulating the mind, enhancing self-esteem, strengthening the body and spirit, and cultivating a loving bond between human and animal. For the past year, Josephine has been youth leader for Miracles on Hooves. Along with other team members, she brings Gizmo, the miniature horse, and Firecracker Joe and Charlie, the rabbits, to children and adults in their community. Miracles on Hooves does not simply visit assisted living facilities with therapy animals. What sets this organization apart is how they directly interact with the residents through song, game, discussion, and so much more.

“The children we visit are overcome with happiness when they see Miracles on Hooves,” said Josephine. “The smiles on their faces and telling us how much they love us is a striking experience.” Then she smiles as she describes the effect the therapy animals have on seniors at assisted living communities. “Sometimes adults who haven’t spoken for months or years begin talking again and interacting while

visiting with Miracles on Hooves animals and team members because they’re so comfortable. It’s inspiring to witness the love and kindness we spread.”

Jimmy Catalano ’24, Josephine’s twin brother, supported his sister’s recovery and now supports her work with Miracles on Hooves. “My first experience visiting an assisted-living facility was at Exceptional Care for Children in Newark, Delaware,” said Jimmy, “and it was so much more than I ever expected. It was great to know we made their day.”

Josephine works closely with the director of Miracles on Hooves, Bobbie Santiago, by taking part in brainstorming sessions and testing new ideas for the nonprofit. As a youth leader, she recently raised more than $9,000 to provide animal therapy visits for facilities that don’t have an animal therapy budget and to grow the program. Families in the Tatnall community supported Josephine’s fundraiser, and the school also encouraged her when she started an initiative called the “Hive of Kindness” within her grade to promote student-to-student kindness and to recognize teacher-to-student kindness.

“My goal for Miracles on Hooves is to expand and create even more life changing and kind experiences,” said Josephine. “I’d like to be able to not only go to more facilities but also into the homes of people who could benefit from meeting Gizmo or Charlie. I want to bring happiness to others, one animal therapy visit at a time!”

Ginny Martin’s Saving Grace

Back in the Day

Tatnall Class of 1949

E. Virginia “Ginny” (Shaw) Martin, class of 1949, went to Tatnall School when it was on Rodney Street. She remembers Mrs. Frances Dorr Swift Tatnall conducting prayers before class.

“Mrs. Tatnall was a lady from beginning to end,” said Martin. “The way she handled things and dressed. The way she put up with us girls. She was such a gentle person. Whatever she said, you would get something from it. She said it without using bad language.”

In school, she was Mrs. Tatnall. But she was Cousin Frances when she came for dinner, since Martin is a cousin by marriage to the late Mrs. Tatnall. Martin’s mother attended The Misses Hebb’s School, which became Tatnall.

Martin’s father owned a farm where the family raised sheep and Rhode Island Red chickens right in Wilmington. Martin had been attending a bigger school, but she didn’t feel comfortable there, so she and her parents talked to Mrs. Tatnall. She said Tatnall’s school was the only thing that “saved her.” Mrs. Tatnall and the other teachers knew how to tease the potential out of every student, Martin recalled. Each student received one-on-one attention.

“I was very shy,” said Martin. “You mentioned a quiz to me and I panicked. I needed encouragement. The teachers took the time. They didn’t rush off after school to get ready for a date and put lipstick on.”

“They could bring out the best in anybody. They brought out what was missing from you. There are some children, they’re floundering in public schools. Even some private schools have lost their personal touch.”

Martin returned to Tatnall for Homecoming this year. She drove herself up to the school, and the school connected her to an alumna who put her up at a studio apartment. Alumni Council member Amanda Jacobs ’02 took Martin everywhere she wanted to go. Martin toured the old house she

AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE

Martin ran into an old school acquaintance while touring Tatnall, Margaret “Maggie” (Marvel) Sanger. The women ran with different cliques back in the day.

“But age changes you,” Martin said. “I looked at her and smiled. I thought, gosh, her hair is different. She pulled her chair closer to me and showed me pictures of her grandchildren and greatgrandchildren.”

“I had really lost contact with her,” Sanger said. “Our class was having its 70th reunion. There were only 10 students in our class.”

Sanger was born and raised in Wilmington. She has three grown children who also attended Tatnall and they often go back and visit. Her

daughter won the first art award Tatnall ever gave out and is now a well-known artist.

Sanger began attending Tatnall in 6th grade. She was the May Queen and head of the student association. She remembers they took their own lunches back then because there was no cafeteria.

Sanger met her future husband when she was the goalie for the hockey team. Tatnall was playing Wilmington Friends School, where Sanger’s future husband, Richard P. Sanger, was in his senior year. The boys began to heckle the girls. One boy said to Richard, “See that girl playing goalie for Tatnall? She’s the meanest gal in town. Go down and heckle her.” He did, and the Sangers have been happily married for 66 years.

lived in on Woodlawn Avenue and Ridgeway Road. She hadn’t been back to Wilmington for years.

“I couldn’t believe how Wilmington had changed,” she said. “I thought I must be in the wrong city or state when I saw the new school. The trees are bigger—and the high-rises!

“The changes they made to the school were all to the good. They planted the seed, and Mrs. Tatnall was the one who started it. The feeling of camaraderie in the school and the potential and values, they’re still there. I’m glad it’s doing well.”

Martin currently lives in South Carolina. She rides her bicycle an hour a day to keep active.

At Trolley Square, now lined with bars and restaurants, Sanger and her friends used to go to the drugstore to have a Coke or milkshake.

“We couldn’t smoke cigarettes or anything else because we were Tatnall girls and couldn’t do anything improper,” said Sanger. “We had to cross our ankles when we sat down.”

After Sanger graduated from Tatnall in 1949, she used Tatnall’s kindergarten building to operate a little summer nursery school.

Sanger was a real estate agent for 50 years and still lives in Wilmington. She and her husband started an alcohol and drug rehabilitation program and continue to work with people who need help. 

“The changes they made to the school were all to the good. They planted the seed, and Mrs. Tatnall was the one who started it. The feeling of camaraderie in the school and the potential and values, they’re still there. I’m glad it’s doing well.”

—Ginny Martin

West Point Grad Salutes Tatnall for His Success

It was Columbus Day weekend. Kay-Ann Boswell returned to her classroom at The Tatnall School to finish some work and was amazed to see her son Ben standing there in his officer’s uniform. She was delighted, as she hadn’t seen him in four months. He had traveled all the way from Oklahoma to surprise her.

Ben Boswell graduated from Tatnall in 2015. He credits his alma mater with giving him the maturity, professionalism, and people skills he needed to succeed.

In May of 2019, Boswell graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point with a major in systems engineering. He then began a career as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army.

To be admitted into West Point, students must complete an extensive application including medical records and fitness tests, and attain a congressional nomination. “Showing the congressmen the maturity and professionalism that Tatnall instills in students made it possible for me to get into West Point,” said Boswell.

After surprising his mom, Boswell caught up with the Tatnall Cross Country Team. He spoke to them about how Tatnall motivates students to strive for their personal best and achieve their goals. He told the runners that if they had a bad race, they should “let it go, because some days are going to be off and it’s just a fact of being human.” “The way to get to the next level is working on the entirety of your game,” he added.

“Make sure you’re physically strong to help support your running,” Boswell told the team. “It’s just a matter of keeping at it and pretty soon you will break through to the next level.”

Boswell credits running coach Patrick Castagno with helping him achieve his own next level. Under Castagno, Boswell’s running time improved and he was able to achieve the recognition in track and field that he needed to join the college-level track team.

Boswell says Tatnall fosters a sense of community and family that isn’t found anywhere else. He learned important people skills from Health Science Instructor and Athletic Trainer Fred Palfrey, who always lent Boswell an attentive ear whenever he needed to talk.

“Tatnall stresses the people and family factor and it helped with joining the Army,” said Boswell. “Unlike other branches, the Army is a people business, because you have to work with your peers, your allies, and foreign nations.”

Palfrey also orchestrated the physical tests Boswell needed to complete to get into West Point.

“Some schools don’t help with facilitating physical tests,” said Boswell. “Tatnall made all the difference with me getting into West Point and having a shot at being an officer.”

Boswell is currently taking a six-month air defense leadership course to become a platoon leader in the Army.

Ben Boswell ‘15, 2nd Lieutenant in the US Army

Love of the Lens

Tatnall Cultivates in Film Producer Jonathan Champagne

With a passion for music, writing, and theater, Jonathan Champagne has always seen the world through the eyes of an artist. But it wasn’t until he took a Film Studies class with Dr. Bruce Chipman at The Tatnall School, that he realized he could combine his talents in pursuit of one creative goal.

“The pieces of the puzzle really came together under his direction,” Champagne said. “Before then, I honed my interests as independent disciplines, but he showed me how to unite them into something greater than their sum. He’s proof that good teachers can inspire passion and have a profound effect on the lives of their students.”

Champagne said the film, music, and theater departments at Tatnall helped him decide to become a screenwriter and producer. He graduated from Tatnall in 2009 and earned degrees in economics, music, and Italian cinema from Cornell University in 2013. Two years later, he formed his own company, Silverside Productions.

“In a lot of ways, it’s a profession that chooses you—but it’s not without the skills developed along the way,” he said. “My education at Tatnall laid the groundwork for success that follows me each day through my professional career.”

Champagne also cited his time as a professional actor and his education at the prestigious Circle in the Square Theater School on Broadway as key components in his success.

“Being an actor helped me be a better writer—and a better leader. When you can relate to others and understand all the elements necessary to succeed at your craft, you can create something truly great.”

Ultimately, though, he chose to move behind the camera, citing his interest in creating his own works as a major factor.

“The more I saw, the more my interests became clear,” Champagne said. “Actors are somewhat limited by the script they’re given. But in writing and production, I can bring my own visions to life. That feeling of creating something from nothing, along with the opportunity to express yourself in more than one unique way, made it a natural fit.”

Champagne recently came back to Tatnall’s campus to speak to Dr. Chipman’s Film Studies class about the duties and challenges of being a filmmaker. He gave the students an advanced screening of his new short film, The Pigeon, and answered their questions about the filmmaking process.

“A lot of my success comes from being brave and constantly looking for new ways to challenge myself. If I listened to any of the many people along the way who dissuaded me from following my dreams, I wouldn’t be where I am today. The opportunity to impart that upon the students at Tatnall alongside Dr. Chipman felt appropriate, seeing as that’s where my journey first began.”

Champagne intends to screen The Pigeon at film festivals this spring. He’s currently hard at work developing a featurelength film.

Champagne (center) with actors from The Pigeon

Ladies Luncheon

Following the 2019 Founder’s Day Ceremony, alumnae celebrating reunions of 50 years and above were invited to take part in the annual Ladies Luncheon. This year, 12 Tatnall graduates returned to campus in recognition of their milestone reunions. Alumni Association members Jamie Magee ’89 and Cindy Pettinaro Wilkinson ’88 joined the group for lunch. Notably, E. Virginia “Ginny” (Shaw) Martin ’49 and Margaret “Maggie” (Marvel) Sanger ’49 reconnected in celebration of their 70-year reunion.

Be sure to read pages 22 and 23 for more on Ginny and Maggie’s reunion!

Grandparents and Special Friends

Throughout the school year, Tatnall grandparents and special friends enjoy several opportunities to step inside the world of a Hornet. This year, hundreds of grandparents and friends visited campus during the highly anticipated Grandparents and Special Friends Day. Dr. Tim Burns, Head of School, and Barbara Riley, chair of the Grandparents Committee, greeted visitors over coffee and breakfast treats before dispatching them to spend time with their students in the classroom.

For more information about upcoming grandparent events, or to learn how you can get involved with Tatnall’s Grandparents Association, please call (302) 892-4335.

Party Under the Tent

The Tatnall campus was buzzing on Friday, October 18. Parents, alumni, faculty and staff, and Tatnall friends enjoyed a night of fun, food, drinks, and dancing under the tent. Kristen and the Noise, the band that has rocked the Party Under the Tent for the past five years, performed for the party’s largest crowd to date.

Ring Day

On Thursday, November 7, members of the junior class followed in a long tradition of receiving Tatnall rings during a ceremony held in the Alumni Atrium of the Laird Performing Arts Center. Family, friends, and faculty were there to celebrate this important milestone, led by members of The Tatnall School Alumni Association.

As is tradition, several alumni, including Lisa Bixby ’81, Kara Gredell ’90, Jamie Magee ’89, Justin Perillo ’09, and Cindy Pettinaro Wilkinson ’88, were on hand to present rings to the Class of 2021.

CLASS NOTES

’49

Maggie Marvel Sanger writes, “Dixie and I at last count claim 23 in our family; the youngest are 4 beautiful great-granddaughters. Christopher, Peter, and Molly all went to Tatnall. Until recently I was a Realtor. Dixie continues to be on the Board of Wilmington University and Founder of TRIAD.”

’56

Betsy Hasbrouck Cole writes, “Hi dear classmates! Although it’s been a long time since I was at Tatnall with you all, the experience will always hold a special place in my heart. What wonderful teaching and love we received at 1500 Rodney Street. I think Mrs. Tatnall set the tone with her morning exercises. We knew she deeply cared about us and it translated into a wonderful relationship with our teachers. I especially recall Mrs. Stephens and Mrs. Griffith—how blessed we were to be exposed to each of them and their wonderful teaching. “My husband Bob and I are enclosed in a wonderful retirement community called Fox Hill Village (FHV) in Westwood, Massachusetts. The residents are terrific, as is the staff. We have a daughter and family in Wellesley only 15 minutes away, and she is very attentive. Our other daughter is

in Montana, and between the two families, we have seven grandchildren.

“I love to read and feel very put out if I don’t have a wonderful book on my bedside table. I also enjoy fixing flowers and am on the Flower Committee at FHV. Every week, a large arrangement has to be fixed for the large front hall table. The other pastime which I have recently started is writing a bit. I just wrote a piece on Mrs. Charles Lindbergh who used to live in Darien when Bob and I resided there. In the spring I think I will write one on my late sister Jan. She was quite an accomplished person and, along with two UVA professors, wrote a book on Teaching Students to Write. The publishers recently received a letter from a Russian professor to see if he could get a copy. Jan would have been thrilled.”

Betsy encourages her classmates who are visiting Boston to call her at 781-407-0024 for a meetup. She is also open to meetups in Rhode Island, as she and Bob have a place in Little Compton.

’62

Daphne Thurlow Stevens writes, “I have been fighting for our planet for over half my life.” Currently, Daphne lives in a retirement community, where

she initiated a tree planting for shade in the future and carbon sequestration. “The last four of 16 trees were planted today after we raised $10,000. Next year we will plant more.”

’65

Suzanne Johnson Harris writes, “My husband Bill and I continue to live in the wonderful town of Naperville, west of Chicago, and recently moved to be closer to town and my sister Joanne. I am in the process of starting a new e-commerce business with 3 partners leveraging our decades of experience creating custom luxury PhotoBooks for people who are too busy or not inclined to create them. We plan to launch in December—look me up at www. mylifephotobooks.com. Staying busy and healthy is making life an adventure!”

’69

Patricia King Frick writes, “We had a successful reunion this year with over 50 people in attendance. Our class has been meeting for many years, but this reunion was one of the greatest. After taking part in the activities Tatnall made available to us, we had a great Saturday night party and dance, compliments of the Vicmead Club and the Sin City Band with Tatnall Alumnus Scott Birney ’71.

We relived music from the 60s and 70s at the party and then each of us took home a gift from two of our classmates Peter Brooks and Pete Booker—a thumb drive of all of our favorite Oldie hits from the days past. Our class is spread all over from all corners of the country, but when we come together it is like we were never apart. Such a wonder having people that you have a spiritual connection to and who seem to genuinely love seeing each other.”

’70

Susan Bacon Dynerman’s new book, The History Teacher, is now available on Amazon. “It’s a pageturner political thriller and it’s set in Wilmington,” writes Susan. “Beyond that, I’m living happily in Memphis, Tennessee, surrounded by my children and grandchildren. Hoping to write some more. Best to all.”

’71

Scott Birney writes, “My group, The Sin City Band, had the gig of a lifetime playing for the Great Class of 1969’s 50th reunion dinner and dance. They were every bit as fun-loving and energized as I remember them!”

Sarah Sullivan’s fifth picture book, A Day for Skating, illustrated by Madeline Valentine, was published by Candlewick Press in November 2019.

Faith Tomases writes, “I have inherited my parents’ house in Surrey Park and have decided to keep it as my country home—something all New Yorkers have and need. I will be spending more time in Wilmington in the future and look forward to seeing and catching up with old friends.”

’73

Thomas Hughes writes, “Cecil was born June 17, 2019. He is my first grandchild.”

’74

Pat Neff writes, “After 35 years of working at Verizon, they made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. I retired as of June 28th this year. Ironically, this was after the company moved my department—and me—to Florida. I’m now living about an hour from certain major theme parks, the sharkiest (did I just coin that word?) beach on the Atlantic Coast, and the Space Center. My husband is still working in PA, so we alternate visiting each other. We’re now entering snowbird season, which means all visits will soon be southbound. I’m working my way through this transition phase and trying to develop a new routine. I’m also looking forward to the next transition phase when my husband retires—but no ETA on that yet. I imagine many of my classmates will be going through similar life changes in the near future.”

because of previous engagements, Jerry Martinez, Chuck Rose, Colleen Quinn, Hellie Ketcham, and Keith Morton were there and they looked great for being out 45 short years! Both Chuck Rose and Betsy Schwartz came down from CT for the reunion, and Bill Stat, Larry Lincoln, and Frank Pingatore who started with us way back in the day also showed up!”

’78

Ellen Salpeter was named the first president and CEO of Westbeth Artists’ Housing, a New York–based nonprofit that provides affordable housing and studio spaces to artists. Ellen took on the role on November 1 and will focus on institutional growth and forging connections with other artist residency and housing programs across the country. Previously, Ellen served as the director of the Institute of Contemporary Art Miami.

Football Reunion Under the Lights

During the 4th annual Friday Night Lights game on Friday, September 27, 2019, Tatnall’s alumni football players were invited to join their fellow teammates behind the uprights to watch the game, celebrate the football program, and relive the memories playing on Weymouth Field. Alumni from more than 15 graduating classes were in attendance.

Patrick D. Singer writes, “Had a ball at my 45th high school reunion on October 18th and 19th! That Saturday night was a fun celebration of the Class of 1974’s 45th! While a bunch of my classmates could not make it

’79

Lee Gregory was named one of the Most Influential Business Women in San Francisco by The San Francisco Business Times.

’81

Orchid expert Arthur Chadwick continues his orchid work with celebrities. In September, he appeared on stage with Priscilla Presley at Graceland for a discussion titled “Designing with Orchids.” Arthur and Priscilla have been close since 2009, after Arthur named a big purple cattleya after Priscilla.

’87

’88

’82

Jeff Marine ’82, Keith Nilsen ’82, Chip Pollock ’82, and Richard Shih ’82 met in Chicago, Illinois, for a football reunion weekend in late September that included trips to see the Philadelphia Eagles defeat the Packers in Green Bay on September 28, and UVA at Notre Dame on September 30.

William C. Kenyon writes, “I’m pleased to announce that I’ve published my first book, Theatre & Stage Photography, as part of my sabbatical year here at Penn State. I’m in my 14th year as Head of the Lighting Design Program in the School of Theatre, and still working professionally as a freelance theatre designer as my University schedule allows. I was also recently elected to chair the Education Commission for OISTAT (Organisation Internationale des Scénographes, Techniciens et Architectes de Théâtre), which is the international organization that oversees theatre design and architectural activities and education. It’s been a great experience and provides many opportunities to travel around the world to participate in theatre performances, exhibitions, and conferences. My wife Jenny, who is also a theatre designer (scenery & costumes), recently earned a second master’s degree in Forensic Arts (from the University of Dundee, Scotland), and is working to develop the first program of its kind here in the United States. She’s been doing a great deal of work with the Archaeology and Anthropology departments reconstructing ancient burials and sculpting faces for the skulls found within. My daughter Delaney is getting ready to head off to college this Fall, with plans to pursue Environmental Studies. Best wishes to all.”

Megan McCarthy King ran for Pennsylvania Superior Court Judge on November 5, 2019. Megan won the general election on November 5 after advancing from the primary on May 21, 2019.

’95

Theresa Frezzo married Frederic Merlet in Paris at the end of November.

’97

Brian Carney was named one of Delaware Business Times’ DBT40 Honorees. This honor is given to forty of the region’s best and brightest young professionals under the age of 40.

’03

Jared Phillips writes, “My wife Rebecca Phillips, my daughter Lauren Phillips, and I welcomed our son Henry Andrew Phillips on August 8th.”

Rebecca Reznick Steinmetz and her husband Brandon welcomed their first child, Remy Violet, on October 20, 2019.

’05

Lisa Klein Parente and her husband Ozzie welcomed their daughter Penelope on July 7.

Arthur Chadwick ’81 with Priscilla Presley

PICTURED FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Chip Pollock ’82, Keith Nilsen ’82, Jeff Marine ’82, and Richard Shih ’82

Remy Violet

Corinne Hangacsi married Patrick Valentine on October 19, 2019. Many Tatnall alumni and families were in attendance, including two alumnae who served as bridesmaids. Corinne and Patrick met during college and

Corinne Hangacsi ’10 with her parents Robert and Carol Hangacsi

have been together for almost seven years. Corinne is teaching 3rd grade and coaching field hockey and lacrosse at Newark Charter School and Patrick is working on his master’s degree at the University of Delaware while also working as a personal trainer at the Hockessin Athletic Club. The two will live together in Pike Creek.

’15

Rebecca Evans graduated from Rhodes College in the spring with a major in chemistry and a minor in physics. She will be beginning her studies for her doctorate in chemistry at Princeton University this fall.

Julia Kelly writes, “I got an 18/20 on my Civil Procedure Exam. This may be my peak. The range was a 5/20 to a 19/20 and the median was a 13/20. I couldn’t have gotten this far without you, Tatnall.”

’17

Austin Leshock, currently in his third year at Berklee College of Music, composed the music for his first feature film, Consumed, directed by Delaware native Kevin Wishart. The film tells the story of Jason, a young man living with bipolar disorder. The premiere took place on Sunday, November 24, at Milton Theatre in Milton, Delaware.

Hannah L. Bove ’11

Susan Morrissey Ledyard ’87

Alexander J-L. Sarlis ’17

Jonathan P. Whitcomb ’80

TATNALL ALUMNI PICTURED: Christina (Schneider) Wolfe ’10, Meaghan Sullivan ’10, Carey Kaiser ’10, Chrissy Vinton ’10, Phil Drexler ’10, Marlee Caine ’10, Mica Kane ’10, Kerry Sheehy ’11, Molly Hunt ’10, Ryan Sullivan ’07, Bill Kaiser ’75, Larry Drexler ’75, and Athletic Director Patrick Jones

“I couldn’t have gotten this far without you, Tatnall.”

– Julia Kelly ’15

OUR FUTURE IS CALLING.

LEARN MORE

To learn more about how to get involved, contact Page McConnel at communications@tatnall.org.

Through

time, talent, or treasure, Tatnall’s dedicated supporters enrich our students’ experience and support the mission of The Tatnall School. Interested in becoming more involved? Please consider sharing your skills and ideas through one of the opportunities listed below.

Parents

ENCOURAGE GIVING

This year—and every year—Tatnall asks parents to support The Fund for Tatnall. Help Tatnall reach its annual fundraising goal by contacting other parents and asking them to join in supporting the school. To help, call the Development Office at (302) 892-4335.

SPREAD THE WORD

Word of mouth is our strongest marketing tool, so please encourage your friends and family members who are not already part of the Tatnall community to schedule a visit. To learn more about how you can help drive admissions, call the Office of Enrollment at (302) 892-4285.

JOIN A PARENT VOLUNTEER GROUP

Whether it’s through the Black & Gold Club or the Home & School Association, there are several opportunities for parents to get involved. Tatnall’s events and programs depend on volunteer support, and all of the proceeds benefit Tatnall’s students. To get involved, email blackandgold@tatnall.org or homeandschool@tatnall.org.

PHOTOGRAPH

AN EVENT

If you regularly attend Tatnall events and take photographs, please consider sharing the images with the Communications Office for use in publications or on the website. Call the Communications Office at (302) 892-4338.

Alumni

ENCOURAGE ALUMNI GIVING

As you reflect on your time at Tatnall, what stands out the most? As a Tatnall graduate, you play an important role in carrying on our school’s legacy. In addition to supporting The Fund for Tatnall, please encourage your classmates to give and help carry on Tatnall’s tradition of excellence. To get started, call the Development Office at (302) 892-4335.

HOST

A RECEPTION

Do you enjoy entertaining? If so, please consider becoming an event host for the Tatnall alumni community. If interested, please call the Development Office at (302) 892-4335.

UPDATE YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION

Keep up with Tatnall! If you’re interested in learning more about alumni news and events, please be sure Tatnall has your most up-to-date contact information. If you need to make an update, please call the Development Office at (302) 892-4335.

1501 Barley Mill Road | Wilmington, Delaware 19807

(302) 998-2292 | communications@tatnall.org

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