Sneak Peek: Campus Master Plan 2021–2022 Report of Gifts THE MAGAZINE OF BENCHMARK SCHOOL | FALL 2022 Celebrating 50 Years of Transformative Education
To share the excitement and fun of the culmination of our 50th anniversary celebrations with all, including those who could not attend the gala, the Gala Committee treated students, faculty, and staff to water ice.
Benchmark School is accredited by Pennsylvania Association of Independent Schools, which is a member in good standing of the National Association of Independent Schools’ Commission on Accreditation. Benchmark School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, gender and sexuality diversity, age, or against qualified individuals with disabilities on the basis of disability, in its admissions and financial program, in the administration of its educational program, or in its employment policies.
Campus Master Plan 18
Benchmark School is a tax-exempt organization as provided by IRS regulations and is registered as a charitable organization within the State of Pennsylvania. The official registration and financial information for Benchmark School may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll-free, within Pennsylvania, 1-800-732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement.
James Viner, P '21 Sarah Willie-LeBreton, P '19
Class of 2022 32
hadtransformationalGalaAnniversaryabouttheeffectBenchmarkSchoolhasonhereducationalexperience.Contributors
2107 N. Providence Rd., Media, PA 19063 610-565-3741 • benchmarkschool.org
Irene W. Gaskins, Ed.D., Founder & Trustee Emerita Howard R. Marcus, Ph.D., Trustee Emeritus Kristin Yerger, P '21 & '24, BPA Representative Louisa Hanshew, Ex-Officio Chris Hancock, Head of School
Alyce Callison, Director of Marketing & Communications Design
ON THE COVER
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2022 Facebook.com/BenchmarkSchool Twitter.com/BenchmarkSchool YouTube.com/BenchmarkSchool Instagram.com/Benchmark.School Institutional Research 13
Megan Craven, CR8IV LLC
Betsy Cunicelli, Ph.D. Len DeStefano, P '23
Nicholas Kemp, Jr., P '10
Leroy D. Nunery II, Ed.D. Anne Rice-Burgess, P '18
Michelle Bogosian, P '19 Amanda Bruno, P '26
Benjamin B. Rogers '95, P '24, Chair Wendi Chase, P '06, Vice Chair Charles J. Bramley, Treasurer W. Gregory Coleman, Secretary Dan Berger '93, P '27
Andrew B. Rogers '93 Charles E. Ryan, P '17 Michele Todd
Kiah Young '22 speaks at the 50th
50th Anniversary Gala 22
BENCHMARK SCHOOL
Michelle Bogosian Alyce Callison Chris Hancock Tom Hurster Mary Katherine Montgomery Wayne HeatherMarieReichartRimWarleyTeriWatkins
• • • Editor•
Message from the Head of School Campus News From Research to Practice Our Strategic Plan Campus Master Plan 50th Anniversary Gala Class of 2022 Alumni Profile: Caroline Fenkel '03 Alumni Updates Inside Planning a Gala 2021-2022 Report of Gifts .............................................................................32..............................................................................3.........................................2......................................................13.....................................................................16.................................................................18..............................................................22.....................................37........................................................................40.............................................................45.....................................................46
CONTENTS
A MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL
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The 6th grade invited me to be a “shark” on a “Shark Tank”-style panel as the students presented their year-end sustainability projects. While I expected to be impressed, little did I realize the depth and 360-degree thought that these students brought to their work. One outstanding presentation followed another, and the panelists’ challenging questions never ruffled the students. They considered their projects from the inside out, and addressed each inquiry with poise and a wealth of detail. I was awed and have assembled a group of faculty to figure out how best to implement an idea or two at Benchmark.
Still, sometimes reality surpasses expectations, and that’s what occurred over several days in May and June when I observed our 6th graders presenting projects they devised in connection to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. These projects were long in development. Over the course of the school year, our 6th graders spent time in their language arts and science classes engaged in hybrid design thinking/writing/research projects dedicated to several of the UN goals, including No Poverty, Zero Hunger, and Clean Water and Sanitation. They were developed through a collaborative effort among the 6th grade teaching team to find cross-departmental synergies and data was collected throughout the year as part of original research by Benchmark and its newly appointed Director of Institutional Research. (Read more about this project and the new role on page 13.) The aim was to look at how Benchmark’s design thinking method impacted, if at all, certain areas of executive function development in middle school students. The findings will be released this fall and presented at local conferences. Yet, it was the students who, in their ceaseless enthusiasm for learning, provided that remarkable moment.
This speaks to our intentional, supportive practice that spans all subjects, and our embrace of design thinking as a valuable tool to cultivate empathy and problem-solving skills in conjunction with, not separate from, reading and writing. Looking at this moment, the culmination of months of work, I see a beautiful example of why our school is a school ascendant—a school that is poised to meet the demands of the decades to come. Our unique approach, in a school filled with bright students and, honestly, the most dedicated faculty I have ever encountered, enables us to continually push at the edge of what is possible—an edge that is one of great creativity and promise. I’m reminded of a quote from my favorite author, Kurt Vonnegut, in his 1952 novel “Player Piano,” where he writes: “I want to stand as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all kinds of things you can’t see from the center.”
To surpass expectations, it takes support and bravery. Those are elements we have in spades at Benchmark. They were on full display all year in so many areas of the community and I hope you enjoy the pages contained within this year’s magazine that illustrate so many of them.
LOOKING OUT FROM THE EDGE
Why Benchmark Is a School Ascendant
By Chris Hancock
This past spring, I had a remarkable experience. This should not be surprising in a school where remarkable things take place daily—especially during a year when there was much to get excited about related to our school’s 50th anniversary.
THE LATEST
For generations, Wayne has inspired students to have confidence in themselves. This legacy of support is no small gift, and it is safe to say that he has changed thousands of students’ lives for the better. Wayne has been a part of Benchmark since its earliest days, and has decisively shaped our culture of encouragement and self-empowerment.
Below, Wayne offers his own farewell to Benchmark.
At the 50th Anniversary gala on May 14, 2022, our Head of School Chris Hancock announced the renaming of our basketball court, which will hereafter be known as the “Wayne Reichart Court,” in honor of the man who brought athletics, fun, and unstinting support to Benchmark.
My Farewell to Benchmark
I also treasured my relationships with the many teachers I had the honor to work with at the school I consider to be the pinnacle of education. I want to thank every single person I have been associated with and wish all of you many years of continued success at the school I love so much. A special thank you to Irene Gaskins and Robb Gaskins who gave me this opportunity and to Chris Hancock as he leads Benchmark into the future.
CAMPUS NEWS
Happy Retirement, Mr. Reichart!
Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2022 3
Thanks for always supporting us with your positivity and encouragement. We will miss you!
From 2107 North Providence Road
By Wayne Reichart
When I started teaching and coaching at Benchmark in 1975 I never would have dreamed I would still be here 47 years later. The years I’ve spent at Benchmark have quite simply defined who I am as a person and given me everything I treasure in life. I have been so fortunate to be given the opportunity to impact thousands of children’s lives, with so many of them continuing to be dear friends many years after they graduated from Benchmark.
Mr. Wayne Reichart, the first physical education teacher Benchmark ever had, retired at the end of the summer of 2022 after a 47-year tenure.
Because of the positive experience and the feedback from the participants, Mr. Hurster and Child and Family Support Services psychologist Dr. Mara Dixon are planning to work together in fall of 2022 to provide another group experience with the hope of expanding the offering even further. So all you potential SPACE explorers, keep your eyes open for the announcement of our next launch.
By Tom Hurster
CAMPUS
Mr. Hurster said, “I had growing concerns with the increasing numbers of children presenting with symptoms of significant anxiety nationally, and specifically with the increasing numbers of our students presenting with anxiety symptoms. I am a group therapist by training and it seemed to follow logically that re-introducing parent groups back into our programming here made a lot of sense. I have had strong confirmation that this is a good format in which to do the SPACE program.”
BENCHMARK LAUNCHES A SPACE PROGRAM!
Trustee Len DeStefano
Leonard DeStefano is the father of Benchmark student Christopher, Class of 2023. Len joined the Benchmark School Board of Trustees in 2022, and has already taken an active role in the work of the Benefits and Compensation Committee.
Now semi-retired, Len was a founding partner of McKean Defense Group Inc, a consulting firm that provided information technology and naval engineering services to the US Navy. In August 2021, Len formed Pomerado Technologies LLC (holding company) and is the Managing Partner, President & CEO.
Throughout the spring of 2022, a group of eight Benchmark parents met weekly with Tom Hurster, a longtime member of the Benchmark’s Child and Family Support Services department, in a SPACE group. Developed by Eli Lebowitz, PhD of the Yale Child Study Center, SPACE (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions) is an innovative, evidence-based treatment program for parents of children with anxiety, OCD, and related problems. The SPACE approach helps parents to learn skills and tools that help their children to overcome anxiety. The treatment focuses on changes that parents can make to their own behavior, and not on trying to change their children directly.
Parent-Focused Treatment for OCD, Anxiety
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Len grew up in the Philadelphia area and currently resides in Newtown Square with his wife Elaine and two children, Jessica and Christopher. He has a second home is Sea Isle City, New Jersey where he and his son Chris enjoy golfing at UL National. He spends his spare time enjoying his family, playing golf, doing Knights of Columbus service work, and coaching little league baseball.
WELCOMENEWS NEW BOARD MEMBER
All the group participants, including the facilitator, struggled some in the beginning to shift their thinking from trying to help their child to make changes to making changes in themselves (that might, and did, ultimately lead to changes in the child as well). All shared that the group format allowed them to work through some of their own embarrassment as they came to recognize they weren’t alone in how far they have gone in limiting their lives to accommodate their anxious children. All were able to shift their support postures with their child and most were able to implement changes in their own behavior that allowed them to regain some of their personal time. And all shared that despite the significant time commitment it was a helpful endeavor that has given them a way forward.
CAMPUS NEWS
Our Benchmark student artists were from our two youngest classes, led by teachers Zeffie Spirokostas and Karen Berry. Joan and the students set to work on a collage project composed of painted hearts and heart outlines, inspiring thoughts of love and spaces where love can grow.
Dori,consortium.withher
When Benchmark parent and artist Dori Desautel Broudy was tapped to curate the visual art that would be displayed in the Dr. Ala Stanford Center for Health Equity in Philadelphia, she reached out to Benchmark. Dori spoke with art teacher Joan Fox about having Benchmark kids create art for this project, and Joan says, “I immediately knew that I wanted to work with the students to evoke hope and joy.”
In their classrooms, working with Zeffie and Karen, students contributed positive words that describe medical professionals, such as dependable, kind, and persistent. These words became the borders of the artwork. In total, Benchmark students made four poster-sized artworks to donate to the
ART OFFERS HOPE AND JOY
Zeffie says, “We had just begun our unit on community and what it means to be a good citizen when Mrs. Broudy informed us about the project. As a class, we learned about Dr. Stanford’s work and her efforts to meet the needs of the community. The students easily identified the impact that one person, like Dr. Stanford, can have in their community. She is an inspiration to us all!”
son Penn (Benchmark ‘27) was present at the grand opening. Dori says, “It has been overwhelming to me—as an artist as well as a parent—to see the thoughtful, beautiful, truly authentic displays of creativity, kindness and gratitude that the entire Benchmark community has created for the Dr. Ala Stanford Center for Health Equity.”
Students Donate Art to New Health Clinic
Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2022 5
The Dr. Ala Stanford Center for Health Equity is a clinic that offers a combination of primary care, preventative medicine, and behavioral health. It is named for and led by Dr. Ala Stanford, the founder of the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium. Dori says, “Dr. Stanford has led the charge in providing barrier-free COVID testing and vaccinations in Philly and beyond to the most vulnerable populations, and she and her team of front line workers are incredible. The Center is going to be a critical resource of health services and community engagement for a lot of people.”
Three of the well-respected professionals the BPA hosted were Dr. Jennifer Jackson Holden of the Center for Psychological Services and Dr. Inna Leiter and Dr. Gabrielle Massi from the Center for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
Dr. Holden spoke about how learning differences affect the family.
HOLISTIC SUPPORT
Dr. Leiter and Dr. Massi spoke with parents about pediatric anxiety, explaining the different types of pediatric anxiety, how to know if your child needs an expert’s help, and about the differences in both presentation and treatment between generalized anxiety disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Through a role-playing demonstration of behavior modeling and the freedom to ask questions specific to their own children, parents gained actionable tips.
“I am not sure that anyone who doesn’t have a child with a learning difference truly understands what it is like to parent a child with a learning difference and how that impacts the dynamic of your family. One of the reasons I think we have such a strong parent community is that shared experience.”
From the Benchmark Parent Association
Drs. Leiter and Massi led an interactive skill-building session to help parents support their anxious child.
CAMPUS NEWS
BPA President Kristin Yerger deliberately took steps to create a strong professional network of support for our parent community. She said, “Often at BPA meetings, parents are seeking advice, reassurance, or just an empathetic ear. It has long been my intent to bring education to our parent group as well as empowerment for positive parenting.”
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Dr. Holden spoke about the changes that can take place in the family as a whole, including with one’s partner and the child’s siblings, when a child learns Kristindifferently.commented,
We are thankful to PBIDA for sharing their knowledge with our community.
BRINGING THE DYSLEXIC EXPERIENCE HOME
Alisha and Jack Slye (parents of Barrett Slye ‘25) said that, “Over the years we have explored and engaged a vast array of resources, specialists and tools to help us better support our son’s learning differences and us as parents. The dyslexia simulation we participated in at Benchmark was singlehandedly the best activity we could have ever done to truly walk in his shoes and have a firsthand account of how challenging, discouraging, and exhausting it can be to navigate school and life with learning differences. Our only regret is that we didn’t do it sooner. We left the session with a newfound compassion and understanding of how his brain processes information and how we as parents can better support him. We hope that it can be widely available to the Benchmark community and beyond, as all parents, caregivers, administrators and teachers can benefit from this simulation.”
To honor Dyslexia Awareness Month, Benchmark hosted the Pennsylvania Branch of the International Dyslexia Association (PBIDA) this past fall for a dyslexia simulation. Parents, faculty, and staff had an opportunity to engage in six different simulation stations, then were invited to attend a presentation on dyslexia and Q&A session with professionals in the field and adults who have dyslexia. Through the six simulation stations, attendees experienced firsthand what their children and students experience each day.
Attendee Lesli Esposito (parent of Annie Verdi ‘24), shared, “The dyslexia simulation was truly life changing for me. It allowed me to experience firsthand how my daughter learns and really see what it is like for her. I have a deeper understanding of how much simple accommodations like extra time and typing can help and how traumatizing it can be to have to read aloud or have another student grade your paper. I thought I knew what the students at Benchmark went through every day but I didn’t truly understand it until I did the simulation. Every parent should do it and I wish every teacher, at every school, would do it.”
Attendees engaged in a simulation. Feeling It Firsthand
Stay tuned for future simulations hosted at Benchmark!
Math teacher Mary Katherine Montgomery, Head of School Chris Hancock, and PBIDA President Christine Seppi.
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Thank you to our sponsors Mary Katherine and Nick Montgomery for making this event possible.
By Mary Katherine Montgomery
CAMPUS NEWS
The risk paid off. I was thrilled to introduce Dr. Charles Henry Turner in the text “Buzzing with Questions: The Inquisitive
By Teri Watkins
Have you heard of Dr. Charles Henry Turner, Marie Tharpe, or William Kamkwamba? If not, perhaps lower school students will recognize some of these names, but more importantly, the rich experiences these individuals have brought to the field of science. I will admit, I had not heard of these remarkable people until our students inspired me to take my lessons deeper. Over the past several years, I have worked with other Benchmark teachers and staff members to develop part of the science curriculum to represent contributions made in the field of science by a diverse group of Mypeople.goalwas
year after year, it was important to understand that not every student would get a range of exposure to various people each year, but over time they may see the breadth of cultures that contribute to science. Next, I had to develop relationships in a variety of ways with the children, which has always been key to my teaching, so this was an area I felt at ease with during the process. Finally, I had to be aware of my position and perspective as a white female teacher, and to fully understand that I may not have all the perfect answers, nor could I ever have my students’ unique experiences. I knew it was imperative for my students to see that science was not developed by one group, by one race, by one gender, so I did what I ask each child to do: be a risk taker and try something new.
to find ways to incorporate people with stories that had clear connections to the curriculum. Luckily, our library has a treasure trove of diverse titles and my search was brought to fruition in a short time. Since I have students
Reading a Different Kind of Nonfiction
CAMPUS NEWS 8 Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2022
BROADENING SCIENCE PERSPECTIVES
Sometimes discoveries in science can come from common people in extraordinary times of need. Fifth grade students learned this first-hand during their work with renewable energy. Some had already heard of “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind,” but had not considered the text or story of William Kamkwamba from a scientific lens. When children learned of the famine in Malawi that prompted Kamkwamba to educate himself and then build a wind turbine, they were inspired. They also made connections to their global studies social studies curriculum, recalling energy challenges around the world. The students started to see how innovative citizens were finding new ways to address their country’s needs. They also made connections to the different components of the wind turbine that were used in the text. When it was time to make their own wind turbines, children experienced firsthand the challenges of the building process and how much harder it would have been for Kamkwamba. Once again, we intertwined the connections to the human experience and scientific
Mind of Dr. Charles Henry Turner” to students studying ants in our youngest classes. Not only did the book give excellent examples of methods of inquiry-based research through experimentation, it talked of the injustices he faced throughout his life during his education and in the field of science. Students were curious about his experiments and had questions, but something else happened when the book shared the obstacles he faced as a Black man in college during the 1800s. There was a group of children who were incensed, and one boy stood and said, “Wait, what? That’s not right!” A rich discussion followed about the historical context of the book and the students made connections to the civil rights movement. It was one of the moments in science I will never forget. My science students had an experience with what Rudine Sims Bishop would refer to in her research as mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors that day. Perhaps some of them saw a role model that looked like themselves, some may have seen into a world unknown, and others may have walked through a sliding door into a new world of possibilities in scientific discovery.
CAMPUS NEWS Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2022 9
discussion points. Additionally, the kids came to find that Tharp’s cartography skills were almost as accurate as today’s most current technologies.
to continue to honor our diversity, equity, and inclusion mission to build a culture that honors the dignity and value of every race, religion, ethnicity, economic means, family structure, physical ability, age, sex, sexual identity, gender identity and approach to learning. I plan to find new ways to incorporate representations across these areas to expose Benchmark students to the vast contributions of a diverse society within the scientific community, while holding true to delivering essential scientific principles, content, and strategies.
Another memorable moment was when I introduced Marie Tharp to students who were making discoveries about the ocean. The book was read as a complement to an activity when the children mapped the ocean floor. In “Solving the Puzzle Under the Sea,” children learned of the early methods of geologic discovery under the ocean. They learned of Marie Tharp’s meticulous, laborious efforts, how she was limited by the male establishment in her field, and the positive personal outcomes that come from perseverance. Many students were already aware of limitations put upon women in history, and some students could make connections to this mistreatment. Again, we had a discussion about equality and science, which brought in a range of
Itdiscovery.ismyhope
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OUR VISUAL BRAND And New Mascot
The selection of a new school mascot is an early part of this branding refresh. In the winter and spring, we visited with students to speak about our mascot, inviting them to consider the characteristics of our school and our students, and to then think about mascots that could be just right for our school. Not surprisingly, the students had wonderfully creative and thoughtful suggestions. We received an astounding 167 different suggestions for our mascot, and we narrowed down to three possibilities: bobcats, bears, or owls. Following a second round of community voting, the bobcats emerged as the clear
Wewinner.think
Since 2019, we have been considering our school’s branding; how we present ourselves through the words we use and the appearance we present. Two years ago, we refreshed our messaging in order to present a fuller and more accessible explanation of the excellent work that goes on in our school. That work focused on words; now, in this most recent school year, we have turned to our visual brand. Our visual identity is composed of our colors, our logo, our photography, the layout of our print and electronic materials, and the overall “mood” that is generated by these elements in combination.
“Benchmark Bobcats” sounds great, and hope you are as excited as we are to welcome our new mascot. In the course of the 2022-2023 school year, we will introduce not only our new bobcat mascot graphics, but a full new visual brand as well.
Mr. Sam Gerlach and the Computer Science Club.
When students show an interest in a particular area, Benchmark faculty works to help them make space to cultivate that interest. Such was the case this past spring, when 8th graders Shane Chappell, Vincent Uglow, and Noah Wilhelmson started a Computer Science Club (under the mentorship of Mr. Sam Gerlach, our Innovation Teacher). The club focused on coding and programming and met weekly through the end of the year in the Innovation Lab.
The students also created a website (https://vincentuglow.wixsite.com/website) to help raise money for their work, which would allow them to buy an official domain name for their project and help them with their prosthetic device development.
In the game, Vincent explains, “You can roam around a free world and complete challenges and quests to buy skins and play with your friends to work your way up to the Three Rising Suns, which is the boss fight.” They’re using Javascript, HTML, and CSS to develop their game.
accomplishment.CAMPUSNEWS
But Shane, Vincent, and Noah have dreams in addition to the Computer Science Club. The three have launched an initiative called “The Oni Project.” Vincent explained, “With this project we are trying to build a video game as well as programming that works with prosthetic devices. Our game is called ‘The Legend of the Three Rising Suns.’”
In the spring of 2022, Vincent applied for and was awarded an Inspiration Fund Grant from Making Lives Better with Alorica for The Oni Project. The Inspiration Fund Grant from livesbetter.org awarded them $2,100 towards technology equipment. With the grant, they have purchased a Dell Alienware Gaming Laptop as well as a XP-Pen Artist Pro Drawing tablet for their project. Shane, Noah, and Vincent will use these devices to continue their pursuit of creating video games as well as working with programming to control prosthetic devices. The Oni Project team is (deservedly!) very proud of this
8th Graders Get Innovative
The prosthetic devices development part of their plan adds an unexpected twist, and Vincent says, “Shane knows how to program prosthetic devices to make the arms or legs move a certain way with code. The thing that inspired us was that we want to help kids be able to walk again or have an extra arm, and that’s why we have a Go Fund Me page set up so not only we can get our business running but we can buy prosthetic devices to help kids and grownups.”
PROGRAMMING FOR GOOD
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The Oni Project team: Noah Wilhelmson, Shane Chappell, and Vincent Uglow.
Sam Gerlach adds, “The club’s primary purpose is to allow students a space in which they can explore and engage with computer science at their own pace. The Oni Project team came to me and requested this space, allowing them to find a mutually beneficial time in which they can discover and work collaboratively on their project. They serve as mentors and as resources to other students, and in my eyes, their enthusiasm and their entrepreneurial passion behind this company are the ideals that the Innovation Lab is grounded in. One of the Innovation Lab’s goals is to allow students the freedom to explore and directly engage in these technology-based projects. This being brought up by students rather than by me proves further the importance of innovation being a central part of the Benchmark philosophy and curriculum for years to come.”
This conversation highlights the depth of questions that students ask and their willingness to pursue deeper understanding. The power of observation was one of the very first concepts we covered in September when learning about the scientific method and how to approach the world from a scientific lens.
7TH GRADE SCIENTISTS' KNOTTY QUESTIONS
I love the conversational tone that we have cultivated. The small class size allows us to listen closely to each other and explore observations and curiosities in depth.
This past spring, our 7th grade science class dedicated several weeks to studying atomic theorists and their models. The students designed poster boards illustrating the evolution of the atomic theory from Democritus around 400 BCE to the current cloud of electrons theory. They were challenged to include biographical facts about the lives of the theorists, which helped to provide context for these scientists’ beliefs. For example, Hunter Lankford found that J.J. Thomson’s atomic model theory was largely influenced by his observation of smoke rings. As we discussed Thomson’s observation, the class wondered specifically how smoke rings were involved in developing his atomic theory. This curiosity led us to a brief introduction of knot theory.
By Marie Rim
After observing smoke rings with a friend, Thomson thought it probable that a vortex like a smoke ring surrounded each atom. Within the atomic vortex, Thomson envisioned a knot with a unique shape for each element. When Thomson discovered the electron, he changed his atomic model theory. However, knot theory developed within science and mathematics and continues to be used in the study of DNA today. Knot theory can be described as the study of how knots are interlaced in an effort to understand the interlaced nature of the universe.
CAMPUS NEWS 12 Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2022
Thoughtful Conversations About Atomic Theory
Evaluating Gains in Executive Functioning
By Heather Warley, PhD
FEATURE Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2022 13
Aftermyself.months
Over the past four years, Benchmark has worked to infuse design thinking into the educational experience of our students. At its core, design thinking is a tool that allows students to manage their thinking and develop solutions as they navigate real-world, human-centered problems. Research shows that there are benefits to students when they engage in the design thinking process. Our interest is in better understanding the benefits that Benchmark’s design thinking process may have on students’ executive function skills. Executive functions are the complex set of mental skills that allow us to meet goals and successfully complete tasks. Executive functions can be challenging for many students, but these skills can be taught, supported, and developed.
Updating Assessments
Benchmark’s ongoing commitment to educational research is reflected in its creation of a new role within the school, which centers around institutional research. Institutional research is intended to support a school’s understanding of, and progress toward, meeting its goals and living into its mission.
of carefully reviewing various assessments, our team found a combination of assessments that we feel will provide Benchmark with the most information about our incoming students. This past spring we piloted the new assessments with incoming summer camp students. Anecdotally, we feel that the new assessments provide us with more detailed and nuanced information about the students’ literacy skills and development. In the coming year, our team will review the feedback and data from the spring pilot to make improvements as needed.
Sandy Madison (Screening Coordinator), Karen Berry (Lower School Teacher), Sue DiDomenico (Lower School Teacher), and
During the 2021-2022 school year, the 6th grade teaching team collaborated with K-12 design thinking expert Gaby Russomagno to adapt their curriculum to integrate the design thinking process. They focused their work around the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: Zero Hunger, No Poverty, Clean Water, and Responsible Consumption. The teachers who participated in this project were Language Arts and Science teachers Kevin Canney, Judi Clay, Lisa Grieco, Ruth Kelemen, Laura Sahlin, and Melissa Savage. The data collection process involved giving students a survey at the completion of each unit, interviewing the teachers at the conclusion of each unit, and daily observations in the classrooms for five months. The data collection focused on how students’ executive function skills appeared to develop over the course of the units.
Inpractice.myrole
At its best, institutional research is intertwined with the daily functioning of a school in a way that informs curriculum and
Benchmark is steeped in a rich history of translating educational research into practice. Since the school’s inception more than 50 years ago, Benchmark has been held up as a model for taking current research in the field of education and implementing it in the real world of the classroom. Through her pioneering work, Dr. Irene Gaskins created a school where teachers stay current with the academic side of education. Benchmark teachers work in a culture where constant learning, reflecting, and adapting are the norm and the expectation.
Each year, many prospective families are interested in learning about Benchmark, whether for admissions to the school or for our summer camp program. As part of this process, we assess students’ literacy skills. Over the years, the team involved with the screenings noticed that our assessments were not sensitive enough to the varying levels of student development, particularly for our youngest students who are pre-readers or just learning to read. Therefore, we assembled a team to thoroughly evaluate our current assessments and select new assessments that would better meet our needs. The team included Megan Wonderland (Director of Admissions and Enrollment Management), Colleen O’Hara (Lower School Supervisor),
FROM RESEARCH TO PRACTICE
as Director of Institutional Research, I collaborated with Head of School Chris Hancock who guided the vision for projects that would best align with Benchmark’s mission and strategic plan. The first project was to review and select new assessments for our admissions and summer camp screenings. The second project was to evaluate the ways in which Benchmark’s design thinking process supports students’ executive function skills, and to better understand the ways in which a grade-level team of teachers can adapt their curriculum to integrate design thinking.
Institutional Research in Action
As part of their culminating capstone projects, students proposed ideas for a solution that addresses one of the UN Sustainability Goals that could be implemented at Benchmark.
FEATURE
The domains of executive function that are most supported by Benchmark’s design thinking process are planning/organization and maintaining effort/persistence. ”
plan it out and think it through.” Teachers also reported that students improved in their abilities to plan, whether planning ideas, managing time, or creating physical plans to take into the Innovation Lab.
The planning/organization domain of executive function refers to the ability to identify and organize the many elements needed to achieve a goal. Daily observations revealed that students created detailed plans that included labeled sketches, lists of materials, student roles when going to the Innovation Lab, and daily goals for what they would complete. When students were asked about the extent to which the design thinking process helped them create a plan, 85% of the students responded with “mostly” or “a lot.” In the words of one student, “I enjoyed how we could
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We looked at many areas of executive function, but two stood out above the rest. Our analyses of the data suggest that the domains of executive function that are most supported by Benchmark’s design thinking process are planning/organization and maintaining effort/persistence.
Heather Warley, PhD “
The effort/persistence domain of executive functioning includes the ability to start tasks and to put forth the necessary effort to finish tasks. Benchmark’s own expert
FEATURE
and then look back on my work and be proud,” and “I liked creating new and improved ways to help humanity.” This sense of pride, empathy, and student agency was seen and deeply felt during the students’ final capstone projects. Students worked in small groups to develop a proposal centered around the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that could be actionable at Benchmark. The groups presented their ideas to a panel who asked followup questions. Already, plans are underway to support the students in implementing many of their ideas in the coming school year.
Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2022 15
Students presented their ideas for sustainability enhancements at Benchmark in a Shark Tank-style format to a panel that included Mr. Hancock, Dr. Gensemer, design thinking consultant Ms. Russomagno, and Dr. Warley.
in executive function, Dr. Leslie Stein, describes this skill as “getting things going and keeping them going.” By nature, the design thinking process leads the students through a process from start to finish, while breaking down each step in a way that allows students to succeed and take ownership. When asked the question “Compared to other ways that you have been taught, did the design thinking process help you follow through with a project from start to finish?,” 82% of the students responded with “mostly” or “a lot.” The teachers were consistently impressed with the students’ resilience and persistence during the design thinking process. Language Arts Teacher Ruth Kelemen shared that “When we had setbacks, the students were able to talk it through and regroup the next day.”
Going forward, other grade-level teams at Benchmark will engage in a similar process as the 6th grade team to create interdisciplinary units that infuse design thinking. We will continue to learn more about the ways that Benchmark’s design thinking process helps our students, and to adapt the process to meet their needs.
In addition to demonstrating gains in executive function skills, this intensive design thinking project also provided students with a strong sense of personal satisfaction, as well as a deeper sense of empathy. Throughout the process, students made comments such as “It was fun to do work
After more than a year of thoughtful input and consideration from all corners of the Benchmark community— including students, faculty and staff, parents, alumni, and trustees—we have created a strategic plan that will propel Benchmark into the future.
This strategic plan, called “Empower,” is a roadmap designed with a deep understanding of Benchmark School’s unique strengths and challenges. Head of School Chris Hancock says, “A good strategic plan is an exciting plan, one that challenges a school to do more, work smarter, and go beyond imagined boundaries. Our new plan excites me, and I believe it will excite you as well. I invite all members of the Benchmark community to feel a sense of pride and ownership in this plan, and to take part in bringing it to fruition.”
FEATUREEMPOWER
Our strategic plan is composed of five major goals, listed here. Each of these goals has thoughtful sub-goals, with detailed action steps outlined to make each goal come to life.
Our Strategic Plan
We invite you to spend time with these five goals of our strategic plan, and reach out to Mr. Hancock to explore any thoughts you may have. Over eight years—from 2022 through 2030—we will seek to implement the actions supporting each goal, collectively building an exciting and prosperous future for
Benchmark.Our plan expandingdistinguishacontinueBenchmarkpositionsSchooltotosucceedasplacewherestudentsdevelopessentialskillsandcompetenciesandchartsacoursetotheschoolasaninnovativelearningcommunitywherestudents,educators,families,andmembersofthecommunityareempoweredpartnersinsupportingstudentsintheirinterestsandstrengthsanduncoveringtheirhiddentalents,sotheycanrealizetheiraspirationsandfullpotential.
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Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2022 17
We will invest in diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging as an integrating force across our culture, curriculum, and community.
HIGHLIGHTS Dedicated time for community building Change management Enhance Benchmark traditions Expand family and alumni engagement
THE 5 GOALS OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN
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GOAL 1
HIGHLIGHTS Expand curricular and non-curricular opportunities for students Interdisciplinary projects update development National and local professional engagements
We will advance our position as the region’s leading edge, research-based school for students who learn differently.
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We will grow our community connections and capacity to identify and respond to opportunities and needs through enhanced participation and partnership.
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TAKING THE LEAD
• Curriculum
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GOAL 3
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We will work together to support, stretch, inspire, and empower our imaginative and innovative students to discover their interests, unleash their gifts and talents, and fulfill their potential.
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EMPOWERING LEARNERS
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STEWARDING OUR FUTURE
HIGHLIGHTS Transform compensation and benefits to be best-inclass Develop auxiliary revenue sources Streamline data management Execute campus master plan
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GOAL 2
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GOAL 4
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We will strengthen our financial vitality by sustaining a strong enrollment, enhancing creative fundraising efforts, and generating alternative sources of revenue.
INVESTING IN DIVERSITY
CULTIVATING COMMUNITY
GOAL 5
HIGHLIGHTS Enhance recruitment & retention of diverse students, staff, and faculty Staff training and support Dedicated DEI professional role Cultivate reflection and learning opportunities
• Professional
HIGHLIGHTS Brand refresh Research and teaching partnerships with colleges and universities Deeper engagement with other professionals Expand Word ID program’s impact beyond Benchmark Broaden reach and accessibility of Benchmark Camp
Over the course of the 2021-2022 school year, WRT met with school leadership, faculty, students, parents, and the Board of Trustees to learn about Benchmark’s current strengths and areas of need.
Transformations Rooted in Our Character
CAMPUSFEATURE MASTER PLAN
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In tandem with our strategic plan (see page 16), Benchmark has initiated a campus master plan that expresses a new vision for the campus and will ensure the school is positioned to support the next generation of students. We’ve partnered with the Philadelphia firm WRT, whose team of architects and planners have worked to help the school best leverage its strengths as well as devise creative, affordable adaptations and expansions.
Head of School Chris Hancock shared, “In this campus master planning work, we’ve asked critical questions about how our campus reflects and supports the mission of our school and our new strategic plan, as well as the most efficient functioning of our daily practice. It challenges us to consider where we want to take Benchmark in the future, and will ensure that our spaces can meet our grand vision.”
The team at WRT developed a deep appreciation and understanding of what makes Benchmark special. WRT’s Principal, Richard King, commented, “With Benchmark, we sensed this incredible quality of home. There’s an intimacy within the school that’s very powerful and you can see it in how comfortable it is as a place, how people feel comfortable there. I think that sense of place as a community is really, really strong. It’s probably a bigger thing than any of us really realized when we Richardstarted.”also noted that the team listened well to the comments from the community about our natural setting, further noting that the scale of the work must suit our most important constituents: our students. “There are two different aspects of the campus as it is now that we’re trying to respond to very specifically. One is certainly the trees and the natural setting and wanting to
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Some elements of the plan, particularly those in later phases, are still in flux as we consider priorities, timing, and budget. However, several recommendations in Phase 1, including upgrading our playground and creating more learning spaces in the lower and middle school, are quick wins that we plan to act on swiftly.
Students drew pictures of their ideal play spaces for Studio Ludo.
Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2022 19
creating play spaces and studying play behavior. Like WRT, the Studio Ludo team visited the school and held in-depth sessions with students, teachers, and staff, seeking insights on playground needs and desires. They also encouraged students to draw their ideal playground, and provided the supplies to build 3D models. Meghan Talarowski, Studio Ludo Founder and Executive Director, said, “The kids had very clear reasons about why they love the space. The teachers talked about trying to keep the immersive natural quality that the campus already has. And we’re ensuring that the kids have the freedom to express themselves through their play. That’s how kids connect to each other socially, it’s how they work through issues they’ve had during the day, and how they have a great time.”
Attentive to the value of the natural setting, Meghan’s team
To address the playground, WRT connected us with Studio Ludo, a local, female-run non-profit focused exclusively on
preserve that as much as possible. And the second is that the buildings have a certain scale that works for children, and so we’re keeping the scale smaller and not making big massive buildings but adding smaller increments. And so we were looking for ways to touch the campus more gently and add incrementally so it feels organic.”
20 Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2022
deliberately planned to retain the character and the quality of the space and to take the immersion in nature even further. She said, “We thought, let’s see if we can’t get them a little closer to nature, and that’s where those giant treehouses came from. They can get up into the tree canopy and then go down some pretty epic slides.”
“ Chris Hancock, Head of School”
Funds are being raised to support the playground project at this time, including $300,000 raised at the 50th Anniversary Gala on May 14, 2022, along with a generous dedicated gift of $500,000 from an anonymous donor. The playground is targeted for completion in 2023.
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This is the right time to upgrade the playground. Recess and play are critical for our students’ well-being and growth, and they deserve a truly exceptional playground. With the realization of this exciting plan, our students will have a unique play space that suits every child.
Chris Hancock explained, “This is the right time to upgrade the playground. Recess and play are critical for our students’ well-being and growth, and they deserve a truly exceptional playground. With the realization of this exciting plan, our students will have a unique play space that suits every child.”
As you can see in the image called “The Groves Playscape,” there are three triangular sections (in tan) in the design. Each of these three triangles is a grove with its own style of play. Meghan Talarowski, Studio Ludo Founder and Executive Director explains the groves below.
the pathway, so kids will be down below, shouting to their friends in the tunnel. It was important to keep at least as many swings as you have now, while also adding more. We’re putting in traditional belt swings and also basket swings, so whole groups of kids can swing together.”
Adventure Grove
Sensory Grove
Maker Forest, Active Play & Gaga Pit
“This area has a structure that is a little bit closer to the ground, for younger kids and kids that maybe aren’t quite as adventurous. It gives places to socialize and do imagination play. It also has some active climbing and sliding components. The green zones in the middle of the groves are sensory nooks, filled with plants that have great smells, different colors, food for pollinators, boulders for perching, and stumps for running, balancing, and jumping. We always balance out each of the play spaces with opportunities and spaces for everybody, for active and passive play.”
Treehouse Grove
FEATURE Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2022 21
“This grove has super tall treehouses that get you way up in the tree canopy. All of the elements are ADA compliant, so a child or adult in a mobility device can transfer into the structure and navigate through a series of ropes and ramps to get all the way up to the top and then slide down the giant slide. A huge rope tunnel connects the treehouses over
“This zone is a little bit more low-key. It’ll have a different plant palette and will feel more private. There are smaller scale net pyramids, great for a couple of kids to hang out or perch on top and see out over the rest of the playground. There’s also a parkour structure with monkey bars and a spinner in the back. This grove is about exploring your senses or curling up with friends, but it’s not quite as high-ropesadventure as the other two groves.”
“Between the zones we’re putting in pathways and loose parts and sticks so kids can make forts or build fairy houses or contraptions or whatever they like. We also kept the fullcourt basketball court in the back and the gaga pit closer to the front. The old tires are just north of the swings, so we tried to keep the main elements that the kids love and then we added on this whole other layer of adventure and nature play.”
50TH ANNIVERSARY GALA
And lastly, I would like to acknowledge our 6 middle school students and 5 alumni who shared their voices with us tonight. It’s truly inspiring to hear you talk about your own incredible transformation. We led with your voices tonight as a reminder of exactly what we are here to celebrate.
Still,tonight.aspecial
And that’s beautiful.
And so, I am excited to celebrate with each of you tonight.
At the gala, Head of School Chris Hancock revealed the school’s new strategic plan as well as the early stages of the school’s campus master plan, which includes a $2 million playground upgrade that will include unique play elements that do not exist yet anywhere else in the United States. To support this extraordinary playground initiative, Benchmark received a $500,000 anonymous gift, and raised an additional $350,000 that evening, totalling $850,000 in initial fundraising at the
Certainly a thank you to our parents and families who also stepped up to volunteer beyond what anyone could reasonably hope for—to serve many roles including as members of our gala committee—all of the names you see in your programs
Speaking of thank yous, this evening simply would not have been possible if it weren’t for the herculean efforts of our Director of Development Louisa Hanshew, Assistant Director of Development and Marketing Stefanie Frayne, and our Director of Marketing and Communications Alyce Callison as well as many other Benchmark faculty and staff. Thank you to our event planners Karen Homer and Fred Stein and the legion of people and companies they rallied to help us put this night together.
Here are the remarks Head of School Chris Hancock shared that evening, after several alumni and current students kicked off the program by sharing personal stories about how Benchmark has transformed their lives.
I want to welcome all of the current families, past and present trustees, alumni, alumni families, past and present faculty and staff, trustees, Benchmark’s friends, and our professional partners who have joined us to celebrate tonight and helped support this evening—especially our 50th Anniversary Sponsor, Morgan Lewis, our Platinum Sponsor, Fiduciary Trust, our Diamond Sponsor, The Camera Shop, our Gold sponsor, Brock, and the many other individuals and companies who contributed to tonight’s gathering.
I am Chris Hancock, Head of School, and to follow the lead of our students and alumni who spoke so eloquently this evening, I offer you that Benchmark has already transformed my own notion of what excellent teaching looks like; what a caring community can mean to a young learner; and, how we, collectively, can truly make possible the previously unimaginable.
thanks is due to our 50th Anniversary Chair, past parent and former board chair, Amy Petersen, who steadily guided us through all 50th anniversary events that spanned 2 years of a pandemic. And, of course, our incredible co-chairs for this particular gala, Liz Blum and Amanda Bruno. The number of meetings they attended and hours they spent planning and the time on zoom meetings is truly remarkable—thank you.
Wegala.also honored several key figures in our history: our founder, literacy education trailblazer Dr. Irene Gaskins, our former Head of School Dr. Robb Gaskins, and our long-time physical education teacher and athletics director Mr. Wayne Reichart, who retired after a 47-year tenure.
Transformation
On the evening of May 14, 2022, more than 300 guests gathered at Benchmark for the 50th Anniversary Gala, the culminating event of our anniversary celebrations. We are grateful for the open-hearted support our community members showed to this school through taking part in this once-in-a-lifetime celebration.
And naturally the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of transformation is the metamorphosis of a butterfly. We have talked about it quite a bit in the planning of this event. You have seen the imagery on your invitations, in the promotions in front of the school, and again here tonight.
Fortunately, as the Head of School, I knew that was going to happen. I knew the students and alumni were going to be here. And so I had time to reflect in advance on their comments tonight and our theme of transformation.
When you look at how the school was built, what it is today, and what we aspire to become, there is an additional ingredient in the process of transformation here at Benchmark.
We ask it of our students every day—that they have the courage to try new things, the courage to see themselves differently than when they arrived, and the courage to be transformed.
But as I reflected more, I realized that while the metamorphosis of the butterfly is a useful shorthand for what happens here at this school, the kind of transformation we are recognizing tonight is not merely some inevitable process.
And I believe it’s courage. Real, human courage. The kind of courage e.e. cummings describes as “what it takes to grow up and become who you really are.” Benchmark certainly has done that. We have grown into, and will remain, a preeminent leader in education because of this abiding courage.
We see courage in the faces of parents who visit us for the first time, wondering, “Could this be the place where my child will be able to connect, grow, and succeed?”
In fact, everywhere you look at Benchmark, you see real human courage.
And we certainly see it in her son Dr. Robb Gaskins, who guided Benchmark through a new era of innovation for 12 years after Irene retired. Tonight, though he cannot be with us, Robb continues to be an example of courage to us all.
Of course, we see courage in Benchmark’s founder Irene Gaskins and her lifelong, unwavering commitment to our students. Some of you may know this about Irene, but in the early 1960s, Irene, who was then a young teacher, was asked to teach “struggling readers” in a resource room. As the year progressed, it became readily apparent that the instructional model being used—the same model found in public schools across the country—was not meeting the students’ needs. In that moment, she devoted her life to identifying the most effective research-based practices for teaching students who learn differently. And in 1970, at a time when the field of education was just beginning to formulate an idea of what it then called the learning disabled, Irene opened a school where students would be enabled— enabled to meet success in school and life. She was propelled by her vision as well as by the hard work, energy, and expertise of a core group of passionate and gifted individuals. It began as a simple dream in a church basement. What it took to get us from then to now, really, was courage.
Teachers, staff members, and those of you who have worked here before but have returned tonight to celebrate, I’d like to ask you to please stand—stand so that we can honor you and celebrate you for your courage frankly, without which, we would not be here tonight.
Ah, our teachers. There is courage. The courage it has taken to show up day in and day out over the last two years especially, because it was always crystal clear to them what was at stake for our young learners. The courage to dedicate their lives to these amazing children. The courage to help a family and a child through some of their most challenging and uncertain times. The courage to know, to believe in, to truly see, and to embrace, every learner in their classroom. The courage to meet children precisely where they are, and then to show them where they can go.
A year later than we’d hoped, I am thrilled to be able to celebrate with you this evening: Benchmark’s 50th Anniversary. Let’s celebrate your courage. Our students’ and alumni’s courage. Our teachers’ courage. It is that courage that transforms the future for our current students and will for future generations of students yet to arrive. By gracing us with your presence—and your generosity—tonight, you have begun to usher in the next era of unparalleled transformation— the next 50 years of Benchmark. Thank you.
Honoring Mr. Wayne Reichart
We see courage in those members of our community who helped to build Benchmark into what it is today. From those donors who made it possible in the early years that the school could find a home here, erect facilities, and shape the grounds so that we all may benefit today; to those who gave what they could afford, so that a little bit of financial aid could be provided for another family in need so that another student could have the opportunity to be transformed. These members of our community, and I am speaking about each of you here tonight, had faith in Benchmark, and had the courage to invest in our school, our kids, and our teachers.
We have one more recognition to offer tonight that is not on the program. Anyone who follows college basketball knows that Coach K retired from Duke this March after a legendary 42-year career. And no, while Coach K is not here tonight with us—I know the gentleman I am about to mention has some family here with him with new loyalties to Duke. Tonight, we honor Benchmark’s own version of Coach K—Mr. Wayne Reichart. In fact, when you look at the numbers side by side, Wayne did it for 5 years longer and had more undefeated seasons than Coach K. If you could find the parchment paper I imagine he had to use to write down stats via ink quill in the early days, you might even find a higher winning percentage than Coach K. On a sincere note though, Wayne, for 47 years, you passionately built a PE program, an athletics program,
Parents Kristin Yerger, Kim Sylvester, Sarah Kinsella, and Amanda Bruno.
Vision for the Future
Last spring Benchmark launched a community-wide strategic visioning initiative. It was designed to propel, challenge, and ground our school as an educational leader.
That plan, released earlier this spring, is called “Empower.” And in it, we affirm our mission that Benchmark will continue to succeed as a place where students develop confidence, strategies, and knowledge to become lifelong learners, thinkers, and problem-solvers. It also says that we will be a place that distinguishes itself as an innovative learning community where students, educators, families, and members of the community are empowered partners in supporting students to realize their aspirations and full potential.
I know by standing up here, I am breaking a promise to Wayne who made me swear not to do anything in public to recognize his service to this school, but, as I shared with his wife Linda several weeks ago, it may not be the recognition he wants, but Wayne, it is unquestionably the recognition you deserve. I am so glad Linda, your kids Brennan and Lauren, and your family are with us tonight, as I know their support allowed you to commit all you did to this place. So, it gives me great pride to announce in front of them, and the hundreds of people here tonight that have been impacted by your leadership in countless ways, that the basketball court on which you spent an incalculable number of hours shaping young students will be painted this fall and henceforth be called the Wayne Reichart Court.
While the court won’t be painted with this logo until the fall and we invite everyone to return for that ceremony prior to a basketball game this winter, through the support of some alumni and friends, we have been able to render a decal on the floor in the gym that will be visible when we return to the gym for dessert and dancing.
and summer rec program that are as much a part of Benchmark’s success since the beginning as anything that happens within the classroom. Most importantly, you have done it with integrity and by always putting the students first.
Let’s review that first part again. Benchmark will continue to succeed as a place where students develop confidence, strategies, and knowledge to become lifelong learners, thinkers, and problem-solvers.
Parents Matthew and Maggie Brodnik with Chris Hancock.
Teacher Teri Watkins displays her good humor.
Wayne, congratulations, your legacy is certainly deserving of a place on Benchmark’s Mount Rushmore and it’s why tonight, on the school’s 50th anniversary, we honor you as well.
This is the home for our students’ learning, their becoming, their growth, and their transformation.
I spoke earlier tonight about how critical our people are to this endeavor.
It’s a place that provides teachers the space and tools to impact so many young lives.
An important part of our vision for the future is to invest in this home—this campus—just as from time to time we invest in the homes where we live. We need to maintain it. We want to enhance it. We strive to adapt it for the future. We commit to ensuring that it will be a place that affirms our mission—an ideal environment that empowers our students—empowers their transformation. Our students deserve nothing less.
Benchmark School will continue to succeed as a place…
It’s a place that empowers our students.
Dee Spagnuolo laughs with Theresa Scott.
Twelve years ago, there was a groundbreaking book published called “The Third Teacher.” The title reflects the idea that for every child, there’s a first teacher—the parents. And there’s the second teacher—the one that the child meets in the classroom at school. And there is still another teacher—the third teacher. That third teacher is the very environment in which the kids learn. The environment is critical to success in learning. And we know that the Benchmark environment is special. Students come to us, and suddenly they are immersed in an environment where they can be understood, an environment that sparks connections, and an environment that, most importantly, embraces them. It’s an environment in which they find that courage to be transformed.
Teachers Sandy Madison and Melinda Rahm.
Along with its people, Benchmark is also a place
It’s a place that transforms our students.
These students shared their Benchmark experiences at the gala. L to R: Kiah Young '22, Astrid Davis '22, Chris Hancock, Norah Mehta '22, and Conor McGowan '24.
Attendees participated in the live auction and paddle raise with enthusiasm and generosity.
With the help of our architects, WRT, and playground design firm, Studio Ludo, Benchmark students and faculty have participated in various stages of planning this spring to not only upgrade our playground, but to make it a truly one-of-a-kind experience for play, development, and exploration. Studio Ludo wisely began by asking our students not if they wanted a slide or a swing, as kids can then tend to focus solely on those objects. Instead they asked questions about what they liked to experience during recess and at camp. Do they like to be up high? Do they like to swing? To go fast? To hang? Do they want to create? Or rest and observe? The answers they got were rich with detail and even included middle school students saying they “just need a place to chill in comfort.”
Their listening to students and to the teachers’ expertise on styles of play, the importance of certain developmental
Ben Rogers '95, Chris Hancock, and Rebecca (Wilson) Lerario Beth'96.
Goodhart toasts Dr. Robb Gaskins.
This is your place. This is your home. We’ve heard it shared by many tonight. A home built through the generosity of folks over the past 50 years. You will hear more next year about a campaign to support this effort, but we will get started on a key piece of this home tonight. In fact, we’ve already begun. All the money we raise tonight, including the live auction and paddle raise still to come, will support the first key piece of our new campus master plan: our playground.
experiences while outside, and, of course, supervision, got us to what you see on the screen, which includes various features for all ages of play and types of students.
It also includes a large climbing element…you see it in the top middle photo of the slides and in the renderings…that does not yet exist in the United States. That means, a child who spends time on our playground will have an experience they cannot find at any other school in any other state in this country. It will also be accessible. You will be able to roll a wheelchair right into the modular hexagons you see as well as other parts of the playground. Coupled with a larger basketball court, and the preservation of some deeply loved elements like the gaga pit, and tires, as well as some necessary attention to stormwater runoff so it is usable everyday, our enhanced playground will continue to blend into our natural aesthetic on roughly the same footprint it currently resides.
Dr. Robb Gaskins delivers remarks by video.
Jonathan LeBreton and trustee Sarah Willie-LeBreton.
This is the first of many exciting program enhancements we intend to make, all as part of our strategic plan. I look forward to working together with you to ensure that this will be the best place—the best home, the best environment—for the growth and transformation of our current students… and every Benchmark student for the next 50 years.
GRADUATION 2022
Head of School Chris Hancock.
Alumni Speaker Dr. Caroline Fenkel.
Head of Middle School Dr. Eleanor Gensemer.
Benchmark has taught me... that I need to be confident in myself.
Reading "The Giver" on Christmas break.
Words of the Wiser for Younger Students
What is your favorite memory?
Words of the Wiser for Younger Students
Shane Chappell
Words of the Wiser for Younger Students
Astrid Davis
What is your favorite memory?
What is your favorite memory?
My favorite memory I have from Benchmark is when we went to Refreshing Mountain together as a class and got to go on the big swing.
We wish you great success and happiness in high school and beyond!
My favorite memory was my whole seventh grade. That year was so much fun and it went by so quickly.
Time goes by so fast at Benchmark and take in every moment you have there and don’t forget all of the great memories and experiences.
Benchmark has taught me... ...to be flexible.
Congratulations CLASS 2022OF
When Norah and I dressed up as frat boys for Halloween.
What is your favorite memory?
Every member of the class of 2022 worked very hard to reach this point, and we are immensely proud of their perseverance and commitment.
Meeting my friends.
What is your favorite memory?
TJ WhatBrodnikisyourfavorite memory?
Don't give up and just be yourself.
Benchmark has taught me... ...what a community should look like.
Sari Dubin
House color day was so much fun because my grade has gotten really close in the past year and everyone was having fun.
Chloe Evans
Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2022 33 GRADUATES
If you get a bad grade on something it is not the end of the world, but it is a way to tell yourself to learn from your mistakes.
Abbey Breslin
Benchmark has taught me... ...how to be a great person and use strategies.
When you need help, ask for it.
Gavin Keenan
Keep working and you will succeed in what you do because if you really try you can make anything happen.
Words of the Wiser for Younger Students
GRADUATES
Words of the Wiser for Younger Students
Norah Mehta
My favorite memory was when me and Chloe dressed up as frat boys and Chloe’s name was Chad my name was Brad.
What is your favorite memory?
Anais Piquion
My favorite memory from Benchmark is playing the big game of dodgeball at the MiniTHONs.
When we made the snow volcano in 7th grade science.
What is your favorite memory?
Miles Mader
Benchmark has taught me...
Tim Hanway
Benchmark has taught me... ...that it's ok to be different.
What is your favorite memory?
Benchmark has taught me... ...how to read
What is your favorite memory?
Words of the Wiser for Younger Students
34 Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2022
Flynn FitzGerald
Benchmark has taught me...
...that I am able to overcome anything when I ask for help.
...how to work in a group with different ideas.
When I came to Benchmark I was very happy how fast I fit in and made my first friends the day I came to this school.
What is your favorite memory?
Brady Greenberg
Being with my friends on the recess yard.
Benchmark has taught me...
Don’t be afraid to talk to someone new because they are probably afraid to talk to you also.
Words of the Wiser for Younger Students
Benchmark has taught me...
...to take charge and deal with life
...that working hard will not pay off immediately and it might not even pay off in the same year, but it eventually will
Making mistakes helps you grow and learn.
David O'Connell
Always keep your head up through ups and downs and always try your best even in the hardest times!
Charlie Schreiber
My most favorite memories of Benchmark were the times when the lower school would have an invention convention and think up ideas and share them with the whole lower school.
My favorite memory of Benchmark was on the last day of school in 7th grade when we sprayed water bottles at each other.
Dressing up in our house colors and doing activities for our House Mornings.
Phelan Semon
Enjoy 8th grade while it lasts and it’s not as hard as it seems.
Casey Shields
Benchmark has taught me... ...that I have worth and my input means something.
Vincent Uglow
Playing for the soccer team.
What is your favorite memory?
Benchmark has taught me... how to read, how to write, and how to manage my time.
Benchmark has taught me... ...how to understand who I am and strategies to help me succeed
What is your favorite memory?
Ben Russell
Words of the Wiser for Younger Students
Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2022 35
Don’t wear white shoes to school. They will get dirty.
What is your favorite memory?
Words of the Wiser for Younger Students
Benchmark has taught me... ...how to be a success.
Just pay attention.
Aquaponics in 6th grade science.
Benchmark has taught me... many different strategies that helped me write and read fluently.
What is your favorite memory?
What is your favorite memory?
What is your favorite memory?
Words of the Wiser for Younger Students
Words of the Wiser for Younger Students
Benchmark has taught me... how to use tools to overcome obstacles
When I was at the Back-toSchool Bash I was on the bumper cars with Anais and we were terrible at steering and we didn’t hit anyone but the wall the whole time. We also got a bunch of water ice. I thought it was a lot of fun.
Hudson Sherman
Cameron Shields
Gwen Schnyder
GRADUATES
Kiah Young
I was only here for three years but those years go quickly in middle school, so soak it all up.
Benchmark has taught me... how to ask for help when I need it and to use my tools.
Never give up, dreams are not impossible.
On the last day of 7th grade, Mr. Boles brought in enough water bottles for all of us to have a water fight. It was really fun.
GRADUATES
Max Utain
Words of the Wiser for Younger Students
What is your favorite memory?
Cami Woodruff
Words of the Wiser for Younger Students
Having indoor recess with friends.
...to be a better person and also helped my learning skills so much.
Noah Wilhelmson
Make sleep a priority.
Maggie Weber
Words of the Wiser for Younger Students
Benchmark has taught me...
Words of the Wiser for Younger Students
Focus in class and do your work. It is very helpful for homework.
Benchmark has taught me... ...to read.
Words of the Wiser for Younger Students
36 Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2022Family,
Always email before 8 p.m. or else you’re not getting a response.
graduates, and teachers celebrated at the Stone House following the graduation ceremony.
What is your favorite memory?
Unlocking Strengths
CAROLINE FENKEL '03
An expert in adolescent mental health treatment, Dr. Caroline Fenkel, LCSW has dedicated her career to supporting mental health and improving individuals’ relationships with themselves. It was at Benchmark where Caroline first gained the relational skills to unlock the best version of herself, eventually enabling her to unlock comfort and success for
ALUMNI PROFILE
was a young student at her local public school in Gladwyne, her classroom experience was emotionally fraught. She knew that she was shaping her letters differently than other children, and reading at a much lower level. The anxiety she felt about not measuring up to her peers led her to being out sick a lot. In second grade, she was eventually tested for her learning difficulties, which was another stressful experience. The testers determined that Caroline had ADD and dyslexia, and they also implied that Caroline was not bright, and informed her parents that she “would likely work in a factory for the rest of her life,” a comment Caroline has never forgotten. Caroline’s parents explored alternative schools, and enrolled Caroline in Benchmark’s summer program, which, at that time, was a requirement for application for the regular school year.
Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2022 37
Benchmark Camp changed Caroline’s entire educational trajectory. Caroline’s father told her: “You hated school. And every day that you came home from Benchmark Camp, you loved it.” Caroline says, “I remember the teachers at Benchmark always would say, ‘You’re not stupid; you’re bright.’ That always helped your confidence when you feel like you can’t read and everybody else can. There was so much going on at the camp that really helped my confidence as a learner. The same year that I was waiting to hear back from Benchmark about whether I got in was the same year that my sister was applying to colleges. She applied to Duke as her first choice, and my mom said to me, ‘You getting into Benchmark will be just as big of a deal as your sister getting into CarolineDuke.’”entered
Benchmark School in third grade. She remembers, “For the first time, my parents experienced me wanting to get up and go to school. That was a huge change. I had Mrs. Audley in 3rd grade, she was the best—and I basically just excelled. I stayed through to the end, to my third year. [Ed. note: “third year” was the Benchmark term for the final year of middle school, now eighth grade.] They say
Whenothers.Caroline
Caroline Fenkel with her son Ari.
Therapy wasn’t Caroline’s first passion; it was horses. After Caroline completed high school at Friends Central, she took a year off, and the only thing she wanted to do was ride horses and go to the Olympics for horseback riding. But her dad put his foot down and urged her to go to college. He
they designed the third year to have you fail and learn how to ask for help, and I think that was a really hard lesson for me. Thanks to Mrs. Blakeman, who never made me feel shame for asking for help, I learned an invaluable lesson. In high school I would fail a quiz or get a C or a D and I would go up to the teacher and say, ‘Hi, I’m really not a good test-taker. Do you have any extra credit work that I do?’ and that literally got me by in high school and in college. Because you realize that if you have the humility to go and ask for help, which is what Benchmark taught me, that teachers will see that you’re trying, that you’re not just a kid that’s like ‘Screw this, I don’t care about school,’ you’re a kid that’s trying really hard but that you can’t just show how smart you are through things like quizzes or tests.”
told her that if she planned to be living with him and not going to college, that she’d be paying rent and that he would no longer pay for the horses. Caroline laughs and says, “I swear to god, two seconds went by and I said, ‘I guess I’m going to college.’ I typed into Google, ‘college for horses’ and found this school called DelVal [Delaware Valley University] in Doylestown, with a major in equine studies, and I met an incredible person in my interview process, this guy Angelo Telatin, who basically was like, ‘You’d be a great asset here.’ I applied there in July and started in August, so it was a perfect situation.”
ALUMNI PROFILE 38 Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2022
From this point, Caroline’s professional life rocketed forward. Caroline met her husband, a social worker, while running Equine Therapeutic Alliance, and she decided to deepen her education. She studied social work at Bryn Mawr, and while she was completing an internship as part of her training, she launched another start-up, an intensive outpatient program (IOP) for adolescents. From that initiative, Caroline was recruited to start up an equine therapy program for Promises Behavioral Health outside of Lancaster. She says, “I was able to design, develop, and implement my own equine therapy program, a dream job for somebody like Thenme.”Newport Healthcare recruited Caroline to start up a lot of intensive outpatient and partial hospitalization programs for them across the country. While at Newport, she earned a doctorate in social work from University of APennsylvania.fewyearsago,
At DelVal, the other factors that would influence the rest of her professional career came into play. In her sophomore year, an elective class in family counseling caught Caroline’s eye, and she loved her professor, Dr. Ervin, so much that she ended up taking every psychology class that Dr. Ervin taught, and Caroline completed a minor in psychology. She put her passion for horses and her new interest in psychology together, and became certified in equine therapy in her junior and senior year. At 21, she started her own business, Equine Therapeutic Alliance.
Caroline had a pivotal conversation with her friend Justin Weiss, who was thinking about starting a telehealth business for mental health. Caroline says, “Justin came to me and said telehealth is the wave of the future. I said telehealth is stupid. Then COVID hit, and I successfully transitioned to telehealth from my brick-andmortar IOPs, and I saw that we had higher participation and better outcomes with telehealth, which is all related to the idea that parent participation in treatment is the single largest indicator of positive outcomes. Parents are more likely to participate when the therapy is happening in their home instead of the therapy happening somewhere that’s 45 minutes away where they have to sit in the waiting room, et cetera. I became a telehealth convert.”
Thus, Caroline became a co-founder of her current venture, Charlie Health. Charlie Health is an all-virtual
The demand for the service Charlie Health provides is huge, and their business has grown rapidly. Caroline says, “I started there on September 1, 2020, and we treated Patient 0 on that day. Today we’re treating about 650 patients across 14 states. We closed our eyes, blinked, and suddenly we’re the largest virtual IOP program in the country. And it’s just been a totally wild
Caroline Fenkel also served as this year’s graduation speaker. See photos on page 32.
reflects on what’s brought her to this point, she points to the amazing teachers she’s had at every point, and she credits Benchmark for giving her the solid foundation she needed. She says, “The relationship that Benchmark helped to foster between myself, my parents, my teachers, and my peers helped to unlock a feeling of confidence and a feeling of safety. I think that it really enabled me to be the best person that I can be.”
Life-changing teachers: Dr. Sara Bressi, PhD, Professor at Bryn Mawr Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research; Caroline Fenkel; Kirsten Blakeman (now MacFarland), teacher from Benchmark; Ann Schwartz, Gladwyne Montessori teacher who first saw Caroline had dyslexia and recommended testing.
intensive outpatient treatment program for adolescents. Caroline explains that there are kids in mental health crisis, such as children who are suicidal, who need treatment several days per week, and are usually unable to get it, either because intensive outpatient care is not available where they live, or because wait lists are too long. Using the analogy of a car crash victim, she explains the urgency of this need. She says, that typically, “When a child is in crisis, they go to the emergency room, then they go into an inpatient psychiatric stay for 4-5 days and then they discharge to once-a-week therapy, simply because they don’t have access to a brickand-mortar IOP or because there is a wait list. What that’s like is as if someone goes in the ICU after a car crash and the next day the doctor comes in and says, ‘Okay, we’re taking out the breathing tube and IV and we’re wheeling you down and a neighbor’s going to come pick you up and a week from now a nurse will come to visit you for one hour.’ This scenario is completely unacceptable in physical health care and yet it happens all day, every day, in behavioral health care. With mental health care, there simply is not the continuum of care [that there is in physical health care]. So what we are doing at Charlie Health is trying to provide that continuum of care to all of these kids that are in crisis.”
Caroline with her parents, Mary and Joe, at her graduation from DelVal.
ALUMNI PROFILE Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2022 39
Whenride.”Caroline
40 Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2022
Kane Kalas '04 and Ben Pappas '04
It's Always a Nice Day to Visit Benchmark ALUMNI RETURN AND RECONNECT
Kane tries to come back every five years or so to see members of the staff who’ve had such a big influence on him. He said, “Being a student at Benchmark really shaped my future in so many ways. And it’s always interesting to see the people who helped shape that future, many of whom are still here. I would not be able to have the ability to read or the reading comprehension that I have without being here. In addition, I was always an accelerated math student, and Benchmark, unlike other schools, actually made a separate class for us. It was me, Ben, and one other student. So that really put me ahead for high school and subsequently for college in mathematics.”
Ben and Kane have extremely fond memories of Benchmark teachers, and a few in particular. Ben said, “My favorite teacher of all time was Ms. Scott. My dad recently sold his house and moved and he found some old notebooks from that class, so I was able to go back through and see what I wrote and her comments, so that was cool.”
ALUMNI UPDATES
Friends since Benchmark, Ben Pappas and Kane Kalas returned this spring to reconnect with the school. Kane noted, “So many things are still the same, but it’s interesting to view it through a different lens. I was telling Ben when we were in the middle school today, everything seemed so small. It used to seem so big and overwhelming.” Ben agreed, adding, “We were here when the new addition was built, and I remember it being enormous.”
Kane shared, “Mrs. Walter [now Ms. Wonderland, Director of Admissions and Enrollment Management] really made a huge impact on me. She was only my teacher in one class, but it was more that she was a mentor to me, and I always remember that whatever I was struggling with she was just very helpful, giving me perspective. It was great because she took on a role that wasn’t just a teacher role or disciplinarian. She would really encourage me when I needed encouragement and she’d tell me when I was doing something that wasn’t so great to be doing; she was very candid about that. That was one of my fondest memories and made the biggest impact on me.”
Kane lives in Carolina, Puerto Rico and Ben lives in Bryn Mawr.
Jordyn Curry '17
ALUMNI UPDATES Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2022 41
carried her Benchmark experience with her, explaining, “Benchmark taught me the skills I needed to enter high school and college, like time management. I’ve used those skills throughout my academics. Benchmark has a special place in my heart, and coming back here is very special.”
All three boys are together at Malvern Prep, and they find that they’re continually using the skills they learned at Benchmark to help them succeed. Matt said, “The preparation for the work amount and the strategies to help me with reading and all of that stuff have definitely helped me.”
In May, Jordyn Curry returned to Benchmark for a visit. Jordyn recently finished her freshman year at Spelman College in Atlanta, and this was her first trip back to Benchmark since her cousin Jason Henderson graduated in 2019. Jordyn had a great time visiting with some of her favorite teachers, with a special shout-out to Ms. Megan Wonderland (now our Director of Admissions and Enrollment) who had been Jordan’s mentor. Jordyn said of Ms. Wonderland, “She had a major impact on me. She pushed me to be the best version of Jordyn at that time. She had a lot of faith in me and my writing, when I didn’t always have faith in Jordynmyself.”has
Krew Baur '20, Antonio Sciole '20, and Matt Semerjian '20
On a gorgeous spring day in April, Krew Baur, Antonio Sciole, and Matt Semerjian dropped by Benchmark for their first visit back to the school since they’d graduated in 2020. Antonio said, “It’s weird to be back, but I love it. This is my home.” Krew agreed that it was a bit weird, saying, “It seems different now, I guess because I grew into a different person. But I love it.” Seizing on the idea of growth, Antonio said, “Benchmark is the pinnacle place where most 8th grade kids find themselves, as a person and as a learner.” Matt said, “It feels good to be back. Everything looks a little smaller. But it’s nice reconnecting with all of the teachers.”
They were excited to see all of the teachers during their visit to campus. Antonio said, “That’s the thing that I feel Benchmark is great at. Every single teacher that I had at Benchmark, I could comfortably say, ‘That’s my friend.’ I had such a good relationship with them.”
Rubin attended Lower Merion High School and then earned a BA in Elementary Education from New York University, a Master’s in TESOL from Tel Aviv University, and a Master’s in Human Resources and Labor Relations from the New York Institute of Technology. Jennifer says, “After a 7-year tenure at NYIT as a Learning Specialist/Assistant Director, I have changed positions. I am now coming up to my one-year anniversary as the New York Director at Language Studies International, a worldwide language school. It is very rewarding to work with students from all over the world and an incredible teaching staff.” Reflecting on her time at Benchmark, Jennifer says, “I will always be grateful to my Benchmark family. Without them I wouldn’t have two Master’s degrees and the confidence in myself and the ability to help others realize that learning disabilities don’t make you ‘stupid’; they make you special.”
Levi and Diana are the leaders of the young ministry at their church. Levi has coached basketball at both the community level and the high school
Martin'99
ALUMNI
NOTESUPDATES CLASS
Levi works at Eastern University as an Act 101 Counselor/Academic Coach.
42 Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2022
Christy'79
Levi married his wife Diana Tucker on April 11, 2014 and welcomed their first child, Mansa, on June 26, 2020.
Levi'03Tucker II EducationMSasinearnedwhereUniversity,WestSchoolParkAcademyattendedHighandChesterheaBSPsychology,wellasaninHigherPolicy
J. Bloom is a Senior Vice President and Resident Director at Merrill Lynch where he serves clients
and Student Affairs.
DeLone began his own landscape design business, DeLone Landscape Design, a few years ago after working as a landscape designer for several years in Montgomery County. He works with homeowners designing dream spaces and helps clients with bidding and oversight for each project. Jonathan says, “We are still in the growing stages but it’s been successful and I am proud of the work we have done.”
DavidforvolunteeringMedia,localmanagesandtheofficeinPA.Aftertenyears,recentlystepped down from serving as board chair of Children’s Literacy Initiative, a national nonprofit focused on early literacy education for pre-k to 3rd graders nationwide. About Benchmark, David says, “Dr. Irene Gaskins gave my parents hope and built a school where Mrs. Elliot could give me the tools to become a stronger reader and writer while Mr. Reichart helped me gain confidence in myself.”
Jennifer'81
Jonathan'01
David'80
married to Dr. Dana Turker Casey, a radiation oncologist. They have one 2-year-old girl and another baby girl on the way. During his final residency year, Dr. Marty Casey covered the busy Elmhurst and Mt. Sinai Hospitals at the height of the COVID pandemic in New York City. He has recently relocated to Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
(Marty) Francis Casey is an emergency room physician, a researcher, and a professor at the University of North Carolina. He is
Verna Beck attended Merion Mercy Academy and the University of the Arts. Christy is a self-employed graphic designer. She loves being a mom, and has a passion for raising awareness for dysautonomia POTS, a disorder of the autonomic nervous system. When Christy looks back on her time at Benchmark, she says, “One year I was the only girl in my class, and it taught me how to feel powerful around boys. I’m not a shrinking violet!”
Reflecting on Benchmark, Levi says, “Benchmark gave me the confidence I needed to obtain not only an undergraduate degree but a graduate degree as well. The individualized learning plans with effective support was tremendous. Benchmark is still helping me today in my professional and personal life. Whenever I encounter a student who may be struggling academically I utilize many of the principles used to nurture my mind at Benchmark. One that sticks out is learning styles. Helping students discover their learning style is crucial to their success. Once they figure out how they learn and retain information they typically begin to soar academically. I’m grateful to Benchmark for helping me find mine so that I could excel and help other students find theirs.”
Cassandra'05 (Cassie) Kise attended Carmel High School in Carmel-bythe-Sea, CA, followed by the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where she earned a BFA in Studio Art. Cassie is currently working at The Athenian School in Danville, CA, as the Director of the Carter Innovation Studio and the Chair of Entrepreneurship, Engineering, and Computer Science.
ALUMNI UPDATES Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2022 43
2018,FromatocareertoMiami,UniversityandinSanfordattendedSchoolDelawaretheofbutleftpursuehispriorcompletingdegree.2008-Kanewas a professional poker player, and in 2020, he founded and is the Managing Principal of Hedge Fund Crystal Oak Capital, a hedge fund that invests in public equities. Kane
moved to Puerto Rico in 2018, where his hobbies include tennis, soccer, and softball. Kane continues to play in the World Series of Poker every year, including this past summer (June/July Kane2022).sang
Kane says, “There is no doubt that Benchmark has contributed to my success. Prior to attending Benchmark, I struggled academically. While mathematics was second nature to me, I found reading and writing extremely arduous. I was simply unable to keep up with my classmates. Benchmark taught me reading comprehension and formal writing techniques that I still use to this day. As the founder and GP of Crystal Oak Capital, keeping up with global and domestic events is imperative to my success. Furthermore, clearly expressing my views on markets and summarizing the fund’s strategies in our quarterly newsletter is essential for investor confidence and engagement. These tasks, which were once nearly impossible for me, are now manageable thanks to the tools and strategies I learned at Benchmark.”
level, and he also enjoys going to concerts, staying up-to-date on all things Marvel, and walking trails in the area with his family.
Melissa Murphy
begunandBerkeley,MelissaTechnology.InstituteRochesterfollowedinTatnallattendedSchoolDelawarebyoflivesinCAhasrecentlyanewrole
Kane'04 Kalas
as a Creative Director at NVE Experience Agency. She was married in France in September 2021, and when not working, she and her husband are working on their new sports car or traveling to Europe. Reflecting on Benchmark, Melissa says, “The confidence the teachers and staff had in me and my creativity helped carry me into my career.”
“The Star Spangled Banner” at Philadelphia Phillies Opening Day on April 8, 2022 for the seventh consecutive year, and he is working on a music album as a homage to his father (Harry Kalas) and the city of Philadelphia titled “High Hopes.” “High Hopes” is a classical crossover cover album featuring Kane’s take on traditional American standards. All of the recordings were done locally (at Morningstar Studio in East Norriton) and the talent hired to support the recording are exclusively from the tristate area.
Nicholas Romeo attended The Haverford School and Gettysburg College, where he obtained a BA in Political Science. Nick is presently Senior Director, Enterprise Sales at General Assembly. Nick says, “After getting married last May, my wife and I were fortunate enough to move from Washington, DC to a wonderful house in Bryn Mawr. It feels so good to finally be back home!”
Mechanical
was a member of the disc golf and robotics clubs, and was also very involved in community service. Alex loves Catholic University’s engineering program and he is hoping to study abroad. Alex has recently picked up photography as a new hobby.
44 Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2022
Dr. Eleanor Gensemer attended the Youth Leadership Academy celebration in April to see Jimmy honored, and she said, “It was awesome to see Jimmy participate in his presentation as part of the Youth Leadership Academy. He was one of 27 young leaders from the county who attended a threeday conference on leadership and presented what leadership means to them. We’re all so proud of him and look forward to hearing great things about him in the future.”
WhileEngineering.atSalesianum, he played soccer,
Sophia'14 Truono
James'20
We love to hear about your activities! Tell us about your achievements, clubs, sports, employment, educational undertakings, life changes, and anything else you're proud of.
J. Fallon attended Friends Select School and Rochester Institute of Technology. Theodore just graduated in 2022 and is now an electrical mechanical engineer, and he is hoping to find a job in the manufacturing sector. He says, “Every time I write anything, even now, I think about sounding out words and how amazing it is that I can write and read and how that would probably not be possible without Benchmark.”
AcademyArchmereattended and the University of UniversityatbeganAugust,ThisDelaware.pastSophiastudiesSt.George’sSchool of Medicine.
McCallum is attending the University of Utah in the Eccles School of Business in the Global Scholar Program. He visited Paris with his school group this past year and is enjoying skiing, which is what drew him to Utah.
(Jimmy) Bruder is attending Malvern Prep, and was nominated by the head of School at Malvern Prep for participation in the Youth Leadership Academy. The Youth Leadership Academy is for high school students in Delaware County that show promise for future leadership potential.
ALUMNI UPDATES
Theodore'13
Submit your news and photos via the "Alumni" section of our website.
Spencer'17
KEEP YOUR NEWS COMING!
Alex'15 Kirschner ofUniversityataHeListthegraduatedwhereHighSalesianumattendedSchool,heonDean’sin2021.iscurrentlyfreshmanCatholicAmerica,studying
Amanda: I know it sounds clichéd, but when you volunteer, you truly get so much more back than you give. You get to meet and build relationships with new people. You get to be involved with the school more. You get to feel like you are meaningfully contributing toward something that is important to you. And at the end of the day, we attended a fun party that raised a lot of money for the school, and that felt really good.
Why did you choose to become a Gala Co-Chair?
Liz: It’s a way of showing how much we care and believe in the school. Benchmark is a special place that has developed my boys to become independent and confident learners. The caring teachers and staff are invaluable and we feel very fortunate.
What was meaningful for you about this experience?
Creating a gala event is an enormous labor of love. We spoke with our 50th Anniversary Gala Co-Chairs, current parents Amanda Bruno and Liz Blum, about their experience.
What do you like about supporting Benchmark?
Director of Development Louisa Hanshew, Gala Co-Chair Liz Blum, Gala CoChair Amanda Bruno, and Gala Committee member Fran Rorer at the 50th Anniversary Gala.
Amanda: When Louisa Hanshew asked me to Co-Chair with Liz Blum, I thought it was such a great opportunity to represent the lower school alongside a middle school Co-Chair. We each brought our own perspectives representing the different parts of the school and community. And who doesn’t love to plan a great party!
Liz: I was invited by Louisa Hanshew in Development and couldn’t say no! I worked with her on the Benchmark Fund Committee and she’s fantastic! Her energy and enthusiasm is contagious. I also enjoy party planning and gatherings with friends. Over the years, my husband and I have hosted several cocktail parties for various organizations in our home.
Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2022 45
Amanda: Benchmark has meant so much to our family personally. I will forever be in the debt of Benchmark for everything they have done to transform our daughter Rachel as a learner. It was my pleasure to be able to give back in a meaningful way.
Liz: I never have co-chaired a Gala and was intimidated initially by it being Benchmark’s 50th. I was fortunate to have Amanda Bruno as my Co-Chair along with a wonderful group of Benchmark parents on our Gala Committee. Everyone had unique skills to offer to the planning of the gala. We also enjoyed getting to know one another and managed to have a couple social meetings too!
Thoughts from Our Event Chairs INSIDE PLANNING A GALA
AnonymousBank (2)
Current Parent
Kopelman (Alumni Parents), Stephanie & Charlie Moleski (Current Parents), Keith Morgan (Friend), Mark Muehl (Current Parent), Sheri & Ken Resnik (Alumni Parents), Candice & Benjamin* Rogers (*Trustee, Alumnus & Current Parents), James Viner (Trustee & Alumni Parent), Anonymous
2021-2022 Report of Gifts
The $25,000+Founders
Alfred P. West, Jr. & Loralee West Alumni Parents
Sandy & Scott Adzick Alumni Parents
This past year marks the celebration of a huge milestone: Benchmark’s 50th anniversary. Although technically 2020 was our 50th, we needed to wait to celebrate. And what a celebration it was! The 50th Anniversary Gala was a magnificent event celebrating our past, present, and future. We saw many friends, colleagues, teachers, students, and alumni. It was wonderful to embrace our special community for the evening. There was so much love for Benchmark. This was especially evident by the very generous donations made towards the annual fund, EITC, and on the evening of the gala. Benchmark is now forging ahead to the future. We thank you for all of your generous donations.
Named for the year Benchmark began, The 1970 Society of Leadership Donors recognizes those donors who have made a gift or are fulfilling a pledge of $1,000 or more to the school between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022. While the members of this group represent various parts of the Benchmark community, their goal is the same: to strengthen, enhance, and continue an unparalleled Benchmark experience for our students today and our learners to come.
Michelle Bogosian Trustee and Alumni Parent Chair, Benchmark School Development Committee
Kathy & Bob Elias Philanthropic Fund Alumni Family
The Boudinot Foundation Made possible by Carol Atterbury, Alumni Parent
Patti Karolyi & Michael Semerjian Current & Alumni Parents
Mark Muehl
Shelley & Dan Boyce Friends
The 1970 Society of Leadership Donors
Dear Friends,
46 Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2022
Matching the gifts of Patti Karolyi & Michael Semerjian (Current & Alumni Parents) and Justin Richards (Current Parent)
The Tally Foundation Made possible by Amanda & Kevin Ryan (Current Parents), Elizabeth Atterbury (Current Grandparent), and Edwin R. Boynton, Esquire
Current Parents & *Alumnus & *Trustee
MESSAGE FROM BENCHMARK'S DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE CHAIR
Nikki & John Bendl Current Parents
WSFS
Elaine & Len* DeStefano *Trustee & Current Parents
Wendi* & Charlie Chase *Trustee & Alumni Parents
The Coltman Family Foundation Alumni Family
Ashly & Dan '93* Berger
The $15,000+Scholars
The Steven C. Graham Family Alumni Family
Business Leadership Organized for Catholic Schools
Made possible by Nikki & John Bendl (Current Parents), Ashly & Dan* Berger (*Trustee, Alumnus, Current Parents), Ilene & Steven Berger (Alumni Parents & Current Grandparents), Shelley & Dan Boyce (Friends), Charles Bramley (Trustee), Wendi* & Charlie Chase (*Trustee & Alumni Parents), Elaine & Len* DeStefano (*Trustee & Current Parents), Laina & Rob Driscoll (Current Parents), Lesli Esposito & Pete Verdi (Current Parents), Stephen C. Graham Family (Alumni Family), Amy & Michael
Mondrian Investment Partners (U.S.) Inc.
John F. Hollway & Jami W. McKeon* Alumni Parents & *Former Trustee
Anonymous The $1,000+Mentors
Keith Morgan Friend
Leroy D. Nunery II MBA, Ed.D. Trustee
The $2,500+Trailblazers
Carole Filtz Alumni Parent
Jonathan LeBreton & Sarah WillieLeBreton* Alumni Parents & *Trustee
Dr.* & Mrs. Howard R. Marcus *Trustee Emeritus, Former Staff
Martha Hill Alumni Parent
Kari & Justin Richards Current Parents
Vanguard Matching Gift Program Anonymous
W.A. Speakman Family Foundation Made possible by Evie & Phillip Dutton, Alumni Parents Anonymous
Mr.* & Mrs. Benjamin Rogers '95 *Trustee, Alumnus & Current Parents
The $10,000+Visionaries
Becker & Frondorf Made possible by Stephanie & Charlie Moleski, Current Parents
James Viner Trustee & Alumni Parent
Bryn Mawr Dermatology PC Made possible by Dr. Christine Stanko and Mr. Scott Burkholder
Lesli Esposito & Pete Verdi Current Parents
Kristen & Keith Peter Current Parents
The Slye Family Current Family UHS of Pennsylvania, Inc. The $7,500+Pioneers
Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2022 47
Valerie & Sean Bard '82 Alumni Parents
Amanda* & Douglas Bruno *Trustee & Current Parents
SofterWare Inc.
The $5,000+Innovators
Michelle Bogosian* & Greg LeMar *Trustee & Alumni Parents
Patricia Ralph Fowler & Gordon B. Fowler, Jr. Alumni Parents
Amy & Michael Kopelman Alumni Parents
Northwestern Mutual Foundation
Suzanne Perot Alumni Aunt & Former Staff
Sharyn & Joe Pozzuolo Alumni Parents
Laina & Rob Driscoll Current Parents
The Becket Family Foundation Made possible by Kristin & Bill Beckett, Alumni Parents
Dawn & Rich Salerno Current Parents
HSC Builders & Construction Managers LLC
AIM Scholarship LLC Made possible by Sasha Ballen & Dee Spagnuolo, Current Parents
Montgomery Ave II, LLC Made possible by Nancy & Robert Mitchell, Alumni Parents
Missy & Ed Hanway Current & Alumni Parents
Sheri & Ken Resnik Alumni Parents
The McGowan Family Current Family
Made possible by James Viner, Trustee & Past Parent
Gracen & Tom Ashton Current Parents
W. Gregory* & Marcia Coleman *Trustee, Former Staff
Stephanie & Charlie Moleski Current Parents
Susan Deakins & The Peter B. Deakins Memorial Fund Alumni Parent
Betty & Vic Esposito Current Grandparents
Carolyn & John Bartholdson Current Parents
Sunflower Foundation Made possible by Christena & Ken Waldman, Current Parents
Carole & John Bartholdson Current Grandparents
Sasha Ballen & Dee Spagnuolo Current Parents
Charles Bramley Trustee
Leslie Rogers Blum Current & Alumni Grandparent
Beth* & Pete Goodhart *Former Trustee & Alumni Parents
Ilene & Steven Berger Alumni Parents & Current Grandparents
Citizens Charitable Foundation Matching the gift of the Benjamin Rogers Family
Janet S. Holcombe Alumni Parent
Rafael HeatherAmaral&Peter Andrews
Cindy Haveson Veloric & Michael Veloric Alumni Parents
Head of School Emerita & Trustee Emerita
Liz & Nick Blum
Anne & Matt Hamilton Alumni Parents
The Rorer Foundation Made possible by Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Rorer, Current Grandparents
Susan PamelaArabia&Arthur Bartholomew
Ann Jones Alumni Grandparent
48 Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2022
Gifts to Benchmark come from parents, grandparents, alumni and alumni families, faculty, trustees, and friends who have seen the impact of a Benchmark education and are committed to ensuring it continues.
The Russell Family Foundation Friend
Kathryn & Andrew Semon Current Parents
Anonymous DONORS
Jennifer* & Robb** Gaskins *Former Staff & **Former Head of School
Cynthia Berger Nissen '96 Alumna & Current Parent
Ann & Maurice Glavin Alumni Parents
Karin & Rob Micheletti Alumni Parents
Sally* & Rob Laird *Staff
Nuriye Uygur Alumni Parent
Current Parents
J Mark & Sue Lankford Current Grandparents
Monika & Jörg Ahlgrimm Janell & Larry Besa '91 Marilyn & Al Blatter Maggie & Matthew Brodnik Amber West Buller '84 & Pierce Buller Terri Cappelli & Francis Jennings Susan & James Carr Chester County Fuel Inc. Lorraine & Anthony Drake Carol Glowacki
Elsie & Sandy McAdoo Alumni Parents
Cahill Family Charitable Fund Current Grandparents
Shira & Brad Paul Current Parents
The McAllister Family Alumni Family
Connie Lotz Alumni Parent
Mr.* & Mrs. Andrew B. Rogers '93 *Trustee, Alumnus
Barbara* & Jim Rogers *Former Staff & Alumni Parents
Drs. Alden & Laurel Harken Dr. Joseph & Karen Iobst Bandana Jha Lankford Automotive Inc. Jennifer & Carter Lee Sandra & Robert Lichtenstein Trisha & Stewart McCallum Melanie & Jim McHugh Mary Katherine Ortale Montgomery '08 Parents of Benchmark Alum Becky & Doug Pyle Anne FrankPaulWilliamDavidDanielleRice-Burgess&BrianSchmidtSullivan'00&EricaTuckerWestcott&KathrynZirnkilton
Stacy & Gaeton Biscardi
Kai & Peter Seelaus Alumni Parents
The Mckenna Black Family Lisa & Rick Bonvicini
Joshua Bricks '88 Anne Buczkowski & Kent Silvers, Jr. Sara Graff Cooke
Amy* & Jim Petersen
The Detwiler Family Dr. Jessie DiNome & Mr. John DiNome Betsy & Michael Dubin
Solomon & Sylvia Bronstein Foundation
Current & Alumni Parents
Irene Gaskins
Louisa Hanshew Staff
Staci & Eric Gaupp
Henry L. Kimelman Family Foundation Made possible by Gay & Don Kimelman, Alumni Parents
Mercedes & Michael Migliore Current Parents
Chris Hancock Head of School
*Former Trustee & Alumni Parents
MarieComcast&John Connolly Alumni Parents
Cory & Rick Scheibe Current Parents
$500+Benefactors
Michelle & Mark Noble Alumni Parents
Dr. & Mrs. B. Gerard Bricks Alumni Parents
Mr. & Mrs. Jonathan Rorer Current Parents
$250+Sponsors
Julia & Tom Patterson Alumni Parents
Drs. Dona & David Behrend Rebecca Bemis
Mr. and Mrs. Mark Sylvester Starr
Colin Campbell McAdoo Sarah & Don McCarren Cynthia & Robert McClung '81 Margaret McEvoy Sean McGovern '19 Marjorie Mitchell Joyce & Mike Murphy Margaret Naugle Audrey & Thomas Neill, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Neal Niznan Jesse North Susan MarissaNorth&Michael O’Connell Thomas & Amy O’Donnell Michael & Janine Pawlowsky Marsha Peltz Pam SusanE.TheJacquesPhillippePiquionPolizziFamilyJoyPottandThomas
Wayne Reichart Lisa & Barry Rhome The Rossley Family John & Janice Sands Nicole BernardScaliE.Schaeffer & Nanci O. Weber Michel Manzo & Dean Schwartz Joan & Jack Schwarz Sally & Frank Scorzetti Theresa Scott
Cordelia M. Seeley Meghan & Kevin Shea Donna Shooster Paul CharlesJeanneShumpSmithR.Smith, Jr. & Regina M. Smith Whitney Smith Joanna & Phil Solomon Jean CraigHelenStakiasSteelStevens, Ph.D. Ann & James Stinchon Irene KristinTheTeriAndrewLaurieMeganDavidThomasSylvesterThompsonJ.Thorpe&KeithTrostVeacockVogtWatkinsWhitehouseFamily&StephenYerger
The Ford Family
Leslie RobinDeborahPincusPointerPointer&Robert Whalley
James JonathanAndersonArend& Jaime Hanaway
Jen & Scott Brion
Linda Bower
Tom GlennHursterKrotick & Dr. Suzanne Long Virginia & David Laird Adam S. Lemisch
Kathy Peters Anita & Joseph Pew
Sara (Wilson) Searing '96 & Scott
JoanneMeganVernonWonderlandMurphyWrenn, PhD
Kinsella Leslie KittyJulieGailSandyEricTheShannonAlisonJackEmilyKariBarbaraKomarnicki&AlKurtz&KenKurtz&RobLambertLamperez&MichaelLarocque&TomLocherLongFamilyMacDonaldMadison&LenMagargee&TimMattaliano&SteveMattesky
Christine Youngblood Albert Zug
Mary & Roger Bollinger
Quinn
Kim LaurenGraham&Eli Hastings
Rachel & Andy Sofish
Lenore Boccia
Nick Brady '10
Alyce Callison
Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2022 49
Sally & Peter Brodie Kathleen Button
Joanne McClenahanLevy Painting Co Inc. Janet Audrain-McGovern & Paul PatriciaMcGovern& H. Brooke McMullin, Jr. Emily & Brian Newmark Colleen
Kim JudyRiley&Geoff Schnyder
Liz & Peter Schofield
UpFriendsto$99
The Sudhop Family
The Birchler Family
The Braden-Forge Family
Edward Chan
KathrynSearing & David Shields
The Bonatsos-Georgiou Family
Jenna and Jeff Glahn
Mary & Richard Auchincloss Betsy & Charles Bemis
WilliamAnthonyO’HaraOrapalloPawlowsky '96
Mario Charriez & Dr. Megan King Stephen T. Chase '06 Anthony Checchia Barbara M. Clothier Ruth Gail & Stephen Cohen Patricia Chmiel & Chris Confalone Mary J. Connelly Maria & Kevin Courter Karen & Larry Coyne Megan A. Craven Susan & Dane Criddle Kate & Nick Cronin Linda & Kevin Czachor Sloane & Brian Davis Stephanie & Erick Davis Jeong & Bill Duffy Sara & Stephen Eddy The Fitzgerald Family Eileen & Andrew Flaherty Corrinne Fogg & Patricio Ramirez Stefanie Frayne Paula & Bruce Fuhrmann Allyn Gilbert Linda & Mike Graham Sue & Brian Greenberg Daurice & Robert Grubbs Crawford Hamilton '01 Miles Hamilton '07 Samuel M.V. Hamilton III '98 Shelley & Ronnie Hastings Jorge Herrera Julie & Alan Hochman Barbara & Dennis Hoffman Karen & Joe Hofmann Elizabeth & Charles Hottenstein The Humbert Family Marcea & Tom Hummel Robert Jaffe '85 The Kash Family Terrance Kassis Ruth SarahRaineEddieKelemenKelly'10Kelsall&Shane
The Brandow Clinic
Mary Lee & Harris Bass
Lisa & Jason Silk Rachel & Tiffany Silliman Cohen
$100+Patrons
Dorrance Hamilton Benson '94
Mary & Joel Adams Chris JonathanAndressArend & Jaime Hanaway Gracen & Tom Ashton Stacey Ballard
Alyce JenniferSheerer&Ryan Sherman
Brit & Whitney Suttell
Terri Cappelli & Francis Jennings
Maggie & Matthew Brodnik Amanda & Doug Bruno
Anne ChaseBlackburnBrandow '14
Morgan Lewis
Megan & Patrick Cahill Alyce Callison
Michelle Bogosian & Greg LeMar
Virginia Sharpless
The Prinbeck Family
Heather Warley Latoya Watson Lynn & J. Reuben Wetherbee Cherie & Paul Williams '80 The Woodruff Family Mikaela Yatsinko
The Salerno Family
The Bartholdson Family Terri Cappelli & Francis Jennings Maurice & Ann Glavin Chris Hancock
The Siegel Family
The Camera Shop Gold Sponsor Brock
Platinum Sponsor FTI
Cyndi & Robert Conway Faith
Karen Berry
50th Anniversary Gala Sponsors
Jason JenniferBoles&Scott Brion
AnnAmyJamelliaSusanTreyJennaBrysenNaketaDrewGaryJenniferTheThomasDeborahJoyceHelenJamieSophiaDrewHedyTheSaraSandraLisaKarenNettieFrancescaTheElizabethJoanPatLainaKayHelenLaurieCarynMaraSueJaneJoanChristopherRosanneCostCroweCrowleyDavidson&ErnestDellheimDiDomenicoDixonDonovanDowningWeldeDoyleDraper&RobertDriscollHacik&BobEmeryFoxFrostFulmerFamily&NoahGans-Pfister&SterlingGreenThomasGreeneGriecoHealeyHillHottensteinFamilyKarbinerKellnerKowalskiLauthLawrenceLevin&MarkLivingstonLloydMaderFamilyMalone&RoseMattalianoMcCorkellMcCrayMcMullin'12&ChrisMesigianMilbyNullColistiaO’NealOrapalloRitaOrapallo
Megan & Craig Rushmore '06 Laura Carrington Sahlin '04 Melissa Savage
Cindy JonathanNissen&Frances Rorer
Bronze Sponsors Berger Rental Communities Eadeh KimberleeEnterprisesM.Orth, Ameriprise Financial The McKee Group WRT
Kristina RebeccaReisinger&Richard Ritacco
The Cahill Family
Neal Niznan
The Kinsella Family Dr. and Mrs. Howard R. Marcus
Silver Sponsors
Joyce PayPalJacquettaOstertagOwensCharitable Giving Fund
Shreiner Tree Care
Melinda & Daniel Rahm Irene & Frank Reilly
Benchmark Benefactors Monika & Jörg Ahlgrimm
Peter Verdi & Lesli Esposito James E. Viner
The Mesigian Family Nick & Mary Katherine Montgomery Marcia(Ortale)&
Peter Tarnoff Alex CarolynnSheliNoraJenelleTempletonTomovTrostTurocy(Lowes)
Diamond Sponsor
Nick & Dawn Kemp
Scott Pfautz
Sasha Ballen & Dee Spagnuolo Kate & David Black Elizabeth & Nicholas Blum
Utz '83
SamanthaShannonColtonConnellyConway '84
Sunflower Foundation/The Waldman Family
Sandy & Kevin Schindler Sandy & Tobey Schreiber Lisa & Michael Schreiber Kelly & Anthony Sciole
The Chase Family Elaine & Len DeStefano Amy & Jim Petersen
SITE Engineering Concepts, LLC
50th Anniversary Paddle Raise, Silent and Live Auction Participants
50 Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2022
The Blum Family
The Slye Family
Leslie Stein
Mary & Joel Adams Lauren & Eli Hastings
Phyllis & Sheldon Seligsohn
Advocates
The Rice-Burgess Family Geoff & Judy Schnyder Maxwell Sokoll Robert & Janine Tabas Michele & Michael Todd
The Breslin Family Suellen & Herb Butler Rachel Cameron Daniel Cassidy & Leigh Martin Stefanie Causey Judi Coca-ColaClay Give Becky Cogswell Kelly
50th Anniversary Sponsor
Zeffie Spirokostas
Tracy Elizabeth Hottenstein Elizabeth & Charles Hottenstein
GIFTS IN HONOR
Ellen Chan
Innovation Lab Building Fund Sandy & Scott Adzick Carol A. Atterbury/The Boudinot PattiFoundationKarolyi & Michael Semerjian Mondrian Investment Partners, Inc.
Benchmark joins with the following generous donors who have chosen to celebrate the individuals listed in bold type with a gift to Benchmark School in their honor.
Richard C. Gaskins, Sr. Jennifer & Robb Gaskins
Jennifer & Robb Gaskins
Irene & Frank Reilly Rossley Family Sandy & Kevin Schindler Whitney Smith Andrew Vogt
GIFTS IN KIND The Blum Family Michelle Bogosian & Greg LeMar Ann & Matt Hamilton The Slye Family
Benchmark School is deeply appreciative of the gifts given by our donors in memory of friends and loved ones. It is our privilege to remember the individuals listed in bold type.
Bobbi Feist Jennifer & Robb Gaskins
Benchmark is the grateful recipient of numerous gifts to our restricted funds, all of which provide valuable, but targeted, resources for the school. The gifts from these individuals not only speak to their passion, but also to their commitment to our school community.
Arthur Kaiser Connie Lotz & Arthur Kaiser
Seth Charles Towle '86 Susan Arabia Mary & Roger Bollinger Herb & Suellen Butler Patricia Chmiel & Chris Confalone Karen & Larry Coyne Susan & Dane Criddle Laurie AudreyDianeSandraKarenAllynElizabethDowningFrostGilbertThomasGreeneHealey&MichaelMayer&ThomasNeill, Jr.
NAMED FUNDS
Dan Cassidy & Leigh Martin Mario Charriez & Megan King Wendi & Charlie Chase Stephen Chase Susan Cosgrove Faith StephanieCost & Erick Davis Elaine & Len DeStefano Betsy LesliHeatherDubinEadehEsposito& Peter Verdi Aimee SharonFabiani&Jack Fioravanti Tammy Fudem & Ed Zabar Jenna & Jeff Glahn Beth & Peter Goodhart
David Komarnicki Leslie Komarnicki
The Dr. Robert Gaskins Fund for Mindfulness, Peace, and Social Justice Jennifer & Robb Gaskins
Maxwell Sokoll Joanna & Phillip Solomon Michele & Michael Todd Erica & William Tucker Christena & Ken Waldman John KristinWilliams&Stephen Yerger Katie & Frank Zirnkilton
The Peter B. Deakins Memorial Fund Susan Deakins
Patti SarahKarolyi&Shane Kinsella Sally & Rob Laird Emily & Rob Lambert Jay JonathanLankfordLeBreton & Sarah WillieRosarioLeBretonMariño & James Regan Elsie & Sandy McAdoo Susan & Brian McGowan, Jr. Jennifer & Samir Mehta Jenna & Chris Mesigian Stephanie & Charles Moleski Nicholas & Mary Katherine Montgomery Marcia(Ortale)& Neal Niznan Susan & Robert Null Amy & Anthony Orapallo Jen & Larry Paolella Shira & Brad Paul Kristen & Keith Peter Amy & Jim Petersen Kim Petersen & Robert Wellwood Linda & Wayne Reichart Anne Rice-Burgess Jess & Andrew B. Rogers Barbara & James Rogers Candice & Benjamin Rogers Frances & Jonathan Rorer Amanda & Kevin Ryan Dawn & Rick Salerno Danielle & Brian Schmidt Judy & Geoff Schnyder Kai & Peter Seelaus Ann RachelSilliman&Tiffany Silliman Cohen Jessica & Jurt Siso
The Joey Pozzuolo Memorial SharynScholarship&Joe Pozzuolo
The Sawyer Henry Weir Creative Learning Initiative Cheryl & Thomas Sawyer Weir
James Bemis '86
Kim CorinneGraham&Justine Green Chris RosemaryHancock&Steve Hancock Mikaela Yatsinko
GIFTS IN MEMORY
Betsy & Charles Bemis
James E. Russell Russell Family
Beth Coltman Scholarship Fund The Coltman Family Foundation
Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2022 51
Bill Gonzalez Jennifer & Robb Gaskins
Bessie Lamperez Jack Lamperez
The Promising Scholars Fund Jennifer & Robb Gaskins
52 Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2022
This list represents gifts received as of June 30, 2022.
Dr. Robb Gaskins & Mrs. Jennifer Chan Edward Chan
Pat Alexander Anonymous
Jennifer & Robb Gaskins Regina & Charles Smith Sharyn & Joe Pozzuolo
Nate Quinn '17
Edward Chan
WSFS
Jane Driscoll
SofterWare Inc.
Made possible by Nancy & Robert Mitchell
Frankie Polizzi '23
Treasurer Maggie Brodnik Secretary Sarah Kinsella
Montgomery Avenue II LLC
Adam S. Lemisch
Robb Gaskins Nuriye Uygur
2021-2022BankBENCHMARK
Wayne Reichart
Phil Ruth
Jennifer & Robb Gaskins Sean McGovern
The Benchmark community greatly appreciates the support of the companies listed below who collectively gave or pledged more than $200,000 to Benchmark’s Scholarship Fund through Pennsylvania’s EITC program. This program allows businesses and individuals who qualify to direct their tax liability to educational scholarships at participating organizations such as Benchmark. Over the past two decades, Benchmark students have received more than $3.6 million in scholarship assistance. It is truly a win-win for both our donors and our students. If you would like more information on how to participate in the EITC program, please contact Louisa Hanshew, Director of Development, at 610-565-3741, ext. 150 or org.louisahanshew@benchmarkschool.
Made possible by Dr. Christine Stanko & Scott Burkholder
Brian Hanway '18, Jon Hanway '19, Tim Hanway '22, Cathryn Hanway '24 Missy & Ed Hanway
Jacob Newmark '15 Jack Schwarz
Bryn Mawr Dermatology
Made possible by James Viner
Silverback Educational Foundation for the Arts, Dance, & Athletics (SEFADA)
Past, Present, and Future Benchmark Faculty & Staff
Mary J. Connelly
Laz Scheibe '23
Jennifer & Robb Gaskins
Mary Katherine Montgomery (Ortale)
HSC Builders and Construction Managers LLC
Made possible by Nikki & John Bendl, Ashly & Dan Berger, Ilene & Steven Berger, Shelley & Dan Boyce, Charles Bramley, Wendi & Charlie Chase, Elaine & Len DeStefano, Laina & Rob Driscoll, Lesli Esposito & Pete Verdi, Stephen C. Graham Family, Amy & Michael Kopelman, Stephanie & Charlie Moleski, Keith Morgan, Mark Muehl, Sheri & Ken Resnik, Candice & Benjamin Rogers, James Viner, Anonymous
Business Leadership Organized for Catholic Schools (BLOCS)
Benjamin Seligsohn '09 Sheldon Seligsohn
Child & Family Support Services Department
The Bonatsos-Georgiou family
Kari & Ken Kurtz
Jewel Trayah '26 Jeanne Smith
AIM Scholarship 1 LLC
Leroy D. Nunery II MBA, Ed.D.
Chester County Fuel Inc Cory & Rick Scheibe
Susan & Thomas Quinn
ASSOCIATION COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Seamus Glavin '12 Ann & Maurice Glavin
Dr. Irene Gaskins Jennifer & Robb Gaskins
Every effort was made to ensure the accuracy of this list. If there are additions, corrections, or omissions, please accept our apologies and contact Director of Development Louisa Hanshew at 610-565-3741, ext. 150 theyBenchmarkYearslouisahanshew@benchmarkschool.org.orlistedfollowingthenamesofouralumniindicatethelastyearattendedBenchmarkorgraduated.
Made possible by Sasha Ballen & Dee Spagnuolo
Dr. Adam Lemisch
Carly Hottenstein '16 Elizabeth & Charles Hottenstein
Chelsea Iobst '01 M.Ed. Dr. Joseph & Karen Iobst
UHS of Pennsylvania, Inc.
PARENTS
Angelina Georgiou '24
Jeremy LeBreton '19 Sarah Willie-LeBreton & Jonathan LeBreton
President Kristin Yerger Vice President Missy Hanway
Drs. Dona and David Behrend
Sara Graff Cooke
Nicholas Kemp
Aimee Horowitz Hoffner
EDUCATIONAL IMPROVEMENT TAX CREDIT (EITC)
Made possible by the Steven C. Graham Family
Benchmark School Class of 2022
Address Service Requested
NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID WILMINGTON, DE PERMIT #751
mainoffice@benchmarkschool.orgbenchmarkschool.org610-565-3741
2107 North Providence Road Media, PA 19063-1898
