Benchmark Magazine, Fall 2024

The Magazine of Benchmark School Benchmark’s Unique Decoding Approach Hands-on Learning Methods in Language Arts 2023-2024 Report of Gifts

Fall 2024

Feature

Board of Trustees

Credits

On The Cover

Benjamin B. Rogers ’95, P’24, Chair

Alyce Callison, Director of Marketing

Rich Salerno, P’26, Vice Chair

& Communications, Editor

Mr. Scott Pfautz and Sadie Ritacco ’28 flash some peace signs on the new playground.

Michele Todd, Secretary

The Heads of State, Design

Above, Oliver Mambu ’28 defies gravity inside one of our playground’s giant dodecahedrons.

Dan Berger ’93, P’27, Treasurer Michelle Bogosian, P’19 Amber West Buller ’84 Wendi Chase, P’06 Betsy Cunicelli Len DeStefano, P’23 Turaya Bryant Kamau, P’24 Sarah Kinsella, P’26 Robert Lambert, P’27

Contributors Alyce Callison Latrisha Chattin Jesse Crowding Stefanie Frayne Eleanor Gensemer Leslie Stein

Anne Rice-Burgess, P’18 Andrew B. Rogers ’93 Amanda Atterbury Ryan, P’25 Charles Ryan, P’17 James Viner, P’21 Chris Hancock, Head Of School, Ex-Officio Irene W. Gaskins, Founder & Trustee Emerita Howard Marcus, Trustee Emeritus

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Where’s the Bobcat?

Can you find the Benchmark Bobcat?

He’s hiding on a page in this magazine!

Answer on page 49.

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.

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

Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2024

CONTENTS

14

Benchmark Quest

18

Word Detectives Expansion

27

Teaching Executive Function Skills

34

Coming from a Place of Grace

Message from the Head of School

4

Teaching Executive Function Skills

27

Campus News

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Coming from a Place of Grace

34

Benchmark Quest

14

Class of 2024

38

Word Detectives Expansion

18

Alumni Updates

44

Reimagining English Class

23

2023-2024 Report of Gifts

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Benchmark School 2107 North Providence Rd, Media, PA 19063 | 610-565-3741 | www.benchmarkschool.org Facebook.com/BenchmarkSchool

@benchmark.school

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Campus News

A Message From the Head of School

WHAT IMPACT REALLY MEANS Reaching Out With Intention

By Chris Hancock It’s impossible for me to think of Benchmark School without considering both the intention and meaning of the word “impact.” It’s a potent thing, impact. Taken literally, one object strikes another, affecting both. It’s easy to think of moon craters, or collisions in an NFL game, when you think of impact. The impacts that happen here at Benchmark may be less visible–and certainly less painful than taking a tumble in a game– but are all the more striking (to use another impact-

Within our own school, we can see daily the impact

related word) in their effect.

that teachers and administrators have on our students.

Still, this impact goes both ways. Our students’ sparks

Impact can be a form of transformation. At Benchmark,

of inventiveness, their gift for experimentation, and their

we create impact on our students’ lives daily through our

sense of care for each other has an impact on our staff

unique education program that is literally transforming

and helps to provide the regenerative energy that keeps

educational trajectories, through our holistic community

this school’s sense of purpose strong and vibrant.

support, and through genuine care for every member of our community. This magazine is filled with

Lastly, we hold a deep belief that our educational

demonstrations of these impactful transformations.

techniques can have a beneficial impact on the wider world of education. That’s part of why we’re taking

In the past year, we’ve expanded our educational impact

the steps we are to expand Word Detectives. Yet it

beyond Benchmark through a collaboration with the

goes beyond that. When we see our bright students

Horizons program at Episcopal Academy, a tuition-free

flourish here–when they were perhaps falling behind

academic and enrichment program serving students

and previously failing to thrive–it fills us with a thirst

outside of the traditional school year to support

to bring this reversal to other struggling students. It

academic achievement. With support and training

becomes a matter of educational justice. We can help

from Benchmark faculty leaders, Horizons at Episcopal

other students in the wider world succeed, and so we

Academy has deployed our Word Detectives program

should, if it is within our power. Stay tuned for our next

in their language arts instruction, with significant gains

big moves. I hope you’ll be a part of the journey with us.

for the students. (Read more about how Benchmark is expanding Word Detectives access on page 18.) This partnership with Horizons, while deeply valuable on its own, is also serving as a pilot as we seek to expand access to Word Detectives even wider.

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Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2024

Campus News

WELCOME, NEW TRUSTEES! Three Newcomers on the Board We are happy to announce that Sarah Kinsella, P’26; Rob Lambert, P’27; and Rich Salerno, P’26 have joined the Board of Trustees.

Sarah Kinsella, P’26 Sarah Kinsella is the Nearly Three’s Toddler co-teacher at Phebe Anna Thorne school at Bryn Mawr College and parent of Annie Kinsella ’26. Sarah began her teaching career in New York City at St. David’s School where she taught both kindergarten and second grade.

Before having her son, she was the temporary lower school math specialist at Little Red School House and Elisabeth Irwin High School in Greenwich Village.

Sarah earned her undergraduate degree at Kenyon College and an MA from Teacher’s College, Columbia University.

Sarah and her family moved to the Philadelphia area from New York City in 2013. She currently resides in Narberth with her husband, Shane, son Charlie (Shipley ’27), and daughter Annie (Benchmark ’26).

At Benchmark, Sarah has been an active volunteer at the school library and has served as secretary of the Benchmark Parents Association (BPA). She has been a homeroom parent and was co-chair of the BPA spring social and silent auction. Sarah is the current BPA President and is the BPA Liaison to the Board of Trustees.

Sarah says, “I recently had the privilege of looking at

for my daughter and her peers. I am honored to be

old pictures of Benchmark. Some of these photographs

the Parent Association Representative to the Board

included the building and expansion of our current

of Trustees to not only help guide the school in the

school. It made me think of the devotion and energy

present, but to ensure its continued success for future

past parents, board members, and faculty and staff

students and their families.”

have put into making Benchmark the school it is today Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2024

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Campus News

Rob Lambert, P’27 Rob Lambert is the founder of SITE Engineering Concepts, LLC, a civil engineering and surveying firm, located in Berwyn, Pennsylvania.

Rob has over 25 years of experience providing civil engineering and surveying services to institutional campuses, commercial, mixed use and residential properties throughout southeastern Pennsylvania.

Rob has a BS from the University of Notre Dame and a MS from Villanova University.

Rob has twin daughters with one attending Benchmark and the other Agnes Irwin School.

Rob says, “When asked about our experience at Benchmark my usual response is ‘two weeks’. It took two weeks at Benchmark to change the trajectory of my daughter’s educational path. She went from loathing going to school to being excited about learning!”

Rich Salerno, P’26 Rich Salerno is Chief Executive Officer of Aramsco, a comprehensive solution provider serving a wide range of contractors, service providers, and facilities maintenance professionals. From 2007 to 2009, Rich served in other roles at Aramsco including Chief Financial Officer.

Prior to Aramsco, Rich worked at Summit Partners, one of the leading private equity and venture capital firms in the United States. While at Summit, Rich was responsible for sourcing new acquisitions, completing due diligence, negotiating, and structuring transactions, and working closely with management teams to increase shareholder value. Rich also worked at Prudential Capital Group on a team focused on making investments in privately placed investment grade, high yield, and mezzanine debt investments.

Rich graduated from Boston College, summa cum laude, with a dual degree in Accounting and Finance. Rich’s daughter Ashley (Class of 2026) is a Benchmark School student.

Rich shares, “Benchmark is a special place. The school allows talented young minds to succeed in an environment purpose built for those who learn differently. I am proud to serve on the Board of Trustees and hope to give back in a small way given how much Benchmark has provided our family.”

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Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2024

Campus News

THE LATEST From 2107 North Providence Road

Our Inaugural Jubilee Joy and Learning In March, we hosted our first Jubilee, an all-school assembly celebrating multiculturalism and social justice trailblazers. The fifth grade created an informative presentation on Black pioneers through the lens of ice cream, revealing that everything from now-iconic recipes, ice cream trucks, and even ice cream scoops are due to Black creators. A choir performance, videos, a folktale retelling, and a beautiful dance rounded out the celebration.

Benchmark Wins International Marketing Award Rebranding Lauded Benchmark School won a 2023 Bronze InspirED School Marketers Brilliance Award for Graphic Identity Redesign in the only international competition that recognizes excellence in private and independent school marketing and communications.

Benchmark gratefully recognizes the partnership of our brand agency, The Heads of State.

Benchmark’s Director of Marketing and Communication Alyce Callison says, “We’re so proud to have created a new brand identity that is not only visually appealing but also truly represents the growth and support our students and families experience at our school.”

Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2024

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Campus News

Pioneers on the Pitch Benchmark Partners with a Philadelphia Union Program From the start of the 2023-2024 school year,

books he’s pulled from the library or one of the books

Benchmark has been engaged in a partnership with

he’s brought from the school. Reading obviously is a

The SWAG, an organization connected with the

huge focus of Benchmark, and that engagement is

Philadelphia Union that is designed to expose young

going to go a long way. The reading comprehension

people (from preschool through age 8) to soccer.

is going to help, especially on the pitch. Giving kids that voice and the ability to express themselves freely

Four players who began with The SWAG and who

really, really helps.”

have now moved into the Philadelphia Union Junior Academy began at Benchmark last year. This

Andrew Cressman, Head of Philadelphia Union Junior

partnership enables more students to experience

Academy, speaks about our Benchmark students

the top-level academic experience at Benchmark

engaged in this pilot program, remarking, “For them

School while also taking part in a professionally

to have an opportunity to try something different,

oriented soccer training program.

to essentially be pioneers in their own way of trying this program and see if they’re the first ones that can

Head of School Chris Hancock is deeply appreciative

really make it work for everyone else, it’s a good test

of the advantages of this program for the participants.

for them and it’s a good test for the program as well.”

He says, “The SWAG is very much aligned with what Benchmark is trying to do in terms of how we view

Scan the QR code to watch the video created by

children. They are unique unto themselves, and at a

the Philadelphia Union about the partnership with

very early age really benefit from exposure to excellent

Benchmark School.

adults in their lives.”

Coach and parent Ryan Griffith says, “My son Riley Griffith has benefited tremendously from the Benchmark program. He wants to read a lot more.

Instead of jumping on a quick FIFA game, he’s more engaged with reading his comic book or one of the

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Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2024

Campus News

Mini-THON 2024 10-Year Grand Total

In February 2024, we raised $9,346.45 during Mini-THON to support Four Diamonds, which seeks to conquer childhood cancer by assisting children treated at Penn State Children’s Hospital. Our huge ten-year grand total is $106,332.57! We are grateful for the generous support of the Benchmark community.

Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2024

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Campus News

Our New Playground Brodnik Outdoor Learning Environment On Thursday, November 16, 2023, we cut the ribbon on our new playground, the spectacular Brodnik Outdoor Learning Environment, or BOLE. Students, staff, families, members of the Board of Trustees, and other friends gathered to celebrate the opening and experience the playground first-hand.

The new play space was carefully designed to complement our outdoorsy, treecentric campus, using natural materials in both the construction of the play elements as well as the landscaping. In addition to the play structures, some of which are nearly unique in the country, the boulders (many unearthed during construction) and log steppers across planted rain gardens allow for deeper engagement with nature and are in harmony with the feel of our campus. The playground also features 16 newly planted trees and nearly 2,000 native plants.

At the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Head of School Chris Hancock commented, “I must admit, I am fired up standing here today. Because we celebrate not just the opening of a new space worthy of the experience we seek to provide our students and families. Today, we serve notice that we have only begun to hit our stride as a school community. We offer the best education in the nation for students who learn differently. They deserve excellence in the classroom and for over 50 years Benchmark has delivered. And now, we have a renewed outdoor space that too is excellent, and worthy of our students.”

We are grateful to the Brodnik family who were instrumental in bringing this project to fruition.

Matt and Maggie Brodnik are parents of TJ Brodnik ‘22, who is now at The Haverford School. The Brodniks were the first family to offer a lead gift to this project back when we were celebrating our 50th anniversary as a school, and they are a testament to just how transformational contributions can be for Photos by Sahar Coston-Hardy

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decades into the future.

Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2024

Campus News

Trailblazers Return to Benchmark Welcoming Irene Gaskins and Dick Anderson In April 2024, we were honored to welcome our founder Dr. Irene Gaskins, her longtime collaborator and prominent literacy researcher Dr. Richard Anderson, and education researchers Dr. Jingjing Sun from the University of Montana and Dr. Tzu-Jung Lin from The Ohio State University.

Dr. Anderson and Dr. Gaskins worked together closely during Benchmark’s formative years, and Dr. Anderson’s research played a large role in forming the basis for our literacy program today.

“The small class structure, the dynamic discussions– everything is evidencebased.”

Dr. Tzu-Jung Lin on her visit to Benchmark classrooms

It had been years since Dr. Gaskins and Dr. Anderson visited Benchmark during a school day, and Dr. Gaskins noted that she’s been hearing good things from parents. Dr. Anderson was pleased to return and see the fruits of their educational research and practice still going strong. He said, “It feels great. We managed to have a grand idea and it’s working out in exquisite detail. Children are learning each aspect of what it means to be able to read.”

The team of educators observed a Word Detectives lesson in the Berry/Grace class of our youngest learners, and then moved to 5th grade to sit in on

Commenting on the visit to the Berry/Grace classroom,

reading groups in the Scott/Causey and Warley/

Dr. Sun said, “Watching Karen [Berry] and seeing her

Witalec classes.

teach Word Detectives brought me so much joy!

Effective teaching brings out the best in the kids.

Dr. Lin and Dr. Sun were both once students of Dr.

It instills a love of learning for a lifetime and it was

Anderson’s and now both specialize in educational

remarkable to watch.”

psychology. Dr. Lin commented, “I’ve read articles about Benchmark and learned from Dick [Anderson],

Following the classroom visits, the visitors gathered for

but it cannot compare with the personal experience

a roundtable discussion in the afternoon, where both

today. The small class structure, the dynamic

our faculty and visitors exchanged questions and ideas

discussions–everything is evidence-based. Every

about literacy instruction and how best to support

sentence spoken by teachers was evidence-based

kids’ emotional needs.

in relation to how to decode, how they asked openended questions…it’s amazing.” She also remarked on

Dr. Anderson, who was celebrating his 90th birthday,

the students’ in-class behavior as well, noticing, “Kids

was presented with a cake to celebrate that milestone

knew how to regulate their behaviors in class and

and a named bench to be placed on campus to honor

focus on the dialogue.”

his contributions to Benchmark School’s evolution.

Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2024

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Campus News

Seventh Graders Launch “The Pink Project” You Matter, Words Matter Seventh graders transformed a moment of restless boredom into a surge of empathy. At the start of music class one day last year, a group of 7th graders begged Laurie Veacock to kick off the class by reading to them from BIG, a picture book by Vashti Harrison that she had displayed for Black History Month. BIG follows a child who experiences the daily hurt of body shaming and must find a way to make space for herself and love herself despite the others’ cruel words.

The 7th graders took turns reading BIG to the Lower

BIG (a Caldecott Medal Winner, Coretta Scott King

School students at an assembly and discussed how

Honor Title, and New York Times bestseller) spurred

powerful words can be. Together they made a poster

the students to action immediately, and they sought

that says “You Matter, Words Matter,” now displayed

to share the book’s powerful anti-bullying message

in the halls of our school as a reminder. They also

with other students. They created a group called

created and distributed Pink Project bracelets with

“The Pink Project,” whose goal is to inform the

the “You Matter, Words Matter” slogan. This kind group

Benchmark community about body shaming and

of students have plans to continue spreading this

other types of bullying.

important message to the rest of the student body.

Art Bears Witness Recent Grad Wins Award Evie Bartholdson ‘24 won an Honorable Mention award for her 2D art submission entitled, “Train Ride to the Endless Abyss” in the 2024 Mordechai Anielewicz Creative Arts Competition at Gratz College on May 20, 2024. The Mordechai Anielewicz Creative Arts Competition invites students in grades 7-12 to learn about the Holocaust and respond by means of creative expression.

Evie’s language arts teacher Jesse Crowding said, “I am so proud of Evie. She worked very thoughtfully and created a piece of art that combined our research of WWII and our reading of Night, and it serves as a way to bear witness to the tragedies of the Holocaust. Evie combined many techniques in her art, including watercolor, mixing charcoal and water, as well as using fire to create a burned appearance.”

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Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2024

Campus News

“The Gold Standard for Children Who Learn Differently” PsyD Students from Widener Visit Benchmark has always had open doors for academics

observed Middle School students in the Innovation Lab

eager to get a close-up look at how our educational

and in language arts; 5th graders in language arts; 3rd

program works. In January, a team of students in the

graders in math; and our youngest students having a

clinical psychology PsyD program at Widener University

Word Detectives lesson. Following these observations,

came to learn more.

the students reconvened to debrief and chat with Dr. Lemisch and other members of our academic and

Jaci Zarabba, a professor in the program, had visited

administrative team.

Benchmark School during a Professional Visitor Day, and the experience inspired her to bring her

One student commented, “Meeting the students

students in the child/family/school and pediatric

and teachers allowed us to conceptualize what a

neuropsychology concentrations for a visit. These

successful intervention might look like and how

students had expressed an interest in observing

successful a child can be given the appropriate

classrooms outside of the public school setting to

support system.” Another noted, “I loved observing

further understand potential alternatives when the

the classes and seeing how the teachers used the

public school is not able to meet a child’s needs. Dr.

students’ individual strengths to help them succeed.

Zarabba said, “I often talk about Benchmark as the

It was also very clear how passionate the staff was

gold standard for children who learn differently, and I

about working at Benchmark.”

wanted to see if one of my students could conduct an observation in a classroom.” She connected with Dr.

Dr. Zarabba reflected, “It was so clear to see the ways

Adam Lemisch, the Head of Child and Family Support

in which the Benchmark team excels in leveraging each

Services, who invited her to bring many students.

student’s unique strengths to create an environment where students are actively engaged and invested in

Dr. Zarabba and nine clinical psychology PsyD students

Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2024

their learning.”

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BENCHMARK QUEST Eight Days of Exploration In the spring of 2024, the entire Middle School dedicated eight intense days to a learning experience called Benchmark Quest, or simply Quest.

Benchmark Quest is a learning experience that uses design thinking to address real-world, personally meaningful problems. The intention behind Quest is that students will gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an authentic, engaging, and complex question, problem, or challenge.

Engaging all of Middle School This was the first year in which the whole of the Middle School took part in Benchmark Quest. This wider Quest was created as an outgrowth of the 6th grade’s capstone projects that have been focused on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The Middle School Quest, which will now be an annual part of the curriculum cycle, follows a developmental sequence

and math, to create solutions. Engaging in Benchmark Quest creates a unique space between disciplines and subjects. Quest is also a really meaningful support for our intention to continue to build Middle School traditions.”

of themes, which are “My World” in 6th grade, “My

Shaping the projects

Community” in 7th grade, and “Myself” in 8th grade.

Beginning in early fall, the Innovation Planning committee, which was composed of Eleanor Gensemer,

The students’ Quest projects employ the six steps of

Latrisha Chattin, Rosanne Crowe, Sam Gerlach, and

Benchmark’s own design thinking process

our innovation consultant Gaby Russomagno, met

(wonder & connect; describe & clarify; imagine

weekly to discuss the goals of Quest. It was important

possibilities; share; design & create; and reflect &

to the planning team that students would be able to

revise) to develop and refine their projects, and also

grapple with real-world issues that were meaningful

provide an opportunity to engage the 4C’s of critical

to them and to use design thinking to solve a problem.

thinking, creative problem solving, collaboration, and

Once the Innovation Planning team designed the

communication.

project’s parameters, it was turned over to teachers to implement and lead with the 6th grade teachers

Head of School Chris Hancock explains, “Quest is an

spearheading the 6th grade team, Latrisha Chattin

integration of different subjects, and is about finding

leading the 7th grade team, and Sam Gerlach taking

convergences, such as among science, social studies,

the lead for the 8th grade team.

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This 8-day concentrated celebration of investigation involved every Middle School teacher and classroom, and spilled outdoors as well. Students across all grades kicked off their Quests by brainstorming about specific issues that related to their grade’s theme, and then deepening their inquiry until a project took shape.

Students in 6th grade, whose theme was “My World,” continued as other 6th grade classes had before them with a focus on the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Of the 17 UN goals, they chose four: No Poverty, Zero Hunger, Clean Water and Sanitation, and Responsible Consumption and Production. Sam says, “Those were ones that the Innovation Planning team and the 6th grade team picked out as the ones that were both related to the curriculum that they were learning in science, social studies, LA, and also could impact the Benchmark community.”

Recognizing that significant change can often begin close to home, sixth grade teams created projects designed to improve the wider world through the lens of our school community. One group sought Chef Nick’s help with reducing CO2 emissions, and he agreed to have Meatless Monday lunches. The students hope this will reduce demand for cows and therefore cut down on the carbon dioxide they emit. Another group built a robot prototype that will be placed in the lunchroom to help collect recyclable items to reduce non-biodegradable waste in our landfills, while a third explored the logistics of having an onsite garden at Benchmark, with the hope that having fresh herbs, vegetables, and fruits will help foster a sustainable community here at Benchmark.

Sam explains the 7th grade’s approach to their “My Community” theme, which involved looping in several kinds of service organizations. Sam says, “We brought in Cradles to Crayons, Wonder Key [which works with children in foster care], and the Anti-Defamation League. Building empathy was the goal. We did a lot of identity work, and that was also DEI-partnered as well. Dr. Chattin led a restorative circle, which I think was something that took the kids by surprise for how much they actually got from it. There was a really pivotal moment, when the kids were like ‘Oh, we’re actually doing this work. We have a certain lens and approach to it.’”

Groups of 7th graders dove deep on the design thinking process to devise projects that would support these groups’ efforts. At first, Sam explains that the students had to talk through ideas that would bring them around to student-centered solutions.

He shares, “I think the hardest thing for 7th grade was, their ideas were like, ‘Well, we can just raise money,’ and I said, ‘Yes, that’s what adults can do for kids, but what can kids do for kids?’ We talk a lot about the feelings of it all. What can we give them to ignite a feeling inside of them? We talked about their needs–what needs aren’t being met? We talked a lot about the kids in Wonder Key, the foster care program, and our students said, ‘Well, it might be harder for them because they’re feeling kind of isolated.’ And I said, ‘Okay, when you’re feeling by yourself and not feeling great, what do you do?’ and they said, ‘Sometimes I like to read, sometimes I like to listen Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2024

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Feature

to music, or sometimes I like to draw.’” This led to

Head of Middle School Latrisha Chattin is hugely

students creating care packages for kids in foster care

enthusiastic about the benefits of Quest. She says,

that each included kind notes of care and support. Sam

“This year’s Quest brought out the best in our students

says, “We were trying to see how we can incite a feeling

as they strengthened their executive function skills of

of someone caring about you, someone who sees you,

task initiation, planning and prioritizing, goal-directed

someone who loves you even if you’re having a bad day.”

persistence, and time management to achieve an ultimate product goal. Additionally, our faculty donned

In 8th grade, the focus was on “Myself,” so the students

their expert caps and assisted students with their

all designed personal projects that related to their own

studies in non-profit organizations, improving their free-

interests. Sam comments, “We had everything from

throw percentage, creating a solar-powered phone case

Nathan designing a baseball bat to Conall making his

prototype, and a trash-collecting Lego robot among

own sleeve for his prosthetic leg, a fidget sweatshirt

many other items. Quest is an amazing adventure where

created by Angelina and Ashton, to Isabella focusing on

our students get to become problem-solvers through

photography, and Addison making ballerina toe-pads.

intellectual curiosity and innovation.”

We had some coders–Lance worked with Raspberry Pi– we had game designers, Anthony and Emmett designed

Looking ahead, Sam says, “The sky is always the limit,”

games on Roblox, Billy made an app that I honestly

adding, “Next year will be even better, and their skills

think he could make some money with if he pursued

just keep on building and building. And I think that will

it. I mean, you had such an open-ended topic. It was

be something beautiful too.”

the exact opposite of what they’re used to with direct instruction, but it really showed growth and I think it really surprised some people that these kids could find a topic and really dive into it.”

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WORD DETECTIVES EXPANSION Unlocking Literacy Beyond Our Campus We do things differently at Benchmark School.

Doing things differently–finding unique ways to reach students who struggle to learn–is exactly why Benchmark was founded.

This difference is perhaps most visible in our Word Detectives program, the decoding and spelling program developed here at Benchmark. This researchbased approach has formed the foundation of our language arts program since the formal launch of Word Detectives in 1983.

Making Word Detectives

Today, Word Detectives is taught with increasing

Benchmark’s founder and first Head of School

tiers of sophistication throughout Lower School,

Dr. Irene Gaskins developed Word Detectives working in close collaboration over years with literacy experts Dr. Richard Anderson, the Director of the Center for the Study of Reading at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Dr. Linnea Ehri, now a Distinguished Professor of the Graduate Center, CUNY and former member of the Congressional National Reading Panel. Since those early days of development, the Word Detectives program continues to undergo refinement as our Benchmark teachers work with the program and as research in the field of literacy grows.

and has application and extensions in the Middle School as well.

With the foundational decoding skills Word Detectives provides, in combination with the personalized support of Benchmark teachers in comprehension instruction and vocabulary development, hundreds of students have unlocked the power to decode and spell words.

Now, we’re taking new strides to bring our Word Detectives program to a wider audience. This means we’ll be engaging in a combination of teacher training, teacher certification, building out the Word Detectives curriculum, and planning training supports. There’s a lot going on to make this happen, and we’ll share how it’s going to work.

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This initiative to expand the reach of Word Detectives follows several threads:

Thread 1:

Certifying expert teachers of the program as Benchmark School Master Teachers of Word Detectives.

Our teachers are ground zero for Word Detectives excellence. Naturally, this makes sense, given that this is the only place in the world where teachers are teaching and refining Word Detectives daily. Many of our teachers have taught Word Detectives for many years, and are already what we consider to be “Master Teachers” in this area.

We recognized that it would be valuable to create

In February 2024, we formally recognized our first group

formal tiers of mastery that demonstrate and honor

of Master Teachers in Word Detectives.

where each Benchmark teacher is in their journey.

To this end, a dedicated committee created the Word

L to R: Eleanor Gensemer, Karen Berry, Theresa Scott,

Detectives Teacher Certification Program, which is

Scott Pfautz, Zeffie Spirokostas, Teri Watkins, Colleen

designed to give recognition to those teachers who

O’Hara, Heather Warley, Joyce Ostertag, Julie Mattaliano,

have mastered teaching the Word Detectives program

Laurie Veacock, Sandy Madison, Sue Arabia, Eric

at a range of levels.

MacDonald, and Chris Hancock. Not pictured: Melinda Rahm and Susan North

In the 2023-2024 school year, we initiated the Word Detectives Teacher Certification Program.

We recognized 15 teachers as Master Teachers, and began working with other teachers according to their relative experience. Each level of certification requires attendance at professional development sessions, seminar participation, readings, instruction experience, and demonstration of background knowledge and key instructional techniques.

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Detectives program. We use STAR to benchmark our students pre- and post-summer. Our students showed 28.9 weeks of growth in Early Literacy Skills.

Our students who originally tested below grade level grew 34.7 weeks. This is a substantial growth from our previous two summers, which was 17.6 weeks in 2021

Thread 2:

and 12.8 weeks in 2022.”

Piloting the expansion of Word Detectives in the Horizons program.

This past summer, Benchmark’s training expanded to instruct teachers working with older students as well, and we enhanced our training materials with

In a unique pilot program, we have already begun

instructional videos. (More on that below.)

a version of our external training and curriculum expansion through a partnership with the Horizons

Ryan Learn comments, “Horizons at EA is proud to

program at Episcopal Academy in Newtown Square.

partner with Benchmark’s Word Detectives program,

Horizons is an academic summer program that offers

witnessing firsthand the remarkable strides our

tuition-free academic support for 135 students in

students have made in literacy. The systematic

grades K-8 from three partner schools in North

approach of word identification empowers our learners,

Philadelphia, Lansdowne, and West Philadelphia.

making literacy block a seamless and enriching experience every day. Finding curriculum for out-

In 2023, Benchmark teachers trained the Horizon

of-school-time programs can be challenging, but

teachers who would be working with the youngest

Benchmark’s program, meticulously crafted for both

summer program students on using Word Detectives.

school year and summer sessions, aligns perfectly with

The growth that these students experienced after six

our needs. From decoding strategies to vocabulary

weeks was remarkable. Ryan Learn, the Executive

development, it’s a model that not only works but

Director of Horizons at Episcopal Academy, says,

excels, backed by research and yielding consistently

“Our students in K-2 (45 students) piloted the Word

impressive results.”

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Thread 3:

Creating training videos to support the Horizons program, and later, other teacher trainings.

In the past school year, we’ve created dedicated instructional videos specifically designed to supplement the Horizons teacher training. With these videos, teachers can see best practice modeling of the lessons and Benchmark-specific instructional methods that make our teaching so effective.

We hope these videos may also serve as early steps forward in our wider plans for expanding our curriculum access beyond our walls and into many other classrooms.

Thread 4:

Building a certification program that can be offered to teachers outside Benchmark so they can become trained and certified in teaching Word Detectives successfully.

Benchmark teachers can teach anything–including how to teach other teachers to be like Benchmark teachers.

We’re in the early stages of planning how to translate our in-house training, in which it takes years to reach mastery, to other teachers and schools. With careful planning and time, we will have a comprehensive training program that will support outside teachers through Word Detectives training. These teachers will have the same leveled certification tiers as our in-house teachers.

Thread 5:

Building out the Word Detectives program curriculum for use by other schools.

When teachers become certified in being Word Detectives teachers, they’re going to need the curriculum that goes with it. Simultaneous with creating external teacher certification, we are beginning to develop a version of our Word Detectives curriculum that can be used in other schools.

With time for careful development and planning, we hope that many more students may someday benefit from Benchmark’s expertise.

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REIMAGINING ENGLISH CLASS Using Hands-on Projects to Expand Learning Jesse Crowding, 8th Grade Language Arts Teacher You may be familiar with the quote typically attributed

My answer? Hands-on projects.

to Einstein: “Everybody is a genius. But if a fish’s intelligence was judged based on its ability to climb a

Over the years I have worked to develop hands-on

tree, it would spend its life thinking it was stupid.” If

design projects to go along with several of the books

you know this quote, you may be surprised to discover

we read in class. While my type-A heart sometimes

that the internet misattributed the quote. While Einstein

cringes at the paper scraps, glue spills, and time spent

didn’t say this, taking the quote at face value makes a

“away” from traditional English class tasks, this is all

valid point, and we need to be careful we aren’t judging

outweighed by the connections, creativity, and growth

students by the same rigid metric.

my students exhibit.

What I love about teaching at Benchmark is that we

For example, we read George Orwell’s Animal Farm

believe in flexibility. We believe “climbing a tree” can

and Elie Wiesel’s Night. I’m not sure anyone would

be achieved in many ways, beyond the traditional.

categorize either of these works as fun, and certainly

As Benchmark teachers we’re also empowered to ask,

not as “light, easy reads.” However, any reader of these

“If the goal is to get to the top of the tree, is there

books would likely agree that these texts are important

more than one way to get there? What if we build a

and have depth.

ladder instead?”

Diving deep

In my classroom, we talk about the levels of reading:

In my eighth-grade English class, we read and write.

Surprised? Probably not. But what if I told you we also

•

design, build, and create? At Benchmark, I’ve realized the importance of “climbing a tree” in different ways.

the page say •

With the help of my amazing colleagues, I’ve grown to understand how we can take the task of climbing the tree, or to be exact, analyzing literature, differently. I’ve

The literal level: What the words on The critical level: What the words on the page might mean

•

The analytical level: Considering the author’s message and thinking beyond the text

been encouraged to ask myself, “How can I support students in showing what they know and to express

That can be a lot to process. The hands-on projects

their deep thinking, in more ways than simply putting

we create help students move through these levels

pen to paper? How can I help students access their

of understanding. That’s why we can read and deeply

deeper thinking if pen-to-paper doesn’t reflect their

understand texts like Animal Farm and Night that are

ability to do so?”

more typically found in high school curriculums. These

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Feature projects allow our eighth graders to dive deep between the lines of those pages and pull out the meaning.

The projects After reading Animal Farm, students are asked to create 3-D artwork to portray a connection between a character or event in Animal Farm with its historical parallel from the Russian Revolution. Then, the students are challenged to prove this allegorical connection in writing.

Those familiar with the text may know that Boxer, the steadfast workhorse, represents the proletariat, or the working class. One student created a unique representation of Boxer with an army tank. In his analysis, he wrote: My visual for Boxer is a tank because Boxer is super strong like a tank…I also made sure the tank had a very large base to show how sturdy and strong the working class was, just like Boxer. I made the tank a dark army green color because tanks in the war were the same color and tend to blend in with the background. Boxer and other members of the working class like to blend in as well. They want to just do their jobs, follow the rules and keep moving.

Not only did this student symbolically represent Boxer’s immense strength with a tank, he consciously made choices, even down to the paint color, regarding how each aspect of his art represented his allegorical connection. The art served as a bridge to get the connection from his head to the art and then onto the paper. Offering this type of project as an additional means of expression allows students to extend the thinking that began during class discussion and solidify their understanding.

In another unit, we study background information on the Holocaust, read the memoir

Night, and learn about the author, Elie Wiesel. Then, students are asked to bear witness

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to what they’ve learned and share the opportunity to bear witness with others. To do so, students created memorial art based on Night and transformed the breezeway in our school into a temporary art exhibit, calling the community at large to engage with this part of history. Students’ artworks have been deeply reflective and they often use abstract symbolism in their art to express larger themes of oppression, injustice, bigotry, and fear.

In fact, their work has been so thoughtfully created that twice in the past two years, we have had a Benchmark student honored at Gratz College’s The Mordechai Anielewicz Creative Arts Competition for their creations.

Two years ago, a student wrote an original song from Wiesel’s perspective after being especially inspired by the final lines of the memoir: “One day when I was about to get up, I decided to look at myself in the mirror on the opposite wall. I had not seen myself since the ghetto. From the depths of the mirror, a corpse was contemplating me. The look in his eyes as he gazed at me has never left me.” This student’s analysis of his song states:

Malcolm Kamau displays his creation, “Light in Darkness.”

I was inspired to write this song after reading the

Malcolm explains, “I chose to have light in the center

final page of Night by Elie Wiesel. My song is a sad

symbolize the people who had hope. The musical notes

acoustic song, which represents this time period for

that are resonating from the light are showing a specific

[Wiesel]. Reading the last page of the book really

time in the novel…specifically when the prisoners of

struck me. It shows [Wiesel] looking into a mirror,

Auschwitz-Birkenau were being relocated to central

seeing himself for the first time in a long time, and

Germany because the Allies were getting closer. When

questioning who he is. It shows how being in the

they arrived at the new camp a boy, Juliek, that Elie had

situations he’s been in, causes change. Religion

seen before was playing Bach on his violin (a German

and human identity are brought up many times

composer whose music Jewish people were banned from

throughout the novel, and this song shows how he

playing). This music was light in the midst of horrible

questions them throughout his time in persecution.

darkness and was the one thing that the boy chose to

For this student, such a project not only allowed him to

do before his death.”

express a deep understanding of Wiesel’s persecution but also gave him a space in school to leverage his musical talents.

In the zone If you’ve ever done anything creative, you know that magical phase when you’re “in the zone.” The creativity Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2024

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is flowing, the ideas are cranking, and everything

concrete, to guide students in bringing an idea to

feels like it’s coming together. That’s when the magic

life, and to approach a task from several different

happens! These hands-on projects allow students to

angles. That’s the kind of learning I seek to support

get “in the zone” with literature topics, and that’s when

in my classroom.

those deep, subconscious, yet intentional connections are realized.

While Einstein may not have said the opening quote, he did say this about education: “I want to oppose the

So, perhaps if you saw my planner and noticed the time

idea that the school has to teach directly that special

spent on creative hands-on projects you would scratch

knowledge and those accomplishments which one has

your head and suggest I squeeze in another novel or

to use later directly in life. The demands of life are

assign another essay. But the truth is, challenging

much too manifold to let such a specialized training in

students to think deeply about a novel through close

school appear possible […] The development of general

reading, discussion, writing, AND hands-on projects

ability for independent thinking and judgment should

creates avenues for them to show what they know in

always be placed foremost.”

different ways, albeit non-traditional.

So I’ll close by saying, thank goodness for institutions By creating a space for all kinds of thinkers—those

like Benchmark that honor the independent thinking,

who flourish in writing, creative arts, critical thinking,

of students and teachers, and that allow teachers the

and discussion—we make more pathways for success

autonomy to be flexible with their time in the classroom

and opportunities to think differently. And that’s the

so we can create opportunities for more light-bulb

important thing—the ability and the freedom to think

moments and make learning more accessible for our

differently. Our rapidly changing world needs us, as

many kinds of thinkers.

teachers, to foster students’ ability to move beyond the

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TEACHING EXECUTIVE FUNCTION SKILLS What It Means and Why It Matters Eleanor Gensemer, Ed.D., Assistant Head of School for Academics and Leslie Stein, Ph.D., Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Certified School Psychologist, Child and Family Support Services Parents come to Benchmark School seeking specialized

Let’s take a closer look at the connection between

support for the complex learning processes that often

executive function skills and curricular demands,

remain unscaffolded in their child’s traditional school

highlighting the significance these skills hold for

environment. In the course of their time at Benchmark,

school success.

they hear about the crucial role executive function plays in their child’s learning curve or progress.

Just what do we mean by executive function, and how do we understand the important connection between learning processes and the executive skills that drive success? An executive function skill set has been identified as one of the most significant contributors to a child’s ability to manage academic demands. These skills are governed by the brain’s two prefrontal lobes that are fueled by neurotransmitters. When strong, learning progresses predictably. When not, frustration and stress loom large and growth becomes derailed. As educators, we invest heavily in our role as teachers and cultivators of this skill set that has been described as the “brain’s CEO.”

Hidden assets come to light

Reading A competent reader, for example, must learn the “ropes” for decoding while acquiring sight vocabulary and word knowledge, ultimately being able to comprehend what was read. To this end, students must first possess strong enough skills of focus and alertness to direct their sustained attention to the encoding of these new rules for later recall.

Closely related, the skill of working memory allows one to maintain access to rules already encoded while learning new ones...a hefty job, indeed! Struggling readers will likely require more “fuel” to attain the level of goal-directed persistence that is indispensable for such a challenging task. Students will furthermore need to demonstrate a capacity for response inhibition (the ability to “stop and think”) in order to prevent the

So what are these skills or “hidden assets to learning”?

impulsive guessing of a word based on the first letter

Executive function refers to the cognitive skills that help

that is perceived.

us establish the necessary strategies allowing the planful completion of goal-directed tasks. The role these skills

Finally, self-regulation enables the management of

play is closely linked to the concept of “self-regulation,”

frustration that is inherent in every learning process,

i.e., our capacity to organize behavior across time. Self-

but is especially common in young readers with a

regulation is what enables our learning train to stay on

history of phonological challenge.

track and make it up steep hills. Without it, we might have a train filled with valuable cargo going nowhere,

Math

unable to deliver the cognitive goods on the production

Success in math requires the attainment of number

line. Potential is wonderful, but remains an abstraction until it can be realized!

Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2024

sense along with an understanding of spatial reasoning

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and problem-solving, culminating in the accurate

sequentially in the act of writing, be it a paragraph in

execution of computational demands. Because of the

the lower grades or a literary analysis in middle school.

unique juxtaposition of signs, numbers, and letters in mathematical problem solving pursuits, sustained

Satisfactory levels of goal-directed persistence allow

attention takes on a critical role, not only in the process

students to engage in the working memory process

of listening to explanations, but also in correctly reading

of holding onto their thoughts while grappling with

the “sign” to successfully manage the computation.

the appropriate organization of them. Writing appears daunting, however, when one considers that a student

The executive function skill of working memory plays

must concurrently handle the mind jobs of handwriting,

a prominent role in enabling the student to handle

spelling, convention use, ideation, and expressive

multi-step procedures so intrinsic to mathematical

language. It is of little wonder that many capable

operations. Think about the level of working memory

students, when undermined by a weak toolbox of

involved in recalling the steps of a long division

executive skills, function as “minimalists,” writing as

problem while maintaining the computational

little as possible to get by, certainly not utilizing their

sustained attention that will ensure success.

true potential gifts.

The presence of flexibility as derived from the ability

Lastly, an adequate level of goal-directed persistence is

to shift mental set plays a central role in mathematical

also key in handling the frustration of proofreading, (i.e.,

learning. Mathematical operations will sometimes

self-monitoring), an executive function skill that plays

require the student to abandon a comfortable, though incorrect notion, and shift focus (much to a student’s chagrin) to a new idea that enables the problem to be solved correctly.

Additionally, the process of self-monitoring, i.e. checking one’s work for mistakes, plays a significant, if not exasperating role, in all problem-solving ventures. This skill is obviously closely tied to the self-regulatory ability that enables response inhibition, affording students the brakes that are needed to “stop and rethink.”

Writing Let’s say a few but vital words about the task of writing, one of the most energy-depleting academic jobs of all.

The act of writing is extremely complex and dependent upon all of the executive function skills working in sync to achieve the desired outcome. How can any student produce a reflection, for example, without strong enough sustained attention, combined with the ability to get things started (which is referred to as the executive function skill of task initiation)? Challenges in the skill of organization can create major difficulties in being able to pull ideas together logically and

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a significant role in middle school success. Speaking of frustration, the availability of self-regulation can prevent a student from impulsively destroying a product that has caused disappointment. Successful separation of one’s self-worth from one’s product is decidedly enhanced by the presence of metacognition (the act of self-reflecting), an executive function skill that we attempt to “gift” to all Benchmark students during their tenure at our school.

The visual arts In our less formal art environment, we expose children to different media, offering guidelines for successful management of materials and artistic expression.

When a new material or task is introduced, sustained attention allows the child to take in the information that facilitates favorable engagement. Engagement then requires involvement in task initiation, creating an initial plan that includes such elements as color

The visual and performing arts

and size selection.

At Benchmark we embrace the research that supports

Of course, any project in art demands a certain level of

the value of an arts-integrated curriculum. Not only

planning and organization, allowing students to remain

do the performing arts enhance the cognitive skills

on track as they pursue the goal of task completion.

of problem-solving, pattern recognition and critical

Time management skill is modeled by the teacher

thinking, but in the process of promoting creativity, they

who guides students in accomplishing the task within

also provide a rich environment for the development

a realistic time frame. In the process of creating a

and emergence of strong executive skills.

new idea, flexibility is key, especially when a student’s original vision is not necessarily achieved and something quite different emerges. It takes the support of an attuned teacher to encourage a student’s persistence in staying the course while being willing to explore the exigencies of the unknown. Needless to say, this degree of exploration requires and ultimately builds a significant degree of emotional control.

Music & performing arts In our music room, students are offered the complex, multisensory experience of “making music” that likewise involves and supports the development of executive function skill. Both singing and learning to play an instrument “is as much an exercise in executive function as it is in musicianship,” says Laurie Veacock, Benchmark music teacher.

When introduced to a new instrument, for example, a critical level of sustained attention enables the student to grasp the guidelines for successful involvement.

The process of procedural learning, however, cannot be successfully accomplished without some degree of working memory that permits the student to recall how to create specific sounds within a larger musical context. Of course, instrumental involvement takes

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practice, whether the instrument is a recorder or one’s own voice. As anyone who has ever engaged in this type of learning knows, automaticity takes a good deal of practice, challenging the student to attain a reasonable level of goal-directed persistence.

When the musical task involves the mastery of a drum, as in our Drums Alive program, our students are confronted with the task of maintaining their focus and alertness while working to develop the capacity for response inhibition that curtails “chaos.” Think about how much emotional control is involved in waiting for one’s cue to beat a drum! As in many other areas of the curriculum, an adequate level of self-regulation reins in the frustration inherent in musical performance, allowing our students to benefit from the pleasure and joy involved in creating music collaboratively.

How we build skill success So how are these executive function skills taught and reinforced at Benchmark School?

Research has shown that instruction that is explicit and carefully scaffolded leads to successful outcomes for students in all areas of the curriculum. Research is also clear that skills instruction that is embedded in existing learning opportunities is more effective than when taught in isolation; for example, a course in executive function skills is not as effective as executive function instruction built into what students are already learning.

When the skill taught is embedded in existing instruction, there is more likelihood that the skill will be used in the situations where it is taught and cued, and transferred to other situations or experiences. Executive function skills are explicitly taught in one class and scaffolded and embedded across the curriculum so that students experience the skill in a variety of settings and begin to internalize ways they can use the skill in many different ways and in different contexts.

Explicit instruction Teaching executive function skills explicitly follows a prescribed format. Teachers introduce the skill by talking about what the students will learn. Often teachers give an example, or read a book to the students that demonstrates the strategy. The lesson proceeds with a discussion of why the skill is important, when the students can use the skill, and the teacher then discusses how the skill will be implemented both in the classroom and outside the classroom. For example, when introducing the executive function skill of response inhibition, the teacher would begin by telling the students: “Today we’re going to talk about response inhibition. Response inhibition means being able to control your response to a distraction, or to wait your turn in a conversation.

Today we’re going to read My Mouth is a Volcano! by Julia Cook about learning to manage our thoughts and words without interrupting others.”

The teacher would read the book aloud, and continue the lesson by talking about the

why, when, and how of the skill. Depending on the age of the students, the how might

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be raising their hands to share an idea, or the teacher

use of the skill. This step can be repeated as often as

may have the group sit quietly and then pull the name

necessary for the students to be comfortable using

of a student from a container and that student shares

the skill. Finally, in the “you do” step of scaffolding, the

their thoughts, or the teacher may have a plan to cue

teacher observes the students using the skill on their

students when they interrupt someone.

own, again giving feedback as needed.

Transitioning responsibility

Executive function skills are assessed on an ongoing,

After the skill is introduced, the teacher scaffolds

individualized basis through teacher observation of the

the use of the skill using the “I do, we do, you do”

student implementing the skill. In the “you do” step of

approach, moving from teacher control of the skill to

scaffolded instruction, teachers observe the students

student control. The teacher has introduced the skill

and give immediate feedback, shaping the student’s use

using the “I do” step where the skill is explicitly taught

of the skill. The teacher engages the student in self-

(see above). Next, in the “we do” step, the teacher and

reflection about how the skill is working: Is it helping

the students practice the skill together with the teacher

the student? Are changes in the skill needed? How is

giving immediate feedback to the students about their

the student feeling about using the skill?

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Additional assessment is done through goal cards, where students set a goal to use the skill and keep track of the number of times they were successful at

Resources for Parents/Caregivers

implementing it. This also leads to a discussion with the

•

ADDitude Magazine, additudemag.com

teacher about the student’s successes at implementing

•

Cooper-Kahn, Joyce, and Laurie C. Dietzel.

the skill, and about the need for changes in the

Late, Lost and Unprepared: A Parents’

approach, if warranted.

Guide to Helping Children with Executive

The extraordinary lifelong toolbox

2008.

One of the hallmarks of a Benchmark education is the

Functioning. Bethesda, Woodbine House, •

Dawson, Peg, and Richard Guare. Smart but

Scattered: The Revolutionary “Executive

extraordinary “toolbox” of strategy and study skills that

Skills” Approach to Helping Kids Reach

our students carry to their next learning environment and beyond. Our graduates have continually remarked

Their Potential. New York, The Guilford

about the significance these tools have in the

Press, 2009.

foundational landscape of their lives.

•

Levine, Melvin D. The Myth of Laziness. New York, Simon & Schuster, 2004.

Clearly, the assemblage and reliability of a “toolbox” is highly dependent upon the underpinning of executive function skills that afford our students access to

Books for Children

strategy instruction. A strong sustained attention, for

•

Cook, Julia. My Mouth is a Volcano! National

•

Smith, Bryan. How Do I Remember All That?

example, allows for the encoding of strategies and study skills into short-term memory storage which

Center for Youth Issues, 2005.

is critical for long-term memory consolidation and subsequent academic success. In other words, our students need a stable capacity to sustain attention

Boys Town Press, 2021.

•

Smith, Bryan. Time to Get Started! Boys Town Press, 2018.

in order to process the strategic information imparted to them within the classroom.

We work diligently as a staff, to assess and bolster the skills responsible for the attainment of this cherished “toolbox.” Our parents, as well, become a valuable resource in this process of supporting the continued growth and development of their child’s executive function skill set. Committed partnering with our children and their families allows this transfer of skills to occur.

If we believe the voices of our alumni, we, perhaps, can agree that we are on the right track.

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Executive Function Skills Response Inhibition

Working Memory

Emotional Control

Flexibility

Response inhibition is

Working memory is the

Emotional control is

Flexibility is the ability

the capacity to think

ability to hold information

the ability to manage

to revise plans or

before acting. This ability

in one’s mind while

emotions in order to

intentions in the face of

to resist the urge to say

performing complex tasks.

achieve goals, complete

obstacles, setbacks, new

or do something allows

It incorporates the ability

tasks, or control and

information, or mistakes.

students the time to

to draw on past learning

direct behavior.

evaluate a situation and

to apply to the situation

how one’s behavior might

at hand or to project into

affect it.

the future.

Sustained Attention

Task Initiation

Sustained attention is

Planning/ Prioritizing

Organization

the ability to begin

Planning and prioritizing

to create and maintain

the capacity to maintain

projects without undue

are the abilities needed to

systems to keep track of

attention to a situation

procrastination.

create a roadmap to reach

information or materials.

Task initiation is

or task in spite of

a goal or to complete a

distractibility, fatigue,

task. It also calls for being

or boredom.

able to make decisions

Organization is the ability

about what’s important to focus on and what’s not important.

Time Management Time management is the

Goal-Directed Persistence

Metacognition Metacognition is the

capacity to estimate how

Goal-directed persistence

ability to stand back and

much time one has, how

is the capacity to have

take a birds-eye view of

to allocate it, and how

a goal, follow through

oneself in a situation. It

to stay within time limits

to the completion of

is an ability to observe

and deadlines. It also

the goal and not be

how one thinks and solves

involves a sense that

put off or distracted by

problems. It also includes

time is important.

competing interests.

self-monitoring and selfevaluative skills, such as asking oneself, “How am I doing?” or “How did I do?”.

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COMING FROM A PLACE OF GRACE Facilitating DEIB Conversations With Students Who Have Executive Function Challenges Latrisha Chattin, Ed.D., Head of Middle School, DEIB Coordinator

Our DEIB Mission and Vision

Benchmark School strives 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. Individual introspection, open dialogue, and institutional reflection are critical and ongoing elements to building a just, equitable, and inclusive school community.

We embrace and affirm diverse beliefs and backgrounds in our curriculum, professional development, hiring practices, admissions, professional relationships, event programming, and most especially, among the lived relationships of our students. We believe that this work is a responsibility held by all and done for all.

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Benchmark has a strong history of valuing the diversity of its students and faculty. The individual racial, ethnic, religious, and socioeconomic backgrounds of our school family define us at our core. To this end, we are committed to creating an environment where everyone feels valued and welcomed through our instruction, policies, and practices. This is work held by the entire Benchmark community, but overseen by the DEIB Coordinator and Committee.

“What are those?”

Billy and Khasim are outside playing four square at recess. Billy bounces the ball at Khasim’s feet and notices that he’s wearing a pair of no-name sneakers that are coming apart at the toe.

“What are those?!” Billy exclaims.

Khasim, upset, runs away crying.

That evening Khasim’s parents email the teacher and explain the situation. They want to know what consequence Billy will receive for bullying their son about his sneakers.

Who we serve This past year, the DEIB Committee employed the theme of “Belonging,” so that all stakeholders could bring their complete and authentic self to school every day in ways that support the learning environment.

Because our school serves such a diverse population— including students who are neurodivergent, have executive function challenges, mobility disabilities, speech and communication challenges, and other language-based learning differences—many of our students have a personal experience with being “othered.” These experiences may be layered on top of their racial, ethnic, religious, socioeconomic, or genderbased identities.

However, despite having these experiences our students may impulsively repeat something they’ve heard or act in a way that contradicts their value systems because of their underdeveloped executive function skills.

In the vignette above, Billy has been unkind to Khasim.

His actions disparaged Khasim’s shoes, which can be interpreted as an insult to Khasim’s social class status.

Without any further context, this is clearly a case that’s headed toward disciplinary action.

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Benchmark’s restorative justice approach However, when DEIB-related issues occur at Benchmark, I prefer to take a restorative justice approach to resolving the conflict. I find this approach to be child-centered, developmentally appropriate, and aligned with our mission and values. Restorative justice practices allow all parties involved to engage in productive dialogue.

In the case of Billy and Khasim, they would be asked to conference with a trusted adult. The adult will: •

Teacher: Billy, we don’t interrupt, but why don’t you tell me what happened from your point of view?

Billy: I didn’t say your shoes were ugly, I said, “What are those?!”

Khasim: That’s what that means! You’re making fun of my shoes.

Billy: Oh, I didn’t know that.

Teacher: Well, what did you mean when you said that to Khasim?

Conference with all involved parties.

Billy: I don’t know. My older brother always says that to

All individuals directly or indirectly involved

his friends. I just thought it was funny. I didn’t mean to

and witnesses would be asked to share their

hurt his feelings.

perspectives.

•

Identify the intent. Sometimes what was said wasn’t what was intended. This can be compounded by students who are still developing their emotional control and response inhibition.

During the restorative process, all parties can discuss what they intended to accomplish with their actions. Students may not be interrupted while they are delivering their statements and the

•

Teacher: Well, it’s good to know you didn’t mean to do it on purpose. Khasim, did you hear that Billy didn’t know what that meant?

Khasim: Yes, but it still hurt my feelings.

Teacher: Billy, Khasim’s feelings are hurt. What can you do to restore your relationship with him?

statements are not debatable.

Billy: Khasim, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt your

What do you need? Individuals name what

feelings. Now that I know what that means, I won’t say

they need to move on and create a plan to prevent the incident from reoccurring.

In the case of Billy and Khasim our restorative conference went like this:

it again. Next time you can tell me when I hurt your feelings. I don’t want you to not be my friend.

Teacher: So, what I heard was Billy apologizing for hurting your feelings and promising not to say it again. Billy is asking that next time you let him know if his words are harmful so that he can apologize immediately. Khasim, does that plan work for you?

Teacher: Khasim, why don’t you start by telling me what happened yesterday during four square?

Khasim: Yes.

Khasim: Well, we were playing four square and Billy said my shoes were ugly.

Billy: No I didn’t!

36

Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2024

Feature

The restorative justice process encourages all parties to take responsibility in their part of the conflict and to create a resolution that everyone can agree with. In the older grades, there is often a written reflection that precedes the conversation so that students can process their thoughts before the conference.

At times, this constructive and time-consuming process can ironically feel as if justice has not been served.

Restorative justice requires us to put aside the punitive systems that most of us have been raised with and operate in and move toward a solution-oriented approach. Furthermore, there are times when restorative justice is just the first step in the resolution process. The next step may involve issuing a consequence. However, our primary focus when serving students who are developing their executive skills is to first operate from a place of grace to help them understand why their actions were harmful and to repair their learning community.

You can also have restorative conversations at home. You might find it a welcome alternative to implementing restrictions and arguments with your children. Here are some resources you can use to guide your conversations.

Resources for Restorative Justice •

Restorative Conversations at School Maynard, N., & Weinstein, B. (2020). Hacking school discipline: 9 ways to create a culture of empathy &

•

responsibility using restorative justice. Times 10 Publications.

Restorative Conversations at Home The Conflict Center (conflictcenter.org).

Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2024

37

Graduates

Congratulations Class of 2024!

Every member of the class of 2024 worked very hard to reach this point, and we are immensely proud of their perseverance and commitment.

We wish you great success and happiness in high school and beyond!

Sara Ahlgrimm

Lucas Arend

What is your favorite memory from Benchmark?

Words of the Wiser for Younger Students

Playing volleyball with friends.

Study for math tests in 7th grade.

Words of the Wiser for Younger Students Embrace the Benchmark process.

Math gets way harder in 7th grade.

Benchmark taught me...

It is important to study for your tests because it will help you in the long run.

Thomas Ashton

Alexander Bacon

Evie Bartholdson

What is your favorite memory from Benchmark?

Words of the Wiser for Younger Students

What is your favorite memory from Benchmark?

Ben using hand sanitizer as hair gel

School will get harder and harder

My favorite memory from

or Golden Corral at Gettysburg.

but it’s worth it.

Benchmark was the Shrek murals.

Benchmark taught me...

What is your favorite quotation?

Benchmark taught me...

Good study habits and how to manage your work.

“So many books, so little time.”

To ask for help when I need it.

(Frank Zappa)

38

Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2024

Graduates

Jaya Chahal

Kyle Cilli

Jane Driscoll

What is your favorite memory from Benchmark?

Words of the Wiser for Younger Students

What is your favorite quotation?

7th grade math class.

Make use of your mentors.

“You can have it all, you just can’t

What is your favorite quotation?

Benchmark taught me...

How to effectively use the tools

Benchmark taught me...

“Embrace failure as an opportunity

around me.

That if you try hard you will

to learn and improve.”

have it all at once.” (Oprah Winfrey)

succeed.

(Dominic Fike)

Fintan Duffy

Luke Elliott

Eliza Flaherty

What is your favorite quotation?

Words of the Wiser for Younger Students

Words of the Wiser for Younger Students

“Living in the moment, it’s a gift.

Hard work will always outwork

Just keep going when times are

That’s why they call it the present.”

talent and if you keep persisting

tough even when you really don’t

(Ted Lasso)

you can be anything you wish.

want to because you’ll make it

Benchmark taught me...

What is your favorite class?

How to think for myself.

My favorite class is gym. I love

Benchmark taught me...

getting exercise.

How to be myself.

Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2024

eventually.

39

Graduates

Lance Ford

Angelina Georgiou

Cass Hanway

Words of the Wiser for Younger Students

Words of the Wiser for Younger Students

Words of the Wiser for Younger Students

Learn using Audible.

You’ll survive.

Do your homework.

What is your favorite quotation?

Benchmark taught me...

Benchmark taught me...

Lots of stuff.

How to read.

Conall Harvey

Emmett Hastings

Will Hummel

What is your favorite memory from Benchmark?

What is your favorite memory from Benchmark?

What is your favorite memory from Benchmark?

Going to the Spy Museum.

My favorite memory from

Doing Flipgrids in 7th grade.

“Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”

(William Hazlitt)

Benchmark taught me...

That math gets harder every year.

Benchmark was all the Field Days because they were a lot of fun.

Benchmark taught me...

How to be an effective student.

Benchmark taught me…

Lots of great things I can use later on in life.

40

Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2024

Graduates

Malcolm Kamau

William Lampe

Dillon Locher

What is your favorite memory from Benchmark?

Words of the Wiser for Younger Students

What is your favorite memory from Benchmark?

When me and my friends were

Stay motivated.

Going to Gettysburg.

Benchmark taught me...

Benchmark taught me...

What is your favorite quotation?

Strategies for learning and studying.

“Once you know what failure feels

JCs at Benchmark summer camp.

How to read better.

like, determination chases success.”

(Kobe Bryant)

Jude Mallowe

Mercy McEvoy

Conor McGowan

Words of the Wiser for Younger Students

Words of the Wiser for Younger Students

Words of the Wiser for Younger Students

Always do what you are told even

Don’t put assignments aside or

We all have grit inside of us, we

if you don’t want to.

you’ll never get them done.

just need to use it.

Benchmark taught me...

Benchmark taught me...

Benchmark taught me...

To try your best.

How to problem solve.

To be flexible and accept feedback from my teachers.

Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2024

41

Graduates

Isabella McKernan

Ashton Muehl

Anthony Orapallo

What is your favorite memory from Benchmark?

What is your favorite memory from Benchmark?

What is your favorite memory from Benchmark?

Mini-THON.

The Golden Corral from Gettysburg.

Meeting my friends.

Benchmark taught me...

Benchmark taught me...

Benchmark taught me...

That it is okay to make mistakes so

How to read.

That I get a lot of support here.

Addison Rogers

Chase Schmidt

Nathan Sofish

What is your favorite memory from Benchmark?

Words of the Wiser for Younger Students

What is your favorite memory from Benchmark?

Ms. Yatsinko and Mrs. Malone’s

Don’t talk back to teachers.

The 7th grade Gettysburg trip or

you can learn from them.

break time in 7th grade language arts.

Benchmark taught me...

To be myself.

going to the aquarium in third grade.

Benchmark taught me...

Benchmark taught me...

How to be independent and

How to be a good self-advocate.

solve problems for myself.

42

Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2024

Graduates

Beau Spagnuolo Words of the Wiser for Younger Students Everything will work out.

Benchmark taught me...

Everything I know.

Annie Verdi

Miles ToussaintWilliams

Words of the Wiser for Younger Students

Words of the Wiser for Younger Students

Asking a question isn’t

Advocate for yourself.

embarrassing, it’s beneficial.

What is your favorite quotation?

Benchmark taught me...

“If you can’t fly then run, if you

I do need the time and a half.

can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”

(Martin Luther King, Jr.)

GRADS! STAY IN TOUCH! Madaline Yerger Words of the Wiser for Younger Students Always work hard no matter what obstacles come your way.

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.

Benchmark taught me...

How to advocate for myself.

Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2024

Submit your news and photos via the “Alumni” section of our website.

43

Alumni Updates

CLASS NOTES

‘80 David Bloom serves as Resident Director and Senior Financial Advisor at Merrill Wealth Management. He says, “My wife and I are excited to become Benchmark Parents in the fall of 2024 when our son Logan enters the 6th grade.”

‘81 Eric Knight has continued to engage in cycling adventures. He reports, “I took one of my high wheel bicycles to Japan to retrace the final leg of Thomas Stevens’ historic around the world tour (1884-1887).

My college roommate, Mark Kennedy, accompanied me on an ebike and together we completed the 900mile journey from Nagasaki to Yokohama on October

yearning for that structure. It was really good for me.

I was very fortunate to go here and get the help that I needed.”

After Benchmark, Chris went to Malvern Prep, then Loyola University, and graduated with a degree in business administration with a concentration in finance.

In June 2001, he took a job as a financial representative at Northwestern Mutual, and then entered the mortgage industry. He later applied his knowledge of mortgages to become a federal agent in the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, investigating mortgage fraud, amongst other things. Chris became an agent at 30, spent 6 years with HUD, and just over 6 years with the Department of Justice working with internal affairs investigations. Now Chris is with the US Department of Transportation investigating financial fraud and criminal safety investigations of counterfeit parts.

25, 2023. We got a lot of media attention including the Yahoo News feed and NHK TV. The journey was physically demanding riding on a 54-inch high wheeler, but it was rewarding to see the smiles on the faces of so many and to bring history to life.”

‘93 Christopher Prout stopped by Benchmark in April with his wife Sarah and two of his three children, his daughter Ivy and his baby boy Thomas. His other daughter is Emily. Chris said, “Benchmark was a phenomenal thing for me. I came to Benchmark in 4th grade and I just crushed it that year. I guess I was

44

Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2024

Alumni Updates

‘03 Alex Krenz graduated from Villanova University in December 2023 with his Doctor of Nursing Practice in Anesthesia (DNP). Alex (newly Dr. Krenz), works as

10 years with Walker Luxury Vacation Rentals out of Austin, Texas. I am now the Executive Director of the company. I got married in October 2022 and became a mom to my amazing daughter Weston on September 17, 2023.” Reflecting on

a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (official title

Benchmark, Macaulay

DNP-CRNA) at York Hospital in York, PA.

says, “I will never forget the teachers I had and the

Alex gained many accolades during his training;

friends I made, many of

he graduated with a 4.0 GPA, was a 2023 Student

whom I still stay in touch

Representative to Pennsylvania Association of

with today! Ms. Scott,

Nurse Anesthetists’ Board of Trustees; was a Nurse

Miss McKenna, and Mrs.

Anesthetist Traineeship Federal Grant Recipient;

Veacock created the most

American Association of Nurse Anesthetists Scholarship

welcoming environment

Recipient; a Pennsylvania Association of Nurse

and made education fun

Anesthetists’ Diana U. Davidson Memorial Scholarship Recipient; and the winner of Student Advocate of the Year Award for Villanova University’s Nurse Anesthesia program.

‘04 Laura (Carrington) Sahlin and her husband welcomed a little boy, Graham, in May of last year. She resides in the Philadelphia suburbs and just finished up her 11th year teaching at Benchmark.

for the first time in my life. I also loved being one of the few female soccer players. Mr. Reichart and that team was a highlight of my experience at Benchmark.”

‘07 Zac Arch visited Benchmark in April 2024 to share his new children’s book, Tot the Talented Otter, about an otter whose dyslexia is not a hurdle but a superpower that unlocks adventures.

Zac spoke to Lower School students about his dyslexia and explained how Benchmark School and his teachers were instrumental in allowing him to become a successful writer and professional.

‘05 Macauley Kistler Marshall lives in Boulder, CO and attended West Chester Henderson High School before completing a degree in Communications from West Chester University. Macauley says, “I just celebrated Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2024

45

Alumni Updates

‘08

is still an avid rugby player and is going into his 13th

Luca Dragani attended La Salle College High School

year playing the sport.

after Benchmark and then gained his BA at Loyola

During the fall and spring,

University and an MS from The New School for Social

he plays for Media Rugby

Research. Luca works as a Senior Data Solutions Analyst

and during the summer,

at Comcast NBCU and he recently became engaged.

he plays for NAV (National

‘09

Athletic Village).

Lucas Elek is in the process of applying for the bar in Colorado. Lucas attended The Haverford School followed by Williams College, and studied law at the University of Colorado. He enjoys doing “Colorado things” like trail running, skiing, and petting dogs.

Derick Geddes Peake lives in Bryn Mawr and recently graduated from Williams College. He works at a real estate private equity firm that invests in multifamily apartment buildings. He’s also an active skier, saying, “I have been a competitive ski racer almost all of my life (until retiring recently). After high school, I took time off and pursued ski racing professionally. I trained and competed across four continents and eleven countries.

After a year, I decided to go to college and compete on the Division I circuit.”

Reflecting on Benchmark, Derick says, “When I initially came to Benchmark I could not read. I thought that I would never learn and was doomed. However, Benchmark completely

‘10 Devon Cosgrove is finishing her MFA in Sound Design at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in Savannah, GA. Over the past summer, Devon worked as a sound effects editor on a feature length film alongside Hollywood sound designers Matt Yocum and Ryan Sullivan. (Matt Yocum has worked on American Fiction, The Last of Us, and Madame Web, and Ryan Sullivan has worked on The Lord of The Rings: Rings of Power, The Bikeriders, and Five Nights At Freddy’s.) This was Devon’s first feature length film, and she hopes to move to Los Angeles in the near future.

‘12 Trey Milby just completed his second year as the head of athletics and PE teacher at Benchmark School. Trey

46

changed the trajectory of my academic and life path.

Without Benchmark I truly do not know where I would be today and I constantly think of the impact the school made on my life.”

Graham Zug came back to Benchmark for a visit in January 2024. He said, “The primary thing that brought me back here is my relationship that I had with a lot of my teachers, even though I hadn’t talked to them in years.” He offered a special shout-out to Dr. MacDonald, Ms. Scott, Mrs. Rahm, Ms. Wonderland, Mrs. Crowe, and Mrs. Cuthbertson, saying, “They were extremely engaged with who we were as individuals and that is something Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2024

Alumni Updates

that is very important especially in the context of education…They helped me find my way in the world.”

‘17 Blake Fox recently completed a summer internship at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to protecting free speech and free expression in American society. In this role, he conducted legal research, assisted FIRE’s litigation and development teams, and helped plan FIRE’s Student Network Conference.

A rising junior at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, Blake is pursuing a history major and a minor in animal studies. In the Spring 2024 semester, he was a “student teacher,” teaching a full-credit course

After Benchmark, Graham completed a double major in math and computer science at University of Pittsburgh.

Graham recently worked as a software engineer at LongPath Technologies, where he helped to create methane mitigation technology. Before LongPath, he had been a professional poker player. Graham is recently engaged and just moved to Burlington, VT. Many of his friends and their partners are in the Burlington area, and he and his fiance moved to Burlington to be closer to a strong friend community. “I’m more excited about life right now than just about any other time.” Graham has recently embarked on a new position as a research scientist at a company called GTO Wizard, where he’ll be building poker solutions.

on the United States Supreme Court at Wesleyan. He also manages the largest independently operated TikTok account (@ConstitutitonalLaw) dedicated to covering the United States Supreme Court with a following of nearly 22,000. After his undergraduate studies, Blake plans on attending law school and envisions a law career, focusing on Supreme Court and Appellate litigation.

Blake notes that he is always thankful and appreciative of his teachers at Benchmark, who helped him grow into a better learner, self-advocate, and person.

Jenna Gibson attended Woodlynde School for

‘13

high school and then

Joseph A. Gallo lives

year, studying animal

in Media and attended Penncrest High School.

Joseph works at Transmission Specialties and started side work detailing cars to try to start his own business.

Lately Joseph has been enjoying going to car shows. He has fond memories of his time at Benchmark helping out with the play.

Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2024

went to college for a science. She decided college wasn’t for her, noting, “It isn’t for everyone. You aren’t genuinely forced to go to college, and you can be just as successful even if you end up not going to college.”

Jenna spends a lot of her time volunteering and taking in foster animals and rehabilitating animals in need, as well as landscaping.

47

Alumni Updates

in each vo-tech program. He also earned one of the highest scores on the NOCTI performance test.

Tommy currently works for Cavan Construction, the Smith family business, but he is looking to move on from there to make his own way.

Tommy is also attending fire school for firefighter training, and is currently serving as a volunteer firefighter with the Edgmont Township Fire Company.

In the future, Tommy plans to take business classes

‘19 Gabby Paolella is in her sophomore year at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA. She is working on a double major in Psychology and Nutrition and is an athlete on the Track and Field team.

and eventually own his own construction business.

‘21 Charlie Noble is thriving at the Haverford School, where he is playing varsity soccer and finished a successful season on the Speech Team (and was semifinalist at

‘20

the state competition for the past two years). Charlie

Jimmy Bruder is beginning

confidence, and self-knowledge.

his first year at the University of Florida this fall. His mother Marisa comments, “We owe all of his success to the Benchmark School. He could not be where he is today without the skills and support of Benchmark!”

Tommy Smith graduated this past spring from Delaware County Technical High School in the carpentry program, where he was awarded the DCTS Registry of Excellence Medal. This award is only given to the top student

credits his years at Benchmark for building his skills,

‘22 Abbey Breslin is attending Delaware Valley Friends School, where she is helping co-clerk the service committee. She’s also heavily involved in athletics, and plays tennis, basketball, and lacrosse.

Abbey says, “Benchmark has truly changed my life in so many ways. It has helped me be able to know the way I learn and what I need to do or ask for to help me be a better learner.

Also the staff and I made some really good relationships and they have helped me in happy times and at times where there was something going on or I was stuck on my assignment. Now being in high school, some of the things that I learned are really helping me to be the best student and friend that I can be.”

48

Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2024

Alumni Updates

Generational Friendships Jessica (Katz) Grosso ‘08, Carly (Katz) Grosso ‘09, Mike Grosso ‘10, and Mary Katherine (Ortale) Montgomery ‘08 all met and became friends at Benchmark. Now their children are growing up together!

L to R: Kiernan Montgomery, Ben Furniss ‘29, Mason Grosso, and Adler Furniss

Did you find the bobcat?

It's on page 29!

Alumni Kickball Game In May, we hosted our first annual Young Alumni Kickball event. High school students returned to campus to compete with and against our staff and 8th grade students with special guest umpire, Wayne Reichart.

Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2024

49

Report of Gifts

REPORT OF GIFTS 2023-2024 The 1970 Leadership Society Named for the year of its founding, the 1970 Leadership Society is composed of donors whose generous gifts through the Benchmark Fund, EITC, OSTC, capital giving, and endowed funds to Benchmark School total $1,000 or more. It is with great appreciation and gratitude that we recognize these donors.

Founders $50K+ Ashly & Dan* Berger ’93, P’27 Ilene & Steve Berger, P’93, P’96 Maggie & Matthew Brodnik, P’22 Wendi* & Charlie Chase, P’06 Clark Capital Management Group, Inc. LLC Comcast Corporation Elaine & Len* DeStefano, P’23 The Graham Family Dawn & Nicholas* Kemp, P’10 Cindy Berger Nissen ’96, P’27 Shira & Brad Paul, P’25 Charlie Ryan,* P’17 Scholars $25K-$49,999 Monika & Joerg Ahlgrimm, P’24 Nikki & John Bendl Jeffrey Berstein The Bucci Family, P’29, P’30 Marcia & Greg Coleman Lesli Esposito & Pete Verdi, P’24 Aimee & Vince Fabiani, P’28 Joanne & Jon Harmelin Ashley & John McEvoy, P’15, P’24 Jami W. McKeon & John F. Hollway, P’98 Brooke & David Rounick, P’30 The Slye Family The Tally Foundation Jim Viner,* P’21 WSFS Bank Visionaries $10K-$24,999 Stacy & Gaeton Biscardi, P’23, P’26 Kate & Dave Black, P’23 Michelle & Charles* Bramley Anne Marie & Darryl Cilli, P’24 The Coltman Family Foundation Kathy & Bob Elias Philanthropic Fund Mary & Joe Fenkel, P’03 Beth & Peter Goodhart, P’10 Missy & Ed Hanway, P’18, P’19, P’22, P’24 Emily & Rob* Lambert, P’27 Caren Lambert, P’17

50

Keith Morgan Sandra Nesbitt Northwestern Mutual Foundation Sheri & Ken Resnik, P’09 The Rorer Foundation Suzanne B. Perot Candice & Benjamin* Rogers ’95, P’24 Dawn & Rich* Salerno, P’26 Terryglass Foundation Alfred P. West, P’85 Loralee West, P’85 Anonymous (2)

Utica National Insurance Group Harris Wildstein

Mentors $1,000-$2,499 Valerie & Sean Bard ’82, P’21 Leslie R. Blum Barbara & B. Gerard Bricks, P’88 Solomon & Sylvia Bronstein Foundation Amber ’84* & Pierce Buller Citizens Charitable Foundation Marie & John Connolly, P’11 Eileen & Andrew Flaherty, P’24 Innovators $5,000-$9,999 Staci & Eric Gaupp, P’26, P’27 Sasha Ballen & Dee Spagnuolo, Eleanor Gensemer P’24, P’28 Ann & Maurice Glavin, P’12 Carolyn & John Bartholdson, P’24 Carol Glowacki, P’26 The Becket Family Foundation Anne & Matt Hamilton, P’94, P’98, Laina & Rob Driscoll, P’24 P’01, P’07 Patricia Ralph Fowler & Gordon B. Natasha Harnwell-Davis ’05 Fowler, P’11 Ann Jones Tina Isen Fox & Richard Fox, P’17 Patti Karolyi & Michael Semerjian, Martha N. Hill, P’80 P’20, P’23 Kelly & Kevin Kolmer, P’27 Henry L. Kimelman Family Foundation Lauren & James Maloney ’04 Sarah & Shane Kinsella, P’26 Wendy Miller & Mark Dooley, P’18 Sue & Mark Lankford Nancy & Robert Mitchell Kate & Mark McAllister, P’18 Kristen & Keith Peter, P’27 Susan & Brian McGowan Jr., P’24, P’25 Amy & Jim Petersen, P’07 Mercedes & Michael Migliore, P’25 The Joey Pozzuolo Family Foundation Mary Katherine ’08 & Nicholas SofterWare, Inc. Montgomery Cheryl & Thomas Weir, P’01 Julia & Thomas Patterson, P’83, P’89 Anonymous Carter Paul ’25 Michelle Pearlman & Andrew Denker, Trailblazers $2,500-$4,999 P’27 Amanda* & Doug Bruno Judy & Geoff Schnyder, P’22 Mindy & Jesse Civan, P’28 Meghan & Kevin Shea, P’26 Susan T. Deakins, P’11 Nuriye Uygur, P’16, P’17 Carole M. Filtz, P’92 Anne & Jeffrey Walkenhorst, P’27 Chris Hancock Sarah & Paul Westcott, P’28 Ann & Howard* Marcus Mark Wildstein Emily & Brian Newmark, P’15 Anonymous Republic Bank Barbara & James Rogers, P’93, P’95, P’00

*Trustee

Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2024

Report of Gifts Philanthropy at Benchmark There are many ways in which we ask our community to participate in Benchmark School’s philanthropic efforts.

Below are the ways in which our generous donors have contributed to making our school extraordinary.

Didem Goz Ayturk & Ugur Ayturk Aqua America, Inc. Sasha Ballen & Dee Spagnuolo Valerie & Sean Bard ’82 Carolyn & John Bartholdson Carolyn & John Bartholdson Mary Lee & Harris Bass Ashly & Dan* Berger ’93 Dolly & Bill Baumann Ilene & Steve Berger The Becket Family Foundation Stacy & Gaeton Biscardi Kristin & Bill Becket Maggie & Matthew Brodnik Dona Horowitz-Behrend & David Wendi* & Charlie Chase Behrend Anne Marie & Darryl Cilli Betsy & Charles Bemis Citizens Charitable Foundation Nikki & John Bendl Marcia & Greg Coleman Benevity Elaine & Len* DeStefano Dorrance (Hamilton) Benson ’94 Lesli Esposito & Pete Verdi Ashly & Dan* Berger ’93 Tina Isen Fox & Richard Fox Karen Berry Beth & Peter Goodhart Stacy & Gaeton Biscardi The Graham Family Blackbaud Giving Fund/YourCause Dawn & Nicholas* Kemp Anne Blackburn Ashley & John McEvoy Alfred Blatter Jami W. McKeon & John F. Hollway Leslie R. Blum Cindy Berger Nissen ’96 Lenore Boccia Northwestern Mutual Foundation Kathy & Michelle* Bogosian Shira & Brad Paul Lisa & Rick Bonvicini Amy & Jim Petersen Michele & Charles* Bramley Candice & Benjamin* Rogers ’95 The Brandow Family The Tally Foundation Rochelle & Brian Brazina ’91 Anonymous Barbara & B. Gerard Bricks Josh Bricks ’88 Benchmark Fund Sally & Peter Brodie The Benchmark Fund is Benchmark Maggie & Matthew Brodnik School’s annual giving program.

Amanda* & Doug Bruno Each year, we invite all members The Bucci Family of our community to make an Amber ’84* & Pierce Buller unrestricted gift of any size to this Alyce Callison fund. Supporting our school through Rachel Cameron this fund enables us to provide Terri Cappelli & Francis Jennings the best educational experience to Lauren Cristella & Doug Campbell our students. Thank you to the 305 Susan & James Carr trustees, parents, alumni, parents of Sandra Casimir alumni, grandparents, faculty, Stefanie Causey and friends who helped us raise over Centeno Family $341,000 for the Benchmark Fund.

Wendi* & Charlie Chase Latrisha Chattin Acme-Give Back Where It Counts Ridgely Chew ’00 Program CHUBB Charitable Foundation Mary & Joel Adams Melody Chou & Ted Tang Lauren Ainsworth Mindy & Jesse Civan Carol & Douglas Allan Coca-Cola Give America’s Charities Marcia & W. Gregory Coleman Susan Arabia Comcast Corporation Elizabeth Atterbury Shannon & Terry Connelly Mary & Richard Auchincloss Marie & John Connolly Capital Giving The following donors have made gifts towards capital projects during the 2023-2024 school year.

Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2024

*Trustee

Corning Foundation Susan & Kevin Cosgrove Faith Cost Jesse Crowding Rosanne Crowe Christopher B. Crowley ’94 Sarah & Brian Cuzzolina Andre Dasent The Davidson Family Charitable Fund Astrid Davis ’22 Heidi Davis ’20 Debbie DeBenedictis Jane & Ernest Dellheim Barbara Demos Gina & Ted Diederich ’91 Kathy Dinella Mara Dixon Lorraine Wilson-Drake & Anthony Drake Kay Draper Betsy & Michael Dubin Jeong & Bill Duffy Lindsay & Jerry DuPhily Carliss Egan McDevitt ’08 Sara Barton & Hentzi Elek Kathy & Bob Elias Employees of Penn’s Way Anne Esposito Betty & Vic Esposito Lesli Esposito & Pete Verdi Aimee & Vince Fabiani Maura Fallon ’15 Carole M. Filtz Eileen & Andrew Flaherty Karen & Ted Fluck Dorothy Flynn Kelly & Kevin Ford Patricia Ralph Fowler & Gordon B. Fowler Jr. Joan Fox Stefanie Frayne Jan & Don Frisch Francesca & Noah Gans-Pfister Jennifer & Robb Gaskins Wendy & William Gaunt Staci & Eric Gaupp Eleanor Gensemer Ann & Maurice Glavin Carol Glowacki Joann & Scott Goldstein Lynn M. Gonzalez Donna & Lewis Gould Linda & Michael Graham Nettie & Sterling Green

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Report of Gifts Lisa Grieco Sandy & Robert Lichtenstein Pat Hacik & Bob Emery Lincoln Financial Group Anne & Matt Hamilton Shannon & Tom Locher Crawford Hamilton ’01 Joan & Robert Lodge Miles Hamilton ’07 Suzanne Long & Glenn Krotick Samuel M.V. Hamilton III ’98 Connie Lotz Jaime Hanaway & Jonathan Arend Casita Lynn ‘89 Chris Hancock Eric MacDonald Louisa Hanshew Sandy Madison Ellen & Ed Hanway Gail & Len Magargee Missy & Ed Hanway Jennifer Malone Natasha Harwell-Davis ’05 Ann & Howard* Marcus Andrea & Robert Harvey Rosario Marino & Jim Regan Emmett Hastings ’24 Leigh Martin & Daniel Cassidy Mary Ann & Joseph Hausmann Julie Mattaliano Karen & Tom Helm Carol & Louis Mayer Henry L. Kimelman Family Foundation Elsie & McKinley McAdoo Helene & Jeff Herman Colin McAdoo ’98 Martha N. Hill Kate & Mark McAllister Sara Hill Cynthia & Robert McClung ’81 Carrie & Brad Hill Hayden McCray ’21 Julie & Alan Hochman Ashley & John McEvoy Barbara & Dennis Hoffman Susan & Brian McGowan Jr. Karen & Joseph Hofmann Melanie & Jim McHugh Elizabeth & Charles Hottenstein Jessica McKee Morton Howard Jami W. McKeon & John F. Hollway Mary Beth & Bob Humbert Brysen McMullin ’12 Marcea & Tom Hummel Patricia & H. Brooke McMullin Jr. Tom Hurster Erin McNichol Robert Jaffe ’85 Joseph McPeak The Joey Pozzuolo Family Foundation Jenna & Chris Mesigian Ryakkia Johnson Maria Michetti Ann Jones Mercedes & Michael Migliore Andrew Jordan ’81 Marjorie Mitchell Turaya* & Nicholas Kamau Nancy & Robert Mitchell Hedy Karbiner Christal Mockenhaupt & Anthony Patti Karolyi & Michael Semerjian Edmonds Terrance Kassis Mary Katherine ’08 & Nicholas Susan Keith Montgomery Ruth Kelemen Mark Muehl Mary & Ed Kelly Joyce & Mike Murphy Raine Kelsall Margaret C. Naugle Marie & Jeffrey Kenkelen New York Life Gay & Don Kimelman Hang Nguyen & Glenn Ereso Sarah & Shane Kinsella Cindy Berger Nissen ’96 Lindsey & Noah Kissell Kevin Nissen Jenny & Brandon Knox Micah Nissen ’27 Leslie Komarnicki Marcia & Neal Niznan MaryBeth & Robert Kowalski Susan Null Barbara & Al Kurtz Colleen O’Hara Kari & Ken Kurtz Jenna & Kevin O’Nell Sally & Rob Laird Amy & Anthony Orapallo Emily & Rob Lambert Ann Rita Orapallo Jack Lamperez Joyce Ostertag Sue & Mark Lankford Julia & Thomas Patterson Lankford Acquisition Company, LP Carter Paul ’25 Jamie Lauth Janine & Michael Pawlowsky Helen Lawrence William Pawlowsky ’96 Adam S. Lemisch MIchelle Pearman & Andrew Denker Joanne Levy Suzanne B. Perot

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*Trustee

Kristen & Keith Peter Kathy & Michael Peters Amy & Jim Petersen Anita & Joseph Pew Scott Pfautz Pam Phillippe Marie & Jacques Piquion Deborah Pointer Robin Pointer & Rob Whalley Sharyn & Joe Pozzuolo Carrie & Bear Pratt Alison & Joseph Preisser Becky & Doug Pyle Ginger & Chris Quinn Susan & Tom Quinn Melinda & Dan Rahm Wayne Reichart Anne Rice-Burgess* Kim Riley Rebecca & Richard Ritacco Patti Robak Sally Robbins & Chris Martinak Barbara & Jim Rogers Candice & Benjamin* Rogers ’95 Jess & Andrew Rogers ’93 The Rorer Foundation Betsy & Gerald Rorer Frances & Jonathan Rorer Rebecca Rosenstock Craig Rushmore ’06 John Russell ’83 Amanda & Kevin Ryan Dawn & Rich* Salerno Julie & Michael Samuels Ellen & Doug Sanders Teresa & Dave Santoleri Donna & Michael Saulino Nicole Scali Cory & Rick Scheibe Judy & Geoff Schnyder Liz & Pete Schofield Tobey & Sandy Schreiber Marie Schueren Theresa Scott Kai & Pete Seelaus Cordelia M. Seeley Kathryn & Andrew Semon Judith Sennett Virginia Sharpless Meghan & Kevin Shea Kathryn & David Shields Donna Shooster Tiffany & Rachel Silliman Cohen Joann & Charles Simmonds The Slye Family Jeanne Smith Marianne Smith Rachel & Andy Sofish Joanna & Phil Solomon Solomon & Sylvia Bronstein Foundation Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2024

Report of Gifts Zeffie Spirokostas Leslie Stein Craig W. Stevens Kim & Mark Sylvester The Tally Foundation Alex Templeton Terryglass Foundation Chas Thomas Tom Thompson Michele* & Mike Todd Jenelle Tomov Sharon Townley Nora Trost Erica & William Tucker United Way of Chester County United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey Nuriye Uygur Judith & Rodger Van Allen Vanguard Charitable Laurie & Tim Veacock James Viner* Athena Volikas & William Rought Audrey R. Waldman Anne & Jeff Walkenhorst Heather Warley Teri Watkins Nanci Weber & Bernie Schaeffer Wells Fargo Community Care Grants Program Loralee West Alfred P. West Sarah & Paul Westcott F. John White Christina Whitehouse Cherie & Paul Williams ’80 Rochelle & Nelson Wolf Megan Wonderland Merrie & Graydon Wood Kristin & Stephen Yerger Alyce Zenner Kathryn & Frank Zirnkilton Tracey & Michael Zubey Anonymous (4)

EITC AIM Scholarship 1 LLC Made possible by Sasha Ballen & Dee Spagnuolo

OSTC Business Leadership Organized for Catholic Schools (BLOCS) Made possible by Sheri & Ken Resnik

Business Leadership Organized for Catholic Schools (BLOCS) Made possible by Monika & Joerg Ahlgrimm, Nikki & John Bendl, Ilene & Steve Berger, Michele & Charlie* Bramley, Tara & Anthony Bucci, Clark Capital Management Group, Inc. LLC, Elaine & Len* DeStefano, Laina & Rob Driscoll, HSC Builders & Construction Managers LLC, Dawn & Nicholas* Kemp, Keith Morgan, Cindy Berger Nissen, Candice & Benjamin* Rogers, Lesli Esposito & Pete Verdi, James Viner*, Mark Wildstein

Comcast Corporation

Central Pennsylvania Scholarship Fund Made possible by Mindy & Jesse Civan and Lauren & James Maloney Friends of Education LLC Made possible by Ashly & Dan* Berger, Kate & Dave Black, Deb Capital LLC, EPM Apparel LLC, Aimee and Vince Fabiani, Sarah & Shane Kinsella, Kelly & Kevin Kolmer, Emily & Rob* Lambert, Shira & Brad Paul, Candice & Benjamin* Rogers, Brooke & David Rounick The Graham Family Harmelin Media Made possible by Joanne & Jon Harmelin Pennsylvania Education Partnership 6 LLC Made possible by Harris Wildstein

Pennsylvania Tax Credit Programs Pennsylvania Education These donors gave or pledged Partnership 90 LLC a record $1,078,000 through Made possible by Jeffrey Berstein Pennsylvania’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and Republic Bank Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) programs. EITC and OSTC SofterWare, Inc. programs allow individuals and businesses who pay Pennsylvania WSFS BANK state taxes to obtain a significant state tax credit through their Anonymous contributions to scholarship support at Benchmark. We are deeply grateful to the following donors.

Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2024

*Trustee

The Graham Family McLean Packaging Corporation Made possible by Mary & Joseph Fenkel Ryan Advisory Services, LLC Made Possible by Charlie Ryan* Utica National Insurance Group Veterans Financial, Inc Made possible by Emily & Brian Newmark Gifts to Endowed Funds 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.

Beth Coltman Scholarship Fund Made possible by The Coltman Family Foundation The Dr. Robert Gaskins Fund for Mindfulness, Peace, and Social Justice Made possible by Jennifer & Robb Gaskins and Wendy Miller & Mark Dooley The Joey Pozzuolo Memorial Scholarship Made possible by Sharyn & Joe Pozzuolo The Peter B. Deakins Memorial Fund Made possible by Susan Deakins Pincus Summer Scholars Program Made possible by Pincus Family Foundation The Promising Scholars Fund Made possible by Jennifer & Robb Gaskins, Caren Lambert, and Wendy Miller & Mark Dooley

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Report of Gifts The Sawyer Henry Weir Creative Learning Initiative Made possible by Cheryl & Thomas Sawyer Weir Gifts in Memory 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.

James Bemis ’86 Betsy & Charles Bemis Anna Marie Everetts Jennifer & Robb Gaskins Tracy Elizabeth Hottenstein Elizabeth & Charles Hottenstein Susan Howard Morton Howard Angela Mariño Rosario Mariño & Jim Regan Jana Mason Jennifer & Robb Gaskins Nancy Pertschuk Rochelle & Brian Brazina ’91 Gifts in Honor The following generous donors have chosen to celebrate the individuals listed in bold type with a gift to Benchmark School in their honor.

7th Grade Staff Carter Paul ’25 8th Grade Class Jaime Hanaway & Jonathan Arend

Sherry Cress Judith & Rodger Van Allen

Anna Lodge ’13 Alice & Bob Lodge

Rachel Dellheim ’93 Jane & Ernest Dellheim

Dr. Eric MacDonald Judy & Geoff Schnyder

Bowen DuPhily ’12 Lindsay & Jerry DuPhil

Sergio Mariño Rosario Mariño & Jim Regan

Lucas Elek ’09 Sara Barton & Hentzi Elek

PA Branch of the International Dyslexia Association Jessica McKee

Dr. Irene Gaskins Mary & Ed Kelly Dr. Robb Gaskins Patricia Hacik & Robert Emery Karen & Joseph Hofmann Eleanor Gensemer Maura Fallon Julie & Michael Samuels Seamus Glavin ’12 Ann & Maurice Glavin Douglas Gould ’81 Donna & Lewis Gould Jessie Graham ’07 Linda & Michael Graham Louisa Hanshew Jennifer & Robb Gaskins

Suzanne Baird Perot Barbara & James Rogers Nate Quinn ’17 Susan & Tom Quinn Joanna Reimel ’89 Barbara & Dennis Hoffman Amy Wolf Robbins ’84 Rochelle & Nelson Wolf Barbara Rogers Candice & Benjamin* Rogers Theresa Scott The Brandow Family Richard Smith ’83 F. John White

Laura Herman ’95 Helene & Jeff Herman

Annie Verdi ’24 Anne Esposito Betty & Vic Esposito

Benjamin Hoffman ‘92 Barbara & Dennis Hoffman

Jack Waldman ’23 Audrey Waldman

Aimee Horowitz Hoffner ’92 Dona Horowitz-Behrend & David Behrend Carly Hottenstein ‘16 Elizabeth & Charles Hottenstein

2023-2024 Benchmark Parents Association Committee Chairs President Kristin Yerger, P’21, P’24

Gavin Kaiser ’01 Connie Lotz

Vice President Missy Hanway, P’18, P’19, P’22, P’24

Gregory Kenkelen ’10 Marie & Jeffrey Kenkelen

Treasurer Jenna O’Nell, P’26

Lisa Kurtz Bragin ’93 Barbara & Alfred Kurtz

Leslie Komarnicki Sue Arabia Jennifer & Robb Gaskins

Secretary Sarah Kinsella, P’26

Child and Family Support Services Adam Lemisch

Sally Ross Laird Craig Stevens

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*Trustee

All Benchmark Teachers Cordelia M. Seeley Andrew Blum ’21 Leslie R. Blum Jayson Blum ’23 Leslie R. Blum

Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2024

Report of Gifts Every effort was made to ensure the accuracy of this list. If there are additions, corrections, or omissions, please accept our apologies and contact development@benchmarkschool.org Years listed following the names of our Benchmark alumni and parents indicate the year the student graduated or is expected to graduate.

Benchmark Magazine | Fall 2024

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