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IN FULL SWING High Gear Top of Their Game Hands-On Service is Back Winter 2021-22
2022
2021-22 Administration
B With Bolles… …on our official social media channels! You can also find many affiliated athletic, arts and activities and news that we love to share by searching @Bolles on Instagram and Twitter. B on Instagram with fellow Bulldogs @BollesSchool B on Twitter with Bolles friends @BollesSchool B our friend or follower on Facebook @TheBollesSchool
Key Dates
Tyler Hodges President and Head of School Mike Drew Associate Head of School
JANUARY
Carol Nimitz, CFRE Chief Advancement Officer Jeff Role Chief Finance and Operations Officer
FEBRUARY
Paul Sollee ’88 Chief Technology Officer Kila McCann Dean of Admission and Financial Aid
Bolles Magazine Staff
MARCH
Jan R. Olson, APR Editor-in-Chief Senior Director/Communications and Marketing Susanna Barton Executive Editor Communications Associate John D. Curran Managing Editor Web Designer and Communications Associate
APRIL
MAY
Dana Bussiere Assistant Editor Communications Associate Sandy Catanese, CFRE Director of The Bolles Fund and Parent Programs Janet S. Frampton Director of Advancement Services Alumni Notes Julia Kalinski Director of Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving Linda Boyett Advancement Services Coordinator Becca Rogers Advancement Events Manager
Bolles Mission Statement The Bolles School prepares students for college and life by inspiring excellence, courage, integrity and compassion in an academic community dedicated to nurturing mind, body and soul
JUNE
JULY AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
January 3
Classes Resume
January 13
Bolles on the Road, Alumni Event in Atlanta
January 17
MLK Jr. Day, No School
February 3
Phoenix Society Celebration of the Arts
February 18
Professional Development Day, No Classes
February 21
Presidents’ Day, No School
March 7–11
Spring Break
March 14
Faculty Work Day, No Classes
March 17
Agnes Cain Painter Glynlea Society Event on San Jose Campus
March 31
Bolles on the Road, Alumni Event in Charlotte
April 7
Bolles on the Road, Alumni Event in Dallas
April 15, 18
Holiday Break
May 14
Annual Alumni Reunion
May 23
Middle, Upper School Reading Day, No Classes
May 24–27
Middle, Upper School Exams
May 28
Graduation
May 30
Memorial Day, School Closed
May 31–June 3
Faculty/Staff Post-Planning
June 23
Bolles on the Road, Alumni Event in Cashiers, NC
July 14
Bolles on the Road, Alumni Event in Vail, CO
August 18
Bolles on the Road, Alumni Event in Denver, Red Rocks Amphitheater
September 13
Bolles on the Road, Alumni Event in Washington, D.C.
September 15
Bolles on the Road, Alumni Event in New York City, NY
Rahul Sharma ’03 Leadership Giving Ed Martin, CFRE Leadership Gift Officer Contributing Photographers: Jeff Adams — Official Bolles Sports Photographer Cady & Cady Mark Krancer
Due to an extreme paper shortage, it became necessary to print this issue in a different format, making it smaller.
Non-discriminatory clause: The Bolles School admits students of any race, color and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally available to students at the School. It does not discriminate in administering educational policies or other school programs. This School is authorized under Federal law to enroll non-immigrant students.
ANNUAL
ALUMNI REUNION The Bolles Alumni Association invites All Bolles Alumni to join us on the beautiful st. johns river for the bolles school annual Alumni Reunion!
S AT U R D AY
May 14 2 0 2 2
Evening San Jose River Campus River Party Celebration for All Bolles Alumni Association Members To receive the invite for this amazing event, join the Bolles Alumni Association today by giving your best gift to the Bolles Annual Fund. Join at Alumni.Bolles.org
Volume 89, Issue 1 Winter 2021-22 For the friends and families of The Bolles School
Jan Olson
Full swing, full sail, full throttle, full steam ahead — all terms we tossed around for the overall theme of this winter issue and all having the same definition — Bolles is in motion and not looking back! Just take a look at some of the highlights from the fall: we have the nation’s top science winner, a Congressional Gold medalist, a student on the cover of People magazine and the “Today Show,” kids doing incredible community service and inspiring others, faculty taking on professional development opportunities to bring new tools back to their classrooms, nine student-athletes committed to their college choice on National Signing Day, the girl boarders moved into Bolles Hall into their brand new space, we are winning debates, we had delegates attend the COP 26 International Convention virtually, we staged an all-school musical, and the list continues. It is truly an exciting time to be at Bolles. We aren’t just making headway in the classrooms, we are also enhancing our facilities. We are charging full steam ahead to break ground on the new Center for Innovation, Science and Math in the Spring and are planning a new Outdoor Learning Center for the Ponte Vedra Beach Campus. We have added global learning and engagement to our curriculum for grades Pre-K through 12 and have been enjoying our own families sharing many of their own cultures and traditions with students. Admissions is back on the road and traveling to reach prospective new boarding families from around the globe and the Alumni Office is planning many Alumni Gatherings for 2022 across the map! The Office of Advancement is humming with events and activities and gifts to The Bolles Fund have hit an all-time high. All of these many things have contributed to our success and help to ensure that our future is bright at Bolles! I hope you enjoy reading about these many thrilling activities at Bolles both in this issue and online at Bolles.org. We appreciate you staying in touch with Bolles and staying connected. We always have good news to share! Happy New Year!
Jan R. Olson, APR Senior Director Communications and Marketing OlsonJ@Bolles.org
About the Cover Tori Mouton ’22 won the individual region title outright in 2021 and represents the community’s collective “in full swing” sentiments for the school year.
Table of Contents: In Full Swing From the President and Head of School From the Chairman of the Board High Gear
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3
5
Playing to Win
14
Professional Development
16
Pandemic Pivoting Shapes Arts Curriculum at Bolles “The Little Mermaid” Makes Splash
22
Hands-On Service is Back at Bolles
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Bartram Class Notes Bolles Class Notes
21
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From the
President and Head of School The one thing that gets me up each day feeling recharged is the All Things Possible mindset at Bolles. It permeates our entire community — and through so many important layers: our faculty, staff, administration, students and families. We always are in pursuit of excellence and are keenly aware we don’t have all the answers. That’s the great thing about pursuing — it propels us forward, it’s unrelenting and it always leaves us hungry for more. I believe this trait sets us apart from other independent school experiences. A Bolles education offers so much more because we are always in pursuit of excellence at levels we have yet to reach. We have high expectations and keep working until we meet or exceed them. The new Center for Innovation, Science and Math is a beautiful example of this proclivity. The project will transform the Bolles Upper School San Jose Campus by providing much needed space for science, math and engineering and offering learning spaces for students to become good problem-solvers, thinkers and collaborators. We are trying to prepare our students for tomorrow’s needs — and to help them hone the strengths they need to be successful problem-solvers and innovators. We are preparing them for jobs that do not yet exist. Our new Chahlavi Center for Global Learning and Engagement is another illustration of our pursuit of excellence. From this new space, students will
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travel the globe to make vital personal connections that provide valuable insight into our world— these, too, are experiences students will need to push their own measure of accomplishment in the future. While we continue to protect, maintain and value our traditions, we must look ahead to ensure the foundation for our students of tomorrow is just as strong as it is for our students today. This requires all of us — administrators, faculty, staff, parents and families — to innovate and plan with a “full swing” mentality. To continue to push new boundaries of excellence, our level of activity must remain at its highest. We are laser focused on our endowment and our fundraising to be able to bring these new facilities and programs to fruition. We are grateful to each of you for your continued support of our many initiatives and I look forward to working with you as together, we make Bolles the very best it can be. Respectfully,
Tyler Hodges
From the
Bolles Board of Trustees Chair As I reflect on this past year and the numerous challenges we faced, I am consistently amazed and appreciative of the many people who worked tirelessly to ensure Bolles would not only meet these challenges, but also rise above them with courage, integrity and compassion — The Bolles Way. Bolles always sets the bar high and this year has been no different. As Board Chair, I would like to thank the entire Bolles community for coming together and making 2021 a truly remarkable year. We are in full swing in all areas of work including academics, athletics, the fine and performing arts, fundraising, alumni engagement, school activities, admissions and the list goes on. Our enrollment is at an all-time high. Gifts to the Bolles Fund have more than doubled from the previous year and gifts for current projects and for new facilities are coming in daily. Plans are underway to break ground on our new Center for Innovation, Science and Math in the spring along with other exciting projects on all four campuses.
We are in high gear and it is crucial we keep this momentum on its track. It is up to us — the Board, parents, students, alumni, grandparents, faculty and staff — to work together to propel Bolles forward and make all of our strategies and plans a reality. We are preparing for tomorrow’s leaders — for jobs that don’t yet exist, for new technologies and businesses that will improve our lives and for exciting new global programs and more. This is an electrifying time to be at Bolles and I thank each of you for your efforts in helping to ensure our future at Bolles continues to shine brightly. Go Bulldogs!
Fernando Acosta-Rua ’85
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2021-22 Bolles Board
of Trustees
Fernando Acosta-Rua ’85 Chair
Tatiana Salvador ’86
Trustees Emeriti
Allison Korman Shelton ’94
Russell Newton III Vice Chair
A. Chester Skinner IV ’98
Preeti Swani Secretary
DeWayne Terry ’84
Tyler J. Hodges President/Head of School
A. Rodney VanPelt ’73
Trustees
Ex-Officio Members
Charles Arnold III ’86
Adam Edgecombe ’98 Alumni Board, Chair
Quinn R. Barton Jr. ’46 James V. Bent Sr. ’53 John W. Connolly Jr. Deceased William K. Hatcher ’48 Deceased Ann C. Hicks ’55 Bartram Beverley W. Hirsig ’46 Deceased Helen M. Lane ’42 Bartram Hal Lynch Robert H. Paul III ’52 Deceased Frederick H. Schultz ’46 Deceased A. Chester Skinner Jr. ’40 Deceased Herman Ulmer Jr. ’37 Deceased George W. Varn ’38 Deceased W. Lester Varn Jr. ’42 E. Ellis Zahra Jr. ’64
DeCovan Brown ’86 Ali Chahlavi Anika Goel Comar Robert Crosby Rahul Deshmukh ’89 Jamie Dwyer ’92 Aubrey Edge
John Surface ’90 Mark Travis ’80 Matthew Wotiz
Clayton Bromberg ’00 Board of Visitors, Chair Elizabeth McGraw Parent Association, Co-Chair Peter McGraw Parent Association, Co-Chair
Steven Gold ’95 Brittany Groover Michael Meyers Ricardo Morales III ’81 Kathryn Pearson Peyton
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President Emeritus Harry M. deMontmollin Jr. ’56
Park ’25
Shaik ’22
High Gear: Bolles Students Changing the World Through Science, Innovation Bolles students are unrivaled in innovation and continue to push the realms of science on national and international fronts this year. Their achievements — which have been marked by such high-profile accolades as ringing the New York Stock Exchange closing bell and appearing in People magazine — are redefining excellence in science and community service. Bolles senior Aman Shaik ’22 was one of 518 youths from 42 states to win a Congressional Award Gold Medal, Congress’
Richardson ’22
highest honor for youth civilians. Shaik was the only medalist from Florida’s 4th Congressional District and was one of 26 students from Florida to earn the distinction. Gold Medalists must complete 400 hours of voluntary public service, 200 hours of personal development, 200 hours of physical fitness and conduct a 5-day, 4-night exploration trip over the course of two years at a minimum. The Congressional Award is the United States Congress’ only charity and the highest honor bestowed upon a youth civilian through the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. Shaik, who is active on the Bolles competitive robotics team, volunteered more than 400 hours mentoring and motivating local and international youth to explore STEM. He mentored students on the Bolles Lower School Whitehurst Campus First LEGO League (FLL) robotics teams, volunteered at FLL tournaments and organized multiple summer robotics camps at the Museum of Science and History. He also served as an international ambassador for the North South Foundation and organized two robotics workshops in India, where he taught robot design and programming to underprivileged youth. In addition, Shaik committed more than 600 hours of personal development in designing and building robots as co-captain of the Bolles Upper School San Jose Campus First Tech Challenge robotics team. He led research projects on environmental pollution, cyberbullying and unconscious bias and shared his solutions at regional and state science fair competitions where he won multiple awards. “The Congressional Award journey helped me improve my organization, time-management and leadership skills,” Shaik said. “It has been a humbling experience to have the opportunity to help others and to make a difference.”
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High achievements in science and compassion for others also marked the path for Sarah Park ’25, whose Spark Care+ music therapy treatment project garnered her the $25,000 grand prize in 3M’s Discovery Education Young Scientist Challenge this fall. The opportunity to virtually ring the New York Stock Exchange’s closing bell November 11 was part of her title honor as the company’s top young scientist. Park joined 3M representatives and the rest of the world via her laptop from Staman Lobby in Bolles Hall. The celebration concludes a months-long competition featuring the work of student-scientists in grades 5–8 from all over the country. Last spring, students submitted their ideas to help solve everyday problems and improve lives around the world. Judges selected 10 student projects, including Park’s, as national finalists. Competitors worked throughout the summer — with the help of a 3M scientist mentor — to bring their innovative ideas to life, according to a 3M description. Called Spark Care +, Park’s project is a personalized music therapy treatment for mental health disorders that uses artificial intelligence, galvanic skin response and photoplethysmography. Park, an accomplished violinist who has performed in Carnegie Hall and won many state and national-level awards for her musicianship, worked with 3M Senior Research Specialist in Polymer Science & Adhesives Dr. Ann Fornof on her research and application. Taylor Richardson ’22 continued her quest for girls-in-STEM advocacy this year through more fundraising initiatives and awareness work as Astronaut Starbright. Recognition of her work has been flying high in international circles for several years — including speaking engagements at the 2017 March for Science event in Washington, D.C. and a conference in Ireland. But this year brought new excitement. Richardson was featured on NBC’s “Today” show and in People magazine as part the media outlets’ focus on International Day of the Girl. She was one of 10 young women in the People magazine highlight who are “making their mark — and making a difference.” The magazine showcased Richardson’s efforts through her social media persona, Astronaut Starbright: “Known to her online followers as Astronaut Starbright, Taylor Richardson has always had a fascination with the cosmos. But at 9, while attending space camp, she realized she was the only Black girl — a pivotal moment that sparked a commitment to diversifying STEM fields. ‘Other girls need to know they can be astronauts,’ says the high school senior from Jacksonville, Fla. ‘I want to bring a sisterhood of warriors to the stars.’ To date, she has raised more than $325,000 to introduce young women of color to science via space camp scholarships, book drives centered on Black authors and subjects and tickets to films like ‘Hidden figures.’” the article reads. On the morning of October 11, Richardson appeared on the “Today” show in a segment about “Girls Changing the World.” The segment also promoted People magazine’s feature and International Day of the Girl, which is celebrated October 11. Richardson, along with a student from Michigan whose high school community service project on medical debt, was interviewed onstage outside the “Today” show studios. Richardson talked about her future plans to become an OB-GYN and what has inspired her community service initiatives. 6 | courage, integrity & compassion |
Furthering personal experiences and achievements in science is not always “front page” news, but many upper school contemporaries at Bolles are forging their own paths and challenging themselves with extra opportunities and advocacy work outside of the classroom. Senior Will Moore ’22, who has a rare chronic condition involving inflammation of the food pipe, participated in a lab experience this summer at Nemours Children’s Health. He isolated DNA from biopsies of his esophagus and went through the process of “adding buffer solutions and fluorescent tags and running a Taqman Assay,” he explained. “This tests for single nucleotide polymorphisms Moore ’22 in certain genes which relate to inflammation due to eosinophils, and a person's ability to respond to a drug (omeprazole) speculated to have an anti-inflammatory effect. This will change EOE treatment forever because it can individually analyze patients' genes which allows doctors to infer the best treatment path for patients, eliminating months of trial and error with different medications and food trials,” he added. Moore was chosen to be the lead speaker at a donor reception for the dedication of the new building at Nemours Jacksonville. He also was the subject of a film campaign which advocated for a breakthrough procedure pioneered at Nemours Orlando. This will be published on Nemours’ website in a documentary format in the months to come. While Bolles boasts college-level resources in the sciences — including an Anatomage virtual dissection table, robotics tools, 3D printers and plans for a Center for Innovation, Science and Math Building — it is often extracurricular experiences that help bring students into a sharper focus on integrating science and community service. Donald Downer ’23 attended the National Student Leadership Conference, a medical camp, at the University of Houston this summer. “We learned how to do surgical techniques and received tips and lectures about how to become more successful if we pursue a medical career,” he said. “We also learned leadership strategies and traveled to the Museum of National Science and History — it was a Downer ’23 weeklong, informative, hands-on experience to learn how to pursue the career in which we save lives within our community.” Some meaningful experiences have been even closer to home. Aditi Ranjan ’23 volunteered as a camp counselor in the Bricks, Bots and Beakers Camp this summer on the Bolles Lower School Whitehurst Campus and also as a volunteer in Brooks Rehabilitation's music therapy program.
Ranjan ’23
Center for Innovation, Science and Math In the near future, Bolles is set to break ground on the 43,805 square foot Center for Innovation, Science and Math facility on the River Campus — a building promising to be a state-ofthe-art center of excellence for the Jacksonville community. This endeavor will be the most expansive new construction undertaking since The Bolles School was established in 1933 and will be located on the last prime development site on campus — adjacent to Bolles Hall on a bluff overlooking the St. Johns River. School officials hope the building will be open for students by the fall of 2023. Project architect is Zyscovich Architects, an international master planning, architecture and design firm with offices in Miami, Orlando, New York City and Bogota. A new building of this caliber would eliminate the limitations to our curriculum by housing math, science, engineering and technology programming under one roof that is centered on a collaborative learning environment. This would be the only program of its kind in our region.
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Aycart
Global Thinking: Chahlavi Center Brings the World to Bolles The Bolles Global Learning and Engagement program debuted this school year. Led by Director Natalia Aycart, GLE is reaching new heights in Ulmer Hall’s Chahlavi Center for Global Learning and Engagement — a vibrant new space where students and faculty are connecting with peers worldwide. The many activities of the program — which include a re-launch of study abroad and educational travel programs — are being managed from enhanced spaces in Ulmer Hall. Thanks to a generous gift from the Chahlavi family, the GLE headquarters space includes areas for students and faculty to interact with others around the world as well as new technology and resources to be utilized in their studies, plans for travel, and opportunities to build global connections. The Chahlavi family gift also established an endowment that will support GLE programs in perpetuity and creates an annual award recognizing that year’s top GLE student. Bolles Associate Head of School Mike Drew shared a few broad strokes about GLE and how it will enhance the educational experience for Bolles students on all four campuses.
8 | courage, integrity & compassion |
“At its core, global learning is about promoting within our students the skills and knowledge they need to be prepared for an increasingly interconnected world,” Drew said. “This is especially relevant for Bolles — an independent day and boarding school educating students from all over the world. GLE is the new hub for local, national, and international community engagement efforts, and provides oversight for our travel programs and contributes to such mainstay events as World Cultures and Countries Day, International Education Week, among others.” Drew announced Aycart’s appointment as Bolles’ first GLE Director in the spring. The creation of this position has long been part of the school’s strategic initiatives, and Bolles leaders are excited about the immersion of a global academic curriculum in grades K–12. Aycart’s many professional highlights made her a standout for the role as GLE’s founding director. Fluent in English and Spanish, she worked as the Global Learning and Multicultural Affairs Coordinator and Foreign Language Educator at Saint Paul’s Episcopal Day School in Kansas City, Missouri. Prior to that, Aycart worked for the Foreign Language Academy as a Foreign Visiting Teacher, a program endorsed by the U.S. Department of Education and sponsored by the Ministry of Education of Spain. She has a bachelor’s degree in Education with a concentration in Foreign Language Education from Cardenal Cisneros University in Spain and an additional bachelor’s and master’s degree in Organizational Psychology from Complutense of Madrid University in Spain. In addition to implementing, supervising, and directing overall GLE programs and operations, Aycart presently teaches classes at the Whitehurst lower school campus. She also was recently selected as a Global Education Benchmark Group Action Research Fellow. GEBG is a leading nonprofit organization of K–12 schools that researches and establishes best practices in the field of global education and supports member schools to prepare students to thrive in increasingly interconnected world systems.
Flush With Empathy: Collaborative Classroom Provides Opportunities for All to Be Heard Like most all lower school faculty at Bolles, Lower School Whitehurst Campus third grade teachers Michelle Mas and Andrea Benitez have successfully implemented the Collaborative Classroom program into their curriculum this year as part of students’ reading and writing lessons. Both educators are pleased with the process as classes move forward with a focus on valuing others, respectful dialogue, making meaning and sharing ideas clearly. The Bolles School began using Collaborative Classroom for reading and writing in its Kindergarten–Grade 5 classrooms this year on both the Bolles Lower School Whitehurst and Ponte Vedra Beach Campuses. Bolles Lower School Ponte Vedra Beach Campus Head Stacey Hendershot said faculty on her campus implemented the program in grades 1–5 this year and intend to add Kindergarten in 2022–23.
their ideas, they come to value the thinking of others. They become thoughtful writers and responsive conversationalists. They talk about and debate big ideas with respect, clarity and understanding.” “We find that Collaborative Classroom is a comprehensive curriculum that explicitly teaches social emotional skills while guiding students to become more proficient readers and writers,” explained Whitehurst Grade 3 teachers Andrea Benitez and Michelle Mas. “The Caring Community component of the
“The joy and enthusiasm that our students are experiencing with the Collaborative Classroom curriculum are contagious,” Hendershot said. “When you walk into a classroom and hear students begging to keep writing, you know that you have a program that fosters a love of learning.” The program describes itself as “an intentional environment in which collaboration goes beyond conventional cooperation and compliance. Instead, students become caring members of a learning community. As students learn to think, discuss and share
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program is a proactive approach to social-emotional learning, which allows our classroom community to hold discussions and work through predictable situations and scenarios before they arise both academically and socially. Teachers act as facilitators to help students envision what the learning environment will look and sound like and then students are responsible for reflecting on and communicating what they can do even better next time.” Mas said she applies the same techniques from the reading part of The Collaborative Classroom to her students’ writing exercises. For example: She has noticed how students are responding positively to the program. In Collaborative Classroom environments, students demonstrate and adhere to many of the following classroom standards: Students are invested in their own learning Learners actively participate Teachers become learners at times and learners sometimes teach Respect is given to every member of the classroom Diversity is celebrated All contributions are valued And students learn skills for resolving conflicts The activity is best understood in-person. But Benitez shared
an example of a successful moment in her classroom where students applied some of the Collaborative Classroom concepts to their learning. “Using the discussion prompt, ‘In addition to what ___ said,’ students actively listen to one another and build on each other’s thinking and ideas,” Benitez said. “They are also responsible for sharing their partner’s thinking, which reinforces the importance of listening and valuing what their partner communicates to them.” They said the cooperative learning structures such as turn-and-talk and think-pair-share offer an opportunity for every child’s voice in the classroom to be heard. Discussion prompts also help guide partner talks in both reading and writing, they said. Lusk said the program has garnered the support and interest of Bolles families. “Many parents have commented on how supportive of and excited they are about this curricular endeavor,” said Bolles Lower School Whitehurst Campus Head Christy Lusk, Ed.D. She and Hendershot agreed the program would not be as successful if there were not dedicated, expert educators guiding the curriculum. The result has been engaged students who have a great deal of choice in their own reading and writing. “Couple that with phenomenal teachers who are teaching it with fidelity and there are no limits for our students,” Hendershot said. “The program not only offers diverse texts and a focus on social and emotional learning, but it also differentiates instruction to meet the needs of all learners.”
10 | courage, integrity & compassion |
Students on the Bolles Middle School Bartram Campus participated in a daylong program focusing on student identity, differences and belonging at Bolles. Called “Bolles…Be Yourself & Belong,” the program’s goal was to open up conversations between students about themselves, each other and where everyone “fits in” in the middle school community. Students in every grade level and all faculty participated in the event, which was organized by campus leaders and facilitated in part by representatives from the University of North Florida’s OneJax diversity education team.
Putting the We Back in Well The Bolles School is continuing its efforts to put empathy and understanding — as well as self-health and awareness — at the heart of every lesson after a tough season of separation, uneasiness and fear.
Students rotated through several primary stations through the day. They watched the movie “inside Out” in Parker Auditorium and discussed how emotions contribute to identity, affect others and help students feel like they belong. Bartram Counselor Brynne Plant led a reflective activity after the movie called “community puzzle.” Students took the large cardboard puzzle pieces they were given and decorated them in a way that reflected their identity. At a later date, the pieces will be collected and installed on campus for all to enjoy.
These lessons have been percolating across all campuses — from what students are reading, writing or making to specially designed activities that call students’ attention to common goodness and create community. This fall, students and faculty on the Bolles Lower School Ponte Vedra Beach Campus staged a pinwheel parade through campus in honor of the United Nation’s International Day of Peace. Students in every grade level designed their own pinwheels following a presentation on what peace means to them by their art teacher, Jeanette Edwards. She showed them the design of a peace painting she made many years ago and encouraged them to demonstrate peace artistically in their unique ways. During flag, Lower School Ponte Vedra Beach Campus Head Stacey Hendershot encouraged students to take moments throughout the day to be present and “breathe in peace.” As part of their September focus on Hispanic culture, both the Bolles Lower School Whitehurst and Ponte Vedra Beach Campus librarians hosted live — and completely captivating — storytelling events with New York Times bestselling children’s book author, Carmen Agra Deedy. Agra Deedy, a Cuban-born refugee raised in Decatur, Georgia, visited the Bolles Lower School Whitehurst Campus on September 21 and the Bolles Lower School Ponte Vedra Beach Campus on September 22. She spent most of the school day on each campus, sharing crowd-pleasing stories from her childhood with students in every grade level. Told with great exuberance and humor, Agra Deedy’s stories gave students a firsthand account of the cultural differences she — and many other children of Hispanic heritage — experience in some communities. Students were most swept away by her lively sounds and punctuated storytelling, learning lessons in empathy and cultural understanding all the while.
During the OneJax diversity education program, students discussed differences and peer identities — and how that relates to relationships and behavior. The third rotation included “belonging activities” — or, 90 minutes of grade level team building exercises, games and activities. These activities took place both outside and in the gym. In addition to helping students focus on their community and ways they can contribute to understanding and oneness, Bolles administrators also put additional emphasis on mental health resources. Repercussions from the pandemic and staying apart from others was a difficult experience for everyone, and the added focus on improving mental health has been the right move.
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Enriched: Bolles Family, Alumni Share Cultural, Professional Experiences with Students Bolles faculty bring a high level of instruction and knowledge into their classrooms — and often times guest artists or lecturers further enrich the educational experience for students. But a new trend is emerging which is adding an even heartier layer of flair to students’ grounding. Both Bulldog family members — and Bolles alumni — have been sharing their experiences with Bolles students with added frequency to help broaden their perspectives in meaningful, often personal, ways.
husband’s daring escape on an airplane that he landed on a U.S. Navy vessel. The moms talked about the sacrifices they made coming to the United States, including starting their higher education degrees over again once they arrived in the country. Students have been reading the book “The Lotus Seed,” by Sherry Garland in class. The book depicts the journey of a young woman and her family who came from Vietnam to the United States during the Vietnam War.
Sharing culture, history and identity has been one common goal of families or parents making presentations on campus. The demonstrations typically follow classroom lessons, readings or areas of focus on particular holidays or events.
During the Indian festival of lights, Diwali, parents and students made presentations on all four campuses. On the Ponte Vedra Beach Campus, parent Kungun Jain talked about the holiday and its tradition, while daughter Noori Jain ’31 explained Rangoli art with sister Reyna Jain ’33 holding up a colorful example.
This fall on the Bolles Lower School Ponte Vedra Beach Campus, for example, students heard a presentation on Rosh Hashanah from campus Grade 1 mom Dr. Caroline Gruenbaum. She and daughter Maya exhibited a shofar, a musical horn blown during the Jewish holiday. Bolles moms Tammy Vu and Tammy Klassen, assisted by Alex Klassen ’25, shared their families’ inspiring stories of immigration from North and South Vietnam in the 1970s. In addition to sharing personal stories of escape, naturalization and connections in Vietnam, they told students about one
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During Hispanic Heritage Month, families supported the school wide cultural focus with gifts of food, stories and presence. Whitehurst third grade teacher Andrea Benitez, also a Bolles mom, gave a special presentation to first graders about their family heritage in Puerto Rico and shared plantain chips and florecitias. Bolles mom Cristina Andrade prepared chicken and cheese empanadas for the class to enjoy. Sra. Isabel Falcoa — mother of two Bolles Bulldogs — spoke to both Bolles Lower School Whitehurst Campus Grade 2 classes about her home country, Brazil, and her hometown, Rio de Janeiro.
Added learning experiences have not been limited to family presentations about cultural experiences. Alumni peers also have been returning to campus to share professional instruction and counsel with Bolles students, faculty and staff. Matthew Flynn ’15, for example, stopped by the Bolles Upper School San Jose Campus this fall to visit with Laura Rippel and Jesse Myers’ Photography III class. The frontman for the alternative rock band Faze Wave, Flynn presented a collaborative project to the group that includes new promotional photographs. Students were asked to present ideas for photo shoots, received feedback and are working on final presentations for promo shoots — priceless experience for young artists. Meanwhile, Alexandra Pierson ’13, a New York City-based young adult middle grade fiction author known by the pen name Alex Aster, shared her story of becoming a published author with Tim Creter’s English students during a virtual presentation on the Bolles Middle School Campus November 16. She took students through her 10-year quest to become a represented and published author — a journey that began when she herself was a student in Creter’s class. She said the book she wrote at the time went through “hundreds” of rejections as she sought agent representation and mainstream publishing. Yet she did not give up on her dream. Through high school and college, she worked on new book projects, tried new approaches, queried agents and continued to pursue her plans to be published. Rejection, reworking, persistence and patience defined her mission as her book projects were picked up by agents, shopped and more often than not, stalled or dropped. Pierson’s big break came after she started a Tik-Tok account and began marketing one of her latest works, “Lightlark.” A teaser video for the book “racked up 1.2 million views, 278,000 likes and more than 7,000
comments — and just scored Aster a six-figure book deal with Amulet Books” according to a recent article in Bustle.com. She was on a book tour through New York, New Jersey, Washington DC and south through Florida in early summer. Her second book was published June 8. Aster’s books “Curse of the Night Witch” and “Lightlark” received a Kirkus Star. “Curse of the Night Witch” was listed as one of Amazon’s best children’s books of 2020. And sometimes faculty benefit from these visits, too. Katherine Odom-Tomchin ’14 visited with faculty and students on the San Jose Campus this fall. She is the Audio Rights Director and a literary agent at Folio Literary Management in New York. In addition to presenting to the English faculty, Odom-Tomchin shared advice and information on pursuing a career in publishing with students in Beth Curran’s English class. She also taught a lesson during the creative writing class, focusing on the creation of literary elements within a fictional piece. The Bolles family becomes an even better family when everyone shares their strengths and experiences! Thank you, Bulldogs, for adding richly to our community with your wisdom.
Matthew Flynn ’15 with Bolles Director of Fine and Performing Arts Laura Rippel during a recent campus visit to work with students in the classroom.
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Playing to Win: Outdoor Action Key During COVID The Power of Play continued to be one of the strongest muscles in the School’s efforts to keep students, faculty and staff healthy during the school day — and through the pandemic. With age-appropriate outdoor play equipment on both lower school campuses, Bolles provides opportunities for students to be outside throughout each day. During these times, students take in the fresh air while they sharpen their motor skills, physical fitness and rapport with one another. On the Bolles Lower School Ponte Vedra Beach Campus, the youngest students utilize a smaller playground and recreation area on the east side of campus, while older students use a playground, courts, fields and lunch spots on the west side of campus. All students attend PE classes in George Hall, or on the field beyond. Throughout the year, students also have the opportunity to eat outside as often as possible. On the Bolles Lower School Whitehurst Campus, the School’s youngest students enjoy
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(cont. from page 4) outdoor play in a gated area outside the Pre-K classroom. Older students attend resource and outdoor classes in a shaded area at the center of campus and adjacent to the riverfront Treehouse Outdoor Learning Center. Kindergarten students have their own outdoor K-Cove playground and space for innovative lessons and play. All students on the Whitehurst Campus use some of the fields and facilities on the Upper School San Jose Campus for sports and outdoor activities. Picnic lunches on the St. Johns River are always a fun occasion. The Bolles Middle School Bartram Campus also facilitates opportunities for outdoor play and physical exercise. A spherical climbing structure is one destination for leisure time, while other students enjoy time on the basketball and four-square courts, ping-pong table, outdoor chess board and open field areas. While play equipment is not a standard for the Bolles Upper School San Jose Campus, students still spend quite a bit of time outdoors on campus. Whether it’s riverfront outdoor dining each day, swinging under a tree on the bluff, taking in the meditation garden or catching up with friends on the lawn in front of Bolles Hall, students spend good, healthy time outdoors throughout each day.
Seeking Higher Ground: A Classroom with a View Interest and energy continue to build around the development of a treehouse outdoor learning space on the Bolles Lower School Ponte Vedra Beach Campus. The Bolles Office of Advancement has hosted several gatherings to share plans and generate enthusiasm for the project, which would add about 488 square feet of elevated classroom space to the campus and provide a new venue for students and faculty to convene, play and find inspiration. The treehouse platform is expected to be 383 square feet while an overlook and ramp add more than 100 square feet to the outdoor learning space. The project has garnered much interest from donors and further planning, design and construction of the treehouse is expected within the next few months.
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TOP OF THEIR GAME:
Faculty Enjoy Professional Development Bolles faculty and staff from all four campuses have been engaged in training workshops, professional development opportunities and other strength-building courses this summer and fall. The learning experiences, always embraced and encouraged by Bolles administrators, are made possible by the community’s generous support of The Bolles Fund and other philanthropic vehicles like the Ottenstroer fellowships offered each year. The annual fund
has provided more than $200,000 a year for professional development during the past three years — roughly 20 percent of the total income from The Bolles Fund is reinvested in faculty and staff by way of expanding their professional opportunities. Here are a few examples of faculty who are finding new ways to inspire student learning and enhance their own approach to education — and what they’re taking away from their experiences:
Kelly Lipscomb Grade 7 U.S. History Bolles Middle School Bartram Campus Course: Teaching While White & From Ally to Accomplice: September 28–29, October 5–6, Online via ZOOM “In my 8 years as an educator, I have never attended a more engaging, relevant, and interactive workshop. I was able to collaborate with educators around the nation to discuss tough topics, and how to teach them in age-appropriate ways. I recommend all teachers take the time to engage in this relevant training!”
Kila McCann Dean of Admission & Financial Aid Courses/Professional Development: Enrollment Management Association Annual Conference (Seattle) September 2021; FCIS Annual Conference — Orlando — November 2021; Erdmann Institute Annual Admission Event — Maine — June 2021 “It was a great team building event for members of the Bolles Admission Team — Kila McCann, Liz Mundin, Mark Frampton and Shelly Lenhart. The EMA Annual Conference is a wonderful opportunity for admission professionals to learn about national trends, resources that support the profession, acquire knowledge about best practices and provides a wonderful opportunity for admission professionals to network with one another.” “As a new administrator to Bolles and as someone who has not worked within the Florida independent school community, attending the FCIS Annual Conference provided a pathway for me to network with other admission professionals, heads of school and other administrators. It was wonderful to see the collegiality among Florida Independent Schools.” “Erdmann Institute, formerly Essex Institute, was founded by David Erdmann, former dean of admission at Rollins College, to provide an intimate environment for admission professionals to learn from one another, support one another, serve as mentors and organically share best practices. This was especially beneficial to me as I transitioned to The Bolles School community amidst the height of COVID. The support, insight and advice I gleaned from colleagues from across the United States helped me to feel confident and at ease as I settled into my role at Bolles.”
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Dr. Patricia Kmieciak Upper School English teacher Course: Diversity Initiative at Riverside Presbyterian Day School “One thing I took from the seminars was that I can enhance inclusion by attending students’ extracurricular events, and to that end, I have made this inclusion method one of my formal goals this year. So far, I’ve attended two events that showcased the talents of many of my students: the Fall Coffee House and the all-school play, The Little Mermaid, and I’ve promised my tennis players to attend some of their matches in the spring.”
Chris Gebauer Upper School History Teacher Bolles Upper School San Jose Campus Course: Teaching While White and Professional Development trip to California “I found the workshops to be engaging which enabled participants the opportunity to develop skills for discussing challenging topics and the expansion of one’s understanding of often misunderstood ideas. I also took a professional development trip this summer to expand my knowledge on various religions in Los Angeles, California and Yosemite National Park over a week in late June. This was an incredible experience that the School provided and supported me through. I had the opportunity to visit and learn about the Church of Scientology, various shrines dedicated to Hinduism, Buddhism and Daoism, and capped off the trip by visiting Yosemite National Park sleeping in the valley under Half Dome.”
Jennifer Gomez Upper School History Teacher Course: “The History of American Protest” “Over the summer I attended a virtual Gilder Lehrman summer seminar for teachers, “The History of American Protest” led by Harvard professor, John Stauffer. This intensive course examined the tradition of protest literature in the United States from the American Revolution to the present. The primary focus was on civil rights (starting with abolition), women’s rights, and workers’ rights. This seminar provided me with a wealth of knowledge that I’ve been able to incorporate into my US History curriculum. Just last week, students analyzed multiple pictures of abolitionist Frederick Douglass, who utilized photography as a powerful form of protest. I’ve also incorporated multiple lesson plans shared by teachers around the US who attended the conference. One lesson I am most excited about is a Spotify project which will link the concept of “protest literature” to modern songs. I am grateful Bolles offered me this professional development opportunity to hone my craft; the students are the beneficiaries.”
Victoria Gafford Physical Education Teacher Bolles Lower School Whitehurst Campus Course/professional development: Adventure Curriculum for Physical Education hosted by the Project Adventure Organization. “Adventure activities, in which students have a shared goal, can effectively teach motor skills while also developing social competence. Social competency increases the ability to understand different viewpoints and manage immediate emotional responses when facing challenges. Regularly providing a time for reflection is also vital to help the students make connections and apply key concepts.”
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Pamela Clubb English Department Chair Course: Creating Equity, Inclusion and Harmony in the Classroom “During the summer, I attended a workshop titled “Creating Equity, Inclusion, and Harmony in the Classroom” for high school teachers and administrators. Rosetta Lee, a diversity trainer and master teacher, lead a workshop at Riverside Presbyterian Day School on July 9–10. I joined educators for a collaborative training experience to understand the importance of diversity, to provide equity within a classroom, and to create an inclusive environment for students, focusing on the best practices and strategies for educators to use in the classroom. The workshop also provided me an opportunity to engage in conversations with teachers that are interested in DEI work. During this workshop, Ms. Lee shared her vast knowledge, teaching practices and educational materials with educators.”
Stacey Hendershot Bolles Lower School Ponte Vedra Beach Campus Head Course: FCIS Annual Convention — Facing Forward: Leveraging Courage and Curiosity November 3–5 “The convention's focus this year was approaching the future with courage, curiosity and compassion. Renowned independent school gurus Michael Thompson and Rob Evans led a pre-conference workshop that focused on working with Today's Independent School Parents. It was a great opportunity to meet with leaders from other independent schools across Florida and hear more about the challenges that they are facing. "Lead by Listening" was a powerful message and I was able to attend workshops that focused on moral courage, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. It was an inspiring conference, filled with the message of hope and embracing different perspectives.”
Kim Loving and Kathy Bole Grade 2 Teachers Bolles Lower School Ponte Vedra Beach Campus Course/professional development: Collaborative Classroom workshop “Kathy Bole and I attended a Collaborative Classroom workshop at our campus on November 9 and observed the program at Carrollwood Day School in Tampa on November 12. It was very helpful to see the program in action. We were able to talk to many professionals about the timing, organization and implementation of the program. We have come back knowing how to teach the program so that our students can develop a love for reading and writing.”
Traci Salari Learning Specialist Bolles Lower School Whitehurst Campus Course: Dyslexia Association Conference and Dyslexia Practicum Course. “I attended the International Dyslexia Association conference in the fall and have recently finished a dyslexia practicum course and have graduated with my dyslexia certificate from the University of Florida. I’m currently in the Special Education doctorate program at UF where my specialization is dyslexia and reading disorders. I’ve finished my specialization courses already. My UF coursework and the IDA conference both equipped me to better meet the needs of our diverse group of learners through the implementation of scientifically based reading research. The research to practice gap is closing in this area which makes brain research and the science of reading an exciting field of study. The knowledge I have gained has allowed me to be a stronger voice for children and their families.”
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New Chapter for Bolles Library It’s a new chapter in the Bolles Lower School Ponte Vedra Beach Campus Library! Librarian Christina Karvounis hosted ribbon-cutting events throughout the day October 19 to introduce students to the newly refurbished campus library. Each class enjoyed their own personal ribbon-cutting event, complete with red ribbon and large scissors, before settling into their new book reading “amphitheater” near the library entrance. After reading a special library-themed book to students, Karvounis reviewed library policies before taking them on a brief tour of their newly remodeled space. The library now includes curved shelving spaces that can be reconfigured, as well as cozy reading nooks and plenty of space to spread out and enjoy books. Each visit ended with time for students to peruse the collection of 7,000 books and check out their selections. The library has been limited in recent school years due to COVID policies and the refurbishment. Karvounis said it was exciting for students who had enjoyed the library in years past to see the changes. By all accounts, the Bulldogs were thrilled to be back in the shelves once again! The mission of the Bolles Lower School Library program is to ensure children grow as global and empathetic citizens by becoming engaged and enchanted by print and digital literature, growing as effective users of information and deepening their critical thinking and research skills.
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Bolles Delegates: Small Choices Help Mitigate Climate Change In early November, Bolles students were invited to participate virtually in the COP26 conference — a global discussion about climate change that engaged leaders, thinkers, activists and educators all over the world in dialogue on how to be better stewards of the environment. An upshot of the experience is the recent formation of The Bolles Delegates, a collective of upper and middle school student leaders who participated in the conference and want to help affect change in the Bolles community. The delegates are planning several initiatives to demonstrate how small-scale choices can make a meaningful difference in humanity’s bid to mitigate a global-scale crisis. Middle school members of The Bolles Delegates are eighth graders George Dovellos ’26, Bubbie Brown ’26, Nishta Jijosh ’26, Victoria Edgar ’26, Meghanne Posick ’26 and Ethan Bathala ’26 with faculty support from science teachers Josh Pearson and Betsy Bailey. The upper school delegates include Jaden Taher ’25, Yasmeen Ibrahim ’22, Dylan Camarda ’22, Noah MacGregor ’22, Peter Rohan ’24, Camden Pao ’22, Grace Arnett ’24, Dalia Ibrahim ’23, Lance Adams ’23 and Minji Lee ’22 with faculty support from English teacher Marie Kervin. During the COP26 conference, students took part in a global discussion about climate change, heard youth activists speak, listened to the discussion about the future of climate technology and had the opportunity to attend a Zoom call with Montague Jones, a climate change delegate. He attended the Blue Zone which is a United Nations-managed space that hosted the negotiations between world leaders. Jones mentioned how important students are to the debate and how they cannot allow age or agencies to be barriers to direct action. The delegates attended three events: “From Climate Change to Change-Making: Firing Up Youth Activism;” “Climate Change Will Be Bigger Than the Internet Revolution:” and “Reboot the Future: How do We Move Faster Together?” One of the most important discussions students engaged in was the growing dialogue among youth and adult activists. Student leaders enjoyed an inspiring discussion in the weeks following
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the conference about their priorities as individuals within The Bolles School and what they envisioned for the Bolles community. That discussion included the topic of eco-anxiety, the feeling held by many youth that the future of the planet already is a lost cause. “The Bolles Delegates are working to fight that notion and open up a dialogue in our community about climate change, its effects and how the Bulldogs can help,” said Gracie Arnett, who, along with delegate peers, made an impassioned presentation to Bolles President and Head of School Tyler Hodges in early November about ways Bolles leaders can help students drive necessary change. “We want to start a community-wide conversation about climate impacts and help people realize that every change, big or small, that each person makes is a step in the right direction.” The students have made personal pledges devoting themselves to the issue because “we have the opportunity to develop solutions and be the voice of problem solvers for our school, the city of Jacksonville, the state of Florida, the United States and the planet,” said. “The human spirit wants to develop solutions to problems and not be told that it is too late or that we have no power to find a solution. As a group, we truly believe that it is not too late for our planet and that even as high school students, we have the ability to make impactful and meaningful changes.” Several initiatives have come out of the discussions including the group’s first-ever thrift exchange clothing sale, held December 3 in conjunction with the Bolles Parent Association’s uniform resale in Davis Gym. The group has been collecting gently used items in good condition to promote a reduce and reuse mentality on campus. The delegates hope to have similar sales throughout the school year on Fridays. The students also are advocating more opportunities for electric vehicle use and recharge stations on campus and other ways the School can reduce its impact on the environment. In the meantime, delegates have established an Instagram page to share their ideas and progress with the community.
Smart Moves: Pandemic ‘Pivoting’ Shapes 2021-22 Arts Curriculum at Bolles When the global pandemic flipped the script on arts instruction in the spring of 2020, Bolles Director of Fine and Performing Arts Laura Rippel worked with faculty to discover enterprising new ways to advance the arts both in-person and online. This flexibility and openness to new opportunities took the arts at Bolles into new dimensions of excellence during the ensuing school year and continues to define the program’s 2021–22 season on all four campuses. “In planning for this year, we wanted to take what we had learned from last year’s required ‘pivoting’ and continue to use the best bits,” Rippel said. Some of the “keepers” born out of Covid constraints include: a larger online presence with the School’s virtual art shows and artist profiles; a popular Drumline program built from the frustrations of wind musicians who could not play as actively during the pandemic; and livestreaming performances when publishing companies allow in addition to hosting ticketed, in-person events. Some of the more normal arts activities that have reemerged this school year include in-person, ticketed gallery receptions, artist talks, guest performances and live performances of all sorts. Thinking outside of the box during the past two years has brought new vision to the program. One of the most exciting curriculum additions is Bolles’ new Global Design and Social Innovation course, which is rooted in the concepts of Design Thinking, a method developed at the Design School at Stanford University. “It brings designers through a five-stage process of creative design and problem-solving: empathize, define, ideate, protoype and test,” Rippel explained. “Students in this class are tasked with innovative projects such as Guerilla Advertising, Package Design, Advertising in the Digital Age and many more.” As a culminating project, students are collaborating with local businesses to design solutions for their real-world needs. This year also marks the inaugural season of the Randy and Tracy Skinner Endowed Resident Guest Musician program, Rippel said. The fund allows the Bolles Fine and Performing Arts Department to bring in a resident guest musician every other year to work with students. This year, Bolles will host professional percussionist and educator Hunter Gross, who is joining students
weekly throughout the year to work with student percussionists on the Bolles Upper School San Jose Campus. “We are excited to hear the fruits of his labors at the band concerts throughout the year,” Rippel said. A professional visual artist also will be broadening students’ artistic experiences this year through a biannual Peyton Endowed Guest Visual Artist workshop upcoming. The fund allows the department to bring in top visual artists in varied disciplines to work with students during the school year. Rippel expects to make an announcement about the visual artist selected to participate in the program this spring. Continuing the School’s dedication to expanding learning opportunities for artists in all areas, Bolles Director of Dance Angela Blackledge hosted world-renowned choreographer Derrick Mitchell for the second time at Bolles this fall. The choreographer for the Los Angeles production of “Hamilton,” Mitchell worked with students on a piece for their spring dance concert during a two-day workshop on the Bolles Middle School Bartram Campus. The second dance guest artist of the year will be a dancer from the Hubbard Street Dance company of Chicago. Finally, the entire School community was over the moon and under the sea for the fourth-ever all-school musical, “The Little Mermaid” in November. More than 100 Bolles students in grades Pre-K through Grade 12 were part of the cast and crew. “We have an amazing cast from all four of our campuses,” Rippel said. “After not being able to get together as an entire community last year, we felt this was especially important this year.” Longtime drama faculty member Michael Fritton joined the cast and for the first time ever, the school invited alumnus David Gile ’78 to join the cast in an effort to really make it all-school, Rippel said. Gile is the CEO of Jacksonville engineering firm Gheelay Corp., and he has performed in many local productions including “12 Angry Men” at Theatre Jacksonville. In true All Things Possible spirit, the Fine and Performing Arts Department at The Bolles School has set the stage for a history-making 2021–22 year in the arts!
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‘The Little Mermaid’ All School Musical Makes Splash Co-Directors Daniel Austin & Laura Rippel Musical Numbers Choreographed by Angela Blackledge Music Director Meredith Mormann Character Development Director Michael Fritton Assistant Music Director Stacey Posick Technical Directors John Jenkins & Andy Payne Scenic Design Herman McEachin Stage Managers Amy Donovan & Isabell Schimpff Dance Captain Kennedy Cole
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CAST Ariel..................................................................... Emma McAdoo Eric......................................................................... Tommy Zhang Ursula................................................................ Su Ertekin-Taner Grimsby................................................................ Ashkon Shirazi Triton...................................................................... David Gile ‘78 Sebastian................................................................ Cyrus Vaghefi Scuttle.................................................................. Michael Fritton Flotsam.......................................................................... Isa Landa Jetsam............................................................. Ada Ertekin-Taner Flounder.................................................................... Lucy Mason Aquata/Princess................................................... Victoria Soares Adella/Princess............................................ Sophie Grace Posick Atina/Princess............................................................. Eva Lantzy Arista/Princess...................................................... Alexis Metzger Allana/Princess......................................................... Aisha Hasan Andrina/Princess................................................ Abigale Gartner Louis......................................................................... Camden Pao Maid 1....................................................................... Grace Miller Maid 2.............................................................. Meghanne Posick Maid 3................................................................. Alexiya Downer Maid 4.................................................................... Maura Waller Pilot...................................................................... Atticus Dickson Windward............................................................. Parker Parrish Leeward………………………………………..Iman Mahamane
ENSEMBLE Kathryn Arrowsmith Abby Bradley Kennedy Cole Vivien Gibbons Claire Kelleter Eva Petr Kathryn Sowers Jaice Wilkins Jakhye Wilkins Nate Zerkowski Averie Allen Anushika Arun Diya Comar Claire Ezzell Veda Galipalli Esha Kasavaraju Max Kovacocy Lilybeth Posick Nishi Shah Niya Shah Ella Vance LOWER SCHOOL ENSEMBLE Sara Andrade Elaina Baldev Laila Bouziane Scarlett Bradley Alexa Chamorro-Lopez Ryan Chandler Ahri Chatani Katherine Clendenon Sarah Curran Shelley Denmark Gavin Desai Karina Desai Ayva Downer Annabelle Duce Bailey Eyrick Tucker Farrar Trinya Elyse Findlay Catherine Foster Shanaya Grover Asha Gusani Louis Hartman Lillie Hines Hudson Iracki Margaux Izard Landen Kieck Riya Krish Sofi Kuskowski Kathy Landa Stella Larsh Brooke Lewis Autumn Mabry Lanna Montanez Lily Montanez Elin Myers
Nola Myers Isla Owens Sullivan Owens Ellyn Park Riley Powell Ava Rippel Lyla Rippel Carmen Rodriguez Tashi Saini Sawyer Schimpff Mary Serafin Bella Shah Emelia Slaughter Ethan Stam Sofie Stam Jimmy Sterling Rayna Sterling Arya Toblin Olivia Vaccaro Thomas Vance Reynolds Walker Lola Wallace Cali Wells Karsyn Wilkins Avery Wurzbach Tatiana Yazgi Eva Zucconi ORCHESTRA Keyboard: Gayle Gemeinhart Percussion: Greg Isabelle Bass: Robby Lee Trumpet: Maggie Vance Reeds: Paula Pease Violin: Sarah Park CREW Kate Burton Sloan Donaldson Hannah Hellein Malik Leslie Abby Radel Ava Sickler Katie Sollee Emma Stasiak Kate Youell
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LIVE AND IN-PERSON:
Hands-On Service is Back at Bolles After a long — and sometimes creative — hiatus, in-person, hands-on service work is back in business on all four campuses at The Bolles School. Freshman students were able to participate in the annual Make A Difference Day festivities, traveling to more than a dozen local nonprofit agencies to learn about their missions and opportunities to serve. The annual Halloween Carnival, an on-campus opportunity for Bolles upper school clubs to host a special carnival for local youths, also resumed its fall tradition. And Club Day, which last year was relegated to a virtual sign-up experience, was back to being a crowd-pleaser — with one of the biggest turnouts in school history. All Bolles campuses participated in the annual Thanksgiving food drives. The Bolles Lower School Whitehurst Campus and Bolles Middle School Bartram Campus once again collected nonperishable food for Woodland Acres in concert with donors on the Upper School San Jose Campus. The Bolles Lower School Ponte Vedra Beach Campus drive for the MaliVai Washington Youth Foundation was back to being a meaningful service success, with Washington himself appearing on campus to thank students for their donations.
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The return to in-person service also inspired smaller groups, clubs and individual students to ramp up their work. The Power of Blue ambassadors at Bolles hosted a spike ball fundraiser for the Ronald McDonald House that yielded more than $11,000 for the organization. Several middle and upper school students gathered on multiple occasions to assist the Mandarin Food Bank and other groups. The Bolles Way guides students in pursuing excellence through courage, integrity and compassion. It feels right to be heading this direction once again at Bolles!
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A Winning Tradition Continues Bolles fall sports teams continued a winning tradition with four more varsity state titles, six district titles and a state championship and two conference titles in middle school athletics. Bolles has now won 149 varsity state championships along with 96 state runner-up finishes, 509 district titles and 56 middle school conference championships. The boys’ and girls’ swimming and diving teams continued their state title streaks, winning team titles at the 2021 Class 1A meet in Stuart on November 6. The boys won the program’s 34th consecutive state title, extending the national record for straight titles, and 43rd overall. The girls won the program’s 31st consecutive state title and 35th overall. Bolles won 12 events and recorded numerous automatic and provisional All-American times. The girls’ and boys’ teams won region and district team titles en route to the state meet. Bolles won the girls’ 200 medley relay (Kate Meyers-Labenz ’24, Jessica Strong ’22, Julia Murphy ’24, Alex Zorn ’22) and the 200 free relay (Meyers-Labenz, Megan McGrath ’22, Sabrina Lyn ’23, Fresh Sathianchokwisan ’22) in automatic All-American times (AA–A), breaking the school record in the 200 free relay. Individual titles for the girls were won by McGrath in the 200 free (AA–A) and Sathianchokwisan in the 100 free (AA–A and
school record). Sathianchokwisan also set a new school record in the 50 free (AA–A, 2nd place). The Bolles boys flirted with school, state, and national records in both the 200 medley relay (Carter Lancaster ’24, William Heck ’23, Miguel Rojas Newman ’22, Tucker Peterson ’22) and 200 free relay (Andres Dupont Cabrera ’22, Heck, Peterson, Ethan Maloney ’22), winning both in automatic All-American times. The boys also won the 400 free relay (AA–A — Seth Tolentino ’24, Carter Lancaster, Dupont Cabrera, Kayden Lancaster ’23). Individual titles for the boys were won by Dupont Cabrera in the 200 free (AA–A) and 100 free (AA–A), Rojas Newman in the 50 free (AA–A) and 100 fly (AA–A) and Heck in the 100 breast (AA–A; school and state record set in the prelims). The girls’ and boys’ cross country teams repeated a feat first accomplished in 2018, as both teams won titles at the 2021 State Championships on November 12 in Tallahassee. In a first for the girls’ program, Bolles claimed the individual and team championship in the same season as Jillian Candelino ’23 won the girls’ Class 2A race. Aidan Ryan ’23 led Bolles in the boys’ race with an individual runner-up finish. The girls cross country team won consecutive state titles for the sixth time in program history and for the 13th time overall, moving into sole possession of the record for most state titles in Florida history. The girls also continued their streak of consecutive top-5 state finishes (28) and top-2 finishes (14). The state title is Head Coach Tony Ryan’s ninth at Bolles and 12th overall in his career. The boys’ claimed the program’s sixth state title and the third for Head Coach Mike Rivera. Both teams won region and district team titles as well. Both the girls’ and boys’ golf teams advanced to the state tournament, placing 11th and ninth, respectively. The girls’ team
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won the Region 1–1A tournament for the third year in a row, qualifying for the state tournament for the seventh straight season. After tying for medalist honors in 2020, Tori Mouton ’22 won the individual region title outright in 2021. The girls won the program’s ninth straight and 21st overall district title, led by Mouton’s individual win. The boys won the program’s 19th district title. The volleyball team earned a berth in the state playoffs for the 36th time in program history. Highlights for the middle school sports teams included winning the girls’ private school division at the Middle School Cross Country State Championships, the football team going undefeated (8–0) and winning the Independent Middle School Conference title and volleyball posting a 16–3 record. The varsity football team capped the fall sports season with an 8–3 overall record, advancing to the state semifinals for the 20th time in program history. The Bulldogs also tied for most state tournament appearances (39).
College Athletic Commitments at Bolles — November 10, 2021 Nine Bolles student-athletes were honored on November 10 for committing to a particular college or university to continue their athletic and academic careers. See the complete list of studentathletes below. Family, friends, classmates, coaches and faculty gathered in Davis Gymnasium on the San Jose Campus to celebrate this well-deserved achievement. Associate Athletic Director Kelly Stevenson welcomed everyone and coaches introduced their respective athletes. The following student-athletes were honored: Baseball Max Haug, George Washington University Tanner Zellem, University of Tennessee Boys’ Lacrosse Andrew Sledzik, Queens University of Charlotte
Softball Annabella McClerran, Stetson University Boys’ Swimming Andres Dupont Cabrera, Stanford University Tomohiro Nozaki, Georgetown University Tucker Peterson, Brown University Girls’ Swimming Alexandra Breuer, Georgetown University Megan McGrath, US Naval Academy This was the first of three college commitment ceremonies planned at Bolles this school year to recognize student-athletes as they commit to colleges. Ceremonies are also planned for February 2, 2022 and April 13, 2022.
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B O L L E S W O R L D
A T
The Bolles School launched the 2021–22 school year August 12 with some exciting history-making firsts for Bolles Hall and the Bolles Residential Life program. In addition to opening with a fully solar energy dependent Bolles Hall, historic hallmarks of the new year include a near max capacity student body of more than 1,700 students on all four campuses and the reception of boarders from 17 states and 18 countries. “There is so much good happening as we begin a new season of cultivating and educating young minds at Bolles,” said Bolles President and Head of School Tyler Hodges. “Our collective culture and courage is defined by our respect for one another and the incredible momentum pushing us forward — we are strengthened by the differences and successes fueling this very special school year.”
O N
T O P
O F … A N D
A R O U N D … T H E
Historic Year for Boarding in Bolles Hall
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O N T O P O F … A N D
Called the Llura “Lulie” Liggett Gund ’58 Residence Hall for Girls, the project encompasses the entire second floor of Bolles Hall and doubles Bolles’ female boarding capacity from 30 to 60 students—positioning the program to meet increasing admission demand. The work includes notable environmental enhancements to the entire building, originally developed in the mid-1920s as a posh hotel before its founding as a school in 1933.
Bolles Residential Life is proud of its culturally and internationally diverse community of students, which this year come from 17 states and 18 countries. Students in the 2021–22 Bolles Resident Life program are from Austria, Bahamas, Brazil, Canada, Cayman Islands, China, Israel, Jamaica, Kenya, Mexico, Nicaragua, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and Vietnam, in addition to the United States. These students are joining an already culturally and ethnically diverse community of learners, many bi-lingual. Bolles students in grades Pre-K through 12 come from many backgrounds and a total of 52 countries including the United Kingdom, Tanzania, Puerto Rico, Vietnam, Brazil, Nicaragua, Italy, Lebanon, Spain, Germany, Peru, Mexico, Israel, Canada, Japan, Jamaica, Romania, South Africa, Norway, Bahamas, Singapore, Mongolia, Japan, Nigeria, Australia, Austria, Cayman Islands, China, India, Egypt, Armenia, Pakistan, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Russia, New Zealand, Belarus, Czech Republic, Denmark, United Arab Emirates, Trinidad and Tobago, Thailand, France, Ukraine, Kenya, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, Argentina, Sri Lanka, Turkey and South Korea.
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A T
Local architecture firm Luke Architecture P.A. designed plans for the new spaces and Bent Construction is the contractor. The full scope of work hinges on future completion of the Center for Innovation, Math and Science building planned for the Upper School San Jose Campus bluff. This building is expected to house the School’s science, math, robotics and technology offerings, adds classroom space displaced by the residence hall expansion — another project that will take the Bolles experience and Bolles Hall to new “first-ever” heights and beyond.
#BollesGlobal
W O R L D
The second and third most historic Bolles Hall milestones of the 2021–22 school year are the switch to 100 percent solar energy dependency and the installation of an elevator. Bolles recently committed to solar power use through JEA’s SolarSmart program.
A R O U N D … T H E
The biggest “first-ever” event of the school year is the advent of girls boarding facilities on the second floor of Bolles Hall. Construction concluded this fall on renovations to Bolles Hall’s second floor — a key project that has expanded the School’s residential life capacity and enabled girl boarders to move from their longtime dorms on the Bolles Middle School Bartram Campus to Bolles Hall with their male peers. The move was made possible by a historic gift from American businessman, philanthropist and professional sports team owner Gordon Gund and his sons Zach and Grant Gund, whose wife and mother, Lulie, attended Bartram School.
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ON TOP OF....AND AROUND...THE WORLD AT BOLLES
Taking Bolles ON THE ROAD Administrators from several key Bolles departments are traveling across the country and globe to share Bolles’ All Things Possible spirit with others. The Bolles Office of Admission has been leading the way this fall with trips to boarding school fairs all over the world. Bolles Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Kila McCann traveled to several destinations to meet with prospective students and families including Guadalajara, Mexico City and Merida in Mexico, Jamaica and The Bahamas. Mark Frampton, Director of Upper School and Boarding Admission, hosted a Bolles booth and display at independent school fairs in the following areas: Lakeville, Connecticut; Canaan, New Hampshire; Lexington, Kentucky; and Nashville, Tennessee. “These boarding school admission events give us an opportunity to showcase Bolles in a personal, meaningful way — it is so important to build connections with the many families around the world who want their children to receive a Bolles educational experience,” McCann said. “Knowing Bolles is an option is one part of the admission equation, but equally as important are relationships and showing families firsthand what it means to be part of the Bolles Resident Life family.” The entire admission team traveled to Seattle, Washington to attend the Enrollment Management Association annual conference this fall to meet with other likeminded professionals in the independent school admission world. “Relationships — whether with new families or admission colleagues — make all the difference,” she said. The Bolles College Counseling Office knows the importance of relationships well. This year, counselors resumed visiting college campuses around the country to reestablish connections with admission staff and refresh their on-campus experiences after staying closer to home during COVID. They, like their peers in the admission office, traveled to Seattle for a professional conference this fall — in their case, however, they attended the National Association of College Admission Counselors conference. Assistant Director of College Counseling Danielle Leach, for example, also visited several colleges in the area including Williamette University, Reed College and Lewis & Clark College. Colleague Jack Fitch visited the University of Washington Seattle among others. Counselors typically visit college campuses throughout the year to make sure they are well versed on offerings that would be a good fit with students’ college ambitions. The Bolles Alumni Office also has been making trails in an effort to strengthen connections to alumni friends around the country. This fall, Alumni Director Julia Kalinski and Chief Advancement Officer Carol Nimitz joined Bolles President and Head of School Tyler Hodges in hosting an alumni event at Red Rocks Amphitheater outside of Denver, Colorado. With more in-person engagement as their goal, the alumni office plans more events in 2022 including gatherings in Atlanta, Georgia; Charlotte, North Carolina; Dallas, Texas; Cashiers, North Carolina; Vail, Colorado; Denver, Colorado; New York City, New York; and Washington, D.C
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Seattle, WA
Canaan, NH Lakeville, CT
Lexington, KY Denver, CO Nashville, TN
Nassau, Bahamas
Mexico City, Mexico Merida, Mexico Guadalajara, Mexico Kingston, Jamaica
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Full Tank: New Energy, Structure Redefining Admission Events The Bolles Office of Admission hosted one of its largest — and full on tented outdoor — lower school admission events in early November during an Explore Bolles! gathering on the bluff of the Bolles Lower School Whitehurst Campus. Many prospective families showed up to learn more about the Bolles experience and hear from School administrators about the benefits of a Bolles education. “There is a renewed energy and interest in an independent school education at Bolles — for all levels of study,” said Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Kila McCann, who said the office regularly fields interest from families coming to Jacksonville from larger metro areas in the Northeast, including New York City. As a result, this school year is one of the first in recent years to be at capacity on all four campuses — an enviable issue that is bringing new depth and diversity of experience to the School community. The Bolles admission team has been accommodating this influx of interest with new approaches to prospective student and family tours. The Explore Bolles! events, like the early November Whitehurst gathering, are opportunities for families to get a sense of a typical school day at Bolles — with plenty of time for authentic conversation, questions and peer-directed engagement. The events are tweaked for the audiences of all four Bolles campuses, but all relay the spirit of family, compassion and excellence for which Bolles is so widely known. Much of the momentum began last spring, with the advent of drive-through admission welcome events for newly admitted students and their families. Each event convened faculty, staff and student representatives, who lined the campuses’ drives and shared their enthusiasm and gracious spirit with the newly minted Bulldogs. To learn more about the Bolles Office of Admission, visit www.Bolles.org/admission.
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From the
Chief Advancement Officer As we gather with relatives and loved ones during the holiday season, I would like to express gratitude for my Bolles Family as a parent and employee. Whether you identify as alumni, current or past parent or grandparent, or a current or past faculty and staff member we all share a special bond of memories and experiences that are unique to The Bolles School. Generations of individuals and families since 1933 have taken reverent care in executing the Institution’s guiding principles of integrity, compassion, excellence and courage. I am especially grateful for those who have contributed in a multitude of ways to provide the confidence we have as parents that our children are being prepared for success in a global community. We all share the responsibility to continue to make Bolles a special place, because excellence is ever evolving. I encourage you to explore the multitude of meaningful ways you can stay connected. The Bolles Family will always welcome you! Sincerely,
Carol Nimitz Chief Advancement Officer
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100 Days of Giving Begins with a Celebration! The Bolles Advancement Office launched its 100 Days of Giving to the Bolles Annual Fund during the The Bolles Annual Fund Kick-Off Party on the Bolles River Campus Saturday, October 2. The celebratory event ushered in 100 days of Bulldogs making their best gift to the Bolles Annual Fund — which supports all areas of school excellence. As a 501c3 non-profit organization, The Bolles School depends on The Bolles Fund annual giving campaign to make the School’s needs and wants a reality. It provides the funds beyond tuition to make enhancements on all four campuses.
This was the first year the School hosted a party to begin its annual fund efforts. Parents, faculty, staff and friends enjoyed playing games on the river bluff, music, refreshments and fellowship. Support from families, faculty/staff, friends and alumni strengthens Bolles’ global community, offers the School the ability to purchase new equipment and supplies within the arts, academics, athletics and activities and provides for professional development opportunities for our faculty and staff — improving teaching and learning at Bolles.
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Bolles Hosts Special Tribute Remembers Retired Team Doctor Lucie Bolles hosted a special pregame ceremony honoring retired team physician Dr. Stephen Lucie for his many years of dedicated service to The Bolles School. Held this summer at Skinner-Barco Stadium prior to the Bold City Showcase, the event was one of the last opportunities coaches, faculty, friends and family had to thank Lucie, who passed away December 10, 2021. Lucie left a rich legacy of excellence to the program he helped build more than 40 years ago. Lucie first stepped onto the Bolles sideline in 1982, offering his services to help Bulldogs heal and stay healthy in their sports endeavors. In the nearly 40 years since, he was instrumental in advancing the Sports Medicine services at Bolles in personnel, resources and facilities. Lucie’s ties to Bolles extend to that of a former Trustee (1998–2004) and past parent with his wife, Sharon (Ryland ’96 and Craig ’00). His legacy will endure as Bolles continues to offer Sports Medicine on the level of many college athletic programs. Lucie was a founding member of Jacksonville Orthopaedic Institute, the Baptist Center for Joint Replacement team at Baptist — Downtown and he served as the Jacksonville Jaguars’ first head team physician. He also helped develop the Jaguar’s sports medicine facility. In addition to Bolles, he served as head physician for Jacksonville University and the Jacksonville Sharks. Lucie’s efforts with the Sports Medicine program at Bolles established a partnership with JOI, providing a full-time trainer as well as student trainers from area colleges. He contributed both funds and expertise in building the current Sports Medicine facility in 2003, along with members of the Skinner family. Bolles alumnus Dr. Kevin Kaplan ’95 is the new team physician for his alma mater. The Bolles community is forever grateful to Lucie for his expertise, guidance and support during the past four decades. He leaves a #BulldogStrong legacy for Bolles athletics that continues in perpetuity. Our deepest condolences to Sharon, the Lucie family and all who knew and were helped by Dr. Lucie over the years.
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Culture of Philanthropy Gathering Celebrates Donor Generosity The Bolles Office of Advancement hosted the Culture of Philanthropy Reception November 9 in Bolles Hall’s Staman Lobby and the Martin E. Stein Sr. Courtyard. The event celebrated the School’s dedicated donors and was an opportunity to showcase the new donor circle plaques, which will be installed permanently in the coming weeks. Thank you to all who attended — we look forward to hosting more events that celebrate and honor our sustaining givers!
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The McGraw Family
From the
PA Co-Chairs The 2021–22 school year is off to a great start for the Bolles Parent Association! After a year of limited activities due to COVID-19, our parent volunteers have been anxious to make up for lost time and have delved into various committees that support our students, faculty, staff and parents with a renewed sense of purpose and enthusiasm. The Parent Association volunteers have welcomed our new families to Bolles, hosted faculty/staff appreciation events, organized an electronic device recycling drive and uniform recycle sale, sent warm wishes of sunshine to families in need, hosted parent education events, encouraged awareness and celebration of our diverse student body, planned and carried out grandparents day and other special events on all four campuses, and have kept everyone up to date on the myriad of activities through weekly global emails and PA highlights on the Bolles website. While this may seem like a dizzying pace of activity in just the first semester, our parent volunteers somehow make all of this look easy. Peter and I are so proud of and grateful for each of our parent volunteers for the countless hours they have given, and continue to give, to Bolles. Most importantly, we are especially grateful to Sandy Catanese, Director of The Bolles Fund and Parent Programs for her continued dedication and leadership. These combined efforts serve to enrich the Bolles experience for our students, faculty, staff and fellow parents. Stay tuned for even more to come in the next few months! With gratitude, Elizabeth and Peter McGraw Parent Association Executive Co-Chairs Ben ’22 and Andrew ’23
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Grandparents’ Day Events A Real Celebration The Bolles Parent Association hosted Grandparents’ Day events on all four campuses November 18–19. All gatherings were well-attended and long on joy, and everyone enjoyed the buzz of being back on campus after a virtual hiatus the past year. Guests enjoyed visiting students in their classrooms, touring campus for various activities, convening for student performances and visiting with their grandchildren and friends throughout the day. Bolles loves Grandparents!
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From the
Director of Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving It is truly an honor to serve the Bolles community as the Director of Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving. I have enjoyed hearing from so many alumni about their Bolles experience and how it has shaped their lives 10, 20 and 50 years later. Coming to Bolles from the Jacksonville nonprofit sector, I was no stranger to the Bolles legacy. I have served on local boards alongside Bolles alumni, partnered with them on major fundraising initiatives for children in need and watched Bolles alumni change our community for the better. There is no doubt the foundation of a Bolles education creates passionate changemakers with a heart for service. The stories of lifelong mentors, friendship and fond memories are what inspired us to create a space where Bolles alumni could connect with the School, revisit some of their favorite aspects of Bolles and give back to their community from anywhere in the world. In September, we launched the new Alumni Association and Alumni+ portal. In just a short time the Alumni+ portal has provided a space for exclusive Class in Session events with beloved teachers, Coaches’ Corner discussions with Bolles athletics coaches and opportunities to submit and share Class Notes. Sports stars from years past have met the new generation of coaches, classmates have seen updates on their friends in real time and our Alumni can now offer internships and jobs opportunities to the next generation of Bulldogs with the click of a button. Membership in the Alumni Association is your best gift to the Bolles Annual Fund and includes access to all virtual and in person events here and across the country as Bolles leadership goes on the road in 2022. If you have any questions, please contact me directly. I look forward to connecting with you! Go Dogs, Julia Kalinski Director of Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving Phone: (904) 256-5014 Email: KalinskiJ@Bolles.org
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Members of the Bolles Board of Visitors were treated to student-led campus tours by seniors Tori Mouton ’22 and Katie Sollee ’22 (third and fourth from left)
Bolles Board of Visitors 2021-22 The Bolles Board of Visitors (BOV) consists of alumni who serve as lead ambassadors for the Institution in key concentrated alumni populated areas throughout the United States and beyond and assist the Board of Trustees and the President and Head of School in specific projects as delegated. BOV members keep Leadershipat the Institution informed of attitudes, opinions, concerns and expectation with respect to The Bolles School. Most importantly, they build fellowship among the alumni base in their community and increase alumni engagement and participation with the Institution.
Judge Marcia Morales Howard ’83 Kate Newton Jones ’05 Jake Lee ’11 Ryan Murphy ’13 Jamil Murray ’11 Dennis Pash ’99 Ron Patrick ’90 George Pilcher III ’00
C. Clayton Bromberg Jr. ’00, Chair Terri Arnold ’85 Dr. Peter Bream ’86 Carole Ann Coplan ’84 Allison Dewan ’07 Dr. Summer Decker ’95 Katie Davis ’12 Caitlin Hayes ’07
Clayton Bromberg Jr. ’00 chairs the 2021–22 Board of Visitors and succeeds immediate past chair Judge Marcia Morales Howard ’83.
The Bolles Alumni Association Board 2021-22 The Alumni Association Board strives to foster an engaged and passionate community of Bolles alumni in support of the Institution and each other. They serve as a vital partner in the success of The Bolles School through the significant engagement of alumni. Members assist in the diverse needs and interests of our community and alumni network through educational opportunities, local and regional events, as well as benefits and services.
Adam Edgecombe ’98, Chair Heather Lane Courtney ’02 David Dunn ’03 Justin Hart ’00 Roland Johnson ’16 Carla Jones ’03 Harry Kenning ’04 Steve Kurosko ’97
John Langley ’03 Tim Miller ’05 John Marees ’02 Lauren Scheible ’01 Ashley Rawlins ’06 Carson Vandergriff Richardson ’02 Hunter Walker ’14 Jerry Hurst ’76
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A L L T H I N G S A L U M N I:
Join the New Bolles Alumni Association Today! The roar of the crowd…the friends that are still on speed-dial… that special teacher who made a difference… these are just a fewof the things any Bolles alumnus might cherish. This is why the School explored the idea of creating a web portal exclusively for Alumni that offers a host of interactive experiences to build community near and far. On September 8, 2021, that idea was implemented with the launch of the new Bolles Alumni Association and Bolles Alumni+ portal — a place that brings engaging programming that cannot be duplicated on any other social media platform and most importantly, represents experiences that showcase all aspects of what makes Bolles and our alumni unique. The portal, an annual benefit of the newly-established Bolles Alumni Association, provides access to exclusive alumni content, events and networking opportunities. Sure to be a connector for alumni of every era, this high-tech window on the School’s past and present offers content such as Class in Session — livestreamed classes from some of the School’s most notable teachers.
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Additional content includes presentations from Bolles arts and academic experts, students, and prominent alumni. Inside the Arts looks inside Bolles’ recent production of The Little Mermaid, and the portal also features an Alumni Concierge program. “We are thrilled to offer Bolles alumni new opportunities to connect with their alma mater and each other,” said Bolles Director of Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving Julia Kalinski. “It is a wonderful new expansion of the Bolles alumni experience.”
Kicking off Class in Session, for example, was longtime Bolles history teacher Dr. Danton Kostandarithes, who shared a presentation on Alexander Hamilton on September 9, just as Lin-Manuel Miranda’s smash hit Hamilton returned to Broadway. Also, a guaranteed hit is Coaches Corner, which features opportunities to hear from and interact with the entire Bolles coaching staff. The Alumni sports stars of the past can come back and have real life connections to those walking the path today.
To join the Bolles Alumni Association, visit www.Bolles.org/alumni to learn about Alumni+ and make your best gift to The Bolles Annual Fund. Once registered, new members receive full access to exclusive events and ways to connect personally and professionally with their Bolles alumni family. Alumni businesses can post employment and internship openings and new Bolles graduates can find their first chance at a job. Alumni who have long moved across the country can step back into the classroom with their favorite mentor or the locker room with their favorite coach. This space truly belongs to our Alumni and will evolve with their continuous feedback. For more information about the Bolles Alumni Association’s Alumni+ Portal, contact Julia Kalinski at KalinskiJ@bolles.org or (904) 256-5014.
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2021 Alumni Tailgate Party Brings Bulldogs Back to Bolles The Alumni Tailgate Party at Homecoming was held Friday, October 29 in the west end zone. Alumni and families enjoyed being on campus to enjoy long overdue reunions with classmates, peers and faculty and to celebrate the posthumous honoring of Llura “Lulie” Liggett Gund ’58 Bartram during a pre-game ceremony. Gund’s husband Gordon and their sons Zack and Grant made possible the new Llura “Lulie” Liggett Gund ’58 Residence Hall for Girls on the second floor of Bolles Hall. In addition to celebrating the Gund family’s generosity, alumni had fun watching the Bulldogs take on Miami’s Tru Prep Academy and conversation with Bolles administrators.
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Bolles Celebrates Gund Family’s Generosity, New Chapter of Girls Boarding The Bolles School community was privileged to welcome and celebrate The Gund Family during Homecoming at several on-campus festivities. Gordon Gund and sons Zack and Grant gave a transformative gift to the School in honor of wife and mother Llura “Lulie” Liggett Gund Bartram ’58, who passed away in 2020. The family’s gift made possible the Llura “Lulie” Liggett Gund ’58 Residence Hall for Girls on the second floor of Bolles Hall, which paved the way for female boarding students to live in Bolles Hall for the first time in School history.
Gordon and son Grant traveled to Jacksonville October 29 to attend a reception and ceremony on the Bolles Upper School San Jose Campus in their family’s honor. Prior to kickoff of the Homecoming football game on George H. Hodges Field, the School posthumously honored Lulie Gund and announced her as the recipient of the 2021–22 Alumna Sidney W. Register Award — a prestigious annual distinction for alumni who have been extraordinary changemakers. On October 30, the School hosted a luncheon honoring the family and boarding students led tours of the new Llura “Lulie” Liggett Gund ’58 Residence Hall for Girls. The official opening celebration and Gund family welcome of the residence hall made history at The Bolles School. Bolles originally was developed in the mid-1920s as a posh hotel before its founding as an all-male military school in 1933. Bolles dropped its military affiliation in 1962 and became coeducational in 1971, but residence halls have been split between the Bartram and San Jose campuses for decades. With a consolidated boarding program — girls on the second floor and boys on the third floor of Bolles Hall — all Bolles Resident Life students can live on the campus where they attend classes, practices and events. The new girls’ residential hall eventually will encompass the entire second floor of Bolles Hall and doubles Bolles’ female boarding capacity from 30 to 60 students — positioning the program to meet increasing admission demand. The work includes notable environmental enhancements to the entire building — Bolles Hall is now 100 percent solar energy dependent. The female boarders are part of a culturally and internationally diverse resident community of students from 17 states and 18 countries this school year. The Gund family’s gift has gathered this culturally vibrant group of students together in one campus home at long last. The family’s gift also aligns with Lulie Gund’s long legacy of philanthropy, which included making tangible changes in the realms of blinding retinal diseases, conservation and renewable energy.
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Bolles Alumni Enjoy Mountaintop Experience! The Bolles Alumni Office hosted a beautiful alumni event at the Red Rocks Park and Amphitheater’s Trading Post Backyard August 18 in Morrison, Colorado. The event drew Bulldog alumni in the area who enjoyed catching up and meeting with Bolles President and Head of School Tyler Hodges, Chief Advancement Officer Carol Nimitz and Director of Alumni Engagement Julia Kalinski. More “Bolles on the Road” alumni social events are planned in 2022. See the calendar listing of upcoming opportunities to gather with fellow Bulldogs in fun venues around the country!
INCOMING!
Bolles Alumni Office Coming to a City Near You in 2022 As part of its dedication to connecting with alumni across the country this year, the Bolles Alumni Office has established an exciting travel agenda for 2022. Keep your eyes on our flight plan for Bolles alumni events upcoming — details to follow!
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The Bolles Sharks Nation Third in Olympic Swimming Medal Count If the Bolles Sharks Swim Club were a nation, they would rank third in the swimming medal count at the conclusion of the swimming competition at the 2020 Olympic Games. Former Bolles swimmers accounted for six gold and nine total medals! Bolles Swimming continues its streak of swimmers at every Olympics since 1972 with 63 total including 14 medalists winning a total of 29 overall medals and 18 gold. Six former coaches have also coached at the Olympics including four at the 2020 Games. Former Bolles Shark Caeleb Dressel became just the fourth male swimmer ever to win five gold medals in a single Olympics. After two relay golds in 2016 and winning his first 2020 gold in the 4x100 free relay, Dressel claimed his first individual event gold in the 100 free with an Olympic record. He also won the 100 fly in a world record time, the 50 free with another Olympic record and finally, teamed with former Bolles Sharks teammate and Team USA co-captain Ryan Murphy ’13 to win the 4x100 medley relay in world record time.
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Joseph Schooling ’14, a gold medalist in 2016, swam in his third Olympics for Singapore. He placed 44th in the 100 fly heats and 39th in the 100 free prelims. Former Shark McKenna DeBever, representing Peru, won her heat and finished 24th overall in the opening heats of the women’s 200 IM. On the pool deck, alumnus and former Bolles Assistant Coach Anthony Nesty ’87 and former Bolles Head Coach Gregg Troy both served as assistant coaches for the U.S. Olympic Team. Former Bolles Head Coach Sergio Lopez Miro served as an assistant coach for Singapore. Former Bolles Head Coach Rick Bishop was the head coach for Hong Kong.
Murphy ’13 Visits Current Swim Team
Bolles also partnered with First Coast News, providing a Bolles presence throughout local Olympic coverage as well as live news broadcasts from deck of the Tarver Pool.
Six-time Olympic medalist Ryan Murphy '13 returned to the San Jose Campus and the new Tarver Pool on October 22 to speak to the current swim team about preparing for state and his experience at the Tokyo Olympics.
Murphy, a three-time gold medalist in 2016, won silver in the 200 back and bronze in the 100 back to total six medals over two Games. He and Dressel also teamed up on the USA’s 4x100 mixed medley relay, with Murphy and Dressel both swimming excellent legs, but a goggle issue hampered teammate Lydia Jacoby in the breaststroke leg and ultimately led to a fifth-place finish. Santo Condorelli ’13 swam in his second Olympic Games and earned his first medal as a part of Italy’s silver medal 4x100 free relay. Condorelli did not swim in the final but earned the medal as part of the relay in the prelims where he helped Italy to the fastest seed heading into the finals, breaking the Italian national record (which was then broken again in the finals).
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Bartram
Alumnae Notes
Bartram Class of 1981 Reunion
’40s
1942 Trustee Emerita: Helen Murchison Lane
1945 Class Representative: Marion Whatley Cowart 1949 Class Representative: Anne Monroe Poidevant
’50s
1951 Class Representative: Frances Watts McCurry fmccurry@comcast.net
1953 Jane Howard Chadbourne passed away on Tuesday, November 23. 1955 Class Representative: Beverly Brett Warren bbrettw@hotmail.com
1958 Llura “Lulie” Liggett Gund was posthumously honored with the 2021–22 Sidney W. Register Award. Her husband Gordon Gund and son Grant Gund received the award on her behalf at the 2021 Bolles homecoming game. 1959 Class Representative: Linda Burbridge Knight lbksr@comcast.net
’60s
1961 Class Representative: Meriel Traylor Rucker (843) 881-7939
1963 Carol Gervin Bates passed away on August 17, 2021, in Avon, Connecticut. 1964 Class Representative: Missie Graham Sarra LePrell Missie@missiesold.com
Trustee Emerita: Ann Curry Hicks 1956 Class Representative: Louise Adams Ropp weezier@comcast.net
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1966 Class Representative: marciachughes@yahoo.com
1968 Class Representative: Judy Goins Quick jgquick@bellsouth.net The class expresses sympathy for Donna Knauer Ennis on the death of her mother, Donna Barnett Knauer, in November, 2021. Jackie Masterson Stradley reports that she has retired from her position as Executive Director of the Betty and Davis Fitzgerald Foundation. Jackie looks forward to serve as interim executive director for foundations in transition.
Knauer Ludwig), Rose Elizabeth Longenecker (Elizabeth Lovett Colledge), Elizabeth Paige Holland (Claudia Cassidy Naughton) 1971 Class Representative: Kerry Lee Byron Ehrlich klehrlich@cox.net 1973 Class Representative: Barbara Arnold Pickett bsap00@comcast.net 1974 Class Representative: Joann Ferguson Purdie jpurdie@springfieldcapital.com 1975 Class Representative: Marnie Law George marnie@thegeorgegroup.com 1976 Class Representative: Virginia Ferguson McNulty virginia@mcnulty.tv
Gail Bolte and Judy Goins Quick Gail Bolte and Judy Goins Quick had a wonderful, windy walk together around Castle Island when Judy was in Boston for events with the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts and the American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem. 1969 Class Representative: Virginia Conley Pappas virginiacpappas@gmail.com
’70s
1979 Class Representative: Jennifer Williams Wiegand
’80s
1980 Class Representative: Hilda Pendleton Fenton mafenton@hotmail.com
1981 Class Representative: Susan Williams Brodeur brodboys@bellsouth.net
1970 Class Representative: Elizabeth Lovett College elcolledge@yahoo.com
Gardner McFall’s chapbook, “On the Line” was published by Finishing Line Press. Her poem “March 26” appeared in the February 2020 issue of the Journal of American Medical Association. Catherine Schultz McFarland, a retired professor of Art History, continues to publish articles on art history and mythology, most recently on Pieter Bruegel the Elder. Beverly McCall Carlton’s son Duncan Mark Carlton graduated in May with an MD from USUHS, the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, to be followed by a residency in San Diego. We are deeply sad to report the passing of Susannah Schmoe Borg. Grandchildren news: James Forbes McAvey (Gardner Mcfall), Sophia Catalina Valley (Catherine Schultz McFarland, Miles William Ludwig (Diane
The Bartram Class of 1981 received a warm welcome. Susan Williams Brodeur writes, “In October, The Bartram Class of 1981 celebrated its 40th reunion at Tracy Seay Raymond’s house. Not many high school classes get more that 50% of the graduating class to attend a 40th reunion… but we did! 12 out of 23 graduates came to Tracy’s house along with three former teachers: Louise Ropp, Bev Warren and Jo Miller. It was a night of laughter and stories!”
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Susan Williams Brodeur added, “After working 33 years at Merrill Lynch, I retired in 2020 and am loving retirement! I’m not playing tennis anymore, but am now addicted to Pickleball! Rick and I enjoy traveling and always have a trip or two “on the books” for the future. Oldest son, Ford, 24, is currently interning with the European Parliament in Washington, DC. Patrick, 23, is in the Product Management Program at PNC Bank. Bryant, 21, is a senior at FSU majoring in Entrepreneurship.” Priscilla Johnson Gannicott writes, “I earned a Ph.D. in analytical chemistry from the University of Tennessee and began my early teaching career at Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama. I have currently been teaching chemistry at the University of Lynchburg (Lynchburg, VA) for 28 years. I teach general chemistry, analytical chemistry, environmental chemistry, and forensic science in addition to mentoring multiple undergraduate researchers. My lifelong passions include edible mushroom hunting, kayaking, hiking, gardening, and fishing. I’m an outdoors person for sure! My husband, Geoff (wildlife biologist), and I live on a working farm (hay, soy beans, corn, sorghum) in rural Virginia. You’re missing out if you don’t know how to drive a tractor — it is great fun! We have two sons: Brandon (age 30) who is a software engineer at Ziff-Davis Media and lives in Austin, Texas, and Trevor (age 24) is a mechanical engineer working at Johnson & Johnson-DePuy Synthes Medical Devices Division and lives outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Both are sweet guys and they have enriched our lives beyond all measure. 40 years flew by so fast. Liz Howell writes, “Jim and I are still in Neptune Beach, Florida. I keep busy by taking care of my father-in-law and spending time with our two grandchildren. I’m also still working at House and Realty. Go JAGS!”
best pal is my dog, Dance, who always keeps life interesting.” Becky Davis McKee writes, “I had a fantastic time reconnecting with many classmates and teachers during our recent 40th class reunion at Tracy Seay Raymond’s home! I also enjoyed an excellent tour of the Middle School Campus and was happy to see it looking so good. My husband, Will, and I are enjoying retirement and recently purchased a home in the Low Country at a beautiful place called Spring Island. On October 2, we celebrated the wedding of our daughter, Liz, on Spring Island and are preparing for our other daughter, Rebecca’s, wedding on September 3 in Cashiers, North Carolina. When I am not working on wedding plans, I enjoy playing tennis, biking, and am learning to play golf on the beautiful Spring Island course that Tracy Seay Raymond’s father, Ed Seay, helped design. Leslie Ferguson Moeini and her husband, AJ, are now empty nesters and still living in Jacksonville, Florida. Leslie has been working at GlaxoSmithKline as an Oral Heath Representative for 5 years. Husband, AJ is a seasoned Mortgage banker for Ameris Bank. Son, Arman, 28 has been practicing Law for 5 years and currently works in Nashville at Waller and Associates specializing in Heath care Mergers and Acquisitions. Daughter, Ainslie, 27, recently relocated to her dream city, Austin. She is a Florida Realtor and currently studying for her Texas Real Estate License. For fun, Leslie loves to play pickleball and travel. Tracy Seay Raymond and husband, Bobby (Bolles ’80,) have been busy running their businesses for the past 13 years. Tracy owns a boutique gift shop in Neptune Beach called “Red Daisy” and Bobby owns Brightway Fort Caroline Insurance Agency. Their youngest son, RJ, was married in October of 2021 and their oldest son will be married in January of 2022. When not taking care of their businesses, they both love to travel — with the mountains of North Carolina and the Bahamas being their favorites. Hopefully, soon there will be grandchildren to take on all their trips.
Sara Reed ’81, Eileen O’Brien ’81, Becky McKee ’81 and Susan Brodeur ’81
From Sara Dever Reed, “Still living in Kansas City, Missouri. Jim and I celebrated our 36th wedding anniversary this past summer, and we are now empty nesters. Our son, Alec, age 28, has degrees in Chemistry and Physics, and is looking for a lab research position here in town. Doc, age 25, works for a privately owned pork and poultry processing conglomerate as their Mergers and Acquisitions specialist. Husband, Jim, has worked as an investment banker for high net worth clients for 34 years and is now managing his mother’s estate and our portfolios. I’m officially retired, although I do write articles on art history for a friend’s biweekly blog. We have a Labradoodle named Rina and spend our vacations at our ranch in northern Michigan.”
From Anne Magrath, “After living in Asheville, North Carolina, for 16 years, I returned to Maryland for a new job in March of 2020. Just in time for the world to shut down because of the pandemic. My job as a Marketing & Technology Specialist for Weichert Realtors keeps me on my toes. In my free time I’m a fiber artist who loves felting, weaving, quilting, and more. My
Jana Newton Roper stays busy with teaching Pilates, wedding planning and volunteering at her church along with her husband, David. They will celebrate their 38th anniversary in May. Jana and David moved last year to their forever home in Reynolds’ Lake, Oconee, where they plan to enjoy all the amenities it offers. Son, Allen, and his wife, Heather, live in Savannah,
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where Allen is a music agent and Heather is in real estate. No grandchildren yet, but Jana’s hopeful for the future. Daughter, Camden, is in grad school at Ole Miss for speech therapy and will graduate in May. Jana writes, “Life is good and we feel very blessed.”
1982 Class Representative: Carmen Crenshaw-Hovey carmencrenshaw@msn.com 1983 Class Representative: Rebecca Faircloth McNeil marvmcneil@bellsouth.net 1986 Class Representative: A. Patricia (Tricia) Helwig Todd phtodd@helwigandtodd.com 1988 Class Representative: Rebecca (Becky) Martin Forbes rmf2ya@bellsouth net 1989 Class Representative: S. Courtney McCranie Mccranie2222@gmail.com Class Representative: Josephine (Josie) Bryan jbryan@stmarksdayschool.org
Kathy Stark ’81 Kathy Stark writes, “With several art exhibits canceled because of the pandemic, I focused on fine art painting, for my profession and for my church, designing new murals for Riverside Presbyterian’s Sunday School rooms. Also during the pandemic, my book, “The Wilderness of North Florida’s Parks” served as a valued resource for Jacksonville residents as they searched for new places to safely explore our wilderness areas. I continue to be a local parks ambassador speaking to various local groups and serve on the board of Timucuan Parks Foundation, designing an exhibit to celebrate their 20th anniversary.”
’90s
1990 Class Representative: Grace Herzog Bryan bryan.grace@mayo.edu
1991 Class Representative: Jennifer Purino Hensley jhensley@accretivesolutions.com
Lynne Thorman writes, “Our journey in Maryland will be completed in a few years and back to Florida we will come. My wife, Susan, and I are excited to come back to Florida, but Maryland has been very good for our kids’ education and both our jobs. I am still working as a Respiratory Therapist and Susan is still an engineer — retirement is right around the corner. We have successfully raised two amazing young women, Samantha age 23, and Sarah age 19. Samantha has graduated from Coastal Carolina University with two Bachelor’s degrees all while playing Division 1 lacrosse. She currently is working as an ABA therapist with young autistic children and is in school for her Master’s degree in guidance counseling. Sarah is in college at Allegheny College pursuing a double major in Psychology and Poly Sci. She was selected to go abroad in the early summer to Italy so we are VERY proud of her getting accepted into this program. She is also playing lacrosse for her school as the starting goalie. Life has been very good for myself and my family — two dogs and three cats included.”
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Bolles
Alumni Notes
Alumni swimmers convened for a splash in the pool this fall.
’30s
1938 George Varn Sr. passed away on September 4, 2021, at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Jacksonville, Florida, the same hospital in which he was born on December 1, 1920. The intervening 101 years encompassed a varied and accomplished life. His verve and charm will be missed by all who knew him.
’40s
1942 Trustee Emeritus: W. Lester Varn Jr.
1943 Keller Campbell passed away on July 31, 2021, in Frankfort, Kentucky. 1946 Class Representative: Fitzhugh “Hugh” Powell Hpowell@cwpowellins.com Trustee Emeritus: Quinn R. Barton Jr.
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1947 Jon Courson passed away on June 17, 2021, at his residence at Florida Presbyterian Homes in Lakeland, Florida. 1948 Class Representative: Robert (Bob) W. Brack Jr. (904) 744-2759 1949 Class Representative: Jerry Foley (904) 389-6460
’50s
1951 John Beckum, retired Doctor of Optometry, passed away peacefully on February 23, 2021, at his home in Gainesville, FL. 1952 Jim Tyson and his wife, Eileen, returned to campus this Fall to watch the Bulldogs take on TCA at Skinner-Barco stadium. Dr.
Tyson was a member of Coach Mark Bradley’s Bolles basketball team that defeated Mulberry 56–30 for the program’s first state title in 1952.
1958 Class Representative: S. Thompson “Tom” Tygart silas5037@aol.com Charles Conway passed away on September 18, 2021. 1959 Class Representative: Barry P. Sales bpsrnr@aol.com
’60s
1961 Class Representative: Ben T. Franklin Jr. bfranklin@southbankgroup.net
1962 Class Representative: Richard Hyer Richardhyer44@gmail.com Class Representative: Creston “Clark” Riffe clarkriffe@gmail.com
Jim Tyson ’52 with wife, Eileen 1953 Class Representative: James (Jim) M. Barker IV jmbchb@aol.com
1963 Class Representative: C. McNeill (Neill) Baker neill46@aol.com
1964 Class Representative: Gregory (Greg) W. Blackmer gregblackmer@yahoo.com
Trustee Emeritus: James V.E. Bent Sr. Trustee Emeritus: E. Ellis Zahra Jr. David Cates passed away on August 9, 2021. 1954 Class Representative: Hayes (Butch) L. Basford Jr. hbasford@icloud.com 1955 Class Representative: William (Bill) C. Hallowes bhallowes@aol.com 1956 Class Representative: Harry M. deMontmollin Jr. hmdem@aol.com President Emeritus: Harry M. deMontmollin Jr. Kirk Jones passed away at his home in Spartanburg, South Carolina, on February 19, 2021. 1957 Class Representative: Albert (Ted) T. Quantz tedquantz@gmail.com
In April of this year, Bill Hunter received the President’s Award from Dr. Thomas Walker, president of Wayne Community College in Goldsboro, NC. In presenting the award, Dr. Walker noted Bill’s considerable generosity to Wayne CC over the years while successfully leading his own company (Eastern Aluminum Supply). A member of the Wayne CC Foundation Board of Directors for the past 15 years, Bill’s friends established an endowment at Wayne CC in Bill’s name a few years ago. Hugh Simpson was featured in a recent edition of Dot Com Magazine, which highlighted his company Valentine International LLC and XP Concierge Services LLC. Simpson’s company covers shelter, food growing and alternative power for both natural and man-made disasters. 1965 Class Representative: Charles (Chuck) P. Torrey Jr. Charlestorrey1@gmail.com The Atlanta Journal Constitution featured a story on Henry Michael Rothschild and his record company, Landslide Records, in its October 27 issue. (Shown on next page.)
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Hodges Speaks to Rotary Group on ‘Climate and Culture’ Bolles President and Head of School Tyler Hodges was the guest speaker at the West Jacksonville Rotary Club’s September 15 meeting. Hodges was invited to speak as part of Rotary’s focus on education topics. He shared a meaningful presentation on how Bolles and other independent schools around the country have been navigating climate and culture during the past year or more. During his talk, Hodges indicated a bright future for the School and highlighted many of Bolles’ successes. Held at Timuquana Country Club, the lunchtime event was attended by many Bolles-related Rotarians and patrons including Richard Dostie ’72, Bolles Chief Advancement Officer Carol Nimitz and Shep Colledge ’66
Henry Michael Rothschild ’65 1966 Class Representative: Shepherd (Shep) E. Colledge Shepherdc904@aol.com 1967 Class Representative:Christopher (Chris) B. Stubbs cstubbs@linkstaffing.com 1969 Class Representative: James (Jim) R. McCain Jr. Jrmjr1951@gmail.com Steve Milberg passed away on December 1, 2020.
’70s
1970 Class Representative: F. William (Bill) Borg bill_borg@vanguard.org
Class Representative: Chester (Chip) Skinner III chip@skinnerrealty.com Jim Cousar recently became counsel to the law firm of Holland & Knight LLP in Austin, Texas. Jim previously practiced 41 years in the Austin office of Thompson & Knight LLP. The two firms merged in August 2021. 1972 Class Representative: James (Jim) F. Bailey Jr. jbailey@baileypub.com
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1973 Class Representative: John F. Pendergast Jr. jpendergast@penderlaw.com Board of Trustees: Rodney VanPelt James Mooney passed away on August 5, 2021. 1974 Class Representative: Jan K. Reeder jreeder@rpds.com 1975 Class Representative: John Crescimbeni jrcjaxfl@aol.com Class Representative: Mark McGowan mark.mcgowan@bcbsfl.com Class Representative: J. David Sheppard sheppardpvbfl@bellsouth.net 1976 Class Representative: Kevin T. Gay kgay@operationnewhope.com Alumni Board: Jerry F. Hurst Gordon Terry and Bradley Terry ’09, both standout players for the Bulldogs, were on campus for the Bolles vs. Trinity Christian game this fall.
Crosby ’79 Wins Second Pulitzer Jackie Crosby ’79 and her reporter colleagues at the Minneapolis Star Tribune received a Pulitzer Prize for their coverage of George Floyd’s murder more than one year ago. The staff of the Star Tribune won the 2021 Pulitzer Prize in Breaking News Reporting, which honors a “distinguished example of local, state or national reporting of breaking news that, as quickly as possible, captures events accurately as they occur, and, as time passes, illuminates, provides context and expands upon the initial coverage,” according to the Pulitzer organization. The staff won for its “urgent, authoritative and nuanced coverage of the death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis and of the reverberations that followed.” A story in the Star Tribune said staff writers first reported on Floyd’s killing at 3:30 a.m. on May 26, 2020 and updated it 115 times through the day. The journalists provided “24-hour-a-day coverage of the rage that consumed Minneapolis,” the story read.
Gordon Terry ’76 and Bradley Terry ’09 1977 Class Representative: Catherine Randle Hurst Catherine.hurst10@yahoo.com 1978 Class Representative: Jeffrey (Jeff) L. Evans jeff.evans@colliers.com
The 2021 winners constitutes the organization’s 105th class of Pulitzer Prize winners. Each year, 22 prizes are awarded and 113 jurors are appointed to make three recommendations in each of the 22 categories. In the Journalism prize section, there are 15 categories including investigative reporting, local reporting, international reporting and editorial writing. This is the second time Crosby has been awarded a Pulitzer Prize. Along with fellow Macon Telegraph and News reporter Randall Savage in 1985, she won a prize the Specialized Reporting category for an “in-depth examination of academics and athletics at the University of Georgia and the Georgia Institute of Technology,” according to Pulitzer listings. That year, she was the youngest person to ever receive a Pulitzer Prize.
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1979 Class Representative: Karen Ibach Bowden Kbowden61@comcast.net Jackie Crosby and her reporter colleagues at the Minneapolis Star Tribune received a Pulitzer Prize for their coverage of George Floyd’s murder more than one year ago. (See sidebar on page 61.)
Morales ’81 Appointed to JEA Board Ricardo “Rick” Morales III ’81, President and Chief Operating Officer of Morales Construction Co. Inc. and member of the Bolles Board of Trustees, has joined the JEA board of directors. The Jacksonville City Council approved Morales’ appointment at its September 28 meeting.
Brad Johnson ’79 and other alumni hosted a gathering at the Prime Osborn III Convention Center November 6 to celebrate the Bolles coaching legacies of Corky Rogers, Wayne Belger, Buddy Ward and Mike Barrett. Called “The Coaches’ Reunion,” the event was managed by Airstream Ventures and drew more than 200 Bolles graduates, donors and friends from all over the country, Johnson said. Dee Brown ’86 shared this photo (shown below) of himself and other alumni attendees at the event via Instagram.
“We are pleased that Rick Morales is joining JEA’s board,” said JEA Managing Director & CEO Jay Stowe. “He brings a new perspective to our board and his long history as a leader in the Jacksonville community will allow us to continue on the path of becoming the best utility in the nation.” Morales fills a vacancy left by the late Leon Haley Jr., who died in an accident on July 24. Haley, who was CEO of UF Health Jacksonville, had served on the JEA board since April 2020. Morales leads operations at Morales Construction, a design/ build general contracting company specializing in estate custom homes in Northeast Florida. He has more than 35 years of experience in all phases of construction, including financial management, field supervision, project management, estimating, project development and executive management. Morales started his career as an estimator for Atlantic Constructors, a division of Patterson Enterprises, in 1985. In 1987, he joined Morales Construction Co., becoming president of the company in 1995. Morales is active in numerous business and charitable organizations. He was appointed to the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission by Gov. Jeb Bush in 2001 and 2007, then reappointed by Gov. Rick Scott in 2013 and served as its chairman from 2013 to 2015. Morales is a board member, PAC chairman and previous board president of the Northeast Florida Builders Association and is a director and past chairman of the Presidents Council for the Florida Home Builders Association. Morales, who received his bachelor’s degree in finance from Wofford College, has supported The Bolles School in numerous leadership capacities over the years including roles as trustee, parent and alumni. JEA is a not-for-profit, community-owned utility located in Jacksonville, Florida, proudly serving an estimated 478,000 electric, 357,000 water, 279,000 sewer and 15,000 reclaimed water customers. 62 | alumni |
Clarkston Hines ’85, DeWayne Terry ’84, Dee Brown ’86 and Terrence Laster ’84
’80s
1980 Class Representative: Jennifer Hanigan jennifer.hanigan@wellsfargo.com Board of Trustees: Mark F. Travis Richard Schwalbe passed away on September 11, 2021. 1981 Class Representative: Ricardo (Rick) Morales III rick@moralesgroup.com Board of Trustees: Ricardo (Rick) Morales III Christopher Lee Johnson passed away on July 26, 2021. Rick Morales, President and Chief Operating Officer of Morales Construction Co. Inc., and member of the Bolles Board of Trustees, was recently selected to join the JEA board of directors. (See sidebar on the left.)
1982 Class Representative: Virginia (Ginny) Jones Charest gcharest1@verizon.net 1983 Class Representative: Erin O’Dell O’Brien Erin_O’Brien@csx.com Class Representative: R. Dean Scott rdeanscott@msn.com Class Representative: Marcia Morales Howard Joseph Wingard III passed away unexpectedly on November 27, 2021. Troy Douglas stopped by campus this fall to visit with the Bulldog football coaches during his Florida recruiting trip. Troy was a stand-out football and baseball player at Bolles and played football collegiately at Appalachian State. He is the defensive coordinator for Howard University in Washington, D.C. and was on campus looking for prospective players to add to the Bison roster.
Acosta-Rua ’85 Appointed to JAA Board Florida Governor Ron DeSantis appointed Bolles Board of Trustees Chairman Fernando Acosta-Rua ’85 to the Jacksonville Aviation Authority Board of Directors. Acosta-Rua, who was named to the board October 29, participated in his first JAA meeting in late-November. Acosta-Rua is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Pet Paradise. In addition to his Bolles Board of Trustees leadership role, Acosta-Rua has served as Chairman of the Community Hospice of Northeast Florida Board of Directors and sat on the Jacksonville University Public Policy Institute Board of Advisors and the 2020 Republican National Convention Host Committee. Acosta-Rua earned his bachelor’s degree in public relations from the University of Florida and master of business administration from Northwestern University.
Troy Douglas ’83 1984 Class Representative: Stephanie Hodge Bassett bassett4837@comcast.net Board of Trustees: DeWayne Terry
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis recently appointed Bolles Board of Trustees Chairman Fernando Acosta-Rua to the Jacksonville Aviation Authority Board of Directors. Fernando is also the President and Chief Executive Officer of Pet Paradise. (See sidebar above.) 1986 Class Representative: Jeanine Gulliford jeaninegull@yahoo.com
Board of Visitors: Carole Ann Coplan 1985 Class Representative: Beth Rosenbaum Angelo bethangelo @aol.com Class Representative: Kimberly (Kim) Tucker Price kimtprice@gmail.com
Board of Trustees: Charles (Charlie) Arnold III DeCovan Brown, Tatiana Radi Salvador Board of Visitors: Peter R. Bream Jr. 1987 Class Representative: Michael (Mike) S. Wachholz Mwachholz02@comcast.net
Board of Trustees: Fernando J. Acosta-Rua, Chair Board of Visitors: Terri Arnold
Class Representative: Ellis Barton ellis@moralesgroup.com
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Financial services executive Wendy Ottenstroer Hamilton was recently elected Chair of the Jacksonville Port Authority (JAXPORT) Board of Directors. (See sidebar on the left.) 1988 Class Representative: Karen Rinaman Barakat karenbarakat@comcast.net Class Representative: Monica Bernhardt mburns92@comcast.net Class Representative: W. Scott Hudmon sargescott@aol.com 1989 Class Representative: M. Laurie Shumer Gelman lsgelman@comcast.net
Hamilton ’87 Elected JaxPort Board Chair
Class Representative: K. (Megan) Mickler Ira megira@me.com Board of Trustees: Rahul V. Deshmukh
Wendy O. Hamilton ’87 was elected chair of the Jacksonville Port Authority (JaxPort) board of directors during the group’s September 27 meeting.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis appointed Bolles alumnus Julie Taylor to the Duval County bench. Most recently, she has been general counsel for the 4th Judicial Circuit Court. (See sidebar on the right.)
Hamilton, who has served The Bolles School in many leadership roles over the years including trustee and parent, is president of Eventide Investments of Florida.
’90s
“I am thrilled to serve as Chair during this time of incredible growth and opportunity for our port,” Hamilton said in a release from JaxPort on September 28. “From harbor deepening and the buildout of the Blount Island terminal to rising to the business challenges created by the pandemic, CEO Green and the port’s leadership team have done an incredible job positioning JaxPort for the future. The JaxPort team has the full support of our Board as we work together to maximize the jobs and business opportunities a modern deep water seaport creates for our community.” Members of the seven-person JaxPort board are appointed by the mayor of Jacksonville and the governor of Florida.
1990 Class Representative: Cynthia Sinha-Anderson cynthia.anderson3@gmail.com
Class Representative: Amy Hightower Beaver azbeaver@bellsouth.net Class Representative: David A. Barton davidabarton@yahoo.com Class Representative: Betsy Lande Givens betgivens@yahoo.com Board of Trustees: John S. Surface Board of Visitors: Ron T. Patrick 1991 Class Representative: Elizabeth (Liz) Kilgore Mundin mundinl@bolles.org Class Representative: Norianne Wright noriannewright@yahoo.com
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Liz Mundin ’91 and Rachel Ringhaver ’91 Classmates Liz Mundin and Rachel Ringhaver have daughters graduating in 2022 — Anne Harvey and Kylie. The tradition continues!
Taylor ’89 Appointed Judge
Kevin Barrett and 1991 classmates Jermyn Shannon, Eddie Keyes, and Brian Dolan reunited at the Homecoming football game at Skinner-Barco stadium in October. The foursome were teammates on Coach Corky Rogers’ first state championship football team in 1990.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis appointed Bolles alumnus Julie Taylor ’89 to the Duval County bench. Taylor, selected from a group of five contenders for the position, replaces retiring Duval County Judge Ronald Higbee. Following her Bolles graduation, Taylor went to the University of Florida and then received her JD from Samford University Cumberland School of Law. She has been practicing law in Jacksonville ever since, a career that includes work as a public defender and assistant state attorney. Most recently, she has been general counsel for the 4th Judicial Circuit Court.
1992 Board of Trustees: Dr. Jamie P. Dwyer 1993 Class Representative: Matthew (Matt) T. Berquist mberquist@intrepidcapitalfunds.com 1994 Class Representative: Jason M. Winkler jasonwinkler@earthlink.net Board of Trustees: Allison Korman Shelton Florida Governor Ron DeSantis appointed Allison Korman Shelton to the University of North Florida Board of Trustees August 6. (See sidebar on page 66.)
Bailey Chase ’91 Bailey Chase stopped by the San Jose Campus to visit with his teammates and coaches this fall. An accomplished actor, Bailey is best known for his role in the popular Netflix western crime series “Longmire”. He also was a member of the 1990 State Championship football team. He and his family have recently relocated from Los Angeles to Asheville, North Carolina.
1995 Class Representative: Leed Silverfield lsilverfield@yahoo.com Board of Trustees: Steven T. Gold Board of Visitors: Summer J. Decker
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Bolles alumnus Ashley Collins has been selected as a recipient of the 2021 Top 100 CEOs in Innovation Award by World Biz Magazine. (See sidebar on this page.) 1996 Class Representative: Fontaine LeMaistre IV fontainelemaistre@comcast.net
Shelton ’94 Named to UNF Board Florida Governor Ron DeSantis appointed Allison Korman Shelton to the University of North Florida Board of Trustees August 6. Shelton, of Jacksonville, is the former Director of Government Affairs for Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry and was previously Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations for The Stellar Group. She is a recipient of the Jacksonville Business Journal’s Women of Influence Award and currently serves on The Bolles School Board of Trustees in addition to being a past President of the Jewish Community Alliance and graduate of Leadership Florida. Shelton earned her bachelor’s degree in political science from Florida State University.
Heather Creel and Kymberly Wolfson ’99 were named co-chairs of this year’s Winter Design Show benefitting Wolfson Children’s Hospital, which was postponed until December 2022 due to COVID. The event, formerly known as the Art & Antiques Show, is an annual outreach and fundraiser of the Women’s Board of Wolfson Children’s Hospital. Roderick Brown and former teammates Will McCray ’97 and Kendal Francis ’95 met up in the stands for a recent football game.
Roderick Brown ’96, Will McCray ’97 and Kendal Francis ’95 1997 Alumni Board: Steve Kurosko
Collins ’95 Selected as a Top 100 CEO in Innovation Bolles alumnus Ashley Collins ’95 has been selected as a recipient of the 2021 Top 100 CEOs in Innovation Award by World Biz Magazine. Collins’ selection follows a stringent process that evaluated more than 40,000 nominees. The award recognizes product, service, functional, strategic and managerial innovation in companies. The award also recognizes individuals showing exceptional commercial insight and market integrity. Collins is the owner of Jacksonville-based Collins Builders which he founded in 2003.
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Following a 2.5-year competitive layoff due to a bike accident and the pandemic, Bolles alumnus Ed Baker returned in fine form by winning the men’s 40–44 age group and placing 19th overall at the Ironman Maine 70.3 in August. He followed that feat up with an overall win at the Ironman Santa Cruz 70.3 in September. (See sidebar on the right.) 1998 Class Representative: lindsayeyrick@yahoo.com Board of Trustees: A. Chester Skinner IV Alumni Board: David Cohen Adam Edgecombe, Chair 1999 Class Representative: Christopher “Chris” Dostie ccdostie@hotmail.com Board of Visitors: Dennis E. Pash
Author and digital media professional Kelly Basinger participated in a “Class in Session” segment for the Alumni Association in October. Kelly reflected on the inspiration for his book “Cool Jolly Greg and His Slim Fit Pants,” including the importance of play, interaction and leveraging new technologies in a smart way. Heather Creel ’96 and Kymberly Wolfson were named co-chairs of this year’s Winter Design Show benefitting Wolfson Children’s Hospital, which was postponed until December 2022 due to COVID. The event, formerly known as the Art & Antiques Show, is an annual outreach and fundraiser of the Women’s Board of Wolfson Children’s Hospital.
Baker ’97 Wins Recent Ironman Events Following a 2.5-year competitive layoff due to a bike accident and the pandemic, Bolles alumnus Ed Baker ’97 returned in fine form by winning the men’s 40–44 age group and placing 19th overall at the Ironman Maine 70.3 in August. He followed that feat up with an overall win at the Ironman Santa Cruz 70.3 in September. The 70.3 or “Half Ironman” events include a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike and 13.1 mile-run.
Travis Hodge ’00, Trey McCullough ’03 and Benson Hawkins ’00 at a recent game
’00s
2000 Class Representative: Faye Hedrick fayemhedrick@gmail.com
Alumni Board: Justin Hart Board of Visitors: C. Clayton Bromberg Jr., Chair George S. Pilcher III 2001 Class Representative: Katie Skinner Farrar katie.s.farrar@gmail.com Class Representative: William O. Inman IV woinman4@gmail.com Class Representative: Lloyd Regas lregas2@yahoo.com Alumni Board: Lauren Bacalis Scheible 2002 Class Representative: Elizabeth Brotman Daniel eabrotman@yahoo.com Class Representative: Margaret (Meg) Cheney Coleman meggie2431@aol.com
Baker’s Ironman career is highlighted by winning the Ironman Lake Placid event in 2018 and qualifying for the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii, the pinnacle of long-distance triathlon competition. He also won his age group in his first two half-Ironman competitions, Texas in April 2018 and Mont Tremblant in June 2018. Baker finished as the top amateur at the Copenhagen Ironman as well in 2018, bettering his Lake Placid time by over 50 minutes. An accomplished cross country and track athlete at Bolles, Baker went on to compete at Harvard, where he was a two-time Team Captain and NCAA Regional All-American. Following graduation from Harvard he went on to earn an MBA from Stanford where he also qualified for the 2008 U.S. Marathon Olympic Trials in 2008.
Class Representative: John M. Marees jmarees@josephandmarees.com Class Representative: Carson Vandergriff Richardson carson.vandergriff@gmail.com Alumni Board: Heather Lane Courtney, Carson Vandergriff Richardson, John Marees Winton Mays and his wife, Kate, have announced the birth of their daughter, Kennedy Camille Mays. Former Bolles dancer Lauren Yalango-Grant and her husband, Christopher Grant, are choreographers of the new Broadway-bound musical “Invincible: The Musical,” a show based on the story of “Romeo and Juliet” by rockstars Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo. (See sidebar on page 68.)
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Paty Villarreal, who represented Mexico in the 2000 Olympics, lives in Houston where she is raising three boys.
Paty Villarreal ’02 2003 Class Representative: Rahul Sharma sharmar@bolles.org
Yalango-Grant ’02 Choreographer for ‘Invincible: The Musical’ Bolles dancer Lauren Yalango-Grant ’02 and husband Christopher Grant are choreographers of the new Broadway-bound musical “Invincible: The Musical,” a show based on the story of “Romeo and Juliet” by rockstars Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo.
Alumni Board: David Dunn, Carla M. Jones, John Langley Tyler Rhoden was promoted as the new Vice President of Orthopedics, Neurosciences and Spine at TriStar Centennial Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. Alli Tinsley was married to Brendon Smith on March 13, 2021, at the Lightner Museum Courtyard in Saint Augustine, Florida. Over the summer, friends and family of Kathleen Stopyra Dale gathered on the Bolles San Jose River Campus to witness her promotion to Lt. Commander in the United States Navy. Ed Stoprya, former Associate Head of School and Kathleen’s father, performed the ceremony.
The show made an invitation-only industry presentation at the Bourbon Room in Los Angeles November 10—12. “Named for Benatar’s famous 1985 single, ‘Invincible,’ the show features music from both Benatar and Neil Giraldo, with book by Bradley Bredeweg, direction by Scott Schwartz, choreography by Lauren Yalango-Grant and Christopher Grant, orchestrations by Girlado and music direction and arrangements by Jesse Vargas. Jamie Cesa and Bel Chiasso Entertainment are the producers,” the Variety article reads.
Kathleen Dale ’03 with father Ed Stopyra
Yalango-Grant was recently in the Broadway musical “King Kong, Alive on Broadway.” The couple’s dance and choreography credits include Apple’s holiday spot, “Sway,” Spike Jonze’ Changers, A Dance Story, Advil PM, “Dancing Around Pain” and the Royal Variety Performance in honor of the Queen of England among many others.
Friends and Family of Kathleen Dale ’03 68 | alumni |
David Dunn, a Bolles parent, serves on the Alumni Board and is an active supporter of the youth athletics in the community.
Foster ’04 Shares Reflections With Bolles Faculty, Staff The David Dunn ’03 family and friends 2004 Class Representative: Harry A. Kenning III harry.kenning@beeline.com Alumni Board: Harry Kenning Teddy Foster is a local attorney at Morgan & Morgan and visited the San Jose Campus to speak to the Bolles faculty and staff during pre-planning for the 2021–2022 school year . Teddy’s reflections on his positive Bolles experiences, both in and out of the classroom, were much appreciated and well-received by the entire community. (See sidebar on the right.)
Teddy Foster ’04, a Bolles “Lifer” and local attorney with Morgan & Morgan, was the alumni guest speaker at the 2021–22 Bolles All Faculty and Staff Preplanning Meeting August 5 on the Bolles Upper School San Jose Campus. Foster shared his full-circle reflections on the Bolles experience, which began for him in Kindergarten and continues today as the father of a Bolles Kindergartner in the Class of 2034. Scanning the audience, he accounted for the many familiar faculty faces who inspired him both in the classroom and on the field during his time at Bolles — including several coaches who encouraged his baseball excellence. Foster attended the University of Florida on a baseball scholarship. He was part of the 2005 SEC Championship and runner-up in the College World Series. He earned All-SEC academic honor roll during the last three years of his UF undergraduate work. Foster has a master’s degree in sports management from UF and a Juris Doctorate from Florida State College of Law. “I look around and see people who taught me how to be a good person — how to treat people, how to talk to adults and to show respect to every person,” Foster said, challenging himself to recall the name of every teacher he had at Bolles from Kindergarten to his senior year. “It’s the small moments and conversations that made the most impact.” Foster shared several examples of the brief encounters he had with faculty and coaches that still inspire him today. He reminded faculty and staff of the pivotal role they play in the development of good people.
Jonathan Sofge ’04 and son, Joseph
“Bolles is not anything without its teachers,” Foster said. "You guys don’t push people in the right direction, you show them the right direction."
Jonathan Sofge ’04 and his wife Serenity welcomed their second son to the family — Jase Daniel Sofge.
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2005 Class Representative: Gracie Williams Register c.gracie.williams@gmail.com Board of Visitors: Katherine Newton Jones Dylan Kiernan earned his MBA from the University of Tampa and is currently employed by Crowley as a senior analyst in finance.
Skinner ’05 Inducted into Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame Bolles alumnus Riley Skinner ’05 was inducted into the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame in a ceremony on September 17, 2021 in Lawrence Joel Coliseum in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Skinner was announced as an inductee in June 2020 but the pandemic pushed the ceremony until this fall. Skinner is the winningest quarterback in Wake Forest history, leading the Demon Deacons to 31 wins as a starter from 2006–2009. In his redshirt freshman season, he led the Deacons to an 11–3 record, the ACC Championship and a berth in the Orange Bowl in January 2007. The ACC Rookie of the Year in 2006, Skinner was a second team All-ACC pick that year and an honorable mention selection in 2008 and 2009. He became the first quarterback in school history to lead the Deacons to three bowl games while setting school records for completion percentage, passing yards, completions, touchdown passes and passing efficiency. Skinner remains the NCAA record holder for completion percentage in a bowl game, having connected on all 11 attempts in Wake Forest’s 29–19 win over Navy in the 2008 EagleBank Bowl.
Dylan Kiernan ’05 Bolles alumnus Riley Skinner was inducted into the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame in a ceremony on September 17, 2021 in Lawrence Joel Coliseum in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Skinner was announced as an inductee in June 2020 but the pandemic pushed the ceremony until this fall. (See sidebar on the left.) While officially married on December 4, 2020, Kenneth Akel and wife, Peggy O’Brien, formally celebrated their marriage with family and friends on October 29, 2021 at a reception held at Treasury on the Plaza in St. Augustine, Florida.
Peggy and Kenneth Akel ’05 2006 Class Representative: Ashley K. Rawlins akrawlins@gmail.com Alumni Board: Ashley K. Rawlins 70 | alumni |
Cristin Harcrow Johnson ’06 has launched a start-up business called Cristin Johnson Media in Roanoke, Texas. She also works part-time in a family-owned brewery called Soul Fire Brewing Company, where she handles social media for company events.
Austin Slater ’11
Cristin Johnson ’06 2007 Class Representative: Michelle Risley Baker michelle.e.risley@gmail.com Class Representative: Allison T. Dewan allisondewan@gmail.com Board of Visitors: Allison T. Dewan, Caitlin Hayes
Austin Slater ’11 and Stewart ’12 Conclude Big League Seasons Former Bolles baseball teammates Austin Slater ’11 and DJ Stewart ’12 both concluded another season in Major League Baseball. An eighth-round pick in the 2014 MLB draft, Slater concluded his fourth big league season with the San Francisco Giants. A first-round pick in 2015, Stewart finished his fourth season with the Baltimore Orioles.
Tommy and Kendall Isaacs welcomed the birth of their son Carter Thomas Isaacs on October 21, 2021, at 5:43 p.m. Carter weighed 7 pounds, 3 ounces and is 20 inches long.
An outfielder, Slater played in 132 games for the Giants in 2021, including three postseason games. During the regular season, he batted .241 with 12 home runs, 12 doubles, a triple and 32 RBIs. He had five at-bats in the National League Divisional Series with two hits.
Allison Dewan married James Giebink at The Chapel at Beaver Creek in Beaver Creek, Colorado on July 17, 2021. Many Bolles alumni attended the wedding and celebrated with the couple on a beautiful day in the Rocky Mountains!
Stewart, also an outfielder, played in 100 games for the Orioles. He batted .204 with 12 home runs, 10 doubles and 33 RBIs.
DJ Stewart ’12
James and Allison Giebink ’07
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2008 Class Representative: Catharine A. Brown catharineabrown@gmail.com
Class Representative: Christina “Christy” Prewitt Yost Christy.prewitt@hotmail.com
Author Pierson ’13 Shares Publishing Experiences with Bartram Students Alexandra Pierson ’13, a New York City-based young adult middle grade fiction author known by the pen name Alex Aster, shared her story of becoming a published author with Tim Creter’s English students during a virtual presentation on the Bolles Middle School Campus November 16. She took students through her 10-year quest to become a represented and published author — a journey that began when she herself was a student in Creter’s class. She said the book she wrote at the time went through “hundreds” of rejections as she sought agent representation and mainstream publishing. Yet she did not give up on her dream. Through high school and college, she worked on new book projects, tried new approaches, queried agents and continued to pursue her plans to be published. Rejection, reworking, persistence and patience defined her mission as her book projects were picked up by agents, shopped and more often than not, stalled or dropped. Pierson’s big break came after she started a Tik-Tok account and began marketing one of her latest works, “Lightlark.” A teaser video for the book “racked up 1.2 million views, 278,000 likes and more than 7,000 comments — and scored Aster a six-figure book deal with Amulet Books” according to a recent article in Bustle. com. She was on a book tour through New York, New Jersey, Washington DC and south through Florida in early summer. Her second book was published June 8. Aster’s books “Curse of the Night Witch” and “Lightlark” received a Kirkus Star. “Curse of the Night Witch” was listed as one of Amazon’s best children’s books of 2020. During her Bartram presentation, Aster encouraged students to never give up on their writing, to stay in tune with the most current media applications and that even dreams that seem to come true overnight are a long time in the making. Her enthusiasm and encouragement were palpable! Thanks for sharing your story with our middle school writers, Alex! And congratulations on your successes and writing career!
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Bill Erwin ’80 and John Dominey ’08 Sarah and John Dominey welcomed the birth of their second child John William Dominey to the family on October 11. 2009 Class Representative: Mandana (Mandy) Fatemi mandyfatemi@yahoo.com Janet “Ley Ley” Francis and Charlie Griffin were married on September 18, 2021, at the Clifton Inn in Charlottesville, Virginia. Parker Hardwick was married to Genevieve Whyte on January 23, 2021, in Chicago, Illinois, in a small family ceremony on the shores of Lake Michigan (in 15 degree weather!) Kay Schellenberg was married to Gabriel Gari on July 9, 2021, in Jacksonville, Florida.
’10s
2010 Class Representative: Morgan O’Hare mohareaffair@gmail.com
Hannah Conte Johnson and husband Morgan Johnson welcomed their son Easton Scott Johnson to the world on October 27, 2021. 2011 Class Representative: Ruth Curry Clements clements.curry@gmail.com Board of Visitors: Lewis S. Lee III Jamil R. Murray
Literary Agent Katherine Odom-Tomchin ’14 Shares Perspectives with Bolles English Faculty, Students Peter Verhoef, Jake Lee ’11 and Dale Porter Jake Lee returned to the Bolles campus in October to volunteer his time and serve on the School’s Board of Visitors for the 2021–2022 school year. As a student, Jake was a stand-out swimmer for the Bulldogs and had the opportunity to meet current swim coaches Peter Verhoef and Dale Porter during his visit.
Katherine Odom-Tomchin ’14, Audio Rights Director and literary agent at Manhattan-based Folio Literary Management, was on the Bolles Upper School San Jose Campus October 20 to speak with English department faculty and students about the publishing industry. Odom-Tomchin began her Bolles visit with a presentation to upper school English teachers. She presented on a variety of topics about the literary field as many English teachers have an interest in writing and publishing nonfiction, flash fiction, novels and/or poetry, said Bolles English Department Chair Pamela B. Clubb. “She spoke with English faculty about the process of writing a query letter to a literary agent and explained the various elements writers’ must address within a proposal to a literary agent,” Clubb said. She also touched on the importance of seeking representation from a literary agent. Later that morning, Odom-Tomchin provided a presentation to AP English students, giving advice and information on careers in publishing, working in an internship program and writing a resume for college and careers. She also taught a lesson during the creative writing class which focused on the creation of literary elements within a fictional piece.
Jamil Murray ’11 Jamil Murray made the trip from Atlanta to visit campus in September to see the Bulldog football team in action. Jamil currently lives in Atlanta and works for the Frito-Lay corporation. Jamil is also a member of the 2021–22 Board of Visitors.
Odom-Tomchin began her publishing career at Heritage Publishing, Inc., which publishes magazines, guides and directories for health care, seniors, tourists and attorneys throughout Florida and Southeast Georgia. During her time there, she held various positions in the editorial, graphic design and information departments. Her many jobs included producing original content for their many publications and assisting in ad placement. At Folio, Odom-Tomchin works to strategically place the agency’s audio rights with the most effective audio publishers possible. She also acts as a subagent for BenBella, an independent publishing house based in Dallas, Texas known for publishing a range of nonfiction titles, and places audio rights for the storied authors of Harold Ober Associates and Emma Sweeney Agency.
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The Richardson Family
Gibbons ’15 Joins Bolles Swim Staff Jake Gibbons ’15 returned to his high school alma mater in August following a year as a volunteer coach and a successful swimming career at Texas A&M. He serves as the Late Night coach with the Bolles Sharks. As a student-athlete, Gibbons earned Texas A&M’s Distinguished Letterman Award, the highest award presented to a student-athlete once a year by the athletics department. The individual is someone who displays extraordinary talents in the areas of athletics, scholarship, leadership and service. He served as a team captain during his junior and senior seasons as well as the Chair of the SEC Student-athlete Advisory Council and as a member of the NCAA Division I SAAC. Gibbons was a two-time College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America Scholar All-American and a recipient of the Brad Davis Scholarship. Gibbons was also a member of the SEC Community Service Team. “I am personally excited about Coach Jake because of his undeniable passion for swimming, for developing ‘the whole human’, and for Bolles,” Head Coach Peter Verhoef said of Gibbons. “Coach Jake has the distinction of helping to coach the most dynamic short course swimmer over the past two years in Texas A&M standout Shane Casas. We look forward to learning from Coach Jake and his experience!”
Kyle Richardson and brother Austin ’13 and their family attended the Bulldogs’ Region 1-4A semifinal football game versus Gadsden County this fall. Kyle lives in Tampa and Austin is living in Denver.
Nathan Theus ’11 Nathan Theus was on campus recently to visit with coaches and teachers and pick up some gear for his little Bulldogs. After graduating from Bolles, Nathan played football for the University of Georgia where he served as a Captain on the Special Teams. Nathan and his family reside in Jacksonville where he works as the General Manager for GFL Environmental Inc. Former Bolles baseball teammates Austin Slater and DJ Stewart ’12 both concluded another season in Major League Baseball. An eighth-round pick in the 2014 MLB draft, Slater concluded his fourth big league season with the San Francisco Giants. A first-round pick in 2015, Stewart finished his fourth season with the Baltimore Orioles. (See sidebar on page 71.) Duffy Flynn visited Skinner-Barco stadium in late September to watch the ‘Dogs football game versus UC. After graduating from Bolles, Duffy attended UNF and is currently managing the sales and customer service department of ICEMULE Coolers.
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2012 Class Representative: Parker Wilf phwilf@aol.com Board of Visitors: Katherine Prusiecki Davis AJ Crouch recently qualified for eight starts on the 2022 Korn Ferry Tour. Crouch shot a 7-under 64 in the final round of the Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying Tournament’s Final Stage on June 8, 2021, in Savannah, Georgia, to tie for 14th place. Bulldog greats Ryan Murphy ’13 and Teo D’Alessandro returned to campus in September to offer some words of wisdom to the Bulldog swim team about the opportunity to compete in the upcoming 1A State Championships in Stuart, Florida. Luke O’Steen and Annie Lee were married on November 6, 2021, at the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. Lane Travis has announced her engagement to Walker Kane.
Schmidt ’15 On-hand to Congratulate Sathianchockwisan ’22 Breaking Record Bolles swimmer Manita “Fresh” Sathianchockwisan ’22 broke the Bolles girls’ 50 free record with an automatic All-American qualifying time of 22.63 to win the event at the Region 1-1A Championships at Bolles on October 26. Alumna and former 50 free record holder Kasey Schmidt ’15 and her mother Brandi Schmidt were volunteering at the meet as timers and were able to congratulate Sathianchokwisan in person to make the accomplishment particularly special.
DJ Stewart ’12 A 2-sport state champion at Bolles, DJ Stewart just finished his fourth season as an outfielder for the Baltimore Orioles. (See sidebar on page 71.) Liam Benson works in the stallion department at Nicholasville, Kentucky-based Taylor Made Sales Agency, which handles everything from racing partnerships to breeding and raising thoroughbreds. Taylor Made raised the famed American Pharoah as a yearling. Benson also recently traveled to Chile with a Kentucky Derby winner (2014 California Chrome) for the Southern Hemisphere breeding season.
Kasey Schmidt returned to Jacksonville after earning a master’s degree in Integrated Marketing Communications from Northwestern University in 2020 and a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Hawaii in 2019 where she was a member of the swim team. She currently works in Digital Audience Development with the PGA Tour.
2013 Board of Visitors: Ryan F. Murphy Julianne Gillis graduated from the Medical College of Georgia in 2021. She is currently a first-year resident in orthopedic surgery at Emory University Medical Center. Dr. Gillis and her mother Laura visited the San Jose and Whitehurst campuses on October 13. Dr.
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Gillis enjoyed her time with faculty members and toured the renovated girl’s residence hall (The Llura “Lulie” Liggett Gund Residence Hall) where she had lived as a boarding student. Dylan Schreiner was married to Kasey Rolen on November 6, 2021. Austin Richardson and brother Kyle ’11 and their family attended the Bulldogs’ Region 1-4A semifinal football game versus Gadsden County this fall. Kyle lives in Tampa and Austin is living in Denver. Alexandra Pierson ’13, a New York City-based young adult middle grade fiction author known by the pen name Alex Aster, shared her story of becoming a published author with Tim Creter’s English students during a virtual presentation on the Bolles Middle School Campus November 16. (See sidebar on page 72.)
King ’16 Visits Bartram Dancers
2014 Alumni Board: Hunter Walker Charles “Jake” Bistrong passed away on June 7, 2021.
Recent West Point graduate Joe King ’16 was a guest presenter in Angela Blackledge’s dance I and II classes on the Bolles Middle School Bartram Campus the first week of the school year. An upper school athlete and former student of Blackledge’s, King talked to the students about his experiences in dance and sports at Bolles — and how they shaped him as a person. King, who was recently commissioned as an officer in the Army, is heading to Fort Benning and then to Fort Bliss in Texas. “The students — they loved it!” Blackledge shared.
Gordon Olson ’14, Nick Reinschmidt ’14, Cody Boswell ’14, Kian Schoenborn ’14, Rachel Duffy ’14 and friend The Bolles Class of 2014 was well-represented at Skinner-Barco stadium to watch the Bulldogs in action when the football team clashed with TCA this fall. The mini-reunion included Nick Reinschmidt, Gordon Olson, Kian Schoenborn, Cody Boswell and Rachel Duffy. Patrick Glover recently completed his first year of medical school at Emory University. Katherine Odom-Tomchin stopped by the San Jose Campus in October to present to faculty and students. Kat is a literary agent and the Audio Rights Director at Folio Literary Management in New York. (See sidebar on page 73).
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2015 Jake Gibbons returned to his high school alma mater in August following a year as a volunteer coach and a successful swimming career at Texas A&M. He serves as the Late Night coach with the Bolles Sharks. (See sidebar on page74.) Kasey Schmidt was on-hand to witness Manita “Fresh” Sathianchockwisan ’22 break her school record in the 50 free. (See sidebar on page 75.)
The Collings Family Victoria Watterson Collings and John Collings IV welcomed John “Quint” Collings V to the world November 27, 2021 at 7:30 p.m. The Collings family lives in Nashville where Victoria works in marketing for one of Sony Music’s record labels. 2016 Alumni Board: Roland Johnson Brittney Rayfield Scantling and husband, Hunter, welcomed their first child, Jaeden Michael Scantling, to the family on October 16, 2021. Jaeden arrived a month early at 6 lbs. 8 oz. and 20 inches long and everyone is doing well. West Point graduate Joe King was a guest presenter in Angela Blackledge’s Dance I and II classes on the Bolles Middle School Bartram Campus the first week of the school year. An upper school athlete and former student of Ms. Blackledge, King talked to the students about his experiences in dance and sports at Bolles — and how they shaped him as a person. (See sidebar on page 75.)
Prusiecki ’16 Completes Appalachian Trail Hike Bolles alumnus Adam Prusiecki ’16 summited Mount Katahdin in Maine on September 8 to complete a four-month hike of the entire 2200-mile Appalachian Trail. Prusiecki began at Springer Mountain in Georgia exactly four months prior, two days after completing his Master of Accountancy degree at the University of Georgia. He will continue to reside in Athens while studying for and taking parts of the CPA exam over the next three months before starting with Ernst & Young in Atlanta in early January. In sharing the news, Adam’s father Drew stated, “We are very proud of his accomplishments and grateful for the outstanding Bolles education he received!”
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Jones ’17 Performing as the Top Rookie QB in the NFL
Bolles alumni on Air Force Academy Football Team
Bolles alumnus Mac Jones ’17 has performed as the top rookie quarterback in the NFL in 2021 based on stats, wins and most measurables. Jones was drafted with the 15th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft by New England following a stellar final collegiate season in which he led the Crimson Tide to national and SEC titles and earned several individual accolades including Academic All-American of the Year. He was named the starting quarterback for the Patriots as the NFL wrapped up the 2021 preseason. In one of the most anticipated and watched NFL games of the season, Jones excelled as Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers visited New England on October 3. Hyped as “The Return” of Brady to New England, and even though the Patriots were edged on a missed field goal, Jones arguably stole some of the spotlight from the future Hall of Famer. Leading up to the game and following, Lower School Whitehurst Campus teachers Jill Bobbitt and Dawn Collins were interviewed by Boston television station WHDH Channel 7. A reporter and cameraman visited the Whitehurst Campus to interview Bobbitt and Collins, as the pair have stayed in touch with Jones as he moved on to middle and upper school at Bolles, then the University of Alabama and now the NFL. Coincidentally, Jones had sent the two teachers autographed jerseys the night prior and they wore them to school and for the interview.
Jordan Jackson ’16 Jordan Jackson, a senior defensive tackle on the Air Force Academy football team, tallied 37 tackles including seven sacks to help the Falcons to a 9–3 record in 2021. Jackson is on the watchlist for the 2022 Reese’s Senior Bowl, an annual college all-star football game that is played at the conclusion of the NCAA season. He is one of three Bolles alumni on the Air Force squad along with Amari Terry ’17 and Benjamin “Cody” Mercer ’17. Kenny Johnson is currently a participant in the IT Career Foundational Program at Boeing South Carolina in Charleston. Zev Lee, a recent University of Massachusetts Amherst summa cum laude graduate who double-majored in history and political science and minored in film, has begun his pursuit of a master’s degree in history from Kings College, University of London. His thesis is based upon many of the passions he developed at Bolles, where he thrived as a history student in Danton Kostandarithes’ classroom. “It was through Dr. K’s classes that I not only learned so much, but found a subject that excited and captivated me, evoked debate and enthused me to want to research and discover further connections to other courses at Bolles,” he said. Lee’s master’s thesis combines his love of music (Lee was captain of the Bolles Band in 2015 and 2016) and Torah and his passion for “heated and well-informed debate.” Lee next plans to attend Oxford University for a degree in law. Bolles alumnus Adam Prusiecki ’16 summited Mount Katahdin in Maine on September 8 to complete a four-month hike of the entire 2200-mile Appalachian Trail. (See sidebar on page 77.)
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Jonathan Alley ’16 After graduating from FGCU Lutgert College of Business, Jonathan Alley is living in Neptune Beach and works in management at Reliant Roofing. 2017 Christian Glover recently graduated Summa Cum Laude from the FSU School of Business. Bolles alumnus Mac Jones has performed as the top rookie quarterback in the NFL in 2021 based on stats, wins and most measurables. Jones was drafted with the 15th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft by New England. (See sidebar the left.)
Ferguson ’18 Selected by Padres in MLB Draft Bolles alumnus Max Ferguson ’18 was selected by the San Diego Padres in the fifth round of the 2021 Major League Baseball draft with the 160th pick. He played in 25 games with the Padres’ rookie league team and 12 games with the Lake Elsinore Storm, a Low-A affiliate of the Padres. Combined, he hit .212 with six doubles, two triples and 13 RBIs in 2021. Ferguson completed his junior season on the University of Tennessee baseball team in 2021. He earned Southeast All-Region and All-SEC Tournament Team honors in 2021, helping the Vols to the program’s first College World Series appearance since 2005. An infielder, he started 67 games (primarily at second base), ranking fourth on the team with 46 runs scored, 12 home runs and 46 RBIs, all career highs. Ferguson also led the team and ranked fifth in the SEC with 15 stolen bases.
E.J. Porter ’17 E.J. Porter totaled nine tackles in his redshirt senior season on the Coastal Carolina football team, helping the Chanticleers to an 10–2 record and as high as 14th in the national rankings.
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Barco ’19 Selected for USA Baseball Team Bolles alumnus Hunter Barco ’19 was selected for the 2021 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team. Barco was among 48 players on two 24-player teams that played 11 intrasquad games from July 2–15. In prior years, the USA Collegiate teams played international opponents. The majority of the teams’ games were played in the cities of the Appalachian League in its first season as a summer collegiate league as part of MLB and USA Baseball's Prospect Development Pipeline.
Ahman Ross ’17 Ahman Ross, a redshirt junior safety on the Florida Atlantic football team, totaled 30 tackles and an interception for the Owls in 2021.
A freshman pitcher on the University of Florida baseball team in 2021, Barco led the Gators in wins with a record of 10–3 including the SEC and NCAA tournaments. Pitching in his first full season of collegiate play, Barco posted a 4.01 ERA through 16 starts with a .239 batting average against and 94 strikeouts. He was named to the All-Southeastern Conference Newcomer Team. Barco competed for the Gators at the start of the 2020 season before the remainder of the season was canceled last March, resetting his eligibility as a freshman in 2021.
Lexi Riley-DiPaolo ’17 Lexi Riley-DiPaolo graduated with honors from the College of Wooster with a degree in Cognitive Behavioral Neuroscience and a minor in Biology. An all-conference swimmer who also achieved conference academic honors, Lexi joined the University of Florida’s College of Medicine's LaVoie Lab at the Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases for the summer and began her PhD program in the UF Biomedical Sciences, Neuroscience concentration program this fall.
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2018 Bolles alumnus Max Ferguson was selected by the San Diego Padres in the fifth round of the 2021 Major League Baseball draft with the 160th pick. (See sidebar on page 79.) Dragon Theam led the Army West Point men’s golf team in two tournaments this fall, highlighted by a T-2 finish at the Bucknell Invitational to lead the Black Knights to the tournament win. Theam is a junior at the US Military Academy, playing at La Salle University as a freshman.
Dragon Theam ’18 John Bowers, a senior on the Naval Academy cross country team, helped Navy to a Patriot League Championship and earned All-Patriot League First Team and All-Academic Honors. He competed in the Mid-Atlantic Regionals in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania for his final cross country race at Navy.
Hastings ’19 Among Survivor 41 Cast Bolles alumnus Xander Hastings ’19 was among the cast of Survivor 41, the long-running reality television show on which contestants form a beachside society and vote each other off in the pursuit of a million dollars. Filming began in March and the season has already wrapped, but Hastings “survived” to be among the final three contestants. In cast bio on the CBS/Survivor website, Hastings notes his most proud accomplishment as qualifying for and competing in the 2018 Nike Cross Nationals along with his Bolles teammates.
John Bowers ’18
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Izzy Schwam, a two-year captain and senior on the Haverford College volleyball team, helped her team to a runner-up finish in the Centennial Conference tournament and a berth in the NCAA Division III tournament. Haverford defeated UMass Boston in the first round before falling to MIT in the second round in the Cambridge Regional. Schwam has also been named to the Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll multiple times and serves on Haverford’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
Hicks ’19 Places 4th at NCAA Cross Country Championships, Wins Pac 12
Izzy Schwam ’18
Bolles alumnus Charles Hicks ’19 led the Stanford University men’s cross country team with a fourth-place individual finish at the 2021 NCAA Cross Country National Championships in Tallahassee on November 20. The Cardinal placed fifth as a team and Hicks earned his second consecutive All-American honor in cross country. Several Bolles coaches and former and current cross country team members made the trip down I-10 to watch Hicks compete, congratulating him in-person after his amazing accomplishment. The NCAA meet was held at Apalachee Regional Park, site of the FHSAA state meet the last several years, where Hicks won back-to-back individual and team state titles as a junior and senior at Bolles. Hicks was also named the West Region Men’s Athlete of the Year for the second consecutive season after another impressive season as the top distance runner for the Cardinal. He also led Stanford to victory at the NCAA Division I West Regional Championships in Sacramento on November 12. He narrowly placed second individually. Hicks won the individual title and led Stanford to a team runner-up finish at the Pac 12 Conference Cross Country Championships in Salt Lake City, Utah, on October 29. A freshman in cross country eligibility and junior academically, Hicks added to numerous accolades in his running career including a runner-up finish at the Pac 12 meet last season to lead Stanford to the team title, winning the 10k at the 2021 Pac 12 track championships, earning All-American honors in cross country and track last season and placing sixth in the 5k at the British Olympic trials.
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Anastasia Scott ’18 Anastasia Scott, a senior on the Long Island University volleyball team was named the Northeast Conference’s 2021 Defensive Player of the Year and to the All NEC First Team, both for the second time. She was also named NEC Defensive Player of the Week six times. Scott led LIU with 5.38 digs per set, ranking ninth in the in the NCAA. She recorded 293 digs in total, including an NEC single-season match-record 34 in a match against Bryant on October 2. 2019 Julia Butler visited the San Jose Campus over the summer to discuss her time at William & Mary and her passion for writing. A junior at the College of William & Mary, she is pursuing a major in Computer Science and a minor in Mathematics along with a generous helping of Chinese language and culture. She is also a member of the school’s Undergraduate Honor Council and former Co-Chair of the
council’s Faculty-Liaison Committee. Julia currently serves as the Honor Council’s Assistant Chair of Administration. Will Shepherd returned to the San Jose Campus at the beginning of the school year to entertain the Class of 2022 with his music at the Senior Breakfast. Will is currently a junior at Dartmouth College, where he is also a member of the Big Green baseball team.
Rafat ’20 Lands Gig with Frances Forever Multitalented Bolles musician-artist and lifer Soraya Rafat ’20 recently was asked to join Tik-Tok music sensation Frances Forever on Misterwives’ Resilient Little Tour, which includes performances in venues across the country this fall.
Cooper Sullivan ’19 Cooper Sullivan led the Wabash College football team in receiving in 2021 with 57 receptions, 850 yards and seven touchdowns, helping the Little Giants to a 7–3 record. The sophomore receiver is one of four Bolles alumni on the Wabash team along with Will Netting ’20, Ben Netting ’20 and Avery Epstein ’21. Charles Hicks led the Stanford University men’s cross country team with a fourth-place individual finish at the 2021 NCAA Cross Country National Championships in Tallahassee on November 20. The Cardinal placed fifth as a team and Hicks earned his second consecutive All-American honor in cross country. The feat capped another impressive season for Hicks as the top distance runner for the Cardinal. (See sidebar on the left.) Hunter Barco was selected for the 2021 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team. (See sidebar on page 80.) Xander Hastings is among the cast of Survivor 41, the long-running reality television show on which contestants form a beachside society and vote each other off in the pursuit of a million dollars. (See sidebar on page 81.)
’20s
2020 Sam Levin was named the Defensive Scout Team Player of the Week for the Elon Phoenix football team.
Congratulations to Bolles Band alumna Soraya Rafat ’20. Soraya had an amazing performance at the Austin City Limits Music Festival and continues to pursue her passion for music while studying at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. (See sidebar on the right.)
Rafat will play guitar for Frances Forever on tour, which begins with a November 9 performance in Ft. Lauderdale. The opportunity surprised Rafat, who is a student at Berklee College of Music in Boston. She said she already was a fan of the band, whose song “Space Girl” was a hit on social media, when a friend suggested she audition for a guitarist opening. “I immediately told them I was interested and a few weeks ago, their manager flew me out to Boston for a few days so I could finally play with the band,” Rafat said. “We played through the songs on their latest EP, Paranoia Party. We had so much fun and we all got along really well! After I left the studio, Frances’ manager emailed me welcoming me to the band.” Rafat said she is thrilled to have the opportunity to step into the music industry, which has been her dream since the beginning at Bolles. “Ever since I was in the sixth grade, I had a very strong passion for music that only kept getting stronger over the years — it was in the 8th grade that I finally realized I wanted to pursue a career in music,” Rafat said. “No matter how hard things got, music was always there for me and I never let go of my dreams. Now, only a year after I graduated from Bolles, I’ll be on tour! Music really brings out the best in me and I can’t wait to finally share myself with the rest of the U.S.” On tour, Rafat and Frances Forever will be opening for a band called Misterwives, which was one of the opening acts at a concert Rafat went to during her freshman year at Bolles. “It’s so nice to have this full circle moment now,” Rafat said. Congratulations, Soraya!
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Will Netting totaled 55 tackles and two interceptions as a sophomore defensive back on the Wabash College football team, helping the Little Giants to a 7–3 record. He is one of four Bolles alumni on the Wabash team along with Cooper Sullivan ’19, Ben Netting ’20 and Avery Epstein ’21.
Baumeister ’21 Named All-American Recent Bolles graduate Jackson Baumeister ’21 has earned All-American honors from Baseball America. The Baseball America end-of-season High School All-America Teams are selected by Baseball America staff after consulting with scouts and high school coaches. Players are honored for both their production and their tools. Baumeister was named to the Third Team as a pitcher. He is currently a freshman pitcher on the Florida State University baseball team.
Helena Kummings ’20 Helena Kummings, a sophomore at Emory University, earned All-Region honors with a 13th place individual finish to help Emory University win the Division III South/Southeast Regional Championships on November 13 in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Kummings helped the Eagles to a 19th-place finish at the NCAA DIII National Championships in Louisville, Kentucky, on November 20. Chloe Schiavone has recovered from undergoing hand and wrist surgery last spring to finish among the top-10 in Notre Dame’s last two fall golf tournaments. The former Florida Times-Union First Coast Player of the Year posted a career-high 8th for the Irish in the Olde Stone Invitational in Bowling Green, Kentucky, with a 54-hole total of 8-over 224. Notre Dame finished fourth as a team. In her previous start, Chloe shot 6-over 220 and tied for 10th in the Badger Invitational as Notre Dame finished second.
Olivia Candelino ’20 Olivia Candelino, a sophomore forward on the Auburn women’s soccer team, helped the Tigers to an NCAA tournament berth, as high as a #10 national ranking and a 12–7–1 overall record. Candelino started all 20 games for Auburn, tallying two goals and eight assists on the season.
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Avery Patterson, a sophomore defender on the UNC women’s soccer team, helped the Tar Heels to an NCAA tournament berth, as high as a #2 national ranking and a 12–3–3 overall record. In the Tar Heel’s penultimate regular season match against Notre Dame, Patterson headed in the game-winning overtime goal for the 900th win for legendary UNC coach Anson Dorrance and the program. She was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Co-Defensive Player of the Week on October 5 as helped then fifth-ranked UNC to a scoreless draw against second-ranked Virginia on October 3.
Avery Patterson ’20
2021 Avery Epstein tallied 27 tackles and an interception as a freshman cornerback on the Wabash College football team, helping the Little Giants to a 7–3 record. He is one of four Bolles alumni on the Wabash team along with Cooper Sullivan ’19, Will Netting ’20 and Ben Netting ’20.
Phat ’21 Earns Study Florida Scholarship Recent Bolles graduate Thearika Phat ’21 has been awarded the 2021 Study Florida/Florida Association of International Educators Secondary School Scholarship. This marks the first year that Study Florida/FAIE have offered a secondary school scholarship. Born and raised in Cambodia, Phat entered Bolles in 2018 and notes it has always been her dream to study in the United States because of its diversity and vast opportunities. Attending Bolles allowed her to meet people from around the world, learn about different cultures and experience a wide array of academic, arts and leadership opportunities. She is attending the University of North Florida.
Avery Epstein ’21 Izzy Kimberly, a freshman on the Southern Cal soccer team, helped the Trojans to an NCAA tournament first-round win over Grand Canyon University, a 14–3–2 overall record and as high as fifth in the national rankings. Thearika Phat was awarded the 2021 Study Florida/Florida Association of International Educators Secondary School Scholarship. This marks the first year that Study Florida/FAIE have offered a secondary school scholarship. (See sidebar on the right.)
Izzy Kimberly ’21 Jackson Baumeister earned All-American honors from Baseball America. The Baseball America end-of-season High School All-America Teams are selected by Baseball America staff after consulting with scouts and high school coaches. (See sidebar on the left.)
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M IA R O M E M IN
Betsy Ross Lovett Bartram ’48 One of the brightest stars in the Bartram/Bolles universe dimmed recently with the passing of luminary Betsy Ross Lovett ’48 Bartram. Mrs. Lovett died October 26, 2021 in Jacksonville, leaving many friends, family and community beneficiaries to mourn and celebrate her extraordinary legacy. Mrs. Lovett’s enthusiasm and passion for the arts, our School and Northeast Florida philanthropy enriched the Bolles experience for all of us. Though we are saddened by this loss, we are grateful for her example of grace, generosity and exuberance and know her influence continues to inspire many in our community. For anyone who isn’t familiar with Mrs. Lovett’s longstanding zeal for Bolles, please enjoy these excerpts from a recent profile published in our 2019–20 Annual Report. As the writer noted, her life is like the “script of a blockbuster movie.” She loved to entertain, fund-raise, dress in showstopping costumes and travel. She was an accomplished markswoman and enjoyed outdoor adventures including safaris in Africa and hunts with the King of Spain. She redefined the trajectory of many artists and changemakers in our area and she treasured people. As the story describes, Mrs. Lovett was a “celebrated raconteuse” and many of her stories were inspired by her experiences at Bolles. Mrs. Lovett’s association with Bolles began in childhood. Young Betsy Ross was a boarding student at Bartram School, where she played intramural sports on the Green Team and competed – along with her sister – in equestrian events. High spirits and competitiveness won Mrs. Lovett a variety of honors on horseback. But they landed her on the wrong side of the rules at Bartram at least once, bringing her to the attention of redoubtable headmistress Olga Pratt. “One night, when we were supposed to be in bed,” Mrs. Lovett told the writer during an interview nearly two years ago. “Charlotte Palmer and I had gotten dressed and were slipping out through one of the windows.” Charlotte had gone out ahead of me, and I was halfway out the window when I heard this voice say ‘GIRLS, what are you DOING?’ It was Miss Pratt! “I pulled my leg back in,” she continued, “and turned around and told her that we were going out to the courtyard to smoke cigarettes. And Miss Pratt said ‘Get back in here now!’” Fully prepared for some sort of punishment, Mrs. Lovett asked the headmistress what was going to happen next. “…And Miss Pratt said, ‘You are going to shake my hand and go back to your room and get to bed!’ And I said ‘Okay!’ …But from then on, Miss Pratt had her eye on me.” In spite of an occasional eye from Miss Pratt, Mrs. Lovett enjoyed her time at Bartram and sent her own daughter there. And by 2015, she had seen six grandchildren graduate from Bolles. 86 | alumni |
Lovett has been generous with her time and treasure throughout her family’s long association with Bartram and Bolles. She served on the Board of Trustees from 2003–06, and has open-handedly supported the school, most recognizably as the naming donor for the Bartram Campus’s Betsy Lovett Center for the Arts. A passionate supporter of arts and culture, Mrs. Lovett was involved in every facet of the project, right down to making sure there was plenty of leg room for audience members in the theater. She was proud of these results and was delighted to hear stories of the Center’s influence on budding performers. Mrs. Lovett’s spirit of giving and living graciously is demonstrated so poignantly in this January 2013 interview with Jacksonville Daily Record Editor Karen Brune Mathis: “I get up every day and I know at my age I have crinkles and aches and pains but somehow it’s just another day to get out and get going. Somehow when you do a project and you see success, be it a medical thing or a library or even a helping hand in the grocery store, I have a little thing that runs through my head frequently that ‘no man stands taller than when he stoops to lift another up.’ And that more or less applies to everything we do. In the library we are lifting education so anyone can be educated. And the same with hospitals, look what they offer, salvation, help, for the ailing, the hurting. And the arts center. About two years ago I was in Publix shopping and had seen this lovely cashier and we chatted off and on but she didn’t know my name. And so that day somehow she saw my name, Betsy Lovett, on something and she said,‘by any chance are you connected to the Betsy Lovett Arts Center at Bolles?’ and I said, well a little. She said, ‘I just have to tell you my son was at Bartram and kind of headed down the wrong direction and he goton that stage and literally I want you to know it has turned his life around.’ What greater joy. That money was nothing compared to the joy of that little boy’s life being turned around. I sound kind of sentimental but those things do add up in life.” Indeed they do, and how. On behalf of The Bolles School and Bartram School community, we offer our deepest condolences to all who were touched by Mrs. Lovett’s lifetime demonstration of good will and vibrance. Our School is a better place because of her dedication and we are all humbled by her example of philanthropy. Her gifts added up to changed lives throughout the Bolles/Bartram community and far beyond. May Mrs. Lovett’s ebullience shine eternally bright.
New Rowing Shell Named for Betsy Lovett ’48 The Bolles girls’ crew is practicing and racing in a new four-seat shell, named the Betsy Lovett in honor of the 1948 Bartram School student and Bolles benefactor. Lovett’s passing left an extraordinary legacy of philanthropy and passion for All Things Bolles.
IN M E M O R
Why did George Varn’s parents send him to military school? “Because that’s what was here!” said Mr. Varn. “They wanted me to go somewhere better than the local public schools, but didn’t want to send me to boarding school, so I ended up going to Bolles. That was my entire connection with the military until I went into the Navy.” Mr. Varn’s three years at Bolles were memorable for a number of reasons, beginning with academics. He was number one in every class during his whole time at Bolles, with one exception. “One month, a history professor asked me if it was all right to put another boy first,” he said. “He said the boy had been working really hard and needed some encouragement. And I said yes.” After 80-plus years as an alumnus, Varn is still proud of his accomplishments. “I received the Lewis Award all three years I was at Bolles,” he said. The H.W. Lewis Award was given to the Upper School cadet with the highest grade point average. He also received the Honor Cadet Award three years in a row, and capped a brilliant Bolles career by serving as Battalion Commander his senior year. That took a little extra work. “When I was a senior,” Mr. Varn recalled, “I decided I didn’t want to play football anymore. I was very small and only weighed about 120 pounds at the time – and was tired of being knocked around. But the head military man called Daddy in and told him I had to go out for football.” “He said they wanted me to be Battalion Commander, but they couldn’t make a day boy Battalion Commander if he wasn’t playing football. So, I went on and played football and darn near got killed!” Another vivid memory for Varn is competing with an “uptight” senior for best drill cadet during his freshman year. “He was a top-rate military man and I was a jackleg child,” chuckled Varn, “so after 15 or 20 minutes, he defeated me. And that had never happened before, so it still ranks high in my recollection.”
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In memory of the September 4, 2021 passing of George W. Varn Sr. ’38, we are honored to republish this illuminating interview, which ran in the 2020–21 Bolles Annual Report. Mr. Varn and his brother Lester have been longtime advocates and supporters of The Bolles School and are considered among the School’s most dedicated alumni figures:
IA
George Varn ’38 After graduating from Bolles, Varn attended Harvard University. It wasn’t a foregone conclusion; in fact, he had initially applied to, and been accepted by, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. But at the last moment, for reasons he doesn’t recall, he changed his mind. “I asked around to see if there were any other good schools in Boston, and somebody said, ‘Well, there’s Harvard, but admissions are closed,’” he said. “I called the dean and talked to him, and even though it was closed, they sent me an application. And I got in, and had a wonderful experience.” Unsurprisingly, young Varn did well at Harvard. He was a senior with a Phi Beta Kappa key when Japanese forces attacked the U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor in December of 1941. Fortunately, he was able to graduate before entering military service in the Navy the following summer. “I was recruited for a top-secret program in Naval Intelligence in Washington,” he recounted, “and served there for about six or seven months. After that, I was transferred to Pearl Harbor and spent most of the war there.” After returning from the service, Mr. Varn got married and moved with his new bride, Betty, to Palatka, where he built and ran a turpentine still for his family. During their stay, both George and Betty earned their private pilot’s licenses. “They asked me to go on the Board when they started adding alumni,” he said, “but I was too far away and couldn’t do it. After we moved back to Jacksonville, though, I went on the Board.” Asked why Bolles deserves his support, Varn, who will turn 100 on December 1, 2020, is characteristically direct. “I feel that the three years I spent there gave me as good an education as I could get in this part of Florida. And as near as I can tell, they are continuing to offer that, so they should have my support.” Along with the Varn Board Room, Mr. Varn and his younger brother, Lester, made a name for themselves early on as champions for building Bolles’ endowment. “When money would come in, we would fight to put more of it in the endowment,” he said. “But the headmasters always had something else that needed to be done, so we didn’t do a great job.” Despite past challenges, Mr. Varn is still emphatic about the need for a robust endowment. “No private school can possibly manage to run purely on the strength of the fees they charge,” he stated. “And if they don’t have a substantial endowment, the quality of their education goes down over time.”
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JANU
Births
Deceased
George “Winton” Mays ’02 and Kate Mays Kennedy Camille Mays
George W. Varn ’38
Jenny McGehee Claggett ’04 and Ty Claggett Campbell McGehee Claggett
Jon Louis Courson ’47
Jonathan Sofge ’04 and Serenity Sofge Jase Daniel Sofge
John Thomas Beckum ’51
Thomas “Tommy” Isaacs ’07 and Kendall Isaacs Carter Thomas Isaacs
David Lester Cates ’53
Sarah Erwin Dominey ’09 and John Dominey ’08 John William Dominey David Dunn ’03 and Madeleine Dunn Andrew Davis Dunn
Keller B. Campbell Sr. ’43 Betsy Ross Lovett ’48 Bartram
Jane Howard Chadbourne ’53 Bartram Charles M. Conway Jr. ’58 Donn Kean Degnon ’58 Carol Gervin Bates ’63 Bartram Chesterfield H. Smith Jr. ’71
Victoria Watterson Collings ’15 and John Collings IV John “Quint” Collings V
Joseph T. Wingard III ’83
Lane Travis ’12 and Walker Kane Olivia Sleiman ’13 and Bradley Manning
Marriage Allison Diane Tinsley ’03 and Brendon Smith Kenneth Akel ’05 and Peggy O’Brien Allison Dewan ’07 and James Giebink Janet “Ley Ley” Francis ’09 and Charlie Griffin Parker Hardwick ’09 and Genevieve Whyte Kay Schellenberg ’09 and Gabriel Gari Luke O’Steen ’12 and Annie Lee Dylan Schreiner ’13 and Kasey Rolen
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Susannah Schmoe Borg ’70 Bartram James Elliott Mooney III ’73
Engagements
MA
Dean Walk Gordon Jr. ’51
Hannah Conte Johnson ’10 and Morgan Johnson Easton Scott Johnson
Brittney Rayfield Scantling ’16 and Hunter Scantling Jaeden Michael Scantling
FEBRU
Christopher Lee Johnson ’81
Bolles Family Retired Whitehurst teacher Laurie Braddock passed away July 7, 2021 Retired teacher Mary O’Connor Bean passed away Friday, July 30, 2021 Former Bolles coach Tim Bobbitt passed away on August 2, 2021 Former Bolles English teacher Susan Castelli passed away Monday, November 15, 2021 Longtime team doctor, Dr. Stephen Lucie passed away December 10, 2021 Longtime staff member Helen Smith passed away December 15, 2021
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SEPTEM
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2021-22 Administration
B With Bolles… …on our official social media channels! You can also find many affiliated athletic, arts and activities and news that we love to share by searching @Bolles on Instagram and Twitter. B on Instagram with fellow Bulldogs @BollesSchool B on Twitter with Bolles friends @BollesSchool B our friend or follower on Facebook @TheBollesSchool
Key Dates
Tyler Hodges President and Head of School Mike Drew Associate Head of School
JANUARY
Carol Nimitz, CFRE Chief Advancement Officer Jeff Role Chief Finance and Operations Officer
FEBRUARY
Paul Sollee ’88 Chief Technology Officer Kila McCann Dean of Admission and Financial Aid
Bolles Magazine Staff
MARCH
Jan R. Olson, APR Editor-in-Chief Senior Director/Communications and Marketing Susanna Barton Executive Editor Communications Associate John D. Curran Managing Editor Web Designer and Communications Associate
APRIL
MAY
Dana Bussiere Assistant Editor Communications Associate Sandy Catanese, CFRE Director of The Bolles Fund and Parent Programs Janet S. Frampton Director of Advancement Services Alumni Notes Julia Kalinski Director of Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving Linda Boyett Advancement Services Coordinator Becca Rogers Advancement Events Manager
Bolles Mission Statement The Bolles School prepares students for college and life by inspiring excellence, courage, integrity and compassion in an academic community dedicated to nurturing mind, body and soul
JUNE
JULY AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
January 3
Classes Resume
January 13
Bolles on the Road, Alumni Event in Atlanta
January 17
MLK Jr. Day, No School
February 3
Phoenix Society Celebration of the Arts
February 18
Professional Development Day, No Classes
February 21
Presidents’ Day, No School
March 7–11
Spring Break
March 14
Faculty Work Day, No Classes
March 17
Agnes Cain Painter Glynlea Society Event on San Jose Campus
March 31
Bolles on the Road, Alumni Event in Charlotte
April 7
Bolles on the Road, Alumni Event in Dallas
April 15, 18
Holiday Break
May 14
Annual Alumni Reunion
May 23
Middle, Upper School Reading Day, No Classes
May 24–27
Middle, Upper School Exams
May 28
Graduation
May 30
Memorial Day, School Closed
May 31–June 3
Faculty/Staff Post-Planning
June 23
Bolles on the Road, Alumni Event in Cashiers, NC
July 14
Bolles on the Road, Alumni Event in Vail, CO
August 18
Bolles on the Road, Alumni Event in Denver, Red Rocks Amphitheater
September 13
Bolles on the Road, Alumni Event in Washington, D.C.
September 15
Bolles on the Road, Alumni Event in New York City, NY
Rahul Sharma ’03 Leadership Giving Ed Martin, CFRE Leadership Gift Officer Contributing Photographers: Jeff Adams — Official Bolles Sports Photographer Cady & Cady Mark Krancer
Due to an extreme paper shortage, it became necessary to print this issue in a different format, making it smaller.
Non-discriminatory clause: The Bolles School admits students of any race, color and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally available to students at the School. It does not discriminate in administering educational policies or other school programs. This School is authorized under Federal law to enroll non-immigrant students.
ANNUAL
ALUMNI REUNION The Bolles Alumni Association invites All Bolles Alumni to join us on the beautiful st. johns river for the bolles school annual Alumni Reunion!
S AT U R D AY
May 14 2 0 2 2
Evening San Jose River Campus River Party Celebration for All Bolles Alumni Association Members To receive the invite for this amazing event, join the Bolles Alumni Association today by giving your best gift to the Bolles Annual Fund. Join at Alumni.Bolles.org
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IN FULL SWING High Gear Top of Their Game Hands-On Service is Back Winter 2021-22