TJ Review 2016 - Thomas Jefferson School by Brad Glotfelty

The TJ Review winter

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2016

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Table of Contents FEATURES

Strongest Possible Academic Background: Fulfilling TJ’s Mission The Head of School Perspective By Elizabeth Holekamp, Ph.D.

5 The Director of Academics Perspective By Jane Roth ‘91, Director of Academics

6 The Alumni Perspective By Sara Kushnick Gorfinkel ‘98

7 The Student Perspective By Maisie Pritchett ‘17

Commencement Address

Presentation of Diplomas

Remarks to The Class of 2016

Poland. SPLOT, and It’s a Small World After All

Europe Trip Blog

A Message from the TJSAA

The Spirit of Philanthropy

By Edward Marks ‘05

By Elizabeth Holekamp, Ph.D., Head of School, and Linda Mertz, President, TJ Board of Trustees

By Liat Roth ‘17

By Steve Held, Director of Admissions

By Jim Pesek ‘99, Faculty Member

By Tom Ellis, President

By Director of Development, Kathleen Kelly

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ALL-SCHOOL AWARDS CLASS OF 2016: GRADUATION TJ TODAY CATCHING UP AT TJ

58 ALUMNI 66 SUPPORTING TJ 71 CREDITS 72 SAVE-THE-DATE

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STRONGEST POSSIBLE ACADEMIC BACKGROUND: FULFILLING TJ’S MISSION

The Head of School Perspective by Elizabeth Holekamp, Ph.D.

Dear Friends of TJ,

Beginning with the first key phrase— strongest possible academic background— here is what the TJ mission statement means to me:

TJ’s strong academic program prepares students for college by developing their critical and expressive capacities in truly remarkable ways. Highly interactive, discussion-based classes, a relentless program of writing, insistence on skills and knowledge that allow for imagining possibilities and solving problems—all of these things set TJ apart from other schools. We certainly pay close attention to trends and innovations in education, but even as we adjust and change, we remain committed to the classical core that has been with us since the beginning. In fact, in some ways, TJ is ahead of the curve. For example, we’ve had “flipped” classrooms forever— our students have always been expected to work ahead, to come to class ready to discuss, expand, question, argue, challenge, and be challenged. TJ has always been interested in building resilience, by allowing students to make mistakes and to be wrong at times. What our founders knew is what we still know today: Without some amount of struggle or setback, there is no real learning.

Seventy years ago, Harvard graduates Robin McCoy, Charles Merrill, and Graham Spring founded Thomas Jefferson School with the objective of opening a top-flight boarding school for bright boys in the Midwest. Their new school’s academic program and standards were meant to equal or exceed those of well-known boarding schools in the East. From the outset, there was no question that the bedrock of TJ would be intellectual: this was a school founded by scholars, for scholars. Academic excellence was its first priority.

Obviously, the quality of our academic program matters because we want our students to be successful in college. However, beyond that short-term goal, we want TJ graduates to be able to gain the skills, knowledge, and confidence to be self-reliant in a challenging world and thrive in a professional landscape where ways of working and living are continually being reinvented. Some of that reinvention will be activated by TJ’s own. Ultimately, isn’t that the best argument for providing the “strongest possible academic background”?

The TJ of 2016 adheres to that same priority and continues to be an academically intensive school, offering one of the most challenging programs in the St. Louis area and the wider region. It is an amazing place for students identified as gifted or high ability. TJ students must be able to take on a rigorous, classical liberal-arts curriculum that includes a significant number of Advanced Placement, collegelevel courses.

In the spirit of ή άρετή,

I like to begin every school year by revisiting our mission statement: Thomas Jefferson School gives its students the strongest possible academic background through a classical education. Within a nurturing community, students develop a responsibility for their own learning and a desire to lift up the world with beauty and intellect. Those are lovely words. But what, exactly, do they mean? As a school, we need to be able to answer that question. If we can’t, then our mission statement amounts to no more than lovely words and isn’t the aspirational touchstone and guiding force that we need it to be.

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Elizabeth L. Holekamp, Ph.D. Head of School

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The Director of Academics Perspective by Jane Roth ‘91

Before you can put in the windows or consider the landscaping, before you can even put up the frame, a house has to have a solid foundation. For me, giving our students the “strongest possible academic background” means making sure we, their teachers, help them pour a solid foundation. Let me add appropriate emphasis: we help them pour; we don’t simply pour it for them. First, it happens through the curriculum. Our students take a fixed core of classes: each year, they study English, math, social studies, science, language, and art, and each year, their foundation in each subject area becomes stronger. In English, this means developing greater skills and appreciation for literary analysis and writing. In continuation courses like math and language, this means reviewing and expanding upon what was previously learned. In social studies, this means exploring different time periods, parts of the world, cultures, and systems of government in order to make connections and distinctions between them. In science, this means being introduced to each of the branches before choosing one or more to study in greater depth. In art, this means students can explore the different branches—visual, digital, performing—or delve deeply into any particular one. In this way, they have a core of knowledge to build on as they elect more specialized courses in their final years and, of course, in college.

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Second, it happens through the way we encourage learning to happen. In general, instead of simply transmitting information, we use questions to develop diligence, attentiveness, and critical thinking. We lead students to the answers instead of handing them over, and in this way, they learn to lead themselves. They learn to ask themselves such questions as they wrestle with an assignment, and they learn to take the initiative to seek out help when they get stuck. (I say when, not if. Getting stuck—and figuring out how to get unstuck—is a necessary part of the process too.) And finally, they learn to lead each other. The dialogue that happens both in and out of the classroom teaches our students to engage with one another civilly, helpfully, productively—an indispensable skill in college and beyond. So to me, “the strongest possible academic background” is as much about the how as it is about the what. Concrete may be an excellent material to support the weight of a house, but it’s not very flexible. To help it resist the bending that can be caused by external forces, steel rods have to be placed inside the concrete. When the steel rods of critical thinking are applied to the concrete of the material they study, our students’ foundation is unquestionably secure.

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STRONGEST POSSIBLE ACADEMIC BACKGROUND: FULFILLING TJ’S MISSION

The Alumni Perspective by Sara Gorfinkel ‘98

What the Thomas Jefferson School gave me was academic confidence borne from failure. When I smile now, I can still see the very skin of my teeth by which I kept hanging on at TJ. Simply put, the curriculum did not come easily to me. Acquiring rigorous study habits took the law of the land to enforce; the innate confidence my brilliant classmates brought with them to Main building was not something I brought with me to TJ in the Winter of 1995 when I started my journey as a freshman at the bottom of a small, but extremely bright, class--the majority of whom would graduate three years later as National Merit Scholars. I was the minority. I applied early decision to a college off the map of traditional TJ college tours--but Gettysburg College was the perfect fit for me… the opportunity to continue in the liberal arts tradition in which I had now been grounded, to remain a big fish in a small pond, and the options to travel abroad all while in driving distance to my home in New York

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fit me like a glove. And when I reflect now on my college experience and how TJ prepared me for it, I smile even brighter. The strength of my academic background forged-- by fire, by tears-at Thomas Jefferson School allowed me to be the one arriving with confidence in my Classical Studies courses. The study habits which were at the root of my success in college had been planted and tended to at TJ-- I was able to really soak in the learning and the atmosphere because, for once, I wasn’t drowning. The nurturing community at TJ, specifically of the faculty who served as my guidance counselors and mentors, many of whom continue to teach at TJ today, guided me through the most difficult years of my life-- academically and personally-- so that I could work my way up; to come through to the other side with strength and success, landing four years later-- Phi Beta Kappa-- at the very top of my class. WINTER 2016

The Student Perspective by Maisie Pritchett ‘17

Thomas Jefferson School provides students with the strongest academic background possible by providing them with a rigorous education accompanied by a strong support system made up of their teachers and peers. When I started TJ in seventh grade I, like most seventh graders, wasn’t very organized and needed constant reminders to stay on task. Thomas Jefferson’s unique approach teaches students how to manage their time and be responsible for their work with a unique schedule that allows students to have classes during the morning and study, do homework, or meet with teachers in the afternoon. Through working with teachers to develop techniques that would help me complete my work, over time I was able to take advantage of the time in the afternoon to do work and better manage my time. This daily schedule is similar to the schedules of most colleges and because of this, I know what to expect and feel prepared to manage my time and my studies next year. Another thing I have benefited from during my time at TJ is the small class size. W W W. T J S . O R G

As a relatively quiet person I used to find it difficult to speak up in class, however, with a smaller class size I was presented with more opportunities to ask or answer questions, helping me gain confidence, and learn the material which helped the teachers to learn my areas of strength and weakness so they could assist me. A small student body also allows students to participate in leadership roles from a young age, which helps them to build confidence in themselves and take on more challenges preparing them for success in the future. All of these things are just a fraction of what makes TJ one of the best places to learn in St. Louis and I am sure I’ll leave this year feeling prepared to take on the challenges of college.

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A L L S C H O O L AWA R D S

2015-2016 All-School Awards Celebrating the achievements and accomplishments of our students.

Awards for Seniors The Clarkson History Prize is selected by the social studies department. This award honors the senior with the greatest interest and accomplishment in history through his/ her TJ career. 2016 recipient: Justin Moses The Thomas Jefferson Award is presented to the senior who has, unselfishly and without expectation of recognition, given service to the TJ community, enriching the lives of others through specific contributions. 2016 recipient: Tom Horton

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The Mumford Award honors the senior most resembling Robert Herrick Mumford during the past year in the qualities of curiosity, kindness, generosity of attitude and action, and appreciation of sincerity in others. The award is given by Mrs. George S. Mumford of Dover, Massachusetts. 2016 recipient: Justin Moses

Awards for all grades The Sam Fisher Award is in memory of Samuel James Fisher, class of 2001, and honors effort and achievement in use of the English language – in reading with insight, contributing to discussions, and writing with clarity and style. The award is open to students in ninth through twelfth grades. 2016 recipient: Liat Roth ‘17

The Osborn Award honors the memory of Joseph H. Osborn, alumni parent, The Osborn Award, given to a student in grades 7-10, in recognition of his or her advancement in complex problem solving, critical thinking skills, and creativity-all of which are needed for the areas of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). This award recognizes a student who shows great promise in these areas as future fields of study. 2016 recipient: Trey Wang’18 The Alumni Prize for an Emerging Artist is sponsored and adjudicated by TJ graduates who are professional artists in the visual and design arts. The Alumni Prize for Emerging Artists seeks to recognize the creative potential of a student in grades 9-12. The visual-arts faculty selects student work produced for a class during the past academic year, and the submissions are then evaluated by the panel of alumni artists. The winning piece is part of TJ’s permanent art collection WINTER 2016

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and is displayed in Merrill Main Building. We would like to thank Chelsea May Tischler (Class of 2001), Edward Marks (Class of 2005), and Nick Sermchief (Class of 1992) for sponsoring and adjudicating this award. The 2016 award-winning work is “Far Out,” an aerial landscape painted in oil. As described by Painting and Drawing teacher Meredith Foster: “It is a beautiful painted topography, expressing the qualities of satellite imagery through a blend of color, compositional cropping, and texture. It is both descriptive and mysterious, and an excellent example of blurring the lines between representation and abstraction.” 2016 recipient: Peiru Yu ‘16 The Blecheisen Award is named in memory of Edith Mann Blecheisen. This award is given to the student who has improved his or her study habits the most during the past year. 2016 recipient: William Irby ‘20 The Partridge Award honors the memory of Margaret Partridge. This award is for the student who has most often made the day better for everyone by a kind deed or word to someone. 2016 recipient: Mason Um ‘18

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College Book Awards

Academic Achievement

The Princeton Book Award recognizes a member of the junior class who has shown a strong personal commitment to community service while maintaining excellence in their academics. Together, we believe these characteristics personify the Princeton University motto, “Princeton in the Nation’s service.” 2016 recipient: Jeremy Boyd

TJ’s specialty is developing the bright minds of individuals who will go on to lead brilliant lives. Academic achievement is measured in a number of ways here, depending on grade level, subject area, and assessment type. In general, we recognize a student’s body of work, over the period of the year.

The Wellesley Book Award is an opportunity to honor a female student in the junior class, whose academic record and character are exceptional and who has also made significant personal contributions to her school and/or community. 2016 recipient: Liat Roth The Harvard Book Prize, awarded since 1910, is awarded to a student in the next-to-graduating high school class who demonstrates excellence in scholarship and high character, combined with achievement in other fields. 2016 recipient: Jack Hu The Smith Book Award recognizes a talented young woman. It is presented in recognition of outstanding academic achievement and leadership. 2016 recipient: Rachel Hu

Cum laude: ALL grades at B- or better. Finishing the year cum laude are: Grade 7: Luca Pritchett, Sela Roth Grade 8: Paige Gershuny, William Irby, Braden West Grade 9: Joshua Broh, Emma Giovanoni, Mason Um Grade 10: OP Kinos, Daniel Lin, Nathan Phan, Inga Tobiasz, May Xiao Grade 11: Jack Hu, Chen Li, Alexander Shornick Grade 12: Alexis Barber, Colin Bartels, Olivia Bolton, Jim Brink, Tom Horton, Howard Huang, Mark Jung, Sharron Lan, Justin Moses, Jason You Magna cum laude: ALL grades at B+ or better. Finishing the year magna cum laude are: Grade 8: Ashley Park, Oliver Schoenborn Grade 9: Barak Adler, Cody Um, HongDing Zhou Grade 10: Bennett Woodard Grade 12: Shay Adler, Grace Jo, Peiru Yu, Yi Zhong Summa cum laude: ALL grades at A- or better. Finishing the year summa cum laude are: Grade 7: River Blount, Cynthia Chong, Livvy Gustafson Grade 8: Michelle Lee, Rosie Lopolito, Ryan Niermann Grade 9: Cynthia Gan, Carlee Holley, Matt Ma, Stephanie Teng, Bonnie Zhao Grade 10: Sara Halili, Chris Qian, Trey Wang Grade 11: Jeremy Boyd, Samantha Clayton, Rachel Hu

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The Top Student Award

National Latin, Greek, and French Awards

Homer Awards The Homer Award is awarded by “The Declaration” for excellence in journalism. Oliver Schoenborn: “Disgraced” at the Rep: Not at All a Disgrace to its Rep

National Latin Exam Gold Summa Cum Laude: Rosie Lopolito ‘20 Silver Maxima Cum Laude: River Blount ‘21 , Cynthia Cong ‘16, and Livvy Gustafson ‘21 Magna Cum Laude: Oliver Schoenborn ‘20

The Top Student in a Grade celebrates the academic achievement of the student with the highest grade point average for the year, by at least two points. Often, the competition is so close (that is, within two points) that the award is not given. But this past year, we did have a winner. The Top Student in the 8th grade class for 2015-16 was Rosie Lopolito.

St. Louis County Leadership Award One student, recognized as an effective leader and citizen, from each county high school is nominated annually by his or her principal for participation in a leadership conference and recognition ceremony. In 2015-16 recipient: Tom Horton

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National Greek Exam Homeric Greek Exam With Merit: Dawson Gershuny ‘18 and Chris Qian ‘18 Introduction to Greek Exam High Honor: Trey Wang ‘18 and Bonnie Zhao ‘19 With Merit: Barak Adler ‘19, Joshua Broh ‘19, Michelle Greenberg ‘19, Carlee Holley ‘19, Daniel Lin ‘18, Stephanie Teng ‘19, Bennett Woodard ‘18, and May Xiao ‘18

National French Exam/Le Grand Concours Gold Award: Jason You ‘16 Silver Award: Samantha Clayton ‘17, Howard Huang ‘16, Liat Roth ‘17, and Yi Zhong ‘16 Bronze Award: Chen Li ‘17 and Maisie Pritchett ‘17

Rosie Lopolito: Reflections on the Season Past: Unconventional Holiday Music

May Xiao: Why “Orange is the New Black” Matters

Trey Wang: Eiffel Tower Falling Down?

Jeremy Boyd: The Leads on Lead: Fresh Water or Poisonous Gunk?

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Athletic Awards ή άρετή Awards for athletic excellence and sportsmanship: Mark Jung ‘16 and Grace Jo ‘16 St. Louis Post-Dispatch Scholar Athlete: Justin Moses ‘16 Soccer Girls’ MVP: Rosie Lopolito ‘20 Girls’ MIP: Bonnie Zhao’19 Boys’ MVPs: Jason You ‘16 and Mark Jung ‘16 Boys’ MIP: Mason Um ‘18 Volleyball Girls’ MVP: Katrina Dy ‘17 Girls’ MIP: Peiru Yu ‘15 Boys’ Varsity MVP: Mark Jung ‘16 Boys’ JV MVP: River Blount ‘21 Boys’ MIP: Luca Pritchett ‘21 Basketball Girls’ MVP: Olivia Bolton ‘16 Girls’ MIP: Grace Jo ‘16 Boys’ Varsity MVP: Jason You ‘16 Boys’ JV MVPs: Peyton Franks ‘21 and Aaron Lee ‘20 Boys’ JV MIP: Aaron Lee ‘20

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G R A D UAT I O N

Graduation Class of 2016

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CLA S S O F 2016 G R A D UATI O N Introduction of Speaker by Dr. Holekamp Five years ago, we established the tradition of inviting an alumna or alumnus back to TJ to deliver the graduation keynote address. We wanted our graduating seniors to hear from someone who knew TJ first-hand, from fairly recent experience, and who could speak to them in a personal way. Our first speaker, in 2012, was Henry Agbo, Class of 2005. In 2013, we heard from Emma Smith, Class of 2009. In 2014, it was Jimmy Holloran, Class of 2003 (who, by the way, has just been elected to our Board of Trustees). Last year, our speaker was

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Kathy Gilsinan, from the Class of 2002. This year, we’re very pleased to have Edward Marx, from the Class of 2005. I’ll tell you something about him before I surrender the podium to him. Edward (or Eddie, as he’s more commonly known here) is an artist, designer, developer and entrepreneur based in San Francisco. While a senior at Stanford University, he co-founded Inedible Software, a company that created some of the most popular applications in the early years of the iPhone App Store. After Inedible was acquired in 2011, Eddie co-founded a venture-funded startup called Twist, where he built the iPhone development team and led design. For the last two years he has worked on a series of projects, most recently focusing on creating public art. He has exhibited in several galleries, gathered over 19,000 Instagram followers, and created street art and murals in San WINTER 2016

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Francisco, LA, Miami, and St. Louis. Eddie holds degrees from Stanford in Economics and Mathematics. Impressive, as I’m sure you’ll agree. But there’s more: Of course I had to go into Eddie’s student file to see what I could dig up about his TJ career. I must say, it was really fun reading all of his old grade letters. Here’s what Mr. Roth, his Greek 2 teacher said: “Overall I’m impressed with his work ethic (although I did throw him out of class one day, a week before the end of the quarter, because he hadn’t done his assignment).” From Miss Fairbank, his AP US History Teacher: “Wow! What a great beginning to the year for Edward. His exam ensured him an A for the quarter. His essay was very good, with one glaring exception: Alexander Hamilton was never President!” Well, hey. Nobody’s perfect—not even Eddie. But he certainly came close. Here are some of the more typical comments: “His daily average was the highest in the class…” “Edward has an eager mind and is always looking to truly understand the material instead of just memorizing…” “Edward is a true leader in class discussion and has held the top grade in the class from day one…” “Eddie’s all-around work is as good as I’ve seen…” and “From cookie break (more fruit, less sugar) to politics, Eddie is not afraid to challenge the status quo” “Naturally, Eddie made Honors again! Even though he’s been accepted to Stanford, he’s not in full senior-slump mode, but he’s getting there. He’s such a responsible person that I can’t imagine he’ll really let his grades slip. Just think, Edward, you’ll have the entire summer to relax—and no O.R.!” And finally, quite simply, “Eddie will be hard to replace.” Now, please join me in welcoming back to TJ the irreplaceable Edward—Eddie— Marx. W W W. T J S . O R G

Commencement Address By Edward Marks ‘05 To the Thomas Jefferson Class of 2016 “[…] you were born into bondage. Into a prison that you cannot taste or see or touch. A prison for your mind.” Morpheus from The Matrix. You are what Peter Teal, billionaire founder of PayPal, refers to as “on track”. A track is a path through life laid for you by society. You are not shown it. You are not told to walk it. Like water to a fish it is all around you, so ingrained in culture as to be invisible. And you walk it unconsciously. I know this because I too was on a track. I was on the finance track. I worked hard at TJ, got into Stanford University, obtained two degrees, one in mathematics and one in economics, and the head of recruiting for an illustrious New York hedge fund told me I was one of the top 10 candidates in the world. And then the global financial system collapsed. I wish I could say I realized I was on a track through self-awareness, but that’s simply

not true. I was hurled off track by a global catastrophe. This was rough — I couldn’t find a job, my plans to move to New York with my girlfriend fell through and we broke up, I became depressed, I lost 20 lbs, I had heart palpitations. But after I picked myself up I realized this was one of the best things that ever happened to me. Instead of working 100 hours a week as an analyst for a hedge fund, “paying my dues” as I climbed the ladder, I started a company with my best friend, where I worked half the hours and made twice the money. Most importantly, we were free to make mistakes and learn from them. We learned a lot, and we had ton of fun. I want to make clear that I’m not saying that tracks are worthless. If you want to be a doctor, you have few other options. Also, these tracks exist because they can or do work. Having a high school education, especially from a school as fine as Thomas Jefferson, is a major advantage in life. In fact, if the track were a race, you would be winning. You not only got into college, which many don’t, but probably a pretty good one. And you’re incredibly better prepared for college than your peers. You the tj review

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is like a refrigerator, you can only get out what you put in.”

Yi Zhong ‘16, Sharron Lan ‘16, Livi Bolton ‘16, and Peiru Yu ‘16 just became alumnae.

have English language skills that most people never get. Being able to write and speak is a huge advantage in life. You have cultural knowledge from books and plays that most people never obtain. And, if you made it through TJ, you have a sheer capacity to sit down and get work done. The ability to focus your attention where you want is critical for long term success. I would like to highlight, however, three issues with tracks:

come out of college with a mountain of debt and no idea what they want to do with themselves. And pretty much all students come out with few marketable skills. College doesn’t claim to be pre-professional, and even those who pursue computer science don’t learn software engineering, the study of how you actually build software. Worst yet, many students treat college as a consumption experience. You are so well prepared by TJ that you won’t need to work. Don’t coast. The truth is exactly what Mr. Roth said: “College

I want to make clear that I’m not saying college is worthless. I learned an incredible amount in college, both about the world and about myself. I got Stanford to pay for not one but three international trips, including an entire summer in India. I started playing drums, which I do to this day and which provides me an incredible amount of personal satisfaction. But most importantly, I formed strong relationships with awesome and capable people. This has payed more dividends, both personally and professionally, than almost anything else from the experience. If you’re sitting in your room all day studying, you’re doing it wrong. If you’re not studying at all, you’re also doing it wrong. You can have it all: friends, academics, and extracurriculars. What’s most important is that you make conscious choices. Take advantage of the opportunities before you. You won’t have many like them again. My final issue with tracks is that most of life exists off of them. The job I worked when I graduated — independent app developer — did not exist when I got to college. The iPhone App Store launched just a few months before my senior year. There was no track to this job. Most jobs are this way. Your view from the inside college looking out at the job market is very

First and most important is that the majority of us walk them unconsciously. Did any of you stop to think about whether you should be going to college at all? I certainly didn’t. Will you stop and question whether you should get a 9-5 job? Or get married? Or have kids? These can all be great things, but it is important that you choose to do them. They are dogma in our society — default options. Alternatives exist, like gap years, vagabonding, independent consulting, financial retirement, polyamory, childlessness, and a myriad of others. I’m not saying these things are better. I’m just saying that you should stop, early and often, and consider what you’re about to do. The second issue is that tracks can break. My personal experience is a dramatic example of this, but there are others. Many students

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The Class of 2016

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The string quartet made it an extra special event.

The Class of 2016 on stage at graduation.

narrow. Few firms can both use first year graduates productively and need enough of them to justify recruiting. As a college student, these are the only firms you see, and it’s easy to conclude that that’s all there is. There’s a lot more out there. But do you even need a J.O.B. job where you work 8-10 hours a day, 5-7 days a week? Maybe, but there are many alternatives. My particular flavor is working 12 hours a day, 7 days in a row, 1 week a month. Some people work 2 hours a day every day. Some people work the first 3 months of a year and then stop. There’s a continuum between making as much money as possible and working as few hours as possible. All tracks lead to the former. But if you pursue the latter, with the rest of your time you can do whatever you want, be it travel the world, start a company, and play in a band. There are no tracks for these sorts of lives. These are just two examples of living life off track. The tracks are nice because they’re easy, but if you want to explore 90% of what’s out there, you don’t have to take a red pill like Neo from the Matrix. You just have to look around and take an intelligent step. And the good news is that’s all you can do. The world is changing rapidly. The job you W W W. T J S . O R G

Faculty and staff gather to celebrate the Class of 2016.

work after college might also not exist yet, so don’t waste time worrying about it. All you can do is look around and take an intelligent step. The simple truth is that all you have is your time. That you should spend your youth working hard doing boring tasks you don’t enjoy is a dangerous myth. Be skeptical of “paying your dues”. The best approach, in my experience, is to make locally intelligent decisions focused on two things: learning and having fun. If you want to succeed, you’re going to have to do good work. And doing good work takes hard work. And the only way to work hard sustainable is to enjoy what you’re doing. This is as true for your major in college as it is for your jobs. If you don’t enjoy it, look to make a change. Enjoying what you do is also the best way to learn. It is incredible difficult to sit down to learn vector graphics or statistical programming. But if these skills are required to get where you want to be, you’re going to learn them. Being excited about what you’re doing is the best way to push through hard problems.

You are not your grades. You are not your major. You are not your first job. You will do many things in your life. Those things come and go, but the learnings from each continue with you. It’s impossible to know where you will be, who you will be, and what the world will be like even two steps down the line. Don’t worry about it. Look around, make an intelligent step. Work hard. Do something you think is great. Learn. Rinse. Repeat. Good luck, and have fun.

“The simple truth is that all you have is your time.” the tj review

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Presentation of Diplomas By Elizabeth Holekamp, Ph.D., Head of School, and Linda Mertz, President, TJ Board of Trustees

From Dr. Holekamp’s remarks: My annual test is to find a way to capture and convey something of each individual senior’s journey—if possible, in no more than 200 words. It’s a huge challenge because what I’m trying to describe is a complex story of growth, progress, and change. This time, I decided to take a “then, now, and next” approach. As I speak, what you’ll hear is a composite voice, drawn directly from teachers’ comments and my own observations. First, I’ll say two or

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three keywords about the senior. Then I’ll take you back in time to that student’s entry year at TJ. After that, I’ll come into the present, to this year. And finally, I’ll say what’s next. I’ll present the seniors in order of arrival year at TJ, beginning with the most recent. Following my words, each student will receive his or her diploma from Mrs. Linda Mertz, President of the Board of Trustees.

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Graduating Seniors 2016

SHARRON LAN “A lucky find”

SCARLETT HE

Then

Then Scarlett is doing a good job of tackling the challenges of TJ life. She consistently hands in quality work and is prepared for class; her maturity and willingness to participate in class discussions is very much appreciated.

What a successful start to Sharron’s year at TJ; I’m thrilled to report that Sharron achieved cum laude for the quarter! Sharron’s daily work has been consistently neat and complete; she has fully participated in our class dialogue by both asking questions and volunteering responses. She demonstrates a firm understanding of the concepts and is able to apply them correctly. Now Sharron is putting in the preparation necessary to excel at the end of the year. She is very enthusiastic about the class and always prepared. Sharron is doing excellent work! Her drawings are superb. Beyond her required academic workload, Sharron has participated in a varied set of extracurricular and service activities. Sharron is beginning to focus on her path beyond TJ. That path is an exciting prospect. It is nearly impossible to believe that Sharron has been with us for only one year—we are truly lucky to have had her as part of the TJ family. Next Sharron will attend New York University’s Stern School of Business in the fall.

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“The gift of music”

Scarlett has freely admitted that Italian is her least favorite subject; but more than any other student in the class, Scarlett finds the elegance and harmony that makes Italian truly romantic; she has a thirst to understand and express human emotion. Now Despite having trouble getting her homework turned in, Scarlett is an engaged, curious, and strongly insightful student. Her work in ceramics this quarter demonstrated genuine personal investment, attention to detail, and a high degree of craftsmanship. Scarlett has a passion for reading, the courage to speak her thoughts. I will miss hearing the lovely strains of Scarlett’s piano playing, wafting through halls of Merrill Main Building. Next Scarlett will go to Whitman College next year, where she will continue to develop her gift of music.

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G R A D UAT I O N

SHAY ADLER

YI ZHONG

“Lightning in a bottle”

“Steely determination and a smile”

Then

Now that Shay has a clearer understanding of his teachers’ expectations, I’m confident that we can all expect a stronger second quarter.

Yi has dealt with the challenges of a new living situation and new expectations in the classroom with grace, intelligence, and a fierce determination.

Shay is an active participant in class discussions. His comments often contribute to the quality of our conversations, but I encourage him to remain on topic as he shares his ideas.

She was a joy to have on the JV volleyball team and quickly became one of my star players.

All of Shay’s teachers see a lot of ability and a great deal of room for improvement. We know that Shay’s second quarter will be stronger than the first.

Now Today I find myself teaching a completely different student, thinker, and writer. He has developed into someone whose organized, mature work habits could stand as a model for younger students. Shay’s abilities and confidence continue to grow, as evidenced by his tap performance at Cabaret Night.

Yi’s excellent work ethic, sharp mind, and curiosity make her a great TJ student. This winter, I hope that she pushes herself to speak up more in class. She has good ideas to add to discussions.

Now A vigorous contributor to our class discussion, Yi is always ready to share her informed opinions and conclusions. Yi excels across the board, from the arts and humanities to math and the hard sciences. She makes a teacher a better learner. Her basketball coach describes her as “ridiculously awesome.”

Looking back, his arrival to our campus three years ago was like a flash of lightning.

Yi wants to conquer the world; she never gives up; no matter what is thrown at her, she meets it with a smile and a steel-like determination.

Shay will continue will continue his education at St. Louis University, in the business program.

Next Next fall, Yi will attend the University of Chicago.

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WINTER 2016

CLASS OF 2016

PEIRU YU

KENNY SCHERGEN

“Sweetness and light”

“Mr. Curiosity”

Then

In a short period of time, Peiru has adapted well to a new culture, new living environment, new friends and roommates, and a new school.

Once Kenny mastered a routine for homework, he began to turn it in regularly and came to class prepared and ready. In class, he is a strong participant, although he can occasionally get off topic.

She is a good student, and her insights into literature are sensitive and smart. But she needs to speak up more in class— I know she’s trying. Her written work has improved, suggesting that she is becoming more comfortable with style and vocabulary.

Now

I think Kenny should visit me every afternoon. Kenny seems to be figuring things out.

Now Say Kenny’s name to any teacher who’s had him in class, and you’ll see a face light up.

Peiru has come into her own: ever time, she has emerged, from a quiet, private place into one where she is clearly seen and heard.

Kenny loves to learn. In the fours years he’s been with us, he has touched the hearts and minds of his classmates and teachers.

Peiru has produced a great deal of thoughtful, well-written work; in class, she shares her ideas regularly.

He is intensely curious and will pursue a topic to its very depth. He embraces every activity, whether hands-on (his Eagle Scout international flag project is evidence of that); or cerebral.

She is a fierce competitor on the volleyball court— small, but mighty! Peiru’s artistic sensibility is evident. (Her award-winning painting is the embodiment of that.) In the classroom and in the community, Peiru has proven herself invaluable. She brings a joy and a smile that nothing can diminish.

He’ll openly question in class something we’ve taken as the norm and force us to question the roots of our beliefs. He’s interested in pursuing truth.

Next Kenny will attend Cornell College.

Peiru will continue her education at the University of Wisconsin.

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G R A D UAT I O N

GRACE JO

HOWARD HUANG

“Grit and grace”

“Vision and wit”

Then

Grace made a quick and successful transition, with all A’s. Overall, she is a strong student, and I look forward to watching her develop her appreciation of literature.

I’m a bit perplexed by Howard. Some days his work is sensational; on other days, it seems he hasn’t even started the assignment. Howard is not a huge fan of the graphing calculator.

I appreciate her consistently excellent homework and her focus on detail. I am confident that she will continue to do well because she works so hard and puts a lot of effort and preparation in before quizzes and double-graders.

Howard has become more consistent and is beginning to participate more in class discussions. His wit and ability to make connections between seemingly disparate events and topics has enlivened the class and forced his classmates to challenge some of their assumptions.

Grace is all but silent during our class discussions. I hope she can get over her reticence to speak up in class.

He is a free spirit in many ways—I really admire his independence of mind.

Now

Grace is a vigorous, confident, and articulate contributor to our class discussions

Howard has improved in practically every respect: he reads more closely, writes more elegantly, and speaks more confidently than before.

She has been an effective leader outside the classroom: in varsity sports, activities like the Coffee Therapy fund-raising club, and a special philanthropic project to support children in Cambodia. Grace has grit, determination, and resolve. She doesn’t have the ability to let up; whether the stakes are high or low, she brings her strongest effort.

A stalwart member of TJ’s Robotics Team, Howard unleashed the power of the communal cheer: “We can do this! We can win!” Howard comprehends things in a way many of us don’t. Others shuffle the puzzle pieces, but Howard sees the entire picture before it comes together.

Next Howard’s education will continue at the University of Rochester.

Grace will go to New York University-Stern School of Business next year.

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WINTER 2016

CLASS OF 2016

JASON YOU

MARK JUNG

“Books are dangerous”

“New solutions to old problems”

Then

I especially commend Jason for his steady efforts in Outside Reading (O.R.).

It’s a pleasure to have such a bright and courteous student in my class— I look forward to reading Shakespeare with Mark!

It’s clear that he needs a promotion now into Algebra 2.

I hope that Mark is as pleased with his grades as we are.

Jason doesn’t participate much in class and often seems confused.

Mark has adjusted very well to the class expectations. If there were one thing he could improve on, it would be speaking up more in class. When he does offer his thoughts, they are good ideas.

Jason is off to a great start in Chemistry. He has enjoyed playing soccer, being in the play, and playing the trumpet at Graduation.

Now Jason excels in math and science, fields where he finds definite answers; it’s not uncommon to see him helping a peer with calculus or physics. He also handles the abstract quite well. In our discussion of The Brothers Karamazov, Jason left the heads of his classmates spinning. He concluded with the statement, “Books are dangerous.” Until he came stateside, Jason had never touched a basketball. Over time, his knowledge, skills, and role grew; as a senior he was both captain of the team and the third-leading scorer in the conference. Jason goes about his business in a quiet and unassuming way, and he accomplishes a lot.

Now Mark has tremendous interest and strength in science, math, and engineering; he really wants to find new solutions to old problems. Mark is also a close reader of history and literature, and a talented writer. With his subtle sense of humor, Mark always seems to be enjoying himself (even if he isn’t). By junior year, few students were as consistently successful, thoughtful, and participatory in class as Mark. He is a humble, kind, and loyal friend, as well as a natural leader and organizer (Robotics Team, Programming Club).

Next Mark will enter Northwestern University in the fall.

Next The University of Illinois is Jason’s college destination.

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G R A D UAT I O N

TOM HORTON

JIM BRINK

“Friends, Romans, Countrymen…”

“Relentless robotics guy”

Then

Tom has obviously adapted extremely well to this new environment.

I hope that Jim is as pleased with his grades as we are. Jim is an active participant in our class discussions; he usually has some good insight or anecdote.

While occasionally Tom doesn’t have the homework or O.R. completed on time, he’s always up to speed on the reading. Tom shows great enthusiasm for and clear understanding of Latin so far. Everyone is impressed with Tom’s personality— students and teachers alike enjoy speaking with him, both in and out of class. Tom actually chooses to sit at the front of the classroom.

Now Tom’s recitations of memory work may have been beyond compare, but his written work has grown stronger and clearer, too. His regular engagement in daily discussion is reasoned and articulate. Tom is a renaissance man: actor, singer, tap dancer, writer, leader, golfer, declaimer of Shakespeare. Tom is a perfect gentleman: his kindness, sincerity, and altruism are rare traits in most teenagers. Instinctively, he’s made it his mission to brighten up the world around him.

Jim’s declensions were perfect, his conjugations were missing only the imperative mood, and his translation was above average but incomplete. If Jim invests more time into completing questions and assignments thoroughly, I am sure we will see improvement in the future.

Now Almost every time I asked a question this quarter, Jim’s hand was the first one raised. Jim combines academic seriousness with a lively sense of humor, deep-seated curiosity, and a real desire to spark that curiosity in others; he is pushed by some force to help others understand. Jim listens as much as he speaks; he quietly collects others, making sure no one is left out. Jim has grown into a humble but direct leader who has the respect of his peers, teachers, and coaches.

Next Macalester College will be Jim’s new home next year.

If I were a teenager, I’d want Tom to be my friend.

Next Tom’s next stop is Florida Southern College.

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WINTER 2016

CLASS OF 2016

OLIVIA BOLTON

JUSTIN MOSES

“Will of iron”

“Tapping feet”

Then

While there were a couple of odd 4’s and 5’s, most of her grades were 1’s and 2’s. Always prepared for class discussion with homework and O.R. completed on time, it’s clear that Olivia is managing her time well.

If I could sum up Justin in one word, it would be “eager.”

Every day she seems to have tough questions ready for me to answer; she’s alive and alert during class.

I’m hard pressed to think of a student I more eagerly await teaching than Justin.

In class, Livi pays close attention, answers correctly, and gives the appearance of understanding the concept. Yet her quiz grades are like a roller coaster.

If he had not been so averse to memorizing vocabulary, Justin would have had a higher grade, for he certainly gets the big picture of Latin.

Now Olivia regularly goes above and beyond in preparation, always demonstrating a thorough completion of the night’s reading in discussion.

Our fears about Justin in English were unfounded—this boy is a grammar geek.

Justin is always ready with his hand in the air, even before I ask a question!

Now Justin continues to demonstrate an exceptional ability to connect with the material.

She is not afraid to think outside the box. Olivia is laser-focused and iron-willed; she is one of the most mature and dependable leaders at TJ since her arrival. We enjoy Livi’s sardonic sense of humor. Her leadership skills have been evident on the basketball and volleyball courts. We say we’re preparing independent learners, and clearly Olivia has already reached that goal.

He is a divergent thinker in a teenage world where conformity tends to be the norm. Justin no longer arrives in class with countless papers dangling out of his book like snakes from Medusa’s head. I’ve rarely encountered a student who is so adaptable (even when he doesn’t think he is), such a joyful learner (even when he stumbles), and so kind to others.

Next Justin is headed to Haverford College in the fall.

Olivia will attend the University of Tampa next year. W W W. T J S . O R G

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G R A D UAT I O N

COLIN BARTELS “Logic and improv”

ALEXIS BARBER

“Change agent”

Then

Colin has such a quick mind—the harder the problem, the faster he is able to figure out the solution.

Alexis is bright and energetic, and although she doesn’t always volunteer to participate in class, she is usually able to provide a correct answer when I call on her.

I appreciate his efforts to sit still and speak when called upon almost as much as his enthusiasm for literature. Although he likes to sit at the lab desk at the back of the class, he certainly does not shy away from participating.

Now

Colin is a fierce learner who uses his intelligence not only to learn, but also to help others.

I can’t tell you how proud I am to see Alexis plugging away at her math every day. Alexis has done a great job of settling into the routine here at school, making lots of friends, and earning the respect of her teachers. I really appreciated the maturity with which she handled all of the roommate drama!

When his classmates are looking to find the logic in anything, be it a Shakespearean sonnet, a mathematical paradox, or a chess move, they know they can turn to Colin.

Now

Colin’s written work demonstrates his natural skill at picking apart an argument.

She is passionate, committed, independent, assertive, decisive, engaged, organized, and smart.

I appreciate Colin’s calm presence; he brings solid ideas and leads his fellow classmates in improvisations by being the “director” and creating situations.

Alexis just doesn’t settle for the word “no.” Given the chance, she will change the world.

From his first days at our school, Colin has had the look of a college student.

Next Case Western Reserve University is where Colin will go next.

This is a student in full command of her abilities; she has come so far from seventh grade, it’s like describing two separate people.

She has prodded us to think about inclusion, on so many levels; where some see barriers, Alexis sees openings. Alexis is the reason we teach; all she needed was time.

Next In the fall, Alexis will be at Northwestern University.

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WINTER 2016

CLASS OF 2016

Remarks to The Class of 2016 by Liat Roth ‘17 Mrs. Kelly told me to keep this short, so I tried to cobble something together resembling Olivia Bolton’s height when she’s not in heels. I don’t know if these past years have felt long or short to you, but I bet that at this moment they seem to have sped right by. This is supposed to be a message from the junior class, the rising seniors, but I think what we have to say goes for the whole school: no matter how short your TJ experience may feel now, know that you, the class of 2016, have established a long lasting legacy to live up to as the rest of us hike toward the end of our careers at TJ. And why? Because you’re leaders. You’ve forged the way for a while, and hopefully now, with what you’ve shown us—academically, extracurricularly, spiritually, in the case of Alexis’s introducing me to Grey’s Anatomy—we can become the next leaders of this school, while you go on to lead the schools that await you. And no one has any doubts that you’ll lead your institutions in college: W W W. T J S . O R G

Scarlett will lead the Punctuality Union, and always sleep in through meetings. Tom will of course head the Fake Accents Club... You’re not fooling anyone, you know, Tom. Mark and Peiru will co-head, obviously, the Inseparable Power Couples’ Guild. Shay will have a club. No one will know what it’s actually for, but ... he’ll talk a lot about it. And Alexis Barber... You need to take a break. Just... No clubs for a while okay? You’ll be missed; you’ll go on to lead new people. Back here at TJ, we’re going to step it up and lead until it’s our turn to go. But you’ll always be in the backs of our minds, showing us how it’s done and where to go. Your legacy will be anything but short—it’ll be longer than a Miss Fairbank announcement at assembly. Liat then introduced the senior video created by Michael Biraralign ‘18 and Jeremy Lee ‘18, rising yearbook editors. the tj review

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A YEAR IN PICTURES

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TJ Today A Year In Pictures

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A YEAR IN PICTURES

1. 2016 all-school photo 2. 1st faculty meeting of the year. 3. Katrina Dy ‘17 settling into her new room with help from her mom and Ms. Barenkamp. 4. Barak Adler ‘19 with parents and roommate Hong Ding Zhou ‘19 unpacking their dorm. 5. Welcome party hosted by Tom Horton ‘16 and his family. 6. Dr. Holekamp and Mrs. Kelly welcoming a new family. 7. Boarding students getting to know each other. 8. Team TJ! 9. Opening Week t-shirts for sale. 10. Welcome Home! 11. Alexis Barber ‘16 and Grace Jo ‘16 greet new students. 12. Our new 7th grade class. 13. Social Media Party 14. The TJ Cup begins. 15. The TJ Cup 16. Andrew Schmiemeier ‘21 tries to master the Oreo contest. 17. DJ picking out her ice cream. 18. ή άρετή 19. Best moms on the planet!

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A YEAR IN PICTURES

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20. Justin Moses ‘16, Colin Bartels ‘16, and Jim Brink ‘16 working hard. 21. Howard Huang ‘16 and Mark Jung ‘16 working with DJ. 22. Class of 2020 and 2021 participating in a team building exercise at the Wyman Center. 23. Class of 2016 and 2017 leaving for Memphis, Tennessee. 24. Class of 2018 and 2019 on their class trip in Nashville, Tennessee. 25. Students participate in the school wide Service Learning Day. 26. Olivia Bolton ‘16, Alexis Barber ‘16 and Grace Jo ‘16 enjoying the first Rep performance of the year. 27. Inga Tobiasz ‘18 and alumnus Alan Wheeler ‘58 enjoying the Polonez Ball. 28. River Blount ‘21, Ethan Chamberlin ‘21, and Tom Horton rooting the St. Louis Cardinals on. 29. Our beautiful school. 30. Senior students enjoying one of their last Rep performances. 31. Trey Wang ‘18 working hard in the computer lab. 32. 7th grade students taking a little brain break at the Pavilion. 33. Grace Jo ‘16 sitting exactly where she sat everyday. 34. Mr. Pesek ‘99 teaching Italian. 35. Dr. Holekamp teaching French .36. Dr. Troutman teaching Calculus.

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A YEAR IN PICTURES

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37. Olivia Bolton ‘16, Ashley Park ‘20, and Katrina Dy ‘17 enjoying the Fall Festival. 38. Fall Festival Fun! 39. Mason ‘Um ‘18 and Jeremy Lee ‘18 playing frisbee at the Fall Festival. 40. Anthony Alonzo ‘17 getting his face painted at the Fall Festival. 41. Explorer Denis Belliveau and Sela Roth ‘21 tie dying t-shirts. 42. Dave Messina ‘92 at our first Alumni Conversation Series. 43. Denis Belliveau, Ms. Barenkamp, and Mrs. Audet 44. Emma Giovanoni ‘19 helping at the Winter Arts Showcase. 45. Tom Horton ‘16, Mrs. Berger, and Justin Moses ‘16 tapping away at the Winter Arts Showcase. 46. Dr. Holekamp and former Headmaster Larry Morgan ‘53 catching up. 47. Students in the LARP club. 48. Music students performing at the Winter Arts Showcase. 49. Varsity Yoga 50. Varsity Girls Basketball 51. Liat Roth ‘17 and Kenny Schergen ‘16 at the Swing Dance. 52. Alexis Barber ‘16, Michael Biraralign ‘18, Mason Um ‘18, Yi Zhong ‘16, and Jeremy Lee ‘16 saying Happy Holidays. 53. Rosie Lopolito ‘20 and Kenny Schergen ‘16 being crowned at the Swing Dance. 54. Welcome to our Polish visitors: Justyna Koszyk, Sara Borkowska, Aneta Lekawska, and Emilia Tokarska. 34 |

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A YEAR IN PICTURES

55. Justyna Koszyk, Sara Borkowska, and Aneta Lekawska in class. 56. A representative from the Forest Releaf of Missouri came to Earth Science and Biology classes to talk with students 57. Spelling Bee champ River Blount ‘21 and runner-up Livvy Gustafson ‘21. 58. Maisie Pritchett ‘17, Jeremy Boyd ‘17, and Matthew Ma ‘17 competing at a Robotics qualifying event. 59. Rachel Hu ‘17 and Jeremy Boyd’ 17 testing at a Robotics meet. 60. Students at South County Tech for a robotics demonstration. 61. Nathan Phan ‘18, David Beckenhaupt ‘17, and Liat Roth ‘17 visit Poland. 62. Students and faculty in Bologna 63. Justin Moses ‘16, Mrs. Berger, Tom Horton ‘16, and Miss Fairbank open Cabaret Night. 64. Anthony Alonso ‘17 and Barak Adler ‘19 perform at Cabaret Night. 65. Cynthia Chong ‘21 and Sela Roth ‘21 perform at Cabaret Night. 66. Dr. Troutman and Dr. Braun will do anything to fundraise for Robotics. 67. TJ fans cheering on boys varsity basketball. 68. Alexis Barber ‘16 is roasted by Miss Fairbank. 69. Andrew Schmiemeier ‘21 and Livvy Gustafson ‘21 having fun on Surprise Day. 70. Sela Roth ‘21 unable to handle the announcement of Surprise Day. 71. Basketball 72. Peiru Yu ‘16 and Yi Zhong ‘16 perform at Cabaret Night. 73. Our seniors about to be roasted on Senior Night. 36 |

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A YEAR IN PICTURES

74. Mark Jung ‘16 and Grace Jo ‘16 receive the ή άρετή award. 75. Varsity Girls Basketball 76. Dawson Gershuny ‘18 takes a pie in the face to help fundraise for STUCO. 77. Mrs. Roth ‘91 is looking excited to participate in the STUCO fundraiser. 78. Andy Matuschak ‘06 leads an Alumni Conversation Series chat. 79. TJ students, faculty and staff learning about gender identity. 80-82. Prom 2016. 83. The 8th Grade at The Rep to see The Lion in Winter. 84 Alexander Shornick ‘17 working on the gardens for his Eagle Scout Project. 85. Varsity Boys Basketball 86-87. School Picnic at Lauemeier Sculpture Park. 88. Suprise Day at Epic 6.

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A YEAR IN PICTURES

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89. Mrs. Pieroni takes her Intro to Biology class to Castlewood Park. 90. Students learning about weightlifting. 91. Miss Fairbank having her makeup done by Agnes Agbo. 92. Cinco De Mayo at TJ 93-94. The TJ Cup activity. 95. Students doing makeovers at the sleepover in Sayers. 96. Livi Bolton ‘16, Mrs. Kelly, Grace Jo ‘16, and Jeremy Boyd ‘17 # SpringItForward. 97. Jimmy Holloran teaching students the importance of philanthropy. 98. Students reminded Mr. Smith in the #SpringItForward campaign how much they appreciate him. 99. Miss Fairbank presented the seniors with balloons. 100. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie was the 8th grade play. 101. Mr. Held and Mrs. Kelly’s office was hit by Senior prank. 102. DJ’s office on Senior prank. 103.For one day you could buy the school on Ebay for .01-thanks Seniors! 104. Senior lunch at the rooftop of Three Sixty. 105. The Class of 2016 40 |

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Linda Mertz with Jeremy Boyd’s ‘17 parents Tamara and Dennis.

A Letter from the Board President By Linda Mertz Dear Friends, In writing about fulfilling the mission from the Board perspective, I offer a connection between ideals that most of us have in our minds and hearts at some point in our lives and producing great things that matter. Through our life experiences, we formulate a spectrum of questions, thoughts, conclusions and hopefully, summarize our

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positive experiences with a feeling of being blessed and demonstrating some measure of hopefulness about the future by our human attempts at expressing gratitude and ensuring tomorrow is better than today. We do so through actions lived out which includes others. We have learned there are many challenges in our experiences but with the honed skills we have learned, built upon and perfected, we can problem solve and apply our talents in moving to the next possibilities for the future; even for those we may not know. We have learned and solidified the concept of community and our part in it. The Board of Trustees at Thomas Jefferson is committed to working through a Strategic Plan, a unique and fluid structure to guide our actions through challenges to long-term success. We have developed a means for all trustees to be leaders, to use their skills and collaborate together to ensure success. We have specific committees in place, with goals and objectives to reach over set timelines and every committee person is asked for input, hard work and teamwork to accomplish great things. We form lofty goals and detailed,

specific objectives. We review and update on a regular basis. We recommend and revise, research, refer, oversee, interface and submit. These are all verbs meaning we continuously work to transform a vision into concrete, tangible outcomes for every student who walks through our doors, every teacher who facilitates the learning environment, every staff member who supports community, every parent who dreams for their child’s future and all alumni who have marched forward to do more great things! I express my gratitude for the Board of Trustees working to ensure sustainability, administration, staff and devoted faculty facilitating the special learning environment and the students who are forming responsibility and visions, ideals and skills to produce great things that matter. Recently, we bade farewell to one of our board members, Julie Boudreaux, who spent her term helping TJ directly in so many ways. Julie lives as an educator facilitator, collaborator and believes in our mission. For her efforts, we are so grateful. She remains connected to TJ and we thank her. Personally, I have great pride in the dedicated individuals who give their time, talents and never ending support to a mission that was once an ideal but is now a tradition of the most amazing individuals we can send forth for the world!

Linda Mertz Board President Parent of Alexandra Mertz ‘07

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The Board of Trustees Welcome to the Board: TJ would like to welcome two new Board members: Nila Paradowski and Jimmy Holloran ‘03. Nila was co-owner of Paradowski Creative, one of the St. Louis area’s largest independent marketing agencies. Prior to the sale of the agency in 2012, Nila and her husband, Alex, grew Paradowski Creative from a small graphic design firm to a full service marketing agency recognized for smart, creative, and extraordinary customer service. Currently, Nila works with organizations providing branding plus marketing consulting. Jimmy graduated from TJ in 2003, going on to receive his BA in Philosophy from Northwestern University. In his early career, W W W. T J S . O R G

he spent time in both the telecommunications industry and teaching with Teach For America before receiving an MBA from Yale School of Management in 2014. He is now a consultant at Bain and Company and lives in Chicago with his fiancee, Jordan.

Update of the Strategic Plan Thomas Jefferson School Strategic Plan 2014-2019 Update Q&A Where did the Strategic Plan come from? The work of drafting TJ’s five-year strategic plan was a two-year project that began with reflection and discussion about the mission of the school and its long-term prospects. The effort was led by the Strategic Planning Committee, a standing committee of the Board of Trustees that consists of trustees, faculty, and staff. The committee’s first charge was to identify the strategic themes on which the plan would be built.

What are the Strategic Themes and how are they defined? Three themes emerged strongly as we discussed TJ’s path forward: Excellence TJ will continue to challenge itself by striving for excellence in order to remain worthy of the talent that the school recruits, develops, and sends into the world. Excellence implies achieving the best possible outcome with the resources available. At TJ, this means building and maintaining

a community that gives its students the strongest possible academic background in order that they become contributors to and citizens of the world. Diversification TJ will diversify its resource base in order to ensure that it continually delivers on the mission while minimizing the amount of risk to the school’s future. Diversification is a process of varying the sources and types of resources upon which success depends in order to avoid an overreliance on any one

Officers for the 2016-17 year: President: Linda Mertz (Alexandra ‘07) Vice-President: Karthik Raghavan Secretary: Trish Winchell (Kevin Dwyer ‘10) Treasurer: Stephen Bacon Michael Biggers Jimmy Holloran ‘03 LaDonna Hopkins (Sarah Hopkins Tolch ‘95) David Messina ‘92 Greg Oldham ‘70 Nila Paradowski the tj review

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type of resource. At TJ, this means a focus on diversifying the recruitment, community, physical, and financial resources on which the school depends. In doing so, the school further supports its goal of sustainability by minimizing the risks associated with its ongoing operation. Sustainability TJ will build a sustainable school that meets the needs of the community today and anticipates the needs of the community tomorrow while preserving the cultural elements that make TJ unique. Sustainability is the usage of resources that ensures productivity into perpetuity. At TJ, this means a focus on enabling the school to continually meet its mission. As the education community evolves in the twenty-first century, TJ too must embrace new, modern ways of delivering on the mission. Who developed goals under each of the themes? A group of subcommittees

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consisting of and/or having access to our stakeholder communities (board, faculty, administration, staff, parents, students, alumni, and friends of the school) were charged with developing specific, actionable goals in each theme area. It was essential that the goals be ones that could serve as priorities for utilizing the school’s resources. The goals were drafted and consolidated for review by the members of all other standing board committees (Advancement, Board Membership, Buildings and Grounds, Evaluation, Executive, Finance) and eventual consideration and adoption by the full Board of Trustees. They are clearly articulated and grouped under the three themes that the Board of Trustees feels most appropriately encapsulate the school’s long-term priorities. Who is responsible for executing the Strategic Plan? The school is broadly responsible for carrying out the action steps of the plan. This means that the entire school community has the

opportunity to be involved. The Strategic Planning Committee is providing general oversight, guidance, and coordination, along with the board committees (Advancement, Board Membership, Buildings & Grounds, Executive, Finance) that are charged with tracking progress on specific goals. Every goal has an assigned task leader, who is a member of the board, administration, faculty, or staff. Task forces to work on the tasks consist of faculty, staff, parents, student, alumni, or outside people with needed expertise. How do we track and account for progress? We maintain a Master Tracking Document that maps out the details of the plan, including target start and end dates for tasks, task leaders, task forces, resources needed, and degree of completion. Progress is formally reported to the Board of Trustees on a quarterly basis. There is also a Communication Plan in place to ensure that other school constituencies are kept informed

of progress. How are we using the Plan? The Strategic Plan guides the annual goal-setting process of the Head of School and the Board of Trustees. It also informs academic and operational decision-making, both in the day to day and the longer term. The Plan is especially important now as we work on the comprehensive self-study that is central to our upcoming reaccreditation evaluation by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS). The “Plans and Priorities” that we articulate in the Self-study should (and will) mirror and, ultimately, fortify the goals of the Strategic Plan What will happen in 2019? In 2018-19, the Strategic Planning Committee will restart the process by which the school will identify its strategic priorities and goals for the period 2020-2015.

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ASHLEY BORDING has an Associate’s Degree in Nursing. She is currently working at Barnes Jewish Hospital as an RN in the Emergency Department, prn at St. Luke’s Hospital on the heart floor, and Part time at TJ. Ashley enjoys playing soccer and volleyball with friends. We welcome Ashley to the nursing staff at TJ.

Welcome to TJ

CARLOS BURGOS has a Bachelor’s degree in Educational Studies and a Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Webster University. He is currently a therapist at Great Circle in Saint Louis where he works with adolescents with autism. Carlos enjoys playing basketball and will be the R.A. in Blue House. CHRISTA CUNNINGHAM is a Community Development Officer and Certified Homeownership Counselor at the Central Bank of St. Louis. She is also involved in non-profit work in St. Louis, including Beyond Housing. Christa likes to cook and will be the R.A. in White House.

PAT DENNY RN graduated from the St. John’s School of Nursing in St. Louis. She has spent most of her career in home health care and geriatrics but has experience in pediatrics and many other areas. Along with her husband she has raised her large family and is not blessed with many grandchildren. Patty says, “I am enjoying working with the younger generation now at TJ.” We welcome Pat to the nursing staff at TJ. MOLLY GREENFIELD is a graduate of Hope College and is currently completing a Master of Social Work at Washington University’s Brown School. Mollie was an R.A. and captain of the lacrosse team at Hope College and she is Co-Chair of Women in Leadership at Washington University. Mollie will be the Gables House R.A.

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ROB LIPPERT holds a master’s degree in architecture from Washington University, and a licensed architect and principal at the firm U-Studios Incorporated. Rob made his professional theater debut in St. Louis designing both set and lighting for “Night of the Living Dead” at New Line Theatre, for which he received a 2014 St. Louis Theater Circle Award for Outstanding Lighting Design in a Musical. He has since been nominated for seven St. Louis Theater Circle Awards for his professional theater work. Rob teaches the scenic design/theatre tech class, is Director of the all school play, and Troup Director of the Thespian Society. JAREL RUSSELL is a recent graduate from the University of Kansas Medical Center, where he was the K.U. Boxing Club President and a Student Mentor. Jarel will be attending Saint Louis University’s School of Nursing’s Clinical Nurse Leader program in the fall and he will be the R.A. in Yellow House. CHELSEA WILLIAMS is a Smith College graduate who is attending the Post-Baccalaureate Premedical Program at Washington University in St. Louis. Chelsea moved here from Sarasota, Florida, where she worked for the Department of Health and the Department of Children and Families in Sarasota, FL. Chelsea is the R.A. for Red House.

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Poland. SPLOT, and It’s a Small World After All By Steve Held, Director of Admissions

Last March I was fortunate enough to travel to Nowy Sącz, Poland as a part of our outreach to meet students at SPLOT, our partner school, which sends one student each year as a part of our Charles Merrill, Jr. Eastern European Scholarship program. Mr. Merrill and his wife, Julie Boudreaux, generously support the scholarship annually as a product of their shared passion and deep ties to Eastern Europe (Nowy Sącz in particular). Students from SPLOT have been adding to the cultural and academic richness of our community for nearly two decades. It took very little prodding for me to decide whether or not to go. As I vaguely recall, the conversation went a bit like this:

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Dr. Holekamp: “Steve, we would really like you to go to Poland this year. Would you consider it?” Me: “Yes.” Dr. Holekamp: “Please think about it and let me know.” Me: “I’m going. Done!” Then, just weeks later, I was accompanying Jane Roth and three TJ students for a ten-day trip to Nowy Sącz and SPLOT (STL/YYZ/FRA/KRK for you airport aficionados). Rather than regale you with tales daily schedules, new experiences, wonderful hosts, sobering history, idioms, memes, pierogis, soups, lard sandwiches, dazzling architecture, Mikolasz, long walks, cathedrals, synagogues, dragons, Pawel, classroom antics, airport sushi, Oskar Schindler, modern art, smiling students, trout for lunch, Auschwitz, and mountain-top candlelit dinners (the list is long enough at this point), I would rather tell you a story about how small this world truly is. On the second (or third or fourth) day, Mrs. Roth, our students, and I had the pleasure of interacting with a sixth and seventh grade class at SPLOT. Each of us was asked to work with a group of young Polish students. Our assignment was simple: looking at a map of the United States, we were to help our SPLOT students think about landmarks and their locations in the Good ol’ USA. We let the kids do most of the work. Their lists included the Statue of Liberty, the Grand Canyon, the White House, New York City, The Empire State Building, Disneyland, Disneyworld, Florida, Hollywood, The Gateway Arch, Chicago’s skyscrapers, Meteor Crater, Mississippi River, and a litany of other idiosyncratic American places. In the group I was working with, a precocious young man stopped me dead in my tracks with his suggestion: The World’s Largest Catsup Bottle. I froze. I blinked. I smiled. How in the world did I travel more than 5,000 miles only to have this boy mention a Collinsville, Illinois landmark that was literally in my backyard? I grew up just a stone’s throw from the Brook’s Catsup bottle (in our part of the woods, ketchup was spelled catsup, don’t ask me why) in neighboring Caseyville, Illinois. My uncle had been on a crew in the 1960’s that painted the Bunyanesque bottled condiment (for the uninitiated, the bottle never actually contained catsup. It was a water tower which supplied the Brooks’ factory). The boy said he had seen the bottle on a television show and thought it was so cool. He wanted to visit it one day. Small world. It’s a small, small, world. W W W. T J S . O R G

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Europe Trip Blog By teacher, Jim Pesek â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;99

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This past March, TJ students headed to Europe with faculty member Jim Pesek ‘99 and Residential Assistant Anne Benson. This immersion adventure featured central, authentic accommodations, superb meals, and cultural activities. The itinerary highlighted the best sights and experiences of Nice, Florence, Ravenna and Bologna. To help keep parents informed, Jim Pesek wrote a blog, but we all enjoyed following along:

Day 1: Hi everyone! I’m writing this from the airport in Paris to let you know that we arrived safely in France, but due to a delay on the flight here from Cincinnati, we missed our flight to Nice. We’ve been booked on a flight two hours later (a little over an hour from now), so we will mostly stay on schedule. I’ll send you another message once we’ve gotten to our hotel. In the meantime, I’m enjoying seeing everyone in the group sitting around eating pastries and trying to work their way through French newspapers. They look so French already! The Europe trip group has landed in Paris! Bonjour!— at Aéroport de Paris - Charles de Gaulle (CDG).

Day 2: The group finally arrived in Nice, France. The petit hôtel is located in a quiet section of the beautiful town. Today was our first full day in France (so full that we couldn’t fit it all into just one country), and we’re now all settled into the hotel ready to tuck in for the night and start again in the morning. Yesterday was, as travel days tend to be, a very long day. Our flights between St. Louis, Cincinnati, and Paris all went smoothly, but then the plans got thrown off and we missed our flight from Paris to Nice. Thankfully, there are plenty of flights connecting those cities each day, so we were easily booked onto a different flight only two hours later.

Day 3: Upon our arrival in Nice, we went to the hotel to drop off our things then set out immediately to explore our new surroundings. We went through the Place Garibaldi, a plaza named for the famous unifier of all of Italy who, as it turns out, was born in what is now France. From there we walked down to a beautiful park filled with a variety of styles of playgrounds before grabbing lunch next to a massive fountain. After W W W. T J S . O R G

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lunch, we wandered through the Cours Saleya and its open-air antique vendors before heading down to the beach for our first real view of the Mediterranean. Claire and Bennett were brave enough to venture into the water—they assure me that it wasn’t very cold, but I’m not buying it—and everyone enjoyed the sheer beauty of the startlingly blue water. Our next stop was the top of Castle Hill for an amazing panorama of the entire city of Nice followed by a brief walk through the city’s Jewish cemetery. We walked from there back to our hotel for a short nap and then went to a nearby bistro for a lovely dinner. At that point we decided to call it a night and everyone went gratefully to bed. This morning we had breakfast in our hotel before catching a bus to the village of Eze, famous for its perfumes. The tour of a perfume shop taught us an incredible amount about the process of making perfumes and colognes. After our tour, we hiked up to the top of the village to find an amazing exotic garden overlooking the sea, taking our time to relax and enjoy the scenery before returning to the village center for lunch. The next leg of our journey was a short bus ride

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to Monte Carlo, the one and only city in the second smallest country in the world (Vatican City just edges it out for the first-place spot). Though we couldn’t enter the casino, we walked past it to find a marina filled with ships of all sizes and then went up more stairs to reach the royal palace. From the palace we ventured through some of the narrow streets before arriving at the city’s cathedral. At that point everyone was pretty tired, so we hopped a bus back to Nice for some well-earned rest until dinner. Our evening meal was incredible and concluded with dessert in honor of Claire’s birthday (she put out her candle with her spoon instead of blowing it out, but I’m pretty sure that still counts). Tomorrow will take us to the artist community of Saint-Paul de Vence for a day of medieval buildings and modern art. In the meantime, it’s time for some shuteye.

Day 4: Saint-Paul de Vence & The Maeght Foundation Today was a bit more dreary than yesterday, overcast and nearly constant drizzle. Despite

it all, our valiant travelers followed me on a bus ride to the medieval village of Saint-Paul de Vence, a beautifully preserved piece of French history that now serves as a haven for artists, artisans, and writers. In fact, it was the home and final resting place of the painter Marc Chagall. Our walk up to The Maeght Foundation, the modern and contemporary art museum of the region, was a somewhat steep incline (if you ask your kids, you’ll likely hear that we scaled a mountain), but once we reached the top we found sculptures, fountains, and paintings from some of the world’s best-known modern artists. I was particularly happy to see a couple of Calder’s mobiles—they’re among my personal favorites. From there we walked into the village proper just in time to miss the worst of the rain and have a lovely lunch in an adorable little cafe perched atop the ramparts of the city walls. We stayed there for a good while in order to dry out and warm up before wandering through the village and exploring the narrow pathways where any turn could present you with a unique sight. We found plants growing out of the side of buildings, bizarre staircases, and adorable shops. While the village was WINTER 2016

beautiful, our busride home and subsequent time to thaw out and dry after such a wet day were very welcome when the time came to leave. Dinner this evening was in a Creole restaurant just around the corner from our hotel, and now we’re all nestling in for the night in preparation for our last day in France tomorrow. We will visit the Matisse museum in the morning then spend the afternoon trying to fill in parts of the city that everyone wants to see in more detail in a choose-yourown-adventure-style afternoon. It will be sad to leave France behind, but Italy lies ahead, and there’s no way we could miss what’s to come when we get there.

Day 5: Au Revoir La France Salut, It’s been a lovely final day in France, with beautiful weather and a relaxed day. We started the morning with breakfast in the hotel as usual, before heading up to the Matisse museum to see some of the works of the great French painter. On the bus ride on the way up to the museum, an elderly French woman suggested that we visit a nearby park and former monastery, and who are we to ignore the kindly given advice of a local? The park turned out to be an amazingly well-

tended series of gardens, and the monastery included a small museum about the history of the Franciscan order. From the monastery, it was a short walk over to the Matisse museum. We all enjoyed seeing the mock- ups of a number of his greatest projects, feeling as though we were accessing a small part of the artist’s creative process. From the museum we went back to the hotel for a casual lunch before heading out into the city for our last few hours of exploration. We decided to see what a local shopping mall was like, but within a few short minutes we abandoned ship, realizing that it was really no different than malls in the US. Instead we took a walk though some of the oldest parts of the city of Nice, exploring the narrow streets and curious little shops that fill the historic city center. Our shopping complete, we went back to rest up before dinner. The group’s final dinner in Nice was in an underground cellar that had been converted from the storage space it must once have been into the cozy and welcoming seating area for an amazing restaurant. Our dinner was one of the best meals I’ve ever had in France, and I will long remember the great conversations of our convivial little group. On the way back from the restaurant we stopped for ice cream as dessert to cap off a lovely evening. It’s now time to call it a night before an early

morning departure tomorrow as we leave behind the French Riviera and venture into the heart of Tuscany. I think we’ve all truly enjoyed our time in Nice, but we’re looking forward to the adventure that lies ahead of us in Italy. Farewell, Nice.

Day 6: Ciao tutti, What a day! We started early this morning, heading to the train station in order to start our journey to Italy only to find that the Italian train system has gone on strike for the day. Almost all of the trains in Italy were canceled, including every single one crossing the border into the country. Everyone in the group took the news well, but I could see some very disappointed faces at the idea of having to cancel some of the stops on the Italian leg of our tour. Needless to say, the TFT team jumped to the ready, trying to find a way to salvage our plans. A bus and three trains later, we finally made it into Florence this evening, only about 5 hours behind schedule. This left us little time for anything more than a quick bite to eat before calling it a night, but on the way back to the hotel after dinner I included a detour for our first view of the amazing cathedral of Florence. It is a sight that takes the breath away, and I felt it an injustice to put everyone through such a long, exhausting day without letting them see what it was all for. Tomorrow morning will take us back to the cathedral, this time to see its interior and even climb up to the top of the bell tower and the dome in order to get incomparable views of the cathedral and of the city as a whole. The rest of tomorrow takes us to the Mercato Centrale, the maze-like open air markets, and

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a meeting with the director of a study abroad program who will tell us all about the process of making a program like hers part of a college experience—and that’s only half of our day! For now, it’s time to bid you all goodnight as I, too, rest up for our first full day in Italy. Buona notte!

Day :7 Buon giorno, Florence is a magical city. I don’t know any other way to express it. We started the day with a walk through the center of the city, seeing the cathedral by daylight for the first time. From there we explored some of the nearby parts of the city, seeing street vendors and markets for which this city is rightly famous. Our next item on the agenda was to scale the 414 stairs to the top of the cathedral’s bell tower, earning a bird’s eye view of the city. However difficult the climb, the sights from the top are absolutely worth the effort. Lunch was in the city’s historic shopping area, the Mercato Centrale, an immense structure filled with food vendors and restaurants. After the meal we explored the city’s leather market before splitting off in order to take best advantage of the time available to us. I took a group up to the top of the cathedral’s dome—another 462 steps—while others went to further explore parts of the city that the group as a whole will not have enough time to visit. It feels as though we could spend weeks in Florence without ever feeling as though we’ve seen all of the sights available. Dinner came next, providing us the opportunity to probe the mind of a local friend who directs a study abroad program in the city and provided a great perspective on the ways in which international study can factor into the college experience. We followed dinner with a requisite stop for gelato before calling it a night, heading to bed after a wonderfully full day. Tomorrow takes us to both the Accademia and the Uffizi, museums that house Michelangelo’s David, Botticelli’s Primavera, and many other great works of art.

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Day 8: Ciao tutti, This trip feels like it’s going by so fast, with France behind us and already our departure from Florence tomorrow morning. We’ve made good use of our time, however, making sure to get in as much as we can while we’re here. We started the day with a visit to the Uffizi gallery, one of the world’s greatest collections of Italian art and home to, among others, Botticelli’s Birth of Venus and Primavera as well as (my personal favorite) Judith and Holofernes by Artemisia Gentileschi. Lunch was next on the agenda, and everyone agreed that the 20 minute wait just to get to the counter to order was well worth it for sandwiches from All’Antico Vinaio. We ate outside, enjoying the beautiful weather, before checking out the shops on the Ponte Vecchio, Florence’s most famous bridge. From there we made it to my personal favorite gelateria in the city, a tiny shop called Leonardo that the group also voted far superior to anything else we have tasted so far. The rest of our afternoon took us to the Accademia, the gallery that houses Michelangelo’s David and some of his unfinished works. No matter how many times I see it, I’m always amazed by the sheer talent and genius of the artist. After a bit of time back at the hotel to rest and regroup, we took a bus up to the Piazzale Michelangelo in order to get a bird’s eye view of the entire city of Florence. An onset of rain motivated us to leave the Piazzale earlier than originally anticipated, and instead we spent some time exploring the incredible cultural hub that is the portion of Florence across the Arno river. One art gallery in particular held our attention for quite a while, showing us works by a local street artist. From the gallery we went to dinner, enjoying a relaxed meal of pasta and pizza (what else?) before our last stroll through the city on our way back to the hotel. Tomorrow morning we leave for Bologna, getting the opportunity to compare two very different Italian cities.

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Day 9: Bologna! Buona sera, This morning we said goodbye to Florence, heading to the train station to move on to Bologna. This new city has a very different feel to it, and in many ways it embodies Italian youth culture in a way that no other city can. Our first stop was a raucous piazza to sit at an outside cafe for lunch. The entire area was filled with celebration; today was a graduation day at the university, and the newly minted dottori walked around wearing traditional crowns of laurel leaves as their friends and loved ones congratulated their accomplishment. We were joined for lunch by one of my former professors from the University of Bologna, who talked to us about the Italian education system and life in Bologna. After lunch we visited the heart of the city, its two towers (both leaning terrifyingly) and the Piazza Maggiore. We spent some time sitting in the piazza before going to get some requisite gelato. For that we turned to Gelateria Gianni, the most award-winning gelateria in all of Italy and my personal favorite. Once you’ve had gelato there, nothing else comes close, so it’s best that we saved it until near the end of the trip. We went back to the hotel in the afternoon for some rest (though Matthew, Christian, and I did go out for a little more time exploring) before heading out to dinner—and more gelato, of course! We’re now back at the hotel getting ready for bed. Tomorrow morning will take us to the city of Ravenna, home to Dante’s final resting place as well as one of the most elaborate tile mosaics in the entire western world. We’ll be back in Bologna by tomorrow evening, just in time to have freshen up before dinner. For now, buona notte!

Day 10: We’re off to see Ravenna, the wonderful Ravenna of ... Italy! (that worked out better in my head). Hi all, Sending my daily blog a little early today in order to take advantage of some free time this afternoon (and then hopefully get some extra sleep tonight). We got up early this morning in order to take a train out to Ravenna, a beautiful little town on the eastern coast of Italy. Our first stop in town was its cathedral, a 6th-century structure that boasts the largest set of Byzantine mosaics outside of Istanbul. The neighboring mausoleum, also filled with mosaics, holds the tombs of an early empress, her brother, and her husband. It was particularly interesting to see such old depictions of religious iconography as a contrast to the artwork we saw in Florence, which started around the 13th century and heavily represented the Renaissance. After the cathedral, we went to lunch in one of the city’s most famous restaurants, the Ca’ De Ven. There we tried the piadine, flatbread sandwiches for which Ravenna’s culinary scene is best known. The restaurant was right next to the tomb of Dante, the great Florentine poet who died in exile from his beloved city and was buried in Ravenna. Of particular interest is the nearby mound of dirt covered in clovers, which served as a temporary home to Dante’s bones during World War II when there was fear of his tomb’s being destroyed or desecrated. From Dante’s tomb we continued our tour of the earliest days of Christian artwork by visiting a 5th- century baptistery; it is the oldest surviving building in the city. With a little time left before our train back to Bologna, we meandered through some of Ravenna’s shops and of course got some gelato. We’re now back at our hotel taking a break (and perhaps a nap) before dinner. Tomorrow is our last full day in Italy, and we will make the most of it by visiting some of Bologna’s best-known sights. the tj review

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Day 11: Arrivederci, Europa! Our last day in Italy was spent in proper Italian style, living life to the fullest. We had a late start, allowing everyone to sleep in as a trade off from the super early start the day before. The other benefit of starting late was that it provided time for today’s special guest stars to make it to Bologna from Florence: Liat and Jane Roth! They decided to set aside the day from their travels to join us for a bit of exploration and adventure. It was great to have a few extra familiar faces in the group.

things we have done and places we have seen will last a lifetime for all of us, and I can’t have asked for a better group with which to share all of our adventures. Our last dinner together was happy and raucous, but even that eventually came to an end, making it time to head back to the hotel for the night. Thankfully, though, Gelateria Gianni was on the way back. Now we’re all packing up and getting ready for an early departure tomorrow. While I know we’re all sad to see the trip come to an end, I also know that we’re looking forward to getting home.

Our first stop of the morning was the Basilica of San Petronio. It is truly the heart of the city of Bologna. One of the most interesting features of the church is its 66-meter-long meridian line, which follows the path of the sun in order calculate the solar year. After the basilica, we went to Bologna’s other most iconic buildings, the two towers. These two 900-year-old towers stand in memory of a rivalry between two of the greatest families in the city’s history, and one of them still allows visitors to take the climb to the top for a bird’s eye view of the city. Given that it was a particularly windy day, the experience at the top was particularly intense. Thankfully, we had gelato upon our return to ground level in order to help us recover from the frightening climb. We ate lunch in the city’s central market, and from there everyone got some time to explore on their own and do a bit of last-minute shopping. We stopped by the hotel in order to drop off our purchases then started the trek to the shrine of San Luca. The 2.5-mile hike from the edge of the city to the shrine itself is largely uphill (or up stairs) and is the longest covered walkway in the world. Finally all of our time walking and climbing stairs over the course of the last couple of weeks paid off, showing us all of the stamina that we have built up during the course of the trip—and allowing us to justify more than a few helpings of gelato. No matter how hard the climb, the view from the top is absolutely worth it. The walk back down took quite a bit less time than the one going up, giving us time to hang out in one last piazza and reflect on the trip as a whole. The memories of

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Catching Up at TJ Boarding Council Update In 2015-16, Mrs. Amanda Correa, the Director of Residential Life, and a group of student leaders started the first TJ Boarding Council. Students and adults recognized that while TJ does a great job integrating day and boarding students into one community, a boarding student’s TJ experience differs in many ways from that of a day student. It is important to recognize those differences and have a student government body to represent that population. Boarding Council exists to promote the residential life curriculum and create a community where all residents are happy and feel welcome. New members go through an application and interview process and are chosen by the Residential Life Team and the current Head of Boarding Council. Once chosen, members attend training to be peer mentors in the dorms. TJBC members are leaders in their Houses, inspiring House spirit and pride. They listen to students in their House and provide feedback and suggestions for improvement to the Residential Life Staff about campus living. TJBC members were an integral part of the success of this year’s newly expanded

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Orientation program. Students new to TJ commented on how TJBC members helped them to feel welcome and adjust more quickly to the community. This past year’s Council wrote a Constitution to govern future Councils. They gave valuable input towards updating policies and improving common spaces. The Council supervised evening study halls and reinstituted Sunday night family dinners. Boarding Council’s inaugural year was a good one, and the group is excited to continue to make TJ a great place to live! 2015-2016 Members: Alexis Barber, ‘16 David Beckenhaupt, ‘17 Jack Hu, ‘17 Rachel Hu, ‘17 Grace Jo, ‘16 Mason Um ‘18 Jason You, ‘16 Yi Zhong, ‘16 2016-2017 Members: David Beckenhaupt, ‘17 Michael Biraralign, ‘18 Cynthia Gan, ‘19 Sara Halili, ‘18 Mason Um, ‘18 Bennett Woodard, ‘18 Trey Wang, ‘18 Bonnie Zhao, ‘18

STUCO Update There are many ways in which our students make TJ a great school. Among these is the opportunity to represent their peers on Student Council, more commonly known as STUCO. Being elected to STUCO is an honor; it’s also a responsibility. STUCO helps to guide the school by serving as a true liaison between students and faculty, staff, and administration. We listen to what STUCO has to say, and many of their proposals become reality. STUCO terms run from November to April, and from April to November (bridging to the following year). We thank the students who served on STUCO this past year, and their faculty sponsor and Director of Student Affairs, Marie De Jesus. In the first semester, STUCO updated the Student Council Constitution, continued selling food and refreshments at the home basketball games, planned a student lock-in (but couldn’t nail down a date-- hopefully, it will take place sometime in 2016-17). During the second semester, we worked to make our meetings and minutes more transparent. The group now has a secretary who takes notes and uploads them to a Google Classroom page open to the students where they can read about what STUCO is planning. In February, we had an amazing spirit week culminating with the TJ t-shirt that had a Filipino quote from Dr. Rizal. We WINTER 2016

successfully raised $651.11 in one week for Operation Food Search and sold donuts to weary TJ students during final exams. When we returned in September, a gift from STUCO was waiting for us: a water bottle to use throughout the school year! STUCO Reps elected the Fall of 2015 President: Olivia Bolton Vice President: Katrina Dy Head of Lists: O.P. Kinos and Chris Qian 12th Grade Rep: Jim Brink 11th Grade Rep: Anthony Alonso 10th Grade Rep: Michael Biraralign 9th Grade Rep: Carlee Holley 8th Grade Rep: Ashley Park 7th Grade Rep: Livvy Gustafson STUCO Reps elected the Spring of 2016 President: Katrina Dy Vice President: Samantha Clayton Head of Lists: Carlee Holley and Bonnie Zhao 12th Grade Rep: Tom Horton 11th Grade Rep: Rachel Hu

10th Grade Rep: Trey Wang 9th Grade Rep: Stephanie Teng 8th Grade Rep: Michelle Lee 7th Grade Rep: River Blount

Robotics Update The 2015-2016 school year marked the fifth season for TJ’s Robotics team. The team started in September to prepare for three tournament events: the Arkansas State Championship in Mountain Home, Arkansas and two Missouri state qualifiers in the St. Louis area. Last year’s game involved many new and difficult challenges. Fortunately, the team had a lot of strong senior leadership and even won an award for programming. During the end of the year the team’s focus shifted to training the younger team members, including captains who—for the first time in the team’s history—were not part of the founding of the team.

Thanks for a great year to the following Robotics members: Mark Jung ‘16 Jim Brink ’16 Colin Bartels ‘16 Howard Huang ‘16 Livi Bolton ‘16 Yi Zhong ‘16 Rachel Hu ‘17 Claire Malast ‘17 Jeremy Boyd ‘17 Maisie Pritchett ‘17 Alex Shornick ‘17 Chris Qian ‘18 Nathan Phan ‘18 Mason Um ‘18 Cynthia Gan ‘19 Matthew Ma ‘19 Ryan Jo ‘19

TJ’s Own Black Box Theatre It may have been Karen Fairbank’s 33rd production at TJ, but the 2016 Eighth Grade Play will always be one that stands out for her: “And Then There Were None” by Agatha Christie. You may remember from your years at TJ, there is not an area perfect for play production or events. Always configuring to make the most out of our resources, this year’s team of Director Karen Fairbank and new Set Design Teacher Rob Lippert set out to change the face of TJ theatre. The vision was to design a black box style theatre in the gym. Mission accomplished! The ceiling to floor heavy black drapes sectioning off a corner of the gym were not the only new additions. The Set Design class worked tirelessly to build a set professionals would be proud of. They installed microphones around the stage to help with acoustics, used special lighting to convey the time of day and weather, and the acoustic cues helped set the tone for the actors. The stage was set for the amazing cast to take it away, and they did! The production was something every student felt proud to be a part of.

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ALUMNI

A Message from the TJSAA By Tom Ellis ‘83, President The Thomas Jefferson School Alumni Association (“TJSAA”) was born out of the notion and belief that TJ alumni are some of the smartest, ablest, and most compassionate people in our society, and an association of such unique individuals should be encouraged. Indeed, the breadth and depth of our alumni group is unknown to a single person, and our group has a yet unrealized capacity for greater good among ourselves and for the revered institution that is TJ.

and Event Committee, (2) Website and Technology Committee; (3) Editor and Content Committee; (4) Fundraising Committee; and (5) Governance and Bylaws Committee. All regular members of the Association are encouraged to volunteer for committees and to run for election to the TJSAA Board of Directors.

Established as a Missouri nonprofit corporation on March 26, 2012, the stated purpose of TJSAA is to build and maintain relationships between alumni of TJ, to foster pride in TJ, and to support the mission of TJ.

TJ welcomed two new legacy students this year:

Regular members of TJSAA are alumni who are either graduates or former students who attended TJ for at least one marking period. Honorary members are non-alumni who are either current or former trustees of TJ or current or former faculty or staff member of TJ. To date, there are approximately 200 regular members and 5 honorary members of TJSAA. The Association hopes to grow its membership by an additional 100 alumni by the end of the 20162017 school year.

For an online application or more information, please visit the TJSAA website, www.tjs-alumni.org, or email 83tomellis@gmail.com.

CONTINUING THE TRADITION Maya Albano ‘22, daughter of Dr. Benjamin ‘87 and Priscille Albano

The near-term substantive goals of TJSAA include: »» Establishing effective means and methods to facilitate greater communication among alumni »» Organizing and promoting local alumni events through regional chapters »» Supporting the mission of Thomas Jefferson School through increased philanthropy, new student referrals, and service to our community by it alumni members »» Providing local support networks for fellow alumni, especially those in their first several years of college »» Serving as a resource for alumni

Roderick Reiter ‘20,son of Richard ‘79 and Valeria Reiter

TJSAA seeks to achieve the foregoing goals through working committees. Its standing committees are (1) Alumni Development

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ALUMNI

Class of 1954

Alumni Updates

Ferd LaBrunerie reports he is still doing financial work and playing tennis.

The Thomas Jefferson School Alumni Office

Class of 1957

Kathleen Kelly, Director of Development kkelly@tjs.org To submit information for Class Notes, please email Kathleen Kelly or submit your update at http://www.tjs.org/alumni/.

Class of 1949 Skip Sayers is selling his Bison ranch and has moved to Florida. He is looking forward to a trip back to TJ and all the wonderful memories.

Class of 1947 Gene Shepp recently returned from a trip to Germany (Berlin, Nuremberg, Munich). He is busy planning another trip to Europe next spring. We caught up with him at the Chicago Reunion in June.

Class of 1953 Jack Goodhue and his wife Jane will be celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary soon. After officially retiring 23 years ago, he has written and published almost 300 print pieces about consumer and business issues.

Doug Lind and his wife Penny are selling their Connecticut condo on October 12th. They plan to stay in their Fort Myers, Florida condo until a spot opens on the waitlist for the retirement community they plan to make their permanent residence. Doug continues to assist in a variety of Episcopal churches as a priest, primarily St. Michael & All Angels on Sanibel Island in Florida. He and Penny attended his 55th Harvard College reunion in May. He continues to do management consulting and executive coaching through his firm, The Sigma Group, LLC. He has a lot more time with Penny, with studies, and wil physical exercise, tennis, and a personal trainer at the gym. He is filled with gratitude for the rich life he has been able to lead, because of the wonderful education he received.

ownership for 25 and 15 as a consultant and broker). He and his wife continue to live in St. Louis but bought a condo on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago. They enjoy being closer to their three grandkids and lots of friends and family in Chicago and three grandkids not far away in Ann Arbor. Kent continues to be heavily invested in the St. Louis community, volunteering for a number of initiatives. He just completed his fourth year as Chairman of the Holocaust Museum & Learning Center, which has over 30,000 student visitors annually. He also mentors a number of immigrant and refugee foodservice operators for several local organizations, volunteers at the USO at the airport, works several shifts each week at a local food pantry, helps advise a small local theater group, travels, and reads a lot.

Class of 1961 Class of 1948 Paul D. Carrington lost his wife Bessie whom he married in 1952. He now lives in the Collington Retirement Facility near DC, which is closer to his four children. His children are all married, have two children, and well along in a professional career devoted to public service.

W W W. T J S . O R G

Tullio Chersi is fighting osteoarthritis in his neck but is finding comfort in spending time with his grandchildren. Pictured are three of his five grandchildren.

Irving Williamson continues to serve as a Commissioner at the U.S. International Trade Commission. On June 17,, 2016 he became Chairman of the USITC for a second time, having previously served as Chairman from 2012 to 2014.

Class of 1963 Kent Hirschfelder retired in 2015 after 40 years in the restaurant business (multi-unit

Class of 1964 Fred Lynn and his wife Ann have become first-time grandparents! Their son, Jeff and his wife, Lindsay had a baby girl, Hannah Levkoff Lynn, on May 3rd at Portland Hospital in London. She is healthy, beautiful, and they are delighted! the tj review

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Class of 1978 Adam Kibbe just welcomed a another granddaughter, Amelia Helen (joining cousins Ivan and Avery)! She was born June 10 and named after his wife’s mother. Beyond that, life as a lighting designer of almost 30 years (self-employed for the last 12) and husband of 23 years (on 8/28) remains richly satisfying. He is also gigging a bit as a bassist in an 80’s rock cover band (though guitar remains in his DNA -- thanks, Courtney!). As he wrote this update his TJ roots resonate as he imagined “Outside Reading commentary on my prose. Props to all my classmates for the inimitable times we shared, and to those who work at keeping the unique TJ tradition alive and well!”

currently a law student at Pepperdine.

Compilations of Medieval London.

Class of 1991 Rebecca (Becky) Bodicky is now a floral artist at her own company, Alice Blue Collective! She faces the challenges of small business and welcomes the days to come. Currently she provides flowers for weddings, events, and also individual orders, including TJ’s 2016 graduation. In the near future, she hopes to get her two recently purchased St. Louis City lots shaped into flower farms, so that she can offer a CSA and source all her own flowers from her fields. While exciting and nerve-wracking, she looks forward to dirt under her fingernails, and hope that she can see this company grow into the entity she envisions.

Daanesh Chanduwadia attend the LA luncheon with Karen Fairbank. He runs his company Car Counsel.

Class of 1992 Chanon Nick Sermchief attended the LA luncheon with Karen Fairbank. He works in digital media for a clothing line.

Class of 1981 Les Proctor is working in customer development. His firm is called Nicheworks. He has been a solopreneur for 10+ years, and help entrepreneurs overcome obstacles to success, get more customers, and have more fun. He is a husband and father first. His family lives in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. They have 3 kids: Charlie 13, Mary 11, and Lucy 8.

Class of 1987 Joe Roth attended the LA luncheon with Karen Fairbank. He is a retired commander in the Navy and

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Class of 1993 Arthur Bahr is now a tenured literature professor at MIT. His latest book is titled, Fragments of Assemblages: Forming

Jeffrey Collignon and his wife, Valerie had their first child, Thomas Jeffrey Collignon, on February 14, 2016. They have also just moved to Roanoke, VA, where he accepted the Vice President, Resource Development role at United Way of Roanoke Valley.

Class of 2001

Class of 1979 Richard Reiter has enjoyed a career as a diplomat with the U.S. State Department, currently serving as Consul General in Recife, Brazil. His son Roderick entered 9th grade at TJ this year!

Class of 1999

Class of 1994 Val Chulamorkodt and her husband Qasar Younis, are pleased to announce the addition of a daughter to their now-nuclear family. Her name is Yasmeen Younis, and she is already charming her parents and brother Raja with her sassy antics.

Bartosz Kurek is currently working as a morning host at Polsat News TV, which is one of Polish news channels. He has been their for 6 years and before that worked as a reporter, international correspondent (US, Switzerland-Davos, Brussels). He is a member of the CNN International Journalism Fellowship (he attended their meetings in the summer 2008 in Atlanta). Last year he and his wife of 5 years, Anatasia, welcomed a daughter, Matilda.

Kate Stepleton was married on August 13th to Andrew Zahler. Their ceremony and reception were in St. Louis, and several current and former TJ faculty members attended.

WINTER 2016

ALUMNI

Class of 2002 Brendan Dolan-Gavitt, an assistant professor of computer science and engineering at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering, along with collaborators at the MIT Lincoln Laboratory and Northeastern University developed PANDA, the Platform for ArchitectureNeutral Dynamic Analysis, an open-source tool developed by Tandon School of Engineering, along with collaborators at the MIT Lincoln Laboratory and Northeastern University.

Class of 2006

Class of 2008

Class of 2015

Guy Leonard is busy taking courses and working on his engineering degree.

Min Jun (Louie) Oh stopped by TJ in August as he headed off to graduate school at Georgetown University.

Harrison Yan had a thrilling first year at Vanderbilt, and has decided to pursue mechanical engineering with a focus on engineering application in medicine. Currently, he is working for Robotics and Autonomous System Lab at Vanderbilt on adaptive virtual reality (VR) and robotic systems for autism intervention. What he says is better than creating VR games is playing with robots while making life better for the kids! He has discovered a strong interest in international student and multicultural affairs and services. This summer he worked at Vanderbilt International Student & Scholar Service, helped the office transition under new leadership and planned the 2016 international student orientation. In his spare time, he is truly enjoying the city of Nashville-- “yum, those fiery hot chicken and woohoo, those vibrant music scenes! Calling out the southern side of me truly, anchor down Y’all!”

Dr. William (Billy) Beeler was honored as a Heartsafe Hero for saving the life of a 43-year old man who became unresponsive while they were at their gym. Allison Wofsey Symonds married Joshua Symonds on July 3rd. Kristen Peters ‘07 was a bridesmaid, and Anne Sappington and Lily Elfrink Mahoney (both ‘06) made it to celebrate.

Class of 2007 Russ Leonard visited TJ this year and observed Karen Fairbank’s class. He graduates from Washington University this fall with a Masters of Arts and Teaching with a Focus on German studies. He also composes music for short films, independent video games, and stage plays.

Thomas Dolan-Gavitt attended the LA luncheon with Karen Fairbank. He works for a company editing screenplays.

Michelle Ermatinger-Salas is a full-time firefighter in Clarksville Indiana, a small town about 10 minutes from where she lives. She began in May, and was a volunteer firefighter for the last couple years.

Class of 2010 John Powers attended the luncheon with Karen Fairbank in LA. He works for Vice Media.

Class of 2004 Alex Chrisope and wife Karin were married on August 26th in Brooklyn.

Class of 2005 Kevin Lee is a Resident Doctor at Northwell Health.

Class of 2012 Audrey Pavelka Metcalf this past year married Chris Metcalf. She was also promoted to Assistant Director of Corporate Relations, Prospect Research & Stewardship at Washington University in St. Louis.

Lainie Erwin is attending Western Michigan University for graduate studies in philosophy. Rachel Leonard graduated from the College of the Ozarks with a degree in Animal Science.

People in the picture from left to right: Margerite Blase ‘07, Alexandra Mertz ‘07, Michelle Addo ‘06, Sara Thomas ‘07, Audrey Pavelka Metcalf ‘07, Chris Metcalf, Marie DeJesus, Kristen Peters ‘07, Karen Tsoka ‘07, and Ojoyi Agbo ‘08. W W W. T J S . O R G

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ALUMNI

A few members of the class of ‘61, Irv Williamson, Dan Little, Paul Messina, and Porky Pitts, traveled together to Mexico City to visit a TJ classmate Philip von Reutter. They had not seen Philip since their graduation in June of 1961. In one of the most populated cities in the world were five friends catching up, sharing stories, and learning what happened over the course of the last 55-years.

The Men of ‘61

Porky Pitts wrote this about his trip: “I cannot tell you how joyful it is to stay in touch with the wonderful classmates that can be and should be lifelong friends. Getting together with them later in life is an instantaneous return to your school days. But you will find you do not just reminisce and talk about the old days. The conversations will be all over the map. “ This has been his motivation to trying to help the TJSAA over the last three years. A special TJ thank you to Porky for serving as the TJ Alumni Association President for the the last 4 years!

ALUMNI

REUNIONS, MEET-UPS, AND DROP-INS

TJ Reunion LO O K F OR T HI S POSTC AR D IN YOUR MAILB OX!

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Maybe TJ hosted a reunion in your town,

This past year TJ organized reunions

Don’t forget about our Annual Event at

or Miss Fairbank caught up with you on

and luncheons in Chicago, Los Angeles,

McGurk’s in St. Louis. This year it will

her travels, or you were back in St. Louis

Washington, DC, and St. Louis. We are

be on Thursday, December 22nd because

and decided to stop by, no matter what

hoping to come to San Francisco and

McGurk’s is closed on December 26th. All

the occasion, it is always wonderful to see

New York City in 2017. A save-the-date

are welcome!

alumni and family.

postcard will be out later this school year.

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ALUMNI

Alumni In Action 1. Gene Schepp ‘47 & Dr. Lisa Holekamp 2. DC Reunion 3. Louie Rellergert ‘12 , Russell Leonard ‘07, Rachel Leonard ‘12 4. Dave Messina ‘92 & students 5. Kenny Schergen ‘16 & Jonah Broh ‘14 6. HOS Dr. Lisa Holekamp & Larry Morgan ‘53 7. Micah Goodman ‘13 & Dr. Lisa Holekamp 8. Karen

Fairbank, Jim Holloran, Jane Roth ‘91 &

9. Andy Matuschak ‘06 with Justin Moses ‘16 looking on. 10. Chicago

Kathleen Kelly

Reunion

9 W W W. T J S . O R G

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ALUMNI

11.

Charles ‘80 & Valerie Davlin, Barry

12. Jane Roth ‘91 & Stephanie Kozikowski ‘05 13. Sara Tolch ‘95 & Eddie Marks ‘05 14. Paul Azzara, Greg Oldham ‘70 & Dr. Lisa Holekamp 15. Charles Davlin ‘80 & Tony Boonyasai ‘89 16. Fisher, Michael North ‘83

James Asali ‘89 , Tony Boonyasai ‘89 , Layla Asali ‘94 & Karen Fairbank & Chris Nieblyski ‘97

17. Peter Casey

18. Jesse Blumenthal,

Erin Elfrink Blumenthal ‘09, Karl Hagnauer ‘09, Jack Hasler ‘11

19. Thomas Van Horn

‘14, Trent Schoenborn ‘14, Jonah Broh ‘14 and Dr. Troutman

20-21. DC Reunion 22.

Schergen family with Maria Bartkowska ‘17

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22 WINTER 2016

ALUMNI

23.

Jeff McCoy ‘85 caught up with Miss

24. Stephanie Coombs ‘15 & Dr. Matt Troutman 25. Kim Fiala, Suzy Beeler ‘11, Jane Roth ‘91, Sela Roth ‘21 26 Chicago Reunion hosted by Rick Levy ‘63 27. Ben Albano Jr., ‘87, & Karen Fairbank 28. Abhi Nemani ‘06 & Jane Roth ‘91 29. Jyothi Fairbank.

Varanasi ‘97, Sahana, Nikhil, Jon Pesek ‘96 & Karen Fairbank

In Memoriam Tony Carlos, Class of 1947 Alejandro Lichauco, Class of 1947 Harold Colton, Class of 1948 Warren Frein, Class of 1948 John Pearson, Class of 1948 Weston Cain, Class of 1949 William Link, Class of 1949 Joseph Theis, Class of 1949 Loic Thiebault, Class of 1949 Sigmund Franczak, Class of 1950 Louis Hoppe, Class of 1950 James Pearson, Class of 1950 Fielding Sizer, Class of 1950

W W W. T J S . O R G

Richard Smith, Class of 1950 George Eagleton, Class of 1951 Shannon Francis, Class of 1951 Eduardo Lichauco, Class of 1951 John Patton, Class of 1951 Kenneth Rosenberg, Class of 1951 Jun Sakurai, Class of 1951 Anssi Karkinen, Class of 1952 Joseph Matthews, Class of 1952 Charles Worley, Class of 1952 Jay Bailey, Class of 1953 A. Kenneth Bernier, Class of 1953 Foster Francis, Class of 1954

James Matthews, Class of 1954 Lawrence Shannon, Class of 1954 Trent Sorenson, Class of 1954 Louis Strickland, Class of 1954 William Kerr, Class of 1956 David Ostrin, Class of 1956 James Sneed, Class of 1956 Richard Brumbaugh, Class of 1957 Jax Cowden, Class of 1957 Lamar Curtis, Class of 1957 Eric Johnson, Class of 1957 Allan Leibsohn, Class of 1957 Craig Parker, Class of 1957

Michael Strickland, Class of 1958 Lyman Johnson, Class of 1959 Larry Wendelken, Class of 1961 Peter Ferenczy, Class of 1962 Alan Tice, Class of 1962 Nord Smithberg, Class of 1967 Christopher Lindberg, Class of 1981 Robin Murray-O’Hair, Class of 1981 Charles Barnes, Class of 1984 Kirk Prieb, Class of 1994 Ashley Hinds, Class of 1999 James Stoll, Class of 2000 Samuel Fisher, Class of 2001

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A N N UA L G I V I N G

Annual Giving We Are Grateful for Our Supporters Throughout the World! At Thomas Jefferson School, we are grateful to have the generous support of alumni, past and present families, friends, faculty, and staff as we pursue the mission of our school. The TJ Fund is TJ’s most important yearly fundraising initiative. Your support of this all-important fundraising initiative is vital to ensuring that TJ can continue to provide an extraordinary education to the students who live and study with us each day. To those who have contributed this past year, thank you. Kirill & Hope Abramov, MO Acworth Foundation, NY Elizabeth & James Agar, VA Benjamin & Priscille Albano Jr. ‘87, MO Amazon Smile Anonymous ( Bank of Montreal) Joe Argus, CA Patti Armanini, CA Ignacio Arrazola ‘85, IL James Asali ‘89, PA Stephen & Patricia Ashley ‘68, CA Mark & Lisa Ashpole, MO Paul Azzara, Stephen & Lori Bacon, CA Frank & Lynette Ballard, MO Rachel Barber, MO Anne Barenkamp, MO Michael Barry ‘94 & Meryl Perlman, IL Jule & Dianna Bartels, MO Pamela Bell Gershuny Dan Berebitsky, TX Michael Biggers, MO John & Penelope Biggs ‘54, NY Eric & Sandra Birch ‘59, NH Roger & Camille Bishop, AZ Kathleen Blass, PA Howard & Julia Blevins, MO Deepa Block ‘92, TX Ben Blount, OR Shannon Blount & Paul Royer, MO Virginia Lynn Bodicky, MO Boeing Romsai Boonyasai ‘89, MD Dennis & Karen Boone, MO Dale & Sue Bording, MO Dennis & Tamara Boyd, MO

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Steve Braun, MO Courtney Briggs-Melton ‘78, OK Michael Broh & Stacy Wood, WI Ella Brown, MO Mark Brown & Heni Takacs, MO BSN Sports Steven & Caroline Chamberlin, MO Daanesh Chanduwadia ‘93, CA Tullio Chersi ‘53, Italy Louie Chong & Yvonne Chein, MO Aurelie Clement-Bayard, MO Helen Colston, MO Luke Corrigan ‘97, NY Mike & Amanda Correa, MO Edward & Mrs. Norina Coursey, FL David & Frederika Cox, ‘52 SC Kathleen Creed, MO Paul & Martha Cross, MO Shaowei Dai, MO Charles Davlin ‘80, MD Marie De Jesus, MO Howard & Vickie Denson, MO Nathan Dixon ‘57, MO Tom & Betsy Douglass, MO Terry Dowling-Tobin, MO Hunt Downing ‘60, CA Kevin Dwyer, ‘10, MO Michael Dwyer & Patricia Winchell, MO Philip Dy & Gina Gacrama-Dy, IL Tom & Lynn Ellis ‘83, IL Michelle Ermatinger-Salas ‘08, IN Mrs. Eddy Ernst, MO Neil & Kim Fiala, MO Walter & Carolyn Frank ‘64, ND Anthony & Kimberly Franks, MO

James & Fran Fulton, MO Jufu Gan & Yan Li, CHINA Mark & Marlene Gebhardt ‘66, CO David German ‘04 & Jennifer Barry, MA Bernice Giovanoni, MO Karen Giovanoni, MO Give STL Matching Funds, MO Tom & Trish Goldberg, MO Gary Goodman & Andrea Reuben, MO Abraham Gootzeit & Irene Holubec, MO Victoria Marty Grabner ‘93, IL Michael & Cathy Graham, IN Leon Greenberg & Nataliya Donskaya, NJ Hon. Thomas Griesa ‘48, NY April Griffin, MO David Gustafson, MO Martin Hauser ‘68, NY Charles Haynes ‘63, MI Michael Heard ‘70, CA Laura Heiman ‘94, MN Steven Held, IL Gina & Jaimie Henderson, CA Melvin & Annie Hicks, OH Elizabeth Holekamp, MO Jimmy Holloran ‘03, IL H.Lee & Susan Holman, CT Paul & LaDonna Hopkins, MO Peter & Christine Horton, MO Campbell Howard ‘64, PA Cynthia Howse, MA Dongsheng Hu & Yongling Lu, Australia Guangxun Hu & Tong Sha, China

Zhi Min Huang & Run Tian Xu, Canada Annette Huddle ‘83, CA Richard & Lindsey Huddleston ‘56, IL Elizabeth Human, MO Wilbert Irby, MO James Jekel ‘52, PA Beverly Jenkins, MI Michael & Elizabeth Johnson ‘67, IL Raymond & Linda Johnson,’55, TX Douglas Johnson ‘75, CA Deok Youg Jung & Dong Ju Yo, Korea Leslie Kahl, OR Kathleen Kelly, MO Chino Kim ‘85, MO Chang Kun & Nayn Kim, Korea Kwang Hyun Kim ‘12, TX Angie Kimker, MO Eugene Kornblum ‘53, MO Joe & Aida Kostick, MN Daniel Kramer ‘02, MO Sara Kushnick Gorfinkel ‘98, MD Gerald Landrum, MO Maureen Langlois, OH Cynthia Anne Larson ‘76, MO Susan Lawrence, TX Robin & Laura Laylin, 79, NJ Noyel Lee & Young Sun Ju, MO Seung-yup Lee ‘05, NY Yoon Ho Lee & Jae-Yeon Kim, Korea Richard & Joanne Levy ‘63, IL Bin Li & Chun Pan, MO Douglass Lind ‘57, FL

Matthew & Sherry Lindquist, MO Jack Linn ‘61, NY Robert Lippert, IL Dan Little ‘61, OK David London ‘71, OK Paul & Crystal Lopolito, MO Guiglio & Kathleen Lopolito, MA Christine Lottes, MO George & Martina Lynde ‘61. MA Chunshou Ma & Tian Xie, China Chandan & Banti Mahanta, MO Michael & Mary Malast, MO Ann Manubay ‘90, MO Edward Marks ‘05, CA William & Mrs. Victoria, McAlister, MO Robert Mehler ‘83 MA Robert & Nancy Mehler ‘55, CO Eric & Lisa Melching, MO Robert Mendelsohn ‘67, CA Charles Merrill Jr. & Julie Boudreaux, MA Alexandra Mertz ‘07, MO Dennis & Linda Mertz, MO David Messina ‘92, MO Mary Messina, MT Paul Messina ‘61, IL M.R. Metzger Family Foundation, NY Michael Mhin ‘15, Korea James & Virginia Moffett ‘59, MO Michael Morgan, MN Larry & Nancy Morgan ‘53, AZ Tod Moses & Roz Gilman, MO Richard & Kathleen Mueller, MO Eric Muren, MO Kati Murman ‘99, NE WINTER 2016

THE TJ FUND

Nate Myers ‘07, CA Tom & Roo Niermann, MO Jim & Sherry Noonan, MO Michael North ‘83, DC Northwestern Mutual, NJ Greg Oldham ‘70 & Anne Taliferro, OR Kara Olsen Theiding ‘87, CA Martha Feeney Patten ‘98, MA Audrey Pavelka-Metcalf ‘07, MO John & Bonnie Pelch, MO Donald & Jane Pesek, FL Jon Pesek ‘96 & Jyothi Varnasi ‘97, IN James Pesek ‘99, MO Phuong Phan, MO Gwen Phanijphand ‘97, IL Heidi Pieroni, MO Beverly & Elaine Pitts ‘61, CO Hans Plickert ‘51, CT Ann & Carl Polster, MO Gregory Ponstingl ‘01, CA Robin & Elisa Pritchett, MO Les Proctor ‘81, OH Phyllis Pryde, IL Steven Puro, MO Karthik Raghaven, MO Richard & Valerie Reiter ‘79, Brazil Bernat & Jan Rosner ‘50, CA Richard & Elizabeth Ross ‘78, NC Joseph Roth ‘87, CA Miriam Roth, MO Boaz & Jane Roth ‘91, MO William & Margaret Rowe ‘63, MO Hamilton & Charlene Rutledge ‘53, WI Anne Sappington ‘06, MO John Sappington & Mary Karr, MO Clifford & Gail Saxton, MO Al & Gail Schergen, MO David & Andrea Schmiemeier, MO Jake Schneider ‘00, NY WIlliam & Mary Jo Schneider, AR Schnucks, MO Thomas Schoenborn & Judy Glynn, IL Deanne Sehr, IL Alexander & Haiyan Seidel, MO Eugene Shepp ‘47, IL Micheal & Laurie Shornick, MO Stephen Sims ‘71, OK Richard & Laurie Sippel, MO Amber Sisco ‘06, WI Emma Smith ‘09, Africa Jeffery & Elaine Smith, KS W W W. T J S . O R G

Kim & Kathy Smith, MO Rayman Soloman ‘64, PA Jackson & Melinda Spencer, MO Michael Stafford ‘66, SC James & Susan Stepleton, MO Alexander Stevens ‘81, MA Alisa Tang, ‘92 Thailand Target Take Charge of Education Josh & Jeanne Taylor ‘57, GA Patricia Taylor, MO William & Sandra Thayer ‘54, MI Jose Thomas, IL Sara Thomas ‘07, WA Terry & Margie Thomure, MO TJ Parent Association, MO Michael Trainor, MA Matt & Ashley Troutman, MO Rutendo Tsoka ‘08, GA Adaobi Ukabam ‘95, NJ Ed & Linda VanVoorhees ‘71, TN Cody Voellinger ‘01, CA Randy & Elisa Wang, MO Chein Wan, Taiwan James Weiffenbach ‘53, MD David & Ellen Weingold, AR David & Susan West, MO Paul & Patricia Weston ‘52, IL Alan Wheeler ‘58, MO Annie White, MO Keith Williamson ‘70, MO Rose Winkelmann, MO Caryn Wiseman, CA Allison Wofsey ‘06, OR Katherine Wofsey-Massa ‘04, MO Marilyn Woodard, MO Adam & Ana Woodard, MO Daa & Amy Xiao, CA Bonghyun You & KyungJoo Han, KOREA Jingwu Zhao & Scarlett Qun Wang, China Steve & Judy Zwicker, MO

CUM LAUDE SOCIETY $10,000 OR MORE Acworth Foundation John & Penelope Biggs Charles & Julie Merrill

MONTICELLO SOCIETY $5,000 OR MORE Tom Griesa Douglas Johnson Rick & Joanne Levy James & Virginia Moffett Richard & Elizabeth Ross Thomas Jefferson Parent Association

PAN CIRCLE $1000 OR MORE Stephen & Patricia Ashley Michael Barry & Meryl Perlman Michael Biggers Eric & Sandra Birch Boeing Corporation David & Fredricka Cox Shawei Dai Michael Dwyer & Trish Winchell Philip Dy & Gina Macrama-Dy Gary Goodman & Andrea Reuben Elizabeth Holekamp Peter & Christine Horton Zhi Min Huang & Run Tian Xu Raymond & Linda Johnson Leslie Kahl Kathleen Kelly Chino Kim Eugene Kornblum Noyul Lee & Young-Sun Ju Bin Li & Chun Yan Pan Yuan Dong Lin & Ping Li Dan Little Paul & Crystal Lopolito Christine Lottes Ann Manubay Dennis & Linda Mertz David Messina Paul Messina M.R. Metzger Family Foundation Tod Moses Greg Oldham & Anne Taliferro Beverly & Elaine Pitts Karthik Raghaven Saint Louis Transportation Angela Salas John Sappington & Mary Karr Al & Gail Schergen Rayman Soloman James & Susan Stepleton Alexander Stevens David & Ellen Weingold Alan Wheeler Adam & Ana Woodard

FOUNDERS CLUB $500 OR MORE Kirill & Hope Abramov Stephen & Lori Bacon Eric & Sandra Birch Roger & Camille Bishop Mark Brown & Heni Takacs James Ermatinger Paul Davis & Agnes Gioconda Walter & Carolyn Frank David German & Jennifer Barry Leon Greenberg & Nataliya Donskaya Tom & Trish Goldberg David Gustafson

Paul & LaDonna Hopkins Guangxun Hu & Tong Sha James Jekel Michael & Elizabeth Johnson Larry & Nancy Morgan ‘53, AZ John & Bonnie Pelch William & Margaret Rowe Clifford & Gail Saxton Eugene Shepp Josh & Jeanne Taylor Adaobi Ukabam Keith Williamson

THT TITANS 1ST TIME DONORS OF $50 Benjamin & Priscille Albano Patti Armanini James Asali Howard and Julia Blevins Ben Blount Louie Chong & Yvonne Chein Edward & Mrs. Norina Coursey Terry Dowling-Tobin Kevin Dwyer Anthony & Kimberly Franks Jufu Gan & Yan Li Victoria Marty Grabner Michael and Cathy Graham April Griffin Melvin and Annie Hicks Cynthia Howse Elizabeth Human Wilbert Irby Beverly Jenkins Cynthia Anne Larson Seung-yup Lee Robert Lippert Chunshou Ma & Tian Xie Mary Messina Eric Muren David & Andrea Schmiemeier Stephen Sims Rose Winkelmann Marilyn Woodard Daa & Amy Xiao Jingwu Zhao & Scarlett Qun Wang

HONORING OUR TJ FAMILY Frank & Lynette Ballard in honor of Liat Roth ‘17 & Sela Roth ‘21 Kathleen Blass in honor of Crystal Hubbard and daughter Rosie Lopolito ‘20 Howard & Julia Blevins in honor of Grayson West ‘18 & Braden West ‘20 Ben Blount in honor of River Blount ‘21

Mark Brown & Heni Takacs in honor of Christian Brown ‘18 Edward & Norina Coursey in honor of Jeremy Boyd’ 17 Shaowei Dai in honor of Rachel Zhong ‘16 Bernice Giovanoni in honor of Emma Giovanoni ‘19 Gary Goodman & Andrea Reuben in honor of The Excellent Faculty at TJ Gina & Jaimie Henderson in honor of The Excellent Faculty at TJ Melvin & Annie Hicks in honor of Peyton Franks ‘21 Peter & Christine Horton in honor of Tom Horton ‘16 Zhi Min Huang & Run Tian Xu in honor of Howard Huang ‘16 Beverly Jenkins in honor of Crystal Hubbard Chang Kun & Nayn Kim in honor of Jeryun Kim ‘15 Joe & Aida Kostick in honor of Bennett Woodard ‘18 Gerald Landrum in honor of Maisie Pritchett ‘17 & Luca Pritchett ‘21 Guiglio & Kathleen Lopolito in honor of Rosie Lopolito ‘20 John & Bonnie Pelch in honor of Autumn Rosemary CrossPelch ‘13 Don & Jane Pesek in honor of Jim Pesek ‘99 Don & Jane Pesek in honor of Kim Fiala Ann & Carl Polster in honor of Ethan Chamberlin ‘21 Phyllis Pryde in honor of Alexander Shornick ‘17 Miriam Roth in honor of Liat Roth ‘17 & Sela Roth ‘21 Annie White in honor of Rosie Lopolito ‘20 Marilyn Woodard in honor of Bennett Woodard ‘18

REMEMBERING THOSE DEAR TO US George & Martina Lynde in memory of Camille Staciva Phylis Pryde in memory of Betty Shornick Richard & Elizabeth Ross in memory of Robin McCoy Ed & Linda VanVoorhees in memory of Bob Burden

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A N N UA L G I V I N G

To Give to the TJ Fund TJ THE

FUND

“Why do I give to TJ?

Because extraordinary minds require extraordinary education. The future of our world is riding on it.”

Elizabeth L. Holekamp, Ph.D., Head of School

“I could give you 1 million reasons why you should support TJ through our annual giving campaign but the first 81 are the most important. Each and every student at TJ is a gift to our community. There is no other student body more invested in their own education and it is our responsibility to feed their curious and brilliant minds. Through the TJ Fund we make that possible by awarding scholarships, offering professional development, and enriching our programs and facilities. I hope you consider joining in this year’s campaign.” - Kathleen Kelly, Director of Development

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WINTER 2016

THE TJ FUND

The Spirit of Philanthropy

This past year the entire TJ community was an

students wanted to get involved.

excellent model of this generous spirit we strive to

Students in a post-AP seminar on philanthropy

teach students. The TJ Fund added 31 new donors

launched a #SpringItForward campaign, to spread

and welcomed back 83 previous donors, totalling

kindness and generosity in our community. All

248 people who heard the philanthropic call.

week, they performed random acts of kindness

by Director of Development, Kathleen Kelly

We saw a dramatic increase in alumni and their

around our campus and outside our community,

families joining the campaign. We heard how they

and then documented it on Facebook and through

At TJ we hold our students to extraordinarily

appreciate and value their TJ education, and that

email. They listened to local philanthropists who

high expectations in every aspect of school like,

they know how important grants and scholarships

talked about the importance of giving back and

including that of responsibility and service to self

are so that every bright student capable of a TJ

talked personally about their motivation to give.

and community. Nurturing a desire to serve is the

education is afforded the opportunity to pursue

In addition, they ran an online giving campaign

starting point; from there we teach our students

it. Faculty, staff, and current parents stood strong

to raise awareness about The TJ Fund. It was a

how to act on it. We want them to know how to

participating in the campaign to show everyone we

memorable week and everyone felt their spirits

make informed choices about the causes they

are great independent school who believes in our

lifted by the extra kindness and generosity around

support and then how to take appropriate action.

mission. This was evident in the 100% participation

campus.

Our goal is to see all our students participate in

in The TJ Fund by our generous Trustees. Friends

philanthropy, both while they are with us and after

and grandparents joined the campaign and even

Thank you to everyone who supported TJ in the

they’ve graduated. And of course we hope that

grantmakers who heard we were ranked the #1

2015/16 campaign. With this momentum I see

they’ll include TJ in the causes they support as they

Private School in Missouri wanted to show their

wonderful opportunities in TJ’s future.

move on to college and beyond.

support. It was a fantastic year and our entire community felt the spirit, so much that even the

“At no other establishment can I imagine a greater or even close to equivalent education and experience. Last year, I had the privilege of witnessing the greatest 8th grade play in my five years here. TJ continues to accept the most unique and engaging students I have ever met. I don’t know anyone on campus with whom I would not be willing to dive into conversation. My advisor is my favorite teacher in the entire world, and I’m so thankful that I can go to him whenever I need help with homework, or just want to have a conversation. So, please, continue to help students thrive in a fantastic environment catered to the best and the brightest!”

-Kathleen Kelly

"I come to work every day with the greatest students and the greatest colleagues I can imagine. The teachers combine the best of traditional education with new approaches, working together to challenge each student and help him or her succeed. The students dive headfirst into difficult material, whether it's parsing the ways living systems store and communicate genetic material, understanding the Teapot Dome Scandal, figuring out the area under a curve, or explicating a particularly tricky passage in The Iliad. Your gift helps us give students and teachers better tools to succeed. Thank you." - Beth Human, Ph.D., TJ Faculty

- Jeremy Boyd, ‘17 W W W. T J S . O R G

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The TJ Review THOMAS JEFFERSON SCHOOL 2015-2016 MAGAZINE

Editor Kathleen Kelly Director of Development Graphic Design Brad Glotfelty Loose Cannon Design Print Production Kopytek, Inc. Photographers Aurelie Clement-Bayard Iris Photographers Steve Held Kathleen Kelly Mark Kempf Lisa Melching Michael Pera Jim Pesek ‘99 Liat Roth ‘17 Jane Roth ‘91 TJ Photography students Yana Hotter and Spoonful of Sugar Photography

Please send change of address to: THOMAS JEFFERSON SCHOOL 4100 S. Lindbergh Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63127 Phone: 314.843.4151 Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. CST Fax: 314.843.3527 © Copyright 2016 Thomas Jefferson School

Need more information? Have additional questions? Please contact our admissions office. 314.843.4151 Ext. 2340 admissions@tjs.org

CONNECT WITH TJ

abfd TWITTER twitter.com/TJ_StL FACEBOOK facebook.com/ThomasJeffersonSchool YOUTUBE youtube - Thomas Jefferson School LINKEDIN linkedin - Thomas Jefferson School

www.tjs.org W W W. T J S . O R G

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An Unmatched Tradition 4100 South Lindbergh Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63127

tjs.org Founded by scholars for scholars

SAVE-THE-DATE There is nothing better than when the TJ community joins together in celebration. Here are a few dates to put on your calendar. Contact the school for more details and let us know you are coming!

2017 FEB. 18 6:30-9:30PM

Cabaret Night

FEB. 25 4:30-9:30PM

Senior Night

MAR. 4 6:30-10:00PM

Trivia Night

MAY 12 4:30-7:30PM

Spring Art/Taste of TJ

MAY 27 10:00-1:00PM Graduation/Awards

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WINTER 2016