Head of School Natalia R. Hernández, Ed.D., shares initial thoughts and impressions on her new role at Breck. / PG. 12
CONTRASTS AND COMPLEXITIES
A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE
SANCTUARY
Today at Breck
FEATURES
12 / New Beginnings
COVER STORY Head of School Natalia R. Hernández, Ed.D., shares her initial thoughts and impressions on her new role at Breck.
18 / Contrasts and Complexities
Upper School Division Director Thomas Taylor reflects on his summer experience in Ghana.
28 / A Tradition of Excellence
Recognizing our Distinguished Alumni: Drs. Jennifer Solotaroff ’86 and Rachel Solotaroff ’88
DEPARTMENTS
2 / 20 Questions
5 / 123 Ottawa
9 / The Pursuit of Knowledge
32 / Alumni News
On the cover: Natalia R. Hernández, Ed.D., Breck’s 16th Head of School. Photo by Sara Rubinstein.
NATALIA R. HERNÁNDEZ, ED.D. HEAD OF SCHOOL
After being named Breck’s 16th Head of School in January, I became accustomed to the question most people would ask incredulously, “Do you know how cold it is in Minnesota?” From Texas to Colombia, and Florida to New Orleans, I have always lived in warm weather climates. My response to the question was always an authentic one, “What matters most to me is the school’s culture, history, and aspirations. The climate is low on my list of priorities.” Having said that, when the snow started falling here on that late-October day, reality set in: I needed a coat.
As it turns out, there is a lot to learn about buying a coat, or—as most Minnesotans will understand—multiple coats depending on just how cold it is outside. This is just one of the many things I’ve learned since coming to Breck. Most importantly, I have learned the love and dedication for Breck runs deep throughout our community; Homecoming and Halloween at Breck are unlike any other; and ice arenas really are as cold as you might imagine.
Every step I take, every day I live, I’m learning. And I love it.
As I travel the halls of our School, I think about the expectations we have for our students. We expect that they come to us each day prepared to take risks, try something new, and learn from each experience. We know learning is a voluntary practice, yet we expect high levels of it at Breck. We feel comfortable asking so much because of the culture in which we live—a culture where students and faculty care about each other, where there is an understanding of the greater good, and where there is a commitment to a common purpose.
In this issue of Today at Breck, you will see examples of students and alumni who continue to learn each day and live the Episcopal values of our foundation. I am especially proud to share with you the story of our two distinguished alumni, Drs. Jennifer and Rachel Solotaroff. Their story is inspiring and one we can all be proud of. You’ll also read a reflection from Upper School Director Tom Taylor following his trip to Ghana with the National Association of Episcopal Schools earlier this summer. Their stories are just a glimpse into the life of our School community, where we are creating learners for life who are committed to applying their gifts to a greater good.
Questions
Katie Scherer: ENGLISH DEPARTMENT HEAD
1 What music are you listening to lately? I’m a sucker for the shoulderpopping music of Lake Street Dive.
2 What’s one of the last books you read? I’m currently reading Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi, off Mr. Eustis’s 12th-grade English book list. I can’t put it down.
3 What’s your favorite time of year? Without a doubt, fall. I love crisp air, apple orchards, new school supplies, sweaters, all of it.
4 What’s one of the most adventurous things you’ve ever done? In college, with no personal camping or mountainclimbing experience, I led a group of 13-year-old campers on a f ve-day hike up and down Pike’s Peak. We all survived.
5 What’s your favorite Breck lunch? Taco bar. There is a metaphor for my grammar lessons in that taco bar. Just ask my former students.
6 What’s your dream job? Running a B & B on the western coast of Ireland. I love hosting people when I have time, and I’m charmed by the lifestyle in coastal Ireland.
7 What’s one of the best decisions you’ve ever made? I decided to move to Istanbul by myself to teach when I was in my twenties. It changed everything.
8 What advice would you give to your younger self? It’s all going to work itself out, so stop wasting your energy on worrying.
9 What do you remember from kindergarten? My new Nike shoes: light blue with a dark blue swoosh
10 What is the most important room in your home? Our dining room. I like good people and good food around a table.
11 What’s your favorite place on the Breck campus? I love the Upper School hallways. It’s such a unique situation for a middle school teacher to be able to see her former students growing into the kinds of adults they want to be.
12 Favorite comfort food? Hands down, spaghetti and meatballs since I was f ve years old.
13 Favorite treat: salty or sweet? Hot apple pie with vanilla ice cream
14 If you had a theme song, what would it be? You Can’t Always Get What You Want, by the Rolling Stones. I like to remind myself that if we can get what we need, then we can always be grateful.
15 Favorite line from a movie? “I carried a watermelon,” when Baby from Dirty Dancing feels out of place. It comes in handy in a variety of awkward moments I tend to f nd myself in.
16 Favorite website? I’ve got nothing here.
17 Three people — living or dead — you’d want to have dinner with? Tina Fey, Sarah Silverman, and Amy Poehler, all intelligently hilarious women that promise stimulating, belly-laugh-worthy dinner conversation.
18 If you could travel anywhere, where would you go? Outer Space. Sometimes I need help putting things into perspective. I think could get some perspective in space.
19 What’s your pet peeve? Messy cars and misplaced apostrophes
20 What keeps you up at night? As a prank, my brother fake broke into my house when I was 13 and — unbeknownst to him — home alone. I’m still recovering.
Questions
Cole Helgaas ’19: BRECK JUNIOR
1 What music are you listening to lately? I’ve been listening to a lot of different stuff. Recently it’s been a lot of J. Cole, Kip Moore, and Ingrid Michaelson.
2 What’s one of the last books you read? I am currently reading Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, but the last book I read for fun was How Not to Be Wrong by Jordan Ellenberg.
3 What’s your favorite time of year? My favorite time of year is autumn, because of the pretty leaves, sweater weather, and football.
4 What’s one of the most adventurous things you’ve ever done? I hiked and skied the Aspen Highlands Bowl twice in a day on two separate occasions.
5 What’s your favorite Breck lunch? It’s a close call between grilled cheese with tomato soup and egg rolls with pot stickers.
6 What’s your dream job? I would love to be an astronaut but I would get lonely being in space alone for 10 months.
7 What’s one of the best decisions you’ve ever made? In 7th grade I decided to try football because I wasn’t good at soccer and I didn’t want to run cross country.
8 What advice would you give to your younger self? Set balanced goals to focus on self-improvement but don’t forget to be kind to others.
9 What do you remember from kindergarten? I remember playing Legos every morning in Ms. Stenwick’s class.
10 What’s your favorite place on the Breck campus? The weight room
11 Favorite comfort food? Chipotle is the be-all and end-all.
12 Favorite treat: salty or sweet? Salty. Lays Sour Cream and Onion.
13 If you had a theme song, what would it be? Dancing in the Moonlight by Toploader
14 Favorite line from a movie?
“Because some men aren’t looking for anything logical, like money. They can’t be bought, bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn.” — The Dark Knight (2008)
15 What is your favorite family tradition? My favorite tradition is roadtripping out to Colorado over spring break. I always look forward to spending 16 hours in the car with my family.
16 Three people — living or dead — you’d want to have dinner with?
I would have dinner with Bradley Martyn, Mike Tornabene, and Arnold.
17 If you could travel anywhere, where would you go? I would drive with my friends to Jackson Hole to ski.
18 What’s your pet peeve? I don’t like when people don’t use their turn signals.
19 What keeps you up at night? Trying to remember the name of a song when you can’t remember the lyrics or melody
20 What is your favorite subject in school? My two favorite classes right now are Calc AB and Digital Photography.
Questions
Jeffrey Rainey ’87: STAFF LIAISON FOR THE MSP REGIONAL AIR SERVICES PARTNERSHIP
1 What music are you listening to lately? Old-school hip hop: Run-D.M.C., Kurtis Blow, Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five, Whodini. Takes me back to team bus rides!
2 What’s one of the last books you read? StrengthsFinder 2.0
3 What’s your favorite time of year? Those last, warm fall days…shorts in the sun and a pullover in the evening
4 What’s one of the most adventurous things you’ve ever done? When I lived in L.A., I had the absolute thrill of f ying in a glider at Edwards Air Force Base.
5 What’s your favorite Breck lunch? Welsh Rarebit — courtesy of the late Ms. Betty Hancock, Religious Studies (and other subjects) teacher, who hailed from Wales
6 What’s your dream job? Professional golfer — and to be part of a winning Ryder Cup team!
7 What’s one of the best decisions you’ve ever made? I contemplated leaving Breck after 8th grade. My brother provided very “inf uential feedback,” after which I decided to return.
8 What advice would you give to your younger self? Activate your dreams by verbalizing them … OFTEN.
9 What do you remember from kindergarten? Getting to see my mother most days, as she was a teacher’s aide (Lyndale Elementary)
10 What is the most important room in your home? Laundry room
11 What’s your favorite place on the Breck campus? The Chapel — both at River Road and Golden Valley
12 Favorite comfort food? Black beans and rice. I could eat a bowl for every meal — with Cholula or Sriracha!
13 Favorite treat: salty or sweet? Salty. Almonds.
14 If you had a theme song, what would it be? “Jam On It,” by Newcleus
15 Favorite line from a movie? “Bill, strange things are afoot at the Circle K.” Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure
16 Favorite website? Delta.com. Even if I am not booking a f ight, pulling up that page gives me the sensation that I am going somewhere.
17 Three people — living or dead — you’d want to have dinner with? My parents with Michelle and Barack Obama. I remember tears running down my Dad’s cheeks as he watched the f rst Black President-elect give his acceptance speech on November 4, 2008. I would have loved for Mom and Dad to have met them. Lastly, I would choose Bob Beamon. Bob set the Olympic record in the long jump at the 1968 Mexico City Games. He did it so quietly that his feat is largely forgotten.
18 If you could travel anywhere, where would you go? My family’s roots have been traced back to Tanzania, so that would be quite the trip.
19 What’s your pet peeve? “Pet” peeve indeed...when owners do not pick up after their dogs
20 What keeps you up at night? Wondering if the Vikings will ever make it to another Super Bowl. Haha…. Actually, what keeps me up at night is wondering what my legacy will be once I move on from this existence.
Today at 123 Ottawa Avenue North
17 STUDENTS IN CLASS OF 2018 EARN NATIONAL MERIT RECOGNITION
Six seniors have achieved National Merit semifinalist status, and 11 have been commended.
Congratulations to semifinalists from the class of 2018: Aaron Bae, Margaret Johnston, Blaine Madson, Emma Medeiros, Brian Song, and Max Vasicek.
And congratulations to commended scholars from the class of 2018: Matthew Ahrens, Samuel Aronson, Emma Carr, Alex Cheng, Maya Czeneszew, Sophia Hardten, Cole Maxwell, Linden Olness, Taylor Phillips, Melinda Samaratunga, and Claudia Zhao.
SECOND GRADERS PLACE IN TOP FIVE IN NATIONAL MATH COMPETITION
Max Opperman, Michael Scherer, Addie Detor, and Anna Harrington, a group of last year’s second-grade math students, had one of the nation’s top five submissions, a game called “Math Vortex,” in the Game-a-Thon game design competition.
The contest is sponsored by the MIND Research Institute, which is dedicated to “revolutionizing math education through visual learning.”
A video of the students describing the rules and demonstrating the play of Math Vortex can be viewed on breckschool.org/news.
SENIOR’S WORK PUBLISHED IN NATIONAL POETRY JOURNALS
Annabel Chosy ’18, who has won awards with the Scholastic Arts and Writing competition for the past three years, began submitting her poetry to national journals last spring.
As of our publication date, five of her poems had been accepted to four different journals. “Fields of Eden” appeared in Issue VII of The Blueshift Journal, “Inheritance” appeared in Words Dance on June 1, “Unmaking” is forthcoming in Blue Marble Review, and “Boko Haram in Cameroon” and “35W Bridge Collapse” are forthcoming in Crashtest
Breck Middle School students wore orange on Unity Day 2017.
RANULPH BROWN ’19 FEATURED IN CIRCUS JUVENTAS SHOW
Junior Ranulph Brown has been serious about clowning around. As a performer for St. Paul-based Circus Juventas, the largest youth circus in North America, he was cast in the summer show, which annually showcases the group’s highest level talents.
In this year’s show, called “Nordsaga,” Ranulph performed in clowning acts, as well as the Russian Cradle and banquine acts. He’s been involved with the circus since 2012.
BOYS SOCCER COACH INDUCTED INTO MSHSL’S SOCCER COACHES’ ASSOCIATION HALL OF FAME
Coach George Stuempfig has been a member of the Breck boys soccer program for a total of 23 years and, in August, was inducted into the Minnesota State High School Soccer Association’s Hall of Fame. George was an assistant coach from 1994-2001. He has been the head coach since the fall of 2002.
During Coach Stuempfig’s tenure at Breck, he led the team to the State Tournament three times: 2005, 2008 and 2015. The team won the state championship in 2005 and took 2nd place in 2015. The team won conference titles six times: 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2014, and 2015. His record as the head coach of the Breck team is 199-84-29.
Coach Stuempfig was named the Class A State Coach of the Year in 2006 and was named the Section Coach of the Year multiple times. He was also named the National Soccer Coaches Association – State Private School Coach of the Year in 2006 and 2015. Besides coaching at Breck, he was also a section rep for five years for the Minnesota State High School Soccer Association and a board member for four years.
KUST’S RESEARCH PUBLISHED IN ACADEMIC JOURNAL
Lower School faculty member Dave Kust is a co-author on a paper recently published in the fall issue of the journal American Entomologist
“Butterfly mortality and salvage logging from the March 2016 storm in the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in Mexico” was co-authored by professors from Boston University, Sweet Briar College, and the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Kust and a researcher from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center are credited as contributors.
The research followed an extraordinarily strong storm in the monarch overwintering grounds in Mexico; a combination of high winds with rain and freezing temperatures produced high mortality among the butterflies remaining in the overwintering colonies. The government’s subsequent decisions to allow salvage logging of downed trees led to further damage to the forest.
Previous studies have shown how important the forest is for monarch survival since it buffers them against freezing. In an era of changing climate, severe storms like this one may occur more frequently.
A NOTE OF THANKS
In the spring of 2015, Jill Field retired from Breck as Director of Communications. This summer, she returned to Breck in the communications role once again to cover a temporary absence. We are especially grateful for her work in completing this issue of Today at Breck and for her continued dedication and service to Breck. We couldn’t have done it without her!
SAGAR CHOSEN AS NATIONAL FINALIST
Visual Arts Department Head Michal Sagar was recognized as one of twelve national finalists for the Golden Educators Residency from Scholastic. The Golden Educators program provides two-week artists’ residency in upstate New York for two educators each year.
Says Sagar, “Although I did not receive the artists’ residency, I was awarded a $1,000 gift certificate from Golden Artist Colors. I’m thrilled to be a finalist and look forward to using the prize money to buy new supplies to experiment in the studio.”
SENIOR COMPETES FOR TEAM USA AT THE WORLD DWARF GAMES
Says Svea McNally ’18, “While many of my peers were attending college application workshops in August, I was in Guelph, Ontario, Canada competing for Team USA at the World Dwarf Games. As the name suggests, it was the largest sporting event in history held exclusively for athletes with Dwarfism, a medical condition that I was diagnosed with when I was two years old.”
One of over 400 dwarf athletes from 20 countries vying to bring home a medal, Svea competed in basketball, soccer, and floor hockey, ran the 100m sprint, and participated in the 4 x 100m women’s track relay. She came home with three medals: a gold for the relay, a silver in the 100m, and a bronze for soccer.
Svea observes that as a two-sport Breck athlete, she has become accustomed to being the shortest player on the ice or field, so the experience of being on an even playing ground with others of similar stature was an amazing experience. “Not only was I able to meet and compete against other little people from different countries,” she says, “I also learned a lot about myself as an athlete. The experiences and knowledge I have gained from this competition will be things I hold close for a long time, and I am already looking forward to the next games in 2021!”
A TIE THAT BINDS: GIRLS SOCCER CAPTAINS MARK A 30-YEAR TRADITION
As a co-captain of the girls soccer team, Deb Mixon ’87 appreciated her coach Dan Phillips’ morale-boosting suggestion while she was a student. Little did she know she’d have the opportunity to see the tradition continue as a teacher of future captains as well.
To provide something fun for the captains, Phillips gave each one a silver necklace and had them each pick a charm — anything they wanted — for it. The necklaces were then passed along to the next year’s captains, who added their own charm. Thirty years later, the tradition is still going strong.
Mixon and one of her co-captains, Lee Sander Okubo ’87, had the opportunity to watch both girls and boys soccer teams play at Homecoming this year shortly before they attended their class reunion, and both were impressed with the quality and intensity of play. “We invented the term TTP — for Tough, Tenacious, and Proud,” they say, “and these athletes truly are all three.”
But it has been a special kind of pride for Mixon to teach current captains, including Luci McGlynn ’18, and see that the necklaces and her chosen charm are still passed on from year to year.
“I understand what they go through as Breck students, athletes, and team captains,” she says. “It’s an instant bond — and a chance for me to relive some cherished memories at the same time.”
McGlynn remarks, “From the second I first heard about it in the 8th grade, I knew I wanted a chance to put a charm on the necklace. It is really cool to see how long the soccer program has been going on and even cooler to see what each captain has left behind. The charms are supposed to represent something from the captain’s time in the program and it’s a really unique way to preserve all the different memories and experiences made.”
BOARD OF TRUSTEES WELCOMES NEW MEMBERS
The Board of Trustees welcomed four new trustees, who will each serve for three-year terms. New members include: Sally Blanks, Winifred Smith, Chris Thibodeaux, and Chris Welsh ’90. A special thanks to retiring members of the Board: Tim Clark, Twanya Hood Hill, and Jeff Slocum. To learn more about the Board’s work and goals for this year, visit breckschool.org/board-trustees.
Lee Anderson, Sr. ’57, Lifetime Trustee
Daniel R. Aronson
Susan Bass Roberts
Sally Blanks
Barbara E. Burwell
Andrew Gaillard ’88
Michael Goh
Katharine Anderson Groethe ’88
Rob Holt
Lenesa Leana
G. Mike Mikan
Patty Murphy
Rebecca O’Grady, President
Rory O’Neill
Michelle Grabanski Pohlad
The Rt. Rev. Brian N. Prior, Chair
Bradley Radichel
Joan Rex
William C. Schmoker
Wendy Schoppert
Jill E. Schurtz
Ronald D. Sit
Winifred Smith
Maya Tester ’81
Christopher Thibodeaux
Andrew W. Turner
Christoph Welsh ’90
(front row): Rebecca O’Grady, Natalia Hernández; (second row): Susan Bass Roberts, Katharine Anderson Groethe ’88, Jill Schurtz, Michael Goh; (third row): Winifred Smith, Patty Murphy, Michelle Grabanski Pohlad, Maya Tester ’81, Joan Rex; (fourth row): Brad Radichel, Christopher Thidodeaux, Wendy Schoppert, Ronald Sit, William Schmoker, Andrew Turner; (fifth row): Christoph Welsh ’90, Sally Blanks, Rory O’Neill, Dan Aronson; not pictured: Lee Anderson ’57, Barbara Burwell, Andrew Gaillard ’88, Rob Holt, Lenesa Leana, G. Mike Mikan, Rt. Rev. Brian Prior
Knowledge Pursuit of
This feature is the second in a new series in Today at Breck entitled the Pursuit of Knowledge, featuring life lessons learned from our Breck community members.
HEATHER MILLER-SHIELL, DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT
GETTING TO WORK WITH THE MOST GENEROUS PEOPLE IN THE TWIN CITIES ISN’T JUST A JOB. It’s a blessing. Every now and then someone will ask me, “Isn’t full-time fundraising difficult?” My answer is always that it’s the best profession I could imagine. I get to help people make a difference in the places and for the causes they really care about, something that benefits us all.
ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS I’VE LEARNED IN LIFE IS TO BE A GOOD LISTENER Honestly, I didn’t start out that way. But people are fascinating, and you can learn so much by listening to them.
THE BRECK COMMUNITY IS PASSIONATE ABOUT OUR SCHOOL. It’s been wonderful to see how much passion people have for Breck. Whether they’re parents, grandparents, alumni, or members of the faculty and staff, people here hold Breck very close to their hearts.
IT’S THE MISSION THAT MOTIVATES ME. I was drawn to Breck because we are committed to providing a wellrounded education that combines academic press, a spiritual component, and true respect for diversity. What’s happening here is special. It provides a great context for giving back, and I am delighted to play a part.
MY PARENTS GAVE ME A FIRM FOUNDATION IN PHILANTHROPY. At 88 and 86, my parents are enduring examples of the benefits of living your best beliefs. From my earliest awareness, I knew it was everyone’s responsibility to make a contribution to society, to leave the world better than I found it. It’s their bread and butter, and it’s mine too.
BRECK’S P-12 COMMUNITY WARMS THE HEART. Watching students of different ages interact and learn from each other, something that is so natural here, is absolutely amazing.
THE COMMITMENT TO PERPETUAL LEARNING HERE IS VERY REAL. I’ve never worked anywhere where there was a more profound dedication to intellectual growth. From my very first interactions with colleagues — even at the start of the school year when everyone is so very busy — I was blown away by their genuine desire to read more, question more, want to know more.
I’M INCREDIBLY LUCKY TO HAVE SUCH A BIG AND DIVERSE FAMILY. With a supportive husband, children who range in age from 12-36, siblings and parents nearby, I get to celebrate both special events and everyday life with an extraordinary group of people. And as my children grow up and fall in love, that family keeps expanding and getting even better!
TEACHERS CAN HAVE AN ENORMOUS — AND ENDURING — INFLUENCE ON YOUNG LIVES. I will never forget the high school teacher who told me I could do anything I wanted, and it was up to me to decide whether to be the very best at goofing off or the very best at something productive. I am absolutely thrilled to have a front-row seat to observing that impact at Breck.
Homecoming 2017
New Beginnings
Head of School Natalia Hernández, Ed.D., shares initial thoughts and impressions on her new role at Breck
SANCTUARY.
Each year, Breck chaplains choose a theme for discussion at each of their division-level and All-School Chapels. This year’s theme is sanctuary.
As described by Middle School chaplain and Religion Department Head Alexis Kent, sanctuary can be a person, a place, or a feeling. It can be the energy you feel at a home football game or the joy you feel with friends.
Sanctuary also seems to be a perfect description of the way Dr. Natalia R. Hernández feels about her new role as Head of School at Breck. After more than four months on the job, Today at Breck writers sat down with her to get her perspective first-hand.
“Every day I have experiences that validate our family’s choice to join Breck. I feel like I fit here,” remarks Hernández.
“I am so fortunate to be leading a healthy school that is truly dedicated to living its mission. When you walk around Breck, there’s a positivity, a feeling of contribution to the greater good that really fits my philosophy of education. When you put those two things together—fit and being a well-run organization—it helps you feel very comfortable and excited about the future.”
Dr. Hernández began her tenure as Breck’s 16th Head of School in July, succeeding Edward Kim who served as Head of School for the past decade.
Coming from Isidore Newman School in New Orleans, Dr. Hernández spent her first four months working hard to get to know the school community, its history, strengths, and opportunities—a task she plans to continue during her self-proclaimed ‘year of firsts’ as she navigates the school year at Breck.
“I have spent time having breakfast with our senior advisories and meeting one-on-one with members of my senior leadership team and department chairs. I’m having lunches with faculty, staff, parents, alumni, and people who have given of themselves in important ways whether that’s through charitable giving financially or through time,” says Hernández.
LISTENING AND LEARNING
Amidst the lunches and conversation, personal stories and experiences have allowed Dr. Hernández to gain a greater understanding and deeper appreciation for the entire Breck community.
“I ask almost everyone, ‘What is it that you hope never changes about Breck?’ and it is inevitable; people will say, ‘I know this is going to sound trite but there is a sense of community here where everybody just feels like they belong.’ ”
For Dr. Hernández, it was this same feeling of community that drew her to the Head of School position at Breck.
“I wasn’t looking for a headship and did not consider any other Head of School opportunities,” she says. “I went into the first interview thinking the process itself would be an opportunity to learn. I came away from it convinced that, if offered the position, I simply could not pass up the chance to lead a school that so closely aligns with my own convictions about education.”
A recent example of Dr. Hernández’s philosophy of education materialized during a breakfast she shared with a senior advisory group.
“I often ask the seniors, ‘If you remember making the decision to attend Breck, do you recall why you or your parents made that choice?’ ” explains Hernández.
One senior replied that she wanted to attend an independent school to get strong academics. After looking at multiple options, she chose Breck for one distinctive reason.
“She said that when she walked around the hallways, kids looked each other in the eye and said hello. Kids in the hallways, as they were sitting and studying, were really helping each other—genuinely and authentically,” Hernández recalls. “What that student took away from her visit was that the interactions our students have with each other extend far beyond cursory manners. They sincerely support each other’s learning and buy into the belief that they achieve greater success when they support each other.”
After asking if this type of behavior was still true for the now-senior, the reply was “unequivocally yes.”
“The kind of learning we expect at Breck, the kind that requires deep intellectual challenge, is hard,” says Hernández, “and so to do the kind of learning that this student was looking for—where she was pressed for excellence—a place where kids are really supportive of each other is key.”
PERSONALIZATION AND ACADEMIC PRESS
Dr. Hernández also believes it is Breck’s emphasis on community and knowing each child that serves as a differentiator for Breck, and yet another reason why ‘fit’ is so seamless.
“It’s really hard to teach someone to care. It is virtually impossible to go into a community that only cares about scores and convince them that you are supposed to care about the dignity of every human being,” she says. “At Breck, I don’t have to convince people to care. Our community is authentic, connected, and deeply concerned with the needs of others. This culture creates ideal conditions for learning.”
For Dr. Hernández, personalization, or pastoral care as she describes it, is knowing each individual child, his or her strengths, challenges, interests, fears, and hopes, and bringing them to bear in the classroom.
“The best schools use pastoral care in the service of academic press, which is the moment each child learns,” Hernández adds. “Academic press is the spark that is fired each time the light of learning is ignited. The perfect combination of pastoral care and academic press is what we strive for in every classroom, on every field, and every studio and stage.”
And while many schools work toward this same goal, Breck’s differentiator is the balance of pastoral care and academic press with the awareness of a greater good.
“The experiences we offer our students gives them the understanding they are part of a local, national, and global community. Breck does this incredibly well for our students. Other schools have this idea all over their websites but our students are doing it.”
CONTINUING CONNECTIONS
While there is much to be proud of, Hernández knows the question of “Where do we go from here?” is also on everyone’s minds. She is particularly excited about the possibilities for growth within the Peter Clark Center for Mind, Brain, and Education.
“I have always said that the divide between research and practice in education is incredibly unfortunate,” remarks Hernández. “Education is a research profession, and we can’t stagnate in education. If we do, we aren’t doing what is best for children. At Breck, we are investing in the personnel, the place, the professional development, and the resources we need to be able to do something incredibly exciting and impressive. This is a huge opportunity for us to be a national leader amongst other independent schools.”
She is also working hard to be patient with herself, recognizing four months is a very, very short time in a school whose history spans 131 years.
“The more people I meet—our alumni, past parents—the more I hear in their words a longing for connections to continue, for our story to be retold,” she says.
For Hernández, that means connecting and listening to alumni, parents, and families but also learning Breck’s history and traditions.
“I feel like it is my responsibility to maintain the culture at Breck,” says Hernández. “In some ways, temper the
influences that want to change it but still honor the voices that are pressing us to be better.”
She draws inspiration from those who held the vision for Breck from the very beginning.
“I have thought a lot about our founding. We are indebted to our founders in important ways; we wouldn’t be here without their foresight, commitment, and unwavering dedication. We are also incredibly grateful for those who kept Breck relevant and took impressive risks to ensure our School’s future. The growth and development our School has experienced has kept us young, current in best practice, and open to future opportunities,” adds Hernández. “I think we honor our history and respect the present by allowing our students to share their voice in important and meaningful ways. Their stories are a part of our story.”
SANCTUARY
At Breck, the chapel is home to many shared stories. As you pass through the halls to get to the chapel, student-artists display recent works that often carry deep personal and emotional stories. Soon-to-be graduates share their senior speeches from the lectern. Students share their voices.
“I love that we honor the student voice here. I love that we have the strength in our values that gives our students that kind of microphone. Providing opportunities like this is what inclusivity and diversity strives for—allowing everyone to speak their truth,” Hernández explains. “Nobody is perfect, and we will continue to strive for it but I think Breck is an example for schools across the country on how to honor the students’ experiences because we do it really, really well.”
For Dr. Hernández, this sharing of voice and story is just another example of pastoral care and academic press in the Breck community.
“Our students speak articulately in a dignified, eloquent way that serves our School” she says. “It’s not egotistical service of self. It’s excellence. It’s pastoral care, knowing each student. They’re each pressed and prepared.”
And now, for Hernández, it’s also about sharing this excellence, preserving our history, and honoring the culture of Breck.
“I want us to be proud of our School and articulate that well. We are progressive, but not so progressive that we are jumping on the next bandwagon. We are research informed, vetted by people who have committed to the greater good, who understand our School, our students, and the outcomes we expect. We have taken risks—giving students a voice and having conversations that other schools and districts just are not willing to have.”
And those risks have created high returns, developing students who are prepared for a world beyond Breck and committed to serving the community around them.
“Our students know themselves as learners,” she adds. “They know they are meant to contribute to a greater good, and that’s not something that comes easily. You can’t just adopt a program. You can’t buy a set of textbooks for it. You can’t do a self-assessment about it. It’s a communal effort, one that’s found in our School’s DNA and one that will continue to live on through our graduates for generations to come.”
Contrasts and Complexities: Reflections on a Summer Experience in Ghana
By Thomas Taylor, Upper School Director
A dungeon for enslaved women at Cape Coast Castle in southern Ghana
In her debut novel, Homegoing, Ghanaian author Yaa Gyasi traces the paths of two families through multiple generations as they grapple with the devastating after effects of the transatlantic slave trade. One path follows the descendents of Effia, a young woman who remained in Ghana and was married to a British governor, while the other examines life for the children and grandchildren of Esi, who was captured and sold into slavery. This contrast between life in America and life in Ghana forms the kernel from which the rest of this narrative grows.
Gyasi paints a gripping narrative, and though the novel was gut-wrenching at points, I was tremendously grateful to have read this before I travelled to Ghana myself in July. The novel, along with other historical reading I did in preparation, gave me a framework for understanding and making relevant everything that I learned during my ten-day pilgrimage to the West African country. During the first weeks of July, I travelled, along with nine other Americans and Canadians, as a part of a Ghanaian Pilgrimage organized by Episcopal Relief & Development (ERD) and the National Association of Episcopal Schools (NAES).
While I am certainly still grappling with the enormity of the experience and all that I heard, saw, and learned, one theme emerged quickly for me both in my reading of Homegoing as well as in many of my experiences in Ghana: contrast.
Gyasi’s novel is certainly a study in contrast. The experiences of the family of Esi in America certainly did not mirror those of Effia’s in Ghana. But nowhere was this more apparent than in the castle in Cape Coast. Cape Coast Castle was one of many “slave castles” that lined what was once called the Gold Coast, later the “Slave Coast,” of Ghana. An outpost for a number of colonizing countries, the castle at Cape Coast is perhaps best known for its operation under British rule. During the time from the late eighteenth to mid-nineteenth centuries, the structure saw the passage of thousands of bodies through its walls, which, while alarming, should
come as no surprise. The building was constructed with this sole purpose in mind — to aid in the transport and sale of human lives.
But while it would be easy to imagine the castle as a place devoid of any and all positive human emotion, nothing could be further from the truth. The fact is, the Cape Coast Castle is beautiful. It is stunning both in the architecture of the structure itself as well as in the natural beauty that surrounds it. And herein lies the contrast. Imagine a beautiful, tropical beach. White sand, blue water, fishing boats returning from collecting the day’s catch. Now imagine that just below the surface of this beauty were the physical, concrete reminders of one of humankind’s greatest
View of the Sea of Guinea as seen from the Governor’s residence at Cape Coast Castle
tragedies: dungeons that held thousands of people, rooms designed for torture and death, doors through which enslaved people would walk towards the ocean and the middle passage.
In addition to exploring the Cape Coast Castle, we also visited Elmina farther west along the coast, and the Pikworo Slave camp in northern Ghana, near the border with Burkina Faso. In every case, in each location, we were struck by the difficulty we all had reconciling the beauty of the place, with what the place represented. We struggled, for example, at Elmina Castle as we peered through a small gate in the “door of no return” only to see a lively and exciting soccer match taking place. This discrepancy was jarring. Here we were, a group of pilgrims from America in a place that seemed to demand a somber reverence, and yet life was going on all around us. Normal things (like fishing boats and soccer games) simply didn’t have a place adjacent to the symbols of something as unnatural as slavery.
But this contrast was not only a part of our exploration of the slave trade. We felt it everywhere we went. While seeking to gain some understanding around the transatlantic slave trade was one major theme of our time in Ghana,
we also wanted to use our time to explore Anglican schools in Ghana as well. This was the reason for NAES inviting educators to join in this experience. In all, we were able to spend time in six different Anglican schools: two each in Bolgatanga (in Northern Ghana), Accra (the country’s capital), and Cape Coast (west of Accra along the coast of the Gulf of Guinea).
Every school we toured was unique, but in each case I marvelled at the extremity of both how similar to and yet also how different from our school community they were. In every school we met caring, engaged teachers and school leaders who were admired and respected by their students. In every school, we saw students who were curious and engaged and we were reminded that there are certain truths about children that transcend geography. Kindergartners are curious and open, middle schoolers are somehow simultaneously unselfconscious and shy, tenth graders are ... well, tenth graders. These commonalities and shared experiences were reinforced by a shared Episcopal/Anglican identity. While the Episcopal Church in the United States and the African Anglican Communions have not always held shared values, in the case of creating safe and loving school environments, there is a shared focus.
Taylor (center) pictured with science students at Accra Bishop’s Girls School
And yet, in Ghana, Anglican schools are public schools, which creates in turn one of the most tangible differences I experienced between these schools and Breck. As an independent school in the United States, Breck enjoys tremendous resources. We are fortunate to have the facilities, technology, and supplies that we do, and we are lucky that we can marshal these resources in support of a tremendous education for our students. Even in Accra, which is relatively wealthy, the Anglican schools do not have enough resources to sufficiently prepare their students for all elements of the nationally mandated exams. Whether it’s access to new books, science lab supplies, or technology, these schools were in need of more and their needs fell in stark contrast to all we have at Breck.
Beyond this, however, as a group we all were struck by one particular classroom experience we shared. At every school we visited, the principal would invariably allow us to visit a few classrooms and chat with the students. It was in these settings that we got to learn so much about the structure of the education system in Ghana, as well as the students’ aspirations, hopes, and dreams. In one of these exchanges each member of our group was asked what we do back in the United States. This proved a relatively simple task for most of us: teacher, principal, priest, etc. But as the focus turned to Heidi Kim (one member of our group), the question grew in complexity.
Heidi is the Staff Officer for Racial Reconciliation for the U.S. Episcopal Church. In that role, she works closely with the Presiding Bishop, Michael Curry, around matters of race, equity, and inclusion in the Church. As she sought to explain her role to the high school students with whom we were speaking, she asked if any of them knew what racism was. Not a hand went up. There was a moment during which we were all dumbfounded. How would we proceed? Here we were a group of mostly white tourists, explaining the concept of racism to a group of West African children. We were there, in no small part, to begin to learn about how racism began in our own country, and gain some under-
standing of the roots of slavery. And yet, we found ourselves humbled both by the children’s question in front of us and also by the task of sharing some concept of racism in America, something that few of us had ever experienced.
As I reflect on the experience, I am struck by how pervasive — and ultimately how valuable — these contrasts and complexities were in everything we saw, everything we did, every person we met, or with whom we shared a meal or drink.
In fact, it is now difficult to remember exactly what my expectations were before the trip, but I’m certain that they were much too narrow. I know now that we must all avoid the temptation of quick assumptions, or what Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, the Nigerian author and speaker, calls the “danger of a single story.”
I am incredibly grateful to Breck for allowing me to have this opportunity to step away from what is familiar and explore a history and a place that were new to me. I’m grateful to be pushed away from the inertia of the single story of West Africa. I am happy to have this opportunity to share this learning with the broader Breck community, and I look forward to doing so in depth with students and teachers who are fortunate enough to be part of everyday life at Breck.
Taylor (left) pictured with Sean McConnell, Director of Engagement for ERD, and the Right Reverend Dr. Jacob Kofi Ayeebo, Bishop of Tamale
Photo by Chelen Johnson
Totality
The anticipation was beyond control! We spent the morning experimenting with camera settings and filters and were ready for the big day. I didn’t sleep a wink.
Tripods, cameras, telephoto lenses, filters, binoculars ... check. We were ready to go. We waited patiently for the big event to begin.
The Moon’s shadow slowly crept across the Sun. Bit by bit, it looked like a large PacMan was taking bigger and bigger chomps out of the solar disk. Alternating between capturing images in my cameras and peering through my filtered binoculars, my dreams were coming true. I was experiencing my first total solar eclipse! “Two minutes until totality,” a bystander yelled. All of a sudden, the sun was fully eclipsed by the New Moon. What a spectacle to behold! The sky turned as black as midnight. Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter shone brightly. For nearly two minutes, it was nighttime during the mid-morning in Oregon. Soon, the Sun slowly reappeared. It was over.
As totality waned, I was overwhelmed with emotion. No way did I ever expect to be moved to such a great extent. What a powerful moment.
Chelen Johnson is an Upper School Science teacher. On August 21, she traveled to Salem, Oregon, to view the Great American Solar Eclipse, which was made possible by an anonymous gift to Breck. Johnson plans to use her experience to enrich the lessons in her Astronomy class. Johnson also leads an astronomy club at Breck. Members of Team Astro club led the eclipse viewing on campus, providing dozens of glasses and explanations. Unfortunately, clouds blanketed the sky on campus, and little was seen.
IN THEIR OWN WORDS ‘ ’
Exploring Sanctuary
by Alexis Kent, Religion Department Head and Middle School Chaplain
What is sanctuary? Is it a place? A person? What does being in sanctuary feel like? These are the questions our students will reflect on in All-School and Divisional Chapels this year. As we celebrated our October All-School Chapel on October 3, we thought we would begin this theme by learning more about our Breck sanctuary. Below are the words from my homily that, I hope, will give insight and inspiration for our Breck community throughout this year.
To begin the chapel, we listened to Leviticus 23: 39-43. In this reading, God instructs the Jewish people to collect the harvest and spend seven days celebrating the food gathered and remembering that the Israelites no longer live in exile. Day one would be entirely of rest, then five days of celebration, then an entire day of rest again. During these days, they are instructed to live in booths. The booths are called sukkahs and the festival of harvest, known as Sukkot, begins tomorrow (October 4, 2017). This is one of many scriptural texts about creating a place of worship, but the significance of the design of the sukkah, is that by being in contact with
the elements, you are more easily connected to God. The sukkahs should include a roof of palm trees, branches of willows, and other leafy trees with an opening where you can look up at the vastness of the stars and wonder about your place in creation, remembering the bounty of the life you live.
All kinds of houses of worship are designed with similar intent, as vessels and spaces that create room for our connection to the divine. That may be through lofted ceilings or domes, both designed to direct your attention to higher things above. It could be with pews or open flooring where the prayer form could be standing, sitting, kneeling, or bowing. There may be ornate images of saints, prophets, and Gods, or no images at all. Whatever the design may be, it is meant to create space for connection.
Our Chapel of the Holy Spirit was built in 1982 and is our main sanctuary here on campus. It literally is an award-winning building. Next week, a man named George Johnson will return to Breck. He was the chair of the building committee
who internally led the construction of this room in conjunction with Cuningham group, the architectural firm responsible for the design. Mr. Johnson often says that the two greatest accomplishments of his life are his family and building this space. Not bad for life accomplishments.
This room was designed to have a certain feeling. It is meant to be commanding, striking, to focus our attention, and cause us to take pause because of the grandiosity.
Dramatic lofted ceilings, a tiered choir loft, symmetrical pews, simple lines, the depth of the wood all accomplish that. And yet, it was also designed to foster a sense of closeness and connection, with no single seat being farther than 60 feet from the center.
The round shape pivoting off the platform was chosen so that we all felt together in community, whether on the platform where I am standing, in the choir loft, or the very back pew, there was intentionality for us all to feel a part of what is happening here. We are able to look across the room and see one another. This space reminds us to be here, in this moment, to reflect, pray, sing, and be present to each other.
The name Chapel and the title of chaplain are also intentional as a part of our life together at Breck. In French, a chapelain is a traveler’s cloak. It is draped over your shoulders while you walk, but if it were to rain or snow, you could use it to protect yourself from the elements you encounter while traveling on a journey. The cloak could be a blanket, a pillow, a rain jacket, a coat all in one. It is protective, multi-purposed and versatile. Similarly, this space is meant to be a sanctuary on your spiritual journey, no matter the religious path you walk. Your Chaplains do not have the title of minister or rector, although Father Bellaimey (Papa B) is an ordained priest. Instead, the title of Chaplain reflects our duties and our role as guides as you travel through this place, providing protection and sanctuary from the elements you encounter on your journey.
The beams in the center windows behind me are designed to be the sun, letting light inspire our worship together. In fact, the building is facing this way so that the sun rises in one set of windows and sets in the other. We call this raised area the platform, not a stage because this isn’t a theater. Our offerings in here are not performances, but rather gifts,
all of which God sees equally. It is a worship space, and we don’t want a gate or railing separating what happens up here from these seats. When we bring out the altar, the large table from which we serve communion, we want it front and center, close to the congregation with nothing blocking the access to the gifts offered from the table. We want a sense of oneness in the room, so while this area is slightly raised, it isn’t separate. The philosophy of the Chapel design reflects our philosophy of Chapel, as our services are a time apart, a time for rest and celebration, but are within and integral to our broader Breck story.
So, what does sanctuary feel like for you? Is it the sense of flow and energy you feel while playing on the soccer field or the laughter you share with friends? Is it in quiet moments where you have nowhere else to be except exactly where you are or cheering with the crowd at a Breck football game? Like our Chapel, I hope your sanctuary includes a sense of closeness. I hope it encourages rest and celebration. I hope it has connection with loved ones, with your classmates, your colleagues, perhaps even with strangers, and with God.
We will talk more about where we all find sanctuary in our lives, but time together in our Chapel of the Holy Spirit is, like Sukkot, a time of rest and celebration. Maybe not of a harvest exactly, but certainly of our bounty.
Last year I was working in my office just outside of this room when I heard someone say, “The Chapel.” I looked out to see an alumnus standing in the doorway, gazing at the room. I greeted her at which point she explained further. “The Chapel. I took the Chapel for granted. I walked by it every day for years and never noticed how incredible it is. Now that I am away, I miss it and I wish I had known how important to me it really was and will continue to be in my life.”
When we gather in Chapel, we are given the gift of time. Time to celebrate our Chapel and one another, to take rest for a while, together. Next time you are in the Chapel of the Holy Spirit, I invite you to look around. What about the space have you never noticed until now? What have you really never taken the time to see? What about the space can inspire you more deeply, inviting rest and connection? These are all the things we hope you find in our sanctuary. Amen.
breckschool.org/annual-fund
Ryan Caicedo ’28 measures a pumpkin during pumpkin math in Ms. Thorne’s second-grade classroom.
Dr. Hernández (back left) and Allison O’Toole ’89 (back right) present the Solotaroff sisters with Breck chairs following the Distinguished Alumni presentation.
Recognizing our Distinguished Alumni A Tradition of Excellence:
Since its inception in 1976, the Distinguished Alumni Award has honored Breck graduates who have distinguished themselves in career accomplishments and community leadership. This year, we broke new ground by honoring two sisters for the first time:
• Jennifer Solotaroff, Ph.D., ’86, who works on issues of inequality and microentrepreneurship for the World Bank in Washington, DC, and
• Rachel Solotaroff, M.D., ’88, CEO of a community health clinic helping the homeless in Portland, Oregon
The Solotaroffs were speakers at a Homecoming week Upper School chapel, where they were presented with Breck chairs by Dr. Hernández. They were then introduced by Allison O’Toole ’89, who is a member of the Alumni Council’s Distinguished Alumni committee.
In her remarks, Jennifer explained that her work, most of which has concentrated on the South Asia region, has heightened her awareness of social and economic disparities among people. She credits Breck faculty and classmates for their strong influence on her choice of career. Studying Chinese with Margaret Wong fueled a lifelong fascination with language and culture, and studying history with Tim Rosenfield taught her about challenging conventional thinking and considering matters of justice.
She earned her bachelor’s degree from Oberlin, then went on to earn two master’s degrees and a Ph.D. from Stanford. “I had no idea what I wanted to ‘do with my life’ when I was in college, or even several years after college,” she told the students. “But just making sure I landed in jobs or activities that were meaningful, challenged me, and had me oriented outside of myself, is what has assured me a satisfying and productive path. And I credit my family, my teachers, and definitely my fantastic, creative, and humorous classmates at Breck for giving me the foundation to choose this path.”
Rachel, who earned her undergraduate degree at Brown and her M.D. from Dartmouth, told the students that her academic preparation at Breck, along with the support she felt from both faculty and classmates, gave her the freedom to try things and, ultimately, become the person she wanted to be. In particular, she cited the influence of Upper School history instructor Tim Rosenfield, former drama director
Tom Hegg, and Middle School teacher Byron Rice, who persuaded her to take up basketball.
And she tied together her Breck experience with her current work by saying the following: “There’s a part of Breck that I didn’t appreciate when I was here, but I do now. Breck is sheltered. We are safe, comfortable, cared for, attended to. And that’s a good thing — that is the environment in which healthy brains and immune systems grow. I spend all day every day working on how to end homelessness in my community in Portland, Oregon, and I know what the effects of chronic, unpredictable, toxic stress do to young brains and bodies. Feel lucky for what you have. Don’t be ashamed of it, but put it to use.”
After spending the day observing classes and meeting students and teachers, both sisters expressed delight in what they found at their alma mater. In a brief interview, Jennifer began by commenting on the school’s physical plant, particularly the Upper School. “It looks like the Apple or Google campus!” she exclaimed. “It’s a light-year leap ahead of the way it looked when I was a student here.”
Observed Rachel, “It’s such a happy place, and it’s wonderful to see the responsiveness of the curriculum. Today’s students are aware of what’s happening in the wider community, and their learning is so intentional.”
And both said that they were pleased to see that the school still had its “familial” feeling — even though it is much bigger. “It’s good — and rewarding — to be back, and we are extremely honored and beyond grateful to be here.”
Rachel Solotaroff with classmate Kristen Erickson Wilson ’88
The Distinguished Alumni Award is presented annually to the alumnus or alumna who has distinguished him or herself in career accomplishments and community leadership. Selection of a Distinguished Alumnus/Alumna of Breck will be based on the candidate’s qualifications in the following areas:
• Models perpetual learning. Demonstrated efforts to increase his/her knowledge in his/her chosen field, earned graduate degrees or completed significant coursework, provided leadership in seminars or teaching, engaged in other professional development activities.
• Reflects positively on Breck by achieving career distinction. Received awards or other recognition by professional peers, served on government or professional association boards, published papers or other work, been profiled in professional publications.
Distinguished Alumni Recipients
1976 George R. Thiss ’46
1977 Lee R. Anderson ’57
1978 George R. A. Johnson ’59
1979 Walter L. Bush, Jr. ’47
1980 C. Carroll Hicks ’47
1981 Timothy R. Hitchcock ’59
1982 Frederick O. Glasoe ’46
1983 Robert J. White ’46
1984 Alfred E. M. France ’45
1985 Bradford W. Parkinson, Sr. ’52
1986 Loren E. Halvorson ’45
1987 Charles M. Converse ’49
1988 Richard W. Myers ’64
1989 David C. Brown ’52 and Warde F. Wheaton ’45
• Recommits to teamwork and collaboration. Has made/is making a significant contribution to his/her field as marked by leadership positions, publications, innovation or invention adopted by others in the field or general public.
• Reconnects with his/her community. Gives back to the general community as a volunteer.
• Reemphasizes character and ethical values. Is a positive role model for others.
1990 William R. Schmalstieg ’46
1991 James S. Womack ’46
1992 Stanley A. Leonard ’48, Arnold S. Leonard ’48
1993 Ralph W. Burnet ’63
1994 Harlyn O. Halvorson ’43
1995 Stanley S. Hubbard ’51
1998 Thomas S. Beech ’57
1999 James F. Mossman ’49
2000 Richard A. Proudfit ’49
2001 William T. Ellison ’59
2002 R. T. Rybak ’74
2003 William H. Brown ’47, John M. Brown ’49, James P. Brown ’51, Robert S. Brown ’56
2004 Christopher L. Murray ’80
2005 Mary Sarah Fangman ’86
2006 Fletcher G. Driscoll ’51
2007 Stacey Kohler Moran Ph.D. ’82
2008 Alec Soth ’88
2009 Robert C. Roosen ’50
2010 Richard W. Clary ’71
2011 David R. Williams ’83
2012 Wilbur “Tib” Tussler ’50
2013 Rob Melrose ’88
2014 Richard Bury, Ph.D. ’64
2015 Spencer Reece ’81
2016 Murisiko Raifu, M.D. ’93
2017 Jennifer Solotaroff, Ph.D. ’86, Rachel Solotaroff, M.D. ’88
Note: The Breck School Alumni Association presented the Alumni Achievement Award to its first alumnus in 1976. At the time, the award honored an alumnus who had distinguished himself through his service to the school and his career or civic accomplishments since leaving the school. In 1988, the Alumni Association decided to recognize these accomplishments separately, thus creating two awards: the Distinguished Alumni Award and the Alum of the Year Award.
Senior Johnna Johnson snaps back during Homecoming Coronation.
1947
In celebration of their 70-year reunion, Robert Read and Tom Thiss met for lunch. Bob lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and is an ophthalmologist. He still practices three days per week. Tom lives in Excelsior and is an avid kayaker. He currently serves as an Emeritus Member of the Alumni Council.
alumni news
1961
1964
1963
Bill Harley and his wife, Jean, report that their publisher has released their second book entitled, Transformed: How to Make the Decisions That Change Your Life. In this book, the Harleys introduce a transformative decision-making process for couples, families, organizations, communities, and institutions that: engages the whole human being; improves relationships at all levels; calls forth latent qualities and capacities in its practitioners; fosters true interpenetration of diverse thoughts; dramatically deepens understanding; yields creative, robust decisions that rise above partisan and ideological bickering; and results in justice and unity. This book is a sequel to their first book released last year, Now That I’m Here, What Should I Be Doing? Both books are available on Amazon and in bookstores.
Pictured in Chicago Cubs gear at the Great Wall, Scott Rahn and his wife, Laurie, spent a terrific month in China last spring.
Class of 1952
The Class of 1952 celebrated its 65-year reunion with a dinner on Friday, September 15.
Dick Myers and Rusty Nelson hosted the annual Golden Mustangs Luncheon during Homecoming week.
Class of 1967
The Class of 1967 celebrated its reunion at the Golden Mustangs Luncheon.
1967
After 50 years, John Desteian, Tom Olson, and David Seldon met for lunch in July.
1981
Robin Sternberg has been named CEO of Marin Economic Forum. The Marin Economic forum provides information and opportunities to collaborate for improving the California county’s economic vitality, while seeking to increase social equity and protect the environment.
Over 873 Breck alumni and parents are members of the Breck School Community Group on LinkedIn. Are you? Visit breckschool.org to connect.
Class of 1977 celebrated its reunion with members from the classes of 1976 and 1978. The weekend of activities was put on by
Celebrating 35 years, the Class of 1982 gathered at Town Hall Brewery on Saturday, September 16. The reunion committee included John Adams, Amy Binning, Charles Horowitz, Kim Murphy, Elizabeth Powers-Dempsey, Kris Simonson, and Adam Wolkoff
Sally Butwin, Tim Kennedy, Charlie Hicks, Paul Hovland, Debbie Finney, Dave Olin, Cindy Brill ’78, and Sandy Muschenheim
1988
Craig Taborn was featured in the New York Times Magazine article, “The Ethereal Genius of Craig Taborn.”
1985 Alumni Council member Sandy Stone served as co-chair of the 2017 Homecoming Barbecue and Carnival on Saturday, September 16.
1988
Kirstin Erickson Wilson is serving her second year on her term as Alumni Council President. Her executive committee includes: Christy Piotrowski Leintz ’04 (Vice President), Colin Brooks ’97 (Secretary), Ben Schleuss ’99 (Executive Chair of Service), Alicia Luther ’99 (Executive Chair of Events), and Chas Simcox ’00 (Executive Chair of Recognition).
1988
Katharine Anderson Groethe and Alycya Hjelm Cardwell led the efforts to install a Breck Museum in the Salas Commons.
1986 and 1988
Sharing the recognition with her sister, Jennifer Solotaroff, Ph.D., ’86, and Rachel Solotaroff, M.D., ’88, were honored with the 2017 Distinguished Alumni Award on Thursday, September 14 (see p. 28).
1987
The class of 1987 celebrated its 30-year reunion over Homecoming weekend. Efforts were led by Katie Lund McKenna, Mary Morrison, Kathy Walker Gustafson, Heather Heefner, Chip Johnson, Bill Lewis, Chris McGrann, Debbie Pogue Mixon, Stephanie Burnet Ott, Eileen O’Toole, Kris Petersen, John Waelti, and Michelle Williams.
1989
Alumni Council member Margot Murray Olness co-chaired the 2017 Homecoming Barbecue and Carnival on Saturday, September 16.
Distinguished Alumni Committee member, Allison O’Toole ’89, presented the award on September 14.
1990
Molly Cronin Clark presented the Christin Mead Award at the 2017 Upper School Awards on June 6.
Past President of the Breck Alumni Association, Chris Welsh joined the Breck Board of Trustees in July.
1992
Mark Speltz recently moved west to start a new job as a Senior Historian and Vice President with Abbot Downing, a Wells Fargo business. As a member of the Family & Business History Center at Wells Fargo’s corporate headquarters in San Francisco’s Financial District, he uses historical documents and storytelling to help families of unique wealth discover, understand, and preserve their family history for the benefit of future generations. Mark and his wife, Kari, settled in Lafayette in the East Bay, where their daughter Marie started first grade. The family is excited to call California home and looks forward to exploring the beautiful state. Mark would enjoy connecting with other Breck alumni in the Bay Area.
1995
1992
The Class of 1992 celebrated its 25-year reunion on September 30 at Hotel Ivy. Caryn Mead Kelly and Cally Morrison Norris led this year’s efforts.
1997
Colin Brooks led the effort behind the Class of 1997’s 20-year reunion on Saturday, September 30.
1993
Benjamin Vogt released his latest book, A New Garden Ethic: Cultivating Defiant Compassion for an Uncertain Future, this summer. He speaks around the country on sustainable landscapes for wildlife and owns Monarch Gardens LLC, a prairie garden design firm in Nebraska.
Ashley Junghans ’01 and Mike Freiberg represented the Alumni Community by honoring recently retired drama director Tom Hegg at a reception for parents and alums on Sunday, May 21.
1997
Tarnika McDaniel presented the L. Paxton Meeker Award at the 2017 Upper School Awards on June 6.
Colin Brooks and Mike McKeon ’98 will be serving as the Alumni Co-Chairs of Breck’s Annual Fund.
Muri Raifu married Feven Yohannes on June 3. The couple is pictured with his Minnesota family.
1998
Sara Marsh plays the lead in Dark & Stormy’s production of Fool for Love by Sam Shepard.
alumni news
1999
Jason Keene has been named to Morehouse College’s list of 150 Men Under 40. He graduated Cum Laude from Morehouse in 2003 with a B.A. in political science and earned his masters of science in communications from Northwestern University in 2012. Jason currently serves as Regional Director of Major Gifts, Eastern Region, at the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University.
2001
Alison Flint was inducted into Breck’s Athletic Hall of Fame on September 14. She earned varsity letters in swimming during all four years of Upper School and was named All-Conference Honorable Mention in 1998 and 1999. In Nordic ski she competed all four years at the varsity level and earned All-Conference Honors each year. She served as captain for the sport during her junior and senior years. Alison was the recipient of the Allen Dunn Trophy and the Athena award.
2001
Gwen Heasley is excited to announce that her Christmas novella Miss Christmas (published under pen name Gigi Garrett) will be a 2017 Hallmark Christmas film. It will star Brooke D’Orsay and Marc Blucas.
2004
2002
Dominique Byrd was inducted into Breck’s Athletic Hall of Fame on September 14. He was an outstanding student athlete competing in both football and basketball. He earned Varsity letters in football all four years in the Upper School. He earned All-Conference Honors in 1999, 2000, and 2001 and was named Most Valuable Player in 2001. He was on the Varsity basketball team starting in 8th grade and was named All-Conference in 2001. Dominique was the recipient of the Allen Dunn Trophy, the Fred B. Anderson Athletic Trophy, and went on play in the NFL.
Catherine Gray MacDonald and Tate Randolph Huffard were married July 22 at St. Martin’s by-the-Lake Episcopal Church in Minnetonka Beach, MN. Gray is a teacher at Katherine Delmar Burke School, an independent kindergarten through eighth-grade school in San Francisco. She graduated from Trinity College in Hartford and received a master’s degree in education from Bank Street College.
2005
Alex Frecon is at it again! Check out his latest video at https://youtu.be/ vWDr8qPjZ7A. It was picked up by TSN (Canada’s ESPN).
2006
Miles Marmo accepted a position on the Board of Directors for The Advertising Federation of Minnesota. He started on July 1.
2007
Paul Bakalich presented the Robbie Monick Scholarship Award at the 2017 Upper School Awards on June 6.
2007
Mike Nelson’s North Mallow marshmallow company was part of a Pop-Up Display at Target in August. To learn more about Mike’s company go to northmallow.com.
2008
Brooks Byrd presented the Fred B. Anderson Athletic Trophy at the 2017 Upper School Awards on June 6.
2010
2009
Rachel Gerhart is a new teacher at Breck!
Michael Mooney ’10, Jennifer Fabian ’15, Madi Lommen ’15, Nicole Miller ’15, Emma Luten ’15, and Cecily Nordstrom ’16 shared their experience in college at the annual Senior Preparedness Day on May 18.
2011
Julian Randall’s manuscript, Refuse, was selected by Vievee Francis for the 2017 Cave Canem Poetry Prize. Julian received a cash prize, publication by The University of Pittsburgh Press in Fall 2018, complimentary copies of the book and a feature reading in New York City. A Pushcart Prize nominee, he has received fellowships from Callaloo, BOAAT and the Watering Hole and was the 2015 National College Slam (CUPSI) Best Poet. Julian is the curator of Winter Tangerine Review’s Lineage of Mirrors and a poetry editor for Freezeray Magazine. He is also a co-founder of the Afrolatinx poetry collective Piel Cafe. His work has appeared or is forthcoming in publications such as Nepantla, Rattle, Ninth Letter, Vinyl, Prairie Schooner and The Adroit Journal among others. He is an MFA candidate in poetry at the University of Mississippi. Julian currently lives in Chicago.
2012
Former New York Riveters defender Milica McMillen was named as an assistant coach for the Ohio State University women’s hockey team.
2013
Caleb Kumar graduated from Stanford University with a B.S. in science, technology and society, with a concentration in biotechnology. He will now pursue a graduate degree at Stanford. The program is through the Department of Medicine and offers a specialization in community health and prevention medicine research.
2013
Nicole Miller presented the Mrs. Reuben L. Anderson Sacred Studies Award at the 2017 Upper School Awards on June 6.
2013
Graydon Kulick presented the Timothy Randall and Todd Allen Hitchcock Scholarship at the 2017 Upper School Awards on June 6.
2013
Jack Dickinson spent the summer studying and interning in Beijing, which he had wanted to do ever since taking Wang Laoshi’s Chinese I class six years ago. He splits his time between classes at Peking University and an internship in the foreign investments department of a Chinese corporation. The highlights of his summer were the weekend trips around China and reconnecting with Maxwell Miao and Sofie Kim
2016
Shivani Nookala was featured in the “College Prep” section of the October issue of Mpls. St.Paul Magazine, reflecting on her experiences with the Melrose Family Center for Servant Leadership during her time at Breck.
2016
Anna Zumwinkle presented the Allen Dunn Trophy at the 2017 Upper School Awards on June 6.
2016
Michael Mooney ’10, Jennifer Fabian ’15, Madi Lommen ’15, Nicole Miller ’15, Emma Luten ’15, and Cecily Nordstrom shared their experience in college at the annual Senior Preparedness Day on Thursday, May 18.
2017
University of Minnesota forward Grace Zumwinkle, last year’s Ms. Hockey winner, was named WCHA preseason rookie of the year. Grace will play for the University of Minnesota this season.
2017
Reina Markert was selected as a Fellow for Global Citizen Year, an award-winning nonprofit reinventing the post high school gap year as a launch pad for global leaders. Reina is spending the year in Ecuador, immersing herself in the language and culture. She plans to follow a Spanish and pre-law curriculum at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities next year on her way to becoming an immigration lawyer, and left for Ecuador feeling nervous, excited, and interested in the prospect of viewing what’s happening in America from a global perspective.
Former Faculty
In June, Margaret Wong was honored at a ceremony at Eastcliff, the residence of the president of the University of Minnesota. Wong, who received her bachelor’s degree with high distinction from the U, was recognized as a “Chinese teaching pioneer, author, and cultural ambassador.”
IN MEMORIAM
1966
Bob Eichenlaub passed away on May 5. After graduating from Breck, Bob married Margaret Gerth in Victoria, Illinois, in 1969 and graduated from Iowa Wesleyan College in 1970. After he worked as an accountant and raised his family, Bob’s entrepreneurial spirit took hold and he successfully built his own business. He retired to a life of travel in which he accomplished a lifelong goal of visiting all 50 states, playing with his beloved grandchildren, and golfing whenever the weather allowed (and sometimes when it didn’t). He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Margaret, and their children, John (Shelley) Eichenlaub, Matthew (Erin) Eichenlaub, and Eric Eichenlaub, as well as Bob’s twin brother, William ’66 (Kathy) Eichenlaub and his siblings Carol (Jack) Watts, Joan (Ron) Williams Near, and Richard ’76 (Peggy) Eichenlaub and grandchildren Theo, Katie, and Ben.
1983
Rob Romero passed away unexpectedly on July 3. After graduating from Breck, Rob continued his studies at the University of St. Thomas and the University of Minnesota. For over 20 years, Rob worked as an Operations Manager at Dow Chemical. He is survived by son Taylor Romero McManus of San Francisco; mother Liz (Bill) French; father Rob (Cece) Romero; siblings Paul and Santina Romero of Atlanta, GA; special aunts and uncles, Kathy (Al) Schowalter, Patrick (Kim) Koehnen and Irene Prescott. He will be deeply missed by loving partner, best friend and perfect match, Colleen Harens. He will be remembered for his compassionate spirit and generous hugs.
Sam Reisberg ’19
BRECK ATHLETES WRAP UP SUCCESSFUL TEAM-BUILDING SEASON
Highlights: Track and Field, Girls Golf find success at state; Metz brothers take second in state doubles tennis tournament.
Softball
A young 2017 softball team worked hard and grew together as a result of a hard fought season. Addie Gleekel ’18 and Svea McNally ’18 won AllConference Honorable Mention honors and Malisha Stevenson ’17 received an All-Conference award. Team awards went to Svea McNally ’18 (MIP), Malisha Stevenson ’17 (MVP), and Addie Gleekel ’18 (Mustanger).
Boys Golf
The boys golf team worked hard in spite of a difficult IMAC conference. The majority of the team members will return for the 2018 season, so they will look for a strong showing this spring. Team awards went to Sam Reisberg ’19 (MIP), Justin Paschke ’18 (MVP), and Cory Jameson ’19 (Mustanger).
Girls Golf
The girls golf team took fifth place at state. The team included Aly Hogan ’20, Anne Johnston ’17, Margie Johnston ’18, Alayna Simonds ’18, Amelia Simonds ’18, and Grace Zumwinkle ’17. Amelia took 14th place overall with a two-day score of 165 and Grace took 15th place with a two-day score of 166. Aly Hogan ’20 and Anne Johnston ’17 won All-Conference Honorable Mention awards and Margie Johnston ’18, Alayna Simonds ’18, Amelia Simonds ’18, and Grace Zumwinkle ’17 all received All-Conference awards. Team awards went to Effie Mehbod ’19 (MIP), Amelia Simonds ’18 (MVP), and Aly Hogan ’20 (Mustanger).
Boys Lacrosse
The boys lacrosse team had a difficult season against very challenging opponents. The majority of the team will return in the 2018 season, where they will continue to build on the work from last year. All-Conference Honorable Mention awards went to Gavin Hopping ’18 and Bryce Parrish ’18 All-Conference honors were awarded to Reed Goldstein ’17, Ryan Stafford ’18, and Arlo Zelickson ’19. Team awards went to Sean Reiling ’18 (MIP), Reed Goldstein ’17 (MVP), and Kelton Clarke ’17 (Mustanger).
Girls Lacrosse
The girls lacrosse team found success this year with a 12-3 record. With a combination of veteran and young players, the team was able to compete against challenging opponents and finish second in the section. All-Conference Honorable Mention awards went to Deirdre O’Neill ’19 and Natalie Ott ’19. All-Conference honors were awarded to Polly Burns ’19, Eloise Cherian ’19, Lauren Kozikowski ’17, Sammie Nelson ’17, Taylor Nelson ’19, and Grace Taylor ’17 Team awards went to Deirdre O’Neill ’19 (MIP), Grace Taylor ’17 (MVP), and Sammie Nelson ’17 (Mustanger).
Baseball
The baseball team worked hard through a tough season. With a number of freshman on the team, they look forward to continued success in the program. Carter Breitenfeldt ’17, and Ethan Guell ’19 were All-Conference Honorable Mention and Will Torgerson ’18 received an All-Conference honor. Team awards went to Matthew Conroy ’19 (MIP), Will Torgerson ’18 (MVP), and Ethan Guell ’19 (Mustanger).
Track and Field
The track and field team finished their season by sending two relays and three individuals to the state meet held at Hamline University, St. Paul. David Roddy ’19 competed in the shot put where he broke the school record with a throw of 50' 7" and took seventh place at state. Roddy had previously broken the school record in his first-ever competition earlier this spring.
The girls 4x100m relay also qualified for the state meet where they took sixth place overall with a time of :50.71. Participants included Kajsa Johansson ’17, Kaitlyn MacBean ’20, Paige Olowu ’18, and Abigail Wesson ’20
Kajsa Johansson ’17 also qualified for the 100m dash at state as did the boys 4x100m relay, which included Alex McFarland ’18, Josh Taylor ’19, Ronnie Richardson-Matthews ’17, and Elijah Zackery ’20. Saylor Hawkins ’19 qualified for the high jump and the triple jump.
All-Conference Honorable Mention awards went to: Kaitlyn MacBean ’20, Alex MacFarland ’18, Jack Pohlad ’17, Kendall Riskevich ’18, Finn Salveson ’19, Abigail Wesson ’19, Terrina White ’18, and Elijah Zackery ’19. All-Conference honors went to: Saylor Hawkins ’19, Kajsa Johansson ’17, Daniel Kuntz ’17, Paige Olowu ’18, David Roddy ’19, Josh Taylor ’19, and Ronnie Richardson-Matthews ’17. Team awards went to Elizabeth Berman ’20 and Ekemini Jones ’20 (MIP), Kajsa Johansson ’17 and Jack Pohlad ’17 (MVP), Taylor Phillips ’18 and Jefferson Slocum ’18 (Mustanger).
Boys Tennis
Matthew and Thomas Metz ’19 took second place in the state doubles tennis tournament at Reed-Sweatt Tennis Center. The Metz brothers lost in the final match with scores of 6-4, 6-4. Sam Fernandez ’17 and Matthew Metz ’19 received All-Conference Honorable Mention awards and Thomas Metz ’19 and Karthik Papisetty ’19 both won All-Conference awards. Team awards went to Clayton Haberman ’23 (MIP), Karthik Papisetty ’19 (MVP), and Matthew Metz ’19 (Mustanger).
Synapse Shots
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Stories from the field:
For our summer read, the Peter Clark Center for Mind, Brain, and Education had all faculty read Neuroteach, by Glenn Whitman and Ian Kelleher. As an English teacher, reading Neuroteach has already made a difference in my classroom with how I teach vocabulary. First of all, I have always done a charades/Pictionary/Kahoot review with students before the quiz. However, I always felt a little guilty about it. Students find it so fun that I’ve always felt like I’m cheating as a teacher. Neuroteach disabused me of that, explaining the research behind retrieval practice. In the process of playing the games, we are practicing retrieval and layering our understanding — we say the words out loud and discuss their nuances and connotations. Secondly, Neuroteach caused me to re-think when I do the vocab review. In the past, I always did the review the Friday directly before the quiz. This year, I am doing the reviews a full week earlier because I am intentionally interleaving the studying process (something we learned about in our English departmental read, Make it Stick) and trying to lessen the amount of last-minute cramming that is the tendency with vocab. The benefit to my students was clear with the very first vocab assessment where over 90 percent of the students scored over 90 percent on the quiz. In the hopes of making these vocabulary words a more permanent part of their lexicon, they will be assessed on them again during the final.
— Gretchen Scherer, Upper School English
Definitions
Formative Assessment: Assessments that happen formally and informally throughout a learning process to give the teacher information about student progress, so they can adjust their teaching, and can serve to cement learning for students through retrieval repetition and self-reflection on progress.
Interleaving: Traditionally, learning occurred in a linear and blocked fashion where students are taught the first skill or content and then the next, and the next (AABBCCDD). Interleaving is the process of teaching multiple skills or content points concurrently or alternately (ABCBDCAD). It has been shown to improve learning in the short and long term in multiple real-world classroom applications. Interleaving asks the brain to do something difficult — distinguish between things — in a way that results in greater engagement with the material, more neural firing, and better memory building.
Retrieval Practice: Simply put, this learning strategy has us focus less on getting learning into our students heads and, instead, puts the emphasis on getting the learning out and expressed. By doing this we ask a lot of our brain and memory system, thereby strengthening our connection to the material and increasing our ability to remember.
Blue & Gold Bash
MISSION
Today at Breck
Today at Breck is a publication of Breck School, 123 Ottawa Ave. N., Golden Valley, MN 55422 email: communications@ breckschool.org
HEAD OF SCHOOL
Natalia R. Hernández, Ed.D.
EDITOR
Stacy Glaus
CHIEF WRITER
Jill Field
DESIGN
Brenda Janisch-Hoban
WRITERS
Jill Field, Tina Fourniea, Stacy Glaus, Michelle Geo Olmstead PHOTOGRAPHERS
DnK Photography, Stacy Glaus, Chelen Johnson, Lauren Kiesel, Lucia Miller-Shiell, Karyl Rice, Sara Rubinstein, Marcel Smits, Tom Taylor
PRINTING
Bolger Vision Beyond Print Fall 2017
Breck is an Episcopal, coeducational, college-preparatory day school enrolling students of diverse backgrounds in grades preschool through twelve.
Breck’s Mission is to:
each student for a
Help develop each
Instill in each
Breck School is committed to environmental stewardship. This publication is printed on paper manufactured with electricity in the form of renewable energy (wind, hydro, biogas) and a minimum of 30% postconsumer recovered fiber.
Parents of Alumni: Please forward this publication if your daughter or son no longer maintains a permanent address at your home, or please notify us (763.381.8129 or alumni@breckschool.org) of their new mailing address.
Frankie Scherer ’29 gives a high five to her cousin, Gavin Luebke ’21, during the 2017 Homecoming Coronation. Scherer, accompanied by Jack Pohlad ’29, was especially excited to represent Breck by wearing blue light-up shoes.
