BFS Fall 2012 Newsletter

brooklyn Friends School Newsletter

Vol. 9, No. 1 fall 2012

Not One Damsel in Distress

BFS Hosts Live Webcast with Author Shannon Hale

by Angela Ungaro You might think if

you’ve heard one princess story, you’ve heard them all. After reading one of Shannon Hale’s books you’d probably change your mind. Shannon Hale is the New York Times best-selling author of six young adult novels, including the Newbery Honor book Princess Academy and its sequel Palace of Stone. Our own Middle School Head Martha Haakmat has commended this author for her “strong female main characters, who are living adventures and plotting rebellion in the face of inequity.”

Every year the BFS Library hosts visits with authors and illustrators. This year, in cooperation with Bloomsbury Books for Young Readers and School Library Journal, we were thrilled to have the opportunity for Shannon Hale to visit 4th through 8th graders on October 1, 2012.

This particular visit was unprecedented at Brooklyn Friends School. While BFS students participated live and in person with the author in our meetinghouse, a virtual audience made up of more than 150 schools, thousands of students, and educators from all over the United States

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Shannon Hale at Brooklyn Friends School

also tuned in to watch and ask questions in a live webcast.

In person, Shannon Hale is an incredibly funny and engaging storyteller. She began the talk with a slideshow of her growingup years and showed the audience a collection of her rejection letters that were rolled into a 25 foot long banner. Her humor and quirky sensibility came through especially when she talked about the graphic novels Rapunzel’s Revenge and Calamity Jack, which she co-wrote with her husband Dean Hale.

In between talking about her process as a writer and answering live and virtual audience

questions, Shannon selected a few BFS students to help her through a storytelling exercise.

Each student had to name a main character and a setting; define the character’s goals, needs, and wants; describe the crisis, obstacle, or fear the character faces; and write the last line of the story.

Eighth grader Claudius Agrippa was one of those students. On stage, with Shannon’s help, he developed an imaginative story about a character named Mobulus who lived on the surface of a cold sun. An adventurous spirit, Mobulus wants to find a drop that will take him deep into the center

To view the Shannon Hale webcast, go to brooklynfriends.org/library

of the sun, but he is afraid he won’t be able to find a way back.

The last line of his story is, “We flew out of the darkness not fearing what we left behind.”

“Shannon inspired me and made me want to write,” Claudius said afterwards. “After doing that I found writing to be easier, more thoughtful, and fun.”

For weeks after Shannon’s visit, students and teachers continued to buzz with excitement about her effortless style and mastery as an author. Fourth grader Tessa Marker shared, “I like Shannon’s books because they’re not predictable. She puts a twist in each story.” A “twist” being a would-be princess who is more than capable and willing to stand up for herself, her friends, her family, and what is right.

Even more than a month later, long-time Shannon Hale reader and BFS senior, Asia Kaul described Shannon’s visit as, “Absolutely incredible...there are no words.” Well, maybe there are a few words. In one final e-mail from Shannon, she had this to say: “It was such a great experience for me, too. Brooklyn Friends rocks!”

Message from Head of School Dr. Larry Weiss

A Tale of Two Teams

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he evolution of athletics and physical education at BFS over the past few years can be considered one of our school’s less-told stories that deserves to be brought into the light. Under the leadership of Athletic

Director David Gardella and Middle/Upper School Physical Education Chair Gary Lawson, sports teams and PE classes are undergoing a renaissance and reinvention.

Nowhere was this development more evident than on an overcast soccer field at Red Hook on October 25, when the BFS Girls Varsity Soccer Team won the ISAL Playoff Championship against Birch Wathen Lenox by a score of 8-1. This was the capstone of an extraordinarily successful season of ten wins, one defeat and three ties.

The team’s record stands in stark contrast with its winless season in 2007. Starting the next year, however, Girls Varsity Soccer began a slow but steady climb to a winning record in 2011. But to move from a winning record to a championship in one year required exceptional commitment, talent, teamwork and spirit. All such attributes were vibrantly visible to the more than 100 students, faculty, parents, and staff who journeyed to Red Hook to watch an outstanding victory.

The team’s scoring was led, as it was throughout the season,

by Halima Matthews, a truly extraordinary 8th grader. Halima scored six goals to bring her total for the year to 34. In doing so, Halima broke the record for the team’s all-time career top scorer. In one year, she outscored the previous record holder’s four-year total. But, as Coach Gary Lawson noted, “No one player makes a team, and of course credit goes to the entire

“No better example of teamwork, or of the virtues of leadership and service that are highlighted in the BFS Mission Statement, could be conceived.” squad of players for such an amazing season.”

As a member of the joyous crowd that celebrated the game’s outcome, I’m relatively sure that no one in this group would have predicted that the misty wind blowing quietly in the grey sky would, a mere four days later, become Superstorm Sandy that brought flood and ruin to many parts of Red Hook and other

low-lying areas of Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, Staten Island and New Jersey.

When the storm finally ended on Tuesday night, October 30, hundreds of thousands of people were without electric power or heat; and thousands of homes were destroyed by flood or fire.

Public schools were closed and would remain closed for the rest of the week.

By Wednesday, October 31, however, another BFS team – this one made up of the school’s five division heads, our Dean of Faculty, and me – were debating whether it made sense to reopen school the next day in an effort to make our learning community available and accessible to students, faculty, and parents. We wanted to provide an opportunity for our students, from two year-olds to high schoolers, to get together with their teachers to achieve some relaxed and reflective perspective on the unprecedented and disturbing events that many had just experienced.

Thursday, November 1, and Friday November 2, were in no way intended to be regular school days; and they were not.

Attendance was voluntary for students and faculty. In the end, more than two-thirds of the faculty participated, many taking journeys that took hours under very difficult conditions to ar-

rive at BFS. With approximately three-fifths of the student body, this remarkable faculty and staff team brought the learning community alive in ways that will long be remembered.

One example of this team’s success is burned permanently in my memory. An informal group of tenth graders – aware of the very difficult conditions in which thousands of public housing residents in Red Hook were living – decided on their own to bring as much food and other needed materials as they could collect directly to Red Hook on Friday afternoon. The students established contact with a local emergency service group in Red Hook. They were told that food, flashlights, batteries and first aid supplies were the highest priorities. The school’s chef had cooked and served a superb lunch, a substantial portion of which remained and was still warm. The students raised money from faculty and their own pockets for the other supplies, which they purchased at a local Duane Reade. With faculty support, the students organized transportation, and brought the food and other materials directly to the neighborhood. No better example of teamwork, or of the virtues of leadership and service that are highlighted in the BFS Mission Statement, could be conceived.

In friendship,

around the school FAMILY CENTER

The school year is well under way in the Family Center! The children are settled, busy, and learning so much about themselves. The parents are settled, busy (as all parents are), and have worked with us to help their children become part of their classrooms. At any moment you will find groups of children playing (i.e. working), creating, helping, talking somewhere in the Family Center.

This doesn’t happen by accident. The program is thoughtfully structured to guide the children towards becoming members of their peer communities. Each aspect of the day – the schedule, the activities, the toys – is carefully considered and planned. We start with classroom environments that are clearly designed to work for the children. As they arrive, they make a choice about how they want to start their day and the layout of the classroom guides them – do I sit on the meeting rug and read a book, do I go to the block area and start a building on the rug, do I take a puzzle to the table, do I see if the paints are ready (and put on a smock)... it is clear to them how to do what they want in all parts of the

room. The toys that are out as they come in invite them to start their work. The books on the shelf are clues to what the class is studying and exploring.

But there is another important ingredient to this - the teachers. As they get to know each child they structure the room, the materials, and the activities to ensure that all the children continue to learn, to grow as they gain a sense of just how much they are capable of doing.

And the best is what we already see in our students - bright, capable, excited, kind and happy children. What a pleasure it will be to see where this purposeful – and magical – planning will take us this year.

– Sara Soll Director of Family Center

PRESCHOOL

The first months of school have been a season of many “firsts.”

Shortly after the children learned their teachers’ names, they began to learn the names of their new classmates with whom they will establish friendships over the course of the year. Their early days were filled with their group Meeting Times, the reading of stories and the singing of songs,

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bfs on the road This year Larry will be traveling to Chicago and Florida to visit with members of the BFS community.

For more information contact Deborah Weinstein ‘84 at dweinstein@brooklynfriends.org

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Family Center children examine their collection of leaves on a lightbox.

Preschoolers enjoy a visit to the Farmer’s Market.

as well as with play periods in the various learning centers.

Soon to follow were times for art, enjoying lunch, and a wellneeded rest for our full timers.

Another exciting “first” was roof time. Going up the elevator and climbing the stairs may as well have been a climb to Mount Everest, especially for our Threes students. But as observed by the twinkles in their eyes and the squeals of glee as they stepped outside, it was well worth the effort.

By now the children have begun “Specials;” they have participated in their first sing with Tony, their first music class with Nancy, dance class with Jules, and library with Kathy and Melissa. And yet another first – the Red Room has Middle School Buddies this year. It was a treat to see eight fifth and sixth graders join their Red Room Buddies on the roof. It was very special for us to know that these young people chose Preschool Buddies as their free choice activity. We heard from their teachers that many more students had signed up but unfortunately we could accommodate only eight this time. We

look forward to expanding this program in the future!

It’s no wonder that, given the energy and effort that the children have been expending at school, some consequential behaviors appeared at home. Our first coffee hour with Dr. Bruce Arnold on the adjustment to school overflowed, with parents, grandparents and caregivers all in attendance. A lively discussion ensued on sleep and eating disruptions and after school meltdowns. Several more coffee hours and gatherings for parents have taken place, ensuring not only a year of growth and development for our students, but for our families as well.

- Maura Eden Head of Preschool

lower school

I recently gave an admissions tour and was joined by a student in our high school. He has been a student at BFS since the Family Center. He shared with prospective parents his interest in the arts, languages, and the International Baccalaureate program.

He also told the parents how he

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lower school continued from page 3

felt about his teachers – their commitment to him, how they really know who he is, and their ability to care for, stretch, and challenge him.

So, how do teachers at BFS get to know their students so well?

There is a lot of community- and relationship-building in every classroom. Whether a student is 2, 9, 14, or 18, teachers take the time to learn about the individual – what kind of student she is, what makes her smile, her interests, passions, and usually, something personal.

Teachers also form relationships with students through the academic program. Fourth grade teachers, for example, start the year with a writing assignment that helps them get to know a little more about their students, not only as writers, but as individuals. They call the assignment, “The Name Piece.”

Parents get involved too, as students need to talk to their parents about how they got their name – inevitably there’s an interesting, sometimes funny, genuinely touching story behind how their parents went about this important decision.

To get started, teachers Bea, Jonathan, Razi, and Stephanie modeled an idea web for each of their names: how they got their name, how their name connects them to their families (maybe they were named after someone), whether they feel their name “suits” them (now, and when they were kids), whether or not they have/had nicknames, what

Fourth graders Tadan Smith (l) and Eddy Laughter (r) read their “name” stories to one another.

their name means, would they change their name if they could.

The children then create their own webs in class and then are sent home with their notebooks to get more information from their parents.

The teachers also use various mentor texts to give kids ideas about how to move beyond the more literal questions above.

Some texts used in the past are simple picture books - Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes, The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi, and My Name is Yoon by Helen Recorvits. This year, the teachers and children read “My Name” by Sandra Cisneros from The House on Mango Street. The students examined the different ways the author expressed how she felt about her name and in particular, how it was so closely related to her Mexican heritage and her feelings about her grandmother (whom she was named after).

My Two Names My mom wanted a special name. My dad wanted a name passed down from his grandmother. My grandmother’s name was Catherine Tyson. My Korean name is Won Joon. My mom’s father called her sister in Korea and she went to a name giver. The name giver gave me the name Won Joon by calculating the time and date of when I was born. I love my name.

Tyson 9/27/12

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Once teachers determine that everyone has some solid content in their webs, their final minilesson before having students write their first draft is on leads.

Teachers and students look at some of the different “ways in” the authors they studied used to get their readers interested.

The students then work in pairs and give each other constructive feedback on their writing.

The results are awesome – take a look at some of the fourth graders’ writing on the sixth floor bulletin boards and you will learn a great deal about our students. I know I did!

– Jackie Condie Head of Lower School

middle SCHOOL

The awards and recognition our students receive for any number of accomplishments – National Latin Awards, MathCounts, the Johns Hopkins University Talent Search, to name a few – are always gratifying for the students, their families, and BFS. In the Middle School, we are especially proud of the high number of honors our middle school writers receive every year in the Scholastic Writing Awards. This is no accident or happy perk, but a direct result of the careful thought, planning, and implementation of a superior writing program across the curriculum.

From 5th through 8th grades, writing is a key component of every student’s educational experience. Writing mechanics, vocabulary, and writing techniques are introduced and reinforced as students progress through the grades. The fifth and sixth grade teaching teams extend writing instruction beyond humanities classes and into math, science, and the arts so that students gain practice and an understanding of how to process what they know through written language.

Through study skills classes, there is a reinforcement of skills so that the students’ writing keeps up with the incredible intellectual growth that occurs in these years.

Students enter seventh grade primed and ready to take off with more sophisticated writing challenges. The building blocks are firmly in place, and the teaching team moves students into the next gear, pushing past writing as a restating of facts and ideas and more toward using written language as a powerful way of communicating and thinking. Our seventh and eighth grade teachers stretch our students’ vocabularies and challenge them to experiment with the expression of more complex ideas through expanded sentence construction and a discovery of their unique voices. Sophisticated investigations of literature push students beyond the basics of language integration, as they make intellectual connections between what they read and what they write. Writing becomes an important tool and extension of self, a way of making sense of the unfamiliar and a means of self-reflection. They are further challenged to reach new heights and dig more deeply into their hearts and minds to create, learn from, and utilize the strength of their own writing.

With such powerful learning, it’s no wonder that our middle school students receive substantial recognition each year in the Scholastic Writing Awards, earning silver and gold keys for

their essays, personal memoirs, poetry and short stories. Our continuing work to align our writing programs school-wide has led to even bigger honors and success in our upper school, where several of our middle school students have moved on to be National Gold Winners. At BFS, writing is empowerment, and we structure student learning around direct skill building and teacher support and attention from the puzzling out of those first written words in our pre-school through the completion of the graduation speech for that senior in upper school.

– Martha Haakmat Head of Middle School

upper SCHOOL

This year began by sharing the following quote from John Quincy Adams with the entire Upper School community: “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” The framework of associating leadership with service to others closely aligns with our Quaker values and is clearly part of the ethos of our school. The classrooms, hallways, stages, studios and fields of play are continually filled with moments where this vision of inspirational leadership comes to life. Brooklyn Friends offers myriad opportunities where students can get involved and serve others with an interest and the courage to take a risk.

One of the areas where students are continually challenged to display their ability to guide and to influence others positively is in our Activities program.

The newspaper, Word Flirt – a literary magazine, and yearbook offer a chance to produce highquality publications. Social activism and cultural awareness are another major emphasis in the activities programs with offerings including Club Latino, Diversity, Environment, Feminism, GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance) and Peace. Model United

The classic musical, Once Upon a Mattress, was presented by more than 20 young thespians from 7th through 12th grade this November.

Nations and the Bridge Film Festival provide opportunities for students to participate with other students around the country and the world in the pursuit of sharing common interests. Student interest and advocacy resulted in two new activities this year: Art Club and Careers in Health.

In all of these activities, students lead in creating the goals and designing the pathways to achieving success.

The athletics program is another wonderful way for our students to get involved and seize the opportunity to motivate and lead. Since participation guarantees a place on every team, our program is open to everyone. Our coaches always share with their teams that leadership is earned through hard work and most importantly, by making the players around you better. All our athletes have that obligation to their teammates.

Our gym walls are decorated with banners awarded to teams where the most unlikely students motivated and inspired their teams.

Among the most subtle but powerful leadership that hap-

pens in our school is when students encourage their friends to participate in a school activity that is new and outside their comfort zone, when students help other students who are struggling academically, and when students reach out to classmates who are suffering personally and/or emotionally. These deliberate and serendipitous acts of kindness are the currency of our school and happen constantly each and every day. They define the character of the student

body and are the ultimate forms of leadership as serving others.

Clearly there are myriad other opportunities in performances, exhibitions and in the academic classes. In all cases, the message is clear: Our students are busy and continually inspiring each other and the faculty with their hard work, altruism and leadership in the way John Quincy Adams envisioned.

– Bob Bowman Head of Upper School

The Girls Varsity Volleyball team made the playoffs for the 16th consecutive year this fall.

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alumni/ae class notes

by Deborah Rosenbluth Weinstein ’84 BFS publishes news submitted by alumni and friends and items published elsewhere. Mail or e-mail your Class Notes news to Deborah Weinstein ’84, dweinstein@brooklynfriends.org, or include with your gift to the Brooklyn Friends Fund. We greatly enjoy printing photos of your happy occasions!

Alum Athletes Back in Action As BFS Coaches It’s a banner year for coaching at BFS this year with four outstanding alum athletes returning to their alma mater to coach.

Edson Elcock ’03, who played soccer professionally for the Richmond Kickers, has been appointed Head Coach of the Boys Varsity Soccer Team. Julia Weber ’00 is Assistant Coach for both the Girls Varsity and Junior Varsity Volleyball Teams. Shelby Cummins ’07 has joined the staff as an assistant coach for Girls Varsity Soccer and Basketball. Will Watkins ’05 begins his fourth season as an assistant Basketball coach.

Niel Isbrandtsen Rising ’43 writes, “I had a large gathering of friends (we were 93) on June 23, 2012. It was in honor of my brother Jakob Isbrandtsen’s 90th birth year (Class of 1939).

As a surprise to Jakob, I had contacted BFS classmate Robert MacCrate ’39. Sadly Mitso Takami ’39 passed away in late 2011.” Niel would love to hear from her class. Please contact the Alumni Office and we will get you in touch with her!

Anna Bonds Dunwell ’61

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Marcia McVicar Polenz ’55 retired in July 2012 from Strasser Construction.

Anna Bonds Dunwell ’61 is now the Director of the Soul Sanctuary in the Greater Boston area and writes, “We stand for freedom on the mat, let’s also live and enjoy off the mat!” The Soul Sanctuary offers classes in yoga and meditation, special events, and retreats. (annadunwell.com) Judith (Judy) Greenberg ’64 has a new position as staff psychiatrist in child and adolescent psychiatry at Bassett Medical Center in Cooperstown, New York. Judy writes, “I will be providing care to an underserved rural population in a beautiful area of New York State.”

Jason Rodriguez ’87 of Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Jamal Mitchell ’85

been inspired to found the Religious Society of Friends.

Lucas Hedges (son of Susan Titman Bruce ’75) plays the character Redford in the recently released movie Moonrise Kingdom. Two current BFS students, Isabella and Violet Guinness, are also featured in the film.

Marci Levine Blaze ’73 won the Democratic primary this past fall and ran for the House of Representatives in New Mexico’s 23rd Congressional District.

Artist Eric Drooker ’77 has been highlighted in the “Artist’s Spotlight” for his famous New Yorker covers.

Diane Weathers ’67 writes with some updates and additions to her online BFS alum profile.

Diane is now in public relations and was recently Vice President at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.

She is transitioning to a similar position at Bronx Community College and writing her first novel. Diane just returned from a writer’s conference in Wales, where she visited the mountains where George Fox is said to have

Kevin Jeffrey ’77 was featured in the New York Times on July 8, 2012. Kevin started as Brooklyn Parks Commissioner in October 2010. The article highlights his career and how Kevin spends his time with his two sons Kyle, 8, and Kameron, 10, when weather permits, at the parks as an inspiration for his work.

Seth Silverton ’83

Rebecca Hall ’80 is proud to announce the publication of her father’s life story, A Black Communist in the Freedom Struggle: The Life of Harry Haywood, published by the University of Minnesota Press (upress.umn. edu.) Edited by Gwendolyn Midlo Hall, this is an extraordinary life story that encompasses

the fight for African American freedom throughout the twentieth century.

Adam Distenfeld ’81 had a recent exhibit, “Perpetual Energy,” that ran from August 1 through September 15, 2012 at Brooklyn Bridge Park. “My art is about subtraction,” said Adam when describing his work. “My medium is natural rock that I find at urban construction sites. I focus my artistic practice on both the interior and the exterior of the rock. In this process I make marks on the rock with a variety of industrial tools, which leave an index of my activity. My primary concern is to interact with the hard natural rock and create a sense of visual movement.” (brooklynrockwerks.com) Seth Silverton ’83, Director of the Wood Chop School in Maine, was named a TEDx speaker in 2012. He had the privilege of speaking about sustainability at TEDx Dirigo on October 20, 2012 at Bates College. The title of Seth’s talk was “Navigating the River of Paradigm Shift.” TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading and TEDx is an independently organized event. (woodchopschool. org and tedxdirigo.com) Dancer/choreographer Edisa Weeks ’83 and her dance company, DELIRIOUS Dancers, presented To Begin The World Over Again this fall at the Iron-

dale Center for Theater, Education and Outreach in the BAM Cultural District in Brooklyn.

This work delves into the writings of Thomas Paine and his spirited advocacy for freedom and democracy. Questions such as, “How are freedom and democracy packaged and promoted in America?” and “What does it mean to be free in America?” were explored. This interactive, multidisciplinary work featured six dancers and thirteen musicians and singers. (deliriousdancers.com)

in the first national tour of War Horse, which opened in Los Angeles this past June. Laurabeth plays Joey.

Jason Rodriguez ’87 of Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Jamal Mitchell ’85 of New York hadn’t seen each other in twenty years.

There they were in Santa Fe, New Mexico and they ran into each other – see the photo on previous page that proves, “It’s a small world.”

Alex Doyle ’07 currently plays in his own band Yeesh (yeeshband.bandcamp.com)

Heather Freudenthal ’01 has been running an independent film series, accompanied by dialogues, at Two Moon Art House & Cafe at 315 Fourth Avenue in Brooklyn. On September 30, 2012 she screened her own film No Regrets, But.... This feature documentary asks the question, “Can there be an ’I’ in ’We?’” The film features four women in their twenties, each exploring the notions of sacrifice and compromise.

Struggles are revealed as they search for the delicate balance of maintaining their independence and still being part of a couple. (heatherfreudenthal.com) Dahlia Freudenthal-Dumont ’02 has been showcasing her music, DecaDence, at Arlene’s Grocery, 95 Stanton Street, New York. Dahlia decribes herself as “a Brooklyn girl (and Registered Nurse) with a different kind of reggae, mixing it with French style and Tex-Mex accordion, some soul and samba.” (reverbnation.com/dahliadumont) Laurabeth Breya ’02 (Laurabeth Greenwald) is performing

Naomi Edmondson ’07 has been displaying her artistry at Brooklyn RAW: natural born artists. An independent arts organization for artists, by artists, RAW provides the tools, resources, and exposure needed to inspire and cultivate creativity for young artists in the first ten years of their careers. (rawartists.org/naomie)

FRIENDS at 5:30

On October 19, 2012 BFS Alumni gathered for “FRIENDS at 5:30” at Cielo Bar, owned by alum Gilbert Rivera ’00. All shared great memories, delicious food, and an art and poetry exhibit by BFS students and alums. We also enjoyed a speech and interactive group conversation with Head of School Dr. Larry Weiss.

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Joe Kremer, faculty alum, continues playing and touring with his band Pterodactyl.

In Memoriam Harold Warner ’30 Jean Stubbs Sterrett ’36 Barbara Windels Mulqueen ’42 Anthony Donegan ’45

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Virginia Weeks Moreau ’45 Nathan “Nate” Carb ’50 Adelaide Sterns McRae ’55 Martin Segal, father of Susan Rai ’59 and Paul Segal ’62 Harold Vaughan, BFS History Teacher - 1950s and 1960s Susan Hamelin, BFS Lower School Music Teacher - 1970s E. Lawrence Gibson, History Teacher and Chair, College Advisor, Upper School and Middle School Head, Librarian, late 1970s - 2000s Judge Gustin Reichbach, father of the late Hope Reichbach ’06 Jim Moritz BFS Upper and M/S Music Teacher - 1980s Jessie Streich-Kest ’06 Jacob Vogelman ’06 Jack Harding ’09 The Alumni/ae Office is always honored to forward your condolence letters to families whenever possible.

3 1. Left to right, front row : Martin Moore (Upper/MS Latin Teacher), Marie Schoen (wife of David Schoen), David Schoen ’81, Kertje Keane ’81, Robert Weinstein ’81. Back row: Chris Moses ’87, Temah Mollison ’87, Robert Johnson ’74, Katherine Sarkissan (wife of R. Johnson), Dr. Larry Weiss (Head of School), Hannah Janal ’99, Crystal Backus’ 96, Camille McCaul ’99, Lekeia Varlack ’99, Deborah Rosenbluth Weinstein ’84; 2. Left to right, Camille McCaul ’99, Lekeia Varlack ’99 Jonathan Richards ’99; 3. Left to right, Katherine Sarkissan (wife if Robert Johnson ’74), Diana Shapiro ’52, Irvin Shapiro (husband of Diana Shapiro).

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Getting Involved We strive to further engage our alums, whether as class agents, speakers, volunteers for your milestone reunions, or through making BFS one of your philanthropic priorities. If you are interested in deepening your connection to BFS, would like to submit news for Class Notes, have questions or want further information on alum activities at BFS, please contact Deborah Weinstein ’84, Director of Alumni/ae, dweinstein@brooklyn friends.org or 718-852-1029, ext 208.

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Upcoming

Alum Events

JANUARY 9, 2013 • 11 a.m.

Young Alums Visiting Day Our annual gathering of college-age alums from the Classes of 2009 through 2012.

Have lunch in the cafeteria; catch up with one another, friends, and faculty; and meet with Upper School students to give them a preview of college life.

February 23, 2013 • time tba Athletics Anniversary Celebration A celebration of the 10th anniversary of Brooklyn Friends School’s boys varsity basketball State Championship season. This will be an evening of reconnecting with friends and recognizing the remarkable feat of this team. A viewing of the film “Blue Pride” will be followed by a reception. 375 Pearl Street. Time to be announced.

April 26, 2013 • 6 p.m.

BFS Spring Gala The annual spring fundraising event sponsored by the Parents and Teachers Association, to benefit the financial aid program and financial aid endowment.

Join fellow alums, faculty, parents, and friends for a lovely evening of live and silent auctions, great food, and dancing. Stage 6 at Steiner Studios in the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

Check the BFS website in early March for details.

June 1, 2013 • Reunion 2013 Meeting for Worship, tours of the school, alum basketball game, socializing with delicious food and drinks, and other special activities are on the agenda for this annual event for all alums, alum faculty and staff, and current BFS faculty. Milestone reunion events are being planned as well. You will hear more details as the date approaches; in the meantime, send an e-mail to alum@ brooklynfriends.org if you have any questions or suggestions.

In Memory of

Jean Stubbs Sterrett ’36

by Susan Price ’86

T

hose who attended Reunion 2011 may remember we had a very special guest that day, besides Martin Norregaard who was being honored for his 50 years with BFS: Jean Stubbs Sterrett ’36, the former BFS trustee who, in 1961, hired Martin Norregaard. For her impact on his path, Martin described Jean as “the most important woman in his life.” Jean received a huge round of applause for this and for celebrating her 75th reunion with BFS in Brooklyn that day. BFS is saddened to share the news that Jean passed away in August of this year.

Jean Williamson Stubbs Sterrett, BFS Class of 1936, was the youngest of the four daughters of Horace R. and Laurette W. Stubbs. At BFS, Jean was Student Council President and a noted sportswoman on the field hockey, basketball, lacrosse, tennis, and softball teams. As a sophomore, Jean was high scorer on the undefeated field hockey

team, which did not give up a single goal the whole season. When lacrosse was started in her senior year, she was high scorer on the lacrosse team. As a senior, she was recognized as the Most Valuable Girls Athlete. Jean was a physical education teacher, a graduate of the Savage School of Physical Education.

Throughout her life, Jean maintained her ties to BFS, and to her friends from BFS and Brooklyn Monthly Meeting, even while she made new connections and opportunities.

Jean and and her husband James W. Sterrett were married in 1941 at the Brooklyn Friends Meetinghouse. They lived in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn for 45 years where they raised their family: Timothy Stubbs Sterrett BFS ’60, Alice Sterrett Hilton ’62, Elizabeth Sterrett Laube ’64, and Frank Stubbs Sterrett ’67. Jim and Jean were married for 68 years, until his passing in 2009. They leave 8 grandchildren, including Adam Rashid ’94 and Harris Rashid ’96, and 6 great-grandchildren. Jean is also survived by her sisters Louise Stubbs Williams ’30 and Elizabeth Stubbs Cooper ’33; her sister Edith Stubbs Chinsley ’31 passed in 2011. In 1987, Jean and Jim moved to the New York Yearly Meeting Friends Home (The McCutchen) in North Plainfield, NJ, and 17 years later to Crosslands in Chester County, PA. A birthright member of Brooklyn Friends Meeting, Jean was active on many committees and served as Clerk of Brooklyn Preparative Meeting as well as of New York Monthly Meeting (now known as New York Quarterly Meeting). One of those committees was, of course, the Schools Committee, making Jean a long-time trustee of Brooklyn Friends School. Our trustees often work unseen, but their labor is the foundation of our school and has enabled the education of every BFS student since 1867. Jean was a trustee during one of the biggest moments in BFS history, when BFS moved from Schermerhorn to Pearl Street. Jean’s stewardship, volunteerism and charitable giving at BFS, the Society of Friends, and at other organizations continue to serve as an example for us all. In ways great and small, Jean continues to inspire so many people.

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Autumn Photo Album

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1, 2. Artist Carlomagno Pedro Martínez, Director of the Oaxacan Folk Art Museum, worked with students in ceramics class. 3. Setsuko Thurlow and Yasuaki Yamashita shared their stories of the catastrophic atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki; they are holding 1,000 origami cranes, symbols of peace. 4. Deborah Freedman read her book, Blue Chicken, to Family Center and Preschool children. 5, 7.

More than 100 BFS volunteers participated in fall work day at the Quaker Cemetery. 6. Middle Schoolers collected 90 boxes of supplies for those affected

by Superstorm Sandy. 8. The PAT hosted journalist Lenore Skenazy, founder of the “anti-helicopter” parenting movement. 9,10. BFS had a community-created Photo Exhibit and talks by former NFL player Esera Tuaolo to celebrate One School Ally Week. Read more at brooklynfriends.org/extra

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Connect with Brooklyn Friends School on the Internet brooklynfriends.org 8

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FALL 2012 Brooklyn Friends School Newsletter 9

20 Questions with

Karine Blemur-Chapman

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The first time I attended Quaker meeting the silence was deafening to me. It felt strange.

Now, I realize that it is completely me. The idea of silence, diversity, honoring people’s perspectives is completely who I am –I don’t know why it felt so strange. This year, as a result of the Quaker Self-Study, I’m attending Meeting when my schedule allows. I’m on the QSS Steering Committee and one of the outcomes from the study last year is that all staff get to go to Quaker meeting now. I attend meeting with Middle School students and faculty.

arine Blemur-Chapman started at BFS as a third grade assistant teacher 11 years ago. Three years later she moved next door to Admissions, and today she is the Director of All-School En-

rollment and Preschool and Lower School Admissions. Always interested in

“the story behind the child,” her position is as sweeping and complicated as it sounds, and she doesn’t take it lightly. Still she finds much joy, laughter and peace in her hectic workplace

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How long have you worked at BFS? This is my 11th year. I started here as a third grade assistant teacher. I did that for three years and then moved into Admissions.

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You’ve been a teacher, an administrator, a Board member, and a BFS parent, so you’re very versed in the school from multiple perspectives. How did you transition from teaching to Admissions?

While I was in the classroom I noticed I was very interested in the students’ social-emotional life. I wanted to focus on that, so I started to work on a degree in psychology.

I was always interested in the story behind the child. I volunteered to lead tours for visiting families because I wanted to understand the school and admissions process better. Maybe as a result, [former Head of Admissions] Jennifer Knies offered me the opportunity to work in Admissions.

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What kind of work did you do before you came to BFS? I worked for a nonprofit in Connecticut. We worked with low-income kids in an afterschool and summer enrichment program in New London. During the summer, we lived in the housing projects with the kids to be more connected to how they and their families were living. Being that close to them in their communities helped us serve their interests better. For me, it was an impacting experience that shaped my views about race and class and how it relates to education and opportunity. I did that for four years, got married and moved here.

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Tell me about your growing-up years.

I was born in Haiti and came to the US at age two. My parents were studying to be

10 Brooklyn Friends School Newsletter FALL 2012

doctors in Port-au-Prince, and we moved to Chicago so my father could finish his residency. When my father became a pediatrician for the Air Force, we moved to New Mexico.

We also lived in New Orleans for a while, but I lived most of my life in Miami. My parents pushed through gates they weren’t meant to push through to get my sister, brother and me the best education possible. When my parents learned about the International Baccalaureate program being offered at a magnet public school, they were committed to getting me enrolled. I don’t know what they did.

All I know is that they walked into a room at a school and when they walked out I was going to be a student there. Sending me to Coral Gables instead of the high school in my neighborhood was the best thing they forced me to do. The IB program made me who I am. I was incredibly shy. If I could, I’d sit in the back row and never raise my hand or say a word. The IB didn’t allow for that at all.

My teachers saw me and showed me parts of myself that I didn’t know existed.

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Where did you go to college?

University of Miami. Go Hurricanes!

I’m a huge Hurricanes fan.

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Can you tell me about your husband?

His name is Eric. He’s from Brooklyn, and he was part of the New York City Teaching Fellows program. He got assigned to a public school in Bed-Stuy, so that’s why we moved to Brooklyn. Today he’s a Middle School Division Head at the Calhoun School.

Before that he was Director of Diversity at the Town School in Manhattan. He’s also a Berkeley Carroll School lifer and he’s currently on their Board, so he’s thoroughly immersed in New York’s independent school

community. He isn’t Haitian but he knows a little Creole and a little French. He loves Haitian food. I love him for being so interested in learning about my culture.

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Where do you guys live?

Midwood, Brooklyn.

How do you spend your time when you’re away from BFS? I mostly spend time with family. I have some uncles, aunts and cousins nearby so weekends are family-focused. And I have a little boy, Malcolm. He’s in the BFS Family Center.

He’s two. So I’m also busy taking him to play dates. He’s a popular boy. My sister lives in Jersey City, and we spend a lot of time with her. She’s more fluent in French and Creole than I am so she and the rest of my family speak the other languages with Malcolm. It’s important for us that he knows all sides of his cultures.

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What else do you like doing?

Enjoying the city. I don’t want to be one of those people who lives in the city and doesn’t know the city and its people. I love Brooklyn and taking Malcolm around to concerts and carousels, the parks and playgrounds, the beaches and boardwalks. We spend a lot of time at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. This summer, we took him to Red Hook and The Lobster Pound. They have huge lobster tanks that he was fascinated by. He enjoyed talking to the lobsters. He also tried lobster for the first time and he liked it. He liked the corn and butter better, though.

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Are you a Quaker?

I am not. I’m Catholic and I went to a Catholic elementary school in New Orleans.

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I notice you said everyone gets to go, not has to go. I think that means you’re into it.

Silence is an important part of my work at the school but also an important part of my life.

I like to be able to pause, reflect, or as one student put it, “reboot,” so I can go back to work with a sense of peace. And with this form of silence, you feel connected to something bigger and more important than yourself.

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This is a busy time of year for Admissions, right?

It’s cyclical. This is our busiest time of year.

Doing tours, interviewing families, visitors spending the day in classrooms. A new aspect of my job is to develop relationships with our current families, not just prospective families, and figure out how to retain them. That requires me getting to know people; why they come here, why they stay here. If people are thinking of leaving, for whatever reason, especially if it’s financial, it’s important for me to know about it and work with the Business Office and Financial Aid Coordinator. Generally, I am looking forward to collaborating with divisions and departments to support our retention.

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And the Admissions office overall is expanding?

The structure of the Admissions office has changed to reflect the expansion of the student population. Admissions will also move from the 7th floor to the 1st floor in the next academic year to be more accessible to families, and more connected to the center of the school.

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You have a lot of Admissions “veterans” working with you – people who have been at the school for years like you.

Does that help?

Christina Clemente is newest to BFS. She started last year. Everybody else has been here for a while. We are such a good team!

We are so different from each other both here and outside of school. We come from vastly different backgrounds. It allows us to think deeply about our assumptions. The diversity is right there in front of us. We talk about ourselves, from the silly to the serious. We talk about socioeconomic issues, race and culture, gender topics – I like conversations like that. And I am so glad that the people I work with are not afraid to talk through difficult issues. We meet some interesting families and no one has a straightforward story. I like the complexities of people. My colleagues are great at finding humor in everything, which is particularly helpful when things are stressful.

I’m so happy to come to work every day.

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The Admissions Office plays a crucial role in finding parents who will find success here, students who will find success here. A lot of what you do is determine whether a young student will thrive in the BFS culture.

It’s not a science. It’s not easy to do. It’s not something that I or anyone else in the office

takes lightly. Even the language of who’s going to “fit in” makes me uneasy, especially when they’re young. We all have the capacity to be transformed by a good, solid education and by mindful, loving teachers.

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Now it’s time to get serious. Desert island question. What three things?

Can I bring people? Sure. I’d bring my iPad. Definitely. Because that way I’d have access to my music, photo albums and books.

Great. If I could bring a person I’d bring my son. I hope he likes desert islands. He would like the fruit and the beach. Oh! And I’d bring my favorite illustrated version of the book, The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran. I guess I would need to bring some of Malcolm’s favorite books too. There are many to choose from to read over and over and over.

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What’s your sign?

Aquarius.

Does that have any meaning for you?

Do you fit the Aquarian profile?

Fully so. Aquarians are known to be passionate, in a good sense. We’re all about justice and fairness. On the other hand, our emotions can sometimes cloud our thinking.

Either way, I try to allow for all perspectives to exist. That’s probably why people come to me with their problems.

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What’s one thing that’s always in your fridge?

Fruit. Mangoes, grapes, apples. Also Haitian food.

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Like what?

Rice and beans. Rice, rice, rice with everything.

Interview by Jeffrey Stanley

Karine’s Admissions Colleagues Crystal Backus ’96

Director of Admissions (MS/US); B.A., George Washington University; M.P.S. Arts and Cultural Management, Pratt Institute Years at BFS: 8 From: Brooklyn

Christina Clemente Associate Director of Admissions (MS/US); B.A., Amherst College Years at BFS: 2 From: Bronx

Alison Ullrich

Associate Director of PS/ LS Admissions; B.S., Cornell University; M.Ed., Bank Street College of Education Years at BFS: 7 From: Cold Spring Harbor, NY

Peter Prince

Financial Aid Coordinator MS/US Mathematics; B.S., University of Kansas; M.S., University of Kansas; M.A., Teachers College, Columbia University Years at BFS: 7 From: St Paul, Minnesota

Vanessa Reynolds

Admissions Coordinator Bachelor of Music, Eastman School of Music; Master of Music, Yale School of Music; Early Childhood Certificate, CUNY City College Years at BFS: 5 From: Kingston, NY

FALL 2012 Brooklyn Friends School Newsletter 11

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Address Service Requested Vol. 9, No. 1, Fall 2012 The Newsletter is published four times a year for BFS families, faculty, alumni/ae and friends.

Joan Martin, Editor 718.852.1029 brooklynfriends.org

BFS Fall Athletics

Soccer Championship, Winning Records, and “Blue Grit”

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he Brooklyn Friends athletic program had a spectacular fall season, headlined by the Girls Varsity Soccer team’s ISAL Championship. The championship capped off a season in which the team compiled a 10-1-3 record – the best yet – and outscored their opponents by a total of 55 goals.

Records were set in both individual (sophomore Hannah Hemmerly’s 15 assists) and team (fewest goals allowed in a season with 15) categories. Most impressive was the performance of Players’ Player of the Year Award winner Halima Matthews, who scored 34 goals and had 9 assists. (The previous goal scoring record was 32 goals over 4 seasons).

Our Girls Varsity Volleyball team continued their winning

Above: Halima Matthews and Hannah Hemmerly; right: Miles Nabritt; below: the championship girls soccer team

ways this fall also, making the playoffs for the 16th consecutive year. Overall the team was very competitive, winning at least one

set in all but two games. Senior Herron Hutchins and junior Anna Mackie were named ISAL All League players.

The Girls JV and Middle School Volleyball teams had commendable seasons as well.

The JV squad worked hard, cheered each other on, and saw success come out of their dedication, especially in their 3-touch plays as the season progressed. Many of the players on the Middle School team were new to the sport. Fortunately, they had experienced leaders in 8th graders Tyler Roberts, Cosi McConnell and Caila French,

who showed leadership, patience and support.

Growth and player development characterized the 2012 Boys Varsity Soccer season, as first year head coach Edson Elcock ’03 took over a relatively inexperienced squad. Twelve of the 17 players were either freshmen or sophomores. While their record showed more losses than wins, the squad demonstrated hard work, grit, and determination. Senior Misha Holzman and sophomore Julien Bouguennec were named ISAL All League players.

The Middle School Soccer team had many bright spots in a 5-5-2 season. Noah Richter and Mali Axinn were strong leaders, and Rocco Blum, Matthew Rose, Alex Botwin, Isaac Handy, Manya Capoluongo and Niamh Henchy were commended for giving 110% effort to every game.

Student-athletes represented the school with distinction in Cross Country. Eighth grader Miles Nabritt won first place in all seven meets he ran this fall – an amazing feat.

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For the complete season reporT, go to the BFS website, brooklynfriends. org/seasonhighlights