Buckingham Friends School honors the Light within each person, inspires scholarship and spiritual community, and instills the value of caring for others and our world.
CORE VALUES
Rooted in the beliefs and traditions of Quakers, our values as a Friends school guide us to engage members of the school community in the shared responsibility of honoring the Light within each person and fostering the growth, individual talents, and passions of every student.
2025-2026 BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Alexis Ridge-Simek, Clerk
Laura Kinnel, Assistant Clerk
George Yarnall, Secretary
Lisa Pretecrum, Treasurer
Andrew Garrett ‘80
Ashley Garrett ‘72
Gene Gateniuk
Daniel Holton-Roth ‘91
Chris Kerr
Lukas Makris
Annette Miller ‘73
Bethann Morgan ‘77
Anne Porter
Tom Rogers
Julie Spears
Hudson Taylor
ADMINISTRATION
Paul Lindenmaier Head of School
Melissa Clayton Director of Admissions and Financial Aid
Katelynn Connolly
Director of Advancement
Sam Frenkel
Director of Finance and Operations
Karen Kemp
Director of Technology Innovation and Design
EDITOR
Katelynn Connolly
COPY EDITOR
Melissa Kiser
COVER PHOTO
Third Grade Car Races 2026
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Katelynn Connolly; Laura Downs; Paul Lindenmaier; Linc Merwin; Jen Murray; Abby Rizor Brown ’13
Kathleen Simone
DESIGN AND PRODUCTION
blazar design studio
SEEDLINGS SPRING 2026 FROM
LIGHT THE WAY FORWARD- THE TIME IS NOW!
HEAD
CELEBRATING TEACHER RACHEL
BFS LIGHTS IN ACTION
ROBOTICS IN LOWER SCHOOL
TEACHING DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP
FACULTY FOCUS
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT- MIRABEL ROXY ‘22
BFS CROSSWORD PUZZLE – WAITING
ALUMNI
From the Head of School
PAUL LINDENMAIER
As I sit down to reflect on this past year for this issue of Seedlings, a single, quiet Friends concept keeps rising to the surface of my mind: “The Light Within.” In a world that often feels increasingly fragmented and noisy, with ever-emerging distractions and anxieties, the most profound gift we can offer one another is not just our time or our resources, but our attention. At the heart of a Friends education lies the conviction that every individual carries an inner Light worthy of respect. However, I believe it is important to remember that the Light only truly begins to glow when it is recognized and genuinely seen by another.
There is a fundamental difference between being noticed and being seen. To be noticed is to be a face in a crowd or a name on a roster. To be seen is to have your unique identity, your
To keep up to date on all things BFS visit Paul’s blog by scanning this QR code!
struggles, and your singularly special Light acknowledged, affirmed, and appreciated without judgment.
When a student feels truly seen by their teacher, or a colleague feels seen by their peer, something transformative happens. Anxiety gives way to agency. Silence turns into a voice. We find the courage to take risks because we know we are standing on the solid ground of a community that recognizes our inherent worth.
Our mission, however, does not stop at receiving this gift. Because we believe in the equality of all people—one of our core testimonies—we carry a joyful responsibility: We must work to see others.
Actively “seeing” someone else is an intellectual social discipline. It requires us to practice deep listening, moving beyond hearing words to understanding the person behind them. We are asked to exercise empathy, stepping outside our own lived experiences to honor the perspective of another. And, the highest charge
calls upon us to seek the truth, looking past stereotypes or first impressions to find the “Light” that may be hidden beneath a variety of layers and harder to find.
In our classrooms, on our playing fields, and during Meeting for Worship, I have watched this process of recognition in action. I see it when an Upper School student encourages a nervous kindergartner, or when a faculty member pivots a lesson to honor a student’s difficult question. These are not just kind gestures; they are the lived expression of our values as a Friends school.
When we strive to ensure that everyone feels seen, we create an environment rich in a culture of community where we are all empowered to work for the common and the greater good. When we see the humanity in one another, we are far more likely to seek peace, act with integrity, and serve our broader world with compassion.
As you review this issue of Seedlings, I invite you to look closely at the faces and stories within. They are more than just a record of a school year and a series of individual and shared accomplishments; they are a testament to a community where we were all learning, every day, to look a little deeper and see a little more clearly.
Serving this school community as Head of School remains a profound privilege. If you haven’t been back to BFS in a while, I invite you to reconnect: reach out to share your stories, visit our campus, or explore our website to see how you might join us in our future endeavors. Most important, we would love to see you! •
Paul Lindenmaier, Head of School
JEM Update
BY LAURA DOWNS
The Joint Environmental Mission (JEM) program at BFS continues to thrive as we embrace changes across the globe regarding culture, politics, environmental impact, and travel. We remain committed to connecting students around the world through this mission, as this past school year illustrates.In the fall, a group of 23 students and two teachers arrived from Collège Saint-Exupéry (our partner school in France) for a 10-day stay. Many BFS families benefited from the JEM homestay experience as hosts to our visitors, a number of whom had hosted BFS students in France last spring, so bringing the relationship full circle was particularly meaningful. The guests enjoyed Upper School classes, games in Middle and Lower School classrooms, local field trips, the treasured BFS Ghostwalk, and trick-or-treating with host families.
This spring, a group of 7th- and 8th-grade BFS students in the Spanish Language program, along with two faculty members, enjoyed an unforgettable experience in
the village of Pavones, Costa Rica, living with local families for 7 days. Students engaged directly with the land and locals during a visit to a family-run sugar cane and coffee farm—roasting and grinding beans and building connections through games. The group collaborated with a local artist to paint a vibrant mural for the Ignacio Fuentes Elementary School and helped establish a sustainable recycling system. Their adventure continued with exhilarating outdoor experiences, including whitewater rafting, ziplining through the rainforest canopy, and hiking to the top of Irazú Volcano. On their final day, students reflected on their growth at a Meeting for Worship and, at a joyful farewell dinner, celebrated new friendships and memories that will last a lifetime.
Recently, our 4th Grade began a virtual penpal relationship with Oloolaimutia Primary School in Kenya. Students learned about each other’s schools and started exchanging video messages on topics ranging from favorite subjects to recess games to animals
encountered on walks or drives to school. We are excited to launch this new partnership and explore even more opportunities for virtual cultural exchanges.
Trips to France and Argentina are on the horizon for the next school year as the legacy of JEM continues to impact BFS students as we work to build a more compassionate and understanding world through this shared mission. Be sure to follow us on social media and in the news section of the BFS website for updates and highlights. •
Light the Way Forward—The time is now!
BY KATHLEEN SIMONE
The Light The Way Forward Event on Friday, February 2, 2026, was a heartwarming gathering in the new Arts Center. It featured inspiring words from Head of School Paul Lindenmaier and other community leaders, a lively surprise music performance by our talented Arts faculty and friends, and exciting details about Light The Way Forward: A Campaign for Buckingham Friends School! The evening celebrated a significant chapter in our school’s history, highlighting the incredible growth and renewal of our campus and honoring those who have generously supported our journey. Seeing so many members of our community come together was a beautiful reminder of what makes BFS truly special.
Thanks to the dedication of our community, we’ve already raised over $16 million to turn our shared dreams into reality. But there’s still work to do! We’re in the final stretch to fully fund the Arts Center. Please visit BFS.org/LTWF to find out more. The only gift too small is no gift at all!
HEAD OF SCHOOL SEARCH
Earlierthis spring, Clerk of the Board Alexis Ridge-Simek announced that the upcoming 2026–27 school year will be Head of School Paul Lindenmaier’s final year at Buckingham Friends School. Paul has decided to retire, or as he prefers, “re-wire” at the conclusion of his 47th year as a career educator (nine of which have been spent here at BFS). In her letter to the community, Alexis commented:
In the coming months, I would like our community to join in celebrating Paul’s long and successful career in education. I would especially like to highlight the nine years he has thrived as our Head of School at BFS: creating a strategic plan; guiding our school community through COVID; positioning BFS as a leading independent school in our region; navigating an increasingly complex political landscape affecting education; raising nearly $17 million for campus improvements; and truly “Lighting the Way Forward” as we look toward the next decade of BFS.
Alexis also said that, with the Board’s blessing, she will remain Clerk for the next two school years to provide continuity during this transition.
Since learning of Paul’s intentions, the Board has been preparing for a comprehensive search to identify BFS’s next leader and has retained Dr. Darryl J. Ford and Burke Zalosh of Carney Sandoe & Associates, a nationally recognized firm that specializes in independent school leadership searches, including extensive work with Quaker schools. A search committee has also been formed to lead the process and will communicate with the community throughout.
Congratulations, Paul, and here’s to new chapters!
For updates and to follow along with this process, please scan here
Celebrating Teacher Rachel
BY KATELYNN CONNOLLY
After 12 years at BFS, Rachel GriffinSnipes will be departing BFS in June to take a leadership role with her family’s nonprofit, Snipes Farm and Education Center. As Paul has said, “Rachel has left an indelible mark on our community. From her years as an inspiring First-Grade teacher and trusted Lower School coordinator to her recent leadership as clerk of the PAIS Interim Progress Report Committee,
her impact on teaching and learning has been impactful and felt. She has not only guided scores of young learners toward a bright future but has also played a meaningful part in shaping our culture and implementing new initiatives.”
Thank you, Rachel, for your many contributions to our community— see you at the farm! •
BFS Lights in Action Using Talent for Good
BY KATELYNN CONNOLLY
Rich Cox, music educator, professional musician, and dedicated changemaker, has continuously used his talents for positive impact throughout his life.
For more than 25 years, One Love, One Heart has been a nonprofit close to Rich. He met co-founder and fellow music educator Fern Flicker while she taught his own children piano. Since then, Rich has performed at fundraisers supporting its mission “to provide necessities to Jamaican communities with clothing, school supplies, food, and personal hygiene items. ‘OLOH’ prides itself on touching the lives of
others through its ongoing efforts and initiatives centered around the concept...‘Share the LOVE.’” Rich performs live several times annually, including on Zoom for an international audience, finding that this form of performance enriches his life. It gives him a sense of community, empathy, and hopefully serves as a role model.
“
For more than 25 years, One Love, One Heart has been a nonprofit close to Rich. He met cofounder and fellow music educator Fern Flicker while she taught his own children piano.
Rich also plays for residents at Bristol Memory Care. About two years ago, a student introduced him to this community, and he has continued performing there ever since. “You see people who cannot engage in the world, but once the music starts, they begin to sing and dance. It’s pretty amazing to see.” He adds, “I had a close bond with my grandparents as a child, so performing for seniors holds special meaning for me.”
Other communities, such as Pennsbury Manor, Big Brothers Big Sisters in Lawrenceville, NJ, and Covenant House, have also benefited from Rich’s talents over the years. “I’ve always believed in giving back. If I can share my talent to make people happy, it’s fulfilling and rewarding.”
Thank you, Rich, for your commitment to sharing your gifts with the community and helping to heal, provide, and love, one song at a time. To learn more about One Love, One Heart, visit: www.olohjamaica.org. •
If you know a BFS Lights in Action story about someone dedicated to building a better community, please submit their story to kconnolly@ bfs.org. We would love to share it!
Robotics in Lower School
BY ABBY RIZOR BROWN ’13
This winter, our Lower School students engaged in a hands-on unit that blended mathematics, language arts, engineering, and communication skills through early computer science and coding. Although coding may sound advanced, the focus of this work was on helping students learn how to think, problem-solve, and collaborate.
Students explored how big problems can be broken into smaller steps, practicing sequencing, logic, and clear thinking. Through robotics and engineering challenges, abstract concepts became tangible as students
planned, tested, and revised their ideas. When something didn’t work, students learned to identify the “bug,” make adjustments, and try again—building persistence and resilience along the way.
Collaboration was central to this unit. Working in pairs and small groups, students shared ideas, listened carefully, and agreed on strategies. Coding became a shared language that supported communication, teamwork, and respectful problem-solving. The unit began with “unplugged” activities that emphasized creative thinking and sequencing
before gradually introducing iPads and simple coding programs. One early project challenged students to build a marble run using paper, tape, and scissors. When designs failed, students revised their plans and kept going, leading to meaningful conversations about frustration, perseverance, and growth.
Through this work, students were not just learning basic coding skills. They were developing confidence, curiosity, and the ability to tackle challenges thoughtfully— skills that will support them well beyond the classroom. •
Teaching Digital Citizenship as we Re-examine Technology and its Place in School
The Integrated Studies program, taught from 3rd through 5th grade at BFS, was initiated in the fall of 2019. With the use of technology on the rise in classrooms for teaching and learning, the goal was to protect and prepare our young learners before these tools were integrated into their everyday school experiences in the upper grades. Our school culture embraces the use of technology, while the ideal remains first to use paper and pencil and discourse among peers and teachers, to learn. Nevertheless, there is no denying that there is a place for tech in today’s education environment. Our goal is to teach the intentional and responsible use of technology so that students can use these powerful tools to support, but not as a substitute for, the learning process. The Integrated Studies program instructs students in a range of technologies, including Google Workspace, typing, coding, and safe, effective digital communication.
The prevalence of technology in the lives of our students raises a central question: How do we teach responsible technology use while simultaneously encouraging students’ natural curiosity and creativity?
BFS’s “Inspirational Academics” core value recognizes that children learn best experientially and through multiple modalities. To this end, authentic learning precedes the introduction of relevant technology.
Every Integrated Studies lesson begins by introducing a key aspect of digital citizenship, followed by a lesson on a
BY JEN MURRAY
technology skill. For instance, a recent 3rd-grade lesson about maintaining one’s attention helped students first identify common digital distractions and then learn strategies to manage attention when using technology. Following this foundation, students practiced technical skills by learning in partner groups how to design a data-gathering form and produce visual graphs. This approach ensures that students gain important, cross-curricular technology skills, while safe and responsible use remains the primary focus of the class.
Integrated Studies lessons also help students develop crucial skills in digital conduct, drawing on the real-life issues
students inevitably encounter. For example, we address cyberbullying by having students look at real-life examples of kind and unkind behaviors and then develop an understanding of how these behaviors translate to the digital world.
Ultimately, students learn to critically examine the positive and negative aspects of digital information’s potential to spread, which helps them understand that what they put online will endure. This controlled and guided learning experience of the Integrated Studies program ensures that students develop the necessary skills to become discerning, intentional, and responsible users of technology. •
Faculty Focus on Stephanie Thliveris
BY KATELYNN CONNOLLY
During the summer of 2025, Upper and Middle School Science & Sustainability Teacher Stephanie Thliveris was selected by MIT to participate in the MIT Science and Engineering Program for Teachers (SEPT). “Since 1989, over 2,000 middle and high school teachers have been selected to participate in SEPT—all recognized as innovative, creative, and dedicated leaders in their schools and communities.” This intensive, week-long professional development program for STEM educators takes place annually at MIT, focusing on engineering design, artificial intelligence, and global education. Stephanie was one of 40 educators selected worldwide, including participants from the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Egypt, Hong Kong, and China. The program emphasizes linking cutting-edge MIT research with classroom curriculum. Participants attend daily lectures by MIT researchers, take part in workshops such as hands-on design and computer game simulations, visit labs, engage
in ongoing MIT AI research, and view demonstrations. This opportunity provides valuable growth for educators and a chance to connect with a supportive global educational community while establishing ongoing professional collaborations. Recently, Stephanie shared an overview of her experience with the BFS community and the MIT club of Princeton, emphasizing how this opportunity has positively impacted her work throughout the BFS campus, most specifically in the Upper School Sustainability Workshop curriculum. Well done, Stephanie! •
To learn more about the MIT Science and Engineering Program for Teachers, visit https://sept.mit.edu
Mirabel Roxey ’22 All the while she danced
BY KATELYNN CONNOLLY
Beingborn into the world of dance, Mirabel Roxey had as her first classroom the Mill Ballet School (MBS). Her parents, professional dancers Melissa and Mark Roxey, founded the school in 1995. She was surrounded by creativity, immersed in the language of movement and the concert of silent communication, as bodies reacted and responded to the music and the spaces between. This was her early childhood… and all the while, Mirabel danced.
In the fall of 2019, Mirabel joined the sixthgrade class at Buckingham Friends School after hearing such great things about it from a fellow dancer and friend. She describes her transition as smooth—she wasn’t nervous and was excited to learn more about her new community. She felt immediately connected, happy, and a sense of joy. She recalls
feeling grounded by her relationships with her teachers. Being able to go to them for guidance and support for both academic and personal issues, she considered them her friends as well as her mentors and educators… and all the while, Mirabel danced.
After graduating, Mirabel moved on to the Solebury School, where she found a similar spirit of guided freedom and connection. She had once again found a sense of belonging… and all the while, Mirabel danced.
Mirabel was accepted into the Charter Arts School in Bethlehem, PA, for her junior year, where she expanded her knowledge of dance and gained new perspectives about herself and what inspires her. Simultaneously, she continued her studies at MBS in the
pre-professional company. During this time, she experienced success and personal pride with two original choreographic works: “The Void,” performed during the 2025 Philadelphia Youth Dance Festival, and “The Voice,” which allowed her to weave elements of her spirituality into the movements and was performed in the opening ceremony of the Travis Manion Heroes Run. Mirabel feels that “dance comes from the ability to make the audience feel what you feel.”
Still dancing and having returned to Solebury School for her senior year, Mirabel is excited to graduate this spring. Over this past year, she has expanded her choreographic experiences, creating new works for both the Philadelphia Youth Dance Festival and Roxey Ballet’s “Journey Back to the ’80s,” and this summer
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BFS Crossword Puzzle
BY LAURA KINNEL, BOARD MEMBER AND ALUM PARENT
70 Disney mermaid
72 ___ Moines
73 BFS, in song
78 Suffix with lemon or lime
80 It’s a wrap
81 “How ___ love thee?”
82 Center of a copyright symbol
85 Sanskrit for “goddess”
87 Kidney-related
89 Mary had a little one
92 Before, with “to”
93 Make ___ of (botch)
95 Fonthill Castle, for one
97 Bring-YourParent/Guardian-to-School Day guest
99 Ogre of Japanese folklore
100 Da Vinci masterpiece
102 Shop remnants
106 Like some columns or bonds
107 Election day in the U.S.
108 Provokes, as trouble
109 Day starters and meeting for worship enders; or a description for the sets of circled letters in six of this puzzle’s answers
114 Explosive initials
116 “____ was saying Test for Ph.D wannabes
117 Elevator inventor Otis
118 Winter transport down to the Jane Jackson house
120 Long, long time
122 “Seedlings” edition
126 Draws back in horror
128 Mindfulness class activity
131 Home planet of a Robin Williams character
132 ___ Hope, PA
133 Sicilian volcano
134 Chip in a pot, maybe (and a semordnilap of 133-Across)
135 Darting movement
136 Doylestown’s State and Main, e.g.
137 Test for Ph.D. wannabes
138 Pink, like cheeks
139 Follow, as advice
140 Aliens, for short
1 Titmouse topper
2 Cause for a day off
3 Wooden marker at BFS with the message “May Peace Prevail on Earth” in four languages
4 Two cents worth
5 ___ Francisco
6 “Les Misérables” novelist
7 Pittsburgh-based metal producer
8 Issuer of nine-digit IDs
9 Black, pour un étudiant français
10 Naturally curly styles 11 Elbows on the table? 12 Wide shoe letters 13 Burly’s opposite 14 Messengers
15 “Taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase,” per M.L.K.
Flexible 17 Lengths times widths
Like a neutron star 25 Pay tribute to
Alumni News
If you do not currently receive emails from BFS, please consider providing us with your email address so that you may receive updates, the electronic alumni newsletter Friends!Connect! and more. To update your information visit www.bfs.org/alumni
Contact Katelynn Connolly Director of Advancement at 215-794-7491 ext. 121 Email: kconnolly@bfs.org Via USPS: Buckingham Friends School, The Office of Advancement, PO Box 159, Lahaska, PA 18931
1960s
In August, the Rowes were in ME, and as we were boarding a boat for a puffin tour, Elizabeth Rowe ‘67 spotted Leah ‘26 because of the BFS sweatshirt she was wearing. Kathy Rowe ‘65 and Elizabeth gave a brief history of their connection to BFS as the puffin tour boat sounded an “all aboard”!
Peter Rendall ‘67, Bob Davis ’68, and Doug Rendall ’68 gathered for their second annual ski trip to Mt. Snow in Vermont, and they stayed with Laurie Rendall Coursin ’63. Peter lives in Newton, Mass, Bob lives in Franklin, W. Virginia, Doug lives in Langhorne, PA, and Laurie lives in Easthampton, Mass.
1970s
Class of 1977
Members from the class of 1977, Jenny Stasikewich, Francie Rendall Minder, Bobbin Ashbridge Kreider, Tom Richie, Mark Funk, Ed Maclin, and miscellaneous spouses gathered for a mini-reunion in May 2025. The occasion was an intimate memorial service for our classmate Ann O’Connell, who passed away on February 16, 2025. Ann’s ashes were interred on May 10 in the Buckingham Friends Cemetery next to her mother.
Despite the somber occasion, we enjoyed laughing, reminiscing, and updating each other on our lives over the weekend. Jenny is a mosaic artist and teacher and lives on a lake in Putnam County, NY, with her husband. Francie lives in Cambridge, MA, close to family, and is a retired social worker and potter. Bobbin, an artist/illustrator, lives in North Carolina with her spouse and beloved horses. Tom and his wife continue their pursuit of developing a vaccine for malaria and live outside of Baltimore, MD. Mark and his wife live on a working farm in Roxbury, NH, where he maintains his urology practice at Dartmouth Hitchcock Keene. Ed is a retired researcher in brain studies for the University of Illinois, Urbana- Champaign and lives in Urbana, IL with his wife. And Ann was a chef and caterer for many years in Hiram, OH, and a true devotee of the neighborhood squirrels.
2010s
Abby Rizor Brown ‘13 is excited to share that she and her husband are expecting their first baby this Fall!
Alex Dwornikowski ‘16 graduated from the University of Delaware in May 2024, where he majored in Asian Studies and Russian Language. He was conferred the honor of Phi Beta Kappa, as well as the David Pong Asian Studies Major Scholar Award, and the Eugenia Slavov Prize in Russian for Outstanding Achievement in the Study of Russian Language, Literature, and Culture. Following graduation, Alex worked at the University of
Delaware’s English Language Institute as a Teaching Assistant, where he worked with non-native Englishspeaking international students upon their entry to the University. For the 2025-26 school year, Alex was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship and is currently teaching English at Baitursynov Kostanay Regional University in Kostanay, a city in the northern region of his native country of Kazakhstan.
2020s
Fiona Simek ‘22 is graduating from George School with an IB diploma and is heading to Haverford College in the fall with a focus on Political Science, Religion, and Economics.
Henry Liddell ’22 will attend Lehigh University this coming fall.
Colby Rieszer ‘22 will attend CU Boulder this coming fall.
IN MEMORIUM
We honor the memory of the following Buckingham Friends School community members
Richard Eldridge, Former Head of School
Larry Shane ‘48
Personal Remembrances of Richard Eldridge
PRINCIPAL 1981-1989
by Linc Merwin, 8th Grade Teacher 19742014
Ifirstmet Rich 45 years ago, when he visited BFS as part of our search for a new principal. We had some one-on-one time during which he made such a positive impression on me that I remember that interaction as if it happened yesterday. His questions were thoughtful and probing as he sought to understand our traditions and character as well as our foibles. I learned that Rich listened intently. After all, this was going to be quite a change for a college teacher/administrator from Baltimore to take on the reins of a K-8 school in what was then a fairly rural part of Bucks County.
“
His questions were thoughtful and probing as he sought to understand our traditions and character as well as our foibles.
Towards the end of the summer after Rich was selected as principal and he and Lucy were settled in their new home in Doylestown, I remember he invited the faculty to an informal potluck at his house. I remember Rich sitting cross-legged on the living room floor, playing a guitar as he led us in folk songs from the 60’s and 70’s. I learned that Rich liked music and that social gatherings at his home were going to be the norm going forward. I learned that he really wanted to know us.
I remember being stunned (and I don’t believe I was alone) at the beginning of our first faculty meeting of the year before school started by the new faculty handbook, which was about a half-inch thick, that greeted us as we sat down. I learned that Rich was organized and liked to write.
I remember Rich showed great insight with his first hire- a quite young Steve Bernardini. It would be a great portent for future long-time hires! Rich also brought us Nancy Bentley, Betsy Eschallier, Karen Seaton, Betts Slim, Nancy Sandberg, and Olwen Jarvis.
I remember Rich began two personal traditions that first year- 1) At Christmas, he wrote a poem for the entire BFS community. In Rich’s own words, “Each year the poem became more difficult to comprehend, but because people couldn’t understand it, they were impressed by its profundity, and so they received an even denser poem each year.” I learned that Rich was humble and a humorous self-critic. 2) With the help of Chris Kerr, Peter Pearson, and others, Rich wrote an original musical each of his first seven years at BFS that was performed as an All-School Play by a cast of 50 or so parents, teachers, students, school committee members, and alums. The first play was “The Prince Frog,” and it was reprised in Rich’s eighth and final year at BFS. I learned
that Rich was really serious about bringing the various segments of the school together in a joyous way, and I learned that he REALLY could write. How he found time to come up with an original All-School Play each year remains a mystery to me.
I remember Rich taking on teaching 7th- and 8th-grade Religion to better know the older students whom he would have to speak
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about at graduation. For the same reason, I remember his joining almost all the class trips.
I remember that beginning in his second year, Rich began to make structural changes and add faculty positions, most of which have lasted until today:
1. The school was divided into three divisions, each led by a coordinator.
2. The academic calendar was changed from semesters to trimesters.
3. He created the position of business manager and development director.
4. He created the position of Lower School coordinate teacher.
5. He created the After School Program.
6. The Lower School Building was expanded to include indoor cubby space, increased storage, and expanded teaching space.
7. A second playing field (for field hockey and lacrosse) was cleared down the hill below the cemetery.
8. We purchased our first computers for student use (Apple IIs) and our first printer.
9. Hour-long 7th- and 8th-grade fall and winter-term electives (mostly in the arts) commenced, allowing faculty to “do their thing” with a small group of students.
Answers to puzzle on pages 12-13
I remember that Rich, at the height of the Cold War, had a dream that we should offer Russian as a language alternative to French in the Upper School. In Rich’s own words, “…we should learn the language of our ostensibly worst enemy, since the best way to understand a people is to understand their language.” Nancy Sandberg began teaching Russian in 1985. The program led to pen-pal relationships with School #213 in St. Petersburg and, eventually, after Rich’s time, to the first elementary school exchange
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Mirabel will attend Paul Taylor summer intensive as a dancer and Regional Dance America as a choreographer, both on scholarship. She is also pursuing working with Next Gen Ballet on choreographing contemporary works for their conservatory students.
While pursuing her professional career, Mirabel plans to continue teaching at MBS. Inspired by her relationships here at BFS, Mirabel strives to be the type of teacher to whom her students can come for advice and guidance in all areas of their lives. “Everyone needs someone to look up to,” Mirabel commented.
Her biggest role models are her parents. Their hard work, determination, and drive have
between the United States and the (then) Soviet Union and, ultimately, to the creation of the JEM program. I learned we should always dream.
I will forever remember Rich’s years at BFS as an exciting time of “great spirit and high morale”, to quote Rich. He set a tone of congeniality that spread to all segments of the school family as he brought us together under the best of Quaker Ideals. He listened. He inspired. He led us. •
influenced her approach to her own work, whether in the studio, the classroom, or life in general. Their generosity, kindness, and commitment to create a nurturing, loving, and accepting community at the Mill Ballet School and through the Roxey Ballet Company’s work in the larger community are a motivation for what is possible when you follow your heart and share your gifts with others. “Don’t let anyone tell you no—choose the path that your heart wants. People forget that we are supposed to be happy!”
We are excited to follow Mirabel on her journey as she continues to push her edges and dance into the next chapter of her story. Brava! •
Each gift to the 2025- 2026 Annual Fund campaign strengthens our resources in the classroom, on the athletic field, and on the playground, moving our students forward for years to come as they build healthy lives and stronger communities.
All gifts received by June 30, 2026, will be counted towards the 2025-2026 Annual Fund Campaign and will help continue to support the signature BFS experience for today’s students that we all know and love. WAYS TO
