KayDeeBee Summer 2018

SPRING 2018

The Alumnae & Community Publication of Katherine Delmar Burke School

SUMMER 2018

Burke’s mission is to educate, encourage, and empower girls. Our school combines academic excellence with an appreciation for childhood so that students thrive as learners, develop a strong sense of self, contribute to community, and fulfill their potential, now and throughout life.

KAY DEE BEE MAGAZINE

KayDeeBee is produced by Burke’s Advancement Office

ON THE COVER Anything look different? The Burke’s campus is undergoing a transformation this summer as a result of a new capital campaign, Many Voices.

SELENA SHADLE Director of Advancement selena@kdbs.org MONICA HERNANDEZ Advancement and Database Associate monica@kdbs.org DIANA KAW Director of Annual Giving and Alumnae Relations diana@kdbs.org

CHRISTINE PREZIOSI Special Events and Parent Relations Manager christine@kdbs.org ALLISON ROST Director of Communications allison@kdbs.org ENHAM BAGAIN Communications Intern

Many Hands. All Burke’s.: The Campaign for Girls. Read more on page 24.

Table of

CONTENTS IN THIS ISSUE

Designed by Bacio Design & Marketing

Opening Shots.............................................2 Snapshots from Burke’s Greetings from the Head of School..........10 A Message from Michele Williams Buzz at Burke’s...........................................12 Events and Happenings on Campus A New Day Dawns at Burke’s.................. 20 Traditions................................................... 22 Opening Assembly Feature...................................................... 24 Pardon Our Dust Greetings from the Alumnae Association...31 A Message from Katy Congdon Williams ’96 Alumnae Q&A........................................... 32 Nancy Hellman Bechtle ’55 and Sierra Trees ’08 Alumnae Events ........................................34 Alumnae Tea & Cocktails at the House of Dreams and Town-Burke’s Alumni Cocktail Party Alumnae Updates......................................38 Class Notes and In Memoriam From the Archives..................................... 42 Best Face Forward

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You Can Go Home Again OPENING SHOTS

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n the afternoon of Friday, October 6, we were honored to return to Burke’s first home at the House of Dreams on Jackson Street, where we reminisced

with Burke’s alumnae who still remember attending classes in those hallowed halls — and marveled at how the campus has changed.

SEE MORE PHOTOS ON PAGE

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A Helping Hand 04

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or the past five years, the service-learning curriculum at Burke’s has grown to include a partnership with the

Richmond District Neighborhood Center. Students go over to the center (near 30th and Balboa) in grade-level groups once a month to participate in its weekly food pantry, rain or shine, which is what these fifth graders did on Thursday, November 16.

READ MORE ABOUT BURKE’S AND THE RDNC ON PAGE

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Dress

TO IMPRESS

Every Halloween is an opportunity for Burke’s students and staff to show off clever costumes, many of which are homemade! The same was true in 2017, as the looks served up included everything from superheroes to landmarks and snack food.

MORE PHOTOS: KDBS.ORG/HALLOWEEN17

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All Together Now

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n the day before Winter Break, every Lower School student participates in the Holiday Sing, belting out seasonal favorites from a variety of faith and cultural traditions.

As the leaders of the Lower School, the fourth grade helps determine the program, and many years includes the popular gospel number “Children, Go Where I Send Thee,� which students are singing here.

MORE PHOTOS: KDBS.ORG/HOLIDAY-SING17

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KATHERINE DELMAR BURKE SCHOOL

Greetings

from the Head of School A MESSAGE FROM MICHELE WILLIAMS

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f we’ve met in person, then it should be no surprise that I was on the basketball team in college. And coming from a large family, I definitely developed a healthy competitive spirit quite early in my life.

So when we returned to school in August 2017, it definitely piqued that spirit to hear that Mike Matthews, Burke’s Director of Curriculum & Program Innovation, had come up with a scavenger hunt to kick-start our opening meetings. The Burke’s faculty and staff members were all divided into teams and sent across campus to solve puzzles and work together to get through the hunt as quickly and creatively as possible.

I was definitely not the only one who took this challenge quite seriously!

(Full disclosure: The scavenger hunt was also intended to brainstorm for our upcoming accreditation process with the California Association of Independent Schools, just to clarify that we’re not all fun and games!)

At the end of the scavenger hunt (a.k.a. Burke’s Quest), the clues that we had all gathered came together to reveal the final piece of the puzzle: a note written long ago by “Granny Burke,” a.k.a.

Katherine Delmar Burke’s mother, Elizabeth Kennedy Burke.

Granny Burke was a fixture at her daughter’s school in its earliest years. You can see a reproduction of the note, which extols the virtues of kindness, at top right.

It was a great sentiment to remind ourselves of as we launched into 2017-18, and it ended up inspiring the Burke’s SocialEmotional Learning Committee as its members put together the curriculum for the first SEL theme of the new school year: kindness. Granny Burke’s words decorated our driveway as the theme launched, as well as a reminder that everyone is welcome on our campus. This kind of work to reaffirm that Burke’s is a fully inclusive, accessible community is something to which we can’t assign an end date — it will continue indefinitely.

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At the same time, we have to keep in mind that the note was written probably 100 years ago, long before we started thinking about the kinds of skills needed to succeed in this century.

Kindness is a vital trait to teach our students, especially when it’s paired with the “empower” part of our mission statement. In that way, discovering the note was the perfect topper to our informal competition: Yes, we were all driven to complete a task, but to complete it together, incorporating the many various strengths and challenges that our faculty and staff bring to campus, truly embodies the best of Burke’s and our extended community.

Speaking of community, one of our biggest campus-wide initiatives in recent history is highlighted in this issue of the KayDeeBee. Read more about Many Voices. Many Hands. All Burke’s. starting on page 24. The response I have seen thus far to this campaign reassures me that the state of our community is a strong one indeed — and our girls will be the ones to benefit from it.

Sincerely,

MICHELE WILLIAMS Head of School

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KATHERINE DELMAR BURKE SCHOOL

Keep up with all the happenings at Burke’s in real time on our social media accounts! facebook.com/katherine.delmar.burke.school twitter.com/burkesschool instagram.com/burkesschool youtube.com/user/burkesschool

THE SHOW MUST GO ON Of all the luck!

During the fourth grade’s daytime performance of ELLA! on Friday, November 17, its tribute to the jazz icon Ella Fitzgerald on the 100th anniversary of her birth, the Burke’s campus was hit by a brief power outage. The lights, the accompanying video screen in the back of the Lunchroom, the pre-recorded music — all gone.

With the help of Lower School music teacher Lisa Mandelstein — who sang and played the remaining tunes — our Burke’s girls

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persevered! Without skipping a (literal) beat, the fourth graders pushed ahead and finished their show, with some in the audience unaware that the power was out at all. Congratulations and a job well done to the members of the Class of 2022 ( and Lower School theatre teacher Nancy Gold! ) for adapting quickly to an unexpected situation.

And of course, the power came back on just as the girls were ready to take their bows.

YOU CAN SEE THAT MOMENT AT 4:07 IN THE VIDEO AT THIS LINK: KDBS.ORG/SHOW-MUST-GO-ON.

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TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK On the very first day that Burke’s faculty and staff members all returned to campus for the 2017-18 school year, the initial item on everyone’s to-do list was a scavenger hunt called Burke’s Quest.

Director of Curriculum & Program Innovation Mike Matthews put together the team-builder, which saw teams making their way across campus to solve puzzles and crack codes.

Those same activities made their way into a few classrooms after the school year officially started, with the same goal of building cooperation and the problem-solving skills necessary to work in a team. First was eighth-grade English during the week of September

18, when students tackled a Breakout EDU game (above right). In order to figure out the puzzle (and open a box containing their next reading assignment, The Diary of Anne Frank), they had to look for clues contained in poetry and prose to find the code — and they had to do it together. It took a bit of time and caused some frustration, but the eighth graders did eventually reach their books.

Second was the seventh-grade advisories, which completed a shorter version of Burke’s Quest — one that involved creating a human tableau of the Golden Gate Bridge and filming a short skit, but also brainstorming about times that they were self-advocates or stepped out of their comfort zones (above left). Each advisory uncovered one clue, which came together to form one message: “Together, We Do More.”

GETTING TO KNOW YOU: First Grade Learns About the Burke’s Community Last fall, the first grade recruited members of the Burke’s faculty and staff — including Head of School Michele Williams, After-School Teacher Jewel “Ms. J” Devora ’09, and KayDeeBee editor Allison Rost — to be part of its Community Building project.

After answering questions about what they do at Burke’s on paper, participants met up with pairs of students for interviews about what they like to do “after school.” Some of those questions included: • What’s your favorite animal?

• Where do you like to go on vacation?

• Do you like Taylor Swift?

After the interviews, students crunched down the responses and crafted thank-you notes to participants. “The girls loved meeting different community members and asking them the questions they came up with,” says first-grade teacher Anjali Ramisetti. “It was surprising (to the students) that there are so many different jobs at Burke’s!”

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DIWALI As they have for several years, Burke’s parents helped ensure that our Lower School Diwali Assembly on October 18, 2017, was an authentic one! And another tradition at this celebration of the Hindu festival of lights is the flash dance, performed first by students of Indian descent, then by their parents and teachers, and then the whole Lower School. This most recent dance was full of joy.

VISIT KDBS.ORG/DIWALI17 TO WATCH IT IN FULL.

LAPTOPS AND SNAPSHOTS, OH MY! Two new initiatives that impact the 21st-century education at Burke’s debuted in fall 2017: • A 1:1 laptop program to encompass all Upper School grades.

The program was piloted with this year’s fifth and eighth graders during the 2016-17 school year before this expansion, which also works hand-in-hand with a robust digital-citizenship curriculum.

No matter the grade, all students are tasked with the responsibility of keeping their devices safe and undamaged, checking them out from their advisories every morning and turning them back in at the end of the day. The devices are only to be used in class with teacher permission, and Burke’s will keep collecting data from both students and teachers to see whether this program will continue indefinitely.

• A new document, Burke’s Snapshots, that illustrates the depth and breadth of the academic experience. VISIT KDBS.ORG/SNAPSHOTS to view the document — all 140 pages of it! — and get an idea of the projects and lessons weaving their way throughout all of the classrooms on campus. Why snapshots and not a curriculum guide?

Because our program is always growing and evolving depending on current events, an instructor’s recent professional-development experience, etc., so this is a living document that was adapted from the “materials covered” sections in last year’s reports.

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STATE ASSEMBLY HONORS BURKE’S FOR SERVICE PROGRAM At Wine on the Westside on October 19, a celebration hosted by Burke’s community-service partner Richmond District Neighborhood Center, four familiar faces received honors for their work with the RDNC. First were Burke’s parents (from left) Julie Garcia, Yvonne Blaxter, and Elizabeth Sparks ’86 for their work with RDNC’s HomeDelivered Grocery Program and the weekly Food Pantry.

And then, Head of School Michele Williams spoke about Burke’s work with the RDNC and received a surprise Certificate of Recognition from California Assemblymember Philip Y. Ting. The certificate reads: Recognizing the Katherine Delmar Burke School on the occasion of the Richmond District Neighborhood Center’s (RDNC) Wine on the Westside event. Your work educating girls and young women, and commitment to service learning in the Richmond District, are commendable. Congratulations on this notable occasion.

STUDENTS RAISE FUNDS FOR FIRE AND HURRICANE RELIEF It was a difficult fall around the world, which inspired members of Burke’s student government, Youth Voice, to take action.

The first was inspired by the several major hurricanes that swept through the Caribbean and southeast United States just as the 2017-18 school year was starting on the Burke’s campus. Students brainstormed a number of ideas that they could put into action to raise funds for relief and recovery efforts, eventually landing on Lemon-Aid for Hurricane Relief. Organized by Quise Edwards, Burke’s new Director of Inclusivity & Community Building, the effort tasked students with holding lemonade stands — in groups or on their own — with special Burke’s Lemon-Aid signs.

The original goal for two weekends’ worth of lemonade sales was $1,500, which would go directly to the Red Cross. Thanks to the efforts of more than 65 students, Lemon-Aid for Hurricane Relief raised $4,091.57 for the Red Cross by the time the campaign concluded, which is more than 270% of the original goal.

The second was a backpack drive to help several North Bay schools — Maria Carrillo, Piner, and Santa Rosa High Schools; Rincon Valley Middle School; and Hidden Valley Satellite Elementary School — where a number of students lost their homes in the Tubbs and Atlas fires. Youth Voice Community Service officers collected school supplies as well as monetary donations at Festival 2017, resulting in a total of 136 backpacks filled with supplies to help out North Bay students.

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BURKE’S GARDEN YIELDS TASTY RESULTS How many of your Thanksgiving dinners contained homegrown veggies? Just before the holidays last fall, Upper School physical education teacher Drew Hetzel walked P.E. students through harvesting potatoes and other items from the Burke’s garden.

They then delivered the vegetables to Chef Emily Welch ’98, who turned them into soup!

BURKE’S GRANDPARENTS MEET AT NOBEL BANQUET The Burke’s community stretches around the globe, and you can look no further than the most recent Nobel Prizes for proof: The Nobel Prize Banquet in Stockholm on Sunday, December 10, doubled as a gathering for Burke’s grandparents!

Dr. Richard Thaler (Julia T. ’15, Alexandra T. ’19), who was honored at the event for his Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences, met up with fellow grandparents Professor Anders Björner, Chair of the Trustees of the Nobel Foundation, and Christine Björner (Amelie G. ’26). Burke’s parents Olive and Greg Thaler were in attendance as well!

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TEACHER PROFILE: KELLEY VAUK Since she first started working at Burke’s, Kelley Vauk has hopscotched all over the Lower School. She started out in first grade, then worked as an associate teacher in the 2B classroom before co-teaching in 2A with Gale Mosheim in her final year before retirement.

And now, she is finally a permanent member of the faculty, having officially taken over in the 2B classroom after Karen Tang decided not to return full-time after her family leave. Thanks to her previous positions, though, Ms. Vauk had already spent more than five years as a member of the Burke’s community.

“Before I started as an AT at Burke’s, I taught and worked as Director of Education at Tree Frog Treks for eight years. Seven of those years, I taught science enrichment classes here at Burke’s to students in grades K-2 — not to mention the countless Burke’s girls who came through the summer camps in Golden Gate Park,” she says. “So really, I have been hanging around Burke’s for 12 years!”

Just like her mentor, Ms. Mosheim, Ms. Vauk is passionate about instilling in her students a love of reading and writing.

During the 2016-17 school year, she helped implement several new events to teach second graders to take pride in their writing. The first, a “publishing party,” gave students the opportunity to share with their classmates stories they had written and illustrated based on something that happened in their own lives. The second, a “poetry cafe,” put girls in the spotlight as they shared their work in front of an audience that included their parents and other invited guests.

Both sessions tie into a method of teaching writing called the Reading & Writing Workshop, which includes as one of its main phases of instruction a time for sharing out their work and evaluating it as a group. These efforts resulted in Ms. Vauk and Ms. Chiao receiving a staff award at the end of the 2016-17 school year that recognizes exemplary instruction in writing among the Burke’s faculty.

RECORD NUMBER OF ATTENDEES AND PRESENTERS HEAD TO DIVERSITY CONFERENCE From November 30-December 2, the National Association of Independent Schools held its 30th annual People of Color Conference in Anaheim, and among the 6,000 professionals and student leaders attending this year’s conference were 11 faculty and staff members from Burke’s — a new record!

Among them were Upper School art teacher Danielle Denton, Spanish teacher Anthony Sabedra, and Makery Facilitator Susan Deemer, who presented a session titled “Celebrating Influential, Famous Latinas in History: A Mixed-media Project.” The workshop reviewed a lesson from the 2016-17 school year where students created stopmotion movies in the Makery that illustrated the lives of prominent Latina women as part of a collaborative effort between the teachers listed above.

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KATHERINE DELMAR BURKE SCHOOL

SPORTS ROUNDUP It was a great fall 2017 season for Burke’s cross-country and volleyball teams.

• Cross-country brought its season to a close with two league championships one week apart. On October 30, the Bay Area Interscholastic Athletic League held its cross-country finals at Hellman Hollow in Golden Gate Park, and Burke’s took the championship by one point over defending champions Marin Country Day School.

And then, on November 7, the team defended its San Francisco Athletic League titles in the fifth/sixth and seventh/eighth divisions.

• The Varsity Gold, Varsity Green, and JV Green volleyball teams all finished with league championships, and JV Gold advanced to the semifinals! On November 8, both Varsity Green (25-21, 25-9) and JV Green (25-22, 25-21) beat Hamlin for their respective BAIAL titles at Marin Country Day School. One day later, Varsity Gold won the SFAL championship on Friday, November 9, with a 25-14, 25-15 win over San Francisco Friends School. And on Wednesday, November 14, JV Gold advanced to the SFAL semi-finals before losing to SF Friends in a hardfought match.

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SECOND-GRADE SNAIL EXPERIMENTS. MORE PHOTOS: KDBS.ORG/SNAILS17.

THIRD-GRADE OHLONE GAMES. MORE PHOTOS: KDBS.ORG/OHLONE17.

FIFTH-GRADE IMPROV. MORE PHOTOS: KDBS.ORG/IMPROV17.

BAL-A-VIS-X GAMES. MORE PHOTOS: KDBS.ORG/BAL-A-VIS-X17.

HOUR OF CODE. MORE PHOTOS: KDBS.ORG/CODE17.

CELL MODELS. MORE PHOTOS: KDBS.ORG/CELL-MODELS17.

MAKERY CLASS OPERATION GAMES. MORE PHOTOS: KDBS.ORG/MAKERY17 THIRD-GRADE MYSTERY BOOK PRESENTATIONS. MORE PHOTOS: KDBS.ORG/MYSTERY-BOOKS17.

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MAKERY MINDSET

It’s not just a curriculum or a class, it’s a mindset. The Makery, which opened on campus in 2013, has now permeated across all corners of campus. Lessons that bridge subject matter involve experimenting and creating projects that blend modalities, resulting in innovation all year long. Here are a handful from the first half of the 2017-18 school year.

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A NEW DAY DAWNS AT B U R K E ’ S

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It was a historic moment in Burke’s storied 109-year history: For the first day of the 2017-18 school year, some students came to campus in pants!

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many ways in which our girls express their identity. That thoughtfulness led to green pants for the Lower School and navy pants for Upper School, which continues the separation of uniform color choices, as well as a belt in the traditional Burke’s plaid for Lower School pants. All of the options include sizes for the many different body shapes on campus.

This year, we have seen a number of students embracing these new uniform choices. Some girls are switching back and forth between skirt and pants from one day to the next or wearing pants on rainy days. On the first day of school, there were two sets of twins in which one sister wore pants and one wore a skirt!

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ower School students have worn the jumper (in “Burke’s plaid”) since the division was founded in the late 1940s, and Upper School students have worn the sailor-like middy and pleated skirt since soon after Burke’s was founded in 1908. Discussion about adding pants to the Burke’s uniform options has taken place for decades, though the move became more urgent in recent years due to Burke’s Strategic Plan. Goal #1 includes a subsection: “Supporting the Girl as She Finds Her Place in a Diverse & Ever-Changing World.” It reads, “Self-exploration is central to the growth of the complete girl, her relationships with others, and her ability to promote equity.” There’s also a popular saying on campus that there are 400 ways to be a Burke’s girl, and in 2017, it felt like it was time to embrace that not all 400 ways would wear a skirt.

“So far, we’re seeing girls who are excited to have choices,” Williams says. “It fits perfectly with educating students for the 21st century — they are bringing their best selves to school.”

While Burke’s plans to maintain the option to wear pants, we will re-examine the specific choices as the first groups of students figure out the practicalities of what works and what doesn’t.

“This was a thoughtful, intentional decision driven by our mission to educate, encourage, and empower girls,” says Head of School Michele Williams. “At the same time, we hold dear the tradition that the Burke’s uniform represents to our entire community.”

The work on deciding what the new uniform options would be was undertaken by the Gender Inclusion Subcommittee of the Diversity Task Force, whose entire purpose is to help Burke’s explore how to accommodate the

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traditions

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01. ICE CREAM SOCIAL More photos: kdbs.org/ice-cream-social17.

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02. FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL More photos: kdbs.org/first-school-day17.

03. LOWER SCHOOL PICNIC More photos: kdbs.org/LS-picnic17.

04. FAMILY FESTIVAL More photos: More photos: kdbs.org/festival17.

05. BIG SISTERS-LITTLE SISTERS More photos: kdbs.org/big-little-sisters17.

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Recognize any (or all?) of these renowned events?

Visit the links to see more photos!

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06. SHAKESPEARE ASSEMBLY More photos: kdbs.org/shakespeare17.

07. BLEND DINNER More photos: kdbs.org/blend17.

08. THREE SISTERS LUNCH More photos: kdbs.org/three-sisters17.

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Opening Assembly

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bout a week after the start of each new school year, the Burke’s community gathers in the Gymnasium to welcome our new students and staff, to wish our eighth graders well as they embark on their final year at Burke’s, and to formally ring in the new school year at the Opening Assembly. The assembly includes several unique practices that recur each year.

• The oldest eighth grader and the youngest first grader meet in the center of the Gym to bang gongs three times in succession, then once in unison, just as many cultures throughout the world celebrate a new year with a noisy celebration.

• The new kindergarteners are led into the Gym by their teachers after everyone else has been seated, and the gathered community welcomes them with song.

• The eighth graders depart the assembly first by walking under an archway formed by their teachers and other Burke’s staff, who are known as the “wisdom keepers.”

Another one of our annual traditions is to sing the classic song “La Bamba” to amplify its message of celebration as well as friendship and cooperation. The lyric “Yo no soy marinero, soy capitán” translates to “I’m not a sailor, I’m a captain,” which is echoed in the eighth grade’s new position as student leaders for the entire school. This year, we added a new element to the song: extra verses written by eighth-grade Spanish students.

Over summer 2017, Upper School Spanish teacher Anthony Sabedra collaborated with Lower School music specialist Lisa Mandelstein on a summer grant covering “The Richness of Mexican Music and Dance.” Out of that collaboration came a number of new ideas, including one to involve eighth graders in the music that plays at assemblies. Students crafted two new verses, focusing on themes of trust and companionship:

Para ser una amiga Para ser una amiga se necesita ser fiel y muy lista Fiel y muy lista pa’mi, pa’ti Y’arriba y’arriba Y’arriba, y’arriba por ti seré Por ti seré, por ti seré (To be a friend, trustworthy, and intelligent/sensitive) Para ser compañera Para ser compañera se necesita ser buena y dulce Ser muy buena y dulce pa’mi, pa’ti Y’arriba y’arriba Y’arriba, y’arriba por ti seré Por ti seré, por ti seré (To be a companion [buddy], nice and sweet/considerate)

TO SEE MORE PHOTOS FROM OPENING ASSEMBLY

2017, VISIT KDBS.ORG/

OPENING-ASSEMBLY17. TO SEE A VIDEO OF THE TWO NEW SONG VERSES MENTIONED ABOVE, VISIT KDBS.ORG/LA-BAMBA.

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PARDON OUR DUST

This summer, the Burke’s campus is undergoing its most substantial revitalization in more than 60 years.

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uring the summer, the Burke’s campus is usually pretty mellow. Other than a handful of students at Maker Camp or a Sports Clinic, the quiet can be deafening — except for the occasional golfer taking a swing next door at the Lincoln Park Golf Course.

Not in 2018. Starting Monday, June 18, the Burke’s campus is undergoing the kind of revitalization that was last seen in 2008, when the Grace Magill Arts & Sciences Building took form at the back of campus in place of the fabled tennis courts. This time, the construction will focus on the Lower School and the Lunchroom, two areas that have not been significantly updated since the original building was

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completed in the late 1940s. Yep, there will definitely be a bit more activity than usual during the upcoming summer months.

This effort is part of a three-pronged initiative known as Many Voices. Many Hands. All Burke’s.: The Campaign for Girls. Just as the last Burke’s capital campaign, The Second Century Campaign, directly led to the construction of the Arts & Sciences Building that elevated our Upper School program (as well as the modernization of the Library), this new campaign aims to make Burke’s a model for K-8 girls’ education in the United States.

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It’s a cause that’s very near and dear to the heart of Burke’s Head of School Michele Williams, especially given the headlines over the last year. Enabling Burke’s to continue graduating students who are not afraid to use their voices remains a necessity even in today’s society. “Now more than ever, it’s obvious that we are sending these young women out into a world that may very well treat them as lesser simply for being who they are,” she says.

Reimagining Burke’s Campus The most visible element of Many Voices. Many Hands.

All Burke’s. is the building project that will transform our first- through fourth-grade classrooms as well as the Lunchroom. The buildings will be reimagined to better house and facilitate the kind of innovative project-based classroom environment that has come to characterize the Burke’s program over the past several years. “While we have made strides in moving our curriculum to keep up with this fast-changing world, we still have a lot of work to do. Our

“I truly believe that these changes need to happen now and that we are doing a disservice to our girls if we don’t move quickly. That’s why we plan to start in the summer of 2018.”

curricular methods, our classrooms, and our campus were largely designed over 60 years ago,” Williams says.

Specifically, the space that has served as the campus Lunchroom for decades will be retooled into a brand-new Campus Center. Students will still eat there, but they’ll also have access to a state-of-the-art stage for performances that can be separated from our cafeteria space with a transparent wall to create a classroom for big groups and projects to use when the stage is not in use. “This space is used continuously throughout the day, from assemblies to theatre productions, lunch, Tree House, and various gatherings for adults and students,” says Lower School Director Alice Moore. “We need this space to reflect its

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importance and to feel like what the ’heart of campus’ should feel like.” Most notably, the back wall behind the stage will be opened up with a wall of windows onto Lincoln Park to not only brighten things up, but also to create a vibrant view of our natural surroundings.

Optimizing our location is also one goal behind the work in Burke’s Lower School classrooms. Those areas are lined on both sides with windows, but many teachers end up leaving blinds drawn most of the time in order to keep out heat. The new windows will allow for better temperature control and shading while still letting in views and natural light. These classrooms will also undergo seismic upgrades, and a classroom pilot that

brought flexible furniture to the 4B and 1A classrooms starting in 2015 will expand across the Lower School.

“We got rid of all the desks and replaced them with these sectional tables. You can fit six at a table, but you can also pull them apart and have girls work in groups for

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collaborative projects,” says Nayo Brooks, lead classroom teacher in 4B. “We opened up the space — we can actually fit all 45 girls in this meeting area comfortably.”

The courtyards outside those classrooms will also receive a makeover to bring in elements to make them true outdoor learning spaces, including activity boards on the walls, more centralized foliage to provide shade, and secure platforms for seating and performing. “Our teachers had a role in determining what they would need to be able to teach at the top of their game, and that included outdoor spaces that utilize the whole campus,” Moore says.

And finally, those aesthetic touches will also make their way to the front of the school, softening up an entryway

that can be stark in comparison to the community feeling you get once you’re on campus. This work on the Lower School area is on target to be completed before students return to school in September, while the new Campus Center will be unveiled in spring 2019. “Don’t worry — ACRE Gourmet will still be providing lunch,” Williams says. “No need to make lunches next year!”

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The Ultimate Endowment These physical changes on campus are one way to modernize the programs offered at Burke’s. Efforts have been long underway to elevate our curriculum to the level necessary to graduate students who are ready for the myriad challenges of the 21st century, including an expanded Social-Emotional Learning program and converting the old technology labs into maker spaces. “Recently, The Makery has shown us the incredible impact a space and philosophy can have on project-based, experiential learning, and we have started to shift and develop our curriculum, across the board, to follow that model,” Williams says.

are some very dramatic things we can do with that money that will impact the school each year,” Williams says.

“The National Association of Independent Schools recommends having an endowment that is two to three times your operating budget. Ours is the same as our operating budget, and far below some of our peer schools — especially the boys’ schools,” adds John Walcott, Treasurer of the Burke’s Board of Trustees. “There are lots of hypotheses as to why, but increasing our endowment is a first step in leveling the playing field for students at girls’ schools.”

One major way increasing our endowment leads to good things in the classroom is attracting and retaining the best teachers in the Bay Area — even from across the country.

“We have already seen teaching candidates withdraw from consideration at Burke’s because the cost of living in this area is so high,” Williams says. Even compared to major metropolitan areas with many independent schools, such as New York City and Boston, San Francisco can be a far less appealing option, and classrooms with high teacher turnover rates can prove problematic when it comes to building a solid, long-lasting program.

Other elements that endowment makes possible are programs that emphasize service learning and cultural competency, along with increased financial assistance to ensure that students from all backgrounds and walks of life can experience a Burke’s education. “We cannot know exactly what the future will bring, but we know that flexible, interactive spaces; evolving, project-based curricula; handson experiences; and a diverse community provide the richest environment possible for our girls,” Williams says.

In order to do that — to continue expanding Burke’s academic offerings and to fully enjoy the advantages of these revamped classrooms — resources need to be in place to do that. And Many Voices. Many Hands. All Burke’s. aims to accomplish that goal by bolstering the Burke’s endowment by $6 million, allowing the school to take a larger draw each year. “With the draw in mind, there

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“We need to build our endowment to reflect who we are — a school that is more than 100 years old and that is doing truly innovative work and needs the financial flexibility to continue to be innovative.”

The Gift of Innovation That kind of environment also benefits from a learn-bydoing attitude that values new ideas — after all, San Francisco is home to the cutting-edge tech industry. And the final piece of Many Voices. Many Hands. All Burke’s. emphasizes that through establishing two $1-million Innovation Funds to provide seed money for the next bright ideas.

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One of those ideas, a transportation program, has already taken root at Burke’s. Starting midway through the 201617 school year, buses now bring more than 70 students to campus along two routes: one through North Beach, the Marina, and Pacific Heights; and another from Silver Terrace through Noe and Cole Valleys out to Sea Cliff. Starting in September for the 2018-19 school year will be a third route through the southwestern areas of San Francisco, such as Monterey Heights and the Outer Sunset.

There are a number of thoughts already on the table on how to utilize those funds. Among Williams’ ideas are a speaker series that addresses gender disparities and inclusion issues, as well as the introduction of a Tech Woman in Residence program, bringing a trailblazer to campus to meet with students and impart her wisdom. “I would love for this to possibly intersect with the various community programs at companies such as Salesforce or Google,” she says. Another proposal involves expanding the computer-science curriculum across all grade levels.

Burke’s has also begun creating its own curriculumdevelopment app to help our teachers keep their offerings nimble and up-to-date. The next step might involve bringing in outside developers to help make that vision

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a reality. “While we have made strides in moving our curriculum to keep up with this fast-changing world, we still have a lot of work to do,” Williams says.

The Campaign for Girls A lot of work has already taken place to make Many Voices. Many Hands. All Burke’s. a success. An enthusiastic group of campaign chairs and volunteers have already been working hard at raising funds, bringing the total — as of this writing — to $17.3 million out of the $20-million goal. The community phase of the campaign launched in February with a series of dinners for current parents to learn more about the initiative, as well as

∙ Build a campus center ∙ Reimagine Lower School classrooms to enhance project-based learning

one luncheon for alumnae to say goodbye to the space where many of them had eaten lunch when they were students. (Old favorites like pierogis were on the menu, with nostalgic recreations of punch cards serving as table numbers!)

However, there are new traditions waiting to be made in the updated Campus Center. Plans call for the construction to be completed by spring 2019, while the revitalized Lower School classrooms and other campus changes should be ready by the time students come back to school in September. We have secured the blessings of our neighbors, and with the support of the full Burke’s community, it’s full steam ahead.

∙ Attract and retain the best teachers ∙ Increase financial assistance

∙ Create outdoor learning spaces

∙ Facilitate programmatic innovation

∙ Build greater connection to our natural surroundings

∙ Strengthen our institutional differentiators ∙ Enhance our ability to support each girl

∙ Create two funds ∙ 21st-Century Learning Fund for increased differentiation, computer science and cultural competency curricula, and groundbreaking programs ∙ Inclusivity Fund to support an inclusive and diverse community

Want to pitch in with Many Voices. Many Hands. All Burke’s.?

Visit www.allburkes.org!

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At Burke’s, we teach our students to learn by making. They make their own inventions. They make works of art. They make connections between what they’re studying and real life.

With a donation to Burke’s Annual Fund, you can make magic happen.

MAKE a gift to Burke’s.

MAKE a difference for current and future students.

MAKE sure that the legacy of your Burke’s experience lives on.

Support your alma mater, fellow alumnae, beloved faculty and staff, and generations of Burke’s girls. Donate to the Annual Fund now at kdbs.org/give.

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Every gift, of any size, makes an impact.

MAKE yours today.

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Alumnae Updates

D

ear Fellow Alumnae,

What an honor it has been to serve as the president of the Burke’s Alumnae Association Board over these past two years. I’ve had the opportunity to meet and talk to so many Burke’s girls from across generations; it’s so wonderful to connect with women from different stations in life but who share the foundation that this special place created for all of us. Thank you for staying connected, and thank you for sharing your stories!

One of the programs I’m most proud to have helped develop during my time on the Alumnae Board is Burke’s Alumnae Mentorship Network.

We officially launched the initiative this past winter with an inspiring panel discussion on the Burke’s campus, and our ranks of mentors and mentees are growing. As with anything, this network will be strengthened as more people join, so I encourage alumnae from across industries and of all career stages to sign up; visit kdbs.org/mentorship to learn more.

I leave you in good hands with Laurie Hanna Carrade ’92 set to take over as president for the next two years. However, I will still be serving on the Alumnae Board and as your next Vice President of Mentorship. I hope to see you at events over the next year, and if you would like to reconnect with the school, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Diana Kaw, Director of Alumnae Relations, at diana@kdbs.org.

2017-18 Burke’s Alumnae Board Katy Congdon Williams ’96 President Laurie Hanna Carrade ’92 Vice President, Development Camille Hampton ’94 Vice President, Mentorship Darby Gaynor Glickman ’98 Vice President, Events Cary Cronholm Rose ’92 Vice President, Events Danielle Broude Yokell ’96 Vice President, Governance Allison Broude Friedberg ’00 Secretary Clara Abecassis ’92 Julia Baron ’01 Aimee Fowler Carlson ’85 Kendel Qvale Duford ’97 Bella Shen Garnett ’89 Max Boyer Glynn ’94 Alysse Godino ’06

All my best,

Sophie Middlebrook Hayward ’90 Natalie Jamison ’98 Gabrielle Kivitz ’89

KATY CONGDON WILLIAMS ’96 President of the Alumnae Board

Rachel Adam Rogers ’97

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Nancy Hellman Bechtle ’55 No matter what else you do, Nancy Hellman Bechtle ’55 has some advice: Don’t sweat the small stuff. In the midst of dealing with some pretty big stuff, including a diagnosis of scleroderma, a rare autoimmune disease, and serving as the Head of the Presidio Trust during a tumultuous period in its history, Nancy has done her best to live that motto. She’s also done a lot to give back, helping to start the best scleroderma center in the country at Johns Hopkins University after a doctor there cured her. In 2004, she co-organized the inaugural “Hearts in SF” fundraiser for San Francisco General Hospital, raising $3 million in its first year. A Burke’s girl through and through, Nancy is a lifelong learner, graduating with a degree in history from Stanford in 1984 — the 25th anniversary of when she would’ve originally graduated had she not, “as lots of girls did then,” dropped out to get married.

In the midst of her deep-rooted civic work, Nancy still hikes the Presidio three or four times a week and enjoys a budding musical career that brings her to clubs around the city — as well as the stage at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, founded by her late brother Warren Hellman.

When you were a student at Burke’s, what did you dream you’d be doing at this point in your life?

Ski-racing! I loved it then and I still love it now. “The Magic Triangle” is what we call Stinson Beach, San Francisco, and Sugar Bowl, and I feel fortunate to spend a lot of the winter season skiing.

What three words or phrases come to mind when you hear “Katherine Delmar Burke School”?

No specific words or phrases come to mind at first, just a warm feeling. I have many special memories, and it’s incredible the way Burke’s has woven its way throughout my life. Many of my family members went to Burke’s, starting with two aunts before me, and I find it really special that I served as president of the Board of Trustees when my daughter went to school for kindergarten through eighth grade and that my son later served as president when his daughters went to Burke’s.

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I’ve still got that warm feeling, thinking about drum corps at the old Jackson Street campus—we’d practice and come in as everyone gathered in the courtyard, with a flag bearer. We’d say the Salute to the Flag (“Oh, folds of white and scarlet!”), not the Pledge of Allegiance, and recite Psalm 15, which I’m convinced that no one knows but Burke’s girls.

What is your favorite memory from Burke’s?

Baby Day was really fun! Every year, on one random day that the seniors all knew but didn’t tell anyone, they would disappear into the bathrooms then put on baby clothes. We, as seniors, would have all brought candy, and then we would run through the corridors and throw candy into classrooms for the other students.

I loved Pansy Day, too, which we all called “Crying at Burke’s Day.” It was very different, much more poignant.

What is something you learned at Burke’s that you still carry with you today?

I think Burke’s helped me learn about who I

Photo courtesy of Drew Alitzer

Nancy Hellman Bechtle ’55 (at right) with her daughter, Jessica Parish Galloway ’78e.

wanted to be. I really believe in single-gender education and I think that an advantage of an all-girls school is that it gives girls more opportunity to be whoever they want to be, to not be distracted by other things. We had the space to learn about ourselves, and I’m very grateful for that.

How would you encourage Burke’s students and fellow alumnae to give back to Burke’s?

Burke’s right now is a much better school than it was when I attended. It’s more challenging, more competitive, and more diverse. It’s also different though, because I started in seventh grade and went through high school. and giving back is a different thing when you leave eighth grade. That said, my daughter Jessica graduated eighth grade from Burke’s in the late ’70s, and she has five friends from Burke’s with whom she’s still very close; they have a girls’ weekend every year. And so I know that these Burke’s friendships are still life-long, even though the school ends with eighth grade. I think that alumnae and students should just think about giving back to Burke’s when thinking about how they give back to the community at large. “Think globally, act locally.”

What Burke’s experiences do you attribute to your personal or professional success?

I was the Chair of the Festival as a senior, because back then, the students ran everything. I think that experience taught me life-long lessons about determination. I have done so many different things throughout my life, served on many boards including the SF Symphony and the Presidio Trust, and I think I also gained organizational skills for all of those many things, in the non-profit world and for-profit. Chairing the Festival was also a fun experience with planning events, which has been a part of my life since.

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Sierra Trees ’08

It took her a few years to get there, but Sierra Trees ’08 has made the move toward working in education — and now has some experience at Burke’s under her belt! This past winter, she worked closely with Lower School theatre specialist Nancy Gold to stage the second-grade play, which dovetailed with her own love for the arts. After high school at Cate School near Santa Barbara, Sierra graduated from Fordham University in New York with degrees in art history and theology, and she’s a dedicated painter as well. She initially took those talents to Los Angeles for a position at VICE Media, but has since moved back to San Francisco. Her time volunteering on the Burke’s campus helped her reconnect “with my passion for kids and teaching,” she says. This fall, she starts work at Town School for Boys!

What would you tell incoming kindergarten families about the journey ahead?

From the first day I stepped onto the Burke’s campus to the day I graduated, I was a part of a community that’s unparalleled to any I have experienced since. Middle school is bound to be some of the more complicated years for young girls, and the support that Burke’s gives you is worth taking a chance on. Each year is going to go by faster than the last, so take your time in enjoying each one.

Take advantage of the amazing faculty and life that Burke’s instills for your children.

The support is there if you allow it to be.

Some of my closest friends to this day are the ones I met in the Yellow Group back in 2000. Soak it in — these will be some amazing years, no doubt.

What is your favorite memory from Burke’s?

My favorite memory was actually also one of the hardest ones I’ve had to endure.

I lost my father my eighth-grade year at Burke’s. The morning after it happened, I told my family I wanted to go to school.

I wanted to be with my peers and my teachers. The faculty decided to have a moment of silence that day. Sitting there,

in that circle, looking around and seeing the girls who had been by my side since kindergarten, and the teachers who helped us get to where we were, made everything seem okay for just a moment. I look back at that moment, with that community, with immense gratitude. I felt so much love and support in that moment, so I hold onto that feeling most dearly.

What is something you learned at Burke’s that you still carry with you today?

Burke’s taught me how crucial it is to build our peers up and not tear each other down.

Being a part of a community like Burke’s, especially a strong female one, has taught me how much better we can be together.

How would you encourage Burke’s students and fellow alumnae to give back to Burke’s?

I recently had the amazing experience of coming back to Burke’s. Although it was for professional reasons, I would encourage Burke’s students to return to campus.

Seeing the same hallways and speaking to the same teachers who once taught me reminded me that this community is forever. Returning to the school, to the

friends and teachers who I met there, made me remember how much that place meant to me. Seeing that the traditions still exist was heartwarming, reminding me that even though I may have left, the school continued to grow and is fostering some amazing kids today! Burke’s girls are the future!

What Burke’s experiences do you attribute to your personal or professional success?

It was my Burke’s teachers who inspired me to want to get into education. The passion and care they brought to the classroom and out of it instilled a love of learning within me that has never faded. I think having that kind of an experience with education at such a young age will be the building blocks to any young girl’s future.

If you had it to do all over again, your time at Burke’s and since, what might you do differently?

I would take a moment to look around and take it in how lucky I was to be in a place like Burke’s. Surrounded by that kind of people I was surrounded by. The only regret I have is that I took my experience for granted.

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alumnae

EVENTS Alumnae Tea & Cocktails at the House of Dreams

Our friends at University High School opened their doors to Burke’s alumnae on Friday, October 6, allowing those who remember the House of Dreams to come back to campus. University’s Head of School Julia Russell Eells led a tour through the old building, when she pointed out that recent renovations had uncovered a cornerstone that was dedicated to Katherine Delmar Burke upon the building’s initial completion in 1917!

A recently rediscovered cornerstone that’s now inlaid in the building’s courtyard, which reads “Dux femina facti • In honor of the founder Katherine Delmar Burke • Inscribed by her fellow workers • December 26th 1917.”

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Lynn Burrows Bunim ’64 and Diana Morris Wild ’66

Cynthia Wheary Hertlein ’69 and Elizabeth Mulkern Unkovic ’69

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Jean Charles Gansa ’48 and Joan McLellan Tayler ’46 speak with Director of Alumnae Relations Diana Kaw (top left) Joan Ashley Tallman ’66 and Andrea Solari ’66 (top right) Yvonne Miller Alarab Nelson ’43 shows her yearbook to former Associate Director of Advancement Filomena Spero (right) Burke’s Director of Advancement Selena Shadle points out original details on the House of Dreams (bottom)

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The scene at Wild Hare in Pacific Heights

Town + Burke’s Alumni Cocktail Party Thanks to all of the Burke’s grads who ventured out to Wild Hare in Pacific Heights on the evening of Wednesday, January 17, for our annual event with Town School for Boys! The two alumni bodies packed the bar enjoying tapas, drinks, and catching up with friends from both schools.

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Abiah Folger Karthauser ’90 (left) and Sophie Middlebrook Hayward ’90 with Jim Folger (Town ’97)

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Andrea Alban ’77 and Allison Wells Jung ’77 (top left) Anna Foreman ’05, Natassia Pearlman ’05, and Grace Schlesinger ’05 (middle left) Eveline Dunham ’71, Jean Charles Gansa ’48, and Roberta D’Anneo ’71 (bottom left)

Burke’s Alumnae Association President Katy Congdon Williams ’96 speaks alongside Town Alumni Association President Will Bartlet ’89 (above)

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CLASS NOTES

Alumnae Updates From Burke’s CLASS OF 1948 JEAN CHARLES GANSA says, “I just celebrated my 65th reunion as a Stanford graduate.”

CLASS OF 1956 ELISA ESCAMILLA SCHWARTZ: “I am sad to report that our daughter VICTORIA SCHWARTZ ’79 died in November 2017 of colon cancer.”

SUSAN ROTHMAN SEELEY lets us know that she continues to travel and enjoy life, as well as doing lots of volunteer work. “New grandson and granddaughter to marry in February,” she says.

CLASS OF 1957 NAN NIBLEY WALKER: “Loved seeing everyone at our reunion — 60 years later and we all look exactly the same!”

CLASS OF 1959 JANE PHARR STEWART: “I have lived happily in Evergreen, Colorado (not far from Denver) for 11 years now in order to be closer to my sons and their families here. I have a bunch of wonderful grandchildren and step grandchildren, ranging from 17 to 27, along with a new grandson born this year. I enjoy hiking, birding, and looking at wildflowers, so I am a member of the local Audubon Society. Having been a member of Penguins at Burke’s, I still enjoy reading literature and poetry (occasionally) and lively discussions in a local book club. I serve on the board of Sculpture Evergreen, which has installed more than 40 permanent sculptures

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Above left (from left): Darby Gaynor ’98 and Natalie Jamison ’98.

Above right (from left): Max Boyer Glynn ’94 and Camille Hampton ’94.

outside in our small community and offers our residents of all ages various ways to enjoy the artworks. I was delighted to have a short visit with my classmates HOPE AUSTEN PAGE, SALLY, ROBERTA BAILLY BRADSHAW, and MARSHA LEAHY ARUTUNIAN not long ago.”

CLASS OF 1967

RUTHANN BALLOU CONWAY told us how much she enjoyed last year’s Alumnae Luncheon.

“Great to see so many friends,” she says.

LESLIE BOSWELL: “It was great fun to be with so many classmates at our 50th reunion events.

The year 2017 started wonderfully when our two sons both got engaged at the exact same time (12:05 a.m.) in two separate locations (Monterey and Seattle) unbeknownst to each other or PJ and me. Casey and Mike got married in November, and Colin and Ciara will get married next August. “PJ and I ended the year with an amazing trip to Antarctica and Iguazu Falls. What an amazing world we live in!”

CLASS OF 1964

CLASS OF 1975

KATHARINE ASHLEY COBB says, “Lovely visit [at the] Jackson Street former campus last fall!”

BETTY SCHWARTZ MARCON: “I am working in the Financial District for an executive recruitment firm specializing in real estate.

I am not a recruiter, but I manage the office

CLASS OF 1962

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and the business. My daughter, CAMILLE MARCON ’08, is working in NYC at Rue La La, an online retailer. My son is now a freshman at the University of Washington. I live in Alameda and would love to reconnect with more of our classmates!”

CLASS OF 1985 MARIANNA STARK: “Big change to report!

After 15 years, I made the tough decision to leave Gap Inc. and took a role at my alma mater, San Francisco University High School.

I have dual responsibility for communications and alumni giving. On the homefront, our daughter Tay turned 3 last June, and she’s enrolled at a Spanish immersion PK-8 school, Escuela Bilingue Internacional, close to our home in Oakland.”

CLASS OF 1991 GEORGEANN EDWARDS HANLIN writes in with the news that her children’s book, Coco’s Number Nightmare, was released this May. She dedicated the book to her family and her three lifelong friends from Burke’s: SASHA MARDIKIAN BAINER ’91, BROOK COSBY ’92, and EMILY LEVINS GOLDSTEIN ’91.

CLASS OF 1996 CATHERINE “KATE” SANGER reports that she and her husband Brandon Yoder became parents in 2017 to their “sparkling” daughter Cendana Evelyn Sanger Yoder, otherwise known as Dani. They live in Singapore where Kate continues to work as a professor and academic administrator at Yale NUS College.

STINA SKEWES-COX TRAINOR: “I live in New York with my husband, a public school teacher, and our daughter Willa, 15 months. I spent 10 years with the federal government, including positions with Speaker Nancy Pelosi and in the Obama administration, and now work for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.”

CLASS OF 1999 SUSAN GLAUBIGER IRIZARRY tells us that she is a physician’s assistant in Trauma Surgery at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center.

Her daughter Jordyn was born on April 29, 2017, and they live in Redwood City.

CLASS OF 2001 ANNE R. GIBBONS says that she has been living in Houston for the past two years and working for Accenture as a Salesforce Consultant.

Nearly 40 alumnae came to the Burke’s campus on the evening of Thursday, February 1, for our inaugural Alumnae Mentorship Network Launch Event and Panel Discussion. They were no doubt drawn by the impressive lineup of panelists, moderated by Lareina Yee ’87, Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company (far left). From L-R: Lynn Burrows Bunim ’64, Former Executive Director External Relations at AT&T; Anna Banks ’83, Principal at Bright Shadow Consulting; Sarah Bacon ’86, co-owner of Nourish Cafe; Dayle Hochman Burnes ’87, COO West Coast Investment Banking at Morgan Stanley; Lisa Stewart McKnight ’82, SVP & General Manager - Barbie at Mattel; and Burke’s Head of School Michele Williams.

CLASS OF 2005

CLASS OF 2009

LESLIE SILVERSTEIN: “After leaving Burke’s mid-fifth grade, I completed my education in New Albany, Ohio. After graduating from New Albany High School, I went on to Tulane where I fell in love with New Orleans. I became part of the 2013 Teach for America New Orleans class and have been teaching elementary school here in New Orleans ever since.”

TESS BROWN has graduated from the University of Southern California and moved to Boston to begin work for Wayfair as a central buyer.

CLASS OF 2006 We hear that SARA GRIDLEY is working in Washington, D.C., in marketing for a large national architectural firm.

ANAROSE REARDON-HELFERD has passed the bar exam and is currently working as a staff attorney with the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project.

CLASS OF 2008 KATHERINE GRIDLEY is working in Denver as an energy efficiency specialist for ECOSystems, a provider of energy savings services.

Following her graduation from the University of California, Berkeley, ROCHELLE DUBROVSKY moved to New York and began work as a financial analyst at JP Morgan.

Rochelle, with ELLA STOREY and EMMA SHEPLER, joins a cohort of the Class of 2009 who moved to New York following graduation.

Other members of this group include DAISY WILLIAMSON, SAMANTHA KAPLAN, ARIANA BAUM, CAROLINE DOYLE, SINCLAIRE O’GRADY, CLAIRE CONKLIN, ARIELLE SACKS, and CHARLOTTE BAILINSON. EMMA SHEPLER: “I graduated from Tulane University in May 2017. I currently live in New York City and I’m enrolled in the Farm-to-Table Program at the International Culinary Center.”

ELLA STOREY has earned her B.A. from Bucknell University and begun work as a staff associate in the learning disorders center at the Child Mind Institute in New York.

SIERRA TREES came back to Burke’s this winter to help Lower School theatre specialist Nancy Gold stage the second-grade play “Bella’s Best Part.”

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Once a Burke’s girl, always a Burke’s girl — even when you face off against each other in high-school volleyball! This meeting of University High School and The Bay School took place on September 5, 2017.

From left to right: Grace de Benedetti ’14, Isabel Glen ’15, Maddie Dowd ’15, Kendall Otridge ’15, and Kamryn You Mak ’15.

CLASS OF 2011 ELLA FRANCIS is an actress with the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, and last October, she played Juliet in the festival’s production of Romeo & Juliet that was performed in the Burke’s Gymnasium as part of the Upper School Shakespeare Assembly.

(01, 02)

CLASS OF 2013 SARAH ANCHETA graduated from SF University High School in 2017 and enrolled at UC Berkeley last fall. “Go Bears!” she says.

RYAN GRADY is a first-year midshipman, or “plebe,” at the United States Naval Academy.

She visited Burke’s during her winter break to watch her seventh-grade sister deliver a speech during an Upper School Assembly. (03)

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In Memoriam Burke’s is proud of its long legacy of graduating strong, confident women.

We sadly report and mourn the loss of these members of our alumnae family.

Frances Beedy King ’33

Jean Griffin Goossen ’38

Elizabeth Kinzie Buckley ’37

Mary Hoag Bardwell ’42

Juliette Swigert Bonelli ’45

Alice McAllister Wright ’48

Victoria Schwartz ’79

As of February 28, 2018.

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BEST FACE FORWARD EARLY BURKE’S BROCHURES USED EVOCATIVE LANGUAGE TO DESCRIBE THE SCHOOL’S UNIQUE POSITION IN THE EDUCATIONAL LANDSCAPE.

T

hese days, most prospective parents looking to enroll their daughters at Burke’s gather their information online, where bright images and engrossing videos provide an up-tothe-minute view of what happens in the classroom. Only after registering their interest in the school do these hopeful applicants receive a package in the mail with more practical information about the admission process.

But before the Internet was a gleam in anyone’s eye and photography was widespread in independent school materials, Burke’s promoted itself with vibrant words that painted a beautiful picture of campus life and the school ethos. One of the earliest Burke’s brochures, from the 1911-12 school year, includes language that could very well be found in today’s school mission: No rule can be applied to a mind developing. The education of a child should be a matter of individuality. A child taught by rule is soon in a state of bewilderment and in possession of a mass of information, which she can neither utilize nor classify. A child schooled in the light of her own individuality is helped to acquire a clear, quick and receptive mind, adding constantly to its store, and building upon a foundation firm and enduring, which she herself has been led to create.

Images first came to Burke’s promotional literature in the early 1940s (as seen at left), with prints of the former high-school building on Jackson Street and nearly full-page images of day-to-day life. In the late 1940s, with the expansion of “The Katherine Delmar Burke Elementary School” (previously referred to as the Sea Cliff Country Day School!) also came a more compact brochure with expansive photos — photos that illustrated the then-new Burke’s campus on California Street and 32nd Avenue.

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BA R BA R A B U R K E LE G AC Y S O C I E T Y

Planned Giving

at Katherine Delmar Burke School The lessons I learned and the relationships I built during my time at Burke’s motivate me to make sure Katherine Delmar Burke School continues to have the resources necessary to carry out its same critical mission to educate, encourage, and empower girls for years to come.

— KIMBERLY FULLERTON ’77e member of the Barbara Burke Legacy Society

For more information about making a gift through your estate plans or another type of or

Burke’s is grateful for the many gifts it has received over the years through estate plans. These gifts are a way to ensure that our mission not only continues, but thrives for years to come. By including Katherine Delmar Burke School in your estate planning, your gift has a long-lasting impact on the school — just as Burke’s has made an impact on you.

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planned gift, please contact Selena Shadle at 415.666.3204 or selena@ kdbs.org. You can also visit our Planned Giving website at kdbs.org/ plannedgiving.

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Ways to Give CASH, CHECK, OR CREDIT CARD

PLANNED GIVING

OTHER DEFERRED GIFTS

Gifts of cash, typically payable by check, and credit card gifts are tax deductible and provide immediate funds to the school. The easiest way to give is online at www.kdbs.org/give.

The Barbara Burke Legacy Society honors alumnae, past parents, grandparents, current parents, and friends who have remembered Burke’s by bequest in their estate plans or who have made a life income gift or other type of planned gift. You can become a member by:

It is possible to make gifts of property that may allow income tax benefits for the donor during his or her lifetime, may be used during the lifetime of the donor, and which would revert to Burke’s, with possible estate tax savings. Institutions can achieve stability and growth through planned giving. Contact your tax adviser for specific advice that relates to your particular circumstances.

You can also send a check to: Katherine Delmar Burke School Advancement Office 7070 California Street San Francisco, CA 94121

MATCHING GIFTS Many companies offer their employees the opportunity to double or, in some cases, triple their gifts to certain programs or organizations by matching them. Please check with your employer about their Matching Gift Program.

SECURITIES & PROPERTY Gifts of stocks, other securities, or property have two significant advantages to the donor — they are tax deductible for the full fair market value of the gift when it is made, and the donor does not pay capital gains on the appreciated value of the stock or property. Contact the Advancement Office for more information on making a gift of securities or property.

• placing Burke’s in your will • making Burke’s the beneficiary of a retirement account • making a gift of a life insurance policy (a gift of life insurance can result in tax savings and can be made through an existing or a new life insurance policy) • establishing a charitable trust • making a gift of real estate or other tangible property Each of these gifts can result in substantial tax savings for the donor. Please consult the Advancement Office or your tax adviser for more information.

Please notify the Advancement Office if you have made a deferred or planned gift to Burke’s so that you will be included in The Barbara Burke Legacy Society.

GIFTS IN KIND Burke’s welcomes donations such as classroom supplies, athletic equipment, and other items related to the educational program, as well as donations of auction items to the annual Burke’s Benefit. Gift value is determined by the donor through appraisal or a record of purchase. Please contact the Advancement Office if you would like to make a gift in kind.

For more information about making a gift of any type, please contact Selena Shadle, Director of Advancement, at 415.666.3204 or selena@kdbs.org. To make a gift online, please visit www.kdbs.org/give.

SUMMER 2018

Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage Paid San Francisco, CA Permit No. 1734

KATHERINE DELMAR BURKE SCHOOL 7070 CALIFORNIA STREET SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94121 WWW.KDBS.ORG