The Steps of Caedmon
A LETTER FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL
Dear Caedmon Community,
When I arrived at The Caedmon School in 2012, The Steps of Caedmon was a brief, saddle-stitch newsletter, a pamphlet with a few short articles. Like so many things at Caedmon, it has now become a beautiful, professional feature that we look forward to each spring. Alissa Dufour, Caedmon’s first director of communications, and Cindy Rodriguez, our previous director of development, played a large part in this evolution. And the individual longest associated with The Steps of Caedmon, the magazine’s writer, editor, and photographer (and also our beloved Latin teacher), Dan McNerney, deserves a big round of thanks as well for these changes in the magazine.
This year’s magazine honors a very special person, who graced the front desk at Caedmon for many, many years. Pauline Johnson—“Miss Pauline”—was a kind of mom and then grandmother to so many Caedmon students over the years, as well as an important connection for many parents and caregivers. Her own grandchildren also attended school at Caedmon. Elsewhere, the magazine gives you a window onto the curriculum at Caedmon. We are always asking, “Is this the best, most engaging and most challenging approach for Caedmon students?” and we are doing that specifically with our math program right now. Also in these pages we highlight some innovative and exciting programs and projects that took place this year. Finally, this issue of the magazine gave me a chance to sit down with Mr. McNerney and reflect on my time at Caedmon—a very special thirteen years.
The Steps of Caedmon always offers a well-deserved Thank You for the generous philanthropic giving from our community members, without which we frankly would not exist. Financial giving at Caedmon says loud and clear that our community believes in our school and wants it to thrive. Given our size and population, we rely deeply on our Caedmon parents, teachers, grandparents, alums, and non-teaching staff to give generously, and we are overwhelmed with gratitude because they do. Caedmon Trustees start in September with a 100% commitment to a donation—and we hope for and encourage the entire community to follow their lead.
Please share The Steps of Caedmon proudly with your friends and relatives. Everyone at Caedmon has a unique and distinguished story, and we relish discovering those stories each year.
With gratitude and delight, Matthew Stuart
A LETTER FROM THE BOARD PRESIDENT
Dear Caedmon Community,
As we reflect on another incredible year at Caedmon, I am filled with gratitude and admiration for the remarkable achievements of our students, faculty, and families. It is an honor to serve as the President of the Board and witness the unwavering commitment to our community. Together, we continue to foster an environment where innovation, compassion, kindness, and the pursuit of knowledge thrive. In this space, I will address three topics. First, the perception of Caedmon by those outside our community. Second, a tribute to Matthew Stuart, our outgoing Head of School. Third, an introduction to Wendy Falchuk, our incoming Head of School.
Last year, Caedmon underwent a comprehensive inspection by two independent consultants from the premier search firm RG 175. They spent two full days at Caedmon, gathering information about the institution in preparation for drafting a Position Statement (i.e., job description) for our next Head of School. The experts’ Position Statement presents Caedmon as an ideal educational environment, highly desirable for both students and their families.
The Statement asserts, “the school is a diverse and inclusive community which celebrates the talents and perspective of each individual, children and adults alike. . . By fostering a culture of belonging, the school actively and rigorously builds a supportive educational environment for all. For Caedmon, community is always central to learning.” It goes on, “[t]he school fosters the natural curiosity of each child which is the foundation of academic achievement with highly qualified and experienced teachers, well-versed in the Progressive Montessori approach and research-based progressive education. . . the Caedmon program is not a cookie-cutter program. Inspiring and inspirational, Caedmon believes in initiating learning in an individualized, challenging and supported fashion within each division.”
My favorite section reads, “the full community of Caedmon—parents, students, faculty, staff, trustees and alums—all believe in the mission and purpose of this school . . . Repeatedly you will hear the school described as a place for all families and all students. Often the students come skipping into the school, and it seems that the rest of the community is not far behind.”
It is noteworthy how clearly our school’s values are perceived by two outsiders. Reflecting on this statement several months later, I find it difficult not to feel a sense of pride in and gratitude for this exceptional school.
Mr. Stuart has served as our esteemed head for 13 years, warmly welcoming everyone at the schoolhouse steps and consistently championing Caedmon. Matthew is my partner on the Board and a valued friend as well, and his leadership has been a significant asset to the Caedmon community. His unwavering optimism, dedication to creating a nurturing environment, and steadfast focus on our mission have greatly transformed Caedmon. Matthew’s accomplishments over the last 13 years include: (1) Establishing the identity and distinctiveness of The Caedmon School as a progressive independent New York City Montessori preschool and elementary school.
The school has a reputation for providing a personalized learning experience for every student, as reported by applicant families and feeder schools. (2) Initiating and completing a $2.75 million Campaign, the largest amount raised in Caedmon’s history. (3) Facilitating and supervising the ongoing internal renovation of the entire schoolhouse, which included renovations of every classroom, the science lab, the basement dining hall, kitchen, art studio, music room, and courtyard.
As we bid farewell to Matthew, it is impossible not to feel a profound sense of loss. His presence has been a cornerstone of our community, and his impact resonates in every place at Caedmon. From the classrooms to the courtyard, from the smiles of our children to the gratitude of parents, Matthew’s influence is omnipresent. His wisdom, kindness, and steadfast dedication have touched us all in ways that are immeasurable. Matthew, you will be deeply missed, not only as a head of school, but as a mentor, a leader, and a cherished friend. Your legacy will continue to inspire and guide us as we move forward, carrying on the spirit of Caedmon that you have so lovingly nurtured.
In the spirit of moving forward, I am delighted that Dr. Wendy Falchuk will be joining the Caedmon community on July 1, 2025. Dr. Falchuk joins us from the Kingsley Montessori School in Boston, Massachusetts, where she currently serves as the Director of Enrollment Management and Community Engagement. Prior to this role, Dr. Falchuk was the Assistant Head of School at Gann Academy. She brings to Caedmon over 20 years of experience in education and school administration. Dr. Falchuk has demonstrated a longstanding commitment to Montessori education, spanning from early childhood to the elementary years. Her dissertation, Communication and Collaboration across Student Support Teams and Montessori Classroom Teachers, has significantly informed her work and has been incorporated into classroom practices at Kingsley.
The Board, faculty, students, and parents alike are looking forward to the dynamic leadership and positive changes that Dr. Falchuk will undoubtedly usher in. Her background and accomplishments particularly resonate with our school’s core values and mission. It is with great enthusiasm that we welcome Dr. Falchuk to the Caedmon family, confident that she will continue to build upon the strong foundation laid by Mr. Stuart.
Thank you to everyone who supports Caedmon.
Michael W. Gramer
President
Board of Trustees of The Caedmon School
(Parent to Roman ’29 and Rose ’30)
Furniture as Art: 5th Grade’s Chair Project
The fifth grade classroom has acquired some distinctive new furniture this year. Seventeen cardboard chairs—one for each student in the Class of 2025—have been added to the room, and none of them looks quite like any of the others. Each of the chairs belongs to a different fifth grade student, who was responsible for giving it a design that sets it apart from all the rest during the course of a lengthy fall art project. Some of the chairs are extensively painted, while others, more minimalist, exhibit a functional sense of style. All the chairs, whatever their look, reflect the interests and personalities of the individual students who made them their own.
The idea for the chairs project comes from fifth grade homeroom teacher Bryan Storti. One of Mr. Storti’s
friends, Sandra Luks, is a fashion designer from Estonia who creates clothing by “upcycling” or creative reuse— she takes discarded products and transforms them into new objects that are more valuable or beautiful than the original items from which they’re made. (Commenting on this process of making art, Mr. Storti recalls being fascinated at one of Ms. Luks’s shows by a dress she had designed entirely out of the seams of old blue jeans.)
Last May, Mr. Storti attended an upcycling-themed show at which Ms. Luks was among the featured artists. One of the artworks at the show was a set of chairs designed by Tarmo Luisk out of cardboard. These had been made available for attendees to sit on, and Mr. Storti was impressed by their sturdiness. He reflected that,
without any decoration, such chairs would make an excellent art project—students could have fun and express themselves visually while also learning about and contributing to the sustainability efforts that are the impetus for upcycling. He brought his idea to the attention of fellow fifth grade teacher Elena Howell, and of Mr. Stuart and the art teachers, Nils Anderson and Genesis Almanzar. They all were excited by the proposal, and Mr. Storti soon found himself transporting the needed cardboard to Caedmon one day last spring.
Work on the new furniture began at the very start of the year. Mr. Anderson and Ms. Almanzar had folded Mr. Storti’s cardboard into chairs already, adding some hot glue in various places to increase their strength. Fifth graders put their names on their respective chairs and began the design process, sometimes working on the chairs in the classroom with the art teachers and sometimes transporting them to the art room, which became the norm later in the process, when the design
work was in a more elaborate, later phase. As Ms. Almanzar remarks, designing the chairs was a free art project— students were able to design them in any way they liked, and the art teachers’ role was to serve as facilitators of their vision. Some students opted to paint their chairs extensively and to collage them with images they had printed. Others wanted to have objects sticking out of their chairs, adding cup holders, arm rests, and other items with a particular function, and learning in the process how to stiffen and reinforce these extras with struts. And in the interests of comfort, many students chose to outfit the chairs with cushions upcycled from T-shirts as well, coming up with designs for these that added to the overall personality expressed by their chair. To mark the official completion of the project, Mr. Anderson and Ms. Almanzar also had the fifth graders each discuss their chair with the whole class in a presentation held in the lobby.
Opposite left: the chairs as they at first appeared. Middle images: working on the chairs in the art room. Above right: a finalized chair in the fifth graders’ presentation.
Asked to reflect on the design process for this article, several of the fifth graders stressed its creative aspect and the opportunity it offered for personal expression. Sophia Miller Contreras remarked, “It was a really great experience because everyone got a lot of independence and got to use a lot of creativity.” Similarly, Justin Lum said of the project, “I thought it was really fun—everyone got to show their personality, not by telling people but by decorating their chairs.” Jackson Smith highlighted the
novelty of the medium used for expression, and identified emotion rather than personality as the thing being communicated, commenting that he “love[d] how we expressed our feelings on a chair!” And Jordan John, noting the social dimension of the design process, how students took inspiration from each other while working, summed things up by saying, “I think it was a great experience for the 5th graders to work on our chairs and cooperate together, and to build on each other’s ideas!”
Above: students discussing their chairs at the chairs presentation. Opposite: four of the completed chairs.
EVERYDAY MATHEMATICS: CAEDMON TESTS A NEW MATH CURRICULUM
Parents in today’s STEM-oriented world are understandably keen to have their children receive a strong mathematics education. At the elementary level, such an education has to achieve several goals. An obvious one is the development of basic numeracy, which includes a grasp of the four main arithmetic operations, the natural numbers, place value, fractions, decimals, and percents, as well as certain geometry concepts (perimeter, area, congruence) and the ability to estimate correctly. Just as importantly, children need to acquire confidence in their ability to learn math and to feel curious about the subject; these attitudes will not only help them to thrive in math in their elementary years, but also motivate them for their continuing study of the subject in secondary school, college, and—for those who pursue STEM and other
math-related careers—graduate-level educational institutions. In addition, students need to form creative problem-solving skills as a foundation for constructing proofs and for real-world applications of mathematics, and they need to achieve a clear understanding of the effectiveness of the algorithms they learn so that they don’t regard mathematics as mystifying or arbitrary.
Acknowledging all of these goals, Caedmon has been constantly examining and modifying its math curriculum, looking to make sure that the subject is being taught in a way that meets all of the relevant criteria for elementary math education. In keeping with this spirit of review and revision, the school formed a committee two years ago to examine new curricula that might be adopted for the teaching of math. The committee, which was composed
of Bryan Storti, Jake Meyers, Rose Kory, Jill Grazioli, and Emmy Burnett, examined a variety of curricula and ultimately recommended that two of them, Math in Focus and Everyday Mathematics, should be used on a trial basis at Caedmon. Last year, Math in Focus was tried out in the fourth grade, and it was determined at year’s end that the curriculum isn’t a good fit. Caedmon’s educational philosophy honors the individual learning styles of each child, and the teachers who gave it a trial run felt that Math in Focus is designed for only one kind of learner, without enough in the way of resources for children who learn in other ways. This year, third and fourth grade teachers have opted to try the second recommendation, Everyday Math. The plan now is to examine it for a two-year minimum, allowing teachers to chart the math progress of students learning through the program over the span of multiple grades.
Everyday Mathematics is a curriculum developed by the University of Chicago. It has been researched since the early 1980s and revised multiple times. Spiraling, also known as spacing, is key to how it teaches mathematics. In Everyday Math, specific mathematical skills and concepts are repeatedly taught throughout the year; they are introduced and then the curriculum returns to them at multiple points, offering opportunities for more practice to those students who haven’t yet mastered a given skill, and extension activities to those who have. (Math boxes, a review exercise in the curriculum which 3rd grade teacher Jenni Arcieri describes as being used “almost daily”, offer a notable example of how spiraling is implemented in Everyday Math.) Additionally, the spiraling of content allows an older skill to be embedded
in later lessons teaching new skills and concepts so that students can deepen their understanding of the older skill by observing how it relates to new material. Similarly, multiple related concepts are introduced together so that students can make connections between them and observe their interplay. In the third grade curriculum, for example, multiplication and division are taught jointly, while in fourth grade fractions and division are presented together.
Among its other distinguishing features, Everyday Mathematics also stresses the importance of concrete, real-world examples and datasets so that the relevance of mathematics to life is constantly apparent to young students. The curriculum values the teaching of multiple problem-solving strategies to develop a multifaceted grasp of concepts and accommodate differences in learning styles, and the frequent practice of basic computational skills, often through the use of games to make the activities appealing to children. As with many progressive curricula, Everyday Math insists on developing conceptual understanding, even as it acknowledges the importance of computational efficiency. And the social aspects of the curriculum—the partnerships and discussions it involves—tie in with social-emotional learning and also enable students to learn different approaches to math problems from each other. In fact, the room it offers for collaborative work can even amplify students’ problemsolving ability, since it has been noted in research that young students working together with manipulatives are often able to solve a math problem that would elude their grasp if they worked independently.
Matthew Stuart Reflects on His Time at Caedmon
Tell us what your first year was like. What have you learned about school leadership since that time?
The biggest thing about the first year, the first couple years, was learning as a Head—you think you’re a good Head when you’re a highly relational person, when you like people and you want to connect with people. But that gets hard with really, really tough decisions. That was the hardest part about being a Head in my first year or two— learning that there were decisions that no one was happy with. I made a decision: the parents were upset and felt I wasn’t supporting their child, but the teachers felt that the decision didn’t go far enough and we weren’t supporting the teachers, and those were the decisions I had to spend
the most amount of time on and really tried to think through what would be the right decision. That almost did me in those first couple years, because there’s also no one to tell you, “This is the right decision, you’ve got to go for it.” So for me, that’s the biggest thing I’ve learned about leadership—the need, in many situations, to put aside your own relational fears or concerns or “Are they still going to like me?” and say, “What’s the best choice for the school?” and you make it. I joke that, kind of around year three, I learned to flip the story and that kind of decision would come up and my stomach would tie up in a knot and I would go, “Oh, hello old friend, there you are, you’re one of those decisions!”
What were the biggest challenges of your tenure at Caedmon?
I have to say that Covid, the pandemic, was a life-changing time as far as being a leader because all those decisions had to be made so, so quickly. So, those decisions, you didn’t have time—I mean we had a council of doctors and parents who were helping us, and then there was a group of parents who disagreed with those parents, but you didn’t have time to get caught up in any of that. You had to make a decision, make a decision, make a decision, and it was so rapid-fire. Before Covid everyone always talked about what’s called a VUCA—a volatile uncertain complex ambiguous time, things changing—and prior to Covid I think we were all like, “These are volatile times,” but you hung on to your seat to just do things the same way, and once Covid came you couldn’t do that anymore, you had to make decisions, changes—the whole faculty had to learn to go online, including Montessori preschool teachers. So that to me was the biggest time of, you know, you just made decisions and made decisions that you believed were right and kept the school going. That was thrust upon us— Covid and the pandemic. That was certainly a challenge.
[On a different front,] I think overall that, for Caedmon, when I got here, people said we were like the greatest secret—a great school, but a secret—and Jennifer [Tarpley-Kreismer] and I notice these days that, when people apply to this school now, they’ve heard about the school, they understand that we’re a progressive Montessori school that’s going to give individualized attention to their children. They come in saying the things we talk about for the school. So for me that was the other biggest challenge—getting us to that recognition.
This year Jennifer has I think 25 or 30 more (maybe even more) applications than she did last year at this time! I mean, we’re a boutique institution. We’re really a rare progressive Montessori school, and we seem to be appealing now to a group of people who want those specific things, and that’s exciting because that means the school is going to carry on in really wonderful ways, but in unique ways, like people who want to choose a tiny boutique hotel that’s really exquisite as opposed to something really big or something that everyone knows about.
Is there an accomplishment that you’re especially proud of?
So many. I’m very proud of that [recognition-building]. Also, our kids have such an incredible reputation in ongoing schools. We’ve contacted them about our 6th grade alumni, and people really know Caedmon children, and that’s a team accomplishment. I’m very proud of the way we went through the pandemic. I’m proud of how financially stable this school is right now. A lot of small progressive schools have closed or they’re having some real struggles, and our finances are so secure. I’m proud we got the 15-year lease we got about 12 years ago, that we got that long-term lease that really brought security for the school. I wouldn’t leave if I didn’t feel like the school was in really good shape. I think the faculty’s phenomenal, I think the right teams are in place. I think there’s a lot of opportunity right now to think about how to build on what we have. So that really healthy foundation is the thing I’m most proud of.
Any especially memorable moments?
Oh, millions of them! My first year was the school’s 50th birthday, and we had that wonderful big party at Guastavino’s and Lily Kapner [Class of 2014] sang and the Young People’s Chorus sang and that led to a big building fund that cleaned off the front of the school. The porch of the school when I arrived was painted yellow and had a chainlink fence! I still remember that party so well. I loved working with Honor Taft, loved working with Lisa Oberstein and Andria Quintero, with Tyler [Jennings], and now Saniya and Jelecia. We have good teams here— those are memorable to me, and then, you know, I loved directing [the fifth grade musical] Peter Pan last year. We’re going to do Annie [this year]. There’s something very special when you connect with the fifth grade and you see them marching off into their next moment. That’s a hugely memorable moment. I remember,
for Caedmon Gift Giving Day, we used to be able to bake, and I remember baking for one kid a huge golf putting green sugar cookie, but we’re not allowed to do that anymore! That used to be fun!
What is the toughest part of being a Head of School?
That’s the hardest part about being a Head of School— you’re called on to make decisions where no one is pleased with the outcome and you have to go ahead and make the decision and if you make it like it would really please this person, it’s not the right one. You’ve got to decide, “This is the right decision.” I’ve given a lot of time to creating mentorship for new heads: I run the Guild of Independent Schools and I created a whole mentorship group there because I think being a Head really attracts people who want the best for everyone and really want to take care of others and then you have to make those
choices. Others may find the finances [the toughest part], but for me it’s the individual moments of people’s frustration with a decision that is nevertheless the right thing to do.
Flipping the question around, what is the best part— or one of the best parts?
It’s when a kid looks you in the eye and just is smiling and they feel safe and they’re happy and they’re learning in school. And in this school I squat down to the level of the two-year-olds when they’re lined up for dismissal at 11:30, and I love that they’re smiling and laughing and they’ve had a great day. And fifth graders when they do really well on something—that to me is the best part of being a Head, that moment when you look in the eyes and people’s eyes are twinkling and they’re happy and a parent is proud of their kid, a teacher is really proud of something they’ve
done in the classroom, they’ve got a great project going, they’ve got an idea for a project. For me that’s the best part, because I went into this because I wanted people to do their best.
What does Caedmon mean to you?
Such a great question! I love this school. I love this school so much. Caedmon means to me young people are going to thrive. Caedmon means hope to me. Caedmon means that young children are going to feel good about themselves, are going to have a really good sense of confidence in themselves and they’re going to go forward. You know, we hear this about our alums. We hear this from our alums’ schools—they tell us that Caedmon kids are really self-confident. There’s a lot of humility, they’re not arrogant, they’re just secure in who they are, in what they learn, so that’s what Caedmon means to me. Just the idea
of hope and the idea of a happy childhood. I’ve worked in 6 schools and I remember coming here for the interview and I’ve always said to people, “Caedmon has a soul.” There’s something very special about the school, it really has a soul behind the work. It has a spirit, it has an incredible energy behind the success of children, and you can feel it when you come in here. People say that when they come in here.
What are your hopes and dreams for the school in the next decade?
I’m excited to see this school develop and prosper as Wendy [Falchuk] becomes the new Head. I believe it can and I hope it will continue to be a profoundly unique children-only learning opportunity. We’ve joked about having caedmon.edu and Cadmon curriculum that people can download across the country. Our teachers love
professional development—maybe Caedmon creates a school for teachers or Caedmon creates a Montessori school for parents? I believe that people know about Caedmon, so what could that become? How could Caedmon give back? Because it is this unique learning experience. So my hope is that it remains very solid and healthy, but I’d like it to start to share what it has with other educators.
What are your plans for the future?
There’s a lot of fun ideas! There’s something called an interim headship where you run a school for 1 year, 2 years, where they’re in transition. That sounds really cool to me because I love professional development. There’s something in New York called accreditation where you are a team and you go in and look under the hood of a school and that’s what you do when you’re in these interims—
you’re kind of coming in and helping the school either hold on or maybe make big changes. There’s some education jobs but they’re not school jobs, here in New York again. That could be really interesting, so I’m exploring some of those. I’m just shy of actual retirement age. This was the right time for Caedmon—it’s ready for its next generation, and for me, I need to find a couple interesting things to do because I have too much energy to totally retire but I don’t want to [manage] a whole other school. I want to have some adventures!
Any personal plans?
Well, I’m very lucky to be married to someone who is in charge of luxury hotels, and we have a great travel life, so I’d love to continue traveling. I have a gigantic pile of books that I’m supposed to read that I’ve never read or that I’ve started, so I’d like to sit and read some books. There’s some good TV binging, some of these TV shows that by 9 o’clock I am fast asleep and I want to be able to binge some of those Netflix series. I love to cook and I love the time and freedom to cook dinner for us, so all those kinds of things—traveling and eating and reading.
You just seem not to have time to, because you get home and there’s three more emails you’ve got to attend to and then it’s 9 o’clock and you fall asleep. I want that freedom to have some of that time. It seems like it would be really nice!
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
I do joke about how 15 or 14 years ago, if you and I had a bet and you told me, “Matthew, you’re going to finish your career in a Montessori early childhood and elementary program,” I would have said, “You’re crazy! That’s not my specialty. I love small children but I’m a middle school expert. I don’t know about that kind of stuff!” And [yet] the head hunter was really insistent and I called the head hunter after about 3 years here and I said, “How did you know I would love this place?” And she said, “I just knew! I just knew you and that school would go together!” So I feel immense gratitude, humble gratitude for the chance to lead this school for all of this time. There’s not a lot of people who get to say, “Wow, I did what I really wanted to do with my life in my career!” and I got to and I’m lucky— I’m so, so lucky.
CAEDMON GALLERY
The Steps of Caedmon once again presents a selection of the visual art made by Caedmon’s talented students. All of them, whether featured here or not, are a year older and therefore a year more skillful! The work displayed includes both sculpture and drawing, and has been chosen from Mr. Anderson and Ms. Almanzar’s art classes, as well as from a class taught in the after school program.
Above: Gabby Miranda (5th grade), Apple Still Life; Below: Martha Nachtrieb (4th grade), Anime Character
Top: Julia O’Hara (2nd grade), Flowers; Left: Lukasz Balon (3rd grade), Greek Vase; Right: Birdie Bottini (Kindergarten), Abstract Sculpture
Top left: Alex Dele-Michael (3rd grade), Abstract Sculpture; Top Right: Miles Patterson (3rd grade), Abstract Sculpture Bottom: Peter Spektor (1st grade), Bird; Opposite page: Tina Liu (5th grade), Portrait
AN OVERVIEW OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Caedmon teachers and administrators are passionate about professional development! Here is a brief look at the PD that some of them have been doing during the 2024-2025 school year.
Jelecia McGregor and April Milton
Ms. McGregor and Ms. Milton are participating in a yearlong DEIB leadership program, both of them being members of the seventh cohort of NYSAIS’s Justice, Equity, & Diversity Institute (JEDI). It serves as a thorough mid-level introduction to all facets of equity work in independent schools, covering key topics such as identity and oppression, field-specific practices, and strategic approaches. The cohort, which consists of 20 educators who collectively work with the full gamut of ages, kicked off the program with a 3-day residential retreat late last summer. The members of the group have also participated in monthly meetings (typically over Zoom) and will attend this year’s NYSAIS Diversity Symposium, which takes place at The Lycée Français. The cohort’s final meeting will be a conference held at Mohonk in May, when members will each present on a DEIB topic of their own choosing. In connection with her work for this program, Ms. McGregor found it especially interesting to attend the Governance Conference held at Dalton, which allowed her to hear the DEIB perspectives of the boards of trustees of various independent schools. And Ms. Milton, talking about her experience with the cohort, has been particularly impressed by the specificity of the discussions—she reflects that a lot of teacher training presupposes a public school setting, and that the JEDI cohort has had many conversations about DEIB in the world of independent schools, as well as about what DEIB is like in the very diverse environment of New York City.
Bryan Storti
Through the West Side Montessori Teacher Education program, Mr. Storti has been working on obtaining his EL-II Montessori Certification, which covers teaching students aged from 9 to 12. The program began during the summer of 2024 with a six-week intensive Montessori training, partly conducted over Zoom and partly held in-person at The Calhoun School. Since the fall, the program has continued with a number of 9-5 sessions taking place on weekends, and Mr. Storti notes that former Caedmon teacher Megan Avery, who has many education credentials and is also an exhibited sculptor, taught the weekend session on Montessori art. Mr. Storti has already taken his exams on Montessori instruction in Math and Language, which consist of teaching lessons before his classmates and teachers. He will also be taking exams on Montessori social studies (geography and history) and science (biology and physical sciences) before being awarded his certification in May.
Saniya Mehdi
Because it is part of her role as the Director of Early Childhood to work closely with the Early Childhood teachers at Caedmon, Mrs. Mehdi identified the need for formal training to enhance her skills as a curriculum coach. She believed this training would be especially valuable in her capacity as Associate Head of School, equipping her to better support faculty and curriculum development across the school. In the fall of 2024, she enrolled in a one-year program through the American Montessori Society (AMS) Curriculum Coaching Academy. Although the training focuses on Montessori pedagogy, it is designed to equip participants with the skills to serve as curriculum coaches for teachers across all grade levels and with a variety of educational approaches. The program covers key areas such as educational philosophy, child development, curriculum design, faculty coaching, and diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB). Mrs. Mehdi is eager to apply this training to support all faculty members at Caedmon, ensuring effective curriculum implementation and professional growth throughout the different grade levels.
Juhi Pande
Like Mr. Storti, Ms. Pande has been working through the West Side Montessori Teacher Education program on acquiring Montessori certification—in her case, for early childhood, which is ages 3-6. Her six-week intensive summer course was held at a church near West Side Montessori school; it covered Montessori educational philosophy and then presented the early childhood curricula—math, practical life, cultural (this includes science), sensorial, and language. Since the fall, Ms. Pande has been working on her practicum, which requires attendance at a number of weekend sessions and visits to three Montessori schools besides Caedmon to observe how Montessori is implemented in other settings. Ms. Pande adds that there have been separate workshops on music, movement, and the peace corner, and that she will be presenting her math and language Montessori lessons in the program’s Spring Seminar in April. Speaking about the experience so far, she remarks, “It [has given] me a different perspective on Montessori—I don’t think I would have been able to use the Montessori materials as confidently. I really appreciate the math, especially!”
SEL at Caedmon
In keeping with its progressive spirit, Caedmon is committed to the view that social-emotional learning (SEL) is a vital part of the educational curriculum. This isn’t only because developing social skills and emotional intelligence provides a foundation for students’ well-being at all ages. Even children’s academic success depends in important ways on their ability to manage their emotions and interpersonal relationships. Homeroom teachers are responsible for some of the teaching of SEL lessons—appropriately, since the lessons tie in with all the other social-emotional work they do with their students throughout the day and the week. But most of the formal instruction in SEL at Caedmon is conducted by Caedmon’s psychologist, Dr. Liz Ward, whose professional training makes her an ideal provider of classes on social and emotional issues to students in Kindergarten through fifth grade. (For younger children this year, Dr. Ward consults with their teachers about SEL topics, and she is available to meet with the parents of students in the Early Childhood program about matters related to SEL such as separation difficulties, emotional regulation, and sleep challenges.)
Dr. Ward’s SEL classes are given biweekly in 15-minute sessions to Kindergarteners, while they are also offered every two weeks, but in 30-minute lessons, to 3rd and 5th graders. There is a monthly class for 4th grade students, who have an additional SEL session with their homeroom teachers on a schedule that ensures SEL instruction every two weeks; and, at the time of this writing, a whole-class session lasting 30 minutes takes place weekly in each of the three mixed-age 1st and 2nd grade homerooms. The curriculum varies with grade level, but for students in K through 3 a common thread this year is that they all receive some instruction in self-regulation skills that draws on the concepts of the Zones of Regulation. In fact, it is so that they can get through the entire Zones curriculum, which is especially appropriate for them developmentally, that students in the 1st and 2nd grade homerooms meet with Dr. Ward on a weekly basis rather than every two weeks. Self-regulation is the ability to manage one’s emotions on one’s own, and it depends on metacognition—awareness of one’s own thinking, emotions, and other mental states. The Zones of Regulation, which focuses on emotions and the thoughts that go with them, makes it easy for children
to understand self-regulation by classifying feelings and levels of energy and alertness into four color zones—blue, green, yellow, and red. The color coding is based on well-known conventions. Predictably, the blue zone labels feelings and energy levels such as sadness, boredom, and fatigue. Green is for happiness, contentment, and high levels of focus—the “go” color, as it were. Yellow describes more intense feelings and levels of energy that can mark a transition to an extreme—yellow-labeled feelings include excitement, frustration, and nervousness. Last of all, the red zone comprises very high levels of energy and overwhelming emotions such as elation, fury, and panic. Crucially, the zones only refer to feelings and energy levels, not behaviors, and the Zones of Regulation curriculum avoids judgment about them, acknowledging that all kinds of feelings are legitimate and normal. The point is to develop the skill of being aware of one’s feelings and to find strategies for managing them. Feelings in the green zone are especially conducive to learning, but it is also possible to learn when in the other zones as well. Students are not rewarded for being in the green zone or punished for being in the other zones, nor is the green zone the goal.
FRUSTRATED OUT OF CONTROL
BLUE ZONE GREEN ZONE YELLOW ZONE RED ZONE
Once their work on the Zones of Regulation has come to an end, 1st and 2nd grade students receive additional lessons on various social topics that they can benefit from knowing more about, e.g., sportsmanship or personal space. In the past Dr. Ward has used the Social Detective and Superflex series for some of these lessons, and she strives to try out different curricula to keep things fresh. Third graders receive age-specific lessons too, in their case ones such as lessons on managing worries related to testing, which becomes a prominent feature of children’s lives as they get closer to their Caedmon graduation. In distinction to the younger grades, fourth and fifth graders use another evidence-based curriculum, Harmony PreK-6, which has been found to work well with older elementary students. Both grades go through Harmony’s first unit, which deals with emotions and self-regulation; 4th grade then skips to unit 3, which is on the topic of communicating, while students in 5th move sequentially, to unit 2, whose subject is valuing each other. Notably, 5th graders additionally receive grade-specific instruction on topics like how to prepare for the transition to middle school.
Besides her SEL classes (and the variety of further resources for student support she furnishes to both teachers and parents), Dr. Ward provides small group instruction as well. For each grade in grades 1-5 she offers smaller friendship groups for a 6-week period, and for each of the grades 3-5 she likewise conducts an additional worries group, also lasting 6 weeks. This latter group originated from Dr. Ward’s recognition that worries, avoidance, and anxiety are common issues for young children, who may therefore benefit from a short-term intervention that addresses such feelings and behaviors by teaching skills for recognizing and managing the thoughts and emotions associated with worry. Each small group is formed through an invitation process: Dr. Ward sends out an invitation to all parents in a grade to enroll their child in a small group, and then the parents (who may have had feedback from homeroom teachers that participation in such a group would be beneficial for their child) have the option of accepting or declining a spot. At the time of this writing, it is also under consideration with Dr. Ward to extend the worries group offering, making it available as well to 1st and 2nd graders in the spring.
Caedmon Remembers Pauline Johnson
Pauline Johnson, Caedmon’s beloved receptionist, who worked at the school for 33 years and retired in 2020, passed away last summer. The Steps of Caedmon pays tribute to her here with photos of her time at Caedmon and some reminiscences of her from teachers and staff.
I remember January 20, 2009 when we gathered in the school lobby for an Elementary assembly, to watch the inauguration of Barack Obama live on a big screen. Pauline had stepped off her receptionist duties so she could join us to watch this historical event. I caught sight of her leaning against a door frame in the darkness with tears streaming down her face. As a child who grew up during the civil rights movements in the 1960’s I can only imagine what that moment meant to her. I was so fortunate to have this wonderful friend in my life for 35 years. I miss her dearly.
— Susan Bonet
At Honor Taft’s farewell party
Pauline with Josie Alcindor
Pauline and Carole DeVine
I feel incredibly fortunate to have shared so many wonderful years with Pauline at Caedmon. Her sense of humor and outrageous sass made every moment with her unforgettable, and our conversations always ended in laughter. Pauline was a true blessing, not only to all of us who worked alongside her but to every family that walked through Caedmon’s doors. We will always love you, Pauline. Rest in peace.
— Heather Halverson
My thoughts of Pauline are of her kind, yet fierce presence, and her cheery morning greeting of “Good morning, Roe Roe!” I also miss her excitement when discussing her wonderful Caribbean adventures with her beloved husband James. Thoughts of Pauline make me smile, and happy to have known her.
— Rosemary Frisaro-Kessler
With Slawomir Balon
Pauline with Lisa Donofrio at the 2009 Faculty and Staff Holiday Party
At a faculty and staff outing circa 2003
At the Snow Ball benefit with her husband James
Where do I begin to honor such a beautiful soul?
Pauline was a kind and compassionate presence, known for her laughter and her unwavering love for her family, friends, and the countless students who entered Caedmon‘s doors each day. She made each child feel seen, welcomed, and celebrated. Her passion for traveling and exploring faraway places, her love of fashion, and her signature flair for leopard prints added a special vibrancy to every moment shared with her. The Caedmon School will forever cherish Pauline’s memory. Her warmth, joy, and kindness will remain in our hearts always, an enduring light that will never fade.
— Susan Kelly
Pauline receiving her daily hug from Julia Bregman ‘22
Pauline with Becky Hartswell and Prentiss
Pauline in 2003
Pauline, April Milton, and Norma Nathanson
What a gift it was to have Pauline in our lives! She was truly one of my angels. I loved hearing all about her life, her family, her loves, and her adventures. She was always eager to hear the same about my life. Pauline loved love and babies and was always so tickled when someone at Caedmon was getting married or having a baby. She lovingly and warmly greeted and hugged my daughter every single day upon arriving at Caedmon—something I truly treasure. She is greatly beloved and missed.
Pauline at the front desk
At Dr. Leo Altschul’s farewell party
At the 2002 Holiday Show with Meredith Woodruff and Judy Gilpin
Reflecting for the camera
With James at the 50th Anniversary Celebration
— Meredith Woodruff
Together, We Make a Difference
Dear Caedmon Community,
As I reflect on Caedmon’s philanthropic efforts from the 2023–2024 school year (July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2024), I am filled with gratitude for what we accomplished together. Thanks to your remarkable generosity, Caedmon raised $700,764 through the Annual Fund, Capital Campaign, CFA Spring Benefit, and the Elizabeth “Betsy” Zuppone Memorial Fund for Kindergarten Swimming.
This incredible outpouring of support strengthens every part of the Caedmon experience. In a preschool through fifth grade independent school, philanthropy allows us to keep class sizes small, support passionate educators, enrich the curriculum, and ensure that all children— regardless of financial background—can thrive in our nurturing, inclusive community.
Your gifts bring our mission to life every day. Whether it’s a spark of curiosity during a science lesson, a moment of empathy between classmates, or a confident child on stage at Caedmon concerts, your support makes it all possible.
We are also deeply grateful for the time and talent shared by so many in our community. From the Halloween Party to the Spring Gala, volunteer-led moments of joy and connection strengthen the heart of our school. A special thank you goes out to CFA Co-Presidents Brena Cascini and Sherli Furst for their tireless dedication and hard work.
Thank you for believing in Caedmon—our mission, our values, and, most of all, our children. I look forward to building on this momentum together as we continue to nurture creative, capable, and courageous learners.
With heartfelt gratitude, Brynja Sigurdardottir Director of Giving and Community Engagement
Caedmon by the Numbers
July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2024
REVENUES AND EXPENSES JULY 1, 2023 - JUNE 30, 2024
n Tuition - 86%
n Auxiliary - 11%
Of Caedmon families made a gift to the Annual Fund 261 Total Annual Fund donors 59 Donors have made an Annual Fund gift for five or more consecutive years $500 The most common Annual Fund gift
$849 The average Annual Fund gift
THE ANNUAL FUND 2023-2024
• 5 years of consecutive giving
u 10+ years of consecutive giving
† Deceased
1962 FOUNDERS’ CIRCLE $20,000+
Rebecca and Joseph Hartswell •
LEADERSHIP CLUB $10,000–$14,999
Andrea and Ejim Achi
Michelle and Eliot Knudsen
Pamela Codo-Lotti and Frederic Lotti •
Jennifer Rodburg and John Modzelewski •
Elizabeth and Adam Rosman
CAEDMON PARTNER $5,000–$9,999
Assured Guaranty •
Jenna and Ethan Dabbs • Goldman Sachs u
Janine and Richard Hoffman • Natsuko and Emmanuel Maruani
Ashleigh Bischoff and Dale McComb u
Celine Chan and Andrew Rouillard • Veronika and Gregory Spektor
Patty Ng and Eric Yuen •
Kara and Samuel Zanger •
BENEFACTORS’ CLUB $2,000–$4,999
Anonymous (5)
Tsukasa and Takumi Arakaki • Bank of America
Clara Gaspari and Gustavo Benchimol
Lauren Irwin and Robert Bugbee
Anne and Michael D’Ausilio
Adebola and Abiola Dele-Michael u
Kelly Riggle and Richard Froom • Global Infrastructure
Samantha and David Goldring •
Michelle and Michael Gramer
Amy and Stephen Harsany
Yi and Chen Hong
Tanya Benenson and Garret Leahey u
Viviane Polacow and Paulo Lima
Joan Lonergan •
Farida and Carl-Alain Memnon
Nertila and Ergys Myselimi
Jonathan O’Hara
Leslie and Richard Perle
Emily Prager and Rob Polsky •
Diana Dosik and Matthew Schwab
Ridhima and Shubh Singh
Katie and Willis Taylor u
SPONSORS’ CLUB $1,000–$1,999
Anonymous (4)
Boeing
Aishlinn and Anthony Bottini
Crissy Cáceres
Leslie Bernstein and Inten Chen •
Kristin and Gerald Flattmann
Flore and Charles Fuller
Sherli and Robert Furst
Amanda Lewis and Victor Gill
Freda Gimpel •
Shipra Srinivasan and Siddhant Goel
Brena Cascini and Keith Gooberman
Merissa Dzau and John Goodson •
Ann and Joel Gora
Malini and Dinesh Goyal
Jill and David Grazioli •
Jonathan Grier
Hill-Snowdon Foundation •
Amber Lam and Bogdan Ianev
Rupal and Ankit Jain
Verona Lu and Shawn Jang
Yi Rong and Lai Jiang
JP Morgan Chase Bank
Stephanie Chun and Tim Kau
Barbara and Robert Kaufman
Kumar Kesavan
Heather and Kristian Kristensen
Melissa and Kessar Nashat
Renata Taionato Clemente and Isao Okano
Saswati Panda and Saurabh Panigrahy
Anne and Humberto Reboredo
Jessica Bloom and Larry Rosenberg
Roy J. Zuckerberg Family Foundation •
Nick Russo
Kate and Michael Schaper
Laura Walker
Hanyi Wang and Christopher Wan
Erica and Byron Whitmore
Claudia and Jonathan Williams
Torrey and Mark Young
PATRONS’ CLUB $500–$999
Anonymous (6)
Susannah and Zachary Abella
Susan Austin •
Faten Baassiri and Maan Bsat
Roberta Chevlowe and Tom Bubeck
Shelley Chen and Derrick Chan
Hannah Kim and Ferdinand Chan
Alexandra Snyder Charen and Elliot Charen
Emily and Samuel Duncan
Jason Ford
Samantha Viglienghi and Peter Huefner
Gwenn and Peter Kapner u
Susan Kelly
Kellie Kanda and Sachin Khattar
Kirkland & Ellis LLP
Helena Wang and Jason Liang
Meghan O’Donnell
Rebecca and Richard Parry •
Claudine Portella •
RELX Inc
Caitriona and Tejpal Sandhu
Dee Dee and Robert Scarborough
Brynja Sigurdardottir
Randi and Brett Singer u
Kachina Myers Spyros and George Spyros
Becky Diamond and Jamie Stecher •
Akiko and Douglas Swett
Martha Hanson and David Toberisky
Paulomi Roy and Priyadarshan Vyas
Elaine Lin and Tim Wang
FRIEND UP TO $499
Anonymous (11)
Natasha Alexander
Genesis Almanzar
AMC Networks
American Express Company
Nils Anderson
Apple
Jenni Arcieri •
Beata and Slawomir Balon
Nora Beard
Karen Stephenson and George Bennett
Majlinda Rama and Mumin Berisha
Rosanna Ragone and Henry Besanceney •
Lucia and Martin Biely
Susan and William Bonet u
Meredith Woodruff and Peter Bregman
Emily Burnett
Kate Butler
Laura Capote
David Carty
Michael Castor
Caroline and Alex Castro
Suzanne Charity
Irma Ramos-Cuevas and Irving Cuevas •
Jeremy Davidson
Rebecca Reeb and Scott DeNegre
Thomas Denzler
Carol and Fra DeVine
Nancy and John Dexter
Maren Handorf and Robert Diehl
Levon J. Dimmick
Valeska and Bill Ellis
Sydney Fass
Sophie Feldman
The Fennessey Family Fund
Daphne and Jonathan Ferdinand
Rachel and Bryan Fingeroot
Elaine Fitzgerald •
Kate FitzGerald
Paula A. Flatow u
Nina and Colvin Forde
Ali and Mark Foresi •
Rosemary Frisaro-Kessler
Marisa Galloway †
Eleni Daferera and Athanasios Giannakopoulos
Aisha and Philip Goldstein
Casey Grillo and Kenneth Hightower
Shawlini Manjunath-Holbrook and James Holbrook
Elena Howell
Sophia Spektor and Jonathan Hughes
Alyssa Jansen
Johanna Burgos and Marlon Jimenez •
Kiesha Boykins-John and Emerson John
Andrew D. Kagan
Anjali Kampschulte
Tiffany and Gregory Katz
Diana and Peter Keenan u
Nick Kessler
Kathleen Kilbane and Michael Smith
Rose Kory
Emily Zarow-Lange and Jordan Lange
Beatrice and James Lattimore
Laine Levret de Melo
Inbal Caspi and Aleksandr Litvak
Katisha and Christopher Liu •
Qiulei Hu and Shixin Liu •
Taylor Lowenthal
M. Gabriela Pereira and Gregory Maskel •
Jelecia M. McGregor
Dan McNerney u
Saniya and Ali Mehdi
Rich Mendelson
Stephanie and Bernd Messing u
Jacob Meyers
April Milton
Jihad M. Mirza
L.J. Mitchell
James J. Murphy
Neuberger Berman Group LLC
Maureen Newman
Ana Nunes
Carin Kuoni and John Oakes •
Tiffany Ormsby
Violetta Otis
Kelly Palacios
Juhi Pande
Paramount
Katie Parker
Sylvia Parry
Lucia and Sean Perkins
Frank Portella
Tori Porter
Stephanie Power
Kate Pozerski
Vasilis Psoras
Concetta Ragone
Marilou Reventar •
Neha Thumar and Chris Reynolds
Cindy and J.R. Rodriguez u
Iris and Fred Rosoff
Naila and Darrell Ross
Rima and Ritendra Roy
Sylvia and Michael Rutherford
Jeffrey Sacks
Adam Schlessinger
Julie Williams and Mark Schuman
Swati and Arnab Sen
Maria Serrano
Aditi Manglik and Neil Shah
Samba Siby
Priscilla and Matthew Snyder
Bryan J. Storti u
Yvonne Storti
Jennifer Tarpley-Kreismer •
Samantha Tarpley
Amy McGregor and Oshane Tate
Allison and Michael Trinkle
Vonetta Trotter
Heather Halverson and Juan Vasquez u
Stephanie and Vikram Venkatraman
Vaishali and Chetan Vig u
Jessica Monterde Poveda and Albert Vilar Mateu
Emily Chapin and Richard Vollkommer
Walt Disney Company Foundation
Elizabeth Ward •
Katherine and Jelle Westra
Clarence J. White III
Mi and Xiaofeng Zhou
ANNUAL FUND 2023-2024 BY CONSTITUENCY
CURRENT PARENTS
Susannah and Zachary Abella
Andrea and Ejim Achi
Natasha Alexander
Tsukasa and Takumi Arakaki •
Clara Gaspari and Gustavo Benchimol
Lucia and Martin Biely
Aishlinn and Anthony Bottini
Faten Baassiri and Maan Bsat
Michael Castor
Caroline and Alex Castro
Shelley Chen and Derrick Chan
Hannah Kim and Ferdinand Chan
Serre-Yu Wong and Rohit Chandwani
Leslie Bernstein and Inten Chen •
Irma Ramos-Cuevas and Irving Cuevas •
Anne and Michael D’Ausilio
Adebola and Abiola Dele-Michael u
Rebecca Reeb and Scott DeNegre
Maren Handorf and Robert Diehl
Emily and Samuel Duncan
Daphne and Jonathan Ferdinand
Patricia Figueroa
Nina and Colvin Forde
Kelly Riggle and Richard Froom •
Sherli and Robert Furst
Marisa Galloway †
Eleni Daferera and Athanasios Giannakopoulos
Shipra Srinivasan and Siddhant Goel
Samantha and David Goldring •
Brena Cascini and Keith Gooberman
Merissa Dzau and John Goodson •
Malini and Dinesh Goyal
Michelle and Michael Gramer
Jill and David Grazioli •
Sofya and Erik Gulyako
Amy and Stephen Harsany
Rebecca and Joseph Hartswell •
Janine and Richard Hoffman •
Shawlini Manjunath-Holbrook and James Holbrook
Amber Lam and Bogdan Ianev
Rupal and Ankit Jain
Yi Rong and Lai Jiang
Johanna Burgos and Marlon Jimenez •
Kiesha Boykins-John and Emerson John
Anjali Kampschulte
Felix Kampschulte
Tiffany and Gregory Katz
Stephanie Chun and Tim Kau
Kumar Kesavan
Margaret E. Kesavan
Kellie Kanda and Sachin Khattar
Michelle and Eliot Knudsen
Sandra Herrera and Vladimir Kokorev
Heather and Kristian Kristensen
Emily Zarow-Lange and Jordan Lange
Karina Dominguez and Khoa Le
Helena Wang and Jason Liang
Inbal Caspi and Aleksandr Litvak
Katisha and Christopher Liu •
Qiulei Hu and Shixin Liu •
Pamela Codo-Lotti and Frederic Lotti •
Natsuko and Emmanuel Maruani
Ester and Robert McEwan
Dana Rubinstein and John McGoldrick
Farida and Carl-Alain Memnon
Jennifer Rodburg and John Modzelewski •
Nertila and Ergys Myselimi
Alessia Falsarone and Robert Nachtrieb •
Anusha Arun Simha and Varun Nair
Melissa and Kessar Nashat
Jonathan O’Hara
Renata Taionato Clemente and Isao Okano
Saswati Panda and Saurabh Panigrahy
Rebecca and Richard Parry •
Cynthia Lopez and Ruben Pena
Lucia and Sean Perkins
Jill Gluskin and Jonathan Perle •
Edita and Maros Pleska
Emily Prager and Rob Polsky •
Claudine Portella •
Vasilis Psoras
Anne and Humberto Reboredo
Neha Thumar and Chris Reynolds
Jessica Bloom and Larry Rosenberg
Leonid Rosin
Elizabeth and Adam Rosman
Naila and Darrell Ross
Celine Chan and Andrew Rouillard •
Sylvia and Michael Rutherford
Diana Dosik and Matthew Schwab
Aditi Manglik and Neil Shah
Leslie Patterson and William Silverman
Ridhima and Shubh Singh
Veronika and Gregory Spektor
Sarah Moros and Ramakrishnan Subramanian
Akiko and Douglas Swett
Amy McGregor and Oshane Tate
Katie and Willis Taylor u
Stephanie and Vikram Venkatraman
Pansy and Sarves Verma
Jessica Monterde Poveda and Albert Vilar Mateu
Emily Chapin and Richard Vollkommer
Paulomi Roy and Priyadarshan Vyas
Hanyi Wang and Christopher Wan
Elaine Lin and Tim Wang
Erica and Byron Whitmore
Claudia and Jonathan Williams
Sandra Smith and Charles Yang •
Torrey and Mark Young
Patty Ng and Eric Yuen •
Kara and Samuel Zanger •
Mi and Xiaofeng Zhou
TRUSTEES
Ejim Achi
Susan Austin •
Crissy Cáceres
Jenna Dabbs •
Adebola Dele-Michael u
Jason Ford
Freda Gimpel •
Michael Gramer
Joseph Hartswell •
Farida Lecoin
Dale McComb u
L.J. Mitchell
Ergys Myselimi
Rebecca Parry •
Emily Prager •
Kelly Riggle •
Ridhima Singh
Katie Taylor u
Chetan Vig u
Byron Whitmore
Charles Yang •
Torrey Young
Eric Yuen •
Kara Zanger •
ALUMNI
Jonathan Grier
Juliana Pereira
PARENTS OF ALUMNI AND FORMER STUDENTS
Beata and Slawomir Balon
Karen Stephenson and George Bennett
Majlinda Rama and Mumin Berisha
Rosanna Ragone and Henry Besanceney •
Meredith Woodruff and Peter Bregman
Roberta Chevlowe and Tom Bubeck
Lauren Irwin and Robert Bugbee
Alexandra Snyder Charen and Elliot Charen
Suzanne Charity
Jenna and Ethan Dabbs •
Thomas Denzler
Carol and Fra DeVine
Rachel and Bryan Fingeroot
Kristin and Gerald Flattmann
Flore and Charles Fuller
Amanda Lewis and Victor Gill
Yi and Chen Hong
Elena Howell
Samantha Viglienghi and Peter Huefner
Sophia Spektor and Jonathan Hughes
Verona Lu and Shawn Jang
Gwenn and Peter Kapner u
Diana and Peter Keenan u
Kathleen Kilbane and Michael Smith
Jaymie Sullivan and Joseph Kramar u
Tanya Benenson and Garret Leahey u
Laine Levret de Melo
Viviane Polacow and Paulo Lima
M. Gabriela Pereira and Gregory Maskel •
Ashleigh Bischoff and Dale McComb u
Saniya and Ali Mehdi
Stephanie and Bernd Messing u
Meghan O’Donnell
Carin Kuoni and John Oakes •
Dana Bradley and Richard Petrovsky
Cindy and J.R. Rodriguez u
Rima and Ritendra Roy
Caitriona and Tejpal Sandhu
Dee Dee and Robert Scarborough
Kate and Michael Schaper
Julie Williams and Mark Schuman
Swati and Arnab Sen
Randi and Brett Singer u
Kachina Myers Spyros and George Spyros
Becky Diamond and Jamie Stecher
Martha Hanson and David Toberisky
Allison and Michael Trinkle
Vaishali and Chetan Vig u
Laura Walker
Katherine and Jelle Westra
CURRENT AND FORMER GRANDPARENTS
Kate and Tom Chapin
Nancy and John Dexter
Valeska and Bill Ellis
Ann and Joel Gora
Barbara and Robert Kaufman
Violetta Otis
Sylvia Parry
Leslie and Richard Perle
Concetta Ragone
Rosalind Rodburg
Iris and Fred Rosoff
Jeffrey Sacks
Priscilla and Matthew Snyder
Clarence J. White III
FRIENDS
Beatrice and James Lattimore
Frank Portella
Marilou Reventar •
Nick Russo
Yvonne Storti
CURRENT AND FORMER FACULTY & STAFF
Genesis Almanzar
Nils Anderson
Jenni Arcieri
Slawomir Balon
Nora Beard
Susan Bonet
Emily Burnett
Kate Butler
Laura Capote
David Carty
Jeremy Davidson
Carol DeVine
Levon J. Dimmick
Sydney Fass
Sophie Feldman
Elaine Fitzgerald •
Kate FitzGerald
Paula A. Flatow
Ali Foresi
Rosemary Frisaro-Kessler
Aisha Goldstein
Jill Grazioli
Heather Halverson
Elena Howell
Alyssa Jansen
Andrew D. Kagan
Susan Kelly
Nick Kessler
Kathleen Kilbane
Rose Kory
Taylor Lowenthal
Jelecia M. McGregor
Amy McGregor
Dan McNerney
Rich Mendelson
Stephanie Messing
Jacob Meyers
April Milton
James J. Murphy
Ana Nunes
Tiffany Ormsby
Kelly Palacios
Juhi Pande
Katie Parker
Tori Porter
Stephanie Power
Kate Pozerski
Cindy Rodriguez
Adam Schlessinger
Maria Serrano
Samba Siby
Brynja Sigurdardottir
Bryan J. Storti
Matthew Stuart
Jennifer Tarpley-Kreismer
Samantha Tarpley
Vonetta Trotter
Elizabeth Ward
ORGANIZATIONS AND FOUNDATIONS
AMC Networks
American Express Company
Apple
Assured Guaranty Bank of America
Boeing
The Fennessey Family Fund
Global Infrastructure
Goldman Sachs
Hill-Snowdon Foundation
JP Morgan Chase Bank
Kirkland & Ellis LLP
Neuberger Berman Group LLC
Paramount
RELX Inc
Roy J. Zuckerberg Family Foundation
Walt Disney Company Foundation
CAEDMON SECRET GARDEN GALA
(Includes Underwriting, Silent, and Reverse Auction)
LEADERSHIP CLUB $10,000–$14,999
Rebecca and Joseph Hartswell
CAEDMON PARTNER $5,000–$9,999
Brena Cascini and Keith Gooberman
Janine and Richard Hoffman
Sandra Herrera and Vladimir Kokorev
Natsuko and Emmanuel Maruani
Emily Prager and Rob Polsky
Veronika and Gregory Spektor
Katie and Willis Taylor
Patty Ng and Eric Yuen
BENEFACTORS’ CLUB $2,000–$4,999
Bayview Real Estate Consultants, Inc.
Anne and Michael D’Ausilio
Tara and Tom Ellis
Patricia Figueroa
Kelly Riggle and Richard Froom
Michelle and Michael Gramer
Sofya and Erik Gulyako
Emily Zarow-Lange and Jordan Lange
Farida and Carl-Alain Memnon
Ijeoma Mbamalu and Hugo Paiz
Simon J. Prosser
Anne and Humberto Reboredo
L. Robert Rizzo
Sylvia and Michael Rutherford
Sarah Moros and Ramakrishnan Subramanian
Akiko and Douglas Swett
Torrey and Mark Young
SPONSORS’ CLUB $1,000–$1,999
Andrea and Ejim Achi
Susan and William Bonet
David Carty
Eileen Rizada and Mohit Chawla
Leslie Bernstein and Inten Chen
Adebola and Abiola Dele-Michael Sherli and Robert Furst
Samantha and David Goldring
Merissa Dzau and John Goodson
Jill and David Grazioli
Amber Lam and Bogdan Ianev
Michelle and Eliot Knudsen
Katisha and Christopher Liu
Ester and Robert McEwan
Saniya and Ali Mehdi
Jennifer Rodburg and John Modzelewski
Nertila and Ergys Myselimi
Melissa and Kessar Nashat
Renata Taionato Clemente and Isao Okano
Ridhima and Shubh Singh
Pansy and Sarves Verma
Erica and Byron Whitmore
Kara and Samuel Zanger
PATRONS’ CLUB $500–$999
Tsukasa and Takumi Arakaki
Clara Gaspari and Gustavo Benchimol
Lucia and Martin Biely
Faten Baassiri and Maan Bsat
Shelley Chen and Derrick Chan
Shawlini Manjunath-Holbrook and James Holbrook
Heather and Kristian Kristensen
Alessia Falsarone and Robert Nachtrieb
Anusha Arun Simha and Varun Nair
Jonathan O’Hara
Matthew Stuart and Phillip Pena
Lucia and Sean Perkins
Jessica Bloom and Larry Rosenberg
Liza Sacks and Eric Rosoff
Celine Chan and Andrew Rouillard
Brynja Sigurdardottir
FRIEND UP TO $499
Susannah and Zachary Abella
Beata and Slawomir Balon
Rosanna Ragone and Henry Besanceney
Meredith Woodruff and Peter Bregman
Jeremy Davidson
Elaine Fitzgerald
Nina and Colvin Forde
Rosemary Frisaro-Kessler
Rupal and Ankit Jain
Karina Dominguez and Khoa Le
Helena Wang and Jason Liang
Inbal Caspi and Aleksandr Litvak
Barbara and Andrew Loggia
Dhivya Rajandran and Brian Loh
Dana Rubinstein and John McGoldrick
L.J. Mitchell
Maria Pantelaros and Sean Moorman
Fatima and Christopher Pace
Kayla Rubin and Jason Patterson
Sarah and Matthew Perry
Ashleigh and Steven Raizes
Leslie Patterson and William Silverman
Jennifer Tarpley-Kreismer
Emily Chapin and Richard Vollkommer
Paulomi Roy and Priyadarshan Vyas
Elaine Lin and Tim Wang
Lara Aryani and John Warner
Mi and Xiaofeng Zhou
ELIZABETH “BETSY” ZUPPONE MEMORIAL FUND
The fund was created in memory of Betsy and in her honor to establish the Betsy Zuppone Swimming Program for Kindergartners.
Sarah Allen
Seth Austin
Karissa Bove
Barbara Brewster
Virginia and Jeffrey Clynes
Dorothy Dalbon
Teri DeGroote
Louise Duran
Tina P. Fairweather
Heidi and Lawrence Fox
Dodi Friedenberg
Florencia and Marc Gabelli
Galaxy Realty Capital, LLC
The Gardner Family Charitable Foundation
Maggie and Kostas Georgiou
Sherry and Pasquale Giordano
Nicole Goodstein
Sheri and Michael Halsband
Robert Hatch
William Jenkins
Robyn and Nicholas Kajon
Lisa Kokoski
Rob LaPenta
Janetta Lien
Katisha and Christopher Liu
Cathleen McLaughlin
Christine Moltasanti
Douglas Nappi
Erica Needle
Kerry O’Neill
Matthew Pachman
Jill Gluskin and Jonathan Perle
Michael Pfaff
Edita and Maros Pleska
Annette and Dennis Pucci
Denese Rhoads
L. Robert Rizzo
Cindy and J.R. Rodriguez
Julio Rodriguez
Mary Rosano
Scott Saks
Suzin and Craig Saunders
Christine Spinelli and Martin Sherlock
Noorali Sonawalla
Barbara Breitman and Saul Spangenberg
Jennifer and Guy Sponzilli
Laura Stevens
Stephanie Lofgren and Craig Stinebaugh
Sarah Moros and Ramakrishnan Subramanian
Susan Swenson
Mario Testani
Holly Trotter
Mary Vrazel
Emily and Stephen Welker
Tish and Randy Wussler
Lisa Zalkind
Sue and Marc Zuckerman
Nicole Zuppone-Bove
George Zuppone
Maria Zuppone
Michael Zuppone
Michael Zuppone, Jr.
Renee Zuppone
THE 2019 CAMPAIGN FOR CAEDMON–ENHANCING EXCELLENCE
Jenna and Ethan Dabbs
Kelly Riggle and Richard Froom
Kandice and James Halpin
Iovino Family Foundation
Neuberger Berman Group LLC
Marilou Reventar
Roy J. Zuckerberg Family Foundation
The Stecher Family Foundation
Gina and Brian Swerdloff
Patty Ng and Eric Yuen
NOTE: In compiling our list of donors, every effort is made to be accurate. If your name has been omitted or listed incorrectly, please let the development office know and accept our sincere apologies.
Head of School
Matthew Stuart
Assistant Head of School/ Director of Early Childhood
Saniya Mehdi
Director of Elementary
Jelecia McGregor
Elementary Student Learning and Support
Heather Halverson
Giving and Community Engagement
Brynja Sigurdardottir
Finance and Operations
Maarten de Vreede
Communications
Ali Foresi
Ellen Greenberg
Enrollment and Family Commitment
Jennifer Tarpley-Kreismer
After School
Slawomir Balon
Board of Trustees
Faten Baassiri
Crissy Cáceres
Alia Carponter-Walker
Jenna Dabbs
Adebola Dele-Michael
Mike D’Ausilio
Alyson Evans
Elizabeth Flisser-Rosman
Michael Gramer
Joseph Hartswell
Tim Kau
Eliot Knudsen
Farida Lecoin-Memnon
Ellen Lee
Dale McComb
L.J. Mitchell
John Modzelewski
Ergys Myselimi
Rebecca Parry
Emily Prager
Kelly Riggle
Ridhima Singh
Katie Taylor
Chetan Vig
Byron Whitmore
Torrey Young
Eric Yuen
Caedmon Family Association
Co-Presidents
Brena Cascini
Sherli Furst