Calhoun Chronicle, Summer 2018

24

The Black Rock Forest Connection

20

Cougars Take State Title!

30

Graduation 2018

34

Alumni Class Notes

SUMMER 2018

Calhoun’s Mission To inspire a passion for learning through a progressive approach to education that values intellectual pursuit, creativity, diversity and community involvement.

B O A R D O F T R U S T E E S 2 0 1 7— 1 8

PA R E N T S A S S O C I AT I O N 2 0 1 7— 1 8

Jon Brayshaw Chair

Steven Solnick Head of School

OFFICERS

VICE PRESIDENTS, MIDDLE SCHOOL

Michael Conboy Vice Chair

CO-PRESIDENTS

LIFE TRUSTEES

Sheila Kirkwood Barbara Pyles

Louise Litt E. Kendall Vidal

Jim Glasgow Treasurer

Robert L. Beir* Eric Potoker ‘85 Eric Ryan

Melissa Liberty Secretary

HONORARY TRUSTEES

TRUSTEES

Susan Barkey Jonathan Bauman Stefanie Bhalla David Elsberg Louise Gore Karen Greene Terry Haas Scott Hirsch ‘86 Aasem Khalil Sheila Kirkwood, PA Rep Walter Levitch Jason McIntosh Marc Murphy Colleen Pike Blair Barbara Pyles, PA Rep Shaiza Rizavi Steven Sinatra Claudia Singleton Jay Sugarman Christine Taylor

Gertrude Marden Bacon ‘34* Edwin Einbender* Constance Stern Flaum ’39* Ronald M. Foster, Jr.* Sally Goodgold* Lawrence S. Harris Mark S. Kaufmann Anne Frankenthaler Kohn ’39* Peter D. Lederer Stuart Levin* Florence Yachnin Liebman ‘38 Helena Simons Marks ‘32* David C. Masket* Joan Masket Arthur S. Olick Elizabeth Parmelee* June Saltzman Schiller ‘42 Jesse I. Siegel* Mary-Ellen Greenberger Siegel ’49* Allen Swerdlick Edward S. Tishman

VICE PRESIDENTS, LOWER SCHOOL/81ST

Elif Ongoren Stephanie Santamaria

SECRETARY

Farrah Zabar

VICE PRESIDENTS, LOWER SCHOOL/74TH

TREASURER

Leigh Gerstenblatt Hanh Livingston

Daphne Smith-Naylor VICE PRESIDENTS, UPPER SCHOOL

Hillary Kahn Anna Snider

THE CALHOUN SCHOOL MAIN NUMBER

ALUMNI RELATIONS

212-497-6500

646-666-6450

LOWER SCHOOL/74TH

ANNUAL GIVING

212-497-6550

212-497-6584

ADMISSIONS/81ST

COMMUNICATIONS

212-497-6534

212-497-6527

ADMISSIONS/74TH

Please send changes of address, phone or email to familyupdates@calhoun.org

212-497-6575

*deceased

O N T H E COV E R

SUMMER 2018

The Black Rock Forest Connection Far from our urban landscape, Calhoun has a forest as a classroom.

The Calhoun Chronicle is published twice each year by the Communications Office for alumni, current and former parents, staff and friends.

COPY EDITOR

Beth Krieger beth.krieger@calhoun.org

Amy Edelman

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Michelle Raum

Michelle Kiefer michelle.kiefer@calhoun.org

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

EDITORIAL ASSOCIATE

Beth Krieger Nahuel Fanjul-Arguijo

Nahuel Fanjul-Arguijo nahuel.fanjul@calhoun.org

DESIGN

ALUMNI NEWS

Page 24

PHOTO: NAHUEL FANJUL-ARGUIJO

Photo : GARY JOSEPH COHEN

EDITOR

Christine Zamora ‘81, CZ Design

Bart Hale ‘00 bart.hale@calhoun.org

Cert no. XXX-XXX-XXXX

Cert no. XXX-XXX-XXXX

Cert no. XXX-XXX-XXXX

Cert no. XXX-XXX-XXXX

Contents SUMMER 2018

Features

The Black Rock Forest Connection

24

Graduation 2018

30

Departments

20

8 16

30

VIEWPOINT

by Steve Solnick

SCHOOL NEWS

New Leadership Team

3

2018 Benefit

4

Board Welcomes Six New Trustees

6

55th Spring Carnival

8

Faculty Newsmakers

10

In the Classroom

14

Onstage

16

Sports

20

ALUMNI NEWS

Class Notes

34

Profile: Sally Fischer ‘72

36

Career Symposium

38

Reunion 2018

43

43

30

2

4

2

Viewpoint

BY ST EV E SOL NIC K , HE A D OF SC HOOL

Five Principles That Guide Calhoun’s Progressive Approach to Education As I write this column, I’m nearing the end of my first year as Head of The Calhoun School. It has been an exhilarating year, filled with memories of extraordinary students, welcoming and devoted families, inspiring teachers and loyal alumni.

I feel lucky to come to work every day.

One important task I set for myself this first year was to listen and learn. Calhoun has a rich history and a distinctive approach to education, and as an outsider not just to Calhoun but to pre-K–12 education, I wanted to immerse myself in all things Calhoun. I’ve visited classrooms, lunched with students and faculty, joined field trips and watched lots of plays, concerts and sporting events.

As the year ends, I’m amazed by how fully Calhoun embraces its mission to “inspire a passion for learning through a progressive approach to education.”

I’ve worked hard to understand what that commitment to a “progressive approach to education” means at Calhoun, one of the pioneers of progressive education. I’ve seen it manifested in five related elements: 1. We believe that curiosity is the most powerful engine for learning. Humans are hard-wired to ask “why” from a very early age. Our educational approach is built to harness that natural energy through inquiry-based learning.

2. We stress the strong relationships between our teachers and students as the central element of our learning model. Our teachers are mentors and guides, helping to foster students’ sense of inquiry. They’re not authority figures, dispensing “knowledge.”

3. We treat every student as an individual whose learning journey will be different. Those journeys will pass the same milestones—core skill development or foundational content— though not all students will take the same routes to pass them.

4. We ground our education in a strong set of community values: diversity, social justice, inclusion. We want our students to embrace lifelong learning and also to develop a sense of purpose and identity.

CALHOUN CHRONICLE

5. We understand that the most effective learning is multi-sensory, multi-disciplinary and experiential. Much of our curriculum is based around projects that go beyond the walls of Calhoun or draw the outside world in.

Our cover story for this issue, describing our use of Black Rock Forest as an extension of our class and lab space, shows several of these principles at work. Our students use trips to Black Rock Forest as opportunities to build community. Many of our graduates mention Black Rock overnights as among the highlights of their time at Calhoun.

“As the year ends, I’m amazed by how fully Calhoun embraces its mission to ‘inspire a passion for learning through a progressive approach to education.’”

Black Rock Forest is also a living learning laboratory and classroom for our students. Whether it’s our Lower Schoolers learning about the life cycle of trout or our Upper Schoolers investigating the anatomy of a deer, our budding scientists find endless inspiration at this beautiful forest preserve. And beyond the sciences, our students’ imaginations are stimulated in the arts and literature and anthropology and a range of other subjects.

Excursions to Black Rock Forest may trigger deep dives in reading, or months-long explorations of new and exciting topics, fueling other projects inside and outside of class.

As we look ahead to next year, we’ll be finishing work on a new Strategic Plan that will seek to build upon our “progressive approach to education,” making even greater use of Black Rock Forest and creating new opportunities to excite students’ curiosity through expanded field trips around the New York area and beyond. Learning the Calhoun way can happen wherever our students ask “why” and are supported by talented faculty and supportive families to seek answers.

SCHOOL NEWS

3

Calhoun Looks to the Future with a New Leadership Team ERIC OSORIO NAMED ASSOC. HEAD OF TEACHING AND LEARNING After an extensive nationwide search, Calhoun is excited to welcome Eric Osorio to the new position of Associate Head of Teaching and Learning.

A native New Yorker and alum of Prep for Prep and Horace Mann, Eric received his BA in sociology from Tufts University, and an MA from Columbia University’s Teachers College, where he was a Klingenstein Fellow. He spent the first 12 years of his career at the Noble and Greenough School outside Boston, where he began as a middle and upper school social studies and English teacher, and later was named associate director of admissions and then dean of diversity initiatives. Eric moved from Nobles to the Packer Collegiate Institute in Brooklyn, where he spent four years as assistant head of the upper school and also taught history. From 2012 to 2015, he served as dean of students at Worcester Academy, in Worcester, MA, and most recently as associate head of school at the Swift School in Roswell, GA. In this new position, Eric will be responsible for driving innovation and leading collaborative change in the academic and pedagogical spheres across all three divisions of the school.

Eric and his wife, Roberta, have seven-year-old twins, Jordan and Jasmine, who will be entering Calhoun’s second grade, and an infant son, Eric junior, born this past May. Roberta will also be starting in a new position, as middle school academic dean at Sacred Heart.

NEW DIVISION DIRECTORS FOR US/MS Danny Isquith, Middle School Director since 2015 and Upper School teacher since 2003, has been named Upper School Director.

The transition to a leadership position in the Upper School will be a natural one for Danny, who came to Calhoun as an Upper School calculus teacher and continued to add ever-expanding responsibilities to his plate—as master scheduler, College Counselor and Dean of Academic Affairs.

Danny has a BS in physics and astronomy from Yale University, and an MA from Teachers College, Columbia University, where he was a Klingenstein Fellow. Danny assumes the Upper School directorship upon the departure of Lorenzo Krakowsky, who is leaving Calhoun after six years to move to San Francisco, where he is joining The Bay School as dean of academics and innovation.

Andrea SolomonGutierrez, who has served as Assistant Director of the Middle School since 2013, has agreed to serve as Interim Director for the 2018–19 academic year.

Andrea began at Calhoun in 2007 as a Middle School social studies teacher, after teaching for a number of years in New York City public schools. She has a BA in sociology from Syracuse University and an MA in education from the City College of New York (CCNY), where she received a New York City Teaching Fellowship. Andrea and her husband, Abelardo Gutierrez, have two children in the Lower School: Daniela, who is entering third grade, and Max, who is entering first.

Jessica Nelson will be supporting Andrea as Interim Assistant Director while continuing in her role as Middle School Learning and Support Coordinator.

Jessica is also a Calhoun parent; she and her husband, Steven, have two children— Eliza, entering fourth grade, and Miles, entering seventh.

L. J. MITCHELL JOINS AS DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT L. J. Mitchell joins Calhoun this summer as Calhoun’s new Director of Development. He comes to Calhoun from Little Red School House & Elisabeth Irwin High School (LREI) in New York, where he has been director of advancement since 2014. Under L.J.’s leadership, the school produced record-breaking annual fund results, re-imagined its annual auction benefit, launched an ambitious endowment campaign and created the LREI Archives project.

Prior to LREI, L.J. served as director of development at Mary McDowell Friends School in Brooklyn (where he continues to serve as a trustee) and the Churchill School in New York. He is also a founding faculty member of Independent School Management’s Advancement Academy, for which he leads summer workshops on all aspects of development.

L.J. holds both a law degree from Suffolk University in Boston and an MFA in acting from the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. Prior to his career in development, he worked as an actor.

L.J. assumes his new role from Mary McCarty, who served this year as Interim Director of Development and will resume her post as Major Gifts Manager.

SUMMER 2018

4

SCHOOL NEWS

1

2018 Benefit: Revel in the Night Calhoun parents, faculty, alumni and friends came together in cinematic style at the 2018 Benefit, held on March 9 at the historic Ziegfeld Ballroom (formerly the iconic Ziegfeld Theatre). The event raised nearly $900,000, thanks to the generosity of our community.

This special celebration was made all the more memorable by faculty emcees Anthony Gaskins and Jono Hustis, and special musical performances by Upper Schoolers Lucas Chapman ‘19, Carina De La Luz-Vasquez ‘18, Sam Horn ‘18, Kochan Kleps ‘19, Darius Marmorstein ‘18, Aasif Perry ‘19 and Gabe Worth ‘19.

Enormous gratitude is owed to Benefit Co-Chairs Erin Sloan and Nicole Frankel, as well as Vice Chairs Maribeth Battino, Bob Colquhoun, Stephanie Fields, Jade Giffin, Alexandra Karabell ‘95, Julia Loy, Lauren Netter and Vanessa Shuster-Raizberg ‘99. Thanks, too, to everyone who supported the Benefit by attending or underwriting the event, purchasing a corporate sponsorship or ad, buying teacher tickets, or soliciting or donating auction items.

3

2

4

5

3

6

7 1. Calhoun parents (L-R) Kit Turner, Myles Turner, Allison Stahl, Melani Bauman and Laura Hom 2. Benefit Co-Chairs Nicole Frankel (third from right) and Erin Sloan (second from right) with some of their Vice Chairs: (L-R) Jade Griffin, Bob Colquhoun, Stephanie Fields and Julia Loy 3. Faculty emcees Jono Hustis and Anthony Gaskins 4. Student performers Lucas Chapman ’19 and Aasif Perry ‘19 5. Lower School parents (L-R) Jennifer Kurland, Carla Dunn and Reeva Tyler 6. Lower School parent Natalie Elsberg 7. Lower School parents Melissa Felsher and Leigh Gerstenblatt

CALHOUN CHRONICLE

SCHOOL NEWS

5

Strategic Planning Process Engages Calhoun Community Calhoun’s strategic planning process was in full swing this past winter and spring.

Beginning in January, the Strategic Planning Committee—a group of 18 faculty/staff members and trustees— met monthly to engage in a creative brainstorming process led by facilitators Carla Silver and Christian Talbot of Leadership+Design. The committee also conducted approximately 100 stakeholder interviews to help identify strategic priorities for Calhoun.

An invitation to the entire community in April brought 90 parents, members of the faculty/staff, trustees, alumni and students to school on a Saturday for a Strategic Plan Community Design Day. Participants split into groups to identify and propose solutions to issues in five areas: teaching and learning; space and time; context and community; user experiences and systems; and diversity, equity and inclusion. Recommendations were submitted to the Strategic Planning Committee, which then met to process

Assistant Director of Enrollment Tanya Espy-Disparti (right) and Phoebe Pyles ‘20 (left), were among those who participated in this past spring’s Strategic Plan Community Design Day.

the ideas that emerged from the daylong workshop. Combined with feedback from earlier constituent surveys, the ideas generated by the community will inform the content of the Strategic Plan, slated

to be drafted this summer. The plan will be shared with the committee and stakeholder groups this fall, and submitted to the Board for approval by the end of the year.

Steve Nelson Returns to Calhoun for Athletic Center Dedication

Cougars Gain Home Fields!

Former Head of School Steve Nelson (center) returned to Calhoun in April for the dedication of the school’s athletic center in his name. The ribbon-cutting ceremony included remarks by Board Chair Jon Brayshaw (right), Head of School Steve Solnick (left) and varsity athlete Ethan Lichtenstein ’18.

Afterward, the celebration continued with a rousing Boys’ Varsity Volleyball GreenOut game.

Calhoun has entered a partnership with the Van Cortlandt Park Conservancy to secure dedicated access to athletic fields, which will be used by Cougars as home fields for games and practices. Our baseball and softball teams already started taking advantage of the fields this spring; soccer players can look forward to using them in the fall.

SUMMER 2018

6

Calhoun Board Welcomes Six New Trustees At the annual Calhoun trustee dinner held in June, Board Chair John Brayshaw extended deep thanks for the hard work and dedication to outgoing Trustees Stefanie Bhalla, Louise Gore, Aasem Khalil, Colleen Pike-Blair, Shaiza Rizavi and Steve Sinatra, and welcomed these six new members to the Board:

Dale Allsopp ’91 A native of Brooklyn, Dale is a proud alumnus of Calhoun as well as Prep for Prep in New York, where he also serves on the board of directors. In his professional career, he is chief of staff for Google Shopping and Travel, helping engineers and product managers develop products for Google’s billions of users. Prior to his current position, he worked for 10 years in Google Finance, focusing on search and display advertising. Previously he worked in strategic consulting for United Airlines, Merrill Lynch, Mercer and J.P. Morgan.

In true Calhoun spirit, Dale puts a premium on giving back to his community: He runs the Prep for Prep Institute for Entrepreneurship competition, where ninth and tenth graders are paired with Google mentors and compete in a business plan competition. He has also generously given his time to Calhoun, participating in the annual Cougar Career Symposium for juniors and seniors—most recently as the keynote speaker (see page 38).

Dale earned a BA in economics from Wesleyan University and his MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He and his wife, Jacquelyn Scafidi, live in New Jersey with their three children, Aviana (five), Nevaeh (three) and Jonah (two and a half months).

THE CALHOUN CHRONICLE

Aaron Dunn Aaron and his wife, Carla, moved to New York in 2015 to be closer to their respective families and raise their daughter, Noa (entering kindergarten). When they enrolled Noa in Calhoun’s Young 3’s program, Aaron found “an amazing community that felt like a second family.” He says he is excited to support the Calhoun community and the values of progressive education, and looks forward to chairing Calhoun’s 2018–19 Annual Fund in addition to taking on trustee responsibilities.

Born and raised in Chicago, Aaron graduated from the University of Chicago in 2001 with a BA in economics. He began a career in commercial real estate, finance and securitization that would eventually span 15 years, four firms and three cities. In 2008, he earned an MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management. Currently, Aaron is the director of multifamily investor relations for Freddie Mac, where he oversees the investments and contributions of more than 500 institutional fixed-income investors.

Dylan Hixon The Board welcomes back Dylan Hixon as a trustee after a two-year hiatus.

He previously served on Calhoun’s Board from 2008 to 2015, completing his last term as treasurer.

Dylan is the president of Arden Road Investments, where he oversees a pool of diversified public and private investments that include a portfolio of direct venture capital investments in technology. He serves on the boards of several private companies in industries ranging from aerospace to agriculture. He also serves on the advisory boards of the Yale School of Engineering, and Caltech’s Resnick Sustainability Institute, as well as the board of the Regional Plan Association (RPA) in New York—the oldest nonprofit planning group in the U.S. Dylan was a trustee of Harvey Mudd College from 2006 to 2016.

Before Arden Road Investments, Dylan worked for many years as an engineer, authoring several technical papers; he also holds four U.S. patents. A graduate of Yale University, he received his master’s in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology. He and his wife, Molly, have two sons, Soren ‘18, and Casmir, entering tenth grade.

Chad Kessler Chad Kessler and his husband, Bob Colquhoun, are the parents of twins, Will and Lily (entering kindergarten), who started at Calhoun in the Young 3’s program.

Chad grew up in Maine and graduated from Milton Academy and then Dartmouth College, double-majoring in history and art history. He is, he says, a “strong believer in the liberal arts, inquiry-based learning, and the importance of arts in education.”

SCHOOL NEWS

Chad has an extensive background in the retail industry; he is currently the global brand president at American Eagle, and previously served as chief merchandising officer of Urban Outfitters and as senior vice president of corporate merchandising for Coach. From 1994 to 2010, Chad held various merchandising roles at Abercrombie & Fitch and led the successful launch and growth of both Hollister and Abercrombie Kids.

Hanh Livingston Hanh transitioned from management consulting to family management in 2014, when her two older sons, Tanner (entering third grade) and Holden (entering first), started at Calhoun’s Lower School. Her stay-at-home parenting career afforded her the ability to be actively engaged at Calhoun, where she has served as Parents Association co-vice president for Little Calhoun, co-chair of the Benefit Publicity Committee, and an admissions tour guide. She also completed the Calhoun Progressive Education Traditions (PET) class. Now, as a new trustee, Hanh will also be taking on the important role of Chair for the 2019 Calhoun Benefit.

Prior to her parenting career, Hanh spent 16 years in various management consulting capacities at Hewlett Packard, and traveled extensively for clients such as the Department of the Navy and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

During her tenure at HP, Hanh improved business processes and developed IT solutions and training for millions of users across the country.

Hanh graduated from the College of William & Mary with a double major in psychology and sociology. In addition to Tanner and Holden, she and her husband, Kevin, have a third son, Wyatt, who will

be entering the 3’s program in the fall, and a daughter, Keaton, who Hanh says loves to visit Calhoun when she isn’t napping!

Ed Newman Ed is an Assistant United States Attorney with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, a position he has held since 2005. He focuses on the investigation and prosecution of financial frauds in mortgages and mortgage-backed securities.

In 2015 he received the Department of Justice Attorney General’s Award for reaching a $7 billion settlement in investigating and resolving fraud by Citibank in its issuance of mortgage-backed securities. In 2017, he completed a threeyear investigation into fraudulent practices

by Deutsche Bank, for which he received the Executive Office of U.S. Attorneys’ Director’s Award this past June. He was also the 2017 recipient of the Henry L. Stimson Medal for distinguished service to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, awarded by the Bar Association of the City of New York.

Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Ed was a partner in the employment and labor firm of Robein Urann & Lurye, in New Orleans. Ed attended New York University, then the Tulane University School of Law. Despite a demanding career, Ed has been a class rep at Calhoun for the past two years. He is married to Dr. Jody Kaban, head of the thoracic service at Jacobi Hospital in the Bronx. Their daughter, Taylor, is entering sixth grade.

7

Ways to Connect Online with the Calhoun Community

CALHOUN WEBSITE www.calhoun.org

FACEBOOK facebook.com/calhounschool facebook.com/calhounalums facebook.com/calhounschool/athletics

TWITTER @calhounschool

INSTAGRAM @calhounschool

YOUTUBE youtube.com/calhounschool

LINKEDIN www.linkedin.com/groups/1931476

SUMMER 2018

8

SCHOOL NEWS

55th Annual Spring Carnival The sun was shining, the music got people moving, and the smiles were abundant at this year’s carnival. With devoted volunteering from students, parents, faculty and staff—masterfully directed by Parents Association Carnival Co-Chairs Angela Naegele (P ‘26) and Robin Geisler (P ’29, P ‘31)—Calhoun’s 55th Annual Spring Carnival can go down in the books as a wonderful success and a prized tradition!

1

5

2

6

8 1. Fourth grader Lena Brayshaw took aim at the dunk tank bullseye, with Jarrad Nunes, Associate Director of College Counseling, encouraging her on.

3

2. Parent volunteers Megan Rigney and Matthew Kupchin took charge of the homemade “lemonaid” stand—a first for the carnival.

3. Juniors Zoe Stojkovic and Bennett Wood hawked freshly popped popcorn.

4. Sixth grader Harrison Zabar, here with fifth grader Santiago Phillips, was one of many Middle Schoolers who volunteered for the day.

5. The Carnival Bake Sale’s parent volunteers brought professional pizzazz to the gourmet goods! Thanks to (L-R) Rachel Littman, Carla Dunn, Margaret Spencer, Jill Adams and Kourtney Bogard.

4

6. Even new families joined in the fun: Incoming 3’s student Phoenix Maire helped get the Bottle Bowling pins set up between games (or, perhaps, just enjoyed knocking them down!).

7. First grader Jote Haas angled for a strategic shot in the basketball game.

7

CALHOUN CHRONICLE

8. Offering perfect photo opportunities to so many from our community, the Cougar posed with 4’s Calhouner Gabriel Wolfson.

SCHOOL NEWS

9

Cougar Spirit Is at the Heart of Calhoun’s Parents Association 2018–19 PA Officers Co-Presidents: Sheila Kirkwood (P ’26, P ’28) Barbara Pyles (P ’20, P ’23) Treasurer Daphne Smith-Naylor (P ’25, P ’27) Secretary Farrah Zabar (P ’24)

PA party committee volunteers (L-R) Letisha Gary, Erica Labeste, Sara Sarma and Carl Labeste, and PA Co-President Barbara Pyles

It was a tremendously successful year for the Parents Association (PA). Under the enthusiastic and infectious leadership of Sheila Kirkwood and Barbara Pyles— both of whom will return next year as Co-Presidents—the PA approached its mission to support the school community with single-minded dedication.

In addition to hosting a long list of long-running, popular events—including welcome-back picnics; the Barnes & Noble Book Fair; Calhoun’s CSA initiative; the Annual Tea honoring faculty and staff; and the Spring Carnival, the best block party on the Upper West Side—the PA continued to expand such programs as its

Parent Forums and school spirit events (in collaboration with Cougar Athletics).

A particular favorite for parents was this year’s Mardi Gras–themed all-division parent cocktail party, featuring a live band led by Calhoun dad Raun Ruffin.

Sheila and Barbara say they are eager to continue this year’s successes while looking forward to finding even more ways to involve parents and build community.

Log in to the website and click on “Parents Association” to read more about PA events and initiatives and how you can get involved. Then, click on the Volunteer button!

VP Upper School Hillary Kahn (P ’19, P ’19) Ken Vidal* (P ’22) VP Middle School Louise Litt (P ’23, P ’23) Elif Ongoren* (P ‘25, P ‘25) VP Lower School/81 Stephanie Santamaria (P ’21, P ’24, P ‘27, P ’27) Leigh Gerstenblatt* (P ’26, P ’28) VP Lower School/74 Kourtney Bogard* (P ’28, P ’30) Margaret Spencer* (P ’29) Volunteer Coordinator Amy Edelman* (P ‘17, P ‘21) *New to the executive team or position

Chairs Named for 2018-19 Benefit and Annual Fund The Office of Development and Alumni Relations is thrilled to announce that Aaron Dunn (P ’30) will serve as Chair of the Annual Fund next year and Hanh Livingston (P ’28, P ’30, P ’33) will serve as Chair of the 2019 Benefit. Both Aaron and Hanh will also be joining the Calhoun Board of Trustees in 2018–19 (see page 6).

Sign up today for the 2018 Fall Season

SUMMER 2018

10

SCHOOL NEWS

FACULT Y/STAFF NEWS M AK E R S

Bobby Rue ’85 Named Urhy/Thompson Award Recipient Bobby Rue ’85, Upper School English teacher, alumnus and current Calhoun parent, was named this year’s recipient

of the Uhry/Thompson Award. The award was announced at the Annual Tea by Danny Isquith, a former teaching colleague of Bobby’s and incoming Upper School Director.

In his remarks, Danny described Bobby as a teacher who “challenges students to think deeply about what they believe, how they want to express themselves, and the types of learners and humans they want to become. [He] emphasizes the importance of leadership as well as followership, process as well as product, form as well as content.” As supervisor of Junior Workshop, teacher of dynamic

literature and film electives, and coach of the Boys’ Varsity Basketball team, Bobby is often cited by alumni as one of the Calhoun teachers who most influenced them.

Established in 1992 in honor of former Lower School teachers Barbara Thompson and Jolly Uhry, the award recognizes a teacher “who best exemplifies mastery of academic discipline, the ability to make learning come alive, and a willingness to give meticulous attention to each student’s individual needs.” The recipient is chosen each year by the Head of School and the division directors.

45-Year Tribute to John Roeder John Roeder, Upper School science teacher since 1973, was celebrated affectionately and enthusiastically at the Annual Tea on the occasion of his 45th anniversary at Calhoun. Adding to the testimonials by colleagues and members of the Parents Association were two former students— Ben Stiller ’83 and Kriss Roebling ’83— who offered a little more than words of gratitude; they resurrected their high school band, Capital Punishment, with

fellow musicians Peter Zusi ’84 and Peter Swann ’83 and videotaped a special performance in John’s honor! [Be sure to keep an eye out for a soon-to-be released album by Capital Punishment, with new recordings and old favorites!—Ed.] Ben Stiller ‘83 (left) and Kriss Roebling ‘83 (right) celebrated the 45th anniversary of their former science teacher John Roeder with a videotaped revival performance of their high school band, Capital Punishment.

Calhoun Welcomes Six to the 30-Plus Club The Parents Association honored a total of 30 employees for their years of service at this year’s Annual Tea. Among the tenured celebrants were six employees who now join the celebrated 30-plus club: (L-R) Isabel Ruiz (LS/74 associate teacher), Debbie Havas Aronson ’79 (Director of Community Service), Barbara Bernard (Development Associate), Marcella Best (LS/74 associate teacher), Danita Harrison (LS/74 head teacher) and Phil Tedeschi (US English teacher).

CALHOUN CHRONICLE

SCHOOL NEWS

11

Moving On Calhoun’s history of long-tenured teachers, staffers and administrators is legend. But sometimes even the most steadfast employees are ready for new adventures. The community thanks these five departing Calhouners for their many years of dedication, and wishes them much happiness and success!

PHIL TEDESCHI retired at the end of this academic year after an exemplary 30-year career, teaching English to generations of Upper School students. He also advised the Upper School’s student newspaper, The Issue, and supported the editors and staff of the three-year-old literary and art magazine, The Cougar.

Known for his dry wit, Phil conveyed a passion for literature that was infectious.

But it was his ability to teach the fine art of writing—to almost every ninth grader who went through Calhoun—that is consistently referenced by alumni.

Phil’s writing instruction, many say, was the reason they were so prepared for college—and for their later careers.

BETH KRIEGER, a member of the Calhoun community for 30 years—first as a parent—retired this past June after 22 years as Director of Communications.

In that role, she stewarded Calhoun’s marketing; created the school’s print publications—including the Calhoun Chronicle and the Centennial Journal; brought the community into the digital age with e-newsletters, social media and the school’s first fully realized website (including three subsequent redesigns); served as publicist for school initiatives; managed the school’s archives and served as the “go-to” for institutional memory; and was, for most of her years, the primary

writer and photographer for print and digital communications. Before her hired position at Calhoun, Beth spent eight years as a Parents Association (PA) volunteer— the last four as president. During that time she also served as PA rep to the Board, led the Board’s marketing committee, and sat on a search committee for Head of School.

A parent of two Calhoun alums, Emily Deutchman ’04 and Jeff Deutchman (’01), Beth says she is looking forward to “repurposing, not retiring,” to pursue new paths—including political activism (in time for the 2018 and 2020 elections), freelance consulting, and dedicated time for travel, art and family.

ALISON FOSTER, who served in multiple roles in the Upper School since coming to Calhoun 22 years ago, will be joining her husband, David Hyman, in Washington, D.C., this summer. Alison came to Calhoun in 1996, taking over directorship of the Peer Leadership program from its original founder, Robert Schaecher. Under her guidance, the program evolved as one of the Upper School’s signature programs for mentorship and student support, and in her years as its director, she worked with more than 300 peer leaders. In 2006, she was promoted to the additional administrative role of Upper School Dean of Students. Throughout her tenure, Alison was also the supervisor for the school’s yearbook, while teaching Upper School courses in health and psychology.

DAVID HYMAN has moved to Washington, D.C., to assume the position of president of the Center for Technology and Workforce—a new think tank that focuses on training, education and certification for women, minorities and underserved communities. David came to Calhoun in 2000 as Middle School woodshop teacher before moving to Calhoun’s Upper School, where his first classes focused on woodworking and then, increasingly, on topics of sustainability.

David also served as Sustainability Coordinator for several years. In that position, he was responsible for securing Calhoun’s aeroponic Tower Gardens and engaging students in school and citywide sustainability initiatives.

DEBBIE MORENZI retired this June after 19 years as a Lower School teacher. While Debbie had many roles at Little Calhoun, her legacy will most certainly be the creation and development of the World Music program. “Debbie’s passion for music, appreciation of world cultures and love of teaching have all contributed to the success of the program and inspired hundreds of children,” says Lower School Director Alison Max Rothschild ’85.

SUMMER 2018

12

SCHOOL NEWS

Russia Dialogue Sheds Light on Current Affairs

The Calhoun community packed the theater to hear three veteran Russia experts—Stephen Kotkin (left), Nina Khrushcheva and Head of School Steven Solnick—discuss Russian-American relations in the era of Trump and Putin. The talk, hosted by Calhoun’s Performing Arts Series, delved into topics such as Russia’s role in the 2016 elections, Putin’s grip on power, prospects for improving relations in the coming years, and suggestions for how ordinary citizens can stay informed about global affairs in the current environment.

Tips for Parenting in the Digital Age Michelle Ciulla Lipkin, executive director of the National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE), returned to Calhoun this year to lead two workshops for Lower School parents on the topic of parenting in the digital age.

Michelle spoke to the challenges that many parents face today: navigating the ever-evolving world of technology with children and teaching young people to use media in a responsible manner, while protecting them from any potential negative side effects. She assured the

Former NY Governor Champions Activism In honor of Black History Month, Calhoun’s Parents of Color (PoC) group hosted an intimate conversation with David Paterson (front, third from left), the first African-American governor of New York (2008–10). It was an evening of inspiring messages—particularly for the young people in the audience— about giving back through social activism and political involvement.

CALHOUN CHRONICLE

audience that it’s completely normal that these challenges can seem overwhelming, and shared a road map for dealing with technology with a child. Above all, Michelle reminded parents to trust their innate wisdom: “Kids might be better at tech, but we’re better at being human beings.

Their tech savvy doesn’t eliminate our life experience—be confident in the wisdom you have to impart.”

Read Michelle’s tips, on Calhoun’s Tales of the Lower School blog: www.calhoun.org/tales.

SCHOOL NEWS

13

Grandparents and Special Friends Day, 2018 It’s always a treat when our grandparents and special friends pay a visit to Little Calhoun. Students in preschool through 1 second grade gave their guests of honor an inside look at their daily lives at school, introducing them to teachers, classmates and favorite activities. It was a memorable morning for all!

2

1

2

3

7

5 1. Barbara and Richard Adams enjoy time with grandson Oliver Littman (4’s).

2. Lee and Jay Harris watch grandson Alexander Harris (3’s) at work.

3. Carol Santalucia poses with grandson Jote Haas (first grade).

6

4. Barbara Sassoon shares a hug with granddaughter Rebecca Sassoon (second grade).

5. Jaxen Wingard (second grade) welcomes grandfather Leon Hughes.

6. Maya Pauker (4’s) exhibits her artwork to grandmother Barbara Pauker.

7. Emerson Douglas (kindergarten) showcases a finished project to grandfather James Douglas.

4

6

SUMMER 2018

14

SCHOOL NEWS

IN T HE CL ASSROO M

Ezra Jack Keats Inspires Little Calhouners When the U.S. Postal Service released a stamp collection commemorating The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats, faculty at Lower School 74th decided to initiate a division-wide study of this pioneering author and illustrator.

Keats is known for featuring multiracial protagonists and breaking the color barrier in children’s literature, and his books serve as an entry point for young students to explore issues of inclusion and diversity. The universal themes of childhood that weave through his stories not only energized our Little Calhouners’ literary studies, but inspired their own artistic expression!

Keats believed that all children should see themselves in the books they love, and so he purposely created a diverse group of storybook heroes—most with backgrounds and physical appearances very different from his. As Keats once said, “If we could see each other exactly as the other is, this would be a different world.” Just like Keats and other great writers before them, second graders were inspired and challenged to walk in the shoes of others—and develop character profiles that were unlike themselves. (Above) Second graders were asked to create their own character portraits and “shutter books” as part of a study on literary character development.

Every 74th Street student had a chance to work on an art project that drew from the themes of the stories that were read in class, often in collaboration with other clusters. As the study concluded, Little Calhoun was transformed into a building-wide museum of Keats-inspired art. (Right) After reading the book Dreams and observing Keats’s signature illustrative style, kindergartners experimented with their own graphic techniques, using watercolor and collage to depict buildings full of dreaming neighbors.

CALHOUN CHRONICLE

Little Calhouners were motivated in their literary pursuits by a visit from Andrea Davis Pinkney, award-winning author of A Poem for Peter, which recounts Keats’s life. Pinkney shared an inside look at her writing process and offered tips for aspiring authors.

First graders performed short play adaptations of three of Keats’s books: My Dog Is Lost, Pet Show and Apt. 3. Fellow 74th Street students—as young as three and on up through second grade—gathered to watch the show, and were amazed to see the stories they loved come to life onstage!

SCHOOL NEWS

15

Turning Third Graders into Anthropologists Tammy Abrahem’s third graders became anthropologists this spring in an exploration of Mexican culture. The social studies project was part of a collaboration with the Red Trunk Project, an organization whose mission is to foster cross-cultural understanding in children.

The red trunk in question was sent to the classroom brimming with artifacts from Oaxaca, Mexico. Upon opening the trunk, students were thrilled to discover such objects as household tools, pottery, games, toys, spices, candies, traditional clothing and musical instruments. The artifacts were accompanied by videos depicting life in Oaxaca, along with interviews with Oaxacan children and adults.

Over the course of a few weeks of investigation, the students kept anthropology journals to record their hypotheses and observations.

“Understanding the connection between one’s assumptions and facts is an important research skill,” explains Tammy, who also brought an anthropologist into the class to talk to the students about her work and the connection between artifacts and customs.

The project gave third graders a nuanced view of cultural differences. Once, while examining the cuisine of Oaxaca, the children learned that crickets are a prized delicacy, and immediately reacted with exclamations of disgust. But Tammy turned their reaction into a teachable moment; she recounted a memory from her own childhood, when she was teased for bringing her favorite Egyptian dish to school. She encouraged her students to be open to diverse customs and viewpoints.

This lesson really hit home, thanks to videos with interviews of Oaxacan children.

Hearing from children their own age helped our students see that, while some traditions are foreign to them, they have a lot in common with people around the world. “They came to understand that

(L-R) Third graders Michaela Parkan, Emmy Oosterhuis and Owen Aspinwall examine the contents of the red trunk to learn more about the culture of Oaxaca, Mexico.

each community has its own unique culture. It’s important to be mindful of these differences because, if not, you tend to stereotype and adopt a narrow-minded narrative,” observes Tammy.

Another important element of the project was personal reflection. Tammy challenged her students to create their own hypothetical red trunk, and explain what objects they would choose to represent themselves and why. The assignment quickly revealed just how complex one’s cultural identity really is.

One student, wrestling with how to convey her Turkish-American heritage, concluded that she didn’t need to choose between the two: She would add both Turkish coffee and a Starbucks cup to her trunk.

“The children confronted the question ‘What is American?’ Do we really know?” says Tammy. She adds, “But ultimately, we each have a story to tell.”

The red trunk arrived in Tammy Abrahem’s classroom packed full of real artifacts from Oaxaca—including crafts, toys, spices, musical instruments and clothing.

SUMMER 2018

16

SCHOOL NEWS

Onstage 1

UPPER SCHOOL THEATER

Student Voice Festival

2

3

4

Upper Schoolers dazzled audiences with six original short plays—written, directed and performed by students—interspersed with songs about youth.

1. Julia Labusch ’21 and Theo Dolan ’20 in Gravestones, written by Fernando Rueda ‘19 and directed by Codee Lawtum ‘18 2. (Front, L-R) Lindsay Jackman ’18 and Hannah Reitkopf ’21; (back, L-R) Sebastian Miyao ’20 and Evan Changar ’20 in Lonely, written by Codee Lawtum ’18 and directed by Fernando Rueda ’19 3. Charles Stone ’19 and Codee Lawtum ’18 in Crazy with Joy, written by Theo Dolan ’20 and directed by Lindsay Jackman ’18

EIGHTH GRADE PLAY

One-Act Play Festival Eighth graders displayed true acting chops in their dramatic presentation of the gentleman caller scene from Tennessee Williams’s The Glass Menagerie, quickly followed by a hilarious parody of the same scene from Christopher Durang’s For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls.

4. Carter Paterson ’22 in The Gentleman Caller 5. Lomie Blum ’22 and Cameron Sherman ’22 in For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls 6. Oshen Henderson Robinson ’22 and Charlie Adams ’22 in For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls

CALHOUN CHRONICLE

5

6

SCHOOL NEWS

17

X X X X NEWSMAK ERS

SECOND GRADE PLAY

1

The Great Adventure of the Second Grade Heroes This student-created play follows young detectives through a fantastical journey around New York’s Upper West Side landmarks. The production, which took inspiration from the second grade’s Discovery Lab course, incorporated the storytelling and improvisational scene work the students had worked on in their Theater Movement classes.

1. (L-R) Lily Clark, Elijah Gil, Charlotte Levy, Ari Raytburg and Skylar Kupchin

SIXTH GRADE THEATER

Scenes from the Sixth Grade Curriculum 2

Sixth graders wrote, staged and presented scenes inspired by their studies in English, social studies and theater.

2. (Front, L-R) David Kelly, Sarah Harmon, Baelee Glasgow and Daniel Seferi; (back, L-R) Rocco Fonseca, Dashiell Pitts, Sydney Singleton and Savilla Sword

FIFTH GRADE PLAY

The Fort Story In a collaborative effort, fifth graders developed and wrote The Fort Story, a play that explores the themes and complexities that surround immigration in this country. The students looked at such themes as land ownership, community agreements, money, betrayal, colonization and, ultimately, equitable societies. [PHOTO: Cory Schwartz]

3

4

3. Sungjoon Roh and classmates, in a scene from The Fort Story

FOURTH GRADE PLAY

Make Them Hear You Make Them Hear You looks at a family’s first visit to a New York museum, when exhibits come to life. Written by fourth graders through shared writing activities, research and conversations, the indigenous characters at the centerpiece of the script tell stories about their native lands, and encourage students to use their own identities to counter current narratives.

4. Richie Warren-Fulcher (Thing 3); Sophie von Boetticher (Thing 2); Stella Gerstenblatt (back center)

SUMMER 2018

18

SCHOOL NEWS FEATURE

Onstage 1

The Sounds of Music

2

3

4

5

This spring was filled with stirring performances

by Calhoun’s student musicians, from fifth through twelfth grades. Strings and chamber ensembles; jazz, percussionist and rock groups; winds and brass bands took command of the Calhoun stage.

1. (L-R) Tomas Michelangeli and Andrew Vidrevich, Sixth Grade String Ensemble Concert 2. (L-R) Lyla Changar and Joye Wingard, Sixth Grade String Ensemble Concert 3. Hannah Wu, Fifth Grade Wind Ensemble Concert 4. Kate Wattenberg, Seventh Grade Wind Ensemble Concert 5. Samuel Gevert, Fifth Grade Wind Ensemble Concert 6. Kiyan Anthony, Fifth Grade Wind Ensemble Concert 7. (L-R) Jade Martin and Samuel Meltzer Thometz, Seventh Grade Wind Ensemble Concert

CALHOUN CHRONICLE

6

7

SCHOOL NEWS

1

2

3

4

5

19

1. (L-R) Kinara Phillips ’20, Evan Changar ’20 and Alex Blair-Turk ’19, US Jazz Night 2. Thomas FitzGerald ’18, US Percussion Ensemble Concert 3. Anourag Shah ’20, US Strings Ensemble Concert 4. (L-R) Jacob Duncan ’21 and Liam Hade ’21, US Jazz Night 5. (L-R) Clyde Chelkowski ’21 and Phoebe Ro ’21, US Strings Ensemble Concert

SUMMER 2018

FEATURE

PHOTO: Al Pereira

22 00

CALHOUN CHRONICLE

FEATURE

21

Cougars Take State Title and Make History!

The Boys’ Varsity Volleyball team made history this year as the first Calhoun sports team to win a state tournament!

The state tournament, hosted by the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS), was also the first ever held for boys’ varsity volleyball—which puts Calhoun in NYSAIS athletic history as well.

Their state title comes on the heels of the Cougars’ dual win as NYCAL Tournament champions and league co-champions for the regular season.

It looked a little shaky early in the season, when the Cougars failed to secure two early matches against opponents Léman Prep and Masters School. But the boys never gave up. Ethan Lichtenstein ’18, the team’s motivator and spirit, stepped up to reenergize his teammates and remind them of their potential.

The Cougars went on to sweep the next seven regular-season games, including a nail-biting match against Masters, with whom they ultimately shared the league co-championship title. Calhoun then headed into the NYCAL Championship Tournament with home court advantage as the number-one-seeded team.

Arno Sugarman ’18 and Gabe Worth ’19, both of whom joined the varsity team this year, proved that hard work pays off; their skills on the court were a huge boost to experienced seniors Eugene Padayogdog and Jake Roshkow, and together they helped earn the NYCAL championship title, with a 3–1 win over Masters.

The season’s high point was yet to come. Calhoun went into the inaugural NYSAIS Boys’ Volleyball State Championship Tournament as the number-one seed. After a first-round 3–0 win against Berkeley Carroll, followed by a spirited 3–2 win against Poly Prep in the semifinals, the Cougars were ready for one last showdown with Masters in the finals. Team veterans Andrew Harvey ’19 and James Schirrmeister ’19 were ready for the challenge, working together as setter and spiker to score many of the points during the final game.

The Boys’ Varsity Volleyball team came out on top, winning the finals 3–1 and cementing their legacy as the first champs in the tournament’s history—and the first Calhoun team to ever win a state championship. Congratulations to these athletes for their history-making achievement!

The Boys’ Varsity Volleyball team enjoyed a three-trophy year, capturing the regular-season NYCAL co-championship, the post-season NYCAL Tournament championship, and the NYSIAS State Tournament title. (Back, L-R) Coach Oral Channel, Coach Sabrina Zurkuhlen ’06, Casey Kalfus ’21, Malcolm Cook ’20, Gabriel Worth ’19, Ethan Rogosin ’22, Andrew Harvey ’19, James Schirrmeister ’19, Coach Kevin Randazzo, Athletic Trainer Natalie Sorensen; (front, L-R) Arno Sugarman ’18, Eugene Padayogdog ’18, Ethan Lichtenstein ’18, Jake Roshkow ’18. (PHOTO: Al Pereira) SUMMER 2018

22 22

SPORTS FEATURE

Spring Sports Roundup Varsity Track and Field athletes won five medals in the 2018 NYCAL Championship Meet. Eighth grader Oshen Henderson-Robinson, the youngest member of the varsity team, impressed everyone by medaling in three events. She took first place in the 3000-meter race, second in the 1500 and third in the 800. Joining her in the winner’s circle were Sky Kind ’20, with a second-place finish in the shot put, and Jacob Duncan ’21, who ran a personal best in the 400 to take fourth place. Great times throughout the NYCAL season qualified Oshen, Jacob and Amon Ferri ’19 for the NYSAIS State Championship Meet.

The Boys’ Varsity Baseball team also witnessed some young talent taking on big roles for the team. Pitchers Aidan Peters ’20 and Evan Pant ’21 were solid from the mound all season long, while eighth grader Mateo Sucre looks to have a promising Cougar career ahead of him. The team graduates senior leaders Nathan Fingeret, Julian Keifetz, Darius Marmorstein and Zac Zudeck, who have all been a great influence on their teammates. “These four clearly showed a love of baseball that was impressionable to their young teammates,” says Coach Cory Schwartz. “We have a strong core of players who are very

NYCAL HONORS COUGARS Eight Calhoun athletes and four teams received top honors this year from the New York Athletic League (NYCAL), based on votes of coaches from all of the schools in the league. This recognition is a true testament to Cougars, who continue to be exemplary players, turning Calhoun Athletics’ core values of self-awareness, teamwork, empathy and resilience into a winning formula.

Girls’ Volleyball All-League First Team: Lauren Carey ’21, Sydney Ashton ’20 Girls’ Volleyball Co-MVP: Sydney Ashton ’20 Girls’ Soccer All-League First Team: Maya Goldberg ’21 Sportsmanship: Boys’ Varsity Soccer; Girls’ Varsity Soccer Boys’ Basketball All-League Second Team: Justin Brown ’18, Eric Abrons ‘18 Boys’ Volleyball All-League First Team: James Schirrmeister ’19, Andrew Harvey ’19 Boys’ Volleyball MVP: James Schirrmeister ’19 Boys’ Baseball All-League First Team: Mateo Sucre ’22 Sportsmanship: Boys’ Varsity Baseball; Girls’ Varsity Softball CALHOUN CHRONICLE

passionate. Calhoun’s baseball future is bright and exciting.”

The Girls’ Varsity Softball program continued to grow, with a lot of team “firsts” this season. To start with, more girls came out for the softball team than ever before. It was also the first time the Cougar softball team officially joined NYCAL, and the first time the team scored double-digit runs in a game. Led by seniors Teresa Chico, Anna Cohen, Cess Diamond, Romi Konorty and Addy Litwinko, and with an enthusiastic and talented group of younger players ready to take on leadership positions, this team set the foundation for the future success of Girls’ Varsity Softball at Calhoun.

(Top left) Eighth grader Oshen Henderson-Robinson took the Varsity Track and Field NYCAL Championship Meet by storm, finishing in first, second and third place in three long-distance races! (PHOTO: Al Pereira) (Top right) Teresa Chico ’18, co-captain and starting pitcher for the Girls’ Varsity Softball team, was an inspiration to her teammates.

(Below) Sophomore Aidan Peters is expected to contribute to the Boys’ Varsity Baseball team’s continued success in the coming seasons.

SPORTS 1

2

23

3

X X X X NEWSMAK ERS

Winter Sports Roundup The Boys’ Varsity Basketball team concluded an impressive 2017–18 season with a winning record (7-5) and a tenacious performance in the NYCAL Championship Tournament. Late-season wins granted Calhoun a fourth-place league finish and a spot in the tournament. Three-point sharpshooters Eric Abrons ’18 and Eli Fortunato ’18 carried much of the offensive load during the season’s final stretch, and a versatile Justin Brown ’18 anchored the defense and served as a key playmaker as the team set its course toward the NYCAL playoffs. The Cougars extended their momentum all the way into their 52-51 win in the semifinals against Browning, before succumbing in the finals. The upward trend this team displayed is sure to make for an exciting 2018–19 season.

Members of the Girls’ Varsity Basketball team used the 2017–18 season to grow into their roles after losing a large number of senior teammates the previous year. But this young, gritty team never let up; instead, the Cougars displayed intensity deep into the season, where a last-game 22–15 win over Trevor Day School awarded the team the last spot in the NYCAL Championship Tournament. “The win over Trevor during our Senior Night celebration was one of the highlights of our year,” says Coach

Nicola Zimmer. “The seniors [Sara Barker, Oummu Barrie, Romi Konorty and Flora Morrison] invested so much into this game and this season, I can’t thank them enough.” A closely contended semifinal game did not go the Cougars’ way, but the tournament experience is sure to help the younger athletes continue to grow and make a big impact in the league next season.

(Top left) Junior Noah Jean-Baptiste (center) provided the Boys’ Varsity Basketball team with much-needed energy and defense during the season.

(PHOTO: Cory Schwartz) (Top right) The young Girls’ Varsity Basketball team stayed gritty and determined throughout the season, with strong defenders like Isabel Goldberg ‘21. (PHOTO: Cory Schwartz) (Bottom left) Freshman Sebastian Taylor helped keep the Boys’ JV Basketball team driven and focused, getting off to a promising start in his career as a Cougar.

(Bottom right) Sophomore Sarah Hurley demonstrated a resiliency and hustle that made Coaches Tony Wright and Sabrina Zurkuhlen ‘06 proud.

(PHOTO: Cory Schwartz)

WINTER 2016

24

FEATURE

The Black Rock Forest Connection Immersing City Kids in Nature Expands the Notion of Classroom

PHOTO: Nahuel Fanjul-Arguijo

By Michelle Kiefer

CALHOUN CHRONICLE

FEATURE

25

26

FEATURE

F

ar from 74th and 81st streets, away from the hustle and bustle of our urban landscape, Calhoun has a forest as a classroom, where our students connect with nature and deepen their learning.

Black Rock Forest, in Cornwall, NY, is a pristine natural oasis with 3,838 acres of verdant landscapes, soaring mountains and untouched streams, as well as a thriving scientific field station, hosting visiting scholars of all levels for in-depth research and fieldwork. Since 2003, Calhoun has been a member of the Black Rock Forest Consortium, a network of leading scientific and educational institutions that includes Columbia University, the American Museum of Natural History and the Central Park Conservancy. Our special relationship to the forest gives our students access to a wealth of resources and expertise.

“ Changing location from New York City to the natural world reinvigorates the brain, and as a result, students learn a lot more than they would in a traditional classroom.”

— Francesco Filiaci, US biology teacher Over the years, students from Lower, Middle and Upper School divisions have traveled to Black Rock for experiential, on-site learning in multiple disciplines: They have conducted experiments in Black Rock’s streams and well-equipped science center; examined the flora and fauna during hikes through the forest; and used the scenery as inspiration for art and writing projects. Black Rock’s resident team of experts frequently co-teach classes alongside Calhoun faculty, and engage our students as research assistants. In one such collaboration, Calhoun students planted red oak seedlings on our Green Roof as part of a Black Rock study comparing the growth of trees in urban and rural environments.

Calhoun students go to Black Rock Forest for the first time as fourth graders. The two-day trip—the first overnight for our young Calhouners—is a capstone experience in the Lower School. The children spend time exploring nature through hikes, hands-on science labs, poetry and journal writing.

CALHOUN CHRONICLE

Top: Upper School biology teacher Francesco Filiaci leads students on a hike through Black Rock Forest, stopping along the way to teach them about the native plant life.

Bottom: In a recent Spring Session course, Raku in Black Rock Forest, Upper Schoolers made pottery and ceramic sculptures in Calhoun’s art studios, then traveled to Black Rock Forest to complete their works using Raku firing techniques.

Upper right: Black Rock Forest is frequently the site of community-building activities, with canoeing among the many activities enjoyed by Middle Schoolers during an overnight excursion in 2015.

FEATURE

“Having an outdoor adventure with their peers is an incredible bonding experience,” says LS Director Alison Max Rothschild ’85, “and teaches children how to assume responsibility in a community setting.”

This trip to Black Rock also serves as the culminating event in the fourth graders’ studies of environmental science. Earlier in the school year, they visit a hatchery and collect brook trout eggs, which they then bring back to the classroom to raise.

The interdisciplinary project takes them through the process of measuring and charting the fish’s growth, regulating the temperature and chemical balance of the water, and learning more about the history of the Hudson River watershed. When the trout reach the fingerling stage, the students transport the fish to Black Rock Forest to release them into the wild, with the goal of boosting the low population of this New York State fish.

This contact with the outdoors brings the lessons learned in the classroom to life. “Seeing what we’ve talked about in class—not just in a book or a film, but on a walk through the woods—makes it all real for them,” says Lower School science teacher Meg Siddiqui. “It has a much deeper, more profound impact.”

Black Rock is also at the center of the Upper School biology curriculum. Calhoun eleventh graders kick off the school year with an overnight trip to the forest. While there, they go on long hikes to survey wildlife and plants, stopping along the

27

“ As students, we always want to know why we’re learning about a certain subject. When you go outside and make these connections, then you realize why it matters.” — Teresa Chico ’18 way for “teach-ins” inspired by what they observe. They collect water samples at Black Rock’s various ponds and reservoirs, and examine aquatic organisms beneath a microscope. These outdoor explorations serve as an introduction to key biological principles, such as biodiversity or the definition of life, which they’ll later delve into in class.

Seniors who elect to take Advanced Biology return to Black Rock for more in-depth research. In recent years, these students have dissected a deer as a complement to their studies of comparative anatomy, and they have identified the skulls of mammals that inhabit the forest. Using actual tree cookie samples, they have analyzed the age of Black Rock’s oak trees and measured the trees’ growth using a special scientific tool called a dendrometer.

SUMMER 2018

PHOTO: Nahuel Fanjul-Arguijo

28

FEATURE

CALHOUN CHRONICLE

FEATURE

29

“ [Visiting Black Rock is like] the difference between seeing a Broadway play and [watching] a movie on the screen. It’s one thing to learn from a textbook, but it’s completely different when you see it in real life.”

— Eugene Padayogdog ’18

Above: Black Rock has been the source of inspiration not only for science fieldwork, but for project-based learning in the humanities as well. During an Upper School trip in 2011, students in Ellen Kwon’s English class read Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and then built a raft in the spirit of Huck and Tom. Left page: (L-R) Fourth graders Alex Babej, Isabella Kirkwood, Ben Selz, Charlie Carter and Lena Brayshaw observe aquatic invertebrates gathered from the riverbed at Black Rock Forest.

Eugene Padayogdog ’18 has traveled to Black Rock five times over the course of his Upper School career. He describes the experience as “the difference between seeing a Broadway play and [watching] a movie on the screen. It’s one thing to learn from a textbook, but it’s completely different when you see it in real life.”

Indeed, the learning that happens in a setting like Black Rock Forest is exponentially more powerful. “It all goes back to how the brain works,” explains biology teacher Francesco Filiaci, who leads the eleventh and twelfth grade trips and represents Calhoun on the Black Rock Forest Consortium’s board. “Changing location from New York City to the natural world reinvigorates the brain, and as a result, students learn a lot more than they would in a traditional classroom.”

But even more beneficial is that place-based learning reinforces the link between abstract knowledge and its concrete application. Teresa Chico ’18 recalls an impactful moment when, after she observed oak trees during a hike in

the forest, the concept of photosynthesis finally clicked for her. “As students, we always want to know why we’re learning about a certain subject. When you go outside and make these connections, then you realize why it matters,” she says.

Especially in a setting like Black Rock, which is a refuge for many endangered plants and animals, students gain an intimate understanding of human impact on the environment.

They observe the effects of invasive species or acid rain on the forest, and hear from Black Rock’s educators about their conservation efforts. Most of all, students’ hands-on experience in nature teaches them that they, too, have a role to play.

On the final morning of the fourth grade trip, a buzz is in the air. After breakfast, the group heads down to the water, trout in tow. One by one, the students gingerly lift each fish from the buckets, slipping it into the still waters of a man-made dam. Then, finally, the trout are released.

Each fish swims into the river, joining the wider ecosystem of the Hudson River Basin. And as the fourth graders turn back to head to the bus, their sense of accomplishment is palpable; even at this young age, they realize they’re actively participating as members of their school community and stewards of the environment.

When even a forest can be your classroom, there is no separation between school and the outside world. Every place, and every lesson, is an opportunity to engage. “Calhoun is a place where you’re not just expected to learn for the next test—they want you to learn for life,” says Teresa. “Everything you’re learning, they want you to carry with you outside.” n

SUMMER 2018

30

FEATURE

Graduation 2018 Speakers Urge Class of 2018 to be Fearless, and Rooted in Values This year’s graduation was one marked by determination and hope for the future. One after another, the speakers encouraged the Class of 2018 to be bold, to make the most of the creative, independent spirit and values instilled and nurtured during their years at Calhoun and seek meaning and joy in their lives as they move forward.

Upper School English teacher Phil Tedeschi, retiring after 30 years and given the honored spot as faculty speaker, urged the graduating seniors “[not to] shy away from your inclinations and aspirations just because they will be difficult to achieve.…”

As if in response, graduation speaker Rea Brayshaw ’18 met Phil’s challenge on behalf of herself and her classmates.

“We’ve all experienced as many failures as we have successes,” she acknowledged. “But we have not only learned how to overcome these challenges; we have also learned not to take ourselves too seriously, and to never forget the importance of having fun and finding joy in life.” Anna Koppelman ’18 picked up the thread, noting that she and her classmates “have grown from every mistake.”

In their remarks, both Anna and Rea embraced the experience of community at Calhoun. “One’s high school experience is never really solo; it’s collective,” reflected Anna.

“We are all part of a story bigger than our own. Through every shared joke, every math test study session, every English conversation, we have shaped each other as thinkers, as people, and as friends.” Rea offered the hope that she and her classmates “stay rooted in the foundational relationships and experiences that have made us who we are; that we remember the values we have embraced during our years at Calhoun and live them out in our daily lives.”

Head of School Steve Solnick, who was addressing his first Calhoun graduating class, echoed many of these same sentiments and aspirations for the seniors—that they stay committed to the values of critical thinking, respect for the dignity of every person, and responsibility for serving others.

He also advised the graduates to question and stay open to learning. And, finally, Steve thanked the seniors for being “compassionate, committed, creative and fearless,” and left them with these parting words: “We’re counting on you to be the most exquisite ambassadors of this unique school. Go out, don’t be afraid to fail, do something amazing, and come back and tell us about it.”

1

2

3 1. Graduation speaker Rea Brayshaw encouraged classmates to “remember the values” they embraced at Calhoun.

2. Graduation speaker Anna Koppelman reflected on the collective story shared by her class.

3. Soloist Sylvia Jane Krueger performed “I Sing the Body Electric.”

4. Sam Horn (left) and Ed LeMoine (right) were joined by Ethan Lichtenstein and Eli Fortunato in a performance of “Bitter Sweet Symphony.”

5. Enthusiastic support for fellow classmates came from (L-R) Claire Bernstein, Avery Bederman, Elias Haberberg and Oummu Barrie.

6. Eugene Padayogdog received this year’s M. Kathleen McDonough Award, by vote of the senior class.

7. (L-R, front) Francesca Diamond, Quinn Doherty, Nathan Fingeret, Julian Keifetz and Jaelyn Wingard wait for their diplomas.

8. No longer seniors, the Class of 2018 celebrants tossed their caps.

4

5

31

6

7

8

32

Class of 2018— Where They’re Going

FEATURE

1

2

3

1. Zac Zudeck gives a celebratory hug.

2. (L-R) Eric Abrons, John Rosenthal and Tallulah Hunt pose for a pre-graduation photo op.

3. Julia Weissman and Becca Horowitz have big smiles as they show off their diplomas.

The Class of 2018 heads off to 43 different colleges and universities this fall. Their choices reflect the individuality, creativity and adventurous spirit of these Calhouners, who have chosen private and public institutions, both large and small, in every part of the country as well as overseas. Thirty-two students applied Early Decision this year, with 23 receiving acceptances—an impressive 72 percent success rate! Six seniors who applied Early Action to a top-choice school will be attending that institution in the fall.

And of the 49 seniors who applied to at least one school early (Early Decision, Early Action, or rolling admissions), 80 percent received an offer of admission before winter break! Read more about Calhoun’s college process at calhoun.org/college.

Academy of Media Arts Cologne American University The American University of Paris University of Arizona Bard College Barnard College Bates College Bennington College California Institute of the Arts University of California, Los Angeles Colgate University College of William and Mary Colorado College Connecticut College Cornell University University of Delaware Emerson College Fashion Institute of Technology Franklin & Marshall College Gettysburg College Hampshire College Ithaca College Kenyon College Lafayette College Lewis & Clark College University of Miami Miami University - Ohio Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) New York University Oberlin College Pitzer College Princeton University Purchase College Sarah Lawrence College Skidmore College University of Southern California Stony Brook University Susquehanna University Syracuse University Tulane University University of Vermont Wake Forest University Wesleyan University Yale University

s

Second graders said farewell to Little Calhoun in song. With the theater full of delighted family members, it was an emotional goodbye from an eager group ready for “Big Calhoun.”

STU DE NT NEWSMAKE R S

s

Fifth Grade Moving Up

Second Grade FEATURE 3 3 Summer Send-Off

Fifth graders commemorated their move up to Middle School by sharing favorite moments from their time in Lower School.

The occasion concluded with wise words from LS social studies teacher Giovanni Pucci: “Be confident, but be kind; be kind, but be fierce; be fierce, but be gentle; be gentle, but be warriors; be warriors, but fight for love.”

Photos: (L-R) Lila Schwartz; Tafari Gil

Eighth Grade Commencement Lots of pomp, circumstance and anticipation filled the gym when 57 eighth graders gathered before their proud families and faculty. Musical performances provided by the eighth grade chorus and the jazz, strings and wind ensembles provided an uplifting overture before the reading of individual tributes, the commencement speeches and the presentation of certificates to each student. Photos left: Commencement speakers (top) Sokhnamai Kane and (bottom) Nathan Smith; photo above: (back, L-R) Ella Gullickson, Ariell Haims, Liam Harvey and Zach Hawkins; (front, L-R) Bella Ulfelder, Hilary Vidal and Maude Weber

34

CLASS NOTES

Alumni News MARRIAGES Taiyo Ebato Na ’00 to Sarah Ha

BIRTHS To Shannon Caffrey ’94, a girl, Ivy Shannon To Alex Dworkowitz ’97 and Amy Dworkowitz, a girl, Anna To Mark Rentschler ’00 and Lindsay Rentschler, a girl, Layla Claire To David Tunick ’01 and Kristina Tunick, a girl, Poppy To Emma Dumain ’04 and Adam Snider, a girl, Flora Dumain To Ted Brandston ’07 and Kathryn Siti, a girl, Rosa Charles To Jenna Johnson Davis ’07 and Jed Davis, a girl, Penelope Jane

IN MEMORIAM Mary-Ellen Greenberger Siegel ’49

From the Archives...

Class of 1958 Prom, photo courtesy of Gail Putterman Herter ’58. But here’s the question—was it at The Plaza or Essex House? Send your own memories and photos to alumni@calhoun.org.

1940s

Susan Cohen Morgan ’53 Jill Manes Rosen ’57 NOTE: Though many updates shared in Class Notes come directly from alumni themselves,

topics—many of which are proudly maintained in Calhoun’s library.

Our condolences to Mary-Ellen’s family, including her daughters, Betsy Kulkin Bailey ’71 and Vicki Kulkin Beckerman ’79, her son, Peter, and her greatgranddaughter, Emily Baldwin, Class of 2031.

not every item is self-submitted.

In cases where information is published elsewhere or obtained from a classmate, parent or other third party, every effort is made to contact the alum to confirm accuracy. We apologize for any errors and welcome corrections for our records. Submissions for an upcoming issue can be directed to alumni@calhoun.org.

CALHOUN CHRONICLE

s Mary-Ellen Greenberger Siegel ’49 passed away on May 20. An Honorary Trustee for Calhoun, Mary-Ellen remained an active alumna, attending reunions and special events, and always supporting the school. Mary-Ellen earned her master’s degree from the Columbia School of Social Work and worked as a social worker at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. She also worked as a teaching associate and lecturer in the community medicine department at the Mount Sinai medical school. She loved to write, publishing 11 books on health

1950s

s Judy Caplan Katz ‘53 represented her classmates at the recent Alumnae Luncheon, for their 65th Reunion. Judy, who flew in from Los Angeles for the occasion, was excited to find her class yearbook, which had been dedicated to school librarian

Catherine O’Neill. “I was inspired to be a librarian by Miss O’Neill,” says Judy, who spent more than 40 years as a librarian in Los Angeles after earning her undergraduate degree at UCLA and master’s at USC. Today, Judy is president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, representing 5,000 union retirees. She keeps in touch with fellow classmates Judith Sigall Shipper, who lives on the Upper East Side but couldn’t attend the reunion, and Judy Conrad Etkind, who lives in Scarsdale.

Suzanne Weiss Klatch ’53 treated Director of Alumni Relations Bart Hale ’00 to a trip down memory lane in February, at her home in Port St. Lucie, FL, during Calhoun’s visit to the Sunshine State. Suzanne was photographer for the Inkpot yearbook during her student days.

In addition to sharing negatives and incredible stories with Bart, she showed him the camera she used while at Calhoun, which she

CLASS NOTES

Candies for Christmas and All Year Long, and Fine Fresh Food, Fast. Michelle lives in New York City. Read her blog, “Courage and Insecurity as a Female Chef,” at smallanswers.us/life-in-foodcourage-and-insecurity-as-afemale-chef.

Suzanne Weiss Klatch ‘53 (back right, with her date) at the 16th birthday party for Gilda Madans Finkelstein ‘53 at the Riviera Club in 1951—one of many photos from Suzanne’s archives!

keeps on display. Though she retired in 2000, Suzanne worked for many years as manager of information systems for a large geriatric center in West Palm Beach, and had a long career centered on computer science and technology. She is also an active volunteer at her temple.

Mary Ann Sondheimer Weisser ’59 and her husband, Gary, relocated from New Jersey to Warminster, in Bucks County, PA, this winter. While both are retired, they are busier than ever; Mary Ann says she is particularly enjoying painting— one of her passions. “This was the perfect move for us. I have my studio in the apartment and I am going to be having a show of my watercolors in the late fall,” she says.

1960s

Judi Aarons Birnbaum ’60 lives in Boca Raton, FL, where she is an active real estate agent in the Boca/Delray area. She is the proud grandmother to Jordan (12), Akiva (10), Yoel (nine), Caden (seven) and Naomi (six). In February, Judi joined fellow alumnae in the Boca area for a luncheon at Seasons 52 with Head of School Steve Solnick.

Stephanie Rose ’60 shares news from her home in Hudson, NY, that the Museum of the City of New York has acquired her oil portrait of Jaime Manrique, a Colombian-American novelist, poet, essayist and educator.

Says Stephanie, “It is a great honor that I’m tremendously happy to share with Jaime!”

For more on Stephanie’s artwork, go to stephanierose-arts.com.

Michele Urvater ’63, a pioneer for women chefs in New York, has retired after 35 years in the food industry. Michele’s career began in 1974, when she attended the New York City Technical School; she also received a pastry diploma from the French Culinary Institute. A former host of the Food Network’s Feeding Your Family on $99 a Week; Mondayto-Friday; and Monday-to-Friday Pasta (the latter two based on her bestselling cookbook series), Michele also worked in an Upper West Side restaurant, as a private chef for corporate dining rooms, as a caterer, and as a teacher of private cooking classes. The Monday-to-Friday Cookbook won a James Beard Award. She is also the author of Chocolate Cake, published in 2001, Cookies and

Loretta Wick Holland ’68 and her husband, Arthur, enjoyed a transatlantic cruise in April to the Mediterranean. Loretta, who retired after 25 years as a special education teacher for southern Westchester BOCES

35

schools, also enjoys spending winters in Boca Raton, FL. Calhoun was delighted to have Loretta join fellow alumnae for the Calhoun On-the-Road luncheon in Boca last February with Head of School Steve Solnick, in addition to returning to the school for her 50th Reunion this past June.

Catherine Roberts Leach ’68 was thrilled to attend her 50th Reunion in June, with the added promise “to return a long-overdue book from the Calhoun library that I library book found in one of

Are You a Calhoun Secret Admirer?

Tell Us About Your Planned Gift!

If you’ve included the school in your will and have yet to bring your generosity to our attention, we want to thank you . . . but we don’t know where to send the gratitude!

Please contact Mary McCarty in the Development Office, at 212-497-6579 or mary.mccarty@calhoun.org, for more information or to confirm your plans and become a charter member of The Cosmey-Parmelee Legacy Society.

There will be special recognition for society donors.

The Cosmey-Parmelee Legacy Society SUMMER 2018

36

CLASS NOTES

my bookcases!” Catherine recently

hardcover this past February.

Alum Profile: Sally Fischer ’72 Receives High Honor from Italy Sally Fischer ’72 has been awarded a distinguished Italian decoration, Cavaliere dell’Ordine della Stella d’Italia, by the president of Italy, Sergio Mattarella. The award was ceremoniously presented to Sally in Manhattan on June 5 by the consul general of Italy, Francesco Genuardi. A reception at the Italian Cultural Institute followed.

The Cavaliere dell’Ordine della Stella d’Italia, the Order of the Star of Italy, is a distinction that qualifies “as a second civilian honor of the State,” bestowed upon Italians abroad or foreigners for promoting “friendly relations and cooperation between Italy and other countries, and the promotion of ties with Italy.”

Sally is founder and president of Sally Fischer Public Relations, a boutique lifestyle PR agency with clients in architecture and design, entertainment, fashion and style, food, art, culture, publishing, the nonprofit sector, travel, hotels and spas. Among Sally’s current high-profile clients are Jeremy Irons; Trudie Styler Sally Fischer ’72 was presented with the Cavaliere dell’Ordine della Stella and Sting’s Italian wines from their estate in Toscana, Il Palagio; d’Italia by the consul general of Italy, Istituto Luce Cinecittà’s Italian films that come to the states Francesco Genuardi, on June 5. seeking distribution; and the Bauer hotel in Venice. Sally fell in love with all things Italian when she was a teenager at Calhoun and was given the opportunity to take a semester abroad in Florence. She completed her high school graduation requirements there and then remained for her college years as well. Returning to New York in the early 1980s, she began her career working with such companies as Rizzoli USA and Smith & Siegal, an entertainment PR agency.

At Smith & Siegal, Sally had the opportunity to work on promoting celebrities, Hollywood film releases, smaller indie releases and European films. She then went on to head up the Benetton Fashion Group’s North American efforts, promoting the fashion brand as well as retail store openings. During her tenure, Benetton grew to more than 850 stores nationwide. Today Sally works with a portfolio of clients that include many Italian brands and personalities.

Florence, Italy, remains a second home for Sally, who is proud that her son, Jack Upton, studied in Florence this past spring with the Syracuse University study abroad program—completing the circle of life.

moved from Los Angeles to Santa Fe, NM, with her husband, Britt, and is enjoying volunteering with local nonprofits. Catherine, who is an award-winning fine art photographer, is looking forward to expanding her subject matter to include the beautiful high desert.

1970s

s

Amy Goldin ’75 (right) is a multimedia artist whose new book, Flowstones: Beautiful Creations from Polymer Clay, came out in hardcover this past February.

CALHOUN CHRONICLE

Flowstones are crafted by molding a sheet of polymer clay around a smooth river rock, and in the book, available on Amazon, Amy shares beautiful photographs of the many stones she has created—captured in nature, where their striking appearance contrasts with landscapes of smooth river rocks, grassy parks and sandy beaches.

Amy lives in New York with her partner, Nancy, and children, Joseph and Rebecca. She holds a BA from Brown University in religious studies and art.

s Lori Serling Sklar ’75 (center) is the proud mother of a recent college graduate! Her daughter, Robin Sklar ’14 (left), earned her BA in film and television from Boston University this past May. Lori continues to support Calhoun by chairing the Parents Association Book Fair at Barnes & Noble each spring, with the help of Robin, her older son, Andrew Sklar ’07 (right), and her husband, Larry Sklar. All three Calhoun grads (Lori, Robin and Andrew) are members of the 1896 Circle, Calhoun’s alumni giving society that recognizes sustained support to the Annual Fund. Thanks to the Sklars for posing with their 1896 membership coasters!

Alexis Brooks ’78, lives with her husband, Billy, in Needham, MA, where she has a private practice in psychopharmacology and adult psychotherapy. Alexis, who earned her BA in psychology from Harvard College and medical degree from Dartmouth, specializes in women’s reproductive health, treating pregnancy-related conditions such as postpartum depression. She has also held academic positions at both Harvard Medical School and the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Alexis and Billy have two college-age children, Matthew and Rachel.

CLASS NOTES

1980s

s Ilana Boss Markowitz ’80 sends her well-wishes to Calhouners from Arizona.

“Life in Tucson is lovely,” says Ilana. “I have two children, one at Haverford College and another who is a high school junior. I also have a little sister through Big Brothers Big Sisters, going on 16 years now, who is pre-med at University of Arizona. I have a private clinical practice and specialize in transgender youth and family therapy. My LCSW is from Hunter School of Social Work. I am super into gardening, yoga and homemaking—preparing as many homemade foods as I can, including pickles, yogurt, almond milk and bread. My husband of 24 years, Neil, created an environmental educational nonprofit, Environmental Education Exchange (eeexchange. org); it reaches 10,000 kids a year, teaching environmental and conservation topics as well as many other environmentallyrelated endeavors. We hosted Dana Beaton ’80 here on one of his visits, and would love to connect with any Calhoun alums who find themselves in Arizona!”

and receptions held over two days in the New York independent bookstores Shakespeare & Co. and Astoria Bookshop. Mariah had previously written several young adult novels, including Crunch Time, which was nominated for an Edgar Award in 2007. She and her family live in Jackson Heights, NY.

s Toby Emmerich ’81, who lives in Los Angeles, was promoted earlier this year to chairman of Warner Bros. Pictures Group as part of a major reorganization of the film studio. The new position comes two years after Toby’s earlier appointment as president and chief content officer at the studio, following his long run overseeing New Line—the Warner division responsible for The Conjuring and Lord of the Rings franchises. Toby was a Calhoun Trustee from 2004 to 2010.

Tracy Cohen ’83 returned to Calhoun for her 35th Reunion this past June to see classmates and friends. Tracy, who lives in Huntington, Long Island, has two children, Jeffrey (22) and Alison (18), and works as senior vice president of investments for North Shore Wealth Management, LLC. Rick Eisman ’83 is a social worker with the New York Department of Education. Married since 1992, he lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Eden, and their two sons, Luke (16) and Noah (14).

Rick is a coach for both of his sons’ travel baseball teams— which he says is a lot of fun!

Mariah Fredericks ’84 celebrated the launch this spring of her first mystery novel for adults, A Death of No Importance, with readings

37

partner engagement at Carve Communications. Carve is a public relations agency headquartered in Miami, FL, where Lorin lives with his wife, Melissa.

Elam Birnbaum ’88 writes: “I’m very much enjoying a happy life rooted in the Upper West Side with my wife, Melissa, son Ari (11), and daughter Talia (eight).

I continue my lifelong love of technology as a programmer and tech lead for CLEAR, a rapidly growing biometrics company.”

Amanda Brokaw ’88 lives in Manhattan with her husband and two daughters. Since 2012, she’s had her own public relations company, Brokaw PR, which specializes in clients from the hospitality, food and beverage industries.

s Stephan Kolbert ’86 returned to Calhoun this spring for the annual Cougar Career Symposium, to help mentor Upper School students. He spoke on a panel about independent paths, elaborating upon the mission of his studio, Upper West Side Yoga and Wellness, to create a space for yoga and physical wellness while supporting social activism as well. “We’re trying to make social change an essential part of yoga and wellness,” says Stephan, who has been raising money and awareness for such causes as gun control, hurricane relief, Black History Month, and the Women’s March. Before opening his studio with his wife, Ingrid, Stephan was a kindergarten teacher at Calhoun, where he also helped lead the school’s annual Penny Harvest Common Cents drive.

Lorin Munchick ’87 took on a new role in his media career in September 2016, as director of

Marc Kurschner ’88 left Getty Images after 16 years, most recently as senior vice president of sales, to move to Jackson Galaxy Enterprises, where he will be overseeing the growing business of cat expert Jackson Galaxy, star of Animal Planet’s My Cat from Hell. In his new role, Marc is responsible for creating and executing strategy across all aspects of the business, including brand development, licensing and distribution. Marc lives in South Orange, NJ.

1990s

Josh Israel ’91 left Reality Financial Partners last August, where he was a director, to join The Davis Companies—a leading Northeast real estate investment, development and management firm—as vice president of finance.

Josh and his wife, Beth, live in Boston.

SUMMER 2018

38

CLASS NOTES

Alums Offer Career Tips to Juniors and Seniors Calhoun juniors and seniors were introduced to the world of work during Calhoun’s eighth annual Cougar Career Symposium, held in mid-April.

The event, sponsored by the Alumni Office, is an invaluable opportunity for our seniors, who engage in internships around the city during their last six weeks leading up to graduation, and for our juniors, who can begin thinking about their own internship prospects for the following year.

The event kicked off with a keynote address by Dale Allsopp ‘91, a Google executive and newly appointed member of Calhoun’s Board of Trustees, followed by three panels that covered broad career themes for the students: Colleges to Career—the First Job Experience; The World of Media; and Independent Paths & Roads Less Traveled. Following the keynote and panels, students had time to network with the alums at a reception.

Many thanks to this year’s alumni participants: Francesca Aborn ’09, Dale Allsopp ’91, Gabe Berenbaum ’12; Matthew Ferrer ’13, Katy Garfield ’96, Lizzie Gass ’11, Justin Harris ’08, Ross Kleinberg ’88, Stephan Kolbert ’86, Eric Levy ’05, Fiona Lowenstein ’12, Carner Round ’13, Amalia Safran ’09 and Max Lemper-Tabatsky ’12.

1

2

3

4 4

1. The Cougar Career Symposium program, organized by Director of Alumni Relations Bart Hale ’00 (left), was introduced by Eli Fortunato ’18 (center) and Sam Horn ’18.

2. Dale Allsopp ’91 talked about his path from Prep for Prep and Calhoun to Wesleyan University and Google, and what it took to get there.

3. Carner Round ’13, Max Lemper-Tabatsky ’12 and Lizzie Gass ’11 spoke to juniors and seniors about their first job experiences.

4. Calhoun juniors and seniors listened to a keynote address by Dale Allsopp ‘91, who encouraged the students to use their time at Calhoun to discover and pursue their passions.

5. Amalia Safran ‘09 (left), assistant brand communications manager at OXO, and Fiona Lowenstein ‘12, a freelance writer/editor, talked about career opportunities in media.

6. Francesca Aborn ‘09 (left), a case worker for families impacted by the criminal justice system, and Gabe Berenbaum ‘12, a recording artist/composer, reflected on the challenges of taking “Roads Less Traveled.”

CALHOUN CHRONICLE

5

6

CLASS NOTES

Emily Chapman Crutcher ’93 and her husband, Henry, live in the Atlanta area, where they run Equities Lab (equitieslab.com)—a digital stock analysis platform that allows investors to screen, backtest and manage stock portfolios.

Emily, a software developer and the company’s chief technology officer, had previously worked for SAP and Google. She holds her BS and MS in computer science from Wesleyan University and New York University, respectively.

Stephanie Diamond ’93 and her husband, Ethan, left Berkeley, CA, in 2017 to return to the East Coast, where she has started a new venture called Listings Project (listingsproject.com). The business publishes a weekly bulletin of real estate opportunities for artists and creative communities. Drawing from Stephanie’s own background as an artist, the business has grown into a popular resource for finding artists’ studios, apartments, live/work spaces, sublets, co-living spaces, leasetakeovers, swaps, offices, co-working spaces and housesitting opportunities, as well as exhibition, rehearsal and event spaces. Their platform now reaches across the United States and to more than 70 countries.

Betty Chan ’97 shared the exciting news with her former science teacher John Roeder that two scientific studies she worked on while at H3 Biomedicine have recently been published: One study concerns “H3B-8800, an orally available small-molecule splicing modulator that induces lethality in spliceosome-mutant cancers”; and the second study, she says, focuses on “the cryo-EM structure of the SF3b spliceosome complex bound to a splicing

modulator that reveals a pre-mRNA substrate competitive mechanism of action.”

Congratulations on your valuable contributions to science, Betty!

Alex Dworkowitz ’97 is a practicing attorney at the New York office of the law firm Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, which he joined in November 2013. At Manatt, he advises healthcare providers, managed-care organizations, trade associations and pharmaceutical manufacturers on federal and state regulatory issues and transactional matters.

Alex earned his JD from University of Pennsylvania Law School in 2011. Before his legal career, he was a senior analyst with the healthcare team of the U.S. Government Accountability Office.

Alex lives on the Upper West Side with his wife, Amy, their threeyear-old son, Evan, and their newborn daughter, Anna.

Jordan Peele ’97 has had Calhouners across the country beaming with pride since winning the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for Get Out, at the Academy Awards last March.

The win landed Jordan squarely in Academy history as the first black writer to ever win in the category, and only the fifth black filmmaker to ever be nominated for Best Director. Congratulations, Jordan!

Carlos Chanlatte ’99 says hello from Houston, TX, where he’s been living and working as CEO at Azily Solutions LLC, leading the creation of Synergy Cafe software for school-district cafeteria management. From 2007 to 2012, Carlos was vice president at MicroCheck Solutions, where he led the sales, support and

39

Save the Dates!

2018-19 Alumni Events PUB NIGHT November 15, 2018 • 6:30-8:30pm HOMECOMING LUNCHEON December 21, 2018 • 12:30-2pm ALUMNAE LUNCHEON REUNION May 31, 2019 • Time TBA ALUMNI REUNION June 7, 2019 • 6:30-9pm Details and invitations to come! development teams. He received a degree in computer science from Boston University.

2000s

Taiyo Ebato Na ’00 celebrated his marriage to Sarah Ha on September 22, 2017, in Brooklyn, NY. The outdoor courtyard ceremony, officiated by a mutual friend, was followed by a reception at Bacchus Bistro & Wine Bar. Taiyo is a musician, writer and educator. He has released two albums—his debut, Love Is Growth (2008), and Home:Word (2010). He has also been performing onstage, and wrote and co-starred in a short film, Two Days. Sarah works as senior managing director of national community alliances for Teach for America and holds a master’s degree in student affairs, higher education and

organizational change from UCLA. See Taiyo’s website: taiyona.com Steve Feldman ’00 was elected to the partnership of the Los Angeles law firm Hueston Hennigan LLP, where he focuses on high-stakes litigation. This year, he prevailed on behalf of such clients as T-Mobile in a trade-secret-theft jury trial, and represented Alec Baldwin in a highly publicized art fraud case. Steve lives in L.A. with his wife, Ariella, their daughter, Avia (who will be two in October), and dog, Latte.

Mark Rentschler ’00 and his wife, Lindsay, welcomed their second daughter, Layla Claire, into the world on March 14. Mark writes, “While we had the name picked out already, our choice was confirmed when, by coincidence, she was born during the song

SUMMER 2018

40

CLASS NOTES

‘Layla’—which was one of hundreds of songs on a playlist that had been shuffling for nearly 10 hours!” Their elder daughter, CC, who turned four in April, is enjoying her big-sister role. Adding to their busy year, Mark and his family moved from Portland, OR, to Seattle, WA, in May, when he was recruited to work for Amazon Web Services, where he is a digital marketing manager.

Dads with tots: David Tunick ‘01 (left) with Poppy, and Josh Raeben ‘01 with Emmett.

s David Tunick ’01 and his wife, Kristina, moved out to Denver, CO, last fall along with their daughter, Poppy, and their dog. David, who graduated from Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Yeshiva University, in 2012 and completed his residency at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, is a practicing anesthesiologist with US Anesthesia Partners in Greenwood Village, CO. Kristina is a director at Brookfield Asset Management.

Todd Garrin ’02 earned a promotion in January, to senior producer for ABC’s The Chew.

Todd has been with the show since 2011, initially working as a segment production assistant. In 2012 he received a master’s degree in media, culture and communication from New York University’s Steinhardt School.

CALHOUN CHRONICLE

outside the Big Apple . . . though he was happy to be back in New York in February to help celebrate the 30th birthday of classmate Casey Shane ’06, and catch a Calhoun Cougar basketball game!

s Emma Dumain ’04 and her husband, Adam Snider, welcomed a baby girl, Flora Dumain Snider, on April 1. The family lives in Washington, D.C. Emma continues to work as a political correspondent, but took on a new post last August, covering the South Carolina state and congressional delegation news from Capitol Hill for McClatchy, which owns roughly 30 newspapers around the country.

Andrew Miller ’04 has been working as an associate creative director at Ogilvy & Mather in New York since November 2015.

He earned a BA in visual media studies, film and photography from Emerson College.

Rebecca Rothschild ’05, an office manager for Alexander Design Associates in New York, serves on the board of a nonprofit that provides educational resources for members of sexual minorities, and works closely with LGBTQ activist groups focusing on alternative sexuality research. Rebecca is also the soprano soloist at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Queens.

Jonathan Jimenez ’06 relocated to Austin, TX, a year ago, to work in the information technology field as a systems operations analyst at Kendra Scott. He says he is enjoying the experience of life

Casey Shane ’06 enjoyed a thrilling trip out to Abu Dhabi this winter, where he had the opportunity to be the host for the “Got Talent” brand. Explains Casey, “It essentially takes the idea of America’s Got Talent, Britain’s Got Talent, and so forth; they’ve taken all the winners and finalists of those shows and made a live show in Abu Dhabi for those acts.

And I’m the host!” Stay tuned for news of Casey’s next trailblazing on-camera appearances! t Amy Blackman ’07 has exciting news, marking her Broadway debut! For an 18-month engagement that began in February, she’s playing the understudy role of Harper in a revival of Tony Kushner’s Angels in America, which boasts a star cast.

Amy, who earned a BFA in musical theater at the University of Michigan, had previously landed numerous roles with The Old Globe, a professional theater company located in San Diego, CA.

Ted Brandston ’07 took on the position of senior software developer last fall for Neverware, the New York–based developer of the CloudReady operating system; his wife, Kathryn Siti, is a speech language pathologist for the Hebrew Academy for Special Children. The couple celebrated the first birthday of their daughter, Rosa Charles, on May 19.

Jenna Johnson Davis ’07 and her husband, Jed Davis, welcomed their daughter, Penelope Jane Davis, to the world on February 3.

“We also moved to San Francisco in 2016 and have been loving it!”

Jenna adds. She has been working as a brand manager for Source Atlantique; Jed is payments licensing program manager for Airbnb.

Patti Gomez ’07 has been newly crowned! In March, she won honors as Mrs. New York, representing her current hometown, Syracuse, in the statewide pageant for married women. This August, Patti moves on to the national stage in Las Vegas to vie for the title of Mrs. America. Patti says this unlikely path is part of her effort to raise funds for Homes for Our Troops,

From the Archives: Amy Blackman ‘07 (center), in the Upper School production of Pippin in 2007, marked her debut on Broadway this year as understudy for the role of Harper in Angels in America.

CLASS NOTES

an organization that builds specially customized, mortgagefree houses for seriously disabled veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. Patti is an army national guard veteran herself, serving in the New York State Air National Guard’s 42nd Infantry Division as a human intelligence collector. Interviewed by the New York Post, Patti noted, “One of the things that was always imparted to me in the military was ‘Right place. Right time. Right uniform.’ So that’s the mentality I take into everything: Where do I have to be, what do I have to bring, and what do I have to do?”

On top of all her efforts, Patti works full-time as a senior marketing manager for M&D Financial, and regularly volunteers with a number of veterans’ charities.

Andrew Otton ’07 and his wife, Stephanie, were featured as contestants on the hit show House Hunters International following their move to Prague as newlyweds last summer.

The episode, which aired early this spring, described the couple this way: “New York City newlyweds Stephanie and Andrew jumped at a job opportunity that’s taking them—and their dog—to Prague, Czech Republic. They’re looking for a spacious apartment with a historic touch, and their long wish list includes a central location in close proximity to Andrew’s work.”

Josh Azenberg ’08, a percussionist with NETworks on Tour, just completed his first Broadway national tour with A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder and will be starting his next tour with Fiddler on the Roof in October.

Liza Garrin ’08 started a new job at the end of May, as a wholesale marketing associate at J. Crew.

Previously, she was an account executive for Carole Hochman Design Group.

administering cannabis-based products through New York State’s medical marijuana program. He earned a doctorate in pharmacy in 2015 from Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.

Sam Scarritt-Selman ’08, who recently graduated from the University of Michigan Law School, has returned to New York to join the international law firm Dechert LLP as an associate in the Financial Services Group.

Ryan Greene ’08 chaired the Museum of Jewish Heritage’s Hanukkah Gala this past December. Held at the museum, which is located in Battery Park, the gala had a wonderful showing

by Calhoun alums—including Emily Kaiser ’05, Liza Garrin ’08, Skylar Sasson ’08 and Matthew Sommer ’08. Ryan has been serving as membership chair and Young Friends (YF) executive board member for the museum since 2017.

Sacha Schechter ’08 is pursuing her MBA at Columbia Business School beginning this August, while continuing to work as an associate producer at WNET—New York Public Media. She writes that her brother, Trevor Schechter ’03, graduated in May from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, with an MA in quantitative methods in the social sciences.

Andrew Conlin ’08, who resides in Washington, D.C., took on a new job in April as director of strategic communications and public affairs practice for Forbes Tate Partners.

In his new role, Andrew will manage strategic communications and grassroots advocacy efforts, media relations and social media strategies, with a focus on ally development and stakeholder engagement nationwide.

Previously, Andrew was managing the Mayors Against Illegal Guns program for Everytown for Gun Safety. He holds a BA in international affairs from The George Washington University.

Stephen Bradley ’08 is living in New City, NY, with his wife, Liz, whom he married in December 2016. A pharmacist, Stephen also provides care with Curaleaf,

2010s

Lizzie Gass ’11 returned to Calhoun to speak with students at the eighth annual Cougar Career Symposium, where she shared insights about her work as litigation case assistant at the law firm of Ropes & Gray LLP. Lizzie joined the firm in August 2017 after two years as a research coordinator at the National Institutes of Health.

Julia Sub ’11 received a promotion to post-production manager on the HBO series VICE this past spring.

This is her second year working on the program.

Max Lemper-Tabatsky ’12 ran the 2018 United Airlines NYC Half-Marathon on March 18, raising funds with the New York Road Runners’ Team for Kids, a program that empowers youth development and encourages healthy habits through running and character-building programs across the country.

41

Fiona Lowenstein ’12 has started Body Politic NYC, a queer feminist wellness collective whose goal is to bring a queer feminist audience together to discuss issues in wellness related to gender, sexuality and race. “The idea is to create a safe space for folks to learn more about wellness through a lens that celebrates diversity, and actively tries to counteract the predominantly white, cisgender, hetero narratives that are so prevalent,” Fiona explains.

“I see the series as a chance to open up the wellness conversation, make it more inclusive, and explore how this growing industry has the potential to both harm and help women and members of the LGBTQ community, as well as other marginalized groups.” Events focus on topics like meditation for marginalized identities, cultural appropriation in the wellness industry, and mental health/ emotional education. Fiona also works as a freelance editor and producer. So Calhoun was particularly grateful that she found time to speak at this year’s Cougar Career Symposium!

Maggie Stein ’12 took time during her last semester at Bank Street College (where she soon after earned her master’s degree in childhood education) to work as stage manager for Calhoun’s Upper School spring theater production, Student Voice Festival. Maggie worked on the production alongside fellow Calhoun thespians Hannah Scarritt-Selman ’05, who was assistant director, and musical director Xander Green ’09.

Miles Cooper ’13 received a Princeton in Asia fellowship following his graduation from Colorado College in 2017. The fellowship provided him the

SUMMER 2018

42

CLASS NOTES

opportunity to work with ChildFund International and live in Cambodia for the year. The position, says Miles, included writing, editing and proposing grants to help improve the lives of the Khmer and Cham populations, and the communities in which they reside. “My work was mostly based in the Art Deco urban jungle of Phnom Penh, but I often found myself traveling around Cambodia to Kratie and Svay Rieng,” explains Miles.

Matt Ferrer ’13 is back in New York, working for Turner Construction Company as a field engineer for building projects throughout the city. The position makes good use of his degree in industrial systems engineering, which he earned in 2017 from Binghamton University.

Matt shared career tips with Calhoun juniors and seniors as a panelist at this spring’s Cougar Career Symposium.

Sam Ohiomah ’13, who graduated in December 2017 from Franklin & Marshall College, reports that he took “five months off to relax and travel prior to starting a full-time position at Wells Fargo as an equity research associate, which I secured after receiving a return offer upon completing my internship there during the summer of 2017.”

Jake Wegweiser ’13 is living in Boston and working as a senior business development representative for BlueConic, a leading customer data platform in the technology field. In his free time, Jake still tries to get on the rink, playing ice hockey in a recreational league. Jake graduated in 2017 from Bentley University, where he earned a BA in professional sales and psychology.

CALHOUN CHRONICLE

Jesse Lippin-Foster ’14 took a trip to celebrate his graduation from the University of Michigan in May, flying off to Thailand with classmates Sabrina Das ’14 (Skidmore College), Adam Horowitz ’14 (University of Vermont), and Shana Baraschi-Ehrlich ’14 (University of Rochester).

help college seniors and young professionals across every industry engage with charitable causes—a mission, Adam says, that “was strongly influenced by and instilled early in my time as a lifer at Calhoun.” More on Adam’s nonprofit: locusinitiative.org.

FORMER FACULTY/STAFF Sarah Tarrant (Director of College Counseling, 2005–2014) made a special appearance at Alumni Pub Night last November, catching up with many of her former students.

Sarah, who lives with her family in New Haven, CT, took a new position this school year as associate director of college counseling for Hopkins School.

Joeli Gay ’14 completed her third year of a five-year program at Northeastern University, where she’s majoring in finance, management information systems and Mandarin. As part of Northeastern’s co-op program, Joeli has been interning at Iron Mountain, handling auditing projects for Deloitte and PwC; her earlier co-op position was at Fiduciary Trust.

(L-R) Joe Blackman ‘17, Craig Supcoff ‘16 (sitting) and Michael Leavitt ‘15 posed for a “Calhoun moment” at Emory University, where they’re all enrolled.

s Adam Shankman ’14, who graduated in May from Lafayette College with a BA in government and law, will be starting work as an analyst for Stabilis Capital Management. But even as he makes his way in his new profession, Adam is continuing to work on a nonprofit organization that he helped start in his senior year of college—the Locus Initiative, which is a communitybuilding platform that makes charitable giving accessible, social and meaningful for millennials.

The goal of the initiative is to

undergraduate years, Dalas has served as an emergency medical technician skills instructor and captain for Muhlenberg College EMS, an all-volunteer emergency medical service for the Muhlenberg campus.

s Michael Leavitt ’15 helped greet Alumni Director Bart Hale ’00 on his visit to Atlanta in February, along with fellow Calhoun alums and Emory students Craig Supcoff ’16 and Joe Blackman ’17. The group met on the campus of the school, where Michael is enrolled at the Goizueta Business School and is majoring in business and history while also serving as a university tour guide; Craig is majoring in business and political science; and Joe plans to have his concentration in philosophy.

Dalas Zeichner ’15 has been accepted into Boston University’s School of Public Health Select Scholars Program, where she will pursue a master’s degree after she graduates from Muhlenberg College in 2019. During her

Sue Wurster (MS/US theater and forensics, 1987–1996), is sharing her years of earned wisdom on a new blog, at suewurster.wordpress.

“I recently decided that it’s time to start ‘getting out there’—with more than just thoughts about education,” she writes. “Since starting taking and teaching courses at BOLLI [Brandeis Osher Lifelong Learning Institute], coordinating a writing group and a group of actors, I’ve been writing a lot. So I have this stockpile of ‘stuff’ and decided to expand the scope of my almost abandoned WordPress blog. Hope you’ll drop in on occasion!”

SHARE YOUR NEWS! We would love to hear from you!

Please share updates on family, jobs and avocations and/or your favorite memories of Calhoun by writing to Bart Hale ’00, Director of Alumni Relations, The Calhoun School, 433 West End Ave, New York, NY 10024. alumni@calhoun.org.

REUNIONS

43

M ORE P H OTOS ONLI NE www.calhoun.org/alummedia

Alums Celebrate at Reunion 2018

1

Calhoun graduates marked milestone anniversaries this spring, at two festive reunion events.

Alumnae from Calhoun’s all-girls’ era came back on Friday, June 1, for a special luncheon at Kefi preceded by a guided tour of the school and Upper School classes. Special honors went to Joan Kaye Bick ’48, who was celebrating her 70th high school reunion! The luncheon was also marked by a large, enthusiastic showing of classmates from 1968, celebrating their 50th Reunion.

On the following Friday, June 8, an evening reception welcomed alums celebrating their fifth to 40th reunions; the event also paid tribute to US English teacher Phil Tedeschi, on the occasion of his retirement after 30 years.

2

60th REUNION: CLASS OF 1958

3

4

70th REUNION: CLASS OF 1948

45th REUNION: CLASS OF 1973

5

65th REUNION: CLASS OF 1953

1. Joan Kaye Bick ’48 was honored by Head of School Steve Solnick on the occasion of her 70th Reunion.

2. Ruth Klein Stein ’58 and Evelyn Kahn Philipps ’58 shared memories for their 60th Reunion.

3. Gisele Simmons ’73 did a shout out to classmates, with her yearbook and class photo.

4. Joan Kaye Bick ’48 and Judy Caplan Katz ’53 posed with their senior portraits.

5. The Class of 1968 had a record turnout for their 50th Reunion, with 16 alumnae gathered for the celebration.

50th REUNION: CLASS OF 1968

SUMMER 2018

44

REUNIONS

25th REUNION: CLASS OF 1993

40th REUNION: CLASS OF 1978

20th REUNION: CLASS OF 1998

30th REUNION: CLASS OF 1988

35th REUNION: CLASS OF 1983

CALHOUN CHRONICLE

30th REUNION: CLASS OF 1988

The reunion celebration on June 8 spanned eight anniversary years and five decades, with the Class of 1983 having one of the largest turnouts of Calhoun graduates.

REUNIONS

45

MORE PHOTOS ON L IN E www.calhoun.org/alummedia

SEND-OFF TRIBUTE TO PHIL TEDESCHI Alums from three decades came to honor Phil Tedeschi, who retired this June after 30 years as an Upper School English teacher. Since 1989, more than 500 Calhoun students have benefited from Phil’s passion for literature and renowned grammar lessons; many grads credit him for their superior writing skills. Posing here with Phil, after paying tribute to him: (L-R) Erika Brinzac ’10, Kate Davis ’10, Ryan Greene ’08 and Willy Kane ’11. Phil was also presented with an album of his cluster photos, word games to challenge him in retirement, and a subscription to The Week for his many years as advisor to the Calhoun student newspaper, The Issue.

15th REUNION: CLASS OF 2003

5th REUNION: CLASS OF 2013

10th REUNION: CLASS OF 2008

SUMMER 2018

NON-PROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE

PAID PERMIT NO. 566 UTICA NY

433 West End Avenue New York, NY 10024 www.calhoun.org ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

To the Parents of Alumni: If this issue is addressed to your daughter/son who no longer maintains a permanent address at your home, please notify the Alumni Office with the correct mailing address.

Call 212-497-6579 or contact by email: alumni@calhoun.org.

Show Your Cougar Spirit!

Now you can purchase Calhoun gear all year round, online, at

store.calhoun.org Calhoun is thrilled to introduce its official online store, with a great selection of quality T-shirts, sweatshirts, jackets, gym shorts, hats, water bottles and mugs.

There’s something for everyone— toddler, youth and adult sizes— all available at reasonable prices and shipped directly to your home.

Be sure to check back each season, when new fashion items and designs will be introduced!