Works in Progress, Issue III, April 2020

ISSUE THREE

I WINTER 2020

A THOUGHTFUL SILENCE Opening the Year with a Community Sand Mandala

IN TUNE

All Sing Along

ILFC

Panel Event

LOOKING BEYOND NYC

Vs Recreate the Notre Dame Cathedral

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 Letter from the Principal 2 Parents’ Corner 3 Special Friends Visiting Morning 4 In the Classroom 6 Community Life, Equity,

and Inclusion

10 I Learn from Children

Book Launch and Panel

12 Sharing Our Knowledge 14 In Tune: the Power of

Singalong at C&C

17 Community Events 18 A Thoughtful Silence

Bringing the Community Together in Contemplation

22 Looking Beyond New York

26

Alumni Events

27

Alumni News

29

Alumni Profile: Vladimir Pozner ’47

32 Social Media

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Your Support

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14 ON THE COVER: Nepalese monk Lama Wongdue opened the year with a sand mandala in the C&C Library.

EDITOR’S NOTE Hi! I’m Christina Hultholm, C&C’s new Director of Communications. I joined the community in July, and it has been a wonderful experience getting to know our students and families and learning all about the School. It’s inspiring— and so much fun—to collaborate with such talented colleagues, and I’m looking forward to all the great work we’re going to do together. I’d love to get to know even more members of the community, so please drop me a line at christinah@cityandcountry.org or stop by the Communications Office next time you’re at C&C. I hope to meet you soon!

LETTER FROM THE PRINCIPAL ISSUE THREE, WINTER 2020 Editor Christina Hultholm, Director of Communications Editorial Team Penny L. Arnold, Director of Development Kelly Washburn, Director of Annual Giving and Special Events Katoiya Bell, Communications and Development Associate Designer Kerstin Michaelsen Contributing Writers Elise Bauer, Katoiya Bell, Karen Brandt, Millie Cartagena, Jane Clarke, Christina Hultholm, Ayesha Long, Mital Patel, Matthew D. Payne Photography Katoiya Bell, Kay Boyes, Christina Hultholm, Caroline Mardok, Matthew D. Payne, Will Sears, Richard Sloat, Kelly Washburn

Principal Scott Moran Director of Admissions Elise Bauer Director of Community Life, Equity, and Inclusion Millie Cartagena Director of Development Penny L. Arnold Director of Finance and Operations Mindy N. Schefen Director of Lower School Jane Clarke Director of Middle School Ayesha Long Director of Upper School Karen Brandt

City and Country School 146 West 13th Street New York, NY 10011-7802 212-242-7802 | cityandcountry.org communications@cityandcountry.org

DEAR C&C COMMUNITY, Our faculty and staff dedicate a lot of time to thinking about community: what it is, why it is important, and how we can intentionally create and strengthen it. At the start of the school year, we read Charles Vogl’s The Art of Community as a group, and we discussed how we could examine the overlapping communities that we seek to create and foster at C&C. Vogl defined community across several dimensions, but his description of it as “a group of people who are concerned with each other’s welfare” is one that resonated with me and with many members of our faculty and staff.

Community at our school is more than a group of people going to the same physical space, at the same time, five days a week. It’s wonderful to watch it form in our Groups, both intentionally and organically, as our students learn more about each other, navigate interpersonal dynamics, and work collaboratively throughout the year. The partnership between the IVs and XIIs gives rise to very special relationships within our community, as does the sense of responsibility to the Group and larger School that is part of all of our students’ roles and Jobs. C&C events—from the Harvest Festival and the Welcome Dinner, to the singalongs and assemblies, to the Spring Fair and Alumni Reunions—bring our larger community together to celebrate with old friends and have fun meeting new ones. When we look beyond C&C’s walls, we see our community extending even further, as our older students engage with our New York neighbors through their work with Daisy’s Pantry—a food pantry at Church of the Village that serves local residents—and with global movements through activities such as the Climate March.

As you will read in this issue, our traditions—old and new—exist alongside special events, which this year included the creation of a sand mandala in the C&C Library and a celebration in honor of the new hardcover edition of I Learn from Children. In each of these gatherings, and in the many others beyond those I have mentioned here, I see the empathy, connection, and common purpose that transform us—a collection of individuals, old and young— into a dynamic and enduring community. Thank you for being part of C&C. All the best,

Scott Moran Principal C&C WORKS IN PROGRESS

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PARENTS’ CORNER

LEARNING

BY ENGAGING City and Country School is exceptional in many ways, and one of its greatest strengths is its warm and supportive community. As Parent Representative to the Board of Trustees, I am deeply appreciative of the connections I have made across C&C, both formally and informally, through this role. The work of the Board encompasses a wide range of responsibilities and activities, and since becoming a Trustee, I have been able to engage with the School in ways that have enriched my experience as a community member and deepened my understanding of how C&C operates and prepares for the future.

BY MITAL PATEL

So why is there a Board of Trustees at C&C? The School didn’t always have one—it was formed as a result of our community’s coming together in a time of need.

In January of 1982, C&C was a teacher cooperative governed by an Executive Committee. The School was facing falling enrollment and financial difficulties, and the faculty had voted to close the then 68-year-old school at the end of the academic year. In response, a small group of passionate alumni contacted other C&C graduates to tell them about the School’s troubles. They knew how incredibly special C&C was, how positively it had affected their lives, and how long their experiences had stayed with them after they left. They wanted to preserve the School for those who would come after them, giving future generations the opportunity to learn and experience education in the same profound way. Caroline Pratt had been so confident in her vision for C&C that she believed the money would always somehow come—and in this case, it did. Taking matters into their own hands, this ad hoc committee of alumni secured enough financial pledges within weeks to ensure the School would be able to remain open the following fall, and for years to come.

With this incredible show of support, the Executive Committee voted unanimously to transfer their

Original by-laws of City and Country School (c. 1922)

administrative powers to a newly-formed Board of Trustees, composed of five alumni and two parents.

With the dissolution of the cooperative, the Board was very conscientious and purposeful about preserving the ethos and philosophy of the School, and as such, one of the first committees formed was the Education Committee, which acts as an advisory body to the Principal. Ed Committee, as it is commonly called today, seeks to maintain the voice of the faculty in discussions about C&C’s educational program and other matters important to the School, preserving the essence of its teacher cooperative origins. The Board has grown considerably since this first iteration, and there are now 21 members, including parents, alumni, alumni parents, teachers, and friends of the School. The founding purpose of the Board—to preserve the School and safeguard Caroline Pratt’s vision—still inspires the Trustees in their work today.

So what is it like to be a Trustee? The Board’s work is spread across 13 committees, indicative of the tremendous amount of dedication and thoughtfulness that goes into ensuring both the financial health of the School and the overall wellness of our community.

The wide range of committees, including Facilities and Finance, offers many different ways to get involved.

During my first year, I had the privilege of participating in the Division Directors search, and through that process, I gained a deeper understanding of the needs of parents— and of teachers—with regard to educational leadership.

Parents’ Corner is a space where current parents write about their experiences at City and Country School. We’ve asked current Parent Representative to C&C’s Board of Trustees, Mital Patel (Siya, XsG and Iyla, VIIsR), to share her thoughts. She’s written a piece about learning more about the history of the Board and engaging with the School and the C&C community in new ways.

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I’ve also participated as a member of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, working to bring this important lens to decisions made across the School. As Parent Representative to the Board, I’ve felt humbled by my experiences with the many parents who have come to me with their stories and experiences, thoughts and concerns, and suggestions and feedback. I thank everyone for having the courage to share and to speak up, and most importantly, for entrusting me with their voices.

In these, and in the many other activities and conversations I have participated in as a Trustee, I have gained a deeper understanding of the Board—both how it serves the School and how it has been a vital part of our community since its formation. I’m so grateful to all of our Trustees, past and present, for the role they have played in helping C&C to become the thriving community and

school that it is today, and I am so appreciative of the opportunity to participate as Parent Representative.

A special thank you to C&C Archivist Jordis Rosberg for helping me delve into the Archives to learn more about the history of the Board!

WELCOME TO NEW BOARD MEMBERS Three new Trustees joined us in 2019: AZ Jenkins, C&C alumni parent (Greta ’08, Sophia ’10, and Leo ’15); IXsJ Group Teacher Jessica Vander Salm as one of our two Teacher Representatives; and Bruce Wilpon, C&C parent (Sia, VsW). More information about our Board members can be found in the About Us section of cityandcountry.org.

SPECIAL FRIENDS VISITING MORNING On Friday, December 6, 2019, students in our IVs through VIIs invited their special friends into their classrooms for a peek into how they spend their time at school. It was a joy to see everyone having so much fun together and to host visitors who were so excited to learn about what happens here at C&C!

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IN THE CLASSROOM

JANE’S LOOKABOUTS JANE CLARKE, Director of Lower School

Jane spends much of her time in the IIs–VIIs classrooms, getting to know the children, observing them at work, and delighting in the creativity and excitement that are integral to the C&C learning experience. Below, in Jane’s words, are some glimpses of what she sees during her regular walks.

The IIs are working on the space of their classroom.

The subtlety and simplicity of our program can often take a long time for adults to understand in a profound way. For the children, however, it quickly becomes a “way of life.” As I was walking up the stairs one day, I saw a VIII doing her Job of collecting the mail from a hallway mailbox.

Her face broke out in a huge smile, and she seemed to say to herself,

“Someone has used the stamp I designed.” The sheer joy, delight, and sense of having been useful in some significant way beamed through her facial expression. This was achieved with a selection of colored pencils, a piece of paper, possibly a teacher’s motivation, and a desire to be a part of something beyond the walls of the classroom. Simple by design!

COMMUNITY IN THE MIDDLE AND C&C welcomed two new members to its senior leadership team: Director of Middle School Ayesha Long and Director of Upper School Karen Brandt.

As they settled into their roles, they shared some observations about how students at C&C experience community within the School and beyond.

AYESHA LONG, Director of Middle School In The Art of Community, Charles Vogl describes community as a place where you begin to answer three big questions: Who are you? What do you do? What do you value? As the children settled into their Groups, they began to establish community and answer each of these queries.

Who are you?

Students in the VIIIs, IXs, and Xs started by doing work around who 4

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they are as individuals and who they want to be as a collective. Some Groups used scavenger hunts or identity webs to find out more about each other’s unique attributes, while others turned facts about themselves into a game called “Find the Fib.” What do you do?

The VIIIs and IXs had their grand openings for The Flying Envelopes (Post Office) and PenEx (School Store)! The Xs, C&C’s Sign Makers, created advertisements to publicize the range of signs and other items

The Xs bring their creativity and sense of humor to sign-making.

people may want to order from them.

These experiences connect them to the larger community through the vital roles they play in the the School through their Jobs.

What do you value?

We often talk about the Jobs Program as the first time students are asked to serve the community by providing a service necessary to its functioning.

However, students’ Jobs are not their only responsibilities—they also have important roles in their individual Groups. For example, in

The simple act of making something at the wood bench can have profound implications in the Vs. I can make something I can use!

Throughout the School, I see trust expressed in the choice of important materials, in the children themselves, and in the teachers.

Please enjoy these photographs, which I believe celebrate the simplicity of our program and the profundity of what these materials give our children: the opportunity to celebrate and experience.

Pondering numbers in the VIIs

In the VIIs, children actually carve their own wooden people.

Exploring clay in the Vs

The Brooklyn Museum in the VIs

UPPER SCHOOLS the lunchroom, being Table Monitor rotates among students. This essential function ensures that the tables have been cleaned before the next Group arrives. In the classrooms, students are assigned to do things like change the schedule, update announcements, or bring supplies to their tables.

These responsibilities help students understand why it’s important to think about the needs of others and to be a good community member. They each have a role in making their Groups and the School run smoothly!

The XIIIs in Washington, DC

KAREN BRANDT, Director of Upper School In the Upper School, there has been an ongoing effort to connect the students to the world beyond their Groups and across the School.

I had the privilege of going with the XIIIs to Washington, DC, where we were able to spend the better part of the day in the National Museum of African American History and Culture, connecting this experience to their Social Studies.

Our students also extended into the global community, with many choosing to participate in the Global Climate March. Their passion was

evident in their signs C&C students at the and chanting, and I Global Climate March was proud to see them taking active roles in a cause that is meaningful to them and striving to make change.

Within C&C, the XIIs’ caring relationships with the IVs through their Job is another source of constant inspiration. “At a time when identity begins to be shaken, when self-image is uncertain, and the pull forward is almost cancelled for the yearning for time past, the spontaneous admiration and acceptance which the younger child gives naturally and unqualifiedly has a bolstering, sustaining effect.” —Harriet Cuffaro (Group Teacher, 1954–1968) C&C WORKS IN PROGRESS

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COMMUNITY LIFE, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

BUILDING COMMUNITY AND EMPATHY

As Director of Community Life, Equity, and Inclusion, Millie Cartagena brings an important lens to wide-ranging activities and responsibilities across the School. Here, she shares insights into some of the ways the students and grown-ups at City and Country School develop empathy, come together as a group, and engage more deeply with the world around them through the many diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives that take place throughout the year.

At C&C, we are intentional in our efforts to build community through diversity, equity, and inclusion work! This is one of the most powerful means for us to teach and learn together, and it’s one of the ways we can build bridges across divisions and among all of our community members. This work is especially important to us because as a school, we are charged with creating an environment in which all feel welcomed, respected, supported, valued, and invited to participate fully. If we continue to put our efforts into cultivating a sense of belonging, we will create an environment in which members of our community will be able to take risks and try new things; our students will be able to discover who they are and bring their authentic selves when they come to school. This work also gives us an opportunity to take a proactive approach to integrating social justice work into all aspects of school life, which we believe is essential to nurturing and sustaining a strong and positive sense of self in our students. In short, diversity, equity, and inclusion work is crucial to an educational environment in which all members of the community thrive!

DAISY’S PANTRY

Although all Upper School students engage in events with Daisy’s Pantry, our XIIs participate on an ongoing, weekly basis, helping to organize supplies and special events for pantry guests.

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We host many school activities throughout the year that bring the C&C community together, starting with the Diversity Welcome Dinner in the fall and ending with the International Potluck Supper in the spring. Our most recent tradition—the all-community sing —has been welcomed with much joy, as you will read about on page 14. In addition

THANKSGIVING-IN-A-BAG

Diversity Welcome Dinner

Our Xs, XIs, and XIIs connected with the greater community through song and service during the Thanksgiving season. The Xs and XIs performed a concert for the guests of Daisy’s Pantry at the Church of the Village, and the XIIs distributed turkeys and food collected through the Thanksgiving-in-a-bag Drive.

Collecting and organizing food for the Thanksgivingin-a-bag food drive

DIVERSITY WELCOME DINNER

Each fall, the school year opens with the Diversity Welcome Dinner, a great opportunity for our community members to connect with old friends and meet new ones over a shared meal.

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COMMUNITY LIFE, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

PEOPLE OF COLOR CONFERENCE

Eleven C&C teachers and administrators joined over 7,000 educators at the annual NAIS People of Color Conference in Seattle this December, the most C&C staff members ever to attend together.

INTERNATIONAL SUPPER

Students and families shared their cultures through food during International Supper.

BRYAN STEVENSON TALK

C&C partnered with several local downtown schools to invite social justice activist, lawyer, and Just Mercy author Bryan Stevenson to give his “American Injustice” talk to families in our community.

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to these events, students engage with the communities beyond C&C’s doors through our Community Outreach service program. We want our students to be positive and responsible members of society, and our partnership with Daisy’s Pantry, the local food pantry at The Church of the Village, has been a key initiative in our work toward this goal. Throughout the year, our students organized a Dimes for Daisy collection, a Thanksgiving-in-a-bag food drive, a winter clothing drive, Family Service Day, a book drive for Project Cicero, and much more. These service learning experiences help students strengthen their critical thinking and leadership skills, forge positive relationships with local community members, develop a greater understanding of themselves, and build empathy and respect for others. They also help them develop more informed perspectives on the world as they see—firsthand—how their participation impacts those around them. In all of this work, we continue to form and strengthen our connections with each other, and we strive to create a robust school culture in which different perspectives can coexist. We hope that these formative experiences will encourage our students to continue engaging in meaningful social change, locally and beyond, throughout their lives.

PARENT EQUITY TEAM

C&C parents, faculty, and staff gather monthly to discuss diversity, equity, and inclusion topics, bringing in speakers such as Michelle Wonsley-Ford, who discussed strengthening parent/ school partnerships.

Xs helped by sorting coats other donated items.

COAT AND CLOTHING DRIVE

Xs students organized a coat drive to benefit guests of Daisy’s Pantry in January 2020, helping our local neighbors in need this winter.

“Creating an environment in which all feel welcomed, respected, supported, valued, and invited to participate fully is central to our mission and values as a school.”

WELCOME TO NICK SMART

C&C is pleased to welcome Nick Smart (Penelope, VIIsR) in his new role as Admissions and Parent Engagement Coordinator. In addition to his Admissions responsibilities, Nick has been working closely with Director of Community Life, Equity, and Inclusion Millie Cartagena to help bring the parent body together in celebrations and activities that promote communal wellbeing. We are delighted to have his communityfocus and parent perspective on the team!

FAMILY SERVICE DAY

Students, families, faculty, and staff gathered on February 8, 2020 to serve Daisy’s Pantry guests in a festive atmosphere at C&C’s 201 space. It was a meaningful experience for all, and there are plans to create regular family service opportunities with the pantry in the coming months.

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PROJECTS WITH PURPOSE Former Principal Kate Turley welcomed the panel (left to right): Ian Frazier, Scott Moran, Afi Yellow-Duke ’07, Jonathan Silin, Judith Foster

I LEARN FROM CHILDREN THEN AND NOW

Celebrating the New Hardcover Edition

Much has changed in the past 70 years, but the core of City and Country School has not, as seen by the lively panel convened to celebrate the release of the new hardcover edition of I Learn from Children. Over 130 City and Country School parents, alumni, alumni parents, students, teachers, staff, friends, and community members gathered at The Center on West 13th 10

C&C WORKS IN PROGRESS

Street on December 5 to celebrate the work and legacy of Caroline Pratt, C&C’s founder and a pioneer of the progressive education movement. As Scott Moran, C&C’s Principal, described it, “It was wonderful to see everyone come together for this event. I saw alumni from across the decades, former and current teachers, fellow educators, and current students.

As one alumni parent put it, it was like ‘old home night.’ I really had a sense of the community coming together and reflecting on their experiences at C&C.” Following warm welcomes by Scott and former C&C Principal Kate Turley (1999–2017), the panel kicked off its exploration of I Learn from Children and Pratt’s

Left to right: Kate Turley, Barry Munger, and Matthew Payne

“HELPING STUDENTS LEARN HOW TO LEARN, ENGAGING THEIR CURIOSITY, EMPOWERING THEM TO MAKE SENSE OF THE WORLD AROUND THEM—THESE GOALS ARE AS IMPORTANT TODAY AS THEY WERE IN PRATT'S TIME, MAYBE EVEN MORE SO.” job of educators to preserve this innate curiosity. This idea is still a guiding principle at C&C, and it was wonderful to hear how Pratt’s philosophy and intellectual legacy live on through the School, the experiences of its students and alumni, and the work of those who have built upon the teaching innovations of Pratt and her successors.

educational legacy. The engaging discussion of the book’s enduring impact was moderated by journalist and humorist Ian Frazier, with panelists including C&C alumni parent Judith Foster, an artist, early childhood educator, and former principal of The Neighborhood School (PS 363); C&C Principal and parent Scott Moran; Jonathan Silin, fellow, Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies, University of Toronto, and former editor-in-chief of Occasional Paper Series, Bank Street College; and C&C alumna Afi Yellow-Duke ’07, associate producer of WNYC’s podcast Death, Sex & Money.

One of Pratt’s core beliefs—and a tenet of progressive education— was reaffirmed numerous times as the panelists discussed their experiences: that children are naturally curious, and it is the

students and educators whose lives have been forever changed by her vision and ideas.”

The event also spoke to what Caroline Pratt hoped for when she wrote the book—that readers and educators would see her program as dynamic and decidedly not set in stone. As we heard from the panelists, Pratt’s fundamental principles feel as relevant to our ever-evolving world as they were in the 1940s.

Following the panel discussion, guests eagerly lined up to be among the first to purchase the beautiful new edition, the fifth English-language publication of I Learn from Children and the first hardcover since the 1948 original.

C&C Trustee and alumni parent Barry Munger oversaw its production and was instrumental in organizing this event. “One thing that often gets lost when we talk about I Learn from Children is what a pleasure it is to read. It’s really a beautifullywritten work,” he said. “I hope that a future educator will find it in a library at their school, pick it up, and be inspired. That’s the dream.”

“She wrote the book over 80 years ago,” Scott reflected, “and yet her insights and approaches feel wholly modern and applicable to the world we live in today. Helping students learn how to learn, engaging their curiosity, empowering them to make sense of the world around them—these goals are as important now as they were in Pratt’s time, maybe even more so. She was a true innovator, and her legacy lives on in our School—and above all, in the many generations of

Thank you to everyone who came to the event, and to all who helped bring this new edition to life—especially Barry Munger and former C&C Director of Communications Matthew Payne. The hardcover is now available for sale at C&C in the Communications Office (email Christina Hultholm, Director of Communications, christinah@ cityandcountry.org), at the School Shoppe, and on Amazon. The audiobook remains available as a free download on Amazon and Audible.

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SHARING OUR KNOWLEDGE

O, CANADA

Director of Lower School Jane Clarke and Vs Group Teacher Will Sears share their expertise with Canadian educators through C&C’s Block Connection program As a follow-up to over 14 years of outreach to public schools promoting indoor unit blocks, C&C’s Block Connection program was recently invited to travel to northern Canada to talk for the first time about our outdoor yard materials. Through Block Connection, C&C teachers have consistently shared their passion and enthusiasm for children’s indoor block work with their public school colleagues, primarily in New York and New Jersey, but also internationally with educators in Iceland, Jamaica, and Russia. Now it was time to branch out again, with a different set of materials.

Determined to find colder winter temperatures, Vs Group Teacher Will Sears and Director of Lower School Jane Clarke travelled in December to

A local workshop in Ontario created three full sets of outdoor blocks for the Canadian schools, relying on C&C carpenter Steve Antonakos’ precise specifications.

collaborate with the District of Timiskaming Social Services Administration Board in New Liskeard, Ontario.

Inspired by C&C’s outdoor block video (available on our website), Canadian administrators contacted Jane, excited to start using these materials for their students in expansive outdoor play areas. The organization actively collaborated with C&C carpenter Steve Antonakos here in New York; Steve provided design dimensions and advice about wood and wood finishes, and they commissioned three full block yard sets from a local carpenter in Ontario.

Jane and Will later found out that this was just the first step in a larger plan to expand this work across a network of schools in this part of Canada.

Once there, Jane and Will offered workshops to teachers, social workers, and other early childhood specialists to share the history of these materials and how the children currently work with them at C&C. As Jane described it, “This was a truly thrilling experience for Will and me. Not only did we see the eyes of teachers open wide with anticipation and excitement, we also had the pleasure of seeing different groups of children build with these blocks for the first time ever!

It was uplifting to once again observe the natural way in which all children can engage so completely with these simple materials, with very little prompting from grown-ups. We plan to remain in contact with Jessica Plante and Dani Grenier-Ducharme, the initiators of this collaboration, and to continue supporting their plans to spread these efforts far and wide.”

“Play and inquiry are learning approaches that capitalize on children’s natural curiosity and exuberance.”

From the Early Learning for Every Child Today (ELECT) Framework, Ontario Ministry of Education

When Jane and Will saw this quote, central to the work of their Canadian hosts, they knew they had found like minds.

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OUT OF THE OFFICE AND INTO THE CLASSROOM Director of Admissions Elise Bauer recently stepped back into the classroom, this time sharing her experience with future educators from Bank Street College of Education in her new role as Adjunct Professor. During a week-long course, she expertly guided her students in ways to use blocks to offer children important opportunities for learning. Elise’s students explored innovation, critical-thinking, executive functioning, and collaboration, as well as social studies, math, science, and literacy development.

ENGAGING OUR COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS

Elise also has an article in the current issue of Parents League Review (2020) entitled “An Open Letter to Parents: Thoughts from an Admissions Director.”

Through C&C’s Block Connection program and Educator Visits, our faculty members are able to share their expertise with teachers from across the country and around the world. In 2018-2019, 65 teachers and administrators visited C&C, and 36 have already been welcomed this school year. These experiences enable them to bring valuable insights from C&C’s educational practices and pedagogy back to their own schools. This expanding initiative seeks to fulfill C&C Founder Caroline Pratt’s vision of making a real change in how all children are taught. The program is offered free of charge to public school educators, and we are delighted to be holding two workshops this year for the teachers at Wyckoff School District, NJ. These trainings are in addition to several workshops that will be held at C&C.

Thank you to Jane, Will, and all of our Block Connection teachers, who work tirelessly to share their expertise with our wider community of educators!

A video about the C&C Block Connection program, including footage from last year’s workshops, is available at www.cityandcountry.org/ videos. C&C gratefully acknowledges the Tietz Family Foundation (connectionsplus.org) for its ongoing support of Block Connection and the School’s efforts to share its expertise with the wider educational community.

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XIIs sing with their IVs, one of the many activities that helps form special bonds between these two Groups.

IN TUNE

Th e Power

at C&C g n o l a g n i of S

It was only the fourth day of school for the full IIs–XIIIs community. Children dreamt of a summer well-spent; parents continued to adapt to the routines of the school year.

Teachers, too, eased their students (and themselves) into the curriculum. For all of its potential, the first week of school can also be one of the most stressful times of year, as the community comes together and begins to search for its rhythm.

But on the morning of September 12, 2019, all of the nervousness and start-of-year jitters subsided as parents and children, teachers and staff, came together at the sanctuary of The Church of the Village (201) to sing. As the community lifted their voices in song, the rhythm took hold, and the year didn’t feel so new anymore.

“When our community is focused on singing and listening,” said C&C Principal Scott Moran, “you’re able to strip away all of the thoughts that you carry into spaces from other parts of your life and just settle into the simplicity of the music and the emotion of connecting

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and being together. Everyone leaves in a calmer state, engaging with the people around them. One of the most interesting parts doesn’t even happen in the sanctuary— the walk back from 201 carries a warmth of feeling into the School.”

That end result—a connected community—is exactly why Scott and Millie Cartagena, Director of Community Life, Equity, and Inclusion, began the “all-community sings” last year. Since these expanded singalongs began, Millie has observed a more interconnected community emerge.

Even the youngest C&C students are deeply engaged in this community experience. As Millie recalled, “Last year, there was a three-year-old who was singing every single word of the songs. I went up to the mom and whispered, ‘Wow, I can’t believe he knows every word.’ She said, ‘Well, he had us practicing at home!’”

Singing as a community creates a space where new relationships are fostered and existing relationships are strengthened. “The all-community sings are intended to gather and unify our whole community,” said Millie. “The feedback I receive from families, students, and staff about these singalongs is full of joy and warmth.”

Singalongs, of course, have long been a core experience at our School. “Singing is what makes C&C special and unique,” a XIII shared. “Singing is nurturing and welcoming, and it connects us all—from the XIIIs to the IIs.” From the School’s early days, Groups have sung together in different contexts. Younger Groups often sing to help them understand what they’re learning, solidify their bond as a Group, and make steadier transitions. Older Groups use music to bring their Social Studies alive, in part by singing in their Plays. Singing has historically brought the School together during assemblies, strengthening C&C’s sense of community in the process.

One of C&C’s first Music teachers, Margaret “Braddy” Bradford Boni (1928–1954), understood the importance of singalongs. She curated the C&C song list during her tenure and also edited many noted music books, including the well-known Fireside Book of Folk Songs.

Pete Seeger, a folk singer renowned for his ability to unify people through music, taught at C&C in 1949 and 1950 and brought his community-building spirit to the students through song. The Centennial celebrations of 2013–2014 drew from these traditions and featured a memorable alumni singalong. Again last year, alumni visiting for their reunion reconnected to the School and to each other through song. This important role of Music in the C&C curriculum and community culture is one of many threads that connects our current students to our alumni—not only through the act of singing, but also through the shared songs that have been part of the C&C songbook since Braddy’s time.

Other deep connections are made through music at C&C. As Music Teacher Roslyn Willis explains, “Singing has the power to transform the students—those who are participating and those who are listening—by creating connections to other cultures.” Music Coordinator Maja Goceva has also worked to spearhead a number of new initiatives that bring students together in song.

Students, parents, staff, and community members gather regularly following school breaks for all-community sings.

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IIIs sing throughout the day, often using songs as a way to consolidate what they’re learning and make steadier transitions between activities.

Sheet music for “Drill Ye Tarriers, Drill” from the C&C Archives

She recently began “cultural shares,” in which students are asked to share music from their home cultures.

In addition to these new Music-led initiatives and all-community sings, there are a number of new singalongs that happen throughout the year—from a combination of Groups to the entire Lower School.

“Teachers have been eager to find more ways to sing together,” said Maja. “Lower School teachers have been asking to sing together as a community—not only the entire Lower School, but combining IIIs, IVs, or Vs. I also pair up the IVs and XIIs as part of their greater relationship, the Xs with the Vs, and similar combinations. ‘The more we sing, the better!’ That’s what the community says.”

In the classrooms, IIIs Group Teachers Robin Sage and Megan Lau created Shared Song Circle a few years ago as a way to bring together both morning IIIs Groups, something now practiced by the IVs and

Vs Groups as well. The Shared Song Circles have been a success in many ways. “IIIs often mention their friends from [last year in] the IIs, who are now in the other IIIs Group,” said Megan, “and Shared Song Circle is a way to gather together in a joyful community ritual. We alternate between the IIIsM visiting the IIIsR classroom and the IIIsR visiting the IIIsM classroom.

The children notice similarities and differences between the classroom environments and get a wider view of the School and their place within it.”

As is always the case at C&C, things happen organically—and in ways not always imagined by teachers. Maja recalled teaching the song “One Day”— a song of peace and hope by reggae singer Matisyahu— to the XIIs in Chorus, and then hearing it being sung by the XIIs to their IVs as they transitioned from the end of the school day down to their parents, just as they see the teachers do.

“I get goosebumps when I think about it,” said Maja, “because I was not expecting that. Those are the things that I love about this school, things that happen spontaneously.”

It’s clear that the tradition of singing together remains relevant and will continue to expand in new ways. As IVsL Group Teacher Liana Stampur pointed out, connecting to one’s community through song has effects far beyond C&C: “Young children who make music together—and see their trusted grown-ups and older peers making music together—participate in an especially joyful way.

And it is these experiences within the C&C classrooms and greater communities (amongst many others) that guide our children into becoming participants and change makers in their world.”

HARVEST ASSEMBLY 2019 SONG LIST I Love the Mountains Wheels on the Bus Mi Cuerpo Skip to My Lou Shoo Turkey Los Pollitos This Land is Your Land Drunken Sailor Erie Canal Drill, Ye Tarriers, Drill The Cat Came Back

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IIIs Group Teachers Robin and Megan bring their students together in Shared Song Circle.

COMMUNITY EVENTS

THE HARVEST FESTIVAL

On a beautiful, sunny Saturday in October, community members gathered for “Vintage Village, Old Town Orchard: Where City and Country Meet” to socialize over delicious food, music and dancing in the Ball Yard, fun games and activities, and handmade crafts. Thank you to the many parent volunteers who transformed C&C into a fall harvest wonderland!

THE FLAPPING ENVELOPES OPENING CELEBRATION

The VIIIs invited faculty, staff, students, and parents to the Rhythms Room on October 30 to celebrate the opening of this year’s Post Office, the Flapping Envelopes. They performed original songs to get everyone excited about sending and receiving mail and shared important information about the Post Office’s hours before opening up for their enthusiastic first customers.

PENEX OPENS ITS DOORS

This year’s School Store, PenEx, opened on October 25 to much fanfare.

During the grand opening, the IXs explained their process for setting up the Store, shared skits and songs advertising PenEx and its products, and invited the community to shop for all of their Group needs!

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A THOUGHTFUL

SILENCE Bringing the Community Together in Contemplation

As Lama Wongdue gently tapped the funnel, red sand trickled onto the pencil-marked design outlined on the plywood base. Members of the City and Country community stood silently, contemplatively, in the Library as he finished yet another small element in the meditative work that had brought him to our School.

Over the course of six days, Lama Wongdue, a monk from the International Buddhist Academy in Kathmandu, Nepal, would create an intricate and highly symbolic geometric design composed of colored sand—the Tibetan Buddhist tradition of sand mandala.

Lhakpa Gurung, niece of Lama Wongdue and IVsL Associate Teacher, thought that C&C would be the perfect site for one of her uncle’s mandalas, and she helped arrange his visit to the School. “The sand mandala is an important reminder for us that it’s the process that’s important,” said Lhakpa. “It’s a way of meditating. But

there are also connections to art, math, social studies, diversity, and religion in the mandala. I thought it might be beneficial for our school to experience.”

Lama Wongdue learned how to create sand mandalas as part of his Buddhist studies in India in his 20s. Since then, he has created 10 sand mandalas, some in monasteries for religious purposes, but also in public spaces in Switzerland and the United States for the purposes of education and world peace.

Each mandala is rich with religious symbolism, depicting the house of a deity. “Since C&C was a school setting,” said Lhakpa, “my uncle chose to create a Manjushree Mandala here, symbolizing the ‘goddess of wisdom.’”

The colorful sand represents different directions, gems, and elements. “For instance, there are nine different colors of fire,” said Lhakpa. The structure of the house he created radiated outward in beautiful patterns.

DAY 1

DAY 3 18

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“It is like blocks.

There is nothing there, and then you build, and then you put it away.

And then it is done.” —CURRENT V

“What if he sneezes?” asked many children.

Lama Wongdue’s breathtaking and colorful work brought many members of the community together and evoked a myriad of insightful questions from our visitors and students.

problem-solving—qualities and concepts that we encourage and interact with all the time, across our program. This was a whole-community event with a grounding force that resonated across the School.”

Principal Scott Moran spoke of how the sand mandala resonated deeply with our community: “The mandala was a way for us to experience something that highlights curiosity, impermanence, peace, concentration, and

The sense of community was heightened by the location of the sand mandala, in what many would consider to be the heart of the School: the Library. Its doors were open, and all were welcomed in to observe the mandala’s creation. Students, teachers, staff, parents, alumni, and caretakers visited Lama Wongdue and his sand mandala throughout the process, and no matter their age, they all seemed to notice the importance of what was happening. Many fell silent as they entered the space, taking in Lama Wongdue’s work with quiet curiosity or contemplation, while others lifted the hushed atmosphere with their questions.

DAY 4

“One of the most moving parts of this process for me,” said Director of Lower School Jane Clarke, “was when several of our caregivers, who are originally from Nepal, came forward and shared what the experience meant to them. It was an opportunity for them to participate in our community in a new and profound way.” C&C alumni were also invited to witness the creation of the mandala. Alumnus Hilary Knight ’40,

DAY 5

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“Do you feel sad when you destroy the sand mandala?”

A XIII asked,

“No, not sad, not sad,” he replied.

DAY 6

A time-lapse video captured the creation and completion of the sand mandala. Visit www.cityandcountry.org/videos to watch the six-day process from beginning to end. upon seeing the mandala, said, “Little six-year-old Hilary Knight was in this very room in 1932, and I am sure I would have loved this event.”

At the end of his stay, Lama Wongdue was asked by a IX why he sweeps away the mandala when it is finished.

He replied that it is about impermanence, that nothing is permanent, and that the mandala is not complete until it is swept away. It is not that it is finished and then swept away—the sweeping away completes it.

Scott related how Lama Wongdue’s own experience making the mandala reflected our School’s character.

“I don’t think it’s an overstatement to say that he was floored by the level of curiosity and thoughtfulness that

he experienced from the children. He told me, ‘I didn’t know it was possible that children could have those kinds of questions about what I’m doing.’ This response underscores one of our core purposes as an independent progressive school: We get to show what’s possible when you start with engaging the curiosity in each child.”

Lama Wongdue completed the final ritual in his mandala shortly after the closing ceremony at C&C. He took a day trip to Lake Minnewaska, NY, and dispersed the sand used in the mandala back to the clean water. He asked Lhakpa to thank everyone for making his stay warm, welcoming, and educational, and we, in turn, thank him for sharing this wonderful and thought-provoking experience with our community.

“Why are you doing this?”

An VIII asked, Lama Wongdue replied, “For meditation, for peace.”

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Opposite page: (top) the completed block structure made by the Vs; (bottom) Notre-Dame de Paris, 2014.

This page: (left) front façade of Notre Dame, 2016. (Right) the Vs made block versions of themselves and placed them in the building as if they were going on a field trip there.

How the tragic fire at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris inspired the Vs to take action in their classroom “Did you hear what happened last night?” a V in Will Sears’ Group asked last April during a Group meeting.

“Notre Dame is burning!” Quickly, several more Vs chimed in, sharing what they had heard about the fire at the historic Parisian cathedral. The next day, the children raised the topic again, and an animated conversation ensued. The Group’s observations and questions ranged from the fire and firefighters, to the history of the cathedral, to stories about saving the artifacts inside. “Will?” asked one of the Vs, as the Group’s interest grew, “Can we build Notre Dame?”

It was a question that took Will another two weeks to answer. During that time, the curiosity, initiative, and tenacious spirit of his Vs convinced him that their interest in Notre Dame merited embracing a new plan—one that seemed impossibly difficult at the outset, but became one of their most powerful learning experiences of the year.

As the news unfolded about the fire, the Vs’ interest in and study of the cathedral intensified. Students discussed it daily, sharing what they knew and immersing themselves in the narrative. “They shared facts about the building—when construction started, how long it took to build, and what a flying buttress is and why they were used in Notre Dame,” recalled Will. “They knew when the spire was built, they talked about the fact that there had been a fire in the past, and they told stories about trying to save the artifacts inside the cathedral.

I was astonished at how much they knew without my having to say a word.” The students’ understanding of the cathedral, its historical context, and the fire continued to evolve for weeks as the news story developed in real time. As part of this process, the students generated a list of everything they knew about Notre Dame and created a sequence of events. The Vs usually build structures they’ve seen in New York, and because a trip to Paris C&C WORKS IN PROGRESS

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Clockwise from top: Vs use tracing paper over a digital rendering of Notre Dame to identify shapes they commonly use for building. Sarah shares her expertise as an art historian and former Paris resident.

Ian shows students 3D models printed at C&C. A page from the Vs’ book: The people made a human chain to get the art out.

wasn’t feasible, they found pictures of Notre Dame and began drawing it to get a better sense of what the building looked like before the fire.

The Group read the book Cathedral: The Story of Its Construction by David Macaulay, which recounts the construction of an imaginary Gothic cathedral. They printed out multiple perspectives of Notre Dame from a digital model, then did a shape search using tracing paper, a technique that helps them think about how to simplify complex forms into the shapes with which they normally build. Technology Integration and Support Specialist Ian Klapper visited the Vs to show several 3D models of Notre Dame created at C&C, and he brought the students to the Computer Lab to show them how the 3D printer works.

Once they had a grasp of the overall structure of the building, the Vs began making clay models of Notre Dame. The understanding they demonstrated in doing 24 C&C WORKS IN PROGRESS

A time-lapse video of this build, which includes an original song created by the Vs, is available at www.cityandcountry.org/videos.

so is what finally convinced Will they could successfully build Notre Dame using their unit blocks.

To help expand the Vs’ understanding of Notre Dame, XIIsS Group Teacher Sarah Whittier ’67, who lived in Paris and was previously an Art History teacher, visited the Group to share what she knew about the cathedral and about Paris. The students also took a trip to the Church of St. John the Divine, the building in Manhattan that most closely resembles Notre Dame. There, they drew pictures, took notes, made many observations, viewed the details of the building through binoculars, and asked questions that would inform their research and, eventually, their block build. James Ingram, Sarah Whittier’s son and a New York City firefighter, came to C&C to talk about his job and about putting out a fire at St. John the Divine just one day before the fire at Notre Dame happened.

Finally, it was time to start the block build. Before tackling the large build, the students made small-scale block

models. Through this process, they discovered that many parts of the Cathedral were made of repeating patterns, and they learned that once they successfully made one section, they could repeat that section to build a larger part of the full structure. “Symmetry and patterning are part of our Math curriculum, so this reinforced what we were doing in our other work,” observed Will. “It was also really neat to watch them put these concepts into practice and problem-solve as a Group. They did a lot of troubleshooting around making a vaulted ceiling, which was extremely challenging. Once they figured out how to make the roof, they were able to repeat the process. They discovered ways to build more efficiently using critical thinking. It was all them. I hope people believe me when I say I didn’t touch the blocks!”

The Vs incorporated their artistic skills into the project to add details, like stained glass windows made of paper and gargoyles made of modeling clay. With the help of a Vs parent, they made small versions of the stained glass windows to go on the block structure and larger ones to put on their classroom windows, so they could see the light passing through as they would have under the windows in Notre Dame.

Not surprisingly, the narrative continued to develop during the block build. The students learned that there had been a priest who held the only key that could open a chest of ancient artifacts in the building; when he couldn’t get there in time, firefighters had to use special tools to open the lid. They recounted how the firefighters formed a human chain to save the artifacts and reenacted this process in the Block Yard. They told the story of the bees that were kept on the roof, that these were the first living

Left to right: “Stained glass” created by the Vs. Students visit the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine in Morningside Heights. Vs add wooden people to their block structure.

creatures to return to Notre Dame—because they don’t have lungs and weren’t irritated by smoke from the fire.

Along with the block build, the Vs also created a book and wrote a song, both telling the story of the fire. The students illustrated the book and wrote the story of the fire in their own words, and Will plans to read it to future Vs. The Group’s full study of Notre Dame took six weeks, with three weeks spent on the block build. To celebrate the completion of the study, the Vs held an opening ceremony to which their parents and other members of the community were invited. They sang the song they wrote in honor of the cathedral, showed a video of the block build, and led tours of the block version of Notre Dame, pointing out details like the stained glass windows and gargoyles, the bishop entombed in the structure, and their Group of Vs block people on a field trip to the cathedral.

“I’m proud of it because, just like others who saw it, I was impressed that they actually did it,” said Will of the final product. “I didn’t build it. They had the idea for building it. They figured out how to build the models. They found ways to make the big building work. They wrote the book and the song. I really just curated experiences to keep them on their way.”

ALUMNI EVENTS

YOUNG ALUMNI REUNION October 19, 2019

On a sunny Saturday in October, over 60 high-school-aged alumni and their parents took a break from the excitement of the Harvest Festival to spend time catching up in the Library. It was great welcoming them back to C&C and hearing all about their new experiences. We hope they will visit us again soon—and often!

ALUMNI BASKETBALL GAME March 14, 2019

C&C XIIIs and their coaches faced off against returning alums at the Alumni Basketball Game!

MEET THE GRADS AND CLASS OF 2015 REUNION February 6, 2019

Members of the Class of 2015 visited C&C for our annual Meet the Grads event and Class of 2015 Reunion. Six panelists gave insights into the high school application process, talked about their experiences, and shared how City and Country helped prepare them for high school and beyond.

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ALUMNI REUNION April 12, 2019

Nearly 50 alumni from the Classes of 1939 to 2018 came back to C&C to visit with classmates, former teachers, and Principal Scott Moran during the Alumni Reunion 2019.

ALUMNI NEWS being a high school house advisor (a house is a combination of homeroom and guidance counselor for 20 9th through 12th graders) and mentoring new house advisors. In all my educator roles, I often say that I learned what education should be from C&C, [this is] what sticks with me.

Anneli Muschenheim Arms ’49 with a recentlyshown sculpture, “Her Royal Discontent”

1940s Lois Mauder Pittis ’41 & Leigh Berrien Smith ’41 We have been friends since the VIIs in 1934 and talk frequently on the phone. Leigh has lived on Martha’s Vineyard since retiring from teaching in 1987. We both have daughters living near us. In Lois’ case, this has her in Ocean Grove, NJ in summer and Warren, VT in winter. We both have grandchildren as well.

From Leigh: C&C is one of my favorite places in this world! I am happy whenever I think of C&C, though I knew it as 165 West 12th Street from the VIIs through XIIIs. I lived in the basement apartment of 24 Washington Square North and roller skated after school Monday through Thursday with two of my best friends through the XIIs—had to commute with my Gramp for Leigh Berrien the XIIIs as my Smith ’41, at the annual Martha’s mom had died, Vineyard Film so I commuted Center Oscars party, with a real Oscar from Montclair,

NJ. Now my best friend, and only other female survivor from ’41, Lois Mauder Pittis, and I both wonder if any male classmates survive! Lois and I would like to know! Yes, I am 92 years old and a very lucky nonagenarian. I still play golf, which I learned young (12), and I dance better than I walk, seriously!

Ilse Jenkins Gay ’45 No news. Just grateful to be 88 years old and still living in our old house in Albuquerque with an old husband and, today, wearing an old sweatshirt from the 80th anniversary of City and Country School. Growing up as an only child, with a usually-absent father, the experiences and relationships presented to me by the C&C culture provided the groundwork for my adult life, and for that, I am profoundly grateful.

Peter Goldman ’46 A Trail Of Blood, the fourth book in my crime-fiction series, was published this spring. I’m working on book five.

Judy Geller ’47 After 60 years of teaching biology to 7th through 12th graders at Dalton, I have now semi-retired, teaching only one course and

Anneli Muschenheim Arms ’49 I still work as an artist, now mostly doing prints and teaching at Manhattan Graphics Center, NYC. My most recent showing was at Westbeth's “Parent Portrait Show” with sculpture “Her Regal Discontent,” based on my mother. This work is still on view at my loft on Greene Street. I recently showed my “Leopard Cub” print at the Climate Change exhibit at Manhattan Graphics Center.

1950s Carol Levine Paasche ’51 I am living with my husband (outside of Boston) in Newton, MA. We still spend summers at our vegetable farm in upstate New York. Would love to hear from others in my “era” who are still “alive and kicking.” Am only in touch with Judith and Diddy.

Peter Weisman ’51 I am an architect and contractor, currently developing a 200-acre business park in Spartanburg, SC. Meri Schachter ’53 I graduated from medical school in NYC 50 years ago—I’m still practicing psychiatry. I have never forgotten C&C. Stephen Wandner ’54 My book, Strengths of the Social Safety Net in the Great Recession: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance and Unemployment Insurance, was published in August. I have recently C&C WORKS IN PROGRESS

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ALUMNI NEWS

derives from a line in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, specifically the play-within-a-play where one of the actors takes the part of a wall through whom lovers whisper. The writing we present encompasses many genres, and we also publish a good deal of visual material, including contemporary artists’ portfolios. Recent issues have included writing by Anna Seghers, Eduardo Galeano, and François Jullien. By all means, have a look.

We’d love to hear from you.

been named to the National Academy of Social Insurance’s Study Panel on Economic Security. The panel plans to issue a report next year on the 85th anniversary of the publication of the Committee on Economic Security’s report to President Roosevelt, a report used to guide the design of the Social Security Act. Ellen Leary ’55 After spending 20 years acting on the professional stage (see IBDB Ellen Tovatt), I have switched my creative talents to writing. A few years ago, I self-published a memoir about growing up in Greenwich Village (and attending City and Country!) called Mother, Once Removed. Now, after moving to Los Angeles with my husband to be near our son Daniel (who is an executive producer at The Ellen DeGeneres Show), I started writing a novel about my experiences in the theatre. It has been sold to a publisher and will be available soon.

It is called The Understudy.

Roger Sessions ’65 in Mexico

1960s Eric Darton ’64 For the last several years, I have co-edited The Wall-Witty Partition (wittypartition.org), a tri-annual online journal of world literature, much of it in translation. Our name

ALUMNI UPDATES

Roger Sessions ’65 I am happily retired and living in the city of Guanajuato, Mexico. It is a lively university town overflowing with music, art, and beautiful architecture. It is the home of the Mexican Revolution and was named a World Heritage Site in 1988. As an added but welcome bonus, the cost of living is about one third of the United States. I’m learning Spanish as quickly as I can, which, it turns out, isn’t very quickly. My energy now goes to a website I started called meditationchapel.org, an Interfaith online community for contemplatives. Having retired from IT, my writing is now on spirituality.

My last book was Wisdom’s Way: The Christian I Ching. My artistic outlet is the ukulele, an instrument which seems to fit my lifestyle of simplicity and minimalism. If any

ex-C&Cers are passing through Guanajuato, give me a call. I’ll give you the city tour, and I can pretty much promise you that you will fall in love with this amazing place and its warm and wonderful people.

Dirk McDonnell ’66 For 30 years now, I’ve been living with my wife, Carol, and our dogs in Camden, ME, where I built our home and my photography studio. My main pursuit has been photography since the mid-80s, when, with my 35mm camera, I travelled extensively throughout Mexico. I’ve since travelled to photograph the life and landscapes in a number of places, including Turkey, Holland, England, Italy, France, Ireland, China, Argentina, Death Valley, and the Isle of Skye.

In addition, I’ve been represented

by Throckmorton Fine Art, New York; Robert Klein in Boston; and Caldbeck Gallery in Maine.

In January 2017, everything was put on hold when I was diagnosed with brain cancer—glioblastoma multiforme stage 4, which has a very low survival rate in the first two years. After doing all one must do to deal with this illness, I am very thankful to report I am still alive and well! Despite some memory loss, I feel great and have had a busy year, with four photography shows of my work, including the final one that opened on November 23 at Cove Arts Gallery in Portland, ME. I am also thankful for my years at C&C, especially with Sylvia Miller (Rhythms Teacher, 1939–1976), Veronica “Roni” McLeod (Group and Art Teacher, 1946–1994), Georgiana Birch (Group Teacher, 1943–1968), and those who worked tirelessly there. This experience, in great part, shaped me into who I am today.

WE LOVE HEARING FROM CITY AND COUNTRY ALUMNI!

A form requesting updates will be sent out electronically in the fall, so please make sure we have your current email address. You can also send us an update via our website: www.cityandcountry.org/alumni/contact--us. Please email communications@cityandcountry.org if you would like to reach out to any of the alumni who expressed interest here in connecting with classmates and other alumni.

RETURNING FROM FAR AWAY

Vladimir Pozner ’47 revisits C&C for a documentary about his life In March 2019, noted journalist and Class of 1947 alumnus Vladimir Pozner visited C&C with a film crew as part of a documentary being made about his life. He last visited our school in 1999, when he spoke to the XIIIs about journalism. While he was here, Vladimir kindly agreed to sit down with Director of Development Penny Arnold to talk about his experiences at C&C and the values that have stayed with him throughout his life. The interview below has been edited for clarity and length.

Penny: Welcome! What brings you to C&C today?

Vladimir: I live in Russia, and I’m a pretty well-known journalist there, and I’m turning 85. So they’re making a documentary about me, and one of the things I wanted them to see is the School.

PA: How does it feel to be back?

VP: The last time I was here, the buildings on 12th Street had not yet been returned to the School. So when I saw this today, I was really happy. Yes! It’s gotten a little bigger; I think you have more students than in my day. And it’s a little bit more expensive. Every time I come here, it’s an emotional thing. I love this school. When I was a student here, I didn’t realize how lucky I was. It wasn’t until later, when my children started going to school and I saw what other schools were like, I thought, “My God!” Just such a completely different atmosphere. You learned without really understanding that you were learning. The printing press, Gutenberg, he was a friend of ours! Because we did what he did. It wasn’t dustcovered history, it was the way we learned.

not be in the IXs with my buddies—I would be in the Xs. And I wept, and she patted me on the head and said “Vlady, it will be okay.” She didn’t say, "okay," of course—she said, “Everything is going to be fine.” And that was the only time.

She would never raise her voice, she never yelled; she was always smiling, but you knew if she said something, that was it. She meant business. She was wonderful.

PA: How do you think your education here affected your later life?

VP: I think that [City and Country] influenced my life very profoundly, in that [you learned] something without really [realizing] it: self-respect and respect for others. You were never yelled at, you were never degraded. This feeling of who you are and the kind of inner freedom you have is something that becomes very important later in life, when you have to stand up for things. Because if you have been pushed down all the time, then you bend. And here you don’t. To me, in the sense of forming my character, I think that City and Country played a key role.

PA: How does the experience you had here compare with other schools you’ve seen in the years since?

VP: European schools, generally speaking, are very different from C&C. The Soviet system, to a very large degree, was a copy of the French system. The student is seen, basically, as an empty vessel that you have to fill with knowledge. Most classrooms have 30–40 kids, so every voice cannot be heard, every question cannot be answered. And with children, one of the first question is always, “Why? Why does the sun shine? Why is the rain PA: Are there other experiences or teachers wet?”....In a class of 40 people, the teacher can’t answer that stand out from your time at C&C? all the questions, so when you ask, “Why?” they might say VP: One of our teachers, Mary Card (Group Teacher, “Because—and if you keep asking questions, I’m going to 1943–1965)—she was incredible. When call your parents.” And so you learn not she wrote on the blackboard, she could to ask why, you learn not to ask Vladimir write with both hands, and neatly. We questions, and when you graduate and reminisces loved her—we loved her for that. You become an adult, you pretty much over games played in never really had the feeling that you internalize that. You don’t ask the Ball Yard were little and they were big. They were questions because you’re going to get your friends. That was a very different yelled at. That’s very different from City atmosphere. The only person I was and Country, where you’re stimulated afraid of, and we all were afraid of, was to question, to ask. It creates a [Principal] Caroline Pratt. different kind of person. And you’re not afraid to ask, it’s legitimate, it’s what “This feeling of who PA: Did you ever get called into you do, it’s a good thing. I would say you are and the kind her office? that for me it was very important.

VP: I got called into her office once. For When Caroline Pratt said, “Teachers of inner freedom you some reason, I got involved in fights really learn from children no less than have becomes very often. And so she decided that to cure me children from teachers,” at first you important later in of that, she would have me jump a Group, think, “Well that’s...come on.” But life, when you have to to be with children who were bigger than then, when you think about it, it’s me. She called me in and said that I would stand up for things.” true. Absolutely true.

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ALUMNI NEWS Kate Tarlow Morgan ’68 I am a choreographer, author/editor, and certified teacher of Body-Mind Centering and Awareness Through the Body, who lives in Southern Vermont. I am editor-in-chief of Currents Journal for the Body-Mind Centering Association and editorial consultant for Lost & Found Poetics Document Initiative at CUNY’s Center for Humanities. Born and raised in New York City, I worked as a documentary historian and urban archaeologist from 1979–1997. As a performer, I have presented my work in site-based venues as well as theatrical spaces. I attribute my long career as a public and private school Rhythms teacher to C&C and two of the previous Rhythms Teachers, Sylvia Miller (1939–1976) and her mother, Joan Zuckerman Morgan ’40 (1968–2000). In 2018, I returned to C&C to work with the current Rhythms teachers on the “Rhythms Reclamation Project,” which includes researching, recording, and archiving Rhythms theory and practice just in time for the 100th anniversary of Rhythms at the School. I have also written a book of somatic essays and stories, Circles & Boundaries and am co-editor of Movement and Experience: A BodyMind Centering Anthology, 2011.

Kate Turlow Morgan ’68, former C&C Rhythms Teacher

Avia Petersen ’69 I currently live in Feasterville-Trevose, Pennsylvania. My sister, Victoria, and brother, Jeffrey, also attended C&C. I am currently retired from being an art director/graphic designer.

1970s Steve Dunsky ’71 After 30 years of making films for the U.S. Forest Service in California, Ann and I will retire next year. We plan to fix up our old farmhouse in Connecticut and enjoy time in New York City. I have not been to the C&C Spring Fair in 50 years, and so I look forward to reconnecting with the School and my classmates.

1980s Chris Heimbuch ’83 Hello, C&C fam! No real news or update, but rather a note of gratitude for my experience. I recently turned 50, and looking back on life, I’m so grateful for all the teachers I had, but most of all, wanted to recall my first Art Teacher—Veronica "Roni" McLeod (Group and Art Teacher, 1946–1994). She profoundly influenced my life, and I’m so blessed to have been taught by her guiding (and very powerful) hand. In the past several years, I’ve reconnected over email and social media with a few fellow students as well: Jenny, Charlotte, Lucy, Matthew, Carl, and Winden. Also remembering friends: Sheris, Nina, and Eric, amongst so many others. It’s all been a gift.

Thanks, C&C! Sending love from San Francisco, where I’ve lived for the past 20 years.

1990s Ranahnah Afriye ’91 I am happy to reconnect to my educational roots at C&C. In the 30 C&C WORKS IN PROGRESS

past year, my youngest daughter, age five, attended Montessori preschool and my son, age 17, is preparing to go off to college in the US. This started my reflections on the strong foundation that I received during my years at C&C. I am currently living in Pretoria, South Africa, and working in international development. The early education and connection to the “country” in the School’s title truly had an impact on how I have raised my children. We live beside a nature reserve in SA and literally bask in the natural environment of the African continent each day. Life is bliss and so I wanted to take a moment to celebrate and share a brief slice of life.

RF Jurjevics ’98 I’ve just celebrated three years at Adobe, where I am a Digital Production Associate for the stock content team (in an odd coincidence, the office I work out of is mere blocks from C&C). This year, I was honored to be selected as one of eight main-stage employee speakers at Adobe for All, the company’s internal diversity and inclusion summit—a mind-blowing experience all around.

Ariel Cohen ’99 I married Louis Orren in 2017. We welcomed our first child, Isadora Lilyan Cohen-Orren, on December 9, 2018. I am teaching in California and would be happy to reconnect with others.

2010s Nica Delbourgo ’10 After a year of teaching at C&C, I’m now a fourth grade associate at Berkeley Carroll. I’m having a really great time there, learning a lot, and always reflecting on my year at C&C! Special shout out to my VIIIs, now IXs!

PASSINGS

Special thanks to Starr Kilian, who sent along this photo of his father, Mike Kilian ’30, and the 1928 journal his father had saved in his belongings.

Starr wrote, “Many times my father fondly mentioned his recollections of City and Country.” Mike passed away in 1981.

C&C cover art (1928) and photo (c.1940s), courtesy of Starr Kilian

Charles Van Doren ’39 passed away on April 9, 2019. After graduating from C&C, he attended Housatonic High School and the High School of Music and Art, as well as St. John’s College. He earned an MA in astrophysics and a PhD in English, both from Columbia University.

He went on to teach English at Columbia and became editor of the Encyclopedia Britannica and an author of several books. He was also a member of the faculty at the University of Connecticut, Torrington.

Catherine Whitman ’15 I am currently at Sarah Lawrence College after four years at LaGuardia High School and loving it! As I begin my classes at college, I am realizing how much City and Country prepared me for this experience. My love of reading, fostered in Library, and my skills in small classroom discussions have made the transition to a less structured atmosphere completely seamless. Missing my teachers from C&C (shoutout to Gee Roldan and Ann Roberts!) and so excited for the year ahead.

Nathalie Robayo ’19 I have completed one month at my new high school, Marymount, and everything is going well. We had a class bonding trip to Frost Valley, where I made a lot of new friends.

I joined the Yearbook and French Club. There are many opportunities for foreign exchange and travel that I would like to take advantage of in the future. I would like to thank Ann Roberts and Trayshia Rogers for preparing me for the hardships of high school and for teaching me to manage my time well.

John Van Doren ’41 passed away on January 27, 2019. After graduating from C&C, he attended the High School of Music and Art and St. John’s College, and received a PhD in History from Columbia University. After serving in the Army, he became a professor at Brandeis University, Smith College, and Boston University. He also served as the Executive Editor of The Great Ideas Today and on the Board of the Poetry Society of Chicago.

Charles Reich ’42 passed away on June 15, 2019. After graduating from C&C, he studied history at Oberlin College and received his law degree from Yale Law School.

Janet Goldstein Fuller ’62 passed away on January 17, 2019.

From her husband, Harry Fuller, Jr.: Janet was a proud student, Lower through Upper, at City and Country School. She nurtured fond memories for a lifetime: of teachers, fellow students, and experiences gained as a City and Country School graduate. During recent years, Janet attended various reunions at the School, particularly poignant for her since it is located within a few steps of the Greenwich VIllage home in which she lived and grew into young adulthood. In a law career that spanned over 30 years, she clerked for Utah Supreme Court Chief Justice Christine Durham, established a private practice, and earned high court decisions that established important precedent law. In addition to her legal work, she was an active member of her community and volunteer in many service organizations....Naturally gregarious, empathetic, and generous, Janet was, in the profoundest sense of the word, a “helper.” Made aware of a person’s distress, whether acquaintance or an encountered stranger, Janet instantly offered what direct assistance seemed necessary and appropriate. She personified the admonition, “To make a friend, you need to be a friend,” and consequently, developed friendships made through her legal work, ski instructing, extensive travelling, and incidental contacts literally spanning the country from East Coast to West. In a consolation card, one of her law school professors cogently observed, “She wasn’t always fun, but she was always interesting.” Fine enough praise for a lifetime.

She was, indeed, one of City and Country School’s exemplary products.

C&C WORKS IN PROGRESS

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SOCIAL MEDIA

See more from C&C online!

FACEBOOK

www.facebook.com/CandCSchool

INSTAGRAM

@cityandcountry

VIMEO

vimeo.com/cityandcountryschool

cityandcountry XIIs study geosciences in Science class, learning all about the composition of the Earth and plate tectonics, and how these forces produce natural phenomena, including earthquakes. #science #steam

cityandcountry Open-ended materials are present in every C&C classroom. Using items like clay, blocks, and paint, our IIs recreate what they see and experience in the world around them. #socialstudies

32 C&C WORKS IN PROGRESS

cityandcountry The Xs study the history of writing in the fall—making connections between the signs and symbols of early humans, and their Job as Sign Makers for the School. They also learn the importance of oral and written communication when delving into deeper studies of Mesopotamia, Medieval Japan, and Medieval England.

cityandcountry Our IVs have been talking about traveling to visit family and friends...which inspired them to build @lgaairport. Look closely and you can see ramps to the terminals, an airport train (planned for 2022), a hotel, and subways!

YOUR SUPPORT

What your support has provided:

Participation in our fundraising endeavors is a show of belief in the School, its mission, and its programs. City and Country is grateful for your support, which continues to strengthen our community and ensure its future.

Annual Fund New gym floor

Laptops for XIIIs newspaper

The Annual Fund helps keep C&C vibrant, preserving and improving the progressive practices and programs that make us unique. It directly supports the fulfillment of our mission, through curriculum enhancement, new and established programs, classroom supplies and renovations, financial aid, and professional development. Every gift is important, no matter the size, and indicates your support of our mission.

How to Give: • Mail a check made payable to City and Country School in the enclosed envelope.

• Make a secure gift by credit card on the Support section of C&C’s website (cityandcountry.org).

• Contact your company’s HR Department to find out if you are eligible to have your gift matched.

• Gifts of stock are simple to make and may provide immediate tax savings.

Spring Benefit Expanded IIs Room

The Spring Benefit is a parent-organized fundraising event held each year.

Members of the community support the event by purchasing tickets, bidding on auction items, or making a donation in the paddle raise. Funds raised support financial aid.

Endowment

C&C established an Endowment in 2014, the School’s Centennial year. A robust Endowment will help ensure the strength of the School for generations to come.

Building a nurse’s office

Planned Giving

Increasingly, our community uses planned gifts to augment outright giving to the School. Planned or deferred gifts, such as bequests, gift annuities, and charitable remainder trusts, provide income to C&C for many years into the future, and allow individuals to leave a legacy of learning. Our Legacy Guild recognizes donors who have honored the School with a planned gift.

Summer Faculty Grants ...AND MORE!

For more information about making a donation to any of these initiatives, as well as additional information, contact Penny Arnold, Director of Development, at pennya@cityandcountry.org or 212.506.5945.

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID S. Hackensack, NJ Permit # 79 146 West 13th Street New York, NY 10011–7802 212-242-7802 cityandcountry.org

New email? Moving? Please send us your updated contact information at communications@cityandcountry.org!

The Mystery of

S E N I T N E M E L C E TH

Clementines are considered a symbol of giving because they separate easily and are ideal for sharing with others.

Each year, just before winter break, C&C’s Principal hands out clementines to students in the classrooms and during dismissal. According to our investigation, this tradition has been going on for over 40 years, but we’re not sure exactly when it started—and we are hoping you can help!

Do you remember receiving a clementine or an orange when you were a student?

Email communications@ cityandcountry.org and help us learn more about this longstanding C&C tradition!