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Letter from the Head of School
by José M. De Jesús, Head of School
The work we do to ensure every community member feels a sense of belonging remains foundational to a Dalton education. One thing is certain: We must continue to be studentcentered. Fortunately, thanks to Helen Parkhurst’s enduring and visionary Dalton Plan—and our talented and dedicated faculty and staff—we are well-positioned to respond to our students’ needs as the world evolves.
This year to invigorate and advance the Dalton Plan, we launched The Helen Parkhurst Institute— a cornerstone of our Strategic Plan 2030. Led by Babby Krents ’68, the Institute is off to a strong start with the inaugural high school cohort fully embracing this mentorship opportunity. Participating faculty, both new and returning, are learning to implement the Dalton Plan fully in their classrooms. Next, we’ll bring in new middle school teachers, followed by new First Program teachers. Institute participants will also have horizon-broadening opportunities to collaborate with visiting educators and Dalton International Schools.
Faced with rapid external changes, I couldn’t be prouder of Dalton’s faculty and staff. They remain steadfast in their commitment to providing a safe, stable school environment while continuing to challenge their students with innovative, dynamic curricular and co-curricular offerings.
Some highlights:
The recent high school Intersession provided an immersive weeklong learning experience using the city as a classroom. Among the creative offerings were:
• “NYC Music History” where students explored the rich history of music through the themes of immigration, architecture, identity and history in Harlem, the West and East Villages, the Bronx, and Midtown
• “Film and TV Production in NY” where students analyzed the city as a film and television capital of the world including visiting emblematic spaces for the history of film and television such as Central Park, NBC studios, and the Museum of the Moving Image
• The Middle School Climate Emergency Group is educating peers about sustainability (check out my conversation with the group’s leaders from my podcast, “José Makes a Lab,” transcribed on page 18)
• At the First Program, second graders explained the meanings of Puerto Rican petroglyphs, ancient stone symbols, to first graders, all in Spanish! We posted photos of this on Instagram @daltonschoolnyc!
On our spring calendar are beloved school traditions and celebrations, including Reunion 2025, Greek Fest, Arch Day, and Commencement. These foster continuity and connection and ground our community in shared experiences and memories; they also serve another much-needed purpose: nourishing our collective spirit. Dalton’s community of adaptable, resilient, and thoughtful learners brings light and joy to my day—and reminds me of the boundless possibilities and promise ahead as we prepare our remarkable students to go forth unafraid.
Alums Reflect on Their Dalton Education at Dalton’s Professional Development Day
l to r: Elizabeth Angeles ’09, Arun Yang ’06, Alex Marson ’97, Marguerite Zabar Mariscal ’07, Ashley LaLonde ’16, Babby Krents ’68, Nicholas Lechich ’06
Five Alumni spanning 25 years returned to the Martin Theater to reflect on their Dalton education and its impact on their lives at February’s Professional Development Day for faculty and staff. Director of the Helen Parkhurst Institute
Babby Krents ’68 introduced the panelists, and Director of Alumni Relations Nicholas Lechich ’06 served as moderator.
Babby and Nick extended a warm welcome to panelists Elizabeth Angeles ’09, a consultant who leads a practice that partners with organizations to design and implement change initiatives and an Adjunct Professor at NYU’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service; Ashley LaLonde ’16, a professional actor, singer, and dancer who was recently seen in the hit Broadway musical Hamilton on the national tour; Marguerite Zabar Mariscal ’07, the CEO of Momofuku, who oversees the brand’s growth across restaurants and Momofuku Goods, a line of restaurant-grade home cooking products; Alex Marson ’97, a Professor of Medicine at the University of California and Founding Director of the Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology; and Arun Yang ’06, a Regional Vice President at Salesforce, a global technology company.
To kick off the discussion, Nick asked the panelists to share what they remember most clearly about Dalton. They said it was “like college for kids”; “a rigorous school with lots of room for exploration.” It offered “a progressive education with moderate beliefs” and was “about the joy of learning with an emphasis on critical thinking.”
The Dalton Plan
The discussion turned to The Dalton Plan, and the group shared memories about the impact of House, Lab, and Assignment on their academic and personal development.
One of the panelists opted to read up on the Dalton Plan on the plane en route to New York in preparation. “This thing that seemed natural to me as a student was intentional. Teachers went from being authority figures to trusted guides; it was not about being spoon-fed knowledge but being guided.”
Another panelist appreciated the silo-busting, crossgrade dynamics of House. This environment “made me
confident to navigate college and comfortable reaching out to colleagues professionally.” Another observed that a House Advisor was “like your parent at school…a safe adult guiding, not grading or judging you.”
Lab “gave me a scaffold to carve out my own path, explore different parts of my personality, and grow in confidence.” During Lab students could “seek guidance, have conversations, and explore curiosities beyond specific assignments.” A panelist shared that Lab made them “comfortable speaking with professors in college at office hours and setting up informational interviews to further their professional life.”
Alums noted that the Assignment was an opportunity to create interdisciplinary projects that fed into their specific interests.
College and Career Preparation
Panelists agreed that Dalton led them to rewarding college experiences and careers:
One panelist, who helped organize a high school Civil Rights symposium, said the sense of ownership and responsibility carried with her to college and professionally. “I think most of my job is critical thinking. Dalton pushed you to always have a perspective and to bring something to the conversation.”
Another Alum saw a direct line from his educational journey in Dr. Fenton’s middle school Science class and Mr. Schollenberger’s Advanced Biology class and trip to Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory to his work now in medical research. These experiences “got me to think like a biologist.”
One Alum noted that Dalton’s arts program is unmatched in New York; she said teachers showed up to out-of-school performances, and this support was important for a burgeoning arts career.
For another panelist, Dalton’s Internship program was a game-changer. His different internships provided invaluable career exploration, helping him first to identify what he didn’t want to do.
All of the panelists learned how to leverage resources and ask for assistance; no one was out of reach, and this opened doors: “Asking for help has served me in my career since Dalton.”
A recurring theme was the strong sense of community and teachers’ willingness to go above and beyond to support their students. Dalton gave students the freedom “to create and design our own high school experience; teachers were co-designers,” and it fostered a school culture that emphasized having “mutual respect and admiration” for each other.
The joy of open-ended discovery started at Dalton—the learning came from conversations in House and class. The panelists agreed that as Dalton students, they valued and appreciated “being treated like a whole person and as adults.” Teachers “led with encouragement, not criticism.” To this day, one recalls the affirming advice on keeping perspective from a teacher, after a disappointing test score, “Who you are and what you become is what matters.”
Alumni Spotlight: Going Forth Unafraid
by Jordan Roter ’93
When I started attending The Dalton School as a three-year-old in the nursery school (yes, Dalton had nursery back in the dark ages), I’m pretty confident that I did not understand what our school motto, “go forth unafraid” meant.
I probably thought I did as a pretty precocious three-year-old, but I didn’t . . . not really. By the time I graduated from Dalton fifteen years later, headed to Brown University, I felt I had a better understanding. Certainly, my move across the country to Los Angeles to become a writer in 1999 was going forth unafraid?
But looking back now, I realize I didn’t fully understand the school motto until I became a mother. And what happened when I became a mother was that one thing became very clear: it doesn’t actually matter whether you are afraid or not—as a mother, you just have to go forth—for yourself, sure, but especially for your offspring/partner/spouse/mahjongg group/ domesticated animal pet, etc. And it’s this notion that inspired my new novel, Moms Like Us, which is a satire about the daunting-ridiculous-exhaustingcompetitive-supportive-cringey-sometimes-rewardingbut-often-not experience of motherhood and the sometimes-leaning-in-sometimes-toxic-alwaysentertaining “mommunity” of female friendships in this day and age.
My journey as a writer began at Dalton. It was the place where I was exposed to—and fell in love with— great literature. I remember the first time I read authors like Faulkner, Morrison, Hemingway, Salinger, Wharton, Shakespeare (to name a few). I was that girl with the hand always raised (often not waiting to be called on) who just loved having spirited conversations about fiction with my teachers and peers.
But reading the works of some of the greatest writers of all time could also be really daunting for me, a teenage girl who dreamed of becoming a writer herself but didn’t see herself or hear her voice in any of these works. I wondered if I would ever be able to write so lyrically, to write with so much depth? I wondered if what I wrote would ever be anywhere near as important as what I was reading. We read The Old Man and The Sea . . . and all I could think was, do I write “the Teenage Girl and the East River?” And who would want to read that?
What Dalton taught me, showed me, was that the most important thing I can have as a writer and as a person is belief in myself. This amazing thing happens when you stop judging yourself, your ideas, your writing, and your experiences. You find your own voice. Mine could make people laugh. And, for me, not much is better than that. So, I hope, if you have a chance to read Moms Like Us, it will make you laugh, and maybe help you feel less alone as many of us go forth unafraid through mid-life.
Community
Close to 600 Attend
Dalton Carnival: Spring Benefit 2025 to Support Our School!
Dalton’s community “stepped right up” and supported the Dalton Carnival: Spring Benefit 2025 on April 10, 2025. Thanks to our generous community members— including underwriter and raffle ticket purchasers— the school raised an impressive $525,000.
During this fun, interactive evening at Guastavino’s, close to 600 attendees enjoyed classic carnival decor, games, entertainment, delicious food and drinks (including the “Dalton-rita”), a DJ and dancing.
We’re grateful to Benefit Chairs Karen Lee, Holly Speyer Lipton ’91, Arielle Tepper ’90, and Art Director Melanie Kefalidis Kantor ’99 for their invaluable behindthe-scenes support and vision. A standing ovation to Program Director Randi Sloan, and our thanks to the Publicity and Raffle committees.
A big thank you to Odetta Hartman ’07 and Camellia Hartman ’12 who performed in the amazing Carnival Blues/Folk band, and the many enthusiatic students— Tessa Chaet ’25, Cole Corper ’25, Hannah Diker ’25, Josie Hsieh ’26, Madeleine Ford ’25, Lucas Jacobs ’25, Amalia Locker-Olesker ’26, Nora Meade ’27, Stella Miller ’26, Felix Norris-Lindsay ’25, Gemma Parnell-Richardson ’27, Oliver Putzer ’25, David Sebisaho ’25, Miles Weinberg ’30, and Maya Yamada ’27—who ran the classic carnival games, juggled, performed magic tricks, read tarot cards, told fortunes, drew caricatures . . . and more, all night long!
“Not only was this standout evening a lot of fun, it exemplified the power of collaboration and the tremendous can-do spirit of our community,” said Head of School José M. De Jesús. “My thanks to our students, alums, parents, faculty and staff who came together and made this festive night truly special.”
l to r: Chair Holly Speyer Lipton ’91, Board President Erica Klein, Head of School José M. De Jesús, Chair Karen Lee, Chair Arielle Tepper ’90
From
to
and
magicians
fortune-telling
live music and dancing, the Dalton community enjoyed a fun, engaging evening.
The Dalton Journal
Dalton Names Dr. Shira Kohn as Assistant Head of School
Following a nationwide search, Dr. Shira Kohn was appointed Dalton’s next Assistant Head of School and will step into this role on July 1.
Shira has been a devoted member of the community for eight years teaching in the History Department, serving as a House Advisor, and engaging with the life of the school in many important ways, including leading two Dalton Global Initiative (DGI) trips—one to Korea and one to the American South—and sitting on key committees such as the Faculty and Staff Life Committee of the Board of Trustees and the Helen Parkhurst Institute Advisory Board. She brings a terrific combination of intelligence, passion for education, and knowledge of our school to this role, serving brilliantly in her capacity as Faculty Association President for the past four years.
Before Dalton, Shira taught at Spence for one year and was the Associate Dean of Graduate and Undergraduate Studies at the Jewish Theological Seminary. Shira earned her B.A. from The Ohio State University and her Ph.D. in History and Hebrew & Judaic Studies from New York University. Shira is the parent of Ari ’32 and Yael.
Head of School José M. De Jesús said, “I’m excited about how Shira will help our school move forward in the years ahead.” Next year, he will work with Shira to develop a plan to attend to her K-12 priorities including overseeing scope and sequence, leading professional growth, and managing key strategic plan initiatives.
“I am thrilled to step into this new position. It’s an exciting moment for me, but also for Dalton as we continue to enact our new Strategic Plan. At its core, it is dedicated to making Dalton the best version of itself for the students, employees, and families who pass through its (crowded) hallways.” said Shira. “My passion for teaching students, advocating for faculty, and partnering with José, administrators, and members of the Board of Trustees, will now be expanded into serving the whole Dalton community. There is no place I would rather be and I am eager to help ensure that everyone finds a home—or should I say a House—at Dalton.”
I am thrilled to step into this new position. It’s an exciting moment for me, but also for Dalton as we continue to enact our new Strategic Plan. At its core, it is dedicated to making Dalton the best version of itself for the students, employees, and families who pass through its (crowded) hallways.
—Shira Kohn, Assistant Head of School
StudioWorks Showcases Student-Led Dances
StudioWorks, an informal, high-spirited annual dance performance, highlights students’ current assignments in different dance classes, offering a glimpse of what happens during the year while providing an opportunity to perform. In February, these student-led dances featured diverse choreographic styles and movement genres. Students enjoyed the chance to share their unique voices with the school community.
Three Students Join Dalton Basketball’s
1,000-Point
Club
Three Dalton Tigers reached a milestone achievement in their basketball careers this year, scoring 1,000 points. Junior Noah Khalid ’26 and seniors Izzy Wesley ’25 and Nyla Blake-Soden ’25 all crossed this mark this season.
Noah did so in January, scoring his 1,000th career point against Riverdale. He became only the third Tiger to reach this mark during his Junior year, joining Ryan Ewers ’95 and Mary Ashley Stevenson ’23. Breaking the 1,000-point mark is a significant achievement, but doing this in just 2.5 seasons is extraordinary. Noah’s older brother, Ayden Khalid ’24, also reached 1,000 points last season!
For the 2024–2025 season, Noah averaged 25 points per game and led the Boys team to one of their best seasons in years. Their thrilling postseason run in the NYSAIS Class B Tournament included defeating previously undefeated No. 1 seed Poly Prep in the semifinals before falling short against New York State powerhouse Albany Academy in the championship game.
The Dalton Girls Basketball team featured a pair of seniors who crossed the 1,000-point threshold. Senior Izzy Wesley ’25 etched her name in school history by scoring her 1,000th career point in December in a game against Poly Prep. Two months later, Nyla Blake-Soden ’25 reached the 1,000-point milestone on the team’s Senior Night in their final regular-season home game.
Over their four years, Izzy and Nyla have been the driving force behind the Girls Varsity Basketball program’s dynastic run. The two led the team to their fourth consecutive NYSAIS championship this year with another dominant season, finishing 25-1. Over the past four years, the team has won 95 of 101 games, including a perfect 48-0 record in league play. This season also saw the team achieve a remarkable feat, extending their winning streak from 38 games at the start of the season to 58, the second-longest in New York State history. Dalton also finished the season as New York’s No. 1 Class A team, as ranked by the New York State Sportswriters Association, for the second consecutive year.
Wesley and Blake-Soden will graduate from Dalton as two of the most accomplished multi-sport athletes in the school’s history. Both will continue their athletic careers at Brown University, with Wesley playing on the Women’s Basketball team and Blake-Soden joining the Track & Field program.
The Unafraid Project: HS Political Action Club and Professor of Political Science Samuel Abrams P’37 in Conversation During MS Assembly
With divisiveness and polarization on the rise, The Unafraid Project, an initiative from Dalton’s Strategic Plan 2030, is providing our students with the skills needed to engage with others on difficult subject matter—especially those with whom they disagree.
At its core, The Unafraid Project is about civil discourse—establishing a culture within our school and equipping our entire community with the skills necessary to courageously discuss and tackle the most difficult topics while maintaining what matters: each other’s dignity and right to self-expression.
As part of The Unafraid Project, Samuel Abrams P’37, professor of political science at Sarah Lawrence College, and three Senior student heads of the Political Action Club (PAC) hosted a guided conversation at a 6th-8th grade Middle School Assembly.
Head of School José M. De Jesús introduced the principles of critical inquiry and ideological pluralism that guide The Unafraid Project while High School History Teacher Dr. David Davidson shared the central learning objectives for the assembly.
Building upon themes introduced during the Middle School Election Teach-In earlier this year, the assembly focused on the outcome of the 2024 national election and the recent changes made by the current Trump Administration. Central objectives included further understanding of the American government structure and our election process, and promoting interest and engagement in civic affairs among our Middle School students.
Professor of Political Science Samuel Abrams P’37 and three Senior student heads of the HS Political Action Club on the Martin Theater stage at a MS Assembly
Big Dalton and Little Dalton Students Compare Neighborhood Studies
by Tess Harris ’26
Students from the high school elective “The City in History” taught by High School History Teacher
Jennifer Stolper Muenz visited the Second grade class taught by Deborah Semel Bingham ’82.
Since both curricula involve a New York City neighborhood study, the visit was a chance to connect across grades over a shared Assignment. Each Big Dalton student was paired up with two secondgraders, and the groups talked about their respective neighborhood visits and then shared highlights from their conversations, noting the similarities and differences between NYC neighborhoods.
En-Capsulating Dalton’s History
The Seniors in High School History teacher Dr. Shira Kohn’s history elective, “Going Forth Unafraid: The History of Dalton,” embarked upon a three-part study of the school’s archive. Dalton Archivist Kris Santos partnered with Shira to introduce students to the custodianship, curation, and examination of Dalton’s incredible artifacts and organizational collections.
In the first Archive class, Kris gave each student a text or photograph with no identifying information and asked them to figure out how the various artifacts might be part of a unifying, single collection. It turned out that the Seniors were looking at the contents of a 1929 time capsule placed in the foundational stone of the school’s current 89th Street location!
These artifacts provided insight into what students and adults of early Dalton thought were important to impart about their Dalton experiences to future generations. This prompted students to discuss what objects they might put in a time capsule if they conducted a similar exercise in 2025.
High School students explored Greece—including Mycenae (pictured), Palamidi, Olympia, and Delphi—as part of the Dalton Global Initiative (DGI) program.
The Wigwam Project: Creativity,
Collaboration, and Community
This past summer, Jessica Barton, a 3rd Grade Advisor in House 44, found inspiration in a kindergartenled planetarium project at The Dalton School of Japan. Designed to offer students an immersive way to explore astronomy, this project fostered curiosity and a deeper understanding of celestial concepts— and it inspired Jessica to bring a similarly engaging, hands-on experience to her classroom.
Instead of an astronomy focus, she reimagined the design as a wigwam—an intentional choice that connected seamlessly to her students’ Indigenous Peoples project. The wigwam project would be an opportunity to connect culturally and reflect on the craftsmanship and resourcefulness of Indigenous Peoples. More than just a structure, the wigwam would bring history to life in the classroom, also serving as a peace corner and a focused learning space.
Jessica collaborated with Daniel Cruz, First Program Educational Technologist, and House 44 Associate Morgan Waggoner. Jessica and Daniel had partnered on a successful project the previous year, designing and fabricating a scale model of a 17th-century Dutch dollhouse for the class’s New Amsterdam Archaeology unit.
Drawing inspiration from Jessica’s photographs from her visit to Japan, the team first created a prototype using Magna-Tiles, a familiar classroom tool that helped them visualize the structure’s design. They built a small-scale model of the wigwam and then measured the available classroom space to determine how much larger the classroom wigwam could be. They utilized familiar mathematical concepts to ensure accuracy in the final life-sized structure. Daniel then produced a larger cardboard model using the laser cutter from Big Dalton’s Engineering facility to provide a precise template for the full-scale structure. The final design featured an octagonal base with rectangular sides and a combination of trapezoids and triangles forming the roof.
Third grader Claire Webanck was so inspired by the project that, while working on a final culminating Assignment about the Lenape People of New York, she had a Lab with Jessica to create her own miniature version of the wigwam. “When creating my own wigwam, I first looked at the shapes and thought about how to recreate it. I’m a visual learner, so it helped me to make my own, and without realizing it, it reinforced my math skills!”
Other students use the installation as a peace space. “Having the wigwam in House 44 is exciting because I can actually go inside and bring my learning to life. The space is calm and makes it easier to focus if I need a quiet spot in the classroom,” shared Arman McCumber.
Looking ahead, Jessica and Daniel hope to explore how engineering and design can bring other parts of the curriculum to life. They are excited about the potential to continue blending creativity, hands-on learning, and cross-disciplinary connections in future innovative projects.
left: Planetarium project at The Dalton School in Japan right: Wigwam project in House 44
MS Climate Emergency Group Leaders Share
Priorities on the Head of School’s Podcast
In his podcast “José Makes a Lab,” the 7th grade leaders of the Dalton Climate Emergency Group—Teddy Pitluck ’30, Julian Silverman ’30, and Tomas Gudmundsson ’30— spoke about their priorities with the Head of School
José M. De Jesús.
Teddy, Julian, and Tomas have been keeping busy: They talked to fifth graders about the importance of participating in the 89th Street building’s composting and recycling program and advocating by writing letters to local politicians urging climate change initiatives. They also worked with peers, teachers, and administrators to share ideas and discuss possible changes at school and have educated the community in multiple ways, including a highly motivating Middle School Assembly.
In this conversation (edited for clarity and length), the students discuss the evolution of their group and elaborate on climate change beliefs and attitudes, energy use in the school’s rooms, and recycling programs.
José: Why did you get so passionate about this issue at such a young age?
Tomas: There was definitely a need to work on this and improve the outlook for human society as a whole.
Julian : A major reason this group exists is to help our community and see what we can do to make a change.
Teddy: Our Science teacher Dr. Fenton taught us about climate change in 6th grade, and he was very accommodating when we asked for more information to go deeper into it.
José: Was there anything you heard or read that led you to think, “I have to do something!”
Julian : I remember Dr. Fenton saying that young people can convince other people to make a change. And that stuck with me.
Tomas: When I heard Greta Thunberg talk with so much conviction and fear about what could happen, it set me off. I thought: We need to do something about this issue.
Teddy: I have some family living in California, and I was worried about them during the first series of bad wildfires. They weren’t in danger, but it made me think climate change is real.
José: How did you go from thinking about these big existential challenges to thinking about your school?
Teddy: We wanted people to know that climate change was a big deal, and then figure out how much they wanted to do or were already doing. Our survey showed that everybody knew and was willing to do quite a bit, but actually wasn’t doing much. So we thought, okay, we need to give them ways they can help fight climate change such as composting and recycling, building temperatures, and walking to P.E. instead of taking a bus.
Julian : That reminds me of the expression: You need to learn how to walk before you can run. We’ve made changes at Dalton, and we want to get into the big leagues. If we can change our school, then we can change the world.
José: What are you working on to inspire and help our community be more responsible?
Tomas: In New York, only about 18% of recyclable plastic gets recycled, which is abysmal. So we’re trying to fix that.
Teddy: We’re also trying to address the temperature of the building. We measured classroom temperatures with an infrared gun, and the average temperature is like 24 degrees Celsius—about six or seven degrees above the maximum recommended room temperature. This is a massive waste of energy—people get too hot and then we use AC to cool it off. Survey respondents said classroom temperatures are unpredictable and they carry around layers.
José: What else are you working on?
Tomas: We’re going to send paper letters to representatives who may be opposed to a certain climate bill or are on the fence.
Teddy: One really good national bill died in Congress a few years ago. It was on, I think, requiring all vehicles to be fuel-efficient (carbon-neutral) by 2030. We want to try to get people to send letters to the representative who sponsored the bill to try and bring it back.
Julian : We started this fun activity in art class to recycle paper which is being implemented this year. You take a bunch of paper, put water in a blender, grind it up, and then use it like clay to make shapes.
José: You mentioned Dr. Fenton earlier. I’m wondering about his impact on the work you’re doing, and his role for you as a group, but also individually?
Julian : Without Dr. Fenton, we would not be where we are right now. He’s helped us with many different scenarios and is just one of the best teachers we’ve had.
Tomas: He’s had an immeasurable impact on our group in a super positive way. We’ve made so much progress because of his help.
José: Has this work impacted what you think about your future, personally? And if you had an unbelievable amount of power, what would help us move the needle in fighting climate change?
Tomas: Obviously, climate change is not going to go away. I read a really good book by Bill Gates, How to Avoid a Climate Disaster. Stopping carbon emissions from all sectors is very important. Investing in new technologies that aren’t as far along as other technologies (like solar and wind are very far along) could help us become a carbon-neutral country.
Teddy: I do hope that acting on climate change will impact my life in the future. Whether I become a climate scientist, an activist, or work in government, I would love to make an impact for the rest of my life.
Julian : It’s gonna definitely impact me in the future. We’re getting our education here, so that’s gonna stick with us for the rest of our lives.
José: Is there anything that you’ve learned about yourself as a result of these efforts?
Teddy: I’ve learned that I actually like public speaking when I’m talking about something that I’m passionate about.
Julian : I’ve learned if the three of us could do it, then other grades and other kids can do it, too. People helping us means a lot to us because it shows that they care and can help us make a difference.
Tomas: I like having something I’m passionate about and fighting for it.
José: Where does your optimism come from that makes you feel like you want to do something?
Teddy: I take it one day at a time. If I can make progress on this day and the next day, who knows how much progress we can make in the future?
Tomas: If there is a possibility that it can be changed, it must be changed especially when so many people are passionate about it.
José: You call yourselves the Climate Emergency Group, which is a powerful statement. Is there anything that we haven’t covered that you’d like to share?
Julian : People should care because this is our Earth, and as climate activists we’re trying to save it. It’s up to the younger generations to make a difference.
Teddy: There is no Planet B. We have one Earth. We have to protect it.
Scan to listen to “José Makes a Lab” podcast.
Journalism at Dalton
By Christine Leja, High School English Teacher
When I became Faculty Advisor to The Daltonian in 2017, I inherited the Journalism Seminar with it. My predecessor, former Dalton History teacher Stephen Mak, described JSem to me as “an afterschool newsroom hangout for Daltonian kids.” Over pizza, we discussed current events, hosted guest speakers, and attended a live broadcast of “ABC World News Tonight with David Muir.” Attendance, however, remained low. More students needed access, and that meant integrating journalism into the Dalton curriculum.
With the support of Celeste Herrera, then Head of the High School, the Journalism Seminar became a semester-long course in 2019, open to all students in grades 9–12. Because of the field’s ever-changing landscape, there’s always something new to understand. With that mindset, and to allow students to take the course multiple times, the focus of the course changes yearly. Past topics include Investigative Reporting, Covering Climate Change, and Journalism and Social Media.
In early 2023, a conversation with past Daltonian Editor-in-Chief Shravya Pant ’22 helped me realize one course wasn’t enough. As a reporter for The Daily Northwestern, Shravya told me, “We don’t really teach students how to do journalism at Dalton.” As The Daltonian advisor, I’m proud of our robust mentoring program and rigorous, student-led editing process. What we needed, however, was a Journalism 101 course. Introduction to Journalism made its debut in the fall of that year, covering technical skills like interviewing techniques and how to write a nut graf
As a teacher, I aim to prepare students for the world beyond Dalton. After the critical role student journalists played covering campus protests last year, I knew the topic for this year’s Journalism Seminar had to be “Journalism on Campus.” Together, we’ve waded into the murky ethics of free speech on campus, heard from student editors-in-chief whose reporters were arrested, and discussed what objectivity means when you’re covering your own community. As they enter an increasingly polarized and uncertain world, I want my students to have tools not just to navigate that world but to improve it.
When I asked my current students why they signed up for JSem, they presented a range of perspectives. Some, like Amaya Ramanan ’28, “wanted to learn about the ethical and moral challenges that journalists face, not just in writing but finding and reporting truthfully.” Others, like Ariana Reyes ’25, are considering a career in the field: “As a student journalist who’s interested in pursuing journalism on the college level and potentially a professional level, I’ve taken Journalism Seminar this year and Intro to Journalism last year in order to learn as much as I can. Even as an Editor-in-Chief of The Daltonian, there’s still so much for me to learn. I’m honestly just grateful that I attend a high school where I can do that.”
Giving Highlights
Annual Fund Year-End Approaches on June 30: All Gifts Help!
Whether you are making your first gift to Dalton—or have supported our school for decades—we are grateful to Dalton community members who are investing in our students’ transformative education.
All community members who make a philanthropic gift to Dalton from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025, will be included in our printed Fall Giving Report, which will be mailed to homes. You can contribute online at www.dalton.org/give, scan the QR code below, or use the enclosed postage-paid envelope.
Thank you to our more than 100 Annual Fund volunteers, whose outreach helps us reach our fundraising and participation goals. A special shoutout to Annual Fund Parent Chairs Nicole Sambur, Debra Singer, and Tracy Weber-Thomas and Alumni Council Committee Chairs David Cremin ’78 and Lizzie Sacks ’08 for their dedicated leadership.
If you have any questions, please contact Director of the Annual Fund Brigid Berger, bberger@dalton.org, 212-423-5458.
Alums Make Dalton’s Giving Day 05-05-25 a GRRReat Success
Thanks, Alumni community, for “going forth and giving back” with us! This was an impressive team effort. We exceeded our initial goal of 250 donors, unlocking a $100,000 Annual Fund contribution, and then continued to a new challenge for an additional $10,000. We ended the day with 319 donors from all over the country (and even parts of Europe!) with donors spanning the Classes of 1949–2024.
Senior Families: Help Us Reach 100% Participation for the Senior Class Gift by June 30!
With graduation around the corner, this is an exciting time for Dalton Seniors. Thank you to the Senior families who have contributed to the Senior Class Gift, so far. Help us continue the Class of 2025’s impressive track record of reaching 100% participation—or close to it—since Kindergarten! We hope you will support this initiative—gifts of all sizes make a difference!
Our Seniors selected the Class of 2025 Endowed Financial Assistance Fund as their legacy gift to help keep the Dalton experience accessible to students from all socioeconomic backgrounds. Dalton allocates approximately $14 million for financial assistance each year, impacting 20% of Dalton students. Your support will help Dalton continue to enroll talented, qualified students, regardless of financial means.
To contribute online, visit www.dalton.org/seniorgift or scan the QR code to the left. For senior families, the Advancement Office will allocate your gift as follows: 25% to the Senior Class Gift and 75% to the Annual Fund, unless you specify otherwise. You can also mail a check (made out to The Dalton School) using the enclosed postage-paid envelope.
Parent volunteers at the December Annual Fund Phonathon
Tiger Design by April Kim Tonin ’88
Alumni Notebook
Dalton Welcomes Alumni at Gathering in Washington, DC
Dalton’s Advancement team was delighted to welcome 20 Washington, DC-area Alums to a gathering on Monday evening, January 27. Attendees included alums from the Classes of 1969–2024 who enjoyed catching up with each other and Dalton’s Alumni and Advancement team members.
Director of Alumni Relations Nicholas Lechich ’06 greeted the alums and announced six lucky raffle winners who received fun prizes. Raffle Winners: Dalton baseball cap—Ari Bassin ’94, Charles Moskowitz ’96; Dalton Tote—Annette Miller ’69, Tyra Walker ’08, Colette Midulla ’14; “Big Ticket” Prize, City-State Brewing Tour and Tasting for Two from James Warner ’93, Brewery CEO—Christopher Jenkins ’89.
An enthusiastic group of 20 alumni and guests—our largest turnout yet!—from the Classes of 1952–1978 enjoyed a guided tour of The Morgan Library & Museum on Wednesday, March 5. They learned about J.P. Morgan’s vast collection and the extraordinary inaugural director, Belle da Costa Greene (1879–1950). Thank you to the Dalton Alumni Council Senior Committee for hosting this and other events and outings for Alumni 65 years and older. Email alumni@dalton.org if you’re interested in helping to plan Senior Alumni Committee events.
Senior Alumni Committee Hosts Visit to The Morgan Library & Museum
The Dalton Alumni Council hosted a Purim Party on Thursday, March 6. Almost 80 community members gathered to celebrate, including 27 alumni and students from the Classes of 1968–2025, and some parents of alumni.
The program featured hamantaschen baking with homemade fillings—spiced lekvar, orange apricot, and raspberry rose—in the Teaching Kitchen with faculty members Dustin Atlas and Charlie Forster Stewert, and the Student Representative from the Alumni Council Daniel Wagman ’25. The children in attendance also enjoyed fun arts and crafts activities, including grogger (noisemaker) painting and basket weaving.
A special thanks to Maxime Glass Harnik ’05 and Joseph Franken ’03 for their contributions to the planning effort and coordination with David Cremin ’78, Jennifer Glickel ’04, Liam Glass ’15, Alexis Feldman Olinsky ’00, Jillian Saperstein ’04, Joshua Sills ’06, and Nick Silvers ’94.
Homemade Hamantaschen and More at the Alumni Purim Party
BIPOC Alumni Affinity Gathering in Brooklyn
The Alumni Office partnered with the Alumni Council to host a BIPOC alumni affinity event on March 13 at Harriet’s Rooftop & Lounge at the 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge. Attendees enjoyed a wonderful evening of connection, delicious food and drinks, and spectacular panoramic sunset views of lower Manhattan.
Almost 30 alumni, spanning graduating classes from 1995–2020, had the opportunity to catch up with Alumni Council President Wynter Appel-Lastarria ’11, Vice-President Arun Yang ’06, and faculty and staff members, including High School Librarian Roxanne Feldman; HS Equity & Belonging Coordinator Derek Lipscomb; Director of Human Resources Tiffany Doyle; Director of Alumni Relations Nicholas Lechich ’06, Associate Director of Alumni Relations Debbie Freeman, and Chief Advancement Officer L. J. Mitchell.
Warren Hines ’88— A Night of Competition and Community
The Phys. Ed. Center was packed on Friday night, January 31 with enthusiastic students filling the stands clad in Dalton Blue for the annual Warren Hines ’88 Night. This winter sports season highlight featured exciting matchups in Girls and Boys Varsity and JV Basketball, Varsity Wrestling, and Varsity Squash (offsite).
This annual event honors the legacy of Warren Hines ’88, a Dalton student-athlete remembered for his team spirit, commitment, and kindness. Proceeds from the night support the Warren Hines Scholarship Fund.
Dalton Seeks Internships for Young Alums and HS Students
Thanks to our dedicated parents and Alumni, Dalton runs a robust internship program for High School students and young Alums. Internships help students broaden their experiences through mentorships, and employers have motivated, creative, and capable interns eager to contribute to your organization.
If you know about an internship opportunity at your organization or through a professional network, simply share it with us, and we take it from there! Providing internships is one of the many ways our parents and Alumni can help make Dalton a transformative experience for our students and young Alumni. Please email internships@dalton.org with questions or internship ideas.
Class Notes
1943
Barbara Beller Seligmann b.seligmann@verizon.net
1953
Ann Salfeld Lewyn annslewyn@aol.com
1956
George Liebmann’s latest book, The Age of Biden, published on January 20, 2025, is a collection of more than a hundred op-ed pieces and letters on public affairs written during the Biden administration, 2020–2024. Included is an appreciation of Jefferson’s contribution to the American polity.
1958
Whitman Knapp wknapp@gtbinsights.com
1959
Marjorie Cohen Scharfspitz marjorol@hotmail.com
1960
Edwin Stern ehs111@aol.com
1962
Ann Tanenbaum anntanenbaum44@gmail.com
1963
Mary Bartos marybartos@gmail.com
1964
Thea Volpe-Browne thealbrowne@gmail.com
Julie Gilbert: My new book, Giant Love, is all about my great aunt, Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist and playwright Edna Ferber, her journey in writing her novel Giant, and the subsequent blockbuster movie of the same name. Ferber, who always went “forth unafraid,” was a defender of all civil liberties. Her novels and short stories reflect the good, bad, and ugly about America, all the while upholding the notion of the American Dream. When I was seven, eight, and nine, her novel Giant, followed by George Stevens’ movie of the same name, took center stage in our Upper East Side apartment. My parents and I—and some of my Dalton chums— breathed the rarified air of a bestselling novel and a megahit movie starring Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, and James Dean. Many decades later, I decided to write a book covering that glamorous and extraordinary time. Giant Love, published by Pantheon this past December, is a personal exploration of a classic. I can only hope that fellow Daltonians read my book, see the movie, and then read Edna Ferber’s novel—in other words: live the Giant experience. If you do, and even if not, I would love to hear from my Dalton classmates so that we can catch up.
Garrett Glaser : “It’s been a busy few years. In 2020, after Covid came, David and I left New York and moved to Portland, Maine. A great town for foodies. We loved it but, eventually, grew tired of freezing and moved to sunny San Diego for retirement. We now live a few blocks from the ocean and are decidedly happier. The big news for me is that, finally, after more than a decade of work, my memoir is finished. It’s called Fairyboy: Growing Up Gay and Out in Pre-Stonewall New York and Beyond Fairyboy is two things: stories of growing up as an out gay kid in Manhattan in the 1960s, and highlights and lowlights of 30 years in the TV news business. My Dalton years figure prominently in the book. You’ll find Fairyboy on Amazon. com. I did the narration; hope you like it.
1972
Ellen M. Iseman emitqo@aol.com
Jonathan Miller jonathan.david.miller@verizon.net
1973
Gita Mehta gmehta1148@gmail.com
Sally Nirenberg Sampson : ChopChop Family, the non-profit organization I started with Steven Slon ’70 , turns 15 this year. Our mission is to enrich the lives of families by inspiring them to learn fundamental skills for a full life. We believe that if children learn healthy habits when they are young, they will build and maintain healthy lifestyles into their teenage and adult years. Our flagship product, ChopChop The Fun Cooking Magazine for Families, is the winner of a James Beard Publication of the Year Award. Published in Spanish and English and vetted and endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, ChopChop teaches kids and their families how (and why) to cook and eat real, nourishing food. It is filled with delicious recipes, essential how-to’s, STEAM activities, and more. We are proud to collaborate with hospitals, schools, after-school programs, Indigenous Nations, departments of health and education, community action partnerships, Head Start, WIC and SNAP, and Food Banks, and other organizations that have a stake in childhood health. We distribute in every state and 22 countries. In addition to magazines and cookbooks, the ChopChop Family brand includes the Eatable Alphabet, digital content, and cooking curricula, reaching over three million families yearly. Feel free to reach out to me for more information at sally@chopchopfamily.org or www.chopchopfamily.org.
Lazy-Daisy Breakfast Cake Peas, Snow Peas, and Snap Peas are springing up everywhere!
Garrett Glaser ’70 : In the book cover photo, I’m wearing the Dalton sweatshirt I designed in 1967 for the Joint Business Committee.
1974
Sita Sarna princesssita@me.com
1976
Maude Bryt mmbe@bcn.net
1978
David Cremin david@frontiervc.com
Linda Saxl Minton purpleny@verizon.net
Ivy Abrams Silverman ivy.abrams@usa.net
John Levy: This photo is of me and my partner, Susan, at my stepson Nathan Anderson’s wedding in October 2023.
1979
Kenneth Lane kglane@mac.com
1980
Stephen Hermanos stevehermanos@yahoo.com
Christopher Lee chrisleedalton@yahoo.com
Kathy Dicks McNicoll km1@dalton.org
Leslie Weingarten Singer lsinger@bhsusa.com
1981
Jonathan Weintraub weintraubjonathan@gmail.com
Congratulations to Mark Osherow, an accomplished attorney with Osherow, PLLC, whose publication Do Good, Feel Good: That’s My Religion was published on Amazon, January 2025. Another publication, Florida Litigation Guide: Tools, Strategies, and Key Principles for Clients and Lawyers was published on Amazon, November 2024. Mark also shares his legal expertise on a blog.
1982
Lisa Podos lpodos@yahoo.com
David Silver jdcsilver@gmail.com
1983
Peter Buttenwieser petermsa@hotmail.com
Marci Kenon coachmarcinyc@gmail.com
Joan Barzilay Freund : My latest book, Defining Style: The Book of Interior Design (published by Phaidon, March 2025), looks at 25 interior design styles through the eyes of 150 of the world’s top designers. The book is meant to be used as both a source of inspiration and a primer on ways to make a home feel eminently personal.
Log in to dalton.org for photos, upcoming events, alumni news & more!
1984
Melissa Dunst Lipman melissa.dunst@cnn.com
Alan Pardee alanpardee123@gmail.com
Abigail Scheuer abigailscheuer@gmail.com
Charles Simon charlesasimon@mac.com
1985 Joshua Olesker joshua.olesker@gmail.com
1986
Jeffrey Bernstein jeff@simplysports.net
Jimmy Frischling jimmy@brandedstrategic.com
1987
Gabrielle Zaklad Levene
40 W 67th St Apt 3D New York, NY 10023-6231
1989 Michael Shuman michael@4f.io
Lili Rosenberg Siegelson lili@siegelson.com
1990
Doug Feinberg— who has covered women’s basketball for nearly 20 years—was inducted into the U.S. Basketball Writers Association Hall of Fame Class at the Final Four in Tampa. He celebrated with family and friends, including his brother Jeremy ’88 . Doug, who has coached at Dalton for the past 31 years, joined the AP in 1995 and has covered women’s hoops since 2006, including oversight of the AP Top 25 women’s basketball poll.
“For me, the thing about Doug that stands out alongside his immersive coverage of women’s basketball is the care and joy he takes in doing it,” said Dave Zelio, an assistant sports editor for the AP who oversees college sports.
“He loves the sport, loves the athletes and the coaches, and that leads to good and thoughtful journalism.” Coaches and players throughout pro, college, and international women’s basketball
have recognized Feinberg’s passion for the sport and trusted him to tell their stories.
His coverage of Brittney Griner’s 10-month imprisonment in Russia was AP Sports’ Story of the Year in 2022. He joined the New York Liberty in 2023 for a cross-country trek to highlight the challenges players like 6-foot-4 Breanna Stewart faced on commercial flights and has highlighted pay disparities between men’s and women’s referees.
Feinberg has been there for women’s basketball’s biggest moments—including Morgan William’s Final Four OT jumper in 2017 that ended UConn’s 111-game winning streak.
1991
Emily Mindel Gottlieb emgottlieb@gmail.com
Loren Goldstein Mortman lmortman@equityny.com
Nicole DiGiorgio Orphanos norphanos@elliman.com
1992
Abbe Gluck abbegluck@yahoo.com
Michael McCloskey michael2222@yahoo.com
1993
Andrew Fabian andrew.b.fabian@gmail.com
Congratulations to Jordan Roter, a screenwriter and author whose new novel—a funny satire about the all-consuming absurdity that is motherhood—came out in May. In Moms Like Us: A Novel (Little A), Jordan writes about the desperation and competition to produce successful offspring and keep up with the tony mothers of the Los Angeles private school
community. Jordan’s book asks serious questions about the towering expectations placed on moms in today’s world. See page 7 for Jordan’s Alumni Spotlight article.
1994
Nick Silvers nicholassilvers@hotmail.com
Elizabeth Topp liztopp@gmail.com
1995
Lauren Rosenberg Gershell lauren@gershell.com
Simon Gluck simonarigluck@gmail.com
Lauren Katz lkatz737@aol.com
David Kleinhandler david.kleinhandler@cbre.com
1997
Jonathan Lewis jlewis2k7@gmail.com
Rachel Altfest Maimin rachelmaimin@gmail.com
Stefanie Hirschtritt Ruch stefanieruch@gmail.com
Jennifer Kops Stemkowski jennik3379@gmail.com
Alex Marson participated in a panel discussion at Dalton’s Professional Development Day in February for teachers and staff. Alumni reflected on their Dalton education and its impact on their lives. Read more on page 5.
1998
Ethan Bregman ethanbregman@gmail.com
Alexandra Certilman Kay alexandrackay@gmail.com
Jessica Levitas jlevitas@gmail.com
Andrew Martin mistermartin@gmail.com
Richard Rothfeld rothfeld@gmail.com
Michael Stillman mstillman@qualitybranded.com
1999 Anne-Carmène Almonord annecarmene@gmail.com
Sarah Mohr Fabian smohr80@gmail.com
Morissa Falk-Freedman morissa@gmail.com
George Suttles george.suttles@gmail.com
2000
David Alexander DavidTAlexander@gmail.com
Melissa Frey Levine melissakfrey@gmail.com
Alexis Feldman Olinsky alexis.feldman@gmail.com
Save the Date— Reunion 2026 for Classes ending in 1s and 6s! Friday, May 29, 2026
Candlelighting 2024: Alumni Council Member Melissa Frey Levine ’00 lit a candle in honor of her 25th Reunion.
Log in to dalton.org for photos, upcoming events, alumni news & more!
2001
Jeremy Barr jerbarr@gmail.com
Ariana Cooper Berry ariana.cooper@gmail.com
Zachary Goldstein zachary.n.goldstein@gmail.com
Daniel Haykin dchaykin@gmail.com
Malcolm Hochenberg mhochenberg@proskauer.com
Lauren Alexander Jupiter laurentjupiter@gmail.com
Na’eema Thompson naeema.thompson@gmail.com
2002
Jennifer Neff Davidson jenniferneffdavidson@gmail.com
Sophia Hutson sophie.hutson@gmail.com
Jonathan Stein jonathanastein@gmail.com
2003
Michael Cooper mcooper@jd10.law.harvard.edu
Lindsey Counts lindsey.counts@gmail.com
Joseph Franken joseph.franken@gmail.com
Erik Lindman erik.lindman@gmail.com
Kyle Koeppel Mann kylekoeppel@gmail.com
Samuel Shikiar s.shikiar@gmail.com
2004
Amanda Soled Blechman amanda.soled@gmail.com
Christopher Cameron chriscameronx@gmail.com
Jessica Crystal jessicacrystal1@gmail.com
Jennifer Glickel jglickel@gmail.com
Lea Marin lea.marin@gmail.com
Matthew Mittenthal mattmittenthal@gmail.com
Jason Squire jasonmsquire@gmail.com
Stacy Mohr Walder stacymohr7@gmail.com
Julianna Wilson julianna.n.wilson@gmail.com
2005
Benjamin Cirlin benjamin.cirlin@gmail.com
Maxime Glass Harnik maximeglass@gmail.com
Julia Pilcer Lichtenstein juliaplichtenstein@gmail.com
Candlelighting 2024: Julia Pilcer Lichtenstein ’05 lit a candle in honor of her 20th Reunion.
Candlelighting 2024: Nnaemeka (Meka) Echebiri ’05 lit a candle in honor of his 20th Reunion.
2006 Mallory Factor malloryfactorii@gmail.com
Julie Stein julie.r.stein@gmail.com
Arun Yang participated in a panel discussion at Dalton’s Professional Development Day in February for teachers and staff. Alumni reflected on their Dalton education and its impact on their lives. Read more on page 5.
Marguerite Zabar Mariscal participated in a panel discussion at Dalton’s Professional Development Day in February for teachers and staff. Alumni reflected on their Dalton education and its impact on their lives. Read more on page 5.
2008
Amanda Hemenway hemenway@dalton.org
Marisa Kefalidis marisakef@gmail.com
Nicholas Ober nober@mac.com
Zachary Stone zstonezstone@gmail.com
Andrew Swift andrewwswift@gmail.com
Sarah Vallimarescu sarah.vallimarescu@gmail.com
2009 Tanvir Gopal tanvirg@gmail.com
Melissa Urfirer Gottesman mugottesman@gmail.com
Isabella Hiigel ihiigel@gmail.com
Parijat Samant parijatrsamant@gmail.com
Elizabeth Angeles participated in a panel discussion at Dalton’s Professional Development Day in February for teachers and staff. Alumni reflected on their Dalton education and its impact on their lives. Read more on page 5.
2010
Lily Freedman lilymirabellefreedman@gmail.com
Stephen Rutman stephen.rutman@gmail.com
Matthew Schorr matthew.l.schorr@gmail.com
2011 Samuel Browne sambrowne17@gmail.com
David Hamburger dsh4318@gmail.com
Erika Mitsui erikakmitsui@gmail.com
2012 Taylor Hemenway taylorhemenway@gmail.com
Allison Swaap allisonswaap@gmail.com
Save the Date— Reunion 2026 for Classes ending in 1s and 6s! Friday, May 29, 2026
2013 Blair Duncan, Jr. blair.duncan.jr@gmail.com
Grant Goldman grantdgoldman@gmail.com
King David (David Rampersad, Jr.) celebrates his inclusion in spring/summer art exhibitions! The reception for “Ambassador’s Choice”—a collaborative group exhibition organized by the Valentine Museum of Art and His Excellency Brian Wallace, Jamaica’s Ambassador to the United Nations—took place on March 20 at Jamaica’s Permanent Mission to the U.N. in New York City. David’s work is featured in this and another group show, which opened on May 8 at Welancora Gallery in Brooklyn. Having represented the artist for the past year, Welancora will host David’s first solo exhibition in September. This forthcoming presentation, “Trinidad & Tobago,” expands on similar concepts as David’s previous exhibition “Jamaica,” but focused on his deceased father’s country of birth, which he visited for the first time in 2023. David was recently profiled in “The Unspoken Truth: Reimagining Power, Past and Future” in Black Copper magazine.
Log in to dalton.org for photos, upcoming events, alumni news & more!
2014 Tejashree Gopal tejashreesg@gmail.com
Colette Midulla cmidulla@gmail.com
2015 Zachary Buttenwieser zbutten@gmail.com
Andrew Eaddy andrewjames.eaddy@gmail.com
Congratulations to Gracie Lawrence for her Tony nomination—one of six garnered by the “utterly electrifying” (Entertainment Weekly) new Broadway musical Just In Time featuring iconic Bobby Darin hits in a nightclub setting.
King David (David Rampersad, Jr. ’13) and His Excellency Brian Wallace, Jamaica’s Ambassador to the U.N., in front of David’s 2021 Oil on Plexiglass painting, “Guilt.”
Class of 2014 friends joined Zachary Caldarola ’14 for his wedding celebration. Pictured (from left) are Adam Stern , Richard Chen , Zachary Caldarola , Ben Ginzberg , Matt Cohen , and James Shao.
Sophie Cheston Beaudoin ’14 shared a photo of “The Dalton Crew” from her wedding celebration (from left) Jenna Borenstein Sperling , Soleil Ball Van Zee , Sophie Cheston Beaudoin , Lizzie Evans , Anna Rich , and Emily West Jones
2016
Karina Shah karinamshah@gmail.com
Ashley LaLonde participated in a panel discussion at Dalton’s Professional Development Day in February for teachers and staff. Alumni reflected on their Dalton education and its impact on their lives. Read more on page 5.
2017
Julia Martin martj17@hotmail.com
Josephine Shapiro josephineshapiro@mac.com
2018
Ryan McCormack ryan.mccormack2000@gmail.com
Gabrielle Niederhoffer gabriellemay.n@gmail.com
Marco Paz-Solano pazsolano.marco@gmail.com
Piper Williams piperw1@icloud.com
2019
Emi Carpenter emicarpenter2023@gmail.com
2020
Phoebe Cahill cahillphoebe8@gmail.com
2023
Eli Kronenberg eli.kronenberg@gmail.com
2024
Annika Jha annika.jha@gmail.com
Save the Date— Reunion 2026 for Classes ending in 1s and 6s! Friday, May 29, 2026
Candlelighting 2024: Adam Szczepankowski ’20 lit a candle in honor of his 5th Reunion.
Marriages
Amanda Hemenway ’08 (Faculty) to Jens Thiemann
March 15, 2025
Zachary Caldarola ’14 to Lauren McTigue
October 18, 2024
Richard Chen ’14 to Samantha Fong
September 7, 2024
Sophie Cheston ’14 to Andrew Beaudoin
September 7, 2024
Taylor Wright ’13 to Cadeem Harris
December 21, 2024
Babies
Ava Rachele Aufiero
March 3, 2023 to Jessica Aufiero ’90
Charlotte Robin Andre-Ewing
March 13, 2025 to Jean-Robert André ’03 and Christian Ewing
Cecilia Alvarez-Counts
July 1, 2024 to Lindsey Counts ’03 and Luis Alvarez
Jack Joseph Recher
October 22, 2024 to Brette Tannenbaum ’03 and Jeff Recher
Audrey Elizabeth Prophett
October 31, 2024 to Catherine LeFrere ’04 and Brendan Prophett
Milo Skye Friedman
January 13, 2025 to Teddy Friedman ’05 and Zoe Markowitz
Ezra Gabriel Lebowitz
July 3, 2024 to Alex Lebowitz ’05 and Alissa Friedlander
Hannah Ivy Weingarten
October 17, 2024 to Alexandra Brown Weingarten ’05 and Ben Weingarten
Remy Anya Shasha-Brooks
March 30, 2025 to Cloe Shasha-Brooks ’06 and Jillian Shasha-Brooks
The Weingarten family with Ethan (6) and Ava (4)
The Shasha-Brooks family: Cloe, Jillian, Orly, and Remy
Raphael Joseph Yehuda
November 19, 2024 to Zoey Orol ’06 and Jonathan Yehuda
Phoebe Mackenzie Manning
December 5, 2024 to Jamie Rosen Manning ’07 and David Manning
Charlie ‘37 and Oliver with Baby Phoebe
Diana Alessandra Pettinelli Pryor
August 3, 2024 to John Pryor ’07 and Laura Pettinelli
Leni Freya Gold
January 19, 2025 to Molly Inadomi ’09 and Danny Gold
Anapurna Samant Mackay
January 18, 2025 to Parijat Samant ’09 and John Mackay
Jack Ezra Miller
February 28, 2025 to Jordana Imershein Miller ’09 and Jeremy Miller
Faculty & Staff
Amani Nilay Obinna Fleming
April 24, 2024 to Ali Fleming (Faculty) and Andrew Fleming
Memoriam
Alumni
Barbara Blum Nelson ’40 July 17, 2024
Patricia Sokoloff Gantz ’43 April 4, 2025
Ann Tarlowe Lieber ’54 November 16, 2024
Anita Lee Philyaw ’54 January 26, 2025
Alexander Sleght ’55 February 21, 2024
Patrice McConnell Cromwell ’80 August 27, 2024
Former Faculty and Staff
Frank Carnabuci (Former Assistant Headmaster) December 24, 2024
Joel Carr (Former HS Math Teacher) April 7, 2025
Mary DiCarlo (Former Kindergarten Teacher) February 25, 2025
Former Board of Trustees
Robert Rifkind
March 12, 2025
Father of Amy Rifkind ’85 and Nina Rifkind ’89
Connections makes every effort to verify names, dates and other information in Class Notes. We apologize for any inaccuracies. Stay connected with your classmates through Class News
New job? Getting married? New baby? New grandchildren? Getting together with fellow alums? Globe-trotting? Retirement plans? Just checking in? Send us your photos (a high-resolution jpg is best)! Email alumni@dalton.org we’ll include your news in Connections magazine’s next issue.
Classes without Class Officers may send their news to: Debbie Freeman, Associate Director of Alumni Relations
The Dalton School 108 East 89th Street New York NY 10128 dfreeman@dalton.org
Follow Dalton on Instagram and join us on Facebook and LinkedIn: @daltonschoolalumni
Dalton School Alumni Group
Dalton School Alumni Association
Congratulations to Dalton’s High School thespians who brought a contemporary twist to Sondheim’s Into the Woods, a timeless classic.
Board of Trustees
2024–2025
Erica Klein
President
José M. De Jesus
Head of School
Alex Robinson
Treasurer
Bruce Menin
Secretary
Ronnie Abrams ’86
Anne-Carmène Almonord ’99
Michelle Awuku-Tatum
Mark Chan
Sheree Chiou
Ariela Dubler
Tom Ellis
Jon Gelb
Aly Jeddy
Maha Khawaja
Becka Vargus Katz
Joon Kim
Jon Korngold
Alison Nathan
Justin Richardson
David Sambur
Sarina Sassoon Sanandaji ’96
Lori Schreiber
Rahul Sharma
Susan Sholinsky
James Simmons
Rob Speyer ’87
Deirdre Stanley
Alicin Williamson
Sheila Paloni
PA President
Byung Alamgir
Dalton Council Chair
Wynter Appel-Lastarria ’11
Alumni Council Chair
Shira Kohn
Faculty Representative
Ajai Singh ’25
Jason Joseph ’26
Student Representatives
Honorary Trustees
Susan Ravitch Buksbaum ’56*
Lawrence Buttenwieser ’49
Cheryl Cohen Effron ’83
Joan Kaplan
Robert Kasdin
Alan Klein
Robert Menschel*
Nancy Fuld Neff ’72
Richard Ravitch*
Robert Rifkind*
David Rudnick ’58
John M. Shapiro
Stanley Shuman
Gordon H. Smith
Jerry I. Speyer
Michael Steinhardt
Roy Swan
Merryl Tisch
James Block
Ellen C. Stein
Head of School Emerita
* deceased
Dalton Alumni Council 2024–2025
Wynter Appel-Lastarria ’11
President & Trustee Representative
Arun Yang ’06
Vice President
Andy Bellin ’86
Sam Browne ’11
Dayna Campbell ’13
Christina Clemente ’02
Alex Cook ’16
David Cremin ’78
Joseph Franken ’03
Jimmy Frischling ’86
Jennifer Glickel ’04
Zach Goldstein ’01
Maxie Glass Harnik ’05
Melissa Frey Levine ’00
Deshaun Mars ’04
Gabrielle Nesmith ’13
Marco Paz-Solano ’18
Elizabeth Sacks ’08
Parijat Samant ’09
Marjorie Cohen Scharfspitz ’59
Patricia Braun Silver ’68
Michael Stillman ’98
Emma Rothberg ‘11
Faculty Representative
Samantha Levine Archer ’06
Parents Association Representative
Daniel Wagman ’25
Student Representative
Support Dalton’s 2024–2025 Annual Fund Today
Dalton’s Annual Fund helps to support our exceptional faculty with highly competitive compensation, benefits, and professional development.
Guided by Founder Helen Parkhurst’s progressive Dalton Plan (House, Lab, Assignment), our esteemed faculty create a mission-driven, individualized curriculum to meet their students’ evolving educational needs and interests. Thanks to a robust Annual Fund, our faculty can provide a well-resourced, transformative, student-centered Dalton education.
Your tax-deductible contribution to the Annual Fund, at whatever level is appropriate for you, supports our unparalleled faculty and the school’s day-to-day operational expenses. Dalton’s Annual Fund also provides a crucial complement to tuition and endowment and helps the school to innovate and expand programming.
Each year, with the generous support of our Families, Alumni, Faculty, Staff, Parents of Alumni, Grandparents, and Friends, Dalton can attract and retain inspiring faculty, create new, exciting programming—including the arts, athletics, and extracurriculars, and provide students with financial assistance.
To make your gift, please scan the QR code, use the enclosed postage-paid envelope, or donate securely online at www.dalton.org/makeagift. Dalton’s fiscal year ends on June 30, 2025.
For more information about the Annual Fund, contact Director of the Annual Fund Brigid Berger, 212–423–5458, bberger@dalton.org.
Thank you!
back cover: 4th Graders + Pi Day = Infinite Fun! From Pi-themed games to a friendly competition to see who could recite the most digits (impressive results), 4th graders put their math skills to the test and, of course, enjoyed some delicious slices of pi(e)!
TheDaltonSchool
108 East 89th Street
New York, NY 10128-1599 www.dalton.org
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Parents of Alumni
If your child no longer maintains a permanent address at your home, please notify the Alumni Office with the correct mailing address: 212-423-5307 or dfreeman@dalton.org
