FWCD Falconer - Summer 2016

F O R T

Volume 7, Issue 2

W O R T H

C O U N T R Y

D A Y

Summer 2016

Photo by Glen E. Ellman

ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM

Volume 7, Issue 2

Eric Lombardi Head of School Dr. Brad Philipson Assistant Head of School for Academics Steve Stackhouse Assistant Head of School for Operations Tom Mitchell Chief Financial Officer Joe Breedlove ’78 Executive Director of Breakthrough Bill Arnold ’86 Head of Upper School Frank Gendusa Athletic Director Shari Lincoln Head of Lower School Kathy Lott Director of Admission and Financial Aid Denise Mullins Director of Fine Arts John Stephens Head of Middle School Sandra Tuomey Director of Advancement Steve Uhr Director of Technology

EDITOR Shannon Rossman Allen ART DIRECTOR Lisa Koger CONTRIBUTORS Courtney Bourgeois Bridget Chambers ’18 Paige Farris Chisholm ’87 Rachel Donahue Yolanda Espinoza Mel Hurst Debby Jennings Shel Watson Juliao ’92 Shilo Mancini Renee Pierce Sandra Tuomey Lisa Wallace Questions? Concerns? Comments?

Contact Shannon Allen at shannon.allen@fwcd.com Send address changes to: Fort Worth Country Day Advancement Office 4200 Country Day Lane Fort Worth, Texas 76109

The Magazine of Fort Worth Country Day

SUMMER 2016

F E AT U R E S

22 Commencement Eighty-four members strong, FWCD’s Class of 2016 garnered more than $8.3 million in merit-based scholarships and awards.

The graduates will attend 45 different colleges and universities throughout the U.S.

30 Founders’ Day Re-Imagined The FWCD community celebrated a new and improved Founders’ Day event in March. The day capitalized on the School’s history, complete with visits from some of FWCD’s Founding Trustees, and recognized the people who, day in and day out, serve the School.

36 Native Pottery Brings Art to Life Former faculty member Evelyn Siegel (Art Department 1968-84) and her husband, Martin, donated a collection of Anasazi pottery to the School (on display in the Moncrief Library) to further students’ study of ceramics and Southwest American history.

IN EACH ISSUE 2 View from My Window 3 Around Campus 10 Giving Back 12 Faculty Q&A 14 Athletics 20 The Arts 40 Alumni News 44 Alumni Profile 50 Class Notes 56 From the Archives The Falconer is published biannually for Fort Worth Country Day families, alumni and friends by the Advancement Office. Opinions represented may not necessarily be the position of the Board or administration. Fort Worth Country Day has an institutional commitment to the principles of diversity. In that spirit, FWCD does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, creed, color, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability or national origin in admissions, the administration of its educational policies, financial aid, athletics and other School-administered programs.

© FWCD

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LET TER FROM HEAD OF SCHOOL ERIC LOMBARDI

View from My Window

Paige Farris Chisholm ’87, Annie Heinzelmann ’10, Hillary Relyea ’07 and Elizabeth Vance ’10, all field hockey coaches, pose together at the Hockaday Field Hockey Festival in September 2015.

Schools are known for their alumni: what they do with their lives, how they are impacted by their school experience, how they treat others once they enter the larger world. We are especially fortunate at Fort Worth Country Day that the experiences our alumni have with our faculty and with their classmates lead so many of them (of you!) to professionally pursue positions and careers in education.

Just this past May, our Class of 2018 met with Cornell Woolridge ’96 in Washington D.C., where he serves as a Close Up program instructor. His role is to inform, inspire and empower young people to exercise their rights and accept their responsibilities as democratic citizens. (See page 44 for more on Cornell.) During the 2015-16 academic year, 16 members of our faculty were FWCD alumni: Pepper Ackers ’92, Bill Arnold ’86, Chloe Bade Anderson ’05, Natalie Bracken ’05, Joe Breedlove ’78, Paige Farris Chisholm ’87, Lisa Dickerson Davenport ’87, Stephen Dickey ’89, Colin Douglas ’06, Caroline Corpening Lamsens ’99, Missi Olson Kovachev ’89, Dan Bloch H’06, Valerie Bloch 2

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Montgomery ’01, Sarah Akhtar Smith ’91, Kelly Lanier Tierce ’93 and Anne-Lise Woods ’85. We know those in our midst are just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Many of our alumni have also had the privilege to teach in the Breakthrough Fort Worth program and in Teach for America.

There are also many coaches, full and part time, who are teaching student-athletes valuable lessons on courts and fields.

We are eager to know more about alums who have chosen education in some form or another.

With that eagerness in mind, Shannon Allen and Shel Watson Juliao ’92 are accumulating a list of those who have spent any time as educators. I look forward to sharing that information in a subsequent Falconer, but, in the meantime, this is a call for you to share your list of those (yourself and/or others) who have, in some way after your FWCD days, been involved in the education arena. Please email shannon.allen@ fwcd.com or shel.juliao@fwcd.com with your information.

Around Campus PEOPLE • HONORS • EVENTS • NEWS

Rocco Leoni ’23 couldn’t keep from smiling as he took laps around campus during the fifth-grade Bike-a-thon this past spring.

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New Trustees Named In January 2016, the Board of Trustees voted to change its bylaws related to Board size to increase from 21 members to up to 25 members. “Every year, we visit with many qualified candidates who would be good Board members,” said Laura O’Brien, Trustee and Leadership Committee chair. “However, due to the 21-member Board limit, there was not always a spot on the Board for all those who might have been considered in a particular year.”

By increasing the size of the Board to “up to 25 members,” there is more flexibility when considering new Trustees. “This year, we were able to add five outstanding new Trustees to the Board,” O’Brien noted. Following are new board members for the 2016-19 term.

Russell Fleischer, a three-time software industry CEO, has worked in the technology sector for more than 25 years. As a general partner at Battery Ventures, he focuses on new investment opportunities in enterprise-software, spending most of his time evaluating later-stage deals, including buyouts, roll-ups and take-privates. He is also committed to developing new talent, both at Battery portfolio companies as well as inside the firm, which is a multi-stage financial sponsor with more than $5 billion of committed capital under management. Russell earned a BA in Economics from Johns Hopkins University and an MBA from Vanderbilt University. He is a board member for Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth and for the Michael E. Nozik Foundation in Rochester, New York, which is dedicated to raising funds to send deserving children to Camp Seneca Lake in the Finger Lakes of western New York. Russ and his wife, Liz (Stapp ’84), are the parents of Mia and Ozzie in the Class of 2020.

Dr. Barbara Brown Herman is associate vice chancellor for student affairs and dean of student development at Texas Christian University. She holds degrees in English, psychology and education and has done post-doctoral work at the Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government and the Pacific University Institute for Intercultural Communication. Barbara previously was an Upper School English substitute teacher at FWCD, and she served on FWCD’s Board of Trustees from 1997 through 2003. She was a member of the Financial Aid Committee (1997-2002), the Trustee Committee (2001-03) and the Education Committee (1999-2000). Barbara and her husband, Morty, are parents of two FWCD alumni, Kyle ’93 and Lee ’96.

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Josh Korman ’92 is a real estate consultant and owner of KOR Group, a real estate appraisal and consulting firm that focuses on litigation matters and expert testimony.

He is a Fort Worth Country Day “Original,” having attended the School from kindergarten through grade 12.

He graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a BBA in Finance in 1996. A dedicated alumnus, Josh has served on the Alumni Council since 2009 and just finished his second term as Alumni Council president. He also is on the Advancement Committee, was a member of the Then, Now, Forever. fundraising initiative, and has co-chaired Breakthrough Fort Worth’s Fancy Meal with his wife, Holly. Beyond FWCD, Josh and Holly support Jewel Charity, MD Anderson and the University of Texas, and Josh is active in various professional associations. Josh and Holly are the parents of Caroline and William in the Class 2021.

Chris Rooker is a managing director, COO and board member of Higginbotham, an independent insurance and financial services firm headquartered in Fort Worth. Chris

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and his wife, Laura, have served on the FWCD Fund (annual fund) and Falcon Club committees. In 2016-17, the couple will chair the FWCD Fund. Chris also has served on the boards of the Presbyterian Night Shelter and the Fort Worth Pregnancy Center and has chaired numerous fundraising events for these nonprofits. He is currently a youth mentor at Cassata High School and serves on the Higginbotham Community Fund Board. Chris has been a youth sports coach in football, basketball, baseball and soccer, and he continues to coach his youngest daughter. He and Laura are the parents of Caleb ’14, Emma ’18 and Elizabeth ’27.

Robert Sturns is director of economic development for the city of Fort Worth. He has more than 20 years’ experience holding leadership roles in municipal government, commercial real estate and banking operations, with over 15 years’ experience negotiating terms and structuring deals for economic and community development programs in Texas.

By leveraging partnerships with public and private entities, Robert has been directly engaged in the announcement of more than $2.2 billion in new capital investments, 14 million square feet of commercial development and 16,500 jobs. A former captain of the U.S. Army Reserve, Robert is the past president of the Greater Fort Worth Area Economic Development Association and current board member of the Chisholm Trail Chapter of the Red Cross, Fort Worth South Inc., Multicultural Alliance and a member of the United Way Income Council. Robert and his wife, Cynthia, are proud parents of a Class of 2015 graduate and a current Upper School student.

Editor’s Note: I hope you enjoy each issue of the Falconer and the stories that are shared twice a year. In upcoming issues, we will be incorporating a Letters to the Editor page into the magazine. Please email your letters on matters of FWCD interest to shannon.allen@fwcd.com. Include your full name, hometown and phone number at the end of your letter. We will not publish your phone number—we need it for verification in case we have any questions regarding your letter. New to this issue is a fun and easy-to-win contest. Read the magazine. You’ll know it when you get there! Happy reading!

2015-16 Scholarship Recipients Vicki and Edward P. Bass Scholarship Kinsey McGlasson ’16, Isaac Narrett ’17, Jae Washington ’19 Beverly Anne Robinson Faculty Endowed Scholarship Edwin Carbajal ’16, Kelly Pham ’21, Zachary Willars ’24 Malone Scholars Program Matthew Frantz ’16, Erinn Miller ’17, Joanne Wu ’17, Abbey Bullock ’18, Lance Mayhue ’18, Nate Wallace ’18, Tommy Bullock ’19, Viraj Gandhi ’19 Peter A. Schwartz Scholarship Jacob Rains ’16 Captain David Herr Memorial Scholarship John Fredian ’16 Reilly Family Foundation/ Breakthrough Fort Worth Scholarship Gustavo Torres ’16 Alumni Endowed Scholarship Alexandra Brookman ’16, Noah Cody ’16, DJ Williams ’16 Ella C. McFadden Scholarship Patrick Hoffacker ’16, Reagan Mulqueen ’16 Jillian C. Thompson Scholarship Christopher Wilkins ’20 Moritz Scholarship at FWCD Samuel Kim ’16 Betty Reese Memorial Scholarship Jacob Rains ’16

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Catapulting on Campus Seven Upper School teams competed with four operational catapults in the annual Catapult Contest sponsored this spring by Bryan Carlson, Upper School Latin teacher. This year’s catapults were creative and ambitious in design.

In the two-meter category, “The Unicorns,” Clark Sheats ’18, Finn Connor ’18 and Hannah Bailey ’18, faced off against “The Falcon,” a traditional trebuchet that Alyssa Cole ’19, Riley Hammett ’19, Josey Reed ’19, Avery Pate ’19 and Mackenzie Medaris ’19 had made earlier in the year to compete in the 2015 SlingFest, an open catapult contest hosted by the DFW Trebuchet Society. While the “Falcon” was not built to the same rules as the other contestants, it was invited to participate as an ambassador for the sport and to spark the imagination of future competitors.

The “Unicorns” created a floating-arm trebuchet that maximizes efficiency in a small package, but makes the build even more complicated. In a short time, but with lots of ambition, the team was able to get its catapult to work well enough to hurl softballs consistently and was able to post the longest throw we have seen from any catapult adhering to the category guidelines.

In the one-meter contest, “Juice,” Nate Wallace ’18, Julian Cramer ’18 and Griffin Grubbs ’18, faced off against “Yes,” Ben Nober ’17, Conner Williams ’17 and Will Brumley ’17.

“Yes” had built its catapult to the maximum of the rule book, and despite some questions about its durability, it threw again and again as the team kept increasing the cocking force, ultimately securing victory over the more modest, but durable, “Juice.”

The hope is that the excitement displayed by the competitors and spectators will result in more teams participating in the catapult challenge next year with even more creative and ambitious designs.

Lower Schoolers Learn to “Share the Trail” Farnsworth the Fox and his gang from Fort Worth’s Steams & Valleys visited FWCD Lower School students in March to promote the “Share the Trail” initiative.

During PE classes, Farnsworth encouraged students to get outside and use the Trinity Trails safely. Led by FWCD parent Stacey Pierce, the program kicked off at FWCD and went public to the entire Fort Worth community on March 23.

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The program encourages children to get outdoors and experience nature and teaches them about safe behavior on the Trinity Trails.

It features Farnsworth and his three friends, includes five catchy pop songs and offers interactive opportunities with the audience.

By the end of the performance, students knew the rules of the Trinity Trails: • Share the Trail • Sound Off, Listen Up • Wheels Always Yield • Stay Right, Pass Left • Keep It Moving

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Duke TIP Jim Aldridge Scholar Weekend at Fort Worth Country Day This spring, Fort Worth Country Day joined the ranks of Duke University, University of Georgia, University of Houston, University of Kansas, Queens University of Charlotte and the University of South Carolina as a Duke TIP (Talent Identification Program) Scholar Weekend host site. The School hosted its first Scholar Weekend in March for 50 students in grades 8-11 from Dallas, Houston and Oklahoma.

Duke TIP Scholar Weekends provide opportunities for academically talented students to take short courses during weekend-long programs. Hosted on the campuses listed above, the program is open to students in grades 8-11 who are Duke TIP 7th Grade Talent Search participants or who are identified as academically gifted by local school criteria.

Duke TIP is nothing new to FWCD: The School has hosted the organization’s Academic Adventures for grades 5-6 on campus for five years. Kathy Lott, director of admission and financial aid, brought Duke TIP to the School. “My daughter, Anita, participated in a Duke TIP horse medicine program at Texas A&M between her seventh- and eighth-grade years,” Lott said. “She came back from that camp telling me that she was going to college at A&M to be a veterinarian. And now she is.”

Scholar Weekend was the program Lott had first identified for FWCD, but Duke TIP did not host these weekends at nonUniversity campuses. Lott felt confident FWCD’s Duke TIP program could expand after Academic Adventures was up and running on campus, and she was right. FWCD is now the only K-12, non-university host site for a Duke TIP Scholar Weekend program.

“This program allows us to reach even more students in the upper grades and allows our grades 5-6 students who attend Academic Adventures to grow right into our Scholar Weekend program,” she said. “We have many repeat students, and now we won’t lose them after they outgrow Academic Adventures.”

To make this program even more special, Duke TIP approved a special name for the FWCD program: the Duke TIP Jim Aldridge Scholar Weekend at Fort Worth Country Day. The name honors the late Dr. Jim Aldridge H’14, a beloved FWCD faculty member for more than 30 years and an FWCD Duke TIP instructor.

Grif Hughes ’15, a former Duke TIP teaching assistant with Dr. A., and his parents, Karen and Sean Hughes, wanted to honor Dr. A in some way and provided a gift that was the seed money to name the Scholar Weekend in his honor.

What makes Scholar Weekend courses unique is that they introduce topics that might not be available in local schools; they delve into a specific subject with greater detail; and they help students consider options for college majors and careers.

These weekends also provide an opportunity for students to connect with similarly motivated peers.

Dr. Brad Philipson, assistant head of school for academics, and Mark Philpot, theatre manager, oversee the Scholar Weekend program at FWCD. “The classes offered are more sophisticated and delve deeper,” Philipson noted. “The students who attend also reap the advantages of being on our campus and learning about all that FWCD has to offer.”

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Mullins to Lead FWCD Fine Arts Music. In her studies, she worked with Elizabeth Buday, who studied under Franz Liszt and Zoltán Kodály. As a junior, she won a competition with a grand prize to study at the Mozarteum in Salzburg.

Denise continued her education in piano performance at the University of Texas at Austin, earning an MA in Music and completing all coursework for her doctorate.

For Denise Mullins, Fort Worth Country Day is family. When she and her late husband, Clint, were looking for a school for Kirstin ’13 and Thomas ’17, they knew they had found a home in FWCD. The couple was impressed by the School’s commitment to the fine arts and the opportunities their children would have to expand their arts palette.

Now Denise is starting a new journey at FWCD as director of fine arts. A classical concert pianist who grew up in a musical family in Atlanta, Denise began playing by ear at age 3. “Our house was always filled with music,” Denise said, “mostly Broadway, gospel and classical music. I just started playing what I heard at church, and my mom signed me up for piano lessons.

Music made sense to me.”

In high school, Denise connected with “an inspiring teacher/mentor” named Betty Nolting. “It was important to Mrs. Nolting that my vision of the music was clearly presented.” Denise’s passion led her to pursue music seriously at Shorter College in Rome, Georgia, where she earned a BA in 8

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In 1987, Denise contacted the Cliburn Foundation to volunteer for the upcoming International Piano Competition. “That phone call turned into a job possibility, and, three days later, I was driving to Fort Worth to meet the Cliburn director,” she said.

That drive changed her life. “What I realized is that I liked connecting artists with music directors and arts presenters,” she said. “There’s an art to placing performers with the appropriate presenting organization. I had been practicing 8 hours a day for most of my 27 years of life, and I was ready for something new.”

Denise spent the next six years at the Cliburn as artistic administrator, contracting and managing more than 450 recital and orchestral engagements.

She traveled extensively, coordinating concert tours with 20 international artist managers; serving as the staff liaison for the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, jury, string quartet, pianists and conductor; and creating music programs for students in the Fort Worth ISD. Wanting to start a family with Clint,

Denise stepped away from the Cliburn to begin her own artist management company in 1994. She represented a pianist and a cellist for two years before devoting herself to family and serving on fine arts boards in Fort Worth. She currently serves on the Executive and Artistic Committee for Casa Mañana, the Van Cliburn Foundation and Texas Ballet Theater, and has previously served on the boards of the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth and the Fort Worth Opera. At FWCD, Denise was the lead parent of Supporting CAST, the School’s arts fund.

Fort Worth’s vibrant arts scene is something Denise will capitalize on in her new FWCD role. “My board work has helped me to see how to connect our school to the thriving Fort Worth arts world,” she said. “I look forward to working with fine arts organizations to continue to deepen FWCD’s relationships with the visual and performing arts.”

Denise is beyond excited to work at Fort Worth Country Day. “Just recently, my mom called and asked me if I had to go to work today,” she said.

“I said, no, I get to go to work today.

I’ve always wanted to put on a festival.

Now I feel like I’m doing that each and every day with the School’s phenomenal visual and performing arts faculty who are all amazing, brilliant artists and, of course, our very talented student body!

“Art brings me great joy, it lowers stress and organizes my brain,” Denise continued. “I truly believe the arts have the power to make a person healthier, happier and smarter.”

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60-Second Stories This fall, Fort Worth Country Day will launch its Sixty Second Stories, short vignettes that tell some of the many poignant individual stories of FWCD students, alumni, parents and faculty. These stories will highlight both the extraordinary and the everyday transformational experiences that our community cultivates.

Head of School Eric Lombardi is the force behind this new video initiative. “In the everyday/ordinary category, we need to remind ourselves of students who are engaged and challenged in their academic, artistic, athletic, intellectual, physical, creative and social experiences,” he said. “I am eager for us to celebrate and honor the stories of our faculty connecting with those students today and throughout the 53 years of our school.

“In the extraordinary category, we need to have the opportunity to ring the Rosacker Bell,” he continued, “not only for victories on the field, but also for amazing accomplishments of current and former members of our day-to-day School community.”

On the docket for the first few Sixty Second Stories are stories about families who have had powerful experiences of school support being guided through a difficult process of identifying a child’s learning difference and getting help for that child, families who have been afforded the opportunity to send one or more children to FWCD as a result of the School’s need-based financial aid, students who have done or are doing particularly well taking advantage of FWCD’s 3A’s, and alumni who have had extraordinary experiences beyond 4200 Country Day Lane. “These stories—and more—exist in remarkable numbers,” Lombardi said. “Our biggest challenge is in the selection process and in doing justice to the reality in our retelling.”

Help us build our library! If you have a Sixty Second Story to share, please email Mark Philpot (mark.philpot@fwcd.com) or Austin Walton (austin.walton@fwcd.com), faculty members who are the Sixty Second Stories videographers.

Class of 2016 By the Numbers

84 $8.3

Students in the class

million Earned in merit-based scholarships and awards

13 45

Nationally ranked scholars

Different colleges/ universities where graduates have enrolled

52%

Attending out-of-state colleges/universities

5

Average number of Advanced Placement (AP) courses taken by each student

7

Graduates will go on to participate in collegiate athletics

2

Tim Williams ’78 (left) took time out from his busy schedule working on The Colonel, starring Kevin Durand (right), to film his Sixty Second Story.

Seniors received Best Actor nominations in this year’s Betty Buckley Awards, which honors excellence in high school theatre

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Giving Back The Middle School Canned Food Drive is a nearly month-long event of can collection. Sadie Schuster ’22 helps to ready the boxes for the final sort and count.

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GIVING BACK

The Voice of the Students:

FWCD Student Council At Fort Worth Country Day, student councils play an important role, giving students a voice in how to enhance their communities. The needs of students are addressed within each of the School’s divisions with separate councils and leaders. What connects the divisions in their Student Council endeavors are their missions.

Each Student Council sponsors and promotes events and philanthropy projects. Members serve as FWCD ambassadors as they go out into the greater Fort Worth community to learn about the needs of the city or to deliver money, goods or services.

Integrity, kindness, courage, respect, responsibility and scholarship are central to each council’s work, as all representatives model these core values and encourage their peers to set high character standards.

created suggestion folders. They collect thoughts, requests and survey results to learn what’s important to their peers, such as the food in the FDP and new recess equipment.

Lower School

STUCO, as it’s affectionately known, is broken down by grade, with Janie Garrett, Tara Finn, Erin Ypya and Angeles Casanova serving as faculty advisers.

Theresa Fuss, health and wellness counselor, has been working with Student Council reps at FWCD for 16 years. “I teach children how to lead by serving,” she said. “I have a passion for providing leadership experiences that inspire students to reach beyond themselves.”

Two students in each classroom (grades 1-4) are elected to serve each year in both the fall and spring semester. This allows more students the opportunity to gain leadership experience. Meetings require dedication and sacrifice: Reps miss morning movement/recess to attend 7:30 a.m. monthly meetings.

Officers collect suggestions to better the School from the student body in self-

Monthly activities keep the School connected: Cardboard Arcade, Change Drive, Scholastic Book Fair Drive, Toiletry Drive, Used Coat Drive, Lower School Variety Show emcee, Fourth-Grade Float Parade leader and Grandparents Day greeter are a few past opportunities.

Middle School

In Middle School, Student Council kids are the “go-tos” when there is an event or project to promote. These students are also the first contact for FWCD new students, before school even begins.

“STUCO provides opportunities for students to take on leadership roles,” Finn said. “They learn to work as a team to reach goals as they plan, organize and execute events like the Canned Food Drive, the Talent Show and School dances, as well as help with Red Ribbon Week, decorate for the holidays and make class announcements.

Officers are elected in grades 6-8 in May. Students in fifth-grade are elected after the first quarter of school has

passed, allowing them to learn more about their new School home.

“Student Council members represent their peers, are the voice of the student body and help to promote a positive School environment,” Casanova said.

“Through service, they gain a deep sense of responsibility.”

Upper School

The Student Council has a daily presence in Upper School. The Student Council president leads the announcement period each day and reminds students of upcoming events, activities and service projects.

The student body votes on an executive council, which comprises four officers, as well as class officers (three representatives per grade). Jennifer Giroir and Andrew Thomas are faculty advisers.

Some of the events the council sponsors include Howdy Week and Homecoming events. During the 2016-17 academic year, the role of the Student Council is expected to expand.

While the activities within each Student Council are different, their membership shares the same traits: They are leaders and School ambassadors. “I am constantly amazed by the ideas our students have to go above and beyond the call of duty to motivate their classmates to participate in service projects,” Fuss said. “The students take their jobs seriously and have a great sense of pride.”

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Q& with Tara Forrest and Dr. M A Why do you teach?

I truly believe teaching is my calling. I love seeing kids ‘get’ something they’ve never gotten before, or to be able to do something they never thought possible. I tell my students each year that every person we will learn about is long departed, every event we discuss has already happened, and it’s up to me to make those people come alive and to give those events purpose. But more importantly, it’s up to them as students to make a connection to how these people/events affect their lives today.

How has FWCD shaped you as a teacher?

After almost 27 years in public education, I came to Country Day because it offered me the avenue to teach in a way that kids learn best. During my 14-year career here, my professional integrity and abilities as a teacher have been nurtured, and I’ve been challenged to try new things— in the classroom and beyond—that make educational experiences more meaningful.

What programs are you most proud of starting at the School?

Veterans Day is one of my favorite days of the school year. I cannot help but think of my dad, a WWII and Korean War veteran, who inspired me to create a program that would put veterans in the classrooms and provide an arena for American history students to give back to those who gave so much for all of us. I brought the Geography Bee here.

Not every kid plays football like Aikman or paints like Rembrandt, and not everyone knows the name of the rock in the middle of the Australian desert (or wants to!), but Geo Bee helps kids find another niche, another place they can have fun, learn something new and maybe even excel. I became involved in Fort Worth Sister Cities’ programs at Country Day. In 2013, our Middle School was finally accepted as a host school for the Nagaoka Exchange Program, and, in 2014, we hosted our first group of students from Japan. It was life-changing for our host families, faculty and student body. In an ideal world, these programs will continue, and maybe even become reciprocal exchanges!

In May, you will retire. What are your plans?

Cultural education is an integral part of my life. I will be involved in Fort Worth Sister Cities, coordinating the Junior International Leadership Academy as long as they’ll have me! I plan to lead more student exchanges, as I did the Harashin Scholar program last year. My husband, Joel, and I also plan to travel, and I will spend lots of time with my family, especially the grands.

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FACULTY Q&A

artin What led you to teach at the lower school level?

I never dreamed I would ever be teaching as an educator. My desire was to be in ministry.

If, however, I did teach, I thought it would be middle school through adults, never elementary. After graduating from Baylor, I attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. While working on my master’s, I was the music minister at First Baptist Bedford and taught private voice lessons in the Birdville ISD. One day, I was asked to take a permanent sub job teaching music at an elementary school. I took the job out of curiosity.

Long story short, I loved it. Before that school year ended, I was asked to be a permanent K-6 music teacher. Being an educator is my ministry. It’s about serving others, helping others to be better and to accomplish their dreams. It’s what I do best. It’s my true talent and calling.

What is your vision for the Lower School Falcon Flyers Choir?

Music transcends diversity. It is a common language. It unites and ties us together. It records our history, our cultures, our beliefs, values, etc. Music is a powerful entity. I haven’t reached my vision for the choir by a long shot. However, I have a vision and a dream of what I want it to be. I think that is what is necessary in creating any kind of effective, successful program; or, in this case, choir. It starts with a dream or vision. We made great strides this year, but wait until next year!

How do you engage, challenge and connect with students in the classroom?

I love the adage, “The student doesn’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care!” My piano teacher growing up was one of my lifelong mentors. She not only cared for me as a student, but she also believed in me and saw things in me that I didn’t see in myself.

During high school, she showed up to my musical performances at school, heard me sing at church, attended my award ceremonies, cared about who I was dating, was interested in my friends. After college, she continued her support, coming to school performances I directed, hearing my church choir sing, attending my wedding and sitting in the front row with my family. She loved me; she made me want to be a better person.

I try to do that now with my own students. I want them to know that I care deeply about them, that I believe in them, that I know they can achieve and be successful. I work to make their athletic games, piano recitals, church pageants, and dance and play performances. Attending the students’ different activities allows me the opportunity to connect and get acquainted with the parents. As an added bonus, the parents and I form a relationship, oftentimes a friendship.

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Athletics An integral part of the FWCD experience is participation in athletics. FWCD Falcons demonstrate a high regard for sportsmanship, effort, health, fitness and school spirit.

John Fredian ’16 readies himself to pass to the shooter.

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ATHLETICS

College Athletes Four athletes in the Class of 2016 committed to take their games to the next level, signing their National Letters of Intent in the spring and early summer months.

Field Hockey Players Named to National Academic Squad Fifteen varsity field hockey players were named to the 2015 NFHCA (National Field Hockey Coaches Association)/Keith Waldman - Optimal Performance Associates High School National Academic Squad. The following seniors and juniors earned this distinction for their academics and athletic commitment to FWCD’s varsity field hockey team: Katie Anderson ’16, Margot Berry ’16, Mary Catherine Bishop ’16, Caroline Cameron ’16, Kristin Dickerson ’16, Alex Doswell ’16, Molly Englander ’16, Carly Franks ’17, Meredith Mallick ’17, Kate Nolan ’17, Savannah Norman ’16, Anne Phillips ’17, Kennedy Phillips ’17, Chloe Pyron ’17 and Sarah Sawyer ’17. This year, Fort Worth Country Day had the most players in the Southwest Preparatory Conference to earn this honor.

The NFHCA is a nonprofit organization serving field hockey coaches and supporters of the game from across the U.S. The organization’s mission is to stimulate the professional development of coaching leadership within the sport, to foster and promote the growth of the sport, and to cultivate and recognize the professional contributions of its membership.

Senior Basketball Player Honored Natalie Clifton ’16 was awarded Academic All-State by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches.

Marshall Dike has committed to Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, to play baseball.

Jack Sankary was recognized in April for his commitment to Sewanee: The University of the South to play football.

William Sheats signed a baseball scholarship with Delgado Community College in New Orleans, Louisiana.

William signed as a first baseman and pitcher.

DJ Williams has signed to play soccer at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

Congratulations to these Falcons on their high honor!

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ATHLETICS

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ATHLETICS

FWCD Dedicates Tennis Center The Fort Worth Country Day community gathered on May 9 to dedicate the School’s new FWCD Tennis Center. More than 100 members of the FWCD family were on hand to commemorate the event and honor the donors and volunteers who brought the facility to life.

effort, which raised more than $12 million for the School.

Building and Grounds Chair Michael Dike ’88 was immersed in the planning with Assistant Head of School for Operations Steve Stackhouse.

While the courts officially opened for play for the start of the tennis season on Tuesday, March 22, the dedication ceremony and ribbon-cutting allowed the project donors an opportunity to be recognized for their gifts to the School.

“As an FWCD alumnus and now an FWCD parent, I am grateful to be a part of the team to plan and improve our campus,” Dike said. “When the apartment tract was purchased, we knew this site would be important for the School. It serves as a gateway to the south entrance as well as being our front door along 183 and Bryant Irvin. I have heard from many people who drive by and comment on how great the tennis courts look and how that part of campus now looks complete. These courts provide a fitting anchor to this part of our campus and, with the Patton Field House, will be a Michael Dike ’88 tremendous asset for the School.

Just the other day, my daughter Elizabeth [’25], who is entering fourth-grade at FWCD, said she wants to take up tennis and looks forward to playing on the Country Day courts. I see this new facility as a resource that will support and enhance our tennis program into the future.”

Board President David Ekstrom ’75 called the crowd to order on a hot and humid May afternoon, sharing that the tennis center is a wonderful example of the planning, forethought and commitment that has brought FWCD to where it is today. “A few years ago, this site was home to an apartment complex, which many of you might recall was not the most ideal gateway to our campus,” he said. “When the property went up for sale, the Board seized the opportunity to purchase the tract.”

Athletic Director Frank Gendusa highlighted the importance of 10 courts for his Athletic Department and student-athletes.

“Tennis is one of the few sports from which we’ve had to cut students simply because of the amount of space we had available for practices and competition,” he said. “These new courts allow more athletes to play, give our coaches quality practice time with their athletes and enable us to play 10 matches simultaneously, which is what you need in a true tournament setting.”

The new athletic facilities were the cornerstone of the School’s Then, Now, Forever. funding initiative chaired by Laura (Bonnell ’88) and Jeff Alexander. Board Advancement Chair Scott Sankary ’86 and Immediate Past Board President Shannon Young Ray ’80 were also deeply involved in the

Tennis players Christina Kelly ’18 and Nicholas Aufiero ’17 spoke about the courts and their impact on the team. “This season was a season to remember,” Kelly said. “All the teams who came to play on campus were jealous of our courts.”

FWCD’s current campus master plan reflects the School’s commitment to a balanced and diverse program that emphasizes the 3A’s—academics, the arts and athletics.

Critical to the long-term plans are building community, ensuring an outstanding experience and facilitating a sustainable campus environment.

Incorporating recommendations from coaches, the new tennis center features 10 courts, which makes it possible for FWCD to host competitions on campus instead of leasing courts at outlying venues.

There also is seating for families and fans to view students during matches.

“I see this new facility as a

resource that will support and enhance our tennis program into the future.

”

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For Aufiero and his teammates, this season was a rebuilding year. “While we didn’t have a winning season, we were proud of our impressive courts and are excited about the Patton Field House opening later next year.”

bench seating between each set of courts. “The families gathered and honored today are the reason these courts are so incredibly good and will be so incredibly good for decades to come,” Lombardi said.

One of the first events this year for Head of School Eric Lombardi was a groundbreaking for FWCD’s tennis center and Patton Field House last August. Lombardi bookended his first year as a Falcon with the dedication of the tennis center.

Seven courts are named in honor of special Fort Worth Country Day benefactors. Family and friends were present for a ribbon-cutting ceremony. A special presentation was also made to honor longtime FWCD coach, Will Stansbery H’08. FWCD alumni and friends came together to create the Stansbery Championship Court to recognize Stansbery’s almost 30-year career in education and athletics at the School.

“On August 28, 2015, I was given a shovel and a hard hat along with the Pattons, Moritzes, Shannon [Young Ray ’80], Laura [Bonnell Alexander ’88], Jeff [Alexander], David [Ekstrom ’75], Michael [Dike ’88] and Scott [Sankary ’86]. These shovels in the dirt started the construction, the results of which are these tennis courts and the still-in-progress field house across the street,” Lombardi said, referring to the Patton Field House, set to open next year. “Back in August, I spoke of my great timing, showing up after the fundraising and planning and just in time for shovels and riding the proverbial coattails of Evan Peterson [H’15] and the rest of you who had done all of the work.”

He also thanked Stackhouse, Gendusa and Dike for their “heavy lifting” during the construction process.

The courts play well, Lombardi shared with the crowd. “Our surface is intentionally a bit textured to slow the ball down,” he noted. “I like to think that texturing allows older guys like me to have a little better chance of getting to more shots.

Bottom line: These are truly phenomenal courts.”

The 10 new courts, four of which are lighted, have shaded

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The court names are listed below with the respective donors: • Luskey Ace Court: Named in memory of Former Trustee Henry Luskey; Given by Jeanie Luskey, Steven Luskey ’92 and Valrie Luskey Eberstein ’96 • Todora Ace Court: Given by the Michael and Helen Todora Family, Robert ’17, Harrison ’20, Vivian ’23 and John ’29 • Park Championship Court: Given by Judy and Major Park; Martha and Rob Park, Katie ’16, Megan ’18 and Robert ’18 • Stansbery Court: Given by alumni and friends of Coach Will Stansbery H’08, FWCD Coach 197099 • Manning Court: Given by the Krista and Ralph Manning Family, Mary Kate ’25 and Millison ’25 • Beadles Court: Given by Allison and John Beadles ’88 • Petsche Court: Given by the Bonnie and Alan Petsche Family, Kate ’11, Alec ’13, Eric ’16 and Julia ’20

(Back row) David Eberstein, Valrie Luskey Eberstein ’96, Steven Luskey ’92, Jeanie Luskey, Ken Huffman, Eric Lombardi, (front row) Simon Eberstein ’27 and Charlotte Eberstein helped to dedicate Luskey Ace Court.

(Back row) Krista Manning, Ralph Manning, (front row) Millison Manning ’25 and Mary Kate Manning ’25 were on hand for the dedication of Manning Court.

(Back row) Helen Todora, Robert Todora ’17, Dr. Michael Todora, (front row) Vivian Todora ’23, John Todora ’29, Harrison Todora ’20 and Frank Gendusa cut the ribbon on Todora Ace Court.

(Back row) John Beadles ’88, Eric Lombardi, (front row) John “H” Beadles ’25, Winston Beadles ’27 and Allison Beadles celebrated the opening of Beadles Court.

Martha Park, Katie Park ’16, Megan Park ’18, Rob Park and Robert Park ’18 were present for the dedication of Park Championship Court.

Steve Stackhouse, Alan Petsche, Julia Petsche ’20 and Bonnie Petsche pose in front of Petsche Court.

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The Arts The City of Fort Worth is internationally known for its vibrant arts scene.

At FWCD, we continue to offer the finest of fine arts through our celebrated ballet program, visual arts classes, choral programs, band, orchestra, drumline, performing arts and technical theatre.

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com·mence·ment |kəˈmensmənt| noun a beginning or start.

The 84 members of the Class of 2016 commenced on their post-Fort Worth Country Day journey on Friday, May 13, fully prepared to step onto the college campuses of their choosing and ready to make a difference in the world.

Salutatorian Reagan Mulqueen welcomed the crowd that assembled in McKinney Church to celebrate the journey of graduates with an acrostic poem:

We are all here tonight to celebrate the journey of the 84 classmates of the graduating Class of 2016.

Encouragement is the key to our success, particularly the encouragement and support of the

Board of Trustees, the administration, the faculty, the parents, the friends and my classmates.

Loving role models, thank you. We would not have made it this far without you.

Commitment radiates tonight from every face in the audience. It is this commitment and resolution that will see us through.

Opportunity lies before us.

Memories, priceless and foundational, lie behind us.

Excitement beams from each of us, relishing where we have been, admiring who we have

become and welcoming whatever our future holds.

WELCOME.

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Truett Killian ’16 poses with Head of School Eric Lombardi as he receives his diploma.

He will attend Tufts University in the fall.

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Samuel Kim, Jessica Sustaita, Edwin Carbajal, Gustavo Torres and Tekleab Beyene found Fort Worth Country Day as a result of the Breakthrough Fort Worth program, hosted on the FWCD campus. Torres thanked Breakthrough and its team in his valedictory address.

This year’s class, like all FWCD graduating classes, is impressive. Of the 84 seniors, 48 are “Originals.” With two National Merit Finalists: William Newton and Kinsey McGlasson; seven National Merit Commended Students: Caroline Cameron, Cameron Cramer, Erin Ford, Ketrick Karsten, Samuel Kim, Matthew Lee, Gustavo Torres; and four National Hispanic Scholars: Andrew Burgos, Reagan Mulqueen, Sarah Nolan and Gustavo Torres, the class earned more than $8.3 million in merit-based scholarships and awards. Students will attend 45 different colleges and universities throughout the U.S. Five students, Tekleab Beyene, Edwin Carbajal, Samuel Kim, Jessica Sustaita and Gustavo Torres, are Breakthrough Fort Worth (BTFW) graduates, having completed the BTFW program as middle schoolers and coming to FWCD as upper schoolers.

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These FWCD graduates were committed to their academics. On average, each member of the class took five Advanced Placement courses during their high school career, and 15 seniors enrolled in 10 different courses through the Malone Schools Online Network. FWCD’s reputation as the only Malone Foundation School in Texas allows its Upper School students to participate in the network, taking synchronous online courses offered by FWCD and faculty at 17 other independent Malone Schools from across the country.

The arts and athletics are equally important to these students. Katherine D’Souza and John Wittman were nominated for Best Actor Betty Buckley Awards through Casa Mañana for their roles in the School’s fall play, Harvey. Marshall Dike, Adele Elkind, James Ferguson, Jacob Rains, Jack Sankary, William Sheats and DJ Williams will continue their athletic careers in college, competing in baseball, softball, football and soccer.

Center: Katie Nelson, Katie Neathery and DJ Williams were all smiles on graduation evening.

Bottom: This year’s senior-elected speaker was Upper School History Teacher Andrew Thomas. His heartfelt speech provided advice, including “Do what you love and love what you do.”

Celebrating a Class Board President David Ekstrom ’75, was the first to congratulate the students on reaching their graduation milestone. “Keep Country Day memories close to your heart and remember what you learned here,” he said. “Stop by, anytime; we like to hear where life has taken you.”

This event is a BIG DEAL was the sentiment imparted by Head of School Eric Lombardi. He talked about the mortarboard decorating that is now a community ritual at Fort Worth Country Day, and how the graduation gowns are steeped in tradition. Lombardi also addressed a new feature of the post-ceremony: a formal receiving line of teachers for a final goodbye.

“Don’t be in a hurry,” he said. “Cherish the chance to say farewell to these teachers who’ve guided you on your educational journey.”

This year’s senior-elected speaker, Upper School History Teacher Andrew Thomas, gave a heartfelt speech that touched on what he learned from his mother, whom he watched struggle to make ends meet following his father’s death.

Over the years, Thomas developed his own core values—eight of them. He shared three with the Class of 2016.

1. It’s okay to be scared.

2. Do what you love and love what you do.

3. Fight ’em till hell freezes over. Then, fight ’em on the ice.

“Within the next few weeks, many of you will be heading to freshman orientation,” Thomas said. “Once the dust settles from this evening’s pomp and circumstance … you’ll become laser-focused, almost borderline obsessed, on this two-day event SUMMER 2016

25

at your new home for the next four years. It’ll be the fear of the unknown that’ll keep you up late at night, wondering whether you made the right decision.

“The fear of the unknown is real, and it’s scary,” he continued. “I’m confident you will get through it, and you might just learn a little bit about yourself along the way, so embrace this feeling – don’t run from it.”

Valedictorian Gustavo Torres Gustavo Torres is thankful for Breakthrough Fort Worth (BTFW), a Fort Worth Country Day-hosted program that encouraged him to apply to the School and connected him with the Reilly Family Foundation to make his four years as a Falcon possible. A National Hispanic Scholar and National Commended Student, Gustavo gave back to the BTFW program, serving as a Super Saturday teacher and a summer teacher’s assistant. Inducted into the Cum Laude Society as a junior, Gustavo took eight Advanced Placement courses; every Honors-level French, math and science class offered; and advanced math, science and computer instruction through the Malone Schools Online Network. He developed a passion for computer science, thanks to the late Dr. Jim Aldridge H’14. Music is Gustavo’s escape; he played the cello and piano in the School orchestra. Soaking up every FWCD experience, Gustavo is the founding member of the Builder’s, Math and Code Quest clubs and served as Calculus Bowl and Code Quest team captain. At the Upper School Awards, Gustavo earned the FWCD Leadership and Musicianship Award, the Senior Mathematics Student Award, the Outstanding Computer Science Student Award and the Class of 2014 Dr. Jim Aldridge Award. Gustavo will attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, where he plans to study mechanical engineering with a focus on smart technology prototypes and robotics.

26

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He reminded students not to get bogged down in what others think they should be doing. “Make these next four years about finding your passion and never be afraid to start over because life’s too short to do otherwise,” Thomas said.

Using a Dutch Meyer quote, Thomas talked about grit. “Grit shapes people into taking advantage of every opportunity that comes their way,” he said.

“Grit shapes people into brushing off the dirt when they’re knocked down.

Gritty people rarely go unnoticed because they never tire and understand that there’ll be plenty of time to rest because in the long run, we’re all dead.”

Valedictorian Gustavo Torres began his speech thanking a special program housed on the FWCD campus. “I would personally like to thank the Breakthrough Fort Worth program for encouraging a young middle schooler to apply to Country Day and connecting me with the Reilly Family Foundation to make these four years possible,” he said.

His motivational words to the class built on Thomas’s: gravitate toward a passion … find your raison d’être … create new and different bonds and friendships … exceed or defy expectations.

When talking about expectations, Torres honored his mentor, Dr. Jim Aldridge H’14. “As a teacher and person, he exceeded every expectation, and by doing so, he has inspired many people, including myself to do well.

Put your future to good use and don’t waste a second of it,” he shared.

Adele Elkind shared some colorful memories, in storytelling fashion. “Once upon a time—that’s how every good story starts—each of us found our way to Fort Worth Country Day,” she said. “For some of us, we were so young when we started at Country Day that we had no say whether we would be a Falcon or not. Some of our parents are alumni of the School and wouldn’t have had us go anywhere else. We would only wear the best plaid in Fort Worth and the best colors on Bryant Irvin. For the rest of us, we were older when we decided to tour Country Day and got to decide for ourselves.

“However we got here, we all decided that Country Day was our final destination before going out on our own,” Elkind continued. “As we go on to the next chapter in our lives and finish writing this story of ours,

we cannot forget this community. We will never be at a place as special as Country Day again. And tonight, we conclude our story here, the same way we began … together.”

Head of Upper School Bill Arnold ’86 presented the class for diplomas, invoking the kind-hearted spirit of the class. “These students are prepared for the jungle out there, and they are prepared to make that jungle better,” he said.

As seniors received their diplomas, they continued the tradition of giving a gift to the head. This year’s gifts included 84 pairs of fun socks, many of which were college-themed and some even handmade. Inside the socks: monetary gifts to the Beverly Anne Robinson Faculty Endowed Scholarship Fund. In total, the class gave $3,550.33 to the fund.

Lombardi capped off the evening with insights from one of his favorite books, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten. One piece of advice that truly fits the essence of Fort Worth Country Day: “Live a balanced life: learn some … and draw some and paint some and sing and dance and play and work every day some.”

Salutatorian Reagan Mulqueen During her 13 years as a Falcon, Reagan Mulqueen took full advantage of the Fort Worth Country Day experience, completing seven Advanced Placement and many Honors courses. With a heart for music, Reagan has played piano since first grade. One of her favorite memories is playing in the ISAS Jazz Band this year.

As a junior and senior, Reagan helped break two School swimming records with her team, which placed third in SPC in 2015. Since spring 2013, she has co-chaired the Breakthrough Boutique, collecting Fancy Meal luncheon attire for students in the Breakthrough Fort Worth program. She also is a Cook Children’s Medical Center volunteer: This year will be her fifth summer volunteering. Inducted into the Cum Laude Society as a junior, Reagan served as a TEAM Service member during her high school years and a Link Crew leader as a junior and senior. At the Upper School Awards, she was honored with the Outstanding Instrumentalist Award and the Andrew Cordell Community Service Award. A National Hispanic Scholar, Reagan earned the Hispanic Heritage Scholarship – Gold Award for Business, the Fort Worth Scottish Rite Foundation Scholarship and the Fort Worth Music Teachers Association Senior Scholarship Award. Reagan will attend the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, where she plans to study business.

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Graduation Stats fo

The classes of 2013-16 attended th

100%

of graduates admitted to four-year colleges and universities

100%

of graduates took AP English Language and Composition

52%

Average percentage of graduates attended out-of-state colleges and universities

48%

Average percentage of graduates attended Texas colleges and universities

35,139,974

$

Total amount awarded to our graduates in merit-based scholarships and awards with an average annual amount of approximately $8.7 million.

Total number of merit-based scholarships and awards received

graduates participating in collegiate athletics

834 98

Average number of annual graduates Class of 2016: 84 Class of 2015: 102 Class of 2014: 107 Class of 2013: 99

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or Classes 2013-16

he colleges and universities below:

125

Average annual number of colleges and universities where our graduates were admitted

79

Number of graduates recognized as National Merit Semifinalists, National Merit Commended Students, National Achievement Semifinalists and/or National Hispanic Scholars

ACT SCORES

(2013-16)

351

students tested

9

FWCD Average Composite: 28 National Composite*: 21

nominations for Betty Buckley Awards

SAT SCORES (2013-16) 373 students tested FWCD Section Averages

Critical Reading: 630

National Section Averages* Critical Reading: 495

Math: 626

Writing Skills: 629

Math: 511

Writing Skills: 484

*Note: ACT and SAT National averages are for the Class of 2015.

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Founders’ Day A re-imagined Founders’ Day on Friday, March 4, gave students, faculty and staff a sense that spring break had started a bit early this year, as they took time away from the classroom to honor faculty, celebrate FWCD history and simply enjoy themselves.

Fort Worth Country Day has celebrated Founders’ Day since 2006. In years past, the event has comprised an all-School assembly in the Round Gym with a speaker connected to the FWCD community and a celebration of faculty/staff who have reached service milestones in their careers. Faculty who have worked at the School for five, 10, 15 and 20-plus years are recognized. Those who have achieved 20 years of service are inducted into FWCD’s special circle, Club Viginti.

To engage students and increase enjoyment this year, Head of School Eric Lombardi wanted to put a new spin 30

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on Founders’ Day. He enlisted the help of a faculty/staff committee in the 2015-16 fall semester to discuss the good and not-so-good things associated with Founders’ Day in the past.

After the full committee met and shared their thoughts, a smaller committee, guided by Lombardi, Director of Advancement Sandra Tuomey and Assistant Head of School for Operations Steve Stackhouse, moved forward with a new, improved approach to Founders’ Day with the purpose of engaging all students across the divisions, while still celebrating milestones.

This year’s Founders’ Day celebrated what is great about FWCD and its faculty and paid homage to the 16 Founding Trustees who, more than 50 years ago, dreamed of creating “a school of real academic excellence” in Fort Worth.

Re-Imagined In a community of more than 1,300 people, engagement can be challenging. Committee members felt that engagement would be possible in smaller groups and, thus, Falcon Houses were born. Students, faculty and staff were divided into 16 houses so that members of Lower School, Middle School, Upper School, faculty and staff came together in each group, creating a cross-divisional feel within each approximately 85-member House. Houses were named after the School’s Founders: Perry R. Bass; George Ann Carter-Bahan H’13; Sam B. Cantey III; Betty Claire Dupree-McKnight H’13; Rufus Garrett, Jr.; James S. Garvey; Robert K. Hanger; Elton M. Hyder, Jr.; Priscilla Holland Johnston H’13; O.P. “Paul” Leonard H’13; William W. McKinney; James R. Meeker; William W. Meeker; Thomas M. Ryan; Edmund W. Schenecker; and Patricia Schutts H’13. Congratulations, you’re a winner! Email Shel Juliao to claim your prize!

The Houses were broken down further into “trios” and “quads” so that Middle and Upper School students were connected with Lower School students. The older Falcons served as mentors, leaders and helpers throughout the day.

Many Lower School students made important connections with their trio/quad leaders and, after the day’s events, found new friendly faces to which they could wave when they saw one another on campus.

It wasn’t enough for people to be divided into groups, they also had to look the part. Marketing Manager Lisa Koger designed a creative Falcon Houses logo that was printed on T-shirts in a rainbow array of 16 different colors. (Hang on to those T-shirts! The School plans to use them for future House events! And all new Falcons will be assigned a house and provided a shirt!)

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Celebrating the Day Friday, March 4, was an exceptionally beautiful day that began as any other, except that students, faculty and staff came to school sporting their new Falcon House T-shirts. By 10:45 a.m., the community began making its way to Rosacker Stadium for an all-School picnic, complete with boxed lunches by SAGE Dining Services.

As students walked to the track, they connected with others in the same color shirts. The field quickly was alive with color. Joe Breedlove ’78 emceed the picnic, playing lively music and encouraging students to play with the beach balls and Frisbees on the field.

A Grand-Entry Parade

Betty Claire Dupree McKnight H’13, with her granddaughter, Claire Davis (above), and Founding Trustees George Ann Carter Bahan H’13 and Patricia Schutts H’13, with Jeanie Luskey, the Falcon and Debra Lombardi, served as grand marshals of the Founders’ Day Grand Entry Parade.

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Following the picnic, a Grand-Entry Parade began, led by three of FWCD’s Founding Trustees—George Ann Carter-Bahan H’13, Betty Claire DupreeMcKnight H’13 and Patricia Schutts H’13. At the beginning of the procession, the School community stopped at the base of an FWCD form crafted by Dewayne Dodgin and Clovis Murphree in Plant Operations. The form was created to hold 1,328 hand-painted rocks: one each for the 1,108 students and one each for the 220 faculty/staff. The idea of the painted rocks stemmed from Upper School Diversity Day and a book College Counseling Assistant Terri Hutton found, titled Only One You by Linda Krantz. Through her dazzling rockfish, Krantz tells a story about the beauty of difference. Upper schoolers painted rocks to reflect themselves on Diversity Day. The Founders’ Day Committee loved this idea and wanted to expand it division-wide, with all levels painting rocks with representations of themselves. One by one, students, faculty and staff paraded by the form, leaving their rocks.

The parade curled around the track and led into the Round Gym. No grand entry is complete without music: Middle School Science Teacher Dan Bloch H’06 greeted community members as he plucked away on his banjo, something he has been doing at the School for the Kindergarten Rodeo for 46 years.

Each Falcon House walked a red carpet to find their seating areas in the gym.

A Great Big Hug When Lombardi stood in the center of the gym, encircled by the community like a “great big hug,” he began with a thank you to the many who helped make the event such an amazing and colorful day. “We are here today because we like to stop what we are doing every year to celebrate our Founders, the people who had the idea to start our school and then who made it happen,” he said. “Along with our Founders, we use this day to celebrate our community members who have devoted significant years of their lives to this community. In a sense, we are saying thank you to all of those people, those teachers and those staff members who have been here for lots of years and those Founders who made it all possible.”

As he called out House names, there were cheers galore. He gave a special shout-out to the Carter-Bahan, Dupree-McKnight and Schutts Houses prior to showing the School’s birth certificate on a video screen. “That is the official document that said our Founders had a school,” Lombardi said. “It was dated March 6, 1962. That makes us 54 years old. But we would never have even had our first birthday without the work of these three women and the men and women of the 13 other houses you represent.”

The program highlighted FWCD’s first graduate, John Robinett ’66, in a short video that Lombardi took while visiting Robinett in Seattle in February to celebrate his one-person 50th reunion. Five, 10 and 15-year service honorees (see page 35) were recognized by name. Cindy Allen, Joe Breedlove ’78, Sheri Fuller, Chuck Maddux and Carol Wamsley each had 20 or more years of service and were highlighted in special videos. These videos, put together by FWCD Theater Manager and Theatre Tech Teacher Mark Philpot and Middle School History Teacher Austin Walton, were a big hit with the audience. Honorees spoke about what FWCD means to them. Fun “manon-the-street” interviews with Lombardi and students were interspersed and added laughs to the program.

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Sharon Foster Added to FWCD’s Wall of Honor During FWCD’s 50th anniversary celebration, the School instituted the Wall of Honor to pay tribute to those extraordinary people who’ve done extraordinary things for the School. This honor was bestowed upon retired faculty member Sharon Foster H’06 on March 4.

“It is a hug, a sea of students that clearly makes Mrs. Foster happiest,” said Head of School Eric Lombardi, referencing the circle of students surrounding the stage at the Founders’ Day celebration in the Round Gym. Foster taught Middle School Science at Fort Worth Country Day for 40 years, from 1966 to 2006. “But we are not honoring her for simply lasting a long time on the faculty,” he noted. “We are honoring her for her incredible gifts as a teacher and as a beloved guide to several generations of Country Day students.”

Lombardi shared with the crowd that he had recently traveled to an alumni gathering with Foster. “What I witnessed there in New York: her former students lining up for their chance to thank her, to reminisce with her, hug her, introduce her to their partners …. It was a scene of incredible poignancy and power. It was only 35 of hundreds of students she inspired in her days teaching here.”

In Foster’s nomination, people noted that she participated in a Fulbright exchange program in Great Britain, had a laboratory named for her in the Upper School Science Center, that she is the face of the eighth-grade Big Bend Trip, she taught sex education to thousands of FWCD students precisely when they needed it, and that she continues her involvement in Club Viginti and many other FWCD organizations.

Foster’s plaque now hangs with the plaques of Peter Schwartz H’98, Founding Headmaster; Perry Bass H’98, founding Board chair; Claire-Lise Knecht H’06, founding faculty member; and two beloved teachers, Jean Webb H’01 and Dr. Jim Aldridge H’14. It reads: Shannon Foster came to Fort Worth Country Day in 1966 to teach Middle School science. Over the course of her 40-year career, Sharon was known for her engaging projects: rat dissections and preservation, the leaf project and lab practicals.

Adrian Yarbrough ’24 Beloved by students and fellow faculty, she led the Science Department (1980- (Garvey House) enjoyed 84), established FWCD’s sex education curriculum and founded the Big Bend playing with the beach Trip. Sharon left an unforgettable impression on the School and forged lasting balls at the all-School picnic on Rosacker Field. connections with her students. Her programs live on in FWCD’s classrooms.

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Founders’ Day 2016 Service Award Recipients 30 Years Cindy Allen Joe Breedlove ’78

25 Years Sheri Fuller Chuck Maddux

20 Years (Inducted into Club Viginti) Carol Wamsley Above: Falcon Houses each had their “slice” in the Round Gym ultimately creating a pinwheel of color when everyone was seated.

Left: Charlie Cauble ’28 and Merill Bumstead ’20 (J. Meeker House) enjoyed getting to know each other during Founders’ Day events.

Below: In their House T-shirts, Carol Wamsley, Sheri Fuller, Chuck Maddux, Cindy Allen and Joe Breedlove ’78 were celebrated for their years of service to the School.

15 Years Stephen Dickey ’89 Melisa Dorsey Kris Johnson Kathy Lott Beverly Michael Laura Terry

10 Years Dean Barker Rex Bozarth Angeles Casanova Nolan Hightower Sara McCullough Valerie Bloch Montgomery ’01 Clovis Murphree Jackie Rains Elizabeth Ramirez Jeff Rozanski John Stephens Steve Uhr

5 Years Mallory Alexander, Courtney Bourgeois, Bryan Carlson, Jocelyn Cipolaro, Kendall Davis, Dewayne Dodgin, Nicole Donati, Colin Douglas ’06, Alison Gee, Deb Lawson, Eulalia Magana, Shilo Mancini, Lori McCormack, Abby Rosensweig, Spencer Smith, Sandra Tuomey, Tammy Wolford

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Native Pottery Brings to

Art Life

By Debby Jennings

During the 1950s, Evelyn Siegel (Fort Worth Country Day Art Department 1968-84) and her husband, Martin, traveled extensively throughout the American Southwest, particularly in New Mexico and Arizona. On these travels, Evelyn became fascinated with the workmanship of native pottery and bought her first piece of what would become an extensive collection. Evelyn and Martin both loved art, and collecting was an activity that they did together. Many pieces of their collection have been donated to FWCD and are now on permanent display in the Moncrief Library in glass cases that the Siegel’s designed for the space. This year, Evelyn completed the identification and labeling of the pots, noting their approximate age, as well as the name of the pueblo associated with each piece.

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A collector and a clay artist herself, Evelyn began her study at the Fort Worth Museum Art Center under well-known sculptor, Evaline Sellors. In 1968, Founding Headmaster Peter Schwartz H’98 offered Evelyn a faculty position at the School as the first head of the Art Department. Evelyn taught visual arts in grades 1-6 in those first years, but soon introduced ceramics into the Middle School and Upper School art curriculum. The ceramics classes were a favorite among students, and her vision for a ceramics studio was added to the original art building.

Evelyn was continually looking for ways to share her love of native pottery. In 1978, when the fourth-grade studied Native Americans, Evelyn invited noted potter Blue Corn to FWCD. Blue Corn, from the San Ildefonso Pueblo, was famous for the patterns and design on her polychrome pottery. She spent a week at FWCD, teaching the students to shape clay pots. Blue Corn brought clay from her pueblo for the Upper School students to use and then fired their pots outdoors, authentically, in a fire made from dried cow dung and covered with an old trash can to allow the smoke to season the clay. Fourth-graders learned the traditional Native American method of forming the pots and fired them outdoors as well.

When she retired from FWCD in 1984, Evelyn opened her own art gallery, the Evelyn Siegel Gallery, on West Seventh. During the summer, Evelyn still teaches ceramics to children at the Anderson Ranch in Snowmass, Colorado, where she developed the children’s program and

where she and Martin contributed to the Anderson Ranch children’s art building.

This historic pottery collection in the Moncrief Library comprises primarily utilitarian cooking vessels from several different Southwest pueblos. Although the style and decoration varied among different pueblos, the process of making the pottery was essentially the same for hundreds of years. Native potters dug the clay from the local area and ground and mixed the clay with a temper of sand or ground stone. The pottery was then shaped without a potter’s wheel, usually by the method of coiling. The vessel was scraped smooth and a thin slip mixture of clay and water was applied so that the potter had a surface to paint. Firing took place outdoors in a shallow pit using wood or dung.

Decoration, usually bold geometric designs, was applied with mineral-based paints. The FWCD collection contains several polychrome pieces, which are decorated with three or more colors, usually black and red paint. The collection includes Anasazi bowls and pitchers dating as far back as 1200 AD and other utilitarian pieces from several pueblos, including Chaco and Salado.

“The FWCD community is very blessed to have this collection of Anasazi pottery,” said Jerry Mahle, FWCD ceramics teacher. “It is an assemblage of works that would be welcomed by any museum across the country. The fact that it is displayed on campus provides an amazing educational resource for teachers, students and families at the School.”

Evelyn and Martin donated this historic pottery collection to FWCD as a way to honor the school that has played a prominent role in the Siegel family. Evelyn and Martin’s four sons, Jeffrey ’70, Terry ’71, Jon ’75 and Aaron ’77, are all FWCD alumni. Evelyn remembers that she and Martin enrolled their sons at FWCD when it was a fairly new school because “it seemed like FWCD would offer the best education to their children.” That belief continued as nine Siegel grandchildren went on to graduate from the School.

The Siegel’s hope is that in donating this Native American pottery collection to the School that it will be utilized as part of the study of ceramics and Southwest American history so students will be aware of the role of art and clay in our Southwestern heritage.

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Jedito Bowl

Anasazi Gila Polychrome Olla Bowl Ca. 1400-1500

Anasazi Bowl

Tularosa Black on White Ladle Ca. 1100-1250 A.D.

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Alumni News Sam Juliao ’92 addressed this year’s graduates at the annual Alumni Association Induction.

This year’s class added 84 members to FWCD’s alumni count.

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ALUMNI NEWS

84 Seniors Inducted into Alumni Association In a time-honored rite of passage for Fort Worth Country Day’s graduating seniors, 84 students from the Class of 2016 were inducted into the Alumni Association in late April at an “Oh the Places You’ll Go”-themed brunch. This event ushers these students into the alumni family, providing them an opportunity to meet Alumni Council members in a casual setting.

To give some of FWCD’s younger students a glimpse of what to look forward to, the Lower School choir, directed by Dr. Mark Martin and accompanied by FWCD parent Lisa Grubbs, performed “This is America.” The lower schoolers then asked their fellow Falcons to join in and sing the “Alma Mater.” Following the performance, choir members roamed the room, giving the seniors high-fives and shaking hands.

The formal part of the program began with 2016-17 Alumni Council President Mary Hallman Smith ’03 congratulating the seniors. “We all know Fort Worth Country Day is not a school you can breeze right through,” she said. Mary and Alumni Council member Sam Juliao ’92 then spoke to the group about the benefits of Alumni Association membership, reminding the seniors that they are now part of a special network that can see them through all facets of their personal and professional lives. “You are a member of this association if you attended the School for only a period of time,” Mary said. “Please share this with your friends. We want to engage all former Falcons in the association.”

Sam reiterated the idea that the association is a family that takes care of one another and values membership, much like a

fraternity or sorority. “We ask you to come back, to volunteer, to give and, maybe one day, to return with kids of your own,” he said. “While you are ready to leave the gates of Fort Worth Country Day now, there will come a time when you feel nostalgic about Fort Worth and your alma mater.”

Mary likened the Alumni Association to a family’s dinner table. “When you go to college, you’re not expected to sit at the dinner table each night,” she said. “But you always have a seat at that table if you want to come home. That is how Fort Worth Country Day feels about its alumni.”

Alumni Relations Coordinator Shel Watson Juliao ’92 shared the value of networking with the seniors and encouraged them to download the LinkedIn app, start Sam Juliao ’92 building their profiles and join the Fort Worth Country Day Alumni Network.

“LinkedIn opens doors and can help break the ice,” Sam said. “It’s a good way to keep up with what people are doing professionally.” Shel also stressed the jobs section within the network, imploring students to use it in the future as they look for internships and full-time jobs. She also highlighted alumni’s presence on Facebook and Instagram.

The event culminated with the official induction by Head of Upper School Bill Arnold ’86. In a brief, heartfelt speech, Arnold led the induction, reminding students that their FWCD family is always here for them, through every stage of life. “Every two weeks, I get a check in the mail, but some of the greatest compensation for me is when former students come back to campus to say ‘hi,’” he said.

“While you are ready to leave the

gates of Fort Worth Country Day now, there will come a time when you feel nostalgic about Fort Worth and your alma mater.

”

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ALUMNI NEWS

Falcon Baseball Takes on Alumni for the Win On Saturday, April 16, a combined varsity and JV Falcon baseball team took on 17 alumni at FWCD’s baseball field. Rush Olson ’86 announced the game and added color commentary and walk-up music.

Be a Falcon College Ambassador Current Falcons want to hear about college life from an expert – YOU! To help facilitate these conversations, FWCD’s College Counseling and Alumni offices are establishing a database of Falcon graduates willing to be contacted by current FWCD students. As a Falcon College Ambassador, you will help current FWCD students understand the student experience at your college.

Please visit fwcd.com/FCA and compete the online form. Your contact information will be kept on file and shared, upon request, with FWCD students considering your college. A student (or parent) may be in touch with you to ask general questions about student life on your campus.

Being contacted does not obligate you to meet with students or families when they visit your campus; however, you are expected to communicate with them via email or phone and share your experience. Of course, if you can visit with a current Falcon over coffee or tour the student around your campus that’s great. Your level of involvement is totally up to you.

For more information or if you have questions, contact Abby Noel Rosensweig or Kristin Vaughn Larsen at 817.302.3246.

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Dan Bloch H’06 threw out the first pitch in a game that featured alumni from the classes of 1979 through 2013 and pitted brother against brother and father against son: Mo Sheats ’86 vs. sons William Sheats ’16 at pitcher and Clark Sheats ’18 at catcher, Ed Nelson ’89 vs. brother Branson Nelson ’16 on the mound, and Scott Sankary ’86 vs. son Jack Sankary ’16 at catcher.

Playing for the alumni team were David Anton ’92, Taylor Arnold ’11, Chris Clark ’86, Colin Douglas ’06, Alex Geesbreght ’92, Ben Hood ’98, Bill Jones ’84, Austin Meadows ’13, Ed Nelson ’89, Bryce Parten ’07, Cody Reynolds ’98, Whit Richardson ’06, Steve Relyea ’79, Scott Sankary ’86, Mo Sheats ’86, Brice Taylor ’06, Kent Watson ’03 and David Wright ’08. FWCD parent Tony Tipton played on behalf of his son, Jesse ’14, who could not attend.

A crowd of family and friends came out to support the teams in a hardfought battle where the combined varsity and JV team claimed a 9-6 victory over the alumni Falcons.

50th Reunion Celebration!

2017 launches a great tradition for a very special group of Falcons ‌ the first full graduating class to celebrate their 50th reunion! Affectionately named the Golden Grads, the classes of 1967, 1968 and 1969 helped build the foundation of what Fort Worth Country Day has become today. Members of these classes are a testament to the spirit and strength of our alumni.

Mark your calendar for the inaugural event to take place on campus Friday, April 21, and Saturday, April 22.

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ALUMNI NEWS

Cornell Woolridge ’96 “To whom much is given, much is also expected,” are words Cornell Woolridge ’96 abides by every day. Since graduating from Fort Worth Country Day, Woolridge has forged his path on a singular passion: to simply make a difference.

The founder and president of Maryland’s only nonpolitical/ nonpartisan civic engagement consulting firm, Woolridge connects citizens to their communities in positive ways.

Serving as a Close Up program instructor in Washington, D.C., he informs, inspires and empowers young people to exercise their rights and accept their responsibilities as democratic citizens.

Woolridge had great role models in his life. His mom, Ruby, a school counselor for more than 40 years, became the first African-American to run for Arlington ISD school board and was the Democratic choice in the 1994 Tarrant County district clerk race. It was Ruby who saw the importance of education and encouraged her son to attend a summer study skills course on the FWCD campus prior to his freshman year of high school in Arlington. “Mom was sneaky,” Woolridge said. “Her plan in sending me to CDS to enhance my study skills was really about finding me a spot at the School.”

Woolridge had football on the brain, so his first meeting with Upper School Principal Robert Cairo was far from a touchdown. “I only asked questions about football; I wasn’t really focused on academics,” he recalled. He was happy to return to two-a-day practices in Arlington until, one day, he was struck by the fact that there’s more out there than football.

Woolridge asked his mom to call the FWCD principal for a new meeting, practically begging to be part of Country Day. At FWCD, Woolridge became enamored with history thanks to Christopher Harlow. “He talked to us about the issues of the day, not just facts and dates,” he said. “I learned to speak my mind and not to take things personally when others didn’t agree with me. In my work now, I emphasize the importance of conflict and how to cultivate it into something positive. It’s important to understand others’ life experiences. What you 44

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learn may actually inform and enhance your views.”

At Skidmore College, Woolridge majored in English and worked for the Skidmore News as sports editor. He then returned to Texas to work for the Dallas Morning News and Arlington Morning News. But journalism wasn’t his passion.

“I didn’t feel like I was making a difference,” he said. So he took a year to reflect and care for his brother, Oster, who was battling Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.

While caring for Oster, Woolridge also ran Ruby’s campaign for state representative and worked for Joe Breedlove ’78 in Breakthrough Fort Worth. It was official: He had been rebitten by the civic engagement bug.

He would go on to work for the Service Employees International Union in New Hampshire, Massachusetts Senator Benjamin Downing and Media Communications Council in Austin, all while earning a master’s degree in ethics and public policy at Suffolk University in Boston. He moved to the Epilepsy Foundation of America before founding CivicSolve.

Woolridge feels each job has made him a better person. “I have forged my career on affecting change,” he said. “When I no longer make a difference, I move on and figure out where I can help to make a positive impact.”

That, in a nutshell, is CivicSolve’s mission. The organization believes in connecting people with their own power as citizens. “CivicSolve wants to ‘build better citizens,’ and create the most inclusive and productive conversation possible,” Woolridge said. “We believe through engaged conversation, lasting progress can be achieved.”

Woolridge and his wife, Candace Parsley ’95, have started a new adventure back in Fort Worth. Cornell will run Ruby’s campaign for U.S. Congress, District 6. “I will use the skills I’ve gained since graduating from Country Day to get the citizens of Fort Worth involved and engaged in change.”

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ALUMNI NEWS

Class of 2018 Meets with D.C. Falcon

By Bridget Chambers ’18 From the encouraging atmosphere of Fort Worth Country Day to the always changing, fast-paced nature of our nation’s capital, FWCD alumni from the years of 1980 to 2015 have moved to Washington, D.C., to make their marks on the world. Cornell Woolridge ’96, Alexa Courtney ’97, Ed Landreth ’03, Stephanie Stouffer ’07, Emily Englander ’12 and John Davidson ’15 are just a few of the Falcons who have chosen D.C. as their home. These alumni recently visited with the Class of 2018 students to share their stories.

The Class of 2018 was in D.C. in early May for FWCD’s annual sophomore trip to the nation’s capital. The trip is the culmination to the year’s government curriculum and provides additional information for students to use in their final class project, which involves both a 3,000-word policy proposal and oral defense of that policy upon their return to Fort Worth.

On the tail-end of their trip, the students heard from alumni. Below are snippets of those stories.

Cornell Woolridge ’96 works as a program instructor for Close Up, the program that toured the FWCD sophomore class around the city. He also has his own firm that works with nonprofit organizations to improve neighborhoods and communities through citizen engagement. However, in 10 years, he hopes to either be working in an elected office or running a foundation based on civic 46

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John Davidson ’15, Cornell Woolridge ’96, Stephanie Stouffer ’07, Emily Englander ’12, Alexa Courtney ’97, Ed Landreth ’03

engagement. (See Cornell’s story on page 44.)

Alexa Courtney ’97 is the founder and CEO of Frontier Design Group and also works as the executive director for a senior study group on conflict and fragility for the United States Institute of Peace. Her ultimate goal is to sell her company and buy a ranch in Heather Sims ’10, Kathryn Gaffin ’08, Santa Fe to use outdoor space Carolyn Hodges ’11 and horses as therapeutic devices for civilians who worked as Stephanie Stouffer ’07 is a digital journalists or aides in war zones and strategist, sending her trade association now suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress and lobbyists clients’ messages to voters Disorder or similar issues. online to promote legislative policy.

She also is currently working on her Ed Landreth ’03 previously worked MBA. on Wall Street, but now works for a company making financial reports Emily Englander ’12 graduated from using AID funds for research. He sees George Washington University this himself 10 years from now possibly past May and is already working on living in Nigeria, or anywhere in the Capitol Hill, managing constituent world, leading an NGO focused on correspondence for Rep. Marc Veasey education and youth for companies.

ALUMNI NEWS

Alums (D-TX 33rd District). Englander’s dream is to work on either a presidential or senate race campaign.

John Davidson ’15 just finished his freshman year at George Washington University as a political science major. This past summer, he worked at Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth in the marketing communications department as an intern.

The wide variety of careers that Washington offers can seem intimidating to young students. When asked to describe our nation’s capital in two words, the alumni mentioned “always evolving, diverse, nonstop, time sensitive, powerful and purposeful, important, and driven.” D.C. is a city where one is immediately soaked in work and everyone is passionate about different things. It is a place where instead of being bothered by five o’clock traffic, you are bothered by the presidential motorcade passing through your college campus. The mix of southerners, northerners, foreigners and locals creates an environment that is unpredictable and captivating.

When asked if they had any regrets about their professional journeys, the alumni agreed that they had none, and Woolridge admitted that “every time my path diverged from its original direction, I learned more and more about who I am as a person.”

Country Day prepares every Falcon for different paths in different ways. Davidson explained that “the faculty at FWCD not only taught

Alumni Council 2016-17 me academics, but they also acted as life coaches along the way.” Stouffer reflected that “Country Day taught me the importance of service to my community,” saying that students in Fort Worth are often living in a bubble and do not realize the value of the lessons they have learned until they move away. She shared that she spends her free time volunteering at a women’s center in order to give back to the city that inspires her. Landreth’s takeaway from FWCD is to work hard at whatever you are doing, and his advice to students is “to stick with a job for at least six months before you give up because you take away new lessons and values from every new environment you see.” One phrase that epitomizes the alumni message is Courtney’s, who stated that “Fort Worth Country Day taught me to be naturally curious about the world, pushing me to travel across the globe to work in war zones and in the government, all things that make me who I am today.”

Washington, D.C. exposes people to every culture, every opinion, every background, and every opportunity.

It provides a nonstop environment that requires a passion to learn and self confidence in order to keep up. While work can be fast paced, Englander advised students to “slow down, to step back and enjoy learning in the capital of the United States and to realize that so many opportunities are at arm’s reach. Country Day supports and prepares its students to be able to handle the unsteadiness of the ‘real world’ and encourages them to find their own paths.”

Executive Council Mary Hallman Smith ’03 President Rob Semple ’95 President-Elect Alexandra Stevens ’85 Advancement Chair Melissa Kulig ’01 Secretary Josh Korman ’92 Nominations Members at Large Tasa Lefler Anderson ’88 Crisanne Potts Barker ’93 Joe Breedlove ’78 Bari Buckner Brookman ’83* Anjie Landreth Butler ’94* Kathryn Garvey Cain ’03* Robert Colby ’03* Lisa Dickerson Davenport ’87* Stephen Dickey ’89* Jeff Fraley ’87 Zareen Khan Gause ’97* Ruthie Newberry Gessinger ’74 Keri DeVos Hickman ’04 Sam Juliao ’92 Marcia Berry Knutson ’93* Alice Kelly Linker ’95* Boo Lively ’88 Huck Newberry ’77 Will Northern ’03* Barron Parker ’09 Patrick Powers ’05* Davis Ravnaas ’03 Andrew Vernon ’05* Hannah Meadows Watkins ’06* *New Members And a huge thank you to the council members who rolled off this year: Suzanne Bahan ’86 Wendy Davis Gerrish ’87 Colin McConnell ’00 SUMMER 2016

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ALUMNI NEWS

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5 6 7 8

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10 11 12

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21 22 23 24 25 26 27

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ACROSS 3 FWCD seniors enjoy relaxing on this traditional seat 6 Fort Worth Country Day inspires the passion to learn,

the courage to lead and the ____________ to serve.

7 First five days of Upper School 8 FWCD is accredited by …

11 FWCD’s biannual magazine …

13 FWCD prides itself on the …

16 A movie short is being made about him 19 Middle School Head John Stephens is a proud fan of

this Great Lake team 21 The first computer on campus was operated by this

long-time technology teacher 22 Location of the long-standing beloved eighth-grade

Falcon adventure 24 Location of many class photos 28 New FWCD tagline 29 Organization housed on the FWCD campus that

focuses on underserved students in the Fort Worth ISD. 30 Physics teacher Andy Cordell demonstrated the physics

of pressure by inviting students

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DOWN 1 FWCD’s K-4 division 2 2016 fall play 4 FWCD Upper School students enjoy courses through this organization 5 Animal was brought into the Round Gym for an annual

basketball exhibition until the turn of the century 9 Current headmaster 10 Mrs. Sharon Foster H’05 taught many biology students

about dissection through the study of 12 Traditional activity involving grains that all first- graders

enjoy during the first week of school 14 Annual arts festival celebrating its 50th year in 2017 15 Man who coined the pep rally call to arms “Let’s Fire It Up!” 16 2006 Honorary alumna recipient who taught her students how to cook vichyssoise 17 This headmaster was nicknamed the Nordic Prince by

Mrs. Beverly Anne Robinson 18 She played on the Falcon field hockey team before becoming program director 20 First headmaster 23 Longest serving faculty member, assisted in his class by a snake named Snavely 25 Married couple who taught orchestra and choir for

decades at FWCD 26 The student published newspaper

ALUMNI NEWS

Retired Faculty –

Where are They Now?

By Debby Jennings

Dan Jones

Cecilee Lindsey

June Van Buskirk H’09

Middle School Math, 1986-2013 Retired from teaching, Jones has a new fulltime job. He and wife, Maile, bought and renovated a large home into four rental apartments that include two furnished units for Airbnb, Inc. guests.

Jones maintains their Airbnb Web presence and handles all the business of renting their apartments.

Upper School French and Spanish 1984-2009 Lindsey feels productive and busy in retirement, but loves that sometimes she can just “go with the flow.”

Several days a week, she is involved with her grandchildren in Fort Worth, and she travels frequently to California to see her daughter and grandchildren there.

First Grade, 1971-1989 Van Buskirk retired from FWCD after her children, Jim ’78 and Jan ’79, graduated and enrolled at Texas A&M. Since her husband, James, was also retired, the two enjoyed traveling around Texas and an annual Christmas trip to Hawaii.

Outdoor enthusiasts, Jones and Maile explore the hiking trails around the metroplex and Texas. He bikes a regular route along the Trinity River; practices Tai Chi; paints with oils; and visits daughter, Natalie ’06, in Dallas. Jones also tutors FWCD Middle School students and volunteers as a math tutor at the Cassata Learning Center.

Occasionally, he drives for Uber.

When asked what he remembers most about FWCD, he mentions finding new puzzles for his classes to try and his tradition of teaching origami before the winter holidays. He looks back fondly at the success and the laughter he shared with the sixth-grade team and his former coaching team.

Jones’ advice to FWCD alums: “Develop a good work ethic and keep an eye on your future, but don’t ignore the present—take time to smell the roses.”

As a teacher, Lindsey never had time to volunteer, but now she enjoys helping at the Food Pantry and Clothing Closet at her church. She participates in an aquatics class several times a week to “move her rusty joints.”

When the FWCD Art Department offered adult education art classes, Van Buskirk enrolled in an oil painting class and found her favorite pastime.

Van Buskirk has a home studio, and her paintings have been in the Botanic Garden Art Show.

For entertainment, Lindsey has belonged to the same bridge group for more than 30 years. The group also includes FWCD friends Susan Stevens Crummel and Peggy Wakeland.

Lindsey says, “We are not too serious about the cards.”

Van Buskirk’s FWCD memories are tied to “encouraging students to love school.” She remembers acting out a class story by releasing helium balloons, tagged with the School name and address. There was excitement in her class when they received a call or note from someone who caught a balloon.

Lindsey says she mostly misses the “great colleagues that I had the privilege of working alongside all those years” at FWCD. Her advice to former students is to “say thanks to your parents for providing you with the FWCD experience.”

“Thrilled and deeply grateful” to have been chosen as the 2009 Honorary Alumna, Van Buskirk has kept in touch with FWCD and is often on campus, attending programs and lectures.

She loves seeing former students and learning what they have accomplished.

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Class Notes To submit information for Class Notes and Alumni News, contact Shel Watson Juliao ’92, alumni relations coordinator, at shel.juliao@fwcd.com or 817.302.3263.

1970s Susan Gilbert da Fonseca ’71, mother of music producer Alana da Fonseca, and grandmother to 2-year-old Philip “Flip” Fonseca McManus, has moved to Pasadena, to be near her family.

She will be attending FWCD’s 45th reunion!

Above: Kevin Durand, Tim Williams ’78, David Rosacker Below: Tim Williams ’78

Frank Stevenson ’73 became the 136th president of the State Bar of Texas when the association met in Fort Worth the week of June 6.

Tim Williams ’78, founder of Thunderbolt Films in Dallas, is producing a short movie, titled The Colonel, about Colonel Rocky” Rosacker H’00, whom many consider the father of FWCD athletics. Colonel Rosacker served as athletic director at FWCD from 1969-81 and returned in 1990 to serve as a part-time coach for the Middle School football team and to assist with the Middle and Upper School track teams. One of Rosacker’s former students, Tim is the screenwriter and producer of the film. Since giving the colonel’s eulogy in 2001, Tim has wanted to share Rosacker’s story with the world. In a June Star-Telegram article, Tim talked about the impact the Colonel had on him: “At first, he was a very foreign 50

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taste to acquire,” Tim said. “It was one of those trials by fire for middle school boys. We were just goofballs. This guy came into my life like a meteor hit right next to you. He was extremely tough, but after he would tell you he loved you. He became very much like a second father.” Kevin Durand (Vikings, The Strain, Fruitvale Station) is the actor portraying the colonel. Filming began in June on the FWCD campus.

Colonel Rosacker’s son, David, was on set to meet the man playing his father. Approximately 50 FWCD male students in grades 6-8 served as extras. Tim hopes to leverage interest

from the short into a feature film. The full-length script, which was noticed at the 2013 Final Draft/Big Break screenwriting competition and at last year’s Austin Film Festival, is finished.

1980s Brooke “Boo” Lively ’88 was honored by Fort Worth Business as a 2016 CFO of the Year. Boo works for Cathedral Capital. Each year, Fort Worth Business recognizes the top financial professionals in Fort Worth and Tarrant County who successfully navigate their company’s financial future and are stewards for their organization.

CLASS NOTES

1990s Class Agents 1992 – Craig Christopher craig@tarranttech.com 1995 – Alison E. McManus

amcmanus@post.harvard.edu 1997 – Zareen Khan zareen@briggsfreeman.com

course of study at the Academy of Oriental Medicine at Austin.

Greg Riley ’90 is celebrating his 15th work anniversary with Institut d’Estudis Nord-americans in Barcelona, Spain, where he is the junior/teen program head.

George Bartel ’92 welcomed FWCD faculty and staff members Butch Traeder, Ed Chisholm and Melissa Williams to Sabroso Restaurant and Bar in Taos, New Mexico, where George is executive chef.

Sandra Strickland Bembenek ’96 was honored by Fort Worth Business as a 2016 CFO of the Year. Sandra works for The Strickland Group. Each year, Fort Worth Business recognizes the top financial professionals in Fort Worth and Tarrant County who successfully navigate their company’s financial future and are stewards for their organization.

Candace Parsley ’95 and Cornell Woolridge ’96 are so happy to be back home in the Lone Star State! Cornell will lead his mother’s campaign to represent U.S. Congressional District 6 (Texas) while Candace furthers her

Chris Semple ’97 and his wife, Lucy, are excited to announce the birth of their son, Henry McCulloch. Henry was born on March 31, 2016, weighing in at 10 pounds 8 ounces and was 21.5 inches long. He joins older sisters, Louise (4) and Ivy (2), along with many fellow Falcons, including uncles Rob Semple ’95, Hunter Semple ‘01 and cousin Jack Semple ’27.

Four former Falcons found Coach Joe Breedlove ’78 singing in the street after they completed the Cowtown Half Marathon. Pictured are Thomas West ’05, James Kelly ’00, Joe Breedlove ’78, Justin Holt ’00 and James Delaune ’00. Working together, including Kelly drafting off Holt for most of the race, all four Falcons finished in under 1:38:00.

Barrett Havran ’98 was posthumously inducted into the Big Brothers Big Sisters T. Boone Pickens Mentoring Hall of Fame on April 25, 2016, for his humanitarian spirit and service.

Amy Anthony Graham ’02 and her husband, Richard, baptized their daughter, Madison Elizabeth, on 2000s June 19. Joining them for the special Class Agents service were both sets of grandparents, 2001 – Craig P. Barbolla her uncle Philip Anthony ’05 and cpb@mcdonaldlaw.com his wife, Mary; and Rebecca Tatum 2001 – Susanna Gorski Bartolomei Brown ’02 and her family. The day was sgorski323@gmail.com a celebration of Madison, Father’s Day, 2002 – Ashley Stein astein@briggsfreeman.com and Amy and Richard’s sixth wedding anniversary.

2003 – Will Northern will@northernrealtygroup.com 2004 – Kate Strickland Jennings kjennings610@gmail.com 2006 – Rachel Holt Hausser rachelhausser@gmail.com 2007 – Anne Hargis Olson christina.roxanne@gmail.com

Will Northern ’03, owner of Northern Realty Group, was selected by Fort Worth Business this year to receive the Best Places to Work, Boutique Company Category. Will said “As SUMMER 2016

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CLASS NOTES

broker, I make it a point to be accessible to all agents when they need assistance, even after normal business hours. Being able to get an answer in a timely manner can be the difference to making a deal come together in our fast-paced real estate market.”

Jackson Sterling Qualls, son of Meredith Grant Qualls ’03 and James Qualls, wouldn’t dream of taking a bath or drying off without his FWCD Rubber Ducky!

Natalie Bracken ’05 received her Master of Education in Educational Leadership and Administration from the University of North Texas in May 2016.

Lauren Hunt Brogdon ‘05 was elected presidentelect of the Houston Young Lawyers Association (HYLA) for the 2016-17 bar year. HYLA is a bar association of Houston attorneys aged 36 and under and/or five years or fewer of 52

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practice. Lauren is an associate at Norton Rose Fulbright in Houston, where she practices energy litigation.

She has served on the HYLA Board of Directors since 2013 and has also served as chair of HYLA’s Energy Counsel Committee and liaison to the Houston Volunteer Lawyers during that time.

Katie Bain Holder ’06 started her two-year, postdoctoral fellowship in clinical neuropsychology in August at the Audie L. Murphy Memorial VA Hospital in San Antonio.

Garrison Taylor ’06 took some time off between jobs after five years of bulge-bracket investment banking to travel to Uzbekistan. He traveled with his father, Bob, all over the country following the old Silk Road: Tashkent, Khiva, Bukhara, Samarkand, Shahrisabz and the Nuratau mountains. “I used a fair amount of history not necessarily learned at FWCD, but certainly nurtured there,” he said. “We saw things built by Alexander the Great, things destroyed

by Genghis Khan, hilarious and sad Soviet-era repercussions, etc.” At times during his travels, there wasn’t a word of English spoken, and he used a pocket dictionary in Uzbek, Tajik or Kyrgyz. There were times when he had no idea what the food would entail: “It

might be the one place on earth where pizza hasn’t taken root in strength,” he said. Garrison hopes to get away to Sri Lanka in the fall. “Any time I finish one trip I just start daydreaming about the next…,” he said.

Rachel Stepp Pinckard ’07 was been named FWCD girls’ soccer program director and will serve as head coach for the varsity Falcon girls’ soccer team.

Rachel will continue to coach junior varsity field hockey at the School.

2010s Class Agents 2010 – Claire Davidovich cdavidovich@me.com 2010 – Ashley Uptegraft auptegraft10@gmail.com 2011 – Alex Manson lamanson20@gmail.com 2011 – Kate Petsche kpetsche@mail.smu.edu 2013 – Jonny Clum clumjonny@gmail.com 2013 – Oliver Newberry oliver.newberry@utexas.edu 2015 – Connor Cassady connorcassady@sbcglobal.net 2015 – Madelyn Luskey madelyn.luskey@gmail.com 2015 – Shelby Sanford shelby.e.sanford@vanderbilt.edu 2016 – Delaney Fleming

delaney.fleming97@gmail.com 2016 – Branson Nelson branson.nelson5@gmail.com 2016 – Jacob Rains jrains22@gmail.com

Laura Lindsay Tatum ’10, currently a producer on CNN’s State of the Union with Jake Tapper, was competitively selected as a Sumners Scholar at the SMU Dedman School of Law where she starts in the fall.

Lalitha Kasal ’11 was prominently featured in a commercial for Govindji’s

CLASS NOTES

Falcon Weddings

Ruthie Newberry ’74 married Dick Gessinger in Houston on May 28, with the Reverend Mary Ann McBride Huston ’74 officiating. Pictured are Melissa Garrett Thompson ’74, Adelaide Kline Liedtke ’74, Mary Ann McBride Huston ’74, Lisanne Purvis Davidson ’74, Michelle Tarride Frazier ’74 and Kelly Rowan Greenwell ’75.

Collette Cherie LeMaire ’09 and Waldemar Luis Berenguer were married on September 19, 2015, at the Marty Leonard Chapel in Fort Worth. The bride’s sister, Monique LeMaire ’06, was maid of honor.

Adelaide Hallum ’08 married Dana Church on April 11, 2015, at University Christian Church in Fort Worth.

Jay Stouffer ’09 married Liz Tooze, former FWCD Middle School teacher, on December 19, 2015, in Chestertown, MD. Jay and Liz met while he was substitute teaching and coaching at FWCD while waiting for his Marine orders to arrive.

Proud FWCD Falcons and former and current FWCD teachers in attendance were Marshall Jones ’09, Stephanie Stouffer ’07, Valerie Bloch Montgomery ’01, Killian Philipson, Brandon Tierney ’09, Angela Goodwin Hill ’07, Connor Farquharson ’09, Paul Stouffer ’68, Jim Stouffer ’73, Stephen Goodwin ’09, Kelly Fant ’09, Alee Sable Crespo, Nick Cheadle, Brad Philipson and Marshall Stouffer ’11.

SUMMER 2016

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CLASS NOTES

Jewelers, located in Richardson. Lalitha is represented by the Kim Dawson Agency. When she’s not acting, the National Strength and Conditioning Association certified personal trainer works at Benbrook Community Center YMCA. Christa Marie Ratcliff ’11, an FWCD Original and proud mother of 10-month-old Lydia Grace, is a Naval Officer O-1 and a college graduate from Tuskegee University with a BS in Mechanical Engineering. Throughout her four years of college, Christa was a member of the Tuskegee University women’s tennis team where she was the

2012 SIAC and AC champion, as well as All-Conference in doubles. Christa was the winning match that allowed the team to clinch the championship during her freshman year.

William Baumgardner ’11 will begin work on his master’s degree at Harvard University Graduate School of Design in the fall.

In his first attempt to qualify for any USGA event, TCU Horned Frog

golfer Turner MacLean ’15 earned a spot in the championship field at the 2016 U.S. Amateur Championship, which will take place in August at Oakland Hills Country Club in Michigan.

Kassadi Smith ’15 sang the national anthem at the Purdue University vs Indiana State baseball game on April 20.

Jacob Rains ’16 is playing in a summer baseball league based in Enid, OK, before starting his freshman year at Hardin Simmons University, where he will play for the Cowboys baseball team.

SAVE THE DATE!

Falcon Fan Roadtrip to The Woodlands on October 21 GET ON THE BUS

Dallas Falcons on the Road Martha Cox, Barry Greve, Myriam Knecht Graham and Dan Tatum, all members of the Class of 1981, attended the Dallas Falcons on the Road event, hosted by the Grahams, in June.

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THE FALCONER

Calling all local and Houston-area Falcon Fans!

Mark your calendars for Friday, October 21, to ride the fan bus to The Woodlands to watch the mighty Falcons defeat the John Cooper Dragons!

CLASS NOTES

Celebrate with your Class There will be no end to the celebrations at this year’s Homecoming and Alumni Weekend events September 29-October 1. Contact your reunion leader to learn what’s up! Visit fwcd.org/alumni for a complete listing. More alums have stepped up since publication!

The Class of 1976 Reunion Came Early this Year!

Due to the large number of out-of-town Falcons who will not be able to attend Homecoming and Alumni Weekend later this year, the Class of 1976 hosted its 40th class reunion early. On June 24, these Falcons caught up with beloved former faculty members Sharon Foster H’05 and Will Stansbery H’08 at Fred’s Texas Cafe for a casual dinner with live music. They gathered again on June 25 for a more structured event in the home of Mary Blair Clarke ’76. Former faculty member Claire-Lise Knecht H’06 attended with her husband, John, and both reported that the turnout was amazing, with more than half of the graduating class and another venerable teacher, Beverly Anne Robinson, in attendance. The party decor was a display of red and navy Falcon spirit with special touches like a “Who’s Who” photo board, a memorial tribute collage to the six deceased ’76 classmates and mannequins dressed in Country Day uniforms. Through the coordinated efforts of Mary, Susan Sherwood Clayton ’76, Stephen Eisner ’76, Peyton Hughes ’76, Colleen Kleuser ’76, Melanie Clayton Moncrief ’76, Beth Newberry Phillips ’76 and Cathy Edens Rainwater ’76, the 40th Country Day reunion was a fantastic success!

IN MEMORIAM Nancy Mason Johnston ’68 Russ Lambert Doug Lorimer Carolyn McCoy Chas Sellers F. Howard Walsh, Jr. Jeanette Widmer George Marshall Young

1971 Terry Siegel htsiegel@bvc.com 1981 Martha Cox marthaccox@yahoo.com Dan Tatum danltatum@live.com 1986 Scott Sankary ssankary@me.com 1991 – Please volunteer today!

1996 Wesley Butler wesleybutler@yahoo.com Cornell Woolridge cmwoolridge@gmail.com 2001 Craig P. Barbolla cpb@mcdonaldlaw.com Susanna Gorski Bartolomei sgorski323@gmail.com Stephen Tatum sltatumjr@gmail.com 2006 Courtney Corbeille Krauss courtneycorbeille@gmail.com Stephanie Park stephaniekpark@yahoo.com 2011 Nayelly Dominguez chilpa93@yahoo.com Alex Manson lamanson20@gmail.com SUMMER 2016

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From the Archives

FWCD’s First Graduate Fort Worth Country Day had a graduating class of one in 1966: John Robinett. He came to FWCD as a sophomore who had been sent by his parents to live with his sister in Houston and attend The Kinkaid School. When FWCD opened in 1963, Robinett’s parents contacted Headmaster Peter A. Schwartz H’98 to see if there was a spot for him.

In this photo, Robinett proudly holds his diploma, which he received on June 4, 1966. There was no great fanfare, but that did not lessen the momentous occasion for him or for the School.

In closing exercises in the cafeteria, Robinett was celebrated by students, with Schwartz and Board Chair Perry Bass H’98 presenting him with his diploma. Current Head of School Eric Lombardi met Robinett this winter in Seattle and reminisced about those early years.

In 2017, the classes of ’67, ’68 and ’69, will enjoy their own 50th reunion “Golden Graduate” celebration on April 21-22 (see page 3 for more details). Homecoming and Alumni Weekend activities for classes ending in 1 and 6 will take part in festivities September 29-October 1 (see back cover for more information).

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THE FALCONER

Be part of their legacy.

The Peter A. Schwartz Legacy Society Fort Worth Country Day established the Peter A. Schwartz Legacy Society to honor and recognize those individuals who have made planned or estate gifts to Fort Worth Country Day.

Contact Sandra Tuomey, director of advancement, at 817.302.3223 or sandra.tuomey@fwcd.com

4200 Country Day Lane Fort Worth, Texas 76109-4299 Address Service Requested

Parents: If this issue is addressed to a son or daughter who no longer maintains a permanent address at your home, please notify the FWCD Alumni Relations Office of the correct new mailing address by contacting us at shel.juliao@fwcd.com or 817.302.3263.

Save the Date September 29 - October 1

FWCD Homecoming & Alumni Weekend 1971 | 1976 | 1981 | 1986 | 1991 | 1996 | 2001 | 2006 | 2011

Thursday, September 29 Alumni Awards, 6 p.m.

Friday, September 30 Falcon Chicks with Sticks Field Hockey Game, 4 p.m.

Campus Tours, 5 p.m.

FWCD Family Cookout and Falcon Blast opens at 6 p.m.

Homecoming Game Kickoff, 7 p.m.

Wall of Fame Induction, Halftime

Saturday, October 1 The Falcon Cup Tennis Tournament, 9 a.m.

Hard-hat Tours of the Patton Field House, 11:30 a.m.

All-Class Reunion Party, 7 p.m.

By popular demand, the FWCD Alumni Association is hosting its first All-Class Reunion Party! The event will take place in the Mopac Event Center.

Cost is $65 per person; more details to come in the invitation mailer.