The Independent Day School Beech Tree Connection Fall 2023

B E E C H T H E

T R E E

I N D E P E N D E N T

D A Y

S C H O O L

Leading IDS into its next era IN THIS ISSUE Get to Know Dr. Reodica Becoming True Global Citizens Meet Amazing IDS Alumni

FALL 2023

Table of Contents Letter from the Head of School ������������������������������������������������������������������� 1

By knowing students deeply both as individuals and learners, IDS inspires a community of independent thinkers who are resilient and confident to take risks as they connect with others in the joyful pursuit of learning.

FEATURES Leading IDS into its Next Era ������������������������������������������������������������������������ 2 Building Leaders for the 21st Century through Interdisciplinary Learning ��������������������������������������������������������� 6 Experiencing the World: Global Travel at IDS ������������������������������������������ 10

Beech Tree Connection is a publication of The Independent Day School.

ALUMNI NEWS New Alumni Association Aims to Connect Coyotes Across Decades ���� 12 The Class of 2023 Graduates ��������������������������������������������������������������������� 13 Shaped by Learning to Question at IDS ���������������������������������������������������� 14 Young Alum Heads Towards a Military Future ���������������������������������������� 15 From Middlefield to Nashville �������������������������������������������������������������������� 16 A Dancer Turned Filmmaker Tells Powerful Stories ������������������������������� 18

Head of School Dr. Rochelle Reodica P ’27

ARTS Music Mentorship That Lasts Beyond Graduation ���������������������������������� 20

Assistant Head of School David Sizemore Magazine Design Good Design, LLC, gooddesignusa.com Contributing Writers + Editors Dr. Rochelle Reodica P ’27 Dr. Marijke Kehrhahn P ’04 Christine Foster P ’14, P ’17, P ’20 Photography Loretta Bergeron P ’32 Dr. Rochelle Reodica P ’27 Kerry Smith Cindy Creighton/Shutterstock J Lee/Unsplash Fransiskus Filbert Mangundap/Unsplash Tengyart/Unsplash Wesley Tingey/Unsplash ras uche/Unsplash Beech Tree Connection welcomes your class notes, photography, story ideas, and comments. Please send them to ids@independentdayschool.org.

The Independent Day School 115 Laurel Brook Road Middlefield, CT 06455 Telephone: 860-347-7235 www.independentdayschool.org Certain parts of this magazine link to extra content including photos, videos, and our website. Look for QR codes and links to explore more.

CAMPUS NEWS From Hong Kong to History Bee Semifinalist ������������������������������������������ 22 Making Learning Spanish Fun and Natural ���������������������������������������������� 23 Kindergarteners Take the Lead in IDS Postal Service ����������������������������� 24 Meeting a New York Times Bestselling Author ���������������������������������������� 26 Growing Scientists in IDS’s Gardens ��������������������������������������������������������� 27 Turning Sap into Sweet Maple Syrup Becomes an IDS Tradition ���������� 28 Alumni and Family Weekend ��������������������������������������������������������������������� 30 ANNUAL FUND 2022-2023 Annual Fund Report ����������������������������������������������������������������� 32 BACK COVER Upcoming Events ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 34

Letter From the Head of School

Dear IDS Community, As I embark on my second year as Head of School, I reflect on the progress we have made together to rebuild the school’s legacy of fearlessness by re-engaging and reconnecting with current and past members of the IDS community. After a brief hiatus of the Beech Tree Magazine due to the pandemic, I am excited to share this Fall 2023 edition to share my vision for the future of IDS! I was drawn to IDS because of the school’s motto of Fearless Learning. As a progressive educator of 23 years, I value authentic learning experiences that push students beyond their comfort zone. Over the past year, we have worked hard to create a school culture where students feel seen, heard, and valued - a place where they belonged.

When students feel safe, they don’t allow fear to impact their learning; rather, they become fearless! I am fortunate to see this in action everyday – in the classroom, on the playground, and on the athletic field. In this edition, you will read a feature article about how our fearless Kindergarteners initiated a “Wee Mail” campaign to connect the community through the lost art of letter-writing. When I arrived at my office and saw a lovely pile of mail on my desk, it truly made my day!

The global pandemic and racial instability that we experienced over the last few years has changed the landscape of education across the country. Part of my vision for IDS as a new head of school is to re-establish initiatives that are critical to preserving the school’s identity while remaining nimble and innovative in navigating this new terrain. I am proud to announce that this fall, we re-launched the Centers of Excellence with a focus on environmental literacy this year. By connecting the re-launch to development initiatives, we raised enough money to build the Fearless Gardens. Through the generosity of the “Call to the Heart” donors at last year’s auction, we were able to install 10 garden beds, one for each grade, to enhance our science curriculum. Students will learn how to grow fruits, vegetables, and herbs from seeds. I can’t wait to see what we harvest next fall. Keep an eye out for a “Fearless Farmers Market” or a “Fearless Farm-to-Table Meal”; the possibilities are endless!

It has been wonderful to connect with various members of the IDS community and learn about the traditions that make IDS special. The Fearless 5K is one such tradition that we brought back, and it is now part of a new tradition called

Family and Alumni Weekend. The annual golf tournament is another tradition that was started in Spring 2022. This year, we rebranded it as the Coyote Classic. Both of these community events brought together current families as well as alumni families, current and former teachers, and dedicated IDS supporters. The energy and enthusiasm was palpable, and we anticipate that each year will be bigger and better!

The passion and creativity of our fearless teachers have truly inspired me. Their commitment to experiential learning and whole-student teaching provides a strong foundation for cultivating students who embody the IDS values of empathy, compassion, and respect. This edition highlights some of our signature programs including maple syrup production in science class, an award-winning music and chorale program, and our Spanish program, which begins with our youngest learners at the age of three. We have previously offered international travel to a Spanishspeaking country for middle school students and we intend to bring that back into the curriculum in the coming years.

IDS graduates, as you will read in the alumni news section, go on to become fearless leaders within their communities and disciplines. From advocacy and law to music and the arts, our fearless alumni use their voice and agency in service to others. We are so proud of all of our graduates and hope to reconnect with them through our newly formed Alumni Association.

Finally, I want to express my deep appreciation for the warm welcome and support my family and I received during my first year. We are happy to have found a home in New England and at IDS after moving from the San Francisco Bay Area to New York to Connecticut. I look forward to continuing to build strong relationships with all members of the community and remain grateful for the opportunity to serve such a vibrant, welcoming, and thriving community.

Please join me as I lead IDS into the next era!

Warmly,

Dr. Rochelle Reodica Head of School, The Independent Day School 1

Leading IDS into its Next Era Head of School Dr. Rochelle Reodica Brings Expertise and Heart.

When Dr. Rochelle Reodica began as the Head of School at The Independent Day School in 2022, she brought a passion for community, student-centered education, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Reodica is the first woman of color to lead IDS and one of a tiny number of Asian Americans serving as a head at an independent school. She earned her doctorate in Educational Leadership from San Francisco State University, with a focus on social justice and equity. For more than two decades, Reodica has served as an educational leader in public and private schools in New York and California. She has studied how leadership can promote school cultures that foster students’ healthy racial socialization. Reodica has a Master of Education in Special Education and a Master of Social Work from Boston University, and a Bachelor of Science in Therapeutic Recreation with a minor in Exercise Science from Ithaca College.

As she began her second year at the helm, Reodica shared more about her background and her vision for IDS: What attracted you to IDS? In my search, I was looking for a school for myself as an educational leader, but also for my son, Malik, who is now in the fifth grade at IDS. I knew that I wanted to find a smaller school — a place with a strong sense of community, where I could get to know all the families, the teachers, and the students well.

I was looking for a school that had a lot of outdoor space because we were coming from California where the outdoors was an extension of the classroom. I wanted that kind of environment for my son, but I also believe in the value of outdoor education for all kids. I was looking for a school where kids were not just given information, but were being taught how to think critically about information, and a school that provided opportunities for students to discover their own passions.

Finally, I was looking for a school that was committed to 2

diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

I’m passionate about this and as a multiracial family, that’s something we value. It was important for us to be at a school where our family could be seen and valued, a place where we could belong.

What made you think you had found that fit?

What I remember vividly are the people. I had been to a number of school campuses during my head search and this campus visit felt different. Everyone was so welcoming and so warm. It was clear that teachers were committed to the school and really loved what they were doing. The students I met were poised, confident, and articulate.

I knew right away it was a place where my values aligned and a place where I could work with others to make a difference.

What drew you to education to begin with, and then what has your path looked like?

When I was a student at Ithaca College I took a class called Introduction to Special Populations.

We had a partnership with a local organization that serves kids who have developmental needs. That was my first time working with children who were neurodivergent. It was hard, but I actually really loved it. From there I pursued special education. My first job was in the New York City public schools as an inclusion teacher. It was probably one of the most challenging jobs I’ve ever had, but also the most rewarding. I was making a connection with kids who were used to being seen as

less than or not being challenged enough because people didn’t think they could do the work. My job was to prove those people wrong by helping my students overcome their challenges and write their own narratives of success.

It is where I learned to become a progressive educator. I wasn’t just doing things out of the book because my students weren’t always interested in that. They wanted to do things that were relevant to their lives. I had to think out of the box, think more creatively, and find a way to really hook them into wanting to be at school and seeing school as a place where they could learn and be successful.

That experience led me to working in independent schools because, at the time, public school was becoming heavily standardsbased and rigid. I didn’t feel like that’s where I could grow as a teacher. I

found my way to the Ethical Culture Fieldston School, an independent school in New York that allowed for creativity and autonomy. I didn’t look back and now, I’ve been working in independent schools since 2008. The freedom to create and innovate in independent schools has sustained me all these years.

In 2015, I got this really awesome opportunity to relocate to the Bay Area to work at San Francisco University High School. At the time, they were building a Human Development department and were looking for someone who had the skill set that I had as a learning specialist, but also somebody who had worked in DEI for a long time. I was able to collaborate with a team to develop curriculum for 9th and 10th graders about metacognition, race, culture, and gender. From there, I went on to the Marin Horizon School as a division director for the upper school, 3

grades four through eight. During my time, I had to lead during COVID which taught me how to be nimble, empathic, and innovative. It helped prepare me for this current headship.

You mentioned your multiracial family.

Can you talk about your own racial and ethnic background? How does your personal experience influence your professional DEI work?

I identify as Filipina American because my parents were immigrants from the Philippines. They came to New Jersey in the 1970s. I grew up in a Filipino household in an ethnically and racially diverse city of Jersey City. For a very long time, I thought the things that my family were doing were common to all, like eating rice three times a day, or going to Filipino masses. Those were all part of my identity development.

My husband, Justin, is Antiguan American. His parents are from 4

Antigua in the Caribbean. He was born in Montreal and lived in Antigua for five years before coming to the U.S. His family eventually moved to Connecticut and his mom still lives in Greenwich. Justin and I met in college – we were both Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) Scholars at Ithaca College. EOP helped us to feel a sense of belonging at a predominantly white institution. I would say my start with DEI began there as I became involved with various student programming with The Multicultural Affairs office, became the President of the Asia Society, and really found my voice and sense of agency. I understood what it meant to identify as a woman of color and as an Asian American. I started to understand racial dynamics and the importance of solidarity work.

You’ve had a year to take stock. What do you think are the strengths of IDS?

The strengths are the people.

Some people like [Front Office manager] Ruthann [Montgomery], have been here for a very long time and she has been an integral part of the school’s operations. She is the first face people see in the morning and she holds us all together. There is a strong sense of community and I believe people feel like they are seen and valued. Our students and families are known and that is important for me as a Head of School because sense of belonging is something I value.

When we look out five or ten years from now, what do you think we will look back on and say those are the things that Dr. Reodica did at IDS? One is the Centers of Excellence.

Relaunching the Centers starting this year [see the story on page 6], is going to be a game changer.

It allows us to more intentionally piece together what we already have

The students I met were poised, confident, and articulate. I knew right away it was a place where my values aligned and a place where I could work with others to make a difference.

been doing well — interdisciplinary learning and cross-grade activities.

Having a greater focus both academically and programmatically will allow students to really dig more deeply into something that they are passionate about.

Secondly, I am a huge proponent of investing in the people who are here through professional growth and development. This is the hallmark of what good teaching is and I’ve already sent teachers to conferences and PD opportunities to keep them sustained, and to keep them growing and learning.

I’m investing in lifelong learners.

Finally, I am building upon the DEI work that has been a foundation at IDS. One of the things I have worked on is building capacity of various constituents at IDS, from the trustees to faculty, students, and parents. We’ve been discussing how to define what DEI looks like at IDS and how to measure the effectiveness of our work so that we can remain accountable. DEI is a cornerstone of who we are, and belonging is the outcome of our work so including “belonging” in our definition is also something we are working on.

When we say that we’re trying to get to know our students deeply, it’s because we want them to all have a strong sense of belonging, no matter who they are and how they identify.

What do you think characterizes the academic approach at IDS? And what do you think makes it special and different than at other places?

We are student-centered and we educate the whole child. I was

talking to an alum from several years ago recently and he was saying that though we are strong academically, we are nurturing the whole student through our social-emotional learning approach. There are both hard and soft skills that students learn here that are critical as they develop into young adults. You can certainly learn academics like math, but if you don’t learn how to be kind and compassionate, and how to work with and communicate with different kinds of people, then being out in the real world will be challenging. At IDS, we develop students holistically so that they can be successful change agents in the real world.

Where do you see learning happening in a way that really changes these students and prepares them for the future?

Our students have so many opportunities to be in front of people. The class plays at IDS are special because we start them in Kindergarten. From a young age, students learn how to speak, perform, and act in front of an audience. It builds their confidence in a way that is life-changing. I have seen it with my own child — he is more comfortable with public speaking and has really developed as a writer. In one year, I have seen very shy students last year start to really blossom and find their voice. It’s truly amazing!

In fourth grade, [teacher] Rob Schoen prepares students to perform Shakespeare which is phenomenal.

They learn how to read, interpret, and perform it. They not only learn how

to memorize lines, but they also learn stage presence. What other school would fourth-graders be able to do that?

What is one new thing you brought to IDS in your first year that you are especially proud of?

We started participating in the Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day. I had a connection with her agent when I was in the Bay Area and I thought it would be cool if we could have Ruby talk to our students. The idea is for kids to learn her story, but also for her to inspire our youth into action. She was only six years old when she attended an all-white school. Though she had no idea what her impact would be at that time, it is clear how her bravery back then made a significant difference in school desegregation.

It was important for IDS students to learn about her story since many of them had not heard about her.

After reading about her life, students made signs and then we walked through campus and along the trails on November 14 during the national Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day. Posters with facts and images about Ruby Bridges’s life and journey were lined along the trail. The culmination was hosting Ruby Bridges on a Zoom call with our community in January in celebration of MLK Day. It was awesome to see our young ones talking to a Civil rights icon. I thought, this is why we do the work — to have these opportunities for our students to make learning come to life. This is a moment they are going to remember.

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Building Leaders for the 21st Century through Interdisciplinary Learning

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Centers of Excellence Relaunches with a Focus on Environmental Literacy The Independent Day School’s Centers of Excellence grew out of a simple walk around campus.

Charlie Mitchell, IDS’s long-time middle school history teacher and jack-of-many-other-trades, was with a former colleague back in 2016. The two noticed as they wandered through campus all of the wonderful things that were happening organically — an interdisciplinary class project here, a cross-graded effort there, combinations of all subjects and all ages, evident naturally across the school.

What would IDS look like, they wondered, if we intentionally pulled these things together?

“We just started brainstorming,” Mitchell recalls.

In 2017 the Centers of Excellence were officially born, intentionally creating time, space, and structure for the kind of learning that builds better leaders. They are the Center for Environmental Literacy, the Center for Global and Cultural Citizenship, the Center for Independent Thinking and Innovation, and the Center for Creative Studies.

Mitchell pictures that at IDS, a signature core of academics and social-emotional connection are at the center. The Centers of Excellence are in orbit around them, allowing cross grades and disciplines to build a richer, more robust educational experience. The Centers are a key place where next-level skills are developed: critical thinking, writing, analytical thought and argument formation, and effective communication.

The Partnership for 21st Century Learning identified similar themes and says they are key for growing minds who can handle the challenges this generation will face.

That group cites global awareness, environmental literacy, creativity and innovation, problem-solving and critical thinking, and the use of innovative digital tools as essential skills for the next generation of leaders.

At IDS one key piece of the vision for the Centers of Excellence was that each year the faculty would focus on one unifying theme, sharing new ideas and integrating the curriculum. It began in 2017-18 with The Year of

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Environmental Literacy. In 2018-19, IDS celebrated The Year of Global Citizenship and Cultural Studies, in 2019-20 it was The Year of Design Thinking, Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

Then COVID hit and crossgrade, interdisciplinary projects were temporarily put on hold. This year they are back in full force. The bold vision of the Centers of Excellence were part of what drew Dr. Reodica to IDS, and as she entered her second year, she launched the Year of Environmental Literacy.

Three days over the course of this year are specifically dedicated to activities around that topic. The first, in October, focused on celebrating the arts and the environment.

Students read and wrote poetry about nature (“Sort of making an

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army of little Walt Whitmans and Henry David Thoreaus,” Mitchell says), created art about nature and using natural materials, and were exposed to Native American instruments.

The older students also participated in work projects in nature, filling the garden beds and raking around campus. “The kids really enjoyed it because they felt they were contributing in a purposeful way.”

Reodica says. “We wanted students to understand that there’s a purpose larger than themselves so that they can find their place in the world.”

The second and third environmental literacy days will each make a connection to another one of the Centers of Excellence. For example, the second day will overlap with global

IDS’s Four Centers of Excellence and Their Goals Center for Environmental Literacy Promote an appreciation and stewardship of the natural world Develop analytical skills to inquire about environmental issues Build awareness of society’s impact on the environment

citizenship. The students will read about environmental activist Greta Thunberg, who made an impact even as a child. The third day — which will be on Earth Day — will dovetail with the Center for Independent Thinking, giving students a real-world problem to solve in the environment.

The theme will also be woven into each individual classroom. Each teacher will include curricular ties to environmental literacy throughout the year.

Finally, the social-emotional piece that marks an IDS education

will continue to be at the heart of this effort. For example, the connection between older and younger students provides an opportunity for the oldest students to lead and the younger ones to learn by example.

Cross-graded buddies have always been an important part of the IDS experience and days like this provide an important chance for interaction between older and younger students.

“The younger students look up to the older kids,” Reodica says. “You get to see the older kids really shine as they step into leadership.”

Center for Global and Cultural Citizenship Work with diverse cultures, different viewpoints, and varied life experiences Develop self-awareness and awareness of others Provide opportunities for empathy, compassion, and respect for differences

Center for Independent Thinking and Innovation Create worthwhile ideas, make decisions, and work with others Build viable solutions to real problems Develop skills of collaboration, communication, and inventiveness

Center for Creative Studies Explore the creative arts in all its forms – music, theater, design, and visual arts Develop a deep appreciation for the artistic process Build confidence and skill in producing and displaying their own creative pieces 9

Experiencing the World:

Global Travel at IDS When The Independent Day School established the Center for Global Citizenship and Cultural Studies in 2017, administrators knew that global travel would help achieve the vision of encouraging our students to develop intercultural competence. The Center is based on the idea that young people who recognize that they can be active participants in a global world learn to work collaboratively with individuals from diverse cultures, with diverse viewpoints, and varied life experiences in a spirit of cooperation and appreciation. The focus for student travel was to move away from a tourist approach—outsiders looking in—and toward a service learning approach that offered students the opportunities to interact in authentic ways with local people, to learn about their history, their hopes and dreams, and their culture, and to contribute in meaningful ways to local efforts.

Under the direction of a former Middle School Spanish teacher and 10

working in collaboration with EF Educational Tours, IDS students have had the option to travel to Ecuador and the Amazon rainforest in 2018 and to the Dominican Republic and Caribbean coral reefs in 2022.

Ecuador, 2018. In 2018, IDS students, parents, and teachers traveled to Ecuador. After a few days in Quito where they visited a local arts district, engaged in some urban hiking, ate some amazing local food, and stood on the equator, (Ever wonder what happens when you stand equidistant from the North and South poles?) they traveled to Minga Lodge in the Amazon rainforest. For six days, they worked together to build a stone foundation for a dining hall at Los Rios School, hauling stones from the local stream and placing them in a frame; later in the week, they mixed and poured cement into the frame to complete the foundation. They learned about the school and its students and

were educated by the local women’s collective. The group visited with a local cacao farmer and helped him haul water from the river to his farmhouse, engaged in a traditional healing ceremony with a village shaman, and some even were brave enough to eat live larvae!

IDS Alum Jake ’19 shared: The trip to Ecuador allowed me to experience other cultures and immerse myself in an environment so different from my own. It helped me gain a new perspective on how I live my life, the privilege I have, and how to be more responsible with it and helped me gain a deeper understanding of how I view the world and my place in it.

Jake’s parent René added: I noticed changes in my son during the service trip to Ecuador and long after. During the trip, I watched Jake relax into a technologically absent world and be deeply curious about all the new things around him: the way a new food tastes, the way a bug moves, the color of the Amazon River,

and what rural and remote really mean.

As a result of the trip, he chose to get a second diploma in Global Studies at his high school because he saw himself more “globally” — he seemed more interested in the world and his role in it.

Another IDS alum Ava ’19 shared: Learning to adapt to different environmental situations and finding aspects of my identity and personality that were not there before the trip. The trip to Ecuador shaped me from a young age and its memories have stayed with me to impact my everyday life.

Ava’s mother Pam reflected: My daughter gained a sense of importance and confidence to push herself past her comfort zone because that’s when true growth happens. I attribute her willingness to reach higher, dig deeper and help more to this amazing service trip. I truly believe that these monumental change experiences cannot be taught in a classroom alone.

Dominican Republic, 2022.

Though our trip to the Dominican Republic was delayed for two years by the pandemic, a group from IDS was finally able to embark on a marine science adventure in 2022!

IDS students, parents, teachers, and alumni joined with the local non-profit Fundemar in Bajahibe, DR in their effort to restore the coral reefs along the south shore of the island. They visited the lab where baby coral are grown, made planters for coral, painted buoys that would mark the planting sites, cleaned beaches while gathering

data on trash, and snorkeled in many places where the group witnessed unhealthy reefs, dead reefs, and healthy reefs. In the late afternoon they visited the local market to purchase snacks and drinks and enjoy the activities taking place in the town square and each evening they ate at a local restaurant to enjoy new food and new company.

IDS parent Cinthia accompanied two of her children on the trip: My kids saw how difficult it is to repair the damage caused to our ecosystems. They also realized how truly fortunate they are to have all they have. On the flip side, they realized that the sense of community they found in Bayahibe is lacking at home. People banded together and helped each other on a daily basis, in a way we don’t see here quite as much.

From Cinthia’s daughter Carly ’24: It opened my eyes to how real climate change is. We were looking directly at the bleached and dying coral. Watching documentaries makes you aware but it is not quite real until you see the ecosystem dying. And from son Will ’24: It was interesting to see how another

culture lives. The people were poor, but they were happy. It makes me think that maybe we don’t need as much as we think we need to be happy.

IDS alumnus Fletcher ’23 added: Traveling to the Dominican Republic opened my eyes to new food and different cultures. It changed the way I see the world and how I play a role in it.

Having traveled with both groups on their adventures, I can say, without a doubt, that the experiences IDS students had on the trips were lifechanging for them. Global travel for service learning provides authentic inter-cultural experiences that deepen and widen our view of the world and our role in it. To what part of the world will IDS travel next? Stay tuned!

Marijke Kehrhahn Former Head of School

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ALUMNI NEWS

New Alumni Association Aims to Connect Coyotes Across the Decades Whether you graduated in 1962 or 2023, the message of the email sent this fall was the same thing — Welcome!

To bring our community together with events and gatherings both on campus and in our regional communities.

It announced that for the first time The Independent Day School is launching a formal alumni association. Led by long-time Middle School Teacher Charlie Mitchell, who now has the additional title of Dean of Special Programs, the goal is to provide a place for those who love IDS to be connected.

“The number one priority is getting back in touch with people and opening up those relationships and building those relationships and having people get together with each other, getting people back to campus,” Mitchell says.

In the announcement of the new organization, Mitchell and David Sizemore, IDS’s Assistant Head of School and Director of Development, wrote that the Alumni Association has four main objectives:

To provide a network for you, your classmates, all our alumni, and our current students and families.

To reconnect with you to share news: we want to hear about how you are doing and we want to let you know about all the exciting things on campus.

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To celebrate you, your successes, and your accomplishments.

Mitchell pictures that IDS will eventually acknowledge alumni through a Distinguished Alumni Award, an Athletic “Hall of Fame,” and Arts “Walk of Stars,” and that each issue of the Beech Tree Connection will feature alumni in sections such as Class Notes, News and Noteworthy, 30 Under 30, Alumni On The Move, and Milestones.

An initial planning meeting held this summer included alumni representing graduating classes from the 1990s through to nearly the present. They brainstormed about panels where alumni would share about their professional fields, from entrepreneurship to medicine to technology to the arts.”I see us being a place where people can go to connect to talk about businesses,” Mitchell says. “I envision down the road having an Alumni Association yellow pages…I’d rather give

my money to someone I can trust inside the family than outside it.

Mitchell says that there will be events throughout the year that alumni will be invited to attend. These include sporting events (watching the Hartford Athletics, the Hartford Wolfpack, and the Hartford Yard Goats play soccer, ice hockey, and baseball, respectively), an evening out at Fire on the Ridge at Powder Ridge in Middlefield, and at local restaurants in Wallingford, Middletown, and on the shoreline. “This is a chance to hang out and catch up over appetizers and cocktails,” Mitchell says.

Other annual favorites are the pizza holiday party in December, the Alumni Softball Game in June, the Golf Tournament (see facing page), and the spring auction. Alumni and alumni parents will also be more explicitly encouraged to attend things like the middle school musical and concerts to stay connected to IDS and to each other.

“These events, these awards and recognitions, are more about building relationships and building community,” Mitchell says.

Do you want to get involved?

Mitchell invites all Coyotes to reach out by emailing alumni@independentdayschool.org or just show up at the next event!

ALUMNI NEWS

Coyote Classic: These photos show the fun in October at the Jones course at Lyman Orchards at one of IDS’s newest traditions, a golf tournament where parents, alumni, and friends play a round and raise money for the school.

The Class of 2023 Graduates

Welcome to the newest alumni and congratulations to the secondary schools where they will continue their education.

Avon Old Farms School Cheshire Academy (2) Choate Rosemary Hall (2) Coginchaug Regional High School Connecticut International Baccalaureate Academy Frederick Gunn School Hamden Hall (2)

Kingswood Oxford School Lyman Hall (Agriculture Science and Technology Education Program) Mercy High School (3) Miss Porter’s School Suffield Academy Westminster School Xavier High School (3)

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ALUMNI NEWS

Shaped by Learning to Question at IDS Lawyer Eboné Luciano Fights for Others By the time Eboné Luciano ’99 found her calling, she had been molded by The Independent Day School, which made then Eboné Woods into a person who was fearless about challenging barriers.

Luciano had graduated from Westover School and then Sacred Heart University, and was headed to law school at Hofstra University.

Then her beloved nephew, Ryan, was diagnosed with autism. The family found themselves thrust into a new world of special education, pushing to make sure Ryan’s opportunities would never be limited. As they created a foundation in his name, she recalled her lessons from IDS. “IDS definitely teaches the students to be independent thinkers.

They’re curious and don’t shy away from challenging areas that may be unclear to them. I took that with me.

We were encouraged to question,” she says. “So often we think that we can’t question, but IDS is very much the antithesis of that. That definitely shaped me.”

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Today, Luciano continues to question and push for people like Ryan. She is now a supervising attorney with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights, overseeing enforcement of laws that prohibit discrimination on factors including race, sex, national origin, disability, and age.

Luciano’s IDS journey began in Pre-K and continued through eighth grade graduation. “It’s a very kumbaya place,” she says, remembering that in her era the head of school’s golden retriever roamed the halls. “It was very loving, warm, and community oriented.

It was a very good experience for me.”

In 2018, she shared even more memories with the graduating class as their commencement speaker. Luciano recalled “independently building my first robot in science class…reading

challenging texts and classic novels in English class and tackling my fear of public speaking by debating concepts and exchanging ideas in an open classroom environment.”

“IDS has this really sneaky way of mixing instruction with handson activities, so before you know it, you’re actually learning without even realizing it,” Luciano told her audience.

“As a result, you have unknowingly developed into an intellectual sponge with a thirst for knowledge.”

This fall as she prepared for the birth of her first baby (Mustafa, born October 3, 2023), Luciano, who has served on IDS’s Board of Trustees since 2019, remembered what she learned and thought about what she would want in a school for her child — combining tradition and progress, while valuing all areas of learning.

“I would love for [my child’s schooling] to start at three. That’s very important to me — starting them in a structured educational environment as soon as possible,” Luciano says. “Also, placing them in an environment where they are challenged, not just academically, but emotionally, socially and physically. IDS manages to maintain its historical feel, while at the same time continuing to be progressive and stay current and competitive.”

ALUMNI NEWS

Young Alum Heads Towards a Military Future Cam Culton Hopes to Use IDS Skills in the Marines If you had to picture the polar opposite of The Independent Day School, it might be the United States Marine Corps. The hallmarks of IDS are its warm and nurturing environment. The Marines, on the other hand, is a hard-core fighting machine.

But Cameron Culton ’17 hopes that both places will play a major role in shaping his life. This summer he began attending the Platoon Leaders Class program in Quantico, Virginia. If he successfully completes his second summer of the program in 2024, he will be offered a commission as second lieutenant. Despite the differences, Culton sees a common thread between the two settings — each is a powerful, connected community.

“Every Marine watches everyone else’s back, no matter what, and it’s the very same at IDS,” Culton says.

For Culton, the IDS journey began in Pre-K and continued through graduation. He then went on to Salisbury School and is now a junior in The College of Wooster in Ohio majoring in business economics. His connection with IDS continued beyond graduation. He worked for several summers on IDS campus projects for James Rumberger ’79, IDS’s Director of Facilities, who wrote one of Culton’s personal recommendations for the PLC program.

For Culton, some of the most powerful memories of IDS are of learning critical thinking skills from the give-and-take between classmates in middle school classes. “That’s a

huge, huge one,” Culton says. “It really takes a small environment like that and a personal relationship with the teachers and your classmates to build the culture where you are able to critically think and discuss things with your class.”

Culton was first attracted to the Marines because his older brother was a member of the Corps. As he grew

older, he learned more about the ethos and the culture and felt like it would be a fit for him. “I would love to be an infantry officer,” he says. “That’s kind of like the bread and butter of the Marine Corps.”

Culton admits the training has been challenging. “I’d have to say the hardest part is just being constantly uncomfortable,” he says. “You’re constantly hot, hungry, tired. You don’t really sleep at all. You’re constantly getting watched, you know any little slip up is gonna get you screamed at.

It’s very, very uncomfortable.

But he knows that he will be able to call up some of the same interpersonal skills he learned at IDS in his work as a Marine. “Whether you’re talking to a class about what you think about some book, working on a small group project or if you’re a colonel for a battalion of Marines, it’s different scales and it’s different things, but it’s the base of it that is the same. The skills you use are the same, you just apply them differently.”

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ALUMNI NEW ALUMNI S NEWS

From Middlefield to Nashville Presley & Taylor Carry Their IDS Roots into a Country Music Career The faded snapshot shows a tiny girl, not more than five, in a denim vest, the microphone tilted down to catch her little voice singing “Your Cheatin’ Heart.” Her father is strumming a guitar behind her, so close he could nudge her if her confidence faded.

Today, that young woman, Taylor ’13 and her sister Presley ’11, make up the country music duo Presley & Taylor. They open for stars like Old Dominion, Martina McBride, and Gary Allen. But their time on stage started with performances in the IDS gym and musical roles in the Galluzzo Theater.

Both of them attended from Pre-K through eighth grade.

The chance to develop musically through chorus, theater, and band, played a role in their success. But both women point even more to the way IDS developed them as leaders. They remember making 16

presentations before classmates and eventually leading All-School Meeting as eighth graders as experiences that now give them the strength to perform before thousands and to do the behind the scenes work to make their group thrive.

“We are two young women leading our own business, building our own brand,” Taylor says. “I do think that IDS gives you the opportunity to push yourself and make yourself a little uncomfortable each day in order to grow.”

Presley and Taylor moved from their home in Middlefield down to Nashville in 2018, shortly after Taylor graduated from high school. This year they released their first EP. “Limited Edition (Side A) helped us make a lot of new fans this year,” Taylor says.

“We’re really excited about the project because we feel like it represents us as artists right now.” They played in

venues from California to Connecticut, and have seen their music added to coveted Spotify editorial playlists.

One particularly special opportunity came in the summer 2022 and again January 2023. “We got to play the Wolf Den at Mohegan Sun as headlining artists,” Presley says. “Performing there has been a long-time goal for us since we used to be in the audience ourselves. It has always been one of our favorite venues to attend and getting to play there is something we’ll never take for granted.”

“I would definitely say IDS was the absolute groundwork for who we are as people today,” Presley says.

“Everyone has just always been so loving and supportive. We’re just very, very thankful. If I could give any advice to eighth graders, it is to enjoy it while you’re there. It’s also a really special time in life that you’re going to look back on.”

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ALUMNI NEWS

d e n r u T r e c n a s l l AD e T r e k a m Film ul Stories f r e w o P Harris anie D t h g u a T IDS pace” S e v r e s e as D “Your Ide

When Danie Harris ’08 was a student at The Independent Day School, she imagined a career as a dancer. She loved the performing arts and remembers running up and down the stairs from musical rehearsals in the Galluzzo Theater to play saxophone with Jane Mills, juggling IDS productions with community theater. In eighth grade, she got her first job, choreographing the dancing for the musical “Aladdin.” She shared her love of the arts with her sisters, too.

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(Top Photo): Danie Harris ’08 (right) is joined by her sisters Jackie ’08 (left), and Brittany ’06 (center).

(Bottom photo): Danie and her sister and friend at IDS with long-time teacher Liz Warner.

“Brittany was the singer. I was the dancer.

Jackie was the actor,” Harris recalls. “We were the Triple Threat. That was kind of our divide and conquer.”

But then Harris suffered a careerending injury, tearing the tendons of both my knees. She returned from the Hartford Academy for Performing Arts to Middletown High School halfway through her junior year. “It was quite a shift,” Harris says. “That was my whole world — since sixth or seventh grade — in terms of everything I thought my identity was and what I was going to be. I went through a bit of an existential crisis.”

ALUMNI NEWS

Over the course of her college career at Mount Holyoke College, however, Harris found her way through that crisis to a new career in arts — as a filmmaker and director.

This new passion allows her to “build a world and feel the movement” like dance did. “It allowed me to incorporate all these intellectual curiosities that I really developed a passion for after losing dance as my trajectory, but in a way that felt more true to who I was. I think I am drawn to film because I really like to be very vulnerable and very story driven in everything that we do.”

Developing those curiosities began in first grade, when Harris began at IDS. She particularly remembers teachers who helped her feel special.

“It’s just this magic of teachers trying to make sure you feel seen for who you are as an individual,” Harris remembers. “As a kid I had a lot of feelings and I wanted to express them

all the time and I think I was given a lot of space to do that…I think that that’s something that’s formed when you’re very young — feeling like your ideas deserve space.”

One example of the power of Harris’s work is No Way Home. a documentary about Mrs. Dee Dee, who experienced loss on both sides of gun violence. First her brother was shot to death. Several years later her son was sentenced to mandatory life without parole in prison. “One of the main reasons that life without parole and these really harsh, tough-oncrime sentences happen is that there’s an argument made by policymakers that this is what victim’s families want.

But there’s actually a huge community of people who have lost loved ones to violence, and also who have lost loved ones to prison sentences. They often are people who are really interested in restorative justice solutions. So, we really wanted to complicate the

narrative of what people want? Who are the people who are affected the most by crime? How does it affect their lives?”

The foundation for it all began at IDS. “I think it is really incredible that they were able to pull off the three of us at IDS,” says Harris. Her twin sister Jackie ’08 is now the producer of Morning Edition at New Hampshire Public Radio. Their older sister, Brittany ’06, works as a homeopath in Ontario, Canada. “My parents said — and I really admire them for this and agree with them — they felt if we could become advanced, strong students by the time we graduated from eighth grade, then we could go to a public school and not get lost in the middle. You’re really able to take advantage of high-level classes.

And a lot of those teachers are great teachers. The investment and everything [in IDS] — it did make a huge difference.”

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ARTS

Music Mentorship that Lasts Beyond Graduation Jane Mills and David Marottolo Accomplish Outside IDS, too The Independent Day School has long been known for its stellar music program. For many years the jazz band and special ensembles have won high accolades at Fantastic Festivals, where judges hear groups perform and give feedback and sometimes awards. And over the last 10 years an average of 80 percent of IDS students who auditioned were accepted to the Southern Region Middle School Music Festival.

It is not just the students who are being recognized. Long-time Music Teacher Jane Mills and accompanist David Marottolo ’14 have had their own 20

musical accomplishments noted by those outside of IDS. First, Mills, who has been teaching music at IDS since 1996, was recruited by the organizers of Hartford’s Got Talent, a local competition styled after the popular eponymous TV show.

Mills served as an ambassador and reviewer, helping out with rehearsals, public relations and reviewing audition videos. Then the organizers asked if Mills might know a good accompanist.

“I said, ‘I know a phenomenal accompanist,’” Mills recalls.

In fact, she had known the pianist she had in mind since he was 3.

Marottolo began attending IDS in

Beginners. “All of my accompanying work and all of my work in this field really stems from IDS,” says Marottolo, who works as a composer and performer as well.

Last year he added teacher at his alma mater to his resume, returning to IDS to instruct kindergarten through second grade music. This year he is again serving as an accompanist for the chorale groups at IDS, which he credits for giving him a vision of his future as a musician. “It was huge. IDS was where I realized that music was a path forward, that this was a feasible thing,” Marottolo says. Now his accompanying credits include among others, his high

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Marottolo (far left) accompanies an act during a rehearsal for the Hartford’s Got Talent finale.

IDS students who qualified for Regionals in 2023 are pictured below.

school (Kingswood Oxford ’18), his college (Trinity College ’22) — and thanks to his former teacher and current colleague, Mills, Hartford’s Got Talent.

Mills has had additional wins outside IDS, herself. During season 2 of Hartford’s Got Talent she will be a judge for the semi-finalists. She also had “Courage to Persevere,” her first band piece published by JW Pepper. On the website she credits her IDS students, who demonstrated how to work together through the challenges of the pandemic.

Her recent students have continued to exhibit that same quality. Four IDS ensembles were acknowledged at Fantastic Festivals this year with gold awards — Chorus, Wind Ensemble, Jazz Band, and Chamber Strings. And 12 students won spots at the Regional Music Festival in the spring.

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CAMPUS NEWS

From Hong Kong to History Bee Semifinalist Jason Ng Scores High at National Competition Jason Ng ’23 spent just one year at IDS, but it helped launch him to the final rounds of a national academic competition.

Ng, who started at IDS as an eighth grader, competed last June in International Academic Competitions’ U.S. History Bee and National History Bee in Arlington, VA. After several days of quiz-style questions, Ng finished as a finalist in the U.S. History events and in fifth place in his grade in the National History Bee. The outcome is even more remarkable because Ng, an Ohio native, spent about half of his childhood in Hong Kong. He grew passionate about studying history during the pandemic when he was isolated there. “I like just seeing how things developed over time,” Ng says.

“When you’re curious about the world around you and then you want to find 22

out something about it, it’s more than likely that the answer lies somewhere in history.”

He credits his eighth grade history class at IDS for teaching him post-Civil War topics that his competition didn’t know. “A lot of the questions are about the 1870s, 1880s, 1890s, that kind of era. And that’s usually overlooked in retellings of U.S. history — like the Native removals and the Gilded Age. That’s usually kind of ignored in favor of World War II. So I think IDS definitely helped there,” Ng says.

Ng appreciated IDS’s participation in the Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day. One of the clues at the Bee began, “This famous painter painted a picture about

Ruby Bridges.” Ng, who heard Bridges’ speak to the students at IDS on a Zoom call, knew the answer — Norman Rockwell — right away.

He also got a question about the Nez Perce Tribe and Chief Joseph’s famous “Fight no more forever” speech. “We covered that in history class,” Ng recalls.

Now a freshman at Xavier High School, Ng says he plans to keep a toe in history. He appreciated the chance to visit Washington, D.C. “The atmosphere was really great,” Ng says. “Being able to see the monuments and compete at the same time. I was almost late for the competition because I spent too long looking at the World War II Memorial.”

CAMPUS NEWS

Making Learning Spanish Fun and Natural Audrey Minto Shares Her Love of Language With Little Ones Spanish Teacher Audrey Minto’s passion for languages is obvious the moment she starts teaching.

Her classes give children the opportunity to begin communicating in Spanish in a natural, personalized and enjoyable context. The best way to learn language is through interaction, so they play games and sing, bringing the language to life and strengthening language retention and cognitive development. This play-based, hands-on, activity-based approach allows the children to learn a second language as naturally as they learned their first language. Minto’s mission is to provide challenging educational classes within a fun and relaxed environment to help students develop their full potential.

Minto’s own daughters, now college students, were raised trilingual — speaking Spanish, French, and English. Her goal is to make the same advantage of early language learning possible for those at IDS. “I want to make little American students multilingual, just like I did with my kids.

It is time to change HOW and especially WHEN languages are introduced to our children in order to have these “little sponges” of today become multilingual tomorrow,” Minto says.

Minto’s curriculum is intentional, starting with the three-year-olds in Beginners and continuing through fifth grade. In the earliest grades this starts with FUN! “I’m playing all day long,” Minto says. “We play matching games like right now with kindergarten, we are reviewing colors by playing matching games, bingo games or other interactive activities to reinforce the learning of the colors.

We are also reviewing the animals

so I have some stuffed animals in a bag. My students pick an animal and say what it is and describe the color.

We sing all types of songs, like ‘Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes.’ They have no idea that they are learning a new language, but they are singing the song in Spanish. It’s all about learning their second language the same way they learn their first.”

By the time the students are a couple of years older, Minto is adding in more academics. Third graders are introduced to writing in Spanish and fifth graders are learning and conjugating the -AR, -ER and -IR verbs in the present tense. “The conjugation is the big thing,” Minto says, as she prepares her students for middle school and beyond. “We are making complete sentences asking questions,

answering questions, and telling time.”

Her goal is for her students to combine what they learn in lower and middle school to prepare them for high school and beyond.

Scan to watch Audrey Minto teaching a class of young students.

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CAMPUS NEWS

Kindergarteners Take the Lead in IDS Postal Service Wee Mail Teaches Skills, Knits Community Together

From a distance, the picture taken last year of Allie Monaco’s kindergartners might appear to show children dressing up with clothes from their parents’ closets.

Notable is the giant bag slung over their shoulders. But really, what the image shows is some of The Independent Day School’s youngest students taking leadership of an amazing experiential learning and community building effort.

It is called Wee Mail and was initiated

by Kindergarten Teacher Allie Monaco in 2022-2023, her first year at the school. Monaco knew that she wanted to teach her students about community leaders and also give them a chance to be leaders in their own school community. Creating an internal mail service seemed like a perfect project.

A veteran teacher with experience in Quaker schools, Monaco was drawn to IDS both for herself as an educator 24

but also for her son Wyatt ’30 (that’s second grade, for those of you doing the math at home). She wanted a place with a strong sense of community, with small classes, chances to play outside, and a well-rounded education. “I visited the campus and knew that this was a community I wanted to work with and be part of, and it’s just been amazing ever since,” Monaco says.

Monaco also knew that IDS has Centers of Excellence that draw together various threads from across disciplines. Wee Mail seemed naturally tied into the Center for Independent Thinking and Innovation.

“These young kids get opportunities to decide how they want each step

to go, what they want it to look like, how it needs to work in order to meet the needs of our community, and to provide this service,” Monaco says.

“I really liked being able to align with one of the centers that our school is working to bolster.”

First, the students discovered community leaders within their own families, schools, neighborhoods, and towns. They explored the different contributions that each person can provide to a community before considering ways they could support their school community themselves, such as providing their own postal service. They created official Wee Mail stamps and then made an

CAMPUS NEWS

“You’re doing such an amazing thing for our school.”

announcement about the project to the school community, encouraging students and adults to write letters.

And write they did! In just a week, the kindergarteners (with some help from Pre-K) handled 800+ letters. The project was cute and fun, but included tons of real learning — the students got lots of practice with literacy (writing their own notes and reading the addresses of the notes they delivered) and math skills (counting all those envelopes). It also gave the children a chance to plan, announce, and be leaders on a project.

“I loved it so much because it was a way to really empower our youngest learners and their education but also in their role in the school community,” Monaco says.

In an age where so much communication happens online, Monaco thinks the human connection fostered through Wee Mail is especially important. “I want them to have as much opportunity to see the benefit of having that human-to-human connection, receiving a physical note from a friend that says, ‘I loved playing at recess with you’ or ‘Thank you so much for doing Wee Mail.’”

The kindergarteners especially loved receiving notes from some of IDS’s older students. “They would write these letters telling them, ‘You’re doing such an amazing thing for our school. We love this project.

This is so fun. Thank you so much,’” Monaco recalls. “Then, of course, the

letters that students wrote to their teachers and administrators were very touching. They really showed me how strong a community we have. These students made such a great connection with their teachers that even though they haven’t seen or worked with them, maybe in five years, they’re still writing them a Wee Mail note to tell them how much they loved being their student and how much they appreciate them as a teacher. It was so heartwarming.”

For Monaco it crystallized her feelings about how powerful the IDS community is. “What I witnessed was really an enthusiasm for the entire community coming together with this project.”

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CAMPUS NEWS

Meeting a New York Times Bestselling Author Heather McGhee Shares Her Wisdom about Race

It is not often that you meet someone in the midst of a regular school day and then see them on a national news program.

But that was just what happened to students at The Independent Day School after the visit of author Heather McGhee, who discussed her New York Times bestselling book, The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together.

McGhee came to IDS to speak to fifth through eighth graders in March, as part of the RJ Julia Booksellers Author-to-Schools program. The young reader’s version of her book debuted just before her visit.

“She talked to students about why she wrote the book, provided

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a little synopsis of the book and answered questions during the Q & A session with the students,” says Dr. Rochelle Reodica. “It was really a nice, engaging opportunity for kids to interact with a live author, and somebody who had been doing some important work around race, and highlighting a part of history that we don’t always learn about.”

Before she wrote the book, McGhee traveled the country interviewing people about their ideas around race. She wanted to have a better understanding of how people experience race. One specific story she shared with the students was about how many public swimming pools were segregated. Even many years later, the impact remains and many Black children never learn

how to swim, drowning at higher rates than their peers. “She was trying to help students understand that racism is not just a personal thing, but that racism is structural and that there are institutional structures that have adverse effects on health, wellness and safety for historically marginalized groups,” Reodica says.

Seeing McGhee in the national spotlight after the visit was a special bonus. “She came to visit IDS at the beginning of her book tour,” Reodica recalls. “A little later some of the eighth graders said, ‘We saw her on TV.’ That felt really cool that they got a chance to meet her, talk to her, and take a picture with her. Seeing her on TV expanded their appreciation for the breadth of McGhee’s national work.”

CAMPUS NEWS

Growing Scientists in IDS’s Garden New Garden Beds Enhance Science Learning At The Independent Day School, outdoor education has always been at the heart of the experience, with faculty making frequent use of the garden, trails, and pond to make the educational experience richer.

This summer, as the school headed into a year focused on the Center for Environmental Literacy, the science garden got a major upgrade. There are now ten new garden beds — thanks to $21,000 donated by auction goers in the “Call to the Heart” paddle raise last spring.

“It’s really about bringing learning to life through science,” says Laura Jalinskas, the Director of Enrollment Management. “Early Childhood and Lower School Science Teacher Xander Lowry, with his classes, studies the whole cycle of a plant, harvesting the seeds out of a tomato, planting the seeds, nurturing and growing the plant, ultimately culminating in a tomato plant sale at the end of the year. You can only imagine how excited the kids are for that.”

For many years, Early Childhood and Lower School students have

learned in the garden outside the Lower School Science Classroom. As is the case for anything that lives outdoors in the elements, the old beds had become worn. The gift allowed James “Jim” Rumberger ’79, IDS’s Director of Facilities, to replace the beds used by the Lower School students and to also purchase two smaller beds for the students in Beginners and Pre-K to get to experience the garden at a scale appropriate for them.

“As a school that values experiential, project-based education, this is another example of us taking our learning outdoors and having our children and students learn by doing,” Jalinskas says.

In addition to buying new beds that are 30 inches high, Rumberger also improved accessibility from the garden back into the classroom, leveled the garden itself, added an irrigation system, and tiered the hillside beside it so there is not a need for a fence. As an alum, who has developed his own interest in gardening, Rumberger says he appreciates the way Lowry uses the garden to help students learn science concepts: “He really can take it to a different level with the kids.”

Photo above: Long-time Director of Athletics Janet Sisson joined Dr. Rochelle Reodica for the dedication of the new garden beds.

Photo lower left: Director of Facilities James “Jim” Rumberger (left), Dr. Rochelle Reodica and Science Teacher Xander Lowry played a crucial role in making the new garden possible.

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CAMPUS NEWS

Turning Sap into Sweet Maple Syrup Becomes an IDS Tradition Faculty and Families Tap Trees, Learn Science in the Process The beautiful maple trees dotting the campus have always been a feature of The Independent Day School.

But it took a couple of ambitious faculty members to turn them into something truly sweet.

James “Jim” Rumberger ’79, IDS’s Director of Facilities, had made maple syrup at his home in Madison for years.

He had his eyes on tapping the nearly 30 sugar maple trees at IDS, but knew it was a time consuming process to take on on top of his main job of taking care of the rest of the campus. But when Early Childhood and Lower School Science Teacher Xander Lowry arrived in 2019, Rumberger found a partner who wanted to help. “I needed that one person just a little loony enough like me,” Rumberger says, laughing.

Just a few years later, maple sugaring is a major tradition at IDS — finding its place alongside Field Day and Dancing with the Stars. As winter begins to head to spring each year, the temperatures hit the right spot — 28

freezing overnight and warming up during the day. That’s when the sap inside the trees begins to “run.”

The students are included in most parts of the process. Lowry has the littlest ones learn to identify sugar maples, distinguishing them from red or silver maples. They wrap the trunks with twine to mark them. Older students help with actually tapping the trees, drilling holes and collecting the clear sap. Lowry discusses with his students the science involved, too — from photosynthesis to states and properties of matter. “The kids are really all in,” Rumberger says.

The only part designated for the adults is boiling it down in a wood-fired evaporator. Rumberger and Lowry stay until 8 or 9 pm some nights, watching the liquid turn to the perfect shade of thick amber. Much of this happens over February break and families sign up for shifts where students show the process to their parents and parents take turns stoking the fire. Last year IDS’s trees provided enough sap to boil into 5 gallons of maple syrup.

The final product has been served over pancakes at a communal breakfast, taste-tested in a battle of the maple syrups, and sold at a premium at IDS’s annual auction. A middle school marketing class even designed labels for bottles to be sold one year at IDS’s Fall Festival.

Thanks to families from the Class of 2023, the equipment set up will be upgraded for the 2024 sugaring season. Their Class Gift given as they graduated was dedicated to enhancing the maple syrup set-up. “The parents chose the maple syrup as their gift because they knew how important it is,” Rumberger says. “It has really been turned into a huge community-wide thing that we do. It is a way to really bring people together.”

“Our school values experiential project-based learning. It’s not unusual for us to take our learning outdoors and to utilize our 33 beautiful acres,” says Laura Jalinskas, Director of Enrollment Management. “We have taken to tapping those trees to not only collect the syrup, but boil it down into sweet lessons.”

CAMPUS NEWS

NBC’s CT Live did a segment on IDS’s sugaring operation in March 2023.

Scan to watch it here.

One of the student-created labels

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CAMPUS NEWS

Alumni and Family Weekend A gloriously warm October weekend was the perfect time for families and alumni to celebrate the IDS community. On Friday, parents visited classrooms, experiencing what goes on during the school day. Later in the day, children in costume walked on jewel-colored leaves along the “Enchanted Trail” where they saw their favorite faculty members dressed up too. Everyone enjoyed dinner from food trucks and familyfriendly activities.

Fall Festival

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On Saturday, a beloved tradition— the Fearless 5K and Kids Fun Run—returned after a four year hiatus. Its founder, former long-time Director of Athletics Janet Sisson, joined the fun, too. IDS welcomed multiple members of the CT 169 Club, including a couple who both crossed the finish line marking a visit to their 169th different town run in the state. After running, attendees enjoyed a cookout lunch and got to see the ribbon cutting of the beautiful new garden beds (see page 27 for more).

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Fearless 5K

Parents Visit

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ANNUAL FUND

2022-2023 Annual Fund Report The Agli Family The Aramini Family Andrew and Amanda Arcand Andrea Archer Anne Ayres Christopher Ball and Emese Gall Mark and Ericka Barnes Anne Bingham The Bishop Family Frederick and Kristen Booth David Sean Brennan Stanley and Nancy Brittingham Kevin and Arlene Carifa Ronald and Rachael Coburn Bronwyn Commins Adam Constantilos and Laurie DeGross Robert and Kellie Coombs AJ and Melissa Cortes Aaron and Cinthia Covey Cameron Culton Gordon Culton Steve and Karen Culton Candace Cunningham

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Annual Fund Total: $101,994 Includes donations received during Teacher Appreciation week Major Gifts: $97,010 Annual Auction: $60,000 Legacy Gift Total: $5,101

Thank you to all of our donors!

Marie D’Andrea Melissa D’Andrea Woody and Nancy D’Oench Arwin and Nina De Dios Kurt Decko and Lana Choi Alexander and Ashley Donovan The Dorkins Family Matthew Dorsey Maureen Dorsey Jon and Jenna Driscoll Derek and Jodie Dudek Martha Effgen Gus Esselstyn Rose Esselstyn Kurt and Julie Fetzer David and Christine Foster Katherine Foster Robert Fricker and Charlotte Rea Allan and Barbara Friedland Tyler and Kelly Gerry Dan and Mary Margaret Groberg TJ Grover and Manmeet Kaur James and Pam Hammond

Geir Helleloid and Meredith Hughes Jeff Hoyt and Rene Roselle Nick Irby Tushar and Roxanne Irani Matthew and Angela Jacobson Laura Jalinskas Justin Joseph and Rochelle Reodica Nolda Joseph Melanie Kagey Michael and Rebecca Kalinowski Marijke Kehrhahn Eric and Angela Kelly Allison Klobukowski Ken Kosior and Regina Walsh Subramanian and Namrata Krishnan Ashley Lane Keith and Susan Laursen Steve and Sandra Levesque Xander and Mara Lowry Quinlan and Leslie Lyte Paula Mansfield Christine Mariano Greg and Lydia Marinelli

ANNUAL FUND

David Marottolo Matthew and Bianca Marques Matthew and Andrea McCaffrey Shawn and Siobhan McLaughlin Christian and Stacy Meisner Richard Menning Kyle and Amanda Mezerewski Jane Mills Audrey Minto Charlie and Katie Mitchell Allie Monaco Ruthann Montgomery JP Morgan Chase Jessica Moyer Erwin and Anna Nepomuceno Patrick and Jane Ng Thu-Anh Nguyen Jordan Ohanesian Lauren Otsuki Yesenia Parker Doug and Sandy Parkerson Hemang and Jigisha Patel Agatha Vaslakis Pestilli

Daniel and Elisa Petrulis Scott and Shannon Phillips John and Kristin Piraneo Louis and Victoria Piscatelli Alex Porter Kathryn Porter Maryellen Pugliese Ansel Reid and Haritha Namduri Allan and Heather Ram Fred and Ellen Reodica David Reynolds John and Simone Reynolds Dionna Rivers The Rizzi-Smith Family Steve and Catherine Roberts Brian Robinson and Lorelle Semley Julia Rorke Angel Roubin James Royce James Rumberger Anna Salo-Markowski Susan Schmeiser Robert Schoen

Sedat and Drita Shaban Douglas and Ann Sharpe Jemma Siperstein David and Nada Sizemore Jake and Kerry Smith Madeline Smith Eric and Sarah Soderman Frederick Stillman The Teva Family Poev Touch and My Pham Heather Urso Fei and Cony Vergara Rosana Vidal Daniel and Alane Villar Allie Vyne Robert and Sarah Wawrzeniak Michael Williams Allison Wilson Krishna Winston Eboné Woods Robert and Heather Zavod

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U P C O M I N G

E V E N T S Experience IDS: Admission Open House Saturday, January 20th This is the day to share Fearless Learning with your friends and neighbors. The only thing that would make this place better is more of the people you love.

Invite them to take a look!

IDS Annual Auction Friday, April 5th at the TPC River Highlands Bring your enthusiasm and get ready to raise a paddle for IDS. Enjoy the company of fellow parents, alumni, past parents, trustees, and faculty while you support the school.

Alumni — send us your news!

We would love to share your news about family, jobs, or life in our next issue.

Email us at alumni@independentdayscho ol.org.

Grandfriends’ Day Friday, May 10th Invite your grandparents or special friends to experience the magic of IDS. Check out classes, hear musical numbers, and enjoy warm hospitality.

IDS Fearless Summer Camp June 24th — August 2nd Our 33-acre campus is a special place to spend the summer. Mark your calendars now and look for sign ups and specific themes in early 2024!