GFA Fall Magazine 2013

Greens Farms Academy Magazine 43Fall 2013

UnderWater Life at GFa

Inside:

Spotlight on Science & Math p.18

College matriculation

CLASS of 2013

Greens Farms Academy salutes the members of the Class of 2013, who will be attending the following colleges and universities Babson College Bard College Boston University Bowdoin College Bucknell University (5) Carleton College Carnegie Mellon University (2) Clemson University Colby College (2) College of Charleston (3) College of the Holy Cross College of William and Mary Colorado College (2) Columbia University Connecticut College Cornell University (3) Dartmouth College Denison University Earlham College

Elon University (2) Franklin and Marshall College Georgetown University Georgia Institute of Technology Hamilton College Harvard College Haverford College Lake Forest College McGill University New York University (2) Northwestern University Ohio Wesleyan University (2) Oxford College of Emory University Pomona College Rice University (2) Skidmore College (3) Southern Methodist University (2) Stanford University (2) Stetson University

Temple University The George Washington University Trinity College Tufts University (2) Tulane University Union College University of Chicago (2) University of Connecticut (2) University of Denver University of Minnesota University of Notre Dame University of Pennsylvania (3) University of St. Andrews (2) University of Vermont University of Virginia (2) Wake Forest University (3) Wheaton College

editorial

Greens Farms

Academy

Greens Farms Academy Fall 2013 Volume 26 The GFA Magazine is published twice a year for parents, alumni and friends of the school by the GFA Office of Advancement.

Editor Alison Freeland

Associate Editor Natalie Gagnon

Editorial Assistant Sara Glidden

Features Underwater Life at GFA

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Alumni Editor Mary Warner McGrade

Discovering the Scientist Within 18 Getting Students to Think

Design

19

© Plaza Design www.plazadesign.com

Departments

Photo Contributors

Editor’s Letter

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Head’s Letter

3

GFA News and Events

4

Athletics at GFA

10

Arts at GFA

12

Summer Trips

14

Alumni Events

20

Class Notes

28

Milestones

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In an effort to streamline our mailing list, we are sending one magazine per household. If you would like extra copies, please email afreeland@gfacademy.org.

Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor are welcome and may be edited for clarity and space. Please send all correspondence to Alison Freeland (afreeland@gfacademy.org).

Alumni News We welcome news from alumni, parents and friends of GFA. Please send your news and labeled photographs to Alumni News at GFA, or email them to alumni@gfacademy.org.

The following minimum digital file size is required to produce a high-quality image 2.5" x 3.5" • # pixels 375 x 525 pixels • 550KB/ .tif • 100KB/ .jpeg

printed on recycled paper with soy-based inks

Naru Photography Lindsay Furman Natalie Gagnon Matt Hintsa GFA students Highpoint Pictures Greens Farms Academy 35 Beachside Avenue PO Box 998 Greens Farms, CT 06838-0998 (203) 256-0717 www.gfacademy.org Greens Farms Academy is dedicated to guiding students through a rigorous course of study encompassing academics, arts and athletics.

editor

Letter from the Editor

© Naru Photography

Dear Readers, In July, people always ask me how my summer is going and follow it with, “Now, you don’t usually work in the summer, do you? Isn’t school closed?” I look at them with one eyebrow raised. They obviously haven’t been to 35 Beachside Avenue in July, when it can be amazingly difficult to find a parking place, much less an empty classroom or vacant outdoor bench. I sometimes think of those months as “GFA Unbuttoned.” Faculty and staff work in shorts and sandals, unpacking their lunches from paper bags. Drops of sun block fill the air around the campers in the Lower School, sports campers squint on the fields and tennis courts. Young children walk to Burying Hill Beach with fishing rods.

Students taking a math or writing workshop enjoy the rarity of sitting at a Harkness table in T-shirts and flip-flops. Horizons students alternate between intense academics and swimming, and construction crews take care of renovations, repairs, rewiring, and sometimes major excavation.

Summer 2013 by the numbers looked like this: One hundred and fifteen students took part in seventeen different courses in The Summer Academy. Students earned full-credit by completing the Geometry or International Relations curriculum or worked on their skills in various writing and math workshops. The Summer Academy accommodated students entering grades 4-12. The Horizons Program served two hundred students in grades Pre-K to 12, with eighty staff and volunteers. Camp GFA and GFA Sports Camps hosted three hundred and forty one campers in grades K-12.

To me, the moment of “summer truth” always happened with the blare of the fire drill. Forced to evacuate all nooks and crannies, every person on campus had to leave the buildings and file into the courtyard and parking lot. We would stand in the bright sun, blinking at each other, marveling at how many people were squirreled away in classrooms and offices, courtyards and fields, doing the hard and fun, intense and relaxing work of summer.

Alison Freeland Director of Communications

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head

From the Head of School Dear GFA Community, The skill of the faculty and the rigor of GFA’s program continue to shape the education of our students and the academic mission of our school. With several new faculty and administrators arriving on campus eager to teach and work with our students, we have new eyes, different perspectives, and new ideas to inform our work.

© Naru Photography

Our new Director of Information Technology, Jesse Robinson, will also be teaching this year. Game Design is an introduction to the fundamental technologies behind computer games as well as a course that provides experience in the design and development of virtual environments. In addition, Jesse will oversee an Independent Study on iOS Development. In the pipeline is a Trends in Technology course that is more projectbased. These courses introduce students to programming and will encourage STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) connections in the curriculum. Another aspect of our initial STEM programming is our vibrant Robotics Club, one in Middle School and also one in Upper School. Last year GFA hosted a competition for Fairfield County Middle School Robotics, and a statewide FIRST Tech Challenge robotics competition for Upper School, which we will again host this winter.

Another exciting addition to GFA is a Pre-Kindergarten class for the school year 2014-2015. This summer we remodeled space in the Lower School and created a beautiful Pre-Kindergarten room. It is ready for this year’s admission season to give prospective families a sense of the program, which will provide a developmentally appropriate curriculum for four-to-five year olds who would benefit from an academically stimulating environment prior to their kindergarten year.

Also this year the entire Lower School will take part in an innovative interdisciplinary study, “Seed-to-Table,” focusing on the world of food, from the planting of seeds and plants to nutrition, farms, and global food production. Students will develop an appreciation for the interconnectedness of ideas that comes from learning about a topic in depth.

This school year promises to be exciting, innovative and intellectually stimulating for all our students.

Kind regards,

Janet M. Hartwell Head of School

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GFA news

Janet Hartwell has celebrated her tenth year as Head of School, and the trustees honored her with a plaque mounted outside the World Perspectives Room. When John and Janet arrived in 2003, they moved into the newly constructed Head of School House on campus. Janet has presided over the addition of new academic and athletic facilities as well as the start of the school-wide World Perspectives Program.

Departing Co-President of the Board of Trustees, Jill Birinyi, said of Janet, “She has been no less than a visionary ever since the day that she stepped foot onto this campus. From our faculty to our students, program and facilities, Janet’s leadership has made a mark on every area of this school. We were good in 1998 when my children began here, but now GFA is great and much of the credit for this progress goes to Janet.”

GFA was proud to hold a TEDxGreensFarmsAcademy program on May 21, 2013.

Following the format of the internationally famous Technology, Entertainment and Design talks, ten GFA students, alumni and faculty addressed the audience for seven minutes apiece. The topic was “aesthetic moments: how we discover who we really are.”

TEDxGreensFarmsAcademy speakers

Math teacher, Jon Matte, delivering his talk

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Upper School history teacher, Victor Llanque Zonta, had quietly applied for the opportunity. When the application was accepted, Victor says he had to confess to what he had done. Fortunately others saw it as a benefit for the school, and the planning began. “I learned that it takes a village to produce one of these events,” he says. “Watching the talks evolve from intuition, to inspiring performances was the best part.” GFA plans to host another TEDx event this year.

Performances can be viewed at http://goo.gl/tkWxxT

The Advancement Office would like to express tremendous appreciation for everyone who supports GFA with gifts of time, money and expertise. Our donors and volunteers make all the difference when it comes to helping GFA be the best school it can be for our students. Once again, we more than met our Annual Giving goal because of your generosity.

Questions? Contact customer support at 855.GOBLEACHERS (462.5322)

Trustee News

The Board welcomes new members Carolyn Cohen, Arlene Howard and Michael Rintoul and new Co-Presidents Tricia Vanacore and Shelley Goldsmith.

Last spring the Board of Trustees honored Jill Birinyi for her many years of service to the school. Jill joined the Board in 2007, becoming President in 2010, and chairing or participating in numerous committees such as Educational Policy, Finance, Executive, and Advancement. Jill has given countless hours to the business of the school with a quiet determination to instill best practices and high standards.

In turn, Jill honored departing Board members Brian Lizotte, Amer Nimr and Sherron Velez. Sadly, Sherron Velez passed away on June 15, 2013. To understand a little more about her life, read her speech delivered at a GFA Diversity Dinner: “When I first visited GFA on a gorgeous sunny afternoon at an open house with my husband Jon and our two sons Jeffrey and Brandon, I was impressed with the rustic beauty of the building and overwhelmed with the prospect that private school could be a reality for our two sons—that they could actually walk through these hallways and be members of the GFA community.” To read more: http://bit.ly/14O60BJ The Board welcomes Tricia Vanacore and Shelley Goldsmith as the new Co-Presidents, as well as incoming Board members, Carolyn Cohen, Arlene Howard and Michael Rintoul.

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GFA news Victor Llanque Zonta

Lynne Laukhuf

Patti Hiller

Karen Briganti

Brian C. Smith

based on that story.” Ben also had a paper accepted by the Western Literature Association Conference, which will be held from October 9-12 in Berkeley, California.

Faculty News Josh Burker, who oversees technology in the Lower School, is also passionate for LEGOS. Make Magazine just published an article by Josh on how to make a LEGO Phonograph. You can see more of Josh’s creations if you visit his LEGO club after school at GFA. Scan the QR code above with your smart phone to read the article.

Middle School English teacher, Ben Gott, has written an article entitled “Writing the Past: Using Poetry to Explore Family History,” which will be published this year in Teachers and Writers Magazine. Ben says the article is about “a writing assignment that I have used for the past two years in my sixth-grade class in which a student interviews a member of his or her family about a piece of family history and then writes a poem

Chris Kolovos, Assistant Head of School

Russell Hatch, Upper School Head

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Upper School history teacher, Victor Llanque Zonta, has been named a Teacher of the Future by the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS). As one of twenty-five teachers chosen, Victor attended a conference and will help run an online forum about teaching innovations. NAIS wrote to Victor saying, “You are joining a group of teachers who are leading the movement to more effective and creative teaching in independent schools and working with public school educators to benefit all students.”

GFA has said a heartfelt good-bye to Lynne Laukhuf, who retired as the Assistant Head of School after working at GFA for 29 years in various capacities. Similarly, long-time teacher Patti Hiller retired after 35 years at GFA. Both will be missed and have promised to return to campus and to be involved with alumni events.

Karen Briganti has also retired after fourteen years in GFA’s Lower School.

New Assistant Head of School for Academic Affairs, Chris Kolovos, comes to Greens Farms Academy after nine years at Belmont Hill School outside of Boston, where he chaired the history department and was the school’s Director of Global Education. A champion of a well-rounded education, Chris taught history in the Middle and Upper Schools, directed musical theater, coached soccer, and advised the debate program. Recently, he also served as a lecturer at Harvard Law School and adjunct professor at Roger Williams University School of Law. Chris earned his B.A. in History and J.D. from Harvard University before following his passion into the teaching profession. A son of immigrant parents from Greece, Chris came to love learning and independent school life as a student at the Roxbury Latin School. He has devoted his professional life to giving that kind of opportunity to the next generation.

New Upper School Head, Russell Hatch, was born, raised, and schooled in and around Chicago. He came to the northeast for graduate school at NYU and never left. Russell began his teaching career in the New York City public schools as a chemistry teacher in 1997, transitioning to Horace Mann School in the Bronx in 1999, where he taught science for seven years before becoming the Science Department Chair in 2006. Russell lives in Manhattan and maintains a second home near Hudson, NY. He enjoys cello playing; reading fiction, histories of ideas, and news; cooking and gardening; and running, biking, and swimming. Russell is excited to be at GFA and to be integrated into Upper School life.

Commencement Awards 2013 Lynne Laukhuf Citizenship Prize: 9th grade - John Mackle, 10th grade - Campbell Goldsmith, 11th grade - Arthur Doelp Class Prize: 9th grade - Lauren Telesz, 10th grade - Claire Comey & Avery Wolfe, 11th grade - Mark Whittaker Charles H. Dietrich Teaching Award: Patricia Hiller Goldenheim Award for Excellence in Teaching: Andrew Jones David K. King Scholarship Award: Caroline Vanacore ’13 Francis Burr Hardon Award: Julia Lennon ’13 & Madison Leonard ’13 Lucie B. Warren Award: Charles Salmans ’13 Head of School Award: Clayton Garner ’13

Class Day Awards 2013 College Book Awards Brandeis: Shelby Marcus ’14 Brown: Joanna Moley ’14 Cornell: Francesca Garofalo ’14 Dartmouth: Margaret Sherin ’14 Harvard: Mark Whittaker ’14 St. Lawrence University: Emily Agnew ’14 University of Chicago: Sophia Tepler ’14 Wellesley: Rachel Cohen ’14 Williams College: Ethan Friedson ’14

Barbara Hellwig Rose Outstanding Athlete Award: Meighan Grady ’13 Marijane Beltz Sportsmanship Award: Madison Leonard ’13 David M. Perry Sportsmanship Award: Robert Barnet ’13 Visual Arts Award: Olivia Lynn ’13 and Katherine Mohr ’13 Visual Arts Purchase Award: Saurav Acharya ’13 and Katherine Mohr ’13 Music Award: Lee Glicklich ’13 and Charles Salmans ’13

Angela Van Acker Award: Ryan Eckert ’13, Madison Leonard ’13, Hayley McCalpin ’13

Theatre Award: Jackson Blau ’13 and Julia Lennon ’13

Jane Kentor Dean ’52 Alumni Award: Georgianna Garner ’14

GLaD Prize: Saurav Acharya ’13

World Perspectives Award: Charles Salmans ’13

Roger B. True Science Award: Saurav Acharya ’13 and Robert Barnet ’13

Wagner Award: Mark Whittaker ’14

Roger B. True Science Research Award: Eric Dexheimer ’13

Cum Laude Society: 11th grade: Eric Dexheimer, Francesca Garofalo, Hayley Holzinger, Shelby Marcus, Margaret Sherin, Ivy Wappler, Ethan Weinberger, Mark Whittaker 12th grade: Sophie Briand, Emily Fontana, Clayton Garner, Peter LaBerge, Radhika Matoo, Jessica Pesco, Charles Salmans, Rachel Schwimmer, Sarina Soriano-Taylor Class Athletic Prize: 9th grade: Ingrid Backe and Jack Mackle 10th grade: Campbell Goldsmith and Riley Grady 11th grade: Brendan Bieder, Caroline Kruk and Andrew McCarthy Edward J. Denes, Jr. Outstanding Athlete Award: Spencer Hartig ’13

Susan Conlan Award: Brian Dexheimer ’13 and Olivia Kjorlien ’13

Barbara Conlan Award (Biology): Margot Bruder ’13

Jane Jessup Award (Latin): Emily Agnew ’14 Joan Loomis Award (French): Sophie Briand ’13 and Sarina Soriano-Taylor ’13 Martha Laffaye Award (Spanish): Clayton Garner ’13 The Mandarin Award: Clayton Garner ’13 Whittle Award (History): Graham Bacher ’13 and Charles Salmans ’13 Keller Award (Most Improved in English): Arianna Petillo ’13 Upton Award for English: Graham Bacher ’13 and Rashad Nimr ’13 Creative Writing Award: Peter LaBerge ’13 and Joanna Moley ’14

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GFA news

MILESTONES Paul Groves

Scott Santoro

The five people on these pages celebrated 25 years at GFA last spring.

When asked about the biggest change they’ve seen, each mentioned the school’s growth. Jeff Morrison said, “It’s a positive development because it has created a more dynamic and a more diverse social structure for our students.” Paul Groves noted “our athletic facilities are as good as the ones at most colleges now.”

We asked about their favorite place on campus: Paul Groves: Originally it was up in OJ Burns’s room, at the time it was the best view of the Front-lawn/Water. Now I enjoy hanging at the new “Tennis Center;” it never gets old.

Scott Santoro: Since I arrive at 5:30 in the morning, sometimes watching the sun come up over the Sound is pretty neat, and the school is peaceful at that hour.

Betsy Bergeron: I love to sit in the garden when I have a chance. There is

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always something to see out there, and it is a great place for reflection. Also, I like going to the Bedford gym to shoot some hoops. It reminds me of my high school gym.

Jeff Morrison: The courtyard: It has recorded over the years the comings and goings of all the people (students, staff and faculty) who have helped to shape the GFA community.

Ann Cotter: I really love our playground as a meeting place. The children sit and chat, and the conversations are priceless. All the children are out and come to share about their birthday party, their weekend, and their new puppy. It is a way to see the entire LS community and watch the children interact.

Betsy Bergeron

Jeff Morrison

Ann Cotter

We also asked, “What is your proudest accomplishment,” and “What is your hope for the school’s future?”

Paul Groves:

Jeff Morrison:

Winning our first FAA League Championship and going undefeated

It was an honor for me to coach so many wonderful wrestlers

in Girls Volleyball in 1994. It set a high standard and helped change

over the years. Furthermore, I’m pleased that a number of my art

the perception of GFA athletics. Also, winning the 2004 New England

history students have gone on to study art history at the college

Championship in Boys Tennis. We went undefeated, and our team

level. Finally, I am pleased with the lively debates we have had in

produced the N.E. Singles /Doubles Champions. Last, but not least,

Modern World History in recent years.

teaming-up with OJ Burns to perform as the “Blues Brothers” for Ed Denes’s “Variety Show.”

I hope the school continues striving for excellence in academics/ sports/arts, but evolves in a manner that “community” is still a priority.

Scott Santoro:

I hope that GFA will continue to grow, and to reach out and positively impact the global community.

Ann Cotter: What I accomplished wasn’t just mine. It took many people working together—my children, fellow teachers, and administrators. The third

Feeding the kids every day and keeping up with all the daily demands

grade instituted many fun projects, which I know the children will

of the food service department. It is amazing to watch kids come in

always remember such as Poetry Café.

as kindergartners and see them graduate 13 years later.

I hope GFA always maintains its intimate nature. I like going through

Someday I would like the kitchen and cafeteria area to expand.

the halls and seeing a student I had nine years ago, which recently

The kitchen is the same size that it was 25 years ago.

happened. This senior girl has done so well and is now going on to a

Betsy Bergeron:

challenging college. As she talked, all I could see was that sweet face

I am very proud of how the Harmony for the Homeless concerts have

I knew back in third grade.

grown in scope. Soon we will celebrate the 25th year of Harmony.

I am also proud of the development of QUEST—our Gay/Straight Alliance and things like the video presentation they made last year.

Of course I hope for a performing arts center!! We have been waiting a long time for this.

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athletics

GFA Honors Three Scholar-Athletes Last spring, the Fairchester Athletic Association named thirteen Scholar-Athletes, three of whom were GFA seniors: Caroline Vanacore, Clay Garner and Olivia Kjorlien.

The Scholar-Athlete Award goes to high school seniors who display excellence and superior achievement in both athletics and academics. To qualify, a student must have a GPA of 91% or better during junior and senior year, take a minimum of three Advanced Placement classes, and rank in the top 10% of the class. In addition, the student must have played at least one varsity sport during junior year, and two during senior year. Finally, the student must have earned an FAA All-League designation during junior or senior year. A committee of athletic directors decides the final honorees.

GFA Athletic Director, Tauni Butterfield, presented the awards and noted: Caroline Vanacore is an academic powerhouse, diligent, curious, able to comprehend complex information and apply her knowledge to problem solving across all disciplines. In addition to working on an independent study in science, she was one of nine seniors to complete a Global Thesis. Her project examined aquaponics as a tool to address hunger and waste issues globally. Caroline has been a member of GFA’s Eco-Club, spent her spring breaks at Builders Beyond Borders and also participated in serving the homeless in New York and volunteering to tutor fifth graders at GFA. Athletically, Vanacore earned FAA All-League Honors in both soccer and lacrosse her junior year and came back from injuries her senior year to help lead her teams to the FAA and New England Tournaments. Caroline now attends Dartmouth College.

Clay Garner was the captain of both the varsity soccer team and the varsity tennis team his senior year. He led his soccer team to win the FAA league title and finish 1st in the Western New England League with a record of 13-1. Under his leadership, the tennis team finished 8-2 and 2nd in the FAA. Clay is a consistently strong scholar, leader and role model, who brings a positive attitude, strong intellect, and insightful nature to the classroom. An extremely talented linguist, he has completed the AP Mandarin and post-AP Spanish electives. His interest and proficiency led him to an international recording career, composing and singing in both English and Mandarin. Clay was part of the NAIS Global 20/20 program, has been a member of Student Council and is co-leader of the first high school branch of the Acumen Fund. He is also a member of two academic Challenge Teams, including the team that won the Connecticut State History Bowl Competition last year. Clay attends Stanford University.

Olivia Kjorlien captained both the cross country and tennis teams. In tennis, she received All-League honors all four years and has been the FAA doubles champion for the third year in a row. She is known as uncompromising, unrelenting and undefeated on the tennis court. Last spring, Olivia was one of the select few juniors to earn early admittance into GFA’s Cum Laude Society. One of her teachers described her as a “quarterback in her approach to discussion: bringing up relevant passages, involving other students, deferring to less frequent contributors, and generally driving the class to deeper understanding.” In addition to her impressive workload, she found a real passion in volunteering with the Horizons Program and in working with underprivileged students from the greater Bridgeport area in the summer and on weekends. Olivia is now attending Harvard College.

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Girls Tennis Wins FAA and New England Championships The Girls Varsity Tennis team had a dream season this year, winning both the FAA and New England championships.

Finishing the regular season with a record of 12-2, the Dragons moved into the New England tournament and took the title without even dropping a match. The team was led in singles by Frankie Garofalo ’14, Kyja Kutnick ’13, Caitlin Rummelsburg ’13, and Emily Cahill ’14. GFA’s amazing doubles teams were led by Olivia Kjorlien ’13, Avery Wolfe ’15, Jessica Liu ’13, Suzy McGrath ’13, Maggie Sherin ’14 and Georgie Garner ’14.

For the second year in a row, Kjorlien and Wolfe won the FAA doubles title at the year-end tournament. The FAA awarded All-League honors to eight GFA players: Garofalo, Kutnick,

Rummelsburg, Kjorlien, Wolfe, Cahill, Liu and McGrath.

Rummelsburg took home the Most Valuable Player Award for her stellar, undefeated season. Kutnick received the Coach’s Award for her strong leadership, and Cahill took the Most Improved Player Award for the second year in a row.

GFA’s tennis complex has become well known among players and coaches in the three years since the ribbon-cutting. The girls FAA tournament was moved to GFA three years ago because of the number of courts. In addition, the GFA facility was selected as the site of the quarterfinals and semifinals of the girls New England tournament this year.

Boys’ Teams Win FAA Sportsmanship Award The Allen D. Hall Sportsmanship Award is awarded annually to the FAA Core Member School receiving the highest cumulative score on evaluations by FAA coaches at the end of each season in the school year. The evaluations are based on the sportsmanship exhibited by the players, coaches and fans in each sport in which the school competes. The Boys’ teams won this year’s Sportsmanship Award for the FAA and the Girls’ teams finished 2nd.

ATHLETIC AWARDS Four-Year, Three Season Varsity Award Recipient Meighan Grady ’13 Excellence in Athletes Award Recipients (athlete who has accumulated at least 20 points) Tia Carson ’14 and Caroline Kruk ’14 and Madison Leonard ’13 Varsity Watch Recipients (athlete who accumulates 18 points) Leah Jennings ’13, Jonah Singer ’13, Olivia Taylor ’14, Caroline Vanacore ’13 and Sarah Young ’13 | 11

arts

LISA WALDSTEIN VISUAL ARTS DEPARTMENT

B.A. Carnegie Mellon M.Ed. University of Pittsburgh

1. What is your educational and professional background?

When I was five I took art lessons from a little old lady in our apartment building in Queens.

I told anyone who’d listen that I wanted to be an art teacher when I grew up. In high school, in addition to being part of an arty sub-culture, every summer job I had involved children and art in some way. I went to Carnegie Mellon University for a degree in Fine Arts and took classes in as many different media as I could, knowing I wanted to teach and to experience a variety of methods. They did not have an education program, so I found an internship at a local private school as an independent study. I finished college with a major in Painting and Illustration and a minor in Design. I then went on to graduate school for a Masters in Arts Education.

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2. What makes the GFA education and experience special?

I am still new, but I find the students here congenial, usually very responsible, kind and appreciative. My students have been willing to dig in, experiment and take certain risks. I think the global awareness that is emphasized here separates GFA from other independent schools that do not have such programs. Having lived and taught overseas, I am often surprised at how narrowly focused some other prep schools can be.

3. Tell us about the life experiences that you bring to the classroom.

This is my 7th school! Two were international schools, I’ve taught on both coasts, in Georgia, and Milan, Italy.

I taught the International Baccalaureate art program for five years and love the philosophy, so I incorporate a lot of that into my teaching.

I have traveled extensively, both with students and on my own. My focus on student trips is usually the art and architecture, but also on how to travel—how to read maps, figure out public transportation, navigate local customs and really enter the culture. We keep travel journals and talk about how to visually collect thoughts and images through the journey so the students come away with a tangible visual memory.

I have also been lucky enough to travel with two Fulbright programs, one to Japan and one to South Africa and Lesotho. Both of these have been with groups of teachers. Every trip I take gives me ideas to incorporate into my classroom.

4. How would you describe your teaching philosophy?

The arts, all the arts, are a necessary medium to encourage self-expression, creativity and critical thought, and for helping to develop an awareness of the greater world around us. They are a place for hands-on experimentation, exploration, and discovery.

My goal in any art class is to open the eyes of my students—to help them learn how to SEE. This may happen quite literally by teaching them to look through the lens of a camera, peer through a small cardboard viewfinder or through the “Aha” moment of, “Cool, look what happens when I put this on this!” This also happens when they piece together connections between artistic movements and cultural or historical contexts. I do my best to equip my students with the tools, the vocabulary, and the opportunities to sufficiently do this. Understanding the difference between what you think you see and what is really there, realizing that you need to dig deeper and look beyond assumptions, thinking of creative answers to simple problems; these are skills that transcend the art classroom.

5. What have been a few of your favorite projects so far?

I would definitely have to say the self-portrait assignment the AP class did at the beginning of last year—they had to obscure part of their face with an object that had some meaning to them. Some others were the glass still life and perspective drawings around school that the Studio 2 class did and the printmaking with Advanced Alternatives. One more highlight for my Advanced Alternatives classes was definitely when they worked with the Kindergartners on collaborative prints.

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Summer Trips http://worldperspectivesprogram.wordpress.com

Bermuda

The six students who lived at the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS) at the end of June were able to observe scientific research of marine life in action as they counted fish and collected information during their own time in the water. One student recounted, “After learning about corals and species of fish in lectures, we were able to apply that knowledge in identifying these species in activities such as night snorkels. Suddenly the Latin name for a species of grooved brain coral like Diploria labryinthiformis didn’t seem so foreign.” As they got ready to leave, Lucy Webb ’16 and Sam McGoldrick ’15 commented that they all expected to continue the work they did at BIOS when back at GFA.

Puerto Rico The group of thirty who took a Spanish immersion trip through Puerto Rico found themselves descending into a cave, kayaking through a bioluminescent bay, and hiking into a rainforest. In addition, they spent time taking in the history of Old San Juan. One day after a history lesson, they had free time in San Juan where they “practiced Spanish in real-life situations in souvenir shops and at an ice cream truck in Plaza Colon.” As with the other summer trips, students felt unanimously that they had experienced situations and observations they would never forget.

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Rwanda

MS English teacher, Robbi Hartt, organized five GFA students on a trip to Rwanda accompanied by two faculty members at the end of June. As they interacted with Rwandan students, they saw hope and self-reliance instead of the misery and bitterness they may have expected. The revelations were many.

As Daria Locher ’16 said, “I have never really thought twice about going to school, except to maybe complain about it. Here I saw children carrying jerry cans for miles to get water and suddenly I felt like I don’t do enough for my family. …I never knew how lucky we are to be able to afford an education and as many water bottles as we want.”

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feature

UnderWater Life at GFa

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TAMAR CUNHA, US science teacher It’s not often that a student can watch a mantis shrimp eating, or compare a sea star and brittle star side-by-side. Students in my Marine Biology class not only observe, but learn how to set up and maintain saltwater aquaria, and ultimately how to provide up-to-date information about what species are in each tank, as well as what they eat and how to care for them.

A variety of tanks make up GFA’s wet lab. Mostly saltwater, they include a huge aquarium with a coral reef community, representative of the Caribbean, and another large one with invertebrates like sea anemones, sea stars and several types of algae. Students study different species in the smaller tanks, which are also used for research projects. For instance, this year a student will use the tanks to study the effect of ocean acidification on a species of algae or coral. In addition, we have a saltwater and a freshwater tank in the Middle School, and a mobile “touch tank” that can go into Lower School classrooms.

Our large coral reef tank links us to The Island School in the Bahamas and the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS). Students from GFA attend The Island School for a semester, where they see concepts like aquaponics and biodiesel production firsthand. We discuss these ideas in class, but students who attend The Island School bring a greater level of interest in marine issues to classes like Marine Biology and AP Environmental Science. BIOS, while also focused on ocean sciences, provides a different type of learning environment. It is primarily a research facility with educational opportunities for visiting groups. A trip there means learning about current science projects that could be either cutting-edge research or vital monitoring programs. Students tour the facilities and hear lectures from the working scientists. They also learn data collection techniques involving scuba diving, taking notes while underwater and collecting video/photographs that can be analyzed in the lab later on.

We are continuing to develop our relationship with BIOS and look forward to future summer group trips and sending more students there to gain valuable research experience that they will continue at GFA. The science department is committed to growing our STEM program, and BIOS provides an opportunity for students to gain real-world experience in science and technology that is immediately applicable to today’s challenges.

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Discovering the Scientist Within: A Positive Contagion SARA CAMPOLETTANO, MS science teacher It’s 8:15 and the bell is a friendly reminder that Period 1 is about to begin. As students fill the room, the questions fly: “We’re in the same Kingdom with sponges; they’re alive?” “Can you get the flu from the flu shot?” “Are antibodies like tiny little warriors, battling each pathogen one by one?” “Is it true that fiber speeds up the rate of digestion but is not absorbed by the body; how?” Innately curious, they work at unraveling the problems of the day. They challenge ideas in the lab or make mistakes with the awareness that the scientific process is far more important than the final product. The search for the elusive “answer” is minimized.

Yet, how can we tap into their creative imaginations while still providing ample content? Do we use inquiry-based learning, formalized laboratory instruction, traditional lecture, Socratic method approaches, or some combination thereof? For instance, after a lengthy discussion of the digestive system, a young girl asks, “Why do certain medications lead to an upset in the balance of gastric health?” We eventually decide this will be a good research project, and the scientist within her comes alive.

“The search for the elusive ‘answer’ is minimized.”

—Sara Campolettano 18 |

While idea generation is the most challenging aspect of scientific research, the rewards that come along with project design and data collection far outweigh the initial struggle. It is my hope that we can continue to stimulate our science students through authentic activities that require them to challenge the status quo or redesign the lab itself. Whether it is crafting a newly engineered calorimeter to repair a flawed design, or determining if crime scene evidence should be subjected to further DNA testing, students need to feel as if there is a real worth and context to the research they are conducting. Facing a future where the ability to critically analyze information and work collaboratively is essential, students engaged in research are less complacent and more inclined toward innovation and design.

While these research projects are optional in seventh and eighth grade, it is my goal to encourage as many students as possible to take advantage of them. This hands-on experience allows them to realize their passion for research, propelling them into the Upper School with newly discovered interests.

Thinking of that first period class, as I work with young children, I find it wise to take a step back and listen, allowing the imaginative flow of ideas to spread through the room like a contagion through an unsuspecting population.

Getting Students to Think KURT MEDERER, Chair math department Looking into Kurt Mederer’s math classroom, you might wonder where the students are. Then you spot them clumped at the white board. In the middle of the clump, towering over the students, Kurt waves a marker like a conductor with an unruly orchestra. The problem concerns the angles of a triangle. Some students look like they’re thinking; others look away. Some are eager to talk. Eventually Kurt gets to them all, coaxing the ones who haven’t spoken, waiting through long silences, sensing the ones who are scared.

Back at the Harkness Table, Kurt poses another problem: how can one know which is the smallest angle of a triangle? One student blurts out an answer. Instead of responding with, “right” or “wrong”, Kurt says, “Oh yes? Says who?” Then looking around the table, he asks, “Do we agree with him?” Apparently this is a math class where being right isn’t the only goal.

A girl takes a risk, stumbling through an idea. Kurt peers at her for a long moment and asks, “Can you say that with less conviction?” She looks startled and tries again “That’s pretty good.” She now has no idea whether she is close to being right, but is apparently learning a thing or two about communication.

“Okay,” Kurt continues, looking at her intently. “Now say it with more conviction.”

Then he addresses the whole group. “One goal of this class is for you to be able to talk about mathematical theories with clarity and in a way that can be checked.”

The discussion continues, at times a galloping romp of speculation. Even the timid appear to gather courage when they find out it’s okay to be wrong. “Do we agree?” Kurt asks.

“Really?” “What else do we know?”

It’s not surprising that one of Kurt’s mantras is: Mathematics is at its best, not when it confirms what we already know, but when it forces us to change our thinking.

“I want a community of respectful skeptics,” he adds. Also known as Dr. Mederer, Kurt has a handwritten poster on the classroom wall:

D O C ’S R ULES FO R SUC C ESS : 1. Read the question.

2. Don’t trust your math teacher!

3. Be precise.

4. Get over IT.

The last has a double meaning. “Too many times the students use pronouns like ‘it’ when their thinking is muddled,” he says.

“Secondly, if you make a mistake, it’s no big deal, just get over it.”

As the math department chair, Kurt wants “to empower students to take charge of their education. They contribute to the framework. The teacher’s job is to see the students’ potential beyond what they think they’re capable of and lead them there.”

They are on their way, one problem at a time.

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Distinguished Alumni Award alumni/ae

Elizabeth MacDonough ’84 was presented with the 2013 Distinguished Alumni Award at Reunion 2013 on Saturday, June 1. MacDonough made national history and national headlines in early 2012 when she became the first female parliamentarian in the United States Congress, earning her chair in the Senate. The parliamentarian is the Senate’s advisor on the interpretation of its rules and procedures. In March 2012, MacDonough coordinated a special visit to the U.S. Senate chambers and offices for GFA 8th graders on the annual government trip to Washington. The visit included one-on-one time with Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal. MacDonough mentors students and graduates, offering her unique perspective in the legal, legislative and academic fields and has also worked as a volunteer with Habitat for Humanity. In her acceptance remarks, MacDonough reflected on how thankful she is for how tirelessly her single mother had worked to send both Elizabeth and her brother Rich ’83 to GFA.

Alumni in the News The Holiday Reporter announced in June: “Working Title and Focus Features have picked up the rights to Charlotte Rogan’s debut historical novel. Anne Hathaway is attached to star in and produce The Lifeboat.”

Charlotte Smart Rogan ’71 saw The Lifeboat published at the beginning of the year to impressive reviews. Our own English teacher, Robbi Hartt, said of the book, “Rogan explores the themes of power, fear, and justice and examines the way people seek to make sense of their situations, the hard choices tied to the will to survive, and the realization that those choices rarely come with ‘clear signposts marking the better path to take.’” (See GFA Magazine Fall 2012, pg 20 for review.)

New Director of Alumni Relations This summer we said goodbye to Matt Hintsa, who attended GFA for eight years and oversaw much of our alumni relations work for the past three years. Matt will be working in higher education in Boston, and we wish him all good speed. We welcome Mary Warner McGrade as our new Director of Alumni Relations. Mary comes to GFA from Choate, where she was the Associate Director of Development, working with alumni, class solicitations, reunions, and fundraising strategies. Prior to Choate, Mary was a consultant with International AIDS Vaccine Initiative in New York, responsible for developing strategies for major gifts and marketing. Mary worked for Time Warner for several years in marketing and later as a consultant. Mary attended Exeter where she is a member of the Alumni Council and Class Agent, and she holds an AB in English and American Literature from Harvard and an MFA from the University of Southern California. She attended Reunion 2013 at GFA to get an early introduction to many of our returning alumni. Be sure to stop in and say hello if you are back on campus.

Welcome Mary!

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Career Day Four alumni returned to campus on Thursday, March 26 for a panel discussion in front of the Upper School about the paths they have taken since leaving GFA. Rhonda Eleish ’83 and Edie Van Breems ’83 co-founded an antiques and design business and provided an honest perspective of entrepreneurship. As the executive director of the Westchester County SPCA, Shannon Laukhuf ’90 related her experience of pursuing her love of animals and working her way to the top of a large organization after starting with menial animal care jobs in college. Andrew Ogletree ’02, an English furniture specialist at Sotheby’s, detailed how he entered his very specific career and advised students to be persistent when it comes time to seek full-time work.

Photos: (Top left clockwise) Rhonda Eleish ’83, Edie Van Breems ’83, Shannon Laukhuf ’90, Andrew Ogletree ’02

New York Benefit for GFA’s Horizons Scholarship Fund GFA’s New York Alumni Council hosted a benefit event in support of GFA’s Horizons Scholarship Fund at Allegra LaViola Gallery in Manhattan on Thursday, May 16.

Dave Erbach, Karima Hassan ’92 and Laura O’Reilly

Charlie Schilling ’96 and Iona Thomas ’97

Mark Valkenburgh ’97, David Lehman, Stefan Wagner and Gary Anderson ’97

Doug Aaron ’95, Megan Streeter ’97 and Sarah Hoffman ’95

Jason Cantrell, Ed Denes, Katie Welling ’01 and North Shutsharawan ’01

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alumni/ae New York Alumni Gathering

Gordon Verrill ’06, Jess Krakowski and Alex Brown ’06

Oliver Pursche ’89, Ed Denes, Doug Brown ’08 and Mike Pavlis ’08

Max Lando, Stephanie Strohm ’04, Maggie Moore ’02 and Nicholas D’Addario ’04

Chris Innes ’03, Matt Kunkes ’02 and Ian Temple ’03

Lynne Laukhuf, Eric DeFeo ’07 and Justin O’Neill ’07

Nicole Williams ’01 and Dianne Schlosser

Rebecca Brock Dixon ’95, Andrew Grosso ’92 and Michie Foster Miller ’96

Matt Norko, Vera Pitcher, Gordon Verrill ’06, Carolyn Skiba and Will McCalpin ’08

Sarah Hoffman ’95, Dianne Schlosser, Nancy Fishkin and Rebecca Brock Dixon ’95

Janet Hartwell and Andrew Grosso ’92

Maggie Moore ’02 and Ian Campbell

Nicholas D’Addario ’04, Andrew Ogletree ’02 and Matt Kunkes ’02

Jon Matte and Megan Hasenauer ’03

Over 50 New York area alumni, faculty and friends came together at Zengo in midtown Manhattan on Thursday, March 28.

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Boston Alumni Gathering Alumni in the Boston area gathered at Catalyst in Cambridge’s Kendall Square neighborhood on Thursday, April 4.

Nicole Ricciardi, Ed Denes and Nick Ford ’07

David Capodilupo ’79, guest and Lawrence Litchfield ’03

Martha Stout ’09, Jennifer Scholl Swanson ’74, Betty Edwards and Jay Cronin ’09

Bernadette Jamison ’06, Anni Satinover ’06, Sarah Verrill ’10 and Lacey Berrien ’06

Jenn Klein and Julie Barrett O’Brien ’82

Washington DC Alumni Gathering Alumni in the nation’s capital came together at Zengo DC on Thursday, April 18 to catch up and hear the latest news from campus.

Photo: Sarah Petrino ’05, Matt Hintsa ’06, Luke Shoemaker ’06, Krysta Cihi ’06, Ed Denes, Crin DeBoer ’73 and Nicole Chardavoyne ’95

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Reunion 2013 alumni/ae

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Alumni and friends came together on campus to celebrate Reunion 2013 on Saturday, June 1.

Elizabeth MacDonough ’84, the first female U.S. Senate Parliamentarian, was presented with the 2013 Distinguished Alumni Award. Retiring faculty members Lynne Laukhuf and Patti Hiller were celebrated with meaningful dedications, announced by Head of School, Janet Hartwell.

Class of 1988: Nicole Toth Paul and Jennifer Ganim Lawton

Lucy Biggers ’08, Janet Hartwell and Jenny Galvin ’08

Ed Denes and Elizabeth MacDonough ’84

Retiring fourth grade teacher Patti Hiller smiles as Janet Hartwell announces that Patti’s classroom will be named in her honor

Lynne Laukhuf, Brooke McGrath ’11 and Rose Ann Martinez

Class of 1983: Edie Van Breems, Samantha Lowry and Sheila Lahey Duffy

Barbara Hellwig Rose ’51 and Patti Hiller

Rose Ann Martinez, Lynne Laukhuf and Shannon Laukhuf ’90

Meredith Koch ’08, Jasmine Williams ’08, Deepali Gupta ’08, Emma Weeks ’08, Drew Muller ’08 and Tasha Muller

Elizabeth MacDonough ’84, Kurt Wayne ’87, Roz Koether Stephanak ’82 and Gus Ford ’83

Mikey Hintsa ’11 and Jon Matte

Maggie Moffitt Rahe ’75, John Cissel, Ian Campbell and Dan Gagliano ’08

Friends, classmates, and former students also took time to remember GFA alumna, parent and teacher, Lisa Robbins Cissel ’75. Read more about the Reunion dedications in the news section of www.gfacademy.org.

Class of 2008: Christina Whittaker and Gillian Hodes

Elizabeth MacDonough ’84 delivers her acceptance remarks after receiving the 2013 Distinguished Alumni Award

Retiring faculty member Lynne Laukhuf reacts after Janet Hartwell announced that the faculty prize awarded at commencement would be named in Lynne’s honor

Class of 1973: Carri Vickrey, Maria Alkiewicz Penberthy, Carol Wallace Hamlin and Linda Koury Ducruet

Evelyn Lee ’75, Linda Murphy ’75, Maggie Moffitt Rahe ’75, John Cissel, Kathleen Hennessy ’75, Libby Miner (John’s niece and daughter of Claire Robbins Miner ’73) and Ginny Worcester ’75

Class of 2008: Jenny Galvin and Taylor Larson

Ed Denes and Mathieu Freeman

Jenn Klein, MJ Berrien, Julie Lewis ’73 and Mary Warner McGrade

Web Shaffer ’83, Victoria Ford ’84 and Jackie Bebon ’84

Greg Gesswein ’98, Chris Innes ’03 and Peter Doucette

Paul Hiller, Brett Hiller and Adam Laukhuf ’95

Class of 2008: Jenny Galvin, Deepali Gupta and Lucy Biggers

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Reunion 2013 alumni/ae

Jake Sherin ’08, Drew Muller ’08 and Tasha Muller

Roz Koether Stephanak ’82 and Samantha Lowry ’83

Allie da Silva ’05, Lynne Laukhuf and Heather Ogletree ’05

Linda Koury Ducruet ’73, Patti Hiller and Maria Penberthy ’73

Class of 1988: Jerry Bozentko, Yvette Yoon and Dan Tower

John Hussey ‘88, Dan Tower ‘88 and Kurt Wayne ‘87

Class of 1973: Julie Lewis, Lisa Winton Callahan, Kelsey Biggers, Carri Vickrey, Maria Penberthy, Crin DeBoer, David Monahan, Linda Koury Ducruet, Carol Wallace Hamlin and Giselle Wagner

Andrew Fried ’08, Jim Fitzpatrick, Mike Pavlis ’08 and Web Leslie ’08

Class of 2003: Sefra Levin, Emily Siegel, Clare Sackler and Chris Innes

Class of 1998: Greg Gesswein, Meredith Klein-Hertzel, Claire Smith MacGillivray and Nicole Picarillo Tymniak

Lauren Rouatt ’08, Doug Brown ’08, guest, Web Leslie ’08 and Steve Swett ’08

Sheila Lahey Duffy ’83, Nancy Neibergs ’83, Cindy Goldblatt ‘83, Samantha Lowry ’83, Roz Koether Stephanak ’82, Deering Rose ’83 and Suzanne Grotto Calarco ’83

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Vera Pitcher and Rose Ann Martinez

Class of 1988: Kim Keller Raveis and Scott Derrin

Class of 2008: Christina Whittaker, Gillian Hodes and Meredith Koch

Class of 2008: Peter Dilenschneider, Jake Sherin and Andrew Fried

Linda Murphy ’75 and Evelyn Lee ’75

Kimberly Krol ’98 and OJ Burns

Claire Smith MacGillivray ’98, Patti Hiller, Nicole Picarillo Tymniak ’98 and Meredith Klein-Hertzel ’98

Class of 1983: Julie Colhoun and Shelly Stiegler Garner

Class of 1984: Victoria Ford and Elizabeth MacDonough

Save the Date!

Reunion 2014 • Saturday, May 31 Class of 1988

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