VIEWS Indian Mountain School | 2018–2019
Teaching for Relevance and Purpose
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GO GRAY!
We take school spirit to another level. Our time-honored school color rivalry begins in the fall with our “Maroon vs. Gray” sorting hike, which connects school spirited competition with our 600-acre campus. From Mountain Day to the Academic Bowl, points add up to determine a winning color, which is revealed at the end of the year. The Gray flag was hoisted during our 2018 Prize Day Ceremony. Will it remain on the flagpole for another year? Or will Maroon reclaim their title? Join us for our Upper Campus year-end celebrations to find out! Prize Day: Thursday, June 6, 2019, 2:30–4:00 PM | Commencement Ceremony: Friday, June 7, 2019, 10:30 AM–12:00 PM
2018–2019
In This Issue 2 View from Becket House 4 Teaching for Relevance and Purpose 10 IMS Breaks Ground on Net-Zero Building 12 Expanded Boarding Program 13 Athletics 14 Arts 15 Life Through Service 17 Ken Fields ’88 Helps Fund Solar Array 18 Annual Report of Gifts 24 A Look Back at Commencement 2018 28 Alumni Take 5 30 Catching Up With Sasha Rearick ’92
ON THE COVER: Our Student Center is a hub of activity; students explore different artistic mediums, perform in our jazz and rock bands, tinker in our Maker Space, or simply gather with friends.
A FRESH LOOK: You may notice a new look for IMS! Following the launch of our strategic plan, Courage to Climb, we refreshed our visual identity based on our newly defined community goals and mission statement. The new logo, rooted in design elements and icons from the school’s history, aims to simultaneously honor our rich tradition and propel our brand into the 21st century to better reflect the school we are today.
Indian Mountain School Indian Mountain School @indianmtnschool @indianmtnschool IndianMtnSchool
IMS BOARD OF TRUSTEES Christopher Sanger ’86, P ’18 ’20 President James Kiggen P ’16 ’20 Vice President Anna Traggio P ’16 ’18 ’20 ’22 Secretary Stephanie Comfort P ’14 ’17 Treasurer Judith Benardete P ’18 Michele Browne P ’18 ’21 Drew Casertano P ’98 ’01 ’06 Maja Clark P ’24 ’26 ’28 Ulrika Ekman P ’16 Sarah Eustis P ’17 ’21
Catherine Gouge ’01 Jun Hur P ’20 Henry Labalme P ’19 Dylan Mattes ’93 Elyse Harney Morris Justin Royce ’96
Jeremy Spofford ’90 John Tonelli P ’16 ’20 ’22 Richard Turnure ’82 Darren Winston P ’19 ’20 Zonghui Zhang P ’19
HONORARY TRUSTEES John R. Chandler Jr. P ’79 ’81 ’83, GP ’11 ’13 ’16 ’21 ’24 Samuel F. Posey Jr. P ’97 ’01
View from Becket House Message from Head of School Jody Reilly Soja
TEACHING FOR RELEVANCE AND PURPOSE Last summer, I went to see Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, the documentary about Fred Rogers. In addition to serving up a dose of nostalgia, the film highlighted the man and the ministry of Fred Rogers in ways that were previously unfamiliar to me. The original television show first aired in 1968, a tumultuous time in our nation’s history and in the world. Courageously, on his children’s show, Mr. Rogers addressed topics such as civil rights, the Vietnam War, and the loss of national heroes to assassination. He was able to talk with children about difficult and often painful topics because he did so from a place of love and respect. He validated feelings of all types, including anger and confusion. This made me think about how his approach applies to our work at school and how we engage our students in thinking about complex topics.
Head of School, Jody Reilly Soja P ’22 ’24
Prior to this year’s ninth grade summit project—an intensive and collaborative event held each year—I found myself in a discussion with a student about the environmental impact of deforestation in Brazil. The focus for this year’s summit was on the disposition of the Brazilian rain forest, and the environmental, economic, and political implications of its development or preservation. Students represented different stakeholders and interest groups, and she had been assigned the task of representing cattle ranchers. I was amazed as I listened to this student talk about the many strategies she and “We want our students to be engaged in meaningful her peers were proposing to address the impact learning opportunities that interest them and expose of the beef cattle industry in Brazil, while also considering the ranchers’ bottom line. She them to challenges we face in the world.” spoke from a place of knowledge, with clear understanding of the dilemma, but also from a place of empathy. We want our students to be engaged in meaningful learning opportunities that interest them and expose them to challenges we face in the world. “Teaching for Relevance and Purpose,” which you will read about in this magazine, is all about bringing this type of dialogue into our classrooms. It’s about introducing the dilemmas we face, while engaging our students as problem solvers. In our strategic plan, our Portrait of an IMS Student outlines our expectation that all IMS students practice being communicators. They need practice expressing their ideas, forming strong arguments, being active listeners, and understanding the perspectives of others. We also want students to understand that our community is a classroom; that they have much to offer and learn from one another. We believe this happens best when we engage in healthy, safe, and open dialogue to address challenging topics. Taking a page out of Mr. Rogers’ playbook, and out of deep respect for our students, we are putting them at the center of their learning and empowering them to see that they are more than capable of this kind of work.
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IMS Celebrates Identity and Connection The UNITY project is an interactive art installation that promotes human connection and a realization that we all have something in common. It is a visually striking structure that helps us celebrate our uniqueness while simultaneously strengthening our ties to one another. It was created to raise consciousness about the labels we give ourselves and others, and to explore how those labels both support and limit the construction of interconnected communities. It was displayed on campus this past fall leading up to Parents Weekend.
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One of the core tenets of our current strategic plan, Courage to Climb, is “teaching for relevance and purpose.� At IMS, students and teachers benefit from a collaborative learning environment informed by research, reflection, and ongoing feedback. We design learning experiences that align with our strategic priorities, our values, and our knowledge of each individual student. From pre-kindergarten through grade 9, each child is understood and championed by a tapestry of teachers, buddies, mentors, and coaches.
Teaching for Relevance and Purpose
A ‘LUV’ of Learning Kindergarten Students Partner With School in Ghana to Study Engineering and Design By Michelle Charles, Kindergarten Teacher
In the fall of 2017, our entire Lower School exemplified what it means to work and play in truly globalized classrooms. In connection with last year’s theme, “Africa—Cultures, Community, and Creativity,” we virtually partnered with schools in Ghana and Zimbabwe to develop new skills, apply design-thinking to problems, and simultaneously learn about each other’s cultures. Level Up Village, or LUV for short, is a software company that facilitates global STEAM collaboration between students from around the world. Over the course of the school year, we worked with our friends in Africa on shared projects and exchanged videos to learn about each other and what engineers do. Through a series of video communications, we were able to ask questions like, “What is your favorite food?,” “What do you do for fun?,” and “How do you get to school?” In kindergarten specifically, we examined the “engineering design cycle” by reading stories, identifying the big problem, and creating solutions for the characters.
Storybook Engineers Students collaborated on a project called “Storybook Engineers,” in which children utilized their knowledge of the engineering design cycle to analyze a story, uncover a problem, and solve it for the characters. Inspired by four different books, students in Lakeville and Ghana were tasked with completing several design challenges: create a spaghetti tower, build a boat that can float, make a toothbrush robot, and design a parachute. We began each challenge with an active read-aloud, and through discussion identified the problem that each character faced. The first design challenge came straight from the pages of Tomie dePaola’s classic tale, Strega Nona. In the story, mischievous Big Anthony gets his hands on Strega Nona’s magic pasta pot, but he does not know the magic words to keep the pot from bubbling over. The pasta threatens to cover and destroy his entire village. In partnership with our new Ghanaian friends, our students immediately recognized the problem and agreed to build a structure that could withstand the weight of a pasta avalanche. Just like engineers, we learned that in order to solve a problem, one must ask questions, make a plan, build a solution, test that solution, and improve it. And so, using string, tape, marshmallows, and uncooked spaghetti, each student masterfully brought to life their planned structure. We worked through the remaining three stories and projects in much the same way. As the students became familiar with the process, their designs grew in complexity and depth. In addition to thinking like engineers, our kindergarteners grew their skills of kindness, empathy, and resilience. They became more comfortable asking each other for advice and offered support when a project did not go as planned.
Reflections The LUV curriculum was chosen and implemented to support our study of the United Nations Sustainability Goals (learn more about our study of the SDGs on page 6), and to promote innovation, collaboration, and problemsolving skills among our youngest learners. When students explore these skills at an early age, they begin to view themselves as engineers, innovators, and problem solvers in an increasingly complicated and globalized society. Perhaps the most valuable lessons we learned were that there are many ways to solve the same problem, and that working together makes solving problems more fun!
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A Global Approach to Education How the Ninth Grade Uses the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as a Curricular Framework
It may seem like a tall order to provide students with the moral framework, understanding, and agency needed to address today’s pervasive global issues. But Tom Stewart, Assistant Head of School, and a cohort of faculty have designed a ninth grade curriculum that simultaneously educates students, inspires them to become “solutionaries,” and prepares them for the future. How are they doing this? With inspiration from the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and an interdisciplinary approach that breaks down classroom walls. Through this collaborative process, teachers are not only preparing students for secondary school, but engaging them in a way that is relevant to an increasingly complex world.
UN Sustainable Development Goals In 2015, the United Nations Member states adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This agenda provides a shared plan for peace and prosperity
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for people and the planet. It is centered around 17 SDGs that recognize ending poverty and other deprivations must happen in tandem with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and foster economic growth—all while addressing climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests. Mr. Stewart notes that it can be easy to associate sustainability simply with environmentalism, but the SDGs are also “about economics, compassion, and respecting people.” The non-environmentally driven goals range from enhancing education to reducing inequalities of all types.
The Ninth Grade Curriculum at a Glance In the way it always has, IMS presents its ninth graders with the types of information and skills they will need to succeed in secondary school and beyond. Students are enrolled in their typical core academic courses. They read classic literature, study the roots
Teaching for Relevance and Purpose
of civilization, and are exposed to the foundations of scientific inquiry. Now, however, a more complex global framework is used to create central themes found in our curriculum.
and collaboration skills. This spring, students presented their projects to a panel of judges who determined a “winner” to be recognized on Prize Day.
For our ninth graders—who begin the school year with a course to introduce them to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals— the SDGs are the filter through which they approach content in their Sustainability Science, English, and history classes. For example, this past term in English class they read Emily Wilson’s translation of The Odyssey and discussed the book in the context of gender perspective and equality. Students also examined the ancient Greek concept of xenia (hospitality) as it relates to immigration and refugees, which provided another lens to learn and talk about current issues and policies. The Grapes of Wrath is presented as a book that is, in part, about an ecological disaster and the resulting displacement of local people. The links between current events and the Joad family’s migration from Oklahoma’s Dust Bowl to the California picking fields—and the discrimination and prejudice they faced as they sought a better life—could not be more striking.
Beyond IMS
During the last month and a half of their time at IMS, students use the framework of the SDGs to identify a real-world issue, and then work to develop a solution to that issue. Employing research, design, diplomacy, creativity, and presentation skills, the team members collaborate as they work toward the Poquonook Solutions Symposium—the capstone effort within the year-long focus on the SDGs—during which they present their prototypes to a panel of outside sustainability experts. These panelists then assess the solutions’ viability with an eye toward implementation. Last year, one group designed a system of turbines at airports that make use of the backdraft of jets to generate electricity to power the fleet maintenance vehicles. Using virtual reality, another group designed a way to build the same type of empathy for trees that we see for endangered animals; “EmpA-Tree” aimed to address the issue of deforestation. As part of this process, students are required to contact individuals in a professional role who are currently working on something related to their idea, which expands their communication
Lisa Moon ’17, a current student at Berkshire School, reflected on the curriculum during a recent trip back to speak with students. Her group’s project sought to address the water crisis in South Sudan. “I was personally interested in this topic since I often wondered why it is so hard to provide access to clean water to people around the globe,” Lisa shared. In addition to gaining important content and knowledge, she acquired skills that have proven invaluable at secondary school. “I gained confidence that I’d never found in myself before. While working on similar projects at Berkshire School, I have been able to approach a problem using my experience from the SDG curriculum at IMS; I reach out for every possible solution without imposing limitations in the thinking process.”
Our students and faculty are always looking to make connections with people who are working in a field related to the SDGs. If you or someone you know would like to get involved, please contact Tom Stewart at tom_stewart@indianmountain.org.
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Understanding the Plight of the Refugee “When students are engaged in work that is relevant to their lives—or tied to a larger purpose—the learning experience is deeper.” David Gargill, English Department Chair
Students sit quietly in David Gargill’s English classroom, fixed on Joy Al-Nemri, a 23-year-old volunteer and recent graduate of Bard College. As Joy speaks passionately of her time as an Arabic translator at Samos, a refugee camp in Greece, students hang on her every word. Instead of facilitating the conversation or encouraging his class to ask questions as many middle school teachers would have to do, Mr. Gargill—who oversees our English department—sits on the periphery of the room, proudly taking in the scene of inquisitive and engaged learners. Why are his students so engrossed in their conversation with today’s guest speaker? Because IMS is not daunted by the complexity of teaching students about real-world challenges. In fact, “teaching for relevance and purpose” is one of the School’s core strategic priorities. We believe in the importance of stretching beyond our comfort zones as educators in order to foster agency, compassion, and global awareness in our students. As Mr. Gargill notes, “When children are engaged in work that is relevant to their lives—or tied to a larger purpose—the learning experience is deeper.” In order to help his students understand today’s proliferating refugee crisis, Mr. Gargill and his colleagues design learning experiences rooted in history and the modern world. In fact, the arc of the academic year is underpinned by the study of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), providing significant context to our studies on the Upper Campus (see pages 6 and 7). “It’s not just about the study of environmentally-driven challenges,” notes Mr. Gargill, pointing out the common association between sustainability and the environment. “It’s also about the study of social conflict. We believe it’s important to encourage students to examine the past, present, and future of geopolitical situations.” The global refugee crisis is, of course, a pressing and relevant issue escalating tensions on both sides of the Atlantic. According to the United Nations, more than 68 million people are displaced—the highest number since the end of WWII. Mr. Gargill says he is careful to introduce these topics in research-based and empathy-building contexts rather than from a place of judgment on politics or policies.
Teaching for Relevance and Purpose
A Blended Instructional Approach The success of our academic program hinges upon the intentional pairing of tried and true teaching practices with innovative approaches. Cutting edge brain research and educational best practices are the foundation of everything we do. For example, carefully selected literary works inform our students’ study of the plight of the refugee. Our summer reading list includes Barracoon by Zora Neale Hurston, the story of Cudjo Lewis, one of the last known survivors of the Atlantic slave trade illegally smuggled from Africa on the last “Black Cargo’’ ship to arrive in the United States. Ninth graders read Behind the Beautiful Forevers, a harrowing story of survival within the context of a Mumbai slum that has been overcrowded with climate refugees from the north. Students also read The Displaced, a collection of first-person essays edited by a Vietnamese refugee and Pulitzer Prize winner, Viet Thanh Nguyen.
A Visit From A Young Volunteer As a way to supplement these written works—which set the stage for a deeper understanding of the experience of the refugee and offer various points of view—we work to connect the topic to current events to increase the relevancy for students. We were grateful to have Joy Al-Nemri visit campus this year; she spoke
with a number of Upper Campus students about her experiences and shared her belief in the importance of inspiring young people to see the power they have. Ms. Al-Nemri served as an Arabic translator in a Greek refugee camp that housed people in flight from Syria’s civil war, and she also works closely with a refugee population in New Britain, Connecticut. “I feel so privileged that I had the opportunity to speak with these compassionate young children,” said Ms. Al-Nemri during her visit. “I just want to help them see from my point of view, my experiences on the ground and what’s actually unfolding.” Asked about the need to inspire and motivate young people today to be sympathetic citizens of the world, Ms. Al-Nemri shared, “I think a great first step is to simply listen to what other people need, and to try your best to put your assumptions aside.” Ms. Al-Nemri created programs that refugees continue to benefit from today; she established a women’s fitness program and a children’s book reading program that offers basic English lessons. Ms. Al-Nemri also conducted Institutional Review Board approved research on the migrant crisis in Greece and Connecticut. As for the best way to help refugees, Ms. Al-Nemri was unequivocal, “What we need to be doing is uplifting refugee voices by giving them a platform on which to share and narrate their own stories.”
Bringing History to Life Our faculty know that each student learns differently, so we design a curriculum that aligns with our school priorities, values, and knowledge of each individual student. Empathy building is at the core of this academic experience, and we continually ask ourselves how to create empathy in authentic ways. Across our humanities disciplines, instruction extends beyond literature and historical texts; teachers strive to bring learning to life and make content relevant for students. And so, when our eighth graders studied WWII and the Holocaust in their history and English classes, their learning was augmented by a virtual reality (VR) experience that became the ultimate empathy builder. “The Last Goodbye” is a VR tour that portrays the personal testimony of Holocaust survivor Pinchas Gutter. During the 15-minute video, Gutter takes audiences with him on his final visit to Majdanek, the Nazi German concentration and extermination camp where his parents and sister were murdered during World War II. Eighth grader Addie Kiggen noted that the virtual reality experience enhanced her comprehension of the material she learned in class. “To be able to see how people in the Holocaust slept and were killed, and to hear Mr. Gutter’s story, was so sad,” said Addie. “This experience gave us a visual rather than just hearing about it; in the classroom you make up a mental picture in your mind and it was powerful to be able to experience it visually.”
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Our Mountain as a Classroom
Our 600-acre campus is a hallmark of the IMS experience. It provides unique opportunities for experiential learning, outdoor play, and personal growth. Since launching our strategic plan, Courage to Climb, we have been finding ways to reimagine the use of our mountain in order to enhance our curriculum and provide access to our natural setting.
IMS Breaks Ground On Net-Zero Building at Base of Mountain In early 2018, Indian Mountain School received a generous gift to build an environmentally focused outdoor research classroom at the base of our mountain. The building will facilitate our commitment to environmental stewardship through our curriculum, and bring to life our strategic priorities of “teaching for relevance and purpose” and using our “mountain as a classroom.” We recently broke ground on the new building—which will be located past the athletic fields toward the base of the mountain. The approximately 1500-square-foot structure will be open to students, faculty, and staff on both campuses, and will be able to accommodate classes across disciplines. Our new solar array, generously donated by IMS alumni (see page 17), will not only power this building with renewable energy, but also enable students to become well-versed in research and data collection. The total amount of energy used by a net-zero building on an annual basis is roughly equal to the amount of renewable energy created on the site.
Nature and the Brain One of the many passions Head of School Jody Soja has introduced to the IMS community is a focus on brain science as it relates to teaching and learning. Ms. Soja believes in fostering joyful engagement at school and preserving the spirit of childhood, which is why she stays up to date on the latest research about child development.
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Mountain as a Classroom
“Studies show that there is a strong connection between the outdoors and brain performance, not to mention our health and well-being,” says Ms. Soja, who is especially excited about the learning opportunities our new outdoor research center will afford the community. She shares, “In nature, students make predictions, wonder about what they see, and take time for reflection. All of this inquiry and processing provides opportunities for cognitive growth and development.” Science Department Chair Jonathan Howe has been overseeing the design of the outdoor research center. He believes that “being immersed in nature changes the dynamic” when it comes to brain activity. “Relocating students to a different space—even the five minute walk to the new building—will act as a cognitive reset,” he shares. With clear views of our ponds and being surrounded by flora and fauna, opportunities to study natural sciences will abound. But this space is exceptionally exciting to the IMS community because its intended purposes go well beyond scientific inquiry and study.
Student-Inspired Design The design for the net-zero building is based on a schematic created by a group of students in the spring of 2018. As part of their capstone project for the ninth grade study of the Sustainable Development Goals (see page 6 for more information about the SDGs), students began with hand illustrations before learning how to use SketchUp, a 3D modeling computer program used to design buildings. Students learned about the requirements of a building powered by solar and geothermal
energy, and researched incinerators and composting toilets. They even did calculations for geothermal pumps and learned how much solar power that would utilize. In partnership with Maclay Architects—industry leaders of ecological and systems-based design principles and environmental design—plans for our netzero building are well underway.
More than a Building The desire to create a dynamic space for all ages and disciplines was front of mind when brainstorming the possibilities for this new building. The center itself will include classrooms designed to optimize any intended learning objective. Cozy nooks will be incorporated at either end of the building where reading a book for English class will become a transcendental experience. A wet lab will enable students to test and analyze biological matter from our ponds or collected rain water, for example. Our community will also be able to study data and information from our new solar array to learn about renewable energy. And, with features like a sitting deck, breathtaking views, and a fire pit, the building will serve as an ideal gathering space for the community and boarding students. Year-round, students will learn, be inspired, practice mindfulness, explore, and grow. Of the location and multi-disciplinary space, Ms. Soja reflects, “the quietness down there and the ability to look out to very specific views will be transformative. No matter the discipline, I think the change of aesthetics and location is going to accentuate an academic—or non-academic—experience.”
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Expanded and Enhanced Boarding Program Over the past year, our residential life program has seen significant growth, including enhancements to our physical spaces on campus and exciting changes to our weekend programming.
Stockton Dorm Renovation After witnessing the rapid transformation of Stockton Dormitory this year, renovations are finally complete! With the updates, including a new common area and a second hallway of rooms, we will now have space for more than 100 boarding students on campus.
New 5-Day Boarding Program This year, we announced that IMS will add a limited 5-day boarding option to our residential program beginning with the 2019–2020 school year. Open to grades 5, 6, 7, and 8, this opportunity will enable students to immerse themselves in our boarding community and take full advantage of all that IMS has to offer during the week.
Weekends at IMS With the hiring of an Assistant Director of Residential Life, weekend programming has reached a new level. Whether it’s an outdoor drive-in movie experience right here on campus—complete with food trucks!—a visit to Six Flags, or a day trip to the Big Apple, the opportunities are always fun, diverse, and evolving. Visit indianmountain.org/boarding to learn about our vibrant residential life program and glance at our weekend activities and trips.
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ATHLETICS FALL
WINTER
Basketball (Varsity, JV)
Baseball
Equestrian*
Competitive Swimming
Lacrosse (Varsity, JV)
Golf
Dance
Softball
Mountain Biking & Rock Climbing
Squash (Varsity, Developmental)
Spring Golf
Soccer (Varsity, JV, 5/6th)
Hockey (Varsity, JV)
Volleyball
Skiing (Race Team, Recreational)
Tennis (Varsity, JV, Developmental)
Cross Country
SPRING
* Beginning in the fall of 2019
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ARTS
The arts at Indian Mountain School inspire students to bring creativity, passion, vision, and a sense of wonder and possibility to everything they do.
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LIFE THROUGH SERVICE Every member of the IMS community is encouraged to live the school motto, Life Through Service. Here are a few of our favorite community service events: CROP WALK PINK WEEK HOOPS FOR FOOD ADOPT A FAMILY
ALL-SCHOOL SKATING PARTY BY KIDS 4 KIDS SERVICE TRIP TO ARGENTINA
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View from Advancement Dear IMS Community, Thank you for your generous and continued support of Indian Mountain School. Your contributions are essential to creating a learning environment that allows our students to build confidence in themselves, gain the courage to explore new passions, and develop the desire to make a difference. As educators, our job during this time is critical; we must cultivate the innate curiosity of children and empower them to see the possibilities that exist before them. While we inspire them on a path toward success, we must also help students develop resilience and view challenges and obstacles as opportunities for greater learning. As supporters, you play an important role in helping cover the cost of creating an exceptional learning environment. You may not know that tuition alone does not cover the cost of educating our students. Each year we rely on the collective generosity of our community to close the gap. The IMS Annual Fund directly impacts the people in our school, especially and most importantly, our students. Your contributions have helped make the unique and exciting projects and experiences described in these pages possible. It has allowed us to recruit and retain dedicated faculty and provide them with professional development opportunities that enhance the student experience. It helps us maintain our campus and facilities, fund extracurricular activities, and upgrade our technology. It has also helped us provide the transformative experience of IMS to students of diverse socioeconomic backgrounds through financial aid. It takes a willingness from community members—past and present—to provide an unparalleled IMS experience for our students, and we are grateful to the many people who support the school each year. On the following pages, you will find the names of our generous donors from the 2017–2018 school year. Kindly note that we work hard to ensure the accuracy of our donor listing. If you have any questions please let me know. We look forward to supporting your continued engagement with IMS. Warmly,
Kelly Baxter Spitz Director of Advancement kelly_baxterspitz@indianmountain.org
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Donor Spotlight
Investing in Our Future Ken Fields ’88 Helps Fund 400 Kilowatt Solar Array
Ken Fields ’88 came to Indian Mountain School from New York City in the seventh grade. On his own terms, he told his parents he wanted to trade in his “linear” educational experience for a different type of learning opportunity—one that provided children with the time and space to immerse themselves in nature and develop a love of learning. He remembers being instantly impressed with IMS, which allowed him to more deeply explore an academic curriculum than ever before. “I don’t really have a favorite memory of my time at IMS,” Ken reflects. “It’s more of a vivid recollection of the feeling I had as a child; I was inspired and motivated to learn here.” After graduating from IMS, Ken attended Salisbury School before matriculating at Brown University, where he received his bachelor’s degree in political science. He pursued postgraduate studies at New York University and the University of Pennsylvania, and began his professional life working on Wall Street as an investment banker. The same self-awareness that led Ken to take a detour in his educational path compelled him to leave behind a lucrative career in banking and real estate development to pursue environmental advocacy. Today, Ken spends his time between Lakeville, Connecticut and Washington, D.C. with his daughter Samantha and wife Nikki. Together, they manage the Noya Fields Family Fund and support organizations that work toward creating a better planet. Ken shares, “We believe in building partnerships and sharing our collective time, energy, and commitment to produce tangible and sustainable results.” In the summer of 2016, Ken reached out to IMS with an idea for a project that would “make a long-term difference for the school, but also the community at large.” Along with several other donors with a similar vision, Ken helped fund the 400 kilowatt ground-mounted array that will support three buildings and save the school more than half a million dollars over a 20-year period. The solar array will be built this spring in tandem with our outdoor research center at the base of the mountain (see pages 10 and 11). Ken envisions himself bringing renewable energy sources to more schools throughout the country. Of the mounting dialogue surrounding the environment and energy consumption, Ken attests, “There are solutions to the world’s most complex problems. We just need the courage to solve them.” Asked why he feels compelled to give back, Ken shares, “It’s just what you do. If you’re fortunate enough, you support the organizations and causes that you care about.” Views 2018 –2019 | 17
2017–2018 Gifts to Indian Mountain School To our generous donors, we are grateful for your support.
We do everything possible to ensure the accuracy of our donor listing. If you have questions, please contact the Advancement Office at (860) 435-0871 x155. 18 | Indian Mountain School
LIFE THROUGH SERVICE ($20,000 +) Mr. Keith S. Campbell ’70 Mr. Yat San William Chiang and Ms. Lam Fong Linda Chui P’19 Mrs. Stephanie Comfort P’14’17 Mr. Richen Cong and Ms. Haixia Zhang P’20 Mr. Kenneth J. Fields ’88 Mr. Jun Hur and Ms. Jiyeun Park P’20 Mr. Jaeyoul Kim and Ms. Seohyun Lee P’19 Mr. Hongbing Li and Mrs. Wen Yang P’19 Mr. Nicholas J. Moore P’98’03 Mr. Thomas Quinn and Ms. Maria Horn P’12’14’16
Mr. Brad Raymond and Ms. Soledad O’Brien P’20’20 Sage Dining Services, Incorporated Mr. Xiaofeng Shen and Ms. Yilun Huang P’18 Thanksgiving Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Mark C. Winmill Mr. Haixian Yang and Ms. Tongsheng Zhang P’18 Mr. Mingjie Yi and Ms. Xiaohua He P’20’22 Mr. Xiliang Zhang and Ms. Yi Fang P’21
MAROON & GRAY ($15,000 TO $19,999) Mr. Hong Han and Ms. Yunbo Wang P’18 Mr. and Mrs. John P. Banning, Jr. P’17
FRANCIS BEHN RIGGS FOUNDER’S SOCIETY ($10,000 TO $14,999) Anonymous Mr. and Mrs. Steven M. Benardete P’18 Mr. Chul Won Chey and Ms. Sook Jin Han P’18 Mr. Yuzhi Cui and Ms. Ming Zhang P’19 Mr. Roger Gu and Ms. May Wang P’18 Ms. Laura H. Harris ’71 Mr. and Mrs. Mark Hart P’15’18’20 Mr. Robbie and Ms. Lisa Huffines P’19 Dr. Jaesool Jeon and Ms. Youngjoo Yoo P’18’18
Mr. Sheng Jiang and Ms. Ling Zhao P’19 Mr. Seok Kim and Ms. Meesook Ryu P’19’20 Mr. Henry Labalme and Ms. Jeanne McMullin P’19 MJPM Foundation Mr. Christopher D. Sanger ’86 and Mrs. Nina Sanger P’18’20 Mr. and Mrs. Michael Traggio P’16’18’20’22 Mr. Hyungsik Yoon and Ms. Seocbyul Kim P’20 Mr. Yanguang Zhao and Ms. Yue Ding P’19
HEAD OF SCHOOL’S CIRCLE ($5,000 TO $9,999) Mr. Charles W. Allen’91 Ms. Helen Blodgett Cook P’08’11 Mr. and Mrs. Brooks Cullen P’20 Mr. Peter Douglas and Ms. Ulrika Ekman P’16 Mr. and Mrs. Michael El Hadj P’21’22
Ms. Gwendoline A. Harris ’61 Mr. Fritz Heidenreich and Mrs. Diana Baxter Heidenreich P’17 Mr. Jiapeng Huang and Ms. Xin Zhang P’18 Mr. James L. and Mrs. Cammiel Hussey P’09’17
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Mr. and Mrs. William McKelvy P’15 Mr. and Mrs. Guy Merison P’01’10’12 Mr. and Mrs. Samuel F. Posey, Jr. P’97’01 Mrs. Katharine d. Sanger P’86 Mr. Jeremy S. W. Spofford ’90 and Mrs. Carrie Hall Spofford Dr. Olanrewaju Tejuoso and Ms. Fatima Okunuga P’18 Mr. and Mrs. Philip Vasan P’16 Mr. Haibo Wang and Ms. Ling Lu P’18 Ms. Yu Wang P’20 Mr. Jinjun Wu and Ms. Yinghua Xing P’21 Mr. Zonghui Zhang and Ms. Yuan Zhao P’19
Mr. Jung Mook Kang and Ms. Sung Kim P’18 Mr. Jamie Kiggen and Ms. Ani Shaker P’16’20 Mr. Hak Kyu Kim and Ms. Ji Hyun Kim P’19 Mr. Jaeho Kim and Ms. Jeongwon Lee P’21 Mr. Xueen Li and Ms. Hua Jiang P’18 Mr. Lin Lin and Ms. Yue Wang P’21’22 Mr. Bryan J. Matthews ’89 Mrs. Mary Matthews P’89
BECKET SOCIETY ($2,500 TO $4,999) Mr. and Mrs. Allan J. Anderson Mr. and Mrs. Robert Boyd P’21 Dr. and Mrs. A. Martin M. Clark P’24’26’28 Mr. and Mrs. Miguel W. de Braganca ’65 P’01 Mr. and Mrs. Stephen A. Garofalo P’15’17 Mr. Jake M. Lynch ’83 Mr. and Mrs. Jackson Marvel P’24’28
Dr. Jack Miller and Dr. Margaret Woodruff P’20 Ms. Joan Mills Mr. Justin Royce ’96 and Mrs. Katie Royce Mr. and Mrs. James Simpson P’18’21 Mr. Kevin Soja and Mrs. Jody Reilly Soja P’22’24 Mr. and Mrs. John Tonelli P’16 Mr. Zhi Jie Zhang and Ms. Jin Chen P’20
MOUNTAIN CLUB ($1,000 TO $2,499) A G Foundation Ms. Leora Armstrong P’20’23 Mr. and Mrs. Richard J. Badenhausen Mr. William T. Bartholomay ’66 Mrs. Ellen Ivey Bates Mr. Bruce A. Bauman ’53 and Ms. Denise Selden Mrs. Joan Buchanan Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Byrnes Mr. Richard Cafiero and Ms. Carol Adams P’97’98 Mr. Drew J. and Mrs. Linda Casertano P’98’01’06 Mr. and Mrs. John R. Chandler, Jr. P’79’81’83 Mr. Charles Cherington and Ms. Ashley Pettus P’16 Mr. John W. Childs ’55 Mr. and Mrs. John E. F. Corson Mr. and Mrs. Xiang Hao Cui P’18 Mr. Michael Culver and Ms. Michele Browne Mr. and Mrs. Neil E. Dellea P’20’22’28 E & R Laundry & Dry Cleaners Mr. Samuel Eaton and Ms. Meredith Kovach P’23 Mr. Taedok Eom and Ms. Seonlim Lee P’18 Mr. and Mrs. Timothy Eustis
P’17’21 Mr. and Mrs. Lucius L. Fowler ’71 P’05’06’10 Mr. Oliver D. Gildersleeve, Jr. ’57 Dr. Joshua Ginsberg P’21 Mr. Richard P. Goldman ’48 Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey M. Gulnac ’61 Ms. Agnes Gund Ms. Elyse Harney Morris Mr. Paul W. Harney P’22 Mr. and Mrs. William R. Harris, Jr. ’73 P’02’04’08 Mr. and Mrs. Rich M. Horosky P’24’28 Ms. Catherine Kerr P’21 Mr. Oh Sang Kwon and Ms. Yumi Wang P’18 Mr. Sunny Lam and Ms. Jenny Chan P’19 Mr. Qiang Liang and Ms. Wei Xie P’17 Mr. Robert F. Ludgin Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Marr P13’18 Mr. Dylan B. Mattes ’93 Mrs. Carol Matzke Ms. Deirdra H. McKelvy ’13 Merwin Memorial Free Clinic for Animals, Inc. Mr. and Mrs. Pieter Mulder P’19’22 Mr. Gregory R. Murphy ’04
FINANCIAL SUMMARY BY ALLOCATION FOR 2017–2018 SCHOOL YEAR
1% 2% 3%
1% 4%
OPERATING INCOME
6%
84%
n Tuition & Fees n Interest Income/ Endowment Spending n Other Income n Auxiliary Enterprises n Net Realized and Unrealized Gains (losses) n Annual Fund and PA Fund
3%
7%
32% 9%
14% 14% 14%
20 | Indian Mountain School
OPERATING EXPENSES
4%
n Instructional n Student Services and Activities n Financial Aid n Administration n Plant n Development n Depreciation n Admissions n Auxiliary Services
2017–2018 Gifts to Indian Mountain School
Ms. Cayla A. O’Connell Davis ’03 Mr. and Mrs. Collins Oghoore P’19 Ms. Jessica A. Palmer P’02 Mr. and Mrs. Peter Schulze Mr. Qilin Shen and Ms. HuaChong Wang P’18 Ms. Catherine E. Skinner Mr. Craig Starr
Mr. Lik Suen and Ms. Li Tan P’19 Mr. and Mrs. Jamil Swati P’27 Mr. Hongyuan Wang and Ms. Zhuang Zhuo P’20 Mr. Frederick L. Wood ’63 Mr. Charles Yerkes ’15 Mr. Zhenping Zhu and Ms. Zheng Luo P’19
FALCON CLUB ($500 TO $999) Mr. and Mrs. Frederick H. Babcock ’72 ’76 P’03’05’09 Mr. John M. Buckley ’72 Mr. and Mrs. Michael C. Burdis P’07 Mr. Wai Kuen Chan and Dr. King Ching Angela Sit P’19 Ms. Elizabeth Chapman Mr. Rafe C. Churchill and Ms. Heide Hendricks P’18’21 Mr. and Mrs. Lionel Goldfrank III P’93 Ms. Catherine K. Gouge ’01 Dr. and Mrs. Nason P. Hamlin P’85’86’87’88’90 Ms. Cynthia LaPier P’22 Mr. Thomas Levine P’22 Mr. Michael Lischin and Ms. Anya Sheckley P’23 Mr. Michael D. Lynch ’85 Mr. John W. McMullan ’55
Mr. Aaron J. McNally ’84 Mr. James Metz, Jr. and Mrs. Kathy Metz P’80’81’83’86’87’91 Ms. Margaret T. Metz ’91 Mr. Charles A. Neal ’78 Mr. Graydon Pleasants and Ms. Margaret Scales P’07 Mr. Hugh C. Robinson ’97 Mr. John R. Rodgers ’51 Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth T. Schechter P’06 Mr. Douglas Seaman, Jr. ’83 Mr. and Mrs. Pierce Sioussat P’10 Mr. and Mrs. Robert Sleboda Capt. Peter G. Smith ’03 and Ms. Katy Smith Mrs. Cynthia Stewart Mrs. Elizabeth S. Waters ’71 WLC and SBC Family Foundation Mr. Robert M. Wood ’63
INDIAN VIEW CLUB ($250 TO $499) Mr. and Mrs. Peter Alnwick P’21 Mr. Sherman and Mrs. Carol J. Barker P’83’86’91 Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Colangelo P’12’14’18 Mr. Edward S. Cooke ’69 and Ms. Carol R. Warner Mr. Noel de Cordova III ’73 Major Edmund A. Eckart III ’84 Mr. and Mrs. Michael Eckert P’26’26 Mrs. Priscilla Ellsworth Mr. Stone T. Ermentrout ’57 Mr. John F. Figlear ’74 Mr. and Mrs. Henry A. Flint P’03
Mr. and Ms. Jordan Fowler P’22’24’26 Ms. Elisabeth C. Gill ’66 P’96’99’02 Mr. Edward A. Glenn ’59 and Ms. Pamela Morrow ’61 Mrs. Eunice S. Groark ’52 Dr. and Mrs. Eugene D. Handel P’04 Mrs. Dorothy P. Harris ’63 Ms. Jessica Ingram-Bellamy P’20 Mr. George B. Jay ’51 Mr. John H. Killough ’87 Mr. Paul Kovach Ms. Lindsay M. Kryzak ’02 Mr. Laurent P. Lafosse ’70
Mr. and Mrs. Peter Lumb P’99 Mr. Robert and Mrs. Mary Jane Marvel Mr. and Mrs. Edwin May Dr. Aims C. McGuinness, Jr., ’54 Ms. Alicia H. Metz ’80 Mr. Alberto Millos and Mrs. Angelica Montesano-Millos Mr. JJ and Ms. Aly Morrissey Mr. Christopher G. Overbye ’83 Mr. Frederick L. Pabst ’60 Mr. and Mrs. Peter Pearman P’17’18 Dr. Richard L. Popowitz and Ms. Rosana T. Millos P’18 Mr. Charles L. Pryor ’10
Mr. Russell and Mrs. Jane Reilly Mr. Craig Robillard P’20 Mr. Alton H. Sioussat ’10 Ms. Robin R. Sjostrom ’88 Mr. Jeffrey P. Small ’55 Mr. Cameron O. Smith ’64 Mr. Kenneth Spitz and Ms. Kelly Baxter Spitz P’20 Mr. and Mrs. Thomas C. Stewart II P’16’18 Mr. Scott Stiffler and Ms. KK Kozik P’19 Mr. and Ms. Edmund Ullman P’29 Mr. John C. Virden III P’86’88 Mr. Jeffrey L. Walker ’60 Mr. Thomas H. Young IV ’80
FALCON NEST (UP TO $249) Ms. Sucheta Ahlawat P’21 Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey J. Aloisi P’18 Mr. Jeongseok An and Mrs. Misun Lim P’17 Anonymous (2) Ms. Makhfi Azizi Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Baldwin Mrs. Mary Coale Baldwin, Esq. ’63 Mr. and Mrs. Jason Barillaro P’20’21’24 Mr. James S. Barker III ’83 Mrs. Barbara W. Bartlett ’54 Ms. Elizabeth L. Bell ’63
Ms. Deborah J Bentley P’08,’11 Mr. Edwin J. Blair ’51 Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Bliss P’11’13 Mr. and Mrs. Howard Bliss Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Bogardus P’19’20 Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Boileau P’84 Mr. Stephen T. Bolmer, Jr. ’66 Ms. Michelle Booth Ms. Heidi Bosek P’23’27 Ms. Sarah and Ms. Michaela Breakell
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Mr. Jon S. Brightman ’52 Mr. Alden F. Briscoe ’54 Ms. M. Bonnie F. Brooks ’52 Mr. and Mrs. Claude Brown P’19 Mr. Hobson Brown, Jr. ’56 Ms. Lauren Brown and Ms. Caitlin Vaughn Dr. Malcolm and Mrs. Louise F. Brown P’85,’93’96 Mr. Neilson Brown ’59 Mr. Louis and Mrs. Susan Bucceri Mr. and Mrs. Charles J. Calder III P’09’12 Mrs. Theresa Carlson Mr. Tyler N. Casertano ’01 and Mrs. Annie S. Casertano Ms. Dawn Cassara P’20 Mr. and Mrs. Chisholm S. Chandler ’81 P’13’16’21’24 Mrs. Anne C. Childs ’71 Mr. and Mrs. A. Martin Clark, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Carl Clemente Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Clow P’01 Mr. Christopher Cole and Ms. Whitney Thorpe Cole P’22 Mr. Ethan Coleman ’16 Mr. and Mrs. Tristram C. Colket, Jr. P’87 Mr. and Mrs. Brent Colley P’19’22 Mr. and Mrs. Flynn Corson P’25’27’29 Mr. and Mrs. Bob Craig P’14 Ms. Emily Mix Cullen ’68 Mr. and Mrs. Daniel P. Cunningham
Mr. Richard R. Cuyler ’50 Mr. and Mrs. John L. Dana P’09 Ms. Joanne Davis Mr. J. Staige Davis ’67 Mr. and Mrs. Sam Decock P’28 Ms. Jaquelin G. Dennehy ’63 Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Devlin P’13 Mr. Conor Dewey Mr. Thomas E. Doelger ’61 Mr. William T. Doelger ’57 The Dowd Foundation Mr. Gerard K. Drummond ’51 Mr. Hugh N. Dyer III ’56 Mr. Dave Edson and Ms. Rachel Duvall Mr. and Mrs. Ian C. Elwell P’11’15 Mr. Shepard B. Erhart ’56 Mrs. Dorothy Evans Ms. Anne K. Fitzgerald P’10’19’25 Mr. and Mrs. Tom J. Flemma P’19’21 Mr. Scott T. Forbes ’55 Mr. and Mrs. Herbert H. Foster P’95 Mr. and Mrs. Charles H. Frankenbach, III P’08’12’15 Mrs. Joyce W. Gardiner P’89 Mr. and Mrs. Frederick H. Gillmore, Jr. P’01 Mr. Cristobal Gomez ’07 Ms. Laurie A. Grusauski Mr. Stephen F. Gudernatch ’62 Mr. L. Antonio Guindon and Ms. Adair Mali P’14’14 Dr. George Gurney ’53
Mr. and Mrs. Kyle Halloran Mrs. Diana H. Halsted P’81 Ms. Adelaide B. Harris ’02 Mr. David F. Harris, Jr. ’60 Mr. and Mrs. Ethan Harris P’27’28 Mr. William R. Harris III ’04 Ms. Kathryn M. Helm ’83 Mr. and Mrs. Alex Hodosy Mrs. Natalie Holland Mr. and Mrs. Richard S. Hoyt P’07 Ms. Martha B. Jacobs ’93 Mr. George B. Jay ’51 Ms. Amy Jenkins Mr. Kerstan Jensen Mr. Anderson Jeon ’18 Mr. Andrew Jeon’18 Mr. Loch Johnson Mr. and Mrs. Harold Jordan Ms. Rebekah Jordan P’24 Mr. David F. Kaufholz ’58 Ms. Anne D. Kennedy P’02 Mr. Link Keur ’59 Mr. Michael Keyser ’62 Mr. Douglas H. Knickerbocker ’55 Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Kokoszka P’21’23 Mr. Andrew A. Kryzak ’98 Mr. and Mrs. John Kryzak P’98’02 Dr. and Mrs. David Kurish P’97’99 Ms. Rebecca J. Kurish ’99 Ms. Christina Lang-Assael P’12 Mr. and Mrs. Brian Lasky P’90 Mrs. Constance C. Leahy P’02 Ms. Rosalind B. Leech ’64
ENDOWMENT GROWTH
8,595,281
8,824,039
8,723,997
2014
2015
2016
9,379,094
9,944,940
7,849,997 6,926,607
7,037,318
2011
2012
5,860,397
2010
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2013
2017
2018
Mr. Lynn LePelley ’54 Mr. and Mrs. J. Thomas Light P’83’85’87 Mrs. Linda Ann Popp-Livingston P’03 Mr. and Mrs. Greg Lock P’18’21 Mr. and Mrs. Agrippino Lodevole P’06 Mr. Gianpaolo Lodevole ’06 Mr. Michael Lodowski and Ms. Stephanie Campbell-Lodowski P’19 Mr. and Mrs. Dieter Lucas P’13 Mrs. Elise B. Lufkin P’77’79’83’86 Mr. Rodney Markgraf and Ms. Christine Clayton P.’13 Mr. Robert M. Markiewicz P’03’06 Mr. and Mrs. Colin McLain P’22’26’26 Mr. George H. H. Mitchell ’60 Mr. George A. Mortenson ’47 Mr. Friedrich W. Moeller ’92 Mr. Samuel C. Murphy ’85 Mr. Morgan P. C. O’Connor ’11 Mr. and Mrs. Keith Ohler P’24’28 Ms. and Mr. Liam O’Reilly P’29 Mrs. Nancy H. Patton ’50 Mr. Craig Pecchia Mr. David and Mrs. Juliana Pecchia P’23’25 Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Perkins P’20 Mr. Geoffrey Perkins and Mrs. Carmen Dockery Perkins Mr. Albert A. Pope and Ms. Lyudmila N. Machuskaya-Pope P’16 Mr. Chris Pope ’61 and Mrs. Betsy Pope Ms. Dawn Posey Ms. Melissa Proper Quality Printing Company, Inc. Mrs. Marjory P. Reid P’72’74’77 Mr. Robert Rennie Mr. and Mrs. Ted Ritchie Mr. Dylan Roberts ’90 and Ms. Tammy Decker P’23 Mr. John A. Roberts, Jr. ’51 Mr. Peter J. Roberts ’73 Mr. and Mrs. Larry J. Rocha P’02’05
2017–2018 Gifts to Indian Mountain School
Ms. Eliza F. Rosler ’01 Mrs. Elizabeth P. Rouse Dr. and Mrs. George H. Rubin P’08’09’11 Mr. Seth Rubin and Mrs. Roberta Ziemba Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Ruskin Mr. Robert O. Russ ’73 Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Salvia P’94’97’98 Ms. Sandra Schafer Mr. Peter B. Schwaikert ’97 Ms. Sophie R. Schechter ’06 Mr. and Mrs. Glen Seelenbrandt P’28 Mr. and Mrs. Clayton Smith P’90 Mr. and Mrs. John Snelling, Jr Mr. Robert Sohrweide Mr. Joseph and Mrs. Rita Sorriento Mr. and Mrs. Vincent J. Sorriento P’21’23’25’27 Mr. Donnie Sosin and Ms. Joanna Seaton Mr. James Sperber ’44 Mrs. Amy P. Stevens ’75 Ms. Donna Stoetzner Ms. Adaline R. Strumolo ’95 Mr. William W. Strumolo ’98 Mrs. Frederica M. Sulzbacher ’66 Mr. Seung Yong Sung ’07 Mr. Martin L. Taylor ’59 Mrs. Judith T. Toth ’62 Ms. JoAnne Tuncy ’67 Mr. Justin C. Vagliano ’89 P ’14 ’20 Ms. Katherine S. Vagliano P ’14 ’20
Ms. Claire Valenti P’95’01 Mr. Jonas Valenti ’95 Mr. Jules Valenti ’01 Mr. John Vantine ’10 Ms. Mia M. Vantine ’13 Mr. and Mrs. William L. Vantine P’10’13 Ms. Sarah P. Virden ’86 Mr. and Mrs. Victor Visockis P’26 Mr. Alexander F. E. von Kuegelgen ’54 Mrs. Jessica W. Warner ’78 Ms. Tanya Waugh Ms. Roseanne Weinstein P’00’00 Mr. Jonathon Williams and Ms. Bridghe McCracken P’18 Mr. H. Stuart Williamson ’50 Mr. and Mrs. Darren S. Winston P’19’20 Mr. Peter S. Wolf ’63 and Ms. Priscilla R. Wolf P’98 Mr. Thomas P. Wolf ’41 Mr. Zachary P. H. Wolf ’98 Mr. John A. Woodburn ’49 Mr. David B. Wyshner ’82 Mr. Jeffrey T. Wyshner ’85 Mr. and Ms. Marc Wysocki P’19 Ms. Alice Yoakum P’71’72’79 Mr. and Mrs. Thomas H. Young III P’80’81 Dr. Jared Zelman and Dr. Pamela Chassin P’99’01 Mr. Shifeng Zhao and Ms. Mindi Sheng P’17 Mr. John Ziemba
IN HONOR Given by Ellen Ivey Bates in honor of the Bliss family Given by Tom and Diana Flemma in honor of Michelle Charles Given by Captain Peter G. Smith in honor of the long lasting legacy of the Blisses Given by Tyler N. Casertano in honor of Kevin and Jody Soja Given by Richard L. Popowitz, MD in honor of Mason Popowitz Given by William W. Strumolo in honor of The Bliss Family
GIFTS IN KIND Pre-Kindergarten Parents Kindergarten Parents 1st Grade Parents 2nd Grade Parents 3rd Grade Parents 4th Grade Parents
5th Grade Parents 6th Grade Parents 7th Grade Parents 8th Grade Parents 9th Grade Parents Gregory R. Murphy ’04
ENDOWED FUNDS AND BALANCES as of June 30, 2018 Operating Expenses Endowment Funds Fund Amount General Endowment................................................................................... $5,020,750 The Garrity Fund......................................................................................... $ 260,426 Financial Aid Endowment Funds Elizabeth Fairbanks Royce Scholarship Fund.......................................$ Financial Aid Incidental Fund................................................................. $ Financial Aid Fund.......................................................................................$ Miriam Manning Landis Scholarship Fund.........................................$
271,054 46,654 227,479 61,607
Endowment Funds for the Performing Arts The Lionel Goldfrank Arts Fund..............................................................$ 491,425 Endowment Funds for Faculty Salaries The 2006 Fund...............................................................................................$ 758,051 Faculty Salaries Fund.................................................................................. $ 528,628 Robert L.W. and Elizabeth H. McGraw Endowment Fund.............. $ 130,054 Professional Growth Endowed Funds Travel Fund.................................................................................................... $1,532,988 Rosellen W. Schnurr Endowment Fund.................................................$ 201,966 Library and Book Endowment Funds Loblolly Book Fund.......................................................................................$ 40,331 Student Support Endowment Funds John W. Ingle, Jr. Family Fund..................................................................$ 171,217 Class Gifts Class of 1952 Speaker Fund.........................................................................$ 14,004 Class of 1953....................................................................................................$ 23,299 To learn more about our endowment funds and to see descriptions for each, visit indianmountain.org/endowmentfunds.
IN MEMORY Given by Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Gulnac ’61 in memory of Josephine Gulnac
Views 2018 –2019 | 23
24 | Indian Mountain School
Commencement 2018
A Look Back at Commencement 2018
Class of 2018 Patricio Albitos Aidan James Aloisi Mason Petter Berlinghoff Hanyan Cai Tyrese la-roy Caines Oliver Carleton José Armando Castilleja González Jin Chey Hollis Hendricks Churchill Ashton Nicholas Colangelo Junsik Eom
Adolfo Gonzalez Goudet Kevin Shawn Gu Yijie Han William Samuelsen Hoyt Kexuan Huang Anderson Youngyool Jeon Andrew Youngdo Jeon Che Rim Kang Isaac B. Kante So Jung Jessie Kwon Vsevolod Lebedev
Hanxiao Li Alexander Tian Liang Maria-Victoria Diane Liberati John Gordon Anderson Lock Jacob David Marlowe Gavin Toby Marr Rafael Mata Avila Colin McGee Maxwell Chelsea Kate Mendez Jasper R. A. Pearman Mason Gregory Popowitz
Dominic Anthony Sessa Xinkai Shen Yihan Hans Shen Lillie Swan Simpson Hannah D’Arcy Stewart Oreoluwa Tejumade Tejuoso Ellie Laidlaw Traggio Ian Lukis Tyson Peiyao Wang Kayo Kevin Altonio Wiggins, Jr. Aiden Williams McCracken
Monument Mountain Phillips Academy Andover Phillips Exeter Academy Pomfret School Salisbury School St. Andrew’s School St. Paul’s School Storm King School
The Hotchkiss School Trinity-Pawling School Westminster School Winchendon School
Secondary School Matriculation Admiral Farragut Academy Berkshire School Brooks School Canterbury School Choate Rosemary Hall Concord Academy Episcopal High School Gould Academy
Gunnery School Kent School Lawrenceville Academy Loomis Chaffee School Mercersburg Academy Middlesex School Millbrook School Miss Porter’s School
View photos and news from our 2019 Commencement Ceremonies at indianmountain.org/commencement2019. Views 2018 –2019 | 25
IMS Establishes New Awards and Acknowledgements THE PI TAU MU SOCIETY The name comes from the abbreviation for the Greek words “Prothumia Teis Matheiseos,” a translation of the phrase “the passion to learn,” drawn from our School’s mission statement. Students recognized in this way represent the top 5% of their class. The inaugural honorees were Emily Hou and Yujin Kim (7th Grade); Patricia Daum, Kevin Lam, and Hansi Zhu (8th Grade); Alex Liang and Hannah Stewart (9th Grade).
COURAGE TO CLIMB AWARD The Courage to Climb Award recognizes outstanding leadership on behalf of Indian Mountain School. This award will be given annually by the Head of School to recognize courageous leadership demonstrated by any member of the IMS community. In honor of Maria Horn’s transformative work as Board Chair, this award is given to any person who acts boldly and tirelessly on behalf of IMS. The first award was presented to Maria Horn, Former Board President (2013–2018).
SIXTH GRADE CITIZENSHIP AWARD The sixth grade citizenship award was established in honor of Dan and Jody Bliss’s combined tenure of nearly 50 years at Indian Mountain School, and their leadership of the 5th and 6th grades. In acknowledgement of the importance they placed on community building and participation, the sixth grade citizenship award is selected annually by the 5th and 6th grade teaching faculty and presented to the member of the sixth grade class who has consistently demonstrated enthusiasm for school life, unerring kindness, respect for others, and positive leadership skills. The inaugural award was presented to Rusty Chandler ’21.
Hanyan Cai Head of School Award
Hollis Churchill Rouse Prize
Lillie Simpson The 2006 Prize
Ellie Traggio Triangle Prize
Rusty Chandler Sixth Grade Citizenship Award
Kevin Lam Head of School Award
Hannah Stewart Austen Fox Riggs Prize
Kayo Wiggins Head of School Award
Jin Chey Head of School Award
Maria-Victoria Liberati McMillen Prize
Ore Tejuoso Schutte Prize
Hansi Zhu Doolittle Prize
26 | Indian Mountain School
FACULTY AWARDS
Graduation Award Recipients
Jody Bates Bliss Spofford Award
Anton Kuskin Mountain Card
David Pecchia 2006 Distinguished Teaching Chair
Commencement 2018
2018 Prize Day Winners VISUAL ARTS
ESL
Seventh: Yujin Kim Eighth: Julia Zhang Ninth: Jessie Kwon
Emily Hou
DRAMA Seventh: Yujin Kim Eighth: Laila Kennedy Ninth: Hannah Stewart
MUSIC Classical: Coco Huang & Hanyan Cai Contemporary: Colin Maxwell Vocal: Patsy Daum
GLOBAL LANGUAGES Mandarin: Michael Curcio Latin: Hannah Stewart Spanish: Hanyan Cai
ENGLISH Seventh: Addie Kiggen Eighth: Hansi Zhu Ninth: Grace Wang
LAD Aida Blue
MATH Pre-Algebra: Eliza Lewis Algebra: Kevin Lam Geography: Chelsea Mendez Math Department Award: Hans Shen
SCIENCE Seventh: Claire Yoon Eighth: Eric Zhao Ninth: Hans Shen
HISTORY Seventh: Cami Hart Eighth: Will Taaffe Ninth: Alex Liang
“We often get caught up in the expectation that life, particularly when it comes to education, is a series of improvements. That, at your age in school, knowledge is added to existing knowledge, as if building on a foundation or traveling a straight, upward trail. But learning and growth are rarely linear. I admire that you, as a group, have always chosen your own path and have had the courage to wander, to take in the view, to consider how things could be done or seen differently, and then carried on.” – Head of School Jody Reilly Soja
Views 2018 –2019 | 27
Alumni Take 5 Throughout the year, we ask alumnae/i the same five questions. Here are three from this past year.
1. What was your favorite class at IMS? Who taught it and how did it impact you? My favorite class would be a toss up between English with Mr. Gargill and History with Mr. Hodosy. Both teachers urged me to dig beneath the surface and peel back the layers to find the story, the motives, and the voice, whether it was mine or someone else’s. They were both humorous and kind-hearted and encouraged me to run for the student presidency or try out for the play.
2. What is the last book you read?
Dear America, Notes of an Undocumented Citizen by Jose Antonio Vargas
3. What is your favorite home cooked meal? Savannah (Savi) Roberts ’16 Hometown: Nassau, Bahamas Secondary School: The Hotchkiss School Undergraduate: Hamilton College ’23
My dad’s Spicy Chicken Souse. It’s a Bahamian delicacy but his is the best I’ve ever tasted!
4. Most used App on your phone?
Instagram or Spotify
5. Maroon or Gray?
Maroon baby!!
1. What was your favorite class at IMS? Who taught it and how did it impact you? Art class with Mr. Buck. We all loved being around him and working on the interesting and creative projects that he assigned us. So many of my fondest memories from IMS are from that class.
2. What is the last book you read?
The Cider House Rules by John Irving
3. What is your favorite home cooked meal? My mom’s chicken pot pie.
4. Most used App on your phone? Tyler Casertano ’01 Hometown: Millbrook, NY Secondary School: Loomis Chaffee ’04 Undergraduate: Yale ’08 Graduate: Columbia University ’13 Current Job: Director of Admissions, St. Alban’s School
28 | Indian Mountain School
Apple News
5. Maroon or Gray? Maroon
Alumni Take 5
FEATURED ALUMNA Jesse Glicker ’06 Hometown: Great Barrington, MA Secondary School: The Hotchkiss School Undergraduate: George Washington University Graduate: University College London
Jesse Glicker ’06 is currently living abroad in Paris, building her career in clean energy as an analyst at the International Energy Agency (IEA/OECD) on the Energy Efficiency Team. Within her role at the IEA, Jesse’s team works on Sustainable Development Goals, in particular SDG 7, focusing on affordable and clean energy. After graduating from Hotchkiss, Jesse attended George Washington University in Washington, D.C. She was heavily influenced by her experience with the outdoor education program at IMS, as well as summers spent camping in the Catskills and Adirondacks. When choosing her undergraduate program, she was drawn to International Affairs and Sustainability. Jesse received her B.A. Cum Laude from the Elliott School at George Washington in International Affairs, with a minor in Sustainability. After a few years working in sustainable architecture in NYC, and attaining her LEED AP certification, Jesse moved to London where she obtained her Masters of Science in Economics and Policy of Energy and the Environment at the University College London. Jesse is often back in the Tri-state area to visit friends and family and work at her family’s business, Robin’s Candy, in Great Barrington, MA.
Jesse Weighs in on IMS Sustainable Development Goal Curriculum “Being able to experience and learn about real world international policy making at a young age is important and an incredible opportunity. Often, younger students are much more creative and able to envision solutions without getting bogged down in existing systems. Discussing and creating solutions now will hopefully carry into students’ future work. The 17 principles addressed in the SDGs provide a holistic overview of key areas of focus for prosperous development, for both society and the environment. It is essential that these perspectives be included in future policy making and business decisions. Having a solid understanding and foundation of these target areas, such as ‘Affordable and Clean Energy,’ ‘Reduced Inequality,’ and ‘Responsible Consumption and Production’ are important for everyone to understand, regardless of your future career. This understanding was lacking in the past, and has caused many of the issues we are facing today.” More information about the ninth grade study of the SDGs on page 6.
1. What was your favorite class at IMS? Who taught it and how did it impact you? This is a tricky one — I loved many of my classes and teachers at IMS. The class that impacted me the most was 7th Grade Earth Science, taught by Mr. Troy. His class was the first time I thought about resource depletion and human impact on the environment. However, my favorite was 5th grade English, taught by Mr. Bliss. I still recount funny incidents from that class. He really stands out as one of my (and my younger brother’s) favorite teachers! (I also loved my history classes with Mrs. Pecchia and Mrs. Soja — who were also the best coaches!)
2. What is the last book you read?
The Girl Who Smiled Beads, by Clemantine Wamariya. It is a memoir about surviving the genocide in Rwanda. Clemantine and I were classmates at Hotchkiss; I was captivated by hearing her story as a teenager and found the book compelling and eye opening. Currently, I am reading The Sun Also Rises, by Hemingway — a bit cliché, but as an American in Paris, I figured it was a must!
3. What is your favorite home cooked meal? I have traveled a lot and been very fortunate to try some truly amazing meals. It might be a bit wacky, but when I return home I love traditional Kraft macaroni and cheese from the blue box, with peas mixed in.
4. Most used App on your phone?
Spotify — it is what I listen to all day while I’m at work.
5. Maroon or Gray? Maroon!!!
Views 2018 –2019 | 29
PHOTO: U.S. SKI & SNOWBOARD
Sasha Rearick ’92 will tell you that his favorite place to ski is wherever he is “right now.”
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With Olympic gold medals, championship wins, and cultivated talent under his belt, he says his greatest achievements have been working hard and building relationships. This team-first, live-in-the-moment mentality was discovered on the slopes of Indian Mountain during Sasha’s formative years as an IMS student, and continues to drive him as he adjusts to life in a new role as Head Alpine Men’s Development Coach for the U.S. Ski Team.
Catching Up With Sasha Rearick ’92 The U.S. Men’s Ski Coach On Following His Passion, Embracing Failure, and Stepping Into a New Professional Role For more than a decade, Sasha Rearick ’92 has spent his time chasing winter in pursuit of the world’s most coveted terrain. Whether coaching the world’s elite snowsport athletes in New Zealand or Chile—or somewhere in between—he is inspired by a saying that keeps him grounded: “small mountain, big heart.” Sasha’s love for the sport was indeed realized on a small mountain. Growing up in Lakeville, Connecticut, he attended IMS for five years and became instantly familiar with our mountain. “I remember the days of going up on a rope tow and boot-packing and ski-packing the hill,” he recalls with more than a hint of nostalgia. The years when snow was light, Sasha and his classmates traveled to nearby haunts like Mohawk Mountain and Catamount Mountain where it was readily made. “I loved being outside,” he recalls. From the school’s ropes course to camping trips in the Adirondacks, Sasha took a liking to the program and its emphasis on environmental stewardship; he instantly became a leader of the outdoor program, which served as a gateway to an international career in the ski world. Sasha reflects, “There’s no doubt about it. I fell in love with skiing during my days at Indian Mountain School and they greatly impacted my path.” During the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, Sasha—then in his eighth year as the U.S. Men’s Head Coach—coached alongside another IMS alumnus, Chris Brigham ’81. “People like Chris almost always come from small mountains,” Sasha harkens back to his favorite adage. He adds with a laugh, “we probably worked together for a few months before we realized we both went to the same school.”
Jin Chey ’18, Cassie Sanger ’20, Sasha Rearick ’92, Claire Kim ’19, and Sylvie LaBalme ’19 in PyeongChang during the 2018 Winter Olympics
Another fortuitous IMS connection was made on the Olympic stage when Sasha met IMS alumna Jin Chey ’18, who served as a volunteer during the winter games in PyeongChang. Jin’s tenacity, talent, and grit made her a perfect person for the job. She reflects, “I grew up with an extreme passion for sports, especially alpine skiing, and being part of the Olympics was a huge honor.” As a volunteer, Jin’s responsibilities included sideslipping the course and working on the steep and icy Olympic slope. It’s extremely arduous and difficult work. Of their encounter, Sasha recalls, “Jin seemed extremely motivated to give back to the sport, which I thought was phenomenal; she was excited to be part of something bigger than herself.”
Asked what advice he might give to current IMS students who are discovering their own passions, Sasha offers, “take huge risks and go after your dreams.” He believes that failure is a critical part of the learning process. “I always encourage people to see failure as an opportunity to learn and grow. If you’re passionate about something, you’ll find a way to stand back up on your feet and learn from those experiences.” As one of the most respected and experienced ski coaches in the world, Sasha is excited about the challenge of his new role as Head Alpine Men’s Development Coach. He’s careful not to dwell on the success of his past or look too far ahead to the future. He shares, “Staying in the present requires a tremendous amount of mental toughness, which is part of what I’m teaching at the development level with these athletes.” And, after traveling the world for approximately 220 days a year for the last decade, he’s hoping to spend a bit more time with family as he defines his new role.
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Alumni News Tim Revell ’03 and the Oxford University Polo Club were victorious in the Atlantic Cup polo tournament hosted by Harvard at Myopia Polo Club in Hamilton, Massachusetts last September. Revell, one of the captains of the ’03 Varsity Ice Hockey Team at IMS, would later go on to play internationally. Revell has just completed an MSt in History of Art and Visual Culture as the John Bamborough MSc Scholar in Humanities at Linacre College, Oxford. Jessica King McLaughlin ’01 was married in September 2018 in Osterville, Massachusetts. M.E. Briscoe Durell ’01, her IMS classmate and friend for over 20 years, did a reading at the wedding. Jessica’s siblings were also in attendance, Abigail King Mathews ’98, Josh King ’96. Ellie Stewart ’16 won a National Gold Medal for her ceramics piece, “Crumbling People” in this year’s national Scholastic Art Competition. Beyond her gold medal, her sculpture also won a special honor, an “American Vision” award. Only 1% of Scholastic entries win national medals, and out of the 300,000 works being judged, only 84 received “American Vision” recognition. Eliot Hubbell ’04 married Conor William Jeffers on October 14, 2017, in Avalon, New Jersey. Friends from the Class of 1967 gathered together in Connecticut—a few of them traveling from quite far, including Seattle and North Carolina! Garrett Meigs ’97 checks in from Oregon: “All is well here in the Beaver State. I’m really enjoying life in academia and living out here. Our son, Felix, is almost three and he loves camping and being outside. He’s also excited about baseball these days.”
Top Left to Right: Craig Turner, Lucy Curtiss, Betsy Childs, Tally Smith; Bottom Left to Right: Aloise Buckley, Connie Aller, Helen Ellsworth, Frederica MacClean
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Top to Bottom: Tim Revell ’03 and the Oxford University Polo Club; Jessica King McLaughlin ’01 with M.E. Briscoe Durell ’01; Award-winning “Crumbling People” by Ellie Stewart ’16; Eliot Hubbell ’04 with Husband Conor William Jeffers
The IMS Annual Fund Thank you for making a difference. indianmountain.org/giving NOW ACCEPTING NOMINATIONS FOR THE IMS ALUMNI SPEAKER SERIES This past October, IMS kicked off our new Alumni Speaker Series with a visit from Captain Peter Gray Smith ’03, who returned to campus with his wife, Katy, to talk to students about living a Life Through Service. Peter spoke to the IMS community about the importance of education, the incredible rewards received from helping others, and being a part of something much bigger than himself. A true embodiment of our founding motto, Peter joined the Army ROTC at Georgetown while attending George Washington University. He went to flight school after graduating from college, enlisted with the Texas National Guard, and was appointed to lead a platoon while being stationed outside of Baghdad, Iraq.
About the IMS Alumni Speaker Series The Alumni Speaker Series is an opportunity to instill in our students, especially our ninth graders, a greater understanding of and appreciation for our school motto, Life Through Service. Alumni from all generations who embody our motto in their everyday lives are invited to campus to share more about the impact that service has had on them and on the lives of others.
If you would like to volunteer or nominate a fellow alumna/us, please contact alumni@indianmountain.org.
Indian Mountain School 211 Indian Mountain Road Lakeville, CT 06039 (860) 435-0871 alumni@indianmountain.org www.indianmountain.org
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Editor: Aly Morrissey Contributors: Heather Adams, Kelly Baxter Spitz, Eliza Chapman, Michelle Charles, Ruth Collier, Sam Decock, Heather Eckert, David Gargill, Jody Reilly Soja, Kevin Soja, Tom Stewart, Donna Stoetzner, JoAnne Tuncy Photographers: Anne Day, Sam Decock, Glen Seelenbrandt Design: Graphic Details, Inc. Printing: Quality Printing, Pittsfield, MA
Indian Mountain School inspires in each member of our community the courage to climb, the joy to create, the passion to learn, and the spirit to contribute in kind and meaningful ways.