Organic Roots - Summer 2018

Editor Emilie Allen

Layout & Design Aaron Hobson

Masthead Gail Brill

Cover Photo Aaron Hobson

Contributors Emilie Allen, Christie Borden, John Culpepper, Karen Culpepper, Matt Donahue, Emily Eisman, David Hochschartner, Becca Miller, Angela Price, Pamela Rosenthal

Photographers Emilie Allen, Nancie Battaglia, Tom Clark, John Eldridge, Aaron Hobson, Becca Miller, Barbara Morgan, Hannah Price

ILLUSTRATIONS Gavriela Mallory

Editing Lisa Bramen Niki Kourofsky

PRINTING Print Management Pittsburgh, PA

LEADING THOUGHTS 3

From David Hochschartner Executive Director

5

From Karen Culpepper Camp Treetops Director

NCS & TREETOPS TODAY 7

100 Years Already?

Camp Treetops Centennial

8

Breaking Ground Teaching and Learning Kitchen

9 11 12

Greening by the Numbers

13 15 17

School News

Executive Director Search Update

Organic Roots Summer 2018

FEATURES 19 20

Making an Impact: Students Find Their Voices for Change Remembering Walter

21 24

Walter Breeman Performing Arts Center

25

Saranac Lake Sea Serpent

North Country School’s The Phantom Tollbooth

Round Lake Campus Visiting Schools Program

Graduation 2018 Trustee and Staff Transitions

ALUMNAE/I BULLETIN 27

Performing Arts Alumni Spotlights

31 33 35

From the Treetops Archives Alumni Events In Memoriam / News & Notes

Celebrating the Performing Arts at Camp and School

By David Hochschartner Executive Director

For nearly a century, the hallmarks of a Camp Treetops and North Country School education have been rooted in experiential, hands-on learning. Our philosophy embraces the outdoors, connecting children with the source of their food, cultivating community, and building respect for the Earth and all of its creatures. Interwoven through each is another linchpin of an NCS-Treetops education—creativity. This foundation has been integral to the success of our institution for close to 100 years.

Perhaps it goes without saying, but a successful strategic plan needs to capitalize on the intersection of its mission and market. By investing in our traditional strengths, we intend to draw new families and children from a diversity of backgrounds to camp and school.

The research we conducted in the strategic planning process clearly indicates that the market is asking for arts programs, farm-to- fork programs, and authentic outdoor experiences. These are our signature programs, and these have been the seat of the talents adults have brought to our programs. Today, we are getting ready to break ground on a performing arts center, a teaching and learning kitchen, and, for our CTT Centennial, a new hike house (www.thetrailforward.org). One year into our strategic plan, we are ready to marry quality facilities

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with the historically exemplary instruction and mentoring our counselors and teachers have brought to generations of children.

In this issue of Organic Roots, we celebrate our longstanding and deep commitment to the arts, and the performing arts in particular. We hold an abiding belief that engagement in the performing arts is a critical part of the education and development of young minds.

To address our need to focus on our performing arts offerings, we have completed the design of the Walter Breeman Performing Arts Center, a state-of-theart facility that will serve School, Camp, and Round Lake Campus for theater, music and stagecraft activities (to learn more, see page 21).

This project has been spearheaded by the generosity of Trustee Barry Breeman and his wife, Pam, in honor of their son, Walter (NCS 10), who died tragically in 2014. Walter had an exuberant and creative spirit, and he thrived in the performing arts program here. As parents of both a former student and a Treetops Camper (daughter Marion attended CTT from 2010-13), Pam and Barry have been inspired by the incredible impact and output of our performing arts programs over the past

decade of Barry’s service as a Trustee. Consequently, the Breemans are leading the charge to build this facility for Camp and School. They want generations of children to enjoy the creative experiences that Walter and Marion had here. In addition, they feel that their investment in this state-of-the-art building will meet critical needs of the institution so that it can continue to offer high quality, dynamic arts programs.

Recent fundraising efforts bring us to just over $2 million left to complete this $6.2 million facility, which we intend to build as soon as possible. Our construction management firm has been selected, and we are ready to dig as soon as permitting is complete.

We are confident that this new building truly enhances our campus and will help us attract more families. In turn, even more children will have the opportunity to explore their creative interests, while led by talented and creative educators. Since the beginning, many stalwarts have guided the theater and the arts programs at Camp and School.

Don Rand’s legacy in particular has been pivotal to the success of our performing arts program. Introduced to Treetops by accomplished musicians Bernard (CTT staff 45-61) and Cola Heiden (CTT staff 45-61), Don was hired

by Helen Haskell in 1954. He arrived with a master’s degree in classical piano and a PhD in musicology. Don still credits Camp Treetops for inspiring an emphasis on music at North Country School, where he was hired in 1958. As music teacher, Don gave instruction in strings, piano, and vocals. He also orchestrated impressive theater productions. In his day, Don wrote original and innovative scripts, as well as accompanying music. Even more meaningfully, he created and cast parts specifically for individual children. Don retired in 2017 after nearly 60 years at the institution. He worked tirelessly to inspire children to get up in front of audiences, to enjoy the process, and be proud of their accomplishments. Don always said, “the fun is in the doing.”

Today, at North Country School, our faculty continues this tradition. Under the direction of teachers Courtney Allen, John Doan, and Larry Robjent, respectively, our drama, music, and theater tech programs ignite children’s creativity and empower their senses of self. Students have a big hand in everything from set building to adapting a script to lighting the stage. Some children act, others design costumes, or join the stage crew. Everyone who wants to participate finds a role.

This year’s spring production of The Phantom Tollbooth

was no exception. For students who chose to focus on theater in their academic day, Courtney and John’s arts class allowed children the opportunity to create an original production, IMPACT!, using theater and performance as a venue for positive social change (see page 19).

“Encouraging music and drama in a relaxed environment helps children cultivate confidence,” writes Camp Director Karen Culpepper in this issue’s editorial. “From the lake hill to the Quonset,” Karen

In this issue of Organic Roots, we celebrate our longstanding and deep commitment to the arts, and the performing arts in particular.

We hold an abiding belief that engagement in the performing arts is a critical part of the education and development of young minds. continues, “Our performing arts program unfolds every day, all across our acreage, indoors and out.”

By learning to think “outside of the box” at Camp and School, children cultivate the ability to think creatively in their adult lives. In the performing arts in particular, they are trained to communicate and to be active problem-solvers, both on stage and off, technically and artistically. They also gain much through the expression and interpretation of human behavior. Beyond these skills, the performing arts also inspire, in the words of renowned arts educator Sir Kenneth Robinson, “An aesthetic experience... in which your senses are operating at their peak; when you’re present in the current moment; when you’re resonating with the excitement of this thing that you’re experiencing; when you are fully alive.”

In building the Walter Breeman Performing Arts Center, we seek to give children a space that will match their talent and fuel their imaginations. As I look toward my final year at the helm of this institution, it is my hope that you will join me in supporting the PAC to help fulfill the mission of Camp Treetops and North Country School. This will be an important way not only to ensure the next century of educational leadership in experiential and hands-on learning, but also the continued joyous self expression of our children.

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Birds, Banjos, and Bare Feet

By Karen Culpepper Camp Director

From the clear, pure whistle of the white-throated sparrow to the whip-poor-will’s lonesome call, birdsong is woven into the everyday fabric of Camp life. Wings can also sing: the shrill whir of a hummingbird, a ruffed grouse bursting through the brush, the flight feathers of a mating woodcock vibrating like strings.

At Treetops, living so closely with nature means that our own music intermingles with the natural soundscape.

The chorus of bright voices at morning council is accompanied by tree branches creaking, leaves whispering in the wind. Square dancing at sunset sends fiddle, banjo, and guitar reverberating across the lake.

Perched on the Main House steps, a camper learns to play the ukulele, its dainty, nimble sound paired with the buzz of a nearby bumblebee. Musical interludes take place all across our acreage, at any hour of the day.

This fusion of tunes has been at the heart of the Treetops music program for decades. Our archive holds the earliest version of the Camp songbook, dating back to the 1930s. “Music brings together the community,”

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muses a former camper. “It embodies the timelessness of Treetops. A camper today sings the same songs a camper sang decades ago. The song sheet may even be the original—the things that matter most about Camp never really change. I’m sure I’m not the only one who considers the aged, burlap song sheet a precious artifact. I love thinking about how many small hands had the opportunity to hold it up during council throughout the years and feel the heirloom material between their fingers.”

Music at Treetops has an innate whimsical quality, while also inspiring a sense of camaraderie among campers and counselors alike. Similarly, our drama program invites children to express themselves freely. Make-believe is encouraged. Throughout the summer, campers and counselors work together to create spontaneous, homespun skits, often with a Treetops theme. Encouraging music and drama in a relaxed environment helps children cultivate confidence. Campers quickly realize that the Treetops community welcomes all forms of expression and play.

Illustrations by Gavriela Mallory

Costumes and props are invented from just about anything. Scripts are written from scratch. Actors may be barefoot, or burst into giggles while delivering a line. Everyone is encouraged to be expressive, to try out characters, to embrace their inner performer.

Campers arrive with or without experience, but Treetops’ inclusive environment invites all children to celebrate music and drama together as a community. From the lake hill to the Quonset, our performing arts program unfolds every day, all across our acreage, indoors and out.

Soon, the addition of the Walter P. Breeman Performing Arts Center will further expand the depth of our music and drama program.

This new, multi-purpose space, with its impressive acoustics and architecture, will give children an enhanced environment in which to express themselves and experiment with their creativity. The PAC will comfortably fit both Junior and Senior Camps, allowing even more opportunities for audience engagement, community building, largescale performances, guest presenters, and workshops. It will also give campers who arrive with instruments in hand (or discover a musical passion at Treetops) the opportunity to utilize the PAC’s individual music rooms, quiet spaces to develop their own unique talent.

Whether indoors or out, music and drama activities continue to thrive all across Camp. As Treetops stalwart Helen Haskell writes, “Trees and fields; sun, rain, wind, clouds, and stars; soil, sand, grass and flowers; chill and heat; sound of bird or leaves in the wind; changes from light to dusk to dark—these can be more closely seen and more surely felt at camp.” Living so closely to the natural world invites a sense of freedom and inspiration among Treetops campers. As we prepare to celebrate our centennial, Treetops’ music and drama program will continue to flourish and, as always, nature’s influence will permeate it.

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100 YEARS ALREADY? WE ARE DELIGHTED TO NOTE THAT THE CENTENNIAL OF CAMP TREETOPS IS COMING IN THE SUMMER OF 2020!

The Treetops Centennial Committee, which spans multiple generations, has already met twice in New York City to plan the upcoming celebrations for Treetops in its 100th year. The New York–based committee members will have regular face-to-face meetings to organize events in several cities during 2019 and 2020, as well as an amazing Friends’ Weekend in the summer of 2020 commemorating a century of magic at Treetops!

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CAMP TREETOPS CENTENNIAL Committee members are: Lisa Beck, Co-chair Jane Rosenbloom, Co-chair Rica Allannic Emily Clark Sarah Davidson Tessa Huxley Zach Siegel Will Whitney Karen Culpepper

Breaking Ground TEACHING AND LEARNING KITCHEN

We are thrilled to announce that, as of this writing, we are

The Teaching and Learning Kitchen provides a permanent

working with a builder to schedule a date to officially break

home to our ESY classes and an expanded alternative to

ground on a Teaching and Learning Kitchen (TLK) to ensure

the Camper Kitchen.

that it is ready for Camp in 2019. Years in the planning,

The TLK will be located at the heart of campus, opening

the Teaching and Learning Kitchen is an innovative, experiential learning space that complements the handson activity of our signature farm and garden program. This singular space—a component of our strategic plan—will be a vital addition to our Camp and School programs, as well as our Round Lake Campus offerings.

Despite being a founding partner of Alice Waters’s Edible Schoolyard Project (ESY), NCS and Treetops has never had a sufficient space to meet the overwhelming demand for a full range of farm and garden opportunities.

onto the Children’s Garden and clearly connecting farm to table. Fresh produce will be gathered outside and brought into the kitchen for lessons on sustainability, Earth science, botany, world history, the planet’s food-stream, and so much more.

The 1,300-square-foot facility provides a seminar space and has three cooking stations with prep tables, cook tops, ovens, and sinks. The TLK will also be a site of presentations by food producers, locavores, chefs, and farmers from around the region.

Photo: Front to back: A camper learns to pickle veggies fresh from our garden with Zina Huxley (CTT 99-07, staff 10-13) and Katie Culpepper (CTT 92-99, staff 02-09, 11-17, NCS staff 08-11, 11-17) camptreetops.org | northcountryschool.org page 8

GREENING

BY THE NUMBERS Illustrations by Gavriela Mallory

Electricity produced (from three arrays, since installation) 121,365 kilowatt hours (kWh)

Approximate number of miles put on our electric vehicle in the past five years 9,100 (saving gas and the normal maintenance costs we spend on our gas vehicles)

Pounds of food scraps composted

More than 50,000 since we installed the unit in May of 2016

Cordwood cut this year 100,000 pounds

Manure composted

Approximately 50,000 pounds each year

Number of green roofs 3

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Fuel oil saved since installing our high-efficiency wood-gasification heat plants 27,000 gallons per year

Number of high-efficiency woodgasification heat plants on campus

Food produced on our campus

Tens of thousands of pounds of meat and vegetables

4

Local sourcing of food 17+ regional farms

Polewood cut this year

Approximately 150,000 pounds

LED bulbs installed

More than 60% of light fixtures on campus

Miles of campus trails 4

Number of buildings renovated to green specs 3

Number of energy net zero buildings

1, with one other planned (WPB PAC)

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SEARCH UPDATE Dear Camp Treetops and North Country School Community: We are pleased to share that the Board of Trustees has retained Ben Bolté and Burke Zalosh of Carney Sandoe (www.carneysandoe.com) to guide the search for our next executive director. The search process will culminate in the selection of a candidate to start in his or her role on July 1, 2019.

Our community is unified by a commitment to enriching the lives of children. We provide educational and life learning opportunities for children 12 months a year, be it “unplugged” in summer at Camp Treetops, or engaged in the classroom at North Country School. Carney Sandoe’s depth of experience in identifying leaders of educational organizations is among their notable strengths. Additionally, they have experience working with schools in the Adirondacks, a commitment to diversity and inclusion, and a track record of identifying best-fit candidates.

The search process can be segmented into chapters. Currently— having retained Carney Sandoe and begun our meetings with them—we are in the late stages of the “discovery” phase. In May, Ben and Burke visited campus to become better acquainted with our three core programs and our overarching institutional needs.

In addition to their campus visit, Carney Sandoe solicited feedback via an online survey to help guide their research. This survey was an excellent opportunity for our entire community to express points of view and communicate desired outcomes. Your contribution to this process has been invaluable.

After their visit and following completion of the survey, Ben and Burke will synthesize the feedback they’ve received into a comprehensive job description to be used to solicit applications and help guide applicants.

Next steps include the identification of potential candidates, with the commencement of interviews over the summer and into the fall of 2018. We hope to recommend a candidate or candidates to the board this winter, with the goal of announcing our new executive director in the spring of 2019.

The founding vision and wisdom of Helen and Doug Haskell and Walter and Leo Clark are as relevant today as they were nearly a century ago. We go forth rugged, resourceful, and resilient. We look forward to hearing from you via the survey, and throughout the search process. Thank you in advance for your time and attention.

Sincerely,

Pamela B. Rosenthal Chair, Search Committee

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SEARCH COMMITTEE: Peter Curran Guillaume De Ramel Reggie Govan Pat Kramon Pincus Pamela B. Rosenthal Matt Salinger

School News STUDENT ART ACCEPTED AT LPCA JURIED EXHIBITIONS This spring, 20 students were accepted into juried art and photography exhibits, at the Lake Placid Center for the Arts.

Photo: “In their family it was a rite of passage...”

by Matthew Brady and Katina Delgado

Ned Dana Bladen Reese Wendy Li Nic Li Penny Han

Lucy Zheng Caroline Purcell Tyler Greenberg Silvia Chen Katina Delgado

ORGANIC ROOTS

WINS GOLD We are very pleased to announce that the Camp Treetops and North Country School alumni publication, Organic Roots, has again been recognized for excellence by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE).

The publication won gold in the 2018 magazine

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Dylan Roussey June Bae Noah Cooper Autumn Walker Maggie Sun

Lander Oplinger Romina de la Vega Isaac Mobolaji J.W. Braugher Helena Liu

category for CASE District II, the largest of the eight CASE districts. Our competitors for this award were no slouches: Swarthmore College and the University of Toronto took silver and bronze, respectively.

Organic Roots and other award honorees were recognized on Monday, February 26, at the CASE District II Conference in National Harbor, Maryland.

School News

VISITING ARTISTS This spring, writer Sharon G. Flake and photographer Hannah Price, both award-winning artists, visited North Country School, to showcase their work and meet with students.

Young-adult author Sharon G. Flake has been a runner-up for two Coretta Scott King Awards.

Flake’s debut novel, The Skin I’m In, is the story of a young African American girl who learns to embrace her own truth after being teased about the color of her skin and the way she dresses.

Flake has published six novels and story collections.

Photographic artist and filmmaker Hannah Price is internationally known for her project City of Brotherly Love (2009–2012), a series of photographs of the men who catcalled her on the streets of Philadelphia. In 2014, Price graduated from the Yale School of Art MFA Photography program, receiving the Richard Benson Prize for excellence in photography. Price’s photos have been displayed in several cities across the United States, with a few residing in the permanent collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Photos: An NCS student engrossed in Sharon G. Flake’s The Skin I’m In; photographic work by Hannah Price from her projects City of Brotherly Love and Resemblances.

camptreetops.org | northcountryschool.org page 14

Graduation 2018

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GRADUATING CLASS OF 2018 J.W. Braugher – Buxton School

Isaac Mobolaji – Buxton School

Peam Chongtaveetham – Dublin School

E.W. Moriarty – The Harbour School (Hong Kong)

Ned Dana – The Putney School

Lander Oplinger – Peoples Academy (Vermont)

Romina de la Vega – Eton School (Mexico)

Jack Pizer-Lippitz – Northfield Mount Hermon

Penny Han – Westtown School

Colin Purdy – Dublin School

Conrad Katzander – White Mountain School

Maggie Sun – St. Anne’s-Belfield School

Nic Li – Peddie School

Autumn Walker – Solebury School

Helena Liu – Emma Willard School Jamieson Roseliep Work Award winners: Peam Chongtaveetham, Noah Cooper, Romina de la Vega, Isaac Mobolaji Graduation speaker: Brandy Zhang (NCS 2014)

camptreetops.org | northcountryschool.org page 16

TRANSITIONS

LOUISA MUÑOZ NAMED DIRECTOR OF SCHOOL This June we bid a fond farewell to Director of School Anne Swayze, who has put her mark on our community by reminding us that education is a journey that must impart joy. Anne developed easy relationships with students, forged special bonds with parents, and encouraged teachers to instill essential 21st-century learning skills. Anne will return to New England, where she and her partner, Robin, are raising their two children, who turned 12 and 16 this past spring. She will be missed.

Louisa Muñoz, who has long been connected to School,

will serve as our new director. In the mid-1980s Louisa’s two daughters were boarding students, and in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Louisa taught Spanish and was a houseparent. From 2000–2007, she was the Level I classroom and Level V language arts teacher, as well as the dean of students and secondary school placement officer. In the years between, she was a practicing attorney and training program leader for the Peace Corps.

Louisa began to oversee some projects in April so that she is set to take the lead July 1st. Day student families met Louisa at a reception at Glass House on May 3rd, and she was introduced to all families at graduation on June 2nd.

TRUSTEE TRANSITION We are pleased to welcome Pat Kramon

Pincus (CTT 58-62, CTT parent 90-98, trustee 99-12) back to the Board of Trustees.

Pat has an extensive background as a teacher, school counselor, and teaching supervisor.

Her work has been in public, private, and parochial schools in New York City, and she is a consultant for numerous public and private schools.

Most recently, Pat has worked with a consortium of private schools to create a specific curriculum for teachers that addresses the social/emotional aspects of learning. She is currently working with a group of principals and Department of Education administrators to create a model for social justice in teaching practices. This group came into being because of a shared sense of urgency from a consortium of schools that tolerance and a respect for differences are inadequately addressed. The focus of the group is on building community in diverse schools by developing strategies that help identify isolation, exclusion, and racism. Pat graduated from Columbia University in 1972 and received her master’s from Bank Street College in 1976. She is a member of the Bank Street Alumni Advisory Board. Pat lives in New York City with her husband, Martin. Pat attended North Country School’s 2018 graduation with other current trustees (pictured fourth from the right.)

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FARM TRANSITIONS Joshua Faller Farm Manager Joshua graduated from the University of California–Santa Cruz with a bachelor’s degree in history and a certification in ecological horticulture. He spent several years as an outreach worker and harm-reduction counselor for people in crisis. He then served two terms in AmeriCorps, advancing tutoring and mentorship programs in low-income neighborhoods and supporting food security for all through dynamic urban agriculture initiatives. Afterward, Joshua spent several more years managing organic community farms in New York and Massachusetts, growing sustainable produce and teaching others to do likewise. Joshua has spent the last four years as the farm educator and production manager at Alaska Pacific University’s Spring Creek Farm, developing collegiate food and farming programming while completing his thesis work in food system resilience and climate change.

At NCS-Treetops, he has returned to his upstate New York roots, and he and his wife welcomed their first child in early June 2018. He is personally and professionally dedicated to exploring and teaching regenerative methods in agriculture and justice across food systems.

Gavriela Mallory Assistant Farm Manager/Faculty Gavriela joined us as a year-round farm intern in June 2017, after years of summers spent working and living on New England farms. In January 2018, she took on the title of Assistant Farm Manager. Gavi is endlessly grateful to Katie Culpepper for giving her the tools, knowledge, and support she needed to take on this more active role in shaping the NCSTreetops farm program. Gavi relishes barn chores, whether helping a fourth-grader pick a hoof for the first time or guiding a ninth-grader to serve as a role model on barnyard maintenance. She appreciates collaborating with our kitchen staff and hearing stories about the early days of the NCS-Treetops farm. Gavi also loves developing curricula for Edible Schoolyard classes. She feels particularly passionate about utilizing ESY lessons to connect our farm with the greater Adirondack community, as well as exploring how class conversations can impact students’ approaches to the food system in the future. Gavi enjoys working with teachers and counselors to integrate the farm into their classes and activities, maximizing the educational potential of our barn and gardens. In 2018-2019, Gavi will join the NCS faculty as a 4th and 5th grade math and science teacher.

Erica Burns Horse Manager Erica grew up on a hobby farm in the Genesee Valley, where her family raised sheep, goats, pigs, chickens, cattle, and horses. As a child, she learned to ride both English and Western, participating in Pony Club, small rodeos, 4-H, and fox hunting. These experiences were transformative and have influenced how she has chosen to raise her own children. Erica holds an associate’s degree from SUNY Cobleskill in equine studies, and a bachelor’s from Franklin Pierce University in business management. While living in Saratoga Springs, Erica rode and groomed polo ponies and worked on a 300-horse thoroughbred farm. For the past five years, Erica has lived in Keene with her husband and children. At North Country School, she hopes to help develop a healthy, well-rounded herd that will be used for a majority of the year, as well as a program where students can combine the fundamentals of riding with an understanding of the important details of daily horse care and basic health. She would like our students to have the rewarding experiences associated with riding, but also to learn to care for and be compassionate toward the animals they are learning to maneuver and partner with. For Erica, it’s a big picture: health, riding, and a solid relationship with the horse.

camptreetops.org | northcountryschool.org page 18

Making an

IMPACT: Students find their voices for change

By Becca Miller It is a striking image—eighth-grader Kayla standing in the middle of a starkly lit stage as she raises her fist in the air. The set behind her is painted white and empty of props, and at her feet one word is painted in bold, black paint: IMPACT. The effect sets the tone for what will be a powerful 90 minutes of performance art, written, acted, and with music composed by the seventh-, eighth-, and ninth-graders in teachers Courtney Allen and John Doan’s theater class.

This fall marked the second time Courtney and John offered an arts class where students were given the freedom to create an original performance on topics of their choosing. With an emphasis on pertinent contemporary issues, the goal was for students to find their own voices, to delve into the ideas they were passionate about, to explore topics related to the larger world, and to see theater and performance as a venue for positive social change.

The previous fall’s class wrote and performed an original narrative musical about a transgender student finding her identity, but this year’s students wanted to bring together many different stories. The final production wove together intricate and often highly personal vignettes featuring characters navigating the challenges of social justice, identity, equity, access, representation, ability, and climate change.

Wanting to give students the opportunity to see activism at work, Courtney and John took the class on a field trip to Soul Fire Farm. Located outside of Albany, Soul Fire is dedicated to food and farming justice, particularly in relation to racial inequity. Students spent the day working alongside farm staff and volunteers, witnessing firsthand how voices and actions can have real-world implications.

They discussed the privilege of having a voice, and the importance of using that voice for the good of others.

Ideas of reflecting on the experiences of others and of using your voice to speak for those who cannot were common themes in the students’ final production. At one point in the show, ninth-grader Conrad, unlit save

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for a dim red glow, stands between two video screens as images and voice-over play on either side of him. As the audience listens to stories from history—tales of oppression and injustice, persistence and resistance, echoing again and again over time—Conrad paints a large circle on the blank wall behind him, surrounding it with words of power and loss. Later on in the show, a group of young women hailing from around the world step onto the stage one by one, telling stories of other women who have been victims of gender violence, declaring that they will not be forgotten. The names of those lost lives are painted inside the circle, above the words “women’s rights are human rights.”

In another powerful moment in the show, ninth-graders JW and Nic, the former from New York City and the latter from Taiyuan, China, share the stage. While JW plays original guitar music, Nic recites a poem about gender violence, shootings, deportations, and racial violence. It is a call to action to imagine the possibility of a better world, to an end of the stream of tragic news stories.

And though somber issues are touched upon throughout the show, the students of IMPACT make it clear that they are not merely realistic, but optimistic. Woven within their vignettes, messages of hope, inclusion, kindness, and action ring loud and clear. The idea of activists igniting change, of individuals making the right choices and using their voices for good appears again and again.

The performance ends with all of the students on stage together, singing one of the few non-original songs in the show, Michael Jackson’s indelible call for positive change, “Man in the Mirror,” after which the show is opened up to questions from the audience. The students of IMPACT, led by ninth-grader Isaac, give thoughtful answers using strong, personal language. It is clear that they are not done using their voices, not done working for positive social change, and not done believing they have the power to make this world—their world—a better place.

REMEMBERING WALTER There are very few people that are truly selfless, who strive to do whatever they can to make other people happy.

To go above and beyond for anyone and everyone. Walter was one of those people. In the years I knew him, Walter was the one person I could count on for anything. He was always there and ready to help with whatever. We talked less after our time at North Country School, but I always felt that if I ever needed him, he’d be there. I am honored to have called him a friend.

Lucky Cerutti - North Country School ‘10, Camp Treetops ‘09

Walter’s smile lit up the room. His presence was truly unique, and his creativity was matched by passion and work ethic. One of our favorite idioms is: “Many hands make light work.” For the North Country School play Wonderland, Walter built a giant hand that was truly remarkable—able to be manipulated by eight students hidden behind it, designed to throw a beach ball and pass Larry a cup of coffee. Every time that we see that hand, currently held in the makeshift theater shop, we think of Walter and the incredible theater sets built by inspired students like Walter over the years. So many hands over so many years.

John Culpepper - Director of Facilities and Sustainability Karen Culpepper - Director of Camp Treetops

As soon as he learned a couple of chords on the guitar, Walter was passionate about it. Music was a great outlet for him. It may have been the first method he found to express himself in a way that allowed him to be most creative. Wally liked to rock. He liked to be heard and wasn’t shy about others being around. He was always happy to be playing guitar. He found out that when you apply yourself, you can make progress, and he felt good about that. Hard work paid off for Wally when he was playing guitar, and that just engaged him even more.

Wally wasn’t the student who needed to be in class to play guitar, and he didn’t need someone else to tell him the next song to learn. He was self-motivated and always asked when he wanted something new. After the early learning stage, Wally began to dabble in songwriting as well.

John Doan - North Country School Music Teacher

It’s hard for me to pinpoint one memory of Walter. When I think about our time together I remember a feeling, an atmosphere that followed him. Some conversations we had were devoid of any English, just a series of “EEEEs” communicating a joy of being... I remember on our Outward Bound trip rowing with him and yelling “Odysseus!” for motivation... Walking through the ramps in the cold of winter and making noise to warm our selves up.

Especially when pushing (wrestling with) the laptop cart...

Just “happening” to be at the teacart at the same time...

Making random songs with Walter in the west end hallway, outside of the music room.

Anthony Fernandez - North Country School ‘10, Camp Treetops ‘05-’10

THE WALTER BREEMAN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER Open to Discover More

Walter defined the word unique. He was both hilarious and compassionate.

He always knew what to say or do to pick a sad friend up or to make someone laugh. His quick wit was endless as was his drive to build in the scene shop. I miss him very much.

Larry Robjent - North Country School Science Teacher and Stagecraft Director

Organic Roots Summer 2018

The Walter I knew was tender, smart, vulnerable, and kind. When I think of him I always remember his smiling enthusiasm, his impish laugh, the huge grins that lit up his face. I also remember his kindness and instinctive empathy. It was long a tradition that I arm-wrestled the 8th grade boys. Usually I could beat them at the beginning of the year (longer arm bone as a lever) and they could cream me by the end of the year (testosterone kicking in). In 2007 Walter took me on in 7th grade and won! He almost flipped me over the table and was so thrilled! However in the midst of his exulting and the cheers of his friends, Walter reached out and patted my hand. “Don’t feel bad,” he said quickly. He was such a generous, big-hearted boy.

Selden West - North Country School History Teacher

REMEMBERING

WALTER

By David Hochschartner, Executive Director The inspiration for The Walter Breeman Performing Arts Center was Walter himself. A 2010 graduate of North Country School, Walter was a creative spirit who loved playing music with his friends, building sets with the theater tech crew, and engaging with everyone around him as a passionate, cheerful, and kind member of this community.

After his tragic death in 2014, Walter’s parents, Barry and Pam Breeman, made the decision to honor Walter and his experiences here with a leadership gift. As Barry has been a Trustee of Camp and School for a decade, and he and Pam have been parents of both a student and a camper — their daughter Marion spent her summers at Treetops — they have a deep understanding of the potentially life-changing impact of the performing arts program here for children.

As a tousle-haired middle-schooler Walter was known as a boy always ready to roll up his sleeves and lend a hand — it didn’t matter whether it was in the kitchen, at the barn, or in backstage projects in the Quonset. He connected with everyone: teachers, fellow students, younger children, houseparents. A warm gift for friendship was one of Walter’s signature strengths.

He brought a sense of humor to each day; it seemed his personal mission was to put a smile on your face. Finally, it was always clear that Walter was passionate: he threw his heart and soul into everything he did.

I have many images of Walter tucked in my memory. Walter sitting with a guitar in the hall during recess, patiently working on new material. Walter putting a comforting arm around the shoulders of little Ethan and Lily, two fourth-graders to whom he was a mentor. (Even though ditching your buddies to spend quality time with nineyear-olds is rarely considered cool, that never bothered Walter.) Walter singing onstage in our foyer at the Muddy Pig Cafe. Walter pulling his welding helmet down and firing up the torch while he worked on the stage set. Or, Walter bombing down our ski hill, doing a hockey stop, and spraying me with snow — then laughing happily.

Walter touched so many people during his three years at North Country School. Shortly after we learned of his tragic death, we began to hear from his classmates.

There were devastated emails from around the world, a call from one friend who wanted to know if she could make a memorial donation, a call from another unable to attend the funeral but wishing he could play for the service to bring back the memory of their jug band class.

Walter had a tremendous impact on me, his schoolmates, and the faculty here. We are deeply grateful that, with his parents’ remarkable generosity and the support of the Camp and School community, we will have a new place for making music, acting, dancing, designing and building fabulous sets, and, most of all, coming together to celebrate the amazing things children can achieve when their creativity is sparked and nurtured. With The Walter Breeman Performing Arts Center, this young man’s spirit will be carried forward by the many students and campers who will be thrilled to step up and take a bow.

camptreetops.org | northcountryschool.org

Organic Roots Summer 2018

THE WALTER BREEMAN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

Walter Breeman (NCS 10) was transformed by the creative process as he helped to stage and produce theater productions at North Country School. The Walter Breeman Performing Arts Center will honor his memory while celebrating the many children who have also shared life-changing and inspirational experiences

fostered by the music and drama programs at Camp and School. As children take on lead roles, write and perform music, or design and build sets in the Walter Breeman Performing Arts Center, they will make big discoveries about their talents and capabilities.

After making do with performances in multipurpose, cramped spaces like the Quonset or the Pavilion, the staff and children of Treetops and NCS will be inspired by a dedicated performing arts center – a well-equipped building with plenty of room to hold productions and build sets.

With a design that will match the considerable talents of both the children and staff here, the Walter Breeman Performing Arts Center will have the following features: • •

Over 9,800 square feet, seating for 185 Black box theater with multiple configurations

• • • • •

Dedicated stagecraft area and design shop Music classroom and four music practice rooms Tech and lighting booth with catwalk Costume storage spaces Stunning round theater lobby and “Heart Room” reception area

• • •

Acoustic design and updated technical support Student art gallery Net Zero construction: rooftop and passive solar, superinsulation, heat pump

North Country School’s

The Phantom Tollbooth

“The most important reason for going from one place to another is to see what’s in between.”

Norton Juster, The Phantom Tollbooth

Sea Serpent

SARANAC LAKE

This May, NCS students completed the installment of their giant metallic sea serpent sculpture in downtown Saranac Lake. The sea dragon will reside permanently on the front lawn of Bill and Jodi Domenico, who commissioned the piece.

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Created by students in Larry Robjent’s community sculpture class, the artwork was assembled solely from recycled metal—and provided an opportunity to teach children about the value of reusing materials rather than simply throwing them out. Robjent, who also teaches theater tech and environmental science,

calls it creativity in the scrap pile. “By guiding students to see opportunity in unlikely places,” he says, “they are not only learning about their own artistic process, but about minimizing their global impacts as they move forward in their lives.” The sea serpent sculpture has drawn much positive attention among Saranac Lake

residents and in local media, with features in the Adirondack Daily Enterprise and a segment on Mountain Lake PBS. In fall 2018, the sea serpent will be featured in the news section of Independent School magazine.

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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT Performing Arts

Adam Guettel

CTT 73-78

Adam is an accomplished composer and lyricist who is best known for his score for The Light in the Piazza, for which he won two Tony Awards, one for Best Score and one for Best Orchestrations.

Adam continued a family tradition of attending Camp Treetops, as his mother and Aunt Linda did many years before. For a child who had always been fascinated by plant life, he says, the farm and woods at Camp were an ideal environment.

He clearly remembers that one of his first public performances was at Camp Treetops. He sang “Try to Remember” from The Fantasticks, “which in those days wasn’t an old chestnut.” The scenario was daunting enough for him to forget the lyrics. He recalls “stopping mid-song and blaming the problem on the guitarist, who was a counselor. I claimed, at the age of eight, that he had made some sort of mistake. He was lovely about it and we proceeded. I had the highest voice in the world and the poor man probably had to capo up to the fifth fret.”

But for Adam the greatest creative experience he had at Treetops was “sitting under piano at the age of eight or nine while David Loud played the piano in the room next to the Quonset. I would sit under there and marvel at his feet on the pedals and how beautifully he played. He couldn’t have been more than 12. David and I both work in the musical theatre and see each other fairly regularly. I have even more respect for him now.”

Regarding his career highlights, Adam sees them on an elemental level: “To be alive, to have the ability to make something from nothing, to make music for others who might enjoy it—those are my highlights. I can’t precisely articulate why, but Treetops gave me that view of things.” He is also proud of being a founding member of the non-profit Vermonters for a Clean Environment. “Treetops laid the foundation for all of that: my respect for the land, creatures, and all who cherish them.” adamguettel.com

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Yves Jean

NCS 89

For Yves Jean, life at North Country School was drastically different from his urban New York City upbringing. He came to campus from an inner-city school system and was behind academically. All of a sudden he was surrounded by nature and cows and children from Guatemala, Jamaica, Japan, and Saudi Arabia—and not violence.

The first part of Yves’s time at NCS was spent honing his basketball skills in the Quonset before and after barn chores. Later on, his deep voice was discovered, which made him a natural for the school play. His first experience performing in front of a crowd was a Saturday-night talent show where he did impressions of staff and students. The following year he did a comedy act, and he had officially caught the performance bug.

Yves gained a strong work ethic from all aspects of NCS—“Music was a form of discipline,” he says—which he has carried into his career in music.

In 1997 Yves performed in his first professional show at a festival in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in front of 5,000 people. He thanked Don Rand as his first music teacher on his debut CD, in 2000. He also thanked Susie and Ben Runyon, Hock, Selden, and God for guiding him. There were countless adults in the NCS community who helped shape his life, he says.

He currently lives in Pittsburgh, where he opened his own recording studio. Yves has learned to sacrifice for his passion of making music, while grappling with making money versus what brings him joy. He has covered a wide variety of musical genres, including jazz fusion, rock, and pop. His sixth album, due out in fall 2018, is a labor of love that he calls a “great milestone.” He hopes this record will garner enough attention to help him reach the next level and a larger audience.

Yves believes NCS saved him from the neighborhood he grew up in. He takes pride in being one of the “lucky ones,” as school took him out of harm’s way for five years. yvesjeanmusic.com youtube.com/yvesjeanmusic Twitter:‎@yvesjean Instagram: yvesjeanmusic

continued on next page

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ALUMNI SPOLIGHT Performing Arts

Aubrey Snowden

NCS 97, CTT 92-94

Aubrey is a director, choreographer, and “maker” living in Brooklyn, NY. Most recently, she wrapped up the semester teaching and directing at UNC Chapel Hill.

“I come from a family of very good storytellers,” Aubrey explains. “I think storytelling is one of the ways we can stay in touch with our own sense of humanity. What NCS and CTT gave me was the time and space to find my own creative voice and recognize that I am also a storyteller.”

“I had the opportunity to explore and experience so many different things during my time at CTT and NCS. Most of the work I thrive off professionally today is collaborative.

My time at NCS and CTT laid the foundation for this kind of work. Morning councils at Camp, the bucket brigade hauling water to the gardens, and gathering sap for maple syrup in the winter made me feel like I was part of something bigger than myself. I loved that we were making and doing something together.”

At NCS, Aubrey’s English teacher, Tor Hillhouse, cast her as a lead character in the 8th grade play. “I see now how meaningful it was to have a teacher reflect my worth and talent by casting me,” Aubrey says. “He saw something in me and it was one of the seeds planted to help me have the courage and passion to continue in this field.”

When Aubrey thinks of the profound impact CTT and NCS had on her formative years, the value of community remains in the forefront. “As both a theater maker and human, I try to operate under three tenets: generosity, curiosity, and surrendering to the unknown. When you put all these tenets together, you have the foundation to build a strong and meaningful community.”

After Camp and School, Aubrey attended Miss Halls School, received a BA in dance theater from Manhattanville College and an MFA in directing from Brown University/Trinity Prep in 2013. She has studied at the Eugene O’Neill National Theater Institute, SITI Company in NYC, and with La MaMa in Umbria, Italy. Most recently, she was the associate director for Bedlam’s award-winning production of Sense and Sensibility at A.R.T. in Boston. aubreysnowden.com

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Hannah Doan NCS 05

The five years Hannah spent at North Country School tapped into her creativity in both music and performing.

From her first official introduction to music, piano lessons with Don Rand, to taking up the guitar with her teacher and father, John Doan—or even just walking through the halls or in town meetings—music was everywhere at NCS. Students never had to sacrifice the performing arts or music, because it was built into the day.

As an eighth- and ninth-grader Hannah realized how much she enjoyed musical performance. It was during this time that Hannah stepped into bigger roles in the play—including as a mythical singer in The Snow Queen.

Today, Hannah lives on the campus of the Northwood School, which she attended after NCS. She is in her third year there as a Spanish teacher, coach and dorm parent. This term Hannah taught vocal performance, a new class the students had requested. The class performed individual showcases in conjunction with band class at graduation in May. In her free time Hannah gets together with other musicians weekly to play the guitar, sing and decompress. She has stayed in touch with Joey Schultz (NCS 04) and credits Adam Farrell as a mentor during her years at school.

This summer Hannah will move to Burlington, Vermont, to pursue her master’s degree in school counseling. She hopes to get involved in the lively music scene in Burlington and pursue her dream of singing in a funk band with a big horn section.

She is excited for the creative arts faculty at NCS to have a dedicated space for the School’s fantastic performances and looks forward to the possibilities that a proper performing arts center will bring.

Instagram: @hdoaner

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From the Treetops Archives

Actor Kevin Bacon (CTT 67-71) in what very well may be his first film appearance, at our barn circa 1970.

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Seattle, WA

Alumni

EVENTS Through the fall, winter, and spring, alumni, and friends gathered across the country to reconnect and share memories of Camp Treetops and North Country School. Events were in far-ranging cities: Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle— and a stop in New York City along the way. Executive Director David “Hock” Hochschartner continued to share the strategic plan and how it will define the next century of School and Camp. Look for gatherings near you to further discuss the strategic plan and celebrate Hock as he readies for retirement in June 2019.

Boston, MA

This page: NCS and CTT alumni, family, and friends gather in Seattle in November 2017. Middle from left to right: Christie Borden, Rebecca Kellogg, David “Hock” Hochschartner, Lisa May, and Cola Parker enjoying some time together in Boston last fall. Bottom: Lily Gordon and Zach Siegel at the Gowanus Getdown in Brooklyn in January.

Next page: Top and Middle: Alta Friends’ doesn’t disappoint! More than 35 alumni, family, and friends of all ages joined NCS/CTT staff at Alta Lodge for five days of skiing and fun; From bottom left to right: Isai Calderon, Liz Macken, Maria Calderon White, Manny Weintraub, Ann Hedges, David Stewart, David “Hock” Hochschartner, and Mara Wallace in San Francisco, May 2018.

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Brooklyn, NY

Alta, UT

San Francisco, CA

IN MEMORIAM We bring sad news that Barbara Barnes, former NCSTreetops trustee from 1992–2000, passed away in March 2018 at the age of 94. Barbara was a resident of Norwich, Vermont, at the time of passing.

NEWS & NOTES NCS ALUMNI/AE 1941

Sumner Parker

She attended the progressive Shady Hill School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and graduated in one of the first classes at The Putney School in Putney, Vermont.

Barbara went on to graduate from Radcliffe College and had planned to attend Tufts Medical School, before changing her mind to become a teacher. Running summer workshops sponsored

by Dartmouth and the National Science Foundation, Barbara laid the groundwork for what has become the Upper Valley Educator’s Institute (UEVI), now based in Lebanon, N.H. Forty-five years and more than 1,000 students later, the success of UVEI in its many forms, now with a master’s program and principal certification, is a testimony to Barbara’s foresight and hard work.

After serving as the founding director of UVEI, Barbara went on to Dartmouth as a dean during the early years of coeducation.

Subsequently, she was the head of The Laurel School in Shaker Heights, Ohio, and then The Putney School. She also served on the Norwich school board, The Sharon Academy board, and on several independent school boards across the country, including North Country School and Camp Treetops.

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(Also, CTT 37–40, NCS parent 77–82, Trustee 77) Alums celebrating Sumner Parker’s 90th birthday! Back row: Cola Parker (CTT 73–75), Francie Parker (NCS 82), Bob Parker, trustee. Front row: Sumner Parker and his wife, Fran.

1949

James Seymour Having retired (yet again, this time probably for real), Jim (seymour@columbia.edu) is now located on one of Hong Kong’s “out islands,” and would be delighted to introduce visiting NCSers to the area’s wonderful hill trails. In recent years, he has been teaching in a master’s degree program at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

NEWS & NOTES 1951

Sally (Powell) Culverwell (Also, CTT 45–47, parent 77–80, NCS staff 60-61) “As I write this, Alta Friends’ is just around the corner and I’m especially looking forward to it as this year, for the first time, I get to ski FOR FREE. I’m also looking forward to seeing a lot of the familiar faces. Granddaughter Jayda (Hilary’s daughter) just turned seven and we’ve been talking about when to start introducing her to Camp Treetops. She’s been to Alta Friends twice, so she’s definitely heard of it and her three cousins all went. Maybe next summer we’ll make it to the August Friends’ Weekend!!!

Best to everyone.”

1959

Paul Broucha

we enjoy life on our Northeast Kingdom farm in Vermont. We were saddened at the passing of Whit Whitcomb and I went by to see his wife, Pat, last October. She seemed well and is well supported by her family and friends—candidly, I was surprised she remembered me. Shown here is a recent photo of us with Echo, our German Shorthair.”

Marc Leuthold

1965

Peter and Sarah Thacher (Also, CTT 61) “Sarah & I remain in Saudi Arabia.

Sarah is with law. I am leading the R&D team piloting supercritical CO2 for heat transfer & ultimately carbon capture. USDOE Rick Perry and Saudi Aramco Chairman Khalid Falih just signed a collaborative MOU on this project.”

Janet Dunn Wentworth “I retired after 38 years of federal service in July 2017. Looking forward to our 50th NCS class reunion.”

This spring, Marc came to NCS as a visiting artist. He presented his work to students and provided instruction and critique in the ceramics studio. Marc Leuthold’s sculptures are among the collections of the Metropolitan and Brooklyn Museums and the Museum of Art and Design.

Leuthold is a Professor at the State University of New York and has taught at Princeton University and Parsons School of Design. He is one of 40 Americans who is an elected lifetime member of the International Academy of Ceramics.

1970

1977

1968

Tanya Taubes “It is heartening that in such divisive and irresponsible times, the upcoming generations at NCS and CTT are exposed so early to deep social questions. Alums call or email if you’re in NYC.”

1970

“Each year passes in a rush—even in retirement! We are celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary this year as

1976

Susie Read (Also, CTT parent 04–08) “I still consider NCS to be the most idyllic spot on earth. Nevertheless, I’m traveling!”

John Benet Lewis “This year celebrates 20 years of employment as Media Manager with WPVI Action News in Philadelphia (a Disney company). Living in the Philadelphia area for 24 years. Married for 29 years. Took my ‘20-something’ daughter and dog Roxy for a hike up Cascade Mountain last year. I recall the climb being a LOT easier as a child. Whiteface is still my favorite mountain to ski (Poconos, New England, and Park City, Utah, included).

Miss the challenge of the tow rope at the ski hill. Ate at the ADK Café in Keene last visit and would recommend to anyone visiting the area.” continued on next page

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NEWS & NOTES 1982

Sarah (Sallie Fiske) Williams “I’m finally back in the classroom, teaching 7th grade math and science, and thinking fondly of what I learned at North Country. It’s a challenge in public schools, but my intention is to bring the best of NCS’s communitymindedness and personal relationship development into my classroom.

My two daughters (Alma and Eliza) are in the 6th and 8th grades in the same building, and they don’t seem to mind their mom singing in the classroom and encouraging storytelling and service work in her students.

My husband, Jack, continues research at the UW-Madison in climate change and does a lot more laundry and dishes now that I’m too busy.

Fingers crossed that I get hired into a permanent position for the fall.”

2011

Anna Brewer Anna is currently a junior at Smith College majoring in sociology. She is excited to be returning to School/ Camp to serve as a farm intern for this summer! Anna is looking forward to what the summer will bring, and sharing the farm experience with campers and staff alike.

2016

(Also, CTT 11–12)

Jamie Chao recently had her artwork selected for the cover of the Cambridge School of Weston’s Revisit Days program. The piece, done in pen, is 64 3”x3” squares and was a study of monotony.

1992

Matt Ackerman “Last year, after starting, running, and selling a business that sold a standup tree swing with a buddy of mine I met in the Peace Corps, I moved back to New Jersey from South Carolina and accepted a job with a cannabis company based in Boston called MariMed. Each week I am now commuting from New Jersey to Boston or otherwise traveling around the country to the various other states that have operations. Fun, challenging, and a bit insane. I love it.”

1991

Margaret Rhoads Margaret gave birth to Angus Clark on February 28, 2017.

2016

CTT FRIENDS

Owen Sweeney traveled to Montevideo, Uruguay, to visit Davie (left) and Carlo (right) Silva (NCS 2015) in December 2017. It was a great trip filled with swimming, surfing, and sandboarding.

page 37 Organic Roots Summer 2018

Russell Taylor CTT 57–59, parent 98 Margaret “Maggie” Bernard was my aunt and counselor in the 1940s and 1950s. Our son, Charlie Taylor, attended CTT in 1999.

Guy H. Haskell CTT 65–68, staff 77–80 “It’s been a couple of years of missing Friends’ Weekend due to some exigent mania or other, but once again I plan to make the trek from Indiana this summer. In the meantime, I continue to lawyer and paramedic and aikido and husband and father

NEWS & NOTES

and all that good stuff. Oh, last week I had near-death experience; somehow it slipped my mind that when you approach a dock on a jet ski at high speed, there’s no way to backpaddle or cross-bow-rudder before impact. I wish I could report that I had some sort of psychic revelation or enlightenment before impact, but I have to admit my final thoughts were rather more mundane, if not, shall we say, profane. And speaking of things psychic … for Bob Bliss fans, here’s a quote from the late 70s: It was parents’ weekend and at the end of some event or other, Bob was talking to an inane yet verbose mother about something, or rather she was talking at him. While walking away after the conversation, Bob muttered, ‘I did not derive a lot of psychic income from that woman.’ Jono Walsh was my witness.”

Marilyn Jordan Taylor CTT 71–74 “A wonderful experience with lasting friends and impacts for our children, Brainerd Taylor (CTT 90–95) and Alexis Taylor (CTT 91–95).”

fun (sometimes strange) change from my hometown of New York City, where I’ve lived since I was born!

We’re looking forward to doing as much exploring as we can while we’re in New England.”

Mary McKenzie CTT 71–74, NCS staff 82–83 “Reading the latest Organic Roots last night and woke up to snow this morning … must have been an omen!

Just put my barn jacket on (it still fits) to bring in some wood and clear off some of that falling champagne powder! How fitting for New Year’s 2018!”

Owen Davis CTT staff 77–79 “Living in NYC. Professor at Weill Cornell Medicine. Grateful for memories of summers at Treetops.”

Joey Carey CTT 93-99

Emma D. Dryden CTT 74–77, staff 82 “I established a children’s editorial and publishing consultancy firm, drydenbks LLC, in 2010, and it’s been terrific working with authors, illustrators, designers, publishers, and innovators on their children’s book projects and properties (www. drydenbks.com). In 2017, I celebrated the publication of an award-winning picture book, What Does It Mean To Be An Entrepreneur?, and am thinking about what I will write next. My longtime partner, Anne, is an avid sailboat racer whose work on boats has taken us to Bristol, Rhode Island, for a couple of years—and it’s been a Joey is a producer/director and founding partner of Sundial Pictures.

He has worked on a variety of scripted narrative and documentary films, including Emmy nominated Welcome to Leith, The Seventh Fire, Obvious Child, Jiro Dreams of Sushi, Pariah, Jack of the Red Hearts, and Youth In Oregon. His films have played at festivals including Sundance, Berlin, SXSW, Tribeca, and Toronto, and he’s

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NEWS & NOTES partnered with companies such as A24, Magnolia Pictures, and Samuel Goldwyn for distribution. He lives and works between New York City and Havana, Cuba.

Timothy Johnston CTT 93–96, staff 05–09 Timothy is working as an advisor in the area of crisis, conflict, and migration for the development agency GIZ (the German equivalent of USAID).

His daughter, Mimi, was born in October 2016. Should she decide to go to Treetops, she will represent the fifth

generation of Fuller-Johnstons there, after her great-great-grandmother Mary Fuller (CTT 32–34), great-grandparents Bill and Joyce Fuller (CTT 59–66), grandparents Jill Fuller-Johnston (CTT 59–65, staff 70–76, 92–96) and Guy Johnston (CTT staff 1992–96), as well as Mimi’s aunt Miranda (CTT 93–96, staff 03–04) and Tim himself.

The same is true for Miranda’s daughter, Erica, born in July 2017.

Buck Perley CTT 96–03 Buck was recently married and published a book. The book is about his Guinness Record motorcycle trip through all 33 provinces of China with his then-girlfriend and now-wife.

Photos and a link to the book, The Great Ride of China, can be found here: book.thegreatrideofchina.com and thegreatrideofchina.com, as well as on Amazon.

Conner Perley CTT 04–09 Conor graduated from the Citadel (S.C.) and is now in the Navy stationed in Hawaii.

Asher Collins CTT 09-11, staff 15 “Asher is doing great. He is in his third year at McGill University studying civil engineering. We have a property about a half-mile from Camp Treetops and often think of the wonderful summers Asher spent at camp. He truly loved it.”

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Jarrett Daffern CTT 14–15 Jarrett will graduate from high school in June 2018. For both Jarrett and his mother, Debbie Daffern (CTT parent 10–12, 14–15, staff 15), Camp Treetops is a second home.

Organic Roots welcomes News and Notes submissions year-round. Please email eallen@ncstreetops.org.

January 2 - 14, 2019 Explore. Expand. Connect. Go wild. Family and friends are invited to join Hock and couple Tory and Greg Ewing for an adventure of a lifetime to the heart of Chilean Patagonia. Travel by 4x4 truck and nightly lodging on the trail; leave plenty of energy for fjords, glaciated lakes, glaciers, mountains, hiking, fishing, community, and fun.

Cordillera Huayhuash (Peru)

July 22 - August 8, 2019 Join Hock and Kestrel Kunz in the Peruvian Andes on a 12-day trek through the magnificent Cordillera Huayhuash, with mountain passes soaring above 5,000 meters, stunning views, and hot springs. Donkeys and camp cooks support us along the route of one of the 10 best treks in the world.

Ultra-Trail de Mount Blanc (French, Italian, Swiss Alps)

August 15 - 27, 2019 Twelve days, three countries, hiking hut-to-hut, 106 miles, and 34,000’ of ascent... Hock invites you and family and friends to join him in the Alps at a steady yet comfortable pace through a region of uncompromising beauty and charm.

To register, please contact Peter Bullock, director of Round Lake Campus, by phone: 518-837-5440, or by email: pbullock@roundlakecampus.org. www.RoundLakeCampus.com

R

ages 18+

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UN

R C

D LA

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Chilean Patagonia (Chile)

EXPEDITIONS

K

Alumni and friends are invited to embark on Round Lake Campus expeditions led by David Hochschartner.

L

A M P US

LEAVE YOUR LEGACY Lindsay Putnam NCS faculty 85-88, BRC, Treetops South (Ecuador)

“It was a crystal-clear decision to make a planned gift for North Country School and Treetops, I have to admit.

I was filling out forms for a life insurance policy, and I was asked if I wanted to make a nonprofit a beneficiary. The choice was instant!

When I began my work as a teacher at North Country School, it felt like coming home. I decided on NCS because I had fallen in love with both teaching and the Adirondacks—and this place was perfect for me. It has stuck with me, as it has for so many that teach and learn here.

Children thrive on that campus because of the effective experiential learning there, happening among an especially compassionate and caring community. When I led a Treetops South Expedition in Ecuador

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with Hock, I also saw the breakthroughs that come from giving children real challenges, as well as from being connected with the Earth—on top of a mountain, or in the potato garden, or on the compost pile. Hard work and testing yourself physically is formative and necessary for children, especially these days.

I also remember the joy of children here— on Valentine’s Day or Halloween or upon making it to the summit of Cascade or Marcy. That kind of happiness is contagious and life-affirming. It is with that same joy, perhaps, that I made this planned gift, with a special nod to Hock, who has done so much for this place. This gesture is partly an homage to his ability to carry the initial vision of this institution and expand it in the ways that he has.”

HAVE YOU MADE YOUR ANNUAL FUND GIFT THIS YEAR? It’s an exciting time to be a member of the North Country School and Camp Treetops community. Your Annual Fund support has an immediate impact on programs, scholarship funding, and greening our campus. Please make your gift today at camptreetops.org/giving or northcountryschool.org/giving, or call 518-837-5450.

Thank you!

ARE YOU GOATING TO FRIENDS’ WEEKEND 2018?

FRIENDS’ WEEKEND Wednesday – Sunday August 22 – 26, 2018 Nearly 300 alumni and friends returned to Camp Treetops and North Country School for Friends’ Weekend 2017.

We hope you will join us this year for a chance to reconnect with classmates, tentmates, counselors, teachers, and friends.

Register today: camptreetops.org/fw or northcountryschool.org/fw or contact Emily Eisman at eeisman@ncstreetops.org or 518-837-5450.

Come for harvests, hikes, crafts, swimming, boating, work jobs, and barn chores, and be there to kick off the year-long celebration of NCS/ CTT Executive Director David “Hock” Hochschartner ahead of his retirement in June 2019.