Perspective Spring 2017

FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

KENT DENVER SCHOOL

PERSPECTIVE Spring 2017

GR EET ING S F R O M AFAR A CHANCE ENCOUNTER BRIDGES A 44-YEAR-GAP BETWEEN ALUMNI p.27

SPRING 2017

1

FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

On the move! Sixth-grade teachers paused for one final group photo in the Andrews D. Black Building before relocating temporarily to mobile classrooms. By this time next year, they—and the entire sixth-, seventhand eighth-grade classes— will have moved into Kent Denver’s new, state-of-theart Middle School Building.

We can’t wait for that picture!

Photo: J. Todd ’09

2

KENT DENVER SCHOOL PERSPECTIVE

IN THIS ISSUE

Spring Perspective advisors Lesley Brophy, Miya Dickman ’94, Holly Downs ’00, Sara Lawrence, Genevieve Marcelino, Suzie Todd ’73 Editors Jan Thomas ’76 Jack Todd ’09 Design & layout Andi Todaro Contributing photographers Mary Chao ’17 Annie Cordova Annie Cutler ’22 Holly Downs ’00 Julie Holyoke ’70 Makenzie Keely ’14 Carol MacKay Photography Lisa Mortell Jan Thomas ’76 Jack Todd ’09 Contributing writers Charles Emmons DCD ’74 Rand Harrington, Ph.D. Molly Miller ’20 Lisa Mortell Jon Ort ’17 Jan Thomas ’76 Jack Todd ’09 Cover photo: You can’t make progress standing still. Kent Denver student-athletes excel in the classroom, in the arts and, of course, on the trail. Go Sun Devils!

Photo: Mary Chao ’17.

Tribute photo: C. MacKay

KENT DENVER SCHOOL

PERSPECTIVE Features

Spring 2017

13 PERSPECTIVES OF A SOON-TO-BE-ALUM

A few weeks before commencement, KDS “lifer” Jon Ort ’17 reminisced about his seven years as a Sun Devil.

On April 25, we bid farewell to the venerable Andrews D. Black Building and broke ground for our new Middle School. DCD alumni reflect on how that building symbolized the lasting benefits of their on-campus education.

As Middle School Director John Kuntz prepares to depart after 28 years of service, a grateful Kent Denver community recalls Mr. Kuntz’s

promise to parents and celebrates his contributions to all.

The Kent Denver community knows no bounds as two alumnae connect in an unexpected place: a hospital in the heart of Florence, Italy.

17 FAREWELL TO AN ENDURING CONSTANT 20 WE WILL TAKE CARE OF YOUR KIDS

27 FINDING FRIENDS IN FAR-AWAY PLACES

Departments 4 Tribute

5 From the Head of School 6 Campus News 9 Stay in Touch

12 Alumni News

CONNECT

Whenever you see one of these icons after an article, visit Kent Denver social media for enhanced content.

facebook.com/kentdenverschool twitter.com/KDSsundevil vimeo.com/kentdenverschool instagram.com/kentdenverschool

2016-17 Board of Trustees Kevin Duncan ’81, President Michanda Lindsey, Vice President Mary Kelly, Secretary Tom McGonagle ’77, Treasurer Tully Bragg Mary Chao ’17, Student Rep Kathy Safford Coors ’90 Javier Del Castillo Julia Sayre Donnelly ’98, Alumni Rep Ann Ellis

Jeremy Flug K.C. Gallagher ’87 Ken Gart Lynn Haecker, Parents’ Association Rep Dr. Rand Harrington, Head of School Sunhee Hodges Jeff Howard Sarah Anschutz Hunt ’89 Lisa Love Bruce McGrath ’72 Kristin McKissick

Heather Mulvihill Caroline Kurtz Rassenfoss ’78 Lisa Robinson Keith Warner Jennifer McIntosh Waters ’88 Terry Whitney ’80 David Windfeldt ’89

SPRING 2017

3

TRIBUTE

“Thank you for everything, Mr. Kuntz!”

— The Kent Denver Community

Tribute

4

JOHN KUNTZ “To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children … to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded!” Quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson

KENT DENVER SCHOOL PERSPECTIVE

FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

From the Head of School MASTERING THE CUBE

“If you are curious, you’ll find the puzzles around you. If you are determined, you will solve them.”

- Ernő Rubik

Hungarian architect and professor Ernő Rubik invented the Rubik’s Cube in 1974. If you’re not familiar with the gadget, imagine this: A 3-D puzzle comprising 26 multicolored cubes that are free to move yet, at the same time, attached to each other.

Just as with life, seemingly independent elements in the Rubik’s Cube are frustratingly interconnected.

From the Cube—and from our forays in the world—we learn that changes may have unintended consequences and that forward progress often requires stepping back.

Great schools such as Kent Denver are always looking to improve and, as our teachers share with their students, improvement requires change and change requires disruption.

As I write this, Kent Denver is in the midst of highly visible disruption. The Class of ’17 is preparing to graduate.

Plans for new academic programs are underway. A new building is being constructed. And we are saying goodbye to our longstanding anchor John Kuntz and wishing him the best as he begins a new phase of life following 28 years of dedicated service to our school.

For many, these changes are energizing; for others, they are a bit unsettling. For most of us, the experiences are a mixture of both. But that is the nature of change ... and of life. The experiences your fellow alumni describe in this

issue of Perspective are great examples of how to navigate the sometimes scary, but often exhilarating experiences life affords.

I believe the core values we learn early in life can help to stave off the feeling of being unmoored in the midst of change. Much as one tackling the Rubik’s Cube soon discovers, we cannot afford to focus solely on getting all the colors to line up on one side at a time. Doing so scrambles the other sides, sometimes without our notice!

Instead, we must continue to think beyond immediate goals, see how one action connects to the other parts of our long-term plans and act strategically. Progress requires some level of discomfort. Having an anchor around our core beliefs can help us to navigate these discomforts with confidence. A pause here, a different approach there, and we—like a Rubik’s Cube challenger—have the potential to align our various hopes, dreams and ambitions.

As I welcome the Class of 2017 to Kent Denver’s alumni community, I remind them that there is much to be learned from the stories of their predecessors. Expect discomfort as their plans seem to come out of alignment. Trust the process of life. Know their anchors are strong. Believe that they, too, will survive the process of realignment. Just as does the Rubik’s Cube.

I have no doubt you will enjoy the stories, as I have, in this issue of Perspective.

Enjoy the summer and be sure to stop by campus when you have the chance. My door is always open.

Rand Harrington, Ph.D. Head of School

SPRING 2017

5

Campus News GUEST SPEAKERS SHARE INSIGHTS WITH S T U D E N T S A N D PA R E N T S

Want to learn more about our guest speakers? Visit vimeo.com/ kentdenverschool

In September, Laurie Ann Goldman, the former CEO of Spanx, visited to share lessons she learned as a woman in business, and how business can help students prepare for life after high school and college.

In March, students heard from Gigi Teague Melrose ’01, who now serves as the Global Head of Client Solutions at Facebook. Melrose discussed building confidence, changing your mindset, and applying the “Lean In” method toward business and professional pursuits. She concluded her day by speaking with the Administrative Team about wellness in the workplace.

In addition, parents heard from Dr. Yong Zhao, a renowned professor in the field of education reform, technology and globalization, and Dr. Catherine Steiner-Adair, who discussed the impact that technology has on adolescents and what parents and guardians can do to decrease negative effects.

Photo: K. Bobrick

Kent Denver hosted a number of impressive speakers throughout the school year.

In August, students and faculty heard from Jennifer Pharr Davis—a record-setting long-distance hiker who has covered well over 13,000 miles across six continents in her career—about what it takes to achieve dreams.

T H I S S U M M E R AT BREAKTHROUGH Breakthrough Kent Denver will serve 215 students over summer 2017, including 83 sixth-graders—BKD’s largest incoming class ever!

“During recruitment season, we received over 200 applications for 83 incoming sixth-grade spots. There were some tough decisions to be made, but now that summer is here we can’t wait to get started!” says Kyle Bobrick, Breakthrough Kent Denver’s Director of Communications.

TRADITION

Photo: H. Downs ’00

In addition to 34 college students working as teaching fellows, more than 60 volunteers from the Kent Denver community will be helping out alongside four instructional coaches, including Kent Denver teachers Raquel Sherman and Loni DesJardin.

6

C L A S S O F 2 0 1 7 TA K E S K I C K B A L L C R O W N

Breakthrough Kent Denver’s summer program runs from June 26 to Aug. 4, 2017.

Learn more at breakthroughdenver.org.

Upper School math This year’s Annual Senior-Faculty Kickball Game was played with the same fiery faux-competitivenessteacher, that hasMindy becomeAdair, its Ph.D. and Pam Adams trademark. The Class of 2017 had a strong showing at the event, racking up runs early and often and soundly beating the faculty were married on May 9, and staff.

Emily Danitz, Upper School 2015. The happy couple “We had a good team once again, but in spite of our talent—and the last point of the game—we lost quite decidedly to the Science teacherearning and volleyball will have been together Senior Power,” laments Eric Chandler, Upper Schoolcoach, Division “Even our attempts to change the rules were to no avail.” andHead. her husband, Matt, 27 years this May. daughter, The event took place as seniors were in the midst welcomed of completing either Hazel a Career Internship Experience or senior project, and it on Wed., Feb. 17. signaled the final days of their Kent Denver journeysCharlotte, as students.

Hazel’s brother, Aiden, reportedly “Congratulations, seniors!” Dr. Chandler adds. “We enjoyed against you, and we are proud of your high school career— loves beingplaying the older sibling. even with this kickball victory.”

KENT DENVER SCHOOL PERSPECTIVE

CAMPUS NEWS

COUNTDOWN TO THE NEW KDS MIDDLE SCHOOL

The Andrews D. Black Building was originally built for the Denver Country Day School in 1965, and for many years housed Kent Denver’s business, development, admission and other administrative offices. In 1987, the building was refurbished to create classrooms for a newly-launched sixth-grade program.

As our community said goodbye to the old sixth-grade building, we also celebrated the extraordinary potential the coming Middle School building will offer our students. In roughly one year, Kent Denver Middle School students will enjoy a cutting-edge facility that For a full list of events will support and enhance our extraordinary on campus, please visit programs. www.kentdenver. org/calendar

Our new Middle School design reflects input from Kent Denver faculty, students and parents, leaders in educational architecture and colleagues at some of the nation’s leading independent schools.

The coming building is the appropriate setting for the innovative, exceptional teaching that defines a Kent Denver education. From flexible, larger classrooms, to a Middle School Commons, Resource Center and patio, to large windows that fill the building with natural light, Kent Denver’s new, LEED-certified Middle School will provide ample space for active learning, quiet reflection and intentional connection to the outdoors.

Photo: J. Todd ’09

On April 25, our community bid farewell to the venerable Andrews D. Black Building—formerly home to the Kent Denver sixth grade and the Middle School administrative offices—and broke ground on our new Middle School, which is slated for completion in the spring of 2018.

SEVENTH-GRADE TRIP A W E T, F U N A D V E N T U R E Each year, Kent Denver seventh-graders spend three nights at the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park, CO for their spring trip. They participate in fun activities that help them apply knowledge and skills learned in their Earth Sciences class and, more importantly, provide opportunities to deepen friendships and get to know classmates they might not otherwise spend time with during a normal school day.

Photo: A.Cutler ’22

In addition, a designated entrance and restricted access to classrooms in the new building provide enhanced security for our students and faculty throughout the day.

Photo: J. Thomas ’76

“Although we experienced some of the wettest and most challenging weather conditions we’ve ever seen, this year’s trip was the best yet,” said John Kuntz, departing Middle School Division Head. “The Class of 2022 played in the rain and snow, made new friends and enthusiastically embraced the freedom of being outdoors without the distractions of technology, homework and other pressures.”

Seventh-graders were asked to reflect on their experiences daily in their field journals. One student wrote in her final entry: “I have loved this trip so much and it is by far one of my favorites. I actually enjoyed not having my phone and computer. I also bonded with classmates that I usually wouldn’t talk to [and] I learned how to work better with my classmates. Overall I had a great time!”

SPRING 2017

7

CAMPUS NEWS

Departing Speech and Debate Director Terry Rubin authored an article on the healing power of music for the PBS NewsHour website, an online news publication that Rubin notes receives about 1 million visitors per week.

Avid Jeopardy!-watchers’ ears may have perked up when they heard Alex Trebek introduce Kent Denver’s own Lee Barrow ’03 on Thu., April 13.

Barrow—who teaches history and economics in the Upper School—came in second on a tightly-contested episode.

Barrow filmed his episode of the game show in January, and kept a tight lid on the results, even as speculation buzzed around the school.

“My students kept trying to lead me into revealing the results. They’re not as crafty as they think, though,” laughs Barrow.

Barrow credits his first “real” trivia tournament experience to Tom Graesser, who ran a Trivia Bowl competition while he was a student at Kent Denver.

He also competed in a tournament in college, and has since kept sharp at pub trivia and by creating weekly question sheets for KDS faculty. He says that it was Greg Chalfin ’04, Kent Denver Upper School Dean and English teacher, who told him about the test that potential contestants have to take to have a shot at an audition.

In the article—which was one of the two most read pieces on the NewsHour site as Perspective went to print—Rubin writes of meeting a neonatal intensive care unit music therapist one day after his son, Bradley, was born. The baby arrived 11 weeks early and was just two pounds, 11 ounces at birth. Bradley is now almost 15 pounds, and “the music therapists made a huge impact on our experience in coping with the NICU and in helping Bradley,” Rubin says.

During his 17-year tenure at Kent Denver, Rubin led our Speech and Debate program to prominence and also taught English and history.

Since welcoming Bradley last year, he strove to be present for his family while fulfilling the very significant demands of our nationallyranked program—but managing both roles to his accustomed level of excellence proved impossible.

“As saddened as we are by his departure, we applaud Terry’s focus on family, and we are profoundly grateful for his significant contributions to our school,” says Dr. Rand Harrington, Head of School.

Rubin leaves us to spend more time with his family and to launch a public media-training firm called The Professional Communicators.

Director of the Annual Fund Carly Einstein and her husband, Andy Reger, welcomed their second daughter, Emerson Dean Reger, on March 28, 2017.

“You have to be much faster on the game than you might expect watching from home,” he says. “It’s so fast, you just have to adjust and get used to it.”

And while Barrow did very well, the experience wasn’t without its regrets, such as mistiming the buzzer and failing to find the notorious “Daily Doubles” in the grid.

“I wanted a Daily Double really badly,” he jokes. “I knew that if I didn’t get one, it’d be really hard to win.”

Daily Double’s aside, Barrow was happy to have a chance to compete on the show, and even happier to plug the AP Economics project he runs with co-teacher Phil Klein—“Breakfast Wars”—in his conversation with Trebek.

8

KENT DENVER SCHOOL PERSPECTIVE

Photo Courtesy C. Einstein

To prepare for the show, Barrow watched episodes and tried to answer faster than the contestants on air.

Even with that as preparation, he was struck by how quickly the game moves when filming.

Director of Athletics Scott Yates received the Joe Kearney Service Award—given for his contributions to youth football— from the National Football Foundation. Coach Yates has been Kent Denver’s head football coach for 36 years.

English teacher David Rollman’s retirement in June will mark the end of one of the greatest streaks in faculty attendance at school events in Kent Denver’s history.

Whether cheering from the sidelines at games or claiming a seat at performances and productions, Rollman provided unwavering encouragement to students as they tested their artistic and athletic skills. A devoted grandfather and an avid hockey player, theater lover and world traveler, Rollman’s deep appreciation of literature brought a spark to the English department that will be missed.

Photo C. MacKay

Photo Courtesy Jeopardy!

FA C U L T Y U P D AT E S

Congratulations to Marti Champion, who will assume leadership of Graland Country Day’s Middle School in the fall. In addition to numerous other accolades, Ms. Champion was Kent Denver’s Thomas J. Graesser Distinguished Teaching Chair, an honor that speaks to her dedication to our community. She began her Kent Denver career as a sixth-grade teaching fellow in 1993 and continued that role until 1995. After a hiatus, she returned to Kent Denver in 2004 to serve as a seventh- and eighth-grade English teacher and, at various points since then, as diversity director, tennis coach, Middle School costumer and Middle School dean.

“Graland is fortunate to have such an exemplary leader,” says Dr. Harrington. “We look forward to continued collaboration with Ms. Champion as she undertakes her new role.”

Spanish teacher Virginia Tuma attained a Ph.D. in Literature from Duke University this spring. Tuma’s doctoral studies focused on Latino/Latina Literature. She earned the degree after successfully defending her dissertation, “The Cuban Diaspora and the Question of Nostalgia.”

Photo C. MacKay

“We are truly excited to congratulate Dr. Tuma.

She is, and always has been, a wonderful teacher and colleague, so this doctorate is yet further confirmation of her level of intellectualism and scholarship,” says Eric Dawson, Chair of the World Languages Department.

SUN DEVILS IN THE HOUSE!

ALUMNI NEWS

A gift in your will or trust is an easy way to support Kent Denver A gift in your will or living trust, called a charitable bequest, is a simple way to make a big difference in the lives of Kent Denver students.

Bequests are: SIMPLE Just a few sentences in your will or trust is all that is needed. We can give you the correct wording to use.

FLEXIBLE Because you are not actually making a gift until after your lifetime, you can change your mind at any time.

VERSATILE You can structure your bequest to leave a specific item or amount of money, make the gift contingent upon certain events or leave a percentage of your estate to the school.

Your gift—­large or small—helps us sustain our mission of delivering excellence in scholarship and character for future generations of Kent Denver students.

Thank You! For more information, please contact Phil Klein, Director of Development pklein@kentdenver.org or (303) 770-7660 x526

SPRING 2017

9

CAMPUS NEWS

2017 Winter Sports Wrap B O Y S ’ B A S K E T B A L L W I N S D I S T R I C T, F I N I S H E S F O U R T H AT S TAT E S C H AY E S P O S T S 4 0 0 T H W I N

BY MOLLY MILLER ’20

The 2016-17 boys’ basketball season was one to remember. The boys ended their season in fourth place in 3A and also managed to take home the District Championship, an important moment for the members of the team.

“When we won the District Championship, we came back from 20 points, winning by three,” says Rory Buck ’17. “Everyone really had to contribute, and we made it happen together.”

at Kent Denver and added to his list of wins as the season progressed. This milestone stood out to the players the most through this long, exhausting season.

moment for us,” Mehlman says.

“We’ve known Coach Schayes since we were young, and I used to go to his basketball camp. He became a part of the decision for me to want to come to Kent Denver.”

“Four hundred wins was a special

Photo: C. MacKay

Fellow senior captain, Max Mehlman ’17 points out that, on paper, there was little hope for this team coming into the season. “We were unranked and had a lot of young guys, but that ended up giving us an advantage,” Mehlman says. He adds that the team, in all of its success and glory, managed to “shock the world … well, maybe not the world, but the entire Metro area.”

To add to the team’s excitement, head coach Todd Schayes won his 400th game after 23 years of coaching

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Photo: C. MacKay

Thanks to strong play in their district tournament, the girls’ basketball team qualified for the state playoffs as the #19 seed and traveled to Lamar, CO for their first round games. After an initial win against Cedaredge, the team fell to Lamar, the No. 1 seed and eventual state champions.

10

KENT DENVER SCHOOL PERSPECTIVE

Coach Richard Judd was rightly proud of his squad and their fantastic teamwork. “I think the best part of our team was how they came together as a group,” he says. “They played for each other and did not want the season to end.”

WINTER SPORTS WRAP

SWIMMING, DIVING & MORE

ICE HOCKEY

After several seasons that were full of spirit but short on wins, the Sun Devils varsity ice hockey team experienced a true resurgence this year. They finished their season with a winning record and their first playoff appearance since 2011.

Kent Denver had a record number of swimmers and divers competing this year and coaches Denise Wylde and Craig Petersen look forward to continued success in 2018!

As of this writing, girls’ golf, boys’ and girls’ lacrosse, girls’ soccer, girls’ tennis and track and field were all in post-season play.

Photo: C. MacKay

Photo: C. MacKay

The Kent Denver swim and dive team was undefeated in head-to-head matchups during the regular season, beating St. Mary’s Academy, Colorado Academy and Fountain Valley, among others. They won the Tri-Peaks league meet and finished seventh at state.

This season’s success is particularly sweet for the team’s four seniors, Ryan Dix, Cole Corbett, Jack Friedman and Jack Elliot.

Photo: C. MacKay

“Our identity came from our seniors and captains,” says head coach Marty Wittmer. “They created the camaraderie in the locker room and set a standard to love the game and take care of each other on and off the ice.”

Photo: C. MacKay

Visit www. kentdenver.org or look to the next issue of Perspective for news on our spring teams!

SPRING 2017

11

ALUMNI NEWS

2017 Distinguished Alumni: BRETT PERLMUTTER ’05

BY JACK TODD ’09

Flash forward to April 12, 2017 and you’d see Perlmutter being named Kent Denver’s 2017 Distinguished Alumni as part of the tenth-annual Ethics Day. Perlmutter—who attended the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Cambridge—is the head of Google Cuba, where he has been the principal negotiator of the first-ever internet-related deal between the United States and its estranged neighbor, and an important part of re-establishing economic relations between the two countries.

As a result of his work, 2017’s Ethics Day theme—Truth, It’s Not What You Think It Is—struck a special chord. In his speech to students and faculty, he discussed three different types of truth, the first of which was the subjective truth he discovered navigating the relationship of two counties that have their own version of history regarding their past.

“It was during these meetings that I had the privilege to see what both parties called ‘truth,’” Perlmutter said.

“The U.S. had its version, and Cuba had its own. This was not a situation in which there was a ‘truth’ with a capital ‘t.’”

As Perlmutter delved deeper into negotiations, he witnessed two countries attempt to see the other’s perspective. In discussing truth, he asked that students “adopt that same spirit of understanding.”

“And it might require you to abandon your search for an objective truth,” he continued. “And to place yourself in the mindset of fellow students, seeking to understand their unique view, which only corresponds to them. The result of that is empathy.”

Photo: C. MacKay

In thinking back to his Kent Denver persona, circa 1998-2005, Brett Perlmutter ’05 describes “an energetic, social, motivated, not-tooathletically-inclined student.”

The second truth Perlmutter discussed was that which comes from knowledge. Specifically, he spoke about how access to the internet can empower that truth. “The internet is access to information, it’s a tool for freedom,” he said. Providing people with access to information has been

Perlmutter’s greatest pride in working for Google.

The final truth he discussed was the truth he discovered within himself while transitioning from McKinsey and Company—where he said he was on “the path” others proscribed—to Google. In that change, Perlmutter learned to trust his instincts.

Photo: C. MacKay

“Ultimately I learned to drop the agenda of what I thought I should do, and be loyal to a quiet truth inside of me, a truth that told me to pursue what I was passionate about,” he said.

“Some people spend their entire lives finding that truth, and perhaps it takes a lifetime of finding and re-finding yourself, but rest assured it is there, inside each and every one of you.”

12

KENT DENVER SCHOOL PERSPECTIVE

F E AT U R E

PERSPECTIVES OF A SOON-TO-BE-ALUM

BY JON ORT ’17

When I first stepped into the brick-walled hexagons that comprised the classrooms of the sixth-grade building, I could not imagine that my graduation would coincide with their demolition. Seven years ago, on my first day of school, I judged the amount of time between then and now an eternity. To my 10-year-old self, the sixth-grade building had stood since time immemorial. In a similar vein, I believed my time at Kent Denver would last forever.

During the next three years, I masqueraded as the Headless Horseman in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, rafted under rocky buttes in Utah, and envisioned myself as a sailor on the Bronze Age ship Uluburun, which I studied in the eighth grade. The fate of my Earth Science grade hinged upon donning soggy waders and measuring the contours of a frigid mountain stream. My grade was passable–just by a shiver.

My belief in the permanence of this school persisted until ninth grade, the half-life of my secondary education. Henceforth, the clock began to tick loudly. I took my limited time as a charge to experience as much as I could.

In Revolution and Conflict, I discovered how photographers hold our country accountable for its conduct in war. In U.S. History, I weighed competing visions of the American West. In European History,

Photos: C. MacKay, J. Todd ’09, D. Wells & J. Thomas ’76

FA L L 2 0 1 5

13

PERSPECTIVES OF A SOON TO BE ALUM

I contemplated the most influential discoveries of the Renaissance and the Enlightenment.

Leading six Ethics Day seminars taught me more about the structure of schools, quandaries of conservation, and principles of war than I could ever have gleaned from other sources.

As Secretary General of Model United Nations, I reached my own conclusions about America’s role in international politics. While serving as Editorin-Chief of The Sun Devils’ Advocate, I came to deeply appreciate the principled action and advocacy that defines meaningful journalism. I plan to further pursue these passions by studying International Relations at Princeton University.

I owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to the teachers who have introduced me to new perspectives, challenged my beliefs, and most contributed to my intellectual identity. I count Ms. Halverson, Mr. Lefferts, Mr. Chalfin, Ms. Askay and Ms. Campbell as a few of many mentors and friends.

Among my fondest memories from recent years are morning walks around Blackmer Lake, surreptitious drives through the KDS back entrance, heartfelt conversations with my teachers and friends, balmy bus rides to tennis matches, self-portraits that kept me up well past midnight and frenzied cheering at state championships. Funny– those six memories form a perfect hexagon, just in time for the final stroke of the clock.

14

KENT DENVER SCHOOL PERSPECTIVE

ALUMNI NEWS

Class Notes

Michael McVey ’67 is a retired Lt. Col USMC and has retired as Detective Sgt. HCSO. He has been enjoying raising orchids in retirement.

William Hiatt ’68 is on the faculty at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, and President of CPC Clinical Research. He has three grandchildren in Denver.

’70s

Susan Whitmore ’72 is “Happy and still working and living in Colorado Springs since graduating from CSU School of Veterinary Medicine in 1980. I am even happier that my sister, Diane Norton ’69, has moved back to Denver after living in Dallas, Texas since graduating from Brown ‘a few years ago’.”

Stewart Clayton ’77 is working as an IT Security Auditor. He donates his time/effort/airfare to ICAPeace. org, practices Buddhism, and has been a professional opera singer and stage performer.

’80s

John Quinn ’82 passed away in February of 2017.

Todd Starr ’82 recently resigned his position as Archuleta County Attorney and joined the Dallas, Texas law firm, Rose Walker as the resident Colorado Partner. The firm does business in Colorado as Rose Walker Starr.

Carey Tallmage Rash ’88 is living in Vail, Colorado with sons Todger Davis (a senior at Vail Mountain School), Quin Davis (sophomore at Colby College in Waterville, Maine) and husband Todd. “I own a men’s store in the village called Grey Salt. I enjoy golfing, skiing and traveling, as well as spending time with extended family in the valley,” she says.

’90s

’00s

Cody Higgenbottom ’99 and Sara Reichert ’04 were married in September 2016 in Steamboat Springs.

Sadie O’Shaughnessy Shaughnessy ’03 and her husband, Ryan, have three children, Scarlett, age 5; Charlie, age 3 and Bodie, age 1.

Jon-Erik Borgen ’95 says “It has been 10 years since I put out some music, but I finally got back into the studio and recorded a new album of songs. Check out Roots Down Deep

by J.E. Borgen on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, etc. Thanks to all the Sun Devils who came out for the CD release show. I hope to do another soon.”

Front Row: Cody Higginbottom ’99, Sara (Reichert) Higginbottom ’04, Hillary Hoffman ’04, Lucien Reichert ’08, Middle Row: Annie (Harrington) Weinig ’99, Sarah (Bacon) Pritzlaff ’06, Annie (Bacon) Chamberlin ’04, Alex Pritzlaff ’04, Andrew Pritzlaff ’08, Erin (O’Shaughnessy) Powell ’99, Dobbs Hogoboom ’04, Back Row: Ben Kurtz ’04, Charley Tharp ’04, Henry Clark ’08, Max Key ’04, Background or present but unphotographed: Scott Hamman ’99, Justin Boyd ’99, Sam Quigley ’99, Jenny Rice ’99, Megan Slattery ’04, Josh Reichert ’06, Krista Sahrbeck Pearman.

Sarah Peay Judd ’99 and Damon Judd ’94 welcomed a son, Brayden Stoddard Judd, on March 4, 2016.

David Siegel ’99 is a pediatric oncologist working at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia. Upon completion of his fellowship, he will become an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer.

He is a Lieutenant Commander in the Public Health Commission, and is married with two children, ages 1 and 3.

Owen McMillan ’02 and his wife, Christin McMillan, welcomed their second child, Harper, on Dec. 12, 2016. “We are happy to say after four years in Houston working for Shell Oil Company, we will be returning to Denver, where Owen has taken a new job with Encana Corporation. We are thrilled to be back,” they say.

Blaine Lapin ’04 is currently living in Houston, Texas. He is completing a Pediatric Rheumatology Fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital.

Micah Crews ’05 and Autumn Sanders ’05 were married at Kent Denver School on July 23, 2016.

Photo Courtesy M. Crews and A. Sanders

Jeannette Rogers ’66 passed away on August 7, 2016.

Photo Courtesy C. Higgenbottom and S. Reichert

’60s

Kate Archibald ’07 graduated cum laude from Yale University, where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree with distinction in English, and is now a second-year student at Stanford University Graduate School of Business. Recently, she was named an international Siebel Scholar by the Siebel Foundation and was recognized as one of 100 students from top schools in business, technology, energy and engineering who are top achievers and are likely to change the world.

Share with us!

Currently Kate Send Class Notes works for the Bill to Holly Downs & Melinda Gates ’00, hdowns@ kentdenver.org Foundation.

SPRING 2017

15

CLASS NOTES

Alumni Hockey

’10s

Siri DeMarche ’11 rowed in the doubles championship in the Head of the Charles Regatta in October 2016.

Jack Reynolds ’11 graduated from Southern Methodist University in 2015 with a double major in Finance and Marketing.

Sawyer Petre ’12 is a professional kicker for the Arizona Rattler Indoor Football League (IFL).

Alumni Golf

Perry DeMarche ’14 spent her fall semester abroad in Rabat, Morocco.

Abby Godfrey ’14 is a student at Elon University and plays lacrosse.

Photo Courtesy B. Collamore

Washington D.C. Regional Reunion

Photo: C. MacKay

Allie Bolt ’14 is a Strategic Communication major at Miami University. She spent her 2016 fall semester in abroad in Spain.

Below: Head of Middle School, John Kuntz with alumni Alex Kuntz ’09 (left) and Ryyan Chacra ’13 (right) at the Alumni Event in NYC to honor John

N.Y.C. Regional Reunion

Photos: H. Downs ’00

Below: Jackie Plowshay ’11, Joe Dinnen ’09, Annie Rapson ’02 and Kelsey Good ’03

Jenny Phelps Smith ’04, Lauren Henry ’01, Jennifer Downs Kean ’97 and Scotty Mahoney ’97 16

KENT DENVER SCHOOL PERSPECTIVE

Left: Jon Warkentin ’03 and Joel Cohen ’03

F E AT U R E

FA R E W ELL T O AN ENDURI N G CON STAN T

BY CHARLES EMMONS, DCD ’74

On April 25, Denver Country Day (DCD) alumni gathered to say goodbye to the venerable Andrews D. Black Building.

Here, DCD alumnus Charles Emmons ’ 74 and several of his contemporaries contemplate the dawn of a new era on Kent Denver’s campus.

When Andrews D. Black co-founded Denver Country Day School (DCD), he committed to a school always for the students. Even as DCD grew, evolved and subsequently moved from a house off University Boulevard to the open spaces off Quincy Avenue, that commitment never wavered.

No matter how we arrived to the current Kent Denver campus, DCD was a school for learning and character building, and the classrooms and built environments were integral. Numerous alumni remember the distinctive melding of the environment, intimacy and discipline that shaped us into young men.

“I remember walking through the open corridors of this building when I was a senior. The spring season reminded me that my graduation from this school was weeks away. I

Kevin Duncan ’81, President of Kent Denver’s Board of Trustees, addresses alumni, students, faculty, staff, and KDS friends at an event commemorating the Andrews D. Black Building.

A portrait of Mr. Black is in the background.

Photo: J. Todd ’09

SPRING 2017

17

FA R E W E L L T O A N E N D U R I N G C O N S TA N T

was able to relive those moments from my seventh grade It dawned on me that I started from a totally different culture, where academics were secondary, and manual labor was our major means of support. I was swept away from the La Alma Lincoln Park neighborhood to a world where college was an automatic expectation placed on me, as well as on all students of this preparatory school.”

—Donald Delmendo DCD ’ 74 The Andrews D. Black Building was DCD’s front door, where we first met Mr. Black and, later, Mr. Driscoll, with a firm handshake and sat down to chat about being a student at the school.

“I R E ME M B E R. . .

The place for morning drop-offs and evening pickups after the conclusion of rigors in the classroom and on the athletic fields, the building was also where we learned about each other, the world and ourselves.

In the library we expanded our knowledge with books perhaps not available in our homes.

Below was “Cepe” Smith’s history classroom. If we did not go there, we relaxed in the student lounge. At the end of the day, we got ready to hit the athletic fields.

In the administrative areas there was always a friendly smile from a secretary to direct you to Mr. Black or his team: Mr. Hanford, Mr. Smith or Mr. Drew. “[My brother] Eric and I were introduced to Denver Country Day when our parents drove up to the crest of that hill and we entered the Andy Black building.

My first memory was meeting with Dick Drew, who interviewed us and administered the admissions test there. While that memory reminds me of the consequences of the building,

18

KENT DENVER SCHOOL PERSPECTIVE

I remember the magnificent view of the campus, the athletic fields and the grand entrance of the school, beyond Quincy Avenue from his office. It was breathtaking. The eventual memories come from taking Mr. Smith’s famously challenging Western “Civ” in the lower level. It was a very tough class [that] gave me fond memories of stretching myself academically and intellectually. Mr. Smith’s impeccable ethics and irreverence for the status quo still help to guide my ethos today.” —Brian W. Mosley, KDCD ’ 76.

Openness and interconnectedness on the campus was achieved through the architecture. The Andrews D. Black Building, the classroom building and El Pomar brought us together in a common purpose, a holistically relevant education.

It was inspiring, stimulating and invigorating as we interacted in a comparatively small community with classrooms and spaces in which students, faculty and staff all contributed.

“It was extremely liberating to sit in classrooms devoid of a single orthogonal corner, with windows directed exclusively across limitless acres of pristine fields to the eventual Rockies beyond, where lockers and corridors were banished and everything planned, inside and out, as 60’s-ish, Wright-ish, cellular (not as the word is used today). The molecular structural side of it suggested how it might grow—to me, anyway. I always thought it so well placed in the landscape.” — Philip H. Koether, DCD ’ 74

F E AT U R E

“At DCD, we were challenging ourselves and each other: to strive to learn; to grow our minds; and to mature, to truly enhance ourselves as individuals. We were in these classrooms filled with interconnected trapezoid shaped tables and uncomfortable plastic chairs: to take notes; to take tests; and to absorb what the instructors were presenting in our classes”.

—Donald Delmendo, DCD ’ 74.

We grew as students and as a community. The Andy Black building was the backdrop as we tested our limits and confidence in making our mark.

“I also remember the lounge downstairs. We liked hanging out there. My buddy and I figured out how to get free pops from the pop machine in the lounge. Once, this same buddy had his entire arm up the pop machine grabbing pops when someone from the administration (Mr. Knighton?) walked in. It didn’t go well!” —Steve McDonald, KDCD ’ 76.

Andrews D. Black’s portrait hung prominently in the oft re-purposed sixth-grade building for decades. The landscape has changed as 50-year-old evergreens obscure El Pomar, a modular classroom fronts the lower classroom building to the east, and students study together with laptops in the stairwell.

Change is a constant of progress. Buildings may come and go, but some things—such as a valued Kent Denver education—endure.

As students’ needs changed, so did DCD’s physical spaces.

Faculty changed as well as they assumed new challenges.

“One big change was the conversion of the locker room beneath the offices into a large classroom after athletes moved to the field house. In that new classroom, I joined Ben Cooper, Jim Kenney, Steve Jenkins and Hilary Carlson, a Kent faculty member, to teach all of the combined seniors in an experimental course called ‘Twentieth Century.’

We team-taught the course that ranged over philosophy, religion, history, and almost anything else that caught our interest. It was the most stimulating time in my teaching career and I would hope that our students gained as much as we did.” —Richard Drew, Head of School 1981-1989

“This school, this building, will always have a place in my heart, mind, and soul. We remember our times spent between these walls. As we properly close this chapter of the history of Kent Denver, we have hope and expectations for the new building which will replace this one, and somehow realize that the students, who will occupy this new structure, will have just as fond memories in their future as we do right now for this school. God bless Kent Denver School! —Donald Delmendo, DCD ’ 74

SPRING 2017

19

F E AT U R E

WE WILL TAKE CA R E OF Y OUR KID S

BY JAN THOMAS ’76

EARLY ONE AUGUST MORNING— as car after car pulled into the Middle School drop-off area and dozens of anxious, sometimes teary parents waved goodbye to sixth-graders about to embark on their first Kent Denver class trip—Middle School Division Head John Kuntz did his best to soothe the worriers.

“What would you say to concerned parents?” he was asked.

The answer came almost instantly.

“I would tell them to try to relax,” he said. “ I would tell them, ‘We will take care of your kids.’”

20

Photos Courtesy of KDS Alumni Office, Kent Denver Students, C. MacKay, C. Melvin, J. Thomas ’76, J. Todd ’09 & KDS Yearbook

20

KENT DENVER SCHOOL PERSPECTIVE

W E W I L L TA K E C A R E O F Y O U R K I D S

Caring for Kent Denver students and for the faculty who teach them has been Mr. Kuntz’s focus for the past 28 years. He was the first hire of then-new-Head of School Tom Kaesemeyer. For nearly three decades, he would guide hundreds of children—and parents—on the confusing, occasionally tumultuous journey through the middle school years. His letters to parents in Kent Denver newsletters were like beacons on an unknown terrain.

“As I look back, what makes me smile are the images I have of kids’ faces when they discover they’re capable of so much more than they thought, or the moments when I reconnect with former students who are now achieving great things as adults, or the look in teachers’ eyes when they realize their efforts have opened new worlds and new areas of interest for their students,” he says.

28

The school Mr. Kuntz leaves has evolved significantly from the one he joined in 1989.

“What has happened over the years is that expectations have risen in everything,” Mr. Kuntz says. “What should a Middle School musical encompass? What travel opportunities are appropriate and beneficial to students of this age? What criteria should we use to evaluate a seventhgrader’s writing abilities? How should we treat each other?

What constitutes a healthful lunch? These are just a few of the issues that were considered over the years. There have been important, incremental improvements in each, as well as in so many more.”

While much has been transformed at Kent Denver, Mr. Kuntz says one essential attribute of the school remains sacrosanct.

“The past 28 years have seen a continual refinement of what constitutes excellence in scholarship and character,” he reflects. “What hasn’t changed are Kent Denver’s core values and the elegance of our Vision Statement. Those are still the two driving forces at Kent Denver School. Their principles existed long before I got here, and they will exist for years to come.”

And what does he wish for Kent Denver in coming years?

“My hope is that Kent Denver’s culture remains collaborative,” he says. “When Kent Denver teachers come together with a common purpose, the results they produce are extraordinary.”

With an impressive Kent Denver career now behind him and international travel, weekday ski outings, secondlanguage lessons and, of course, continued involvement in education ahead, Mr. Kuntz is reticent to dwell on his legacy.

“I don’t believe those of us who work at a school leave an individual legacy,” he says “In schools, legacy is based on the connections we form with people. Our imprint on those who were here with us is what will be remembered.”

YEARS!

John,

On behalf of the entire Kent Denver School community,

THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU HAVE DONE FOR STUDENTS, PARENTS, ALUMNI AND FACULTY. The hugely-popular Middle School electives program is the result of your vision. The Middle School’s enduring culture of a caring, empowered, engaged faculty is the result of your leadership. The supportive environment Middle School parents so appreciate is the result of your expertise and compassion.

When I joined the Kent Denver community in 2014, you were an important compass for me as I navigated a new environment.

No matter what the challenge, student welfare was always your ‘true north.’

There are simply not enough words to express our gratitude for your contributions, so I will simply say, thank you, John!

I wish you health, happiness, exciting travels and wonderful adventures in this next stage of your life.

—Rand Harrington, Head of School, 2014-present

SPRING 2017

21

W E W I L L TA K E C A R E O F Y O U R K I D S

In 1993-94, many of us were fortunate enough to have an English/history teacher named Chris DeFrancis. As a joke, we bought Mr. DeFrancis a life-sized cutout of male supermodel, Fabio. The following year, cue Middle School assembly and some type of faculty skit, and there is Mr. Kuntz interacting with the same Fabio cutout. John Kuntz’s sense of humor, ability to adapt himself to meet different students’ needs, and fair but effective discipline will always be remembered.

While Kent Denver’s Upper School made a significant impact on me and many students, the middle years and what a formative experience they were really stick out.

That’s John. John Kuntz knew the value of having people around him that were great at what they do. Nearly 25 years later, I still think of Chris DeFrancis, Tom Graesser, Bruce Collamore, Steve Newman, Steve Gumbay and the late Sra. Margarita Planck. It always appeared to me that teachers had the ability to do what they did best, and that they were great at it! Leaders can be judged by the people with whom they surround themselves.

Thank you, John Kuntz!

Mr. Kuntz is a nurturing and supportive teacher both in and out of the classroom.

IT IS TEACHERS LIKE HIM WHO INSPIRED ME to pursue a career in education.

—Chase Procknow ’09

—Jason Dobrow ’99

One thing I will always remember about Mr. Kuntz is the fact that

TEACHING WAS NEVER A JOB TO HIM. He treated the school as if it

was his home, the students as if they were his family. He is a one in a million person.

—Will Mortell ’22

One of my first encounters with Mr. Kuntz was for some kind of social in the old dining hall before I began seventh grade (my first year) at Kent Denver. We bonded over our love of math, and I remember him finding a piece of paper and writing down the square root of -1 as he explained the magical world of imaginary numbers to me. Mr. Kuntz was a huge advocate for me, particularly in taking advanced math courses, but also in helping me become an Altman Scholar and in Kent Denver as a whole. He touched my life, and I cherish him and the rest of the amazing people who nurtured my growth during my time at Kent Denver.

In everyone’s life there are people who guide you, mentor you, and move you along the ‘road map’ of your life. Twenty-three years ago, John Kuntz changed my road map permanently. He hired a 28-year-old, inexperienced guy to be the oldest sixth-grade fellow ever at Kent Denver. Four years later, he hired me as a permanent sixth-grade teacher.

Over the years, he and his wife have danced at my wedding and have held a baby shower at his house to help welcome my first child into this world. He has opened his door and his arms to me as I first lost my dad, then my sister, and just recently my mom. He has allowed me to laugh, to cry, to learn, to grow. Not only am I the teacher I am because of John Kuntz, but I am the husband, father and man I am because of John Kuntz. He has been my life-changer and I love him very much.

—Todd Schayes, Middle School teacher

22

KENT DENVER SCHOOL PERSPECTIVE

—Lena Rutherford ’15

What I will remember most about John is

HIS UNWAVERING SUPPORT AND THE CONFIDENCE HE INSTILLED IN ME as a young teacher.

—Henry Clark ’08, Middle School teacher

F E AT U R E

John continuously gave the gifts of himself, his energy, his enthusiasm, his wisdom, his honesty and his love to every member of our different Kent Denver communities. Whether it was giving helpful advice to a parent trying to wade through the murky waters of raising an adolescent, or a teacher who needed some coaching and a word of encouragement, or a student who needed a gentle push toward that “ah-ha” moment, or constantly being the voice and advocate of the Middle School in every nook and cranny of Kent Denver, John gave of himself unconditionally each and every day of his 28 years here.

—Bruce Collamore, Middle School teacher

John Kuntz is a man of honor and integrity, but also a man of heart. He leads by example and inspires everyone around him.

John is understanding, kind, and draws the best out of us all. I am grateful for him. He has the ability to make a person feel special as if they’re the only person in the world when in conversation.

John’s light is empowering, uplifting, and I feel lucky and blessed to have been able to witness his greatness.

—Celena Otero, sixth-grade PE teacher, Assistant Athletics trainer

My most vivid memory of eighth grade at Kent Denver is being told by Mr. Kuntz to put on a hat to avoid the ‘dumb clouds’ that caused mistakes. This memory is perfectly emblematic of the kind of teacher MR.

KUN TZ IS: HUMOROUS AND PERSONABLE, and also

always making sure his students get the most out of their time in his class.

Mr. Kuntz was a great teacher and a better man and, while I am sad to see him go, I wish him the best going forward. Thank you Mr. Kuntz!

—Blaine Brophy ’14

SPRING 2017

23

F E AT U R E

Dear John, I have worked for you for almost 15 years now, my entire Kent Denver career.

It’s important for you to know how much of an impact you have made on me. Here are the reasons I will never forget that you were an amazing BOSS! • You have taught me how to be a middle school teacher.

• You counseled me when I needed advice.

• You listened to me when I needed an ear.

• You have frequently and gracefully taken my ribbing and jabs.

• You guided me through thick and thin both as a professional and a parent.

• You have laughed with me on oh-somany occasions.

John has been the Middle School Division Head at Kent Denver School for nearly half of my life—28 years. His experience is deep. He is widely considered an expert in all things middle school. He regularly impresses (and calms) parents with his knowledge of kids and their quirks, challenges, preoccupations, joys and learning routines. He deeply understands the importance of school community and what it takes to build and maintain it. He is acutely aware of and invested in the efficacy of well-designed school systems and organization.

Schools have tapped him as a consultant to evaluate their programs and make suggestions because of his success in leading Kent Denver’s Middle School. He occupies an endowed chair, named after him. And he has been a mentor, colleague, friend and confidante to me since I arrived as the Upper School Director. For 10 years, I have worked with and watched John. And I have learned a lot.

—Dr. Eric Chandler, Upper School Division Head

• When my children were KDS MiddleSchoolers, you taught them the value of being individuals.

You would go to bat for any of your Middle School faculty, John. You have no idea how much we appreciate that you have always put so much trust and value in us. We love you, John, and we will miss you as captain of our ship!

—Sarah Mitchell, Chair-Fine and Performing Arts

IT IS HARD TO CONCEIVE OF KENT DENVER NOT HAVING JOHN KUNTZ AS OUR ANCHOR IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL. He will be greatly missed and the entire Board of Trustees wishes him well.

—Kevin Duncan ’81, President, Kent Denver Board of Trustees

Hi John, Sally and I were so impressed, though not surprised, with the affection for you on the part of parents and colleagues at the May reception in the Schaden Dining Hall. It was well deserved.

Your ability to transform Kent Denver’s Middle School into a more purposeful (and orderly) educational unit while strengthening a student-centered culture and always encouraging a sense of play for students and faculty is remarkable. You did it with little fanfare, a sense of humor, and a consistency that was comforting to your faculty and the parents you served. You gave space to your Middle School faculty to try new programs and take chances. Those who knew the school that you inherited in 1989 would echo these comments. I think you were my first hire, and one of the best.

I look forward to following your next steps, especially the scuba diving hobby. Remember not to ascend faster than the air bubbles, something I never mastered! And here’s to Joan, a fantastic math teacher and a wonderful colleague. That your children have fully thrived is a testimony to your skills as educators and parents.

With appreciation and admiration, —Tom Kaesemeyer, Head of School, 1989-1997

24

KENT DENVER SCHOOL PERSPECTIVE

W E W I L L TA K E C A R E O F Y O U R K I D S

Our family has known John over the past 10 years—all of our kids, Caroline, Julia and Mark—are KDS lifers.

When John Kuntz came to Kent Denver in 1989, democracy was breaking out all over the world. The Berlin Wall came down, Poland experienced free elections, and one of Madeleine Albright ’55’s heroes, Vaclav Havel, was elected President of Czechoslovakia.

These events provide some context and inspiration for how I view John’s legacy at Kent Denver.

John was a champion of empowering others. With humor, heart and poise, John created opportunities for students and faculty to explore, engage and develop as scholars, colleagues and partners. John was practicing Design Thinking before there was a ‘d.school’ at Stanford. He blended empathy, creativity and keen organizational talent to bring out the best in students and faculty. While John could be counted on for having the right answer to even the most complex math problem, he encouraged others to develop their own answers to the many challenges of school life. John believed that to become a good decision maker requires authentic practice, probably no better preparation for enlightened citizenship in a democracy.

John’s legacy shines brightly in the productive and meaningful lives his former students now live. Imagine, John’s early students are now in their early 40s and he has had the opportunity to host parent conferences where he had taught everyone in the room. More implausible, imagine spending 28 years in middle school and almost a cumulative year camping out with sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders. Snowstorms, long hikes, homesickness and occasional van breakdowns were part of the adventure that helped each Middle-School student to understand and embrace the character dimension of Scholarship and Character.

For John, there is nothing better than the middle school years, and he made sure that his students felt the same way. Thanks John, I only wish that my middle school years had been at Kent Denver.

—Todd Horn, Ed.D., Head of School, 1997-2014

JOHN’S LEADERSHIP, KINDNESS AND SUPPORT HAVE MEANT THE WORLD TO ME. I will miss him greatly!

—Melia Reece, Middle School administrative assistant

John was always a steady, calm presence as they made their way through the Middle School, and even as they moved on to the Upper School.

His knowledge of the experiences that kids go through in the middle school years was unparalleled and he clearly relished helping to guide and support them through this time. He was also hugely supportive of the parents of his students—whether it be to explain how the schedule worked, offer an encouraging comment, or to thank parents for volunteering for the school.

John’s clever wit and dry sense of humor helped keep us all at ease. John’s passion for education and deep caring for KDS students will surely be missed.

We wish him all the best as he embarks upon the next chapter of his life.

—Ann Gail, KDPA President 201516; mom of Caroline ’14, Julia ’16 and Mark ’16

I am certain John has had more influence on me as a professional than anyone else over the past 28 years. His calm, smart and thoughtful approach to school life is truly outstanding and earns him the respect of everyone he comes in contact with.

I will miss John, and I am thrilled he and Joan will remain in Denver, as I am certain I will continue to use his wise counsel.

THANK YOU, JOHN, FOR TEACHI NG ME EACH AND EVERY DAY WE WORKED TOGETHER. —Priscilla Scobie, Director of Student Life, Director of Enrollment, Associate Head—Upper School

SPRING 2017

25

W E W I L L TA K E C A R E O F Y O U R K I D S

John, It took time and care to help me become a teacher. You were patient with my mistakes, a champion of my successes and a true mentor. You surrounded me with talented professionals, knowing that I would soak in all they had to teach. From you, John, I learned—without knowing it at the time—the type of administrator that I would want to become.

With a steady hand and guiding vision, you shepherd bright, talented people into positions of responsibility and then get out of their way so that they can work.

Your calm under pressure has become my hallmark. I can only hope that my career in this field you introduced me to and taught me to love will honor the risk you took on me in the beginning.

—Jason Mundy, Director of Equity and Community Engagement, History teacher

Words are not adequate to express how grateful we are to John for everything he has done for this community over his 28 years of distinguished service. No one has more passion and love for the Kent Denver Middle School and its

COMMITMENT, VISION, ENERGY, DEDICATION AND HUMBLE LEADERSHIP ARE SIMPLY WITHOUT PAR ALLEL . Each student’s success and excellence was always John’s number one goal. kids than John. His

The Kent Denver community has been incredibly blessed to have John teaching our kids and representing our school. John’s legacy here at KDS will always be secure as it is evident in the positive impact he has had on the lives of countless Kent students over the past (almost!) three decades.

Thank you, John, for everything you have done for KDS! We wish you the happy and healthy semi-retirement that you so richly deserve.

—Lynn Haecker, KDPA President 2016-17; mom of Peyton ’14, Devyn ’16 and Reagen ’19

THANK YOU , MR. K UN T Z!

When I found out that I was not going to have Bruce Collamore as my eighth-grade math teacher, I was mad. I had heard great things about Mr. Collamore, all my friends were in his classes, and instead I got Mr. Kuntz. In retrospect, this was the greatest thing to happen to me in my seven years at Kent Denver. I distinctly remember creating our own math system using zeroes and ones on Grandparents Day that year and, though it was entirely over my head at the time, I remember it being fun and something I was proud to participate in with my peers as well as my grandparents.

Mr. Kuntz’s eighth-grade math class was what opened my mind, taught me new ways to think, and even instilled in me a sense of integrity and character. I am infinitely grateful that I had John Kuntz as a teacher. Mr. Kuntz not only was a phenomenal teacher, but he also helped me grow as a person, as a friend, and as a community member. His wisdom, kindness, dedication and passion for all things education truly inspired me to become the best version of myself—both within the Kent Denver community and beyond. Mr. Kuntz, thank you for all that you’ve done for me and for countless other students.

—Chelsea Ammons ’09

26

KENT DENVER SCHOOL PERSPECTIVE

F E AT U R E

F I N D I NG FR I ENDS IN FAR-AWAY PL A C E S: KENT DENVER COMMUNITY APPEARS WHEN LEAST EXPECTED

BY JACK TODD ’09

’14 Photo: M. Keely

When learning about Kent Denver, “community” is one of the first words many families will associate with the school. The word not only appears in our Vision, it is also one of our five core values alongside integrity, respect, personal growth and wisdom.

After graduating from Kent Denver, we hope alumni— and their families—will cherish and remain engaged in the community they built at the school. We hope they will stay close with friends they made here and also build relationships with others whose paths they didn’t cross on campus.

Sometimes, however, our community presents itself in mysterious ways. As an alumnus and now-employee of the school, I’ve seen this directly, but rarely as out of the blue as in the story below: Over the 2016 winter break, my brother, Harry ’14, showed me an Instagram post from a classmate of his, Makenzie Keely ’14, who was studying abroad in Florence, Italy. The post—a photo of a woman sitting in a hospital bed—read, “After 48 hours of sitting in the ER, I was feeling pretty weak, depressed and quite honestly, feeling very sorry for myself. This morning my attitude took a complete 180, after chatting with Mrs. Hollieoke.”

The post goes on to reveal that Mrs. Hollieoke—whom I later discovered was one Julie Holyoke—was a 1970 graduate of the Kent School for Girls. She spent the majority of her time since living, teaching and even raising children in Florence. Of all the people Keely could have shared a hospital room with, and in any city, she ended up in a room with Julie Holyoke, Kent School for Girls’ Class of 1970, in Florence, Italy. In a few short hours, Mrs. Holyoke was able to lift Keely’s spirits and bring her out of what she described as a time of great situational depression.

“Everyone told me I was going to learn so much about the world while I was abroad,” says Keely in her Instagram post. “Little did I know, I would learn the most important little life lessons from this lovely woman. I will forever be grateful for the few days of pain that provided me with the opportunity to meet a new friend and learn a new perspective on life.”

After reading her post, I reached out to Keely—whom I had never met—to talk to her about her experience and to discover more about “Mrs. Hollieoak.”

After graduating from Kent Denver, Keely moved to Fort Worth to attend Texas Christian University, where she studies fashion merchandising and journalism. Keely

Photo Courtes y M. Keely ’14

to Pho

ni oli art .B D sy rte Cou

SPRING 2017

27

had her first international travel experience with Katie Thomas, Kent Denver’s College Counseling Director, on a trip to France and Spain with other KDS students.

Going into college, she knew she wanted to study abroad during her junior year, and as a fashion merchandising major, Keely was only allowed to go abroad in the fall, either to Florence or London. Thinking London wouldn’t be different enough culturally, Keely packed her bags and, in August 2016, headed to Florence where she lived with three roommates.

“I wanted the challenge of going somewhere completely unfamiliar, but that choice made it difficult,” says Keely. She found the language barrier very challenging throughout her time in Florence. Add celiac disease to the mix and you have the recipe for a difficult time abroad.

Keely also went to Florence knowing that for the past two winters—her freshman and sophomore years of college—she had developed kidney stones, a problem she hadn’t experienced prior to leaving home. Keely had spoken with doctors about the issue, but had received scant advice other than “drink more water.” She hoped

28

KENT DENVER SCHOOL PERSPECTIVE

she wouldn’t develop any stones while abroad, but knew nothing was guaranteed.

“When I have a kidney stone forming or sitting in my kidney, I can feel it move,” she says. “And I felt one coming in mid-November. I was hoping I could make it home. I didn’t want to have another relapse.

They are extremely painful and frightening.”

Keely had no such luck. On a Tuesday in early December, she woke up in excruciating pain. She called her parents screaming and, with the help of her roommates, got in an ambulance and went to the hospital.

Being in a far-away country in the hospital with little support would be frightening and frustrating for most people, but for Keely—unfamiliar with Italy’s healthcare system—her experience couldn’t have been much worse. After an ultrasound, some painkillers, and a few hours waiting, she was released to go home; her doctors expected her to pass the stone soon.

“I was a little concerned because I had never been let out of a hospital that quickly for a kidney stone,” she says. “Within five hours I was throwing up everything. I couldn’t

Photos Courtesy M. Keely ’14

F I N D I N G F R I E N D S I N F A R - AWAY P L A C E S

keep down water or pain relievers. So I went back to the hospital and spent the next two nights there.”

Her second stint in the hospital wasn’t much better than the first.

With the hospital overflowing with patients, Keely was given a bed in one of the hospital’s brightly-lit hallways.

She had trouble communicating with nurses, yet she and her parents decided that by the time they arrived the stone would have passed. They weren’t coming—and were right not to, says Keely—but she felt alone, scared and depressed.

On Wednesday, she was placed in a bedroom with two other beds, one occupied by a young Nigerian woman who had just survived a shipwreck in the Mediterranean; the other empty.

“I went to bed that night, Wednesday, and they brought someone in to the third bed in the middle of the night. At this point, I was angry with anything. I thought, ‘Someone just woke me up. Who is this?’ I woke up the next morning and she was this really nice lady!” she says.

The woman who had been brought in that night was, of course, Holyoke.

Through small talk, they discovered

F E AT U R E

“I later discovered Julie Holyoke was a 1970 graduate of the Kent School for Girls” different things, especially when I was in this situational depression. She lifted my spirits and I doubt she has any idea how much it meant to me.

I wish I could thank her and explain the impact she had on my life, that day and going forward,” Keely said.

Eventually, with the help of the alumni office and a very effective sleuth in fellow Kent School for Girls’ alumna Terry Tomsick ’69, I got in touch with Holyoke via email and, later, Skype.

“Like both girls, I wasn’t at all happy to end up in the hospital,” says Holyoke. “And I figured that if I was not happy, a young girl falling over in pain probably wasn’t either.”

In December, Holyoke ended up in the hospital with a previouslyundiagnosed heart condition.

Like anyone, Holyoke wasn’t eager to be in the hospital that day, but when she saw two young women— neither of whom were from Italy—she sought to reassure them they were getting the care they needed and keep them comfortable.

Holyoke was able to communicate with Italian doctors and nurses so effectively because she had lived in Italy for nearly 50 years. Holyoke graduated Kent School for Girls in 1970, a year ahead of schedule.

Toward the end of her junior year of

Photo Courtes y D. Bartolini

Photo Courtesy S. Peers

they had both grown up in Colorado.

As they sat in adjacent beds, in a hospital, in Florence, they quickly discovered they had both gone to Kent Denver.

“I asked her where she had lived, and she said ‘Oh, I lived on South Colorado Boulevard near Quincy,’ and I said, ‘That’s where I went to high school. I went to Kent Denver,’ and she said ‘I went to Kent Denver!’”

Keely says, laughing. “It was so weird, the weirdest thing in the entire world.”

Over the course of the next few hours the two talked, and talked a lot. They discussed Keely’s school in Florence, her time in Italy, how Holyoke had ended up in Florence, Holyoke’s work and more.

“I felt so thankful to her in that moment for being there. She brought a lot of happiness to me that day just by talking to me,” says Keely. “It felt like she was a guardian angel trying to push me through the last few hours of my hospital visit, which had been—by far—my worst week abroad.”

Eager to get out of the hospital, Keely left in a hurry after she was released, not thinking to get Holyoke’s contact information.

“I immediately regretted not getting any contact information from her,” she says. “My mom even called me, ‘You didn’t even get her email?!’ I was just so flustered and ready to leave.”

At the end of my conversation with Keely, I told her I was going to try to track down Ms. Holyoke. I asked her what she would say to Holyoke if she could talk to her again.

“She probably doesn’t know how much it meant to me that she sat there and talked to me about all these

high school, she discovered she had all the credits she needed to graduate but one: an English credit.

“I spoke with the heads of school and negotiated a deal with them where I could attend the University of Denver that summer and get my last English credit. DU let me in, and I passed and graduated,” she says.

Having graduated unexpectedly early, Holyoke and her family hadn’t made plans for college, so she decided to return to a city where she been at ages 10 and 15, where she had felt at home—Florence.

“Both my parents loved music, dance and the fine arts. There were always lots of art books around, and a well-stocked arts studio where my grandmother, a fine arts professor, taught us to paint, draw, enamel and work with a variety of printing techniques,” she says. “When I came to Florence at age 10, I felt as if I had

SPRING 2017

29

F I N D I N G F R I E N D S I N F A R - AWAY P L A C E S

away. Being older and knowing that the girls’ parents were out of reach and no one would come to visit them, I could imagine the alarm they might be experiencing confronted with an unfamiliar medical system.”

With that in mind, Holyoke decided to reassure the two that they would be okay.

“I explained to Makenzie that healthcare in Italy is excellent.

Hospitals and doctors are superb,” she says.

Hearing Holyoke’s perspective on Italian healthcare, Keely wanted to hear more of what Holyoke had to say about Italian culture. Keely shared some of the frustrations she experienced while living in Italy, such as not having access to a dryer in her apartment or the slower pace of life in Italy, and this spurred much of the remainder of their conversation.

“It’s not that we wouldn’t enjoy a more convenient life with air-conditioning, better heating and a clothes dryer, but money in Italy tends to be spent on essential services provided by the government, and these are paid for via taxation,” Holyoke explained to Keely. “You can get your clothes dried fast, you can keep your house cool all day, or you can get healthcare.”

As Keely puts it, “Some of the things I was frustrated about by the end of my time there, she would show me a different side of that and the goodness in that.

How there’s value in doing things differently, that’s kind of what ‘culture’ is. We have different ways of life and that’s beautiful and awesome. It was a great lesson as I ended my time abroad. She gave me new perspectives I hadn’t thought of before.”

Both Keely and Holyoke learned a lot from the arts department while at Kent Denver and the Kent School for Girls, respectively. Were they contemporaries, they likely would have found a number of shared interests in high school.

Their lives since high school have varied greatly, however.

Photos Courtesy M. Keely ’14

come home. The paintings in the Uffizi Gallery were well-known to me. At 10-years-old, I made a life decision, vowing to my parents that I would come back to Florence to live. And I did!”

Holyoke moved in with a family that accepted “paying guests,” as she puts it. These families were typically well-todo, and provided a bedroom, meals and cultural immersion.

The family Holyoke ended up with, however, was neither caring nor protective. They provided her with keys to the house and little more.

“Encouraged by professors at the language school I attended, I eventually gravitated to a different living situation, moving into a flat shared with a number of young academics,” she says.

“They became my mentors and flatmates for the remainder of my first years in Florence. My knowledge of Italian language and literature flourished—as did my cooking skills—and I formed my own group of friends.”

Having applied early to Barnard College, Holyoke and her parents expected her time in Florence to last a year before she returned stateside. As Holyoke puts it, she was having far too much fun to go home, so she stayed in Florence for three years before enrolling in a textile design program at the Fashion Institute of Technology, or FIT, in New York City.

“The choice of technical rather than cultural studies was my form of rebellion in a period when one had to rebel, though I had very little to rebel against,” she says.

After completing her program at FIT, she returned to Florence, where she has lived ever since.

“It was a welcome surprise to find myself in a hospital room with two lovely young girls, instead of a group of contemporaries,” says Holyoke about her shared time with Keely. “It struck me that it must be very confusing for them as foreigners. I gathered Makenzie was connected to a school and had a place to stay, but her parents remained far

“It was a welcome surprise to find myself in a hospital room with two lovely young girls, instead of a group of contemporaries.”

30

KENT DENVER SCHOOL PERSPECTIVE

F E AT U R E

that project, she traveled to Madagascar, where she could recreate the textiles using technology similar to that of the era.

“The greatest challenge of the project was to produce the silks with locally-sourced materials and un-mechanized tools; for this reason the reconstructions were made in Madagascar—from locally grown cocoons to finished cloth—by a family of traditional silk workers in a workshop very like what one would have found in medieval times,” she says.

Textiles are everywhere—furnishing homes, covering bodies, even under roads—Holyoke’s work is just a small, but technical, part of that, she says. Regardless, the work she does with them is unlike any other.

The chance meeting Keely and Holyoke shared at a hospital in Florence just goes to show how important and meaningful Kent Denver’s community can be in the most unexpected of moments. For both of them, the time they shared there made a scary situation better.

“I am so thankful that I was able to talk to her and she was able to lift my spirits,” says Keely.

“Good things and bad things happened, as happen in all lives,” says Holyoke. “Mackenzie and I shared a good moment; this exchange is the result.”

Photo Courtesy Norsk Folkemuseum, Oslo

Photo Cour tesy J. Holy oke ’70

Keely was active in the theater program, and in her senior year played the title character in Oliver! under the direction of Pete Ellis. When she decided to attend TCU’s fashion merchandising program, though, Keely decided she wouldn’t take part in theater unless she knew she could commit the time it would require.

“I miss theater, especially with Mr. Ellis,” she says. “Going into college, I decided that I wasn’t going to pursue theater.

I didn’t know if I would have time. I kind of closed that chapter when I decided to pursue fashion.”

Keely is on track to graduate in the spring of 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts in fashion merchandising and a minor in journalism. She originally pursued these studies with the goal of becoming a fashion writer, but she now hopes to go into wholesale fashion merchandising after graduating. She will be interning with PAIGE, a designer of premium jeans and apparel, in Dallas over the summer of 2017.

Holyoke, on the other hand, left Kent School for Girls wanting to become a doctor like her father, but that didn’t coincide with what her mother wanted for her.

“She wanted me to be presented,” says Holyoke. “My older sister and I were sent to dance classes and cotillion, taught to ride well and play tennis. I was taught to speak French at an early age and later encouraged to study Italian.”

Her knowledge of the language, of course, helped her transition to life in Italy, but rather than return and receive a “cultural education” at Barnard, as her mother wanted, Holyoke decided to rebel, which meant studying the technical side of textile design at FIT. Holyoke has since become an expert in her field. In 2013—with the publisher Bloomsbury Academic—Holyoke published the first textbook on Jacquard Design in nearly 50 years, Digital Jacquard Design; she has also been commissioned to restore or recreate medieval textiles by several museums, and has attended and presented at conferences around the globe.

“The book was so much fun to do that since its completion, rather than spend the final years of my career in Italy, I now take design jobs in places I want to see,” she says. “My work is now a way of financing travel.”

Holyoke’s recent projects include a reconstruction of an 18th-century dress for the Norsk Folkemuseum in Oslo, Norway, as well as the reconstruction of five medieval silk and gold textiles, originally created between 1200-1400, for a museum in Lübeck, Germany. For

SPRING 2017

31

Non-Profit Org. US Postage PAID Denver, CO Permit No. 152

KENT DENVER SCHOOL

PERSPECTIVE 4000 East Quincy Avenue • Englewood, CO 80113-4916 Change Service Requested

Making a mark.

Bruce McGrath ’72 and Kyle Kim ’23 add their names to commemorative beams from the Andrews D. Black Building during the groundbreaking event for our new Middle School.

Photo: J. Todd ’09