SCHool Magazine Winter 2017

WINTER

2017

MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

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ver the past few months I have had the opportunity to meet with many of you personally, to hear your dreams for the school and your suggestions for how our mission and values can be clarified and better communicated. To this end, in February we will be holding a Clarity Summit, bringing representatives of our various constituencies together to reaffirm who we are at our core and confirm where we want to go as an institution. From this summit, we will distill four to five “dreams” that will guide our strategic work over the next few years. These dreams, and our biannual action plans, will be anchored by our unifying mission and values to ensure that we continue our unique SCH future focus.

Steve Druggan Head of School

As part of this clarity work, I want to share with you my own mission and values as an educator, evolved over more than 25 years in education, both here and abroad. I refer to these as my four pillars and they are guiding my work here at SCH. Ensuring Clarity at the Core In an age of almost unlimited choice—and the confusion that often attends this—I believe clarity is a keystone for lasting success. Clarity in schools often begins with development of a mission and vision, and I have found that choosing the words to describe these core principles is actually when the hard work begins.

In my prior work I have seen the impact of a clearly articulated shared vision at work and its power to deepen the commitment of all within the organization—teachers, parents, students, and board. Coming out of our Clarity Summit on February 11, and crystallizing even further by the end of the academic year, will be our core mission and values, dreams, and action plans that will guide our work going forward.

Creating a Relationship-Centered Culture Schools are all about relationships: ranging from teacher-student, coach-athlete, director-actor, to teaching teams, leadership groups, and community outreach. Through this web of relationships a school culture is developed and expressed. But relationships and teams don’t happen by chance. My institutional experience across different countries and a wide range of cultures and people has taught me that trust is a precondition of productive, healthy relationships and high-performing teams. Cultivating trust within an organization and building an effective leadership to support and advance this culture is one of the most important roles of a leader.

Making It Real Through so many of its programs and pedagogy—robotics, CEL, design thinking, and passion-based learning, to name a few—SCH Academy delivers on its commitment to provide a real education. By this I mean an education that enables students to understand and apply their learning in real-world contexts and to discover their capacity to make a difference through this work. The best schools make this “why” of learning clear for students. Making it real is what great teachers, coaches, and mentors have been doing for generations and what I see in action every day at SCH. Building Trust Around Change One of the few constants in this world is change, and we owe it to our faculty, students, and parents to honestly look at the changes we implement through multiple lenses, explain their purpose with clarity, and listen to those whom they are impacting. In this way, we honor what has come before, share what we are striving for, and communicate our progress along the way. Maintaining an open and authentic dialogue with all parties engaged in the change process builds the trust and confidence so essential to successfully navigating the sometimes choppy waters between present and future.

These four pillars are, of course, just part of what makes a great school. The most important element, and one I see in abundance every day at SCH, is the intense personal commitment, by every member of this community, to the growth of those who benefit most from a strong, healthy SCH—our students.

COVER PHOTO Head of School Steve Druggan, Board Chair Dick Hayne, and Upper School students with their Lower School “buddies” lead the school community onto Landreth Field for SCH Academy’s first Convocation.

Warmly, Stephen L. Druggan, Ed.D. Head of School

contents

SCHOOL

WINTER 2017

the magazine of springside chestnut hill academy

Stephen L. Druggan, Ed.D. Head of School

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Development Office 215-261-6959 Melissa Blue Brown ’87 Associate Director of Alumni and Parent Relations

message from head of school

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2 curing the world: Alumni Reflections on Their Work in Medicine

homecoming 2016 Photo Essay

Lynn Burke Associate Director of The SCH Fund

Nannette DiGiovanni Development Coordinator

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campus news Highlights of Recent Activities on Campus

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2016 athletic hall of fame Profiles of Inductees

Patti Hommes Director of Advancement Services Jennifer James McHugh ’84 Director of Development

Cindy Messerle Director of The SCH Fund

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Leslie Connor Newbold ’86 Director of Alumni and Parent Relations

Pepper Johnson Rexford ’92 Stewardship Coordinator Sue Toomey Administrative Assistant

Communications Office Deidra Lyngard Director of Publications and Video Editor, SCHOOL Magazine Elizabeth Sanders ha Editor at Large Karen Tracy ha Director of Digital Communications

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16 witness to history SCH Students Reflect on their Trip to Cuba at the Time of Castro’s Death sch standout athletes Profiles of Students and Alumni Excelling in Sports

why we read stories English Faculty Reflect on Why They’ve Chosen a Certain Book for Students to Read

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class notes

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26 mystery photos

28 TELL US ABOUT YOUR LASTING SCHOOL FRIENDSHIP We’re celebrating the power and longevity of school friendships. Do you have a close friend(s) who’s a CHA or Springside classmate? If so, send us a photo of you and your alum buddy(s) and tell us how you met and what’s kept you close over the years.

Your story may end up in this magazine! Email your story to alumni@sch.org with the subject line of Friends Forever.

Send your comments, story ideas, and expressions of interest in writing an article for the magazine to Deidra Lyngard, SCHOOL editor, at dlyngard@sch.org or 215-754-1616.

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CUR NG THE WORLD YOU’LL FIND THEM IN LABORATORIES, OPERATING ROOMS, OFFICES, CLINICS, AND IN THE FIELD. OUR ALUMNI ARE REPRESENTED ACROSS THE SPECTRUM OF HEALTHCARE, HELPING TO CURE WHAT AILS US AND MAKE OUR WORLD BETTER.

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SCHOOL MAGAZINE INVITED A SMALL CROSS SECTION OF OUR ALUMNI WORKING IN MEDICINE TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THEY DO, WHAT LIES AHEAD, AND WHAT INSPIRED THEM TO PURSUE THEIR CURRENT CAREER PATH.

RODNEY TAYLOR ’87 OTOLARYNGOLOGY UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND MEDICAL CENTER WHAT ARE YOUR CURRENT AREAS OF INTEREST OR SPECIALTY AND WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES AND REWARDS OF THIS WORK?

DR. ROSALEEN PARSONS ’77, RADIOLOGIST, FOX CHASE CANCER CENTER

My clinical expertise is surgical management of complex tumors and cancers of the head and neck including oral cavity (mouth), oropharynx (throat), larynx (voice box), skull base, thyroid, salivary glands, and skin. The majority of my time is clinical, divided between surgery and seeing patients in the outpatient setting. One day a week is dedicated towards research pursuits. My greatest rewards are the opportunity and privilege to care for patients and teach surgical residents my specialty. To have the ability to impact the lives of individuals is something I still cherish and find amazing. It is also the greatest challenge. There are times when I have to deliver dire news to individuals that I have formed a strong bond with and that is always difficult.

ARE YOU DOING ANY WORK OUTSIDE OF YOUR REGULAR PRACTICE/RESEARCH AND WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO DO THIS? My research interests focus on cancer stem cells, adult mesenchymal stem cells, and tumor immunology. I publish in this area as well as topics in

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11th grade. Also, a real hero was Marty Baumburger, a physics teacher, who did a great job of making us excited about science.

Those were two shoulders I stood upon who gave me early encouragement and nurtured my excitement and passion for science. At the end of high school, my classmate and friends’ dad, Dr. Gerald Lemole, let me attend one of his cardiac surgeries. This was the first time I stepped into an operating theater. In college, over the summers, I worked with Dr. Mehmet Oz, who let me participate in a small animal surgery research project, which piqued my interest in surgery. Both men were directly influential in my picking a career in medicine.

head and neck cancer care. Other activities include teaching and mentoring. My teaching responsibilities primarily involve medical students and surgical residents. My mentoring activities range from formal programs with middle school students in impoverished areas of West Baltimore as well as working with medical students and residents. I sit on an advisory board that oversees a joint project of the National Cancer Institute and the University of Maryland School of Medicine in which we work intensively with these middle school students two days a week and on Saturdays, offering guided instruction and a full curriculum of scientifically and mathematically geared academic and enrichment activities. The overarching goal of the program is to increase the number of underrepresented minorities in scientific fields, ideally in cancer research. The program is the first of its kind in that we longitudinally follow these kids from 6th grade through 12th grade. Each year we get a new set of 6th graders. Additionally, I routinely do humanitarian work where I operate and care for patients around the world. I go down to Haiti once a year as part of an effort with Partners in Health. This humanitarian organization was co-founded by Jim Kim, now head of the World Bank and friend, whom I met when I was in medical school and with whom I have served on various committees. While in Haiti, I work with a local physician and help take care of patients with head, neck, and mouth surgical needs, such as tumors and cancers. I also travel to a variety of other places with a team of my University of Maryland colleagues who share a passion for humanitarian work. We’ve gone to Cambodia, Kenya, and Fiji, and this year, Vietnam. We try to do as much as we can in the time that’s allotted. Basically, I’m out and about twice a year doing humanitarian work.

AMY PADULA ’96 ENVIRONMENTAL AND PERINATAL EPIDEMIOLOGY UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO WHAT ARE YOUR CURRENT AREAS OF INTEREST OR SPECIALTY AND WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES AND REWARDS OF THIS WORK? I am an assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco. Trained in epidemiology, I conduct research to answer questions relating to the effects of environmental exposures during pregnancy and how it affects the children. Much of my previous work has focused on air pollution exposure during pregnancy and its association with low birth weight, prematurity, and birth defects. We have also expanded our studies to look at pesticides and (endocrine-disrupting) chemicals that we come into contact with every day in our furniture, our shampoo, our food, and all the plastic we use. Our studies will also look at more long-term effects on neurodevelopment in children. One important aspect of our research that I find particularly compelling is the intersection of the environment with social factors such as income, race/ethnicity, national origin, and how these factors interact to affect people’s health.

WHAT EXCITING TRENDS/INNOVATIONS OR CHALLENGES DO YOU SEE FOR YOUR FIELD OVER THE NEXT 5-10 YEARS? The growth of regenerative medicine and the use of stem cells to fuel that process I anticipate will help revolutionize and advance medical care. One of my areas of research is studying adult stem cells and head-neck cancer stem cells. Both have the ability to be immortal and replicate forever. My team has found what we believe to be a mechanism that is shared between cancer cells and stem cells that we are working to understand better, with the overall goal of identifying targets for the treatment of cancer. In parallel, we hope to harness the power of stem cells to direct them in a way that can be useful in regenerative medicine, such as putting them in different environments to create bone, cartilage, muscles, skin, or neural tissue.

ARE YOU DOING ANY WORK OUTSIDE OF YOUR REGULAR OFFICE PRACTICE/RESEARCH, AND WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO DO THIS? My work in academia is all-inclusive. The work is never done, but there is a tremendous amount of flexibility. I consider so much of what I do a part of my work because it all blends together—from mentoring students, to traveling for conferences, to reading incessantly. I am currently pregnant, which is, and I’m sure will continue to be, a sharp learning curve about the human body and my field of medicine—obstetrics/gynecology. One thing I’ve been involved with outside of my work is my contact with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). As part of a program called “Reach the Decision Makers” that I participated in several years ago, I worked with a small team to communicate the science and public concern to advocate for policy change. Our group fo-

DID ANY EXPERIENCES/PEOPLE/STUDIES WHILE YOU WERE AT CHA INFLUENCE YOUR DECISION TO GO INTO YOUR FIELD OR MEDICINE IN GENERAL? Mrs. Boehner, a former biology teacher, put me in touch with a summer biomedical research program at Jefferson Medical College that was my first entrée into science and involved doing bench research. That was an important and early exposure in

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being able to write, and I have to thank Mrs. Dempsey for that.

I still think of her when I’m writing. Scientific writing can be dull and formulaic at times, but some well-chosen words and well-placed commas are much appreciated. Lastly, there was a strong sense of responsibility instilled in us—that it was up to us to plant trees on arbor day, feed the homeless on service day, and take care of one another every day. I think this is an important lesson, and I feel that responsibility now more than ever. It stemmed from my days at Springside and it’s something I’ll always treasure.

cused on tightening the particulate matter rule of the Clean Air Act to lower the standard allowed by the federal government and add more monitors near sources such as roadways so that we can get more accurate assessments of the pollution that people are exposed to. Additionally, we recommended that they find out what kinds of particles are in different areas so that we can better address the sources. It took over two years following our initial visits to the EPA, but our voices were heard and these changes were made. We strive to make our research relevant so that policy makers can have informed decisions on what is considered safe in our environment. And it’s incredibly rewarding to see our research translated into meaningful policy change that helps protect public health.

WHAT EXCITING TRENDS/INNOVATIONS OR CHALLENGES DO YOU SEE FOR YOUR FIELD OVER THE NEXT 5-10 YEARS?

MICHAEL LEMOLE ’87 NEUROSURGERY ARIZONA HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER

My hope is that we continue the trend of increased public awareness regarding the importance of the environment and its effects on our health. I would love to see an increase in research focused on environmental causes of health problems and the social factors that are entwined with these relationships. It is often dismissed in medicine because it is outside the scope of what medicine traditionally has been tasked with, but it has such a large effect on public health. The whole concept of “environmental justice” is so critical, and I believe it is gaining awareness. We need to consider the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. To be honest, my biggest concern is the impact of our next administration on the funding of scientific research and, more importantly, the role of the government to protect against environmental exposures. I believe our government has a responsibility to protect everyone in our society and has the potential to create more equality rather than less, but that has not been a strong theme of the incoming administration. I am optimistic that we can make strides in environmental and perinatal health despite this setback, and our work has become even more important because of the election.

WHAT ARE YOUR CURRENT AREAS OF INTEREST OR SPECIALTY AND WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES AND REWARDS OF THIS WORK? As is typical in academic medicine, I wear a lot of hats. On a daily basis, I function as a clinician, teacher, researcher, and administrator. Officially, I am the chief of the division of neurosurgery at the University of Arizona. This title, as you might expect, encompasses my leadership role within the college of medicine.

I’m responsible for seeing that our clinical, educational, and academic operations run smoothly and fit within our financial budget. As a teacher and mentor, I educate neurosurgical residents every day, in my clinic and operating room. It’s sort of an on-thejob kind of training. I delegate responsibilities to them based upon their level of training and individual aptitude. The program is seven years beyond medical school. One of the greatest rewards of my work is to watch these young professionals mature into fully trained neurosurgeons. I am also the codirector of the skull base program at my hospital. Skull base neurosurgery, as its name implies, involves operations at the base of the skull where all the critical arteries, veins, nerves, and spinal cord enter and exit. The anatomy in this region is particularly complex

DID ANY EXPERIENCES/PEOPLE/STUDIES WHILE YOU WERE AT SPRINGSIDE INFLUENCE YOUR DECISION TO GO INTO YOUR FIELD OR MEDICINE IN GENERAL? My family is all in medicine, so it dominated the dinner table discussions, but I took a slightly different route that I can trace back to my “Civ” classes (short for “Civilizations” aka history) at Springside. Health is not just about medicine, it’s about all the parts of our civilization—our culture, politics, economy, along with our scientific advances. This interest in 5th grade Civ led me to anthropology in college. Coupled with my interest in biology (stemming back to Mrs. Powlan’s and Mr. Stein’s classes) and a fascination about what is going on in our bodies led to my studies in medical anthropology, which I also studied at Penn. It is this intersection of science and Civ that I find most compelling. However, I could not have made it this far without

THERE WAS A STRONG SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY INSTILLED IN US THAT IT WAS UP TO US TO PLANT TREES ON ARBOR DAY, FEED THE HOMELESS ON SERVICE DAY, AND TAKE CARE OF ONE ANOTHER EVERY DAY. ~ AMY PADULA ’96

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and the terrain is unforgiving. The type of pathology we treat in this area might include tumors, blood vessel malformations, and defects resulting in brain fluid leakage. These are highstakes operations, and yet, they offer some of the most beautiful glimpses of the human brain. These challenges are why I chose this particular area of subspecialization.

DID ANY EXPERIENCES/PEOPLE/STUDIES WHILE YOU WERE AT CHA INFLUENCE YOUR DECISION TO GO INTO YOUR FIELD OR MEDICINE IN GENERAL? I was blessed to have fantastic teachers during my time at Chestnut Hill Academy. One of the reasons I chose Chestnut Hill for high school was the strong commitment to the sciences and the new science education building at that time. I recall Mrs. Boehner in biology, Mrs. White in chemistry, and Mr. Baumberger in physics, to name a few of my outstanding mentors. They all reinforced my commitment to pursue a career in the sciences.

At one point, based on Mr. Baumberger’s outstanding classes, I even considered a career in physics, but my courses in college soon dispelled that delusion. Neurosurgery is a complex field that requires a strong basis in all of the basic sciences. Chestnut Hill Academy gave me that firm foundation and I am forever grateful. But more importantly, Chestnut Hill emphasized the whole person including physical, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual development. That balance has made all the difference in a career that could otherwise consume a person.

ARE YOU DOING ANY WORK OUTSIDE OF YOUR REGULAR PRACTICE/RESEARCH AND WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO DO THIS? One of the lessons that Chestnut Hill Academy taught me was to continually strive for improvement. I carry this ethic today in my clinical and academic practice. Over the years I have learned and developed new techniques to improve patient care while minimizing the negative and dramatic impacts of surgery.

This kind of clinical research most often takes the form of academic reviews and publications. I also work with basic scientists to innovate and develop new products that will impact the way we do surgeries in the future. Currently, I’m focusing on a device that will allow us to use the reaction of the pupillary response to assess cranial nerve and brain function during surgery and in the ICU. WHAT EXCITING TRENDS/INNOVATIONS OR CHALLENGES DO YOU SEE FOR YOUR FIELD OVER THE NEXT 5-10 YEARS?

SULEIKA JUST-BUDDY MICHEL ’86

The most prominent neurosurgical trend in recent years is the push toward minimally invasive approaches. The goal is to minimize the intrusiveness of traditional approaches while maintaining their clinical impact. Examples of this include using laser fibers to burn areas of the brain that cause seizures, instead of the traditional approach requiring large skull opening. Even in my own subspecialty of skull base neurosurgery we are constantly working to find techniques to lessen our clinical footprint but maximize our results.

Classic examples of these are the endonasal skull base approaches. With these techniques, we can access many tumors and skull base defects through the nose. Essentially the patient can have a full neurosurgical procedure without a facial or cranial incision.

OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY ANNAPOLIS OBGYN ASSOCIATES WHAT ARE YOUR CURRENT AREAS OF INTEREST OR SPECIALTY AND WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES AND REWARDS OF THIS WORK? I am currently a board-certified obstetrician gynecologist in a large, single-specialty group practice located in Maryland.

We have four offices, but we are only affiliated with one hospital. Both the hospital and our primary office are located in Annapolis, Maryland. As a partner in our practice, I am instrumental in making major decisions also on the business side, not simply in the care of our patients. Taking business classes while premed at Hopkins was one of the best things I ever did. I still practice both obstetrics and gynecology, encompassing care of pregnancies and deliveries and managing routine and complicated office GYN issues, in addition to performing gynecological surgeries. Our practice is the largest in our county. Alone, we deliver literally one third of the hospital’s census. When I am on call, it is for a 24-hour shift. We typically stay at the hospital because, inevitably, someone from our practice goes into labor daily. Many times it is multiple patients at a time. Being gone from home for that long on a regular basis requires a love for the skill. And I must say, I LOVE what I do. Bringing another life into the world is, hands down, the best job ever. As a wife of almost 20 years, and mother of two teenage student-athletes, juggling these responsibilities involves a great deal of organization and assistance. Managing a full career outside of the home while

Michael Lemole in surgery.

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SCH FORENSICS CLASS TEACHES STUDENTS HOW TO APPLY SCIENCE TO SOLVING CRIMES

running a household can be a challenge. I am extremely blessed to have an amazing husband who helps with household duties and our children’s activities. I am not ashamed to say that I have a large village, created from putting multiple small villages together, to help me stay afloat, particularly when my husband travels for work. I have a swim village, a soccer village, a neighborhood village, a school village, and a babysitter. Asking for help from other families in the beginning was difficult. Now we all realize that asking for help is necessary and okay.

ARE YOU DOING ANY WORK OUTSIDE OF YOUR REGULAR PRACTICE/RESEARCH AND WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO DO THIS? I have had the opportunity to do missionary work in Kenya during medical school, and in Haiti a few years ago shortly after the devastating earthquake. While in Kenya for one month, I managed emergency room patients and obstetrical deliveries.

I hope to return to that hospital to provide assistance. Haiti is dear to my heart because my husband is Haitian, born in Port-au-Prince. Shortly after the earthquake, we received word about a gentleman whose legs were crushed during the quake when the roof of his church fell on him. A local missionary from Maryland was in Haiti and met him. She arranged to have him cared for at our hospital gratis; however, they needed someone to house him in Maryland as he received multiple surgeries. One of my colleagues asked if I knew anyone interested. I discussed it with my husband, and we decided that we would be his home away from home. He and his cousin, who accompanied him as a translator for the hospital, stayed with us for almost four months. He arrived in a wheelchair. They became family. The young man recovered from his surgeries.

We raised enough money to pay his rent and his cousin’s rent in Haiti for a year to keep them out of the tent cities. I traveled to Haiti two years later with his orthopedic physician as part of a volunteer organization called Helping Hands. I delivered babies and performed GYN surgeries while they performed orthopedic surgeries. We were able to meet up with the gentleman whose legs were crushed. He was walking—with a smile. Priceless. It’s quite humbling to realize that my gift as an OBGYN can be used anywhere in the world. I’m obligated to share it.

Anna Dhody ’93, curator of the Mütter Museum, visits the Forensics class to talk about carbon dating.

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uring the decade that saw the rise in popularity of crime shows such as NCIS, Sherlock, Bones and Cold Case Forensics, forensics has become one of the most popular science electives in the Upper School at SCH. This interdisciplinary course deals with the application of the scientific principles of biology, chemistry, and physics in evaluating the physical evidence found at crime scenes.

Topics each year include drug testing; blood, fingerprint, and document analysis; arson and explosives; firearm identification; DNA profiling; forensic anthropology and autopsies; forensic technology and encryption; and forensic engineering. Extensive connections are made to real-life crimes, including historical cases like the analysis and identification of the remains of Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanov. Contemporary case studies are highlighted by the forensic experts that visit the course. Special guests have included Mütter Museum curator Anna Dhody, firearm identification specialists from the Philadelphia Police Department, SCH parent and forensic toxicologist Dr. Robert Middleberg, the Humane Society’s Arson Investigation Team of the Year, and Officer Lee Laubach and arson dog “Judge” from the Allentown Fire Department. A course like forensics appeals to a student who is interested in studying the historical context of crime, the history of science methodology, and the science behind current stories in the news. A number of SCH seniors have arranged to do exciting senior projects in forensic-related areas such as working with the Philadelphia Police Department Forensics Lab and the Department of Homeland Security.

Graduates from SCH have continued to develop their interest in forensic-related fields by exploring college majors in both the biological and chemical sciences as well as in computer engineering. The Philadelphia area has a number of colleges with outstanding programs in forensics, including Penn State University, Arcadia University, and the University of the Sciences.

WHAT EXCITING TRENDS/INNOVATIONS OR CHALLENGES DO YOU SEE FOR YOUR FIELD OVER THE NEXT 5-10 YEARS? I am a strong advocate of minimally invasive surgeries for appropriate candidates. As a certified Da Vinci gynecology surgeon, I perform major surgeries such as hysterectomies through small incisions, allowing patients to go home the same day. The trend toward enhancing surgical techniques and equipment so patients have a quicker recovery is rapidly growing. With the busy lifestyles of today’s women as caregivers, financial partners in a household, mothers, and wives, any opportunity to minimize downtime from surgery is greatly appreciated.

~ by Dr. Kim Eberle-Wang, Upper School Science Faculty

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I LOVE WHAT I DO. BRINGING ANOTHER LIFE INTO THE WORLD IS, HANDS DOWN, THE BEST JOB EVER. ~ SULEIKA JUST-BUDDY MICHEL ’86

DID ANY EXPERIENCES/PEOPLE/STUDIES WHILE YOU WERE AT SPRINGSIDE INFLUENCE YOUR DECISION TO GO INTO YOUR FIELD OR MEDICINE IN GENERAL? The Science Department at Springside really opened my eyes to the concept of performing surgery. I remember when we were placed in groups to dissect a toad and a cow lung. We were supposed to bring the animals and body parts home to complete the project. Parents of the other students in my group declined to have those in their home. My mother, on the other hand, said it was fine, as long as I kept everything in the basement. So that’s what we did. We filled my basement with the fresh aroma of formaldehyde to dissect as required. Several years later, I finally attended medical school and took the gross anatomy course to dissect a human cadaver. As I walked into the room of preserved bodies, the formaldehyde odor quickly took me back to my basement during high school—dissecting a cow lung with plastic gloves on. That was one of my favorite courses. I never would have thought that a high school dissection assignment would inspire me to do what I do today. I’m glad it did.

PHILIP PEARSON ’86 COLORECTAL SURGERY MAIN LINE HEALTHCARE WHAT ARE YOUR CURRENT AREAS OF INTEREST OR SPECIALTY AND WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES AND REWARDS OF THIS WORK? I am a colorectal surgeon and have been for 12 years. I graduated from medical school in 1997 and then I did a surgery residency, which took five years. Somewhere in there I did two years of research in a research lab. After my general surgery training, I did one more year of fellowship training in colorectal surgery in Minnesota. So after all that training I ended up being a full-fledged colorectal surgeon! It sounds weird but colorectal surgery is a really great specialty. I deal with diseases of the colon and and the rectum and the anus, which sounds embarrassing but we all have one and there can be big problems!

Anytime there’s a problem with any one of these areas people come to me. A lot of people do require surgery, but some just need proper care and then we can avoid surgery. One of the great things about this specialty is that there is a huge variety of things to deal with. There are cancer cases where it’s really life-

and-death. There are cases where people have benign disease, which is just annoying and messing with their lifestyle and I can help them. There are people that I see many many times over the years and there are people that I only meet once. There are young people and old people. There are huge, long, complex surgeries that take hours and there are simple things like colonoscopies, which are very important and only take 30 minutes to perform. The reward of the specialty is that I can truly help people, often with problems that they were too embarrassed to talk about or deal with for years. The fact that I can help them in a respectful and sensitive way really makes people happy. It’s also great to be a surgeon and be able to work with my hands. I feel very satisfied at the end of the day when I’ve done procedures or operations or endoscopies and I feel like I play an active part in the health of my patients. The downside is that any person who does procedures can have complications. Complications are the big challenge of my work. When something doesn’t go as well as it should have, or in fact when something goes drastically wrong during or after a procedure, it can really affect me deeply.

I usually grow to care about my patients very much and so when they’re in trouble it’s disturbing. And when they’re in trouble because of something I personally did to them, it can be disabling.

The huge challenge is to keep my cool and to continue on with what I know is the right thing to do for them. I have to avoid the urge to apologize every single time I see them for the complication. I have to just move on and treat whatever they have going on. Honestly, that’s the biggest challenge for me—not to get too bogged down emotionally when the patient is in trouble. It’s a constant battle that I face.

ARE YOU DOING ANY WORK OUTSIDE OF YOUR REGULAR PRACTICE/RESEARCH AND WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO DO THIS? In my current private practice I do very little work outside of the office and the operating room. I find myself so caught up in treating every patient well—in devoting my full attention to each patient one person at a time—that I have very little time or energy for extra-office medical activities. I leave the research to academicians like those at Penn or Thomas Jefferson or Temple. Someday I would like to go on a medical mission to an underserved country but have not found the right fit yet.

WHAT EXCITING TRENDS/INNOVATIONS OR CHALLENGES DO YOU SEE FOR YOUR FIELD OVER THE NEXT 5-10 YEARS? Laparoscopic surgery is certainly a common modality for elective colon surgery these days, and I think it will be interesting over the next 5-10 years to see if the use of the robot (which is common for many other types of surgery) becomes the standard way of doing colon surgery. There are some benefits to this approach for sure, but right now the jury is still out regarding whether the robot will ultimately be as useful as its proponents would have everyone believe.

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primates in biomedical research. There is often a misperception about the regulations governing this work and an underappreciation of the impact that nonhuman primate research has had on human health. I have been asked to speak at several local schools and an educational program for senior citizens, and have contributed to the website speakingofresearch.com. It can be a delicate subject, but I find that most people are willing to have an informed discussion, and children have been extremely engaged in learning about this type of research. I consider this outreach to not only benefit me personally (in terms of the public view of my work), but it is also something I do on behalf of the patients for whom the research aims to help.

DID ANY EXPERIENCES/PEOPLE/STUDIES WHILE YOU WERE AT CHA INFLUENCE YOUR DECISION TO GO INTO YOUR FIELD OR MEDICINE IN GENERAL? Actually my interest in medicine really happened as a bolt out of the blue the year after I graduated from college and was working as a stock trader on Wall Street. After this epiphany occurred, I definitely used my CHA contacts to reach out into the medical networks to ask people for guidance. During my time at CHA I actually had no idea that I would eventually become a doctor! If you had mentioned that to me when I was a senior I would have had a good laugh!!

WHAT EXCITING TRENDS/INNOVATIONS OR CHALLENGES DO YOU SEE FOR YOUR FIELD OVER THE NEXT 5-10 YEARS?

ANN CHAHROUDI ’92

There is a major push right now from the National Institutes of Health and the larger scientific community to work on a cure for HIV. So far, only one person has been cured of HIV infection (the so-called “Berlin patient”) and his case was extremely unique.

The challenge we face is to take lessons learnt both from this unique case and other unsuccessful approaches to design therapeutic interventions for a broader population of HIV-infected individuals. We are beginning to think of HIV in similar terms as cancer, i.e., can we induce HIV remission for one year, two years, five years? Remission in this setting would mean a period of time free from all HIV medications when the virus remains undetectable in a patient’s blood. I am particularly interested in testing strategies to induce HIV remission in perinatally infected children, who currently face a lifetime of daily medicine to stay healthy. These medicines have side effects, are expensive, and do not completely reverse the damage to the immune system caused by HIV. I think we are taking the very first steps towards curing HIV, and there is still so much to learn about this

PEDIATRIC INFECTIOUS DISEASES EMORY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE WHAT ARE YOUR CURRENT AREAS OF INTEREST OR SPECIALTY AND WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES AND REWARDS OF THIS WORK? I am currently an assistant professor of pediatrics in the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Emory University School of Medicine. My clinical specialty is HIV infection in children and adolescents and I run a translational research laboratory investigating strategies to cure HIV. The most rewarding thing about what I do is to provide care for patients and share in their individual success stories while simultaneously working to address what I feel is one of the most important research questions of our time—can we cure HIV? The fact that we can even ask that question shows how far we have come from 1981 when AIDS was first described in the United States. Despite all of the clinical and scientific advances in the past 35 years, over 5,000 new infections occur every day and in the Southeastern United States, where I am based, the rates of new infections in young people are actually increasing. Social stigma, poverty, barriers to access healthcare—these are the challenges my patients face every day, with no sign that these problems will improve in the near future. On top of that, because we have excellent treatment options for HIV at this point, there is not the same fear of becoming infected that existed in the ’80s and early ’90s. Education and awareness campaigns will need to be strengthened for all adolescents if we are going to end the AIDS epidemic.

ARE YOU DOING ANY WORK OUTSIDE OF YOUR REGULAR PRACTICE/RESEARCH AND WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO DO THIS? My research is primarily based on translational studies using a nonhuman primate model for HIV infection. This work is conducted at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center of Emory University, one of seven such centers funded by the National Institutes of Health. As a result, I think it is my duty to talk with the nonscientific community about the importance of nonhuman

Philip Pearson discussing a case with colleagues at the Tumor Board.

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virus, but I am hopeful we will discover a targeted therapeutic approach that induces HIV remission at least in a subset of patients in my lifetime.

DID ANY EXPERIENCES/PEOPLE/STUDIES WHILE YOU WERE AT SPRINGSIDE INFLUENCE YOUR DECISION TO GO INTO YOUR FIELD OR MEDICINE IN GENERAL? I can trace my career path to a single event while at Springside.

I was a senior so it was likely 1991. HIV was a devastating and universally fatal disease with very limited treatment options at that time. My good friend Shannon Quill ’92 and I had organized for the Red Cross to come to Springside and train a group of us to become “Teen Peer AIDS Educators.” As a part of that training, a person living with HIV/AIDS came to speak to us about the impact HIV had on both his health and social interactions, and his story was incredibly moving to me as a 17-year-old. (It probably would still be today.) I was inspired to seek out opportunities to conduct HIV research in college at Brown, where I worked with physician-scientist Dr. Gail Skowron. She reinforced my aspirations and was my first example of a physician dedicated to treating HIV-infected patients as well as running a research laboratory investigating the immune response to HIV. Several other research experiences followed after Brown and I was fortunate to be accepted to Emory University’s MD/ PhD Program, where I continued to conduct research in the HIV field. I also credit this experience at Springside as being one of several events that led me to meet my husband, also an HIV scientist, during my training at Emory. We were co-authors on a manuscript published in the journal Nature Medicine before we had actually met and shared a mentor in common. Now three children and multiple manuscripts/projects later, our collaboration has gone quite well!

GRAHAM GARDNER ’91 CEO, KYRUUS, INC WHAT ARE YOUR CURRENT AREAS OF INTEREST OR SPECIALTY AND WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES AND REWARDS OF THIS WORK? I am a cardiologist by training but left clinical practice about 10 years ago to focus my career at the intersection of healthcare, technology, and business. While cardiology was incredibly exciting and impactful at the individual patient level, I was also intrigued about the opportunity to transform care delivery at the system level. Since completing business school, I have been fortunate to start a number of companies that have helped to bring innovation to different areas of medicine. I am currently the CEO of Kyruus—a software company that helps health systems with patient access and referral management. I am incredibly flattered that more than 100 people have devoted their careers to our mission and proud of the results that we have delivered

A

B

WHICH IS THE TRUE SYMBOL FOR MEDICINE? The Rod of Asclepius (A), depicting a single snake wound around a staff, derives from Asclepius, a Greek deity associated with healing and medicine. The Rod of Asclepius is frequently confused with the caduceus (B), the magic staff of Hermes/ Mercury, god of commerce, eloquence, invention, travel and theft, which is generally associated with messengers and commerce.

Most of the organizations using the caduceus today are either commercial health organizations, dental organizations, or divisions of the American military. Professional and patientcentered organizations—in fact most medical associations around the world, including the World Health Organization—use the Rod of Asclepius. Yet, despite the rod’s unequivocal claim as the correct symbol for medicine, the caduceus appears to be more popular in the United States, probably due to the fact that it was mistakenly adopted as the logo for the Medical Department of the United States Army in 1902. ~ Based on the website of Dr. Keith Blayney

to our clients as we help them to better match patients with the right doctor in their network. I travel too much and work too hard, but am fortunate to have a wonderfully supportive family that has allowed me to pursue my dreams.

ARE YOU DOING ANY WORK OUTSIDE OF YOUR REGULAR PRACTICE/RESEARCH AND WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO DO THIS? I left medicine for the same reasons that I went into medicine­—to make the world a better place. I’ve been fortunate to contribute to innovation in different ways—academic research in college, medical school, and clinical training but also the commercialization of novel technologies as an investor and entrepreneur. There are incredible opportunities to help people in healthcare, by helping to invent new medicine, new devices, new software technologies, and/or new processes. I have found that the biggest opportunities are at the intersection of different silos—the ability to leverage the model from one area to another can unlock tremendous opportunity!

WHAT EXCITING TRENDS/INNOVATIONS OR CHALLENGES DO YOU SEE FOR YOUR FIELD OVER THE NEXT 5-10 YEARS? I see explosive potential to drive innovation within the field of healthcare technology. Healthcare has an opportunity to leverage advances in data management as well as the business

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I HAVE FOUND THAT THE BIGGEST OPPORTUNITIES ARE AT THE INTERSECTION OF DIFFERENT SILOS— THE ABILITY TO LEVERAGE THE MODEL FROM ONE AREA TO ANOTHER CAN UNLOCK TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITY!

models/concepts that have succeeded in finance, travel, and even sports. Can we provide information security like banking, schedule and capacity/yield management like the airline industry, and analytics like professional sporting? Healthcare is different—complicated and nuanced­—but can also be the beneficiary of advances across other industries if we have the humility to learn from what others have developed.

DID ANY EXPERIENCES/PEOPLE/STUDIES WHILE YOU WERE AT CHA INFLUENCE YOUR DECISION TO GO INTO YOUR FIELD OR MEDICINE IN GENERAL?

~ GRAHAM GARDNER ’91

While I had grown up with healthcare around the dinner table and entered CHA with a strong desire to pursue medicine, I credit CHA with developing the critical thinking and confidence to help me care for other people’s lives. I pursued the study of history because of mentors like Stan Parker, Ted Barber, and Frank Steel, who taught us how to think and analyze, but I am also incredibly indebted to mentors like Roland Woehr, who taught us how to handle ourselves in front of people—something I had to do sometimes with a family who had just lost a loved one despite our best efforts. Finally, CHA taught us how to be a team—we were too small (I graduated with 38 other boys) to have division. We had to stand with each other the same way we had to in a cardiac catheterization lab years later and a start-up company today.

ARE YOU DOING ANY WORK OUTSIDE OF YOUR REGULAR PRACTICE/RESEARCH AND WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO DO THIS? Because of my interest in genitourinary cancers, I have authored or co-authored multiple scientific papers, book chapters, and scientific posters and have been an invited lecturer throughout the world. It is a wonderful opportunity to be able to work with and teach radiologists in other countries. Cracking the case in any country is always a motivating factor. No matter what the time zone or the language, we all look the same to a radiologist!

WHAT EXCITING TRENDS/INNOVATIONS OR CHALLENGES DO YOU SEE FOR YOUR FIELD OVER THE NEXT 5-10 YEARS? Radiology continues to rapidly evolve from what was once a strictly anatomic/pathology discipline to one that incorporates functional imaging [Editor: a method of detecting or measuring changes in metabolism, blood flow, regional chemical composition, and absorption]. This evolution has dramatically altered management of brain tumors. Pretreatment resection of brain tumors now routinely includes functional neural track mapping with MRI to minimize operative nerve damage. For patients with cancer, adjustment of scanning parameters can now be used to determine within 24 hours whether or not a chemotherapy is effective—a process that used to take several weeks! We are just beginning to delve into the uses of functional imaging, but the potential with this technique is huge and makes it a very exciting area in radiology.

ROSALEEN GEMBALA PARSONS ’77 RADIOLOGY FOX CHASE CANCER CENTER WHAT ARE YOUR CURRENT AREAS OF INTEREST OR SPECIALTY AND WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES AND REWARDS OF THIS WORK? I am the chair of diagnostic radiology at Fox Chase Cancer Center and have been named a fellow in the American College of Radiology and the Society of Abdominal Radiology. My focus is oncology imaging with an interest in genitourinary malignancies, specifically kidney and prostate cancer. As the chair I am also involved with the administrative aspect of healthcare.

One of the major challenges all physician leaders face is how to provide value-based patient care in an era of skyrocketing costs and diminishing reimbursements. I always think of radiologists as the “Doctors’ Doctor.” Often we are the physicians who “crack the case,” either through image-guided intervention or through the use of imaging which can dramatically affect patient care. Having the knowledge and skill to help patients is the most rewarding aspect of my career.

Rosaleen Parsons, third from right, at Qiqihar Medical University in China.

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DID ANY EXPERIENCES/PEOPLE/STUDIES WHILE YOU WERE AT SPRINGSIDE INFLUENCE YOUR DECISION TO GO INTO YOUR FIELD OR MEDICINE IN GENERAL? During senior year we were asked to perform an outside project. I have always been grateful to my classmate and fellow physician, Annie Miller Buinewicz, whose father Dr. Bernard Miller, a famous surgeon, allowed us to shadow him at work.

Dr. Miller’s two sons are CHA graduates and also physicians. He was a brilliant, gentle man who was patient with the two of us and helped to spark my interest in medicine. When it came time to choose a residency, I was fortunate enough to be accepted into the residency program at what was then the Medical College of Pennsylvania under the guidance of Dr. George Popky whose three daughters are Springside alumnae. To this day I remain in touch with him and often reach out to him for advice.

So, for me, the Springside associations have have been a part of my career since the beginning.

TINA SMITH PAUL ’91 SPORTS MEDICINE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA WHAT ARE YOUR CURRENT AREAS OF INTEREST OR SPECIALTY AND WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES AND REWARDS OF THIS WORK? My practice is based at the University of Pennsylvania Student Health Center, where I practice both primary care and nonoperative sports medicine. I provide the concussion care for all the varsity athletes at Penn, and we also see the athletes when they are ill or struggling in other ways, such as with eating disorders, anxiety, etc. In addition, I see the recreational athletes, including club sports (both grad and undergrad) for their musculoskeletal care. We have a very highly educated patient population at Penn, and many patients have already researched their condition and have some ideas about how to proceed, so I find it rewarding (and a bit challenging) to navigate this as I try to best care for them and educate them on the latest medical literature. I find that people ages 18–35, as a whole, are a vibrant group and quite motivated to get better, which makes it a really fun job. In addition, we have a very diverse group of students/patients, and I love that I continue to learn new things about the world every day from them.

WHAT EXCITING TRENDS/INNOVATIONS OR CHALLENGES DO YOU SEE FOR YOUR FIELD OVER THE NEXT 5-10 YEARS? Medicine in general is changing at a rapid pace, and I think having an expectation that things will change—be it treatments or reimbursements—has served me well in this field. Specific to my work, concussion management has changed the most and will continue to change. There was very little focus on concussion 10+ years ago when I was in my training, so it has been amazing to have this opportunity to be on the frontlines in the care of athletes with this condition that we continue to learn about. We have partnered with our concussion colleagues at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania Health System to join the CARE consortium study, a joint endeavor by the National College Athletic Association and the Department of Defense. There are now over 30 schools enrolled in the study, and it is exciting to be a part of such a meaningful research endeavor that will help to inform concussion care in the future.

DID ANY EXPERIENCES/PEOPLE/STUDIES WHILE YOU WERE AT SPRINGSIDE INFLUENCE YOUR DECISION TO GO INTO YOUR FIELD OR MEDICINE IN GENERAL? I had so many amazing mentors as a Springside student (from both sides of Willow Grove Avenue) who taught me important lessons that I continue to draw from even now. My love for problem solving certainly was honed by my math and science teachers, specifically Marty Baumberger and Steve “Coop” Coopersmith. And my love for sports­—chosen specialty—was nurtured

by BA Fish and Leslie Lane. In addition, my Springside friends also became my home team, cheering me on when I had doubts about my chosen path, and have been a source of strength as I continue to pursue my career and navigate the balance with raising a family as well.

ARE YOU DOING ANY WORK OUTSIDE OF YOUR REGULAR OFFICE PRACTICE/RESEARCH AND WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO DO THIS? My office practice and my family keep me pretty busy, so I haven’t had too much time for additional medical endeavors. I have been precepting a small group of Penn first-year medical students every fall in their course on how to talk to patients, which is really rewarding! And I stay involved in my national organizations and give lectures (mainly on concussion care), which keeps me connected with colleagues from around the country.

In her office at the University of Pennsylvania Student Health Center, Tina Paul points out a part of the foot that’s prone to athletic injury.

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homecoming 2016

SCH HOMECOMING SCORES Football - SCH vs Penn Charter: 27:49 Boys Soccer - SCH vs GA: 2:1 Girls Soccer- SCH vs Baldwin: 2:3 Volleyball - SCH vs Baldwin: 3:1

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CAMPUSNEWS sch academy opens new trail on school property This fall, SCH opened a new trail on school property located just down from the trailhead at the intersection of Cherokee Street and Hartwell Lane. This ž-mile addition loops around the school property, meandering by an old dam, marshland, and creek, and includes a boardwalk and bridges. It can be found a few steps off the existing trail that leads down to the Wissahickon. The school partnered with Friends of the Wissahickon (FOW), the Philadelphia Water Department, and the Philadelphia Parks & Recreation Department to provide this new recreational option for hikers, strollers, and runners. Work on the trail was funded by a generous gift from the SCH Parents Association.

SCH and FOW representatives dedicated the new SCH trail at a ribboncutting ceremony with (l to r) Michelle Cooney, Parents Association president; cross country coach Paul Hines; Head of School Steve Druggan; and Jack Kelly, FOW board member.

chag sukkot sameach! sch celebrates jewish harvest festival with a student-built sukkah This past October, SCH students in the Upper School Jewish Cultural Club constructed a sukkah in the new Class of 2016 Courtyard, providing an opportunity for the entire community to participate in this joyful seven-day festival celebrating both the end of the Jews’ 40 years of wandering in the desert and the bounty of the fall harvest.

5th grade boys pay a visit to the sukkah.

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buddy program forges special friendships This year, the opening day senior assembly was capped by a special outdoor picnic for seniors when they met for the first time with their Lower School buddies in Pre-K through 1st grades. New this year, the Buddy Program is intended to bring older and younger students together on a regular basis to strengthen the cross-divisional connections that are so meaningful for our younger students and provide an important role model opportunity for the older students. Seniors see their buddies on several occasions throughout the year. In addition to the opening day picnic, they marched together in Convocation and the Halloween Parade and sat with each other during holiday assemblies. On Valentine’s Day, they will meet over snacks to make valentines for their parents, and in April, they will gather for the sixth and final time for a senior farewell picnic.

olympic gold comes to sch Taylor Ellis-Watson ’11, gold medal winner in the 4 x 400m relay at the Rio Olympics, paid a visit to her alma mater this fall on Blue and Gold Day to talk with students about her athletic journey and Olympic experience. Taylor described making a list of her goals in Middle School, one of them being to run in the Olympics, and how she worked to reach them. She also shared the frustration of encountering obstacles along the way and the importance of persisting through them in order to realize one’s dreams. The Olympian stayed at SCH for the day, taking time to have lunch with her 4th grade cousin and to start each of the Blue and Gold races. Thank, you, Taylor, for sharing your journey to the gold with us and inspiring our students to reach for their dreams.

Above right: Ellis-Watson takes a selfie with Lower and Middle School girls before Blue and Gold Day. Below right: Enjoying lunch with her cousin Avi (front row right) and a few classmates before the races.

arts faculty present new sch e-portfolio system at educational conference This past October, Arts faculty Katie Bechtold, Matt Brandt, and Megan Monaghan gave a joint presentation on a new e-portfolio system to a packed room at the 2016 Pennsylvania Association of Independent Schools Conference. “It was a great honor and a truly exciting day to share something that SCH designed and created, making us the leader in differentiated arts assessment among area independent schools,” says Monaghan. In an effort to promote deeper, student-driven learning, the Arts and Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership faculty have moved away from traditional written feedback on student work. Instead they are using a web-based e-portfolio system that enables students to document the creation of their work with photos, videos, and personal reflections. In addition to serving as a record of the students’ work and growth over the years, the system enables teachers to view and comment.

L to r: Arts faculty Matt Brandt, Katie Bechtold, and Megan Monaghan.

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SPRINGSIDE SCHOOL & CHESTNUT HILL ACADEMY

2016 ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME

On October 21, SCH Academy honored nine individual athletes, two teams, and one coach at the Chestnut Hill Academy and Springside School Athletic Hall of Fame, which inducts athletes every three years. The Hall of Fame serves as a lasting tribute to our school’s extraordinary sports history and to those individual athletes, teams, and coaches whose contributions and achievements continue to challenge and inspire those who follow. This year was the first year that both men and women were honored together.

1992 BOYS SOCCER TEAM

Overall Record: 20-2 (lost 2-0 to St. Benedict who were #1 ranked HS team in US), Inter-Ac Record: 10-0, Southeastern PA, #1 ranking Pennsylvania AA schools, #1 ranking Soccer Officials Sportsmanship Award, 13 of 16 players played collegiate soccer with 6 college captains.

Front row, l to r: Mike Corvasce, Tom Kaess, Scott Fedezko, Steve Belmonte, E.J. Murphy, Jim Talbot h’81 (Coach); Back row: Will Harries, Gregg Beideman, Scot Kirkpatrick, Pat Link, Brendan Sheehan, Read Goodwin, Dave Donch, Ian Gwynn, Bruce Redpath (Coach), Matt Brown.

Not pictured: Paul Feuer, Mike Paskey, Bill Zimmerman, Jon Bartlett, Mike Bowers, Jon Freeman, Phil Julien.

“TO RECOGNIZE AND HONOR EXCEPTION 16

EMERY MAINE GREENWOOD ’06

Emery was a Springside four-year three-sport varsity athlete in field hockey, squash, and lacrosse. While at Springside, she was named All-Inter-Ac in each of her three sports. She played varsity squash beginning in 7th grade and was named First Team All-Inter-Ac for five seasons. She was named First Team All-Inter-Ac in field hockey for all four years. During her five years of playing varsity squash, the team won multiple Inter-Ac and MASA titles. In 2005, Emery was one of four members of the U.S. National Junior team which competed in Herentals, Belgium. She was the youngest member of the team, which placed 4th, the highest of any U.S. team. She was the Vare Award winner her junior and senior years. As a senior she was named the Aimee Willard Award winner, which honors the top multiple sport athlete in the Girls InterAc League. In lacrosse, she was named All-Inter-Ac her sophomore through senior years, and was also named Honorable Mention All-American as a senior. In 2006, she won the Philadelphia Squash Racquets Association Junior Sportsmanship Award. After Springside, Emery attended Princeton University where she played lacrosse for two years, as well as squash beginning her sophomore year. As a sophomore and junior, she was instrumental in helping Princeton win two national championships, and she was named First-Team All-American both years. In her senior year, she was a tri-captain of the squash team.

Ali was a Springside four-year three-sport athlete in field hockey, squash, and lacrosse. While at Springside, she was named All-Inter-Ac in each of her three sports. She played varsity squash beginning in 7th grade and was named All-InterAc for six straight years. She led the team to multiple Inter-Ac and MASA Championships. She was named Honorable Mention for field hockey as a freshman and First Team All-Inter-Ac in field hockey as a junior and senior. In lacrosse, she was named First Team All-Inter-Ac in her freshman, sophomore, and junior years, and Honorable Mention in her senior year.

She was named the Aimee Willard Award winner, which honors the best multiple sport athlete in the Girls Inter-Ac League. While at Springside, Ali was a two-time member of the U.S. World Championship Team and U19 National Team and was the youngest player in the country ever to do so. She helped the U.S. by winning the deciding match, which clinched fourth place that to this day is the highest world ranking of any American team.

She was top 20 in the world before she turned 17. Ali attended Princeton University and was named All-American her freshman year. She was sidelined by injuries her entire sophomore year and returned to play during her junior season. In her senior year, she helped Princeton clinch the 2007 National Championship.

ALEXANDRA PEARSON ’03

CHRIS MCINERNEY ’04 Chris was a three-sport athlete earning All-League Honors in football, basketball, and baseball while a student-athlete at CHA. As a junior, he was First Team AllIndependence League Wide Receiver and Defensive Back as well as All-Inter-Ac Honorable Mention in baseball. As a senior member of the football team, he was the Independence League Offensive Player of the Year, repeated as First Team AllIndependence League Wide Receiver and Defensive Back, was the team captain, and helped the team to an undefeated season and the Independence League Championship. He was Honorable Mention All-Inter-Ac in basketball as well as the team captain. As a senior member of the baseball team, he was selected as one of the captains, named First Team All-Inter-Ac as a catcher, selected for the Daily News Second Team All-City baseball team, and was the recipient of the Patterson Cup, awarded every year to the best athlete in the senior class. At Dickinson College, Chris was a two-sport athlete in both baseball and football and was the first Dickinson student-athlete to receive First Team All-Centennial Conference Honors in both. In football, he is still ranked in the top five All-Time in Career categories for receiving yards, punt and kickoff return yards, total punt returns, and career all-purpose yards. He is also ranked in the top five seasonal categories for receptions, reception yards, punt and kickoff return yards, all-purpose yards, and single-game receptions. In 2006, as a kick returner, he was a Don Hansen Football Gazette DIII Honorable Mention All-American and a D3Football.com All South Region Third Team Honoree. As a collegiate baseball player, he was HM All-Centennial Conference in 2006 and First Team All-Conference in 2007. He ended with a career batting average of .316 and was Top Ten All-Time in stolen bases and triples.

NAL ATHLETES...WITH A LASTING TRIBUTE” 17

RICH REPETTO ’01

Rich came to CHA as a sophomore from New Jersey and was a twosport athlete while attending CHA in both baseball and squash. Rich lettered in baseball as both a junior and senior and was Second Team All-Inter-Ac his senior year in baseball. Squash is where Rich excelled at both CHA and the University of Pennsylvania. At CHA, he was a three-time varsity letter winner in squash, First Team All-Inter-Ac in squash his sophomore, junior, and senior years, First Team MASA and a MASA Champion all three years, and finished the 1999 Junior circuit as the #1 ranked player in the country in the U19 Division. He was the U.S. Squash Junior National Champion in 1999 and 2000 and helped lead the team to three Inter-Ac and MASA Championships while a student-athlete at CHA. At Penn, he was a four-year letter winner, a First Team College Squash Association (CSA) All-American in both 2002 and 2003, and a Second Team CSA All-American in 2004. He also was First Team All-Ivy in 2002 and 2003.

MAGGIE KOCH ’03 Maggie was a Springside four-year three-sport athlete in soccer, basketball, and lacrosse.

While at Springside, she was named All-Inter-Ac in each of her three sports. As a sophomore, Maggie was named Honorable Mention All-Inter-Ac in soccer. As a junior, she was named Honorable Mention All-Inter-Ac in basketball and First Team All-Inter-Ac in lacrosse. As a senior, she was First Team AllInter-Ac in lacrosse and the first athlete from Springside School to be named a high school All-American in lacrosse. In her senior year, she was captain of all three sports. She started her college career at Drexel University then transferred to Georgetown University where she was named All-Big East and Defensive Player of the Year twice and a U.S. Lacrosse First Team All-American. She was also named U.S. Lacrosse Division I National Goalie of the Year. She was one of the first Springside athletes to be signed by a nationally ranked NCAA Division I team. After graduation from Georgetown, she became the assistant women’s lacrosse coach at nationally ranked Syracuse University.

D. STANLEY PARKER ’68 (POSTHUMOUSLY)

Accepting the award for Stan Parker are his daughter, Jennifer, and his wife, Hope.

Stan started at CHA as a 3rd grade student in 1958, graduated in 1968, attended and graduated from Roanoke College in 1972, and returned to CHA in the fall of 1973 to teach history. In his 43 years at CHA, Stan was a teacher, coach, dean of students, athletic director, and dean of faculty but most of all, he was a mentor to hundreds of students and families throughout his years at school. Stan coached basketball and football, but his true passion was baseball and it is here that he has left his legacy. He was the head varsity baseball coach for 23 years, amassing 313 wins, an Inter-Ac title in 2007 as well as “Team of the Year” honors from the Philadelphia Inquirer that same year.

His teams competed in the Independent School semifinals several times as well as the finals, and he coached over 60 All-Inter-Ac recipients, 30 Daily News All-City Honorees, and had numerous student-athletes play collegiately at both the Division I and III levels. He led hundreds of young men to Florida every spring break to give them the opportunity to experience what has become a baseball tradition for many high school programs throughout the country. They traveled as a team to bond together in Florida, while getting their baseball arms and legs ready for the upcoming season. Florida was an annual trip that Stan, his coaches, the players, and their families looked forward to every spring. Stan’s passion and involvement in baseball were not limited to CHA. He was called a “moving force and major organizer for Philadelphia’s Carpenter Cup,” which is a yearly tournament run by the Philadelphia Phillies that benefits hundreds of area high school players and gives them exposure to college coaches and pro scouts.

According to Phillies chairman David Montgomery, “Stan’s a very passionate guy about the game of baseball. He cares so much about other people, something he has demonstrated all those years coaching and teaching.” And as former CHA headmaster Gerrit M. Keator said, “Stan was the epitome of the independent school faculty member as a teacher and coach and as a trusted adviser to hundreds of students. He was a noble colleague in a noble profession.”

And in the words of Coach Parker: “Early is on time, on time is late, and late is left.”

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MIKE MASLAND ’91

(POSTHUMOUSLY) Mike was a three-sport athlete throughout his high school career at CHA. He earned 11 letters in soccer, squash, and tennis and was captain of all three his senior year. As a junior, he was named Most Outstanding Player in squash and was selected as a First Team All-Inter-Ac player. As a senior, he once again was named Most Outstanding Player as well as being a First Team All-League recipient for the second year in a row. As a senior, he was also named the Lawrence R. Mallery Scholar-Athlete.

He attended Harvard University where he was a member of the squash team. He helped lead them to three College Squash Association (CSA) National Championships in 1992, 1994, and 1995 and was named a CSA Second Team All-American as a senior.

Accepting the award on behalf of Mike were, l to r: Jim Masland Sr., Bonnie Fish, John Masland, Jonah LeCompte, and Katie Masland.

BOB SIMMONS ’81 At CHA, Bob was a three-sport athlete who excelled in all three. He earned eight varsity letters in cross country, wrestling, and track. As a sophomore, he lettered in wrestling and track and was the Most Improved wrestler. Bob’s senior year was exceptional and one that still serves as one of the most decorated in CHA athletic history. In cross country he was First Team All-Inter-Ac, MVP of the team, and the first CHA runner to win the Inter-Ac Championship in what was at the time a new Belmont Plateau record. In wrestling he was selected captain and team MVP. In track he was the captain of the team, Most Outstanding, and won both the 1600 and 3200 meter events at the Inter-Ac Championships (called the “Impossible Double”), earning him All-Inter-Ac Honors in track as well. He held the school records for both the 1600 and 3200 meter run until 1988, but still is the record holder of the 1600 meter run (as of 2016). He also was named the Lawrence R. Mallery ScholarAthlete his senior year.

TIM WHITWORTH ’99 Tim was a four-year starter and letter winner in basketball while a student-athlete at CHA and is the current (2016) all-time leader in points scored. As a sophomore he was Second Team All-Inter-Ac. As a junior he was First Team All-Inter-Ac and an Associated Press Small School (AA-A) Fifth Team All-State recipient. His senior year he was First Team All-Inter-Ac and Second Team All-City by the Philadelphia Daily News. At Drexel, Tim scored over 1,000 points in his career and was an All-CAA Conference Second Team recipient as well as a member of the CAA (Colonial Athletic Conference) All-Academic Team in 2004. He was a member of two Drexel teams that went to the NIT tournament and he is still (as of his 2016 induction) on the Drexel all-time threepoint list with 142 three-point shots made. He still holds as well the single-season record for three-point field goals made at .513 when he went 61 for 119 in his final season as a Dragon in 2004. He went on to play professionally in Europe from 2004, when he signed with the UBC Mattersburg 49ers (Austria–A League), until the 2012-2013 season when he finished his professional career with the KFUM Jämtland basketball team in the Swedish pro league.

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TOM WHITWORTH ’98 Tom was a four-year starter on the varsity basketball team and captain of the 1997-1998 Inter-Ac Championship team. As a junior he was Second Team All-Inter-Ac and as a senior he was First Team All-Inter-Ac, Second Team All-City by the Daily News, Associated Press Small School (AA-A) Third Team All-State recipient, and the Markward Award winner for the Inter-Ac. He began his college career at Philadelphia University, but transferred after his freshman year to Holy Family College where he played and started all three years. As a senior at Holy Family, Tom was named a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) First Team selection, the CACC Player of the Year, and an NAIA National All-American. He finished his senior year with 608 points for 19.0 points per game, was the CACC’s most prolific three-point shooter, leading the league with 3.88 treys per game and a .483 percentage (101-209) from beyond the arc. Holy Family went 21-11 his senior year and advanced to the NAIA National Quarterfinals.

After playing collegiately, he signed with the Washington Generals, touring and playing against the Harlem Globetrotters for two years.

1999 BOYS TRACK TEAM

Team Record: 11-1, Final Inter-Ac Record: 5-0, 1999 Inter-Ac Champions, 3 High School All-Americans: Theis Weckesser, Brian Derby, Chris Crawley.

Front row, l to r: Dan Gargan, Paul Hines h’03 (Coach), Dan Brewer h’10 (Assistant Coach), Lion Nealy; Back row: Bob Buoncristiano, Chris Crawley, Theis Weckesser, Mike Koumaras, David Wolfgang, Brian Derby, Tom Kenny.

Not pictured: Alan Goykhman, Edson Greenwood, Phil Gulesserian Jon Henry, Ira Hill, Beau Martin, Anthony Prousi, Dan Spada, Jason White, Brookes Britcher, Andy Kucer, Dusty Latimer, Toussaint Losier, Peter MacBride, Lou Sigmund, Justin Smith, Derek Wilson, Ross Brindle, Nick Burke, Tris Carver, Will Clattenburg, Ben Edwards, Pete Perry, Bob Plunkett, LJ Reed, Ty Weatherby, James Baumberger, Eric Burke, Greg Hampson, Peter Harris, Bryan Hozack, John Ingram, Nick Levine, Drew Mowery, Rob Williams. Assistant Coaches: Ron Colston h’99 (posthumously), Tim Delehaunty, Hugh Derby (posthumously), Bill Harper ’58 (posthumously), Chris Conner ’94.

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witness to history

By Sam Gerlach ’17 and Annabel Grove ’17 this past november, as part of sch academy’s global travel program, a group of students traveled to cuba where they had an opportunity to explore havana and assist workers at a coffee plantation in trinidad. while there, fidel castro died and the students found themselves unexpected witnesses to a significant moment in this island nation’s history. below are reflections by two seniors on this oncein-a-lifetime experience.

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I then asked him, to the best of my ability, what will happen next. Jokingly he said, “They’ll eventually build a monument, but first there are nine days of mourning that have to occur.”

HEN FIDEL CASTRO DIED on November 25, I was in Cuba on an SCH Academy cultural exchange. I had the unexpected opportunity to experience the national mood both before and after the loss of its revolutionary dictator. I witnessed the island nation, slightly smaller in size than Pennsylvania, go from one extreme to another.

On the first day of mourning, I had to do what every American does traveling abroad­—exchange money. The cash exchange was a hotel in a square that the locals call Pigeon Square but which is formally called Plaza San Francisco de Asis. In the days preceding Castro’s death, the plaza was busy and filled with tourists thanks to the cathedral there and the bronze statue of José María López Lledín, a famous 20th century street personality. But after Castro passed, not even a pigeon was to be found in the plaza. During my final two days in Havana, this

I arrived on November 18 and spent my first week touring the towns of Trinidad and Cienfuegos. I swam in the Bay of Pigs and eventually ended up in Havana. In the major cities, I saw music and dancing around every corner. The lively atmosphere was filled with rumba and salsa rhythms.

When I woke up the morning of November 26, it seemed as if the country had hit the pause button. After eating breakfast, I was dazed and confused. Communication there, with spotty cell phone and wifi service, is not what I am used to in the United States. When I heard the news that Castro had died, I immediately asked our casa particular host, Jorge, what he had to say.

I had trouble understanding his response, because his English vocabulary, and my Spanish vocabulary, were limited, and he had a thick Cuban accent. But his reaction to Castro’s death was simple: “It is a sad day in Cuba, not in Miami.” Jorge was born a decade after Castro’s revolution ended in 1959. When I asked him how he personally felt, he said something along the lines of, “I do not feel strongly for either side. I wasn’t born when [Castro] was leading the revolution.”

Sam Gerlach ’17 (white shirt, back row), with his group, taking in the view of Sugar Mill Valley on their way out of Trinidad.

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was a common sight. No one was allowed to sing or dance or even play music. The atmosphere was somber and tranquil. The nine-day mourning period wasn’t enforced by anyone. It was simply something everyone agreed to do.

On the afternoon of the 27th, we visited a local school in central Havana. The school’s primary focus was to use art as a means of education for boys and girls. When we arrived, the children were excited. They had prepared some poems and drawings for us. While one of the students was introducing himself, he said that he loved to sing. He asked his teacher if he could sing one of the songs that he and his classmates knew. The teacher explained to us how they really weren’t supposed to be doing Sam Gerlach’s story and photos were also published on WHYY’s Newsworks website.

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harlotte Brontë’s statement, “Life appears to me too short to be spent in nursing animosity or registering wrongs,” came to life for me in Cuba. After being accepted into the Global Travel Program, I spent a good deal of my spare time over the next nine months preparing for our trip to Cuba by learning about the culture and history that is the island’s foundation. I learned about the communist regime and studied the local lifestyles that make this nation so distinctly different from the United States. The intertwined paths of our histories often met in hostilities, so as the trip neared, I became increasingly wary of how a group of Americans would be welcomed after such a long separation.

Walking through the streets of Havana, all of the history I had read about unraveled before me. The abundance of historical buildings, statues, and monuments made clear that Cuba has much more to offer than just sandy beaches. However, what struck me the most was not the vibrant buildings or the classic cars, but the welcoming nature of the Cuban people. We were welcomed with open arms and excited smiles, as the Cubans we met were eager to make the treasures of their country known to us. The people we encountered did not hold our history or our nationality against us. They found similarities with us by focusing on our humanity, not the backgrounds and cultures that separate us. We were included and embraced in a way I had never expected.

On November 26, we woke up to the news that Fidel Castro had died. This news came as a shock, followed by heartache for many Cubans and a concern by some for our safety. The Annabel Grove ’17, left, getting some pointers from a member of Communidad 23 on how to pick ripe coffee beans.

this, so it had to be cut short, but she didn’t want to dampen the child’s enthusiasm to show visitors his prolific talent.

After his song, I did my best to talk to him in Spanish. My question was simple and to the point: How do you feel right now, as a 12-year-old boy, in Havana. Standing at about my waist, he looked up and said in a mix of English and Spanish, “Mi abuela feels sad, mi madre feels happy, and I feel okay.”

This 12-year-old boy had just encapsulated how the Cuban people feel about Fidel Castro. Even though he didn’t know if I understood, I realized that the response to the dictator’s death is generational.

Sometimes kids have the ability to sum up complicated concepts in one sentence, and that is what the boy did for me. ~ by Sam Gerlach ’17

possibility of political unrest caused our head of school to suggest our early return to the U.S., but our group expressed that we couldn’t be safer anywhere else due to the peacefulness of the Cuban people. In an interesting dichotomy, while Florida was parading and celebrating Castro’s death, Cuba was strikingly silent. The music that usually emanated from the streets of Havana had ceased, the open doors in lively houses closed, the only movement in the streets an occasional stray dog. Flags were set at half-mast and windows were adorned with signs reading “Gracias por todo, Fidel.” The city was solemn and gave Castro the respect that everyone deserves in death. There were no dramatics, no show; peace and serenity settled into the homes and streets of Havana. Even the people who didn’t mourn Castro’s death paid their respects and honored the feelings of others.

The Cubans’ immediate response wasn’t to attack his name or inhumanely celebrate the death of their leader. The Cuban people we encountered didn’t hold Castro’s mistakes against him or harbor a bitter resentment for the opportunities and resources they were denied under his rule. The people we met grieved for and respected the death of a person and appreciated the strides he had made for their country. They didn’t dwell in the past or place blame. Cuba’s reaction was a beautiful display of forgiveness.

The next day, everyone was up and going to work, and although the quiet of the mourning period remained, they moved on. No time or energy was wasted with animosity. Cuba’s response to this impactful event showed me that no one knows what is going to happen next, so forgiveness is the best reaction. I learned that it is better to mend relationships in hard times instead of trying to drive divisions between one another, as openness and dialogue are the keys to happiness.

This experience in Cuba taught me the importance of focusing on what lies ahead, not what is already behind us. It’s not worth it to fixate on the past because, as Charlotte Brontë said, life seems to me far too short.

~ by Annabel Grove ’17

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S C H S TA N D O U T AT H L E T E S sch academy’s championship culture has nurtured many outstanding athletes over the years. below are profiles of some of our recent graduates and current students who are excelling in their sport and demonstrating the grit, character, and spirit of the sch athlete.

TAYLOR ELLIS-WATSON ’11 | TRACK

Photo Courtesy of Morvian College

Taylor represented the United States at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, where she earned a gold medal as a member of the women’s 4 x 400m relay team. Off the track, she remained unstoppable. An NCAA Woman of the Year Top 30 honoree, she was a CoSIDA Academic All-American, an NCAA Ethnic Minority and Women’s Enhancement Postgraduate Scholarship recipient, and the NCAA 2017 Today’s Top 10 Award Winner. Taylor graduated from the University of Arkansas in May 2015 with a degree in psychology and is now training in Florida and completing her coursework for a master’s degree at Saint Leo University.

Mike has just finished his collegiate football career at Moravian where he set both the game (516 yards) and career (6,643 yards) passing marks for the football program. He started 10 games in his sophomore season and finished with 144 out of 268 pass attempts completed for 1,681 yards and 22 touchdowns. As a junior he started all 11 games, completing 186 out of 311 pass attempts for 2,217 yards. While at SCH, Mike lettered in football, basketball, and baseball all through Upper School. Mike is majoring in business management.

Photo Courtesy of University of Virginia

MASON BLAKE ’14 SQUASH | UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA Mason was a four-year letter winner in squash and team captain in his junior and senior years at SCH and selected as a two-time First Team All-Inter-Ac and MASA. His highest national ranking while at SCH was 19th. He also lettered in football and tennis. Currently, he is in his junior year at the University of Virginia. At UVA, he held the #1 seed for the men’s squash team his entire freshman year and most of his sophomore year, finishing the 2016 season ranked #41 in the College Squash Association. He is a two-time captain (sophomore and junior years) at UVA and is majoring in economics.

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Photo Courtesy of Olympics

MIKE HAYES ’13 FOOTBALL | MORAVIAN COLLEGE

GRACE MCKEON ’17 | SWIMMING Grace recently committed to swim at Providence College, a member of the Big East Conference. She was named team MVP during her sophomore and junior seasons here at SCH, and placed 8th out of 49 swimmers at the Eastern Interscholastic Swimming Championships in the 100 backstroke in 2016. Grace also placed 3rd in the 100 back and 4th in the 200 free at the 2016 Inter-Ac Championships. She was named team captain this year due to her tremendous leadership and work ethic.

TYSON HUGEE ’17 | FOOTBALL

MASON RODE ’17 | FIELD HOCKEY AND LACROSSE

Tyson has committed to play football for Columbia University. Tyson was named First Team All-Inter-Ac this fall as a defensive back where he ended the season with 50 tackles, 1 interception, 12 pass breakups, and 1 quarterback sack. He also played wide receiver and recorded 15 receptions for 285 yards with 2 touchdowns. He has been a member of the varsity lacrosse team since his sophomore year where he has started at both close defense and long stick middie.

Mason is a two-sport, four-year varsity athlete at SCH. She was a captain and MVP of the field hockey team this past fall with 9 goals and 11 assists, and was a Second Team All-Inter-Ac selection. Mason is a past Coaches’ Award winner, a lacrosse captain for 2017, and has recorded 64 career goals and 49 draw controls. She was the recipient of the 2016 Junior Vare Award in Honor of Johanna Sigmund. Outside of school, she plays for STEPS Philadelphia Lacrosse Club, and was on the PASLA 4th Philadelphia Team at the 2015 National Tournament. Mason has signed a National Letter of Intent to continue her lacrosse career at Bucknell University, and will lead the SCH lacrosse team this spring!

EMILY MCNESBY ’18 | SOCCER Emily verbally committed to play soccer at the University of Tennessee, a powerhouse member of the SEC. She was the Offensive MVP of this year’s team with 30 goals and 12 assists, bringing her career totals to 73 goals and 57 assists. She was a First Team All-Inter-Ac selection and was named to the highly competitive 2nd team for All-Southeastern PA. Emily was a team captain this year and led her squad to the finals of the PAISAA tournament versus Westtown School, a first for the soccer program at SCH. Outside of school, Emily plays for FC Pennsylvania and competes in many elite, high-profile tournaments. We look forward to her senior season and all of her future successes!

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PETER DAVIS ’15 MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE | SOCCER Peter has started every game as a back since his freshman year for Middlebury College men’s soccer program. While at SCH, Peter started on the varsity team for four years, was First Team All-Inter-Ac his senior year in soccer, and also ran indoor track.

RYAN MURRAY ’17 | LACROSSE

Photo Courtesy of Middlebury College

Ryan has committed to play lacrosse for the University of Richmond Spiders. Ryan is a two-sport letter winner in both football and lacrosse. He played running back and linebacker on the varsity football team. He was on the varsity lacrosse team all four years, and lettered in each year. As a junior, he was 199225 (.529%) at the face-off X and had 13 goals along with 3 assists.

LINDSAY HINER ’16 BASKETBALL | GETTYSBURG COLLEGE Photo Courtesy of Gettysburg College

Lindsay is already making an impact as a freshman on the basketball team at Gettysburg College, averaging 6 points per game.

She had a game-high four 3-pointers in a victory over Western Connecticut University, and is already ranked 2nd overall in Gettysburg’s history in 3-point percentage with 48%.

Lindsay was a two-time All-Inter-Ac selection, team captain, and team MVP while at SCH.

GET YOUR SPIRIT ON

THE SCH FUND

SHOW YOUR PRIDE MAKE IT COUNT

“We contribute to The SCH Fund because SCH Academy offers so much to our family: cutting-edge learning programs, competitive athletic teams with first class facilities, caring, nurturing faculty and staff, a diverse student population. SCH Academy has exceeded our expectations and enriched our lives.”

STAY CONNECTED On April 12, we’ll be celebrating our second annual SCH DAY when alumni, parents, students, faculty, and staff will have an opportunity to show their school pride online, and in real time!

~ Steve and Jennifer Dolente P’16, P’16, P’19

To learn more about The SCH Fund and to make a gift, visit

www.sch.org/giving

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WHY WE READ STORIES

Once upon a time...

HUMANS HAVE ALWAYS TOLD STORIES—WITH CHARCOAL ON CAVE WALLS, STYLUS ON CLAY TABLETS, INK ON PARCHMENT, MOVEABLE TYPE ON PAPER, AND NOW BITS IN CYBERSPACE. BUT WHILE THE FACE OF STORYTELLING MAY CONTINUOUSLY CHANGE, THE ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS IT EXPLORES REMAIN: WHAT IS BEAUTIFUL? WHAT IS TRUE? WHAT IS GOOD?

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t SCH, the literature our students study endeavors to answer these questions. It also helps them to empathize with people who may be living very different lives but with whom, thanks to the Internet, the growing diversity of our communities, and globalization, they increasingly interact, enabling them to appreciate the human experience from many different angles.

Below, members of the English Department reflect on why particular texts have a place in our classrooms.

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n first grade, nearly every book opens windows onto new horizons. From books about animals that talk, as in Mo Willems’ Elephant and Piggie series, to books about Native American boys, as in Tapenum’s Day, by Kate Waters, first graders are learning to identify themselves in characters from all different worlds and cultures. As they do, they begin to tell their own stories. “I am …” becomes a mantra in first grade: I am like, I am different, I am special. These stories become the foundation of understanding the world through understanding the self. The concept grows into “You are like … You are special … We are all like … We are all special …” It is my privilege as a teacher of first grade boys to see the great enlightenment that takes place in the eyes of a six-year-old child.

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n the Lower School for Girls, the classroom “read aloud” offers an opportunity to discuss both social and academic topics. One favorite book in the fourth grade is Lynne Reid Banks’ The Indian in the Cupboard. Although it was published in 1980, the themes of this book are timeless. The girls have meaningful discussions about responsibility: what does it mean to give something life and then take care of it? There are also opportunities to discuss the ramifications of good and poor choices, as well as issues of stereotyping and fairness.

In this fictional setting, students can take a close look at the harmful effects of stereotyping as the friendship between the cowboy and Indian develops. This “read aloud” always results in students whose hearts have been touched and who wish that the story would not end. ~ Christine Yaffe, Reading Specialist, Lower School for Girls

~ Joan Miles, 1st Grade, Lower School for Boys

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n Lois Lowry’s The Giver, a system called Sameness has eliminated hunger, crime, and inequality as well as all diversity, from skin color to snowflakes. Twelve-yearold Jonas decides to question norms and leave his safe, comfortable community for the unknown: Elsewhere. In her Newbery Award acceptance speech, Lowry wrote that through the “risky” practice of handing a child a book, we give him the opportunity to “push open the gate that separates him from Elsewhere.” Our sixth grade curriculum takes my students to several “Elsewheres,” from Mexico to South Sudan to Vietnam, but it’s through studying the dystopian world of The Giver that we reconfirm the importance of appreciating differences in our world and developing empathy.

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affect relationships and the difference between ruling and leading. It’s also an amazing poem; Shakespeare is the rightful inheritance of every English speaker. But none of those is the reason I have taught Macbeth every year since I began teaching. I teach Macbeth because it’s an open play that supports divergent, contradictory interpretations. Macbeth is controlled

by Lady Macbeth; no he isn’t. The witches are powerful; no they aren’t. The play ends with the restoration of peace; no, it’s just the prelude to more war. In Macbeth, students learn that meaning is made in partnership with a text. Then we stage the different interpretations we find/make and let our audiences decide!

~ Regina Puleo, 6th and 7th Grades, Middle School for Boys

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herman Alexie’s novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a PartTime Indian, elucidates lessons that are difficult to teach in a way that rings true, valid, and “real” with middle school students—the importance of empathy, socioeconomic disparity in America, the still-living and -breathing racism in America, and how learning and reading and genuine interests

and friendships are the best antidote to “ignorant” beliefs.

Additionally, teaching its major allusions in the classroom— Anna Karenina, Euripides’ Medea, The Lone Ranger, A Tale of Two Cities, and several others—encourages discussions around the destructive nature of inherited societal constructs, colonialism, unequal rights of women, and the unfair treatment of native peoples throughout history.

~ Sally Maxwell, 10th Grade, Upper School

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n AP Literature, we pair the ancient Greek play Medea with Gabriel Garciá Márquez’s Chronicle of a Death Foretold, which also explores the concept of “honor” in an ironic way. Students are always shocked and intrigued by the play.

The power, brilliance, and heinous behavior of Medea force them to evaluate their expectations about gender, about civic responsibility, and about “the other.” The depiction of the “hero,” Jason, is also eye-opening. The play is a wonderful introduction to the ancient origins of the concepts of “honor” and “fame” in the desire for immortality. It also looks at a society in the process of shifting from one set of values to a new one.

~ Jarred Williams, 7th and 8th Grades, Middle School for Boys

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atasha Trethewey’s collection of poetry, Domestic Work, is a literary but accessible introduction to lyrical poetry.

Drawing heavily on traditional forms (such as sonnet, elegy, and ode) as well as free verse, Trethewey explores her own identity as a biracial woman growing up in the American South during the mid-20th century through multiple perspectives: as an adult looking back at her childhood, as an artist reflecting on her own influences as a poet, and as an African American woman who views her own experience as part of a broader social tapestry. Because Trethewey’s poems fixate on the idea of “looking” inwardly through the use of external objects— photographs, signs, and other artifacts that trigger memory— they provide a blueprint for students of how lyrical poetry evokes the interior life of an artist through images of the exterior world.

acbeth helps students think about how power and ambition

~ Anthea Waleson, 11th Grade and AP Literature, Upper School

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ver the past few decades, the traditional newspaper has been dying. Yet journalism and mass communication are just as important as they have ever been. As writers, we must be able to relay information in compelling ways.

As readers, we must be able to differentiate between fact and opinion. This is why I teach an elective called Writing for Publication. Students study the art of creative nonfiction using Lee Gutkind’s In Fact as well as tips and tricks in Robert Bly’s The Copywriter’s Handbook. The goal is to help students develop journalistic tools and create a diverse portfolio of different media. ~ Marshall Bell, 9th Grade and Electives, Upper School

~ Bill Dawe, 8th Grade, Middle School for Girls

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C L A S S NOTE S NEWS FROM OUR ALUMNI NEAR AND FAR

1950s

1960s

1954

1960

Dall Twichell and Cookie Emlen Horner). About the picture, Mimi says, “Here we are in one of the cheese cellars at Jasper Hill Farms, dressed in germ-free gear so as to ensure we didn’t contaminate the cheese. Just another example of how a child makes ‘friends for life’ at Springside.”

1954

1970s

Kate Knight Hall and classmate Marion Mackenzie Stegner were on a tour of Scandinavia in September when they met up with former foreign exchange student MaiBente Bonnevie in Oslo. Mai lived with Kate and her family in 1952-53. She returned to Oslo that summer and attended the Oslo National Academy of the Arts. She is now a well-recognized abstract painter in Norway.

“Mai remains a dear friend,” says Kate, “and we have kept in touch ever since she came to Springside as a 16-year-old foreign student—a success story in every way.”

1970 Dr. Jack Beecham married Allie Stickney on August 20, 2016, in Shelburne, VT. Their love story was featured in the NY Times Style section.

1963

Barrie McNeil Jordan, Mimi Dixon Seyfert, Ernesta Ballard, Patty Kast Myers, Ellen Longstreth Goodwin, and Betsy Steel Longstreth, visited Hardwick, VT, in October (Not pictured: Mary

Robert Peck was presented the Sarah Chapman Francis Medal, one of the highest honors bestowed by The Garden Club of America, at their annual meeting in Rochester, NY. The award recognizes outstanding literary achievement. A senior fellow at The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Bob is an author, naturalist, and historian who has traveled extensively in North and South America, Africa, Asia, and Europe. In honoring him, The Garden Club of America observed that “his books, lectures, and scholarly work have

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encouraged preservation of the natural and human treasures about which he writes so passionately… [A] keen observer, nonjudgmental scientist and gentleman, his special interest in the overlap of science, art, and the humanities unites with his gift of understanding how delicate political, social, and environmental elements affect civilizations in fragile habitats.”

1977 Carson Valley Children’s Aid, a nonprofit social services organization, has named Margaret Pilling Rux as president of its board. She is currently principal and head of Vanguard Strategic Retirement Consulting.

1978

Jamie Maguire received the 2016 Shield of Loyola Award

from Saint Joseph’s University in November at the annual Alumni Gala. The Shield of Loyola, the university’s most prestigious honor, is awarded annually to a distinguished alumnus or alumna who has had remarkable success in his or her profession, whose life reflects the values of St. Ignatius Loyola and who has demonstrated unparalleled loyalty to Saint Joseph’s University. Jamie serves as executive chairman of Philadelphia Insurance Companies and has been an insurance industry innovator for nearly 30 years.

injury and product liability litigation. The Best Lawyers is the oldest and most respected peer-review publication in the legal profession. Joseph recently completed his yearlong tenure as president of the Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association. He’s a Fellow of the American Bar Association and serves on the Pennsylvania Association for Justice Board of Governors.

husband, Morgan, and three children: Isabel (6), Field (2), and new addition William Greenwood Salmon, born on July 29, 2016.

1998

Sophie Schindler Glovier has published an updated version of her book, Walk the Trails in and Around Princeton. This is a guide to walks on 16 of the best trails through preserved open space in Princeton, NJ. This revised edition includes eight new walks.

1983

1984

1980s

Libby Irwin married Jesse Frid Randall in Newport, RI, on June 18, 2016.

2000s

1980 Joseph Messa, founder of Messa & Associates, P.C., was selected by his peers for inclusion in the 2017 edition of The Best Lawyers in America for his work on behalf of plaintiffs in the areas of personal

2000

Michelle Graves ’82, April Claytor, and Kymberly Truman Graves reunited over lunch during the recent holidays.

CARDONA WEDDING

Karl Spaeth and Jenny Hawkes were married on Saturday, September 17, 2016, on Squirrel Island in Maine.

Rebecca Morley and her husband, David, welcomed their second son, Hunter Daniel Hoskins, on November 11, 2016, and big brother Jack, aka “Zander,” adores him.

2001

1990s 1997

Anthony Cardona ’07 married Jenna Finger at the place where they met—Washington & Lee University in Lexington, VA. Joining Anthony and Jenna for the celebration were CHA ’07 classmates, l to r, Josh Haber, Tyler Ahrenhold, Luke Pelullo, Robert Hyson, Don Houck , Eric Dziengelski, Anthony Cafagna, and Matt Letner.

Sarah Greenwood Salmon has recently moved back to the Chestnut Hill area with her

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Robert W. Zimmerman, Esq. has become a partner with the law firm Saltz Mongeluzzi Barrett & Bendesky, PC, his

employer upon graduating from Villanova Law School in 2008. Robert has obtained numerous multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements for the firm’s clients. In 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016, he was selected by his peers as a “Rising Star” in Philadelphia Magazine’s Superlawyers edition, an honor reserved for the top 2.5 percent of attorneys under 40 years old.

2002

Gabrielle Pittman Gary and her husband, Alfred, welcomed a baby boy, Alfred Wyatt Gary, on July 27, 2016.

2004

for this Springside girl, it was truly priceless.”

PLUNKETT WEDDING

Lizzie McCausland Salata and her husband, Kyle, welcomed a baby boy, James McCausland Salata, on July 26, 2016.

Sean Plunkett ’04 and Christine O’Neill were married on July 16, 2016, at the Blue Bell Country Club in Blue Bell, PA. Sean was joined by many of his CHA classmates. Front row: Andrew McLean ’04, James Crumlish ‘04, Stephen Mast ‘04, Brendan Plunkett ‘10, Brian Miglionico ‘04. Standing: Kevin Plunkett, Kevin Brewster ‘04, Anthony Comis ‘04, Beth O’Neill, Katie Hagen, Kristin Pickell, Sheila Plunkett, Christine Plunkett, Sean Plunkett ‘04, Chris McInerney ‘04, Jackie Ockenhouse, Antonia Cianfrocco, Kaity Titus, Karen Persing, Emma Sacramone, James Romano, Tripper Sivick ‘04, Bryan Quigley ‘04, and Mark Palermo.

2005 Hahna Kane Latonick has been appointed chief technology officer at Codecraft Lab, a business incubator located on the “space coast” of Florida. Hahna is a cybersecurity celebrity, ranked sixth worldwide at the 2014 DEFCON Capture the Flag competition finals, considered the Olympics of hacking. Hahna will help lead the national expansion of Codecraft’s educational efforts to inspire greater interest in STEM fields among young women.

2006

Julian was All-Inter-Ac as a junior and senior; MVP in ’03, ’04, and ’05; a 1,000 point scorer, and a Markward Award winner. He went on to play at Chestnut Hill College where he earned his bachelor’s degree in science, marketing, and management and a dual master’s degree in math education and special education. He was a 1,000 point scorer at CHC and MVP in his junior year. He has been an assistant coach at CHC for the last six years.

2009 In July, Nicole Allen White served as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, representing the 2nd Congressional District.

Nicole writes, “I am proud to say I was there when Hillary Clinton accepted the nomination of the Democratic Party in my hometown, and

Laura Breen Cortes and husband Danny Cortes ’05 welcomed a baby girl, Olivia Kate Cortes, on May 10, 2016.

Julian McFadden has been named the new SCH varsity boys basketball coach. As a basketball player at CHA,

Katie Rutan has signed with the Phoenix Galati from Romania. Katie was named the Inter-Ac basketball league player of the year in 2009 and played for the University of Maryland Terrapins.

2011

Taylor Ellis-Watson, 2016 gold medalist in track at the Rio Olympics, married Wesley Washington on October 14, 2016, at the Hilton Hotel in Philadelphia.

STAY IN TOUCH Send your news to alumni@sch.org

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SCH ENDOWED FUNDS IN ACTION news about three of our most recently established endowed funds

Sandrine Lee

SCH has over 120 special funds created by or in honor of programs, alumni, administrators, parents, and other family members.

These funds support a wide range of learning activities, growth experiences, and public events that help enrich our school community life and serve as a daily manifestation of the power of giving.

Jamie Bell ’78 Music Fund

William “Rug” Hall ’70 Fund

Jordie Maine ’79 Scholarship Fund

presents

supports

presents

SHEMEKIA COPELAND IN CONCERT Thursday, April 6, 7:00 PM Ticket information at sch.org/blues.

“REC” RENOVATION Performing Arts Center Springside Chestnut Hill Academy

MEMORIAL GOLF OUTING AND DINNER Monday, May 22 Learn more and register at sch.org/golf.

Grammynominated blues/soul/ roots singing sensation Shemekia Copeland will be at SCH this spring for a concert sponsored by the Jamie Bell ’78 Music Fund. Established in 2014 by classmates, friends, and family, this fund was inspired by the life and musical passions of Jamie Bell ’78. The fund provides for instruction, travel, and performances designed to foster an understanding and appreciation for the musical genres that derive from the blues—jazz, rock and roll, gospel, and country music—the discipline that Jamie found most inspiring.

SCH is planning a major renovation of the “Rec,” the performing arts center on campus where Rug Hall ’70 focused so much of his creativity. While retaining the character of the old building, the renovation plan encompasses installation of state-of-theart lighting and sound; replacement of the stage, seating, and floor; and creation of a formal entrance-lobby.

Established in 2016, the Jordie Maine ’79 Scholarship is awarded to a scholar-athlete who exemplifies Jordie’s incredible character, talent, and leadership abilities.

Its recipient is someone who is well respected by peers, teachers, and coaches and who has attained a high level of achievement in the classroom and in a sport(s). Most importantly, the recipient of this award has demonstrated a passion for the school and, like Jordie, displayed through his/her actions a deep understanding of the values represented by the jersey stripes: courage, honesty, integrity, loyalty, and sportsmanship.

Copeland was born in Harlem, New York City. She is the daughter of Texas blues guitarist and singer Johnny Copeland.

She began to pursue a singing career in earnest at age 16 when her father took her on tour with him as his opening act.

in memoriam

In recent years, Rug was best known for organizing the Rugapalooza concert held annually at the Rec, which brought back music-loving alumni to campus for a high-energy night of rock and roll.

CHA alumnus Robert Peck ’70, one of Rug’s classmates who is spearheading fundraising for this fund, adds, “We will have an opportunity to create a permanent plaque to Rug to be mounted in the building that will be forever linked with him through ‘Rugapalooza.’ I can’t think of a nicer tribute.”

In addition to his extraordinary moral character, Jordie had an authentic ability to lead, motivating and inspiring those around him by establishing relationships based on trust, respect, and genuine passion for a shared mission.

As of 1/25/17

ALUMNI 1935

1960

2009

Bonnie Lueders Corsaro

Kevin P. Cutler

Beatrice Churchman duPont Maria Bullitt Miller

1961

FORMER TRUSTEES

H. Barnard King III

Florence C. Boothby

1945

1962

Jean McCouch Bell

Georgianna Duross Stapleton

1953

1977

Anne Miller Roberts

Stuart T. Hodges

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HONORARY ALUMNI Robert Magliano

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??

?

? ?

?

? ?

??

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DO YOU KNOW THEM?

BE THE FIRST TO SUBMIT YOUR ANSWER AND WIN AN ALUMNA/ALUMNUS GIFT! Here’s what we need to know: Who’s in it? What are they doing? When did it happen? Send your responses to Deidra Lyngard, SCHOOL editor, at dlyngard@sch.org or call 215-754-1616 and we’ll publish your reminiscences in our next issue.

There were no responses to either of the fall issue’s Mystery Photos. It’s not too late!

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MARK YOUR CALENDARS UPCOMING SCHOOL EVENTS Philadelphia-Area Alumni Party

Blue and Blue Day

Wednesday, March 15, 6 pm Paddle Hut, The Philadelphia Cricket Club

Friday April 28 Landreth Field, Willow Grove Campus

Jamie Bell ’78 Music Fund

All-Alumni Cocktail Party

Jazz, Rhythm & Blues Concert featuring Shemekia Copeland Thursday, April 6, 7 pm Upper School Auditorium, Cherokee Campus

Friday, May 12, 6 pm Willow Grove Campus

Reunion Weekend for 2’s and 7’s

Community House Tour Preview

Friday, May 12 & Saturday, May 13 Cherokee and Willow Grove Campuses

Cocktail Party and Boutique Thursday, April 20, 6:00 pm The Philadelphia Cricket Club

Jordie Maine ’79 Scholarship Fund Memorial Golf Outing and Dinner Monday, May 22, Sunnybrook Golf Club

Community House Tour Friday, April 21, 10 am-3 pm

Upper School Baccalaureate

Players: Harvey

Monday, June 12 Athletic Green

Thursday-Saturday, April 20-22 The “Rec,” Willow Grove Campus

Upper School Commencement

Speaker Series: Michael Thompson

Tuesday, June 13 Athletic Green

“The Pressured Child: Helping Your Child Find Success in School and Life” Wednesday, April 26, 7 pm Upper School Auditorium, Cherokee Campus

school

NONPROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 1940 BELLMAWR, NJ

the magazine of springside chestnut hill academy

500 West Willow Grove Avenue • Philadelphia, PA 19118-4198 • 215-247-4700/7200

sch.org