Hallmarks 2015 Fall

Magazine of the Academy of Our Lady of Mercy | Lauralton Hall fall 2015

hallmarks

Lauralton

contents

Lauralton Hallmarks Fall 2015 Volume 42, Number 2 President Antoinette Iadarola, Ph.D. Principal Cynthia Gallant Academic Dean Jan Powers

3 President’s Letter 4 In The News 9 Because We Believe...The Campaign for Lauralton Hall

10 Empowering Students

with STEAM

Director of Enrollment Management Kathleen O. Shine

Jen Shea

Executive Director of Development Lisa M. Hottin

12 Science

Director of Finance and Administration Vincent L. Vigliotti

Director of Marketing & Communications Sue Bonaventura

13

Kicking Off the ‘First 5 Days’

Director of Annual Giving Edlira Curis

Theresa Napolitano

Editor Sue Bonaventura Contributing Writers Sue Bonaventura Lisa M. Hottin Jennifer Solomon ’08 Photography William Taufic Prestige Photography Sue Bonaventura Robert Taylor

That is Approachable and Even Chaotic

Susan Cavar, Ph.D.

15 C ynthia Gallant: Everyone Benefits Because We Are a Learning Community 17 P am Boynton: A Sense of Intellectual Rebirth at Oxford 19 Girls of Summer 20 New Faculty & Staff

Design Acara Partners

22 Commencement

Lauralton Hallmarks is published twice a year for alumnae, parents, faculty, staff and friends of the Lauralton community. © 2015

24 Homecoming & Reunion Weekend 2015

Please send address changes to Lauralton Hall, 200 High Street, Milford, Connecticut 06460, Attention: Lauralton Hallmarks.

32 Our Heritage

Letters to the editor can be sent to the above address or by email to marketing@lauraltonhall.org.

Alumnae are encouraged to submit articles, information and photographs to Alumnae Relations to the above address or by email to alumnaerelations@lauraltonhall.org.

26 Class Notes

find us on:

“ The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”

—eleanor roosevelt

letter from the president

This is one of my favorite quotes from Eleanor Roosevelt, and it has served as a personal encouragement and inspiration to me throughout my academic and professional career. Realizing the “beauty of their dreams,” the Sisters of Mercy and their lay partners have had, in their ministry at Lauralton Hall, a 110-year history of “responding to the changing needs of the times,” focusing first and foremost on the spiritual, extracurricular, social and athletic needs of our young women students.

Our current students are all part of “Generation Z” and have had digital technology at their fingertips their entire lives. Students and parents expect, and rightly so, to have modern technology included in their classroom experience. Our faculty continually look to develop and learn new strategies to engage learning innovations, global awareness, blended learning techniques, and new assessment methods.

They also emphasize the importance of the spiritual formation of our students and the integration of social justice issues.

One of the ways we respond to the changing needs of our students is by providing professional development resources to allow our talented faculty “to stay on top of their game.” Many of our faculty spend their “summer vacation” attending local, national, and international conferences and training programs, learning innovative strategies and pedagogies that are featured in more detail in this issue of Hallmarks. This commitment to the professional development and education of our faculty not only increases their vitality as educators, but it also allows Lauralton to fulfill its mission of enabling our young women “to pursue their highest potential through lifelong learning, compassionate service, and responsible leadership in a global society.”

I want to thank our donors who have generously contributed over the years to our professional development efforts. The students at Lauralton Hall are our future, and we are preparing their education today for their tomorrows. I encourage you to come by and visit. You will see firsthand our terrific students and faculty who “believe in the beauty of their dreams.”

Warmest regards,

Antoinette (Toni) Iadarola, Ph.D. President and Head of School

in the news

Freshman Orientation One hundred and fifteen students of the Class of 2019 were celebrated in Hollywood style as they entered the doors of the Lauralton Hall Athletic Center on August 31, 2015. The Admissions team went all out to make sure the Class of 2019 was treated like VIPs. Upon arrival, the “stars” were greeted by cheering fans, celebrating, and asking for their autographs while the paparazzi were on hand to snap their poses on the red carpet. Next, they were whisked off to the gymnasium where pop music was playing and the students were singing, dancing and getting to know one another. “Everyone is so welcoming,” said Lauren ’19. “I feel like I am part of the Lauralton family already.”

The freshmen returned the next day to participate in the Adam Kreiger Adventure Program. This program provides groups with a series of sequenced team-based

challenges in a safe environment. The goal of the program is to build the skill set for participants to become effective leaders; find productive conflict resolution approaches; be confident members of high-performance teams; appreciate and take ownership of the group process; understand responsibility to themselves, others, and the community; encourage conscientious risk-taking beyond perceived limitations; and excel at their endeavors.

With all of this team bonding, the Class of 2019 was off to a great start.

Day three was the Matriculation ceremony, formally inducting the Class of 2019 into the Lauralton Hall community. Parents, relatives and friends joined faculty, staff, alumnae and trustees in welcoming the new students to the Lauralton family. In keeping with the unique tradition, the new students marched into the ceremony accompanied by bagpipes and drums of the Fairfield Gaelic Pipe Band, the same band that will accompany them upon graduation.

Mercy Day On September 24, Lauralton Hall joined with Mercy schools around the world to celebrate the founding of the Sisters of Mercy and the first House of Mercy in 1831. Mercy Day, the first community day of the school year, began with a Liturgy celebrated by Rev. Jim Bowler, S.J., Director of the Center for Ignatian Spirituality at Fairfield University, and was followed by a picnic lunch. In attendance were students, 4 LAURALTON HALL

faculty, alums, staff and Board members.

We were also blessed to have Mercy Sisters Sr. Mary Etta Higgins, Sr. Genie Guterch and Sr. Maryann Malasics join us for the celebration. The Sisters of Mercy are an international community of Roman Catholic women who vow to serve people who suffer from poverty, sickness and lack of education with a special concern for women and children.

Theresa Napolitano Elected to Coaches Hall of Fame

Students Complete Mission in Haiti

Congratulations to Theresa Napolitano who is being inducted into the Connecticut High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame! This is a tremendous honor for Theresa and the Lauralton Hall community.

While coaching at Lauralton Hall, Coach Nap led the Crusaders to a Class M softball title in 2008 and a runner-up finish two years later. She also guided the field hockey team to a Class S second place finish in 2011. Her previous experience included coaching Amity to four Class LL softball championships in five years (2001, 2002, 2003 and 2005). Her teams finished second in LL on six occasions from 1994 to 2006.

Theresa was also recently acknowledged during half time at the UCONN-NAVY game on September 26 at Rentschler Field along with the other Hall of Fame inductees.

In July 2015, juniors Katherine Simonetti and Anika Wanderwal joined a service trip to Gressier, Haiti, with the United Congregational Church of Bridgeport. Reverend Sara Smith and the Rhode Island Conference of the UCC led the group of 41 adults and teens.

They installed a roof on a sewing school, restored buildings in Operation Love the Children Orphanage, installed a roof on a school, built a storage building, provided music and games to attention-deprived orphanage children and cooked for hundreds of children. The teens were fully immersed in the project and returned transformed and with an even stronger commitment to serving others.

Swim and Dive Team Swim for Lion Heart Lap-A-Thon On September 27th, the Lauralton Hall Swim and Dive Team, the North Haven Girls Swim Team and Hamden Hall Aquatic Club joined together to support Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven. Seventy swimmers ranging from ages 7–18 swam to raise funds for Lion Heart grants and did it selflessly, raising over $6,000! Lion Heart is a team dedicated to finding a cure for breast cancer by conducting events such as lap-a-thons to raise money for a worthy cause. This donation provided seed funding to brilliant young researchers to help provide a platform for new and promising breast cancer research. One hundred percent of what was raised goes to endow breast cancer research.

2015 HALLMARKS FALL 5

in the news

Science Olympics at Lauralton Teams of middle school girls from Fairfield and New Haven Counties spent September 26th going for the gold at Lauralton Hall’s annual Science Olympics. With the help of Lauralton faculty and students, participants competed in fun, problem solving events.

They experimented with volume and spatial orientation by placing a series of random objects in a box; determined SpongeBob’s heritage and what his potential children would look like; created and built a roller coaster out of straws, popsicle sticks, index cards and tape for a marble—longest distance wins; and the girls had to design a way to stop a car from rolling down a ramp and off the table—but get it as close to the edge of the table as possible.

Lauralton science teacher Dr. Susan Cavar feels the Science Olympics are extremely valuable for middle school

Dragonheart Foundation Donates Defibrillator Lauren Rossi, secretary and treasurer of the Michael Vincent Sage Dragonheart Foundation presented Lauralton Hall with an automated external defibrillator (AED) in memory of her son, Michael Sage. Michael died of a heart attack at the age of 29 and would most likely be alive today had an AED been available when he was stricken. Early defibrillation with an AED machine and CPR can more than double chances of survival.

Health teacher, Peg McGowan, offers a certification course in CPR each year.

Today, 14 faculty and staff are certified in CPR, as well as the entire coaching staff.

6 LAURALTON HALL

girls. “Studies show that girls have negative attitudes towards math and science,” said Dr. Cavar. “This translates into reduced involvement in these fields in high school, college and career. Although performing better than middle school boys, they participate less, have high levels of anxiety, and little confidence in their abilities. The Science Olympics is the perfect opportunity for girls to shine, increase their confidence, and be around others that share their love of science.”

One of the highlights of the day was the “Bringing Life to Education Animal Show” presented by Animal Embassy, a company specializing in providing hands-on, interactive, and entertaining, educational experiences.

From peacocks to giant rabbits, turtles and snakes, the captive audience was able to get the full experience by petting or holding the species while learning about that particular animal.

Even Yunling (Hermione) Wang ’17, above, was brave enough to wrestle with a snake.

New Quiet-Study Spaces Something new in our school this year are three relaxing student study spaces complete with comfy beanbag chairs.

Students find these rooms fun, inviting and a great place to unwind and regroup between classes, study or just hang with their friends.

Anti-Idling Week During the week of September 28, students and faculty got on board for anti-idling week. It’s clear that people really care about the environment and become excited when they see an opportunity to help. English teacher Catherine Gallagher said, “Turning off your car is an unbelievably simple way to save the environment, and I am happy to do it.”

Students also care about the cause.

“Spreading awareness of anti-idling is really important because it saves not only gas, but the air we breathe,” states Environmental Club moderator Donna DiMassa. The Environmental Club believes that this week represents a small step towards a cleaner environment.

Top 5 Reasons Not to Idle:

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

1. I t’s against the law. In Connecticut, if you idle your car, truck, or motorcycle for more than three minutes, you are actually breaking the law!

The Freshmen class pose while in “awareness” mode for breast cancer (men & women) and reproductive cancers, as evidence by the pink, blue, and teal ribbons on the High Street fence.

Freshmen learn about the importance of breast self-exams in class to educate and increase their awareness of these critical health issues.

2. I dling wastes gas. Idling for just 10 seconds wastes more gas than restarting the engine. By idling less, you can save between $70–$650 a year in wasted fuel.

3. P rotect your car and engine. Idling actually increases overall engine wear and stress on the battery by causing the car to operate longer than necessary.

4. C ars warm up faster when moving, not idling. The best way to warm your engine and your car interior is to ease into your drive. The engine warms up twice as quickly when driven.

5. When you idle, you breathe in dirty exhaust that leaks into the cabin of the car.

2015 HALLMARKS FALL 7

in the news

Summer @ Lauralton With over 350 campers on campus, Lauralton Hall’s summer program, Sports & Enrichment for Kids! was once again a big hit as it reached its highest enrollment ever. This year there were more programs geared towards the science and technology areas such as Junior Scientists and Music production. Other classes included cooking, jewelry making, designing board games, scrapbooking, physics, STEM GEM, robotics, CSI and journalism, to name a few. Sports camps included soccer, field hockey, volleyball, ultimate Frisbee, flag football and so much more.

Some campers spent the morning in Physics, making marshmallow catapults, team roller coasters, or designing parachutes to protect their eggs as they were dropped from a three story window. Later in the dining hall kitchen they had an afternoon session creating and customizing their own cupcakes!

One parent remarked, “This was our first time attending Lauralton Summer Camp and my daughter had such a positive experience. She now wants to open her own cupcake bakery!”

Discovery to Cure Beverly Levy Walk at Yale University

Cross Country Team Wins Big The cross country team won the Park City Invitational at Beardsley Park in Bridgeport, October 3, 2015. A great performance by all 15 runners while they battled the cold, wind and rain. Yet, they overcame and took home a fine trophy in addition to three medals.

8 LAURALTON HALL

gold medal Abby Baisley ’19 silver medal Hannah Haynes ’17 bronze medal Margaret Telling ’18

Students left to right, Sara Simkovitz ’17, Maddie Peloso ’16, Margaret Telling ’18 and Hannah Haynes ’17 participated in the annual Levy Walk at Yale University in support of research for reproductive cancers. Discovery to Cure, an internationally recognized program of the Yale School of Medicine, was launched in 2003 and is dedicated to advancing new methods of prevention, early detection and treatment of women’s reproductive cancers in order to lead to a cure.

21st Century Learning Environments

Athletics and Outdoor Enhancements

Investing in Students and Teachers

• Classroom Renovations to Support

• Artificial Turf Field and

• Financial Aid Opportunities and

• Outdoor Classrooms and More

• Faculty Development and

• Redesigned Green Space for the

• Program and Curriculum Innovation • Global Education Opportunities

Advancements in Education & Technology

•

daptation of the Carriage Barn A into the Center for the Visual and Performing Arts

• New Spaces for Creative Learning

Practice Track

Effective Use of Our Campus Enjoyment of Our Students

$4,800,000 TO DATE WeBelieve.LauraltonHall.org

Merit Scholarships

Enrichment Opportunities

$6 MILLION CAMPAIGN GOAL

For more information, contact Lisa Hottin, Executive Director of Development, at 203.877.2786 x129 or lhottin@lauraltonhall.org.

Competitive Play Begins on New Turf Field Lauralton athletes are starting off the year in style on their new home turf field. As they begin their second year in the SCC, the Crusaders now have two home fields to host games, practice, and continue to build upon their strengths and successes.

The Crusaders have a history of victory. During the 2013–2014 year, nine of the fifteen varsity sports programs advanced to state tournament play. The new field gives Lauralton the opportunity to compete on a level playing field as the other schools in their conference.

Most schools, according to Athletic Director Jeanne Cooper, have turf fields, which is a much different playing surface than the grass fields Lauralton students are accustomed to. Playing on turf is a faster-paced, higher energy game. The turf field will change the way the girls play, says Ms. Cooper.

2015 HALLMARKS FALL 9

Jen Shea STEM to STEAM

Susan Cavar, Ph.D. Create without Restraint

Theresa Napolitano Hooked and Excited

10 LAURALTON HALL

what did you do on your summer vacation?

This is the question most asked of teachers and students as they return to campus in the late summer. While many will enthusiastically speak about their well-earned time at the beach, the mountains, and other vacation destinations, numerous faculty members from Lauralton Hall spent the summer months at innovative and dynamic conferences. At these nationally and even internationally acclaimed learning summits, LH faculty discussed, learned, and experienced new pedagogies and strategies from among the top education experts in the field. Some travelled to regional and national educational events in Boston, Florida, Virginia, to name a few. The faculty has returned to campus invigorated, excited, and prepared to continue innovating in ways that will enrich students and the School as a whole.

Empowering Students with STEAM

Jen Shea has taught science at Lauralton Hall since 2003, and enters her 13th year of teaching at the school with a fresh and invigorated perspective. Having spent portions of her summer at the Pinecrest Innovation Institute in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and at the National Conference on Girls Education, “From STEM to STEAM”, held in Richmond, Virginia, Jen is employing new teaching styles with much enthusiasm in her classes. Most notably, she has spent many “ The administration hours involved in interactive sessions focused on at LH is very the transition from a traditional STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education committed to to the STEAM approach, which adds the field continually providing of “arts” to the other four disciplines. This not only opportunities for incorporate traditional “arts,” but also includes faculty, staff, and language arts, liberal arts, and more.

“STEAM is empowering students with skills that students to learn will help them succeed here at Lauralton Hall, in new methods college, and beyond,” Jen commented. “This is an and improve the approach that includes using creativity and critical school as a whole.” thinking to master the content in the curriculum, as opposed to the traditional method of lecture and memorization. We are having students apply learning to real world situations in tangible and creative ways.”

Only a few weeks into the new school year, Jen has started the process of transitioning her

classroom from traditional STEM to the new STEAM program. During the second week of school in a 10th grade chemistry class, students were working on making chemical masks out of paper mache. The assignment asked students to find properties of an element that relates to personal identity and build a mask representing this—quite a difference from the traditional “lecture and memorize” found in most educational models.

“This project not only engages the students in hands-on learning, but the masks also incorporate learning about how others see one’s identity,” she added. “They also touch on other disciplines such as history, sociology, and art.”

In addition to Lauralton Hall’s commitment to professional development for faculty members, the school is also moving to create flexible spaces and classrooms to facilitate new learning opportunities and activities.

“It is amazing the way Lauralton Hall encourages teachers to develop their skill sets and innovate,” Jen added. “The administration is very committed to continually providing opportunities for faculty, staff, and students to learn new methods and improve the school as a whole. This is a very exciting shift in education where there will be no more lecture-based teaching, and Lauralton Hall is at the forefront of these changes.”

2015 HALLMARKS FALL 11

Science That is Approachable and Even Chaotic As a science teacher and researcher, Susan Cavar, Ph.D. ’88 comes from an old school mentality that includes memorizing formulas and following ordered sets of rules. Her doctoral degree is from UConn in cell biology, and she worked full-time as a researcher until deciding to transition to teaching. Even with this impressive and traditional scientific background, she has come to a place where she is teaching science to Lauralton Hall students that is approachable and even chaotic at times.

After attending both the National Coalition of Girls Schools and the Building Learning Communities conferences this past summer, Susan returned to her classroom inspired and energized.

“I really am excited to see what the girls can do in science class when they are encouraged

to be creative and have no restraints,” she stated. “It is important to me that the students are involved in the process and have a voice in their learning.”

One of the ways Susan uses innovative techniques to benefit her students is by teaching for mastery. On a regular basis, she meets with each student individually to determine where they are with the current learning objectives. Instead of lecturing a class of 20 students with information and expecting them to eventually memorize and repeat it back on a quiz or test, this individual approach allows the faculty member to prevent any student from falling behind, while also challenging those who are ready to jump ahead.

“I speak to every student or small group each and every class,” she said. “This allows me personal time to guide them to what’s important instead of dictating to the whole. People learn by being active participants. Research shows that students today can find information easily.

What they do not know how to do is judge the value of that information, analyze it, and collate it into a coherent package.”

“ I really am excited to see what the girls can do in science class when they are encouraged to be creative and have no restraints.”

12 LAURALTON HALL

“ It is important to me that the students are involved in the process and have a voice in their learning.”

Susan’s research work and thesis in graduate school focused on microscopy, which normally would entail standard or even rote procedures and the ability to follow instructions. Even back in school, she began to notice and appreciate how beautiful the images were when viewed through a microscope. Her classroom is decorated with professional microscope images that she and her colleagues created over the years. After her conferences which focused on the combining of art and science (STEAM), she is having her students create these images as well.

In addition, plans are underway with fellow science teachers April Kelly and Jen Shea to have students use a new 3D printer to create protein structures.

“We now demonstrate proteins with 2D examples, and the 3D model will be more realistic and mean more to the girls,” Susan noted. Beyond the 3D modeling, she also believes this type of study could inspire the use of clay and cardboard to also model proteins and study how chemical reactions hold these proteins in place.

Lauralton Hall is a unique place for Susan, Class of 1988, and her mother, Virginia Hein Bernaski, who graduated from the school in 1945. “This is a very special environment,” she added. “Once you are here, everyone quickly becomes family and it seems like we all have an overwhelming attachment to the place.”

Kicking Off the ‘First 5 Days’

“ The idea is to get students hooked and excited about what is to come next, just like a movie trailer or the first beats of a song capture a person’s attention and focus.”

We are continually reminded of the importance of first impressions, and how these can often set the tone for the future. Physics teacher Theresa Napolitano learned all about the ‘First 5 Days’ program during her time this summer at the Building Learning Communities (BLC) conference in Boston, and this concept has become a major element in her first week of school.

“The initial time at the start of the school year sets the stage for the type of learning that can be accomplished,” Theresa commented.

“The idea is to get students hooked and excited about what is to come next, just like a movie trailer or the first beats of a song capture a person’s attention and focus.”

In Theresa’s classroom, this means that the first five days of school are centered around hands-on, explorative, informative, and welcoming experiences that will make an impactful impression on the students. During this “first impression” time, teachers are able to challenge, guide, and support students into a framework of study that leads to powerful learning outcomes.

Not only will the students feel that they are part of something special, teachers will be able to recognize the different passions and interests that each student brings to the classroom. In particular with her freshmen physics classes, this 2015 HALLMARKS FALL 13

Full STEAM Ahead Moving the academic focus of a private school like Lauralton Hall to a new, hands on, and active curriculum program is a monumental undertaking. At Lauralton Hall, this effort to move the school as a whole to a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) model has been spearheaded by science teacher

“ Just like a preseason for a sports team gets the team ready for the season, the ‘First 5 Days’ prepares the students for the rest of the school year and empowers them to be involved and proactive in their learning.” program allows the girls to feel grounded, begin to bond and communicate with new classmates, learn to work in teams, start to feel comfortable with the academics at this level, settle into a comfort zone at LH, and overall, feel like they are part of a family.

“Just like a preseason for a sports team gets the team ready for the season, the ‘First 5 Days’ prepares the students for the rest of the school year and empowers them to be involved and proactive in their learning,” Theresa said.

In addition to the ‘First 5 Days’ program, Theresa and her colleagues at Lauralton Hall are working to introduce open spaces and breakout areas for students, emphasized repeatedly at the BLC conference. “My hope is to equip some of the catacombs and cubbies at Lauralton with whiteboards, charging stations, and small cushion seats to encourage and foster breakout sessions,” she added. “This would allow students to collaborate, peer teach, create, and foster autonomy to discover and learn.”

For Theresa, the professional development opportunities available to faculty are a foundational piece to the innovative teaching strategies in effect and in the works at the school.

“These conferences provide us with so many fresh and exciting ideas related to our teaching, while also reinforcing so much of what we already do at Lauralton,” she concluded.

“There is great support at LH for professional development and encouragement to try different things in the classroom to develop better ways of learning. Students are learning in new and powerful ways, and the school is benefiting from this intellectual energy.”

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Jen Shea. In addition to her normal teaching duties, she is currently researching and working to develop plans to incorporate STEAM activities for all departments. This includes gathering a database of STEAM programs and teaching initiatives that are trans-curricular, meaning they will be interdisciplinary and impact all traditional academic subjects.

There are a handful of private schools nationally that have moved ahead with implementing a STEAM program and Lauralton Hall is joining this movement by taking some risks and “thinking outside of the box.” Many educational researchers and thought leaders believe this is one of the greatest educational paradigm shifts since the development of standardized education. Teachers can no longer teach the way it was done when they were students.

Instead, the focus now needs to involve research, analysis, creativity, and collaboration.

“This is a really exciting opportunity,” Jen stated.

“All faculty will be involved in this process and will provide for an integration of STEAM into the curriculum across Lauralton Hall. STEAM will give our students the skills they need to succeed— creativity, critical thinking, and a mastery of the content from the curriculum. Traditionally, this has been accomplished through lecture and memorization, and STEAM turns that into ‘doing’.

This will involve applying concepts to real world situations, as well as engaging in real life issues.”

cynthia gallant

Everyone benefits because we are a learning community

“ What a great model it is for students to have teachers who are themselves lifelong learners, who aren’t stuck in one methodology, who aren’t satisfied with anything less than the best possible learning experience for their students, and for themselves.”

Cynthia Gallant was named principal in July of 2014, and is beginning her second year at the helm of the school. Overall, she has worked in education for the past 40 years, 24 of those years in all-girls secondary education, and for the past 13 years at Lauralton Hall. She is a member of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and the National Association of Secondary School Principals. Below is a recent interview with Cynthia, focused on the remarkable faculty of the school and the importance of their professional development.

Why is professional development so important for Lauralton faculty?

Professional development is important for every faculty. In a world where information can be accessed almost instantly, teaching has evolved from the transmission of information that marked the educational experience until recently. We tend to teach others as we were taught, and so we need personal development in order to transcend our own comfort zones, venture out into an educational arena where we don’t have all the answers— there’s too much information and it’s increasing exponentially—and where we model for our students and practice

the skills and qualities needed in a fast-paced, globally connected world.

We research with students, help them sift through and evaluate the overwhelming information available to them, collaborate with them and help them to collaborate with one another, encourage their creativity and self-confidence. It’s not always about having one right answer.

If we are to give our students the best possible education, it’s not really just about technology or even facilities, as important as those things are. The heart of the matter is having teachers who are passionate about their students, passionate about their teaching and

passionate about their subject—in that order. At Lauralton, we’re fortunate to have those teachers, who are willing to spend much of the summer in targeted professional development that will make them better teachers of today’s students.

How do the professional development conferences benefit the students?

Other faculty? The school itself?

About six years ago, we took a different approach to professional development.

We moved beyond the simple one-sizefits-all approach and added individual opportunities for our teachers. We invested in our faculty, sending them to conferences out of state and, most recently, outside of the United States. Faculty are able to identify areas where they want to grow. They are able to expand their horizons and learn new methods of engaging students. In one summer, we may have half the faculty out at conferences.

They come back with tools and ideas that they share with one another. Our teachers incorporate these new ideas and approaches into their teaching; they help their fellow teachers who are interested in these same ideas and approaches.

Everyone benefits because we are a learning community. The whole school is constantly learning. What a great model

2015 HALLMARKS FALL 15

that is for students, to have teachers who are themselves lifelong learners, who aren’t stuck in one methodology, and who aren’t satisfied with anything less than the best possible learning experience for their students, and for themselves.

Our teachers come back from conferences they attend and very often they reflect that we’re actively practicing what they’re hearing at these conferences, and the conferences they attend are high caliber. Some of these development events are sponsored by National Association of Independent Schools, the National Coalition for Girls Schools, and, November Learning among others. They’re nationally and often internationally recognized.

“ The heart of the matter is having teachers who are passionate about their students, passionate about their teaching and passionate about their subject—in that order.”

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What specific examples of innovative teaching and educational experiences have you seen implemented as a result of faculty development? In other words, what have you witnessed as teachers come back from specific conferences, workshops, and training?

When we first began sending our teachers out, the focus was on integrating technology. Many of our teachers are very comfortable with technology, and one of the marks of that comfort level is that they recognize the students are always one step ahead. Our teachers are not afraid to learn from them or let students use a new app or program.

One of the recent examples of innovative teaching is the forensics class that Jen Shea and Sue Cavar teach.

They structure the course to allow for student autonomy in selecting what they want to learn. Math teacher Chris Cook pioneered in the area of collaborative learning a couple of years ago. She not only actively engaged all of her students in the classroom, she also structured a test and exam that was a collaborative exercise among the students. I went up to see her class one time and found every student out of their desk and working at the white board with a partner, while Mrs. Cook sat in the middle of the room in a student desk, offering help where needed and encouragement all around as the girls tackled Calculus problems.

What do you look for in a Lauralton Hall faculty member? What characteristics do you feel are important?

We look for a real passion for students, for teaching and for learning. Beyond that, we look for mission-appropriate faculty who believe in the education of women, who want to help each student find her voice, and who want to be part of an educational community that is all about the student.

How do the mission and values of the Sisters of Mercy influence the actual teaching at Lauralton Hall?

The mission of Lauralton Hall is to empower young women. In all that we do, we are committed to helping these students achieve their greatest potential. We model lifelong learning, and we encourage compassion and service. Our students bring us causes every day that resonate with them, and that they want to support. Our teachers accompany students to Guatemala on a service trip, moderate a club that is focused on support of a sister school in the Gambia. We expect these young women to be agents of positive change in a world that sorely needs compassionate and informed leadership.

The core values inform our approach to our students, our teaching, and are indeed the “core” of life at Lauralton.

pam boynton

After having spent a semester during her undergraduate studies at Wroxton College in Banbury, England almost 30 years ago, English teacher Pam Boynton dreamed of someday returning as a teaching professional. That dream was fulfilled this past summer when she was awarded a faculty fellowship at Oxford University as part of the Oxbridge Academic Programmes.

A Sense of Intellectual Rebirth at Oxford

As Pam explains it, the 10 days spent at this fellowship allowed her to “intellectually reinvigorate” and served as a “rebirth of my own intellectual capacities” while also learning dynamic new structures for engaging students back at Lauralton Hall. Teaching English at the AP and Honors levels, and the structure of the Socratic seminar is something that she will continue to bring into her classroom experience.

“The English department faculty at Lauralton has long presented this shift away from faculty-dominated lectures to a more open academic forum where students take leadership in their own learning,” she stated. “But ‘autonomous learning’ doesn’t mean that I just sit back.

Ideally, I create a forum where there is a reciprocal relationship between teacher and student. I am here to lead and teach, and the girls are here to learn and lead in their own right.”

Before leaving for Oxford, Pam found the workload associated with this fellowship to be somewhat formidable.

There were 12 novels that had to be read prior to arriving in Oxford; and she was reading these books in the midst of teaching British Literature and AP Composition at Lauralton.

“I fully sympathized with my junior

and senior students,” Pam added. “Initially, the workload felt daunting, but it was in my wheelhouse, so I remained undeterred.”

Once arriving at Mansfield College, Oxford University for the 10-day program, she spent her days in seminar from 9am to 1pm. This was followed by threehour plenary sessions with the program director, Dr. Matthew Kerr, and her seminar group. After tea and dinner, Pam would spend her evenings annotating a range of critical analyses on the text for the next morning’s discussion.

“I had almost forgotten those pleasures of being a student myself—the mental tests and exercises to bring your best to the table, the easy camaraderie shared between seminar participants, the sheer fun of attending plays, wandering through world-class museums, listening to guest lectures, culling through the ‘stacks’ in an unfamiliar library, never knowing what you’ll find,” she said.

Interestingly, it was Lauralton Hall President Toni Iadarola (who herself attended Merton College at Oxford University) and Principal Cynthia Gallant who initially presented Pam with the details of the Oxford opportunity. Pam worked over those following weeks to complete the extensive application and references needed, and also developed a curriculum unit on the “Psychoanalysis of Selected Fairy Tales”, an elective she had previously taught at Lauralton.

This experience at Oxford has encouraged her to continue the active and engaged teaching style she has used during her 15 years as a teacher at Lauralton Hall.

“I want my own learning to be active and to fully engage my intellect, and what better way to do that than to challenge myself in a room full of Oxford Ph.D.’s. Although it was initially daunting, it was intellectually and emotionally affirming.

“That’s the formula I want my Lauralton classroom to continue to offer our students—to engage them, to challenge them, and to affirm their growing body of knowledge and intellectual sense of themselves,” she concluded.

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the lauralton hall internship program

The Hire Power of Lauralton Women Internships provide an opportunity to share your valuable work and life experiences. In addition, students can bring new energy and a fresh perspective to your workplace.

Are you active in one of the following fields?

Theology • Child Psychology • Healthcare • Marine Biology Engineering • Law • Advertising • Marketing • Graphic Design Creative Writing and more.

Inspire the next genera tion of women!

A total of 40 hours is required by the end of the semester to complete the internship. The work schedule will be determined between the business and the student.

For more information, please contact Internship Coordinator, Jill Waldron at jwaldron@lauraltonhall.org.

save the date! february 27, 2016 Make your reservations early!

Always a Sellout!

net proceeds benefits financial aid and scholarships

Billy Donaldson’s

TRAD

Keltic Kick

Plus featuring Celtic Music Master and Lauralton faculty member Damien Connolly

Plus Enter to Win!

Best Decorated Table Contest The Luck O’ The Irish Raffle

18 LAURALTON HALL

Once Removed & Fairfield Gaelic Pipe Band featuring Pat Speer as the evening’s Master of Ceremonies

Visit LauraltonHall.org for sponsorship opportunities, to donate raffle items or for reservations.

Girls of Summer

the lauralton hall internship program

Lauralton Hall faculty were not the only ones who spent significant time this past summer learning, exploring, and growing. Here are some highlights from the summer experiences of ten current students.

Six rising juniors and seniors spent five days at UCONN’s “Explore Engineering” summer residential program held in June. Sam Mallari ’16, Allison Haynes ’17, Marena Christakus ’16, Bridget Moore ’16, Katherine Arsenault ’16, and Katherine Simonetti ’17 were accepted into this highly competitive program that attracted high school students as far away as Italy. The students were introduced to the engineering profession through a series of lectures, classes and experiments in 12 different areas of engineering.

Danielle Koterbay ’16 interned at the prestigious Yale University School of Medicine through the 2015 Discovery to Cure Program. She was one of 40 high school students selected from a nationwide pool of over 300 applicants. She was joined by aspiring students from local, national, and international high schools where they were able to gain research experience in Yale’s biomedical laboratories. Danielle’s research project involved testing the effects of cold exposure on muscle function.

She and her mentor gathered data from various test subjects.

Katie Hazzard ’17 was selected to be part of Worcester Polytechnic Institute Frontiers Programs, where she explored unsolved problems across a wide spectrum of engineering, mathematics, science, and robotics disciplines. This included challenges and projects in aerospace engineering, biology/ biotechnology, biomedical engineering, chemistry/biochemistry, civil and environmental engineering, computer science, electrical and computer engineering, environmental and sustainability studies, interactive media and game development, mathematics, mechanical engineering, and physics.

Lily Delmonico ’16 participated in the Conservation Discovery Corps (CDC) at the Beardsley Zoo. This youth program is geared toward high school students who have an interest in conservation biology or working with animals. Lily underwent a six-week program to train to be an instructor at the zoo, and then spent over 90 hours serving as a docent and conversationalist. This included describing exhibits and engaging visitors at the zoo.

Aigneis Frey ’16 completed a four-week internship with Dr. Elizabeth Gladfelter ’64, a researcher at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. Her primary project was assisting in the development of a heritage trail down the Coonamasset River that highlights the natural and land use history of the area. During this project, Aigneis was involved in trail assessment, development of an online GIS map, photo documentation, as well as attending meetings with town officials and grant administrators.

UConn Engineering Program Sam Mallari ’16

Yale University School of Medicine Danielle Koterbay ’16

Allison Haynes ’17

Frontiers Program at WPI Katie Hazzard ’17

Marena Christakus ’16 Bridget Moore ’16 Katherine Arsenault ’16 Katherine Simonetti ’17

Beardsley Zoo Lily Delmonico ’16 Internship at Woods Hole Aigneis Frey ’16

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new faculty & staff

Loren Cerami science teacher

Sandra Wilson Clark development assistant

Edlira Curis director of annual giving

Loren comes to Lauralton Hall from Newton Country Day School in Newton, MA, where for seven years she taught physics, coached soccer, and served as class dean. Prior to working at Newton, she worked in research in the area of ultrafast lasers at Harvard University while also attending graduate school. She has a BS degree in optics from the University of Rochester, an MPhil in electrical engineering from the University of Cambridge, UK, and an MS in applied physics from Harvard University. Outside of school, Loren is the mother of two young daughters, ages one and three, and also loves to cook and spend time at the beach with her husband Jason.

Sandra served as the administrative and development assistant at Mooreland Hill School in Kensington, CT. While at Mooreland, she assisted with the school’s annual giving efforts, conducted grant research and wrote proposals and reports, maintained the donor database, and provided development reporting and support for the headmaster and the Development Committee. She also served as a development associate at the New Britain Symphony.

Sandra earned a BFA in Theatre from Central Connecticut State University and graduated from the Paramedic School at Northeastern University.

She and her husband Tim live in Middlefield with their sons Hamish and Tavish. Before joining the Lauralton team, Sandra designed and taught a special effects make-up class to teach medical personnel how to do injury simulation make-up for disaster drills and medical training.

Edlira most recently was with the Rippowan-Cisqua School (RCS), a pre K-9 independent day school in Bedford, NY. She served as their director of the annual fund and alumni relations manager, responsible for managing and coordinating all efforts related to the annual fund, alumni relations, and developing strategy and cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of the school’s various annual fund constituencies. Edlira also served as a parent volunteer at the Whitby School in Greenwich, CT, where her children attended.

She has earned a BS in languages and linguistics from Georgetown University and an MS from the Rochester Institute of Technology.

She recently moved to Orange with her husband Robert and their three children, Emma, Reamon and Fiona. Edlira is always ready for a good conversation, a good meal, and never tires of talking about education.

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Anne Noel math teacher

Jeanmarie Santopatre campus minister

Natalia (Nat) Szymanski athletics administrative assistant

Anne grew up in Milford and taught for many years in the Milford Public School System at Foran High School. She taught a wide range of courses, including AP Calculus. In addition, Anne also served for several years as a high school assistant principal in two different districts in CT. She received a BS degree in mathematics, an MS in education from Southern Connecticut State University, and an associate’s degree in accounting from Post University. Anne is also just two classes shy from completing her MBA from Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT. In her free time, Anne likes to play pool (billiards–9 Ball), and she and her husband play competitively on a league and they have competed in the American Pool Player Association’s National Championships in Las Vegas, NV.

Jean recently completed an MA in Theology at Yale Divinity School in May 2015 and also completed a certificate in Education, Leadership and Ministry from the Berkeley Divinity School. She worked as an intern in Campus Ministry at St. Thomas More, Yale’s Catholic chaplaincy, prior to joining the staff at Lauralton Hall.

At St. Thomas More, she created a workbook on the contemplative prayer of St. Ignatius called the Examen and co-led a Mission Immersion trip to El Salvador for Yale Catholic undergraduate students. As a volunteer, Jean led mission immersion trips to the Passamaquoddy Reservation in Maine, Los Ninos, Mexico, and the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Jean lives in the Black Rock section of Bridgeport with her husband, Michael, a merchant mariner, and their son Dylan, who is a freshman at Fairfield University. Photojournalism is a passion for Jean, which has taken her to many places around the world.

Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, Nat attended an all-girls Catholic high school in NYC (Dominican Academy), and went on to graduate from Fordham University in 2012 with a BA in communications and media studies. While at Fordham, she was a member of the rugby team and was named captain during her junior and senior years. After graduating from college, Nat was employed for a short time on Wall Street before accepting a position at Marymount School in NYC. Wanting athletics to be a larger part of her life, she eagerly accepted the position at Lauralton Hall. Nat speaks fluent Polish and is the first in her family to be born in the United States and graduate from college.

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commencement On May 30, Lauralton presented diplomas to 113 young women of the Class of 2015. President Antoinette Iadarola, Ph.D. gave the opening and closing remarks and, along with Chairman of the Board of Trustees Michael Amato and Principal Cynthia Gallant, presented the graduates with their diplomas.

This year’s Valedictorian was Emily Discepola of Shelton. In her address, Emily assured her classmates that they are not the center of everything, and even though Lauralton was the center of their universe over the past four years, they should not be afraid of what an uncertain future may bring. The following is an excerpt from Emily’s Valedictorian speech:

“ On this campus, in this place, and over the time of the past four years, we have been set in motion, and no matter how great the obstacle that is in our path, the faculty at Lauralton Hall has given us the strength to overcome any challenge, to conquer both molehill and mountain. The Mercy tradition that is at the core of our values will prove a living legacy that remains with us wherever we go, from one woman to the next, from one generation to the next, and from one continent to the next. The decisions we make, the people we love, and the manner in which we live our lives will reflect the passions and perspectives of the Academy of Our Lady of Mercy.

We believe in ourselves and we are inspired to reach out and to help others because that is the best of what Lauralton has taught us, the best of what Lauralton has inspired us to do… Now it is our time to use what we have learned to show others what it means to be a Lauralton Lady.

Congratulations to the Class of 2015. We remain in motion, but let us always remember the lessons and the people of Lauralton Hall—with gratitude and love. Thank you and God bless you all.”

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A list that represents more than just names.

The Class of 2015 earned more than $21.7 million in merit scholarships, performed more than 28,700 hours of community service, and graduated 60 members of the National Honor Society. They have been accepted at over 150 colleges and universities throughout the country, including some of the most competitive in the country.

Adelphi University The University of Alabama Albertus Magnus College Allegheny College American University The University of Arizona Assumption College Auburn University Babson College Barnard College Bentley University Boston College Boston University Bryant University Bryn Mawr College Bucknell University Cabrini College Calvin College Carleton College The Catholic University of America Cedar Crest College Centenary College Central Connecticut State University Champlain College Chapman University College of Charleston Christopher Newport University Clark University Clemson University Coastal Carolina University Colby College Colby-Sawyer College Colgate University Columbia University Connecticut College University of Connecticut Cornell University Creighton University Curry College University of Dayton Dean College Delaware State University University of Delaware Denison University University of Denver Drake University

Drew University Drexel University Duquesne University Eastern Connecticut State University Elizabethtown College Elms College Elon University Emerson College Emmanuel College Endicott College Fairfield University The University of Findlay Fisher College Fisk University Fontbonne University Fordham University Franklin and Marshall College Franklin Pierce University Furman University Georgetown University Georgia Institute of Technology The University of Georgia Gettysburg College Gonzaga University Hamilton College Hampton University University of Hartford Hartwick College High Point University Hobart and William Smith Colleges Hofstra University Hollins University College of the Holy Cross Howard University Indiana University at Bloomington Iona College Ithaca College James Madison University Johns Hopkins University Johnson & Wales University Keene State College Kenyon College King’s College Lafayette College Le Moyne College

Loyola University Chicago Loyola University Maryland Loyola University New Orleans University of Maine Manhattan College Manhattanville College Marist College Marquette University University of Mary Washington University of Maryland Marymount Manhattan College Marymount University University of Massachusetts, Amherst McGill University Merrimack College Miami University, Oxford Michigan State University Mississippi State University University of Mississippi Morgan State University Mount Holyoke College Mount Saint Mary College New England College University of New Hampshire University of New Haven New York University University of North Carolina at Asheville University of North Carolina at Charlotte North Carolina Central University Northeastern University University of Notre Dame Pace University Pennsylvania State University University of Pennsylvania University of Pittsburgh Plymouth State University Pratt Institute Providence College Quinnipiac University Randolph College Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Rhode Island College University of Rhode Island University of Richmond Rider University Roanoke College Roger Williams University Sacred Heart University Saint Joseph’s University Saint Louis University Saint Michael’s College The College of Saint Rose Salve Regina University Santa Clara University The University of Scranton Seton Hall University Siena College

the catherine mcauley award lauralton’s highest honor Jaclyn Brewster attends the College of the Holy Cross and is majoring in Math and Physics.

valedictorian Emily Discepola attends UCONN and is proud to be the recipient of the UCONN Presidential Scholars Award. Emily is studying Chemical Engineering.

salutatorian Olivia Maffei is furthering her academics at Lafayette College in Pennsylvania and plans to major in Chemistry.

Simmons College University of South Carolina Southern Connecticut State University Springfield College St. Bonaventure University St. John’s University St. Lawrence University St. Thomas Aquinas College Stetson University Stonehill College The University of Tampa University of Tennessee University of Toronto Towson University Trinity College Tufts University Tulane University Union College Vanderbilt University Vassar College University of Vermont Villanova University Virginia Tech University of Virginia Wake Forest University Washington College Wesleyan University Western Connecticut State University Western New England University Wheaton College Wheelock College College of William and Mary The College of Wooster Xavier University York College of Pennsylvania 2015 HALLMARKS FALL 23

homecoming & reunions 2015

Alumnae from the class of 1990 walking up to the mansion on Friday, September 18

Class of 1990 25th Reunion The class of 1990 kicked-off the annual Homecoming and Reunion weekend on Friday, September 18 with a celebration of their 25th reunion. Former Principal Ann Pratson and former Principal and President Karen Yardley delighted everyone with a surprise appearance.

On Saturday, several hundred alumnae, spanning many decades beginning with the 1940’s all the way through to the class of 2005, gathered on campus for a beautiful day that began with a champagne toast with Dr. Toni Iadarola, President and Head of School, followed by lunch in the Claven Auditorium. This included a celebration of all alumnae and their support for their alma mater—this year reunion giving totaled $629,926.78!

Tours around campus, throughout the day, brought alumnae back to the classrooms and the hallways where the 110-year old tradition of the school meets 21st century learning and state of the art renovations.

The renovations of the Carriage Barn, and the new athletic turf field and other improvements around campus, have all been made possible through the continued engagement and support of alumnae and the entire Lauralton Hall Community.

Sunday was another special day which included honoring the class of ’65, (celebrating it’s 50th reunion), the Golden Girls Society (classes from 1935 through 1965), prayer service, pinning ceremony, and luncheon.

24 LAURALTON HALL

Sharon Brennan ’65 and Toni Iadarola, President and Head of School presenting the check from Reunion Giving

Penny Denos ’80, Alumnae Board President with daughter Cara Denos ’10

Class of 1965, celebrating their 50th Reunion

Class of 1965, Peggy McCormick Chernock, 50th Reunion co-Chair, Sharon Brennan, 50th Reunion co-Chair, Gail Hermanns Beliveau, Nancy Agno Dreir ’65, Winnie Hamilton, Mary Lee Campagna O’Connor

Mary Pat Elwood ’75 and Jan Powers ’75, LH Academic Dean

See the entire homecoming & reunion photo album: https://flic.kr/s/ aHskmeBY1o Members from the class of 1990 celebrating their 25th reunion

If you are interested in joining your reunion team, helping find lost alums, or reaching out to classmates, please contact the Alumnae Relations Office at AlumnaeRelations@lauraltonhall.org.

Ashley Eason ’05, Carolyn Cuteri ’05 and Erica Cruz ’05

Alumnae Board members: Mary Lou Castracane ’63, Penny Denos ’80, Kathleen Sargent ’58 and Valerie Foss-Bruneau ’89

Prayer Service on Sunday

Alumnae walking to Claven Auditorium following Champaign toast in the Athletic Center

Members of the class of 1975, celebrating their 40th reunion

75th Reunion!

Marie Birge ’40 and Nancy Birge ’45. It was so wonderful to have the Birge sisters join Homecoming festivities this year as we celebrated Marie’s 75th reunion!

Kathleen Sargent ’58 (member of the Alumnae Board) pinning Sharon Brennan ’65

2015 HALLMARKS FALL 25

class notes

grade 1–6 elementary school. These experiences laid the foundation for her current district-level leadership role as Director of Curriculum in Orange, where she has been successful in building the capacity of her staff and enhancing student growth at all levels. Colleen also had extensive experience in school budgeting, policy, and managing the District through unanticipated challenges. She began her new leadership role in October 2015.

Susan Metcalfe writes “My passion has always been horses. This will be my third year fox hunting with Fairfield County Hounds in Bridgewater, CT. Before you gasp, we chase native coyote and call it successful when we get to see him outrunning the hounds. We haven’t caught anything in over 30 years. The picture was taken at a hunt last year. This is traditional fox hunting with men in red coats and women in black jackets, horns blaring, horses galloping over fences, hounds singing and riders yelling “Tally-Ho.” Most of the native foxes have been driven out by the coyote population. We don’t stand a chance against a healthy fox or coyote. In fact, that’s why the sport got started. Old, sick, injured foxes would get into a chicken coop for an easy meal, eat one chicken and kill the rest. Coyotes are a real menace. Besides pet cats and dogs, a pack of them killed a calf last year. There are a lot of folks who wish we would kill a few. They are native to the area and know the land better than we do. AND 20 hounds and 20 horses make a lot of noise. They can hear us coming!”

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Colleen Meaney Murray was named the new Bethany, CT Superintendent of Schools. She is the former Director of Curriculum in the central office of the Orange Public School District. Colleen has 30 years experience in elementary education mostly in Orange and Milford. She has taught at all elementary grade levels, from kindergarten through grade six (with the exception of grade 3). While she was teaching in Milford she was instrumental in leading her school to successfully compete for a United States Blue Ribbon School of Excellence award. She has been principal of both a Pre-K/kindergarten school and a

’75

26 LAURALTON HALL

Elizabeth Simonetti, Ph.D. is co-founder of the non-profit organization “Multiply the H.A.R.V.E.S.T” which provides economic development in Togo, West Africa, where she served as a missionary. The photo shows Elizabeth (on left) and two other missionaries reading to children waiting for treatment at the clinic in 2008. For more information, go to www.multipletheharvest.org.

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Mariela Laracuente was named “Teacher of the Year 2015–2016” at Olympia High School in Orlando, FL.

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Dr. Rebecca L. Smith was part of the writing team for a new book “STEM to Story—Enthralling and Effective Lesson Plans, for Grades 5–8.” Rebecca is co-director of the Science and Health Education Partnership (SEP) at the University of California, San Francisco, where she supports science teaching and learning in public schools.

She has extensive experience developing and implementing teacher-scientist partnership programs, teaching doctoral students and postdoctoral fellows, and leading professional development for teachers. Through her work with SEP, Rebecca has designed innovative learning experiences that engage students, from youth to adults, as scientists in the classroom, helping them discover big ideas in science and

’89

learn how to think critically and make conclusions using evidence. She has also served as an advisor to out-of-school programs seeking to incorporate opportunities for STEM learning into their programming. Rebecca was featured on the cover of the Spring 2012 issue of Hallmarks showing her receiving the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring from President Barack Obama.

After graduating from MIT, Hilarie Tomasiewicz earned her medical and doctoral degrees at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

She is currently a fourthyear resident physician in neurological surgery at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell.

She resides in Manhattan.

She is pictured here with her sister Annie ’99.

’97

Donna Castracane Kapsinow gave birth to Talia Jordon Kapsinow on Sept. 7. Talia’s grandmother is Alumnae Executive Board member Mary Lou Conforte Castracane ’63.

’93

Sumner Menchero and her husband Carlo Costino were delighted to welcome Delano Giovanni Menchero Costino on May 31, 2015. Little Del is also the grandson of Lynette Francoeur Menchero ’67 and the godson of Deirdre Walsh ’96.

’96

Bethann Balazsi announces her July 17, 2015 nuptials to Jason Camillo. The Camillo’s had a beach BBQ wedding at Walnut Beach in Milford. Celebrating with the couple were 1997 classmates (left to right) Blake Amendola, Cathy Maxwell Alvarez, Maggie Boyne Sylvester, Allison Brown Emery.

Bethann is seated!

’97

Christine Gaits married Frank Falcone on October 10, 2014 in Waterbury, CT. The bride’s sister, Meagan Gaits ’06 was her Maid of Honor. The couple reside in Naugatuck and they both work for the Connecticut Department of Corrections.

’98

Kimberly Krikciun wed Joaquin (Jay) Repollet in the Chapel at Lauralton Hall on April 25, 2015.

Annie Tomasiewicz, a graduate of Columbia University and a NYC Teaching Fellow, recently received a second master’s degree from Columbia Teachers College. She is in her 11th year of teaching English and Art to at-risk teenagers as Lead Teacher at Harlem Renaissance High School. She married Henri Palacci, a native of Paris, France, on July 26, 2014.

’99

Jennifer Jerolmon Amore and her husband Giavanni are the proud parents of Scarlett Olivia Amore who was born on June 23, 2015.

She weighed 6 lbs and 2.1 oz. Big sister Juliette is delighted with her new baby sister. Jennifer teaches history at Lauralton.

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’97

Erin Devaney announces her engagement to Dave Weinberger from Pittsford, NY. They met in Boston in 2011. A summer 2016 wedding is planned. Erin is a hospitality marketing manager in Boston and her fiancé is in Enterprise Software Sales.

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Ashley Rader wed Henry Matson Coxe, IV in Washington, DC on September 20, 2014.

Anna Maria Boccansuso is engaged to Steven Angelo and is planning a Fall 2015 wedding. Ann Maria is currently working on her nursing degree in Norwalk.

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2015 HALLMARKS FALL 27

class notes

Michelle Salzilo married Phil Marinaccio on June 20, 2015.

’07

Michele Dalena writes, “I have graduated from the University of Connecticut with a major in Biomedical Engineering and a minor in French. For my senior design project I created an iPad application that received data

by Bluetooth from electrodes to track uterine contractions and fetal heart rate when a woman is going into labor. It was created to be used as a tocodynamometer by clinicians in third world countries and I was approached to explore applying for a patent! I will see where that takes me, but in the meantime, I am applying for jobs.” Michele plans to pursue an MBA in the near future.

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Carolyn Cutieri, Ashley Eason, and Erika Cruz joined the LH Alumnae Homecoming festivities in September. They are pictured here holding a Class of 2005 banner.

’05

Jane Becker (left) is finishing her last semester of law school and is currently interning in the legal department at Marvel Studios in Los Angeles.

’07

Gina T. LeDonne received her Juris Doctor, with honors, from Pace University School of Law. Gina spent her first year of law school at Northeastern University School of Law in Boston where she was a participant in a year-long social justice project. While in law school, Gina was selected for a competitive corporate law externship program and was involved with several Intellectual Property student organizations. She was also an active peer mentor and tutor. Gina graduated with honors in 2011 from Emerson College in Boston, MA.

’07

Wendi Lawless announced her engagement to Alexander Lenches. She has completed an associate degree in Science and earned her EMT certification.

She is currently applying to nursing programs. Wendi writes, “I was a volunteer EMT at Stratford EMS, but now am a paid part time employee. I also work full time at Hunters Ambulance Service. I have fully enjoyed every step so far in reaching my ultimate goal as an RN in getting experience in the medical field, with an added bonus of meeting my future husband. I recently bought my first home in Milford as well.”

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28 LAURALTON HALL

Constance Holden recently graduated summa cum laude from Amherst College with a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish. She wrote a senior honors thesis about the ideological construction and reproduction of anti-Haitianism in the Dominican Republic in 19th century Dominican literature and history. She received the Spanish Department’s annual Senior Award, the Pedro Grases Prize, which is awarded to a graduating senior who has demonstrated the greatest progress and academic excellence in Spanish. She enthusiastically accepted an offer to teach English in Santiago, Chile, as a Teaching Fellow with the new social enterprise, Beyond English. She looks forward to eventually attending a graduate school that will enable her to pursue a career that engages the core values of a Mercy education; one that is dedicated to “global vision and responsibility” while living a life of service and compassion.

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Jessica Linden graduated from Endicott College in May 2015 with a B.A. in Education Studies. She is currently interning at The Futures Behavior Therapy Center in Beverly, MA. While at Endicott, Jess was a dual sport athlete playing softball and field hockey.

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Emily Marussich writes “I’m beyond excited to officially report that after auditions and 7 weeks of bootcamp, I have earned a spot on the Gotham City Cheerleaders to cheer for the NY Giants this season. From MetLife Stadium, to appearances, to the numerous other opportunities I couldn’t be more excited for what’s to come.

Let’s Go Big Blue!!”

Department. I just accepted a job offer from the Key Program in MA. I’ll be working directly with troubled teenage girls living in a group home as their Residential Caseworker, building supportive relationships, assisting them with their strength based treatments, developing life skills, and all sorts of things so that they can reenter society with hope and success!”

Rebecca Napolitano was honored with the Connecticut Technology Council 2015 Women of Innovation Award, being recognized by the Connecticut Computer Science Teachers Association for her leadership in science, technology, engineering, math and community. She was also honored with a citation from the State of Connecticut as a “Young Innovator” for her work in founding the “Women in Science” program, designed for high school girls across the state to encourage participation in science related activities and engage in dialogue with female college science students. After graduating summa cum laude with honors and distinction from Connecticut College in May, Becca is currently in a graduate program in the department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Princeton University. Here she is combining her love of physics and Latin in a way that brings 2000+ year old structures digitally back to life. She has been working at archaeological sites in Italy for the past two years, creating 3D models, using Latin texts, existing structures, and structural analysis to reverse engineer what these historic structures would have originally looked like. Becca has also remained active in the realm of women in science through outreach programs organized by the Graduate Women in Science and Engineering program at Princeton.

Danielle Sekerak graduated from Villanova and now attends UPenn Law school. Pictured here with sister Erika ’10, “I am an English major with a Spanish minor.

I’m involved in the New Student Orientation Steering Committee, Special Olympics, Blue Key Society, Villanova Ambassadors, the English Major Student Advisory Board, and LEVEL (a new student group formed to bridge the gap between students with various abilities and disabilities).”

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Kim Ngoc writes, “I graduated from Stonehill College with a BA in Sociology. I am pursuing a career in social work and have interned in D.C. with an international human rights organization where I did a lot of lobbying on Capitol Hill for women and children in Pakistan. I also interned in New Haven, CT at Love146 where I worked to prevent child trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation in the U.S. within the Preventions

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Teresa Starzecki writes “At UConn, I was an Applied Physics major and a Mathematics minor. I fell in love with physics/math my freshman year at LH and so decided to go into it in college. Last winter I had an amazing opportunity at Birinyi Associates in Westport, CT to intern for them while I was home on winter break. They are a stock market research and money management firm. From there I decided that I wanted to go more towards a finance route for my grad degree. After visiting Switzerland this past summer while I was studying abroad in Florence, Italy, I fell in love with it. As a result, I applied abroad to a finance program at the Universita della Svizzera Italiana (aka the University of Lugano). I was admitted into their MS in Finance program and was enrolled in their “elite” masters of finance program (MPhil program) aimed towards bachelor students with strong math backgrounds to go further into research in finance. While at UConn, I was also on the D1 Women’s Rowing team (along with Abigail Viner ’11).

I recently won the Coach’s Award, an award chosen by all my coaches and given to a senior on the team who showed great dedication and perseverance. I was also on the Athletics Dean list all four years at UConn. All in all, UConn was an amazing experience and I am very excited to start a new chapter in Switzerland.”

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2015 HALLMARKS FALL 29

class notes

Sarah Wilkie graduated May 16, 2015, cum laude from Marywood University with a Bachelor of Arts in Art Therapy. Throughout her four years at LH, she took every Art course available where she unveiled her own natural artistic ability. Upon graduating LH, Sarah entered her freshman year of college as an undecided major with doubts of what direction to take. She thought about majoring in theology or environmental sciences. During her first semester of college, the Sandy Hook tragedy made an impact on what she was called to do. As a Sandy Hook resident, she reached out to the many counseling services that were made available to Newtown residents and met several professional Art Therapists who have inspired her. She never thought of a career in the field of Art. But it was then Sarah decided to pursue a major in Art Therapy with a minor in Psychology. With drive and motivation, she was inducted into Psi Chi (International Honor Society for Psychology) and accelerated her bachelor’s program by taking summer and winter courses and graduated with her degree in three years rather than the traditional four year path. “With so much need of therapeutic help in Newtown, I wanted to accelerate my undergraduate studies to start graduate school immediately so that I can become a Registered Art Therapist (ATR) and give back to Newtown through the Newtown Resiliency Center. Sarah began her graduate studies in the Master of Arts in Art Therapy at Lesley University during the summer of 2015 with a plan to graduate by May 2018 to become a Registered Art Therapist. LH provided me the foundation through its Art curriculum to become who I am today.”

’12

Grace Wilson graduated from Boston University with a Bachelor of Science in Journalism. She is a member of the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority at BU. She accepted a job at the Connecticut Post as a web producer, and is excited to begin her career. Grace offers the following advice to the graduating Class of 2015 (and 2016!): “Keep in touch with the best friends you’ve made here. The bond you’ve made with them is precious and irreplaceable, and you’ll be happy to have them once you’ve graduated from college. Involve yourself at your school and remember, you’re never too old for school spirit. Surround yourself with people who inspire you and challenge you to be your best, but can also make you laugh until you cry. Sometimes, you’ll find yourself working on a paper at 3am in your college dorm and wonder why it matters—it does, but remember, your grades don’t define you as a person. Keep an open mind and try opportunities you might have never envisioned”. Grace adds, “I know Lauralton is the nurturing and encouraging place that instills a strong work ethic and sense of self in its students, and I am so grateful to have graduated from there.”

’11

Jillian O’Neil writes “Thank you Miami for not only giving me a wonderful education but also providing me the opportunity to give back to our community!

I am incredibly honored to have received the 2015 President’s Award for Volunteering.” Jillian was one of six students recognized with the Gold Award with 250 service hours or more. She is a senior at Miami University in Ohio majoring in Kinesiology and Nutrition.

’12

Mary Siroky attends Belmont University in Nashville, TN. She appeared in a recent Taco Bell “breakfast commercial.” To catch Mary in action, go to http://www.ispot.tv/ad/7iIm/taco-bell-biscuit-taco-betterthan-mommas-cooking.

’12

30 LAURALTON HALL

Amanda Grillo is majoring in Theatre Performance at the University of New Haven. Last summer, she was cast as Helena, the lead in “A Midwsummer Night’s Dream” presented by the West Haven Council of the Arts/ Theatre West’s production.

’14

Ann Marie Guzzi, is a sophomore at Duke University.

While playing lacrosse during her freshman year, the Duke team won the Division II Lacrosse Championship and Ann Marie was selected as the All-Tournament Best Defensive Player.

’14

dearly departed Alumnae ’41 Mildred Bujanauskas Stachowicz, March 6, 2015 ’44 Irene Belko Back, May 21, 2014 ’45 Virginia Veit Tottle, May 19, 2015 ’47 Marie Murphy Beauchemin, July 26, 2015 ’50 Ethel Groark McMahon, December 8, 2014 ’50 Margaret Costello Murphy, June 2, 2015 ’52 Lorraine Curley Laske, June 10, 2015 ’55 Janet McCullough Purcell, December 18, 2014 ’55 Mary Colligan Rourke, June 17, 2015 ’55 Dorothy Vidic Mastroni, January 26, 2015 ’65 Donna Polverari Marino, April 14, 2015 ’67 Rachel Turcotte Machado, June 30, 2015

Mary Cotter, mother of Rosemary Cotter Dulaff ’79, Noreen Cotter Von Brauchitsch ’82, Jacqueline Cotter Sheehan ’89, mother-in-law of Megan Lyddy Cotter ’79, grandmother to Darby Cotter ’08 and Kerrigan Cotter ’10, April 26, 2015.

Aedan Fortes, son of Laurie Lingane Bowen ’82, September 5, 2015.

Clovis Hitson, father of Cameron Hitson ’06, April 6, 2015.

Elizabeth McLaughlin, mother of guidance counselor Erin Chamberlain, August 28, 2015.

Janet Moriarity, former LH spanish teacher from 1955–1958, September 17, 2015.

Patricia Hayden Obuhanick, mother of Paula Obuhanick Wood ’74, Penny Obuhanick Denos ’80, and grandmother of Cara Denos ’10, June 19, 2015.

Lucille Pyrch, former Lauralton Hall swim coach, June 21, 2015. Beginning with her appointment in 1981, Coach Pyrch led the team for over 20 years to numerous league and state titles.

’67 Mary Elizabeth Lally, September 24, 2015

Elizabeth Sondak , mother of Emilia Tanu ’13 and Felicia Tanu ’16, July 20th.

Friends and Family

Frederick C. Spreyer, brother of Jeannie Cedrone, LH Office Receptionist, February 18, 2015.

David S. Busch, father of Deborah Busch Wright ’83 and Gwendolyn Busch Williams ’86, June 18, 2015.

Victor Pomowski, grandfather of LH History teacher, Christine Miller, August 23, 2015.

Give the Gift that Lasts Forever...

M

emorialize an event or commemorate your favorite current or former Lauralton Hall student with a custom brick paver. These bricks will be engraved with your message and installed in the bleacher area of the new turf field, to be admired for years to come.

Lauralton has provided thousands of young women with a strong foundation. Now is your chance to help build a foundation for the future.

To order please visit: www.lauraltonhall.org/why-support-lauralton.

Add th is to your Christmas list!

$250: 4'' x 8'' brick paver $500: 8'' x 8'' brick paver Information: development@ lauraltonhall.org.

2015 HALLMARKS FALL 31

Our Heritage The Academy of Our Lady of Mercy, Lauralton Hall is the first Catholic college preparatory high school for girls in Connecticut, and among the first established in the United States. Our mission and our philosophy are as unique as our founding, well over a century ago.

A Lauralton Hall education empowers a young woman to excel in any endeavor, to find her own voice, and to be a bearer of Mercy to those in need. We offer students not only a rigorous academic experience that develops the skills necessary for success in college and career, but also a supportive, caring and funfilled environment that nurtures a young woman’s

understanding of herself and others. Our dedicated faculty and staff are wise role models who help each of our girls become the person that God created her to be—spiritually, intellectually, socially, emotionally, and physically.

It is virtually impossible to project an organization into the future without first examining its past, its roots and its birth. The heritage of the Academy of Our Lady of Mercy, Lauralton Hall, is rich in history, tradition, and the charism of Mercy. Truly, the present caliber and strength of Lauralton Hall began in its most genuine, albeit humble, beginnings.

Our Mission

Core Values of a Mercy Education

Inspired by the Mercy Tradition, Lauralton Hall empowers young women to pursue their highest potential through lifelong learning, compassionate service, and responsible leadership in a global society.

Compassion and Service Educational Excellence Concern for Women and Women’s Issues Global Vision and Responsibility Spiritual Growth and Development Collaboration

32 LAURALTON HALL

par·tic·i·pate (pär’tisә pāt), verb. participated, participating. ’ 1. take part. synonyms: take part in, engage in, join in, share in.

TAKE PART in the Lauralton Fund JOIN in Support of Our Students SHARE in the Success of Our School ENGAGE in Our Future

Your gift will help strengthen our numbers, our programs and our community.

Your participation matters—together we make a difference!

President’s Club McAuley Circle

$10,000 +

Tower Council

$5,000–$9,999

Golden Stair

$2,500–$4,999

Heritage Society

$1,000–$2,499

Executive Club Founder

$500–$999

Associate

$300–$499

Member

$100–$299

Friend

$1–$99

To make a gift online go to www.lauraltonhall.org/give

Lauralton

hallmarks

Academy of Our Lady of Mercy | Lauralton Hall 200 High Street Milford, CT 06460

non-profit org.

u.s. postage

paid

permit no. 1090

new haven, ct