MKA Review, Fall 2016

MKA revıew

THE MAGAZINE OF

MONTCLAIR KIMBERLEY ACADEMY FALL 2016

WE ARE A SCHOOL OF INTENTIONAL BALANCE FOR INFINITE GROWTH

MKA revıew

THE MAGAZINE OF

MONTCLAIR KIMBERLEY ACADEMY FALL 2016

F E ATURE

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Balance

DE PARTME NTS

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FROM THE HE AD MASTER

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AROUND MKA Campus, student and faculty news

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PA R E NT NEWS

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TRUSTE E NEWS

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ALUMNI NEWS

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A G E NE ROUS L I FE Stories of Giving

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CLASS NOT ES

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MISSION MKA’s challenging, engaging and innovative academic program provides a vibrant and transformative education. Our faculty’s deep and genuine understanding of our students as individuals and as learners fosters their ethical development, intellectual growth and personal success. MKA’s diverse, collaborative and inclusive community inspires students to lead lives of noble character, purpose and distinction.

Editors Gretchen Berra Kim Saunders Design Lilly Pereira Copy Editor Diane Lundy Assistant Editors Debbie Allen Kaitlin Maillet Lois Montorio Photographers Doug Allen Gretchen Berra Michael Branscom Phil Cantor Steve Clayton Tony Cuneo James Demaria Norman DeShong Al Foote David Hollander David Kenas Kait Maillet Lois Montorio Derek Morf Kim Saunders Karen Schifferdecker William Stites Rob Strain

Evidence of our mission is found in the KNOWLEDGE, VISION and INTEGRITY of our students and our alumni: K N OW L EDGE • Academic excellence • Intellectual independence • Love of learning VISION • Personal engagement with the world • Understanding of human complexity • A sense of humility and compassion I N TEG R ITY • Strength of character • Responsibility as a citizen and leader • An honorable and generous life

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FROM THE HEADMASTER

BY T HOM AS W. N AM MACK

Maintaining Balance As you read this issue of the Fall Review, you will come across references to MKA’s commitment to teach the “whole child.” It is a formative concept that has shaped many schools and their programs, but overuse of the term has diminished a clear sense of its meaning unless it is described in a very specific context. Those descriptions, from each Head of Campus and from MKA teachers, students and alumni are the content of the 2016 Fall Review.

MKA believes that balance in program, human relationships, our professional conduct and in the MKA experience for each student is essential for meeting the commitment to teach the whole child. A balanced experience for a student or a teacher is not the absence of challenge or failure.

The challenge is learning to maintain one’s balance in the midst of

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opportunities, responsibilities and the unexpected. MKA’s mission is to provide the educational environment in which each student can shape and experience a balanced life for him or herself, and that promotes purposeful rather than merely busy days in school.

Some of the most important work that I do each year is to participate in the hiring process and to help interview and select new colleagues to join the MKA community. At some point in every interview the candidate will ask a question about what it is like to work at MKA. My opening response before going into some detail is always the same, “MKA is a great place to work, but it is not an easy place to work.” When interviewing a teaching candidate, I am thinking about the fact that it takes a whole teacher to teach the whole child.

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We look for teachers who are confident in their subject area and in the art of teaching, and who have the humility to be open to and strive for continued professional growth in all aspects of their work. A high degree of emotional intelligence is essential for MKA faculty and we look for evidence of that intelligence in the tone of their communication, in their capacity to listen and respond rather than hear and react, and in measures of their grit and endurance from the life experiences that surface in a résumé, professional references, and what they have to say about themselves.

As an example of program design that is intended to educate the whole child and provides evidence of the positive power of balance, MKA’s approach to integrated ethics (p. 37) is unique.

Centered on the question, “How can we best help our students to develop the moral and intellectual habits of good character?” integrated ethics creates a relationship and a balance among a constellation of programs and initiatives in areas such as Ethics, Diversity and Inclusion, Sustainability, Service Learning, Anti-Bullying, Responsive Classroom, Global Experience and Educational Technology. We believe that balance and connection among these areas of school life opens pathways between activity that is extrinsic and habits of mind and conduct that become intrinsic.

Schools are pushed and pulled by a number of forces, MKA’s clarity of purpose helps to maintain the balance necessary to fulfill its mission and to keep what is best for our students at the center of our attention. ■

A A ROUN D M KA

A KIMBERLEY SCHOOL TRADITION On May 2, 2016 despite the clouds and the chill in the air, the second graders did a marvelous job dancing the Maypole dance. They carried on our long-standing tradition and delighted the Brookside community with their delightful dance.

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FIELD TRIPS

Washington, D.C. The annual Washington, D.C. trip marks both the culmination of a challenging year of US History (including the Junior Thesis), as well as a celebration of the Junior Class as they prepare for their final year at the Upper School.

Students on the trip are given the freedom to shape their experiences to further explore their pursuits of the subjects that resonated most with them over the course of the year. They are provided with the opportunity to view museums and monuments that reflect the history they that they have studied throughout the year. The juniors also have the opportunity to select an interest group meeting with some of the most powerful people in the city and this year provided the chance for some students to meet with the Secretary of Homeland Security, Jeh Johnson. However, beyond being an academic journey, the trip to DC provides three days of bonding, exploration and fun for students to build strong connections as they head into their final year at MKA. Here are two student perspectives:

My favorite part of the DC trip was the fact that our chaperones gave us a lot of freedom. We got to take our time and enjoy the monuments for all of their meaning. The tours both day and night were really insightful. We spent a lot of time on the buses together. The plus from this is that I was able to become close friends with people that I hadn’t really spoken to before, but I found similarities with them and we made real friendships because we spent so much time together. I also really enjoyed the boat ride, it was a great way to bond and was a nice touch.

—Kit Smith

Seeing the monuments that we had engrained into our minds since we were little kids, actually in front of us was incredible.

It puts everything into perspective. We got to not only see the House of Representatives but also pick a speaker from various professions and sit down with them. Considering the short amount of time we got to see a lot of truly amazing stuff.

—Will Higgins 04

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The fourth grade set off on a rainy and overcast day for a trip to Ellis Island. The weather did not dampen the mood for anyone. The students toured the exhibits and took part in interactive activities. After the trip the students began diary entries–and the information they gained proved to be invaluable. / Upper School French 1 students took a trip to the Met to explore the French Impressionist movement in paintings. / The High Line is a perfect example of community activism and revitalization that are the main themes of the third grade Social Studies unit, Agents of Change. / The Sixth grade class took a trip to the moon. They put on their safety belts, climbed into a spacecraft and headed into outer space. Through strong communication and meticulous calculations, the students successfully landed at their destination. Prior to takeoff, students learned how to send messages from space and craft spaceships for secure landings.

Students were given the tools to participate in this high-tech simulation at The Buehler Challenger and Science Center in Paramus, NJ. Buehler is a science center that provides classes for students of all ages to experience science in a handson manner. Each year, this trip kicks off the sixth grade earth and space STEM unit in science class. Students have been able to use knowledge gained from their work at Beuhler and apply it to the science classroom. / Upper School theater students and some of our Chilean exchange friends—visited the Metropolitan Opera for a backstage tour. They even got to peek in on opera singers rehearsing!

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Global Travel Houses to Homes

The Guatemala Service trip is an incredible opportunity for students to broaden their view of the poverty to the world. During our trip this year, 19 students participated in traveling to Antigua, Guatemala to build houses for four families. What makes this trip unique is the connections the students make, not only with their peers on the trip, but with the children and parents of the families we build the houses for. Whether it was sharing a pack of cookies with a child at lunch or discussing the profession of a parent during a break, each student connected with the families in one way or another. The students were always motivated to get to the worksite each day because it meant helping a person by fulfilling one of the most important human needs, having a safe place to call home. The importance of this trip to the students cannot be understated as it provides each student an individualized, long lasting view into how a large percentage of the world currently lives.

Backpacking and Wilderness First Aid The Big Sur Backpacking trip was a unique experience for the MKA community in both our goals and our numbers. Thirty students from grades 9-12 and six faculty from both the US and MS traveled to California for the eight-day voyage. Students spent two full days learning wilderness first aid from Sierra Rescue, building the necessary skills to make the most out of our planned backpacking experience. They then embarked on a five-day backcountry trek through Los Padres National Park’s Silver Peak Wilderness. With nothing but the packs on their backs, students crossed rivers, hiked through the brush, cooked their own meals, purified their own water and set up their own camps. In one day, students hiked over 2,500 feet to reach the wilderness summit, over 3,600 feet above the Pacific Ocean. Needless to say, the views were incredible. More spectacular still was the bravery, camaraderie and leadership shown by these amazing 36 individuals. The success of the program means that each year, MKA will now offer a backpacking experience, rotating locations and opportunities for first aid certification.

PUBL ISHED Congratulations to…

Soar: Uplifting Quotes for those who need Hope, a Hug, or a High-Five

By Emily Talkow ’20 Written by MKA 8th grader Emily Talkow, Soar: Uplifting Quotes for those who need Hope, a Hug, or a High-Five offers hope and inspiration to anyone who needs it and a message of light and love to everyone around the world. Quotes in the book range from a variety of sources, including Olympic athletes, actors, other authors, anonymous writers and friends. Proceeds from the book will all be donated to the Montclair Kimberley Academy student-based learning initiative that is donating funds to schools in extremely low-income areas.

Youthful Fantasies: A Collection of Poems and Prose

By Joseph ’22, Valerie ’19 and Alexander Bejjani ’25 Written by Joseph ’22, Valerie ’19 and Alexander Bejjani ’25, avid readers, language lovers and writers, this collection of poems and prose came to fruition in large part due to their schoolwork at MKA. Many of the pieces were published in MKA newsletters inspiring the idea of organizing and publishing them for a wider audience. Youthful Fantasies is a collection of original works that takes you on a journey filled with happiness, sadness and everything in between, covering a variety of subject matter, including history, poetry, fiction and art, all directly from the creative minds of these young authors.

Steward of the People: Theodore Roosevelt versus the Trusts

By Julia Randall ’16 Julia Randall’s junior independent history thesis, Steward of the People: Theodore Roosevelt versus the Trusts was published in the Summer 2016 issue of The Concord Review.

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R EMEMB ER I N G

Ken Gibson

MKA 5K

A GOOD CAUSE The MKA 5K was held on May 22nd at Verona Park as a service learning project organized by our 8th grade students. Student volunteers worked all year to secure our time at Verona Park, find a chip-timing system, design T-shirts, get supplies and put together all details big and small to ensure a successful race to raise money for classroom projects in schools in high-poverty areas.

Together, they raised over $10,000 to use towards purchasing classroom supplies for other schools through DonorsChoose.org. Some projects they’ve already funded have sent iPads to a middle school theatre program and to a class of special needs students, basketballs and a storage rack to a school where students can’t have recess outside and snacks to students who don’t always get a snack at school or at home. A special thank you to CherylAnne Amendola for making the MKA 5K the great success that is was!

It is with great sadness that MKA marks the death of Ken Gibson, Montclair Academy and Montclair Kimberley Academy faculty member from 1966–2002. Ken was a beloved and respected teacher, coach and colleague who joined Montclair Academy as a science teacher and later taught in the History Department in which he served as Chair from the mid 1980’s until 1997. Ken’s late wife Nancy served as a faculty member at Brookside from 1975–1993, and their daughters Elizabeth and Heather graduated from MKA in 1982 and 1984 respectively. MKA will celebrate Ken’s service to the school during Homecoming Weekend in October 2016. Headmaster Tom Nammack noted, “Ken’s death touches all of those who have been a part of the school community in the past fifty years. Heartfelt tributes and remembrances are coming in from generations of students and colleagues. To his family, MKA sends its deepest appreciation for Ken’s service to the school as well as our profound sympathy for the loss of a fine man, father and grandfather.”

Thank You, Richard Sunshine!

After 27 years of loyal and dedicated service, MKA’s beloved CFO and Assistant Headmaster Richard Sunshine retired.

The event, held in April to celebrate Rich, was attended by more than 200 friends, colleagues, and family. Everyone gathered to toast the man that Headmaster Tom Nammack says, “...was a source of confidence and comfort at the school and whose first priority has always been to do what’s best for our students. He served with devotion and honor.”

Rich’s indelible service to the school will never be forgotten as his remarkable contributions have

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touched the lives of the MKA community in immeasurable ways. The one thing he’d like to be remembered for is this, “For anything I said or proposed, whether you agreed with me or not, or the style in which it was delivered, it was always honest, ethical and done in the best interest of the school, its students and employees and was never done for personal gain. I always looked at myself as the point guard, not the star, or face of the franchise. The one that helps the team win by making an assist.”

We wish Rich the best in his retirement and hope he spends time doing the things he loves. MKA will always be here for you and has been lucky to have you for all of these years!

M KA review / Mon tc l a i r K i m b e r l e y A c a de my

2016

Field Days When MKA students work, we work hard! When MKA students play, we play hard! The 2016 Upper School Field Day was filled with great camaraderie and competition. Congratulations to to Walden House on winning the House Cup! The Primary School had a beautiful almost-summer day for Field Day where students enjoyed fun activities, face painting, games and a special barbecue lunch with a visit from the ice cream truck.

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Chinese Bridge Speech Contest For the fifth time in five years, MKA students were not only invited to participate in the Chinese Bridge Speech Contest for U.S. High School Students, but also earned awards. In previous years, Sam Cleverly, Payson Ruhl, Isaiah Kramer and Jayson Thompson have attended the competition and been recognized for their achievement in the language. This year, congratulations go to ninth grader Julia Thompson and tenth grader Sophia Ward, both of whom participated in the contest held on March 19th at the University of Massachusetts Boston and both of whom earned awards for their accomplishments in the face of stiff competition.

Julia, a student in Chinese 2 Honors, won third place at the Intermediate Level with a speech about her experience of learning Chinese at the Middle and Upper Schools.

Sophia, a student in AP Chinese, won third place at the Advanced Level with a solid performance in her speech, her reading of a Chinese story and her responses during the Q&A session. In addition to their trophies, both girls also earned a sponsorship to attend a summer camp in China later this year.

Chinese teacher Dr. River He explains just how amazing this accomplishment is for Julia, Sophia and the entire program: “This year is the first year when MKA sent two students to the competition and both of them reached the final round. I am excited to see both Julia and Sophia do such an outstanding job during these past four months leading up to the event. They are remarkable students, and this is a tremendous accomplishment for them personally as well as for the Chinese program at both the Middle and Upper Schools.

Young Writers Congratulations to two students whose writing has been recognized by the prestigious Scholastic Alliance for Young Artists & Writers. This organization identifies teenagers with exceptional artistic and literary talents, and brings their work to a regional and national audience through the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards—dating back to 1923. This year, two MKA students earned multiple honors, including the highest regional award—the Gold Key. Congratualtions to the following students for their awards—Earning Honorable mention for short story and his Writing Portfolio, two Honorable Mentions for his Flash Fiction AND the prestigious Gold Key Award for short story—Peter Colbert ’16. Earning four Honorable mentions for his poetry as well as two Silver Key Awards and three Gold Key Awards for Poetry—Jonah Zinn ’17. We are so proud of these students who are now in the company of such noteworthy past award winners as Stephen King, Truman Capote, Joyce Carol Oates and John Updike.

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TAKING ACTION Third graders shared the persuasive letters they wrote as part of their Take Action Project. Each student wrote a persuasive letter to members of the MKA community or the wider community to promote change around a topic about which they were passionate.

Trusted Guests On February 18th, Board President Michael Johnson moderated a case study discussion for the students in Tom Carroll’s Honors Economics classes. The case study centered on the changes presently occurring in the energy sector in the US. The meeting was highly interactive, with the students getting to ask questions and verify the work they had done in advance. It was also a great experience for the students to sit at the Board of Trustees table in the Higgins Common Room.

On February 29th, Board of Trustees member Carolyn Everson presented to all five Economics classes in the new Academic Center at the Upper School. Carolyn is Vice President of Global Marketing Solutions at Facebook and at the forefront of marketing in the digital age. Carolyn discussed the rapidly changing landscape in internet advertising and potential careers in this exciting field. Prior to Carolyn’s visit, the students were given three writing prompts to brainstorm. These centered on how to make the Facebook/Instagram interface more relevant to them and also how young people can use these platforms to effect positive social change.

Lastly, students were treated to lots of Facebook/Instagram “swag” like T-shirts, bumper stickers and notebooks.

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MYTHS & FAIRYTALES WHAT MAKES A MONSTER This year’s Fairy Tale Celebration at Brookside was a huge success! This project is the result of a collaborative effort between sophomore English students in Ms. Darling’s class and the Pre-K classes of Mr. Langbein and Mr. Odell. The two groups of students collaborate to write stories and publish an illustrated book called “What Makes a Monster?” The theme is based on the themes from sophomore English texts such as Frankenstein and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

CLASSICS DAY Congratulations to MKA Latin students Aashik Bhalodia, Ishaan Bhalodia and Benny Ryan (all tenth-graders in Latin 3 Honors), as well as Alex Cappitelli and Catherine Tsai (both twelfth-graders in AP Latin) for their success at Montclair State University’s Classics Day 2016, held on Friday, April 8. After participating in two morning sessions, the first on trophies in the ancient and modern worlds and the second on the fall of Troy, these five students competed as a team against other schools to test their knowledge of Roman Civilization, Latin Grammar and Classical Mythology and they emerged victorious with an impressive third-place finish. MKA’s continuing success in the Classics Day competition is a reflection of our students’ commitment to Latin, as well as a testament to the strength and vitality of the Latin program at both the Middle and the Upper Schools.

HERO… A JOURNEY Narrated by Zeus and the Three Fates as well as a colorful collection of Comic-Con costumed heroes, Hero: A Journey is a play examining Joseph Campbell’s The Hero’s Journey. Audiences were guided through the stories of Star Wars, Harry Potter, The Wizard of Oz and the Greek myth of Perseus & Medusa and are shown how each connects in the Hero’s Journey story template. The 6th grade play written and directed by Nate Eaton.

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M KA review / Mon tc l a i r K i m b e r l e y A c a de my

Romeo & Juliet The Shakespeare Project, now in its 20th consecutive year under the direction of Christian Ely, is without parallel in the independent school world. Each year, the 7th grade English classes read a Shakespeare play aloud in class and do a fully produced, cut staging of the play. Every student in seventh grade is either in the show or on a crew. Additionally, trained Shakespearean actors come into each classroom to coach and direct the entire grade in their selected scenes. Over the years, theatre professionals have been brought in who have been commissioned to write original music, choreograph fight scenes or dances and design costumes and scenery. Rehearsals and the realization of the production elements occur during both in-school and after-school rehearsals. Every year, Mr. Ely focuses on a certain theme or themes of the play to develop a concept for the show’s staging and design and the students and the production crews work hard to realize his vision. This year’s production of Romeo & Juliet used Brechtian techniques to focus on society’s treatment of women and social classes. Christian Ely said of the show, “…For twenty years we’ve been able to find new themes to build the productions around. This is our sixth or seventh staging of Romeo and Juliet—I’ve lost count—and over the years we have focused on big ideas like love, the antithesis of love and violence, and the productions that emphasize the beauty of the language of play. This year, I decided I wanted to focus on two other themes: class and the place of women in the world.” In the words of two seventh grade student actors (Jonah Barbin and Arielle Grossman, who play Romeo and Juliet, and are pictured above): “The Shakespeare project provides a unique opportunity for all seventh graders to get involved in theatre, whether they are in the cast or the crew. In addition to all the seventh grade teachers assisting with our many crews, the students will have an opportunity to work with professionals in the theatre world.”

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IMPROV WORKSHOP

Greek Fest

Greek Fest is an annual 5th grade interdisciplinary unit that focuses on the history and culture of Greece. Students are exposed to Greek mythology, Greek culture and the historical significance of Greeks. This culminates with a Greek lunch where each city-state (Athens, Corinth, Delphi, Sparta, and Thebes) presents a toast. It is the highlight of the 5th grade year!

For the third year in a row, MKA’s improvisation students had the pleasure of working with Stephen Colbert in a specialty workshop that reinforced the basics of improvisation such as object work, becoming aware of others’ emotional states, complimentary actions and the different levels of communication. Additionally, many new and exciting elements of the art form were introduced.

At the end of the year, this group of students took part in the “Cougar Improv Show” in Deetjen Theatre. From familiar faces to newfound stars, these students showcased their courage and wit executing one of the most challenging forms of performing arts.

SOMETHING WICKED Congratulations to JC Svec on this year’s spring short-form video “Something Wicked!” This was certainly one not to be missed. Inspired by Shakespeare’s Macbeth, when tensions within a high school Student Council turn into a full-blown scandal, a group of teenage friends find themselves in the midst of a situation that is far more foul than fair. “Something Wicked” is a cautionary tale of ambition and strayed consciences in a high-pressure high school world. Written by recent graduate Rachel Sobel ’16, “Something Wicked” was the winner of the prestigious 2016 Gold Remi Award in the Student Screenplays category at the Houston Worldfest, the oldest independent film festival in the world and a Bronze Telly Award in the Low Budget Video category!

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WINNING ROLE A huge congratulations to Colin Critchley ’22 who was recently cast as Noah in Nickelodeon’s revive of Legends of the Hidden Temple!

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F U T U R E F O R WA R D U P D AT E S

BIG News

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Primary School Nature Explore “The new Nature Explore garden classroom at the Primary School will provide a host of new learning opportunities for students.

With areas designated and specifically constructed for things such as music & movement, art, sensory learning, building, digging, climbing and gathering spaces, Nature Explore will be a wonderful asset to our Reggio Emilia programming. This is certainly ‘big news’ and a giant step forward for our Primary School students.”

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News Shorts MKA came in 3rd place overall at the Essex County MATH LEAGUE that was held at Caldwell University! The Middle School and Upper School joined forces to send teams to compete in Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, Precalc, Calculus and Statistics. The top three scores from each contest made up overall team score. Team scores are ranked and then compared to other schools. MKA performed exceptionally and took home the 3rd place overall trophy! Congratulations to all of the exceptional students who competed: Aman Sinha, Ronny Bhatia, Nico Espinosa Dice, David Carcamo, Adam Erbes, Casey Szilagyi, Grant Gonsalves, Michael Golub, Andrew Stahl, Serena Dilberti, Morgan Booker, Jacob Waldor, John Gouwar, Josh Talbet, Hunter Smith, Nanette-Rose Walls-Tarver, Chelsea Guzman, Kian Abrishami, Lannea Martinez, Cinderella Hu, Ather Williams, Anthony DiMaggio, Ryan Mandachescu and Mattie O’Donnell.

PROJECT CITIZEN is a civic education program that promotes responsible participation in government and helps students learn how to monitor and influence public policy. Throughout the school year, Eighth graders have learned about Americans who have advocated and brought about change in the government after feeling that their needs were not being addressed by current policy. Students identify issues affecting their community and then work with local and state government representatives and prominent organizations to develop a policy and an action plan to address their problem.

Everyone was excited to showcase their efforts on reform in the Middle School in front of a crowd of faculty members from every campus, Heads of campus and their classmates.

COMMUNITY DAY! The Upper School’s Student Diversity Leadership Committee led ninth and tenth grade students through a challenging and thought-provoking series of exercises exploring identity, privilege and oppression. Reflecting on our present helps us to co-create a more equitable future.

Congratulations to all of the Eighth grade students who presented their SCIENCE PROJECTS! The Eighth grade science project is an independent science experiment allowing students to further question an area of science that caught their interest

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Students in Writer’s Craft and Nonfiction Essay, two Upper School English department elective classes, headed into New York City to participate in MKA’s second annual WRITING MARATHON. The students traveled in small groups, led by English teachers Paige Boncher, Cindy Darling, Ellen Ferguson and Upper School Librarian Jill Maza. Students wrote in sessions of 10–20 minutes, drawing inspiration from the bustling city around them. They adhered to the Writing Marathon format conceptualized by the Southeastern Louisiana Writing Project, which holds a five-day Writing Marathon for teachers in the streets of New Orleans during the summer. True to the philosophy of the Marathon, students allowed their writerly senses to guide them in choosing writing spots. New York City was the muse today, offering itself up in colorful and memorable ways.

throughout their time in the Middle School.

Students complete background research on their area of interest and ask an experimental question that drives the remainder of their work on the project. After developing a hypothesis, students design and conduct an independent, controlled experiment and then report their data and conclusion. They compete a written report, revising along the way. Additionally, they make an oral presentation to an audience of peers, faculty and parents. This capstone experience mirrors authentic scientific research—beginning with a research proposal and culminating in a conference-style presentation—and enables students to both apply and extend the knowledge and skills learned during their middle school years. It also provides students with the opportunity to practice and develop problem-solving skills and perseverance as they set and work towards goals, resolve challenges and grapple with unexpected results.

Third graders are participated in CODING CLUB where they were introduced to simple computer programming through websites such as Codecademy and Code. org. They were assisted by members of the Upper School Boys and Girls Code Community Service Initiative which is a student run initiative whose members share their passion for coding and computer science with the wider community.

Third-graders took part in a UNITED WAY of Northern New Jersey presentation on February 10th at the school’s Brookside Campus. During the interactive program, students learned about the daily struggles facing ALICE (Asset Limited, Income

Constrained, Employed), area residents who, despite working, are living paycheck to paycheck. Students were given various scenarios that mirrored the challenges ALICE households encounter as they struggle to afford the basic necessities.

The Primary School celebrated Black History Month by hosting the Upper School STEP DANCE TEAM as the students performed a number of their routines and then taught primary students some simple “steps.” Upper School students from the Shades of Color Club then spoke about the rich history of step dancing. “Stepping” is an art form that uses the body as an instrument to make sounds and rhythms through a combination of clapping, stomping and words. The origins of stepping can be traced back to tribal dances in South Africa and have evolved through the years as a way of celebrating African-American culture.

Students at the Primary School joined millions of their peers across the country to celebrate READ ACROSS AMERICA . A nationwide reading awareness event, Read Across America coincides each year with the birthday of beloved children’s author, Dr. Seuss. Students dressed up each day in honor of favorite Dr. Seuss books, learned fun facts about Dr. Seuss, participated in a variety of literacy-themed activities and enjoyed a special, Dr. Seussthemed dessert during Friday’s lunch. As a highlight of the celebration, members of the community were invited to read to our students. Each special guest reader shared a favorite story with one of the classes and talked about how reading is important in their everyday lives.

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Student Awards Congratulations to several Montclair Kimberley Academy students who have been honored with Academic, Athletic and Service Awards. We could not be more proud of their hard work, dedication and the impressive feats they have accomplished.

Among those awards given and the students that received them are:

S E NI O R AWA R DS COMMENCEMENT AWARDS The Marjorie Winfield Easter Award for sportsmanship, self-discipline and behind-the-scenes service: Sam Sobel The Ethel M. Spurr Award for cooperation, responsibility, service and citizenship: Ana Lucia Espinosa Dice The Rudolph Deetjen Award for athletics and academic achievement: Rob Strain and Amanda D’Allesandro The Robert Hemmeter Memorial Award for intellectual curiosity, love of books and sports and enthusiasm for living: Shelly Tsirulik The Peter R. Greer Character Award for the habits of truthfulness, honesty, kindness and promotion of mutual trust and friendship: Rachel Sobel Head’s Award for seniors who have made a unique contribution to MKA and have changed the school for the better: Leah Murphy, Charles Rilli, Emma Pacifico, Erik Zeug and Derek Kleinman

FACULTY AWARDS 12th Grade Avery Barras Distinguished Scholar (All A’s): Abby South, Yasaman Mahidi The Scott M. Johnson Memorial Award: Jack Besser

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The Everett Glenn Memorial Award: Lily Andres The Bud Mekeel Memorial Scholarship: Zoe Grace Raak The James D. Timmons Scholarship : Brittany Jones

DEPARTMENT AWARDS William Miller Prize in Science : Shelly Tsirulik Nazarian Prize for Mathematics: Morgan Booker The Downsbrough Science Scholarship : Ana Lucia Espinosa Dice The Margaret Jenkins Osborne Prize for Excellence in Science: Emma Bruce Barras Prize in English: Audrey Lane History Prize : Dillon Carroll World Language Prizese: French: Jake Sasfai (junior) Latin: Alex Cappitelli Spanish: Vikash Dodani Chinese: Isaiah Kramer Fine & Performing Arts Awards: Visual Arts: Emma Bruce Instrumental Louis Armstrong: Morgan Roberts John Philip Sousa Award : Kimmie Kerner Dance: Sadie Stuart Communications: Rachel Sobel Musical (Vocal): Kimani Freeman Strings : Grace Andres, Izumi Umeda

The National Young Arts Foundation Award: Hannah Kramer (Honorable Mention winner in Visual Arts) The Marilyn Faden Award for Excellence in the Theatre Art: Musical Theatre: Ross Turkington Drama: Emma Asher Technical: Sam Sobel

UNDERCLASSMEN AWARDS Mary K. Waring Scholars: Nisha Bhagwat, Morgan Booker, Julia Randall, Rachel Sobel, Sam Sobel, Lauren Yagoda Avery Barras Distinguished Scholars: Emma Bruce, Vikash Dodani, Ana Lucia Espinosa Dice

DEPARTMENT & FACULTY AWARDS Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Medal: Jacob Waldor The Frank Brogan Memorial Scholarship: John Gouwar The John Rabke Memorial Award: Alex Eiden The John Rabuse History: Alex Sandoval The Elizabeth O’Neil Feagley Award for creativity: Kate Renshaw-Lewis The MacVicar Prize : Mariam Abukwaik, Kate RenshawLewis, Matt Rubenstein

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Faculty Scholar Awards: 9th Grade: Grant Gonsalves, Simone Gulliver, Nyla Williams 10th Grade: Nico Espinosa Dice, Ethan Kuhl, Evelyn Wallace 11th Grade: John Gouwar, Josh Talbot, Jacob Sasfai, Jacob Waldor Community Service Awards: Bronze Class of 2016: Mallory Pease, Kennedy Robinson, Catherine Tsai Class of 2017: Reilly Cirenza, Alison Esterow, Max Goldfarb, Carly Hatfield, Hallie Ryan Class of 2018: Ishaan Bhalodia, Alex Frieder, Danielle Fuchs, Sukriti Krishnan, Rhea Saggi Class of 2019: Andrew Rosalund Silver Class of 2016: Isaiah Kramer Class of 2017: Michael Bromley, David Carcamo, Sarah Coffel Gold Class of 2016: William Bromley, Hope Buchan, Shelly Tsirulik Class of 2017: Rohan Abraham, Alex Eiden, Hannah Gross, Quinn Meistrich, Dominic Romeo, Shivani Rao

ATHLETICS AWARDS: Essex County Scholar-Athlete Award Recipients: Erik Zeug (Football and Lacrosse), Izzy Mendez (Field Hockey, Basketball, Softball) Klein Award: Christian Breitweiser ’19, Lily Pryor ’19, Nico Espinosa Dice ’18, (Soccer - Lacrosse), Kerri Mc Guire ’18, Ben Yanes ’17, Annie Wallace ’17, Joe Strain’16, Shannon Raff’16 NJSIAA Scholar-Athlete Award Recipien: Olivia Vaughn ’16 Men of Essex Awards: Kennedy Robinson ’16 Yogi Berra Museum’s Best Teammate Award: Ross Turkington 2016 MKA Varsity Award: Billy Hughes ’16 (Cross Country, Indoor Track and Track and Field), Izzy Mendez ’16 (Field Hockey, Basketball and Softball), Chris Sibilia’16 (Football, Ice Hockey and Lacrosse) Al Staph Award: Chris Sibilia ’16

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Cum Laude Society

2016 inductees are: Jack Besser Nisha Bhagwat Morgan Booker William Bromley Emma Bruce Alex Cappitelli Ana Lucia EspinosaDice Vikash Dodani Sara Feraca William Hughes Audrey Lane Yasaman Mahdi Leah Murphy Samantha Pai Julia Randall Jordan Schildkraut Rachel Sobel Samuel Sobel Abigail South Shelly Tsirulik Lauren Yagoda

Congratulations to the 21 seniors from the MKA class of 2016 who were inducted into the Cum Laude Society at a formal ceremony held at the Upper School. The Cum Laude Society, established in l906, is modeled on the Phi Beta Kappa Collegiate National Honor Society and recognizes the scholastic achievement of secondary school students. It is the highest academic honor bestowed on members of the graduating class.

Gene Gurkoff, a Cum Laude graduate from MKA’s class of 1997 and Founder of Charity Miles, an iPhone/Android app that enables people to earn money for charity when they walk, run or bike, was the keynote speaker. Since launching in 2012, Charity Miles members have walked, run and biked enough miles earn over $2 million for some of the top charities in the world.

Gene referenced three quotes from Robert Frost, Emmet “Doc” Brown in Back to the Future and Yogi Berra when addressing the students. He advised that when he looks at the road his classmates took after graduating MKA, “we’re all happy in our own ways, and face our own challenges. None of our roads are inherently happier or more worthy than any others. So, it’s gonna be up to you—whatever roads you take—please do something that matters.

He went to say that, ‘for all the forks I’ve taken—all the roads I’ve traveled—they all lead back home.”

The class of 2016 graduated 25 “Lifers” who gathered for a group photo at Headmaster Tom Nammack’s house for the Annual Lifer Reception.

Front row: Charlotte Stanton, Anne Lemmer, Francesca Cherchio, Izzy Mendez, Samantha Pai, Emma Pacifico, Kennedy Robinson, Emma Asher, David Harvey and George Schaefer. Second row: Rob Strain, William Brunner, Isabella Calandra, Yasaman Mahdi, Derek Kleinman, Morgan Booker, Charles Rilli, Bobby Cottingham, Jay Arora, Austin Knowles, Ryan Polizzi, Peter Colbert and Joe Strain. Not present: Telemak Olsen and Brittany Jones

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From January 28-31st, an intrepid group of 27 MKA students attended the 32nd annual Ivy League Model UN Conference at the University of Pennsylvania. This year, over 3,500 students from 120 schools in 11 countries participated.

MKA represented the countries of Azerbaijan and Burkina Faso and debated such topics as the European refugee crisis, economic growth and sustainability in Africa and global human rights. Despite the heavy amount of work and committees that lasted until 11:30 p.m, students found time to explore Philadelphia including historic Reading Market and City Hall. Students also had a chance to make new friends and socialize at such events as the Delegate Fest, a celebration of local cuisine and live music. According to faculty advisor and Economics teacher Tom Carroll, “Model UN continues to be a very popular extracurricular activity at the Upper School as it exposes students to an array of important international issues and current events.”

On February 8th, a group of eight MKA students from the Model UN Club journeyed to Manhattan to the home of the United Nations. William Wagner MKA ‘06 hosted them there. Will is Political Affairs Advisor to the American Mission at the UN. Will talked to the students at length about his educational and career path that lead to this exciting career. He spoke about the diplomacy and types of negotiations that take place in the passing of resolutions through the Security Council. Interestingly, Will credits the genesis of his interest in Middle Eastern affairs (his specialty) to his senior year May Term at MKA! Following their meeting with Will, the students were given a guided tour of the entire UN including the actual rooms where meetings and deliberations take place. It was a fabulous day for the students to see firsthand the workings of this famous international institution.

They capped it all off with lunch at the UN Cafe.

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CLASS OF

2016 << FACULTY KIDS / 1 /Middle School World Language Department Chair Rene Amirata celebrates her son Daniel’s graduation with her parents, Manford and Victoria Jerome at Commencement. / 2 / Proud father, Upper School Science teacher and Varsity Basketball Coach Tony Jones watches his third child Brittany graduate with son Brandon ’04 , daughter Breanna ’08 and mother-in-law Rosalyn Anderson. / 3 / MKA’s Middle School Campus Head Dr. Randy Kleinman and Middle School English Department Chair Marsha Kleinman proudly celebrate Derek’s 2016 Commencement along with daughter Samantha and son Jayson ’13. / 4 /Longtime Physical Education teacher and beloved Varsity Baseball Coach Ralph Pacifico, smiles proudly with his daughter, Emma, at her graduation alongside wife Amy, daughter Paige ’14 and Geena ’20. / 5 / Upper School Instrumental Music and Music theory teacher Chuck Olsen celebrates with his wife Maria his son, Telemak’s, graduation.

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Congratulations Daniel Amirata, Florida Atlantic University; Lily Andres, Loyola University Maryland; Aisha Arain, Drew University; Jay Arora, New York University; Emma Asher, Syracuse University; Suzanna Bator, Kenyon College; Salem Belay, Columbia University; Jack Besser, Washington University in St. Louis; Nisha Bhagwat, Rutgers University, Honors College; Zoe Bieler, University of Alabama; Rama Bikkina, Emory University; Sean Blank, Tulane University; Keith Bodmer, Fordham University; Morgan Booker, Harvard University; Grant Bradley, Michigan State University; Pearson Brinker-Cohen, Stevens Institute of Technology; William Bromley, Columbia University; Emma Bruce, Wellesley College; William Brunner, Wentworth Institute of Technology; Hope Buchan, Elon University; Anna Bulajic, Lehigh University; Isabella Calandra, Stevens Institute of Technology; Alex Cappitelli, Wesleyan University; Dillon Carroll, Cornell University; Francesca Cherchio, Ithaca College; Sasza Clarke, University of Exeter; Peter Colbert, Northwestern University; Kathryn Correia, Haverford College; Reed Cunningham, Lehigh University; Kelly Curran, University of Vermont; William Curtis, Case Western Reserve University; Amanda D’Alessandro, Boston College; Serena DiLiberti, Northeastern University; Vikash Dodani, Georgetown University; Ana Lucia Espinosa Dice, Brown University; Sara Feraca, Duke University; Kimani Freeman, Smith College; Ethan Fusco, Dickinson College; Abby Gabriel, Lehigh University; Maya Gujral, University of Maryland; Max Hall, Gettysburg College; Grace Halvey, College of the Holy Cross; David Harvey, Champlain College; Allyson Heath, Syracuse University; William Hughes, Villanova University; Brittany Jones, Earlham College; Priya Kapoor, Babson College; Henry Kelly, Tulane University; Kimberly Kerner, University College Dublin; Derek Kleinman, Franklin and Marshall College; Austin Knowles, Syracuse University; Hannah Kramer, Tulane University; Isaiah Kramer, Pitzer College; Alex Lacik, Colorado College; Audrey Lane, New York University; Anne Lemmer, Gordon College; Matthew Lerner, Albright College; Yasaman Mahdi, New York University; Isabella Mendez, Providence College; Matthew Mitrovic, Pennsylvania State University; Ryan Mucci, Tulane University; Leah Murphy, Wesleyan University; Aleezae Nisar, Washington University in St. Louis; Conor Nolan, Michigan State University; Telemak Olsen, Skidmore College; Emma Pacifico, Pennsylvania State University; Samantha Pai, Princeton University; Richard Pannullo, Case Western Reserve University; Mallory Pease, University of Southern California; Joshua Pickett, Brock University; Ryan Polizzi, Lehigh University; ZoeGrace Raak, Boston College; Shannon Raff, James Madison University; Julia Randall, University of Notre Dame; Charles Rilli, University of Miami; Noreen Rizwan, Northeastern University; Morgan Roberts, United States Military Academy—Army; Kennedy Robinson, University of Alabama; Paige Robinson, Wellesley College; Raquel Rodriguez, University of Delaware; Jayme Ross-Trevor, Tulane University; Marc Roube, University of California, Los Angeles; George Schaefer, Syracuse University; Stephen Schaeffer, American University; Jordan Schildkraut, Emory University; Christopher Sibilia, Skidmore College; Rachel Sobel, Tufts University; Samuel Sobel, University of Chicago; Abigail South, Boston College; Charlotte Stanton, Providence College; Joseph Strain, Gettysburg College; Robert Strain, Bates College; Sadie Stuart, Elon University; Robert Tavoso, Fordham University; Caroline Taylor, Wellesley College; Henry Touma, Syracuse University; Catherine Tsai, Bryn Mawr College; Stephen Tse, Roanoke College; Shelly Tsirulik, Harvard University; Ross Turkington, Northwestern University; Olivia Vaughn, Boston College; Conor Wight, Syracuse University; Lauren Yagoda, Columbia University; Erik Zeug, Oberlin College

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In their Own Words: Graduation From our friendly and kind MKA faculty, we’ve learned so much, and on behalf of my classmates, I want to sincerely say thank you for going way beyond your job descriptions. Whether you be a lifer or a new student when you first came to the school, you became immediately immersed in the MKA community and values.

CRISTINA CUSMAI ’20

At MKA, I firmly believe that we were not only taught about how to solve quadratics or how to annotate a poem, but we were taught a set of morals and values.

ALEXANDER CHON

Your teachers and I have watched you grow, not only in height, but also intellectually, creatively and in your ability to relate to others and manage your friendships. You are the future, the community leaders of tomorrow—maybe even the world leaders!

GINGER KRIEGEL Head of the Primary School

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When you commit to things— do them well— do them to the best of your ability—do them in full. Don’t be afraid to fail at something hard—be afraid not to try, and don’t be afraid of being overshadowed by someone better—be afraid of not pushing yourself to go all in.

DR. RANDY KLEINMAN Head of the Middle School

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What a privilege it has been to witness your growth and what a source of pride it is to send you out into the world.

TOM NAMMACK, Headmaster

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As Christopher Robin said to Pooh…Always remember —you’re braver than you believe… and stronger than you seem…and smarter than you think.

DR. RANDY KLEINMAN,Head of the Middle School

As you leave us, there are many footprints that you will leave behind. We have much to thank you for and remember you by.

GINGER KRIEGEL Head of the Primary School

I have grown from hearing your diverse outlooks and am grateful to have been able to share my own ideas with all of you.

It is the action of helping others overcome their challenges that creates truly remarkable individuals like the ones I see in the seats before me today.

AUDREY LANE ’16

ROSS TURKINGTON ’16

No matter your test scores or your GPA, individually and collectively, you possess a level of emotional intelligence that will allow you to soar to great heights as graduates of this school.

DR. DAVID FLOCCO, Head of the Upper School

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Founders’ Cup 2016 Congratulations to the Tri-Campus Director of Strings Dimitri Hadjipetkov who was named the recipient of the 2016 Founders’ Cup for Teaching Excellence.

Presented annually by the Alumni Association, the Founders’ Cup is based on nominations from all MKA constituencies. The award honors a full-time faculty member who exemplifies the highest levels of teaching and who contributes to the well-being of the MKA community, both in and out of school.

Dimitri began studying violin at the age of five and has since established himself as one of the most prominent representatives of the young generation of Bulgarian violinists. He has appeared with various orchestras and has given numerous recitals around the world. Dimitri works with students on all three campuses and has created and evolved the MKA Strings Program into the great success it is today. On receiving this award, Dimitri commented, “Thank you all so much. I am humbled to receive this honor.”

Alumni Council President Jaclyn Spedaliere ’00 presented the award at the end-of-year faculty meeting, reading the following quotes from students, alumni, parents and peers received on Dimitri’s behalf: “Dimitri inspires me to want to play better, to practice more and to love music. His patience is remarkable and every day of strings is a fun and new experience. From culture hours, to full 75-minute rehearsals, I always leave Strings smiling. Not only do we have fun each class, but we also learn. Because of this, I do not think that any of us even realize how much we know or how much we have improved. His kindness and talent in teaching really make him one of a kind. I truly believe that no other teacher is as worthy of this award as Dimitri.”

“He could be the only faculty member in history who is on a first name basis with everyone! His expertise is welcoming students to music and keeping them interested throughout the years. Whether a child is willing to become an expert, or just have musical fun, he will instruct and keep them moving in the right direction. As I sat in last night’s Middle School Choral performance, I realized how important someone like Dimitri is in balancing our children’s abilities and drive for so many years. His arrangements range from Bach to Beatles to Star Wars, and the Carnegie Hall performances are unforgettable.”

“Not only is Dimitri completely devoted to music, he is completely devoted to helping us appreciate and love music as much as he does. He does this by making the class enjoyable for us and by giving us an environment in which we are not afraid to mess up, but we are eager to play well. He makes me want to succeed in Strings by teaching me to enjoy and appreciate the music I play, and he is always more than happy to help me succeed when I am struggling.”

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“Dimitri has always been my favorite teacher at MKA. These past four years, he has pushed me to the best of my ability. Not only has he been an excellent conductor, but he has taken the time to work individually with each student during his free time in order for the student to master the music. He truly cares about each one of his students and wants only the best for them. In my career at MKA, I would say that he has offered me hundreds of lessons during his free time and is always willing to help me with the music that I play in other orchestras or other outside of school groups. He serves as an excellent role model, teacher, and friend. He is more than willing to go out of his way to help his students, whether it is music related or any other matter. In class, he makes a conscious effort to teach us the music, but he also goes into more detail about the music history behind the piece, the emotions that were put into the piece when it was written, music theory, and he uses MKA’s technology resources to show us famous musicians playing the piece. He has gone beyond what is expected of him and proves to be an excellent teacher. My experience at MKA would not be complete without Dimitri’s help in Strings class, in our private lessons, and outside of the classroom.

Dimitri is more than deserving of the Founders’ Cup. He has dedicated years of service and has inspired many students to become string players and has made MKA’s Strings Program one of the best in the state.”

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Faculty Shorts CONGRATULATIONS TO…

MKA Boys’ Lacrosse Head Coach Paul Edwards and his staff for being selected as the 2016 “Len Roland Award” recipients for sportsmanship in North Jersey. The “Len Roland Sportsmanship Award” is an award given to a coach and/or coaching staff that best emulates Len Roland’s professionalism, sportsmanship and honor of the game of lacrosse, as displayed during the course of the current season. Len Roland, a lacrosse standout at Cornell and former NJILOA official in the 70s and 80s, was the consummate professional and great teacher of the game.

along the Wall—or as the race slogan says, “5,146 steps into history—the marathon presented a number of physically demanding challenges. Along with the opportunity to run through four villages, the run included two separate three-mile climbs up steep hills and temperatures that reached 88 degrees. It was a unique and rewarding way to learn about China’s history.

Upper School art teacher Tony Cuneo who had three pieces of work showcased at the Montclair Art Museum. The exhibit, “Visions from the Vanguard: New Works by MAM’s Creators and Educators,” was extremely impressive and ran throughout the summer.

Upper School History teacher David Hessler on his inspiring and informative article “Teaching with Dao” that was published in the Journal of Daoist Studies, Volume 9, 2016.

Coach Ken Smith on his ’78–’79 West Essex High School Hockey team’s induction into the NJ HS Ice Hockey Hall of Fame! The 1977–1978 West Essex Hockey Team experienced many high points during the 1977–78 season. Sparked by Tri-Captains Ken Smith, Keith Wright and Chip Grabowski, the icemen claimed their first championship win at Brick Township in five years. In addition, they were champions of the North Jersey Invitational Tournament. Final league play found the Knights tied for second, only one point out of first place.

Second grade teacher Maureen Bates who presented at the New Jersey Council of Teachers of English Annual Conference in April. The topic was: “Picture this: Practical tips for using picture books in the middle school and high school ELA classroom.”

The presentation provided practical tips for incorporating picture books into the middle and high school ELA classroom in ways that deepen literary understanding and compliment curricular content. Participants learned about the various affordances of picture books and explored methodologies

Upper School Science teacher Ben Rich on his transcontinental journey that was featured as the cover story in the American Motorcyclist magazine.

He became the first person to ride an electric motorcycle through the lower 48 states. This past summer, he went on an ElMoto 4Corners Road Trip where he travelled to the four corners of the USA on an electric bike.

that allow texts with few or no words to stretch the thinking of older students. In considering how words and images are woven together, participants examined how picture books can serve as sophisticated literary texts and meaningful cultural artifacts. Maureen also had the opportunity to meet this year’s Newbery award winner, Matt de la Peña.

Upper School learning specialist Lori Loebelsohn recently signed a contract with Ketubah.com, the biggest online Ketubah gallery in the world. A Ketubah is a Jewish wedding contract, although many nonJews, Interfaith, and gay and lesbian weddings also use these ceremonial objects as part of their ceremony.

Upper School math teacher Alden Basmajian, who finished 345th in the Boston Marathon with a time of 2 hours, 47 minutes and 40 seconds. You inspire us every day!

Middle School English teacher Ruth Miller on her one-act play titled “Things that Break” winning the Nor’Eastern Play Writing Contest through the Vermont Actor’s Repertory Theatre! She is one of three winners who, in May, was part of a three-day showcase that culminated in two staged readings. MKA is lucky to have such a talented teacher. Brava!

Upper School history teacher Ron Wolfson fulfilled a dream that he has had for the past 15 years: to run the Great Wall Marathon in China. In addition to running

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BUILDING CHARACTER / A group of MKA students and faculty enjoyed a day of hard work and service as they participated in a Paterson, NJ Habitat for Humanity build.

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GSA Events Recap To help celebrate the end of Ally Week, GSA hosted the “Night of Noise” and other activities like the signing of the ally pledge (by almost everyone in the school), as well as an assembly where Middle School teacher Shanie Israel shared her story to the US community.

The GSA also hosted the GSA Leadership Conference where over 45 students came from a dozen schools throughout northern New Jersey to engage in panel discussions and networking with the goal of developing leadership skills for GSA officers and exchanging ideas on how to develop and implement changes to makes schools safe and inclusive for the LGBTQ community. Alum Andrew Farrelly ’10, one of the founding members of our GSA, was our keynote speaker. The GSA was honored to be asked by GLSEN to host the event and from the feedback that was received, it was a great success!

Primary School Art Show

“Each year as I stand back to reflect on the hard work and accomplishments of these young MKA artists, I am awestruck.”

—Barbara DuRant

The magnificent show put together by Primary School Fine and Performing Arts Chair Barbara DuRant, displays student work from grades Pre-K–3. All students have one three-dimensional piece and one two-dimensional piece represented.

A range of all the projects have been selected from each grade level so that everyone does not have the same project represented in the art exhibit. It is a representational retrospective of all the hard work the students have done over the year. Congratulations to all of the young artists!

RISING STARS A huge congratulations goes to MKA junior Liam Gerard ’17, on his nomination for a Rising Stars Award for an Outstanding Performance in a Featured Role and senior Ross Turkington on his WIN of the Paper Mill Playhouse 2016 Rising Star Award for an Outstanding Actor in a Supporting Role as “Cookie McGee” in this year’s Upper School Musical Nice Work If You Can Get It! Nicole Hoppe, Fine and Performing Arts Department Chair says, “The F&PA department congratulates Ross Turkington for his Rising Star Award, win for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role! It is the perfect conclusion to his four years in MKA’s Upper School theatre department and we couldn’t be happier for him.”

The Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Awards presented by the Investors Foundation are modeled after Broadway’s Tony Awards. Paper Mill Playhouse’s program serves the entire state of New Jersey, with nearly 100 entered productions from public, private and parochial high schools. Since their inception in 1996, the Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Awards for Excellence in High School Musical Theatre have ignited the careers of many notable performers, all of whom attended high school in New Jersey. Upper School Head Dr. David Flocco adds, “This is quite an achievement for Ross and the musical theater program that Nicole Hoppe so ably directs. Congratulations, Ross!”

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NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT This year’s Upper School Musical once again, took down the house. For Fine and Performing Arts Department Chair and Winter Musical Director/Choreographer Nicole Hoppe, this was her 8th year and show at MKA and they just keep getting better. With almost 20% of the student body involved in the cast and crew, this year’s show Nice Work If You Can Get It was about a jazz age playboy who, on the weekend of his marriage, gets involved with bootleggers, gunrunners and gold diggers, all to the tunes of George and Ira Gershwin.

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SELF PORTRAITS Will Brunner’s Project “When you listen to music, it washes over you. Projecting the covers of the albums onto the subjects of the portraits was an apt metaphor for how music shapes your emotional environment.”

–Tony Cuneo

AP Art Exhibit This year’s exhibit of work by the students in AP Studio Art opened on May 11 in the Greer Arts Wing and ran through June 11, but it represents a year and half’s work (at least!) of ten extraordinarily hard-working students. The AP Studio Art exam is a suite of three exams (2-D Design, Drawing and 3-D Design), and students choose one exam to prepare a portfolio of approximately 24 pieces for submission to the College Board. The Breadth section of the exam asks students to show that they can do a lot of different things, but the Concentration section (probably the most challenging section, but also the most fun … and the most like what a professional artist’s practice is like) asks students to develop a single idea through a visually coherent, evolving body of twelve pieces. This year’s defining concepts for the Concentration sections included (among others): a photographic study of the New Jersey shore in the off-season; an exploration of large public spaces after they’ve been abandoned, or left empty after hours; an exploration of how maps, which tell us where we are physically, can also be a metaphor for we were are emotionally or spiritually; and a series of portraits of people with the covers of their favorite albums projected onto their faces.

Media ranged from very straightforward, mimetic photography to highly manipulated digital work to old-fashioned paint and colored pencil. The show draws both from students’ Breadth and Concentration portfolios, and is diverse, exciting, and more than adequately meets the College Board’s requirement that student work should be full of “verve!”

Hannah Kramer’s project “is a wonderful example of how a photograph can be a constructed image, carefully put together, and involving elaborate planning before and during shooting, then coupled with thoughtful, creative editing and compositing after the shoot.”—Tony Cuneo, Upper School Fine & Performing Arts and College Counseling Arts Liason

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In 8th Grade Studio Art, students study self-portrait artists across the centuries, beginning with the Renaissance. Students started the year by learning about the artists Albrecht Durer, Caravaggio (born as Michelangelo Merisi) and Rembrandt Van Rijn. Next, students created self-portraits after a study of the proportional relationships of the human face. The drawings were created with the use of portrait mirrors and spotlights.

ART FUNDRAISER Pre-K students with their 3rd Grade Buddies made weavings and sold them at an Art Show Sale raising money for Toni’s Kitchen and Friends of the Montclair Township Animal Shelter.

UNACCOMPANIED MINORS MKA’s student-led a cappella group, the Unaccompanied Minors, were formed in 2013 by two MKA students, Graham Glusman ’15 and Trevor Jones ’15, with Mr. Dominique Gerard as the group’s advisor. For their first public outing, the Minors performed a mash-up of Some Nights by Fun and It’s Time by Imagine Dragons and were met with an uproarious standing ovation from the MKA community. Since then, the group has performed at festivals and fundraisers, formal concerts and informal jam sessions at Church Street in Montclair. For two years, the Minors have also competed in the International Competition of High School A Cappella (ICHSA) and have placed in both years. In 2016, the group expanded its repertory to include rap, R&B and soul music in addition to several arrangements written by Matt Rubenstein ’17, one of the current student leaders. In March 2016, the group performed a mash-up of songs (arranged by Rubenstein) from the hit musical Hamilton for the show’s creator Lin-Manuel Miranda. Finally, in May 2016, the Minors put together their first ever spring concert to showcase twelve different songs, which featured ten different soloists from the group. It was a crowning achievement for an incredible year of growth. In 2017, the group will continue to grow under new mentorship provided by Upper School Choral Director Ms. Maria Gilmartin.

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Music Shorts SPRING CONCERTS The annual Spring Chorus Concert at the Middle School, directed by Charles Postas, certainly did not disappoint as the MKA Concert Choirs and Chamber Singers presented a wonderful and varied program.

The Upper School Vocal Music Concert Choirs performed songs that spanned many decades and styles. The songs resounded with complex harmonies and seamless blends and featured accompaniments by student Rob D’Alessandro ’19 and the Advanced Strings. The highlight of the evening was when the Choirs performed selections from Les Miserables that included beautiful solos from Kiki Porter ’18, Dillon Carroll ’16, Caitlin Ladda ’19, Liam Gerard ’17 and others. Jake Sasfai ’17 accompanied on a keyboard that sounded like an orchestra.

ALL-STATE CHORUS Congratulations to Upper School Chamber Singers member Kiki Porter ’18, for her acceptance into the prestigious NJ All-State Chorus 2016. Out of the 1,200 students from the state of NJ who audition for this group, only 325 are accepted. To audition, students are required to sing scales, a solo and a choral piece. Kiki auditioned as a Soprano I and made it into the NJ Mixed Chorus with very high scores! This is the first time in over 50 years that the MKA Chorus Program has sent students to audition for the All-State Chorus.

It is a huge commitment from choral directors and one that we are lucky our Upper School Choral Director, Maria Gilmartin, does willingly. It is required that the director be a member of the NJMEA and is willing to assist with rehearsals, events and other responsibilities to give these students the opportunity to audition and participate in the program, if accepted. Kiki began rehearsals in June for her performances in two important concerts this fall in Atlantic City and at the NJPAC, where she will represent MKA wearing our school colors and logo while on stage.

JAZZ NIGHT Wednesday, April 13, was JAZZ NIGHT at MKA. Both the Upper School Jazz Band, directed by Chuck Olsen and the Middle School Jazz Band, directed by Linda Larkin, were featured. Transformed into a jazz café, the Middle School Dining Hall was packed with an enthusiastic crowd. The evening ended with the two bands combining forces to perform a rousing rendition of Brazil, by Ary Barroso.

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BROOKSIDE BELLRINGERS The Primary School students warmed everyone’s hearts with voices, bells, recorders and violins during the Spring Concert, which was dedicated to MKA’s outgoing Board of Trustees President, Mr. Michael Johnson. To show their appreciation for Mr. Johnson’s dedication and service to MKA, the Primary School presented him with two very special gifts: a wooden model of his sailboat, “Moondance,” made by third grade student artist Maggie Stanford and an engraved Malmark Tavern bell that replicates the handbells that all five of his children played while students at the Primary School.

Congratulations and a heartfelt thanks to Jane Smith, who once again expertly directed and put her heart and soul into the beautiful and memorable program!

This is the 25th anniversary of the Primary School’s handbell program. On the bulletin board outside her classroom, Mrs. Smith has honored all the “Brookside Bellringers” from the past 25 years by posting lists and pictures of the students who have rung the bells.

VAIL JAZZ WORKSHOP Congratulations to MKA Jazz Band pianist Jake Sasfai ’17 was accepted into the Vail Jazz Workshop. This ultra-competitive summer program will give Jake the opportunity to work with such jazz luminaries as John Clayton, Jeff Clayton, Lewis Nash, Terrell Stafford, Bill Cunliffe and Wycliffe Gordon.

The ten-day intensive workshop will include coaching, rehearsals, lessons and performances with some of the biggest names in the business and we couldn’t be more proud of Jake for the hard work and dedication it has taken to achieve this goal!

MUSIC IN THE PARKS WIN Congrats to the Upper School Chorus on an excellent performance & winning first place at the Music in the Parks Festival at Six Flags

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on Friday, May 6th! Special congratulations to Rob D’Alessandro ’19 for an Overall Award of Outstanding Piano Accompanist.

MKA Middle School bands also had an outstanding day of competition at the Music in the Parks Festival. Fourth and Fifth Grade Concert Bands garnered First Place finishes and excellent ratings in the elementary band categories. The Fifth Grade Band also brought home the highest scores of the day in the elementary band division of competition. The Sixth through Eighth Grade Concert Band achieved a First Place finish with a Superior rating and also received the highest score of the day in the Middle School/Junior High concert band division of competition.

The Middle School Jazz Band also came home with a First Place finish with an excellent rating. Trumpeter, Bennet LaLonde, won the soloist award for best-improvised solo of all the competing Middle School/Junior High jazz ensembles.

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CARNEGIE CONCERT The MKA Strings Program, directed by Dimitri Hadjipetkov, presented one of their biggest productions at Carnegie’s Zankel Hall ever. The concert featured over 100 strings students from all three campuses. The very challenging repertoire was masterfully performed by the Strings Orchestras.

Some of the highlights were the original versions of Bach’s Concerto for Two Violins and Grieg’s Holberg Suite and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 1 featuring woodwinds from the Upper School Band. MKA Upper School choirs, directed by Maria Gilmartin, also joined the strings for a beautiful performance of choral works by Vivaldi and Handel.

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May Term Symposium FAST FACTS

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MKA Teaching Assistants

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Community Service Projects

21 9 Internships

As one of the first significant events thrown in the new Academic Center, the May Term Symposium brought more than 100 students, parents, faculty and alumni to celebrate the Class of 2016’s accomplishments during May Term. The event, held on June 1st, put 30 students’ work on display using different mediums. Taking advantage of the space’s unique layout, there was a balance between smaller presentations for groups in the Collaborative Study Rooms, art galleries on various open wall spaces and an hour of student presentations on the main floor. Each represented a different facet of May Term, such as Academic Endeavors, Internships, Teaching, Creative Endeavors and more. The theme of the evening was the individuality of the May Term experience, highlighting how the one month can be approached in very different, but equally impressive ways. This was exemplified through Rob Strain’s and Reed Cunningham’s project “Humans of May Term” in which they photographed nearly every senior during their May Term. The night truly celebrated the Class of 2016 as a whole, not just individual projects, which is quite fitting for the May Term experience. May Term is a time for self–discovery and for seniors to learn how to collaborate, selfmotivate and succeed outside the classroom environment. This night, which was MC’ed and planned by the students themselves, highlighted how much students could grow in just 31 days, with tangible and incredible results. —Jack Besser ’16

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Students designed, developed and pitched a solution to your parking woes called PARKR as part of Start Up 101

25% of the class of 2016 traveled to Europe, China and Africa

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MONTH, UNLIMITED POSSIBILITIES: Academic endeavors, creative endeavors, travel, community service, internships, startup 101

From top to bottom: Emma Bruce presents on her internship shadowing a brain surgeon. / Yasaman Mahdi (l) spoke about her teaching internship while Abby South (r) talked of her internship in NYC at Dormify. / Symposium hosts Charles Rilli and Jack Besser welcome the crowd. / Salem Belay and Hannah Framer present their art installation.

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Student projects were on display at the May Term Symposium

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CAPTURING THE MOMENT Each day while exploring China, students had a daily photo contest to capture what they were experiencing.

These photos by Shelly Tsirulik (l) and Ana Lucia Espinosa Dice (r) were taken in Huangshang.

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China 2016

GREAT WALL We visited the Great Wall, but locals call it Chang Chung, the long wall. The Great Wall is

“May Term is a time for self–discovery and … to learn how to collaborate… and succeed outside the classroom.”

JAC K B ESS E R ’ 1 6

4192 miles long, to put that in perspective we walked 4 miles in two hours. We walked the part of the wall that was less preserved which is only 1/10 of the entire thing. There is a myth that you can see the Great Wall from outer space. Sadly, it’s not true. There are sections of the wall that go back to the Ming dynasty. The wall was originally built separating the 5 different different states. During the Qin dynasty, in 221 BC, they built an army that unified all of China. The Great Wall is also the biggest grave yard in China because as the workers died they would put them into the wall as their burial.

We named our hike today “the Great Wall workout”. As late chair man Mao put it, “you can never be a great man or woman until you climbed the Great Wall.” Today we all became great men and women. — Shannon Raff ’16

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PROM 2016 A RO U N D M K A

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More than 270 students and faculty members joined in a night of dancing and celebration at The Manor in West Orange for the 2016 Prom. The dance floor was packed from the moment the music came on, as students celebrated the end of the 2015â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2016 school year. It was a great night enjoyed by all and the perfect send off for the summer.

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WHERE THEY ARE NOW…

Ian Naismith When I was an officer in the Royal Air Force (RAF) in Kuala Lumpur, a notice was being circulated among the various UK military bases that a junior college military school in the USA, New Mexico Military Institute (NMMI), was looking to hire a professor/teacher of English.

Without any hope of being accepted, I applied anyway for the position and, surprisingly, I was accepted! Shortly thereafter, in 1959, I flew over to New Mexico and the doors to a completely new life had been opened up.

A similar important and exciting event occurred in 1963 when I joined the staff of Montclair Academy. In a way, this move was even more dramatic because twin brothers, the Deehans, were students at the Academy and introduced me to their sister, Elaine. Eventually, wonder of wonders, Elaine responded favorably to my marriage proposal and, even more amazing, she has now put up with me for forty-eight years!

When I first became part of the Montclair Academy teaching staff, the classes were held in an older building while construction of a very fine new school was proceeding on a slightly elevated area on the other side of the playing field.

Nevertheless, most of the students were very proud to have been accepted into the Academy and those in my English and Latin classes were eager to prepare themselves for college or subsequent occupation after graduation. There were only four students in my advanced Latin class, but each one of them was exceptional with high grades on the SAT achievement test; in fact, two of them, Mark Geanette and John Hawley, came out with perfect scores of 800 and went on to major in the classics at university. It is my understanding that John Hawley is currently teaching Latin at a prep school.

At Montclair Academy, I was asked to coach the soccer team and the golf team. The soccer team made tremendous improvement, progressing from a winless previous year to subsequent seasons with 10-0 records. Coaching the golf team was an entirely different story because all the golfers on the team would put my golf game to shame!

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While I was in Montclair, my wife and I belonged to the Montclair Golf Club for over thirty years, and at the annual Member-Member dinner, I was asked to propose the “Toast to the Haggis” by Robert Burns! At the time, Yogi Berra was also a participant in the tournament, and I am pleased to have a picture of Yogi and me at one of the events.

After five wonderful years at the Academy, I resigned in 1968, and, with a recommendation from my father- in law, Bernard Deehan, I joined Goodbody, at the time a large investment firm.

Subsequently, I was actively involved with a variety of firms in fixed income securities—treasury bonds, agency issues, corporate and euro bonds and so on. During this period, in the investment business, Elaine had been a flight attendant with United Airlines, based at JFK airport. In 2003, after thirty-six years and four months, she retired and once again, we decided to change direction and move to Florida.

We bought a lovely small home with a pool just off the green of the second hole of the golf course at Halifax Plantation in Ormond Beach. Every now and then, I enjoy a round of golf and play tennis two or three times a week at Halifax Plantation tennis courts. Our move to this area was a great idea - Ormond is within an hour’s driving distance to St. Augustine, the oldest city in the United States, and to Disney World in Orlando and to the Kennedy Space Center.

Ormond beach is recognized as the “Birthplace of Speed” because of the auto races that would be held along its sandy beaches. In addition, in the early nineties, John Rockefeller Sr. was persuaded by his advisors to set up his residence in Ormond.

In conclusion, it may seem that five years is an insignificant period in a lifetime of many changes and activities, but the few years I spent at Montclair Academy are filled with great recollections and happy memories. The fortunate young men and women now attending Montclair Kimberly Academy should live life to the fullest and be grateful that, at the Academy, they are being well prepared for major goals and high achievements. The Academy for these young students is paving the road to future success.

Farewell & Thank You Ed Buttimore (Director of Security), Thomas Carroll (Upper School Economics), Nate Eaton (Middle School English), Ebony Facenda (Middle School Mathematics), Yuri Francis (Upper School Admissions), Dominique Gerard (Upper School Dean of Student Life, History and Tri-Campus Director of Diversity and Inclusion), Scott Geter (Middle School Science), Marshall Hatcher (Middle School History), Molly Herforth (Middle School Educational Technology Coordinator), Jean Hooi Lee (Upper School Mathematics), Katherine Lyon (Upper School Science), Kaitlin Mallet (Upper School Alumni Relations), Lois Montorio (Upper School Alumni Relations), Andrew Prince (Upper School History), JC Svec (Upper School Fine and Performing Arts), Katalyn Vidal (Middle School World Language), Keith Wiggs (Middle School Development and External Affairs) and Susan Zouein (Primary School Nurse).

AND WELCOMES: David Allen (Middle School Science), Dagny Goldberg Baker (Learning Specialist), Deborah Branker (Middle School English), Timothy Cook (Upper School Economics and History), Latvecia Littles-Floyd (Director of Security), Robert Gelberg (Upper School Playwright in Residence), Eric Gutierrez (Development Office Director of Alumni Relations), Lisa Harrison ( Middle School Ed tech Coordinator), Colleen Helsel (Primary School Receptionist), Dr. Robert Hickman (Upper School Computer Science and Math), Charlotte Lillard (Upper School Admissions), Jill Nagel (Upper School Weiss Auditorium Director), Kyle Salkin (Upper School History), Lainey Segear (Development Office Major Gifts Officer), Kristen Sigler (Middle School Math), Nicholas Tricarico (Middle School English), Marc Tuazon (Upper School Biology), Yingqian Xiao (Upper School World Language). AND CONGRATULATES OLD FACES IN NEW PLACES: Carlaina Bell assumes the role of Tri-Campus Director of Diversity and Inclusion in addition to her current roles as Assistant Head of the Middle School Campus and World Language teacher. Allison Shearin remains in Development but is now the Associate Director of Alumni Relations. Kerry Verrone assumes the role of Upper School Dean of Student Life in addition to her role as Upper School History teacher and Ninth Grade Dean. Christie Welsh remains the Varsity Girls Soccer Coach and assumes the role of Annual Giving Associate.

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ATHLETICS 2016 Team and Student-Athlete Honors and Awards

CAPTAIN AWARDS Congratulations to Devin Pepe ’16, Senior Ice Hockey Captain the Recipient of the MKA “WINTER CAPTAIN’S AWARD.” And congratulations to Amanda D’Alessandro ’16, Senior Girls Lacrosse Captain and the recipient of the MKA “SPRING CAPTAIN’S AWARD.” The MKA Captain’s Award is given out each season to a team captain who has exhibited the leadership, a strong work ethic and is a role model for his or her team.

CONGRATULATIONS TO… Patricia Columbia-Walsh and Avery Song who were selected to play in the 2016 Brine National Lacrosse Academy! The Brine National Lacrosse Academy brings the top youth lacrosse players in the nation to one venue where regional teams, coached by NCAA lacrosse coaches, compete to become the 2016 National Champion.

WINTER BOYS’ BASKETBALL Head Coach: Tony Jones (16th Year, Record: 4–20 Kelly Curran ’16 Capt.; MKA Coaches Award; Honorable Mention All-Liberty Division, SEC Matt Lerner ’16 Capt.; MKA Most Spirited Award Angelo Weber ’17 Capt.; MKA Most Valuable Player Award; Honorable Mention All-Prep B; Honorable Mention All-Liberty Division, SEC

GIRLS’ BASKETBALL Head Coach: Jessica Bishop ’04 (4th Year), Record: 13–9 Priya Kapoor ’16 Capt.

Isabella Mendez ’16 Capt.; 1st Team All-Prep B; 1st Team All-Independence Division, SEC Leah Murphy ’16 Capt.; Honorable Mention AllIndependence Division, SEC Erin Nicholson ’17 2nd Team All-Independence Division, SEC Kerri McGuire ’18 Honorable Mention All-Prep B; 1st Team All-Independence Division, SEC

BOYS’ FENCING Head Coaches: Michael Frey, Mike Tully (1st Year), Record: 3–6 FAREWELL & THANKS Cougarville was sad to see that Injoo Han has “officially” stepped down as the Head Varsity Field Hockey Coach after nine seasons at the helm. Injoo Han compiled a 110–74–13 career record and helped lead the Cougars to NJ Prep B Field Hockey Championships in ’09, ’10, ’12, ’13, ’15. Injoo Han was also selected as the NJ Star Ledger “Coach of the Year” after her 2012 team went 18–4 and captured the North Jersey Group I Sectional Championship. Injoo Han has been a great friend, coach and mentor to many and has helped a number of Cougars turn their dream into a reality of playing Field Hockey at the NCAA level.

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Will Curtis ’16 Capt.

Joshua Talbot ’17 2nd Team Foil All Tri-County Fencing League

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Jayson Thompson ’17 MKA Most Valuable Fencer Award; 1st Team All-State Epee, NJIFA; 1st Team All-State Epee, Star Ledger; 1st Team Epee All Tri-County Fencing League

Alex Contey ’19 MKA Rookie of the Year Award; Honorable Mention All-American Division, NJIHL

BOYS’ INDOOR TRACK & FIELD GIRLS’ FENCING Head Coaches: Michael Frey, Mike Tully (1st Year) Record: 2–7 Suzanna Bator ’16 Capt.; MKA Coaches Award; 1st Team Epee All Tri-County Fencing League Maya Gujral ’16 Capt.

Cecilia Taylor ’18 MKA Most Valuable Fencer Award; 1st Team Sabre All TriCounty Fencing League Julia Thompson ’19 MKA Rookie of the Year Award; 1st Team All-State Foil, NJIFA; 2nd Team All-State Foil, Star Ledger; 2nd Team Foil All TriCounty Fencing League

ICE HOCKEY Head Coach: Casey Mignone (1st Year), Record: 15–10–2 Conor Nolan ’16 Asst. Capt.; Honorable Mention All-American Division, NJIHL Devin Pepe ’16 Capt.; MKA Most Valuable Player Award; 1st Team All-American Division, NJIHL; MKA Winter Captain’s Prize Recipient; 2nd Team All NonPublic, Star Ledger Joshua Pickett ’16 Asst. Capt.; MKA Coaches Award; 2nd Team All-American Division, NJIHL Gus Wallach ’17 Asst. Capt.

Head Coach: Tom Fleming (17th Year) Billy Hughe ’16 Capt.

Billy Massey ’17 MKA Coaches Award; 1st Team 1600m All-Liberty Division, SEC; 2nd Team 1600m All-Essex County; 1st Team 1600m All Non-Public B; 1st Team 1600m All-Prep B

GIRLS’ INDOOR TRACK & FIELD Head Coach: Tom Fleming (17th Year) Caylie Privitere ’17 MKA Coaches Award; 1st Team 1600m All-Liberty Division, SEC Evelyn Wallace ’18 1st Team 3200m All-Liberty Division, SEC

BOYS’ SWIMMING Head Coach: Patrick Collins (8th Year), Record: 1–9 Henry Kelly ’16 Honorable Mention All-SEC Stephen Tse ’16 Capt.

Wyatt Blair ’17 MKA Most Valuable Swimmer Award Patrick Flint ’19 MKA Rookie of the Year Award

GIRLS’ SWIMMING Head Coach: Patrick Collins (8th Year, Record: 1–9 Ana Lucia Espinosa Dice ’16 Capt.; 2nd Team 50 Freestyle, All-SEC Anne Lemmer ’16 Capt.; MKA Most Valuable Swimmer Award; Honorable Mention All-SEC

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SPRING BASEBALL Head Coach: Ralph Pacifico (26th Year), Record: 12–14 Jack Besser ’16 Capt.; MKA Cougar Award; 2nd Tm All-Liberty Div., SEC; HM All-Prep B Alex Cappitelli ’16 Capt.; HM All-Liberty Div., SEC; 1st Tm All-Prep B Derek Kleinman ’16 Capt.

Conor Nolan ’16 Capt.; MKA Most Valuable Player Award; 1st Tm All-Liberty Div., SEC; 1st Tm All-Prep B Angelo Weber ’17 HM All-Liberty Div., SEC Robert Hollander ’18 MKA Most Improved Player Award John Sweetwood ’18 1st Tm All-Liberty Div., SEC; 2nd Tm All-Prep B

SOFTBALL

Head Coaches: Jessica Sarfati (6th Year), Record: 6–13 Isabella Mendez ’16 Capt,; 1st Tm All-Liberty Div., SEC; MKA Most Valuable Player Award; 1st Tm All-Prep B Emma Pacifico ’16 Capt.; 2nd Tm All-Liberty Div., SEC; MKA Most Dedicated Played Award; 2nd Tm AllPrep B Jenna Donatiello ’17 HM All-Liberty Div., SEC; 2nd Tm All-Prep B Lamara White ’17 MKA Most Improved Player Award Kerri McGuire ’18 HM All-Liberty Div., SEC; 2nd Tm All-Prep B

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BOYS’ LACROSSE Head Coach: Paul Edwards (14th Year); Len Roland Sportsmanship Award, Record: 14–7 Ethan Fusco ’16 2nd Tm All-American Div., SEC; 2nd Tm All-Waterman Div., NJILL; HM All Non-Public, NJILCA; 2nd Tm All Prep B; MKA Mr. Defense Award; 3rd Tm All-Non Public, SL Max Hall ’16 Capt.; 1st Tm All-American Div., SEC; 1st Tm All-Waterman Div., NJILL; 2nd Tm All NonPublic,NJILCA; 1st Tm All Prep B; MKA Klank Memorial Award; Player of the Year Waterman Div., NJILL; 2nd Tm All-Non Public, SL Joshua Pickett ’16 MKA Lunch Pail Award Christopher Sibilia ’16 1st Tm All-American Div., SEC; 2nd Tm All-Waterman Div., NJILL; HM All Non-Public, NJILCA; 2nd Tm All Prep B; MKA Al Staph Award; MKA Most Valuable Player Award; 3rd Tm All Non-Public, SL

Ben Yanes ’17 HM All-American Div., SEC; 2nd Tm All-Waterman Div., NJILL; 2nd Tm All Prep B; MKA Most Improved Player Award Ryan Dancy ’18 HM All-Waterman Div., NJILL Christian Breitweiser ’18 MKA Most Promising Newcomer Award

GIRLS’ LACROSSE Head Coach: Chelsea Intrabartola (1st Year), Record: 9–12 Zoe Bieler ’16 HM All-Liberty Div., SEC Amanda D’Alessandro ’16 Capt.; 2nd Tm All-Liberty Div., SEC; HM All-Independent South Div., NJIGLL Grace Halvey ’16 MKA Player’s Player Award Shannon Raff ’16 Capt. MKA Most Valuable Player Award1st Tm AllLiberty Div., SEC; 1st Tm All-Independent South Div., NJIGLL; 1st Tm All Prep B

Joseph Strain ’16 Capt.; 1st Tm All-American Div., SEC; 1st Tm All-Waterman Div., NJILL; 2nd Tm All Non-Public, NJILCA; 1st Tm All Prep B; MKA Mr. Offense Award

Annie Wallace ’17 2nd Tm All-Liberty Div., SEC; 1st Tm All-Independent South Div., NJIGLL; 1st Tm All Prep B

Robert Strain ’16 Capt.; 1st Tm All-American Div., SEC; 1st Tm All-Waterman Div., NJILL; 2nd Tm All NonPublic, NJILCA; 1st Tm All Prep B; MKA Deechan Scholar Athlete Award; MKA Alumni Outstanding Teammate Award; 3rd Tm All Non-Public, SL

Lily Pryor ’1 1st Tm All-Liberty Div., SEC; 2nd Tm All-Independent South Div., NJIGLL

Ross Turkington ’16 Yogi Berra Museum Best Teammate Award Erik Zeug ’16 Capt.; 2nd Tm All-American Div., SEC; 2nd Tm All-Waterman Div., NJILL; Essex County Scholar Athlete Award; MKA Alumni Outstanding Teammate Award

Reilly Hughes ’19 MKA Coaches Award

Ally Raff ’19 2nd Tm All-Liberty Div., SEC

GIRLS’ TRACK & FIELD Head Coach: Tom Fleming (17th Year), Record: 5–3 Caylie Privitere ’17 1st Tm 3200m AllIndependence Div., SEC Lannea Martinez ’19 2nd Tm TJ All-Independence Div., SEC Grace O’Shea ’19 MKA Coaches Award; 1st Tm HH All-Independence Div., SEC

Anna Schaller ’19 2nd Tm 3200m AllIndependence Div., SEC

BOYS’ TRACK & FIELD Head Coach: Tom Fleming (17th Year), Record: 5-2 Billy Hughes ’16 Capt.; MKA Coaches Captain Award; Maxwell Goldfarb ’17 1st Tm 3200m AllIndependence Div., SEC Billy Massey ’17 MKA Coaches Award; 1st Tm 800m All-Independence Div., SEC; 1st Tm AllEssexCounty 1600m Nicholas Wilson ’18 2nd Tm 800m AllIndependence Div., SEC

BOYS’ TENNIS Head Coach: Val Azzoli (11th Year), Record: 4–16 Rohan Israni ’17 Capt.; HM All-American Div., SEC

NCAA COMMITMENTS Andres, Lily Soccer Loyola University Maryland Calandra, Isabella Tennis Stevens Institute of Technology Cappitelli, Alex Baseball Wesleyan University Correia, Kathryn Cross Country Haverford College Fusco, Ethan Football Dickinson College Freeman, Kimani Volleyball Smith College Hall, Max Lacrosse Gettysburg College Kleinman, Derek Football Franklin and Marshall College Mendez, Isabella Softball Providence College

William Michaels ’19 HM All-American Div., SEC

Randall, Julia Crew University of Notre Dame

GOLF

Sibilia, Christopher Lacrosse Skidmore College

Head Coach: Jeff Beer (10th Year), Record: 11–6 Ryan Mucci ’16 Capt.

Ryan Polizzi ’16 Capt.; 2nd Tm All-American Div., SEC; MKA Most Valuable Player Award James Modica ’17 HM All-American Div., SEC; MKA Most Improved Player Award Brandon Valvano ’19 2nd Tm All-American Div., SEC; MKA Rookie of the Year Award

Strain, Joseph Lacrosse Gettysburg College Strain, Robert Lacrosse Bates College Taylor, Caroline Field Hockey Wellesley College Vaughn, Olivia Soccer Boston College Zeug, Eric Lacrosse Oberlin College Lemmer, Anne Swimming Gordon College Robinson, Kennedy Volleyball University of Alabama

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Knowing that students achieve more with balance and joy in their lives, MKA concentrates on studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; social and emotional spheres as much as their intellectual one. We believe that moments outside the classroom are as important as those inside and we prepare students to seize opportunities, realize unlimited potential and mature into wellbalanced individuals.

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Consistent with MKA’s overarching philosophy of balance in the education, growth and development of its students, the College Counseling Office strives to foster students’ self-awareness, self-reflection and selfadvocacy throughout the college process. Our message to students, beginning in freshmen year, mirrors that of the Upper School faculty and administration: we encourage students to make the most of their high school experiences by exploring a broad range of academic and extracurricular interests. Our hope is that, over their time at the Upper School, students will take appropriately rigorous and challenging classes and engage in the diverse extracurricular life of the school community and through this engagement will begin to discover themselves and those things about which they are passionate. At the Upper School, and certainly as college counselors, we encourage students to stretch themselves and try new things in an authentic and genuine (self-fulfilling?) way, rather than solely in service of the eventual college process. We underscore MKA’s message to students about the importance of finding balance in their lives, between their intellectual pursuits, their civic responsibilities and their social and emotional well-being; and we assist students in the search for colleges that will nurture the many dimensions of who they are.

As students embark on the formal college process in junior year, our counseling approach emphasizes the importance of constructive self-reflection. We view, and help students to embrace, the college process as an exciting and challenging opportunity for them to think critically about who they are as individuals—what they value, what they enjoy studying, which activities they find fulfilling, and how they learn best. Our counseling relationships are grounded in the belief that every student has a unique story to tell, and that we must meet students where they are, helping them identify those collegiate environments and campus communities that best reflect their own talents and abilities and offer the greatest opportunities for growth. Our job, as college counselors, is to guide, advise, and inform, but we encourage students to ask questions, dig deeper, and find their own voices through this process. We believe that researching and applying to college, with all that it entails, is an important step for students toward personal independence and we want students to occupy the driver’s seat.

Louise Maxwell, Director College Counseling Office

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Ginger Kriegel Head of the Primary School

We believe that developing social and emotional skills is essential for building good character, problemsolving abilities, collaborative relationships, community and for intellectual and academic growth.

— G IN G ER KRIEG EL

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The Primary School’s commitment to the education of the “whole child,” compels us to provide balance for our students with equal emphasis placed on the teaching of both social/emotional and academic competencies.

Carefully researched programs like Responsive Classroom and Olweus that emphasize social, emotional and academic growth within a safe community, are embedded in the routines of our daily curriculum.

We believe that developing social and emotional skills is essential for building good character, problem-solving abilities, collaborative relationships, community, and for intellectual and academic growth.

Our school days start with a morning meeting where all students gather on rugs in their classrooms to engage in fun community-building activities which set a positive tone for learning.

In morning meeting, students engage in discussions of the MKA Character and Anti-Bullying Standards. They also practice the skills of speaking in friendly tones, collaborating and interacting respectfully with one another. Research is quite clear that students must feel safe in their school environment in order to reach their full potential.

Within the morning meeting and throughout the day, students learn to understand themselves and one another to manage emotions and to build caring, supporting and cooperative relationships.

In addition to Responsive Classroom, teachers present many planned lessons that incorporate all the essentials of our social/emotional curriculum. Social Emotional skills and academics are intertwined.

Balance is also evident in our commitment to the growth mindset of our students. While our expectations are high and learning goals clear, we fully realize that “childhood is a journey, not a race” and that all students need the opportunity for exploration, creative expression, risk taking, engaging in student choice and interest, and selfdiscovery through a variety of experiences. Our curriculum reflects those priorities through the Reggio Emilia approach in our early childhood classrooms and a carefully planned project based curriculum throughout the Primary School. Our new outdoor learning space reflects our belief that opportunities for learning go beyond the classroom walls.

Out of the classroom experiences are of equal importance in creating the balance for our students. Field trips, service learning projects, recess assemblies all contribute to the educational balance that students live.

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Dr. Randy Kleinman Head of the Middle School

Middle School is a time of incredible intellectual, social, emotional and physical growth for young adolescents. Our program challenges students in the classroom to think deeply about big ideas, helps them develop essential learning skills, encourages them to engage actively in the arts and athletics and supports them through the advisor program in developing a deeper understanding of themselves so they become more independent and self-reliant learners and decision-makers.

In working the last two years to develop a new Middle School schedule that reflects our values, a key feature we have included are twice weekly FLEX periods that meet after morning recess. A purpose of FLEX periods is to allow Middle School students the opportunity to explore areas of interest and to exercise some independence to shape their own learning. FLEX time allows students to enroll in special arts offerings such as Jazz Band and Cougar Choir; to seek enrichment or support by attending Math or Writing Lab; to enroll in a Coding Class, a class in Kitchen Chemistry or Economics and Investing; to develop leadership ability as a member of the Student Government, Laptop Leaders, Green Group or Amnesty International.

FLEX is also a time when students might decide that to better manage their workload and extra-curricular commitments they need to attend a study hall. Or, FLEX is a time when students can suggest a class or program that interests them, such as Movie Making, Playwriting or Yoga, and encourage a faculty member to provide supervision and guidance so that interest becomes a reality.

FLEX time also has an important social element for Middle School students. As students exercise choice in the activities they participate in during FLEX time, they also engage with a variety of other students from across grade levels as well as with numerous teachers who advise and facilitate the FLEX offerings but who may not otherwise teach the students.

Middle School students learn and grow from their classroom experiences, from their active engagement in self-directed activities and from social time. FLEX time in the new schedule captures what brain research tells us about how students engage in those growth experiences and become lifelong learners.

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Dr. David Flocco Head of the Upper School

“Balance” as it pertains to the student experience at the Upper School manifests itself in myriad ways.

• Schedule: The Upper School schedule was launched after a five-year redesign process in 2007. It allows for teachers to vary their teaching methodology, students to engage in material for longer periods of time (75 minutes vs. 50 minutes), fewer transitions during the school day (four as opposed to seven), fewer classes in which to complete homework on a given day (two/ three vs. four/five), and less class time lost at the end of the day (down 88%) for athletes leaving early for games. Through survey data, we have discovered that grades are up and perceptions of student stress is down, allowing students to perform at their best.

• Course options: The Upper School academic program provides our students a balanced set of courses from which to choose. With a full complement of AP, honors, and non-honors options in all disciplines, students can balance their load and choose the academic path that is right for them. For example, a 9th grader who loves to read and write is no longer forced to take honors math or science courses, because we

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don’t offer honors options in the humanities. As upperclassmen, students can load up in math, science, and computer science by dropping a major in which she/ he has satisfied the graduation requirement. Students must take a minimum number of credits in the arts and physical education, health and wellness because we believe in a balanced and strong liberal arts education for our graduates.

• Extracurriculars—athletics/arts/clubs/House System: At the Upper School, we also believe that every minute a student spends outside the classroom is just as important as the minutes they spend in it.

Thus, we have a wide array of offerings for students to pursue their interests in arts, athletics, service, clubs, and the House system. It would not be uncommon for the star in the musical to be a starter on the football team, or a talented visual artist to be a great debater.

If students wish to pursue their passion for swimming or ballet exclusively, they can do that here. If they want to become involved in many different areas of school life, they can do that, as well. If they would rather pour their energies into out intramural House system, they can also do that. The Upper School is anything students want it to be.

Cort Bosc Director of Global Experiences, 10th Grade Dean

The job of the Grade Dean here at MKA is simple—understand, support and enhance the student experience.

Undertaking that task is complex but incredibly rewarding. This summer in particular the Deans are excited to undertake a design thinking approach to understanding and supporting our students here at MKA. Over the past several years, the student support team, including the Grade Deans, Admin Team, School Counselor, Academic Support and the Student Council have collected data on the student experience here at MKA. This data has taken the form of both formal and informal surveys, focus group-like conversations and “shadow” days where the Deans became a student for the day. The hope is to get a picture of the whole MKA student; to see them laterally across disciplines and commitments. And from that picture find new and creative ways to support students in their educational and personal journeys.

Finding balance… is a skill that needs cultivating just like any other.

Kerry Verrone Tri-Campus Chair of Integrated Ethics, US Dean of Student Life

At this summer’s Integrated Ethics Institute, faculty from across all three campuses will engage with the theme of “disruptive thinking” by reexamining how we teach and learn here at MKA. Using our Mission Statement as our guide, we will focus on assessing, challenging and redefining traditional assumptions about school. One of these traditional assumptions has to do with where and when teaching and learning can and should take place. As a school community committed to the social and emotional wellness of all of our students, we affirm the value and importance of teaching and learning outside the boundaries of the traditional school day and the traditional classroom setting. Indeed, recognizing every aspect of school life as a potential learning opportunity is the key to helping our students seek balance in their lives.

Here at the Upper School, the Grade Deans are charged with being attuned to every aspect of the student experience and to the rhythm of daily life in and out of the classroom. What better way to understand the life of MKA students than to walk in their “shadows” for a day? This is exactly what we as Grade Deans did this past year when we tried to keep up with students in each grade for a day, from their arrival in the morning until the end of practice, rehearsal and homework that night. Shadowing reminded us about the many activities in which our students are engaged throughout a given day, as well as about the many expected and unexpected moments for social and emotional development. Ultimately, we as Grade Deans realized that our main goal is to provide our students with more time, especially in the midst of those busy days, to reflect mindfully on their growth in and out of the classroom.

—CORT BOSC

Finding balance at MKA is not something we expect all students to be amazing at right away. It is a skill that needs cultivating just like any other. However, as faculty we live very different lives, ones that put us in leading numerous students through very focused and singular activities—a sport, a class, a musical. Our job is to translate the cross-school experience of students to faculty as well as convey the expectations of their advisors, teachers and coaches back to them.

All in an effort to put them at the center, the fulcrum, able to weigh their commitments, make informed choices, and thrive here at MKA.

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Alden Basmajian Upper School Math and Economics Teacher, Upper School Junior Dean

Education is about the development of each individual student, from an adolescent to an independent and able young adult. Students are constantly asked to manage expectations in the classroom, on the athletic fields, in the theater and in their personal lives.

While material and concepts in the classroom are important, the skills learned outside of the classroom are vital to the development and maturation of our students.

Junior year is defined by several major milestones all while balancing daily expectations. Part of the grade dean curriculum focuses on goal setting and time management. Early in the year, students are given the task of identifying several key goals or areas of development during the year.

Through advisor meetings and class meetings, these goals are revisited and assessed to gauge progress. By keeping both short-term and long-term expectations in mind, the students begin to recognize opportunities and methods of achieving their goals.

In order to better identify the complexities and demands of being a student in today’s classroom, each grade dean spent a day as a student in their respective grades. Students need to balance their class schedule with an opportunity to be a teenager, spending time with friends as well as spending time with books. The demands of being a student in today’s technological environment open the door to a wealth of possibilities for time management.

Students will continue to learn how to take advantage of their time in a way that manages their courses but leaves them with an opportunity to step away mentally and enjoy being themselves.

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Tony Jones Science Teacher, 12th Grade Dean, Boys’ Basketball Coach

The word “balance” means different things in the context of our community. For some, balance is about figuring out how to excel in a rigorous academic environment while pursuing nonacademic interests. Our seniors often stretch their time, energy and resources in a variety of ways. They do this in hope of being in the best position to learn, grow, and be accepted to the colleges of their choice. This is a tough task for our students and they do an admirable job juggling competing demands—from managing the nuts and bolts of the college application to crafting an essay that complements teacher recommendations, to performing during encore weekend or some other performance-based activity, all while maintaining high standards in the classroom, our students have deftly navigated the challenges.

As accomplished as our seniors are, I have been most moved by their commitment to growth. As a whole, I have been inspired by seeing them advise underclassmen outside of the classroom on how to manage the workload or prepare for exams. These are skills they have acquired and developed over time, they are also evidence of their maturing executive functioning. At least as critical to their planning and organizational skills, have been the development of their social-emotional skills. Effective collaboration has been critical in creating fun and engaging social gatherings.

We strive to create an environment where students have an opportunity to individually extend their boundaries outside the traditional classroom, too. The month of May is a time for our seniors to explore their passions. They are challenged to identify an area to explore, explain how they how they think it will enhance the community, and then return to share their experience with the community. One student makes a surfboard; others created mobile applications, others explored passions, such as finance and entrepreneurship.

The MKA community has undoubtedly benefited from the way our seniors cultivated their many skills and talents. Watching one of my players make the game-winning shot, write poetry, and be an honor roll student—while enjoying it all—that is balance!

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Erik Zeug ’16 Student

At first glance I couldn’t really tell you what I look like. Probably your classic, average student who can play sports. My body doesn’t particularly scream jock, unless you get to know me, but that’s what I thought I was before MKA, just a jock. Live and breathe sports. I saw it as that was the only thing I was allowed to be. Yet at MKA, I found more and more the opportunities to follow passions I had deeply pushed down because of what I was expected to be. The people here are so diverse in thought and so open to anybody’s ideas that I felt truly free. I am a poet. I used to not be able to say that because I was so ashamed of it, I thought it showed weakness. The MKA community showed me that it wasn’t a weakness, but a strength. The community let me flourish; they supported me in all my interests beyond the field. Now, I avidly write songs, write poetry of all forms and even sing on some of my friends’ albums. Who said the Captain Quarterback of the football team can’t sing and enjoy slam poetry? MKA surely never restricted me from doing so. Maybe that whole high school musical idea wasn’t so made up after all.

Who said the Captain Quarterback of the football team can’t sing and enjoy slam poetry?

— E R I K Z E UG ’ 16

Jolie Curran ’18 Student

Personally, I see balance as the ability to keep a happy outlook on life and a steady well-being while completing daily and necessary tasks, and other activities that benefit you and make you happy.

I think that balance is a part of every student’s life, regardless of the school being attended. It’s just something that we have to get used to as we go through academics and enriching ourselves with the opportunities we are given. Balancing academics and extracurricular activities can be a huge challenge to many students, including me, because of the expectations received from others, or merely the standards set for students themselves. MKA has a lot to offer in many different fields. As a freshman, I enjoyed performing in all the theatre at MKA and anything that had to do with the arts, such as co-editing our arts newspaper, “The Informer.” Although the arts department is wonderful, these past two years in the Upper School have led me to interests beyond the stage. I’ve always been interested and passionate about the environment and science and MKA has offered me the amazing opportunity of studying within those fields for the spring semester of my junior year. I’ve been offered so many chances to discover new interests of mine and start journeys to discover more about myself and what keeps me balanced academically and mentally. MKA definitely allows students to find balance with their work by permitting students to talk to their teachers and work out schedules for when they can get their work done in a timely but manageable manner. To students who are struggling to find balance, I would advise you to take it one step at a time and do not be afraid to ask for help. Without the balance that I have every day at MKA and outside of it, I would not be the efficient and happy person I am today.

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Emily Talkow ’20 Student

When asked, “What is balance,” so many ideas come to mind. Balance is not just the physical state of being able to stand on one foot without falling over, but the state of believing that you are capable of doing whatever you set your mind to.

Without the concept of balance, my life would be falling apart. Life is like a giant scale; you have to even out school, family, friends and free time. After a long and stressful day of school, I find it hard to come home and sit down to do homework for another few hours. The scale would be “leaning” towards school way too much.

Instead, I might go outside for a little bit to balance the scale. I always try to make sure that I am never spending too much time on something. Furthermore, at MKA we are put outside our normal comfort levels and encouraged to try unique and different activities. Before MKA, I would never have imagined myself joining a chorus or taking a dance class. At the end of the day, I still may not love dancing or singing, but the experiences that I have been exposed to help me to become a more diverse and balanced person. MKA supports everyone’s ability to maintain balance in a multitude of ways. For instance, at the Middle School there are no homework weekends. If I had a lot of homework on a weekend such as Thanksgiving or Memorial Day Weekend, my scale would “tip over” because I wouldn’t be able to share my time with family. Balance is such an essential component to life, and if anyone were to struggle with how to achieve balance, I would recommend taking a step back to look at the bigger picture. When writing my book, Soar, I realized one bad grade or embarrassing moment shouldn’t crush your spirits. Soar was written to inspire and encourage people all over the world. There are so many devastating events that happen that make you just want to hide out in your room forever. But for every bad event, there are millions of phenomenal ones. A perfect life doesn’t have to be one that is one hundred percent balanced, because no one can stay up on their feet all the time. Everyone will be knocked down every now and then, but what makes the world go round is when you get back up and keep going!

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Nico Espinosa Dice ’18 Student

I define balance by your ability to succeed in the things in your life that you enjoy. Balance plays an important role in my everyday life because during an average school week, I rotate between school and academics, athletics and family life. I feel MKA supports the idea of students exploring and participating in multiple areas of interest by trying to work with our schedules to offer us as many opportunities as possible. From academic work to athletics to the arts and extracurricular activities, MKA offers us all the resources and support we need to excel in each of these areas, but not only do they give us these opportunities, they give us the chance to give our full effort in multiple disciplines. If I could give other students advice to finding balance in their lives, I would tell them to make priorities. Being able to decide what work is more important to you will ensure you are spending time on what matters to you most. I would also say that you should never not do something that you really care about just because you don’t think you will have enough time. At a school like MKA, it is always possible to find time to do important work. I believe being able to find balance makes life easier because you can do and succeed in more disciplines and activities. For me, school and academics take up a large portion of my life. Athletics, specifically soccer and lacrosse, also holds a significant portion of my life. However, most important to me is probably family. With a busy schedule, I have to find time to work on each discipline, but at MKA, I feel supported to explore many different areas of interest.

Mira Rajani ’19 Student

All high school students lead busy and stressful lives and allocating time between academics, athletics and other social activities can be a challenge. I believe that the key to achieving the right balance is to set priorities and effectively organize one’s schedule. At the start of each week, I make sure that I have my weekly schedule planned out in terms of academics and athletics. In addition to homework assignments and tests, I can have anywhere between two to four games a week along with practice every other day. I attempt to utilize my free time in school and at home wisely to get my work done. I usually use my weekend mornings to work on upcoming assignments for the week and leave the studying for the assessments for during the week. This schedule allows me to have free time on the weekends to spend with my friends and family as well as be stress free during the week and be able to participate in some of the extracurricular activities MKA has to offer. I play the flute in the Concert Band, participate in two sports teams (tennis and softball) and am part of a community service initiative. I also assist with a charitable organization called “We Win Foundation” that provides funding for therapy to young stroke victims. In addition to having a superior academic curriculum, MKA promotes students to participate in activities outside the classroom that help develop social and emotional skills. Students can choose from a number of clubs, several sports, global experiences and a wide array of community & learning opportunities. I do believe that leading a healthy and balanced life makes me a happier person and a better student. The key is to maintain a positive attitude. As Winston Churchill once said “Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.”

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Matthew Rubenstein ’17 Student

Since I’ve my freshmen year here, I’ve been lucky enough to participate in a lot of what the school has to offer. I’ve taken five honors or AP classes every year. I’m part of the Student Diversity Leadership Committee; I co-lead the student-led acapella group; and I participate in the school musical. All the activities that I do at MKA make my experience here fulfilling and exciting and I’m able to participate so actively in the community because of the ways that MKA encourages balance. Balance to many people means a focus on moderation, but to me it means something else. It does not mean to do many things halfheartedly, but rather, it means to do many things wholeheartedly while retaining one’s ability to succeed and to enjoy. This type of balance is something that is very apparent in my weekly routine.

I have to engage in my academics with enthusiasm and then undertake my extracurricular activities with the same energy. The way that MKA supports this balance is by making sure my commitment to one thing does not take away from my commitment to another. First off, the school encourages students to explore different areas of interest. I remember one of the first pieces of advice that I received as a freshman was, “try something new.”

Additionally, different areas of the school communicate with each other in order to accommodate the student.

For instance, homework extensions are arranged on the nights of the Chorus concerts and if a student has three major assessments on one day, he or she can move one of the assessments to a different time. Because of this, I have felt that I have always had the tools to organize my life in a reasonable and healthy way while still being able to do all the things I love. The best piece of advice I can give about balance is this: Don’t scale down the amount of things you do; scale up your organization and your communication. It makes student life more full and more fun.

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Savannah Fusaro ’14 Alumni

I was a lifer, so I definitely learned a thing or two and had endless opportunities throughout my time at MKA. Therefore in addition to my rigorous academic schedule, I avidly participated in the Varsity Tennis Team, Step Team and Honor Council, to name a few. Needless to say, I was very busy, but MKA made it possible to explore many areas due to the plethora of support provided. Teachers were extremely accessible for extra help, and faculty and peers alike were always super excited and ready to encourage my countless endeavors. With that type of environment, a great education wasn’t the only thing I received from MKA; I also learned that, in order to be a truly well rounded individual and also have a fulfilling life, it is important to maintain balance. Maintaining balance means that you are not only living a productive life, but it also means that you are rationing your time and efforts in many areas to ensure that you are taking care of yourself mentally and physically.

This way, you are your best self when it comes to tackling your goals. Because of MKA, I learned not only the importance of a well-balanced life, but also how to achieve one. Now I am proud to say that I am a thriving Pre-Med student at Duke University, majoring in sociology, with a double minor in chemistry and Spanish.

Because MKA taught me balance, I am able to uphold my grades in the classroom and also engage in many pursuits outside of academics, such as covering social media for Duke Athletics, conducting dental health research in Honduras this past summer, and studying abroad in Madrid for this Fall 2016 semester.

These endeavors not only positively contributed to my learning and life experience, but they also have given me great joy and happiness, which is something that we should all strive for in life.

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Gary C. Powell, EdD ’83 Alumni

As I work in the human capital arena, the word balance is typically preceded with work-life. Work-life balance is about meaningful daily achievement, fulfillment and enjoyment across all realms of life: family, friends, community, self and (of course) work. The key to achieving an effective work-life balance is understanding what you care most about, and then making a conscientious effort to split your time across those things and the demands of the workplace.

Work-life balance is sometimes facilitated by employers who offer a variety of benefits, programs and even policies that enable us to easily pursue a balanced lifestyle.

Though my eight years at MKA was not in the capacity of an employee, balance was certainly no less important. School-life balance was about my daily achievement, fulfillment and enjoyment across what I cared most about during that period of time.

The demands of the rigorous MKA curriculum were balanced with several experiences which I have fond memories of: the Ocelots (I played trumpet), the annual school musical (I was the business manager), the computer club (remember the TRS-80?), and even trying to become the next Sugar Hill Gang with some fellow Kimbies! MKA also facilitated the formation of several long lasting bonds with my classmates, through groups like the Organization of Black Students (OBS), the senior lounge in the Cafeteria and the senior trip to Washington, DC. Because MKA made it easy for me to pursue a balanced lifestyle, I was better prepared for college. Not only was I an incredible scholar, wellequipped to handle the rigors of Drew University (C’87), I knew how to relate with people. I didn’t know what it was called at the time, but MKA helped me develop emotional intelligence (EI), which has been critical to my success in life. MKA was about more than just great academics, it made sure I had a daily balance across my family, friends, community and self. I couldn’t ask for anything more!

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Elise McMullen ’08 Alumni

The value MKA placed on cultivating students’ intellectual and socio-emotional growth allowed me to become a well-rounded individual and prepared me for future successes. The rigorous academia at MKA taught me to how to study and work hard in order to succeed.

Becoming accustomed to high expectations and challenging coursework in high school allowed for an easy transition to my undergraduate program in communications at Boston College and to my master’s program in Mental Health Counseling at New York University. I immediately felt comfortable at BC and NYU, because I utilized the transferable skills I developed at MKA such as time management, study techniques, research analysis and problem-solving, and written and oral communication. The most useful skill I learned at MKA was to visit teachers during their office hours in order to clarify questions on material or receive feedback for future projects. Professors at BC and NYU appreciated this, often mentioning they valued my work ethic, weighed my final grade higher if it was on the fence and wrote strong letters of recommendation. Ultimately, I graduated with honors from both institutions. My experience with Irish Studies and travel to Ireland during May Term at MKA helped trigger my passion in cross-cultural studies. I learned abroad in Rome during my time at BC, studied cross-cultural counseling at NYU,

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and currently provide multicultural career counseling to international and first-generation college students at both Baruch College/CUNY and Fordham University.

I learned teamwork, leadership and interpersonal communication skills through participating in athletics at MKA. My field hockey coach, Injoo Han King, was an excellent role model and support system who taught the importance of giving back to the community. I was elected president of the BC Club Field Hockey Team and participated with two other MKA alumnae who also served leadership positions, which I believe speaks to the character of the MKA student. Lastly, the career guidance at MKA aided my professional development, and I continue to feel supported today. The Career Day helped me to brainstorm ideas of what major I wanted to pursue in college. I learned of my first college job through a fellow MKA teammate and BC classmate.

I had the confidence from MKA to network and thus landed part time coaching positions while matriculating at BC. I secured an internship through networking with an MKA family, which eventually led to a promotion to a full time position post college. I continue to attend MKA alumni events in NYC, as I enjoy the social aspect of reuniting with old classmates, the sense of community, and the willingness to network and support each other in our current career paths.

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Victor Bernstein ’65 Alumni

Mary Ann Doty ’80 Alumni

During my high school years, there was a song that was popular whose refrain was, in part, “Lucky, lucky, lucky me … I work eight hours and sleep eight hours and keep eight hours for fun.”

It was a catchy tune and offered a neat solution for organizing daily life. The wrinkle was that life didn’t unfold in tidy blocks of time. It still doesn’t! I didn’t recognize at the time that the inclusion of gym, the arts and service projects among the academic classes in Kimberley’s daily schedule would help develop the concept of balance.

Fast forward about fifteen years to a time when my husband and I started a new business. Life as I had known it, was turned on its head. Work consumed most of our waking hours, six days a week. While juggling work, home and family responsibilities, I experienced stresses I had not known before. Searching for inner equilibrium, I began to walk the last four miles to work. It was my thinking time. Music has always been important to me so the radio in the office was tuned to a classics station, as the soft sound was calming. Since that time, those stressors have diminished, and I have continued the early morning trek and kept my radio tuned to classical music. Taking part in community projects continues to provide opportunities to refocus and gain new perspectives.

Learning to weave life enhancing elements into my days began with the respites from academic classes. In retirement, I find paying attention to the mind-body-spirit balance brings a sense of well-being to life.

Well, I became a lawyer, so the scales of justice were always awaiting me, in balance. Even at Montclair Academy, I think that I naturally balanced. Where else would my senior history project be allowed to become an early American home cooked meal served to the entire section in Mr. Hemmeter’s classroom. No, I was not an all around boy, with sports and academics and extracurriculars; but I was allowed to make do with academics and extracurriculars (newspaper and yearbook, primarily), and I had time for friends and family. Family was fraught—not in the way that all families are fraught, but I had a mother with MS who needed more care from me and my sister and father than she could provide to me. That, as much as anything, forced me to balance.

On leaving the Academy, in college and law school I mostly continued in the mode I was in at the Academy—except, of course, those times that social life would definitely tip the scales. And I was quite social, but also diligent in my other pursuits.

I married a wonderful, ambitious and smart woman, Gail. We knew that our lives would be shared and evenly matched in all aspects—although she is by far the better golfer, I the better skier, by even further. We raised together two children whom we like to think of as successful and well adjusted (is that a boomer term?), and we raised them sharing all responsibilities—although Gail taught them how to throw a ball. Gail and I worked hard and long hours; we rose to executive positions in our professions—but we saw every play, every game, and just about every weekend was spent together with our children. We were lucky and were able to travel to most of the great places of the world, all together. Actually, we still do.

Gail and I both have served on various not for profit boards; Gail continues to serve as chair of a fairly large one and is on the board of a public company. That takes a lot of time, so I do a lot of cooking and dog walking.

Upon retiring, I knew that I wanted to help the poorest of the poor, but I also needed to find where that would be. Through connections in the world of NASA, where water purification is a daily necessity, I fell in with some astronauts and engineers to start a company giving clean water and high efficiency cooking abilities to Rwandans.

I ended up being CEO. We were supported by earning carbon credits.

On a different side of the ledger, I also restarted piano lessons and took up bridge.

All of that, plus a life with good friends, great opera, lots of reading, museums, movies and TV. Can I attribute this to life lessons learned, and support, at the Academy? I think that I must say yes.

The Academy helped form the mature me as much as any other force in my life.

Where else would my senior history project be allowed to become an early American home cooked meal served to the entire section in Mr. Hemmeter’s classroom.

—VI CTOR B ER N ST EI N ’65

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COUGAR PRIDE DAY See page 48

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PAMKA BOARD OF OFFICERS

Dear Parents,

Karen Gulliver President*

Since relocating to Montclair and joining the MKA community in 2010, my husband, Robert, and I have been impressed by the unique learning environment that fosters a sense of balance and joy in learning for our daughters Simone (10th grade) and Martine (7th grade). This special balance is the result of an outstanding faculty and staff in partnership with the dedicated parents of PAMKA. Over the years, I have had several opportunities to serve the school, including membership on the Board of Trustees, the Diversity and Inclusion Parent Committee, Middle School Campus VP and PAMKA Lecture Series Chair. I have had an opportunity to meet many of you through these volunteer assignments, and I am looking forward to meeting many more of you over the next two years as I serve as PAMKA’s President.

I am excited to be taking on this role, and will continue PAMKA’s focus on making volunteer experiences easy and accessible. Whether you have an hour, an afternoon or more, we want you to be able to contribute your time and talent to enhancing the learning environment for our children.

As parents of MKA students, we are all members of PAMKA. We are all parents who care deeply about our children’s education and, through PAMKA, we actively partner with the school to enhance the learning environment and our students’ educational experience. As parents we understand that our children will achieve more with a sense of balance in their lives. The events that PAMKA organizes are so important to the student experience that focuses on the whole child.

Beth Fuchs Finance Vice President*

Some of the Ways PAMKA Supports Balanced Education • Provides Faculty Trust Grants for faculty to pursue field-oriented, personally meaningful professional development to enrich classroom learning.

• Hosts the country’s largest Scholastic Book Fair with visiting authors that inspire both students and faculty alike.

• Provides community service opportunities for students and families (Brookside Hat/Scarf/Mitten Toy Drive, Middle School Thanksgiving Non-Perishable Food Drive and Upper School Blood Drives).

• Partners with MKA Admissions to provide Host Families for all of our new students in support of a seamless transition into the MKA community.

• Organizes safe, age appropriate social events for our students including Teen Center Middle School Socials and Cougar Pride Day. • Organizes Parenting Workshops, which provide insight on relevant parenting topics.

• Partners with the Diversity & Inclusion Parent Committee to host a Parent Potluck Dinner celebrating culture and community.

This partnership supports the school in striking the right balance between academic and non-academic learning experiences that are helping our MKA children grow into mature and responsible young individuals.

Sybil Eng Secretary

Stephanie Salzman Communications Vice President Tina Jordan Community Vice President Rebecca Scuorzo Volunteer Coordinator Vice President Dawn Armbrust Special Events Vice President Anya Barrett Primary School Campus VP Michelle Dice Middle School Campus VP Rebecca Zaref Upper School Campus VP *Two-year position. All others are one year.

THE PAMKA MISSION STATEMENT PAMKA is a parent volunteer organization established to provide opportunities for parents to participate in the support and enhancement of the students’ educational experience at Montclair Kimberley Academy (MKA). PAMKA pursues its mission working in cooperation with the school administration through activities consistent with the policies and goals established by the Board of Trustees of MKA.

SAVE THE DATES!

November 4–9, 2016 Tri-Campus Book Fair November 17, 2016 Parent Potluck Community Dinner December 5–9, 2016 Tri-Campus Giving Tree Holiday Drive Hosted by the Primary School February 25, 2017 Parenting Workshops

Sincerely, Karen Gulliver, PAMKA President

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Cougar Pride Day With the rain plans happily thwarted, Cougar Pride Day 2016 went off without a hitch. With planning and organization expertly handled by chairs Shelly Grossman and Kerry Murphy, hundreds of students, parents, alumni, faculty and staff enjoyed a great day of fun, food and friends. In addition to the return of old favorites, such as Capture the Flag, inflatable rides and carnival games, we were privileged to have Bob Cottingham â&#x20AC;&#x2122;84, MKA alumnus and Olympic fencer, lead three current MKA students in a fencing exhibition. Also new this year was the Book Drive, which collected over 800 books for economically disadvantaged elementary school students.

Cougar Pride Day is one of the few occasions during the year that offers all three campuses the opportunity to come together and celebrate our school spirit.

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A Successful Year Members of MKA’s Parents’ Association (PAMKA) gathered together at their annual General Meeting on Wednesday, May 4th to celebrate another successful year of community building and fundraising efforts.

Finishing up the second year of her term as PAMKA President, Amy South thanked her Board, the 2015–16 Slate and the many members of MKA’s faculty and staff for their steadfast efforts and ongoing support throughout the past year. Those in attendance were then privileged to hear from Dr. Tom Holt, PAMKA Faculty Trust Grant recipient, who shared his experience after attending a four-week intensive ceramics studio workshop at Alfred University School of Art and Design.

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Reach for the Stars MKA’s Parents’ Association (PAMKA) hosted their annual Gala—“Reach for the Stars”—at Green Brook Country Club on April 9th. It was a night of fun, friends and good food and was a resounding success for PAMKA and MKA. Congratulations go to the event chair Nancy Wolk (an MKA Upper School parent), and the dedicated team of volunteers who orchestrated this wonderfully successful event. Close to 300 parents and friends enjoyed a festive evening, parents & friends bidding on silent and live auction attended items. Auction leaderboards the annual gala. helped build the excitement together with the drawing of basket and tuition raffles. In addition to dinner, entertainment was provided by the MKA Upper School’s a cappella group, the Unaccompanied Minors.

Proceeds from the event, PAMKA’s largest single fundraiser, go to support MKA Faculty Endowment, Campus Wish Lists and Faculty Trust Grants—travel opportunities for teachers to pursue their academic passions around the world.

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Headmaster Tom Nammack addressed the large audience, giving thanks for all that PAMKA does for the MKA community, with a special note of appreciation for Amy South and her tireless commitment to PAMKA and MKA. PAMKA Finance VP Beth Fuchs reported on PAMKA’s significant fundraising efforts that resulted in the organization being able to present $240,000 to the school. This gift funds six Faculty Trust Grants for next year, a $159,000 donation to MKA’s Faculty Compensation Endowment and Wish List items for each of the campuses.

Following approval of the Minutes, Bylaw Changes and the 2016–2017 Slate of Officers, Amy South officially welcomed incoming 2016–2017 PAMKA President Karen Gulliver who, after saying a few words, concluded the meeting. Outgoing members of the PAMKA Slate then met with incoming volunteers to transition their jobs in preparation for the 2016–2017 school year.

Parent Workshop PAMKA’s Parenting Workshops 2016 were an outstanding success. Over 75 MKA parents attended workshops focusing on a multitude of different subjects ranging from Mindful Parenting to Maximizing Teen Vacation Time. Co-chairs Erica Amsinger and Suzanne Moyers, along with their committee members, provided the MKA parent community with an engaging and educational morning sure to leave a positive and lasting effect on those who attended.

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See more photos at mka.org

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TRUSTEES & GRADUATES 2016 MKA Trustee and PAMKA President Amy South along with husband George and son Max ’19 celebrate Abigail’s 2016 Commencement.

See page 14.

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Dear MKA Community, As you may know, Michael Johnson ended his six-year tenure as Board President this past June. His untiring commitment to MKA has been remarkable. Michael’s thoughtful leadership, profound integrity and innovative mindset will be an enduring legacy, and we are extremely fortunate that he will continue to serve as a member of the Board of Trustees.

Furthermore, it is with great pleasure and appreciation that we welcome the newest members of MKA’s Board of Trustees: Jen Barbetta and Peter Fusco.

Jen Barbetta is a Partner at Goldman Sachs. Jen joined Goldman immediately after earning her Bachelors in Finance from Villanova. She and her wife, Vikki, recently had their third child. Their sons, Lucas and J.J., will be incoming students at Brookside in the fall of 2016.

Peter Fusco is an MKA alumnus from the Class of 1979. Peter is a Partner at the law firm of Lowenstein Sandler, and works with New York University on technology startup companies. He is the Co-Chair of Lowenstein Sandler’s Brooklyn Entrepreneurship Center. Peter and his wife, Amy, are the parents of Ethan, a 2016 MKA graduate, and Emily, a rising sophomore.

It is also with tremendous gratitude that we say farewell to four extraordinary Trustees: Joe Amato, Dan Carson, Eric Pai and Amy South.

Joe Amato joined the Board of Trustees in 2007. He served on the Board’s Executive, Finance, Educational Programs and Policies, and Development Committees. Additionally, Joe was the Chairperson of the Investment Committee. Under Joe’s leadership, MKA’s endowment funds are diversely and thoughtfully invested. Joe is a wonderful man who will be missed, not only for his guidance, but also for his strength of character.

Dan Carson, an MKA alumnus from the Class of 1983, joined the Board in 2007 as Alumni Council President. Dan served on the Facilities and Student Life Committees of the Board of Trustees. His expertise in the construction industry has been invaluable throughout the various facility projects undertaken by MKA during these past nine years. We cannot thank Dan enough for his thoughtful contribution to every Board discussion.

Eric Pai, an MKA alumnus from the Class of 1979, joined the Board in 2001. Eric held the position of Vice President of the Board of Trustees in 2008 and again in 2012. He was Secretary of the Board from 2003 to 2005. During Eric’s 15 years on the Board, he served on every Board committee. Eric held many leadership positions on these committees and was instrumental in creating reporting dashboards for Board education and evaluation. Eric was the Chair of the Future Forward Campaign—the largest capital campaign in MKA history, and we are forever grateful for his guidance.

Amy South joined the Board in 2014 as President of PAMKA. Amy served on the Development and Student Life Committees of the Board of Trustees. Amy’s innate thoughtfulness and connection to the MKA community made her an indispensable member of the Board. Her work ethic, dedication and attention to detail will be missed.

MKA’s Board of Trustees looks forward to a wonderful 2016–2017 school year.

OFFICERS Kathleen M. Logan President Christina A. Cotton Vice President Linda H. Sterling Vice President Jeffrey G. Szilagyi Treasurer Kenneth W. Barrett Secretary MEMBER TRUSTEES Merrick G. Andlinger Jennifer A. Barbetta Anya C. Barrett ’89 James L. Bromley Evelyn M. Colbert Paige L. Cottingham-Streater ’79 David A. Crichlow Carolyn N. Everson Clifford B. Finkle IV ’92 Peter J. Fusco ’89 Karen T. Gulliver Tracy E. Higgins Michael V. Johnson Thomas W. Nammack Kenneth S. Rivlin Luke A. Sarsfield III ’91 Jaclyn V. Spedaliere ’00 Jonathan M. Strain Chiming Tse Mei-Mei H. Tuan Lori W. Yanes HONORARY TRUSTEES Aubin Z. Ames ’54 John E. Garippa Alice M. Hirsh Susan H. Ruddick Newton B. Schott, Jr. ADVISORY TRUSTEES Barry W. Ridings ’70 Robert L. Tortoriello

With warm regards, Kathleen M. Logan, President, Board of Trustees

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Trustees & Graduates

2016

From the top, left to right: James Bromley, MKA Trustee and proud father to recent MKA graduate William, smiles alongside wife Kristina and son Michael ’17 at Commencement. / Evelyn Colbert, Trustee and delighted mother of graduate Peter, poses with husband Stephen, son John ’20 and daughter Madeleine ’14. / Trustee and Alumnus Peter Fusco ’89 celebrates son Ethan’s Commencement with wife Amy and daughter Emily ’19. / Alumni and Trustee Eric Pai ’79 along with his wife Judy, proudly sends off his daughter Samantha to join sons Nicholas ’13 and Alexander ’15 at Princeton University. / Trustee Chiming Tse celebrates his son Stephen’s graduation with wife Jennifer and sons Timothy and Ethan. / MKA Trustee Jonathan Strain, his wife Patty and oldest son Jack ‘11 celebrate the 2016 Commencement of Joe and Rob Strain. / Trustee and Alumna Paige Cottingham- Streater ’79 celebrates her nephew Bobby Cottingham’s 2016 graduation with her brother and Bobby’s father, Bob Cottingham Jr. ’84, Bob’s wife and alumna Alison ’84, their daughter Allie ’19 and god parent to Bobby and Allie, Peter Westbrook.

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A A LUM N I N EWS

SENIOR BREAKFAST The Alumni Relations office hosted MKAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Annual Senior Breakfast to celebrate the Class of 2016. Read more on page 54.

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Dear Fellow Alumni, I hope that you had an enjoyable summer and took some time to recharge for the upcoming seasons. As we welcome the fall, we welcome back our fast-paced, busy, blustery days, which seem to just fly by. At MKA, and on the Alumni Council, things are no different.

We closed out the 2015–2016 school year with celebratory events and good times. Our seniors counted down the “100 Days to Graduation” during which they participated in new and different happenings, including, of course, the senior May Term projects. New for this year, alumni were invited to spend a Night at the Winter Musical, where we got to catch up with past and present artists. The Alumni Office sponsored the Alumni Regional Receptions where we connected with alumni in Philadelphia and Washington, DC. Finally, our Alumni Council hosted the popular Spring Social event, with our famous raffle and gift baskets as well as the Klank Klassic and Alumni Games Day in June.

Looking forward to the fall, we’re gearing up for another packed agenda! The well-attended Young Alumni Happy Hour, celebrating classes 2003–2012, will be held in NYC this September. The Alumni Office will also hold its third annual MKA Day on October 21st. This is an important day for all to help support our alma mater.

Following MKA Day, we’ll look forward to Reunion and Homecoming Weekend, October 29–30. We’ll be celebrating classes ending in ‘1 and ‘6; all alumni, however, are encouraged and welcome to attend our events. Homecoming this year will also allow us a formal dedication ceremony of the new Upper School Academic Center, as well as the presentation of our Distinguished Alumni Award to recipient Christopher H. Smith ’85. Congratulations Christopher!

I would like to recognize our Alumni Council for another outstanding and successful year. Without their dedication and hard work, our accomplishments would not be possible. Specifically, I would like to recognize the following individuals for fulfilling their nine years of service to the Council, each of whom has been instrumental during this time: Rich Stanton ’87, Lee Vartan ’96, Jessica Simpson-Cook ’99 and Lindsay Braverman Forman ’01. Thank you!

The Alumni Council would also like to extend a warm welcome to our new members! Please join me in welcoming: Stacey Polanskyj ’92, Joanne Pundyk Goldberg ‘87, Jennifer Jones Ladda ‘84, Nilie Pajoohi ’89 and Anne Fetherston ’88. We are very much looking forward to your contributions and continued success on the Council!

SENIOR BREAKFAST

The Alumni Relations office hosted the Senior Breakfast on Thursday, April 28th to celebrate the Class of 2016. Director of Alumni Relations Lois Montorio and Vice-President of the Alumni Council Jessica Simpson-Cook ’99 welcomed the Class of 2016 into the MKA alumni community and spoke about all of the opportunities that are afforded to them now that they are MKA alumni. It was a great morning celebrating the successes of the Senior class.

SPRING SOCIAL

The Alumni Council hosted their annual Spring Social on Thursday, May 12th at Halcyon Brasserie. The event was a great success with over fifty alumni in attendance (spanning the 70’s to the 00’s), as well as faculty and former faculty. The Spring Social is an event that alumni look forward to all year, giving them the opportunity to catch up with their fellow alumni as well as vie for prizes in the “tricky

Best, Jaclyn Spedaliere ’00, Alumni Council President

Executive Committee Jaclyn Spedaliere ’00 President Rich Cosgrove ‘84 Executive Vice President Amanda Englander ’04 Secretary Dennis Rodano ’87 Treasurer

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Klaudia Pyz ’98 Networking Vice President Council Bryan Becker ’96 Brittany Berckes ’06 Casey Breslow ’03 John Bruno ’02 Jared Cook ’01 Pamela D’Amato Davis ’89

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tray” raffle!

Caitlin DiRuggiero ’06 Anne Fetherston ’88 Michael Fortunato ’02 Joanne Pundyk Goldberg ’87 Lauren Hyman Kaplan ’93 Jennifer Jones Ladda ’84 Cooper Knowlton ’03 Angela McCaffrey ’06 Nilie Pajoohi ’89

Stacey Polanskyj ’92 Diane Ridley-White ’84 John Thompson ‘03 Advisory Committee Dan Carson ‘83 Rich Stanton ‘87

DI STINGUI S HE D ALUM N I AWAR D

Chris Smith ’85 Fiscal Policy’s Finest Hour.” In those early days, I was intrigued by how political communication could foster material prosperity across society. As someone who lives a short walk from Hollywood, my focus now concerns the seismic economic shifts going on in the media and entertainment sector.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?After graduating from MKA, I headed to the heartland of the Midwest—first as an undergraduate at the University of Chicago, then as a doctoral student at the University of Wisconsin—and eventually to Los Angeles, California where I’ve lived for the past fourteen years.

My wife and I married just a few months after we arrived in LA and we’ve made a very happy and fulfilling life here for ourselves and our two children. The city of LA is an endlessly fascinating place, and living on the West Coast has been everything I thought it would be and more, but I am still a die-hard NY Giants and NY Yankees fan and remain a Northern New Jersey guy at my core.

How did you first become interested in economics—what was the appeal?After my father finished college in Virginia in the late 1960s, he and my mother moved to New Jersey, and he founded a successful landscape contracting business that financed my and my brother’s MKA and college education. My father’s brothers were entrepreneurial as well, and their penchant for enterprise definitely made an impression on me. In high school, I also remember Mr. Gibson’s economics class having a big impact on my outlook. I still have a term paper I wrote for him called “The 1964 Kennedy Tax Cut:

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What is it that you most enjoy about your work? Academia is a very energized and energizing place to work. Everything here is geared toward the discovery of new knowledge and the elevation of best practices. Year in and year out I get to collaborate with phenomenally talented and ambitious students, fellow faculty members, and external partners from the private sector.

What are you most proud of?

Touching young lives and serving as a mentor for my students—both personally and professionally—has been my greatest source of career satisfaction.

What are the most challenging aspects of your work? The media business—like just about every aspect of industry and society right now—is experiencing an incredibly disruptive period of transformation. Everything is in a state of flux, whether you are talking technology, audience expectations and behavior, or the regulatory regime. It’s a challenge to stay abreast of what’s happening, and also to discern what’s worthy of attention and what’s merely noise. It forces you to constantly rethink your research agenda and teaching philosophy.

Inevitably, it leads to a very exciting set of intellectual pursuits.

In what ways did your MKA experience prepare you for the path your life has taken? MKA undoubtedly influenced my path toward a career in higher education.

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“MKA undoubtedly influenced my path toward a career in higher education. As an MKA student, I was always encouraged to be my best self and pursue whatever dreams my heart desired.”

As an MKA student, I was always encouraged to be my best self and pursue whatever dreams my heart desired. Every day, I try to encourage that same sort of optimistic and expansive outlook in my students.

MKA also struck a great balance between academic rigor and school spirit. Community is incredibly important at MKA, and I still feel how deeply embedded those social bonds are within the institution when I visit Homecoming and other alumni events. My MKA friendships go back to first grade and have endured the test of time. I feel extraordinarily blessed to have relationships that demonstrate that kind of loyalty and depth.

What advice would you give today’s graduates who might be interested in a similar career?

Regardless of your area of interest, I think hands-on opportunities are more vital than learning out of a textbook. So, internships, creative projects, and experiential learning modules are all extremely important to have under your belt, particularly if you get to work in cross-cultural groups, or teams.

What is your favorite MKA memory? It was quite an honor to give the high school graduation speech with my classmate Loren Miller. I also cherish my memories from the Middle and Upper School football and lacrosse teams. Win, or lose, we had a blast, but we won our fair share and that was great!

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Career Day 2016 The classes of 2016 and 2017 enjoyed a full morning of Career Day workshops on Wednesday, March 2nd. Students chose alumni-led sessions representing the fields of television news, two areas of finance—global banking & markets and wealth management, international affairs, law, politics, publishing, public relations and technology. A special thank you to our visiting alumni: Christina Marrazza ’03, Kyle Duca ’11, Jared Cook ’01, Mara van Loggerenberg ’05, Jonathan Bruno ’02, Matthew Palmisano ’10, Amanda Englander ’04, Chaz Godwin Ross ’89 and Marc Spiotta ’86.

Responding to post-Career Day surveys, students shared that they were happy to learn

HONORARY ALUMNI AWARD The Alumni Council Honorary Alumni Award honors those members of

about new professions that piqued their interest and that “having a career you enjoy

the MKA family who have made a

makes all the difference.” Many were also relieved to understand that “I have a lot more

significant, easily recognizable and

time to decide what I want to do with my life.” And kudos to our alumni who prompted a

direct impact upon MKA students

stream of positive responses, none better than “I liked that it was an MKA alum; I felt like

and the community of learners. The

they understood where I was now, when giving me options for my future.”

recipient can be any employee of the school who has served MKA for ten years, in any capacity—teachers, administrators, custodians—and has made the kind of mark on MKA that unquestionably deserves merit and recognition. It is no wonder that the 2016 recipient of the Honorary Alumni Award is Middle School Receptionist Mary Elliott.

Mary started out as a volunteer in the Middle School Library, which led to full-time employment. She ran the Middle School Bookstore for nine years and has served as the front desk receptionist—and face of the Middle School—for 25 years.

In her own words, Mary explained that “the position as receptionist opened up a whole new world for me. Being able to meet, greet and

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Klank Klassic

make EVERYONE that enters the

Alumni and current students met on MKA sports fields on Saturday, June 17th, for the Annual Klank Klassic and Alumni Games Day. Perfect weather, a great turnout of nearly 50 alumni along with enthusiastic fans made for a very successful day!

Coach Ralph Pacifico led the baseball teams, and Coach Paul Edwards and his coaching staff led the lacrosse game. At halftime of the lacrosse game, Coach Edwards recognized many of this year’s MKA current players who received awards during the season and presented Max Hall ’16 with the W. Noll Klank Memorial Award. The Klank Family was in attendance, making the presentation extra-special.

Alumni, students, friends and family met for a post-game reception at Egan’s, where everyone enjoyed cocktails and lunch on the deck to celebrate the day.

I am rewarded knowing I have been

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building feel welcomed was my calling in life. Every day that I enter this building, my heart is filled with joy.

Sometimes it is taxing and busy, but a blessing to somebody that day. I trust my work will speak for itself. My mother always told me as a child, it’s not so much what you think about yourself but what others see in you.”

What we see in you, Mary, is a beautiful person, inside and out, warm and welcoming, and let’s not forget stylish and elegant!

Congratulations on this welldeserved recognition.

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New Traditions!

SAVE THE DATE!

Two new traditions debuted this year! On Friday, March 4th, the Alumni Relations Office celebrated 100 Days to Graduation for the Class of 2016. Students were treated to cookies decorated with the date of their graduation (6/12/16) and a magnet, pictured here. Emotions ran high as seniors had a reality check that yes, the end is near, and they appreciated the recognition of this milestone day.

October 21, 2016 MKA DAY

Then, on Saturday, March 5th, we hosted our very first Alumni Night at the Winter Musical during intermission. Theater and musical alumni received email invitations to a reception in the Upper School Dining Hall. Nicole Hoppe, Chair of the Performing Arts Department and director of the musical, welcomed all alumni just before the start of the show and extended an invitation to the reception. Alumni, family and

October 29–30, 2016 Reunion and Homecoming Weekend

friends enjoyed intermission sweets, sharing favorite moments of the first act and catching up with one another. We hope to see you there next year—mark your calendar for Alumni Night at the Winter Musical on Saturday, March 4, 2017!

Sing-A-long A new tradition began at last year’s Reunion Luncheon—the singing of all three school alma maters by our Upper School Chorale students.

We’re looking forward to this year’s performance and the participation of our alumni. For those of you who will be attending this year’s Luncheon and want to practice beforehand, here are the lyrics. If you are not attending the Luncheon, we hope you enjoy this stroll down memory lane. Don’t blame us if you find yourself singing in the shower! We hope to see you on Saturday, October 29th!

November 25, 2016 Alumni Hockey and Basketball Games 4:30–6:00 p.m.

Reception at Tierney’s beginning at 6:30 p.m.

December-TBD Alumni Networking Event in New York City Time and location TBD

The Kimberley School

Montclair Academy

Montclair Kimberley Academy

Dear school we love so well Ne’er shall we shame thy standards Truth love and honor with Us ever shall be Through all our future years, Oh Mater Kimberley

Thy memory be ours forever.

Mother true, our love for you Will bind thy sons through life together We pledge on knee our loyalty Throughout the world will leave us never Montclair days, old Montclair days, Eternal glory be thine.

Our constant thanks and praise.

We pledge to you our loyalty, Your name we’ll always raise.

What e’er the road our lives may take, Our friendships will stay true.

Oh, MKA, Oh, MKA, Our song we sing to you.

Hail!Alma Mater Hail! Alma Mater, Hail to thy name

All sing to Kimberley Praise ye her name.

We girls who love her well Sing to her fame forever Though we at times may be far, far away Sing we still our loyal praise To thee fair Kimberley

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Montclair days, old Montclair days!

Oh, MKA Oh, MKA we give to you

Our thanks to those who went before And set a standard high: Knowledge, vision, integrity, Great truths that never die.

Within these halls and on these fields We wear the green and blue, Oh, MKA, Oh, MKA, Our song we sing to you.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. and PHILADELPHIA Beautiful spring weather welcomed Headmaster Tom Nammack, the Alumni Relations team and Geoff Branigan to Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, March 30th,

Alumni Events

for a reception at Firefly Restaurant in Dupont Circle.

Alumni from TKS, MA and MKA, spanning the decades from 1970 to 2011, gathered for a fun-filled evening and were brought up to date on the new Academic Center and future projects.

Thank you to Daniel Allen ’07, Paige CottinghamStreater ’79, Emily Ryan Goodman ’04, Deborah Greene ’99, Madge Henning ’70, Kevin Hu ’04, Jeffrey Magid ’09, Jeffrey Magid ’09, John “Jack “ Merriman ’09, Travers Nammack ’11, Gary Powell ’83, John Sanders ’75, Janet Scheel ’76, Nina Seborowski ’80, Atif Siddiqui ’00, Nicole Silver ’92, Danielle Stevens ’00 and Krishna Vallabhaneni ’90, for making us feel so welcome in DC. The winds of March blew us into Philadelphia on Thursday, March 31st for an intimate gathering of alumni at JG Domestic. Thank you to Alyson Beasley ’88, Catherine Bennett ’84, Francesca de la Torre ’00, James Habron ’81 and Alec Schwartz ’88 for a fun-filled evening.

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10 Reasons To Sign Onto

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MKA Connect

THE NEW CONNECTIVITY AND NETWORKING APP FOR MONTCLAIR KIMBERLEY ACADEMY

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

MKA friends you lost touch with User-posted photos — both new and nostalgic Inner-circle job postings to advance your career Advice from your trusted MKA network User- and MKA-posted events

6.

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Young alumni internships, jobs and mentors Social media channels to keep up-to-date Real-time conversations for immediate response A network of thousands Miss out and you’ll miss a lot

Log on to customize your MKA Connect today.

Give us an 11th reason — yours —updates section.

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MKAConnect.org

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C L AS S N OT ES

G

A GEN EROUS L I F E

YOUR GENEROSITY SUPPORTS our ability to empower our students and we know that to support new generations our future must include expanded and renovated facilities, robust Annual Giving and a stronger Endowment that provides security and confidence.

A G E N E RO US L I F E

Laura Vassilowitch ’01

This spring marks 15 years since my MKA graduation.

FIFTEEN YEARS! I can hardly believe it. Although it has been a few years since I have been in any of the MKA buildings, I pass them often during my visits to see friends and family in Montclair. I must admit, I am a bit jealous of the beautiful Van Brunt Field, which was often one large mud puddle during our soccer games, but I think it is also a great example of why I continue to support MKA. The graduates, parents, faculty and staff who supported MKA before I attended were the foundation of what made my experience at MKA so memorable. Without their support, my classmates and I would not have experienced the well-maintained facilities and properly funded programs.

Without ongoing support, Van Brunt would not be the beautiful turfed field it is today.

In many ways, my 13 years at MKA were more impactful that my college years. In broad strokes, I learned how to think, how to be a friend and how to be a responsible part of a community. My teachers prepared me for college and beyond. My friends taught me that I could be myself and still fit in. My teammates showed me how amazing it can be to achieve something as a group. Supporting MKA is my way of supporting that same environment for the future.

For the last 11 years I have been working for Sightlines, a company that, among other things, helps colleges and universities understand the importance of facilities stewardship. Sightlines has helped hundreds of institutions advocate for additional funding to maintain the buildings, infrastructure and grounds of their campuses so that these assets can properly support the programmatic mission of the institution. My continuing support of MKA is my contribution to the stewardship of the MKA experience. ■

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Robert Hubsmith ’77 Robert Hubsmith has had a near lifetime involvement with MKA as an alumnus, class agent, fundraiser, member of the Future Forward Committee and participant in the September 2015 MKA Strategic Planning meeting. Rob has also been a frequent alumni caller at the Annual Giving campaign phonathons.

His professional career has been mainly in financial services. Currently, he is with Bankers Life in Parsippany, NJ as a Sales Agent but envisions getting back into retirement consulting in the near future.

Rob has been a loyal supporter of the Annual Giving campaign and feels that his donation of time and effort to the school is the least he can do for the outstanding education he received at MKA. “I am truly indebted to Messrs. Hrab, Chudomel, Gibson, Mansuy, Blair, Munera and McBride as well as Miss Nesbitt and Mrs. Bailey to name just a handful or so of dedicated teachers.” He feels that they all cultivated a profound academic and personal interest in him and instilled a work ethic that served him extremely well in college, so much so that he felt his course work in college was not as daunting a challenge as it was at MKA. During his time at MKA, Rob participated in the Community Service Club and played on both the soccer and baseball teams. In his senior year, he was chosen as the Star Ledger First Team All-State 2nd baseman. He’s also proud of being easily the most “senior” of alumni at the Klank Klassic/Alumni Games Day baseball games. He has requited himself quite well with a few base hits over the years and would like to encourage other senior alumni to dust off their gloves and bats and join him.

Rob attends an occasional MKA sporting event, cocktail party and of course, many of our Homecomings. He has been instrumental in drumming up interest among classmates to attend many of the big anniversary reunions. “It has been my good fortune to have been able to rekindle many friendships and acquaintances over the years, not just with the Class of ’77, but older and younger alumni as well. I am amazed at the wealth of talent that MKA has produced in its distinguished alumni.” ■

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The Fouché Family The Fouché family has been with MKA for three years and has quickly established a strong presence within the MKA community. Lori and Patrick are the proud parents of Hailey and Lindsay. Hailey joins the upper house of the Middle School as she begins 6th grade this fall. Lindsay recently graduated from the Primary School and is excited to be in the 4th grade for the 2016– 17 school year.

Education has always been a priority for Lori and Patrick, but they also feel that school culture and community are equally important. The Fouché family moved to MKA from California public schools and are very happy with that choice. Lori says, “In MKA, we found a great blend of excellent academic preparation with a culture that values caring, positive social and emotional relationships between the children, with the teachers and with the parent community.” Patrick adds to that sentiment, “Hailey and Lindsay are developing, maturing and enjoying their experience, and as a family, we are pleased to be part of the MKA community.”

As the parents of a 4th grader, Lori and Patrick fondly describe their Brookside experience as magical with the “youthful energy and innocent faces developing and learning positive social interactions, the warm faculty greetings in car line, and the enjoyment we had in watching the student-scripted plays.” They also appreciate the adventures of the Middle School with their sixth grader, Hailey.

Lori says, “While we are at the beginning of what is generally a challenging time for children, MKA has successfully supported the students in their transition to greater independence – individual lockers, changing classes, student

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club participation and encouraging students to self-advocate.” They also value the students’ interaction with administrators, beginning with Dr. Kleinman’s morning fist bumps with all the students.

Lori and Patrick are grateful that they felt instantly welcomed and connected to the MKA community by virtue of the New Parent Reception. “We made friends that evening with whom we are still connected today.

There is a collegial sense in the community, and we are happy to meet and learn more about other families as time progresses.”

Outside of their academic endeavors, Hailey and Lindsay are also very athletic and enjoy many sports, including basketball. Hailey is an avid softball player, and Lindsay plays soccer.

Both girls also enjoy immersing themselves in fine arts with drawing and sculpting being a favorite hobby. Lindsay plays the piano, and Hailey enjoys singing.

Lori and Patrick both feel that the opportunity to be exposed to the

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arts, music and physical education is crucial to the girls’ development and are “very happy to have such passionate staff encouraging them to express themselves and develop their skills.”

When not working or spending time with her family, Lori enjoys giving back by serving on several boards of not-for-profit organizations focused on developing opportunities for young people.

Patrick is enjoying the early stages of a start-up professional development company and works to support middle school youth in Newark, ensuring academic preparation for college.

Lori and Patrick continue to be strong advocates of MKA’s Annual Giving. Patrick says, “By contributing to Annual Giving, we feel we are making an immediate impact on continuing and enhancing so many areas that we find so meaningful at MKA.” The MKA community is very fortunate to include Lori, Patrick, Hailey and Lindsay, and we look forward to many more years with the Fouché family. ■

WHAT’S YOUR LEGACY? The Heritage Society recognizes the select group of donors who include Montclair Kimberley Academy in their legacy plans.

MAKE A GIFT TO MKA THROUGH YOUR ESTATE PLANNING JOIN THE HERITAGE SOCIETY. It’s as simple as naming MKA as a beneficiary in your will, insurance policy or retirement account. Life income gifts, such as charitable gift annuities and charitable remainder trusts, are also practical options for some people.

THE HERITAGE SOCIETY

Legacy

You can learn more about bequests, life income and other types of planned giving by going to our website at www.legacy.vg/mka or by contacting Geoffrey Branigan, Director of Development, at (973) 509-7940 or gbranigan@mka.org.

MKA LIFE

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MON TC L A I R K I M B E R L E Y A C A DE MY 20 1 VALLEY ROAD, M O NTCLAIR, N J 07042