LampPost Spring 2022

Spring 2022 | The Lamplighter School

EXPLORING THE

ARTS AT LAMPLIGHTER

SENIOR SALUTE CLASS OF 2022 INAUGURAL HALF DAY OF SERVICE CAMPUS CULTURAL CELEBRATIONS

Spring 2022 | The Lamplighter School

Our Mission

Dedicated to igniting the potential of each child, Lamplighter engages children in the joy of learning through intellectual discovery in a creative, inclusive, and collaborative environment.

EDITOR Landy Fox, Director of Marketing & Communications DESIGNER Ana Bohanan, Creative Director CONTRIBUTORS Cindy Connolly, Associate Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Relations CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Ana Bohanan Landy Fox Danny Fulgencio Larry Sengbush Contact Us Send story ideas to Landy Fox, lfox@thelamplighterschool.org Deadline for articles, photographs, and news for the Fall 2022 issue is October 1, 2022.

SPRING 2022

COVER STORY

SENIOR SALUTE

6

page 6

32 page 32

STATEMENT OF INCLUSION A community of varied voices will strengthen the education of Lamplighter students and enrich the lives of all of its members. Lamplighter will, therefore, strive for the lamps that we light to reflect the ever-changing community in which we reside. We value individuality and encourage all children to reach their potential, while respecting their similarities and differences. We are united in purpose and committed to working together to accomplish the mission of The Lamplighter School.

Head Lines

4

LPA Board

5

Cover Story

6

Faculty & Staff Stories

13

Partner Profile

16

Barnyard Buzz

18

Senior Salute

32

Spirit Award

38

Alumni Now

40

BARNYARD BUZZ

18 page 18

NON-DISCRIMINATION STATEMENT The Lamplighter School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, gender, national or ethnic origin, age, marital status, sexual orientation, or disability in administration of its educational policies, admission policies, financial aid program, athletic and other schooladministered programs, or the employment of staff.

HEADLINES

Dear Lamplighter Community, This was a year that will always be remembered! Our community overcame many obstacles regarding the global pandemic, and yet our students soared academically, physically, and socially. It is hard to believe that we began this school year in masks, and now a full two years since the beginning of COVID-19, we never lost our footing. . .although we were all wobbly at times.

The construction project to improve our campus with new classrooms, learning spaces, and offices is moving along as planned. Board Chair Doug MacMahon and the entire Board of Trustees have been so devoted to every aspect of the project and we are grateful for their diligence. When we return from summer break in late August, the campus will be refreshed, and the aesthetics will match the incredible instruction that is taking place each day.

Also, I would like to extend a special thank you to LPA President Meredith Wrighton and the entire Lamplighter Parents’ Association for a school year of incredible work in community building. We welcomed many new families over the past two years, and now we are enjoying the experience of establishing relationships. We appreciate the ways in which our community comes together. It is what makes our school special.

Over the years, I have written about the academics and social-emotional curriculum. In this issue of the LampPost, the focus is on the fine arts, as it is an important component of a student’s education. The Senior Opera, Hootenannies, learning to play the recorder, woodworking, and making a wonderful ceramic piece in art class are all emblematic of a Lamplighter education. Our faculty demonstrates time and again the importance of fine arts as a way of expressing oneself creatively while taking risks. For nearly 70 years, teachers have focused on fostering creativity and collaboration within our students.

We tend to think of creativity as fairy dust, magic, and eureka moments. In fact, researchers have described creativity as a process that involves three stages: preparation, incubation, and illumination. Whether you are four years old or in fourth grade, the process is nearly the same.

In the preparation stage, students need a lot of time to explore different types of materials, collaborate with classmates, and talk through their ideas. When watching students build in the woodworking studio, it is fun to observe as they noodle ideas and think about the best way to approach a project. To be a “fly on the wall” is a rare treat watching woodworking teacher Mr. McCool as he guides students as they design and build projects. He may make small suggestions, but definitely allows students to process their own ideas.

The next stage in developing a creative perspective is to give it time. Watch your son or daughter as they allow an idea to incubate. You can absolutely tell that they are processing information deeply and making decisions about what to do next. Once the brain is afloat in exploration, sometimes the students must take time away from the work — to let ideas sift, mingle, and percolate. This phase of the creative process results in the next phase, which is illumination.

The illumination stage is the eureka moment. . .the aha! A student may realize that his or her mind has gone somewhere special and all of a sudden now there may be new insights. In art classes led by Mrs. Bumpas, we can see that students may begin with one thing in mind and then, all of a sudden, there is a change of mind and they begin adding to their creation or taking something away.

In a time when arts education is often not prioritized, we know that a strong fine arts program gives students the tools to solve problems in a creative manner. Creativity is on full display at Lamplighter and is fundamental to teaching self-expression.

Wishing you a wonderful summer vacation filled with lots of time for your children to experience creativity, free play, and exploration.

Sincerely,

Dr. Joan Buchanan Hill Catherine M. Rose Head of School

LPA BOARD

Dear Lamplighter Families, WOW! What a year it has been! I knew we were all ready to get back on campus, and let me tell you, you all did not disappoint!

You showed up “Big and Bright”! The weather wasn’t always our friend, but it didn’t dampen the excitement on the faces of parents and students.

I first stepped on the Lamplighter campus in October of 1998 as a substitute teacher. I had NO idea what I was walking into, but I learned very quickly that this was a special place — and not just for children. I never thought I could love this place more (yes, I drank the Kool-Aid; let’s be real, I bathe in it). However, when our oldest daughter was accepted to Lamplighter, my love for this school grew even more. To see Lamplighter from the vantage point of a teacher, administrator, parent, and now the LPA President has been a gift. It has been my honor to lead this amazing Board this year!

A few highlights from the year include the meaningful work done by our Community Outreach team. With the support of our families, they collected 180 costumes, created 400 snack bags, and donated roughly 300 boxes of cereal for Family Gateway.

The Carnival Committee got us back on campus in true “Big Tex style” creating an unforgettable community-building event in the fall. The Faculty & Staff Appreciation Committee flooded our teachers and staff with food, treats, lottery tickets, and even a surprise raffle for NorthPark Gold! The Cultural Awareness Committee brought the lion dancers back to campus for Lunar New Year. And, the Auction Committee broke all the records with Big & Bright!

Last year, David Guedry, 2020-2021 LPA President, and I cosigned a pledge to the Bright Future Campaign for $1.5 million over five years. I am so excited to share that the LPA will be paying off $750,000 of that pledge this year! Again, WOW! You all showed up! I am never shocked by what our Lamplighter community can do, but I am always in awe of what we can accomplish when we come together.

I want to thank everyone on the 2021-2022 Board for their support and commitment to the LPA, as well as all the Lamplighter families that make up the Lamplighter Parents’ Association. The LPA is in amazing hands with next year’s leaders, President, Stephanie Fine and President-Elect, Ashley Ruggeri. These ladies GET IT DONE, and we will all have a blast.

Lastly, I want to thank Dr. Hill, the Lamplighter Leadership Team, and Parent Relations Coordinator Taylor Cornell Good ’92. I have never seen a group more willing and excited to make it happen.

Thank you for supporting me and the LPA Board this year.

In Lamplighter Spirit,

Meredith Wrighton 2021-2022 LPA President

LAMPLIGHTER PARENTS’ ASSOCIATION 2021–2022 BOARD Executive President Meredith Wrighton President-Elect Stephanie Fine President Advisor David Guedry Secretary Angelique Waddell Treasurer Sujit Sahadevan Treasurer-Elect Jenna Haverhals VP Communications Brooke Hopkins VP Volunteers Megahn Collins VP Volunteers-Elect Amanda Shufeldt VP Auction Co-Chairs Billie Jean Langham Megan Nicholson VP Carnival Co-Chairs Staci Cohen Bronwyn Levitan Standing and Special Committee Chairs Auction — Data Lauryn Bloom Auction — Event Mary Catherine Unis Auction — School Projects Lauren Van Wagenen Auction — Socials Gina Gendron Auction — Solicitations Rita Han Auction — Underwriting Mayela Gonzalez Community Outreach Cheryl Adams Catherine Lee Lucy Morton Janelle Pinnell Cultural Awareness Raj Bhanot Saurabh Tandon Allison Williams Dads’ Program Coordinators Brock Bizzell Ken Hopkins Faculty & Staff Appreciation Ashley Ruggeri Nina Sachse Caroline Wagner Fourth Grade Yearbook Caroline & Rob Belanger Friday Lunch Elayna Erick Dana Rumbauskas International Night Jean Larsen Naisha Covarrubias Shewmake Joe Urso Media Center Open House Courtney Case Katie Oudt New Family Coordinators Tally Goldfarb Emily Levi Karen McCleskey Rachel Walsh Amy Weselka Spirit Store Devon Conrad Jessica Fresch Melanie Jabbour Mallory Tonick Grade Level Coordinators Fourth Grade Megan Ratcliff Christina White Third Grade Sue Chu Second Grade Barrell Jones First Grade Christina Casey Transitional First (T1) Tiffany Armstrong Kindergarten Catherine Michael Pre-K All Day Katy Skattum Pre-K AM Elida Dakoli Pre-K PM Lilly Albritton ’91

LAMPPOST

5

EXPLORING

THE ARTS AT LAMPLIGHTER

The performing and visual arts have always been a fundamental part of the Lamplighter experience.

While the School places a strong emphasis on rigorous academics in literacy, math, science, and world languages, a complete Lamplighter education also integrates a social-emotional curriculum that emphasizes respect, compassion, creativity, and confidence. One of the ways the School instills these ideals within its students is through a strong fine arts program. With a robust fine arts offering, an exceptional fine arts faculty, and special programming, Lamplighter students have the opportunity to explore artistry, build collaborative skills, and develop creativity.

Lamplighter’s current offerings in the fine arts include Art, Drama, Music, and Woodworking.

These programs across four disciplines reflect a belief that as children develop creative expression in a safe environment, they also build critical-thinking skills and grow emotionally.

Varied methods of instruction promote exploration and critical thinking, as well as student participation and engagement. The visual and performing arts curricula are optimal for providing challenges for students as well as opportunities for cooperative learning.

Stephen Scott, Assistant Head for Teaching and Learning — Lower School, shares, “The fine arts program at Lamplighter is remarkable from the standpoint of both the frequency of the

offerings and the depth the teachers are able to explore in their curriculum.” Students across all grade levels at Lamplighter take part in every fine arts class throughout the School’s six-day rotating schedule. This frequent engagement in each of the arts enriches the student experience and fosters a sense of creativity in varied formats. Scott also notes, “The work being produced by children of this age, in terms of both creativity and quality, is nothing short of remarkable.”

Part of what makes Lamplighter’s fine arts program so unique and enriching is the cross-curricular work that is part of the School’s teaching culture. Collaboration among teachers across all disciplines is an integral part of the Lamplighter philosophy. Faculty members frequently partner with one another to further explore a subject or theme to enhance the learning opportunities for students.

For example, if students are learning about a particular topic in literacy or science, members of the fine arts faculty seek ways to integrate this topic into their own lessons and projects. This approach not only benefits the student experience but also creates a rich, collegial environment for teachers.

ART

Lamplighter’s art program values each student’s creative expression and offers projects that inspire children to create and appreciate the visual arts. The children work in a variety of media including collage, paint, sculpture, weaving, and printmaking. Lamplighter Art Teacher Lizzie Bumpas notes, “It is important that we use a variety of media in art projects throughout the year because all kids like different things. We explore many types of media because each student feels confident working in different types of art. While one student may excel in clay, another student may feel more confident working with textiles.” Gaining self-confidence through exploration and self-expression is a core component of the Lamplighter art program.

In art classes, students also learn about famous artists and paintings and create their own pieces in specific styles. The development of fine-motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and technical skills relevant to artistic endeavors are inherent to the program.

Bumpas also notes that what truly makes the Lamplighter art program unique is the collaboration with the gradelevel teachers at the School. When students are studying a particular unit in their academic classes, there is huge opportunity for cross-curricular work in the fine arts.

During certain school years, Lamplighter hosts an Artistin-Residence program that brings a guest artist to campus to enhance the student experience. This year, the School had the opportunity to partner with artist and Lamplighter parent Catherine MacMahon for a unique art project with the fourth grade Seniors.

This winter, MacMahon spent two full days at Lamplighter leading a unique project of shibori art in partnership with Bumpas. Shibori is the Japanese art of shape resistance and is a technique that typically involves folding, twisting, and binding cloth, then dyeing it in indigo. This art form is similar to origami, but uses fabric instead of paper. Shibori is also reminiscent of tie-dyeing and produces a number of different patterns on fabric.

Lamplighter Art Teacher Lizzie Bumpas with students

In the first of two sessions, MacMahon introduced the fourth grade students to the art of shibori as well as the materials selected for the project. The first step in the process involved using wood blocks, binder clips, C-clamps, and rubber bands around pieces of fabric to create a resistance. Students experimented with the amount of pressure applied, later discovering that the less pressure on the cloth, the lower the reaction once dye was applied. The next step involved tie-dyeing using a unique dye extracted from the leaves of the indigo datura plant. MacMahon shared with the students that throughout history, indigo was considered a valuable dye in the Navajo culture. It was a color meant for a chief or somebody of status. Beyond its elevated status in history, indigo dye has other beneficial and practical characteristics that make it ideal for student art projects. Notably, in other tie-dyeing projects, it is necessary to wait 24 hours for the dyeing process to be complete. With indigo dye, the results are evident within just ten minutes — instant gratification!

Students repeated the process of creating resistance with the fabric, then submerging their pieces in the indigo dye three times. This allowed the students to experiment with different techniques to explore a variety of outcomes. MacMahon noted, “There are so many times in art when you might have one original idea, but the end product looks completely different from what you had planned. In this project, this concept was even more evident because the outcome is even more unpredictable.”

During the creative and experimentation process, students also had the opportunity to observe the scientific aspect of the project. Initially, the dye was a neon green/yellow color, but through a chemical reaction, it oxidized and turned the fabric blue when exposed to the air.

Bumpas shared, “Mrs. MacMahon was amazing with the students! She was very hands-on but also flexible, and that is so important when working with young kids. She did just enough demonstration so that the students could really make their artwork their own. This is what I strive to do in my classes as well.” Bumpas also noted that she was inspired by this project and is planning to incorporate shibori tie-dyeing into the art curriculum for fourth grade students next year.

Through this special Artist-in-Residence program, students created three dyed cloths applying the art of shibori. Two of the cloths will serve as keepsakes for the students. One cloth from each Senior will be integrated into an art piece that MacMahon is creating and gifting to The Lamplighter School. Each student in the Class of 2022 will be represented in the piece.

Artist Catherine MacMahon with her daughter, Lamplighter Senior Lollie MacMahon ’22 u

DRAMA

In the landscape of early childhood and elementary schools, it is a challenge to find a school that has a dedicated Drama program as part of its everyday schedule and curriculum. This is not only the case in the Dallas area, but also across the country. Lamplighter is incredibly fortunate to have a strong, well-established Drama program in place that involves students in all grade levels from Pre-K through fourth grade year-round.

Through the Drama program at Lamplighter, students are introduced to stories, creative movement, sequencing, retelling, and characterization. They learn to express themselves through oral, written, and physical means.

These skills, combined with those acquired through the music program, lead to the creation, design, production, and performance of a capstone project, the Senior Opera, in fourth grade.

Lamplighter’s Drama program is also unique in that the majority of the material is student-written. Drama Teacher Jeff Peck shared, “One of the goals that I set for myself early on was to have all of the performance material created by students.” Now in his 12th year at the School, Peck has accomplished this goal by using teaching techniques that foster collaboration and inspire creativity. One approach Peck uses to achieve this is to dedicate a portion of classes to “Drama Lab,” a time for small-group work devoted to offering peer suggestions.

By working together in small groups to share critiques and suggestions, students help one another so they can feel confident and shine on stage. In addition, Peck ensures that students are offered opportunities to perform multiple times a year in front of their peers and parents. Peck highlights that this helps desensitize the students to stage fright, leading them to feel more secure and poised in front of an audience.

Lamplighter Drama Teacher Jeff Peck with students

When asked what his favorite part of the Drama curriculum is, Peck immediately responds, “That’s easy — it’s the fourth grade improvisation unit.” Peck shares, “Through this aspect of the curriculum, students find this wonderful freedom without having to be tied down to a script, but still having a structure in which to perform. In this format, a whole new level of creativity develops, and some students discover talents they didn’t know they had.”

Looking ahead to the upcoming school year, Lamplighter’s Drama program will be enhanced even further with the opening of the on-campus Theater Arts Exploration Lab. This new building, which is part of the construction associated with Lamplighter’s Bright Future campaign, will create a modern dedicated space for student exploration and performance. The Lab will incorporate a large screen on-stage allowing students to generate their own scenery for their performances. The creation of the new facility recognizes the importance of Drama as a signature component of the Lamplighter education. Peck shared his enthusiasm for this new addition, noting, “I couldn’t do half of the things that I do at Lamplighter at the other schools where I worked.

The addition of the Theater Arts Exploration Lab is going to elevate the School’s Drama program even more. I am absolutely thrilled about teaching in the new space and can’t wait to explore so many new opportunities for creative expression with the students.”

Lamplighter 2022 All School Program

t Collaboration

among teachers across all disciplines is an integral part of the Lamplighter philosophy.

L-R: Lamplighter Drama Teacher Jeff Peck, P.E. Teacher Kathy Ritz, and Music Teacher Natalie Bittner

Lamplighter Hootenanny

Lamplighter Music Teacher Natalie BIttner leads students at a Hootenanny p

MUSIC

Lamplighter’s Music program also offers a variety of opportunities for students to explore the performing arts and enrich their musical education. In classroom activities, students learn patterns, music literacy and history, and music theory, as well as how to express themselves through music.

Students in Pre-K through fourth grade are provided the chance to perform music throughout the year through special grade-level activities as well as all-school gatherings and assemblies. Grade-specific performances include the annual Pre-K Sing, transitional first graders performing at the New Family Breakfast, second graders performing at the Spirit Award Luncheon, and the fourth grade Seniors writing and performing their own operas. In addition, all students take part in the annual All School Program, a musical performance during the holidays, as well as Grandest Friends’ Day, a wonderful time to celebrate extended Lamplighter families through song.

Music is also celebrated through Lamplighter Hootenannies, one of the School’s oldest and most cherished traditions. These special gatherings bring students, faculty, and staff together to celebrate in song, providing a unique opportunity for community-building around music.

The music curriculum at Lamplighter also incorporates extensive exposure to global music so students have more opportunities to learn about cultures throughout the world

through the perspective of music. Lamplighter Music Teacher Natalie Bittner ties several lessons to cultural events throughout the year including Hispanic Heritage Month and Black History Month. During these times of the year, music classes highlight the distinct rhythms and beats associated with music of each culture. The School’s music program is also unique in that it allows for a wide range of instrumental exploration. In addition to singing, students are exposed to many instruments including drums, xylophones, recorders, hand bells, and hand chimes. Furthermore, field trips to the Dallas Symphony and the Dallas Opera also enhance the music program and enrich the student experience.

Bittner also notes the cross-curricular aspect of Lamplighter’s teaching culture and highlights this as one of her favorite aspects of the music program at the School. “I love when I am able to collaborate with the classroom teachers’ academic curricula. The kids buy into it immediately because they are really invested in the learning process,” said Bittner. Some examples of these cross-curricular opportunities include second graders learning the “50 States that Rhyme” song while studying the 50 states in their academic classes, and the Pre-K students learning the “Good to Be Me” song while studying the All About Me unit in their classrooms.

WOODWORKING

With the opening of the Eastin Family Innovation Lab in the fall of 2017, Lamplighter broadened its fine arts offerings to include a Woodworking program across all grade levels. Similar to Drama, it is incredibly rare for an early childhood and elementary school to have a complete year-round program for woodworking, in addition to a dedicated space for a woodworking studio. The handson, project-oriented Woodworking curriculum includes a wide variety of projects from simple geoboards to thinking games in which the pieces are created using the CAD computer program. Students also learn the safe and proper use of hand tools and how to read and draw basic woodworking plans.

Class sizes for Woodworking are small, with a maximum of nine students working in the studio at a time.

Students start Woodworking in Pre-K learning the basic fundamentals of measuring and cutting, and their skills increase each year. The signature Woodworking project in Pre-K is a cut-out initial of the first letter of their name, which the students sand and decorate. Kindergarteners create geoboards with pegs and rubber bands. First grade creates a balance toy that coincides with their study of balance in Science. Students are required to measure, cut, sand, and drill holes. Second grade creates a book box that is kept in their classroom and used the entire school year. In this project, students are required to measure, use templates, drill holes, sand, and assemble their box with screws.

Third grade works on slightly more complicated projects such as a wooden maze game and hinged box. In the maze project, third graders use graph paper to outline their designs, then cut out pieces and apply them to a board.

There are several steps along the way that students must follow to ensure that their maze will work, and they are required to do the math to figure out how long each piece of their maze must be. This year, third graders also created their very own Tower of Hanoi, a math game made of a board, pegs, and round discs in varying sizes (pictured at right). The students first discovered this game on a class field trip to the Fort Worth Museum. This visit inspired a new Woodworking project and connected to studies in Science class.

The fourth grade Seniors have more flexibility in their woodworking creations and are offered the chance to make anything they would like. This open-ended project inspires creativity in the students and allows them to apply lessons from the earlier grades. This year’s Seniors have made a variety of items including a sword, a sign for a bedroom door, and a desk organizer.

Lamplighter Woodworking Teacher Brian McCool notes that when the Woodworking program first began in 2017 there was a lot of trial and error in the projects selected for each grade level. Through the years, the curriculum has evolved, and many projects in Woodworking tie closely to units of study in the academic classes. McCool also commented that he has seen tremendous growth in the students throughout the five years since the Woodworking program first launched at Lamplighter.

He noted, “The students have become much more efficient and knowledgeable about the tools in our studio, and their skills have developed tremendously as they progressed through each grade level.”

Lamplighter Woodworking Teacher Brian McCool with students p

FACULTY & STAFFSTORIES NAIS PEOPLE OF COLOR CONFERENCE

By Jordan Palefsky, Assistant Librarian and Member of the Lamplighter JEDI Team This winter, I had the honor of participating in the NAIS People of Color Conference (PoCC) due to my involvement with a white educator antiracist group outside of school. It was three packed days of keynote speakers such as Soledad O’Brien, workshop presentations, and social time as best as one could do virtually. Because the intention of the conference is to create space and community for people of color through workshops and affinity groups, white participants additionally engage in a white co-conspirator group in order to reflect with other white-identifying people to “do the work.” I served as one of the facilitators of a group

that met each day of the conference to discuss topics that related to this year’s theme of “Reckoning with Impact, Rolling with Just Intent.” When reflecting on my work in DEI initiatives, this experience resonates as an impactful one because I collaborated with other white antiracist educators from all over the country. In modeling the activities, I explored my personal vulnerabilities, while serving as a leader in facilitating other people’s contemplations as well. The unlearning never ends, and it was meaningful to foster that process for others and myself, and then incorporate that work with JEDI at Lamplighter.

DESIGN THINKING ARTICLE PUBLISHED

FIRESIDE CHATS

Lamplighter congratulates Media Center Coordinator Jody Stout for co-authoring an article about design thinking, which was recently published in Science & Children journal. Stout worked with Rob Rouse, Jonathan Malesic, and Katie Krummeck of Southern Methodist University during the 2018-2019 school year to write an extensive article about a human-centered approach to problem solving which took place at Lamplighter. The article, “Chicken-Centered Design,” describes a project in which Lamplighter Seniors used design thinking to solve an unexpected issue related to egg production within the Lamplighter Layers Corporation. The article is published in the January/February issue of Science & Children, a bimonthly publication of National Science Teaching Association (NSTA).

The Lamplighter JEDI Team (Justice — Equity — Diversity — Inclusion) was established in 2018 and is a group of faculty and staff members who support the School’s mission and statement of inclusion in a variety of ways including special events for the community. One of these recurring special events is Fireside Chats, a series of book talks that allows members of the Lamplighter community to gather to discuss a shared text. In January, members of the JEDI Team hosted an in-person Fireside Chat featuring Harbor Me by Jacqueline Woodson. The book explores themes of immigration, race, bullying, identity, friendship, and family.

Jody Stout Co-Authors Article for Science & Children

Hosted by the Lamplighter JEDI Team

LAMPPOST

13

LAMPLIGHTER MILESTONES

40

15

Carrie Bays

Kathey Tobey Beddow ’63

Pre-Kindergarten Teacher

10

Becky Walker

Associate Director of Admission and Placement

5 Sydney Allen

Admission Coordinator

Fourth Grade Math Teacher

30

AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE 2021-2022 Sarah Burdick

Pre-Kindergarten Teacher

SCHOOL YEAR, LAMPLIGHTER

Taylor Cornell Good ’92 Parent Relations Coordinator

HONORED 14 EMPLOYEES WITH SERVICE AWARDS. CONGRATULATIONS Anne Yarbrough ’81 Third Grade Math Teacher

Jezabel Guadalupe

Lower School Spanish Teacher

TO THESE INDIVIDUALS WHO

Jordan Palefsky Assistant Librarian

HAVE BEEN A PART

20

OF THE SCHOOL’S FACULTY AND STAFF FOR 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, AND 40 YEARS! Debbie Herskovitz Pre-Kindergarten Teacher

Nafisa Rahman

Fourth Grade Literacy Teacher

Rachel Schumann

Pre-Kindergarten Teacher

Jill Wiedman

Counselor, Office of Student Life

14

LAMPPOST

Shayna Starr

First Grade Teacher

FACULTY & STAFFSTORIES

HONORING LESLIE BLEDSOE

BELOVED FACULTY MEMBER RETIRES AFTER A 35-YEAR TEACHING CAREER At the conclusion of the 2021-2022 school year, Lamplighter honored beloved teacher Leslie Bledsoe as she retired from a robust 35-year career in teaching. Bledsoe has been a member of the Lamplighter faculty for the past 11 years and has taught and supported hundreds of students in their math studies. Throughout her time at the School, Bledsoe taught math to third and fourth graders, served as an Alternate Teacher, and recently became the Math Support Specialist, working with several students one-on-one to support or enrich their math skills.

School Counselor Jill Wiedman shared, “Leslie is such a talented math teacher. She is able to work seamlessly with students individually or in small groups. Leslie is on top of the latest math trends and can always find great materials for enrichment or support.”

Bledsoe comes from a family of educators, so a career in teaching was not only cultivated, but also celebrated.

Both of her parents were educators, both of her daughters are educators, and her great-uncle has a school named after him in Rockford, Illinois!

of the grade level team, including partnering with Science Teacher Bill Burton on the Mars Mission project; working with former Art Teacher Pam O’Krent on a unit about China and the Terra Cotta Soldiers; and collaborating with P.E. Teacher Kathy Ritz on Caine’s Arcade, a building project using cardboard to make arcade games.

Beyond the classroom, Bledsoe has served in several roles outside of teaching at Lamplighter such as co-chairing the Math Committee for three years and serving as a member of the JEDI Committee. Bledsoe notes that “The JEDI work is so important at Lamplighter. We had several new people join this year, and it’s nice to see the committee growing.” Bledsoe noted that one of her favorite professional development experiences was attending a Diversity-Equity-Inclusion (DEI) event with her Lamplighter colleagues, a talk at Southern Methodist University led by social justice activist and author of Just Mercy, Brian Stevenson. Bledsoe noted how grateful she was to be able to hear Stevenson speak in person and credits Lamplighter and the work of the JEDI Committee for making this opportunity possible.

As she heads into retirement, Bledsoe looks forward to spending time doing her favorite hobbies: hiking, biking, gardening, and reading. The Lamplighter community congratulates her on her illustrious teaching career and wishes her well as she enjoys this exciting new chapter of her life.

Prior to Lamplighter, Bledsoe taught in Illinois and locally within the Richardson Independent School District, Parish Episcopal School, and St. Philip’s School. Throughout the majority of her teaching career, she taught third and fourth grades, but also taught fifth and sixth grades and had a self-contained class of students with learning differences while teaching in Illinois.

Bledsoe recalled her initial visit to Lamplighter 11 years ago while driving around the campus for the first time: “I am really drawn to nature, and the setting just felt comfortable to me with all the trees. From the Ring Road, I was able to see inside some of the classrooms, and they just seemed so inviting.” Now, more than a decade later, Bledsoe not only appreciates the beautiful Lamplighter campus but also the trust that the School places in its faculty in knowing what is best for the students. In addition, she highlighted the collegiality and collaboration among faculty members which greatly enhanced and enriched her personal experience at Lamplighter. Bledsoe recalled several notable projects that offered opportunities to work with teachers outside

LAMPPOST

15

K-2 FAMILY Lamplighter Collaborates with the Dallas Arboretum, Perot Museum of Nature and Science, and Southern Methodist University to Expand Hands-On STEM Experiences on Campus Throughout the past decade, Lamplighter has built and fostered partnerships with nearby universities and museums to enrich the student experience at the School. These partnerships not only provide valuable resources for faculty members but also offer unique opportunities for enriching hands-on learning experiences for students. One of the ways in which these partnerships really shine is through the School’s annual Family STEM Night.

This year, Lamplighter leveraged its existing partnerships with the Dallas Arboretum, Perot Museum of Nature and Science, and Southern Methodist University to co-host K-2 Family STEM Night in early January. This annual event for Kindergarten through second grade students brings STEMthemed centers to campus for an evening of discovery and fun. Parents and children explore science- and math-based activities together while enjoying the company of fellow Lamplighter families.

Dr. Joan Buchanan Hill, Catherine M. Rose Head of School, shared her perspective on the event, reinforcing how important these special experiences are to our students. She noted, “Events like Family STEM Night help to create a climate of discovery that is the key to learning science. Introducing students to science during early childhood with multiple science teachers creates positive experiences. Family STEM Night gives them an opportunity to try new things.”

The 2022 K-2 Family STEM Night featured 17 unique activity stations covering a wide range of topics from filtered light and magnetic fields to the water cycle and spatial and numeric reasoning. Students were provided with station cards to

help guide their exploration throughout the Eastin Family Innovation Lab, Cook Gym, and tables on Owen Family Soccer Field. Fortunately, the beautiful weather allowed for outdoor activities and ease of transition between the campus buildings!

Selena Wilson, Director of Education at the Dallas Arboretum, commented, “The event was so well organized and beautifully executed. The students and parents really seemed to enjoy the activities and were engaged in the content.” Lamplighter Science Teacher Bill Burton agreed, noting, “It was great to see the excitement and energy of some of our youngest learners at the Family STEM Night stations.”

The students truly seemed to enjoy the evening filled with engaging demonstrations, hands-on experiments, and unique games. Environmental Science Teacher Katherine Roberts commented that the excitement and learning that the students discovered extended well beyond the evening of the event. She shared, “I enjoyed hearing from students for many days after the event about their favorite activities and what they learned. It was truly a memorable evening for both students and parents alike.”

Furthermore, Dr. Hill went on to highlight the longer-term impact that an event like Family STEM Night can have on students and their future learning, and even their eventual career choices. She shared, “Our faculty and partner organizations provided experiences that will help the youngest learners develop a beginning scientific vocabulary and foster positive dispositions toward learning science, and hopefully careers later in life.”

The Lamplighter School extends a sincere thank you to science and technology faculty members Bill Burton, Eva McKee, Katie Ruggeri Nelson ’92, and Katherine Roberts, as well as the Dallas Arboretum, Perot Museum of Nature and Science, and Southern Methodist University for a successful and impactful event!

PARTNERPROFILE

DOOLEY AUTHOR SERIES Welcomes Jennifer Coleman and Grace Lin

Connecting Students with Children’s Authors and Illustrators Virtually and In Person Each year, the Dooley Author Series brings award-winning authors and illustrators to Lamplighter for special visits with our students and teachers. This school year, Lamplighter was proud to host two guests as part of the 2021-2022 program: Jennifer Coleman and Grace Lin.

Jody Stout, Media Center Coordinator, and Jordan Palefsky, Assistant Librarian

The Dooley Author Series was created for The Lamplighter School through an endowment established in 2011 by alumni parent Marilyn Halpin and her daughter Elizabeth Dooley McLamb ’87 in memory of Elizabeth’s father, Robert T. Halpin, Sr. For more than a decade, the Series has connected numerous children’s authors and illustrators with Lamplighter students both virtually and in person. The program is hosted annually by the Erik Jonsson Media Center and also offers Lamplighter families the opportunity to purchase signed copies of each guest’s published books.

JENNIFER COLEMAN Author of Come ’n Git It! and The Texas Nutcracker

In early January, Lamplighter welcomed Dooley Author Series guest Jennifer Coleman for in-person visits with all Lower School students. It was especially exciting to host Coleman on campus since she is not only a published author but also a former member of Lamplighter’s faculty. Coleman has been a librarian for 25 years and served as the Media Center Coordinator at Lamplighter from 1998 – 2004. Her published works imaginatively bring Texas history to life for young readers, and Lamplighter students got to experience this firsthand.

Students gathered in Klyde Warren Auditorium for the first in-person author visit since Winter 2020. Coleman began her sessions with first and second graders by explaining what it means to be a writer and exploring the question of what makes a strong writer. The students eagerly shared their ideas on this topic such as being curious and imaginative, doing a lot of reading, working independently, and not giving up easily.

Coleman’s presentation with students became even more interactive when she introduced her 2021 book Come ’n Git It! Cookie and His Cowboy Chuck Wagon. This children’s book tells the story of the very first “food truck” and life during the cattle 18 LAMPPOST

drive in the 1800s. The book contains facts about the cattle drive and is based on a man named Charles Goodnight, an innovator in the chuck wagon business who has become known as “The Father of the Food Truck.” As Coleman read her book, she prompted Lamplighter students to become part of the story. In each session, one student volunteer rang the triangle bell, signaling the start of dinner, while all other students shouted, “Come ’n Git It!” Coleman’s inspiration for Come ’n Git It! came from her grandparents who were dairy farmers and sold cattle. Her hope with this published book is to teach kids about this time in American history and to inspire kids to learn, be curious, and have an open mind about their world. Today, Coleman is still writing books and serving as a librarian. Most recently, she helped establish a new library at an elementary school in Pflugerville, Texas. She is also the author of the The Texas Nutcracker, a Texas version of the classic ballet story. Coleman closed out her session at Lamplighter, commenting that her “favorite thing is to bring stories to life and share them with students like you.”

BARNYARDBUZZ GRACE LIN

Author, Illustrator, and Newbery Honor Award Recipient

Lamplighter welcomed children’s author, illustrator, and Newbery Honor award recipient Grace Lin last fall for visits with students across all grade levels. Given safety precautions still in place last November, the School was able to host Massachusetts-based Lin virtually. This offered a unique opportunity for all Pre-K through fourth grade students to take part in special sessions with the award-winning author and illustrator.

Each grade-level session was customized in a format that helped students connect with Lin’s works and learn more about her writing and illustrating process. With the School’s youngest learners in Pre-K and Kindergarten, Lin read her first published book, The Ugly Vegetables, which is somewhat autobiographical. Lin noted that all of her books are based on real life experiences, and this book was inspired by her relationship with her mother and the times they shared together in the kitchen. As part of the reading, Lin taught the students the names of various Chinese vegetables and noted that The Ugly Vegetables contains a recipe for soup at the end of the book. During this session with Early Childhood students, Lin also guided the kids through a lesson in how to draw a Chinese tiger.

Throughout her visits with students in Lower School, Lin shared some of her other published works, including

a reading from her novel Starry River of the Sky. This book is based on a real Chinese folktale and is a companion book to Lin’s Newbery Honor winner, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, as well as When the Sea Turned to Silver, a National Book Award finalist. Students in first through fourth grades also had the opportunity to participate in an illustration lesson led by Lin. Her stepby-step process helped students create an illustrated dog, with an opportunity to customize some elements with their own inspirations.

In addition to learning from Lin about a career in writing and illustrating, students had the chance to discover more about Lin’s childhood and Asian heritage. During the sessions, Lin noted that she grew up in Upstate New York and was the only Asian in her school, aside from her own sisters. This experience was isolating at times, but eventually became the inspiration for many of her later works.

After an extensive Q&A session with the students, Lin encouraged the Lamplighter community to check out the podcast Kids Ask Authors with Grace Lin. The weekly podcast provides a forum for kids to ask questions of the authors of their favorite books. Each week, Lin welcomes a guest author, and together they answer one question from a child to help with their creative journey.

LAMPPOST

19

LAMPLIGHTER GIVES BACK

SCHOOL COMMUNITY SUPPORTS FAMILY GATEWAY, NORTH TEXAS FOOD BANK, AND UNITED TO LEARN THROUGH SERVICE AND HANDS-ON PROJECTS An important component of a Lamplighter education involves learning about the broader community through meaningful hands-on service projects. These experiences are offered at the School through the Community Outreach Committee of the Lamplighter Parents’ Association (LPA) and by the Lamplighter Green Team. In the fall, the LPA organized a Halloween Costume Drive for Family Gateway, a homeless shelter for families, while the Green Team organized a gently used shoe drive supporting Soles4Souls, an organization that keeps unwanted clothing and shoes from going to waste by donating them to adults and children in need. During the winter and spring, the LPA and Green Team continued their efforts with projects to support Family Gateway, the North Texas Food Bank, and Dallas ISD schools through the School’s partnership with United to Learn. Lamplighter extends gratitude to this year’s LPA Community Outreach Co-Chairs Cheryl Adams, Catherine Lee, Lucy Morton, and Janelle Pinnell, as well as parent volunteers, and all members of the Lamplighter Green Team for organizing and supporting these important initiatives for the community.

SNACK BAG ASSEMBLY FOR FAMILY GATEWAY Each year, third and fourth grade students arrive to school early to assemble hundreds of snack bags for children served by Family Gateway. This earlymorning service opportunity offers a fun, hands-on project and is always a student favorite. Snack items were donated by Lamplighter families, and students enthusiastically put together 200 snack bags on each service day.

400 FAMILY GATEWAY

SNACK BAGS DELIVERED TO

homeless shelter for families

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT FAMILY GATEWAY VISIT www.familygateway.org

20

LAMPPOST

TOY DRIVE FOR FAMILY GATEWAY In advance of the holidays, the Lamplighter Green Team sponsored a Toy Drive benefitting Family Gateway. Through this effort, Lamplighter collected 307 new toys and games which were donated to homeless families served by Family Gateway.

307 NEW TOYS

BARNYARDBUZZ FOOD DRIVE FOR THE NORTH TEXAS FOOD BANK For the fourth consecutive year, the Lamplighter Green Team has organized a food drive supporting the North Texas Food Bank. This year, the team collected a total of 2,051 items, equaling 1,751 pounds of food and 1,460 meals for families in need.

2,051 1,751 1,460

ITEMS COLLECTED FROM FOOD DRIVE

POUNDS

MEALS

COMMUNITY CAMPUS DAY WITH UNITED TO LEARN This spring, United to Learn continued its annual Community Campus Day, a program that implements 45 improvement projects across Dallas ISD elementary schools. Through Lamplighter’s partnership with United to Learn, several members of our community volunteered at nearby Withers Elementary School to sort books and refresh the on-campus library. This parent-child service project offered families an opportunity to work together to support a neighborhood school. Members of Girl Scout Brownie Troop #1108, made up of Lamplighter third graders, also volunteered at the event and prepared and hung posters with inspirational messages on Withers’ main corridor and lunchroom doors.

CEREAL DRIVE FOR FAMILY GATEWAY Each spring, the LPA organizes the annual Muffins with Moms event, an opportunity for Lamplighter moms to spend time with their children on campus for breakfast before school. For the first time, the LPA integrated a service opportunity into the event by coordinating a Cereal Drive for Family Gateway in conjunction with the Lamplighter event. Through this initiative, the School collected a total of 298 full-size boxes of cereal and breakfast bars which were donated to families in need.

298

FULL-SIZED BOXES OF CEREAL & BREAKFAST BARS

LAMPPOST

21

Lamplighter Launches Inaugural

HALF DAY OF SERVICE

All-School Event Honors Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Lamplighter launched the School’s inaugural Half Day of Service this year. This all-school event took place on Friday, January 14, and offered faculty, staff, and students the opportunity to focus on service-related lessons and activities for half of a school day.

In advance of the Half Day of Service, each grade level was tasked with selecting a service theme to focus on for the event. This input gave students the opportunity to take part in the planning process for the program and to rally with their peers around their chosen cause.

The first-ever Half Day of Service was spearheaded by three new Lamplighter faculty members — Kate Cooper, Laura O’Donnell, and KeAnne Williams. They took their passion for service and brought their enthusiasm and commitment to launching a new program at the School.

Through their thoughtful planning and leadership, they organized our community around meaningful grade-level and school-wide activities. Alternate Teacher KeAnne Williams shared, “Dr. King has left such a positive impact that can be felt across cultures and generations. We were charged with developing something that would be effective and beneficial to our students that honored his impact.

As a result, we were able to provide students with unique experiences throughout grade levels that not only taught them about Dr. King and his legacy but also about the power of advocacy, community service, empathy, passion, and specific causes.”

GRADE LEVELS SELECTED THE FOLLOWING THEMES: Pre-K: Bonton Farms, a sustainable urban farm located in a food desert Kindergarten & Transitional First Grade (T1): Animal shelters First Grade: Child hunger Second Grade: Foster care Third Grade: The Birthday Party Project, an organization that creates special celebrations for homeless children Fourth Grade: Environmental issues

“As I walked throughout the campus on the afternoon of the Half Day of Service, it was inspiring to see how each grade level took on their cause with a seriousness that belies their ages.”

The Half Day of Service began with classroom lessons around community service as a whole and the concept of “wants” versus “needs.” This perspective gave teachers the opportunity to introduce and discuss service in a format that is developmentally appropriate for each grade level.

Leading up to the Half Day of Service, the faculty planning committee provided teachers with a variety of resources to assist them in planning their classroom lessons about service. These resources included videos, activities, books, and other support materials.

— Dr. Joan Buchanan Hill, Catherine M. Rose Head of School

22

LAMPPOST

Lamplighter Alternate Teacher and fellow member of the planning committee Laura O’Donnell noted, “Our goal was to build a program that would ignite a passion for service while also allowing students the opportunity to find the power of their voice in this world. Whether students are in Pre-K or fourth grade, we wanted them to realize that every voice matters, and every voice can make real, impactful change in our Lamplighter community and beyond.”

BARNYARDBUZZ

Following their broader lessons about service, each grade level spent time focusing on their specific cause. Students made drawings, signs, and informational posters related to their grade-level theme. In some classrooms, students also took time to write letters to children in hospitals, service workers, foster children, members of the military, firefighters, and other important selfless or struggling people in our community. Dr. Joan Buchanan Hill, Catherine M. Rose Head of School, reflected, “As I walked throughout the campus on the afternoon of the Half Day of Service, it was inspiring to see how each grade level took on their cause with a seriousness that belies their ages.”

This passion and seriousness was even more evident in the “Walk for a Cause,” the culminating activity for the day. All students, faculty, and staff gathered on the Lamplighter playground, and each grade level had an opportunity to parade around with their posters and signs advocating for their cause. One by one, from the youngest learners in Pre-K up to our Lamplighter Seniors, students proudly displayed their custom-made signs about their grade’s chosen cause.

Lamplighter Kindergarten Assistant and Half Day of Service Committee member Kate Cooper shared, “In their grade-level conversations, students nurtured their core compassion for others and felt inspired to advocate for causes they were passionate about. They had a collective shift of heart that made me feel inspired and eager to watch their bright futures unfold. In the most beautiful way, Lamplighter students emulated Martin Luther King, Jr.’s work by using their words and actions to stand up for their beliefs, and the support that they showed one another as each grade paraded echoed the impact of their growth that day.”

inspiring. She noted, “It was incredibly moving and powerful to see each grade level spread the importance of their cause during our march on the playground. While we hoped this would be an impact moment, it turned into something even more powerful than we had imagined. Not only did each grade level take incredible pride and ownership of their cause, but the other grade levels supported them with cheers and claps as they marched. It was clear that the Lamplighter students truly found their voices, and I can’t wait to see the amazing change they make in this world as a result.”

Lamplighter thanks faculty members Kate Cooper, Laura O’Donnell, and KeAnne Williams for leading our community in an amazing new tradition. The School also thanks all faculty members for their support in each and every classroom to make the event memorable and meaningful.

Dr. Hill commented “Our students, and by extension all of us, were the beneficiaries of their thoughtful planning and support. The event brought the entire school together, and it was magical!”

Fellow planning committee member Laura O’Donnell agreed that the impact on students was not only significant but LAMPPOST

23

CULTURAL CONNECTIONS ON-CAMPUS CELEBRATIONS COMMEMORATE CULTURAL TRADITIONS

Cultural celebrations are an important part of a Lamplighter education and promote a sense of global awareness among our students. Through a strong partnership between the School and the Lamplighter Parents’ Association (LPA), Lamplighter is able to highlight different cultures and holidays throughout the year. These celebrations include classrooms activities as well as special presentations and activities for students across all grade levels. All cultural celebrations are also supported by children’s books and resources coordinated by Media Center Coordinator Jody Stout and Assistant Librarian Jordan Palefsky.

During the spring semester, cultural celebrations included Black History Month, Lunar New Year, Mardi Gras, and Hispanic Heritage Month, followed

by International Night, the School’s signature annual cultural event. Lamplighter extends a heartfelt thank you to this year’s LPA Cultural Awareness Co-Chairs Raj Bhanot, Saurabh Tandon, and Allison Williams, as well as numerous parent volunteers, for bringing a variety of celebrations to campus for the benefit of Lamplighter students.

LUNAR NEW YEAR Students welcomed the Year of the Tiger with several festive Lion Dances on the playground. Each grade level participated in this annual tradition with an interactive performance complete with drummers, cymbals, and rhythmic movements. After watching the dance, students had the chance to try out the instruments and the unique costumes and props. In the Chinese Zodiac, tigers are known as courageous, energetic, competitive, brave, and strong.

24

LAMPPOST

HISPANIC HERITAGE Building on the lessons taught during Hispanic Heritage Month in the fall, Lamplighter Spanish Teacher Jezabel Guadalupe arranged a special performance and Spanish activity for fourth graders this spring. Students enjoyed an assembly hosted by professional Mariachi Band Sol de Mi Tierra followed by a seated lunch at a pop-up Mexican restaurant hosted by Tango Bakery in Cook Gym. Students applied their Spanish lessons and speaking skills by ordering and conversing with Spanish-speaking members of the Lamplighter faculty and staff.

BARNYARDBUZZ

BLACK HISTORY MONTH For the seventh consecutive year, Lamplighter has been fortunate to welcome the Dallas Black Dance Theatre to Lamplighter for a beautiful artistic performance during Black History Month.

This annual visit by the local modern dance troupe is always a student favorite!

This year’s presentation included a performance of the beloved children’s story Peter and the Wolf, which not only highlighted storytelling dance movements, but also the instruments associated with each character. The Dallas Black Dance Theatre also performed one of this year’s signature numbers, Come Alive, during the assembly for our students.

MARDI GRAS The Mardi Gras celebration this year featured a second line parade with the first-grade class.

Students paraded around the school dressed in festive purple, green, and gold attire bringing Mardi Gras cheer to all classrooms. Other classrooms gathered in the wells for lessons about the origin and traditions associated with this cultural event including krewes, floats, and doubloons. Thank you to the LPA for providing beads and delicious king cake!

LAMPPOST

25

AROUND THE WORLD IN JUST ONE NIGHT! This spring welcomed the return of Lamplighter’s signature cultural awareness event, International Night. On April 21, the School hosted hundreds of Lamplighter families for an evening of exploration, discovery, and fun. Students traveled the globe, had their passports stamped, participated in craft projects, sampled food, and enjoyed live entertainment.

The event kicked off with the iconic Parade of Nations led by bagpiper Don Shannon and the Lamplighter Class of 2022.

Cook Gym was decorated with colorful flags and featured 24 country tables across six continents, each of which was hosted by a Lamplighter family or faculty member. Special activities included henna art tattoos with Mehndi by Sai and origami lessons led by the Japan-America Society of Dallas/Fort Worth. Live entertainment included Irish Dance

by Inishfree School of Irish Dance; Capoeira Brazilian Martial Arts performed by alumna Katie Helfrich ’21 and alumni parent Jeff Helfich; Kathak Indian Classical Dance with Riya, AFS Exchange Program; and Ballet Folklorico featuring the Cristo Rey Dallas Fire Dance Team.

26

LAMPPOST

Lamplighter Pre-K Teacher and current parent Rachel Gutierrez shared, “My kids made it their mission to visit all of the country tables and to get every flag in their ‘passports’ stamped!” This goal-oriented mindset helped Lamplighter students across all grade levels experience many different countries and cultures right on the Lamplighter campus. Gutierrez also noted that both she and her children learned so much in the process. She said, “The parents made it such an enriching experience by providing clothing, toys, books, images, and more to help the kids learn about the unique cultures. My daughter has been learning about several countries in Social Studies and was able to make connections between what she’s learned in the classroom and what she encountered while visiting countries at International Night.”

International Night is planned and coordinated each year by the Lamplighter Parents’ Association (LPA). The School extends a special thank you to the 2022 International Night Co-Chairs Jean Larsen, Naisha Covarrubias Shewmake, and Joe Urso, as well as the many parent volunteers and country table hosts. Thank you to the amazing LPA for organizing this fun and educational event!

This spring, The Lamplighter School was thrilled to relaunch its Grandparent Activity Program (GAP)!

This program offers special events that allow grandparents to be active in the school through activities, visits, and volunteering. In early March, the School welcomed the return of Grandparent Readers, a program that allows grandparents to cozy up in the signature Lamplighter wells and read to their grandchildren and their classmates.

The students are always excited to welcome grandparents to the classroom and to enjoy children’s books together in the classroom wells.

Following Spring Break, Lamplighter’s signature GAP event, Grandest Friends’ Day, took place over two days on March 24 – 25. The School was filled with overwhelming joy as hundreds of grandparents and special guests came to campus to experience Lamplighter with our students.

Music Teacher Natalie Bittner led the students in beloved Lamplighter songs as well as a few unique song selections hand-picked for grandest friends.

Following the musical celebration, students and their guests spent time together in the classrooms and on the playground, sharing in the magic of Lamplighter.

Parent Relations Coordinator Taylor Cornell Good ’92 noted, “After a two-year hiatus, it was so heartwarming to feel the energy in the School when our grandest friends were able to be on campus again to celebrate these young learners. It is one of my favorite days of the year, and this celebration felt extra special.

It was truly GRAND!” Thank you to all of our grandest friend guests and to the Lamplighter Parents’ Association (LPA) for supporting this special event with numerous volunteers. Lamplighter plans to continue to expand opportunities for grandparents to be on campus in the fall. These occasions include several dates for Grandparent Readers and opportunities to volunteer in the Erik Jonsson Media Center.

Dates will be announced in Fall 2022.

28

LAMPPOST

BARNYARDBUZZ

LAMPPOST

29

THE STARS AT NIGHT WERE TRULY BIG & BRIGHT AT THE LAMPLIGHTER PARENTS’ ASSOCIATION (LPA) AUCTION ON SATURDAY, MARCH 5, 2022!

Each year, the LPA Auction gives us a reason to come together to support our school and have some fun. This year, the LPA pulled out all the stops to create a night to remember under the stars. The exciting event was held at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, commemorating the School’s partnership in education.

Lamplighter Parent Relations Coordinator Taylor Cornell Good ’92 shared, “Auction is my favorite night of the year because it is truly magical to see so many different constituent groups in our community come together to support Lamplighter.

Alumni, former parents, current parents, grandparents, and special friends all unite to raise money for the school that has touched their lives and held their children in its arms with tender, loving care.”

This year’s Auction theme celebrated all things Texan and The Lamplighter School, all while delivering some Big D country fun! On Auction night, guests arrived at the Perot Museum and were greeted by a live longhorn, trick roper, gunslinger, live band, and beer burro. The event continued with a thrilling program featuring a Heads or Tails game, Live Auction, raffle announcement, and dance celebration with Emerald City band. The event venue also allowed guests to explore four exciting floors of the Museum with topics including engineering, dinosaurs, gems and minerals, weather, energy, and more.

All members of the Lamplighter community were also able to participate in the online Silent Auction, which was active for a full week of bidding. The Silent Auction featured a wide range of incredible items and experiences, including unique school offerings, teacher outings, and the beloved Class Pets.

In addition to the signature Auction gala event, the LPA hosted four Auction Socials throughout the school year. These events provide opportunities for Lamplighter families to participate in a variety of fun and entertaining events while supporting the Auction. Auction Socials during the 2021-2022 school year included Hello Dolly Bingo, a reimagined Snow Day, Tennis 105, and a Sweetheart Square Dance.

30

LAMPPOST

Proceeds from all Auction-related events will benefit the School’s Bright Future campaign. The plans associated with this campaign include a new Theater Arts Exploration Lab, an Alumni & Student Services Center, an extensive outdoor learning space, and complete renovations to the interiors of the current buildings. Construction on the new additions is underway and will be completed by the start of the 2022-2023 school year. Interior renovations will take place during the summer and will also be completed in time for the opening of the new school year. The outdoor learning spaces, including a renovation of the Lamplighter playground, will take place throughout the summer and fall and will be open for students

by January 2023.

The Lamplighter School extends a special thank you to LPA Auction Co-Chairs Billie Jean Langham and Megan Nicholson, LPA President Meredith Wrighton, LPA President-Elect Stephanie Fine, and members of the Auction Leadership Team: Lauryn Bloom, Gina Gendron, Mayela Gonzalez, Rita Han, Mary Catherine Unis, and Lauren Van Wagenen.

Together with a team of talented volunteers, they worked countless hours to ensure the Auction’s success. Joan Buchanan Hill, Catherine M. Rose Head of School, shared, “We are forever grateful to the LPA leadership and Auction team for a terrific event, and we are so thankful to our parents for their unwavering support of Lamplighter. Our students, the youngest learners, will be the beneficiaries of their incredible generosity as the new buildings and outdoor learning spaces are erected.”

Big & Bright was truly an incredible success and a culmination of a year’s worth of hard work. Not only did it offer a wonderful opportunity for a community-building event, but it also raised significant funds which will have a meaningful impact on generations of Lamplighter students.

Good commented, “As I watched parents dance the night away, up until the very last moment, I paused to reflect on how truly lucky we all are to call Lamplighter home, and how Lamplighter will forever be deep in our hearts.”

CLASS OF 2022

Seniors love Lamplighter because...

Lael Baggett

“…it is so unique, and every day is like your birthday because there are always new surprises.”

Fleur Belanger

Leo Bender

Blair Beran

Avery Bloom

James Case

Nina Cathey

“…all of my best memories are here.”

“…all of my friends go there.”

“…there are a bunch of amazing teachers and friends.”

“…I have a bunch of memories, friends, and nice teachers.”

“…it has a cool playground and other exclusive things.”

“…whenever I cannot figure out how to do a problem, my teachers always help me.”

Lauren Chow

Mae Clarke

Erin Cohen

Brady Finnegan

Sally Gillikin

Hannah Guillory

“…it has activities that I love to do, such as Lamplighter Layers.”

“…it is unique, and the barn animals top it off.”

“…everyone is nice and funny.”

“…the teachers are so helpful, and everyone understands me.”

“…all the teachers are so nice, and there are so many fun traditions.”

“…it is unique and different than the rest of the schools.”

Mariam Haidar

Kiara Harper

Téo Henry

Cooper Hickman

Susan Illich

Archer Johnson

“…you can make friends, everyone is so nice, and it’s such a unique school.”

“…of the friendships and teachers.”

“…all the teachers are so nice, and they help us learn in a fun way.”

“…all of the teachers are really nice, and you make a lot of friends.”

“…my friends always support and help me through my problems.”

“…of the teachers, the campus, the animals, the staff, and the people that go here.”

Axel Kennedy

Duncan Kuchler

Claire Langham

Blythe Lee

Cáelainn Lee

Liam Lee

“…we have animals and traditions that don’t exist at other schools.”

“…of the people and the playground, which includes the animals.”

“…everyone is kind.”

“…the second you walk in, you are greeted with so many smiles and a rush of warmth.”

“…everyone is kind, and all the animals are always there.”

“…all of my friends are there.”

Ally Levitan

Sammy Levitan

Emma Lober

Lollie MacMahon

Carolina Martin

“…when you go to fourth grade, you can do special activities.”

“…they have so many special things, and it’s not like other schools.”

“…it is a great place to make new friends and create unforgettable memories.”

“…everyone always makes me feel happy.”

“…all my friends and teachers are there.”

Meg Morse

Rose Morton

Kamran Nawaz

Palmer Nicholson

Sadie Ohler

Evelyn Miller

“…my friends are here.”

Conrad Oudt

“…the teachers are so nice and give us great advice.”

“…when you’re sad, someone is always there to help, and I love the animals.”

“…of all the great teachers, traditions, and my friends.”

“…all the classes and how you learn something almost every day.”

“…of all the kind people.”

“…it has the most fun activities.”

Lulu Pinnell

Graham Ratcliff

Zayn Raza

Berkeley Robins

Agnes Rumbauskas

Rayyan Salahuddin

Baz Thomas

Nahla Tran

“…all of the teachers and students support you and care for you.”

“…you can think of your teachers as teachers and friends.”

“…the teachers are nice, the campus is really big, and the animals are great!”

“…everyone is nice.”

Dakoli Seib

Sky Sinelli

Olivia Socha

Griffin Solomon

“…all the students, the “…all my amazing teachers, my friends, friends and teachers, all the animals, all the activities, and and the awesome adventurous Carnivals.” playground.”

“…of all of the kind students and teachers.”

“…it is a fun, friendly place, and everybody is very nice.”

“…the staff is nice.”

“…of the great traditions.”

“…all of my friends are at this school.”

George Tsiakos

Charles Turcotte

Noel Valeri

Charlie Waddell

Caroline White

“…I love when we go to crew — sometimes I pick up a chicken.”

“…the teachers are nice.”

“…everyone is so nice, and it feels like home.”

“…it has kind people.”

“…there are so many amazing kids and teachers with fun actvities.”

“…I met my best friends at Lamplighter, and I love the teachers.”

Zayden Yunus

“…everyone there is really kind, and we get to do advanced learning.”

LAMPLIGHTER LEGACY Passing the Flame to the Next Generation

One of the greatest testaments to the success of an educational institution is the desire for alumni to send their children to their alma mater. As The Lamplighter School approaches its 70th anniversary, we continue to see more and more alumni choosing to carry on their family legacy at the School by sending their children to Lamplighter.

This year’s Senior class includes five multi-generational Lamplighter families. These alumni and current parents have all been extremely involved in the Lamplighter community in myriad ways. Their service to the School

extends well beyond their time as a Lamplighter student.

Each of these alumni has shown ardent support of the School by serving as leaders in the Alumni Council, Lamplighter Parents’ Association, and Board of Trustees, as well as serving on numerous special committees and visiting with students as guest speakers for Alumni Days.

As their sons and daughters graduate from Lamplighter this May and embark on the next chapter in their educational journey, these alumni reflected on their memories as students and watching their own children experience Lamplighter today.

FLAUREN FAGADAU BENDER ’90

GARY COHEN ’80

Lamplighter has only gotten better since I was a student! The best part about being a Lamplighter alumna and parent is watching my kids thrive at Lamplighter for the same reasons I did — the fabulous teachers, incredible community, and magical combination of innovation, hands-on learning, and time-honored traditions that are woven through the curriculum and program.

As a parent, it is gratifying to see that Lamplighter’s DNA has not changed in the many years since I graduated.

The School’s greatest strength is — and has always been — its ability to provide a top-tier education within a fun, collaborative, nurturing environment.

While she may not admit as much, I can tell that Erin truly loves going to school at Lamplighter and taking part in the seemingly never ending cool activities and projects that happen from week to week.

WITH ERIN COHEN ’22

WITH LEO BENDER ’22

I see that consistent DNA when comparing my favorite activities as a Lamplighter student to Erin’s favorites now. I loved working on the Texas Instruments LOGO programming language computers; Erin enjoys all the current technology available to the students, particularly the Flash news broadcast. Lamplighter Layers of course is the quintessential 34

LAMPPOST

Lamplighter experience, and Erin is a Crew Leader, as was I back in the day.

Only now the barn is modern, and the kids are more involved in the entire chicken-raising operation.

Sitting in the wells, singing in Hootenannies, feeding the animals, learning about drama, art, and music — it all remains the same unique experience. The “newer” offerings, like the NightLight program, the Senior trip to Austin, and the giant fall Carnival, complement the “older” activities perfectly and make the alumni parents jealous (although our endless games of Kick the Can and Capture the Flag were awesome in their own way). I know Erin will look back fondly at her time at Lamplighter the same way I do at my own years at the School, with appreciation and a sense of gratitude.

SENIOR SALUTE

MATT MILLER ’88 WITH EVELYN MILLER ’22

JED MORSE ’82 WITH MEG MORSE ’22

MARGARET FLANAGAN SOLOMON ’77 WITH GRIFFIN SOLOMON ’22

The amount of technology Lamplighter has incorporated into the curriculum since I was a student is amazing. From the Eastin Family Innovation Lab to the Flash Room where the students produce a morning television show, Lamplighter has really made strong gains in teaching science and technology.

The best part about being a Lamplighter alumnus and parent is seeing how much things have changed at the School, but how much of the core beliefs and philosophy have stayed the same. The focus remains on encouraging a love of learning and social and emotional development above all else. It is so rewarding to see your kids get to experience this special school!

Fourth grade at Lamplighter was a big deal, even 40 years ago! Lamplighter Layers, graduation, reaching the end of the “Yellow Brick Road” (the gold carpet that ran the length of the school hallway back then), it all felt so momentous and provided a sense of accomplishment. It’s wonderful to see Meg doing many of those things, and so much more (Senior jackets, trip to Austin, the Opera!), and seeing her gain a sense of her own capabilities.

As much as Lamplighter has changed since 1982, with its impressive new facilities, it has maintained and nurtured the Lamplighter Spirit all this time. It’s exciting to see that spirit of curiosity, adventure, and love of learning take root in Meg.

WHY NOT? Chee-Chee the Lamplighter Monkey Photo from the Lamplighter Archives

For me, Lamplighter has been a gift that keeps on giving. My Lamplighter friends remain some of the closest relationships of my life. I think I am very lucky in that, and feel very grateful.

The way I think is enormously tied to the experiences I had at Lamplighter.

Lamplighter inspired my love of learning and encouraged me, via enormous acceptance and leeway, to trust my creative instincts and take risks.

The best part of being a Lamplighter parent is that I can viscerally tap into the love and empowerment I felt as a student every time I walk onto the campus. Additionally, I know that my children will know, someday, the powerful combination that a Lamplighter foundation makes when paired with a more traditionally structured educational environment in middle school and beyond.

For me, almost everything about the Lamplighter experience fostered the possibility of “thinking differently.”

Classrooms without doors subtly suggested to look everywhere for information — inside, outside, in focus, in distraction. Many things are the same at Lamplighter as they were when I attended, but some of the “Why not?” Lamplighter Spirit has possibly become watered down with modern day standards of performance and productivity. I hope that everyone who goes to school here knows that a monkey named Chee-Chee once lived at the school and that children were allowed to dress Chee-Chee with doll clothes. Just knowing that something like that can be possible can inspire “Why not?”, and many of the best ideas in life come from a spirit of “Why not?”

CLASS of

2O22

fun facts

55 SENIORS CARNIVAL, FLASH, & HOOTENANNIES ARE THEIR THREE FAVORITE LAMPLIGHTER TRADITIONS

SENIOR PARENT REFLECTION

by Jenney Gillikin, parent of Kate Gillikin ’14, Alexander Gillikin ’17, and Sally Gillikin ’22 Sally literally grew up at Lamplighter. Punctuated by chickens, Carnivals, and Hootenannies, Sally’s life was enriched by Lamplighter right from the start. She attended LPA meetings in her bucket car seat. She toddled and then eventually walked the halls, following behind me to complete any task, saying “Hi” to teachers, and hoping to see her siblings or their friends and hear an enthusiastic, “Hi, Sally!”

Sally could not wait for her turn to be a Lamplighter student, but her first official Pre-K playdate did not go as I anticipated. She went, but not willingly. She fussed as if she had never walked the halls before. I must have looked surprised because the Pre-K team quickly scooped her up, reassuring me, “She’ll be just fine.” Of course, she was fine moments later, and has been more than fine ever since.

After her momentary hesitation, Sally followed joyfully in Kate’s and Alexander’s footsteps through the unmatched Lamplighter program, eagerly anticipating all of the thoughtful traditions, each year unique and special in its own way. Thanks to the careful balance of inquiry and play, our kids received the best possible foundation for their educational journeys. Just as her siblings have, Sally will carry forward the joy, selfconfidence, intellectual curiosity, and sense of wonder ignited by her years here.

We feel lucky to have been part of the Lamplighter community for the last 15 years, and the end of our time here is truly bittersweet. Lamplighter is the best gift we could have given our kids, but it has also been a cherished gift to us as parents. We are grateful for lifelong friendships, the thoughtful and devoted educators, and all the fun we have had along the way.

36

LAMPPOST

3

FAVORITE SUBJECTS

MATH ART SCIENCE

FAVORITE

BARN ANIMALS DONKEY 40% SMALL GOAT 35% CHICKENS 19% COW 6%

RECESS FAVS! #1 HANGING OUT WITH FRIENDS #2 BASKETBALL #3 4-SQUARE #4 TAG

5,982 EGGS COLLECTED THIS YEAR

*as of April 30

#1 FAVORITE HOOTENANNY SONG! “SOAP AND WATER” LAMPLIGHTER SPIRIT & MAGIC PENNY ARE ALSO FAVORITES

FAVORITE LUNCH ITEMS DESSERTS CHIPS SANDWICHES

FAVORITE PLACES ON THE LAMPLIGHTER CAMPUS

SENIOR SALUTE

MOVIE NIGHT UNDER THE STARS As part of this year’s LPA Auction: Big & Bright, one of the most coveted items up for bid was the signature Grade Level Adventure. This annual offering in the Live Auction always brings enthusiasm and excitement among Lamplighter parents. This year’s Auction did not disappoint, and the Class of 2022 prevailed in the thrilling live bidding for this iconic event!

The 2022 Grade Level Adventure featured “Movie Night Under the Stars” on the Lamplighter campus. The lucky winners of this offering were invited to a special after-hours evening at Lamplighter for games, activities, dinner, and an outdoor movie on Owen Family Soccer Field. As the winners of this experience, the Lamplighter Seniors returned to campus on the night of Friday, April 1 for a one-of-a-kind adventure. The evening featured small-group rotations throughout several activities including a bounce house obstacle course, arts & crafts, arcade games, air hockey, ping pong, foosball, and giant Jenga. Students then enjoyed a picnic dinner from Liberty Burger, followed by a private outdoor screening of the film Spider-Man: Into the Spider Verse.

The Lamplighter School thanks the families of the Class of 2022 for their enthusiasm and generous donations to this year’s LPA Auction.

Your support makes a huge impact on the School’s unique campus and programming.

All funds raised at the Auction will support the School’s Bright Future campaign.

Honoring LAMPLIGHTER SPIRIT THE 2021-2022 LAMPLIGHTER ALUMNI COUNCIL IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THIS YEAR’S RECIPIENTS OF THE LAMPLIGHTER SPIRIT AWARD

Dolores Evans | Sue McCullough Jennie Reeves | Lucy Reeves Wrubel ’78 | Stella Wrubel ’16 The Lamplighter Spirit Award was established in 2003 by the Alumni Council during the School’s 50th anniversary. This award is presented to a person or group who embodies the spirit of Lamplighter. This person or group must have the qualities of a lifelong learner, be willing to take risks in his or her field, and display creativity in his or her chosen path of life.

SUE MCCULLOUGH

Sue McCullough has endeared generations of Lamplighter students, parents, faculty, and staff with her infectious energy, positivity, and most 38

LAMPPOST

of all, Lamplighter Spirit. Sue first joined the Lamplighter community in 1965 when her oldest child enrolled at the School. As a parent, she was an active volunteer throughout the eight years when her children were Lamplighter students. In 1988, Sue became a member of The Lamplighter School faculty as a teaching assistant and served for 33 years until her retirement in 2021. In the classroom, she delighted generations of Lamplighter students with her deep, resounding croak in the role of Freddy Frog as well as her personalized care for each individual student. Outside the classroom, Sue was also the cheerful face of Lamplighter’s iconic “Hug ’em In” carpool, opening more than half a million car doors over more than three decades, welcoming children to school.

Lamplighter Board Chair and parent Doug MacMahon shares, “Everything about Ms. McCullough is Lamplighter Spirit. She has an energy, love for the School, love for the students, and love for the work that is contagious.”

Admission Coordinator Sydney Allen also notes, “Few love this school more than Sue does. She is a friend to both old and young, and her servant’s heart guides her willingness to tackle any task.”

Following her retirement from the School, Sue continues to show her Lamplighter Spirit through volunteering in the Office of Advancement. Sue is the parent of two Lamplighter alumni, Mark McCullough ’71 and Kelly McCullough Coventon ’76.

SPIRITAWARD JENNIE REEVES, LUCY REEVES WRUBEL ’78, & STELLA WRUBEL ’16 Grandparent Co-Chair. Outside of Lamplighter, she attended the Southern Methodist University creative writing program and has recently completed her first novel. Jennie was also a member of Crystal Charity Ball as well as numerous civic boards. In 1986, she co-founded the La Fiesta de las Seis Banderas annual fundraiser.

Jennie’s other loves are gardening, reading, writing, and her family.

Jennie has been quoted as saying that her advice to children is to “Go for it. Be all you can be. Learn new things.” This philosophy certainly matches all that it means to embody Lamplighter Spirit!

Jennie Reeves, Lucy Reeves Wrubel ’78, and Stella Wrubel ’16 are part of one of Lamplighter’s beloved multigenerational families. Joan Buchanan Hill, Catherine M. Rose Head of School, notes, “Lamplighter Spirit shows in everything they do!”

The Reeves family joined the Lamplighter community in 1970 when Jennie and her husband Stuart enrolled their son, Eric Reeves ’74, at the School. From the beginning, Jennie was a strong supporter of Lamplighter, serving as an active on-campus parent volunteer. In the 1970s, Jennie joined the Lamplighter faculty and taught Kindergarten where she initiated the hatching of chickens and mallard ducks. Known as Ms. Yellow Hand, she was the go-to science teacher.

Through the years, Jennie has also served on the Annual Fund Committee, including a leadership role as the

DOLORES EVANS

Lucy Reeves Wrubel ’78 is a Lamplighter alumna whose involvement with the School extends far beyond her years as a student. When she returned to Dallas after many years away in Los Angeles and Rome, she returned to Lamplighter and served on the Alumni Council for seven years from 2008 – 2015, including leadership as President of the Alumni Association from 2009 – 2010.

Professionally, Lucy has built a varied career in the arts including countless voice-over and acting jobs and work with The Groundlings, the famed improv troupe. For the last 20 years, she has been a highly sought-after international DJ. Lucy has always loved to share her work with the Lamplighter community: DJing the Senior jacket ceremonies, guest speaking at Alumni Days, providing musical entertainment at the Lamplighter Parents’ Association

Dolores Evans has been a part of the Lamplighter community for more than six decades. She joined The Lamplighter School as a staff member in 1967 and worked at the School until her retirement in 2001. Her first office was in the attic at the School’s Churchill Way campus, Lamplighter’s original location. Throughout her 34-year tenure at the School, Dolores did any and every job that was needed.

She was the bookkeeper, secretary, receptionist, and eventually served as Lamplighter’s first Director of Admission, a position she held for 25 years. In 2002, the Dolores Evans

Auction, and donating her famous loaded iPods to the Auction for many years. Lucy is also currently serving on the Lamplighter Fund Committee and is soaking up Stella’s last few years of high school.

Stella Wrubel ’16 is a proud Lamplighter alumna and a sophomore in high school at The Hockaday School. In the first grade, rather serendipitously, Stella created Jingle Bell Mistletoe, a fundraising initiative benefiting the North Texas Food Bank. As part of this effort to raise money to fight hunger, Stella recruited three of her Lamplighter classmates — Isabella Dickason ’16, Trevor Godkin ’16, and Quinn Graves ’16 — to help sell mistletoe during the holiday season. Now in its tenth year, Jingle Bell Mistletoe has raised $388,481, providing 1,165,433 meals for individuals served by the North Texas Food Bank. It is a true Lamplighter labor of love.

At Hockaday, Stella’s passions run from the theater to the Hockabots Robotics squad. She is also a member of the Varsity Crew team. Stella continues to remain active in the Lamplighter community by volunteering at the annual Young Alumni Car Wash. She also served as an alumni panelist at the 2018 Senior Luncheon and was the first-ever guest speaker at the Class of 2020 Graduation. She says it is the easiest speech she ever wrote!

Speaker Series was established in her honor. Now in its 20th year, this speaker series brings extraordinary thought leaders to Lamplighter for the benefit of area parents and educators.

Dolores is also a Lamplighter history buff and has a wealth of stories about the early years at the School. Chief Operations Officer Marynell Murphy notes, “This school would not be what it is today if Dolores hadn’t been here.” Dolores recently turned 91 years old and is the grandparent of two Lamplighter alumni, Cole Evans ’04 and Nash Evans ’09.

LAMPPOST

39

WELCOME BACK, LAMPLIGHTER ALUMNI! Lamplighter welcomed seven alumni back to campus

for the School’s annual Alumni Days. This tradition, held

during the second semester of each school year, connects students directly with alumni through special classroom or grade-level visits. These special visits allow Lamplighter alumni to share their careers, hobbies, and passions with current students in a fun and interactive manner. Alumni Days also offers a time for alumni to read to students or share their favorite Lamplighter memories.

ALLISON SLOMOWITZ ’91

presented to the fourth grade Seniors about her career as a photojournalist. While on campus, Slomowitz had the chance to reconnect with her former teacher and fellow Lamplighter alumna Kathey Tobey Beddow ’63.

MATT FERRIS ’89

shared his passion for scuba diving with first grade students.

His talk inspired questions and conversation about caring for the world’s oceans and the environment.

JANE ROZELLE HUMPHREY ’95 40

LAMPPOST

cozied up in the classroom well and read a story to Kindergarten students.

ALUMNINOW

STEVEN MICKEY ’00

talked to third graders about his career in the oil and natural gas industry. Mickey highlighted all the things that come from oil and gas and discussed renewable energy. Students were hyperengaged in his graphs tracking trends throughout the world.

JACQUELINE SIEGEL NELSON ’94 visited with Kindergarten students and read a popular children’s book, but her Lamplighter yearbook was the real hit!

JEN WALLACE ’94

visited second graders and gave a presentation about her career as an attorney in the aeronautical industry.

Students had fun envisioning a design for their very own Lamplighter Airlines!

BRAD WALLACE ’93

hosted an assembly with Early Childhood students about his adventures in Antarctica. “Nomad Brad” engaged the students with pictures of wildlife and icebergs and had them walking like penguins.

LAMPPOST

41

Graduates on the go 1967

playing golf in his free time.

His son, Pierre Craig III, just completed his second year of law school at the University of Miami and a semester internship with the Miami Dolphins football team.

1990

1995

Lindsay Rubin Levin ’90

1998

1977 Bob Porter ’67 spent 36 years working in Washington, DC, with a career spanning the US Senate, law firm government relations, an international consulting practice with a former Secretary of Defense, and as the founding CEO of Paws for Purple Hearts, a nonprofit service dog organization. Bob and his wife Cynthia returned to her hometown of St. Augustine Beach, Florida, in 2016 where he is now the VP of Public Policy for the St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce. Can’t keep a good lobbyist down! They are the proud grandparents of a 10-month-old, gorgeous baby girl and make frequent trips to see her in Washington, DC. Bob and Cynthia are planning a big trip to Europe this summer beginning in Scotland and ending at the Austrian Grand Prix in July.

Robert Brooker ’77 lives in Austin and New York and is writing his second book, a biography, titled Albert Kner: a Hungarian Artist in Industrial America.

1982

Jason Thumlert ’90 lives in Austin and was recently promoted to Managing Principal at Endeavor Real Estate Group.

1993

1976

Kit Garton ’98 works for Solo Brands, a company that recently IPO’ed on the New York Stock Exchange in October. It was an incredible and unforgettable experience, including an early morning on the stock exchange floor followed by a celebratory dinner in one of the historic ballrooms within the building.

Following the IPO, Kit started working as the Vice President of Product for one of the portfolio brands, Chubbies.

1999

Pierre Craig ’76 is a practicing tennis instructor and works independently in Dallas. He is certified with the Professional Teachers Registry (PTR) and the United States Professional Teachers Association (USPTA).

Pierre was awarded the International Coach of Year in 1997 by the PTR. He enjoys 42

currently lives in Chicago with her husband, Ari, and two children, Ryan (7) and Naomi (4).

After having been a highgrowth marketing executive, she now works as an executive coach helping other leaders navigate the dynamics of scale.

She enjoys visiting Dallas and hanging out with fellow Lamplighter alumni including Flauren Fagadau Bender ’90, Meghan Casey Miller ’90, and Emily Luxen ’90.

Stacylynn Dewey ’95 lives in Boston with her husband, Mike, and their two children, Wilson (4) and Edie (18 months).

She recently made partner at the law firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart and Sullivan, LLP, which specializes in complex litigation. Her firm has a Dallas office, and she is hoping for opportunities to come back and visit.

LAMPPOST

Jed Morse ’82 is the Chief Curator of the Nasher Sculpture Center and recently commissioned a work with Lamplighter alumna, Olivia Block ’81. Olivia is a renowned media artist and composer and was commissioned to make a new sound installation from recordings of Harry Bertoia’s sounding sculpture. The new composition, titled The Speed of Sound in Infinite Copper, will highlight the sounding sculpture’s ability to create a palpable sonic space while allowing the audience to activate the sonic experience by moving about the room.

Kathryn (Katie) Nelson ’93 and her husband Alan Vojtech live in Dallas. They welcomed their first child, Victoria Rose Vojtech, on October 21, 2021.

Victoria loves learning to sit up, stroller walks outside, slobbery kisses from Momma (the family dog), and being read to.

Fontaine Foxworth ’99 has lived in Sydney, Australia, for the past five years. She recently became an Australian citizen (which she now holds in addition to her American citizenship).

A highlight of the last year was participating in the worldfamous Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race — a challenging set of conditions led to an experience she won’t soon forget!

ALUMNINOW

2000

2003

Carrie Patterson Gillespie ’00

Will Labadie ’03 recently received his Ph.D. from the University of Houston. Will and his wife Lizzie welcomed a new baby, Eleanor May, in May of 2021. In July, Will accepted the position of Visiting Assistant Professor in the Economics Department at Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana. Will and his family are enjoying the small town life and had a lot of fun in the snow this winter!

2002

2006

graduated from MIT Sloan School of Business in 2019. Shortly after graduation, she moved back to Dallas with her husband Robby where they welcomed their daughter Cecilia “Lia” Gillespie in August of 2020. Carrie hopes Lia has the opportunity to attend Lamplighter someday!

Kristi Blunk ’02 married Adam Laden on November 6, 2021.

After graduating from Texas A&M with a major in Supply Chain, Kristi worked for Dell and is currently with Apple. Kristi and Adam transferred from the San Francisco Bay Area back to Texas in March and now live in the Austin area.

Chandler Weisbart Goltz ’02 recently graduated from LECOM School of Dental Medicine in Bradenton, Florida. She is married to Dr. Jason Goltz and they have two daughters.

Chandler’s mother says that sending her to Lamplighter is one of the best decisions she has ever made!

Jenna Dougherty ’06 graduated from Wheaton College in 2018 and for the past few years has been working as a brand strategist at McGarrah Jessee, an advertising agency in Austin.

McGarrah Jessee helped build some well-known brands including YETI, Whataburger, Lyft, Frost Bank, Shiner Beer, and Costa Sunglasses. Recently, Jenna began a new job for a global brand consultancy based in London called eatbigfish. It was founded by Adam Morgan who wrote a book called Eating the Big Fish that is all about helping brands and companies have a “challenger” mentality.

Challengers have a desire to progress the category that they are in, to change the world around them forever. Jenna is living in Austin and working from home.

2009

Hannah Price ’06 lives in Burke, Virginia, where she teaches violin at the Mason Community Arts Academy, which is the community arts education division of George Mason University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts. Hannah holds a Master’s degree with a concentration in Music in Education from the New England Conservatory of Music. She married Kyle Peck in April. Kyle plays trombone with the United States Army Band Pershing’s Own, based in Arlington, Virginia. He proposed on stage at the Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas.

L-R Emily Barnes ’06 and Emily Waddell ’06

Emily Waddell ’06 is currently living in Seattle, Washington.

She is the founder of two businesses: The Honest Consumer, a sustainable lifestyle blog, and Give a Damn Goods, an online boutique. Emily was a bridesmaid in the wedding of Emily Barns ’06 in March of 2020.

They have been best friends since their Lamplighter days!

Courtney Weisbart ’06 graduated from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, in 2021. She now lives in Austin and works at Baylor Scott & White.

Abigail Price ’09 is thrilled to be joining Raytheon’s team in Dallas as a Process Engineer in their Intelligence & Space program.

Benjamin Stromberg ’09 graduated from Texas A&M this month, and is now running the company that he started in college, GolfRoots. The mission is to break down the barriers to entry into golf by selling affordable used clubs and sets and connecting golfers with instructors and golf courses around the country to help get people into the game. The company was recently featured in USA Today’s Golfweek Magazine for their Just the Roots Starter Set, which is a risk-free way to try golf, and the most affordable starter set in the entire golf industry.

LAMPPOST

43

2010

2014

Sam Horowitz ’10 graduated from Parsons School of Design in New York City and works for Dolce & Gabbana in public relations and VIP customer relations management. He just got back from Paris and is excited to be traveling in Europe this summer. Sam will spend most of the trip in Italy.

Toussaint Pegues ’10 is a senior at California Institute of Technology. He was one of 36 college students chosen out of 6,000 to participate in the Jeopardy! National College Championship.

2012

Griffin Benners ’12 attends Chapman University in Orange, California. He worked with the Boys and Girls Club of Laguna Beach last summer and plans to do the same for the upcoming summer.

L-R Allen Klose and Michael Klose ’10

Michael Klose ’10 will graduate from the University of Arizona this month. After graduation he plans to work as an Investment Banking Analyst for Texas Capital Bank in Dallas.

L-R – Laura Sullivan, Paul Sullivan, Jr. ’12 and Paul Sullivan, Sr.

Paul Sullivan ’12 is a sophomore studying Economics at Northwestern University and enjoyed the Chicago winter.

He was accepted into the Management Leadership for Tomorrow program, a career development program for college students of color. This summer he will be doing an internship with JP Morgan in their Corporate and Investment Bank in New York City.

Campbell Crates ’12 had a lot of exciting things going on this year. She went on her first multi-city tour, released her first full-length album, started a tribute band to Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark, recorded the audio for an upcoming cinematic podcast, and filmed a movie in Sedona, Arizona that she hopes will be a Netflix project!

Isabella Fielder ’14 lives in Dallas with her parents Kathy and Jeromy Fielder, brother Harrison, and her beloved grandmother Mary. Bella started horseback riding at age 5, and for the past several years she has been homeschooled to best focus her time on dressage, improve her riding skill set, and refine her craft. Bella’s dream is to one day compete in the Olympic games and become a professional dressage trainer.

Bella and her Holsteiner gelding Carré Magique recently competed in the Region 9 Championships where they placed first in the region for Juniors, and then headed on to Kentucky to ride in the United States Dressage Federation National Championships. The dynamic pair competed in third level test 3, as well as the third level freestyle and placed fourth in the United States.

L-R Finn Collins ’14 and Matthew Wiggans ’14

Finn Collins ’14 will graduate from Parish Episcopal School this month and will attend American University in Washington, DC in the fall.

He recently starred as Lumiere in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast production at Parish Episcopal School. Finn was honored by Parish as Student-Artist of the Month for February.

Audrey Magnuson ’10 graduated from Duke University this month with a degree in Public Policy and a minor in Environmental Science and Policy. After graduation, she will begin work at IF Consulting in Washington, DC, as a climate researcher.

44

LAMPPOST

Billy Lockhart ’12 far left.

Billy Lockhart ’12 is a freshman at Dartmouth University. He bowed the Dartmouth 2V boat to the silver medal at the annual Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) Nationals in Princeton, New Jersey, last summer. It is Dartmouth’s first medal at this prestigious regatta since 1992. Billy is majoring in Classics.

Gavin Nourallah ’14 is a senior at Jesuit Dallas and will attend the University of Texas at Dallas in the fall. He plans to major in graphic design. He was one of a small group of boys chosen to join the Jesuit student immersion program in Monterey, Mexico, last fall.

While in Monterey, the boys served migrants to better understand Catholic Social Teaching. They engaged in conversations with those who are directly impacted by the experience of migrating in order to escape the challenges faced in Central America.

2015

ALUMNINOW

Jackson Benners ’15 studied remotely during his junior year while training with the 6-8 Water Polo Academy in Southern California. He played varsity for Orange Lutheran High School and continues to train and compete with his club team, Vanguard Aquatics. Jackson plans to complete his senior year at Greenhill School.

L-R Miller Trubey ’14, Jodie Thompson ’14, Will Shoup ’14, and George Warren ’14

Four Lamplighter alumni now attending St. Mark’s School of Texas play on the volleyball team that won the SPC championship last fall. Four of the six team starters are from Lamplighter!

Will Shoup ’14, Miller Trubey ’14, and George Warren ’14 were voted All-SPC in men’s volleyball.

Jodie Thompson ’14 earned SPC All-North Zone.

Matthew Wiggans ’14 will graduate from Parish Episcopal School this month and is headed to American University in Washington, DC in the fall. Matthew serves as the Parish Honor Council President, is a member of the Parish Leadership Institute 2022 cohort, and is a Student Ambassador. He was also a member of the swim team for four years and the tennis team for three years.

Jack Cohen ’15 is a junior at St. Mark’s School of Texas and was selected to be the Editorin-Chief of the Marksmen, the school yearbook, for the 20222023 school year.

Samantha Ward ’15 is a junior at Parish Episcopal School and is the Junior Class Vice President. Samantha is very active at Parish in school organizations and sports as well as in the community.

This year she is the Vice President of the Student Diversity Leadership Council, Historian of the National Honor Society, Manager of Strategic Operations for the Parish Student Ambassador Group, and a member of the National Latin Honor Society, National Honor Society, National Math Society and National English Society. In addition to her school organization involvement, she is active in sports. She recently broke the Parish track school record in the 100-meter dash running a 12:22. Outside of school, Samantha is a member of the North Texas Food Bank’s Young Advocates Council and currently serves as Vice President of the Senior Teen group with the Dallas Chapter of Jack and Jill Incorporated.

L-R Christian Warner ’18 and Alexandra Warner ’15

Alexandra Warner ’15 is a junior at The Episcopal School of Dallas and has been recognized as a member of the (NFHCA) National Field Hockey Coaches Association High School Academic Squad for her academic work. She has also been named All SPC (Southwest Preparatory Conference) for soccer at ESD. This is a great honor since the coaches of the Southwest Preparatory Conference vote on this.

Libby Warren ’15 is a junior at The Hockaday School and she was recently named runner-up in the 2021 New York Times Student Narrative Contest.

Libby was recognized for her essay, “El Xbox.”

2016

Lamplighter Alumni at Parish Episcopal School Prom 2022

L-R Anghad Dhall ’14, Matthew Wiggans ’14, Owen Welton ’14, Michaela Creel ’14, Rishul Rai ’14, Cooper Buss ’14, and Finn Collins ’14

David Peña-Vega ’16 lives in Essen, Germany, with his brother Daniel Peña-Vega ’18 and his parents Silvia Vega-Rubin-deCelis and Samuel Peña-Llopis as they continue their work as breast cancer researchers. David attends the International School Ruhr where he is enrolled in the International Baccalaureate program. David likes Germany but misses the BBQ ribs in Texas!

2018

Savannah Johnson ’18 is an eighth grader at Parish Episcopal School where she is a member of the National Junior Honor Society and plays on the lacrosse and soccer teams. She was named MVP of the Parish middle school soccer team last year.

Savannah is the starting center back on Solar 08G ECNL (Elite Clubs National League). Her team is currently No. 1 in the country, and is undefeated this year. They will travel to Seattle, Washington and Richmond, Virginia this summer to play in ECNL Nationals.

Slade Kirkham ’18 is an eighth grader at George Bannerman Dealey Montessori & International Academy Magnet School where he is on the chess and robotics teams.

He is an actor and musician and played the role of Grover in the locally produced premiere of The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical. The show was presented by Our Productions Theatre Co. and was held outdoors at Wayne Ferguson Plaza in Lewisville. He still keeps in touch regularly with several of his Lamplighter friends.

Lifelong buddies were made on the most awesome playground in the world!

2018

ALUMNINOW

Adair Moses ’18 is a freshman at Greenhill School. She placed 12th of 132 riders in the Large Pony Hunter division at the USEF Pony Finals in August on her pony Masquerade. In November she was the USHJA Zone 7 Champion in both the Large Pony and the Medium Pony Hunter divisions.

2019

2020

2021

Jordan Johnson ’19 is in seventh grade at The Episcopal School of Dallas. Jordan competed with her ESD seventh grade robotics team at the LEGO® FIRST Robotics Regional Championship where they won second place for Robot Design.

Last summer Jordan and her family traveled to Santa Fe, New Mexico and hiked through the Santa Fe National Forest. She also has a new little sister.

L-R Zara Yunus ’20, Cynthia Marshall, and Zayden Yunus ’22

Sophie Rose Kirkham ’21 is in fifth grade at Parish Episcopal School. She recently played the role of Brigitta in The Sound of Music at the Dallas Theater Center. Sophie Rose wrote her first screenplay, “Rogue,” which was selected as one of three young writer scripts to be featured in the junior division for the Play Readers Club Festival in March. She has dreams of performing on Broadway and is working hard to achieve that goal. She is excited to have some of her Lamplighter friends with her at Parish and still keeps in touch with those at different schools, too.

2020 Daniel Peña-Vega ’18 lives in Essen, Germany, with his brother David Peña-Vega ’16 and his parents Silvia VegaRubin-de-Celis and Samuel Peña-Llopis as they continue their work as breast cancer researchers. Daniel attends the International School Ruhr where he is enrolled in the international Baccalaureate program.

Aadhya Yanamadala ’18 is an eighth grader at The Hockaday School and is a member of the middle school robotics team, the Transportation Nation. They placed first in the Lego League North Texas Regional Qualifiers.

They advanced to the North Texas Championship this spring.

46

LAMPPOST

Kira Mitchell ’20 and her family will be moving to the Boston, Massachusetts area this summer. Her parents, Lisa Alexander and Thomas Mitchell, both accepted positions as professors of law at Boston College Law School. Kira will begin at Noble and Greenough School, commonly known as Nobles, a competitive Bostonarea, private, nonsectarian day and five-day boarding school for students in grades 7-12.

Zara Yunus ’20 is a sixth grader at The Hockaday School and is active in her Girl Scout troop, #5930. They went on a campout at Camp Bette Perot where they rode horses. They were also active selling Girl Scout cookies in January and February and doing various outreach campaigns in 2021. Zara recently participated in the Girl Scout Night for Black History Month with the Dallas Mavericks CEO Cynthia Marshall.

Still Pals! These Lamplighter alumni are together for their annual Lunar New Year dinner. They are still the best of pals and get together often!

L-R Back Row - Dillon Kennedy ’20, Harlan Smith ’19, Caleb Ratcliff ’19, Reid Smith ’19, Grayson Kirby ’19, Dilan Koganti ’18 L-R Front Row - Ben Kirby ’21, Graham Ratcliff ’22

The third annual Alumni Association Friendsgiving was held on campus this spring. The event was planned and organized by the 2021-2022 Alumni Council and offered a chance for post-college alumni to reconnect with Lamplighter friends and faculty.

Campus tours were offered, and many alumni encountered some of their favorite spots on campus, including the Erik Jonsson Media Center and the classroom wells.

Cindy Connolly, Associate Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Relations shared, “It was so rewarding to see alumni return to campus to reconnect with old classmates and reminisce about their favorite Lamplighter memories. Gathering in the Eastin Family Innovation Lab gave us an opportunity to showcase one of the School’s most recent additions.”

Photos at right: 1 Liz Lintel ’89, Jen Wallace ’94 and Taylor Cornell Good ’92 2 Matt Miller ’88, Mark Manning ’84, and Joe Unis ’96 3 Mark Hurst ’80 and guest 4 Dianne and Chris Irwin ’96 5 Robby Gillespie, Carrie Patterson Gillespie ’00 and Jon Ross ’74 6 Kathey Tobey Beddow ’63 and Joe Firth ’03

IN MEMORIAM Lawrence “Larry” Falk ’73 Lamplighter alumnus May 27, 2021 Thomas Mattingly ’08 Lamplighter alumnus; cousin of Peter Stubbs ’07 December 10, 2021

SPRING ALUMNI FRIENDSGIVING

1

2

3

4

5

6

ALUMNI SPIRIT

YOUR ENGAGEMENT COUNTS!

GO!

GIVE!

LEAD!

SEND AN EMAIL TO ADVANCEMENT at advancement@thelamplighterschool.org

by October 1, 2022, to submit entries for the

Peter O’Donnell, Jr. Parent of Carol O’Donnell Grantham ’70 and Ruth O’Donnell Mutch ’72 October 10, 2021 Mona M. Wheatley Mother of Lamplighter Trustee and alumni parent Allison Bovard; grandmother of Charlie Bovard ’07, Sam Bovard ’11, and Jack Bovard ’16 November 27, 2021

Alumni Now section of the Fall 2022 LampPost.

Parents: If this issue is addressed to your son or daughter who no longer maintains a permanent residence in your home, please email the correct address to advancement@thelamplighterschool.org.

YOUR GIFT HELPS OUR STUDENTS SHINE

Thank you for supporting the