LREI News 2013

Leading Progressive Education Since 1921

news SUMMER 2013

Little Red School House & Elisabeth Irwin High School | lrei.org

news SUMMER 2013

IN THIS ISSUE 4 DID YOU KNOW? LREI by the numbers 6 URBAN PLANNERS City life reimagined by third graders PAPERLESS PORTFOLIOS

Middle schoolers curate their work online

7 KNIGHTS RULE High school student athletes turn it up a notch MORE THAN BASIC TRAINING

How Summers at LREI staffers prep for camp 8 GRADUATION 2013 Overheard at commencement

10 LIAM’S LEGACY From Bleecker Street to MIT 12 GRADUATES, UNITED An inspired alum earns foreign affairs fellowship MEET OUR NEW TRUSTEES

14 LREI IN THE WORLD Q&A with Distinguished Alumnus Paul Williams ’63 16 REUNION WEEKEND 2013 17 CONNECTING TO THE PAST Alumni Council improves archives and more 18 CLASS NOTES

COVER ART

BY CHEYENNE TOBIAS ’14 CHEYENNE WORKED WITH ART TEACHERS JAMES FRENCH AND SHAUNA FINN ON THIS PORTRAIT, PART OF AN ONGOING HONORS PROJECT WITH ENGLISH TEACHER ILEANA JIMÉNEZ ABOUT FEMINISM AND ITS CONNECTION TO RACE. LREI NEWS DESIGN

BY JESSICA SOKOL MONACO

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Letter From the Director

T

hank you. Thank you for all of the ways that each of you, and that all of you, helped make the 2012-2013 school year such a success.

Thank you to the 150 LREI employees who devote each day to ensuring that all students and families have an enriching experience.

A special thanks to High School History Teacher Mark Bledstein, who completed his 45th year at LREI. Wow! Thank you to the members of the LREI family body — parents, guardians, aunts, uncles, grandparents, friends — who contribute to the school through the Annual Fund, through work on committees, through their support of the faculty and staff, and through encouragement of their children’s hard work.

Thank you to the alumni who are increasingly involved in the life of the school. Over 100 alumni attended this year’s Reunion Weekend, our biggest turnout to date.

Thank you to the school’s 33 trustees who give so much time and care to LREI today and, more importantly, to LREI’s tomorrow.

Thank you, maybe most of all, to LREI’s students — 612 strong this past year, and 630 come September. Collectively and individually, you are what makes LREI the amazing school it is. Each day, you arrive eager to participate in the experiences that your teachers and classmates create for you. You experiment, write, draw, sing, dance, investigate, compete, reflect and take risks all day long. (I get tired just writing about it!) You are so good to each other. You are kind and reasonable and supportive. We ask a lot of you and you deliver even more.

As you read this magazine, think about all of the people who made this year’s successes possible. There are a lot of them and we are so proud of and grateful for each and every one.

LREI — one special school, one special community.

Best,

Phil Kassen

ENCORE! LREI PRODUCTIONS BRING DOWN THE HOUSE Guys and Dolls

Beauty and the Beast

PHOTOS BY TED RODRIGUEZ

Grease

Playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis and original lead actor Ron Cephas Jones (center) stop by to support the Charlton Street staging of “Our Lady of 121st Street.”

LREI NEWS

| Summer 2013

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DID YOU KNOW?

$1,040,344

352,286 visits to

232

1,100 visitors on

record number of dollars raised for the Annual Fund

students in the High School, the most in LREI history

802 exit polls conducted on Election Day by Dan and Ella’s Fourth Grade

189 original compositions

91 iPads in the

by students in our Young Composers & Improvisers Workshop

Middle School iPad program

Meet our composers

lrei.org

admissions tours, almost all of which were wait list only

80 honors projects completed by the Class of 2013 during their four years

1LREI one special school, one special community

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51,000

13,684 miles flown by each of the 33 Mandarin students who traveled to China for spring break

square feet on campus with the addition of the Charlton Street Arts Pavilion and the Science & Math Center

1,372 fans on our LREI and LREI Alumni Facebook pages

1934 year Eleanor Roosevelt joined the LREI board of advisers, serving on it for decades

78 & 20

percent of the eighth grade class moving up to the High School...

2:18.37 LREI record for 200-yard individual medley, set by Alexa Code ’16, member of our first-ever swim team

11,972 books checked out of our libraries

8 chicks hatched

lifers — students starting in First Grade or before — in that eighth grade class!

in Elizabeth and Clare’s Kindergarten

4 age when

5 seasons as Middle

LREI students start lessons in social justice

School Girls Basketball league champions

LREI NEWS

| Summer 2013

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LOWER SCHOOL

Urban Planners While students elsewhere ended

their school years with exams and essays, LREI third

graders in Elaine and Rich’s class ended theirs with a top-secret mission: to save Manhattan.

It was an emergency situation, the children were told.

— in-depth understanding of Lenape culture, Dutch colonial settlements and more — to help create a vision for the future.

MIDDLE SCHOOL

“It was a culminating project that tied in everything we

Paperless Portfolios

a project she co-developed with Kelli Holsopple,

Amidst ongoing conversations about the use of

did all year long,” Elaine said about City of the Future, a theater-in-education teacher at the East Village Community School.

Students first learned about the mission via a video featuring lower school faculty and staff. They were urged to “apply” to participate by solving puzzles and brain-teasers. Once “selected,” they were

given various tasks to complete, such as building cube models and drawing diagrams of their ideal

Manhattan, based on the innovation of generations before them.

digital tools to support learning, LREI launched a digital portfolio design project as an innovative way for students to document and curate their work online.

Fifth graders, with guidance from Middle School Technology Teacher and Curriculum Integrator Saber Khan, used Google Sites to design their own secure, shareable spaces for poems, science experiments, video clips — anything they created in or outside school connected to their passions and interests. Students shared their portfolios with their families before spring Family Conferences, adding a new level of depth to their conversations.

“The Lenape made decisions all together, as a

“The most exciting thing for me was being able to put my work all in one place,” says Nissim ’20.

The project was truly an interdisciplinary experience,

Student design ideas were then used to inform faculty conversations about what’s next. Teachers plan to use the portfolios next year to engage families more directly with the curriculum and to allow students to reflect more deeply. Older students also will use their portfolios to share work with audiences beyond the LREI community.

community. I like that,” one student said.

incorporating not only history and social studies, but also math, science and archeology. Looking back,

students said they had fun applying what they learned.

“When we reflected as a class, we actually talked

about different types of learning — that there’s the

type when you’re remembering facts, and then the

type when you’re applying facts,” Elaine said. “They definitely appreciated using their imaginations to create something completely new.”

Progressive mission accomplished.

Nissim is interested to see what his digital portfolio says about him in 10 years, when he’s 21. “I’ll have all the stuff I’ve accomplished since I was 11. I hope that’s a big list!”

Other educators are taking note. In May, Middle School Principal Mark Silberberg organized and hosted a sold-out NYSAIS workshop on digital portfolios.

“What’s been exciting about this project is that we took our lead from the students by asking them how this new learning space might work best to meet their needs,” Mark explains. “This led to inspiring, actionoriented work among our faculty, which we were then able to share with outside colleagues. Moving forward, we can share and innovate with a network of other professionals. I think that’s exactly what Elisabeth Irwin had in mind when she conceived of the school as a ‘laboratory’ for learning.”

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PHOTOS BY AMY ANGELO, LAURA HAHN AND STEVE NEIMAN

They would have to use their knowledge of the past

HIGH SCHOOL

Knights Rule It was a standout year for LREI Athletics,

with our high school student athletes leading the charge. Girls and Boys Varsity Track ran away with the league championship title, as did our undefeated (yes, undefeated!) Girls Varsity Softball Team.

“I’m very very proud,” Athletic Director Peter Fisher says. “The kids worked hard from beginning to end, starting last fall. More of them are training in the preseason — and it shows.”

That’s thanks, in large part, to a dedicated coaching staff. High School History Teacher Peter Heinz, who coaches Cross Country and Track, and Middle School Art Teacher Jeremiah Demster, who coaches Varsity Girls Soccer and middle school intramural basketball, are two coaches raising the bar.

SUMMERS AT LREI

“When you create a culture in which everyone expects to work hard, it makes a huge difference,” says Peter.

At the end of June, school is out and it’s time for

Many of LREI’s teams are young, too, which bodes well for the 2013-2014 school year — and for seasons to come.

“There are some real stars in the rising sophomore class,” says Ruth Jurgensen, high school principal.

Among the Class of 2016 athletes: Alexa Code and Miles Hamberg, nationally competitive swimmers who joined our Varsity Swim Team for this year’s inaugural season.

More Than Basic Training Summers at LREI to begin! At least for the campers… Camp

administrators have been working towards this moment all year,

designing the program and preparing to train over 130 counselors.

Camp prep kicks into high gear in May. This year, head counselors and specialists attended a retreat upstate, where they participated in camp-themed game show stations, like “Wheel of Camp” and “Double Stare.” They also took part in team-building activities

like ropes courses and scavenger hunts, as well as workshops on diversity and progressive education theory.

“We want to create a high-energy, creative environment at camp, so we model this for counselors during retreat and orientation week,”

explains Cari Kosins, Director of Afterschool and Summer Programs.

At orientation, counselors participated in “Little Red Olympics,” with trust falls, camp supply relay races and track and field trip

training. Additionally, the counselors-to-be attended workshops on progressive education, diversity and challenging behaviors.

One of the most important orientation experiences is the

Safety Walk, says Cari. “We take the counselors to playgrounds in the neighborhood, as campers. They experience holding

whands as they cross the street, while observing administrators modeling safety procedures.”

“We practice progressive theory and demonstrate what

that looks like. The goal is to get everyone on the same page, supporting the mission of the camp,” Cari says.

Visit summers.lrei.org to learn more about our programs, for ages three through 13.

LREI NEWS

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Graduation

2013 In your travels, take all of the small detours; they matter, and they brought you here to this stage now.”

–Ruth Jurgensen, High School Principal

Empathy, intellectualism and passion: all hallmarks of an LREI education.”

–Liam Cohen ’13

My roots run deep, my roots run wild, my roots stretch far and I’m not a stereotype. No matter what predicament I’m in, I will always have those same roots to tell me that I’m not done yet.”

–Monet Thibou ’13

PHOTOS BY BRIANA E. HEARD

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Are you reading every sign you pass on the street?

Yes, and you have since First Grade. We see the younger you, the little kid, the baby you, in the way you still need a cuddle after a bad day, in the way that you want to save every ant and fly and bird, in the way you always question what others see as absolute truths.”

–Phil Kassen, Director

Sikh don’t have a word for goodbye, so I leave you with a phrase that families use when a dear one is departing: ‘Guru Rakha.’ It loosely means, ‘God take care of your well-being.’”

–Sarvjit Moonga, High School Vice Principal, High School Chemistry Teacher

LREI tradition: Faculty personally select books for each member of the class and hand them out at Senior Banquet, the night before Commencement.

As you go out into the world, remember these lessons from my daughter Violet’s First Grade Restaurant. On greetings: Always greet people with a smile and a friendly hello. On anger management, and this is a direct quote: ‘If you get frustrated while you are working, don’t scream at the top of your lungs.’ A personal favorite: Don’t yuck other people’s yum, whether it comes to cuisine or inspiration.”

See where our 2013 grads are going to college.

–Amy Zimmerman, Board Chair

LREI NEWS

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Liam’s Legacy FROM BLEECKER STREET TO MIT, ONE LREI GRADUATE’S EXTRAORDINARY JOURNEY

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t’s the night before graduation, and senior

Liam Cohen is describing, in detail, an urban planning lesson from Second Grade.

The challenge: Build a bridge out of straws.

Liam teamed up with classmate David White,

and set out to construct a drawbridge powered by windmills. One day, after hours in the

classroom’s loft, designing and redesigning, it

finally worked. They could blow on the windmills and the drawbridge would open.

“Our teachers just said, ‘Yeah, do it!’ That was the coolest thing. They didn’t make us stick to the project,” Liam remembered. “They never

stifled my creativity, not even as an 8 year old.”

A decade later, Liam is still building and creating and taking his own innovative approach to

learning. He completed a rigorous, custom-built

schedule unlike any LREI student before him. As a sophomore, Liam finished advanced Calculus (a course typically reserved for seniors), then went on to study Calculus II, linear algebra,

quantum mechanics and more at New York

University, Columbia University, Johns Hopkins University and Stanford University.

“Liam is amazing,” High School Principal Ruth Jurgensen said. “He inspired a lot of people

during his 14 years here, and he inspired us as educators. He showed us a different path.”

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“This is the place for me.”

“He was extremely smart and articulate, but he

when he visited with his parents, Anastasia Traina

His handwriting was a mess. He had great ideas,

Liam’s journey at LREI began after preschool,

struggled to sit in a chair, to navigate the stairs.

and Scott Cohen. Something immediately clicked.

but he couldn’t get them out,” Mary remembered.

“When Liam came out of LREI, Lhe said, ‘This

With Mary’s encouragement, Ana took Liam

“I think he felt at home.”

who determined that he had boarderline

is the place for me.’ And that was it,” said Ana. That feeling stayed with him throughout Lower

School, Middle School and High School, where he not only excelled academically, but he also thrived outside of the classroom. He led the

LREI Robotics Team, which made it to the world championship (twice!). He threw discs on the Ultimate Frisbee Team. He taught a physics

course. He played guitar at countless coffee houses and school-wide assemblies.

“It was a theme during my time at LREI: feeling

safe and comfortable, having the freedom

to explore and try new things, but knowing that I had a really nice safety net,” said Liam.

“He struggled to sit in a chair.”

It wasn’t always easy for Liam, though. When he was in First Grade, Mary Young, early

for testing at Manhattan’s Board of Education, sensory processing disorder. As such, he didn’t qualify for treatment.

“I told Mary, and she said, ‘We’re going to

fight!’ She came to every single appointment after that,” Ana recalled.

Mary coordinated with Liam’s teachers about

strategies that could help him in the meantime.

Eventually, after meetings and calls and one

close encounter with a court appearance, the

Board of Education relented, granting Liam the services he needed.

“In every way, LREI met the challenge — and

with glee,” said Ana. “They didn’t say, ‘This is a

problem.’ They said, ‘Okay, we have to figure this out. Should Liam bring a cushion to help him sit straight? Would a computer make it easier for him to write?’”

childhood learning specialist (and now also l

By Fourth Grade, Liam started to hit his stride.

that he had fine motor challenges.

were hints of the poised graduate who (selected

ower school admissions director), recognized

He was stronger, steadier, more confident. There

by his peers) delivered a commencement

With his heart still set on MIT, Liam didn’t

address that brought laughter and tears to a

want to put it off. He emailed Carey to see if she

Liam through the years (from left): Painting the school, as a Kindergartener.

Programming in Fifth Grade. Fishing with Charles Simpson-Brown ’13.

Leading the LREI Robotics Team. Visiting MIT upon his acceptance. Performing with his band at graduation.

packed Skirball Center audience — one that

could review his essay. She replied: “Let’s just

included Mary Young.

meet at the diner.”

“I was weeping when he gave that speech.

“I was totally shocked,” Liam said, even though

It stuck. And so did the label — “Atlas and

wanted to do.”

so helpful that day and just very encouraging

Senior year could have been a time to move

“The college process was brilliant.”

school was a reach school.”

where he had been taking classes, but instead,

I always knew he would do whatever he

When it came time to think about college, Liam knew the “name brand schools,” as he calls them, but he hadn’t considered the type of

learning environment that would suit him best.

Enter: Director of College Guidance Carey Socol.

“The college process was brilliant because

Carey runs it,” said Scott. “She wanted him to find the place he belonged.”

Massachusetts Institute of Technology had been a dream since Fifth Grade, but Carey

urged Liam to evaluate not only its reputation, but also its community. She encouraged

him to apply to a number of top-tier schools (California Institute of Technology, Harvard

University, Bard College), and to continue to better his SAT scores.

After Hurricane Sandy, the MIT application

deadline was extended for New York students.

he knew she lived three blocks away. “She was

Liam’s Office” — Liam put up outside the door.

throughout the whole process. She never said a

further and further into the university sphere,

It worked. In September, Liam will start as a freshman at MIT.

“I was able to use the school like a lab.”

It was the loft in Second Grade, and then the “office” his senior year.

Liam was working on a math honors project,

Liam came back, got involved and continued to make himself at home.

“Through working really hard and gaining

a sense of trust and camaraderie with the

administration and the faculty, I was able to use the school like a lab and a workplace,” Liam

said. “It was just a step up from the freedom they’d given me since Second Grade.”

as well as a Senior Project with Atlas Wegman.

Liam’s legacy is already showing its staying

Teacher Sarvjit Moonga challenged the two to

conversations about the Strategic Plan, to launch

needed space.

the school’s “go-to person” for advice on how to

High School Vice Principal and Chemistry

power. He was an influential voice during

find a way to turn on a light with an iPhone. He

in 2013-2014, and he was, according to Ruth,

“No one was using the Guidance Office

make LREI a more engaging place.

downstairs, so I bought a chalkboard and I put it

“He changed this school, 100 percent,” Ruth

said Liam. “As Atlas and I got more and more

students who are engaged and interested. But

together. People said, ‘Oh, you’re in your office.’”

charge of their own classes.”

up. I brought a lamp. I personalized it a little bit,”

said. “If we didn’t have him, we’d still have

materials, we just started working down there

now, there is a sense that the kids are truly in

LREI NEWS

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Graduates, United

W

hen Ana De La Cruz ’10 was a junior at LREI, Director Phil Kassen introduced her to Ambassador James I. Gadsden ’66, a member of the LREI Board of Trustees. Phil mentioned Ana’s interest in international politics, sparking a

conversation between the two. Jim encouraged her to apply for the Thomas R. Pickering Undergraduate Foreign Affairs Fellowship, a program for outstanding juniors in college.

Fast-forward four years, after an extensive application, examination and interview

process, Ana earned a spot in the Pickering Undergraduate Fellows 2013 cohort. As a fellow, she will receive up to $40,000 annually for her senior year at Georgetown Ana (on left)

Meet our

NEW TRUSTEES Shirley M. Collado, Ph.D, is Dean of the

College at Middlebury College, overseeing

University and her first year at graduate school. Ana

and supporting a dynamic student body and

one domestic and one overseas — within the U.S.

the College’s efforts to create an institutional

appointed a Foreign Service Officer for a minimum

inclusion at the center of the overall Middlebury

also will be guaranteed two summer internships —

academic community, and helping advance

Department of State. Post grad school, she will be

vision and environment that places diversity and

of three years.

experience. She also is an associate professor

The following is the email exchange between Ana and Jim upon her acceptance.

at a number of colleges and universities across

of psychology at Middlebury, and has taught the country. Shirley is a clinical psychologist

with a specialty in trauma among multicultural populations. She is co-founder and co-chair

Dear Ambassador Gadsden,

Dear Ana,

of Liberal Arts Diversity Officers, a national

the fellows that have been chosen, I

selection as a Pickering Foreign Affairs

of diversity, equity and inclusion in support of

wanted to personally inform you that

Fellow! The selection committee clearly

I was selected as a Pickering Fellow!

recognized your potential for becoming

I am excited beyond what words can

an outstanding diplomatic representative

express. (I have actually re-read the

of the United States. I am very happy

acceptance email about 20 times now.)

for you and will be proud to follow your

I wanted to thank you for your all your

advancement toward leadership levels

support and for planting that seed in

of the Foreign Service and the State

my head years ago back in the halls of

Department. I will also be very happy

LREI. It is amazing to be at this point

to support you as you progress and be

and I cannot wait to begin this journey

a resource when you have questions.

with the fellowship foundation. Thank

For now, I wish you continued success.

you so much once again!

Welcome to a fascinating career.

Best,

Best wishes,

Georgetown University School of Foreign Service 2014

Ambassador James I. Gadsden (retired) Senior Counselor for International Affairs Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation

Although I am sure you are aware of

Ana De La Cruz

Heartfelt congratulations on your

Jim Gadsden

Want to apply? The Pickering Graduate and Undergraduate Foreign Affairs

Fellowship Program seeks applicants who are U.S citizens; who have financial need;

who are outstanding students representing the ethnic, social and geographic diversity of the American people; who have majors in international relations, economics, business, management and political science; and who are interested in becoming career U.S.

Foreign Service Officers. The U.S. Department of State is especially interested in students majoring in critical languages and area studies (East Asia: Chinese; the Middle East:

Arabic; South Asia: Hindi-Urdu, for example) that mesh with the Department’s current

and future needs. In addition, the Department seeks a diversity of perspectives to enrich policy deliberations vital to our country’s addressing 21st century global challenges.

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consortium that promotes the advancement

academic excellence at liberal arts colleges, and a board member of the National Association

of Diversity Officers in Higher Education. Prior to joining Middlebury in 2007, Collado was the executive vice president of The Posse

Foundation, a not-for-profit organization that

identifies, recruits and trains outstanding youth leaders from urban public schools and sends them in diverse teams, called posses, to top colleges and universities across the country.

She earned an M.A. and a Ph.D. in clinical

psychology from Duke University and a B.S.

in human and organizational development and psychology from Vanderbilt University.

Shirley M. Collado, Ph.D

Stephen MacGillivray Mariët Westermann

Lara Olivieri

Stephen MacGillivray, a graduate of Columbia

Mariët Westermann has spent most of her

faculty in 2009. Throughout his 15-year career

and the arts. Having obtained a B.A. in history

filmmaker and new media consultant, he taught

at NYU’s Institute of Fine Arts, she became a

working life in higher education, the humanities

University’s M.F.A. Film Division, joined our arts as an award-winning producer, documentary

at Williams College and a Ph.D. in art history

at The Churchill School, NYU and Columbia

professor at Rutgers University and then at the

University. Other jobs include: photographer, archaeologist and First Mate on an Aegean

sailing vessel. LREI has given him the unique

Boaz Sidikaro

Institute of Fine Arts, where she also served

as director from 2002 to 2008. She then was

made the first provost of NYU Abu Dhabi, and

opportunity to engage exceptional students in

led the campus to opening in 2010. Mariët

digital art. When he is not in class, chairing the

Mellon Foundation, where she oversees a broad

or coaching tennis, Stephen produces videos and

diversity initiatives, making grants to universities,

company, Indian Summer Digital. His most

centers and performing arts organizations. Her

young daughters, Margaret ’22 and Grace ’24.

concern the history of art in the Netherlands, her

the multifaceted disciplines of filmmaking and

is currently vice president of the Andrew W.

visual arts department, advising on the yearbook

range of programs in the humanities, arts and

photo archives for clients through his production

research institutes, museums, conservation

beloved project, by far, has been raising his two

publications and exhibition projects mostly

native country. Mariët and her husband Charlie

Lara Olivieri has been an active member of the

Pardoe joined the LREI community in 2002,

LREI parent community since 2004, including

when their children Wim, Harmon, Cellie and

regular stints as a class parent and serving on

Annie entered the Fours through Fourth Grades.

numerous committees. Most recently she co-

Wim will be a freshman at LREI this fall, and

chaired the Literary Committee. Lara is a parent of a rising seventh grader and ninth grader. She is a Certified Public Accountant in New York

State and received a B.A. from Colgate University and an M.B.A. from Fordham University. Lara

worked in the finance department at the Museum of Modern Art and at Ernst & Young LLP in the

Northeast Assurance practice.

Boaz Sidikaro is an Executive Managing

Director at Och-Ziff Capital Management, where he currently is Co-Head of U.S. Equities. In

addition, he has served and continues to serve

Harmon is a rising junior. Mariët has supported the activities of the school in many ways,

most formally as a member of the Education Committee from 2004 to 2006.

on a number of boards of directors for Och-Ziff portfolio companies. Prior to joining Och-

Ziff in 1998, Boaz worked at Morgan Stanley in its mergers, acquisitions & restructuring department, covering media and telecom

companies. He holds a B.S. in economics

from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Boaz is a parent of Mayer ’25.

LREI NEWS

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LREI in the World

DISTINGUISHED ALUMNUS PAUL WILLIAMS ’63 WHERE HE IS NOW

Managing director of Nuveen Investments; trustee emeritus of the University of Pennsylvania. Paul lives in Santa Monica, California with his life partner, Leslie.

COLLEGE DEGREE

University of Pennsylvania, The Wharton School

You moved to New York City after ninth grade, and then started at LREI. What were your initial thoughts?

Eye opening. Stunning. My classmates were wearing jeans, calling teachers by their first

of conversations with classmates and teachers about progressive politics, religion,

non-Euclidean geometry, foreign films.

Give us an overview of your life after LREI.

new to me. Not to mention that the academic

In college, my LREI education influenced me in

the pace and the amount of reading and writing,

courses in history, English and philosophy to

categorically at a different level.

experience as broad as possible. I also became

expectation was quite demanding. For example,

several important ways: namely, to select many

compared to my prior school experience, was

balance the business curriculum and make my

Have any specific classroom moments stuck with over the years?

Absolutely. Even though it’s been 50 years,

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a Bach cantata the next. Beyond that, I think

names, picketing Woolworth’s. They possessed a social and political awareness that was totally

LA’s Griffith Park walk over the holidays.

From left: Erica (Leslie’s daughter), Leslie, Paul and his sons, Jake and Alec

one moment and leading the chorus in singing

immersed in community service and tutorial

programs in West Philadelphia, as well as other social and educational projects on campus during junior and senior year.

images of several teachers come vividly to

mind. I think of Dr. Kirschner, who insisted we

And how about after Wharton, when you entered the business world?

use his last name, explaining how to frame the

Following college, I became very interested in

“science” of historical analysis in terms of social,

urban problems and how cities function and

economic and political factors. I think of Milt

grow. After working for the City of New York and

Untermeyer, talking excitedly about Bernoulli’s

for a firm focused on public works projects, I

principle and how scientific discovery changes

learned about municipal finance, joined Nuveen

how we think. One of his favorite phrases was,

and moved to Chicago in the early 70s. Over

“You’ve got to rip up the cobblestones and

the next 25 years, I worked with many different

discover new answers.” I think of Earl Robinson,

governmental agencies and not-for-profit

who composed “Joe Hill,” “The House I Live In”

higher educational and healthcare institutions

and “Ballad for Americans,” playing folk music

to finance and build schools, labs, clinics,

educational and service organizations is a direct

outgrowth of my LREI experience. It’s a joy to see that community service and social awareness remain at the core of an LREI education.

Do you find yourself coming back in your mind to LREI? Yes, often, though now it’s through the lens of so many years. It’s amazing to revisit a perception

or an insight or a fact first learned 50 years ago, and see its significance and meaning expand

and thread together. I think that’s what Elisabeth Paul in the 1963 edition of “Expressions”

Irwin intended when she described lifelong

learning as a fundamental principle or aspiration of an LREI education. My own appreciation of that ideal was first prompted in my mid-teens by this school, and its unique spirit and in particular, my fellow classmates.

Speaking of your classmates, did you join in the Woolworth’s picketing or the Sane Nuclear Policy protests?

60s, it’s quite extraordinary to see such a small

institution so ahead in its thinking, like a beacon.

It was really special to have so many of you from the Class of 1963 back at Charlton Street for your 50th Reunion. How do you stay connected?

Now that I’m in LA, several of us who live in

Southern California have been in touch. We get

together on occasion, but otherwise, it’s mostly

online. Johnny Bancroft will circulate a YouTube

video of an extraordinary Rube Goldberg machine or, at least monthly, there is a thought-provoking post from “The Imagination of Billy Stern.”

You’re the father of two sons, Jake and Alec. Did your experience at LREI influence their upbringing?

Not sure I ever made that exact connection,

but of course — we always made it clear that education is critically important and lifelong.

I only did it once or twice, and I was nervous assisted housing and public infrastructure, such as water supply and public transportation, by

means of issuing municipal bonds. I now focus

about it. But in college, when similar issues came into focus, I lost my nervousness and just joined in. When you recall LREI in the context of the

Go to lrei.org/intheworld for more Q&As with LREI alumni.

on creating a range of new investment funds

for individual investors planning for long-term personal needs and financial security.

You’ve also been quite active outside of the office, working with Planned Parenthood of Illinois among other organizations.

Yes, I served on the Board for many years

before we moved to California. My commitment to Planned Parenthood in Illinois and other

Paul (top center) and the rest of the Class of 1963 celebrate their 50th Reunion. From his distinguished alumnus award acceptance: “The LREI spirit we had and the spirit we felt and the spirit we remember… there’s something a little magical about it.”

LREI NEWS

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15

Board Chair Amy Zimmerman

Four members of the Class of 1945, the first class to graduate from the High School, attended the reunion, our largest alumni weekend to date. From left: Ernie Leiber, Ray Steinberg, Aaron Brill and Peter Davies.

Reunion Weekend

2013 F

rom May 30 through June 1, LREI

welcomed over 100 alumni for our

28th Annual Alumni Reunion Weekend.

Graduates, faculty and friends gathered for the three-day event which included an LREI Ideas

Speaker Series lecture “History In These Halls”

by Dina Hampton ’77 (author of “Little Red: Three Passionate Lives Through the Sixties

and Beyond”), a networking luncheon, a duo-

performance by longtime friends Jodi Beder ’68 and Caleen Jennings ’68, a tour of the Charlton Street Arts Pavilion and Science & Math Center

construction, and a distinguished alumni reception honoring Paul Williams ’63 and Richard Blodgett,

president of the Charlton Street Block Association.

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2013–2014 Alumni Calendar SAVE THE DATE!

9/18

Alumni Rooftop Party 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Sixth Avenue Roof

11/13

Alumni Council Meeting 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Alumni Archive Room

11/27

Young Alumni Breakfast (Classes 2010 – 2013) 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Charlton Street Cafeteria

1/9

Alumni College Panel 6:15 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Charlton Street PAC

1/29

Alumni Council Meeting 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Alumni Archive Room

4/2

Alumni Council Meeting 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Alumni Archive Room

CONNECTING TO THE PAST ALUMNI COUNCIL CELEBRATES SUCCESS

With new leadership from president Tim Merjos ’80 and executive vice president Tamar Gargle Krakowiak ’88, the Alumni Council increased its presence this year, particularly by recruiting and involving more alumni.

“We had a great year,” Tim reports. “We really kick-started the council committees, especially the Events Committee and Archives Committee.”

The Events Committee helped organize several gatherings, including a rooftop party, an alumni parent breakfast, a young alumni brunch and a networking luncheon during Reunion Weekend.

Meanwhile, the Archives Committee combed through photos and memorabilia, inventorying the school’s collection leading up to the first-ever exhibit in the new Alumni Archive Room, located on the ground floor of the Charlton Street Arts Pavilion.

“Our diligent members did a fantastic job,” says Tim. “The organization of LREI’s archives is an ongoing, long-term project, though, and one that continues to evolve. There is literally a treasure trove of material that has to be sorted very carefully.”

5/14

Alumni Council Meeting 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Alumni Archive Room

5/30 – 5/31

Reunion Weekend

For the 2013-2014 school year, the Alumni Council plans to continue developing the committees and engaging enthusiastic alums, particularly millennials.

6/18

Alumni Council Meeting 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Alumni Archive Room Visit lrei.org for upcoming events throughout the year.

Three generations strong: Tim, son of Nancy Schaines Merjos ’49 and father of Rose Merjos ’19, and Tamar, daughter of Alan Gargle ’46 and mother of Cameron Krakowiak ’20

“We’re also excited to focus on fundraising and social media,” says Tim. Experienced in these realms, or hoping to be? Email alumni@lrei.org and join in!

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CLASS NOTES Alexander Elwyn ’45 writes that he’s “still alive,

Beyond” was published in March by

wife Sheila and enjoys photography.

LREI, Angela Davis ’61, Tom Hurwitz ‘65 and

and mostly well.” He lives in Chicago with his Norman Sperber LR ’46 currently works in San Diego as a reserve officer and chief

forensic dentist for the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Stephen N. Earl ’51 checks in: “I’m 78 years

old, still working in my own business and can still look back at my years at LREI with fondness.”

PublicAffairs Books. It focuses on graduates of Elliott Abrams ’65. Dina was formerly the alumni director at LREI and is now managing editor of RIABiz.com, an online publication for financial advisors.

On June 21, drummer Mark Feldman ’80

played with the largest band ever! Mark was the solo drummer alongside hundreds of

guitarists during Mass Appeal 2013, an outdoor

LREI Early Childhood Librarian Jesse Karp ’87

authored a new young adult science fiction thriller “What We Become,” the companion novel to

his first book “Those That Wake.” According to Booklist magazine, “Karp’s characters remain

charismatic, the plot percolates briskly, and the world, it turns out, is worth saving.”

Congratulations to Jason Furman ’88, who was recently appointed Chairman of the

White House Council of Economic Advisers by President Barack Obama.

Newly retired, Susan Kranz Rosenstein ’56

guitar jam hosted by NYC Guitar School and

estate broker and sales person.

songs by Judas Priest, Florence and the

Assistant Vice President for Store Design and

Congrats to Jonathan Ned Katz ’56, whose first

lives in Florida, where she used to work as a real

solo show “Making History, Making Art: The Work of Jonathan Ned Katz” was held this February

and March at the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art in New York City.

This fall, Judith Ogull Kennedy ’58 wrote to us say she was “working hard at Obama’s headquarters here in New Mexico.”

Guitar World Magazine. The musicians played

Steve Romero ’90 reports, “I am now

Machine, The Beatles, Creedence Clearwater

Merchandising at Bank of America. My son, who

and the Lumineers.

I hope can go to LREI, is now 2 years old.”

Rosa Silver-Russell ’82 and Cristi Santos ’82

Federica (Sabez) Baldan ’90 recently led

and her daughter Lestine flew in to attend

spiritual workshop, at the Fort Washington

had a reunion in Portland, Oregon. Cristi

Rosa’s art opening at a shipyard in Portland.

the “Possibilities Retreat,” an interactive Church in Washington Heights.

In Memoriam

John Gruber ’61 is “still truckin’, still workin’, still wordsmithin’, on the New York Daily

News sports desk, and still rootin’ against all teams New York, especially the Yankees.”

“Thanks to LREI, I have a wonderful family in

my class and a good education! Love to you all,” writes Josie Segal Gallup ’64.

Bob Sarlin ’64, a retired music journalist and former director of publicity at Epic, Polydor

and Lifesong Records, is giving walking tours

on the history of rock ‘n’ roll in New York City.

He leads one tour right by the LREI campus (rockaroundtheblocktours.com).

Jimmy Tarlau ’66 was recently re-elected as

Toshi-Aline (Ohta) Seeger ’36 died on July 9, just nine days short of what would

have been her 70th wedding anniversary to influential folk singer Pete Seeger. Toshi

was an activist, organizer and filmmaker who played a key programming role for the

Great Hudson River Revival. Her counsel, support and outspoken opinions made her a foundational figure in her husband’s success.

David Loeffler Smith ’46 passed away on July 25 in Exeter, New Hampshire. David worked at the Swain School of Design in New Bedford from the 1960s to the late 1980s, as director and as head of the painting department.

Risë Abramson, daughter of Lois Barnett Abramson ’47 wrote to inform us that her mother passed away on November 12.

William Silver ’50 died peacefully on May 8 in New York City. Bill is survived

City Councilman in Mount Rainier, Maryland.

by his daughter, Amanda Silver Jaffa, his son, Michael Silver, son-in-law Rick Jaffa,

While in Accra, Ghana, Nathaniel Phillips ’74

Charlie Silver, and his dog Harry.

crossed paths with fellow alum Angela Davis ‘61.

In October, the equipment room at University of

daughter-in-law Katie Mitchell Silver, his grandchildren Joe Jaffa, Franki Jaffa,

Karen Geiger ’52 passed away on May 5. LREI sends condolences to her daughter,

Buffalo’s UB Stadium was named after Ronald

Elizabeth Geiger, her son, Peter Butt ’81 and her grandson, Alexander Diamond ’18.

UB, Ronald was a manager for the football team

Cheryl Kelley, wife of Oakley Kelley ’71, let us know of his death on February 6 from

Balter ’76 and his family. A 1980 graduate of during his undergraduate years.

Dina Hampton ’77’s book “Little Red: Three Passionate Lives Through The Sixties and

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congestive heart failure. In addition to Cheryl, Oakley is survived by their daughter, McKenna.

Siena Frieda Heaton Wellenstein, daughter of Director of Admissions Julia Heaton, born on October 22.

Jeffrey Nurenberg ’94 is currently teaching

physical education and coaching at Fieldston Middle and Upper School. He lives in

Westchester with his wife and two daughters, ages 3 and 9 months.

Congratulations to Taina Longo ’95 on two very special occasions in her life: her recent nuptials and the birth of her son, Abel.

Nick Malis ’95, executive producer and head writer for Comedy Central’s “Tosh.0,” was

recently featured on our website: “For me,

progressive education has always meant that

there is no one right way to do things. Valuable

lessons can be learned just by trying something, even if it doesn’t ultimately lead to the solution you were expecting. LREI instilled this in me

years ago, and it still holds true for me today

as I look for the funniest way to express myself on Tosh.0.” Read more at lrei.org/intheworld.

Deborah Sklar ’01 obtained certification in special education and is teaching special

Class of

2031 BABY BOOM! FACULTY AND STAFF WELCOMING NEW LITTLE ONES

Lucas Lawrence Bosamonte, son of Alicia Kaplan ’04 and grandson of Middle School Physical Education Teacher and Intramural Sports Coordinator Larry Kaplan, born March 12.

Sarina Mehta, daughter of Lower School Principal Namita Tolia, born April 30.

Hunter Easton Brewer, son of Mara Brewer ’00 and grandson of Human Resources and Business Manager Tema Tischler, born October 1.

education and theater arts at The Theatre Arts Production Company (TAPCo) School in the Bronx. On September 8, she married Philip DeSanza. Her father Stanley, a retired New

York State Supreme Court justice, officiated the ceremony, held on a pier on Fire Island.

Co-founder of personal chef service BIGlittle

Oliver Truman Aumock, son of High School Science Teacher Gina Lafkas, born March 19 Amos H. Gottlieb, son of High School Assistant Principal Micah Dov Gottlieb and former Lower School Science Coordinator and Assistant Principal Megan Dunphy Gottlieb, born October 7.

Get Together, Flannery Klette-Kolton ’02 won Food Network’s cooking competition

show “Chopped,” which aired on New Year’s

Day. (biglittlenyc.com)

Comedian Nat Towsen ’03 welcomes

comedians, local artists and Village luminaries for a variety show once a month at the “Downtown Variety Show.” The show is held the first Friday of every month at the UCB East Theatre.

Jeffrey Adler ’08 was recently on stage in

“Siddown!!!” The series of one-act plays are “like the Sopranos on steroids,” the Examiner.com said in a fantastic review.

Last June, Elle King ’08 (elleking.com) released

Dylan Hyung Lae Reid, son of alum Matthew Reid ’97 and grandson of Administrative Assistant / Receptionist Cheryl Reid, born June 3.

Amira Marie Jevicki, daughter of Afterschool Core Teacher and Summers Age-Level Coordinator Adrian Jevicki, born March 8.

“The Elle King EP,” which includes “Playing

Vince Kidder, son of Fours/K Head Teacher Diane Kidder, born March 18.

For Keeps,” an original song featured in the

official trailer for Mad Men Season 6. Elle was

named an “Artist to Watch in 2012” by Esquire magazine and Refinery 29.

LREI NEWS

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