MBS Crimson Magazine Fall 2022

Fall 2022

Mor r istown Bear d School M agazine Beard

A Balanced Approach to Education Discovering Science: New and Evolving Courses Challenge Ideas about Rigor and Research

Sixth grade students join together for a team-building exercise during their campus retreat.

COVER: The MBS 11th Grade Class visited Grow-a-Row as part of a volunteer service project. Students and faculty picked more than 1,800 pounds of zucchini for the organization.

Photo by Steve Patchett Printed locally by Intellicor Communications on recycled & sustainably-sourced paper

Crimson Fall 2022

Contents

Remarks from the Head of School....................................2 New Additions....................................4 MBS Moments..................................11 A Balanced Approach to Education...................................... 26 Q & A with Director of Student Culture & Wellbeing...................... 32

Discovering Science: New and Evolving Courses Challenge Ideas about Rigor and Research... 34 Stories of Excellence in Teaching & Learning...................... 38 Beyond the Classroom.................... 42 Crimson Corner.............................. 46

Powerfully Prepared........................ 52 Alumni Moments............................ 56 Class Notes........................................ 64 In Memoriam................................... 68

REMARKS FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

Dear MBS Family & Friends, One of the major trends in education today is designing programs and activities with a nod to wellness. Research shows that as we help students establish boundaries and find balance, they can bring their best selves to their academic activities. As our alumni know well, wellness and balance is hardly a trend at Morristown Beard School. For the last few decades, we have worked hard to help students differentiate the ways they define success. From academics and athletics to arts and community service, we continue to innovate. But as the national spotlight shines on these themes, it seems timely to update our community on our current best practices on campus and new ways we’re applying this pedagogy to so much that we do.

As you will read about, we have a comprehensive counseling team that focuses on the social-emotional growth of our student body. Topics include healthy relationships, boundary setting, and experimenting with learning styles and strategies. We want students to be able to look inward and nurture their identity. At the same time, we celebrate diversity and inclusion and explore different ways to belong and engage in community.

When a students are able to find balance and be their best self, they can best contribute to the community.

This fall, Morristown Beard welcomed Chantal Thornberry, Director of Student Culture and Wellbeing. Given the School’s emphasis on the overall wellness of the children in its care, Chantal is charged with helping students reach their potential and feel connected in the community by integrating and aligning all aspects of MBS programming related to wellness education, counseling, advising, and collaborating with the Director of DEIB to move forward initiatives. Her appointment continues the MBS tradition of taking pride in fostering a strong student culture within its community and offering programming, both curricular and extra-curricular, that develops its students as stewards of the School and responsible citizens.

To that point, the other way we define wellness is by considering the place our graduates will hold in the world. As Morristown Beard works to nurture its people, our students are increasingly cognizant of place.

Among our many project-based science classes is our Oceanography elective. As you’ll read, visits to the New Jersey shoreline have provided experiential learning opportunities for our 10th graders, as they collect 2

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data in real time and bring their findings back to our labs. The 11th grade members of the Interdisciplinary Concentration Program are exploring sustainability and developing projects that address issues that are local in practicality but global in impact. The cohorts are operating from the mantra that, “You are personally responsible for becoming more ethical than the society you grew up in.” For some, that means researching the environmental impact of the fashion industry and opening a Crimson Closet, where students can swap clothing (free of cost and keeping it out of a landfill). Other students are giving input on our Master Plan as they learn about living buildings and sustainable materials that could be part of our campus growth. The ways to contribute to the wellness of our society is part of a much bigger conversation across campus.

We hope you enjoy a glimpse of the ways Morristown Beard remains

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Office of Advancement

Board of Trustees 2022-2023

Director of Advancement Betsy B. Patterson P ’14, ’16

OFFICERS

Executive Assistant to the Director of Advancement Cheryl Bartlett Director of Marketing & Communications Crimson Managing Editor Janet Burdorf News & Information Manager Crimson Senior Writer Steve Patchett P ’24, ’26 Graphic Design Associate Crimson Graphic Designer Sharon Cain Website Manager Michael Smith Media Manager Tiffany Zuber Director of Alumni Engagement & Strategic Communications Kate Sheleg Muttick ’97 Associate Director of Annual Giving & Young Alumni Maggie Ranger ’10 Advancement Services Manager Melissa Hickey Director of Special Events & Parents Association Liaison Kerianne Skobo-Trought Contributing Writers Kate Muttick ’97, Loretta Porter James ’62, Carol Selman ’64

steadfast in its commitment to wellness while also evolving and innovating other opportunities to lead and grow our expertise.

All the best,

Photography Vincent Carchietta (MCV Photography), Peter Chollick Photography, John O’Boyle Photography, Steve Patchett P ’24, ’26, Jopofoto, Tiffany Zuber

David T. Molowa P ’05, President Darnell Parker ’00, Vice President Lee Kellogg Sadrian ’89, P ’26, ’28, Vice President Carisa V. Strauss P ’20, ’22, ’24, Vice President Ravi Chopra ’97, Treasurer Pamela Nelson Davidson ’90, Secretary TRUSTEES Liz Morrison, Head of School Dena Y. Baptiste P ’14 Mary-Ellen Campbell P ’72, ’78 (Honorary) Kelly MacMahon Ewing ’91, P ’24, ’24, ’24, ’28 Lissa Jean Ferrell P ’22 Peter Fiverson P ’25, ’28 Shanae M. Green P ’27 David V. H. Hedley ’64, P ’87, ’90, ’97 (Honorary) David A. McManus P ’21 Michael Morais P ’22, ’24, ’26 Cory Pine P ’21, ’25 Michael W. Ranger P ’10, ’13 (Honorary) Bruce Sanford P ’16, ’20 Marlynn Scully P ’87, ’92, GP ’20, ’22 (Honorary) Laurence H. Sherman P ’20, ’22, ’26 Penny Sokolowski P ’18, ’20, ’25 Eric Soos P ’25, ’25 Scott J. Tannen ’95, P ’22, ’25, ’25 R. Cartwright Wallace ’93 Janine Webb P ’24, ’26 Sherif Zakhary P ’20, ’22, ’27

Senior Leadership Team Liz Morrison - Head of School Alonda Casselle P ’27 - Head of Middle School Klarissa Karosen P ’26, ’28 - Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Philicia Levinson P ’19 - Chief Financial & Operating Officer Ryan Liese - Head of Upper School Boni Luna - Dean of Faculty Robert L. Mitchell II P ’15, ’20, ’23 Director of Enrollment Management Betsy B. Patterson P ’14, ’16 Director of Advancement Chantal Thornberry - Director of Student Culture and Wellbeing

Liz Morrison Head of School Crimson Fall 2022

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NEW ADDITIONS

MBS Appoints New President of Board of Trustees DR. DAVID MOLOWA Before joining the Board of Trustees in 2020, Dr. Molowa was first a Morristown

Beard School parent (his son Mark graduated in 2005) and later became an MBS faculty member from 20062019, when he also held the title of Dean and varsity coach. He began his professional career as a Senior Research Biochemist in the Department of Molecular Pharmacology at Merck & Company, Inc. He is the author of 17 peerreviewed scientific publications.

Dr. Molowa has been recognized as one of the leading biotechnology investors by The Wall Street Journal and Institution Investor magazine. In this role, he served as a Managing Director at UBS Securities, JP Morgan, and Bear Stearns, and as a Venture Partner at Venrock Associates. Dr. Molowa has also served on a number of public, state, town, and non-profit boards. He is currently Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of University Hospital in Newark, New Jersey, where he is a member of the Executive Committee and Chairs the Finance and Audit Committee. Dr. Molowa holds a Ph.D. from Virginia Commonwealth University, an MBA from Rutgers University, and a B.S. from the University of Richmond. He also served as a Post-Doctoral Fellow in the Department of Internal Medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University. David currently resides in Westfield, New Jersey with his wife Carla.

MBS Welcomes New Board Members

MICHAEL MORAIS has been President of Open Road Auto Group since 2014. He joined Open Road in 1996 and has been at the company now for over 25 years becoming a partner and owner of many of the dealerships. He Grew up in Staten Island, NY and attended College of Staten Island majoring in Accounting. Michael was integral in helping grow Open Road which now owns and operates over 25 automotive facilities including 19 dealerships throughout the New York-New Jersey metropolitan area representing Acura, Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Honda, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, MINI, Subaru, Volvo and Volkswagen. Michael recently served on the Board of Trustees at Far Hills Country Day School, JDRF and served as Mazda’s National Dealer Chairman. He resides in Bernardsville, NJ with his wife, Jaimie, and three children, Grace,Jack and Brady. Grace graduated from MBS in 2022, Jack is a junior and Brady is a freshman.

CORY PINE graduated from The Ohio State University with a B.S. in Consumer Affairs. She then worked in the

managing office of her family’s real estate development and management company. After having children, Cory became more active in the community volunteering at her children’s preschool and Harding Township School PTO. She has served on committees at Temple B’nai Or, including Caring Community, which helps congregants in need. Cory was also involved in the fundraising and redesigning of the Sanctuary. Cory and her husband Greg are supportive of many local charities including UJA Metrowest, Neighborhood House, Homeless Solutions, and Morristown Medical Center.

They are active in The Jaffe Food Allergy Institute at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in advancing the research and treatment of food allergies. Since joining the MBS community, Cory has served as a class parent, baseball team parent, and served on the MBS Strategic Planning Steering Committee. Greg and Cory reside in New Vernon along with their two children. Her son, Jared, graduated from MBS in 2021 and attends The Ohio State University. Their daughter, Ellie, is currently a sophomore at MBS.

ERIC B. SOOS is a Portfolio Manager, Institutional Consultant and Senior Retirement Specialist within the UBS Institutional Consulting Group. With over two decades of investment consulting experience, Eric has worked primarily with non-profits, foundations, endowments, retirement plans, and high net worth families to assist in their investment planning. Prior to joining UBS in 2015, Eric spent 21 years at Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. He earned the Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA®) designation, administered by the Investment Management Consultants Association through The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Eric attended Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree. Eric, along with his wife Carol and three children, reside in New Vernon, NJ. His two sons, Nathan and Brandon, are sophomores at MBS.

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Upper School Science

B.S., Education with Science and Math minor, East Stroudsburg University

AWARENESS OF DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES

CIT Y

OUR VALUES

TEN A

DEBORAH BAUMGARTNER —

ND RA MO ITY HU UMIL H

Following are the newest members of the MBS community along with their answers to the question: What MBS value resonates with you the most?

INDEPENDENCE OF MIND

AL SON ILITY PERONSIB P RES

MBS Welcomes New Faculty & Staff

ENG AG EM E NT

NEW ADDITIONS

From Hackettstown High School, where she taught physics, chemistry, and environmental science

“The value that resonates with me is Tenacity, or as I used to say to my sons, stick-to-it(ness). That’s what I call it, and that’s how I live my life, refusing to give up until I find the answer.

Students will come upon an unknown situation and give up because they can’t see a straight path forward; it looks too complex to solve. As we learn, we seek to solve for an answer, but sometimes it’s the process that is most important to us because we take that process towards solving something and apply it in a different context. It’s about how to break down what you don’t know into something you do know and can solve. That’s how we grow—through the obstacles.”

LAURA CHAMPION — Upper School Mathematics B.A., Mathematics Secondary Education, The College of New Jersey M.S., Mathematics, Montclair State University From Parsippany High School, where she taught in the math department since 2012

“Engagement is the core value that resonates with me the most. As a new faculty member, I hope to challenge myself to engage fully in campus life and to encourage my students to engage in my class. It can be easy to be passive in various aspects of your life, especially the activities that are not optional (such as going to class), but you will likely find that the more you put into something, the more you will get out of it. I am looking forward to a great year!”

SARA CHUANG — Upper School Science B.S., Chemical Engineering, Columbia University M.S. and Ph.D., Chemical & Biological Engineering, Princeton University From the Dalton School in Manhattan, where she taught chemistry, biology, and physics

“The Awareness of Diverse Perspectives core value resonates with me because so much of the science learning experience is about trying to understand ideas from different points of view.

I am continuing to work toward this value as an educator by learning about the societal impact of scientific discoveries and scientists to incorporate and enrich the classroom experience.

In class we will gain perspectives in activities such as collecting data in experiments and learning about the impacts of scientific discoveries on different communities.”

ANA DEMEO — Administrative Assistant to Dean of Faculty

B.S., Cornell University From the Office of Professional Development and Continuing Education at Rutgers Graduate School of Psychology

“The value of Engagement, whether in a community, work place, or personal life, is very important to me. Engagement is critical in developing strong connections, healthy habits, and deriving satisfaction from your day-to-day responsibilities. It is my goal at MBS to be my unique self, share my positive attitude and overall friendly disposition, and to create a warm and welcoming environment.

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NEW ADDITIONS

STEPHEN DEMONICO — Upper School

SAM GOODMAN — Upper School English

B.S., Computer Science and Physics, Trinity College

B.A., Swarthmore College M.F.A., Columbia University

From Vistamar School in El Segundo, California, where he taught robotics and computer science

From the University of Tennessee, where he taught composition and rhetoric

Mathematics

“The MBS core value that resonates most with me is Tenacity.

Trees grow strong in a stiff wind! To quote Teddy Roosevelt, ‘I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life; I have envied a great many people who led difficult lives and led them well.’ In my teaching life, I encourage students not to shy away from struggle, to get comfortable with being stuck, and to learn how to get themselves unstuck. There are few greater feelings than the ‘a ha’ moment of unraveling a puzzle or problem.”

BRENDA DEROGATIS — Middle School History B.S., Business Administration, concentration in Finance, Montclair State University M.A., Educational Leadership, The College of Saint Elizabeth Taught at a World International Baccalaureate School and served as an Adjunct Professor at Felician College

“The MBS core value that resonates most with me is the Awareness of Diverse Perspectives. Recognition of diverse perspectives requires student self-awareness, intellectual flexibility, and broad knowledge that enables perception of the world through the eyes of others. This includes awareness and understanding of the customs, practices, methodologies, and viewpoints of varied cultures, individuals, and identities.

The inclusion of multiple perspectives in the study of History lends to the creation of an environment that more directly reflects the world outside the walls of the classroom. It prepares our students for a modern world that recognizes diversity enhances creativity; it encourages the search for novel information and perspectives, leading to better decision making, problem solving, and innovation. Our class lessons and discussions will be infused with multiple perspectives from students with diverse backgrounds as well as diverse historical perspectives.”

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“Humor & Humility are a pair of values that are essential to a life of learning. Without humility to recognize what we do not know and what we have learned but can still understand better, we wouldn’t seek out new knowledge.

Without a sense of humor, however, we wouldn’t have the tenacity to face the fact that the more we learn, the more we come to understand how much we still have to learn. In and out of the classroom, I want my students to see me take joy from how much there is for all of us to learn.”

MATTHEW GUIDON — Assistant Director of Admission; Head Coach, Varsity Girls Soccer B.A., Sociology, Moravian University M.H.R.M., University of Scranton From Moravian University, where he was Assistant Director of Admissions Coached soccer at both University of Scranton and Muhlenberg College

“Humor & Humility resonates with me because I feel that both are values that connect others, regardless of who they are.

Whether it is a senior starting their last year of school, or a sixth grader stepping on campus for the first time, both can connect on moments of humor that happen throughout the course of a school year, but they can also learn about times when humility is needed. My goal is to use these core values with the students I currently work with and with prospective families during the admissions process in order to create an inviting environment, in the same way that everyone at MBS has created an inviting environment for me while I have begun my new role.”

LINNEA HASEGAWA — Upper School English

LORI KRETTEN — Learning Specialist, CTL

B.A., English, Tufts University M.A., English, with a concentration in the Teaching of Writing and Literature, George Mason University Ph.D., English, University of Maryland, College Park

B.A., Sociology, Wright State University M.Ed., Counseling, Xavier University

Taught writing courses at a number of universities, most recently the University of Maryland Global Campus

“The MBS core value, Awareness of Diverse Perspectives, has special resonance for me. As an English teacher—and someone who happens to be biracial and bicultural—one of my goals has always been to introduce and expose students to works of literature by people with diverse backgrounds.

My hope is that literature will open students' eyes to other perspectives, giving them a greater understanding of and appreciation for views and backgrounds that are different from their own. In our investigations and analyses, my students and I will seek connections with and among texts with the overarching goal of a more comprehensive understanding of the self and of others. Literature has the potential to make us more compassionate, empathetic human beings, and my goal is to foster an environment in the classroom that both nourishes and encourages this kind of growth.”

JANET HOLDSWORTH — Upper School History; Freshman Lacrosse Coach; MBS Parent

B.A., History/Political Science, Wittenberg University M.P.A, Public Administration, University of South Carolina/ College of Charleston Ph.D., Educational Policy & Administration, University of Minnesota From Seton Hall University, where she recently served as an adjunct professor in the College of Education and Human Services

From Morris Catholic High School where she had been a guidance counselor and taught AP Psychology since 2013

“The MBS core value that resonates the most with me is Engagement. Without engagement, meaningful, enduring learning cannot take place. I strive to engage with students by creating an active learning environment in the Psychology classroom and helping students in the CTL. Delivering lessons that resonate on a personal level, while investing the time to get to know each individual is how I intend to engage the students at MBS.” ALICIA LANDRY — Upper School English B.A., English and African American Studies, UMass Amherst M.Ed., Harvard Graduate School of Education From the Cambridge Rindge and Latin School in Cambridge, MA.

“As an English teacher, Awareness of Diverse Perspectives is the MBS core value that resonates with me the most. While I think the communication skills are critical, I think the essence of the discipline lies in the exchange of experiences and perspectives. I often think of this as ‘the work of being human,’ of learning how to be in community with each other. I believe it is essential that we all have frequent opportunities to engage with experiences and perspectives that are both familiar and unfamiliar. Windows into the lives of others and mirrors into our own lives give us the tools to have complex and meaningful interactions with our world.”

“The value that resonates with me is Humor & Humility. I believe it is important in both the learning spaces we create in the classrooms and on the playing fields that we all remain humble in all that we do and attempt to keep a sense of humor about our mistakes we make along the journey we are on. As a teacher and coach, I hope to inspire students and student-athletes to be committed to their tasks while creating a climate where fun can be appropriately had.”

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NEW ADDITIONS

NIKKI LIESE — Middle School English B.A., English, University of Saint Joseph M.A., Secondary Education, University of Saint Joseph From the Red Oaks School in Morristown, prior to which she taught English at the middle and high school levels in Huntsville, Alabama

“Building community and celebrating individualism are cornerstones of my classroom, so having space for celebrating diverse perspectives is very important to me.

My goal as a member of the MBS community is to encourage students to grow into independent thinkers. For this to happen effectively, practicing empathy is essential. As a Middle School English teacher, my students will discover diverse perspectives by tackling various readings, developing new writing skills, and discussing with others. Having practice with diverse perspectives develops a strong community and encourages curiosity, learning, and connecting.”

SUZANA MARKOLOVIC — Upper School Science B.A., Cornell University Ph.D., University of Oxford From Blair Academy, where, in addition to teaching, her responsibilities included assistant dormitory head and track & field coach

“The complex and abstract nature of chemistry almost inherently makes it an intimidating subject for many students.

To neutralize the at times difficult nature of the content, I strive to model Humor & Humility as ways to promote a learning environment that encourages students to take academic risks and learn from their mistakes. Laughter and learning from one another help us to build a positive classroom community that supports the rigor of the chemistry curriculum. And, chemistry cat memes are fun, too!”

KAITLYN MEEHAN — Assistant Librarian

JOSEPH LODATO — On-Staff Substitute Teacher; Head Coach, Boys Lacrosse

B.A., Secondary Education Social Studies, Misericordia University Three-year captain of the men’s lacrosse team

“The MBS core value that resonates with me is Tenacity. I believe true tenacity is shown not only in the moment but also in preparation and reflection. I think there is a misconception that people who are ‘successful’ at their craft are just more talented. Putting oneself in situations where you have failed and how one responds to those obstacles is where growth comes from. In sports, the team that has done the preparation and reflected on past obstacles has the advantage. How a student-athlete and team responds after they have faced obstacles during practice, during the off-season, in the classroom, and/or in their personal life is an aspect of sports that can affect their maturation process.”

B.A., History with minor in Creative Writing, College of the Holy Cross Currently in the final stages of her Master of Information Program at Rutgers University

“The Awareness of Diverse Perspectives core value resonates with me because it highlights my responsibility as a librarian to provide the accessibility to diverse and inclusive resources and make them available for students to use and learn from. I advocate for the ‘windows and mirrors and sliding glass doors’ ideology which invites students to see themselves represented and reflected in literature as well as gaze into and experience the lives of those different from us. By openly acknowledging our diversity, it brings us closer together as a community to open and foster important conversations. I hope to continue to promote this philosophy at MBS, and I look forward to learning and growing here with you all!”

LIZ ROONEY — Upper School English B.A., Williams College M.Ed., University of Massachusetts, Boston With experience in education and publishing in Massachusetts, Liz joins us from the Wardlaw-Hartridge School in Edison, where she had been a grade dean and teacher since 2018

“Humor & Humility resonate with me as core values within my classroom. I believe that in order to instill the spirit of lifelong learning in our students, we have to model that same 8

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curiosity, engagement, and humility as teachers. So much of learning ‘how to teach’ was learning what I did not yet know— about my content area, about my craft, about my students.

My day-to-day life as a teacher is a process of filling in those blanks—seeking to know my students as learners and as individuals, being honest about moments in which I learn something new or change my thinking, or finding the humor and the lesson in taking an academic risk that may or may not work out as I had hoped or intended.”

SANDY RUSSO — Learning Specialist, CTL B.A., Psychology, Rutgers University M.A., Educational Psychology, Kean University Worked in the Hillsdale Public School system as a school psychologist for the past five years

“The MBS core value that resonates with me the most is Humor & Humility. There have been many instances in my life where I had to regroup, change my strategy, and keep trying. Without approaching these setbacks with humor and humility, I would never have been able to achieve my goals. Through the lens of humor, even the most challenging setback can be taken in stride and overcome. Humility is the key to keeping our minds open to opportunities for growth and learning. No matter our years of experience, we can each learn something new every day. I plan to model this for our students and lead by example in my daily practice as an educator.”

KERIANNE SKOBO-TROUGHT — Director of Special Events & PA Liaison

B.A., The College of New Jersey, Communication Studies M.A., Kean University, Special Education From The Peck School, where she was an Advancement Associate and also planned school-wide events and worked closely with the parents association

“Spending 13 years as an ABA teacher (mostly for students with Autism), I quickly learned that the world is viewed through many different lenses, but each one is uniquely valuable and fascinating. Though I’m no longer in the classroom, I carry the idea that we all need to be aware of the Diverse Perspectives and experiences each one of us come to this community with. I intend to help realize this value by helping engage our community in celebrations and ceremonies that allow for all members of the community to feel valued and encouraged to be their authentic selves.”

BARBARA SMITH — Guidance Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) Student Assistance Counselor (SAC) School Counselor Certified B.S., Finance, Rutgers University M. A., Clinical Counseling, Fairleigh Dickinson University Comes to us with a decade of experience as a guidance counselor at Unity Charter School and Kent Place School

“The MBS core value that truly stands out to me is Engagement. When adolescents display high levels of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral engagement they are more likely to form positive connections with the school community, have higher academic outcomes, and experience a strong sense of social belonging. As the Upper School Counselor, my goal is to support our students’ social and emotional wellbeing, and engagement is a key factor in ensuring student success.”

JACKIE SUTTON — Upper School History B.A., Cornell University M.A., New York University Taught history and coached cross country at schools in Connecticut and California An MBS History teacher from 2008-2010

“The core value that resonates best with me is Humor & Humility. Humor is essential to learning because we thrive in an environment when we are having fun. Humility is also paramount toward a good education because we grow more productively when we shed our egos. I will bring humor into the classroom and campus life at MBS by offering students ways to show their learning in applied and hands-on projects, and I will support students in their interests outside of academics. I will model humility each day by always admitting when I don't know things, soliciting frequent student feedback, and trying new approaches in the classroom when something isn't working. Learning is a two-way street!”

JUAN TEJEDA — World Languages B.A. and M.A., University of Texas – Austin From Hillside Avenue School in Cranford where he taught for the past seven years. Taught Spanish and French at MBS from 2002-2015

“Humor & Humility are core values that I will continue to incorporate in my French and Spanish classes at MBS. Laughter and fun are essential to the learning process. Play Crimson Fall 2022

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NEW ADDITIONS

is learning. To effectively acquire another language, the learning environment must be low-stress, fear-free, and safe. Humor is one way to bring down that affective filter that impedes the natural language acquisition process. Humility is a constant part of students' language studies, for they may find it difficult, especially in the beginning, to express themselves like they would in their native tongue. As a perpetual language student myself, I share my students' humbling experience and let them know that these feelings are natural and to be expected.”

CHANTAL THORNBERRY — Director of Student Culture and Wellbeing

B.A., English and Philosophy, Emory University M.Ed., Secondary English, DePaul University Was Upper School Dean of Students at St. Paul Academy and Summit School in Minnesota and taught English at a variety of institutions

“I feel Humor & Humility is an MBS value that is so important for our students and faculty to embrace. Humor breaks barriers and helps bring us all together so we can continue to develop a strong sense of community. We will all face challenges and some disappointments at school, but if we have a sense of humor and don't take ourselves too seriously, we can learn and grow from our experiences.

Laughing is universal. We all enjoy it, it makes us feel comfortable with each other, and it can help us realize we are more alike than different.”

TAHJ VALENTINE — Associate Director of DEIB B.S., Business Administration from Stonehill College Graduated from MBS in 2018, and has been a camp director at the Morristown Beard Summer Camp since 2016

“Awareness of Diverse Perspectives resonates with me the most. MBS is made up of people from different towns, with different cultures, different morals or beliefs, different communication styles, and different life experiences that help shape their own perspective. For our community to be great, we must continue to honor these diverse perspectives. In my role at MBS, I have the ability to work with the students, faculty, and staff to help guide the exploration of ourselves and others which would then lead to the awareness of diverse perspectives. Learning about human differences not only allows one to gain knowledge about many cultures, but it can spark creativity and innovation that can help members within our community embark on our other MBS core values.”

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JAIMIE WOODRUFF — Art & Design B.A., Art Education, TCNJ with a Psychology minor M.A., Art Education, Boston University M.A., Educational Leadership, Ramapo College Was an art teacher in the Summit Public School system for more than a decade

“Engagement is one of the core values that truly resonates with me. After a long pandemic where engagement in an in-person setting was extremely difficult, this really hits home, especially within the arts. Being able to engage in the art-making process alongside students this year will be extremely important in helping them foster that creative side within them.”

Familiar Faces in New Places New Appointments and Positions ALONDA CASSELLE P ’27, former Director of Middle School Admission, is the new Head of Middle School.

DARREN BURNS P ’19, ’22, former Associate Head of School, joins the Advancement Office as Director of Strategic Initiatives and Stewardship. KATE SHELEG MUTTICK ’97, former Director of Experiential Learning, is the Director of Alumni Engagement & Strategic Communications while also serving as Director of the Center for Academic Writing. BONI LUNA, former Head of Middle School, is the Dean of Faculty. RACHAEL PLATT, who was our permanent substitute teacher, is the new Assistant to the Head of Upper School. In addition to teaching in the World Languages Department, MICHAEL MCGRANN P ’26 is the new Associate Director of Curriculum & Experiential Learning. Learner specialist DR. KIM POTTRATZ P’ 26 is the new Director of the Center for Teaching & Learning. DARREN LOVELOCK has taken the role of Professional Growth Coordinator for faculty in addition to teaching English in the Upper School.

Science teacher ARCHANA SANKAR is the new Middle School Director of Student Life.

MBS MOMENTS

Honoring Eddie Franz Teacher, Coach, Mentor, Friend

On Sunday, October 23, MBS hosted a Celebration of Life for Eddie Franz in Founders Hall. MBS alumnus Colin Larmond, Jr. ’08 was the emcee for the program that included presentations from Board of Trustees President David Molowa P ’05, Head of School Liz Morrison, alumnus Dan McHale ’97, former Associate Head of School and new Director of Strategic Initiatives and Stewardship Darren Burns P’19, ’22, and Honorary Trustee and former Board President Michael Ranger P ’10, ’13. The program also included a beautiful vocal performance by senior Maya Bhide ’23, who sang “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.”

“Today we celebrate the life of someone who was so vibrant, so animated, and so transparent in his embrace of life, and so deeply dedicated to this institution. And though I was lucky enough to know him well, even those members of the community who didn’t know him personally were affected by his work here,” stated Darren Burns.

The speakers shared their touching stories about how they came to know Eddie and the ways he touched their lives and careers. There was also a video tribute that included recorded testimonies of three former students; each shared their favorite memories of him and the impact he had on them at MBS and beyond.

Throughout his 39 years at MBS, Eddie served as a teacher of history and constitutional law, the boys varsity basketball coach, the boys varsity tennis coach, and the School's guidance and crisis management director.

“The first thing I learned is that he believed in me,” shared Dan McHale ’97. Other life lessons he said he learned from Eddie that he took into his coaching career were perseverance, empowerment, perspective, and loyalty. “I have been around many famous coaches, but no one impacted my life more than our Hall of Fame Coach Eddie Franz.”

Colin Larmond shared, “He always had a way to brighten up a room and the mood. Didn’t matter the circumstances. My appreciation for Coach Franz goes way beyond this hour… way beyond the initial relationship in 2004. It will continue through my children and it’s something that will never die. I thank him for opening my eyes to a different view and perspective of life. He never made you feel out of place.”

Along with his work at MBS, Eddie spent nearly 35 summers as the Camp Director of LifeCamp. Located in Pottersville, the camp’s mission is to provide academic enrichment, artistic expression, and athletic opportunities in a safe outdoor space for Newark students.

Morristown Beard School has created two endowed funds in Eddie’s honor­—The Eddie Franz Endowed Scholarship Fund and The Eddie Franz Endowed Chair for Wellness. To learn more about these funds, visit www.mbs.net/support-mbs/eddie-franz-endowed-funds, scan the QR code, or contact Betsy Patterson, Director of Advancement, at 973-532-7524 or bpatterson@mbs.net.

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MBS MOMENTS

MBS KICKS OFF THE SCHOOL YEAR New Student Orientation New Middle and Upper School students received a welcome from Head of School Liz Morrison, Head of Middle School Alonda Casselle, and Head of the Upper School Ryan Liese before meeting in their advisory for the first time. Mrs. Morrison encouraged the students to take risks, try new activities, and take advantage of the many resources MBS has to offer.

On-Campus Retreats This year, each grade participated in an on-campus retreat during the first week of school. In addition to participating in different group activities, students met with their advisors, division heads and grade deans, and participated in workshops on time management and balance, DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging), goalsetting, and ways to engage within the community.

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Community Day During the first few days of returning to school, Upper School students met with all of their teachers for an abbreviated class period and enjoyed additional opportunities to connect with each other.

Middle School students discussed their summer reading, participated in a series of workshops focused on social media, friendships, and DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging).

At the first All-School Meeting of the year, Head of Upper School Ryan Liese and Head of Middle School Alonda Casselle spoke about School pride and responsibility. Head of School Liz Morrison discussed the MBS core values and gave special emphasis to the School's word of the year—engagement.

“Engaged students make a joyful school. I’m looking forward to an

amazing year full of student engagement…My charge is for each of you to dive into this moment, seize it, and make this year everything you want it to be. —LIZ MORRISON, Head of School, All-School Meeting, September 9

”

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MBS MOMENTS

Convocation Ceremony Head of School Liz Morrison welcomed the students and faculty and spoke about the opportunity they have to seize the moment and make the year everything they want it to be.

The Convocation included an address from Art & Design teacher Laurie Hartman, remarks from Student Government Association (SGA) President Egbefe Omonzane ’23, last year’s Middle School SGA President Daniel Raimer ’26, and Director of Co-Curricular Activities and alumnus Kevin McDonald ’98. Senior Maya Bhide ’23 performed a beautiful version of Corinne Bailey Rae’s “Put Your Records On,” and the MBS Jazz Ensemble set a festive tone with its processional (“Sofrito”) and recessional (“Low Rider”).

“Whether it’s playing

Parents Reception and Address by Head of School MBS parents and guardians gathered under the tent on Senior Circle to enjoy a wine and cheese reception and hear from Head of School Liz Morrison, Head of Middle School Alonda Casselle, Head of Upper School Ryan Liese, Director of DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging) Klarissa Karosen, and the School’s new Director of Student Culture and Wellbeing Chantal Thornberry.

Mrs. Morrison spoke about the importance of MBS seizing this post-pandemic moment, reintroducing the concept of accountability, and emphasizing the social-emotional growth of its students. Other key goals include building community and practicing engagement—the School’s theme of the year.

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a sport, learning to build a drone, picking up an instrument, or chasing an academic interest and creating an independent study, we want students to try everything. In turn, they will find something that ignites a passion or gives them purpose.

”

—LIZ MORRISON, Head of School

Homecoming and the 30th Annual Kirby Mile An enthusiastic crowd turned out to celebrate Homecoming and cheer for the Crimson football team as they played Pingry on Saturday, October 22.

The afternoon also provided a great opportunity for students, parents, and alumni to enjoy some food and drink at the tailgate events.

During halftime of the football game, a large group of participants turned out to run the 30th annual Kirby Mile. Sophomore Nick Troiano ’25 won this year’s race in a blazing fast time of 4:56.

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MBS MOMENTS

Parents & Guardians Weekend On a Friday night in September, the School welcomed parents and guardians of newly-enrolled students at a special reception. On Saturday afternoon, all enjoyed the beautiful weather as they mixed and mingled at grade-level socials.

Parents and guardians also had an opportunity to chat with Head of School Liz Morrison, purchase an array of MBS swag from the bookstore, and meet other members of the community.

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Save the Dates!

Morristown Beard

Please join us on

Monday, May 15, 2023

CR

at the Mountain Ridge Country Club for the IM

SO

N CL A

SS

IC

MBS CRIMSON GOLF CLASSIC

February

10

2023 Parents Association Gala Park Avenue Club, Florham Park

MBS Hosts Multicultural Collaborative Meet & Greet MBS parents and guardians gathered in the lobby of the Math & Science Center for a Multicultural Collaborative (MCC) Meet & Greet. The event provided an opportunity for parents to socialize and learn more about the ways the MCC supports the advancement of the School’s diversity initiatives and promotes the well-being of all students.

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MBS MOMENTS

MBS Middle School Students Enjoy Activity Night MBS Middle School students gathered on campus in September for a fun evening of games, activities, and meeting friends. The Simon Athletic Center was a flurry of activity as students swam in the pool and played basketball, corn hole, and spike ball before gathering together to eat pizza and watch a movie.

Folklore Urbano NYC Helps MBS Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month The award-winning production company Folklore Urbano NYC visited campus in October to lead dance and music workshops with students throughout the day and then perform at All-School Meeting as part of the School’s recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month.

Folklore also collaborated with the MBS Jazz Ensemble, building on techniques that Dr. John Girvin has fostered including Latin American rhythms, syncopation, and improvisation concepts.

Joseph Geoghan ’23 Named National Merit Commended Student Congratulations to MBS senior Joseph Geoghan ’23, who has been named a Commended Student in the 2023 National Merit Scholarship Program. Joseph is among 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation who are being recognized for their exceptional academic promise. Although he will not continue in the 2023 competition for National Merit Scholarship awards, he placed among the top five percent of more than 1.5 million students who entered the competition by taking the 2021 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT).

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Four MBS Seniors Honored by The College Board Congratulations to MBS seniors Marjorie Gonzaga ’23, Egbefe Omonzane ’23, Julian Melendez ’23, and Patrick Woodham ’23, who were recently selected as College Board National Recognition Program award recipients. The students earned this recognition because of their academic achievements in school and their outstanding performance on the PSAT or AP Exams.

Marjorie Gonzaga and Julian Melendez were each honored with the National Hispanic Recognition Award. Egbefe Omonzane and Patrick Woodham each received the National African American Recognition Award.

Update on Crimson Current The 5-foot, unmanned sailboat our 6th-graders launched last spring as part of the "Educational Passages" program was recovered in a cave off the rocky shores of West Cork, Ireland in July.

On October 14, our Middle Schoolers were able to connect with the students from Barryroe National School via Zoom.

The students from both schools were able to learn more about each other’s country and daily way of life, what a typical school day looks like, and compared notes on their favorite foods, hobbies, celebrities, and sports. The Barryroe students performed the Irish national anthem on the tin whistle and taught MBS students a few Irish words and phrases.

The two schools will participate in a pen pal program to get to know each other better. In the coming weeks, MBS students will also send the Barryroe students a new sail for them to decorate so that they can re-launch Crimson Current as their own.

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MBS MOMENTS

Spring 2022

Middle School Stages Oklahoma!

The Theater at Founders Hall was transformed into the Oklahoma Territory of the early 1900s as the MBS Middle School Musical Theater class presented Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic Oklahoma! last spring.

The Musical Theater class gives middle schoolers the opportunity to learn about the rich history of American musical theater while pursuing specialized performance training in acting, singing, and dancing.

Middle School Talent Show Coordinated and MC’d by 7th Grader Jeet Ghosh ’27, the inaugural talent show featured everything from tap dancing and gymnastics to comedy and magic. The show kicked off with a special appearance by Upper School singer Cooper Weil ’22, who sang “Maybe This Time” from Cabaret.

Spring Dance Concert The Spring Dance Concert in Founders Hall featured more than 70 students in Middle School Dance, Intro to Dance, Intermediate Dance, Advanced Dance, Tap, and the Morristown Beard Dance Ensemble.

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Performing Arts Festival In April, MBS held its first Performing Arts Festival. The informal event gave members of the MBS community a forum to showcase their talents—from singing and dancing to dramatic dialogues.

Jazz & Percussion Spring Concert The Middle School Band and the Upper School Jazz and Percussion Ensembles performed their spring concert in April. The program included an array of music familiar to all including the theme song from The Avengers, Louie Louie, On Broadway, Isn’t She Lovely, and Fly Me to the Moon featuring senior Zach Taylor ’22 on vocals.

String Quartet Performs at All-School Meeting In April, Performing Arts Department Chair David Gold played strings with fellow professional musicians.

They performed pieces by Mozart and Puccini, Coldplay’s Viva La Vida and Kishi Bashi’s arrangement of the Talking Heads’ song This Must Be the Place featuring Art & Design Chair Peter Donahue on vocals, as well as The Beatles’ Eleanor Rigby featuring Zach Taylor ’22 on vocals.

String Ensembles and Chorus Songs in this April spring concert included the Middle School Strings playing French Folk Song and Tarantella, the Upper School String Ensemble performing Gymnopedie and Andante for Strings and the Upper School Chorus singing Climbing Up The Mountain, There Has to Be a Song, and You Needed Me.

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Class of 2022

Commencement 2022 The Morristown Beard School Class of 2022 Commencement ceremony took place on campus on Saturday, June 11. Family members gathered on Senior Circle as 115 seniors received diplomas. Our new alumni are now attending the following colleges and universities:

American University Arizona State University Babson College Boston College Boston University Brandeis University Bucknell University Clemson University Colgate University 22 Crimson Fall 2022

College of the Holy Cross Columbia University Cornell University Drexel University Elon University Fairfield University Fordham University Haverford College High Point University

Howard University Indiana University Johns Hopkins University Lafayette College Lehigh University Louisiana State University Loyola University Chicago Morehouse College Northeastern University

Oberlin College Oxford Brookes University Pennsylvania State University Princeton University Providence College Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Rollins College Salve Regina University Skidmore College

MBS MOMENTS

Southern Methodist University Syracuse University Texas Christian University The New School – Parsons School of Design The University of Tennessee Tulane University of Louisiana University of Arizona University of Bridgeport

University of Colorado Boulder University of Dayton University of Delaware University of Denver University of Louisville University of Maryland – Baltimore County University of Maryland – College Park

University of Miami University of Michigan University of Rhode Island University of Richmond University of San Diego University of Southern California University of Vermont University of Virginia University of Wisconsin

Villanova University Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Wake Forest University Williams College Worcester Polytechnic Institute

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MBS MOMENTS

“Moving Up” Ceremony 2022 Morristown Beard School held its 2022 “Moving Up” ceremony in Founders Hall on June 10.

Sixty-eight eighth graders advanced from the Middle School to the Upper School.

Phoebe Stiles King ’49 Gallery Students in Matt Martino’s Human Scale class created an interactive art installation titled “A Treacherous Balance” for the gallery in the Math & Science Center. Charlie Hutchinson ’23, Ava Penizotto ’22, Zach Rempell ’22, and Sophie Schramm ’22 aimed to incorporate a contrast in materials and scale, as well as create an exhibit that was interactive. The gallery featured the group’s earliest sketches and prototypes and the innovative seating system they designed that was also on display.

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Field Day The “Fun in the Sun” Field Day was held for all classes last spring as a reward for current family participation in The MB Fund surpassing 81% during the 30-Day Class Challenge.

A DJ, photo booth, inflatable games, obstacle course, volleyball, Spike Ball, Kan Jam, and giant checkers were among the activities at the event along with an ice cream truck full of ice cream novelties!

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A Balanced Appro

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ach to Education

By STEVE PATCHETT P ’24, ’26

W

ellness may be a new buzzword on some campuses, but it has been a cornerstone of a Morristown Beard School education for decades, and the School is deeply invested in guiding students to reach their potential within a life of balance and authentic learning.

“Our commitment to wellness and balance at Morristown Beard School is organic; it’s in our DNA,” said Head of School Liz Morrison. “We have always strived to provide a more joyful learning environment where every minute isn’t scripted and the greatest value is placed on the process of learning.”

Over the years, MBS has re-imagined and re-defined the typical academic experience to engage its students in ways which research tells us will prepare them to lead fulfilling and successful lives. This starts with a balanced approach to their educational journey and a commitment to promoting the social, emotional, and mental well-being of each student.

While many academic institutions reward work for work’s sake and emphasize grades over growth, MBS believes that a hyper-competitive, grade-grinding school atmosphere negatively affects student wellbeing.

“We know that students who engage deeply and meaningfully in their classes and activities gain the most from those experiences, so we actively push back on the notion that more necessarily means better,” said Mrs. Morrison. “Our offerings and initiatives like the Interdisciplinary Concentrations Program, the Earned Honors model, our Advanced Seminars and Advanced Studies Program, and our Independent Studies all speak to this idea of depth over breadth, and about balancing responsibilities to perform at your best. Generations of students have been encouraged to spread themselves too thin, but we believe that balance creates a richer, more engaged, and more impactful learning experience for our students.”

The MBS Wellness faculty are an invaluable resource on campus, creating a comprehensive, multi-faceted curriculum dedicated to relevant topics ranging from personal fitness and nutrition to stress management, self-esteem, and building healthy relationships. During any given week, students can

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be found engaged in a time management workshop, a sports medicine seminar, or a leadership program.

Still, the School’s broader commitment to student wellness permeates more than simply its Wellness courses. MBS looks at the whole child and builds support around their various needs to foster growth and development. Throughout the School, MBS teachers view each student as unique and work with them to help them deepen their awareness of self in addition to the content in their class. Small advisory groups provide students with an opportunity to connect with their peers as well as a trusted adult. Upper and Middle School Grade Deans and Middle School Team Leaders also get to know each student in the class personally.

The daily schedule itself provides students with collaborative periods and free time when they can meet with a teacher for extra help, pursue an interest, or simply connect and recharge with friends.

Year-round programming developed by our Counseling team provides students with tools to navigate challenging situations.

In the Middle School, for example, students regularly engage in workshops that address topics ranging from navigating social media to gender norms and pressures across cultures. They cultivate strategies for speaking up on behalf of themselves and others and learn how to productively address friends and peers over differences of opinion and disagreements.

MBS also recognizes that one of the major indicators of student wellbeing is a sense of belonging, and that is why the School is committed to engaging its students as fully as possible in the life of the School. From grade-level retreats with the deans, to clubs and extra-curricular activities, to Spirit Week and class competitions, MBS students feel how special it is to be part of this community. The connections which they form with their 28 Crimson Fall 2022

TEACHERS & GRADE DEANS

COUNSELORS

ADVISORS

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CENTER FOR TEACHING & LEARNING

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION, AND BELONGING classmates and teachers help them confidently create their own unique journey and celebrate alongside their peers as they do the same.

To bolster its commitment to student wellness and balance, which is a pillar in the 2021-2026 Strategic Plan, Morristown Beard School created a new position – Director of Student Culture & Wellbeing. In this role, Chantal Thornberry is integrating and aligning all aspects of wellness education, counseling, and advising while working closely with Athletics, the Arts, and the Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) to create an even stronger network of support for MBS students.

“If balance and wellness truly matter at MBS, they need to be institutionally rooted,” explained Mrs. Morrison. “We want to make sure all of the things we do at MBS complement each other and are efficient. The most logical step was to bring in someone who can tie together what we already do.”

Ms. Thornberry has been immersing herself in the MBS community this fall and said that she is deeply impressed by the work being done here.

“I’ve never worked with professionals who are so interconnected and who know the students so well. This is a school where the kids expect the adults to know them, and they certainly do,” said Ms. Thornberry. “The faculty and staff are absolutely dedicated to working together to build a strong social and emotional foundation for the students.”

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NURSING STAFF

PERFORMING ARTS

COMMUNITY SERVICE

WELLNESS CLASSES

CLUBS & ACTIVITIES

CENTER FOR ACADEMIC WRITING ATHLETICS

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Q Chantal &A Crimson Interview:

Thornberry Director of Student Culture & Wellbeing

By Steve Patchett P ’24, ’26

Morristown Beard School is pleased to welcome Chantal Thornberry as Director of Student Culture & Wellbeing. In this new position, which is part of the Senior Leadership Team, Ms. Thornberry evaluates current programming relative to MBS students’ experience and determines how best to enact key initiatives moving forward.

Her primary charge will be to help students reach their potential and feel connected in the community by integrating and aligning all aspects of MBS programming related to wellness education, counseling, advising, and collaborating with the Director of DEIB to move forward initiatives.

Ms. Thornberry, who earned a B.A. in English and Philosophy from Emory University and an M.Ed. in Secondary English from DePaul University, comes to MBS from St. Paul Academy & Summit School in St. Paul, Minnesota, where she served as Upper School Dean of Students for the past four years.

Q: What attracted you to Morristown Beard School?

A: I was attracted by the position itself, and from the

earliest stages of the process, I could see that Morristown Beard School was clearly a school deeply invested in the development of the whole child. During the initial Zoom interview and during my visit to campus, I was impressed by the warmth of the community, the clear focus on creating balance for students, and the openness to creativity.

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Q: Why is it so important for MBS to focus on well-being?

A: It’s important for all schools—not just MBS—but MBS has invested the time and support structures to better ensure that our students do have balance and well-being. Studies show that schools that focus on socialemotional learning (SEL) have students who are not only more successful academically, but more successful in managing their care, more successful in their personal and professional relationships, and better able to work across differences.

Q: How do you interact with students on a day-to-day basis?

A: I am getting to know our students at MBS in several ways. In the

classroom, I teach a senior English elective on Shakespeare’s Tragedies.

I am also observing classes to better understand the student experience, and I’m attending clubs, student government meetings, and observing advisories. By meeting with various student leaders, I am able to hear directly from them regarding their needs. I also like to interrupt students as they socialize in our common spaces, asking them how their day is going.

Of course, students are also beginning to pop into my office and share their experiences.

Q: In what ways will you help improve the MBS

student experience? What programs and events are you implementing?

real openness here to collaboration, self-assessment, re-evaluation, and new initiatives that best meet the needs of our students in an ever-changing landscape.

A: This year, much of my focus is about listening, observing, and learning. Q: How do you see yourself working with other Communities and cultures are complicated, and one must actively listen to understand the unique needs. I am working with the deans and our gradelevel advisors to assess and lead our advisor program to make it even more responsive to student needs. We also have deeply-committed and dedicated Counseling and Wellness departments. I don’t know if I’ve ever been more impressed. The faculty members know and care for each and every student here at MBS, and we have been exploring activities, programming, and courses that can help our students face the challenges of the modern world, increase engagement in our community, and spread joy.

Q: What do you hope students learn from you?

A: I hope they learn that we all face challenges and disappointments, but that if we keep trying, ground ourselves in our values, and speak and act with compassion, we can learn and grow from these experiences. As I said to families at our Convocation evening reception, “Calm waters do not a sailor make.” The importance here is in the teaching of navigation and sailing skills, especially in a supportive environment, to better ensure safe passage through life’s tricky waters.

Q: How has the MBS community supported you in your work?

A: Everyone has been so warm and generous with their time—from

students to faculty to parents to administrators and the Board of Trustees—answering all of the questions I’ve posed and directing me to other individuals who may have a different lens to contribute. There is a

departments—particularly wellness education, counseling, advising, and DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging)?

A: As Director of DEIB, Klarissa Karosen has often said, we want every

student and community member to feel that they belong to the community and the community belongs to them. I am eager to collaborate with her. As I continue to work with the Wellness department, Counseling department, and advisors, I can’t help but recognize their deep commitment to student well-being and the intersectionality of their work. I think of my role as helping to organize the good in even more intentional ways.

Q: What do you enjoy most about your job?

A: I am grateful each morning to be part of the MBS community. My

favorite part of course is the student body, watching them interact, and engage with their peers and teachers and hearing about their trials and their triumphs.

Q: What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? you passionate about?

What are

A: I confess that I work a lot, so I devote my free time mainly to my

family or to baking for my family. I was just telling a student today about my recent success baking a triple-layer dark chocolate and raspberry cake with a perfect mirror glaze. For only myself, I also adore a hot pot of tea and a British murder mystery.

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Discovering Science:

New and Evolving Courses Challenge Ideas about Rigor and Research

By KATE SHELEG MUTTICK ’97 Director of Alumni Engagement & Strategic Communications

If you walk through the Math & Science Center, you won’t find faculty lecturing about topics. Instead, you’ll find students gathered around tables, learning by doing. Whether it’s building drones in the Engineering Studio or feeding tilapia in the Environmental Systems Lab, students are practicing experiential learning. According to Dean of Faculty Boni Luna, this pedagogy is very intentional.

She says that project-based learning is “used widely as a method to both advance and assess learning in science.

Typically, teachers design projects that incorporate the concept of low floors, high ceilings, and wide walls. In other words, students engage in hands-on learning tasks that are accessible to all, yet offer the opportunity for extension and expansion to those who are ready to be challenged.” Below are a handful of highlights happening across divisions to help bring science—and curiosity—to the forefront of the MBS curriculum.

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Mathematical Physics (Grade 9) When you envision a scientist in a lab, they’re more likely collecting and analyzing data points than hunched over a multiple choice test. After all, from a science perspective, the discipline is far more about innovation and experimentation than rote memorization and recall. As Department Chair Dr. Chris Payette remarks, “In the real world, scientists are not taking tests; it’s not a meaningful form of scientific discourse. Instead, as a Ph.D. you are collaborating in a lab, under the direction of a principal investigator, as part of a research group. The concept of engaging in a longer term group effort is much closer to what science looks like in process. And that’s what we’ve created in Mathematical Physics.”

Geared towards 9th grade students with very strong algebra skills who are intent on pursuing further advanced science courses at Morristown Beard, the course tackles topics such as electricity, waves and mechanics, with a

specific focus on topics of interest to students who may eventually pursue an engineering degree or other scientific majors in college. Areas of emphasis related to electricity may include semiconductors, capacitors, diodes, and transistors, while an expanded discussion of waves may include properties of light, such as refraction, reflection, and polarization. The extended study of mechanics may include an introduction to drag (fluid dynamics), rotational motion, and statics.

The collaborative nature of this project-based class also mimics real world scenarios. If you work in an engineering firm, you’re responsible for one part of the project, but what you create has to be effective in a larger system. Dr. Payette calls this “a much more realistic way of viewing science in progress. With student-driven research and design, physics can be used to solve real-world problems”. This year’s projects include electronics like a randomized LED roulette wheel, a radio frequency (RF) cell phone signal sensor, an infrared (IR) motion sensor (burglar alarm) and a temperature sensor (fire alarm). Through both collaborative projects and individual assignments, students learn by doing. Trial and error reminds us that scientific discovery is often revealed in the gray areas— rather than the black and white language of traditional tests.

Oceanography (Grade 10) Enhancing the rich course offerings in our science department, Oceanography is in its third year as an elective, but it is one of the few electives open exclusively to sophomores. Thirteen students are enrolled and focusing on big picture topics, such as: overfishing, contamination, and changing shorelines. This course offers an introduction to the physical processes in the oceans and atmosphere, collectively the hydrosphere, which is an important part of the global climate system due to the immense amount of heat, moisture, and momentum transferred within it. Class discussions are centered around datasets available on Science On a Sphere®. The final project for the course includes a presentation on the sphere in which students blend data with images and stories, in order to quantify their findings.

Science teacher Brad Turner recently led a class field study to Sandy Hook. There students collected data after building survey stakes to help measure the profile of the beach in order to understand how slope can change at different times throughout the year and year over year.

As Turner noted, studying a local place is naturally interdisciplinary. “There’s such a rich history in our own backyard,” says Turner. “If you look at the Sandy Hook area, it was deemed important for the Lenape tribes. They used the 50-foot cedar trees to make canoes and the ocean was a food source. When the Europeans arrived, forts were built there by the Dutch and English, and today it’s home to a coast guard station. As students of history, we know the military significance of the area during World War I and II and the role the lighthouse continues to play.” In connecting science to a place, Turner was partly inspired by his studies last summer at Forfar Field Station in the Bahamas. Due to the proximity to the coral reefs, he was able to see the biodiversity of animals and macro-fauna while snorkeling and exploring the ecosystem. Similar to what he experienced on Andros Island, our students can explore Sandy Hook culturally as well as through a scientific lens. That real world experience can then be compared to other ecosystems and activities across the globe.

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A History of Non-Western Science (Grades 11,12) From the dawn of humankind, people have tried to make sense of their world, to invoke patterns, to make predictions, to achieve understanding—and peoples outside of Western cultures have contributed to this fundamentally human development. When you think of science, what comes to mind? Perhaps icons like Aristarchus and Galileo or Newton and Darwin and Einstein; ideas like a heliocentric model, the periodic table, cells, evolution. In this honors seminar, science teacher Dr. Jack Bartholomew is challenging students to expand their perspectives through “ways of constructing reality other than the ones students are most familiar with. In turn, our investigations promote empathy and insight into other cultures.” This newly-launched course exposes students to other cultures and other eras to understand how people have made sense of their world—and to consider how this enables us to appreciate other cultures and values.

In a recent class, students looked at ancient hygrometers. During China’s Shang Dynasty, a bar of charcoal and a lump of earth were balanced with their dry weights taken. This was compared with their damp weight after being exposed to the air. In wet weather, the charcoal absorbs more and starts to sink. The differences in weights were used to assess the humidity level. When studying these early inventions, students were amazed by how resourceful other civilizations have been. Units of study include biology, medicine, engineering, technology, and physics. One common theme articulated in a recent discussion was the way non-Western cultures bring humility to their understanding of their position in the world. While the West often prioritizes individual and economic advancements, one student explained the contrasts he found in Japan, which has often prioritized intimate connections to nature and finding harmony with humanity. After all, it’s human nature to make sense of the world. Whether looking at healing herbal remedies from the Amazon, Aboriginal views of the environment in Australia, or playing African mathematical games, students are finding commonalities that emerge across countries and continents. Further, they are contrasting the Anthropocentric interpretation of the world in terms of human values and experiences versus the Ecocentric belief that nature and the environment have intrinsic value. For their final projects, students will take a real-world problem and then propose solutions derived from traditional Western and non-Western approaches.

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Middle School Science (Grade 7) As 7th graders were reading the mountain climbing memoir No Summit out of Sight this summer, they made connections to a Scholastic article that detailed winter water storage solutions in the Himalayas. As the author described his adventure on Mount Everest, students also learned about climate change on the other side of the mountain range, in Ladakh, India, where glaciers aren’t as far down the mountains as in previous decades, thus springtime meltwater isn’t reaching villages in need.

One innovative solution to this problem uses a glacier grafting technique. Pipes under glaciers are opened on winter nights to spray water that freezes into ice stupas (conical shaped ice heaps). The stupas melt in spring, thus solving the water shortage and providing villagers with a very basic human need. Again, it’s a real world application of science to problem-solve, and it’s a critical-thinking framework that science teacher Jane Zagajeski is using in the classroom.

Reflecting on the needs of the climber in the center of the story, human needs have become the central tenet of the year’s curriculum. Like ice stupas support agriculture in areas of water scarcity, Jane provokes thinking about topics in big picture ways that are also tangible and hands-on. Students act like scientists by asking and answering questions, but also like engineers by identifying and solving problems.

Extending the conversation about agriculture and water needs, students have spent the last few weeks germinating radish seeds with the meltwater from an ice cube. They can choose their materials and think about how water moves.

Students are learning that they need to practice trial and error as they run three separate tests and compare different solutions. This approach “also frames that success is process-oriented. If the seed doesn’t germinate, that’s not a failure of the project. That’s simply the result of one specific test. For the next attempt, let’s change a variable,” says Zagajeski.

As students were exploring water scarcity in remote villages, Hurricane Ian was flooding southwest Florida, where multiple students had familial connections. The relationship between flooding and water scarcity became relevant to their own experiences and their understanding of human needs. Making real world connections brings scientific concepts to life. As Zagajeski says, “The way our curriculum is set up, it offers a lot of flexibility to dive into a topic and do repetition of concepts rather than just memorizing and forgetting facts.” When science is solutionoriented, students have room to explore and innovate, particularly when working in small groups with multiple ideas and approaches.

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Stories of Excellence

Teaching& Learning in

Oceanography Class Heads to Sandy Hook The Oceanography class traveled to Sandy Hook, which is part of the Gateway National Recreation Area, where they gained firsthand experience with some of the concepts they have been studying in class.

In addition to learning about erosion and dune plant succession, the students used seining nets to catch striped killifish and mummichogs to bring back to the aquarium in the School’s Environmental Systems Lab. They also took the time to learn about the history of the Sandy Hook area and how the land has been used by the Lenape, the colonists, and later, by the military during World War I and World War II. The class also toured the Sandy Hook Lighthouse, Fort Hancock, and the Proving Ground.

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ICP Students Study Sustainability Eleventh-grade students toured The Willow School in Gladstone to understand how the school's focus on sustainability has affected its 34-acre campus and curriculum. The campus boasts many sustainable features that are purposefully designed to support ethical relationships within the community and with the natural world.

Students Create Glass and Metal Work Students Design Mountain Homes Matt Martino tasked his Architectural Design Studio class to design client-specific mountain lake homes. Each mountain home could be set in a tropical mountainside, Swiss alpine, or arid desert setting.

The students had to consider their clients’ interests as well as the unique setting.

Jeanine Erickson’s Glass Design and Metal Design classes created some impressive final projects last spring. Samantha Brown ’24 made a colorful and creative candle shelter while Tristen Miscia ’23 fabricated a sculpture depicting the evolution of a mountain biker.

Middle School Makerspace Class Students worked in teams and relied on their creativity to solve a design challenge: A marble factory was washed out by a hurricane, and they had to rebuild the conveyance system to get the marbles from the factory across the flooded site to the shipping trucks. Using only cut and folded paper, the students had to solve the problem while considering different challenges, such as building structural supports and figuring out ways to slow the inertia of marbles moving downhill.

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IN THE CLASSROOM

Senior Projects Provide “Real World” Experience This past year’s senior projects provided a variety of opportunities. While some students engaged in internships, others took on passion projects that allowed them to pursue existing interests or try something new. Following are some examples of their experiences.

ALEX GRAYZEL ’22 shadowed a nurse practitioner and saw her treat

a variety of ailments. “I hope to pursue a career in medicine in the future, so being able to get this firsthand experience was amazing for me. This experience gave me motivation to work hard towards medical school.”

ANAHATT VIRK ’22 also worked in the medical field, shadowing doctors at a private cardiology office. She said that she hopes to become a doctor in the future, but the experience also opened her eyes to several considerations. “I discovered that the emotional aspect of being a doctor might not be for me,” she said. “It also made me ask myself ‘how important is sleep and a personal life to me?’”

BOBBY BURNS ’22 created a database tool for Water Island Capital in New York City and worked at the firm over the summer.

After writing for a local news outlet, HANNAH ROSE WILLIAMS ’22 switched gears for her Senior Project and decided to write for her own pleasure. “Going on the MBS Writers’ Retreat inspired me to write for myself, express my thoughts, ideas, and emotions and to just write for fun.

Journaling became an important wellness activity for me.”

ZACK REMPELL ’22 helped a local robotics school organize its database with a new prototype that he made.

KATE WENZEL ’22 served as chair and coordinator for the New Jersey Walk for the National Eating Disorders Association and turned the event into the organization’s most successful walk in the country.

JACOB TINKELMAN ’22 created a chess board where the pieces can be moved around by remote computer command.

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Independent Studies The MBS Independent Study Program encourages students to expand their intellectual curiosity and explore an intellectual area in depth under the guidance of a selected faculty member with a special expertise or interest in the field.

JULIAN MELENDEZ ’23 The Possibility of Life Elsewhere in our Solar System

CONNOR DOWNEY ’22

Julian’s project led him to focus his studies on three moons— Enceladus, Europa, and Titan.

Critical Race Theory

The question of whether life exists on other planets has captivated Julian from an early age when he read science fiction books and “looked up at the stars.”

Connor had been researching CRT and examining social movements throughout history. He led a lively and informative roundtable on CRT with a panel of nine Upper School students.

Connor is now a freshman at Fordham University.

SAMANTHA YAGODA ’24 Social Media and Political Journalism Samantha interviewed several journalists and government officials as well as faculty members in the MBS History Department to explore the effect of social media on political journalism and reporting.

Samantha hopes to continue her exploration of this topic in the MBS Interdisciplinary Concentrations Program (ICP).

NYLA GORDON-CROCKER ’22 Bone Injury and Repair Based on her own experiences and in consultation with other stakeholders, Nyla made design improvements to a device used to ultrasonically stimulate the metatarsal bones. Nyla invented a device that is more comfortable, fits better, and even allows dancing — one of her passions.

Nyla is now attending the University of Virginia.

DANI ROSENBLOOM ’24 Adolescence & Poetry To gain real-world experience, Dani taught poetry to 6th-grade English classes.

Dani began her lesson by discussing the definition of poetry and the importance of word choice.

KIMBERLY FREEMAN ’25 Novel Writing Kimberly has been working on writing her own novel. For her project, she read an excerpt from her book, discussed the creative process, and then fielded questions from students and faculty. Kimberly’s work is the first book in a fantasy trilogy. She hopes to continue working on the series next year through the Interdisciplinary Concentrations Program (ICP) Arts & Innovation cohort.

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Beyond the

Classroom

STUDENTS VOLUNTEER IN PANAMA In July, students and chaperones traveled to Panama where they volunteered as part of an ongoing collaboration with Give & Surf, Inc, a nonprofit organization founded by MBS alumnus Neil Christiansen '02.

Their volunteer work consisted of helping at the community centers in Bastimentos and San Cristobal, where they played soccer with the children, helped them improve their English, assisted with classroom activities, made friendship bracelets, and spent time refurbishing existing community center buildings.

Free time included touring the Panama Canal and the "old town" of Casco Viejo, exploring the Bastimentos Island, visiting a cacao farm, touring a medicinal plant, and snorkeling at the island of Zapatillas.

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ALI DORREGO ’23 PARTICIPATES IN LEADERSHIP FORUM Ali was selected to participate in the National Youth Leadership Forum—Medicine program at UCLA last summer along with other high-achieving students from across the nation. She experienced the collegiate lifestyle firsthand, learned from doctors, participated in an interactive curriculum led by advisors, visited an accredited medical school, tested her medical knowledge during clinical skills rotations, and explored professional opportunities in the fields of medicine and health care.

The program is designed for students who have shown a high aptitude in a particular subject matter, enabling them to explore their interests in a university environment. Ali was nominated to participate in the forum by her chemistry teacher, Dr. Marina Milinkovic. Her dream is to become an orthopedic surgeon, and she was grateful to gain the hands-on medical experience that the forum provided.

PHONOGRAPH EFFECT CLASS VISITS THOMAS EDISON MUSEUM David Gold’s Advanced Seminar class, “The Phonograph Effect: How Technology has Transformed Music,” visited Thomas Edison National Historical Park in West Orange. The class toured the world’s first recording studio, walked in the labs and library where Edison developed his famous inventions, and experienced a side-by-side comparison of music being played on a phonograph versus a Victrola. The Phonograph Effect class explores the transformations in technology that have made our current experience of music possible.

HISTORY OF ANCIENT GREECE CLASSES VISIT THE MET Dr. Amanda Gregory’s History of Ancient Greece classes visited The Metropolitan Museum of Art, where they viewed the “Chroma: Ancient Sculpture in Color” exhibit as well as the permanent collection. They got to see how Ancient Greek and Roman sculpture was once colorful, vibrantly painted and richly adorned with detailed ornamentation. The exhibition highlights cutting-edge scientific methods used to identify ancient color and examines how color helped convey meaning in antiquity and how ancient polychromy has been viewed and understood in later periods.

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BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Community service is a cornerstone of the Morristown Beard School educational experience and helps MBS students build character and gain self-confidence on their journey to becoming productive and socially-responsible citizens.

MBS VOLUNTEERS AT AMERICA’S GROW-A-ROW FARM On September 13, the junior class engaged in a service project at the America’s Grow-a-Row farm in Pittstown, where students and faculty picked more than 1,800 pounds of zucchini.

This was the School’s second visit to the farm. The first was back in May when sophomores from the Interdisciplinary Concentrations Program (ICP) visited to learn more about the organization’s mission and its commitment to combatting food insecurity. It was after this visit that MBS was committed to forming a partnership with the organization. The trip was arranged with the help of MBS junior Erica Adu ’24, who is exploring ways to alleviate hunger issues as part of her passion project with the Global Citizenship cohort of the ICP Program.

At the farm, the students met with Shauna Alvarez, Executive Chef and Programming Lead for America’s Grow-a-Row, and other team members who explained that the organization aims to impact as many lives as possible through a volunteer effort of planting, picking, rescuing, and delivering fresh produce.

In addition to growing its own vegetables, Grow-a-Row is also committed to gleaning—saving produce that would otherwise go to waste. Every day, volunteers rescue “not quite perfect” produce from local supermarkets and deliver it to local food pantries. The organization distributes produce locally and regionally through partnerships with Community FoodBank of New Jersey, City Harvest, Philabundance, Feeding America, and many others.

ZACHARY BRAUN ’25 EARNS AWARD FOR VOLUNTEER WORK Zachary earned the Bronze Presidential Volunteer Service Award for his volunteer work with SNAP (Special Needs Athletic Programs) of Morristown.

In addition to being engaged in weekly mentoring at SNAP’s sports clinics, he co-authored a new mentor training manual for SNAP entitled SCORE (Show up, Commit, Open mind, Relate, Empathy/Evaluate). Zach also spent many hours fine-tuning a presentation for SNAP’s new mentor training that was held in September.

GORYEB CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL Kevin Fraga ’26 organized a charity ice hockey game, “Hockey Helping Kids,” that raised more than $4,300 for Goryeb Children’s Hospital in Morristown. More than 30 local players participated in the game, which was held at Mennen Arena. Proceeds supported the Child Life Supplies Fund to help provide toys, games, and Netflix accounts for each patient’s room.

BRIDGES OUTREACH At the start of the school year, students gathered in the Dining Hall, where they made over 100 bag lunches to help feed those in need through the Bridges Outreach program.

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HELPING UKRAINIAN TEENS Olivia Mann ’23 created a virtual penpal program, Global Connections With Friends, back in April to help Ukraine and U.S. teens connect and form friendships.

HARLEM LACROSSE Members of the Crimson boys lacrosse program led warm-ups and drills and officiated a game amongst the lacrosse players from the Harlem Lacrosse organization. MBS players helped the younger players with their shooting, stickhandling, and faceoff skills, but most importantly, they connected with their guests and made some true friendships.

GLOW CLUB HOSTS FUNDRAISER TO SUPPORT “FREE THE GIRLS” Members of the MBS community participated in the GLOW (Girls Leadership Outreach and Worth) Club 5K run/walk fundraiser to support “Free The Girls,” a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping women rescued from trafficking reintegrate into their communities. Club members also sold snacks and bracelets to benefit the organization.

LAYUPS FOR LIFE Members of the Morristown Beard School community hit the court to shoot 3-pointers as part of the Layups For Life fundraiser, benefitting Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

The two-day all-school fundraiser, organized by Justin Givner ’23 and Max Masino ’23, raised nearly $1,000 for the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

After establishing a relationship with a student from Ukraine that she met during the BBYO leadership convention in Baltimore, Olivia wanted to help support her after the war broke out.

With assistance from her mother, she organized a fundraiser through the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest and posted the appeal to her Instagram account. Olivia not only raised thousands of dollars, but she also caught the attention of the BBYO, which shared her story on their social media accounts and asked her to participate in a Zoom call with their CEO, shareholders, and a few Ukrainian teens. After Olivia connected with another teen and learned how much the human connection meant, it occurred to her that there must be many teens in a similar situation who could benefit from friendship.”

By April, she had more than 150 followers on the program’s Instagram page and was actively working with Active Jewish Teens (AJT) to secure a list of Ukrainian teens interested in participating. She had 25 American teens who expressed interest as well.

“I know that many kids feel like they can’t make a difference with what’s going on in the world right now and they feel kind of powerless, which is honestly how I felt … But I was proven wrong when my fundraiser went viral, and I was given all of these opportunities to help.”

CLOTHING FOR THE SALVATION ARMY The 8th Grade Class participated in a clothing drive last spring and donated new and gently-used clothing to benefit The Salvation Army of Morristown.

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CRIMSON CORNER

SPRING & FALL SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS Baseball The baseball team (13-9) captured the NJAC Liberty Division championship with a 6-2 record. The Crimson finished the season strong, winning six of their last seven games.

Softball The softball team (2-13) was anchored by senior pitcher Haley Belfiore ’22 and catcher Kirsten Harvett ’22, who provided standout leadership on and off the field. The team looks to improve in 2023 with a foundation of promising underclassmen.

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Boys Lacrosse The boys lacrosse team finished the season with a 5-12 record and notable wins over Cranford, Verona, Lenape Valley, and Parsippany. As the No. 4 seed in the Prep Tournament, they lost a heartbreaker in the finals to Rutgers Prep.

Girls Lacrosse The girls lacrosse team (7-11) advanced to the quarterfinal round of the state tournament with an exciting 12-11 win over Gill St. Bernard’s. The team also posted impressive wins over Millburn and Westwood.

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CRIMSON CORNER

Boys Tennis The boys tennis team (10-8) captured the Liberty Division title and finished fifth out of 21 teams in Morris County. The Crimson defeated Saddle River Country Day, 5-0, in the first round of the state tournament.

Track & Field Spencer Anderson ’24, Tristen Miscia ’23, and Matt Loprete ’22 captured a total of five gold medals at the Prep Championships as the MBS boys team placed third overall at the meet. At the Morris County Championships, Anderson placed first in the 100-meters and set a new school record (10.59).

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Boys Golf For the second year in a row, the boys golf team captured the Prep Championship and finished second as a team in the Non-Public B State Tournament.

The team finished with a 12-9 record overall.

Field Hockey The field hockey team advanced to the quarterfinals of the state tournament with a 6-1 win over Pope John. The team finished with a solid 10-8 record overall.

Girls Golf The girls golf team finished with a stellar 13-2 record and placed first as a team at the Morris County Tournament.

The Crimson placed second in divisional play and second in the NJAC Tournament with Brooke Sandler ‘23 finishing third overall out of more than 75 competitors.

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CRIMSON CORNER

Girls Tennis The girls tennis team brought home the Liberty Division title and finished with an 11-4 record. Senior Olivia Siegel ’23 captured the Morris County title in first singles and advanced to the state tournament along with the first doubles team of Maya Bhide ’23 and Ria Shah ’23.

Cross Country The cross country team continued to improve throughout the year, setting many personal records. The team’s strongest race was run at The Peddie School Invitational, where every varsity runner improved their time.

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Football The football team competed in the semifinals of the Metropolitan Independent Football League tournament and finished the season with a 3-6 record. The team’s notched impressive wins against Montclair Kimberley and Newark Academy this season.

Girls Soccer Under first-year head coach Matt Guidon, the girls soccer team posted a solid 7-6-2 record.

The team was led offensively by Bailee Schubert ’24, who scored 12 goals and was selected to the All-State Team by the New Jersey Girls Soccer Association.

Volleyball The volleyball team showed growth, both in terms of participation and in victories.

The Crimson (9-11) recorded nine wins this year and the excitement that they provided in the Main Gym was palpable!

Boys Soccer The boys soccer team advanced to the quarterfinals of the State Tournament after posting an 8-1 win over Roselle Catholic. The Crimson also notched wins over Kinnelon and Morris Catholic this year.

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POWERFULLY PREPARED

The alumni in this issue demonstrate that our graduates are exceedingly well-prepared for college, careers, and beyond.

Passionate and hardworking, these alumni are making meaningful contributions, and we are proud to be part of their journey.

By Steve Patchett

DAN MCHALE ’97

Hoop Dreams As a Division I college basketball coach, Dan McHale ’97 has helped guide some of the most well-known programs in the sport including Louisville, Kentucky, Minnesota, Eastern Kentucky, and Seton Hall. A self-proclaimed “basketball nut” from an early age, McHale said that his journey to his dream job began at Morristown Beard School and in teacher and coach Eddie Franz’s office to be specific.

“Eddie Franz had the biggest influence on my life and career. I spent more time in Eddie Franz’s office, ‘X’ing and ‘O’ing, talking hoops, to the point where he would say, ‘Dan, you’ve gotta go to class!’ And I said, ‘Eddie, I’m not here for that right now; I’m here to learn from you. I want to be a successful Division I college basketball coach.’”

Since McHale considered himself “an average basketball player at best,” he knew that breaking into the coaching profession would be a long shot.

“Many of the people I talked to said I was crazy, but not Coach Franz. He said, ‘Ok, what do we have to do?’ He taught me the value of belief,” said McHale.

“He was the first person to make the phone call to the University of Kentucky and basically jump-start my career.”

After graduating from MBS, McHale enrolled at the University of Kentucky as a business major and became the student manager for the powerhouse basketball team that was coached by Hall of Famer Tubby Smith. From there, he landed his first coaching job—at the University of Louisville with another Hall of Fame coach, Rick Pitino. “There were over 10,000 applicants for this graduate assistant position. I’m just thankful that I landed it because my career took off from there,” he said.

McHale spent a season at Manhattan College as the director of operations before returning to Louisville as the director of video operations. He was then hired as an assistant at Iona, helping the team to 21 wins in his third season. From there, he coached at Seton Hall and Minnesota, where he earned an NIT title.

“I’ve been to multiple NCAA Tournaments, won a national championship, 52 Crimson Fall 2022

toured The White House, and been on national TV hundreds of times, but I guess my best accomplishment was being selected to become a head coach at Eastern Kentucky at the young age of 35,” said McHale. “I believe I was the third youngest Division 1 head coach at the time.”

He spent three years at Eastern Kentucky before joining the University of New Mexico as an assistant coach.

Today, McHale serves as partner and head of collegiate sports at Odgers Berndtson, one of the largest executive search firms in the world, where he leads searches for universities looking to hire head coaches and athletics administrators.

“My goals are to grow my business and be a major player in the collegiate sports industry, as well as coach youth sports in New Jersey in my spare time,” he said. “I love coaching basketball, especially young kids who have aspirations.”

McHale is eager to pass along the same advice to today’s student-athletes that Eddie Franz gave him when he was in school—to be genuine in everything you do. “Each job I got as I rose in the college ranks was because of my reputation,” he said. “Being a good person and working your tail off will take you a long way!”

GABBY FARQUHAR ’13

Mindfulness Matters In her junior year at Morristown Beard School, Gabby Farquhar ’13 began practicing yoga after school to help ease her mind about the college application process. That simple practice sparked her curiosity into the mind-body connection and led her to delve deeper into the study of wellness. Today, she works at Boston Medical Center where she develops mindfulness programming for the Program for Integrative Medicine and Health Disparities.

Farquhar credits several MBS teachers with inspiring her and influencing her career path. “Mr. Hartman and Dr. Molowa sparked and nurtured my scientific curiosity and analytical skills through math and science courses. Mr. Kamil’s history courses taught me to think critically and draw upon evidence to form my own opinion on past events. Mr. Franz’s Constitutional Law class further emphasized the importance of fact-based interpretation and communicating my point of view,” said Farquhar.

In addition to fostering Farquhar’s passion for science, MBS helped her develop critical thinking skills and create evidence-based interpretations.

“A fundamental skill in my career thus far has been the ability to clearly communicate abstract practices and concepts,” she said. “I attribute this skill to my tenure at MBS.” She graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Madison with a B.S. in Biology before earning a master’s in Public Health with a focus on Healthcare Management from Boston University. “During my studies at Boston University, I discovered the alarming rates of burnout, mental health conditions, and suicidality across the healthcare workforce.

I decided to focus my internship and subsequent programming on supporting healthcare workers,” she said.

As part of her graduate school internship at Boston Medical Center (BMC), she wrote a grant to bring mindfulness programming to BMC patients and employees that was successfully funded. Through her program, she was able to train more than 250 employees in an 8-week mindfulness course and then manage all of BMC’s Integrative Medicine offerings (acupuncture, massage, and mindfulness) before being promoted to create a behavioral health strategy for the entire health system in response to COVID-19. Most recently, she has been tasked with creating

a comprehensive well-being strategy which includes employee engagement, learning & development, diversity & inclusion, as well as mental/physical health initiatives.

On a daily basis, she meets with administrators across BMC to offer training and consult on well-being efforts in their local units. “The beauty of healthcare is that every day looks a little different,” she said. “If I’m not meeting with folks, I’m usually analyzing programs’ impacts, working on special projects, or being a thought partner with leaders across the system for strategy work. I feel honored that I’m able to support healthcare workers directly through services my team provides and indirectly by making system-level changes to foster a culture of well-being across our health system.”

Just as she is passionate about empowering individuals, communities, and institutions to prioritize wellness, Farquhar makes it a part of her own personal routine. On a daily basis, she still practices yoga, meditates, and eats a plant-based diet. She also exercises regularly, enjoys playing board games or word games with her fiancé, and focuses on gratitude and joy.

“Everyone has a different definition of balance and well-being. Some days, I find myself prioritizing my career. Other days, I’m prioritizing my physical health,” she said. “In my opinion, the most important factor when considering your well-being is being self-aware and self-compassionate.

Paying attention to what makes you feel good – or not so good – on a dayto-day basis is critical.”

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POWERFULLY PREPARED

TREVOR BAPTISTE ’14

At the Top of His Game

Trevor Baptiste ’14 is one of the greatest faceoff specialists the game of lacrosse has ever seen. He has captured an NCAA Division 1 National Championship, won an Olympic Gold Medal, earned Professional Lacrosse League MVP honors, and set numerous professional and collegiate records.

Baptiste didn’t develop a true passion for the sport, however, until his freshman year at Morristown Beard School. In fact, when he entered MBS, his main sport was swimming, not lacrosse.

For him, Morristown Beard School was truly a place of possibilities.

“I played a little lacrosse before high school, but my love of the game grew as I progressed through the MBS program,” said Baptiste. “Coach Sal Tromonda and Coach Kevin Meany were extremely instrumental in getting me to where I am today and helping me find myself in the game.”

MBS coach Bill Rentiers was also extremely influential and suggested that Baptiste should learn how to take faceoffs during his freshman season. “We had a great starter in Ryan Martin ’12, but we needed some more depth, so Coach Rentiers—who also took faceoffs when he played lacrosse—started teaching me the position.”

season and earned All-American First Team honors for four straight years.

Additionally, he was a four-time All-Big East First Team selection and a fourtime Tewaaraton Award nominee. He finished his NCAA career as a recordholder with more than 1,100 faceoff wins and a .714 win percentage.

Baptiste put in long hours and worked hard to develop his technique. By the time he was a senior, he was the top player in New Jersey at his position, earning First Team All-State honors, winning 80 percent of his faceoffs, and leading MBS to a stellar 19-3 record and the number 17 ranking in the state.

In the summer of 2018, Baptiste helped lead the U.S. men's lacrosse team to its first world title since 2010 as Team USA captured the championship following a thrilling 9-8 win over Canada in Israel.

Throughout his time at MBS, Baptiste still found time to compete as part of the swim team all four years, and he also hosted Morning Meetings as a senior—an activity that helped him branch out and develop confidence.

Professionally, he was the drafted first overall by the Boston Cannons in the Major Lacrosse League. He now plays with the Philadelphia Wings (National Lacrosse League) and Atlas Lacrosse Club (Professional Lacrosse League) and was recently named the PLL’s Most Valuable Player.

“MBS prepared me for college in so many ways,” he said. “One thing that really sticks out to me was having the freedom to manage your time. The scheduling of classes was similar to college, and it gave students a little more freedom – and responsibility. There was always help for anyone who needed it, yet similar to college, you have some space to figure out what you need to do to succeed.”

His advice for today’s MBS students is simply to seize opportunities and be yourself. “You’re in one of the best environments to have an amazing high school experience. Make sure you take it all in,” he said. “All of the amazing experiences might be missed if you spend too much time focusing on trying to be something or someone you’re not. Just be you because you’re all great the way you are.”

After MBS, Baptiste enrolled at the University of Denver, where he led the Pioneers to an NCAA Division 1 National Championship in his freshman 54 Crimson Fall 2022

EMILY FARNUM ’02

A Mental Health Mission Emily Farnum ’02, a psychotherapist with her own private practice, didn’t always know that she wanted to pursue a career in wellness and mental health. She says her career path unfolded in unexpected ways, but she was able to chart a path to success by knowing the value of keeping an open mind and taking risks.

One of her transformative moments occurred during her junior year at MBS, when the School started its girls ice hockey program. “I had never played before, and a few of my friends decided we should try it. It was an amazing experience that forced us to ‘put ourselves out there’ even when it was embarrassing and we were falling all over the ice—building grit and resilience!” she said. “This was certainly a step in helping me sit with and tolerate being uncomfortable. This skill absolutely translated when choosing my career path and especially in clinical training.”

At MBS, Farnum also enjoyed playing lacrosse in the spring, field hockey in the fall with coach Pam O’Connor, and participating as a Peer Group leader, which allowed her to “get a taste of dipping my toe into the helping profession.”

In the classroom, she recalled being inspired by history teacher Tony Daur and French teacher Renee Pritchard as well as math teacher Jean Dodsworth, who “worked to have us try our best even when things were rough.”

She later attended St. Lawrence University, where psychology and sociology classes piqued her interest in the field. After graduating from college, the thought of more schooling seemed daunting so she took a job in political event planning in New York City. “I remember telling my parents that I was never going to graduate school,” she said. “Well, it was a good life lesson to never say never. The novelty of my event planning job soon wore off, and I wanted something different for this next chapter.”

Two years later, she applied to Columbia University School of Social Work. While she was completing her master’s degree, she was placed in an internship at Bellevue Hospital in the Crime Victims Program. “It was again something I never would have chosen on my own. I remember being disappointed that I didn’t get my first or second choice placement doing

more traditional inpatient behavioral health work,” she said. “It turned out to be the best thing that could have happened to me. I was exposed to working in busy New York City emergency rooms and did really interesting trauma work.”

This led to her first job at New York Presbyterian Weill-Cornell Hospital, where she continued working after graduation. She later enrolled at the Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy, where she completed a twoyear post-master’s program in psychodynamic psychotherapy. “So much for no more school!” Farnum laughed.

After her first daughter was born, she and her husband moved to Connecticut where she soon opened a private practice.

“The most rewarding part of my job is the privilege to sit with people at some of their best and worst times,” she said “People always ask me, ‘who do you see in your practice?’ My answer is always the truth—‘people like you and me.’”

In the future, Farnum hopes to continue to find balance raising her three children, forging deeper connections with those around her, and learning more about her profession and the world.

If she were to give today’s students a piece of advice, it would be to put down the iPhone more frequently. “One study I talk about frequently is the Harvard Happiness Study. It is one of the longest longitudinal running studies we have exploring what makes a ‘good’ and ‘happy’ life.

The resounding evidence is the power of human connection as the key to finding joy,” she said. “My advice is to use this evidence to make the big decisions in these next stages of your life.”

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ALUMNI MOMENTS

Alumni Gather at Glenbrook Brewery MBS alumni gathered in May for a special happy hour event in Morristown at the Glenbrook Brewery, which is owned

by Darren Cregan ’92. The gathering provided an informal opportunity for graduates to reminisce with old friends, make new ones, and chat with Head of School Liz Morrison.

Reception at Bay Head Yacht Club MBS alumni, current and incoming parents, and friends gathered for an evening of cocktails and hors d’oeuvres August 26 at Bay Head Yacht Club. Alumni in attendance spanned more than 60 years— from the Class of 1957 through the Class of 2018. Head of School Liz Morrison welcomed the group and shared updates about recent initiatives on campus.

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Beard School Alumnae Luncheon Graduates of The Beard School gathered at Park Avenue Club in Florham Park last spring for a special luncheon with Head of School Liz Morrison. The alumnae enjoyed reminiscing about their days at The Beard School and shared stories of former Headmistress Edith Southerland. There was even a friendly rivalry between the Athenians and the Spartans at the table, with alumna Caroline “Kebbie” Kennedy ’68 donning her Spartan beanie! As part of the event, each alumna received a piece of Beard School china as a memento.

Milestone Classes Hit the Town After Reunion 2022, members from the classes of 1957, 1987, and 2002 gathered together to socialize and enjoy cocktails and conversation at 1776 by David Burke and FOMO in Morristown and Park Avenue Club in Florham Park.

Nick Rella ’15 Speaks to BFI Club In October, members of the MBS BFI (Business, Finance, and Investment) Club spoke with alumnus Nick Rella ’15 and a pair of energy experts from Bloomberg via Zoom about trends in the oil sector and the latest tools that they use to make informed decisions.

The presentation was arranged by seniors Zubin Pande ’23 and Justin Benbassat ’23, who are pursuing an Independent Study on energy markets under the guidance of teacher Ricky Kamil.

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ALUMNI MOMENTS

To-Do List...

Go to Alumni Gathering & Events

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Bay Head Yacht Club Alumni Cocktail Party August 26, 2022

✔

Alumni Basketball Game in Tribute to Eddie Franz

In celebration of our 50th year of coeducation, we have digitized Morristown Beard School yearbooks from 1971 to 2021.

Homecoming & Reunion

The yearbooks are now accessible online at www.mbs.net/yearbooks.

October 22, 2022

✔ ✔

October 22, 2022

Questions? Contact Alumni Relations at alumni@mbs.net.

New York Athletic Club Alumni Cocktail Party Alumni Ice Hockey Games

ADDRESS CORREC

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Fall 2020

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Morristown-Beard School

Office of Advancem ent 70 Whippany Road Morristown, NJ 07960 www.mbs.net

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November 26, 2022

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ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED

January 25, 2023

Liz Morrison

New Head of School

Moving:

To request an extra copy of Crimson:

Community in the Time of COVID Working Toward s a Truly Inclusive Community

Fall 2020

Keep your magazine coming by emailing your new address to alumni@mbs.net.

Hoboken Alumni Happy Hour

contact the Office of Advancement at 973-532-7517 or email communications@m bs.net.

February 2023

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Let’s Stay Connected North Carolina Alumni College Dinners

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February/March 2023

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Florida Alumni Events Vero Beach & Naples

To request an extra copy of Crimson, contact the Office of Advancement email communications@mbs.net.

Boston Alumni Cocktail Party April 2023

Boston & Providence Alumni College Dinners April 2023

Glenbrook Brewery Happy Hour Young Alumni Day at MBS May 2023

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50 years n Celebratin Coeducatigo 50 Years of Coeducation

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at 973-532-7517 or

March/April 2023

May 2023

1971

Fall 2021

MBS, please To receive the latest updates from contact information. provide us with your most recent camera Æ Scan the QR code with your phone’s Æ Visit mbs.net/update Manager Æ Contact our Advancement Services at mhickey@mbs.net or 973-532-7541

Crimson Magazine Available Online In the future, if you would prefer to receive a digital copy of our next issue instead of a printed paper copy mailed to your home address, scan the QR code to complete your request. All issues of Crimson magazine are available on the MBS website under About > Publications.

2022

Paintings by Alumna Louise van der Does ’87 on Display in Art Gallery Abstract and botanical paintings by MBS alumna Dr. Louise van der Does ’87 were on display in the Phoebe Stiles King ’49 Gallery on the first floor of the Math & Science Center.

“I am a statistician by day, painter by night,” said Dr. van der Does.

“True to my Dutch roots, one of my favorite subjects is the tulip.

Though my botanical paintings are largely representational, I try to capture the forms and rhythmic movement in nature through the play of light and vivid colors.”

Over the past two years, Dr. van der Does has also been exploring a wide variety of abstract styles and techniques. “This foray into abstraction pushed me to paint a more stylized version of botanicals,” she explained. “While the subject may still appear similar to the natural state, I highlighted or simplified the lines and shapes for dramatic effect. I also altered or intensified colors and created more contemporary compositions to capture emotion and energy.”

During her two-year journey into abstraction, she has also rediscovered her own work by using a photography technique that her art idols—Paul Strand and Georgia O’Keeffe—also used: zooming and cropping. “I was inspired by a project in Laurie Hartman’s art class that challenged us to look at a common object from an uncommon perspective,” she said. “As I magnified sections of my botanicals, the compositions became increasingly more abstract, and often, increasingly interesting.”

At MBS, Dr. van der Does was an athlete as well as an artist. She played three sports for the Crimson (field hockey, basketball, softball) and went on to play field hockey for Trinity College, where she was the four-year starting goalkeeper and captain and MVP during her senior year. She was inducted into the Morristown Beard School Athletic Hall of Fame in 1993.

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ALUMNI MOMENTS

Reunion 2022 On Saturday, October 22, an enthusiastic crowd of alumni turned out to celebrate Homecoming and Reunion. The day began with an alumni basketball game in tribute to Eddie Franz followed by a reception. In the afternoon, alumni enjoyed a special tailgate on the lawn of Alumni House and then watched the MBS football team take on Pingry.

During halftime, a large group of participants turned out to run the 30th annual Kirby Mile. The day ended with an alumni cocktail party in the Math & Science Center.

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Alumni Association

Morristown Beard School

Meet the Alumni Board!

The Alumni Board works to promote a mutually-beneficial and rewarding relationship between Morristown Beard School and its alumni.

Alumni Board members make meaningful contributions of their time, talents, and wisdom to the School and its students. They connect the traditions of the past with the vibrant future of our students.

Alumni Board Executive Committee KC Hnat Joubran ’84, P ’24, President Matthew Engel ’07, Vice President Christina Toth Breen ’95, Secretary David Kramer ’69, Treasurer The 2022-2023 Alumni Board Members Jerome Brown ’08 Ryan Carr ’95 Michele Cestone ’83, P ’21 Laura Geron ’08 Tiffany Halo ’01 Brian Kilduff ’05

Todd McConnell ’02 BeLara (Bryant) Palmer ’98 Rosalie Small '84 Eriqah (Williams) Vincent ’06 Nancy “Taz” (Tasman) Brower ’47, P ’86 (Emeritus)

Join the Alumni Board!

Alumni Board members meet four times throughout the school year.

They are looked upon for their engagement, dedication, and leadership within the MBS alumni community. Term limits are three years with possible extension.

If you are interested in serving on the Alumni Board, please visit the Resources section of our Alumni Networking Portal, MBS Connect— www.mbsconnect.net or contact Alumni Relations at alumni@mbs.net or 973-532-7564.

Join MBS Connect today by going to: www.mbsconnect.net or Scan QR code

JOIN MBS CONNECT TODAY! • •

• •

Read inspiring MBS alumni news Find classmates, teammates, and friends in the online directory Stay up to date with the calendar of events Share job opportunities on the job board

Utilize all of these tools and more on MBS Connect—Your Alumni Networking Portal Questions? Please contact Alumni Relations at alumni@mbs.net or 973-532-7564.

MBS Connect—Over 1,000 Members Strong and GROWING. 62 Crimson Fall 2022

NEW ADDITIONS Alumni Board Welcomes New Members

MBS is happy to announce the appointment of four new board members. In true MBS fashion, these alumni bring to our community the unity, spirit, and dedication coveted among our past and present MBS community.

Dr. Laura Geron ’08

Dr. Laura Geron ’08

Dr. Laura Geron earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree specializing in Health Systems Administration. She applies her clinical foundation as a registered nurse to support several service lines in her current role as a Quality & Patient Safety Project Manager.

She uses a collaborative, data-driven, and innovative approach to drive equitable and quality patient outcomes.

As a Morristown Beard School alumna, she has always cherished attending reunions and other alumni events alongside good friends and her siblings who also attended MBS. She joined the Alumni Board in 2021 to continue giving back to MBS and ground her involvement in part of a community that was instrumental in her academic, career, and personal growth.

TIffany Halo ’01

Rosalie Small ’84

Tiffany Halo ’01

Tiffany is a research scientist by training. After graduating MBS, she completed undergraduate and doctoral degrees in Chemistry from Cornell and Yale University, respectively.

Tiffany currently works in regulatory strategy for Bayer Pharmaceuticals. She resides in Randolph, New Jersey with her husband, Chris, and 3-year old son, Ethan.

Together, they enjoy movies, hiking, and all things outdoors.

“My experience at MBS enormously impacted my subsequent path in both my career and life. Now that my family is settled back in New Jersey, it seemed like a great time to reconnect and give back to the MBS community, which has helped me so much,” said Tiffany.

Brian Kilduff ’05

Brian attended MBS from 6th-12th grade. As a student, he was active in all aspects of campus life playing on the soccer, hockey, baseball, and golf teams as well as participating in many clubs and activities including Peer Group and the Student Government Association, of which he was elected president his senior year. After MBS, Brian continued his studies at Hobart & William Smith Colleges where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy.

After graduating from Hobart, Brian worked as a research analyst at the Rockefeller Institute of Government before moving to the Management Consulting group at KPMG. He now works at Amazon Web Services where he manages AWS’s relationships with their largest clients in the Global Financial Services Group. Brian currently lives in Summit, New Jersey with his wife, Alicia, and their son, Robert. Brian also serves on the Young Benefactors of the First Tee of Metropolitan New York, The Young Patrons of Lincoln Venter, and the Central Park Conservancy.

“My seven years at Morristown Beard are the foundation of my formal education, both in and out of the classroom.

While at MBS I gained more than intellectual curiosity and confidence from Mr. Farman’s AP US History or Mr. Fisher’s Earth Science. I learned the values of friendship and leadership that have been a cornerstone of my success since graduating in 2005. Since leaving MBS I have been fortunate enough to find success in my professional and personal lives because of the values of community involvement that I developed while a student,” said Brian.

Rosalie Small ’84

Brian Kilduff ’05

After graduating from MBS, Rosalie received a B.A. in Spanish with a minor in Mathematics from Dickinson College. Upon graduation, she began working in the International Shipping and Transportation Industry. Two years later, she enrolled at Hofstra University and completed an MBA in International Business. In 2001, Rosalie transitioned to the Financial Services and Banking Industry.

She currently works at PNC Bank as a Vice President, Treasury Management Officer Corporate and Institutional Bank. She resides in Bridgewater, New Jersey with her husband Howard and their two cats, Ziggy and Zoey.

“I am very grateful for the impact that MBS has had on my life. I would not be the person I am today had I not attended MBS. I made lifelong friendships at Morristown Beard School, and I want to share the passion that I have for the School and the community with others,” said Rosalie.

Stay in Touch with MBS! Keep the MBS community updated on your latest personal, professional, and civic achievements.

Please email alumni@mbs.net or scan the QR code by February 28, 2023 to be included in the next issue of Crimson.

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CLASS NOTES

Updates From the

Alumni Board Greetings MBS Alumni and Friends, As I begin my term as president of the Alumni Board, I am grateful for the opportunity to serve Morristown Beard School and work together to identify and celebrate the many talented alumni among us. I believe in this School—what it was when I was a student and what it has become. In fact, my own daughter, Juliette, is currently a junior. While the facilities and faces have changed, I know that her experience of being known and nurtured mirrors my own.

When I think about my goals in this position, I am most excited to bring our community together. Mrs. Morrison asked all members of the community to “engage” this year, and as alumni, we’re off to a good start! Back in August, more than 50 alumni gathered at the Bay Head Yacht Club. We shared stories and heard about the School’s upcoming initiatives. An even bigger crowd turned out for a beautiful afternoon in October at this year’s Homecoming and Reunion. We ended the day with cocktails in the Math & Science Center, where we were delighted to see the beautiful facilities that accommodate the growing student body while also sharing stories and laughs about how we remember the School.

While I’m looking forward to serving our Board, there are many ways for you to serve this School we love. Perhaps you’re able to share your time, and offer an internship to a current senior. Perhaps you’re a leader in your professional field and want to speak to the Interdisciplinary Concentrations Program about your journey. Perhaps you love event planning and want to help bring together your classmates and friends. I’d love to hear your ideas; they’ll help us continue to cultivate a sense of community. Please keep an eye out for details about upcoming events. If you’re not already following the School’s Instagram, it’s @morristownbeard. If you want to make sure you’re on our email list, please send your contact details to alumni@mbs.net.

It means so much to me to be in this role, and I look forward to collaborating with many of you in the coming year!

Warmly,

KC Joubran ’84 President, MBS Alumni Board

64 Crimson Fall 2022

Need volunteer or event information?

Please visit www.mbsconnect.net or email alumni@mbs.net

1954

Class Agent Anne Overman Bunn writes that she and her husband spent the summer at their condo in New Jersey. She reports that they “love New Jersey but I have to admit there are fewer and fewer friends left here. On a happier note, I had a spectacular time having lunch with Sally Rogers Epstein. She is as energetic as ever.” Sally keeps busy with her grandchildren and is looking forward to her granddaughter's wedding this fall. Sally jokes that now that she is “old” she has finally taken up bridge. Anne and Sally plan to get together twice next year and even enjoy a bridge game.

Finally, Mary Earl Pruden Rogers reports that two of her grandchildren are now married and she welcomed a great grandchild. Mary and her husband, Bill, are happy in their condo but miss their ocean view!

1956

Eric Johnson and his wife visited their daughter’s family in Eagle River, Alaska in June. In August the extended Johnson family met at Isle of Palms, South Carolina for their beach week. Eric is busy building a collection of stereoscopic cards that depict the history of Alaska in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Dick Stinson is in his 60th year in the ordained ministry. He serves as a Chaplain and an EMT with the local Fire Department and also as a Chaplain with the US Secret Service. His hobbies include working out, microscopy, reading and birding. Dick reports calling on old classmates recently, and the happy memories of days at The Morristown School.

Barbara Newberry Lindsley shares in the worldwide grief for the death of Queen Elizabeth, remembering vividly Her Majesty’s visit to the small town of Kirkcudbright, Scotland, some 10 years ago, where Barbara and her husband have a summer home.

Barbara stood not 25 yards from the Queen as she walked around, splendidly dressed, graciously receiving small bouquets of flowers from local school children. Prince Philip

awaited her in the car. It was a memorable occasion for all!

1961

In May, Linda Blanchard Chapman and Evelyn Swanson Prather attended the Princeton Reunion of their husbands, Phil and Joe. These Beard alumnae had a grand time catching up on family and fellow classmates and friends.

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The following notes were compiled by Loretta Porter James: Karen Begley writes, “Once my girls (Kate and Carolyn) were in school, I became a travel consultant. It is a career that I am still working in. Yes, my agency did survive the pandemic and is busier than ever. Work helps keep the brain from being lazy. My daughter, Carolyn, is a high school English teacher here in Chicago. My daughter Kate and her family have been living in Toronto for nine years.

My grandson, David, is in his junior year at Western Ontario University and his brother, Andrew (also my grandson), is a freshman at The Ohio State University.

My sisters, Lise (class of ’60) and Kirsten (class of ’58), both live in New York and I occasionally come East to visit them.

This summer I had a wonderful trip to Norway with a cruise through some fjords and ending in Denmark where I visited family.”

Joy Esehak Dybas shared, “I have two grandaughters: Violet, who is 3 years old, and Lucy, who is 6 months old.”

Lisa Burke graduated from Mt. Holyoke

College, with a major in psychology. For 11 years, she worked in a veterinary clinic in Nantucket. She also worked in real estate and managed a hotel that operated seasonally in Nantucket in the summer and North Carolina in the winter. Lisa married in 1983 and had a business with her husband; they divorced in 1994.

Three years ago, a serious infection attacked her spine. After successful treatment in Boston that required a long rehabilitation period, she decided to retire. She currently lives in Nantucket with two friends. Her hobby at the moment is working on ancestry with her sisterin-law, which she really enjoys.

Anne Hoffmann Moore reports, “After Beard, I graduated from Connecticut College with a degree in Child Development. I worked for two years at the Yale Child Study Center in New Haven, Connecticut, then two-plus years at the Lincoln Child Development Center in Santa Monica, California.

I spent the next 25 years as a stay-at homemom. I volunteered for everything—hospital, church, school, I was on the board of education for 15 years and president for five years and I was president of a home for older women “of moderate means.” I was also on The Beard Alumni Council.

I’ve been married to Ram for 54 years, and we have just moved to a CCRC in Chicago.

We have three children who all live on North Wayne Avenue in Chicago (about eight blocks from us). Betsy is an attorney with Novus Law and Molly is an attorney with Stitch Fix. Peter is an actor here in Chicago and the Artistic Director of Steep Theater. We have three grandchildren—Harry, Gus, and Libby.

I have two brothers: one in New York and South Carolina, and the other in Cambridge, Massachusetts. My sister lives in Brooklyn.”

Nancy Bristol Homer writes, “I will just briefly describe the major events of my life since graduating in 1962. Can’t imagine it has been 60 years! Not knowing what I wanted to do in college, I chose Bennett Jr. College in Millbrook, New York (no longer in existence) and graduated with a liberal arts degree. Then

you still have nothing to get you a job, so I decided to go to Katharine Gibbs Secretarial School in Boston. I chose Boston over New York because I didn’t want to have to wear white gloves and carry a briefcase every day.

After one year of getting properly finished, I had a skill that got me a job in Boston working for an investment company in the PR division.

After three years there, one of my roommates told me of a job opening up as the secretary to the Director of the Hurricane Island Outward Bound School in Rockland, Maine.

I got the job which meant I would spend May to October on the island and November through April in a winter office in Concord, Massachusetts. It was on the island that I met my husband who I am still married to after 51 years. Yikes! He decided that I was his the day I arrived, but it took me three years to decide because here I was the only single female on a predominantly male island with a few wives of instructors and there were just so many great guys to have just as friends. Something new for me after going to all-girls schools from 7th grade through Katharine Gibbs.

Steve Homer and I were married in 1971, and he wanted to own a boatyard on the coast of Maine, having spent every summer of his life on a family property in Southwest Harbor, Maine. Fortunately, we found a small business in Southwest Harbor and had a house to live in in the same town. We struggled with the business from 1973 to 1983 which were difficult years for the fiberglass boat business because of the oil embargo and oil shortages and high gas prices.

We dealt with small boats 30 feet and under, sold them, stored them, maintained them and rented them. It was a seasonal business so it was a struggle. We were able to sell the business in 1983 and I took a year off and then accepted a job at a private tennis, swimming and golf club in our town as the office manager doing just about everything. I loved the job because I loved the people, and it was on the same street where we lived. I worked there for 11 years and then went off on my own doing bookkeeping for various individuals and businesses and worked in a specialty store selling wine and cheeses for 26 years. In May of this year, I retired from the specialty store and one client, and still have two

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Susan Eelma writes from Florida in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. She, her sister Nanne Holmes and Wade Smith were graduates of Morristown Beard School’s very first class. Today, Nanne and Wade are settled in St. Petersburg, Florida, while Susan resides in Naples. Although they were unable to attend their 50th reunion, they marvel at where the years have gone!

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MJ (Mary Jane) Ullrich Bolter lives in Ligonier, Pennsylvania. She has had a 40-year career as a dispute arbiter. During the last 13 to 14 years, her skills were recognized when she was appointed as a judge in the arbitration courts. Over this time she saw the benefit of the process and found that this job was very rewarding work.

Loretta Porter James graduated from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. and The American University of Paris. She is a life-long Francophile. She was a guide at the UN Conference in Geneva. She has been on the National Board of the AAUW (American Association of University Women) and was the IFUW (International Federation of University Women) Representative at the UN for years. She has four children and six grandchildren. Her hobbies include creating ancestry photo albums for family members.

She divides her time between Connecticut and California.

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Sue Magennis Underwood lives in Radnor, Pennsylvania. She earned a BA from Wheelock College of Education at Boston University and an M.A. in Social work from Adelphi University and an M.A. in Ibero-American Studies from NYU. Sue has two daughters; one lives in Spain with her family. She visits there frequently. Sue’s Spanish is excellent.

She worked on public relations corporate jobs throughout the mid-Atlantic area. She accumulated three years of credits at SUNY Albany. The jobs she has had included recruiting for an employment agency, successful life insurance sales classes; teaching human resources classes for Cumberland Farms; opening new Cumberland stores on Long Island; working with DEC corporation, passing the Series Seven Test and becoming a stock broker for David Lerner and Paine Webber. Jill lives in Newtown, Pennsylvania. A near her two daughters. Currently she is taking weekly classes in traditional oil painting of portraiture.

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Jeanie Hayes has earned her Ph.D. in psychology. She has had a farm for a number of years in Novato, California with a variety of animals. She enjoys cart driving and racing with small horses or ponies.

Jill Gaubert Weinberg used her native intelligence to create a varied, successful, and happy life. She attended the Fashion Institute (FIT) in New York; filled in at the last minute for FIT NY “Fashion Week”; and worked on FIT summer tour of Europe.

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Gail Wiss Heyer has long since earned her veterinary doctor degree from the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary School with a special interest in unusual animals. Loretta saw her dissect a shark at Point Pleasant Beach, as her children looked on. Gail also said she’s very adept and self-sufficient when she has to fix any plumbing on her boat at her home in New Jersey. She now lives in Sedona, Arizona with her husband and horses. Gail has four sons.

Junior College, GW, has an M.A. in Library Science from Catholic University and an M.A. in Spanish from the University of Valencia in Spain. She has gone on safaris in four African countries—Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa. She has travelled in Ecuador, Europe, the Galapagos, Portugal, Spain, Scotland, and Holland. She has lived in Arlington, Virginia for 50 years. She has two children and four grandchildren. Next up on her list of travels is Morocco.

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We now have a large power boat that can accommodate two couples. The Homer family had always been sailors, and I was a New Jersey girl with no boating experience. I learned to sail. Since most of our life in Maine was working full-time, Steve decided it was time to get a power boat and show me more of the beautiful coast of Maine, so that is what we started doing this summer. It’s a lot of work organizing weekends with friends and meals, and I wish we were 15 years younger, but we are going to give it a go as long as we can. No trips south, just somewhere in the 3,000 miles of Maine’s coast line.”

winter home in St. Simon, Georgia. The car drive allowed her to visit longer and revive some of her old southern roots in South Carolina and Charleston. Marie graduated from the University of Rhode Island with B.A. and M.A. degrees, as well as The American University of Paris. Overcoming a life-long hearing challenge, she created her own interview public TV show: “Tea with Marie,” which ran for eight years. This allowed her to interview many Rhode Islanders with interesting lifestyles and talents. She selfpublished two books: To Hear the Birds Sing and Simply Narragansett. Marie has four children and shares eight grandchildren.

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Susan (Milford) Bandy retired in June after 18 years of teaching special education.

She looks forward to the fall arrival of two more grandchildren, which will bring the count to eight! Susan and her husband, Greg, just completed a major renovation of their kitchen. From taking down a wall to reimagining the layout to installing a new backsplash, countertop and floor—it’s quite an improvement! Greg did an excellent job, though the couple plans to downsize their house next year and also take a few trips to visit family. Susan would love to catch up with any classmates from her years at MBS!

1979

Art Lewis, Steve Fusco, Peter Vandergraf and Tripp Billings enjoyed their seventh annual MoBeard golf outing on Nantucket.

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Lonsberry ’92 enjoyed reconnecting at this year’s North American Spine Society meeting in Chicago. What a small world that these two MBS grads have both become CEOs of medical device companies. It’s pretty common to run into people you know from prior jobs in the industry, not so much high school classmates!

1999 Ridgely Harrison mentored Terry

Luongo ’21, thanks to the MBS Connect portal and LinkedIn. The alums shared a great conversation about their time at MBS and beyond. Ridgely reports that the two are exploring internship opportunities and he wants to encourage all alums to use the MBS Connect portal. “It’s a great tool!” On a personal note, Ridgely and his wife Rachel report their family is thriving in upstate New York. With two daughters playing soccer yearround, they are also following the Harrison tradition of joining swim team. Ridgely is now 10-plus years as a Financial Advisor with Northwestern Mutual. He says, “If you’re driving through Albany, New York, give me a shout!”

flagship event, the Power Shift Convergence, a powerful gathering of thousands of young climate leaders to learn, strategize, and build the movement.

2014

Ashley Magner and Maximilian Cuomo tied the knot on September 3. Ashley reports that the MBS sweethearts were surrounded by friends from campus. All of Ashley’s bridesmaids were long-time friends from Morristown Beard and many of Max’s groomsmen were also alums.

2001

It’s been a busy fall for Larry O’Connor, who married Laura Lark on September 24.

Following the wedding, they’re settling into their new home together. Pictured: Marg Dubov P ’08, Lori O’Connor P ’01, 05, Adam Dubov ’08, Logan O’Connor ’05, Justen Freeman ’01, Jesse Jeffers ’02, Craig Fried ’01, Jill Fried P ’01, Jesse (Friedman) Ponsol ’01, Lawrence O’Connor ’01

2016 2006

On October 1, 2021, Eriqah Vincent was promoted to Co-Executive Director of Network Weaving at Power Shift Network.

She held her previous position as Network Engagement Director since June 2020 and will now oversee the engagement approach of the network’s 100-plus member organizations as well as the planning of the organization’s

Alex Motley is working in real estate private equity (REPE) in NYC. He shares, “I love what I do and I travel frequently for work, mainly to Florida, the Midwest, and California, which are the main regions that make up my portfolio.” But it’s not all work.

Alex vacationed in Hawaii this year, which he “highly suggests.” Still an avid athlete and sports fan, he recently attended the Notre Dame vs. Ohio State football game with Christian and AJ Dicesare.

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2018

Humza Bari reports that she recently graduated from New York Institute of Technology’s sevenyear BS/DO medical program, and will start medical school next fall.

2019

Ava Namar was featured in the music video “Josephine” from the debut album of Jack Schneider, a New York Cowboy from Nashville.

Ava dances throughout the three-and-a-half minute video, which was shot on Kodak film throughout Manhattan last summer. Catch the video, and other adventures, on Ava’s Instagram page (@ava_namar).

Dan Levine, a junior at Dickinson College, is spending the year at Oxford University’s Mansfield College as he studies politics. From weekends in London to playing club lacrosse, Dan reports that he is immersing himself in both the academic and cultural opportunities that abound in England and Europe.

2020

Tommy Matthews, a junior at Providence College, is currently studying abroad in Rome. This Thanksgiving, his sister Peggy Matthews ’21 will visit him in Italy as she chooses her study abroad site. A sophomore at Providence College, Peggy is double majoring in Business Management and Psychology.

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IN MEMORIAM Dr. Marion J. (Jerry) Gedney ’49, January 3, 2022, age 90. Jerry Gedney entered Miss Beard’s Lower School in 1942. During her nine years in the Lower and Upper Schools, she both flourished academically and forged her love of music and music performance.

She was performing for the New York Art Song Society until recently. She formed lifelong friendships and maintained a strong interest in Beard School and MBS, faithfully attending reunions through her 72nd in fall, 2021. Jerry was the third of three remarkable sisters, all Beard girls.

Eldest sister Joanne ’42 was a noted abstract expressionist painter and sculptor who was among the founders of one of the famed Tenth Street Cooperative Galleries in New York City. Second sister Dr. Judith Gedney Tobin ’44 was a much honored Delaware State Medical Examiner and forensic pathologist. Jerry had a decades long career as a child and adult psychologist and psychotherapist. She also wrote papers for The Association for Child Psychology.

She first worked in London, England and then in private practice in New York City. She was practicing at the time of her death. “I’m 90 years old now and still working,” Jerry shared in September, 2021.

“I don’t want to stop. The secret is loving what you do,” she continued. There was also a brother Stanley among her three older siblings. All predeceased her during the past few years. She is survived by her daughter and son, an artist activist. Jerry received her Ph.D. in psychology from McGill University in Montreal, Canada.

She subsequently studied with Anna Freud from 1968 to 1973, earning a Certificate in Child and Adolescent Psychoanalysis from the Anna Freud Center in London.

In 1986 she received a Certificate in Adult Psychoanalysis from the New York Contemporary Freudian Society. Her work experience in London included senior psychologist and psychotherapist at Middlesex Hospital and clinical child psychologist at the Hampstead Child Therapy Center. Asked in a recent conversation if her parents, Marion and Stanley Gedney of East Orange, New Jersey encouraged their daughters to enter then

less conventional fields for women, Jerry reflected: “Our mother was a successful professional opera singer, but she made the mistake of giving up her career when she had children,” Jerry said. “Women then were expected to do that. Our father was a lawyer. He opposed pushing anyone against their own wishes or judgment. So, we used our own judgment. Our father also made it clear that we were expected to have careers and make our own livings. So, we did.”

Nancy Dane Wells ’49, January 2, 2022, age 90. Kind of heart, gentle of spirit, and a caring listener, Nancy Dane Wells cherished her friendships with her Beard classmates and ties with Beard and MBS throughout her long life. Nancy grew up in Short Hills, New Jersey and began her secondary school years at the then Miss Beard’s School in 1946. There she played on teams, cheered for the Athenians, performed with Dance Club and sang in Glee Club. In an early 2000 conversation, Nancy happily recalled the joint concerts that Beard held with the Princeton Freshman Glee Club and at West Point.

She married a West Point graduate, Robert N. Wells, Jr, after her 1951 graduation from Bennett Junior College. Robert had received a Congressional Nomination to West Point after three years of service in the U.S. Army. The couple were married for 51 years until Robert’s death in the early 2000s. A devoted wife and mother, Nancy brought up her three sons in Short Hills, New Jersey. The sons, a daughter-in-law and four grandchildren survive her. Nancy was among many schoolmates who relocated to the New Jersey shore in the 1990s. Nancy loved the views from Turkey Point Farm, her treasured home on a small peninsula in the Manasquan River in Brick Township, New Jersey. Nancy was a stalwart at MBS sponsored Beard alumna events, especially summer luncheons in Bay Head and at the Paper Mill Playhouse. She especially enjoyed classic Broadway musicals as well as premieres. She and her friends never missed MBS class reunions, participating in every event with interest and enthusiasm.

Marjory Eve Groel Ward ’50, August 15, 2022, age 89. Marjory was born in Orange, New Jersey, grew up in West Orange and was an outstanding day student at The Beard School in Orange where she was inducted into the Cum Laude Society. She attended Beard from kindergarten through graduation. At Beard, she was class president in 9th, 11th and 12th grades, honor council representative in 10th grade, sang in Glee Club, was active in International Relations Club, and attended both the Northfield and Buck Hills Fall Conferences. She graduated from Smith College in 1954, married James Ward, and had a daughter, two sons and three grandchildren. James predeceased her. Her children and grandchildren survive her. She and James built their life together in Short Hills, New Jersey where Marjory was living at the time of her death.

Proud to describe herself as a homemaker, she supported Planned Parenthood and St. Hubert’s Animal Shelter. Marjory enjoyed playing a good game of tennis.

Daniel A. Gonnella ’72, May 17, 2002, age 68. Daniel—Danny—excelled in academics and sport from his earliest years playing in the nearby fields around his family’s Montville, New Jersey home. A natural athlete, he was the stand out pitcher for MBS baseball as well as MBS Most Valuable Player all three of his years at the Upper School and All County and All State. Similarly, Danny was an ace goalie on the School soccer and hockey teams, including All State Soccer. Later he would play men’s softball. In 1995 MBS honored Danny with induction into the School’s Athletic Hall of Fame. Danny was a member of the National Junior Honor Society at MBS and served in student government during the critical transition year to coeducation.

He continued to serve the MBS community after graduation. Danny was on the MBS Alumni Association from 1990 to 1998. With lifelong friend and classmate John Carlson, Danny was also the 1972 Class Agent. The two had been planning their 50th Reunion at the time of Danny’s death. After MBS, he earned his Bachelor of Science at Elon College in North Carolina and his MD from Universidad del Noreste in Mexico. Danny’s

first medical work was at Portamedic where he met his wife JoAnne DiGregorio. The couple married in 1991. They soon bought a fixer-upper in Denville where they brought up their son Richard and continued to live.

Danny became a medical researcher. He was with Novartis for many years and briefly self-employed. He had recently begun work with ICON Clinical Research as a Clinical Research Associate. He loved all animals, working closely with nearby Parsippany Animal Shelter. Danny mended animals and healed their hearts. He adopted many cats and dogs, nursing the sick and the injured, the big and the small, back to health. At the time of his death, he had two beloved pups, LaVerne and Shirley. Danny fixed inanimate objects, too—in addition to his and JoAnne’s fixer upper, he had a knack for repairing cars.

He read avidly, especially politics and history with an emphasis on The Worlds Fairs and World War Two. Wife JoAnne, son Richard, his mother Grace, his sister Madeline ’75, mother in law, cousin Curt and lifelong friend, classmate John Carlson ’72 survive him. His family and friends remember how he could start a conversation with pretty much everyone. He made everyone feel comfortable.

John Carlson remembers, “Danny was the prototype of the Morristown Prep ideal,” John shared in a recent conversation. “He was involved with everything and cared about everybody at the School. Everyone respected him. He was everyone’s friend,” John said.

Deirdre Anne McQuade ’86, April 21, 2022, age 56. Deirdre grew up in Morris County, New Jersey. Retired MBS faculty member Alan Cooper remembers her. “Deirdre defined the term character,” he recently wrote. “Whether agreeing with her or not, one had to admire the force of her convictions and respect them as she respected others,” Alan said. Deirdre excelled in her studies during her six years at MBS, in college, and in graduate school. She earned a Bachelor of Arts from Bryn Mawr College and both a Master of Arts in Philosophy and a Masters of Divinity from Notre Dame University.

She was devoted to her advocacy work for women and the unborn. She assisted women in crisis pregnancies and became

the spokesperson for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. After her tenure with the Conference, she embraced photography. She loved Irish culture and could often be found in a Washington, D.C. Irish pub playing the bodhran and soaking in the music and dance. Friends filled her home where the music, dance and hospitality continued. Deirdre’s parents Genevieve and Patrick McQuade, her sister Pam Shannon and brother in law Don Shannon, her two nieces, and many friends survive her.

Kathryn E. Fenstermaker Brown, ’02, August 25, 2022, age 38. Katie was born in Summit, New Jersey grew up in Morris County, and settled into family life in Mendham, New Jersey, where she was living at the time of her death. Before attending MBS Middle and Upper Schools, she graduated from The Peck School. After MBS, she earned a Bachelors of Science in Business from Lafayette University in 2006. She then lived in midtown Manhattan for a few years while working for a large accounting firm before relocating to California for a couple of years. “She was a whiz at numbers,” said lifelong friend Elizabeth Hunter-Keller ’02 in a recent conversation. “She effortlessly did math calculations in her head. When we went out for lunch, we would automatically hand Katie the check to figure who owed what,” Liz remembered. Katie was the centrifugal force holding her and Liz’s tight circle of MBS friends together. She was loyal, loving, and giving. “She was slight of build but an outsized presence—a fireball—everyone at MBS knew who she was,” Liz said. Captain

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IN MEMORIAM of two teams, Katie was a fierce player on both the first MBS girls ice hockey team and girls field hockey team. She was technically on girls varsity field hockey as a freshman.

Coach Pamela O’Connor summed up Katie’s contribution as “tenacity on the field,” Liz reported. After hanging up her ice skates, Katie transferred her enthusiasm to rooting for the New Jersey Devils. Katie also adored animals. She supported canine adoption services and leaves behind her beloved pooches, Baylor and Bubba. Her deepest loves were family and friends. Katie met her future husband Blake when both were taking an undergraduate semester abroad in Florence, Italy. The couple rejoiced in life with daughter Colby and son Sloan and family close by. Her husband, children, parents Catherine and Douglas Brown, brother Chris, and sister Jen Brown Hayes, ’98 survive her along with her mother, brother and sister in laws, four nephews, and two nieces. Nephew Ryan Brown is MBS Class of 2020. Liz Hunter-Keller ’02 shared additional memories. “Children loved her. She played with them on their level, down on the floor inventing silly games or orchestrating impromptu dance parties,” Liz said. Years before they became parents, Katie and Liz were 16-year-old counselors for the four to eight year old campers in the early days of the MBS Day Camp. It was a hot summer—no air conditioning, no breezes.

“At the end of each camp day, we would all sit on the floor licking popsicles,” Liz recalled.

When the popsicles failed to offer sufficient relief from the heat, Katie led the kids to the slope near the MBS locker rooms. The oldest campers had hosed the grass to create a makeshift slide down to the soccer field.

The slide became muddied as did the young campers. The children were delighted. There is no word on how the camp administrators or parents reacted. Whether or not Katie actually took a slide will be long debated.

Pamela (Pam) Rigas O’Connor, Former Faculty and Parent, July 10, 2022, age 78.

Pam never shied from a challenge, including teaching hundreds of teenagers how to drive.

Born in Newark’s St Barnabas Hospital, Pam grew up in a tightknit Greek-American

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family. She, her parents, and siblings lived in Irvington, New Jersey in one unit in a fourfamily house. Extended family lived in the other three. Her immediate family relocated to South Orange, NJ where Pam attended Marylawn of the Oranges, South Orange Junior High School, and graduated from Columbia High School. An outstanding athlete, her school years predated Title 9 extramural team sports for girls. “There was the occasional play day, but it was largely intramural,” Pam said in a 2020 interview.

Pam was a forward in girls rules half-court basketball, played tennis and field hockey, and was a left-handed short stop in softball.

She continued playing softball most of her life. After Columbia, Pam completed the demanding Bachelor of Science program at Panzer College of Physical Education, later absorbed by Montclair State University.

She started teaching physical education, health, and coaching girls sports at Chatham Junior High School. She next taught a year in Colorado before returning east to be near family. Pam met her late husband John (Jack) O’Connor during her 11 years at Parsippany Hills High School. Widowed in 2011, Pam was living in the family Parsippany home at the time of her death. Pam’s daughters Kim Speidel and Kelly Sherry, sons Timothy and Michael ’95, nine grandchildren, six great grandchildren and one sister survive her as well as Kim’s husband John Speidel and Michael’s wife Mindy. When Michael was 7 or 8, she returned to teaching, this time in Lake Hiawatha. “Then, somehow Headmaster Phil Anderson saw my resume and called me into MBS for an interview. He was a wonderful man, an unparalleled leader,” Pam said. During her 34 years at MBS—she retired in 2020—Pam taught health, physical education, Drivers Education, Behind the Wheel (BTW), and coached girls sports in both the Middle and Upper Schools.

When the School trustees determined that insurance costs prohibited offering Drivers Ed, Pam worked for two successive area driving schools. “I only worked with MBS kids; we were familiar with one another and I knew they knew the rules of the road from BTW,” Pam said. “I made certain they knew how to read maps and be independent

of GPS. “GPS can fail or be wrong,’” Pam would tell her students as they worked through mapping routes for hypothetical travels. “I would often take the kids down Route 280 and into Orange to view what had been The Beard School,” Pam said. Pam loved studying history and did research into the early days of the founding Schools. She also was a frequent yearbook advisor. The 2012 Salmagundi was dedicated to Pam: “Your sprightly sarcasm brightens everyone’s day and it is clear how much you love the School and care for the students,” the seniors wrote. “From having the patience to teach us to drive and keeping us in a straight line, to just having a good laugh with the students in the class, you never fail to give 100 percent in all you do for us.”

Younger son Michael, would accompany Pam to MBS during his public school vacations. “He fell for MBS and blossomed there as most kids did,” Pam said. Pam had many close friends at MBS; the friendships continued after retirement. “It was a great atmosphere. The faculty worked with one another to assure each kid got what was needed,” Pam said. Pam remained physically active as a senior player in two softball leagues and was a lifelong golfer. She loved skiing and was a New Jersey slopes instructor.

Asked her favorite MBS memory, she replied, “Winning three prep championships in a row—’95, ’96, ’97—was definitely a high point.” Pam was an avid reader of historical fiction, especially books set in Ancient Egypt and Victorian Scotland. And, she loved the television soaps. “I’ve been following them for years. General Hospital since it started,” Pam said. Pam made this observation about her years at MBS. “I think I am the only teacher who probably knew and taught every student who came to the School,” Pam said.

Edward (Eddie) Franz, Faculty, August 11, 2022, age 65. Teacher, counselor, coach, director, husband, father, brother, father figure, friend. The loss of Eddie Franz resonates throughout the MBS community.

In announcing Eddie’s passing, Head of School Liz Morrison captured Eddie’s gift to MBS: “If a school is fortunate, there’s a faculty member who is so synonymous with its ethos and identity that the teacher becomes a symbol for the school itself.” Born and raised in Roselle, New Jersey, Eddie and his wife started their 35 years of married life there.

They settled in Cranford, New Jersey after the arrival of their second child. Eddie died at home, surrounded by his immediate family, wife Kim, son Travis, daughter Kathryn and her husband Zachary, brother Richard and his wife Peggy. They survive him along with cousins and lifelong friends. Eddie earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from Rutgers University and a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies from Kean College. As his roles at MBS expanded, Eddie returned to Kean for a Masters in Counseling Psychology.

He first taught and coached at New Jersey high schools in Spotswood, Piscataway, and Whippany Park before joining the MBS family as history teacher and coach in 1983.

His sports were tennis and basketball. He coached Boys Varsity Tennis from 1983 to 1999 and again from 2011 to 2014. He was the School’s boys varsity basketball coach from 1987 to 1990 and from 1995 to 2021, temporarily stepping down when his children were young. Eddie always did what

he could. He answered the call where needed.

During the five-year hiatus from coaching, he officiated at games. During his 50 years of coaching, he had a remarkable 400-plus win record in basketball and 200-plus tennis victories. Eddie was inducted into the MBS Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008 and the New Jersey State Coaches Hall of Fame in 2013.

These are laurels to make any man proud, but Eddie’s vision took in the whole young person on and off the courts. He saw sport and being on a team as critical to individual growth and lifelong contentment. Interviewed for the 2009 Crimson Wellness Issue, Eddie elaborated, “There are psychological adjustments to good team play that best happen when you are young,” Eddie said.

“The qualities of resilience learned there work with the School’s core values for now, for life,” he emphasized. The Wellness Program was among Eddie’s invaluable gifts to the School.

With others, Eddie transformed the old “who runs the fire drills” model of School wellbeing into a holistic program bringing together guidance, health, peer group, diversity, crisis planning and athletics. At the time of his passing, Eddie was directing the School’s Wellness program and Crisis Management Plan. He was overseeing the development and growth of the Advisory program, Peer Leadership program, and Senior Transitions while teaching Constitutional Law and Humanities courses. He also was a mentor to many faculty and staff. Responsibilities enough, but Eddie’s commitment extended beyond his beloved MBS campus to Newark’s

inner city. Along with his work at MBS, for the last 34 years, Eddie had spent summers directing the Greater Newark Life Camp, a not for profit day camp in Pottersville, New Jersey with programs in academics, art expression and athletics for about 300 Newark students yearly. In an interview for the Daily Record, Life Camp Program Director and Newark’s West Side High School Principal and Coach Akbar Cook spoke about Eddie. “The things Eddie’s done for me and my family, it’s monumental. People grow up wanting to be Batman. I wanted to be Eddie Franz,” Principal Akbar, also a former camper at Life Camp, was quoted saying. Eddie was a standup guy. He always cared, always gave his best. He enriched the lives of thousands of young people.

He taught by example. When his cancer precluded his coaching varsity, Eddie assisted his former player Kevin MacDonald with Freshman Boy’s Basketball. That was Eddie, always doing what he could. Tributes from colleagues, students, parents have poured in.

To the many who mourn his passing, Eddie, with one of his ready smiles, would likely say, “Ask, what can I do? How can I help?”

Kipp’s Mule Since 2003, Kipp’s Mule has stood stoically outside the MBS Bookstore celebrating the memory of a remarkable Morristown Beard School graduate, Kipp Sujet ’94.

While many admire the colorful mule figure, not all are familiar with Kipp’s story. Thanks to Art and Design teacher Laurie Hartman, the story is now mounted on a sign in front of the structure for all to read.

Kipp died from leukemia less than a year after graduating from MBS, yet his artistic

achievements live on in the form of a fullsized fiberglass mule that is covered from head to hoof in his artwork.

Kipp’s Mule was part of “Miles for Mules,” a large community public art project, and his work was lovingly recreated on the mule by Frenchtown artist Barry Sarplin.

After being auctioned off to raise money for cancer research, the mule was donated by the Sujet family to Morristown Beard School and installed in Beard Hall.

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The MB Fund

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