MKA Fall 2019 Review Magazine

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THE MAGAZINE OF

MONTCLAIR KIMBERLEY ACADEMY FAL L 2 0 19

C E L E B R AT I N G 5 0 Y E A R S O F T H E CO M M U N I T Y S C H O L A R S P R O G R A M AT M K A

In the tapestry of life, we’re all connected. Each one of us is a gift to those around us, helping each other be who we are, weaving a perfect picture together.

THE MAGAZINE OF

MONTCLAIR KIMBERLEY ACADEMY FALL 2019

F E ATURES

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MKA Community Scholars: Celebrating 50 Years

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F ROM THE HE AD MASTER

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MKA Campus, student, and faculty news

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AR E MKA Stories of Giving

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NOT ES

ON THE COVER Photo taken by MKA Community Scholar Alumna Sofia Tomé ’02 in Todos Santos, Baja, Mexico Quotation by author Anita Moorjani

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Evidence of our mission is found in the KNOWLEDGE, VISION and INTEGRITY of our students and our alumni: K N OW L EDGE • Academic excellence • Intellectual independence • Love of learning Editors Gretchen Berra Kim Saunders Design Aldeia www.aldeia.design Copy Editors Diane Lundy Marnie McNany Assistant Editors Ashley Conde Eric Gutierrez Alli Shearin Contributors Jenn Baratta Laela Perkins Talia Selove Rebecca Turcotte Photographers Michael Branscom Phil Cantor Steve Clayton David Hollander David Kenas Derek Morf Karen Schifferdecker James Valenzia

VISION • Personal engagement with the world • Understanding of human complexity • A sense of humility and compassion I N TEG R ITY • Strength of character • Responsibility as a citizen and leader • An honorable and generous life

F RO M T H E H E A D M AST E R

Thomas W. Nammack

Certain Commencement traditions are in place both to allow us to celebrate the character of the graduating class and to focus on each senior. While it is not easy for those attending the ceremony to contain their enthusiasm, parents, relatives, and friends of the graduates are generally respectful of our practice of holding all applause until every graduate has received his or her diploma. Faculty member George Hrab then marks the moment by congratulating the class and welcoming the graduates as the newest members of MKA’s alumni community. It is then that long, joyful, and loud applause fills the sanctuary in which our students graduate.

The transition from student to alumna or alumnus may not be uppermost in the minds of our graduates at Commencement, but it certainly is at the center of my attention. I always speak to that topic in my closing remarks because Commencement is the beginning of a lifelong relationship between MKA and our graduates.

The MKA Mission Statement asserts, “Evidence of our mission is found in the Knowledge, Vision, and Integrity of our students and our alumni.”

There are over seven thousand TKS, MA, and MKA alumni/ae. I am fortunate to know and work with those who are faculty, Trustees, and parents at MKA, as well as those who serve on the Alumni Council and MKA’s more recently established Leadership Council.

When I travel, I have the privilege of meeting with alumni around the country, sometimes for a meal or just a cup of coffee, and while this expands my education about all things MKA, every conversation comes back to the faculty. Our alumni remember

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much of what they learned here, but the indelible memories are about the positive qualities of their teachers. It is through our teachers that knowledge is imparted, vision is shared and expanded upon, and integrity is modeled for our students while at school.

Recently, we have been focused on those alumni who were Community Scholars during their time at MKA. Established in 1969 by Montclair Academy and referenced in greater detail in this issue of the MKA Review, the Community Scholars Program is MKA’s most comprehensive form of need and merit based financial assistance covering all costs associated with attending our school for seven students in grades 6-12.

We have been and are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Community Scholars program in ways that include a reception celebrating the program and recipients as well as the interviews with seven of our former scholars that comprise the Feature section here. Another notable effort is underway as we are raising one million dollars to endow an additional (8th) Community Scholarship. Our program is currently funded almost entirely from the operating budget, and increasing the number of scholarships requires support from endowment.

The voices of alumni represented in this issue, and who exist among the many other members of our alumni community, represent fulfillment of MKA’s mission. Their perspective provides an important measure of our success as a school. Their example sets the bar high for every graduating class that joins them as new members of MKA’s alumni community.

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A ROUN D M KA

Primary School students show off their painting skills in art class.

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MKA Day kickedoff the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Community Scholars Program.

Thanks to more than 300 donors from the entire community, we raised over $70,000 on MKA Day, unlocking an additional $75,000 in challenge funds.

We look forward to continuing to celebrate and grow the Community Scholars Program as it helps to build a brilliant future for all our students.

SLEEP OUT FOR COVENANT HOUSE Our Upper School students raised over $4,300 during their Sleep Out for Covenant House New Jersey that has helped transform and save the lives of more than a million homeless, runaway, and trafficked young people.

Covenant House offers housing and support services to young people in need— reaching 80,000 boys and girls every year. Thank you to all students involved for their work to make a difference in our community.

MEMBERS OF THE SEVENTH AND EIGHTH GRADES CAME TO SCHOOL AND PARTICIPATED IN VARIOUS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES. The seventh grade started the day learning about food insecurities and then made sandwiches to donate to Toni’s Kitchen and spent time helping at the Montclair Community Farms.

One of the many resources that the Montclair Community Farms provides for the community is access to affordable organic produce. Seventh graders had a great experience, especially when they got to work tilling the soil and planting various crops.

Weiss Auditorium came alive as five student a cappella groups put on a spectacular benefit concert for Cycle for Survival!

In addition to MKA’s own Remix performing, the audience got to hear songs from Columbia High School’s Noteworthy and Unaccompanied Minors, Northern Highlands High School’s Highlands Belles, and Montclair High’s The Passing Notes. The Cycle for Survival CSI and Remix held this concert to raise money for rare cancer research.

Through ticket sales and the selling of concessions and Cycle for Survival merchandise, over $5,500 was raised for Cycle for Survival and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. One hundred percent of funds raised go directly to research for rare cancers. It was a wonderful evening of singing, positive energy, and generosity!

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FIELD DAY The House Cup was decided when the Upper School community came together for Field Day. The afternoon started with a minute of silence and a lap of Van Brunt, in honor of former MKA teacher and coach Tom Fleming, who sadly passed away in 2017.

Bradley House went in to the games with a slight advantage over Walden. Monjo and Strong houses needed a very strong Field Day performance to lift the cup. The first events were the current and future captains’ ‘Tug o War’ contest. Bradley and Walden illustrated their mettle by meeting in each final and splitting the spoils. Each house was then split into ten, even teams led by a senior house member. They competed in ten games against different houses and students in each event. Games included Tic Tac Toe, Egg and Spoon Race, Hot Potato, a Puzzle Game, and Rock Tree Bridge. Other games included Sponge Relay, Balloon Toss, and the Limbo. After ten rounds of competition, all students congregated in the stands to hear the final results. Walden won the most spirited house award for the afternoon, and Dr. Flocco and the admin team calculated that Walden also won Field Day. The final point totals were: 1st: Walden (1894), 2nd: Bradley (1668.83), 3rd: Strong (880), and 4th: Monjo (823). The spirit was superb throughout, and it concluded another excellent year in the house system at MKA.

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Student

Voice Black Girl Affinity Group Informs MKA’s Culture and Community

By Carlaina Bell Middle School Assistant Head, Director Of Diversity & Inclusion

Affinity groups are often misunderstood to be segregational, but the purpose of an affinity group is to provide safe places for people of a shared identity to come together to discuss, explore, and celebrate their identity without fear of judgment or the need for explanation or justification. MKA has learned valuable information about its culture and community from student and parent affinity groups. It was within the safety of an affinity group that Black girls at MKA began to discuss their collective experiences of being Black students at MKA. With the support of their group leaders, the girls’ discussions were used to help MKA identify areas of school life that were adversely impacting Black students. During a November meeting, the girls honestly and passionately shared their experiences to a room of MKA school leaders. While it was evident that they appreciated much about MKA, there were areas of school life that were frustrating and painful for them. The girls spoke of an increased use of the N-word; a Code of Conduct that was steeped in privacy and did little to heal a community hurt by hate speech; a curriculum that did not adequately address Black history, slavery and racism; and faculty members who confused their identities and called them incorrect names.

MKA’s Mission Statement states that the faculty has a deep and genuine understanding of its students and that it is a diverse, collaborative, and inclusive community. All mission statements are aspirational.

At MKA, we have to work intentionally and consistently to ensure that our community is inclusive and a place where all of students feel seen, heard, and valued. There has been a lot of progress since that November meeting. Departments are making their curricula more multicultural; a Black Student Experience Task Force has been created; and the Code of Conduct has been revised to now include a commitment to the practice of Restorative Justice.

As I look back on the year, the most rewarding aspect has been witnessing the girls embrace the power of their voices and MKA’s willingness to listen, reflect, and make change.

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The MKA Gender Sexuality Alliance (GSA) sponsored its annual Ally Week at the Upper School. The week started with a short presentation by Dr. Houston, Madison Morano, Colin Critchley, and Sarah Gabriel, talking briefly about the 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in June 1969, which marked the birth of the Gay Civil Rights Movement. During the week, the community had the opportunity to sign the Ally Pledge during the lunch periods and to buy treats at a bake sale on Wednesday, earning over $100 to benefit GLSEN (the Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network), a nonprofit organization that develops and implements programs for schools nationwide to combat bullying and homophobia.

On Friday, many students participated in the Day of Silence, where students could choose to remain silent during the school day as a way to empathize with students who feel they must remain silent about who they are for fear of being bullied and ostracized. The week culminated with the annual Night of Noise, and this year there was special emphasis on karaoke! A talented and enthusiastic crowd from the Upper School was joined by a number of students from the Middle School as well. Proceeds from the Night of Noise totaled over $200 and was added to the bake sale money sent to GLSEN.

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Student

Achievements

UPPER SCHOOL MATH TEACHERS LAURA TREADAWAY, MICHELLE BARBETTA, AND DONNA STARKE CHAPERONED MKA STUDENTS AT THIS YEAR’S ESSEX COUNTY MATH LEAGUE COMPETITION AT CALDWELL UNIVERSITY. Students brought home the highest number of trophies yet and garnered second place overall! Congratulations to all the students on their extraordinary efforts in this rigorous competition.

MKA STUDENT MICHELLE MEDAWAR ’20 SELECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE NJ SCHOLARS PROGRAM. The NJ Scholars Program is an intensive academic program for highly intelligent and motivated students who are rising seniors. Every high school in the state of New Jersey is permitted to submit a maximum of two applications. Then, out of hundreds of applicants, only 39 students from the entire state are accepted each year. For five weeks during the summer, the Scholars live at the Lawrenceville School while they explore a topic from an interdisciplinary perspective.

This year’s topic was Mind and Body: The Future of Being Human. The mission of the NJ Scholars Program is to engage and challenge students by creating an intense, interdisciplinary intellectual experience. The Scholars participate in lectures and small-group seminars, have extensive reading assignments, and pursue research at world-class libraries and museums. MKA is proud to share that Michelle Medawar ‘20 was accepted into the highly competitive NJ Scholars Program.

Congratulations to the MKA Robotics team who competed in a FIRST Robotics meet at South Orange Middle School and won the Rockwell Collins Innovate Award! The award celebrates innovation in the design and implementation of the group’s robot that participated in the competition.

From Left to Right: Beyer White, Hunter Smith, Rohan Moniz, Anthony DiMaggio, Caleb Fossett, and Tristan Holup

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MKA STUDENT BEYER WHITE ’20 SELECTED FOR THE NJ GOVERNOR’S SCHOOL IN THE SCIENCES. The New Jersey Governor’s School in the Sciences (NJGSS) is a 3-week residential program where students are immersed in intense college-level research on the campus of Drew University. High school students who live in New Jersey are nominated by their schools and applications are submitted in the fall of the junior year for participation in the following summer. New Jersey’s Governor’s School in the Sciences is a very prestigious program for rising high school seniors. The objective of the School is to broaden the scholars’ appreciation and knowledge of science through exposure to a range of scientific topics and scientists and to introduce scientific research to the scholars via hands-on research experiences in a student’s area of interest. Please join us in congratulating Beyer on this tremendous accomplishment!

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SEVENTH GRADERS SHOWCASED AN AMAZING BLACK HISTORY MONTH LIVING MUSEUM DURING THEIR SOCIAL STUDIES CLASSES. Each student set up a booth and was prepared to answer questions from visitors about the lives of influential African Americans of the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries he or she chose to research. The project was a fun, informative, and interactive way for students to not only learn about the lives of these influential African Americans but to also share that knowledge with the entire Middle School community.

MKA GIRLS’ LACROSSE HOSTED PLAYERS FROM HARLEM LACROSSE FOR A DAY OF GAME DEVELOPMENT, BONDING, AND FUN! Harlem Lacrosse’s mission is to empower innercity children who are most at risk for academic decline and dropout to rise above their challenges and reach their full potential. The school-based nonprofit organization inspires children to dream about tomorrow while working hard on the field and in the classroom today. MKA Girls’ Lacrosse is happy to partner up with this organization for the 3rd consecutive year!

IN THE UNIT OF STUDY “INVENTIONS,” MKA THIRD GRADERS ENGAGED IN THE ENGINEERING DESIGN PROCESS IN PREPARATION FOR THEIR ANNUAL EGG DROP PRESENTATION. For weeks, they were busy planning, creating, and testing prototypes. They used their knowledge from the previous unit,“Forces of Flight,” to understand the impact of air resistance, gravity, and other factors on their Egg Drop vehicle. The Primary School community came together to watch as faculty dropped their vehicles from the roof of the building! Congratulations to all the students on their amazing success and hard work.

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JUNIOR THESIS RESEARCH

MKA’s 2019 New York City Writing Marathon: In Search of NYC MKA’s Writing Marathon brought students to New York City to write and share in small groups on paths that evolved organically throughout the day. The Marathon has grown every year, and this year, the English Department invited students in Economics and Chemistry 2Honors classes, thereby integrating writing across the curriculum into the Marathon experience. Students observed the city through the lens of their particular class discipline, using writing as the common medium.

A kaleidoscope of New York City emerged. A fleet of eight chaperones from varying departments and even campuses shared the day with students and facilitated writing prompts based upon the particular subject area of the group. Highlights for the different groups included waterfront and neighborhood views of past and present with attention to scientific and economic forces. Some groups immersed in the sights and tastes of Chinatown, took a ride on the Seaglass Carousel, or found themselves pulled in by the crowd and energy of street performers. At the end, students returned to MKA with writing notebooks full of observations to be formed into graded final pieces for Rewriting America, Economics, or Chemistry 2Honors. It was a day of finding New York in an array of sensory encounters.

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Ten MKA juniors presented their research findings from their junior thesis to the MKA community during MKA’s annual Junior Thesis Night. The passion and curiosity of the students showed in the range of topics discussed, including the “orphan trains” of the 19th century, the “Lavender Scare” of the 1950s,” and the impact of Title IX on American women. The junior thesis is a lengthy research paper written by all members of the MKA junior class, and the research process gives students the opportunity to explore topics of personal interest and relevance.

One student’s interest in the 1956 Suez Crisis grew out of the fact that his grandfather had parachuted into Egypt in 1956 as a British soldier, while another student, with an interest in theater, used her junior thesis to explore the origins of American theater during the era of the American Revolution. The history research program continues to be a spotlight program, enabling students to explore their passions while also building skills for future academic success.

The Annual Science Research Symposium took place in the Academic Center at the Upper School.

This symposium is an opportunity to showcase student work in the Science Research Honors and Biomechanics and Physiology classes. Students in these classes work on year long research experiments, culminating in the production of a poster highlighting the experimental steps and findings of their studies.

A couple of students are chosen to present to students, faculty, parents, and administrators. Following the presentations all students have an opportunity to explain their work to members of the audience. The goal of this work is to prepare students for scientific research study at the collegiate level. Congratulations on all of the great achievements the students showcased on this special day.

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Global Citizens As part of MKA’s commitment to empower students to think critically about, and cultivate empathy for the classroom beyond our walls, and to gain the skills necessary to be more informed, ethical, and active global citizens, students traveled to Montana for Community Engagement with the Blackfeet, to study Development by Design in the Balkans, and to participate in a Chile Exchange Program in San Felipe as part of MKA Global Experience Program.

Global Experience at MKA A foundational philosophy of MKA is that our students must not only care about their studies, but must also care deeply about how they conduct their personal, professional, and political lives as a member of a global community. MKA invites our students to be active members in the trip development process in all phases. For more information visit: www.mka. org/ student-life/global-experience.

Middle School students visit Spain

Upper School Students in Montana

Upper School Students in Guadalupe, Cuba

Upper School students in Croatia

Upper School students in Chile

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Upper School Students visit Cuba

After this trip, I think the definition of what service is has changed for me. Prior to this trip I had only worked in order to fundraise money for different reasons or charities, but I now see that as actual service.

To me, service had to be hard, exhausting work in order to help a community. While some service can be hard or exhausting, I now know that it doesn’t have to be. Service can be as easy as having conversations with Cuban families and delivering bags of rice and beans. Small scale service can be just as impactful as building a house. In some ways, building a house is similar to just donating money if you aren’t making the personal connections with the community. What transformed my mindset was not one specific event but rather an accumulation of the service we’ve done. Every service was making a personal connection with a family, and I hadn’t really thought about that aspect as service, but it is.

Making people feel heard and cared for is its own challenge and just as important. I wish we could have done more!

Part of me feels that our service was too easy, but it’s not about the quantity of hours or how sore our muscles are; it’s how much effort you put into having those small moments in the community that both sides will never forget.” —Arianna

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MKA Middle Schoolers participated in a World Language Celebration day.

The teachers of the World Language Department worked diligently to prepare a fantastic afternoon celebrating Chinese, French, and Spanish languages, food, crafts, trivia, sports, and culture. Students enjoyed activities such as creating origami, papel picado, “stained glass” window decorations, talavera tiles, ojo de dios, dancing, karaoke, hacky sack, and world language trivia games. The dining hall staff also prepared special menus for lunch during the week that highlighted a different cuisine each day. It was an educational and fun-filled afternoon!

TO CELEBRATE THE LUNAR NEW YEAR 2019, CHINESE LEARNERS AT MKA’S UPPER SCHOOL PUT ON SOME WONDERFUL PERFORMANCES. Their Taichi Fan dance, Chinese song Friends, and the insightful introduction of the Lunar New Year tradition in Asian countries won applause from the students and faculty. MKA Middle School Chinese students were invited to present the flag and fan dance in an assembly. During lunch on the first day of the Lunar Year of the Pig, Dr. River He invited Selina Law, a researcher of tea culture, to MKA to teach the community about the UPPER SCHOOL STUDENTS TRAVELED TO PHILADELPHIA TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ANNUAL MODEL UN CONFERENCE RUN BY UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA STUDENTS. This year the MKA students represented Russia in a variety of committees, including Economic and Financial Affairs, World Health, Outer Space Affairs, and Security Council just to name a few.

When the club was not busy researching, debating, and “solving the world’s problems,” they got to spend some time seeing Philadelphia and bonding as a group!

Were the Barbary pirates actually pirates?

On April 3, the Upper School History Department hosted Professor Frank Cogliano from the University of Edinburgh in the Academic Center who offered his thoughts about the 1801-1805 American war with the Barbary Pirates to MKA students, faculty, parents, and guests. His talk entitled, “Thomas Jefferson and the ‘First War on Terror,” was the third and final installment of 2018/2019 Hemmeter History Lecture Series.

Professor Cogliano offered up great insights from his extensive research into this time period. He observed that President Jefferson took a very risky stance in refusing to pay tribute, despite the fact that this form of payment was key to the Barbary states. Cogliano argued that it’s entirely possible that tribute collecting was just another tool of state-to-state interaction instead of an act of piracy. Students posed numerous questions throughout the final thirty minutes with many of them focusing on the research elements of Professor Cogliano’s life as an academic. These questions clearly came from the students’ interest in how one digs into historical material, which is especially enticing when it has to do with pirates!

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News Shorts

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Fourth graders Annie and Gracie Barrett took over Mr. Nammack’s office as Headmasters for the Day! The girls spent the day traveling to each of our campuses for meetings to learn about what goes into running our school.

They shared their ideas on how to continue to make MKA great and gave the students and faculty at the Middle School a Dress- Down-Day on the last day of classes. [ 1 ] Students from South America visited the Upper School for two months this past spring. This was the ninth year of the program, and it keeps getting better and richer each year. MKA hosted six amazing students who participated in US History, Chemistry, Physics, Sculpture,

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and Experience of Theatre classes. They also engaged in every part of the school’s community, becoming ice hockey fans, attending musical rehearsals, participating in house competitions, and even performing a scripted display of regional culture from all of Chile in front of the entire student body. It was really hard to say goodbye to them when it came time for them to leave. [ 2 ] Primary School students celebrated “Read Across America,” a nationwide reading awareness event, sponsored by the National Education Association. This year’s theme was “Celebrating a Nation of Diverse Readers” and students had a blast celebrating what makes each of them unique. A highlight of the week was when

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15 Upper School students visited Primary School classrooms as guest readers to share their favorite books! [ 3 ] Upper School students from the “We Code Community Service Initiative” led Primary School students in an interesting and lively assembly.

Four juniors and a sophomore shared their personal stories about what led them to become “coders.” Following this inspiring introduction, the Upper School students taught audience members how to use hand signals to communicate coding directives. The Primary School students used the hand signals to create code that solved a coding challenge presented by the Upper School students. [ 4 ]

MKA Upper School students joined together to do some incredible community engagement work including working with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Newark to rebuild their Co-op in the city. [ 5 ] MKA’s B.U. club at the Middle School organized this awesome picture in honor of Pride Month.

B.U. is a student driven Middle School Gender and Sexuality Alliance that is hoping to educate its members and others about the LGBTQ+ community.

The group consists of allies and members of the LGBTQ+ community and was created with the hope that everyone has a safe place to Be You. [ 6 ]

Keep up with all the news at mka.org

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Congratulations to MKA’s Shea Hammond (#14) who was selected by Para 7-a-Side National Team head coach Stuart Sharp as one of the 14 players who will represent the United States at the 2019 IFCPF World Cup in Sevilla, Spain from July 4–20.

MK A J U NIO RS WE NT O N THEIR ANN UAL TRIP T O D C , AND IT WA S , O N CE AGAIN , A H U G E SU CCE S S .

MKA SIXTH GRADERS WENT ON AN ALL-DAY FIELD TRIP TO THE BUEHLER CHALLENGER AND SCIENCE CENTER. They went on a simulated journey to the moon, as well as completed an egg drop challenge that mapped the moon’s surface.

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The juniors visited the National Museum of African American History and Culture, toured key monuments, and saw Congress in session. Junior Class President Alex Chon and VP Danny Zinn participated in a wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery. Interest groups included visits to Vox Media, three different members of Congress, CBS News, and alumnus Krishna Vallabhaneni ’90 hosted a group at the Department of Treasury. In addition to the tradition of the trip and the connection to the juniors’ US History course, the trip provided the chance to spend time with one another as they prepare to lead the school as seniors in the fall.

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Montclair Kimberley Academy

SPOTLIGHT

is being recognized for their achievement in successfully completing the Eco-Schools USA Green Flag Award criteria.

MIDDLE SCHOOL CHOIR MASTER CHAEQUAN ANDERSON May 16, 2019 www.eco-schoolsusa.org

Kevin J. Coyle Vice President, Education and Training

cal ling all

eco -sc hoo ls

MKA has officially earned the Green Flag School award from the National Wildlife Federation thanks to the efforts of our students in Environmental Science class.

They worked hard all year to study, take action, and improve our school’s impact and understanding of energy use, climate change, transportation, and sustainable food.

JOINED WITH HIS ALMA MATER’S WESTMINSTER SYMPHONIC CHOIR, IN A PERFORMANCE OF MOZART’S

“REQUIEM” WITH THE NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC. The piece was described by the New York Times as a work of “serene transcendence” and performed with a “soft glow” by the choir and Philharmonic.

In fact, the concert was named a NYT Critic’s pick.

HEAD OF PRIMARY SCHOOL RACHEL GERINGERDUNN SPENT HER SPRING BREAK JOINING A GROUP OF EDUCATORS ON A TRIP TO FINLAND IN ORDER TO

MKA’S FIFTH GRADERS WENT TO VISIT THE NEWARK CONSERVANCY LEARNING CENTER WHERE THEY LEARNED ABOUT BUILDING SUSTAINABLE CITIES, BUILT THEIR OWN MODEL CITY, AND EXPLORED THE INCREDIBLE GARDEN SPACE. Brook Becker said, “One part of the gardens that especially caught my eye was the tribute to Nelson Mandela.

There was a sign outside with a picture of Nelson Mandela and an example of the size of his cell which he was locked up in for 27 years which is really sad.” As part of the trip, they also went to Hawthorn Farm in Newark. At the farm, they learned how this abandoned city block was turned into a farm and then students helped paint benches, move mulch, and clean out garden beds.

Madison Bartie, said “We realized the farm reminded us about the book we had just finished reading in class, called Seedfolks. At the farm, we learned about the community who grew their plants and what those plants were.” This trip not only tied into what students were learning in Language Arts but also in science classes as they are actively planting and observing their own garden area and learning all about plants.

THE THEME OF THIS YEAR’S PRIMARY SCHOOL EARTH DAY ASSEMBLY WAS “THE BEAUTY OF POLLINATION,” WHERE STUDENTS LEARNED THE IMPORTANCE OF POLLINATORS THAT HELP SUSTAIN OUR ECOSYSTEMS AND INCREASE BIODIVERSITY. As a follow up to that assembly, students pledged to take action to increase the declining pollinator population by planting wildflower seeds to make a pollinator habitat.

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OBSERVE AND LEARN FROM ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST LAUDED AND WIDELY-ACCLAIMED EDUCATION SYSTEMS. With

some of the highest literacy rates in the world, highly trained and valued teachers, and an authentic, active emphasis on the whole child, Finland proved the perfect place to collect “small data” and experiences. The Finnish approach to rest, rejuvenation, and creating time and space for play that fosters student collaboration and engagement in learning, has proved very successful in the holistic education of their students. There are many aspects of MKA’s signature programs and school culture that Ms. Geringer-Dunn connected to her experience in Finland, namely the Reggio Emilia educational philosophy, student-led inquiry and student voice, and the mindset of letting kids be kids where they are now in their lives. She found that in Finland, “thoughtfulness and purpose inform everything they do—nothing is random, yet there is considerable opportunity for children to develop independence and self-advocacy as well as flexibility and collaborative skills.”

BEN RICH SPOKE AS PART OF A PANEL AT THE OASIS/ NJAIS SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES AND CURRICULUM IN SCHOOLS CONFERENCE HELD AT PRINCETON DAY SCHOOL IN MAY. He

shared lessons learned from his almost ten years of experience being the Sustainability Coordinator at the MKA Upper School with other professionals from schools across New Jersey. “It was a great conference, and I’m full of ideas to keep MKA moving to be a leader in sustainability.”

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Tony Cuneo: Teacher, Colleague, Friend

It is with deep sadness that Montclair Kimberley Academy announces the loss of Tony Cuneo, beloved Fine & Performing Arts faculty member. Tony died on Monday, August 5, of complications associated with his battle with cancer. His children, Sarah ’11 and Paul ’05 and other family members were by his side.

TONY CUNEO was born in Chicago, Illinois, and grew up there and in the New York metropolitan area. He received his M.F.A. from the University of Pennsylvania, where he was named a Benjamin Franklin Scholar. He taught at Westtown School for seven years before coming to MKA in the fall of 1988.

Among other roles, Tony was a member of MKA’s Admissions Committee, a department chair, the Arts Liaison to the CCO, and an advisor and teacher to generations of MKA students. At the Upper School, he taught all levels of studio classes, including A.P. Studio Art. He had an extensive exhibition record as a painter and photographer and taught at both MKA and the Yard School of Art of the Montclair Art Museum. He was represented by The Painting Center in New York City and served on the Executive Committee for the Gallery.

Tony followed his heart into teaching art, a passion from when he was a young child. Tony recently updated his artist statement, providing us a view of his approach to his work and his life’s passion:

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Describing what I do as “work” has a slightly bitter, puritanical aftertaste to me; I like slopping paint around.

It’s the reason I wanted to be an artist as a kid, and I think it’s still a fine reason to paint. I’m very comfortable with a perpetually unfinished process. I go (after much reflection) in whatever direction the painting takes me.

Having too clearly defined a concept for a body of work (and this is just me) gives me claustrophobia.

Beyond that, I’m a fan of uncertainty. Not knowing you’re doing it right is a good thing. It makes you stop and think. When I paint, I’m playing as much as I’m working. I’m asking questions.

Art is one of the most natural things in the world, fundamentally useless, but hugely pleasurable, very important, and deeply satisfying.

Tony Cuneo took his passion for art and shared it with his students every day. Headmaster Tom Nammack described Tony as “an extraordinary father, artist, teacher, mentor, and colleague, whose impact on the Upper School and the entire MKA community over the past 30 years has been profound.”

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Student Awards

Congratulations to the outstanding Montclair Kimberley Academy seniors who have been honored with academic, athletic, and service awards. We could not be more proud of their hard work, dedication, and the impressive feats they have accomplished during the 2018-2019 school year. Among those awards given and the students that received them are:

S E NI O R AWA R DS COMMENCEMENT AWARDS Marjorie Winfield Easter Award—Awarded to that senior who has worked tirelessly behind the scenes in support of the class and the MKA community: Robert D’Alessandro The Ethel M. Spurr Award— Awarded to an outstanding senior of good character who has been been cooperative, responsible, generous with time and service, friendly and fair-minded, and who has consistently displayed good citizenship: Sarah Abukwaik The Rudolph Deetjen Award—Awarded to one male and one female who have made a creditable record in athletics and academic work and whose character and deportment have been a positive influence in the life of the school: Anna Schaller, Dylan Hall The Robert Hemmeter Memorial Award—Awarded to recognize a senior whose intellectual curiosity and love of books, sports, and cultural activities will lead him/her beyond the MKA community: Nyla Williams The Dr. Peter Greer Character Award—Given to a senior who is truthful, honest, kind to others, and promotes a climate of mutual trust and friendship throughout the school: Casey Rae Borella Head’s Award—Awarded to seniors who have made a unique contribution to MKA and have changed the school for the better: Harrison Johnson, Nicoleta Krenteras, Mira Rajani FACULTY AWARDS The Scott M. Johnson Memorial Award—Awarded

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annually to a senior who best demonstrates warmth, generosity, and goodwill toward others: Adam Erbes The Everett Glenn Memorial Award—Honors the most outstanding House Captain who demonstrates the ability to inspire, motivate, and unite his/ her House: Samantha Brady The Bud Mekeel Memorial Scholarship—Given in memory of O. Stanley Mekeel of the Montclair Academy Class of 1929 to a worthy senior towards college expenses: Taniyyah Payne The James D. Timmons Scholarship—Awarded annually to the son or daughter of an MKA faculty member, who has maintained a sound academic record throughout his or her career at MKA and contributed significantly to the school community: Sydney Polinchock

for students who have demonstrated outstanding interest in science and superior understanding of concepts and creativity in their studies: Kyra Rude The Computer Science Award—presented annually to a senior who has, throughout his or her time at the Upper School, demonstrated excellence in computer science.

Aaron Goidel, William Goodall Barras Prize in English— Awarded to a senior for outstanding performance in English: Luke Hunter History Prize—Presented to a student who has a true passion for History: Daniel Cipolla World Language Prizes: Latin: Madison Marano Spanish: Chelsea Guzman Chinese: Julia Thompson`

DEPARTMENT AWARDS

FINE & PERFORMING ARTS AWARDS

William Miller Prize in Science—Awarded to the highest-ranking science student in the senior class: Ronny Bhatia

Visual Art: Sophia Nuñez Dance: Sidney Zaref Vocal: Robert D’Alessandro Strings: Andrew Roselund John Philip Sousa Award for Band: Sydney Polinchock Louis Armstrong Award for Jazz: Luke Hunter

Nazarian Prize for Mathematics—Established in l982 and given in memory of the late Winifred and Samuel George Nazarian and presented to the top math student in the senior class: James Lukenda The Downsbrough Science Scholarship—Recognizes a student who shows truly outstanding intellectual capacity in physical science or mathematics by achieving distinguished grades in these subjects and demonstrating exceptional ability on related projects: Casey Szilagyi The Margaret Jenkins Osborne Prize for Excellence in Science—Specifically intended

The Marilyn Faden Award for Excellence in the Theatre Art: Musical Theatre: Casey Rae Borella, Ethan Gross Drama: Caitlin Ladda Tech Theater: Annie Johnson U N D E R CL A S S M E N AWA R D S Mary K. Waring Scholars: Valerie Bejjani, Ronny Bhatia, Jena DeSalvo, William Goodall, Chelsea Guzman, John Hatfield, James Lukenda, Madison Marano, Andrew Roselund, Tristan Saidi, Aidan Williams Avery Barras Distinguished

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Scholar: Mark Apinis, Daniel Cipolla, Luke Hunter, Genevieve Jacobson, Taylor LeFevre, Aman Sinha, Nyla Williams COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARDS Presidential Service Awards—A government premier volunteer awards program that encourages citizens, through presidential recognition, to live a life of service. Awards are based on hours of service.

A Bronze Award to students who perform 100-174 hours; a Silver to students who perform 175-249 hours; and finally, a Gold Award to students who perform over 250 hours of community service. The following students were recognized for their Community Service Hours: HONORARY Alan Di Geronimo BRONZE Ronny Bhatia, Chanmee Jo, Sydney Polinchock SILVER Adam Erbes, Reilly Hughes GOLD Ethan Gross 12th Grade Community Service Award—Awarded to the student or students who, through positive action, have shown unselfish concern for their fellow man and community: Alan Di Geronimo Tristan Saidi ATHLETICS AWARDS Essex County Scholar-Athlete Award Recipients—Each year the Essex County Athletic Directors’ Association selects a male and female recipient from each school in Essex County in recognition of their achievements in the classroom and within Essex County athletics: Lily Pryor (Soccer/Lacrosse) Dylan Ladda (Soccer)

NJSIAA Scholar-Athlete Award Recipient—Given to that student athlete who has maintained no less than a 3.0 GPA has exhibited outstanding school and community citizenship and has exhibited excellence in his or her chosen sport throughout their career: Patrick Flint (Swimming) Klein Award—The MKA “Klein Awards” recognize the top male and female student athletes in each grade who exemplify excellence in academic, athletics, and character: Dylan Ladda , Brian Schindler, Kirsten Zeug MKA VARSITY AWARDS MKA Varsity Awards—The MKA Varsity Award recognizes senior athletes for their dedication, success, and achievement throughout the course of their MKA athletic careers. The MKA Varsity Award is given in recognition to those senior athletes who have received 10 or more varsity letters throughout their MKA athletic careers: Ronny Bhatia (Cross Country/ Indoor Track & Field/Track & Field), Reilly Hughes (Field Hockey/Basketball/ Swimming/Lacrosse), Victor Magnusson (Cross Country/Indoor Track & Field/ Track & Field), Anna Schaller (Cross Country/Indoor Track & Field/Track & Field) Senior Captain’s Prize— Awarded each season to the team captain who best exemplifies the qualities of leadership, sportsmanship, and fair play: James Lukenda (Track and Field) Al Staph Award—Presented to a senior who has overcome a physical handicap or serious injury in order to contribute to the success of athletics at Montclair Kimberley Academy: Alan Di Geronimo

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Mark Apinis Valerie Bejjani Ronak Bhatia Casey Rae Borella Daniel Cipolla William Goodall Simone Gulliver Dylan Hall Luke Hunter

Cum Laude Society Congratulations to the 22 seniors from the MKA Class of 2019 who were inducted into the Cum Laude Society at a formal ceremony held at the Upper School on Saturday, June 8. The Cum Laude Society, established in 1906, is modeled on the Phi Beta Kappa Collegiate National Honor Society and recognizes the scholastic achievement of secondary school students. It is the highest academic honor bestowed on members of the graduating class.

The keynote speaker of the evening’s ceremony was Alexis Tucker, a Cum Laude graduate from MKA’s Class of 2004. She imparted 5 pieces of advice to the graduating students telling them to: 1. Surround yourself with people who lift you up, and who believe in you unconditionally—even when you don’t always believe in yourself. 2. It’s important to work hard, but it’s even more important to work smart. 3. Think about what you love to do, and find a way to work that

MKA is proud to have graduated 23 “Lifers” in the class of 2019.

These students and their parents were treated to a special reception at Headmaster Tom Nammack’s home to celebrate their achievements throughout their time at MKA. Congratulations to the Class of 2019!

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Anne Johnson Ruhee Juvekar Taylor LeFevre James Lukenda into your life. 4. Find at least one cause you care about and fight for Madison Marano it. 5. Lastly, remember to network Eleanore Maxwell right here.

Kyra Rude Headmaster Thomas Nammack spoke to the students Tristan Saidi and acknowledged their Navya Salwan extraordinary accomplishment.

Casey Szilagyi He said, “MKA inducts students to Cum Laude on the basis of Julia Thompson exceptional contributions to the Aidan Williams intellectual life of the school.

Nyla Williams Your capacities for engagement, inquiry, effort, reflection, and judgment are why you are here. You have helped to make things go, and you have created academic and intellectual benefits for the faculty and for the students around you.”

Left to right: Nicoleta Krenteras, Aidan Williams, William Michaels, Trey Wilson, Dylan Ladda, Peter Brown, Eleanore Maxwell, Seth Kaplan, Casey Rae Borella, Cole Privitere, Sydney Polinchock, Grace Jones, Max South, Mia Bohi-Green, Annie Johnson, Michaela O’Hare, Ariana Robinson, Luke Hunter, Claire Sharbaugh, Casey Szilagyi, and Caitlin Ladda. Not pictured: Jake Ghamar and Grant Gonsalves

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PROM

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Prom went incredibly well! From the music selection to the beautiful centerpieces curated by Amy South from Moss & More, everything went exactly how we wanted it to. It was a night to remember!”

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CASEY RAE BORELLA ’19, Senior Class President

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MKA 8th Graders Graduate!

The 8th Grade Closing Celebration for the class of 2023 made Friday, June 7, 2019 an exciting day at MKA’s Middle School campus. Proud parents and family members joined with the MKA faculty, administration, and Trustees to reflect on the students’ time at the Middle School. Youssef Abukwaik recounted the journey the 8th grade class had taken through the Middle School and shared that “these past five years have welcomed great change and growth but some things have stayed constant like giving Dr. Kleinman a fist bump first thing in the morning.” Grace Rendino also spoke and looked at the years ahead. She said, “The advice I would give to each one my classmates for next year is to never be afraid to set goals for yourself, never be afraid to take risks, and open up to the idea of failure— in fact, embrace it- and maybe in the future...you can reach your goal.”

Head of Middle School Dr. Randy Kleinman reflected on the joys and challenges of the last few years and proudly recounted the role of the faculty and staff for the students. He said, “We work very hard to make sure everyone understands the importance of these years: what you learn about various subject areas, about how to be a student, about who you are as a person, and about how you interact with each other in a community. Your middle school years are a unique and essential—and quite beautiful—part of your growth and development.”

Congratulations 8th Grade Class of 2019!

MKA’s Class of 2028 moved on from the Primary School during Closing Exercises on June 7. We proudly watched our third graders formally end their Primary School years, taking with them dreams of becoming engineers, chefs, adventurers, authors, police officers, Olympic swimmers, architects, Major League Baseball agents, and veterinarians.

We even have individuals dedicated to saving endangered animals and those who want to become dancers, doctors, YouTubers, actors, artists, inventors, bakers, magicians, professional athletes, feminists, and scientists. With their talents,

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they can be anything they desire! Whether they accomplish these goals or others not yet imagined, we wish this year’s third grade class all the best as they begin new adventures. We would like to thank Ann Banegas, Jane Smith, Kristen Weaver, Dana Rose, Daniela Vespucci, Kate Caro, Maureen Bates, Margaret Gonzales, and Coach Pacifico for preparing our students for and supporting them on their big day!

Head of Primary School, Rachel Geringer-Dunn, celebrated the fact that this was the last year holding the Closing Exercises in the current gym as next year they will be held in the newly-renovated

auditorium space. Ms. Geringer-Dunn shared many memories of the last year with the students, and her pride in them was evident. She said, “You are leaders, learners, writers, and community activists. ...You showed us that you are teammates, athletes, supporters, and friends. ...We have seen you as musicians, orators, collaborators, and even teachers. Last but certainly not least, you are role models for all of your Primary School classmates and especially for your Pre-K buddies, who look up to you with so much respect and admiration. Thank you for setting such a powerful Cougar example for all of them.”

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CLASS OF FALL 2019

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Graduation 2019 Montclair Kimberley Academy graduated 110 seniors during its Commencement Ceremony on Sunday, June 9 at 3:00 p.m. at the First Congregational Church in Montclair.

Faculty and Trustees led the procession of the Class of 2019 graduates, and Head of Upper School Dr. David Flocco gave the welcome address, noting that the beautiful day was a wonderful reflection of the seniors’ impact on the school. He said, “Yours will be a lasting legacy of kindness, support, compassion, achievement, friendship and a ‘chill-like’ quality for all classes to emulate.” Dr. Flocco also said to this extraordinary group of students, “The people, the random moments, and the gifts that each of you share have not only helped to create this sense of belonging you share, but have made us a better school in the process. As you spend your remaining moments together as a class, think about all those people who have helped make you who you are—your friends, your classmates, your teachers and, of course, your parents who made it all possible. Best of luck, Class of 2019, for we all know that no one deserves it more.”

Senior Casey Rae Borella shared her personal journey of finding a place and a family at MKA. She noted the ways in which the Class of 2019 supported and celebrated one another through the years, and said, “While we learned so many valuable lessons at MKA, we learned how to come together. How to celebrate each other. How to be a community. We will go forth in this world and do great things, but more importantly, we will be great people. We will be outstanding members of a community.”

In addition, Chyna Brodie used her name and her experience to illustrate her exhortation to the class:

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“I’ve always been Chyna with a Y, Brodie with an IE, and everything that comes with it. I own my extra and the way in which I walk into a room. And I implore everyone to try living in this way. Own your extra, your nerdiness, your love of technology, love of dancing, love of history, and anything that makes you uniquely you.”

Headmaster Thomas W. Nammack was joined by President of the Board of Trustees Kathleen M. Logan in awarding the diplomas, together with faculty members and Trustees, who as parents of seniors, participated in the tradition of awarding their own children their diplomas.

As the last speaker to address the Class of 2019, Mr. Nammack reminded the gathering that the introduction to the school’s Mission Statement says, “MKA’s diverse, collaborative, and inclusive community inspires students to lead lives of noble character, purpose, and distinction. Evidence of our mission is found in the Knowledge, Vision, and Integrity of our students and our alumni.” With the conclusion of the ceremony, the seniors became the school’s newest class of alumni, and Mr. Nammack assured them, “We will always take an interest in what you are doing and the ways in which your lives continue to unfold. That is a guarantee.”

Student Body President Julia Thompson and Senior Class Vice President Harrison Johnson officially concluded the ceremony by ringing the Montclair Academy bell, which dates back almost a century.

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Kian Abrishami, Lehigh University Sarah Abukwaik, Northeastern University Shaheer Ahmed, Pace University, Westchester Campus Defne Akyurek, Clark University Mark Apinis, Northeastern University Hugh Bator, Hobart and William Smith Colleges Valerie Bejjani, Boston College Michela Bellapianta, Lehigh University Amarie Betancourt, Stockton University Ronak Singh Bhatia, University of Pennsylvania Mia Bohi-Green, Bucknell University Casey Rae Borella, Georgetown University Samantha Brady, Wake Forest University Christian Breitweiser, College of Charleston Lily Breslawsky, University of Southern California Chyna Brodie, American University Claire Brown, Fairfield University Peter Brown, University of Rochester Erin Buckley, The George Washington University Maira Castro-Conteh, New York University Daniel Cipolla, Columbia University Robert D’Alessandro, Boston College Jena DeSalvo, University of South Carolina Alan Di Geronimo, University of Richmond Indira Douglas, Rutgers University-New Brunswick Adam Erbes, University of Michigan Patrick Flint, Towson University Ariel Freedman, Bates College Rylie Frieder, Tulane University Andrew Friedman, Tulane University Emily Fusco, Dickinson College Jake Ghamar, Muhlenberg College Aaron Goidel, University of Toronto Michael Golub, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Grant Gonsalves, Columbia University William Goodall, Georgia Institute of Technology Dylan Greifinger, Tulane University Ethan Gross, Clemson University Simone Gulliver, University of Chicago Chelsea Guzman, Northwestern University Dylan Hall, Georgetown University John Hatfield, Lehigh University Julia Helliesen, Lehigh University William Hitchcock, Kenyon College Reilly Hughes, United States Merchant Marine Academy Luke Hunter, Northwestern University Genevieve Jacobson, Emory University Chanmee Jo, Rutgers University-New Brunswick Anne Johnson, University of Richmond Harrison Johnson, Boston College Grace Jones, University of Pittsburgh Ruhee Juvekar, University of Michigan Seth Kaplan, Pace University, Westchester Campus Zachary Kirsch, Salve Regina University Nicoleta Krenteras, Boston University Caitlin Ladda, Elon University Dylan Ladda, College of Charleston Connor LeFevre, University of Maryland, Baltimore County Thomas LeFevre, University of Michigan Joseph Lilore, University of Tennessee, Knoxville Claire Linaugh, Bucknell University Julia Lipson, College of Charleston James Lukenda, Miami University, Oxford Naomi Lynch, Brown University Victor Magnusson, University of Dayton Madison Marano, Boston University Jassi Martin, Wake Forest University Lannea Martinez, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Eleanore Maxwell, University of Virginia William Michaels, Elon University Jake Patrick Morisseau, Providence College Sophia Nunez, New York University Michaela O’Hare, American University Ethan Otner, University of Wisconsin, Madison Megan Palmisano, College of Charleston Taniyyah Payne, Montclair State University Sydney Polinchock, Bucknell University Cole Privitere, University of Maryland, College Park Lily Pryor, Villanova University Rolando Quintana, Fordham University Alexandra Raff, James Madison University Mira Rajani, New York University Sameer Rakhani, Fordham University Simone Ariana Robinson, University of Miami Andrew Rosamilia, University of the Sciences in Philadelphia Andrew Roselund, University of Chicago Justin Rubenstein, Tufts University Kyra Rude, Case Western Reserve University Tristan Saidi, University of Virginia Navya Salwan, Cornell University Anna Schaller, Northeastern University Brian Schindler, University of Wisconsin, Madison Jennifer Shan, Wellesley College Claire Sharbaugh, Rhodes College David Sheffet, Bentley University Aman Sinha, Boston College Maxwell South, Tulane University Luke Spagnoli, Colgate University Alexander Stetkevych, Oberlin College of Arts and Sciences Casey Szilagyi, Duke University Sofia Szyfer, Pitzer College Julia Thompson, University of Pennsylvania Stepanka Vencalkova, University of Glasgow Justus von Lengerke, Colorado School of Mines Aidan Williams, Yale University Nyla Williams, Yale University Joseph Wilson, Fordham University Sidney Zaref, Pennsylvania State University Kirsten Zeug, High Point University

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BIG News Shining the Lights on Weiss Audiences over the years have been treated to incredible performances in MKA’s Upper School Weiss Auditorium. Students have pushed themselves as dancers, actors, singers, musicians, and presenters, and lifelong friendships have been made. Weiss is also the central gathering place for the entire Upper School where our community meets for countless meetings, assemblies, and classes.

Despite a beautiful front of the house, those who have stepped on Weiss’s stage are familiar with the antiquated lighting, cumbersome rigging, and a sound system which limited the functionality of the space. But thanks to the recent generosity of members of our parent and alumni community, we’ve successfully begun a three-phased upgrade project for Weiss to create an up-to-date, fully functional venue that ensures each performance and event will be showcased to its greatest potential and allows our artists to truly shine.

In 2018, a new sound system was installed, including the relocation of the sound booth and the purchase of a new sound board. This coming year, philanthropic support is providing us the opportunity to purchase and install a new state of the art lighting system. The new lighting will allow more sophisticated lighting designs for our performances and allow more student involvement behind the scenes with today’s latest technologies.

Much has been accomplished, but there is still more work to be done.

The third phase of improvement is the upgrade of the 50-year old rigging system. In order to continue to fundraise for the entire project and to dedicate funds to the last phase of the work, MKA has launched a new seat-naming initiative, Cougar Chairs.

Alumni, families, and friends now have the chance to purchase the right to name chairs in Weiss Auditorium located in the front orchestra, rear orchestra, and balcony.

Support for this initiative will be used to directly enhance this program and provide a lasting impact for future generations of performers and audience members alike.

If you are interested in learning more about the plans for Weiss or to purchase a seat for yourself or in honor of a teacher or loved one, please contact Laela Perkins at (973) 509-4528 or at lperkins@mka.org.

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May Term Symposium

Amidst heavy rain and some violent storms, the Academic Center was transformed into an oasis of creativity and innovation at the Annual May Term Symposium at the Upper School. Almost two thirds of the senior class shared their May Term journeys with almost 200 parents, faculty members, Trustees, and friends of the school. For the better part of almost two hours, the Academic Center was electric —filled with music, cooking apps, entrepreneurial zeal, storytelling, multicultural curriculum, poetry, conversation, laughter, and joy. There was even a runway fashion show.

The Symposium demonstrates that we think in multiple ways about our students’ education. One of the best parts of May Term is that students have to learn how to adjust and deal with mini failures.

Dream about something, plan to accomplish it, and then deal with the life roadblocks which inevitably come up. That is where the real learning goes on, and I’m proud that our school has this program.

May Term Symposium is an evening filled with spontaneous exchanges between parents and teachers and students and has been described as chaos at its best—structured but with freedom to wander... just like May Term itself!

One parent said, “This blew me away. I was so impressed with the creativity, collaboration, and intellect of our seniors as well as their confidence and ability to talk about their work.” Mr. Valentine shared his favorite memory of the year as, “the 30 minutes before the May Term Symposium officially started. A massive rain storm was soaking Montclair, and the seniors who were presenting started showing up. Though they were wet, they started setting up their individual stations, hanging their pictures on the walls, setting up their demos, slides, and posters. Soon, the entire room was buzzing

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with energy and excitement even though we were still about 40 minutes from the moment when Shahir turned the Academic Center into a runway for his fashion show.” —Dr. Dave Flocco, Head of the Upper School

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“ It is remarkable to see so many of our students engaging in diverse May Term projects associated with health and wellness. During a student’s four years at the Upper School, we educate them on topics relating to nutrition, exercise and fitness, mental health, drugs and alcohol, identity, and much more.

We stress the need to personalize the content to themselves, in order for it to be relatable to each student. Seeing students spend their time training for a half marathon, blogging exercise and nutrition, using different exercise techniques as a means to improve mental health, and implementing clinical standards for a healthy lifestyle is proof that our curriculum is creating students who value their health and wellness. This is ultimately our department’s goal. If these students can use May Term to find long term ways to improve their lifestyle, decision making, and behavior, then it is time spent in a valuable endeavor. College will provide a continuation for our students’ education from an academic sense, but they also need to be prepared for life from a health perspective. The May Term projects chosen by some of our seniors can definitely bridge that gap as they look to go to college healthy in both mind and body.”

—Rob Leather, Health, PE and Wellness Dept, Biomechanics and Physiology Teacher, oversees wellness May Term projects

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The Middle School community came together for an evening of art and music during the third annual Visual Art Exhibition and Spring Choral Concert. Mr. Anderson led the choirs in a program of varied repertoire that included many vocal soloists and instrumentalists. Ms. Francht curated art from over 75 students ranging from painting and drawing to sculpture and printmaking. Thank you for all who came to celebrate our young artists’ achievements!

The Annual AP Studio Art reception in Weiss Gallery featured ten remarkable students (nine seniors and one junior) who displayed their creativity, technical ability, and conceptual prowess in a wide variety of media and subject matter. Works on display included: paintings in acrylic, watercolor, gouache and oil, graphite and color pencil drawings, pen and ink, photographs printed on canvas with embroidery, traditional and digital photographs, and digital drawings. The reception, which immediately followed the annual awards assembly, was well attended by parents, students, faculty, and staff.

Primary School Art Show Congratulations to the Student Council for the Arts on a truly successful Art in April event at Montclair Art Museum! More than 200 people came to enjoy the 150 pieces of art, light refreshments, and eight musicians.

Each campus was represented in the second year of this great partnership, all the while raising over a thousand dollars for the Yard School program.

Second graders Molly Demaria and Julia Elmore displayed their photography and poems at the Alonzo F. Bonsal Wildlife Preserve in Montclair. Thank you for sharing your art for the entire community to enjoy!

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The Primary School held its annual art show featuring student’s artwork from Pre-K to Third Grade. Students had a chance to preview the show during the day with their classrooms and then return with friends and family for the evening event. The gymnasium was converted into a beautiful gallery space full of energy and color.

Making an Impression Seventh grade students in Art Studio began the year learning about notable impressionists.

Recently they applied their knowledge of scale, proportion, photography, composition, and introductory painting techniques to render a still life with subjects of their choice.

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It’s The Hard-knock Life Fifteen hundred people packed into Weiss Auditorium to watch this year’s musical, Annie, directed by the incomparable Nicole Hoppe. Annie had 44 members in its cast, four of them MKA 5th graders playing the tiniest orphans and holding their own among the Upper Schoolers. Twelve US students were on the crew for one of the most technically difficult productions in a long time. Annie is one of the most traditional and timeless musicals, which is why it was loved by kids and adults alike.

Whether they were laughing at one of the many funny Warbucks lines, tapping their toes to the big dance numbers, or singing along to famous songs like “Tomorrow” or ”Hard Knock Life,” the audience seemed to truly have a wonderful evening of theatre. All of that…and even a real dog (Sandy from the 2012 Broadway revival) graced the stage multiple times, making the audience “ooh” and “ahh” at this added bonus to the show. It was definitely an MKA production to remember!

This year, the sixth grade play was an adaptation of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis.

In his series, Lewis created a unique world where children could be surprised and experience adventure.

The sixth graders worked incredibly hard memorizing their lines, truly enveloping their characters, building the sets, and then ultimately running all parts of the show.

This year’s spring drama in MKA’s Upper School Deetjen Theatre was the classic, A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen. This particular play has survived as a theatre staple for over 100 years, and when you experience it, you can see why—its message is timeless.

Our spring play is part of our Guest Director series, and this year we had the pleasure of having the cast and crew work with Andrea Stover, who decided to set the play in 1958 New York City. The production had four flawless performances to sold-out audiences who were shocked at how well the students handled the difficulty of the material and how easy they made it seem to bring this amazing play to life. Brava!

Spring Dance Concert The Annual Upper School Spring Dance Concert was a wonderful evening full of varied dance styles performed by students in grades 8-12. Everything from fast-paced tap solos, an Aretha Franklin tribute, pop and jazz pieces to an act from Broadway’s hit Hamilton were performed all while raising funds for Sickle Cell Research to honor our fallen dancer, Indigo Brooks, who was a member of the class of 2012. It was a great way to end the season.

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Music Shorts

A HUGE CONGRATULATIONS TO THE UPPER SCHOOL CHAMBER SINGERS AND CONCERT CHOIR FOR WINNING 1ST PLACE AT MUSIC IN THE PARKS!

’19 was awarded the Overall Outstanding Piano

SEVENTY UPPER SCHOOL STUDENTS PERFORMED AN AMAZING NIGHT OF MUSIC AT THE SPRING CHORUS CONCERT. Favorite songs by Rodgers & Hammerstein from The Sound

Accompanist Award in the festival.

of Music and Carousel were performed flawlessly, accompanied by our own

It was a great day all around!

student orchestra. Classical pieces such as Mozart’s “Dies Irae” and Hadyn’s

Schools competing were from all over New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Rob D’Alessandro

“The Creation” were also performed. The Concert Choir and Chamber Singers performed the exciting a cappella arrangements of “I’ll Be Seeing You” and “Ride the Chariot.” It was a memorable night of music; there were very special moments in the musical phrasing and quite a large turnout! Upper School Chorale Music Director, Maria Gilmartin said, “Everyone was impressed by the level of musicianship that our students presented combining choirs, strings, brass, woodwinds, and percussion.”

AFTER TWO CANCELLATIONS, THE MKA MIDDLE SCHOOL JAZZ BAND WAS FINALLY ABLE TO HOLD THEIR ANNUAL JAZZ BAND LUNCHEON TO HONOR DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. All of the works performed were from the 1940s through 1968 and would have been those that people heard and lunch performance was a wonderful way to lift

PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENTS SANG AND RANG IN THE SPRING WITH A CELEBRATION OF MUSIC AND CULTURE!

everyone’s spirits out of the mid-winter doldrums,

Directed by Mrs. Jane Smith, the Primary School Concert never disappoints.

and it gave parents an opportunity to dine with their

Students sang and played various instruments with gusto. In addition to Mrs.

children while listening to period music. The Jazz

Smith, Madame Roure and Señora Banegas led students in singing in French

Band was in especially fine form following their all-

and Spanish, respectively. The Primary School singers wowed their families,

day workshop with professional jazz musicians and

faculty and staff, and special guests in the final iteration of the Spring Concert

fresh from their evening performance with the Upper

to take place in the current gym/auditorium space. Bravo to our talented and

School Jazz Band at the annual MKA Jazz Café.

enthusiastic musicians!

performed throughout Dr. King’s life. The special

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School Spring Concert MKA’S ANYAH KUMAR WAS INVITED TO PERFORM AT CARNEGIE HALL FOR THE 2019 NATIONAL YOUNG MAESTRO COMPETITION WINNERS CONCERT. Anyah was honored for her piece “Walking in the Storm” that she composed and played on the piano. Anyah was accompanied by Olivia Puzio, on violin. The National Young Maestro Competition is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that is geared towards providing young, gifted, and talented musicians a venue within which to express their musical

MONTCLAIR KIMBERLEY ACADEMY STRINGS PROGRAM PRESENTED ITS 24TH ANNUAL STRINGS GALA AT CARNEGIE’S ZANKEL HALL.

abilities. Anyah’s first competition gave her the opportunity to perform for some of the most distinguished artists and faculty in the country, and we could not be more proud of her!

Nearly 150 strings students from MKA grades K-12 performed for an almost sold out house. Primary School Strings specialists Karen Kamp and Suji Kim, brought down the house with the Brookside Strings ensembles. MS and US Orchestras directed

by Dimitri Hadjipetkov performed with great success with their repertoire ranging from Handel and Beethoven, to Respighi and Stravinsky. Maria Gilmartin and the Upper School Choir members, joined by the Upper School Advanced Strings players, performed a beautiful rendition of Haydn’s “Creation” as well as Rogers and Hammerstein favorites. The program also featured the newly formed MKA String Quartet comprised of graduating of Borodin’s famous quartet No. 2. The program concluded

Masterclass Opportunity

with Beethoven’s epic “Coriolan” Overture and Symphony

Upper School Advanced Strings students had the pleasure

No. 2 performed in their original versions. The event created

of welcoming Met Opera violinist and Montclair Orchestra

unforgettable memories for students, parents, friends, and

concertmaster Daniel Khalikov for a masterclass on

family members alike.

Beethoven’s 2nd Symphony and Coriolan Overture. It was a

seniors. The students masterfully performed the first movement

very inspirational and enriching opportunity for students!

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ATHLETICS 2019

WINTER 2018-2019 AND SPRING 2019 TEAM AND STUDENT-ATHLETE HONORS AND AWARDS During the recently completed 2018–2019 Winter and 2019 Spring Athletics season, the following MKA teams, coaches, and athletes achieved honors:

WINTER BOYS’ BASKETBALL Head Coach: Tony Jones (19th Year) Record: 2-18 Adam Erbes ’19, Captain; MKA Coaches Award Andrew Friedman ’19, Captain; 1st Team All-Prep B; MKA Coaches Award; Honorable Mention All-Colonial Division, SEC

Ethan Otner ’19, Honorable Mention All-McInnis Division, NJIHL; MKA Coaches Award Brian Schindler ’19, Assistant Captain; 1st Team All-McInnis Division, NJIHL; MKA Most Valuable Player Award

Trey Wilson ’19, Captain

Oscar Worob ’19, Captain; 2nd Team All-McInnis Division, NJIHL; MKA Most Valuable Player Award; MKA Winter Captain’s Prize Recipient

Brennan Columbia-Walsh ’22, MKA Rookie of the Year Award

Sebastian Burns ’21, MKA Most Improved Player Award

GIRLS’ BASKETBALL

David Chen ’21, 1st Team All-McInnis Division, NJIHL; All-McInnis Division Most Valuable Player, NJIHL; NJIHL Player of the Year, nj.com

Head Coach: Ilirjana Lulgjuraj (1st Year) Record: 6-16 Amanda Mack ’20, Captain; 1st Team All-Prep B; MKA Players’ Player Award; 1st Team All-Independence Division, SEC Vanessa Amsinger ’21, MKA Offensive Player of the Year Award; 2nd Team All-Independence Division, SEC

Co-Head Coaches: Mike Alexander, Mike Frey (2nd Year) Record: 1-8 Grace Huntington ’20, Captain; MKA Coaches Award Narena Nerahoo ’20, Captain Clara Turck ’22, MKA Rookie of the Year Award

ICE HOCKEY Head Coach: Tim Cook (3rd Year) NJIHL Coach of the Year, nj.com Record: 13-4-2

SOFTBALL

Head Coach: Patrick Collins (11th Year) Record: 3-8

Head Coaches: Jessica Sarfati (9th Year) Record: 9-15

Patrick Flint ’19, Captain; 1st Team 200 IM All-SEC

Jena DeSalvo ’19, Captain; Honorable Mention All-Liberty Division, SEC

Aedan Brundrett ’20, MKA Rookie of the Year Award

Mira Rajani ’19, Captain; MKA Most Improved Player Award

Rohan Sinha ’20, MKA Most Valuable Swimmer Award

Amanda Mack ’20, MKA Most Valuable Player Award; 1st Team All-Prep B; 2nd Team All-Liberty Division, SEC

Rohit Sinha ’20, Captain Raghav Cholappadi ’22, Honorable Mention All-SEC

Geena Pacifico ’20, 2nd Team AllLiberty Division, SEC

Head Coach: Patrick Collins (11th Year) Record: 2-9

Anne Turvey ’21, Honorable Mention All-Liberty Division, SEC

BOYS’ INDOOR TRACK & FIELD

Reilly Hughes ’19, Captain

Head Coach: Matthew Bach (2nd Year)

James Lukenda ’19, Captain; MKA Coaches Award; 1st Team Pole Vault All Non-Public B, nj.com

GIRLS’ FENCING

BOYS’ SWIMMING

GIRLS’ SWIMMING

BOYS’ FENCING

Gannon Green ’22, MKA Rookie of the Year Award

John Testa ’22, 2nd Team All-Liberty Division, SEC

Benji Peiffer ’22, Honorable Mention All-McInnis Division, NJIHL

Ronny Bhatia ’19, Captain; MKA Players’ Player Award

Quint von Lengerke ’19, Captain; MKA Coaches Award

Emani Fung ’21, MKA Most Improved Award

Emily Talkow ’20, MKA Most Valuable Player Award; 1st Team All-Prep B; 1st Team All-Liberty Division, SEC

Ayantu Flowers ’22, MKA Rookie of the Year Award; Honorable Mention All-Independence Division, SEC

Co-Head Coaches: Mike Alexander, Mike Frey (2nd Year) Record: 0-9

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Alan Di Geronimo ’19, Assistant Captain

Harrison Johnson ’19, 3rd Team 4x400 All Non-Public B, nj.com

Victor Magnusson ’19, Captain; 2nd Team 3200m All Non-Public B, nj.com Jassi Martin ’19, 3rd Team 4x400 All Non-Public B, nj.com Sameer Rakhani ’19, MKA Most Improved Runner Award; 3rd Team 4x400 All Non-Public B, nj.com Charlie Koenig ’20, Captain; 1st Team 800m All Non-Public B, nj.com; 3rd Team 4x400 All Non-Public B, nj.com

GIRLS’ INDOOR TRACK & FIELD Head Coach: Matthew Bach (2nd Year) Emily Fusco ’19, MKA Most Spirited Award Anna Schaller ’19, Captain; MKA Most Valuable Runner Award; 2nd Team 3200m All Non-Public, nj.com

MKA review / Mon tc l ai r K i mb e r l e y Ac ade my

Natalia Eichmann ’20, MKA Most Valuable Swimmer Award; Honorable Mention All-SEC Arianna Jobst ’20, Captain Mia Forysiak ’22, MKA Rookie of the Year Award

SPRIN G BASEBALL Head Coach: Ralph Pacifico (29th Year) Record: 8-16 Rolando Quintana ’19, Honorable Mention All-Liberty Division, SEC Andrew Rosamilia ’19, Honorable Mention All-Liberty Division, SEC Luciano Calandra ’20, Captain; MKA Coaches Award; 1st Team All-Liberty Division, SEC Aaron Jacobowitz ’20, 2nd Team AllLiberty Division, SEC Benjamin Ribicoff ’20, MKA Most Valuable Player Award; 1st Team AllPrep B; 1st Team All-Liberty Division, SEC; 3rd Team All Non-Public, nj.com; Selected to play in North/South All-Star game Sebastian Seebach ’21, MKA Most Improved Player Award

BOYS’ LACROSSE Head Coach: Paul Edwards (17th Year); Ernie Mosca (SEC American Division Assistant Coach of the Year; NJILL Kimber Division Assistant Coach of the Year; US Lacrosse Person of the Year) Record: 9-9 Christian Breitweiser ’19, Captain; 2nd Team All-American Division, SEC; 1st Team All-Kimber Division, NJILL; MKA Klank Memorial Award Ethan Gross ’19, Captain; 2nd Team All-Kimber Division, NJILL; US Lacrosse Academic All-American; MKA Defensive Player of the Year Award Dylan Hall ’19, Captain; 1st Team All-Kimber Division, NJILL; US Lacrosse Academic All-American; MKA Alumni Outstanding Teammate Award Zachary Kirsch ’19, Honorable Mention All-American Division, SEC; 2nd Team All-Kimber Division, NJILL; MKA Offensive Player of the Year Award Max South ’19, Captain; MKA Alumni Outstanding Teammate Award Alex Stetkevych ’19, 2nd Team All-Kimber Division, NJILL; 2nd Team All-State Non-Public, NJILCA; MKA Most Improved Player Award Parker Santo Domingo ’20, 1st Team All-Kimber Division, NJILL

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Rollins Heath ’21, 2nd Team AllAmerican Division, SEC; 1st Team All-Kimber Division, NJILL; 3rd Team All Non-Public, nj.com; 1st Team All-Frosh/ Sophomore Team, nj.com; Honorable Mention All-State Non-Public, NJILCA Jake Waldman ’21, 2nd Team AllAmerican Division, SEC; Honorable Mention All-Kimber Division, NJILL Jake Pryor ’22, MKA Most Promising Newcomer Award

GIRLS’ LACROSSE Head Coach: Chelsea Intrabartola (4th Year) Record: 16-5; 2019 NJISAA Prep B State Champions Reilly Hughes ’19, Captain; Honorable Mention All-American Division, SEC; 2nd Team All-Freedom South Division, NJIGLL Claire Linaugh ’19, 1st Team All-Prep B; 1st Team All-American Division, SEC; 2nd Team All-Freedom South Division, NJIGLL Lily Pryor ’19, Captain; 1st Team AllPrep B; 1st Team All-American Division, SEC; 1st All-Freedom South Division, NJIGLL Ally Raff ’19, Captain; MKA Defensive Player of the Year Award; 2nd Team All-American Division, SEC; 1st Team All-Freedom South Division, NJIGLL Kirsten Zeug ’19, Captain; MKA Players’ Player Award; 1st Team All-American Division, SEC; 2nd Team All-Freedom South Division, NJIGLL Isabella Liu ’20, 2nd Team AllAmerican Division, SEC Abigail Clothier ’21, 2nd Team All-American Division, SEC; 3rd Team All-Group 1, nj.com Taylor Everson ’21, MKA Offensive Player of the Year Award; 1st Team AllPrep B; 1st Team All-American Division, SEC; 1st Team All-Freedom South Division, NJIGLL Katie Hipp ’21, 1st Team All-Prep B; 2nd Team All-American Division, SEC; Honorable All-Freedom South Division, NJIGLL Patricia Columbia-Walsh ’22, 2nd Team All-Freedom South Division, NJIGLL

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GIRLS’ TRACK & FIELD Head Coach: Ilirjana Lulgjuraj (1st Year) Record: 3-5 Anna Schaller ’19, Captain; 1st Team 1600m All-Colonial Division, SEC; 1st Team 3200m All- Division, SEC Nyla Williams ’19, MKA Coaches Award Cristina Cusmai ’20, Captain; Honorable Mention Javelin All-Colonial Division, SEC

William Michaels ’19, Captain; 1st Team All-Liberty Division, SEC Casey Szilagyi ’19, Captain; 2nd Team All-Liberty Division, SEC Arman Ganchi ’20, Captain; 1st Team All-Liberty Division, SEC; 2nd Team All Non-Public, nj.com Bennett La Londe ’21, MKA Player of the Year Award; 1st Team All-Liberty Division, SEC Rohan Moniz ’21, 2nd Team All-Liberty Division, SEC

Kelsey Freeman ’21, MKA Most Spirited Award; 2nd Team 400IH AllColonial Division, SEC

Arjun Sharma ’21, 2nd Team AllLiberty Division, SEC

Sarah Hobbs ’21, 2nd Team 400m All-Colonial Division, SEC

Dhruv Jetley ’22 , MKA Rookie of the Year Award; 2nd Team All-Liberty Division, SEC

Emma Burd ’22, MKA Rookie of the Year Award Phoebe Williams ’22, MKA Rookie of the Year Award

BOYS’ TRACK & FIELD Head Coach: Ilirjana Lulgjuraj (1st Year) Record: 2-5; 2019 NJSIAA North Non-Public B Sectional Champions Ronny Bhatia ’19, Captain; MKA Most Improved Award; 1st Team Long Jump All-Colonial Division, SEC; Honorable Mention High Jump All-Colonial Division, SEC James Lukenda ’19, Captain; MKA Most Valuable Player Award; MKA Spring Captain’s Prize Recipient; 2nd Team 110HH All-Colonial Division, SEC; 2nd Team Pole Vault All-Colonial Division, SEC

GOLF Head Coach: Jeff Beer (14th Year) Record: 11-5; 2019 SEC Conference Tournament Champions Jake Ghamar ’19, Captain Ethan Otner ’19, Captain; Honorable Mention All-American Division, SEC Myles Cherry ’20, MKA Most Improved Player Award; 1st Team All-American Division, SEC Bennett Knowles ’20, MKA Most Valuable Player Award; 1st Team AllAmerican Division, SEC

Victor Magnusson ’19, Captain; 2nd Team 3200m All-Colonial Division, SEC Sameer Rakhani ’19, Captain; MKA Points Leader Award Charlie Koenig ’20, Captain; 2nd Team 800m All-Colonial Division, SEC Rohit Sinha ’20, 2nd Team Long Jump All-Colonial Division, SEC

BOYS’ TENNIS Head Coach: Bill Wing (1st Year) Record: 17-7; 2019 SEC Liberty Division Champions

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Past MKA Community Scholars celebrate the program’s 50th anniversary!

The Community Scholars Program MKA’s challenging, engaging, and innovative academic program provides a vibrant and transformative education.

INTRODUCTION BY: LAELA PERKINS, DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

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comprehensive financial assistance that MKA’s commitment to community A CELEBRA the school offers, covering the full and the impact it has on an MKA K TI M cost of tuition and all additional education is a longstanding value T costs including, but not limited of our school. As emphasized to, books, lunch, transportation, in our mission, “MKA’s and athletic equipment. They diverse, collaborative, represent some of the most and inclusive community accomplished and remarkable inspires students to lead young men and women to lives of noble character, graduate from our school. This purpose, and distinction.” scholarship has grown from The Community Scholars one to seven awards and is one Program, established in 1969 of the highest honors a student by the Board of Trustees of can receive at MKA. Montclair Academy reflects In the following pages, you will one of the school’s most hear from the seven Scholar alumni important efforts to honor this who were interviewed by Review staff. value, and we are proud to celebrate Their voices, while each unique, reflect our Scholar Alumni in the program’s the threads of shared experience and common 50th anniversary year. themes of opportunity, challenge, and positive growth.

Since its founding, the Community Scholars Perhaps it is the longevity of the program over its 50 Program was intended to add diversity to the student years, or perhaps it is the purposefulness with which it body and to make an MKA education accessible to was established and developed, but these connections students who demonstrate exceptional academic and and experiences are shared by all. personal potential. Our Scholars receive the most

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2019 MARKS THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE COMMUNITY SCHOLARS PROGRAM. IN CELEBRATION OF THIS SIGNIFICANT MILESTONE, WE HAVE ESTABLISHED THE GOAL OF FUNDING AN EIGHTH COMMUNITY SCHOLAR. PHILANTHROPIC SUPPORT FROM MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY, INCLUDING PAMKA, HAVE HELPED US LAUNCH THIS INITIATIVE, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO RAISE THESE CRITICAL FUNDS IN THE COMING YEAR.

You Have This MAYOR ROBERT JACKSON ’73 is a Montclair native and the town’s current mayor. Robert has a strong record of involvement in local and civil service activities and, notably, is the only person in the history of Montclair to have been elected to two terms as Mayor. Robert has also had an extraordinary business career. Since taking office, the Township has been hailed for dramatically reducing its debt and raising its bond rating, making substantial infrastructure improvements, enhancing service delivery, and minimizing property tax increases.

In addition, the inclusion of minority employees in leadership has increased with a number of “firsts” across departments.

None of Robert’s accomplishments come as a surprise to those who know him, as he was always someone who excelled at everything he did. His successes, however, were not handed to him. They came as the result of hard work and discipline: characteristics that MKA helped him to cultivate.

Robert says, “I had great ability, but I was a bit of a lazy student. The faculty pushed me; I will never forget the unbelievable teachers at MKA.” Robert was an eighth grade student at Mt. Hebron Middle School when his guidance counselor and principal called him into their office and told him that MKA was piloting a sponsorship program for children that could not otherwise afford to go there.

Robert loved Mt. Hebron and had loved his prior years at Glenfield. At Glenfield, there had only been one Caucasian girl at the school during his time there. At Mt. Hebron, Robert was the only African American student in attendance. By this time in his life, he was used to different racial educational environments.

While he wasn’t familiar with MKA, his curiosity and the encouragement from his principal led him to interview with then headmaster, Mr. Anderson.

After the interview, Robert knew MKA was the right place for him saying, “Mr. Anderson was instrumental in my formative years.”

Robert grew up without many resources and then entered a very different environment. However, he never felt uncomfortable or felt like he didn’t belong.

Robert shares, “MKA was very accommodating and attentive to me but not in an obnoxious way.

Teachers and coaches pushed me and provided me with the environment that I needed to excel academically and in sports (football). There were four African American students that attended the Academy

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Teachers and coaches pushed me and provided me with the environment that I needed to excel academically and in sports.” when I did. We were tight knit, but my whole class was as well. It is remarkable because at MKA, I was never made to feel any different. I was taken in and embraced from the beginning. I remember in my years there seeing other kids enter the school as part of the Community Scholars Program. I admired the school’s commitment to it.”

Robert says that being a part of MKA’s Community Scholars Program broadened his horizons. He says, “I went to an Ivy League school (AB from Princeton University and MBA from Harvard University), but when I entered MKA, I didn’t know what an Ivy League school was or that I would have the opportunity to go to one. When I got to college, I was ready for Princeton’s academic rigor and the social culture. The academics were fantastic at MKA, and I was used to working in a white majority environment with highly successful people.” He continues, “My successes at MKA made me confident that I would succeed in college. Maybe a little too confident,” Jackson laughs. “I only applied to two schools, Princeton and Harvard. Looking back,

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day going to school at MKA. I didn’t tell anyone in my neighborhood that I was going to be transferring there. I didn’t know how to tell them.

I was at the bus stop which was the same one that the Montclair High kids waited at. I was in my suit waiting with all the kids who were looking at me like I was insane (at the time I only owned two pairs of slacks). I remember hoping the #66 bus would come first to take the students waiting to go to Montclair High so that I could go to the back of the line and pretend I was going with them. Sure enough, the #29 bus came first to take me to MKA. As I went to get on the bus, I turned to my friends and said, “I’m going to MKA this year.” No one could believe it; the reaction was dead silence.

For the rest of that week, I walked to a different bus stop so I wouldn’t have to see them. No one in my neighborhood knew what Montclair Kimberley Academy was, and I didn’t know how to deal with it at the time, but I soon realized I could keep my old neighborhood friends as well as make new ones at MKA.

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maybe I was a little bit full of myself…but MKA showed me my self-worth. As a person, I was given the confidence from MKA to make me succeed after I left the school. Of course, I was humbled when I got to Princeton and then went on to graduate school, but I knew I could handle it all. I could acclimate myself to almost any situation because MKA gave me the ‘something’ I needed to not give up. That ‘something’ has translated into my professional career as well. When I think it can’t possibly get any worse, I say to myself, ‘You have this.’”

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AASIM CUNNINGHAM ’03 is a Managing Partner at Cunningham Lopez LLP. As a general practice attorney, he focuses his practice on estate planning, business counseling, domestic relations and matrimonial law, and personal injury. He is the president of Global Sports Group and a Member of Chicago Youth Opportunities Initiative.

MKA exposed Aasim to a different kind of life. He says, “Growing up in Montclair, you see people from many different walks of life. You get the whole gamut of socio-economic backgrounds, but because of how big Montclair High School is, everyone essentially seems the same.

I think there is no attention given to any particular individual—not unless you do something really good or really bad. MKA exposed me to an environment where the teachers paid attention to every single student. There was no hiding and no ‘blending in’ really.

So the importance of actually learning on a day-to-day basis, as opposed to just getting through your homework and performing on tests, was emphasized.”

For Aasim, the network at MKA that he was exposed to was vast. He was put in contact with some real “movers and shakers,” which showed him that there is more to getting what you want than just getting good grades and asking nicely. “MKA was definitely a crash-course in networking for me,” Aasim says. Along those lines, MKA exposed him to a lifestyle that expanded beyond his initial vision of what success looked like. It was impossible for Aasim to strive for something that he didn’t know actually existed. He says, “The Community Scholars Program is important because education is more than just consuming a bunch of information in books. In most cases, students will grow up and need to deal and work with people from different walks of life in order to succeed. If they have no perspective of how to interact with people from those different walks, then they will fail.

As much as the Community Scholars Program allowed me to sit in the classroom with the children of judges, bankers, and politicians.

It also allowed those kids to get to know someone from the other side of the hill like me.” The Community Scholars Program gave Aasim the equal opportunity to be able to buy new books, and other necessary items, just like the kids who were in a more comfortable financial situation at home.

After graduating from MKA, Aasim went to Hobart and William Smith Colleges where he played basketball for three years. In 2007, Aasim tried to play basketball professionally overseas in Denmark and in Switzerland. While neither worked out long-term, he was given the opportunity to live in two countries for several months.

Between each stint of going abroad for basketball, Aasim became a basketball coach at MKA. “I was hired by Coach Jones and worked as a

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MKA MEMORY substitute teacher while My senior year I took continuing to prepare philosophy with Mr. to play professionally Branigan to teach us overseas for the year,” Machiavellian ideology. he says. Shortly after, He was working with it was announced that one of the drama the Assistant Athletic students in my grade.

Director position was Mr. Branigan came in the available, and Aasim room, visibly irate, and got the position. He slammed the door. He worked as the Assistant told everyone that we AD, coached, and began had a pop-quiz. As we preparing for the LSAT started the pop-quiz, he after the season had pointed at the drama ended. After getting student, screamed at accepted to several law her, and accused her schools, he had to make of cheating. She began the tough decision to crying hysterically and leave his position at MKA ran out of the room. which ultimately led him He continued to ask us to make the best decision several more questions, of his life. and just as everyone Aasim enrolled at started to break down, Rutgers School of Law he said, “NUMBER in the fall of 2010, where FOUR! Now do you eventually he met his understand why fear wife. Since he always can be more compelling had an interest in sports, than respect?” It is still Assim concentrated the most memorable a lot of time trying academic experience I’ve to get into sports had to this day. management or sports law. Coincidentally, the JV basketball coach who worked at MKA when Aasim was a student there worked at a sports agency in Chicago. Coach Jones put Aasim in touch with him, and he helped Aasim secure an internship with Priority Sports and Entertainment, one of the most successful privately owned sports agencies in the country.

After law school Aasim moved to Illinois to study for the Bar Exam, and after passing in 2013, he made the decision to open his own practice. Now, he works with his wife, has four employees, and has gotten the opportunity to represent some reality TV stars, NBA players, and people in the music industry. Aasim says, “Whatever you are interested in, go for it. There will be plenty of people in life telling you ‘no’, or ‘you can’t,’ so there is no need to add yourself to the list of people holding you back.”

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Giving Back to the Communities that have Given to You, is an Integral Way to Live Your Life.

DEVIKA PATEL ’12 grew up in Parsippany, NJ where she attended public school from kindergarten to 8th grade. When she was in 7th grade, the New Jersey SEEDS program came to visit her middle school and she learned about their amazing program: helping low-income students with a passion for learning apply to and attend independent schools all over the country. Devika was captivated by the idea that she could go to a top-notch school with access to exceptional learning opportunities. Luckily for Devika, she was accepted and spent the next 15 months with her NJ SEEDS “family.” Devika was accepted by MKA, which was her firstchoice school, and was thrilled. She was excited about the different classes she would have the opportunity to take, being part of her first soccer team, and participating in the Debate Club.

Her four years at MKA were life-changing. She volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, went to Harvard Model Congress, took home first place in several extemporaneous speaking competitions, and wrote a history paper that she is still very proud of. Best of all, she made great friends and connected with life-changing mentors. When applying to colleges, Devika applied to what she considered a reach school, Stanford. She was accepted and received her undergraduate degree in Engineering—Product Design and her

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master’s degree in Community Health and Prevention Research.

She is now the Design Director at The Better Lab, an academic research center focused on using humancentered design to solve health care challenges facing vulnerable populations under the auspices of the University of California, San Francisco and located at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital.

Devika says, “MKA had a huge impact on my learning and how I interact with the world around me.

MKA introduced me to people and ideas that have had a profound impact on my career trajectory. Values such as integrity, kindness, and dedication were all things I cultivated during my time at MKA. I learned that whatever you do in life, by staying true to your values, you can have a positive impact on yourself, your community, and society as a whole.”

The Community Scholars Program was integral in Devika’s experience at MKA. As a new student, “fitting in” was something she was very much concerned about. She wanted to play soccer, and run track, and read books—the Community Scholars Program was how she was able to make those dreams a reality. The support Devika received from the program relieved her and her family of a significant financial burden so that she could focus on the things that really mattered to her such as learning, community service, staying active, and building deep relationships with like-minded individuals. “Access to quality education and learning experiences is not universal. By eliminating a major barrier, programs like Community Scholars allow underrepresented, low-income students to have the opportunity to excel and take advantage of opportunities that might not have been offered to them,” says Devika. She went on to explain that these programs benefit current students as well. By adding both socioeconomic and racial diversity to the student body, students are able to learn and grow from each other’s experiences. Devika says she gives back to MKA because service to the communities that have given to you is an integral way to live your life.

She adds, “MKA has given so much to me; now it’s my chance to give back, whether it’s time, resources, or experience.”

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MKA introduced me to people and ideas that have had a profound impact on my career trajectory. Values such as integrity, kindness, and dedication were all things I cultivated during my time at MKA.”

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT MKA I hope the welcoming spirit and dedication to academic excellence never changes at MKA. That is what attracted me to the school and what makes me proud to be an alumna of this institution. I’m excited to see that MKA continues to adapt and stay nimble in the face of new technologies and new ways of thinking like introducing design thinking/innovation/entrepreneurship learning into May Term and expanding technological capacities.

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Don’t Judge a Book by its Cover SOLOMON STEPLIGHT ’93 is the City Administrator for East Orange, New Jersey. He has spent his career in public service and business creating opportunities for students and people from all walks of life. After earning a B.S. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics from the University of Pennsylvania, he went on to the Wharton School of Business. Solomon led a number of education and software startups. In 2008, he was the Assistant Finance Director for the City of Newark under Mayor Cory Booker, and he was also the Finance Director for the City of Hoboken after Hurricane Sandy. Most recently, Solomon served as COO and CFO of the Girls Who Code organization during its rapid national expansion. As City Administrator for East Orange, his leadership led to the recent announcement of the lowest crime rate since 1967 and $1 billion for new development.

Before becoming a successful entrepreneur, tech aficionado, and education advocate, Solomon was a student at MKA from Pre-K until he graduated.

Solomon grew up in a lower socioeconomic neighborhood, but he never felt like he wasn’t supposed to be at MKA, and it was obvious that he deserved to be there. He got great grades, played three sports (football, basketball, and lacrosse), and went to an Ivy league school. At the time, Solomon did not know what the Community Scholars Program was or that he was a part of it. Now, however, Solomon proudly says, “Quite literally, I would not be where I am today without the Community Scholars Program.

MKA informed my decision to go to UPenn. At MKA, I was engaged in conversations about schools like this with my peers, my coaches, and my friends. The Community Scholars Program leveled the playing field for me. The kids you assume shouldn’t be there based on where and how they grew up, were indeed there. I had equal access to resources provided by MKA, and when you level the playing field, the results are different.”

“My ecosystem was growing up at MKA,” Solomon explains. “Looking back, MKA stands out to me because of the community there. The school instilled in me the ability to confront issues differently than others do. It’s easy for people to navigate relationships with others if

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MKA exposed me to things that allowed me to develop my negotiation skills as I was introduced to things that were out of my normal realm.” they are in a like environment. People who work in homogenous areas have trouble with diversity and don’t know how to negotiate their environments like I do. I grew up in the Newark/ East Orange area, but MKA exposed me to things that allowed me to develop my negotiation skills as I was introduced to things that were out of my normal realm.”

When Solomon went to UPenn, he had the skills necessary to succeed there. He played football and was a mechanical engineer, which was unheard of at the school, but that dichotomy was all he knew growing up at MKA. Solomon says, “I came from a place where it was normal to study

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now that I am responsible for 1,100 people who report to me, is this: do not discount how important it is to surround yourself with the right people. I was very deliberate about who I surrounded myself with and how I was able to leverage those relationships. In college, one of my friends really sticks out to me. He was a “nerd” who pushed me to succeed and challenged me to step up to my potential. His name was John Stevens, now known to most of the world as John Legend. My wife is a writer for the New York Times and a professor.

She went to UPenn, got her Masters at Brown and a PhD from Harvard. You cannot discount your network. Don’t discard the interactions of your today because you can’t predict your future. Each person you involve yourself with will have an effect on you.

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engineering, play sports, and be in the student government. People have always wanted to put me in a box, but academically and physically I excelled, despite the resources I had, because of MKA.” Today, Solomon feels fortunate to have sat at many tables, challenging people’s assumptions of what success looks like. He says his work at Girls Who Code is to celebrate the mission of closing the gender gap in technology and to change the image of what a programmer “looks like.” The organization is building the largest pipeline of future female engineers in the United States, and that is exciting to him. Solomon says, “You cannot judge a book by its cover.”

Solomon’s daughter is now in second grade at MKA. His wife went to Newark Academy, but when it was time to choose a school, it was the sense of community that made them choose MKA, a school that prides itself on not putting anyone in a box.

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MELISSA MADDOX-EVANS, ESQ. ’88 is the General Counsel for the Charleston Housing Authority in the city of Charleston, SC, which provides affordable housing for over 4000 families in the region. She has also served as President/ CEO for the Charleston County Housing and Redevelopment Authority. Melissa is a national speaker on affordable housing and fair housing laws, non-profit/corporate governance, and she is an advocate for domestic violence victims, the disabled, and educational institutions. She has received numerous prestigious awards from government industry groups and the South Carolina Bar for her leadership and advocacy. Recently, Melissa was selected to present a talk at TEDx Charleston entitled “From Atrocity to Apology: Beginning The Path for Change” for her work with the Social Justice Racial Equity Collaborative of Charleston. The Collaborative was formed after the Mother Emanuel tragedy to address systemic racism and inequities in the community. In her work with the Collaborative, Melissa led a project which resulted in the passing of a formal apology resolution by the city of Charleston for its participation in the institution of slavery and other historical discriminatory practices that includes a commitment to address the vestiges of slavery and build a more equitable society going forward.

Attending MKA was life-changing for Melissa. She had attended public schools in Bronx, NY and East Orange, NJ that were predominantly attended by Black and Latino students. When Melissa came to MKA, she learned how to interact with peers from different racial and socioeconomic backgrounds. It was a unique opportunity for her to learn about the differences and similarities among all students. Melissa says, “Whether you were driven to school by a chauffeur or used the school bus or public bus, in the end, we were all students.” The diversity in this new environment at MKA made Melissa learn that she could navigate any setting, no matter how unfamiliar. She feels that this ability, “has been a great help to me, professionally. When you are in an environment that naturally allows you to interact with other cultures, you are given an educational experience that is not only academic but social.

Successfully interacting with others that are different from you helps to alleviate biases and to become culturally sensitive which is important, especially for a child.”

Through the resources provided by the Community Scholars Program, Melissa says, “I was able to attend MKA and have a superior educational experience that I would otherwise not have had access to. It was a door opener. Programs like the Community Scholars Program enable students like me to attend educational

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I was able to attend MKA and have a superior educational experience that I would otherwise not have had access to. It was a door opener.”

The Who, What, and How of Community Scholars WHO is Selected?

The program supports seven Scholars a year, grades 6-12.

This scholarship is awarded to students who represent a racial or ethnic minority, show excep­tional academic potential,

institutions they would not otherwise be able to, due to lack of financial resources. Children have no control over the financial status of the families they are born into. I believe that it is inherently unfair that a child’s opportunities are limited because of their family’s financial constraints, especially when that child displays the capability to perform well academically. Scholarship programs help open doors that should be opened to those children.”

One of Melissa’s favorite memories from MKA was when she got to go on the Washington, D.C. trip during her junior year. She even signed up to be a chaperone her senior year, just so she could go on it again. Those trips helped solidify her decision to attend Georgetown University after she graduated, where she obtained a BA in English with a minor in history.

After graduation, Melissa decided to do mission work with various ministries throughout the Southeast. She spent time doing community organizing, creating youth and teen ministry programs, and participating in world missions’ projects. A few years later, Melissa started a family and took some time to assist her oldest daughter who is diagnosed on the autism spectrum to ensure she had the support services she needed to succeed. Married with two daughters, Melissa’s oldest just graduated this May from Winthrop University, and her second daughter attends Duke University. About ten years after college graduation, Melissa decided to go to law school at the University of Georgia, which is something she had always wanted to do. After law school, she moved to South Carolina to be closer to her mom who retired there prior to her passing.

Looking back on her time at MKA, Melissa says, “I appreciated the intimacy created by a small school setting and the ability to get to know everyone, students and faculty alike. The family-like atmosphere was great to have in an educational environment (I even translated it into the type of workplace environment I have now created). I am always glad to see the school continue its efforts to increase diversity and to ensure that the students and faculty are able to learn from people from different backgrounds.”

embrace the values of the MKA community, and demonstrate full financial need. The number of open scholarships in a given year is determined by the number of Scholars who graduated from MKA the previous year.

WHAT is included?

Our Community Scholars receive the most comprehensive financial assistance that the school offers, covering the full cost of tuition and all additional costs including, but not limited to, books, lunch, transportation, and athletic equipment.

HOW is it Funded?

Funded almost entirely through MKA’s annual operating budget, restricted endowment provides approximately $18,000 of income for support, against expenses of $348,000. We now seek endowment and annual gifts restricted to the support of this vital initiative.

For more information about

GIVING BACK I give annually to MKA for a simple reason—gratitude. Someone gave of their financial means to enable me to attend. I am grateful and honored to do the same for another student.

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how to join the movement, please contact Laela Perkins at lperkins@mka.org

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SOFIA TOME ’02 is a photographer and the Program Director for The Posse Foundation. Her creative path began when she was a sophomore at MKA where her love of the darkroom prompted her to pursue a BFA in photography from the Parsons School of Design. Over the years, Sofia’s style has evolved from conceptual and documentary, to travel, landscape, and lifestyle photography, with the tools of her trade having run the gamut from a 35 mm lens, to medium format, to instant photography. Her love of the vernacular and folk art inform the lens through which she shoots and aspires to make the mundane beautiful. Sofia began her career as a photo editor ten years ago. Since then, she has pursued various opportunities in commercial, event, and documentary photography. Currently, she works as a full-time, freelance photographer. Her work has been featured in Victoria’s Secret, The Cult Collective, Voyeur Magazine, and Belong Magazine, among other reputable publications.

Sofia’s experience at MKA was WISE WORDS very well-rounded: she played soccer, was on the Step Team, participated in various clubs, Sofia’s advice to current took a number of interesting students is that they should honors and AP courses, and, most take advantage of the many importantly, developed a deep opportunities they are afforded love of the arts. At the beginning at MKA. She says that, of her freshman year, Sofia was “Whether it’s taking a niche certain that medicine would be class, auditioning for the play, the ultimate path to her success. or signing up for AP English, Because of the depth and breadth there are an incredible number of classes that she took over the of choices the students have course of her time at MKA, she in building their very own MKA realized that the options for her experience.” future were limitless. Sofia fell in love with photography (thanks to Mr. Cuneo) and took advantage of every opportunity that allowed her to further develop her skills outside of the classroom including shooting for the arts newsletter, doing still photography for the school films, and taking headshots for each of the school plays. Sofia says, “The academic classes were rigorous, and the teachers were amazing. I can’t imagine a better high school experience.

Looking back, I’m grateful for all of the wonderful people at MKA who saw not only my academic potential, but also my creative potential and allowed me to explore both.”

The Community Scholars Program gave Sofia the opportunity to fully experience MKA. She says fondly, “Not only did it provide me with a full academic scholarship, but it also leveled the playing field in smaller, more tangible ways, like covering the cost of my soccer cleats and giving me access to a 35 mm camera. Because of the Community Scholars Program, I was able to take advantage of all the opportunities

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Chipping Away at Inequality

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I’m grateful for all of the wonderful people at MKA who saw not only my academic potential but also my creative potential and allowed me to explore both.” that presented themselves once I was a student at MKA.” Aside from being named a Community Scholar, Sofia participated in NJ SEEDS, a program for high performing, lowincome students across the state. In no uncertain terms, these programs changed her life trajectory. Now, as she is entering her 10th year in education, Sofia sees how similar programs have changed the lives of her own students. “Beyond inequality, inequity in education is one of the biggest dangers to our society. Programs like MKA’s Community Scholars begin to chip away at that inequity, giving students access to an excellent education who otherwise could not benefit from it.”

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Your Purpose is Yours to Discover IGOR M. ALVES ’99, Co-founder of DreamPlay Media along with his brother, film director Yuri Alves, is the Managing Producer at the award-winning, creative media company based in Newark and Los Angeles. Their clients include Prudential, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield, Rutgers University, NJIT, City of Newark, AeroFarms, Government of Portugal, Nike, and more. The company’s DreamPlay Films division has produced seven award-winning short films, including “GRIND”, “On the Cusp”, “Echoes of Fado”, and “Exit Road.” He recently launched DreamPlay TV, the company’s own locally inspired cinematic storytelling network, featuring original series, films, and more. In 2018, he founded Boldinary Group, a positive impact strategy, design, and marketing consultancy.

Born in Rio de Janeiro, he and his brother came to live in New Jersey when Igor was five years old. He grew up in the Ironbound section of Newark among a large immigrant community. Igor’s parents encouraged him and his brother to focus on their education, and he was grateful then and remains so now for that. His parents’ support was evident in the sixth grade, when Igor was invited to apply to New Jersey SEEDS. Out of the nine kids in his class who were invited to apply, only three did, and Igor was one of them because his parents made sure of it. New Jersey SEEDS followed through on their promise to connect Igor with the opportunity to attend a top secondary school he could otherwise never afford, and he chose MKA. Igor’s journey was not without hardships. He says, “While I was supported by my family and SEEDS, when I told my teachers in Newark I was attending MKA that fall, they laughed dismissively and claimed I was ‘taking the place of someone who really deserved it,’ and that I was a ‘waste of a brain’ who ‘would not last more than one year’ at MKA. I used their ‘hate’ to dig deep and succeed at MKA. I was determined to show them, and myself, that I deserved the opportunity.”

Igor is thankful for his time at MKA saying, “MKA helped me become a much better student than I would have been. I learned to think critically, to write purposefully, and to study with greater discipline.

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MKA provided me with good friendships I still have today. I also discovered that everyone, rich or poor, experiences challenges and doubts and needs to be supported with love and care. Most importantly, I believe MKA gave me the opportunity to become a more well-rounded, confident, and engaged person.

MKA transforms the lives of participating scholars by providing them with an unsurpassed learning experience. Just as importantly, the program benefits other MKA students because these students are exposed to diverse perspectives, both in the classroom as well as in extracurricular programming like athletics, and the arts. I 100% believe this benefit contributes to a stronger faculty as well, by enabling richer discussions and revealing biases or blind spots in the curriculum content or methods of teaching.

Finally, in my view, this mind stretching extends to the broader MKA parent and supporter community, who disproportionately represent influencers and leaders in society. So, you can argue that welcoming a smart, hard-working kid from a low income bracket into the MKA family literally helps make for a better, more equitable world! It’s a small step, yet it’s no small feat. And it is certainly why this program should be congratulated and ferociously sustained.”

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is one of the most precious gifts an MKA education bestows on you. Your purpose is about more than professional titles, awards, or high salaries because these things should be positive correlations to the work you put in, not primary motivations. Be grateful for all that is given to you and cherish all that is earned: recognize that our stock in life is always a mix of chance and dedication.

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After four years at MKA, Igor dreamt of university life at NYU. Concerned that the cost would be too burdensome for a humanities student from a family of modest means, he took a “leap year” to try and earn additional financial aid, and just as importantly, to explore the world a bit before jumping back in the classroom. He became deeply involved with the American Red Cross in Northern New Jersey and felt privileged to serve as regional liaison with the National Youth Council. He also gave back to SEEDS in several ways. As he grappled to get over the college brand competition, his parents told him, “Son, you are free to apply to whatever university you like… we just think your college education is not determined by the name on the door, but rather what you make of it.” Igor lived at home and attended Rutgers University-Newark, applying for all the scholarships he could. He studied international relations and eventually got his Masters in the Division of Global Affairs.

Upon graduation, he interned at the United Nations and at a boutique marketing agency in New York, but he also assisted Yuri on one of his no-budget short films. Ever since Igor could remember, his brother Yuri wanted to be a film director. On September 11, 2001, the world changed. Yuri and his Kearny High School classmates witnessed the plane strike the second tower of the World Trade Center with their own eyes. Amid the fear and dread felt by his schoolmates, Yuri did what came naturally to him: he grabbed a camera and began filming his school’s experience. The power of moving images and words became clear to Igor, and this realization eventually influenced his career path.

Igor says his life story is evolving, and while he is not sure how it will end, he is sure MKA was an inextricable part of it.

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I learned to think critically, to write purposefully, and to study with greater discipline.”

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P PA REN T NE WS

Students are all smiles playing tug-of-war on Cougar Pride Day!

PA R E N T N E WS

Dear Parents,

PAMKA BOARD OF OFFICERS 2019-2020

Welcome back to school! I hope you had a wonderful summer break. As PAMKA President, I am honored to welcome our new families as well as our returning families, and I hope you will join us in the many ways we support and foster our vibrant MKA community.

There are so many ways to get involved, whether you have a lot of time or a limited amount. We have volunteer opportunities to fit every schedule. Giving an hour at our fall Scholastic Book Fair, an hour a week as a tutor at KIPP schools in Newark, or donating an item to our Spring Fundraiser are just a few examples of ways for everyone to get involved and make an impact.

PAMKA’s success depends upon the involvement and support of our families, and we welcome you to share your time and talents with PAMKA and the MKA community. You’ll be glad you did!

Thank you in advance for your support and involvement. I wish you a great school year ahead.

Tina Jordan President*

Sincerely, Tina Jordan, PAMKA President

*Two-year position. All others are one year.

Erica Amsinger Secretary Sabrina Rodgers Finance Vice President* Suzanne Weinberg Communications Vice President Monique French-Brown Community Vice President Jaime Decter Volunteer Coordinator Vice President Leigh Conforti Special Events Vice President Margaret Wager Primary School Campus Vice President Janice Jacobson Middle School Campus Vice President Sybil Eng Upper School Campus Vice President

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

SAVE THE DATES!

October 24–25, 2019 Gift Boutique October 28–November 2, 2019 Tri-Campus Engagement Thanksgiving Drive November 3–6, 2019 Tri-Campus Book Fair December 2–6, 2019 Tri-Campus Giving Tree Holiday Drive Hosted by the Primary School February 22, 2020 Parenting Workshops

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Cougar Pride Cougar Pride Day 2019 took place on Saturday, May 11. With planning and organization expertly handled by Chairs Shruthi Kinkead and Jennifer Vonderahe, over 400 students, both current and new, attended along with parents, alumni, faculty, and staff to enjoy a wonderful day of fun, food, and friends. As always, we had our tried-and-true activities, such as Tug-O-War, inflatable rides, and carnival games. The Middle School Jazz Band kicked off the day with a performance, and all who attended had a blast searching for cougar paws during the scavenger hunt. The Clothing Swap was a huge success, and the new addition of a “slime� table held the interest of many of our young Cougars.

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

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Annual Meeting MKA PARENTS CELEBRATE A SUCCESSFUL YEAR Members of MKA’s Parents’ Association (PAMKA) gathered together at their Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, May 15 to celebrate a very successful year of community building and fundraising efforts.

Finishing up the first year of her term as PAMKA President Tina Jordan thanked her Board of Officers, the 2018-19 slate, and the many members of MKA’s faculty and staff for their steadfast efforts and ongoing support throughout the past year. Those in attendance also had the opportunity to view a short presentation by Upper School teacher Derek Morf, PAMKA Faculty Trust Grant recipient, who shared his experience visiting Yosemite National Park to photograph the “Firefall.”

Headmaster Tom Nammack addressed the large audience, giving thanks for all that PAMKA does for the MKA community, with a special note of appreciation for Tina Jordan and her tireless commitment to PAMKA and MKA. PAMKA Finance VP Tripti Singh reported on PAMKA’s significant fundraising efforts that resulted in the organization’s presentation

of $370,000 to the school. This gift represents Faculty Trust Grants for next year, a $148,500 donation to MKA’s Faculty Compensation Endowment, Campus Wish List items for each of the campuses, and a $20,000 pledge payment to the Brookside renovations. In addition, a $103,200 gift for the Community Scholars Program was included this year, which is a foundational gift toward the $1 million needed to endow an eighth student for this special program.

Following approval of the minutes and the 2019-20 slate of Officers, Tina concluded the meeting. Outgoing members of the PAMKA slate then met with incoming volunteers to transition their jobs in preparation for the 2019-20 school year.

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Swing Into Spring MKA’s Parents’ Association (PAMKA) hosted their annual Gala - this year entitled “Friday Night Live”— at The Grove on Friday, April 12. It was a night of fun, friends, and delicious food and was a resounding success for PAMKA and MKA. Many were introduced to MKA’s Community Scholars Program, celebrating its 50th Anniversary with an inspiring and heartfelt message from Community Scholar Denise Sarkor ’03.

Congratulations to Event Chairs Bonnie Carter and Liz Katz and the truly dedicated team of volunteers who orchestrated this wonderfully successful event.

Over 300 parents and friends enjoyed a festive evening bidding on silent and live auction items.

In addition, the MKA New Tuition Raffle was a resounding success. Guests were also treated to a performance by MKA’s very own a cappella group, Remix.

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

Parenting Workshops 2019 were beneficial and well-received by all who attended. Parents experienced a morning of expertly led seminars and were able to garner insight from wonderful speakers on a number of pertinent topics relating to our children.

Thank you to Chair Stephanie Salzman and the Parenting Workshops Committee for organizing an educational and enjoyable morning.

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MKA’s Middle School Penick Center Lobby buzzing with action.

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Dear Students, Faculty, Administrators, Parents, Alumni, and other members of the MKA Community,

MONTCLAIR KIMBERLEY ACADEMY 2019-2020 BOARD OF TRUSTEES OFFICERS Kathleen M. Logan President Luke A. Sarsfield III ’91 Vice President Karen T. Gulliver Vice President

It is with great pleasure and appreciation that we welcome the newest members to MKA’s Board of Trustees: Bonnie Carter, Matt Sherman, and Margaret Wager.

Bonnie Carter earned her B.A. from Spelman College and her MBA from Harvard University. She is involved with various organizations, including the Junior League of MontclairNewark Inc. She was on the Board of Trustees for CASA (County Court Appointed Special Advocates) of Essex County for ten years and Board Chair for four of those years. Bonnie’s passion is to advocate for society’s most vulnerable: underserved and underprivileged children at risk. Bonnie and her husband, Michael, have three children: Brandon ’18, Olivia ’20, and Shelby ’22.

Matthew Sherman earned his B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and his MBA from Columbia Business School. Matt is the President and a founding member of Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher, a leading strategic and financial communications and investor relations firm. Matt and his wife, Julie, have two children attending MKA: Alexandra ’22 and Benjamin ’22.

Margaret Wager earned her B.A. from Northwestern University and her J.D. from New York University School of Law. Margaret devotes time to volunteering with Toni’s Kitchen, Impact100 and Northwestern University. Margaret and her husband, Rich, have three children attending MKA: Elizabeth ’28, Scott ’30, and Matthew ’32.

It is also with tremendous gratitude that we say farewell to Linda Sterling who has been an extraordinary MKA Trustee. Linda has consistently demonstrated her commitment throughout the years, and her talents have made MKA a better community. Linda served on the Board’s Executive Committee, Committee on Trustees, Development Committee, Educational Programs and Policies Committee, and the Student Life Committee. She was Annual Giving Chair from 2014 to 2017, the Endowment Chair for the Future Forward Campaign, and the Board’s Vice President from 2016 to 2019. It has been an honor and a privilege to work with her, and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to serve on the Board with her.

It is the responsibility of the Board of Trustees to hold the school in trust for future generations and to ensure that we remain true to the principles of our Mission Statement. In the upcoming school year, MKA will be celebrating our Community Scholars Program, now in its 50th year. This program is evidence of the diverse and inclusive community that we strive to be. It is our goal to increase this program to add another scholar, and we hope that you will join us in fulfilling this objective. With this in mind, MKA’s Board of Trustees looks forward to a truly wonderful 2019–2020 school year.

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

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Jeffrey G. Szilagyi Treasurer David A. Crichlow Secretary MEMBER TRUSTEES Merrick G. Andlinger Naveen Ballem ’ 90 Jennifer A. Barbetta Anya C. Barrett ’ 89 James L. Bromley Bonnie S. Carter Evelyn M. Colbert Paige L. Cottingham-Streater ’ 79 Amanda L. Englander ’ 04 Carolyn N. Everson Clifford B. Finkle IV ’ 92 Peter J. Fusco ’ 89 Tracy E. Higgins Barbara Holmes Michael V. Johnson Tina A. Jordan Lauren H. Kaplan ’ 93 Thomas W. Nammack Robert J. Ruberton Stephanie A. Salzman Matthew J. Sherman Mei-Mei H. Tuan Margaret A. Wager HONORARY TRUSTEES Aubin Z. Ames ’ 54 John E. Garippa Alice M. Hirsh Susan H. Ruddick Newton B. Schott, Jr. ADVISORY TRUSTEES Barry W. Ridings ’70 Robert L. Tortoriello For more information about our Board of Trustees, please visit www.mka.org/about/ board-of-trustees

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Swing for the fences! With the greatest participation numbers seen in years, the 2019 Alumni Games were a resounding success.

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Dear Alumni, Happy Fall! I made it through my first year as the Alumni Council President, and I’m glad to be back doing it all over again with you. In the second half of last year, the Alumni Council did some fantastic work.

We had three amazing events in the spring, all at brand new locations for us. Our Winter Social was held in February at Waiting on a Friend in Manhattan; Our Spring Social was in May at The Barrow House in Clifton; and for the first time, we organized an alumni night at the Prudential Center for a New Jersey Devils game.

As always, it was wonderful to see returning faces and great to see some new ones as well! Please, come out and join us any time at future events!

Thanks to the great motivation of our Development Committee, the Alumni Council reached 100% giving last year—which we are setting as our new standard. As you know, there’s no amount too small to make a difference. We are focused on increasing overall participation in alumni giving, so please consider giving something back to the school today!

Our Engagement Committee recruited five new members who we were delighted to welcome to the Council over the summer.

We are always looking to engage alumni who might not actively be on our circuit already. If you know someone we should contact, let us know! And if you are interested in joining us, fill out our questionnaire here: www.mka.org/alumni/get-involved. I hope we’ll see you at Homecoming coming up!

And as you probably already know, the 2019 Founders’ Cup award went to Upper School Science Teacher and Coach Tony Jones. I got to attend the faculty closing meeting to present it to him, and it was an extra special experience—not only did I have the honor of sharing the loveliest words of praise from alumni, students, and faculty, but I also had the privilege of giving this award to my own 10th grade biology teacher, which made it all the more special. We solicit nominations for this and other awards every year; each of you is invited to join in the process. Visit www.mka.org/alumni/ celebrating-our-alumni for more information.

Whether it’s by attending an alumni event, giving back to the school, nominating someone for an award, or joining us on the Council, I encourage you to participate and engage with this tremendous community of which you’re a part—and which I am proud to represent. Feel free to reach out to me directly any time; I’m always happy to chat!

All my best,

Amanda Englander ’04, Alumni Council President

Executive Committee

Lhenée McKoy ’05 Secretary

Amanda Englander ’04 President Stu Harwood ’07 Executive Vice President Caitlin Di Ruggiero ’06 Treasurer

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Council Stephen Bezer ’11, Racquel Booth ’96 Rich Cosgrove ’84

Michael DeVita ’11 Joanne Goldberg ’87 Julie Kim ’92 Jennifer Ladda ’84 Angela McCaffrey ’06 Chadd Mukete ’11 John Thompson ’03

SAVE THE DATE!

October 18, 2019 Alumni Awards Reception 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Middle School Higgins Common Room October 18-20, 2019 Homecoming & Reunion Weekend October 20, 2019 Alumni Soccer Game 10:30 a.m. | MKA Muenster Field October 20, 2019 Alumni Volleyball Game 10:30 a.m. | Upper School Gym November 29, 2019 Alumni Winter Games 4:15 p.m. | Hockey | Clary Anderson Arena 4:15 p.m. | Basketball | Upper School Gym Postgame reception @ Tierney’s Tavern 6:00-8:00 p.m.

January 13, 2020 Atlanta Reception Atlanta, GA Feb/March 2020 Los Angeles Reception Los Angeles, CA May 9, 2020 Cougar Pride Day June 13, 2020 Alumni Games Day/Klank Klassic Upper & Middle School Fields

*If you would like to host a regional event, contact Eric Gutierrez at egutierrez@mka.org

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DI STINGUI S HE D ALUM N I AWAR D

Nithya Nathan-Pineau ’03

Cultivating your own resilience when the work becomes increasingly challenging is an important cultural value that Nithya Nathan-Pineau ’03 learned at MKA. Nithya believes this to be an important skill for any career, but she finds it especially important in her current role as an immigration lawyer at the Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights Coalition. As the Senior Program Director for the Detained Children’s Program, Nithya manages a team of 30 attorneys and legal assistants who work with unaccompanied immigrant children in federal custody who arrive at the border without legal status.

For Nithya, the most challenging aspect of her job is to hear about her clients’ suffering and to navigate the recent policy changes for asylum seekers. Bearing witness is difficult and can be painful; however, she finds her career gratifying because of the interactions it allows with young people who she finds resilient, funny, and smart. She is also inspired by her colleagues and their dedication to their organization’s mission.

As a parent, Nithya believes it is important that her son will one day see her as a role model for working on behalf of others and their needs.

Nithya’s team advocates for children who have been apprehended by ICE or Customs and Border Protection and have been placed in detention centers in Virginia or Maryland. Most of these children are there for a short period of time before being matched with a family member who will care for them while waiting for their case to be adjudicated.

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As her primary responsibility, Nithya meets with the children and gives them information about their present circumstances. She and her team try to understand what motivated each child to flee his or her country of origin and come to the United States. What they are learning is that most of the children have left a life of violence within their family, community, or because of a gang. They may also have been persecuted by their government.

Many are coming to the United States to be reunited with a family member. Nithya and her team help devise legal strategies for these children, which will open a pathway to asylum and avoid deportation.

Providing pro-bono legal services to 100-150 cases a year, Nithya and the lawyers on her team appear in court to represent the children to ensure that they have adequate defense. They provide the children proper legal advice every step of the way, while also reaching out to the community and family members, who can support them in their case. Nithya’s job is to be nimble, creative, and to advocate for the children in the system. Her team does not win every case, but Nithya is motivated to make more appeals and continue to push the laws in the direction that guards and protects these children.

Nithya’s parents immigrated to the United States from India, and she lived in Patterson for many years surrounded by family and extended relatives in a close immigrant community. Understanding why people choose to make a home in a country different from where they were born was central to the formation of her identity. Nithya was drawn to youth advocacy work in college and law school. The intersection between youth advocacy and immigrants’ rights complemented her personal motivation and professional experience. What really sparked Nithya’s interest was her recognition that immigration law is not set up to treat children differently than adults.

When children are detained, they are not appointed an attorney, so many children go

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to court unrepresented. They are expected to defend themselves. Nithya recognized that this is not a just system, and that central injustice motivates her every day.

Nithya references MKA as a major influence in her career. She believes MKA was an incredible place where she had access to learn so much about the world.

She had excellent teachers, and her parents encouraged her to use the privilege of an excellent education to make change and do something impactful in the world. Her parents felt that they invested in her so she could do more for the world beyond her immediate family and community. Nithya believes that MKA also takes seriously the responsibility of educating students who will take their training in critical thinking, research, writing, and other foundational skills and use them as engaged citizens of the world. She had teachers that challenged her and pushed her, and Nithya believes that at MKA, “There is a culture of taking the investment in the students and multiplying that impact in the world.”

Nithya’s message to MKA students is that “It’s important for people to learn as much as they can about issues that they are passionate about. Find opportunities to work with people that are inspiring to you and who you can learn from. These are things, regardless of what you believe are true and important, that allow you to shape your own path.” Nithya believes that it’s important to give back because “The current students are the next generation of our change makers. Investing in them is investing in our future.”

The Distinguished Alumni Award is bestowed in recognition and appreciation of an outstanding achievement by an alumna or alumnus who has achieved distinction in some field of endeavor or through outstanding character or dedication has been of special service to humanity. Nithya joins an incredible group of alumni who have received this recognition. To find out more, please visit our website www.mka.org/alumni/ celebrating-our-alumni

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Tony Jones FOUNDERS’ CUP R EC IP IE N T

Don’t forget to pay it forward.

Congratulations to Upper School Science teacher, Varsity Boys’ Basketball Coach and outgoing Twelfth Grade Dean Tony Jones who was named the recipient of the 2019 Founders’ Cup for Teaching Excellence.

Presented annually by the Alumni Association, the Founders’ Cup is meant to recognize and honor MKA’s strong tradition of high-caliber teaching, both inside and outside the classroom, and is awarded to one outstanding faculty member who has made a significant contribution to the school during the past year.

Tony received his BA in Biology and Chemistry from Franklin Pierce College and just completed his 19th year at the Upper School. Before he came to MKA, Tony spent eight years as a pharmaceutical production supervisor at Hoffmann-La Roche Pharmaceuticals.

He then taught at Don Bosco Technology Academy in Paterson and at Bishop Francis Essex Catholic High School, where he served as Director of Admissions, a guidance counselor, Head JV Basketball Coach and Assistant Varsity Basketball Coach. Tony is the proud father of three MKA graduates: Brandon ’04, Breanna ’08, and Brittany ’16.

According to his former students and athletes, Tony represents the very best of MKA. He is an exceptional teacher, basketball coach, and mentor, and he has served the community with integrity and humility for almost two decades. As an educator, he makes science relevant to the lives of his students, and he fosters warm relationships with them to ensure their overall growth and development. He relates to students from a variety of backgrounds by listening with the intent to understand and provides meaningful advice to

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help them meet challenges and overcome difficulties.

Students are often in his office seeking extra help, and it is clear that they feel comfortable sharing with Tony the details of their lives outside of academics. He is a trusted advisor who goes above and beyond to make his students feel welcomed and safe.

Alumni Council President Amanda Englander ’04 presented the award at the end-of-year faculty meeting, on June 12, 2019. The following quote from a Founders’ Cup nomination submission sums up the influence and impact Tony had on his students: “From the time I was a student at MKA, Coach Jones has been like a father to me and he has always treated me like a member of his own family. He has often sacrificed his own time to ensure that I have felt loved and supported, providing advice that has always helped me deal with hardships I have faced. When I have thanked Coach Jones for his insights, he has always responded, “Don’t forget to pay it forward.” This simple reminder has always inspired me to serve our students and our athletes in the same way Coach Jones has.

His guidance has been instrumental to my growth as a teacher and as a coach at MKA, and I will be forever grateful for the impact he has made on my life.”

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Alumni Events COMMUNITY SCHOLARS EVENT On April 4, the MKA community gathered to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Community Scholars Program.

NJ DEVILS V CALGARY FLAMES EVENT On February 27, alumni gathered together to watch NJ Devils take on the Calgary Flames and had the opportunity to take an alumni photo at center ice.

PHILADELPHIA EVENT

BOSTON ALUMNI EVENT

On January 28, MKA alumni in Philadelphia gathered in Philadelphia for a dinner with Headmaster Tom Nammack and MKA staff. Thank you Alec Shwartz ’88, Rich Moskowitz ’81, Francesca De La Torre ’00, and Brandon Blackburn-Dwyer ’01 for making us feel so welcome.

On May 22, MKA alumni in the Boston area gathered to network with each other and reconnect with MKA faculty. Guest speaker Dr. Karestan Koenen ’86 also provided a discussion titled “Mental Health through Innovation and the MKA Experience.”

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Honorary Alumni Award The Honorary Alumni Award (HAA) was created in the spring of 2010 to address the desire of the Montclair Kimberley Academy Alumni Council to honor those members of the MKA family who have made a significant, easily recognizable, and direct impact upon MKA students and the community of learners. The recipient of this award can be any employee of the school who has served MKA for ten years, in any capacity. Award recipients can be teachers, administrators, custodians—anyone who has made the kind of mark on MKA that unquestionably deserves merit and recognition. It is not a surprise that the 2019 HAA recipient is Ronnie Califano, Administrative Assistant to the Head of Upper School.

Ronnie has worked at MKA for over 22 years after her son Jamie graduated from the Upper School, and she has been a vital member of the MKA community. Ronnie makes an impact every day by helping to create a positive and enthusiastic atmosphere for students, administration, and faculty alike. When recently asked what she loves most about MKA, Ronnie replied, “[I love] the people I work with and the students that make me laugh every day. Hopefully, I put a smile on their faxces as well.”

Alumna Caitlin DiRuggiero ’06 comments, “Ronnie gives students at MKA that warm, comforting feeling that we all tend to lack when we have a big assignment or a major sports event. MKA students tend to put a lot of pressure on themselves, and she makes you feel like everything is going to be ok. People like Ronnie make going to MKA every day feel a little less like just school and more like a home.”

Congratulations, Ronnie, on this well-deserved award!

Montclair Kimberley Academy’s Connectivity and Networking App RE-CONNECT

Find and reminisce with fellow graduates, see what they have been up to and stay in touch.

GIVE BACK

Introduce, employ and offer to act as a mentor to our graduating students.

EXPAND

Leverage your professional network to get introduced to people you should know

ADVANCE Advance your career through inside connections working in top companies.

Career Day

MKA juniors and seniors had the privilege of hearing from nine alumni professionals who represent various industries on Career Day 2019. (L to R: Reuben Atlas ’97, Chris Bellapianta ’97, Eric Crawford ’74, Solomon Steplight ’93, Frank Godlewski ’76, Steve Bezer ’11, Vejay Lalla ’93, John Phillips, Jr. ’78, India Larrier ’80).

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Klank Klassic

& ALUMNI GAMES DAY 2019 Thirty-one guests attended the 14th Annual Klank Klassic game on Van Brunt Field on a beautiful, sunny Saturday in June. Congratulations to Christian Breitweiser ’19 who received the W. Noll Klank Memorial Award and to Dylan Hall ’19 and Max South ’19 for winning the Alumni Outstanding Teammate Award.

Over 25 alumni and guests returned to MKA’s field to play the annual baseball game. This was a special year as Coach Pacifico and alumni remembered former coach James Venezia who passed away this past spring.

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Alumni Spotlights Trevor Bell ’07 Trevor attended MKA from Pre-K to 12th grade and graduated in 2007. After MKA, Trevor attended Susquehanna University in Pennsylvania where he majored in biology. After graduating in 2011, Trevor went on to attend graduate school at Pace University, majoring in Forensic Science. His plan was to become a Forensic Investigator.

However, after years of job hunting, Trevor reached the conclusion that he needed to switch careers.

Therefore, in 2016, Trevor attended New Jersey City University where he majored in Information Assurance/ Cybersecurity. This is where the pieces to his life began to fall into place. Growing up, Trevor had a keen interest in technology and was well-versed with computers. He attributes much of this to Mr. William Stites and Ms. Petrucia. Having exposure to information technology systems at an early age provided Trevor with the foundation he needed to succeed in what would be his future career.

Trevor ventured into Cybersecurity because of his passion for using technology and helping people. Currently, Trevor works as an Information Security Analyst at Montefiore Health Systems, one of New York’s largest Healthcare providers.

Today, technological innovation in healthcare is increasing tremendously. His job not only allows him to protect people using technology, but it also ensures that healthcare providers are able to administer the most effective care to their patients.

Brandon Blackburn-Dwyer ’01 Brandon is a performance coach and business growth expert. The founder of Grasshopper Strategies, Brandon helps individuals, solopreneurs, and small businesses JUMP THE COMPETITION. Brandon’s expertise sits at the intersection of individual performance, big picture business strategy, and motivation. For nearly 15 years, Brandon has served as a growth expert and performance coach for businesses and executives ranging from the Fortune 100 to micro-ventures across four continents.

Recently, Brandon delivered a TEDx, “Embrace Your Inner Millennial,” based on his five years of research into overcoming generational divides in the workplace and improving individual performance.

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Brandon has been a featured contributor on international television more than 200 times and spent two years as a global news radio host based in Beijing, China. Beyond his career in business and news, Brandon has appeared as an actor on professional stages in the United States and China, in addition to serving as a director in numerous theatre projects.

After living on four continents and travelling to more than 50 countries, Brandon has found a universal truth: positive mindset equals success. His passion is to help people JUMP THE COMPETITION by setting clear goals and communicating with power to ultimately land in the success they want.

Sarah Finn ’13

Sarah is a performer and playwright based in NYC and a founding member of First Round International Creative Platform, a theatre non-profit based in Paris, France. She was recently shortlisted for The Leslie Scalapino Award for Innovative Women Performance Writers. She trained at Ecole Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq in Paris, France and performed with Bread & Puppet Theater in Glover, Vermont. Her play, In the woods where the men work, was performed in March 2019 in the New York Winterfest Theater Festival and in May 2019 at the International Prague Fringe. She got her BA from Sarah Lawrence College.

In the woods where the men work debuted in an outdoor production at Sarah Lawrence College and then at the Garner Arts Festival in Garnerville, New York in the Spring of 2018. For its first production, it was awarded the Sherman-Fairchild Grant in Art & Technology.

Danielle Singer Zackman ’97 Danielle is President and head designer of Danielle Stevens Jewelry, Sydney Summer

by Danielle Stevens (kids jewelry), Violetta (handbag line), and two other private label accessory brands.

Her greatest accomplishment in her career thus far is creating a charity bracelet in the wake of the Boston Marathon tragedy, promoting it to her customer/fan base, and raising over $13,000 in just two days for the One Fund Boston Foundation. “I was awe-struck that my brand could reach so many individuals,

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W H ER E A R E TH EY N OW

Myra Hrab and that we could all team together to help those in need who were affected by such devastation,” recalls Danielle.

Danielle has two major lessons that she’s learned in her career. The first lesson and goal that constantly drives her is to always dream big.

Danielle has a quote next to her desk: “If you can imagine it, you can achieve it; if you can dream it, you can become it.” It’s a daily inspiration for each day's challenges. The second part goes hand in hand with the first part—be patient. “Having a family and managing my companies has taught me to put everything in perspective. Things that might have sent me into a tailspin when I first started in this industry are now looked at head-on and tackled.

Every problem has a solution, and if it doesn't present itself right away, I look from all angles to open my mind to find the answer,” says Danielle.

Robert Cunniff ’81 Robert has been branching out from geology over the last year and decided to give acting a try. Once he learned a few tricks on how to find work, he's been working steadily about twice a week—usually in New York City but sometimes in New Jersey, Long Island, or other nearby locations. Robert has been on just about every TV show they film in New York as a background extra, and he's gotten several featured roles and some speaking parts on nonSAG television programs.

He’s also done a fair number of smaller movies; both feature films and independent/student films. Additionally, Robert shot his first commercial!

His first-ever role was as a prison inmate on Fox’s “Gotham,” and he appeared on the Travel Channel’s “Mysteries at the Museum” many times, in roles like: a British Redcoat, a NobelPrize-winning Chemist, an ancient Roman, and a Nazi Officer. His speaking roles mostly come from truecrime recreation dramas like “Six Degrees of Murder” and “A Crime to Remember.” Most of those appear on the Investigation Discovery Channel—they seem to like him as a police officer or a detective. Robert’s goals over the coming year would be to do more feature films and become eligible to join the Screen Actors Guild (SAG).

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FO R M E R FACULTY R E M I N I SC ES O N H E R WO N D E R F UL Y E A RS AT M KA As I look back on my 25 years at the Middle School, many memories and events stand out. I was a Physical Education teacher in grades four to eight and an eighth grade adviser for all those years. It was a wonderful time to see the transformation of fourth graders into young teens. We were fortunate in our department to teach all of the children, and we exposed them to many sports and activities that gave them a basis for eventual sports teams.

One of my most rewarding activities was teaching swimming. We had a small pool at the Middle School that was very conducive to teaching non-swimmers. Half of the pool was shallow enough to stand and work through all the stages from non-swimmers to swimmers. Seeing students jump into the deep end and swim to the other end with their big eyes not believing their accomplishment was most rewarding. I firmly believe that every child must know how to swim for safety, for fun, and for lifetime activities.

My biggest challenge was to teach social dance to eight graders. No 13-year-old danced the tango, waltz, cha-cha, or swing. I saw looks, raised eyebrows, and laughs as I demonstrated the dance positions with one of the boys. After making two lines facing each other, they were told to get their partner across from them and follow the steps and the rhythm. And so it went with each dance. They may not have liked this activity at that time, but fast forward a few years and they might have appreciated it when they are in their 20s, even if they would never say so.

I was asked to coach the Girls’ Soccer and Swim Teams and to be the Assistant Coach for the Tennis Team. Back in the day, when I was in school, girls did not compete in any sports, so I had to brush up on coaching techniques in all the sports. Fortunately for me, we had some wonderful, talented athletes who did not disappoint. My swimmers made me look good, due in part to my coaching but mainly due to the talent that was there every season.

I will always remember the wonderful faculty and the camaraderie we shared. These were teachers with vast experience whom our students were fortunate to have. As a faculty, we had events we loved, such as the Faculty Follies and Faculty Chorus. Faculty Follies were like a talent show with skits, songs, and dances. The kids loved these assemblies.

I remember one specific act as nine or ten of us danced to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” What a scene, as everyone in the auditorium was on their feet cheering us on. The Faculty Chorus was a wonderful bonding experience. We rehearsed at 7:30 in the mornings and sang at the Christmas Concert. Our voices were great and the three part harmony was outstanding. Yes, we were very good!

Our yearly trip to Williamsburg also evokes fine memories. I look back fondly on all those years. On certain occasions or at reunions, I will meet former students, and we always have something to reminisce about. Many of the faculty have remained close friends, and some of us retirees meet monthly as a “brunch bunch” and the conversation always ends up about the “kids” and the Middle School. I so cherish those memories!

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W WE A R E M KA

Tom Galligan ’73 and Susan (Stokes) Galligan ’74

W E A R E M KA

Walking the Walk and Talking the Talk: Stories of Extraordinary People and Why They Give

Thomas Galligan ’73 & Susan (Stokes) Galligan ’74 “THE SCHOOL FEELS DIFFERENT NOW, BUT IT’S STILL GREAT. IT IS THE SAME INSTITUTION. IT ISN’T GONE; IT IS JUST IN A NEW FORM.”

A shared interest in theater is what brought Montclair Academy alumnus Thomas Galligan MA ’73 and The Kimberley School alumna Susan (Stokes) Galigan ’74 together. “We met in the spring of 1973, through the KA Play” recalls Tom. “It was a joint production, and that year we were doing Arthur Miller’s The Crucible.”

Susan added that, “Tom was in the play, and I was on the Costume Committee. I made his pants, and we became friends because Tom started dating my friend, Martha Bonsal Day ’74.” Tom graduated that spring and headed off to Stanford University. When Susan graduated a year later to attend Mount Holyoke, the two were still in touch, and they began dating in the summer of 1975. They married in 1981 and just recently celebrated their 38th wedding anniversary.

Tom and Susan credit Montclair Academy and The Kimberley School for its incredible educational opportunities and for preparing them well for what was to come next in life. Tom recounts, “I had great teachers, learned how to study and take tests…I was really shaped

by Headmaster Philip Anderson’s style of leadership, especially as I took on academic leadership positions in my own career. He was a guiding force without being too heavy-handed.”

Before the merger of the two schools, there were a few classes that were coed, and Tom and Sue both took science classes from Ned Williams. “We didn’t meet until the play, but we were both profoundly influenced by the same person, Mr. Williams, who instilled in me a deep love of science” recalled Susan. To which Tom chimed in, “he had a major impact on both of us and Susan got the highest grade in her class! She beat all the young men!”

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Today, Tom and Susan live in Baton Rouge, Louisiana where Tom serves as Dean of the Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center. Prior to this role, he was President of Colby-Sawyer College in New London, N.H., from 2006-2016 and Dean of the University of Tennessee College of Law from 1998-2006. Tom received his J.D. from the University of Puget Sound (now Seattle University) School of Law and his L.L.M from Columbia University Law School.

Susan is a dedicated volunteer and fundraiser. When her children were young, she volunteered at their schools, assisting with everything from running the volunteer lunch program and working in the library to raising money for various school initiatives.

She has also served in various leadership volunteer positions at local charities including serving as the President of Community Garden Club, a community

Choral Board in New Hampshire, and Board Secretary of an historic house and garden, The Fells, in New Hampshire.

The Galligans are members of MKA’s Heritage Society, having named MKA as a beneficiary in their estate plans. Tom and Susan really enjoyed their schools, and their positive experience motivates them to give back. Tom says, “My father taught me about the importance of giving. I wouldn’t be where I am without the education I received at MA. What I am doing is giving forward to the next generation of students.” Susan adds, “I was the last class to graduate from TKS. The school feels different now, but still great. It is the same institution. It isn’t gone; it is just in a new form.”

For more information on the Heritage Society contact Laela Perkins, Director of Development 973-509-4528.

THE HERITAGE SOCIETY Learn more about the benefit’s of MKA’s planned giving opportunities. mka.org/plannedgiving Contact Laela Perkins, Development Director, at lperkins@mka.org or 973-509-4528.

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WE ARE MKA

Tripti Singh

VOLUNTE E R E XTRAO R D I NA I R E

Tripti Singh embodies passionate volunteerism through her years of service to MKA, a school which she believes expands exponentially beyond a typical education. She became an active volunteer in the MKA community during the 2012-13 school year when her son Ronny Bhatia ’19 joined MKA as a sixth grader. She quickly became enamored of the school and began her seven-year journey as a dedicated PAMKA volunteer. Rising in the ranks of our impressive Parents’ Association, Tripti most recently spent two years on the Executive Board as the VP of Finance. Her first volunteer position for MKA was that of KIPP tutor for children ages five to fourteen at Team Academy in Newark. She became dedicated to working with these students and continued with this role for the next six years, and was ultimately nominated to the KIPP Coordinator role on the PAMKA slate.

Tripti has helped in so many ways—and always with a smile and a generous spirit. Whether she is helping to coordinate the PAMKA Parenting Workshops or working the cash register at the Book Fair or being the Middle School Community Outreach Chair, no job has been too small...nor too big. Her calm nature, especially when attending to the finances for the Book Fair, the Spring Fundraiser, and PAMKA as a whole, is truly appreciated by all who are fortunate enough to work with her.

In addition to the many ways she has volunteered with PAMKA, Tripti was also a member of MKA’s Diversity and Inclusion Parent Committee and served as the committee’s Coordinator from 20162018. Outside of school, she volunteers for her Gurudwara (Sikh temple) teaching children Indian culture, religion, and language. Furthermore, she volunteers in the temple’s kitchen every week helping to make food for community meals.

Tripti has enjoyed her time as a parent volunteer at MKA, and she is leaving PAMKA in good hands, having trained the new Finance VP, the lead treasurer, and the Book Fair Treasurer. She is a true advocate of MKA stating that “MKA nurtures the

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students to become ‘true citizens’ of the world, going beyond the high caliber academics to also teach empathy, respect, and kindness.” She remains in awe of the opportunities afforded to our students and mentions that Ronny often had difficulty choosing from the long list of possibilities because he wanted to try it all.

2018-19 PAMKA Liaison Talia Selove notes, “Tripti was one of the first PAMKA volunteers I had the pleasure of meeting when I started working at MKA. I was instantly struck by her kindness and gentle spirit. Her welcoming nature puts everyone at ease.

She is the definition of joyful volunteer.”

The MKA community is better for having Tripti and her family in it, and we are excited that Tripti will continue to be a presence at MKA as the newest member of the Development Office!

Tripti celebrates Commencement with son, Ronny, and husband, Samarpal.

W E A R E M KA

Jenna (Sakolsky) Clancey ’03 NE AR OR FAR , MKA I MPACTS W H O YOU AR E

Jenna (Sakolsky) Clancey ’03 is a businesswoman, a mother, a wife, and an active member in the MKA alumni community. As a monthly sustainer to The MKA Fund, Jenna gives back because “MKA gave me amazing opportunities and I want the current students to have those same resources, and so much more.”

Jenna and her husband, Owen, recently moved to Charleston, SC with their daughter Sara. For the past two years, Jenna and Owen have been growing their business, Witten Clancey Partners, which provides medical physics consulting services across the United States. Jenna’s background is in education, fundraising, and development, and she applies her experience to supporting the business in the areas of client relations and operations. Since April 2018, Jenna has been a “full-time mama to a funny, sweet, wonderful little lady” who makes her smile and laugh every day.

After MKA, Jenna attended Boston College, graduating in 2007, and then worked as a special education teacher in Boston until 2010. She worked in the nonprofit sector in New York City from 2010 through 2014, finally landing at MKA as the Major Donor Liaison until 2017. Jenna brought professionalism and warmth to her role and created lasting relationships with colleagues and donors alike.

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When looking back on her fondest times at MKA, Jenna immediately thinks about her time on the Swim Team. She started in sixth grade with Mrs. Hrab and swam all the way through high school with Mr. Flocco (now Dr. Flocco) and Mr. Hrab. From before-school morning practices to long bus rides to meets, Jenna’s teammates and coaches were a constant source of encouragement and entertainment; it didn’t hurt that they had a talented and successful team!

Jenna believes that “One of the unique experiences that MKA has to offer is the connection between faculty, staff, administrators, and students.” Starting in sixth grade and all through her time at the Upper School, Jenna learned how to advocate for herself and interact and collaborate with both adults and her peers. Whether it’s negotiating a contract, planning a nonprofit event, or working day to day with a client, the confidence and skills that she learned at MKA have helped her to do her best for herself and her business.

The advice that Jenna offers to current students is to take advantage of everything MKA has to offer.

“Relationships, outstanding academics, and impactful experiences come from an exceptional community. Keep taking advantage of MKA through college and beyond.

Stay connected; stay engaged; stay involved; MKA will come through every time.”

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Cheryl McCants ’82 MKA GAVE ME TH E FOU NDATI O N TO SUCC E E D

MKA’s Community Scholar students realize extraordinary success, and Cheryl McCants ’82 embodies everything the program represents.

Cheryl is President and CEO of Impact Consulting Enterprises, an award-winning strategic communication, digital marketing, and public relations firm that she founded in 1989. She is also the proud mom of Courtney McCants ’20, a thriving MKA scholar, athlete, and world traveler.

While at the Upper School, Cheryl actively participated in many areas of MKA life. In addition to strong academic achievement, she enjoyed cheerleading, basketball, track, and playing the flute for MKA’s Pep Band, known as the Ocelots in the 1980’s. She was honored to serve as President of MKA’s Organization of Black Students and to be inducted into MKA’s Red and Black Honor Society, which recognizes academic success. When asked about her favorite teacher, Cheryl doesn’t hesitate before fondly recalling Mrs. Benediktsson as being the best English teacher she had at MKA, Brown University, or the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Cheryl notes that “Because of Mrs Lynn Benediktsson, I realized I had a gift: the ability to write, which ultimately led to my career choice.” Cheryl goes on to say that MKA “taught me

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to learn” and credits a great deal of her success to her MKA education.

Cheryl joined MKA’s parent community when Courtney began her freshman year in the fall of 2016. They are looking forward to all the memories and milestones of Courtney’s senior year. Volleyball and photography are two of Courtney’s passions. She also takes full advantage of the many opportunities MKA offers through the Global Experience Program.

In the summer before her junior year, Courtney spent several weeks in China learning the culture and traveling through the country with fellow students and teachers to see the terra cotta warriors of Shaanxi Province, walking along the Great Wall, and enjoying dinner at the famous Quan Ju De. This past summer, Courtney spent a month in Chile, staying with a host family as an exchange student while she immersed herself in the Chilean culture and participated in community service projects.

Cheryl loves seeing Courtney form the same strong bonds with teachers that Cheryl herself had as an MKA student. Courtney really enjoys physics and math and says that Dr. Krishnan is one of her favorite teachers. She has also made a strong connection with Dr. Cui in the English department and Mrs. Kessler in the CCO office. When it comes to Courtney’s academic performance, Cheryl offers sage advice to “never give up and do your best— it will land where it is supposed to land.”

As an alumna of the prestigious Community Scholars Program, Cheryl knows firsthand the opportunities made available to these students and hopes the 50th Anniversary of this program will highlight the importance of philanthropically supporting a program that helps provide an MKA education to students who could not otherwise attend. Cheryl is an avid supporter of MKA because “this school supported me and gave me the foundation to succeed.”

MKA is proud to have shared in Cheryl’s successes and can’t wait to see the path that Courtney forges.

“ Never give up and do your best—it will land where it is supposed to land.”

C C L ASS N OT ES

Students from The Kimberley School and Montclair Academy came together for their annual K-A play. This 1968–1969 school year production was Thorton Wilder’s Our Town.

It was organized, produced, and directed by Academy master Robert C. Hemmeter.

C L AS S N OT ES

E D I TO R ’S N OT E

The deadline for news for the FALL MKA Review is May 15, and the deadline for the SPRING issue is December 15. News can be submitted at any time in response to the Alumni Office’s annual mailing, on the MKA Fund remittance envelopes, via mail or email to the MKA Director of Alumni Engagement Eric Gutierrez (egutierrez@mka.org) or your class representative. We keep ongoing files for each class and welcome photographs in digital or hard copy. If your class does not have a Class Representative listed, please consider volunteering for the position! It is a great way to re-establish contacts with old friends, does not require a great deal of time, and is essential to the ongoing vitality of the school. Thank you.

step-sons, 11 grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, and our step-granddaughters. MKA sends its heartfelt condolences to his family.

1956

/ TKS / Ms. Susan Ferdinand, 125 Limerick

Lane, Phillipsburg, NJ 08865, facesbyferdinand@gmail.com / MA / Mr. Eric Jaeckel, PO Box 20153, Boulder, CO 80308, efjaeckel@ hotmail.com / Dr. Lawrence Nazarian,

1941

/ TKS / Mrs.Enid Hyde, 5402 Duvall

Drive, Bethesda, MD 20816, enidghyde@aol.com

NJ 07052

1945

1952

/ TKS / Mrs. Leigh Smith, 847 Franklin Street,

yahoo.com 537 Milano Rd, Kissimmee,

/ TKS / Mrs. Martha Moran, 8011 Strauff Road,

Baltimore, MD 21204, martha.moran1@

The Alumni Office recently learned 1953 of the passing of on / MA /

FL 34759, grantwb@cfl.rr.com

Philip H. Smith

/ TKS / Mrs. Eleanor Ketcham,

9 Pancake Hollow, Aquinnah, MA 02535, ellieketcham@aol.com

MKA recently learned that Gloria Paul passed away on December 22, 2017. Our deepest sympathy goes out to her family and loved ones.

1948

Susan Ferdinand writes: “In the ’80s,

verizon.net

/ MA / Hon. William B. Grant,

1946

14620, LFredN@aol.com

Marentette, 93 Glen

Avenue, Llewellyn Park, West Orange,

Vineyard Haven, MA 02568, lbsmith15@

/ MA / Mr. John Leonhard, 51 Fromm Court, Mahwah,

December 10, 2018. Philip was a Montclair Academy “lifer,” and went on to attend Princeton, followed by Yale Law School with five of his classmates. He taught at MKA in the sixties. MKA sends its deepest sympathy to his family.

1954

/ TKS / Ms. Georgia Carrington,38 Silver

Spring Lane, Ridgefield, CT 06877, carrgeo@aol.com

NJ 07430

sincere condolences 1949 to the family of who / MA / MKA sends its Clark M. Simms

/ MA / Mr. Sheldon Buck, 51 Cornell Road, Wellesley, MA 02482, sheldonbuck@me.com

passed away on July 12, 2019, in Wells, Maine from age-related illnesses.

1955

that 1950 learned passed away on

The Alumni Office recently heard that George Grosse passed away on February 12, 2018. George worked in the commodities brokerage field for over 50 years and retired from Wilkins Rogers, Inc., in Ellicott City after a long, successful career.

He is survived by his wife of 36 years, Helen Magruder Grosse, as well as five children, two

/ TKS / MKA recently Audrey

(Maass) Lewis

October 18, 2018. Friends of Audrey will miss her sense of humor and sharp wit, and her family will miss her unwavering love and generosity. We send our sincere condolences to her family.

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1951

82 Brickstone Circle, Rochester, NY / TKS / Mrs. Gail

/ MA / Mr. Lawrence Martin, P.O. Box 1058 ,

Lexington, VA 24450, martinlexington@ centurylink.net

M KA review / Mon tc l ai r K i mb e r l e y Ac ade my

we were in our 50s. Now it’s the 20 teens and we’re in the 80s again. So confusing! LOL! At any rate, it’s been great hearing from so many of you.

Jane Romeyn Dunning, who was part of our class from 2nd–8th grade, writes “After 20 years of teaching at Rye Country Day School, in Rye, NY, I left to attend seminary in New York City. I was ordained in the Episcopal Church in 1991 and have served parishes in NY and in Western MA. I now live in Shelburne Falls, MA and am currently serving as chaplain to the Shelburne Falls Fire Department.

As a member of the MA Corps of Fire Chaplains, I have just been elected as a member of their executive board. I lost my husband in the summer of 2017 but have stayed in close contact with my children, and I now have seven grandchildren ranging from three-years old to their mid-twenties.”

Anne DeVausney Hallowell makes me feel incredibly lazy. She is “out running every day. My 5K is on July 4th, and I want to be in the best shape possible! I have been working with a trainer for the last three years, and I feel great!” Oh, come on! Seriously? LOL! Anne would love to get together with any classmates who are visiting Vermont.

From Carol VanBrunt Jankoras: Janko and I went to San Diego last fall for a wonderful Thanksgiving with children and grandchildren.

Probably our last trip to San Diego for awhile as our daughter, Lynn,

C L ASS N OT ES

and her family have moved back to New York and found an apartment a few blocks from us. We love spending time with the grandchildren.”

Linda LeStage Cole’s move to the Village at Duxbury two years ago “was such a great decision. Most important is finding a partner here, Newt Churchill, with whom I share my life. With both Boston and Plymouth venues for music and theater offerings (transportation provided by bus!), we enjoy those opportunities. My two children, and five grands live nearby, plus we connect on the Cape in Orleans. Other than a wonky knee, all’s well! Lucky me! Best to all MKA friends.”

Carol Barnard Ottenberg is travelling, but sends greetings to all.

I follow Gail Zabriskie Wilson on Facebook, so I enjoy her news on a regular basis. Gail writes: “We’ve had a good second ’winter’ in Naples, FL. Pretty nice life here, with golf, a beautiful swimming pool, three dining rooms, etc. just steps from our apartment, and sunshine nearly every day. Now I know why FL is called the Sunshine State - it truly is. But our hearts still belong to our cabin in Maine, and Peter and I will be headed back there for the summer and fall, returning here late October. We do have a Viking trip to the fjords of Norway planned in June/July with an extended stay in Copenhagen to visit with our daughter Sarah’s AFS host family from 1983, and then a visit with friends in Stockholm. Kids are all fine, living in CA, CO, two in CT. Two grandsons out of college, one graduating from Furman Univ. in May, one at Dickinson, only granddaughter a junior in high school. Her synchronized swimming team just came in 3rd in the Nationals in CA. Can’t help thinking how far “synchro” has come from our TKS “water ballet” days in the old Athletic Club pool!

Your faithful scribe, Sue Crook Ferdinand, joined Joanne Weiser Salomon, Molla Kaplan Reisbaum and Sally Bever Zweibach in May for a tour of Presby Memorial Iris

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Gardens and lunch at Egan & Sons.

A rapid review of the comings and goings, aches and pains, triumphs, and tragedies of our families was followed by a heated but inconclusive discussion of 2020 Democratic hopefuls.

Joanne is celebrating the academic triumphs of her granddaughters at Binghamton University, Northwestern University and NYU Tisch School of Musical Theatre.

Molla and I recently networked a couple of real estate transactions.

Molla’s husband, Alvin, is recovering from a health scare earlier this year. And Sally and hubby, Burt, are adjusting to condo life. They are still on Long Island, with easy access to theater and the arts in Manhattan and, more locally, in the Glen Cove area. A new puppy has joined their family.

I apologize to those whose messages were swallowed by my computer. Let me know if you’re on Facebook and/or Instagram and I’ll try to pick up some of your news that way. Be well. And, on July 4th, think of Anne running that 5K. Wow! Eric Jaeckel writes: “Still in Boulder County, Colorado enjoying our dry climate—good for my osteoarthritis. My only son, Brad, and family still live in Moscow, Idaho with two grandkids: Avery Jaeckel, a senior in high school and off to college next fall, and Ellis Jaeckel in 8th grade and an active ice hockey team player. I am still retired but volunteerism continues to be an important part of my life. I still drive once a week for Meals on Wheels, and I now am a volunteer two and a half days per month at the Denver Art Museum as a greeter. Exercise and yoga/meditation continue to help me keep my 80- year-old mind and body in shape. I have various health issues—all under control…I was able to get in 15 days of downhill skiing this past winter.

Hope all is well with you.

MA Montclair Academy / TKS The Kimberley School / MKA Montclair Kimberley Academy

1957

/ TKS / Mrs. Thelma “Tam” Miller Knight,

3001 Linton Blvd. No. 201C, Delray Beach, FL 33445, tknight115@aol.com

MKA recently learned that Linda Baldanzi passed away on October 12, 2018 at the age of 78.

Linda was an accomplished poet and clinical social worker. Our sincere condolences go to her family and loved ones.

1958

/ TKS / Mrs. Diana Little, 1-K Buckingham Road,

West Orange, NJ 07052, dianablittle@ gmail.com / MA / Mr. Henry Agens, 86 Eagle

Rock Way, Montclair, NJ 07042, hymelee@earthlink.net Sally Braddock Boyce writes: “It has

been many years since I’ve had anything in particular to say. But as we proceed in years we seem to want to reconnect with classmates and friends from long ago. For many years I lived in Sacramento, California, where I worked as a travel agent. In 1994 I was lucky enough to be introduced to the man who was the best part of my life for the next 24 years. His name was Ed Boyce. He was a talented musician (oboe), scholar (University of Rochester), and former US Marine infantry officer who earned multiple Purple Hearts and Bronze Stars during his time in Vietnam. We had a wonderful life together until he passed away in early July 2018. At the time we were living in Florence, Oregon. I decided to sell our house there and join my daughter and her family in San Antonio, Texas. Talk about a huge change! But here I am and enjoying my three grandchildren as well as my daughter and son-inlaw. How time does speed by. San Antonio is a vibrant, prosperous city, and I have enough to explore for the next several years. If anyone wishes to contact me, use edsally.boyce@ gmail.com. All the best to everyone.”

Hy Agens writes: “John Baldino and his wife Rhea are both well and still thriving in Charlottesville, Virginia, their home for many years. John retired in 2006 after

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L E GAC Y FA M I LY

“ A man cannot leave a better legacy to the world than a well-educated family.”

THOMAS SCOTT

MKA is proud, fortunate, and grateful to have a community that includes generations of families whose members have attended our founding schools of Brookside, The Kimberley School, Montclair Academy, and today’s Montclair Kimberley Academy.

Enjoying family time: Bobby Cottingham ’16, Paige Cottingham-Streater ’79, Allie Cottingham, Bob Cottingham ’84, and Alision Thomas-Cottingham ’84.

A Family Legacy Multiple generations of the Cottingham family benefitted from and have excelled because of the gift of an education that came through sacrifice and intentional investment. Paige CottinghamStreater ’79 began at The Kimberley School in 6th grade, and she and her brother Bob Cottingham ’84 graduated from Montclair Kimberley Academy. As both Middle and Upper School students, they grew with the school as it evolved. Alison Thomas-Cottingham ’84, née Thomas, came to MKA as a ninth grader similarly supported

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by a family intent on providing her with a quality education.

Several years after graduation, Bob and Alison were married, and their children, Bobby ’16 and Allie, attended MKA. Paige’s granddaughters are currently at Brookside and the Middle School.

Throughout their middle and high school years, Paige, Bob, Alison, Bobby, and Allie formed lifelong friendships, met teachers and coaches who would unlock their potential for excellence, and learned how to navigate the complexities of life. They left MKA

MKA review / Mon tc l ai r K i mb e r l e y Ac ade my

with the confidence that they were well-prepared to meet the rigors of college and to thrive in their lives after school.

The Cottingham family feels that an MKA education is priceless. Regardless of when they attended the school, each developed an appreciation for knowledge and rigorous research that would prepare him or her for advanced academic work and career development. Paige later attended Connecticut College and The National Law Center at The George Washington University.

Alison attended the University of Maryland and earned her Ph.D. from Binghamton University. Bob attended Columbia College and The Rutgers School of Law. At MKA, the Cottinghams learned the benefits of teamwork

L EGAC Y FA M I LY

and time management and made lifelong friends. Many memories of incredible experiences and opportunities stand out for each of them. Although fencing under Athletic Director Carmen Marnell was transformative for Bob who later made the 1988 and 1992 Olympic Teams, competing on the 1984 MKA Boys’ Lacrosse Team was the best experience he recalls at MKA. During that season, the team was ranked first in the state amongst the powerhouses of that time—MHS, Columbia, and Lawrenceville. The entire MKA community followed the team’s achievement and celebrated the players’ teamwork, dedication, and drive. Those memories are lasting to this day.

Alison fondly recalls sidesplitting laughter with friends and the opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities that she had never tried before.

At MKA, being a novice did not matter; there was always an invitation to try something new and be involved. Alison especially enjoyed cheerleading led by Ms. Nesbit and musicals with Ms. Faden and Mr. Bicknell.

MKA was not only a place to explore new subjects, but also new places. Whether it was the Williamsburg trip or a European ski trip, travel opportunities were a highlight of Paige’s MKA experience. The chances to extend the classroom to historic sites and experience another language and culture were invaluable.

After starting their own family, Bob and Alison wanted the same transformative experience for their children, Bobby and Allie.

They decided to give their children an early start and enrolled them in MKA’s Pre-K. They wanted to equip Bobby and Allie with the same fundamentals and tools for learning they had that would help them navigate their current college experiences at NYU and

FALL 2019

Skidmore. From Brookside to the Upper School, their children developed a strong love of reading, explored their athletic and creative talents, and tested their problem-solving skills.

The ability to have a shared experience for most of the children’s elementary and high school years was also important to Bob and Alison. They often marvel at the fact that the four members of their family had the same great teachers, such as Mr. Hrab, Mrs. Stark, and Mrs. Dancy. That familiarity and continuity have been a lot of fun to chat about in the car, at the dining room table, or during pick-up from car line.

In a similar way, Paige is thrilled that her granddaughters, Allaire ’26 and Noa ’30 Streater, have experienced the magic of Brookside and the challenges of the Middle School and are also enthusiastic learners. Watching their Primary and Middle School performances and hearing about their activities brings back fond memories for everyone.

Over the years, MKA has had the courage to intentionally improve its diversity, a priority the Cottinghams feel should be sustained because as a community, we learn so much from each other, not only in the classroom but also on the field and through the arts. Bob shared that “although student life for African Americans has its challenges, the minority experience is a blessing. MKA was not diverse [but it] mirrored our institutions of higher learning and workplaces, and we emerged confident in our ability to demand our place, excel, and lead.”

As a Lifer, Bobby benefited from the full spectrum of MKA’s college preparatory program.

He appreciated the 1 to1 laptop program, the personalized and supportive college counseling office, and the new and improved Academic Center. When it came

time for college, Bobby felt wellprepared thanks to the academic rigor he had already experienced at MKA. He had taken MKA’s academic demands for granted until stepping onto the busy streets of the East Village and towering skyscrapers, which are now his classroom buildings. Even though there is still so much to learn, MKA provided Bobby the experiences and resources his parents hoped he would have. Bobby says, “I will always be a part of MKA and will be forever grateful for the positive challenges and hurdles that have led me to be the person I am today. I quite often think back to experiences and classes I was a part of at MKA, and while I have had to learn some things for myself, I recognize the significant head start I received. My coursework and extracurricular activities helped shape my strong communication skills and problem solving capabilities.”

The members of the Cottingham, Streater, and Thomas-Cottingham family are successful professionals in their respective fields: Paige is in public policy as head of a federal agency, the Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission; Alison is in academia as an associate professor of psychology at Rider University; and Bob is in business as the founder and owner of Sabre88, LLC, a federal government defense contractor. In addition to the nurturing and guidance they received from their respective families, MKA was a strong influence on all of them, both professionally and socially. Paige, Alison, Bob, Allie, and Bobby embraced the idea that anything is possible and took advantage of the opportunities MKA provided, which has led to the long-lasting relationship they have with the school today.

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C L AS S N OT ES

serving for over 30 years as a local teacher representative with the State of Virginia Education Association. He says he was a problem solver while developing leadership skills for teachers working with school boards.

John received a BA and then a Masters in education from the College of William and Mary. He also taught social studies, history and government, and psychology.

The Baldinos are both active in their community. Each did volunteer work for the rescue squad. Rhea teaches yoga at a health club in Charlottesville.

These days, John is an active member and treasurer of the local Antique Car Club of America.

Frequently found at area car shows, he has a restored 1963 Chevy Nova and a 1998 Mercedes-Benz SLK. Rhea and John have two sons: Evan Thomas and Roger Baldino, along with four grandchildren and five greats!

Recently, I learned of the passing to two of our classmates. Sadly, they both left us some time ago.

Robert Mayer “Bob” Goldman died in October of 2016 at his home in West Orange. A graduate of Cornell University, he was a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army and then went on to teach advanced computer languages at the City University of New York.

At MA, Bob was an excellent tennis player; the best player on the team according to fellow team member, Jim Zager. He had a good serve with lots of topspin. Jim tells me the story of being invited to Bob’s house where in the basement there was a complete boxing ring. Bob said, ‘Hey, let’s put on the gloves and spar a little.’ Reluctantly, Jimmy agreed.

Bob was good, moving almost effortlessly and landing jabs and punches at will. Suddenly, Jim swung wildly and hard yet landing a solid punch to Bob’s head. Bob went down. Jim says it was a ‘lucky punch,’ but it ended the sparring match. There were no hard feelings. Bob was in fact a formidable boxer. While stationed in Germany, Bobby won a U.S

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Army Featherweight Championship by unanimous decision in 1964. He weighed in at 128 pounds!

Bob left behind his brother Donald, several nieces and grandnieces and many cousins. We all remember the landmark Goldman Hotel in West Orange. Several class functions were held there. There is still a hotel on the spot, but the Goldman name and its iconic nature are gone. Gone as well is the equally iconic Pals Cabin up the road. The more things change…the more things change!

Classmate Roger S. Scaletti died October 29, 2009. Coming from Riverdale, NJ, he lived in Doylestown, PA for 30 years. He served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam Conflict and was later employed by Auto Plus. He was a member of the NRA and enjoyed boating, fishing, hunting, and finding and trying new recipes. He is survived by his sons Roger and Ryan and his sister Alberta.

Among several things, we remember our ’Paisan’ for his clever, good sense of humor, his athleticism, and that big, bad 1957 Cadillac Eldorado convertible, which was equipped with a siren and took up several parking spaces on Lloyd Road.

Roger was on the basketball team, but he is best recalled as the catcher for the undefeated 1957–58 MA Baseball team. He was the battery mate for MA’s big three starting pitchers: Jack Roth, Jerry Roth, and Frank Sachs. On the mound, Jerry says, ‘Roger always made me feel invincible.’ Frank agreed that Roger made him feel confident throwing to a great target. Jack concurred that he did a strong, solid job behind the plate and had a ‘gun’ for an arm, throwing out would-be base thieves at 2nd. Jack also recollected that Roger was a great rebounder when playing basketball.

WHEW! Well, until that time, that’s a wrap (and it should be!).

From your ostensibly long-winded, hopefully humble scribe, be well, productive, fruitful, but don’t multiply. Hy Agens”

MKA review / Mon tc l ai r K i mb e r l e y Ac ade my

1959

/ TKS / Ms. Jarvis Reilly Nolan, 15612

Via Marchena, San Diego, CA 92128, jarvisno@aol.com

MKA recently learned that Cynthia “Cinnie” Hooton Magowan

passed away on August 23, 2018 Cynthia Magowan ’59 after experiencing a fatal brain aneurysm. Cinnie’s primary motivations in life were family, friends, and community. As the family matriarch she was the rock in the lives of her husband, her three children, and her four grandchildren. Her loved ones remember that “she was our best friend, our mentor, our moral center. She was also a wonderful cook and she created magical moments at family dinners and holiday celebrations. She was charming, witty, beautiful, and elegant. Cinnie was everybody’s best friend. She had a unique ability to make friends, and she truly cared about all of them. She loved to laugh, share stories, and lend an ear. And if you were lucky enough to meet her, you would know she was never shy to share her opinion.”

Her passions were horses, gardens, travel, and eventually golf. In fact, Cinnie played 18 holes, followed by a swim in the ocean and dinner with friends, just two days before the aneurysm. Our sincere condolences go out to her husband, Merrill Magowan, and the rest of her family and friends. writes: “I was pleas1960 antly surprised by Jim Hobbins’ / MA / Bruce Driver

note in the Spring Review. Like Jim, I left MKA after 9th grade, in my case, for the Lawrenceville School.

After that I went to Yale and then ultimately to University of Michigan Law School. I spent 15 years in Washington, DC as Counsel to two subcommittees in the US House, then in the Energy Department for a few years. In 1985, I moved to Colorado where I’ve been ever

C L ASS N OT ES

since. My wife and I split our time between Boulder and Crested Butte, a small mountain town. Mostly, I have represented environmental organizations in court and other water and energy cases. I still do this. For me, protecting the Earth and the critters with whom we share it is my life passion.

I remember not only Jim from MKA but also other interesting characters, such as Fuzz Black, Fred Kenny (who has passed), Peter Lima, Jim Donald, Alan Sek, Hilken Kuch, Sal Tuzzeo and Sandy Cameron.

There are others, of course, but their names escape me. You can reach me if you want through my landline (still have one) in the Boulder phone directory. Hope everyone is as well as we can all be at our advanced age. BD”

1961

/ TKS / Mrs. Suzanne Hardy, 47 Bartlett Parkway,

Winthrop, MA 02152, sueshardy@ comcast.net

1962

/ TKS / Mrs. Barbara Creed, 501 Portola Road,

#8185, Portola Valley, CA 94028, bbcreed@aol.com / MA / Mr. W. Doug Donald, 189

Sedgefield Circle, Winter Park, FL 32792, D1Donald@aol.com

1965

/ TKS / Ms. Katharine “Kitty” Haines, 174 East

74th Street, Apt. 9F, New York, NY 10021, khaines22@aol.com Merrill Adickes Rich wrote: Our news

is that my husband, Russ, retired in January of this year! His youngest daughter and husband welcomed their first child, a beautiful boy, named Logan, in early December 2018, so we are now grandparents for the first time! We flew to Texas to visit in January and had the best time holding such a sweet new infant! We are hooked!

Russ’s oldest daughter has adopted a new puppy and also started a new job in her career as a legal secretary. She enjoys Disney and going to mega con conventions like so many young adults.

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We recently traveled stateside, visiting Russ’s family in Southwest Missouri, as well as spending some time in Branson, MO and finally taking daughter Becky to see the Almanzo and Laura Ingalls Wilder homestead in Mansfield, MO. Becky loves the “Little House” books and has read them all.

Becky is still working part time at Publix as a bagger and now also attends an adult day training program two days a week. She has a very active social life and spends one weekend a month at a lovely group home in our town.

Son Ben, who teaches physics and environmental science at MKA, recently became the proud owner of a Tesla 3! I visited Ben in April and really enjoyed being chauffeured around in such a state-of-the-art car! We saw Come from Away which was wonderful, sad, funny, and so touching. We also went to a new museum to me, the Neue Galarie which has Klimt’s “Woman in Gold.” Ben has joined the Montclair environmental commission to add to his efforts for environmental sustainability. He continues to swing dance and hike for fun.

Life is good, especially now that we are fully retired. Livingin Titusville, Florida allows us the excitement of watching the space companies like Blue Origin and SpaceX launch on a regular basis.

We just watched the last night launch from our home and it was spectacular!

Kitty Haines wrote: As for me, it’s kind of the same old. Enjoying my new NYC apartment, February in Bermuda, and April in Palm Springs.

I am going to Rome & Florence (hopefully Venice too) in the fall.

One new thing is my volunteer job at The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp!

1966

/ MA / Mr. A. Craig Cameron, 11 Bay Point Dr.,

Ormond Beach, FL 32174, ccameron@

cameronhodges.com / MA / Mr. Douglas Fitzpatrick, 70 Eastern Vista, Sedona, AZ 86351

MA Montclair Academy / TKS The Kimberley School / MKA Montclair Kimberley Academy

1967

/ MA / Mr. Craig Perry, 3467 Pinestream Road, Atlanta,

GA 30327, craigcperry@aol.com

1968

/TKS /Ms. Avie Claire Kalker, 10 Knolls

Road, Williamstown, MA 01267, heraldicone@gmail.com / MA / Mr. Geoff Gregg, 6108 Percheron Trail, Summerfield, NC 27358, tartanone@triad.rr.com

1969

/ TKS / Ms. Christine Hannon, 97 North Street,

Northampton, MA 01060, channon@ smith.edu / MA / Dr. Edward A. Griggs Jr., 100 Cedar Street, Apt. B24, Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522

Chris Hannon writes: We plan to celebrate our 50th reunion from Nov 1–4 with a gathering in Palmetto Bluff, SC, where Phyllis LaTouche Rawlins lives.

Barbara (Haviland) Brogan went to Florence, Italy in summer 2018 to participate in an International Dragon Boat Festival for breast cancer survivors. She reports, “Bob Brogan was also with the group of over 40 paddlers and supporters from the Mid-Atlantic region. Our local Annapolis Dragon Boat team competed so well, and ended up in the middle of the rankings which made us proud! There were 120 teams from all over the world: over 6000 attending…it was a beautiful testament to the strength of women warriors everywhere.

I have been with the team since its inception in 2010, and, with Bob strongly beside and behind me, am still going strong. Our travels also took us to Tuscany and Umbria, which made for an extra divine adventure.

I still am painting and selling a few pieces here and there.

Our two boys are in Pittsburgh and Marietta, GA. We have a granddaughter and grandson whom we see as much as possible.

Recently, my two sisters and I went to NYC to celebrate a 60th Birthday—we are all over 60 now!

Where does the time go?”

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C L AS S N OT ES

George and Laurel (Pekar) Tahija ’67, Michael Yamashita ’67, and Alan Yamashita ’68 sharing lunch together in Hong Kong

Michael Yamashita MA ’67, Laurel (Pekar) Tahija KS ’67, and Alan Yamashita MA ’68 had a mini-reunion at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Hong Kong, held March 23, 2019.

Laurel and her husband George live in Jakarta, Indonesia where they have resided since 1983. They flew in to Hong Kong, where Alan has lived on and off since 1973, to attend a big gathering of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) of which George serves as Chairman of the Asia Branch. Mike flew in from New Jersey via Shanghai as an honored guest of TNC to witness some of his photographs that he had donated to TNC being auctioned off as part of the fundraising portion of the event.

Mike knows Laurel from their MA and TKS days as both were classes of ’67 and continued to keep up. Alan got to know Laurie and George over the years as he travels a lot to Indonesia on business. “We held our MKA mini reunion here in Hong Kong as old friends catching up,” Alan says.

“We’d like to give a shout out to all our MKA pals still stateside. We also raise a glass to MKA, the school that brings folks from around the globe together! You MKA-ers are all welcome to come visit us in Asia any time.”

Shelley Brightman Walchak writes, “I still love working as a library director in SW Colorado, and we love living and fly-fishing on the Los Pinos River. My fourth grandchild was born on May 24th in LA. My husband and I just got back from a three week trip to Italy. So life is full and good. Best to all!” Shelley’s book, 52 Rivers: A Woman’s FlyFishing Journey, chronicles her year devoted to fly fishing across the Rocky Mountain states.

Christine Wakefield has been living in California for many years and has retired from a career in IT. A real animal lover, Christine now works as a docent at the Oakland Zoo. She will join zoo staff on a wildlife eco-tour in Uganda and Rwanda in December 2019.

Ellen Hare and Chris Hannon met in New York City in January 2019 for theater and opera. They had

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a wonderful catching-up lunch with Annette Colston Saviet, whom they hadn’t seen since graduation.

Annette lives in Nanuet, New York, works for the courts in Brooklyn and has two adult daughters.

Teresa Solmssen Shartar and husband Edward live in Atlanta; their sons, Jonathan, Jeremy, Ben and Nathan live in Bethesda, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Denver respectively. As the mother of boys, Teresa loves having two granddaughters. She continues to enjoy her work as a pediatric occupational therapist and recently began selling her floral notecards to raise money for families in need. Edward works in executive search and is committed to his nonprofit work with Harvard Business School. Teresa looks forward to visiting Anne Callaghan in Albuquerque and hopes to see Susan Schadler in Maine.

MKA review / Mon tc l ai r K i mb e r l e y Ac ade my

Susan Schadler writes, “Retirement (12 years) has been just great. I continue to do occasional consulting work, but, increasingly, other stuff is edging it out. Last summer, I published a children’s picture book Come Walk in the Fynbos With Me. The fynbos, a biome which occupies a thin strip of land all along the southern coast of South Africa, is by far the smallest but arguably the most diverse of the world’s six floral kingdoms (others mostly encompass a continent). It is an astonishing place in which I hiked extensively when my husband, who is South African, and I were living in Cape Town during much of 2012–14. I was entranced by the fynbos, and, fearing that my (then-nonexistent) grandchildren would never see it, decided to take readers on a virtual walk. Last month the book won the Next Generation Indie Book Award for children’s picture books.”

Susan and her husband also wrote Macroeconomics for Professionals: A Guide for Analysts and Those Who Need to Understand Them which bridges the gap between academic economics and the actual practice of economic policy making. They split their time between Boston and the coast of Maine. All three daughters (in addition to one granddaughter and one soon-to-be grandson) live in Cambridge or Newton, MA. Susan invites anyone visiting New England to call and stop by.

Congratulations to Lynn (Ehrhardt) Gildea who recently retired! Lynn writes, “sold our business this past Spring to Special Properties Real Estate Services and we are spending more time in Jupiter, Florida.”

MKA sends its deepest condolences to Anne (LaVoy) Guerra whose father, Kenneth LaVoy passed away on January 9, 2019.

1970

/ TKS / Ms. Leslie Bryan, 844

East Morningside Drive, NE, Atlanta, GA 30324, lbryan@dsckd.com / MA / Mr. V. James Castiglia Esq., 3 Lark Lane, Oak Ridge, NJ 07438,

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vjc@vjamescastiglia.com / Mr. Peter

Mr. Andrew Pedersen, 5 Whipporwill

Webb, Mile Slip Farm, 48 Mason Road,

Valley Rd, Atlantic Highlands, NJ 07716,

Brookline, NH 03033, pwebb@

apedersenco@gmail.com

winerbennett.com

MKA and the Class of ’77 sends its heartfelt condolences to Doug Mahler, wife Holly and sons, Lukas and Derek on the passing of Dr. Arthur Mahler, Doug’s dad.

Doug reports that son Lukas just graduated from Penn State and is headed off to Orlando, FL to work for the Golf Channel. Derek is entering his junior year at Penn State.

MKA also sends its deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of Bill Baird, Don Baird ’80, and Carol Baird Rich ’79 whose mother, Gail Grogan Baird, passed away at the age of 91 in New Orleans, Louisiana in January 2019 after living in New Orleans for the last five years.

Mike Werksman keeps in touch on our Class GroupMe App. All is “mundane” with Mike, he’s enjoying the winning weather of FL and the winning ways of his beloved Yankees.

Bev Hall reports unseasonably strange weather in Wyoming with snow and cold weather in late May. Her farm is thriving though, as eight new calves joined the family.

She sent some really scenic pix of her farm on Facebook.

Mike Platt just finished up season six of Grace and Frankie. He’s a lead writer on this very funny show on Netflix. Check it out! Yes, he does rub elbows with Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and the whole cast, making sure all goes smoothly on stage and answering questions they may have about the scripts.

Paul Hastaba has moved out of Brentwood, TN and is now a fulltime resident of New Orleans.

Steve Cowles’ daughter, Emma is attending Tulane University in NOLA, so Steve and Paul got together recently to wander around the French Quarter and maybe hitting an occasional gin mill.

Joe Ciccolini got a few of us together for a mid-week lunch at Luigi’s in Newark in mid-April.

1971

/ TKS / Miss Philippa Bowles, 39 Orts Road,

Hamburg, NJ 07419, wvbond60@ gmail.com / MA / Mr. Jeffrey Jones, 77 Monroe

Street, Cedar Grove, NJ 07009, coastdaylight98@yahoo.com / Mr. Anthony Vitale, 10 North Wood Avenue, Apt. 601, Linden, NJ 07036, tvo9999@gmail.com

Congratulations to 1972 on his retirement from Sandberg Phoenix / MA /

Michael Vitale

on February 28, 2019.

The Alumni Office sends our sincere condolences to Craig Jacobs whose mother recently passed away.

1973

/ TKS / Ms. Susan Read, 38 College Circle, Staunton,

VA 24401

/ MA / Mr. Thomas C. Galligan, 14805 Audubon Lakes Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70810, tgalligan714@gmail.com / Mr. Gregory Lackey, 216 Hunters Rd, Medford Lakes, NJ 08055, gregory. lackey10@gmail.com

MKA sends its heartfelt sympathies to Thomas Galligan and Susan Stokes Galligan ’74 whose daughter Aisling recently passed away.

1974

/ TKS / Ms. Erin Cuffe Crawford, 121 Clarewill

Avenue, Upper Montclair, NJ 07043, erincrawford@verizon.net

MKA sends its heartfelt sympathies to Susan Stokes Galligan and Thomas Galligan ’73 whose daughter Aisling recently passed away.

1975

/ MKA / Mr. Paul Zukerberg, 1790 Lanier

Place NW, Washington, DC 20009, paul. zukerberg@gmail.com

1977

/ MKA / Mr. Robert Hubsmith, 16 Warren

Road, Maplewood, NJ 07040, roberthubsmith24@gmail.com /

FALL 2019

MA Montclair Academy / TKS The Kimberley School / MKA Montclair Kimberley Academy

SUSAN SCHADLER ’69 PUBLISHES A CHILDREN’S PICTURE BOOK! “I wanted to bring to your attention a children’s picture book I just published— Come Walk in the Fynbos with Me,” Susan writes. “For me, the book is something of an anomaly insofar as I have had a 40+ year as a macroeconomist at the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The picture book came up in a rather quirky way.

After I ’retired’ from the IMF, my husband (who is South African) and I had a gig in South Africa that kept us in Capetown most of 3 years. During that time I hiked extensively along the southern African coast, which is dominated by a biome called the fynbos (Dutch for fine-leafed plant). Much of my hiking was with a conservationist who had retired from a career of fynbos preservation. I fell in love with the wild and quietly dazzling landscape that I realized was a paradise for children (really children of all ages). I began to fear that my (then-nonexistent) grandchildren would never have the chance to hike in this unique spot and decided to write a picture book to take them there virtually. It was a giant, but hugely gratifying, step from my ’day job’.

I think any alumnae seeing the book and planning a trip to South Africa (really with or without kids) would discover a rather remote and often unknown jewel to visit during a trip. It is also another example of a gear-switch for the many boomer alumnae like me who are embarking on an endeavor that is way out of the box vis-a-vis a previous long career.”

The fynbos (fayn-bos) is just a tiny sliver of land at the southern tip of Africa, but with its strange and wonderful biodiversity (and its ability to survive fires!), it may just be the mightiest floral region in the world. In this book, a child and adult set off to walk in what appears to be a dull scrubland nestled in the dry landscape. They cross the paths of birds, bugs, snakes, and animals that inhabit and help sustain the fynbos. Walk with them in this remote wildflower kingdom—a place few will visit but, through this book, many may come to love.

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C L AS S N OT ES

whose brother-in-law passed away in February.

1978

/ MKA/ Ms. Jane Lugaric Burkhard, 299 Crown Road,

Kentfield, CA 94904, janeburkhard@ comcast.net / Ms. Pamela Zeug, 60 W. 57th Street, #15F, New York, NY 10019, pzeug@downinggroup.com

1979

/ MKA / Dr. John Brink, 1246 Beach Haven Road,

Atlanta, GA 30324 / Shawn Ortiz, 2163

Gilbride Road, Martinsville, NJ 08836

Custom-made baseball bat chair presented to legendary teacher and coach George Hrab, celebrating his 50 years at Montclair Academy and MKA

Gail Grogan Baird, mother of Carol Baird Rich, Don Baird ’80, and Bill Baird ’77 passed away at the age of 91 in New Orleans, Louisiana in January 2019 after living in New Orleans for the last five years. MKA sends our heartfelt condolences to the family.

Gail Grogan Baird, mother of 1980 , , and / MKA /

Don

Baird Carol Baird Rich ’79

Karestan Koenen ’86, Chris Smith ’85, Matthew O’Donnell ’20, and Denise Sarkor ’03

Three members of the newly formed Alumni Leadership Council returned to campus this spring to experience a day in the life of an MKA student today.

Bill Baird

’77 passed away at the age of 91 in New Orleans, Louisiana in January 2019 after living in New Orleans for the last five years. MKA sends its heartfelt condolences to the family.

Don has resided in New Orleans since attending Tulane (’84), and he and his wife, Mary Ann, have three children. Two graduated from Loyola University, and the youngest is currently a sophomore at Tulane.

1981

/ MKA / Mrs. Laura (Reisch) Itzkowitz, 37

Nottingham Road, Manalapan, NJ 07726,

Peters Valentine and McMullen,

Sue Cole ’78 (honorary Class of ’77)

and Rob Hubsmith were all taking a long lunch that day. I had the honor and pleasure of presenting George Hrab with a baseball chair (made by my sister Diane) at the Moving Up Ceremony on April 26 commemorating his 50th year at MKA. Finally, congrats to all of us who have and presumably will be celebrating the Big 6-0 this year!

Hope this finds you all in good health and getting ready for our next milestone reunion in 2022!

MKA sends our sincere condolences to Rob Hubsmith

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howardandlaura@optonline.net

1983

/ MKA / Mr. Walter J. Davis, 66 Oakwood Drive,

New Providence, NJ 07974, davisteam@ comcast.net / Mrs. Maureen Natkin (J.P.), 5 Riverview Road, Irvington, NY 10533

1984

/ MKA / Mrs. Jennifer Jones Ladda, 17 Belleclaire

Place, Verona, NJ 07044, jjonesladda@ gmail.com

1986

/ MKA / Ms. Jennifer Remington-Knodel, 44

Hamilton Drive East, North Caldwell, NJ 07006, jenremknodel@aol.com

M KA review / Mon tc l ai r K i mb e r l e y Ac ade my

Melissa Maddox-Evans ’88

Congratulations to Melissa Maddox-Evans! Melissa was selected to present a talk at the TEDx Charleston conference on April 10, 2019 entitled “Atrocity to Apology: Beginning the Path for Change.”

“Moving forward as a community means owning and apologizing about aspects of the past that have paved the way to the race relations we experience today,” says activist, Maddox-Evans. Taking a look at the City of Charleston’s role in the transatlantic slave trade specifically, Melissa argues that progress isn’t truly possible until at a minimum, apologies are issued collectively. From there— and rooted in empathy—our community can grow towards a more united tomorrow.

A speaker, lawyer, community leader and affordable housing champion, Maddox-Evans led the citizen’s effort through the Social Justice Racial Equity Collaborative, for the City of Charleston to pass a resolution that denounced and apologized for its involvement in the institution of slavery, enactment and perpetuation of Jim Crow laws, and secured the City’s commitment to address discriminatory practices going forward. She has received recognition for her advocacy and work to bring equality and safety to those in the Charleston community. A staunch believer in never giving up, Melissa’s motto is “dreams can be achieved, and failures need not be final.”

To learn more go to: www. tedxcharleston.org/watch.

C L ASS N OT ES

1987

/ MKA / Mr. Dennis Rodano,

York, NY 10016, daramarmon @gmail.

14 Wayland Drive, Verona,

com / Mr. Luke Sarsfield, 105 Franklin

1998

/ MKA / Ms. Gemma Giantomasi,

NJ 07044-2331, rodanod@verizon.net /

Street, Apt. 4, New York, NY 10013, luke.

Ms. Lynne Yellin, 413 Ridgecrest Drive ,

sarsfield@gs.com

gemma.diaco@gmail.com

Chapel Hill, NC 27514, lynnegy@aol.com

Marc Hauser now

Middle School teachers Leon Shade and Jess Bishop ’04 showed support for the annual Middle School Student vs. Faculty basketball game and fundraiser in February. $5,614.37 was donated to the Human Needs Food Pantry of Montclair, NJ.

It is with deep sadness that 1988 MKA writes to inform you of the / MKA /

passing of Gretchen Godwin, mother of Ava Chickering ’22 and Jarrett Chickering, sister of Charry (Godwin) Ross ’89, Loyd Godwin ’90, and Serena Godwin ’92. Gretchen passed away on Sunday, July 21, 2019 after a brave battle with breast cancer.

Gretchen was known by all for her kindness, warmth, and genuine concern for others—traits that her and her husband, Nathan, passed down to Ava and Jarrett. Please keep Gretchen and her family in your thoughts.

1989

/ MKA / Mr. Louis Lessig, 2009 Morris Drive, Cherry

com / Mr. Josh Raymond, 33 Oak Place, North Caldwell, NJ 07006,jraymond@ trenklawfirm.com

writes: “Hi! I hope to see you at our reunion this year. I live in San Jose, California. I work as a Deputy District Attorney and enjoy it very much. I have three teenage boys. I enjoy everything in life. Miss you all. I enjoyed connecting with most of you on Facebook.

(I am in fb as Daisy Alt.)” It is with deep sadness that MKA writes to inform you of the passing of Gretchen Godwin ’88, sister of Charry (Godwin) Ross. Gretchen passed away on Sunday, July 21, 2019 after a brave battle with breast cancer.

Daisy Altamore

sadness that MKA 1990 writes to inform you of the passing

/ MKA / It is with deep

of Gretchen Godwin ’88, sister of Loyd Godwin. Gretchen passed away on Sunday, July 21, 2019 after a brave battle with breast cancer.

FALL 2019

1992

/ MKA / Dr. Enrique Neblett, 718 Ainsley Court,

Durham, NC 27713, enrique.neblett@ gmail.com

It is with deep sadness that MKA writes to inform you of the passing of Gretchen Godwin ’88, sister of Serena Godwin. Gretchen passed away on Sunday, July 21, 2019 after a brave battle with breast cancer.

1994

/ MKA / Mr. Jason Awerdick, 23 Greenbrook

Drive, Bloomfield, NJ 07003,

Hill, NJ 08003, llessig@brownconnery.

1991

lives in Napa, California with his family, working from home for a global law firm on Cannabis M&A deals. He declares victory.

/ MKA / Ms. Dara Marmon,

jasonawerdick@gmail.com

Last fall, 1995 appeared in an episode of Blue

1999

/ MKA / Mr. Alexander Holz, 233 E. 3rd Street,

Apt. 3C, New York, NY 10009, alexbhlz@ gmail.com / Ms. Sandra Tritt, sandratritt@gmail.com

2000

/ MKA / Ms. Anna Cook, 5 Highview Court,

Wayne, NJ 07470, anna_labowsky @ yahoo.com / Mr. John Garippa, 2741

NE 58th Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308, oceanhut@aol.com / Mrs. Jaclyn Spedaliere, 60 E. Oak Street, Basking

/ MKA/

Ridge, NJ 07920, jaclynspedaliere@

Alexandru Aldea

gmail.com

Bloods on CBS as Mike’s Lawyer.

Congratulations on a great performance!

1996

80 Avon Dr, Essex Fells, NJ 07021,

/ MKA / Ms. Tanya Barnes, barnes.tanya@

gmail.com / Ms. Erica Hirsch, 10 West 15th Street, #710, New York, NY 10011, ehirsch77@yahoo.com / Mr. Lee Vartan,

3 Swayze Lane, Chester, NJ 07930, ldvartan@yahoo.com

Congratulations to Jessica Bruder!

Jessica’s non-fiction book, Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century, has been adapted for a film by writer-director Chloé Zhao. Fox Searchlight Pictures acquired worldwide rights to the road drama which stars Frances McDormand, David Strathairn, Linda May, and Charlene Swankie.

Shout out to 1997 ’s wife, Kate, who appeared on Jeopardy! / MKA /

Jonathan Zweifler

on May 1, 2019.

330 E.39th, Apt. 21D, New

MA Montclair Academy / TKS The Kimberley School / MKA Montclair Kimberley Academy

and her husband, Sean Fine, welcomed the arrival of their son, Matteo on January 5, 2019. Matteo joins big sister Leora who will be three years old in April. The Fines have happily moved to a new home in Barrington, Rhode Island. Nelli continues to work as the Director of Infection Control and Antimicrobial Stewardship at Sturdy Memorial Hospital in Attleboro, Massachusetts where she practices as an Infectious Diseases physician.

Antonella (Nelli) Bollettino Fine

2001

/ MKA / Ms. Dana Pisacane, 119 Dowey

Street, San Francisco, CA 94117, dana. piscane@gmail.com Adam Dovico moved to Greensboro,

North Carolina over the summer and will not be continuing as Principal at Moore Elementary in Winston-Salem, North Carolina where he has left a lasting legacy over the past two years. According to Adam, “I will be taking some time off from the principal life to, first

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C L AS S N OT ES

Jess Bishop ’04 and Leon Shade ’98 Maggie Finkel’s ’05 son Flynn Jackson Blake

Emily and Amanda Rosenthal Chase ’03 with baby Rowan James Chase

Middle School teachers Jess Bishop ’04 and Leon Shade ’98 showed support for the annual Student vs. Faculty basketball game and fundraiser in February.

Thanks to the efforts of the entire Middle School community, $5,614.37 was donated to the Human Needs Food Pantry of Montclair, New Jersey, along with over 30 bags of nonperishables.

Antonia Amico ’06 and Andrew Barchenko ’06 on their wedding day

Drew Jennings ’04 son Carter Ryan Jennings

Assistant Boys’ Lacrosse Coach Michael Strader ’06 took second in the Boys’ Lax annual go cart races during preseason. Dylan Hall ’19 also made the podium.

Sheldon Fields ’04

Adam—we look forward to hearing about your new adventures.

2002

/ MKA / Miss Emily Santangelo, 27 Woods

Road, Little Falls, NJ 07424, emilyannesantangelo@gmail.com/ Mrs. Melissa Fortunato Slomienski, 58 Oldchester Road, Essex Fells, NJ 07021, slomienski@ icloud.com

Tommy Beach ’04, wife Colleen, and baby, Charles Richard Beach

and foremost, enjoy my family. I am looking forward to bringing my boys to sports. I will also be travelling some to do some conferences and PDs and there will be some awesome projects coming up that I can’t wait to share!” Best of luck,

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2003

/ MKA / Ms. Judith Ferreira, 819 Clifton

Avenue, Newark, NJ 07104-3211, jferreir@pratt.edu / Ms. Melanie Bieber, 20 West 72nd Street, #302A, New York, NY 10023, mel.braverman@gmail.com

Congratulations to Amanda Rosenthal Chase and wife Emily who welcomed baby boy Rowan

M KA review / Mon tc l ai r K i mb e r l e y Ac ade my

James Chase to the world on March 27, 2019.

Blake Spence is currently the Director of Musical Theatre at Madison High School in Madison, NJ. The school’s 2019 Spring Musical, Bright Star, was nominated for eleven 2019 Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Awards.

These awards honor achievement in high school musical theatre throughout the state of New Jersey.

This year, over 100 public, parochial, and charter schools participated in the program being judged by industry professionals in a multitude of categories.

Bright Star earned six awards. Blake was awarded the Outstanding Achievement by a

C L ASS N OT ES

Founders of Torch & Craft Brewing Co., John Dantzler ’08 and Joe Correia ’08

Assistant Girls’ Lacrosse coaches Caitlin DiRuggiero ’06 and Angela McCaffery ’06 took their team to Disney over Spring Break.

Arthur Byott ’07 and Nicole Viola ’08

Matt Cherchio ’07, Jared Kass ’07, Brian May ’07, Hannah Gill Barker ’07, Derek Phillips ’07, Taylor Breit ’07, Dave Trabka ’08, Max Rudnick ’07, Dwight Jackson ’08, Tom Alati ’07, Stuart Harwood ’07, Roy Sommerhalter ’07, Katherine Phillips Bergstrom ’09, Mike DeVita ’11, JR DeVita ’09, Brian Purcell ’09, Harry Raymond ’07, Becky Smith ’11, Mark Phillips ’13, Kimberly Smith Baker ’00, Tim Martone, Eva Pagosian ’07, Jane Smith, Myra and George Hrab, and Ken Smith.

Teacher or Outside Director Rising Star. The show also took home the top honor, Outstanding Production of a High School Musical.

Congratulations, Blake on these wonderful achievements!

2004

Sheldon Fields works as a Strategy Director for Nike in Portland, Oregon.

2005

/ MKA / Mr. Edmund Kozak,320 23rd Street

S, Apt. 905, Arlington, VA 22202,

/ MKA / Brendan

e.g.kozak@gmail.com / Mr. Manav

McCaffrey, 235 West

Lalwani, 132 Blue Heron Drive, Riverside

102nd Street, Apt. 10i, New York, NY

Court, Secaucus, NJ 07094-2391,

10025, brendan.a.mccaffrey@gmail.

manav.lalwani@gmail.com

com / Ms. Katherine Santoro, 333 River Street, Apt. 539, Hoboken, NJ 07030, kate.santoro@gmail.com

and wife Casey welcomed son Carter Ryan Jennings in Denver, Colorado on January 30, 2019. Congratulations!

Congratulations to Tom Beach and wife Colleen who welcomed the arrival of their son Charles Richard Beach last fall!

Drew Jennings

FALL 2019

Arthur (A.C.) Pyott ’07 and Nicole Viola ’08 exchanged their vows on May 31st, 2019 at the Bonnet Island Estate in Manahawkin, NJ in front of their family and friends.

While not technically high school sweethearts the two knew each other while attending MKA and started dating 8 years ago while at The University of Miami and Boston College. The two are very excited to share the news of their marriage with the MKA community.

Close friends of the married couple that also attended MKA include Michael Regan ’08, Dan Pyott ’08, Craig Archibald ’07, Chrissy Patterson ’03, Mathew Baredes ’07 and Jack Thomas ’07.

Congratulations to Maggie (Finkel) James Blake on the birth of their son Flynn Jackson Blake in February!

Blake and

2006

/ MKA / Ms. Natalie Azzoli, 8 Spruce

angelamccaffrey@gmail.com

Congratulations to Antonia and Andrew Barchenko who got married on January 7, 2018.

(Amico) Barchenko

2007

/ MKA / Mr. Brian May, bmay88@gmail.com /

Mr. Harry Raymond, raymond.harry@ gmail.com / Mr. Stuart Harwood, 273

Street, Apt. 50H, New York, NY 10038,

16th Street Apt 1711, Jersey City, NJ 07310,

nat6888@gmail.com / Ms. Angela

stuartmharwood@gmail.com

McCaffrey, 229 Crescenzi Court,

Congratulations to Danny Smith and Melissa Gill who were married on

West Orange, NJ 07052,

MA Montclair Academy / TKS The Kimberley School / MKA Montclair Kimberley Academy

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C L AS S N OT ES

Casey Garvin in new Broadway musical King Kong

Andrew Stern ’09 married Daniella Doffman

Jen Crowley ’08, Lincoln Peek ’08, and US History Teacher David Hessler

October 6, 2018. Danny attended MKA from Pre-K to 9th grade and graduated from The TrinityPawling School in 2008, while Melissa graduated from Glen Ridge High School. There were many MKA alumni and faculty in attendance on their special day, including proud parents Ken and Jane Smith (from the Middle School and Primary School respectively).

Congratulations to Roy Sommerhalter and Brooke Schnabel who tied the knot at Storm King Art Center in New Windsor, New York on September 8, 2018.

2008

/ MKA / Mr. Matthew Metzger, 239 Elizabeth

St., #4, New York, NY 10012, metzgemb@ bc.edu

Congratulations to John Dantzler and Joe Correia! Together they created Torch & Crown Brewing Company, the only Craft Brewery in Manhattan. According to their website, John and Joe “love our great

80

city, and built Torch & Crown to embody its spirit—the energy, passion, and ambition that are unique to our home and found nowhere else in the world.” Their Soho taproom is currently under construction and expected to open Summer 2019.

Congratulations to Breanna Jones and Shamsudeen Conley who were married in Ocean Blue & Sand, Dominican Republic on June 29, 2019 surrounded by their closest friends and family, including Maid of Honor Danielle Colon and bridesmaid and sister Brittany Jones ’16. Beloved Upper School science teacher and basketball coach Tony Jones walked Bre down the aisle. #ConleyEverAfter Congratulations to Nicole Viola and A.C. Pyott ’07 who tied the knot in Long Beach Island, NJ on May 31, 2019. They were joined by Chrissy Patterson, Daniel Pyott, Craig Archibald ’07, Matthew Baredes ’07, Michael Regan, and Jack Thomas ’07 as part of their wedding party.

Upper School history teacher David Hessler caught up with Jen Crowley and Lincoln Peek over lunch last fall.

2009

/ MKA / Mr. Brian Purcell, 89 Davis Avenue,

Bloomfield, NJ 07003, bnpurcell14@ gmail.com / Ms. Jane Stanton, 240 South

Casey Musicant ’12 and William Holden’s wedding in Nashville, TN

Nadia Brown ’12 and castmates from Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on Broadway

married Daniella Doffman of London in Cedar Grove, NJ. They happily live on the Upper West Side in NYC.

2010

/ MKA / Ms. Devon Barrett, 109 Llewellyn

Road, Montclair, NJ 07042, dlb792@

Mountain Avenue, Montclair, NJ 07042,

aim.com / Mr. Matthew Palmisano, 51

janestanton1@gmail.com

Grover Lane, West Caldwell, NJ 07006,

On March 28, 2019, Andrew Stern

matt.r.palmisano@gmail.com

M KA review / Mon tc l ai r K i mb e r l e y Ac ade my

C L ASS N OT ES

Josh Chery ’15 and Chandler Rohde ’14

What a great day for MKA Boys’ Basketball and Head Coach Tony Jones as he watched two former players Chandler Rohde ’14 (Basketball/Connecticut College) and Josh Chery ’15 (Basketball/ Amherst) play against each other in NESCAC conference play over winter break! An added bonus was that classmates Jack Ross ’15, Tobias Lewis ’14, and Kevin Brown ’15 also came to support their former Cougar teammates. Once a Cougar, always a Cougar!

in the new Broadway musical, King Kong, where his scenes get major laughs. According to Broadway Box, Casey’s performance is not only “memorable” and “scene-stealing,” but “it’s also a total riot.” Casey is also part of the Ensemble and King’s Company, the members of the ensemble who also puppeteer Kong, during the show.

Rose Green recently started her own business doing closet organizing. Rose loves helping others streamline their wardrobes and find their own best styles. Rose can help you Streamline, Simplify, and Style.

Check out @roseleahsclosets to learn more. Congratulations!

2012

/ MKA / Ms. Casey Musicant, 573 Farmdale

Road, Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417, casey. musicant@gmail.com / Mr. Ed Rosini, 32 Edgemont Road, Montclair, NJ 07042, erosini32@gmail.com Casey Musicant married her col-

This past summer, a group of faculty members discovered they have collectively worked at MKA for 165 years! Myra Hrab for 22 years, Patty Sullivan 23 years, Jane Smith 35 years, Ken Smith (taking photo) 35 years, and George Hrab 50 years.

We are so grateful for our dedicated faculty and staff here at MKA!

2011

lege sweetheart and NFL player, William Holden, on March 9, 2019.

Their wedding was in Nashville, Tennessee and was featured in People magazine. Casey and William first met when he helped her move into her dorm at Vanderbilt University her freshman year. In September 2017, William proposed on the Cardinals’ field after facing off against the Dallas Cowboys in Monday Night Football. “If you look at us, you’ll think that we are complete opposites,” Casey tells People. “You’ll see that Will is 6'7"

Krissy Bylancik ’15 receives an award for drama at Carnegie Mellon

and I’m 5'2." If you talk to us for a few minutes, your thinking would only be confirmed. You’ll learn that Will grew up in the rural south and that I grew up in a big city. And you wouldn’t be surprised to find out that when we had to take a personality test in college, we got exact opposite results. But if you really get to know us, you’ll understand that our differences don’t separate us; instead, they make us complete.”

Congratulations Casey and Will!

Congratulations to Nadia Brown for her recent Broadway debut in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. The Tony Award-winning production welcomed a new cast to the twopart play on March 20, 2019, including Nadia as Rose Granger-Weasley.

Devika Patel started teaching a brand-new course at the University of California, San Francisco, on Human-Centered Design.

/ MKA / Seth Bynum, 32 High Street, West

Orange, NJ 07052, seth.bynum1@ gmail.com / Ms. Carina Wong, 9 Deer Trail Road, North Caldwell, NJ 07006, carinamwong@gmail.com

Congratulations to Casey Garvin!

Casey currently plays “Fake Carl”

FALL 2019

Keenan McAuliffe ’18 (top left) and The Common Tones of Boston College

MA Montclair Academy / TKS The Kimberley School / MKA Montclair Kimberley Academy

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C L AS S N OT ES

2013

/ MKA / Elizabeth “Lizzie” Amato, ljamato420@mac.

com / Mr. Ed Bozik, bozik@me.com

2014

/ MKA / Ms. Kassandra Fotiadis, kassandra.

fotiadis@gmail.com

Erik Zeug ’16 and Michael Miller ’15 Erin Duca ’16 finishes her collegiate lacrosse career for the Muhlenberg Mules

Former Cougars Erik Zeug ’16 (Lacrosse/Oberlin College) and Michael Miller ’15 (Lacrosse/ Oberlin College) were teammates again this season at Oberlin.

Congratulations on a great junior and senior year! Alex Stetkevych ’19 will join Erik and the Yeomen on the team next season.

Rachel Sobel ’16, co-creator of TUTV’s “The Athena Project”

Rob Strain ’16 is the starting goalie for the Bates Bobcats

Olivia Vaughn ’16 was selected as an All-ACC Academic Team member

Alex Cappitelli ’16 plays for the Wesleyan Cardinals

Jack Besser ’16 was named as an All-UAA Academic Team member

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Dominic Flocco ’18 and Alix Talkow ’18 visit the Athletics Office during winter break.

MKA review / Mon tc l ai r K i mb e r l e y Ac ade my

2015

/ MKA / Ms. Korinne “Kori” Durando,

koridurando@gmail.com

Congratulations to Erin Duca (Lacrosse/Muhlenberg College) on a fantastic collegiate lacrosse career. For the spring 2019 season, Erin was selected to the Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll as well as to Chi Alpha Sigma, the first national scholar-athlete society to honor collegiate student-athletes who have excelled in the classroom and in competition. Go Erin!

Congratulations to Krissy Bylancik for receiving the extreme honor of the M. Michael Gifford Award for drama from Carnegie Mellon. We are so proud!

Congratulations to Benjamin Rapsas who earned a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology! According to Ben in a recent GA Tech publication, “deciding to become a biomedical engineer was an easy choice for me. The close-knit BME community at Georgia Tech offers a curriculum that combines my passions for the sciences, math, and business. This team-oriented environment is assisting me in achieving my long-term goal of becoming a physician. My time as a BME student continues to teach me how to be resilient and resourceful while addressing challenges both big and small. I have gained a variety of technical skills, from knowledge of human physiology to electrical circuit principles to fundamentals of biotechnology. Additionally, BME introduced me to a variety of professional domains through hands-on research and internships. As I prepare to graduate, I am excited by the prospect of

C L ASS N OT ES

Jolie Curran ’18 played the lead role in a play at Colorado College

Patrick Karole ’12, Mark Phillips ’13, Tommy Fusco ’14, Derek Phillips ’07, Tim Hirsch ’05, Dean Paolucci ’12, and Craig Schweitzer ’12

MKA Boys’ Lacrosse alumni come out to show support to Coach Edwards and the current Cougar squad at their old stomping grounds!

Former teammates Ryan Dancy ’18 and Alex Melitz ’18

bringing this unique nurturing and problem-solving perspective to the medical profession.”

2016

/ MKA / Ms. Zoe Bieler, zoe.bieler@gmail.com

/ Mr. Charles Rilli, crilli33@gmail.com /Ms. Lily Andres, lily.andres@gmail.com

Congratulations to Rachel Sobel!

During her time as a Film & Media Studies major at Tufts, Rachel became the co-creator of Tufts University Television’s (TUTV) “The Athena Project.”

This anthology series features interviews with female-identifying, transgender, and non-binary students at Tufts. Each of the thirteen episodes is organized around a central theme, such as “home,” “family,” or “confidence.”

Creators said their goal was to create a platform for people of marginalized genders at Tufts to share their stories. Check out “The Athena Project” on TUTV’s YouTube channel to learn more.

Congratulations to standout player Olivia Vaughn (Soccer/Boston College) who was selected as an All-ACC Academic Team member.

Minimum academic requirements are a 3.0 grade point average for the previous semester and a 3.0 cumulative average during one’s

FALL 2019

academic career. Athletic achievements during the most recent season are also considered in selecting the All-ACC Academic Team.

Congratulations to Jack Besser (Baseball/Washington University) on a winning season! Jack is a pitcher for the Bears, and was selected to the 2019 University Athletic Association (UAA) Spring Academic All-Conference team. Minimum academic requirements are a 3.3 cumulative grade point average.

Congratulations to Rob Strain (Lacrosse/Bates) on an awesome junior season in goal! Rob started the season splitting time for the Bobcats, but his stellar performance in net earned him the starting goalie spot halfway through the season. According to his coach, “We have two phenomenal goalies that can both start and we’ve been starting two for most of the year. We felt like Rob stepped up his level of play and he’s just been practicing great.

We thought it was time to give Rob a full game and he made us look smart.”

Congratulations to Alex Cappitelli (Baseball/Wesleyan) on a great season in his junior year with the Cardinals.

MA Montclair Academy / TKS The Kimberley School / MKA Montclair Kimberley Academy

2017

/ MKA / Ms. Jenna Donatiello, jdonatiello12@

aol.com / Mr. Matt Rubenstein, mattrubenstein98@gmail.com

2018

/ MKA / Ms. Lailanni Lucien, llucien05@gmail.

com / Mr. Keenan McAuliffe, keenan. cavenaugh13@gmail.com / Ms. Kerri McGuire, kerrimcg11@yahoo.com

Congratulations to Jolie Curran!

Jolie recently earned the lead role in only her freshman year in Colorado College’s production of Contractions. Great work!

Ryan Dancy (Lacrosse/Rhodes) and Alex Melitz (Lacrosse/ Southwestern) went head to head this past season when Rhodes Men’s Lacrosse played Southwestern in Memphis, Tennessee. Rhodes came from behind to win 13-12. Ryan had 3 goals, including the OT game winner.

Keenan McAuliffe is a tenor in The Common Tones of Boston College, an A Capella group with building a community at its heart, and will serve as next year’s Programming Director. Check out The Common Tones of Boston College YouTube channel to hear some of their amazing stuff!

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An MKA education nurtures passions, expands minds, and encourages a life-long love of learning. Your investment in The MKA Fund provides the resources for a vibrant and transformative educational experience for every student.

Join the MKA community in making your gift today. www.mka.org/giving

For additional information or questions, please contact Jenn Baratta P ’23 & ’26, Director of Annual Giving at jbaratta@mka.org or 973-509-7932

827 LAPTOPS 150+ ATHLETIC TEAM FOR STUDENT USE STARTING CHAMPIONSHIPS IN 4TH GRADE

55 STUDENT CLUBS ACROSS OUR THREE CAMPUSES

IN THE LAST 15 YEARS

240+

AP EXAMS TAKEN IN THE PAST 3 YEARS

13 STUDENT-LED COMMUNITY SERVICE INITIATIVES

9

$4.7M

DIFFERENT

OF FINANCIAL AID AWARDED ANNUALLY

OUTSIDE LEARNING SPACES

ACROSS ALL CAMPUS

7 COMMUNITY SCHOLARS

2,200+

COMMUNITY

140

STUDENTS

SERVICE PERFORMING HOU R S AT CARNEGIE HALL

20+ DISTINCT TRIPS OFFERED OVER THE

PAST 4 YEARS THROUGH

MKA GLOBAL EXPERIENCES

85 DIFFERENT TOWNS REPRESENTED 100% OF FACULTY AND STAFF DONATE TO THE MKA FUND

100% OF TRUSTEE & ALUMNI COUNCIL DONATE TO THE MKA FUND

3 CAMPUSES: 1 MKA

87%

FACULTY

PARTICIPATED IN SUMMER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS

MON TC L AIR K IM B E R L E Y AC ADE MY 20 1 VALLEY ROAD, M O NTCLAIR, N J 07042

Thank you MKA, for having the teachers that showed me the way, for friends that supported my choices, and a community that welcomed me with loving hearts and open minds.

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