Cupola Fall 2022

Cup

Let’s begin with a moment of silence.

FRONT COVER: DAVID O’CONNOR; THIS PAGE: ANDREA HANSEN

Table of contents

Cupola: the magazine of Moses Brown School Fall 2022

Celebrating Matt

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We fondly say farewell to Matt Glendinning, who stepped down from being Head of School this past spring, after 13 years of transformational leadership

Our journey together

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Assorted occasions, achievements, and cultural happenings during Matt’s tenure at Moses Brown

Believes

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A quick look at some of the places made possible by our community’s support of MB Believes: a Campaign for Learning, People, and Place

Getting to know Ron and Debbie (again)

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Ron Dalgliesh P ’21 and Debbie Phipps share their thoughts on leading the school through a year of transition

Honoring Doc Odell

beloved teacher helps open Moses Brown’s new archives room

MB’s new visual identity

Showing a face to the world that’s more representative of Moses Brown — both sophisticated and expressive

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Zev M. ’32 and Ben M. ’32 enjoy books in the Debbie Goff Library in Mencoff Commons, part of our new Lower School building that children were able to enjoy on the first day of school, September 7, 2022.

For more of Matt's writing and legacy, please visit mosesbrown.org/matt

brating Matt

Here we celebrate Matt Glendinning, both his transformational tenure and the friend who has been a key part of the MB community for the past 13 years.

Within these pages, you’ll find pieces of Matt’s writing from his time as Head of School, along with photos and voices from parents and alumni. A few words and mementos could never capture the fullness of Matt’s work and achievements at Moses Brown. Still, we hope this collection can remind all of us about the power of Hope and Commitment — the theme of Matt’s opening address to our community — and the joy we find in living and learning together.

Understanding our inner excellence

BY MATT GLENDINNING

Matt offered these remarks during his formal installation ceremony, September 22, 2009.

Thank you to all present for this extraordinary welcome. It is truly an honor to be here, and to be joining the Moses Brown community as the new head of school. Katherine and I have felt very warmly embraced by you all since our arrival in July. This event alone, I think, is indicative of the incredible community spirit here. The sense of energy and optimism for the future is tangible and exciting.

It’s sometimes said that the head of school search process is a bit like courtship. It begins with a first date, progresses to a more serious exploration of shared interests, and if things turn out well and the match is right, it culminates in a commitment to form a lasting partnership.

This morning’s ceremony furthers that metaphor. The theme of Hope and Commitment is reminiscent of a Quaker wedding, where voices of commitment and support for a new union emerge through meeting for worship. So I’d like to thank all of you assembled here for your willingness to participate, and for using this occasion as a chance to express your hopes and expectations for Moses Brown and me, and to reflect on your own role in making this partnership work.

Ithink many of you know that I have a strong interest in classical antiquity — the civilizations of the ancient Mediterranean world. Okay, I admit it: I’m a bit of an ancient history geek, and I’m at it again today. This morning, I’d like to tap into Greek history in order to share my own Hope and Commitment with you. I want to tell you about a personal hero of mine: Socrates.

Who’s heard of Socrates? Where are our students from the Lower School? I don’t know if you’ve heard of this guy, but I’m sure you’ve heard of Hercules, right? Well, Hercules was the strongest man in ancient Greece, and Socrates was the smartest.

Much of what I admire in the field of education is encapsulated in the life of this Athenian philosopher.

I want to thank you for all that you have done for Moses Brown. Personally, I have learned so much from you about leadership, Quaker values in practice, and commitment.

—RACHEL LITTMAN ’87, P’22

Dear Matt,

For me Socrates’ life and accomplishments serve as a model for the kind of learning community I’d like to see us build at Moses Brown.

EXPERT TEACHING

Teachers will know Socrates’ name because it’s the basis of the famous Socratic Method. This is a fundamental way of teaching by means of asking questions, often questions for which there is more than one correct answer, or maybe no clear answer at all.

In an age that lacked smart boards, the internet, or even organized schools, Socrates was famous for his informal method of teaching that took the form of dialogues with friends and students. Typically these conversations were about some area of expertise that the other person claimed to have.

Socrates asked a lot of questions. Each one by itself was simple, but cumulatively they became an irresistible force. Using critical inquiry, Socrates unmasked weak logic, exposed opinion masquerading as fact, and undermined unwarranted confidence in the truth of popular ideas.

Through questions, Socrates would often lead his partner to a puzzled realization that he didn’t know much at all for certain, causing some to complain that a conversation with Socrates left you feeling like you’d been bitten by a stingray!

Students, this is one of our goals for you — not a numb sense of puzzlement, of course; not a stingray bite; but the stretching of your minds. We want your learning to involve you as an equal partner in dialogue and exchange. It should require the application of reasoning skills that leads

to discovery and the building of new understanding. And it should at times make you uncomfortable, as new information or perspectives cause you to think about your own assumptions.

KNOW THYSELF

Socrates’ reputation for brilliance spread across Greece when the Delphic oracle — the priestess who foretold the future — proclaimed that ‘no man is wiser than Socrates.’ Some, however, found him to be an insufferable know-it-all. Parents of his students weren’t at all pleased when their children started using critical reasoning to question things like parental authority. Students: don’t try that at home!

What you should try at home, and here at school, and throughout your life, is to emulate the kind of simple wisdom that Socrates possessed. He said one of the most profound things I’ve ever heard: ‘If I am the wisest man alive, it’s because I know one thing: that I know nothing.’

In other words, Socrates’ wisdom lay in the fact that he was conscious of his own ignorance. I really admire that kind of humility and honesty. To me, such self-awareness makes Socrates the epitome of the life-long learner. He never claimed to be an expert in anything, arguing that the only thing one can really know for sure is oneself. And written on the wall inside the temple at Delphi were perhaps his most famous words, γνῶθι σαὐτόν, Know Thyself.

Maybe you remember those same words from the film The Matrix; Neo sees the phrase on the wall of the oracle’s kitchen, but has no idea what it means. He needed Socrates on hand to

explain: to “know thyself” means to search inwardly for something the Greeks called ἀρετή, one’s inner excellence, virtue, justice and goodness. Socrates spent a lifetime trying to develop these qualities in himself and others.

Understanding your inner excellence is a fairly elusive trait in the world today. In a study by the Gallup organization that surveyed more than 10 million people, 70% reported that in their daily lives they were not tapping into their personal strengths and doing what they do best. That’s a shame, because the 30% who were doing that were six times more likely to be engaged in their jobs and more than three times as likely to report having an excellent quality of life.

All of this is a really important part of what we’re trying to do at Moses Brown School. The idea is enshrined in our mission statement: Moses Brown, a Friends school, exists to inspire the inner promise of each student. What does that mean, exactly? It means that we are committed to helping students identify their own ἀρετή — or excellence. It means that we have a genuine commitment to educating the whole child: mind, body and spirit. And it means that, together with parents, we strive to develop a strong sense of moral integrity.

Students, this is one of our goals for you: not a numb sense of puzzlement, but the stretching of your minds.

Matt,

I appreciated you making the alumni input a core piece of MB’s growth, even from those of us not nearby. I always learned something from our conversations and found them very rewarding.

—UDAY KUMAR ’90

CITIZEN OF THE WORLD

After many years of teaching, Socrates was eventually charged by his political rivals with impiety, and weakening the state by corrupting the minds of its youth.

During his trial, he did something very interesting. Rather than beg for mercy in order to save his life, he used his speech as a chance to educate the jurors, pointing out that their understanding of justice and piety was, in fact, illogical and inconsistent.

He argued that no law court could ever stop him from teaching the way he was teaching. And he used a nowfamous phrase to explain why. He said, ‘I am not an Athenian, or a Greek, but a citizen of the world.’

I think what Socrates was trying to say is that membership in the human race brings with it certain obligations, and that these sometimes are more important than local loyalty or personal identity. Socrates was more committed to living according to human values that transcend time and place than he was to obeying arbitrary Athenian laws.

We need “citizens of the world” today. There are significant problems facing our planet; solving problems of this magnitude will obviously require international cooperation. And it will require leaders whose motivation transcends wealth and prestige, who feel a sense of kinship with and responsibility for the rest of the world.

To accomplish that, I believe that the education we offer at MB needs to:

• emphasize process, (i.e., critical thinking, problemsolving) as much as deep content knowledge;

• impart global competency, i.e., knowledge of other world regions, and other languages;

• develop an actively ethical mindset, i.e., values such as respect for differences, and a willingness to confront injustice.

If we can do these three things, I think we will go a long way toward empowering this generation of students to bring our planet, and our global society, to a better place.

So, students, my Hope for each of you is this: that you will be a modern Socrates. That you will take the opportunity that is an MB education to stretch your minds, absorb new ideas and perspectives, and challenge assumptions. That you will come to know yourself, and in the process become a citizen of the world.

And my Commitment to you and to the entire community is this: that I will work hard on your behalf to provide the resources and the kind of educational environment where Socrates would have felt at home, where all of us are encouraged to develop our individual ἀρετή, our excellence and passion.

If my courtship analogy holds true, I think this means we’re now married. (Katherine: don’t worry, this is really just symbolic.) I look forward to a long and prosperous relationship! MB

‘To Mat from Dash’

A selection of portraits that first-grade artists drew to celebrate Matt in the spring of 2022.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: PORTRAITS DRAWN BY DASH F., BECKETT S., GEMMA H., ZOE V., ETHAN E., HENRY H., AND CAROLINE S.

What makes great teaching?

BY MATT GLENDINNING

From the November 2010 edition of Areté, a regular newsletter Matt established to explore and celebrate the academic work of MB.

At a recent conference for heads of school, a colleague challenged me — in a friendly way — to identify the hedgehog at Moses Brown School.

This is a reference to business guru Jim Collins and his well-known book Good to Great. There, Collins argues that institutional greatness stems from gaining clarity about one’s core purpose, and then pursuing that purpose single-mindedly. My answer for MB is the relentless pursuit of areté, or excellence, in teaching and learning.

Our mission at Moses Brown calls us to focus on many worthy areas and values, and to nurture excellence in many forms. But it is important to recognize that great teaching is the sine qua non — the essential ingredient — that makes the rest of what we do possible.

In my first year at Moses Brown, I have witnessed some of the best teaching I have ever seen. So it hasn’t surprised me that students surveyed during our reaccreditation this year would say:

“At MB I have had the most intellectually challenging teachers... Faculty members, and the support they provide, are the strongest part of the school... My teacher is outstanding, and even though she’s a tough grader, I am glad to be in her class... She is sincere in her efforts to work with each student (often one-on-one). It’s a privilege to work with such a dedicated person.”

Current parents corroborate these sentiments. In the same survey, 90% praised MB teachers for being thoughtful and skilled, and for providing positive learning experience for students.

Looking back over the school’s history, it is clear that Moses Brown has always had a tradition of excellent teaching. Since the earliest moments of my tenure, for example, I have heard from alumni about the enduring impact of the generation of faculty from the 1940s to ’80s who taught, coached, and lived with students when MB

Dear Matt,

Unquestionably, your years as Head of School have been transformational in the most positive ways, on every front. I hope you will always reflect on this time in your life with pride.

ERIK

was a boarding school. “They opened new worlds to me... taught the value of accuracy, truth, and integrity... encouraged me to aspire to reach my potential... oozed compassion, understanding and intellect.”

These testimonials from Reunion 2010 describe iconic teachers such as Ted Whitford, L. Ralston Thomas, Bill Paxton, Basil Meserve, Doc Odell, and Ada Full.

DEFINING GREAT TEACHING

But what makes a great teacher? Who decides, and how?

Far from rhetorical, these questions get at one of the fundamental challenges of education and drive much public debate. “What makes a great teacher?” was the topic of a recent community forum hosted by WRNI and the Rhode Island Foundation. But despite the promising title and the substantial experience of the four panelists — including Heather Tow-Yick ’94, Executive Director of Teach for America Rhode Island — the divergence of their expert views regarding this basic question was striking.

How would you define great

teaching? I believe that great teachers are lifelong learners. They impart deep and relevant knowledge by means of active, real-world teaching, while their love of children, strong communication skills and unique passions combine to generate excitement about learning.

But even these characteristics, while necessary, are not always sufficient for great teaching. The brutal fact — to use another of Jim Collins’ terms — is that there is no universally agreed upon standard for great teaching; no fool-proof list of ‘great teacher’ attributes; no reliable set of behaviors, attitudes, strategies or practices that lead in all cases to superlative teaching. The ironic result is that formal evaluation protocols, ostensibly designed to improve teaching, often end up revealing more about the evaluator than the teacher.

The reason is that great teaching is as much an art as a science. Highly contextual, it emerges from a complex interplay between a teacher’s knowledge, skills and methods and a student’s learning style, readiness and effort. As a result, great teaching can look different from person to person, and classroom to classroom.

A CULTURE OF GREAT TEACHING

By recognizing the past, and with an eye toward the future, Matt has successfully built bridges within our community and positioned our school as a preeminent leader in global education.

My goal at MB is to nurture and sustain a culture in which great teaching flourishes. Deborah Kenny, founder and CEO of Harlem Village Academies, recently suggested that a culture of great teaching will thrive where there is a rich intellectual environment, where teachers feel a sense of ownership for their craft, and

Our journey together

An exploration of assorted occasions, achievements, and cultural happenings during Matt’s tenure at Moses Brown

2010–11 MB launches faculty cohort model to celebrate and advance professional growth and teaching excellence across the school

Sep ’09 Matt introduces himself to the community at his first opening Convocation

Oct ’10 Matt runs in the 2500th anniversary of the original Athens marathon, alongside several members of the MB community

Sep ’09 Kanye interrupts Taylor at the MTV Video Awards

May ’10 Prince William marries Kate Middleton

Oct ’11 Matt hosts his first Pumpkin Fest for Lower School

PRINCE WILLIAM: GETTY IMAGES; PUMPKIN FEST: RYAN VEMMER

2011–12 Matt hosts 42 Discernment Dialogues around the country with more than 1,000 community members focused on the future of education and MB

2011–12 Board approves goal of intentionally diversifying the racial demographics of the school. By the end of Matt’s tenure, the percentage of students of color would grow from 17% to 30% and faculty of color from 9% to 22%

2012–13 After a year of Discernment Dialogues, the school publishes an innovative new strategic plan: MB Believes, a vision for Learning, People, and Place

2011–12 Lower School establishes partnership with the Institute for the Study and Practice of Non-Violence

Oct ’12 MB hosts the first ever Expo and Harvest Dinner with more than 800 community members attending

2013–14 Carpenter Endowed Program in Teaching Excellence is announced, doubling the annual budget for the ongoing training, education and professional development of our teachers.

Apr ’12 First TedX conference at MB.

Jul ’12 “Gangnam Style” is released and breaks the internet. (As of fall 2022, the video has been viewed more than 4.5 billion times)

Feb ’14 Jimmy Fallon takes over The Tonight Show

MATT: DAVID O’CONNOR; HARVEST DINNER: PETER GOLDBERG

Sep ’15 Debbie Phipps named Asst. Head of School for Academic Affairs to oversee N–12 curriculum and faculty development

Apr ’16 Beyoncé releases her revolutionary sixth studio album, Lemonade

Oct ’15 With 1,200 attendees, MB Believes Campaign launched, alongside epic oral history program StoryDrive

Dec ’16 The Woodman Family Community and Performance Center is dedicated, creating a new artistic, social, spiritual, and intellectual heart of the campus

Sep ’16 Gara Field comes to MB as the Director of Global Education & Social Innovation; TRIPs program begins

Feb ’15 Matt becomes a sensation when the “School is Closed” snow day video goes viral, eventually garnering more than 4 million views

2016–17 MB opens newly renovated Cooper Tennis Courts, McCullough Field (baseball), and Wasserman field (soccer)

Feb ’15 Hamilton opens at the Public Theater in New York City, eventually garnering more than 4 million views

Nov ’17 The Y-Lab opens, MB’s new maker space and design center

Dec ’17 The Gorgi Family Squash and Education Center also opens and begins a new partnership with Squashbusters

WOODMAN CENTER AND Y-LAB: DBDW ARCHITECTS

Jan ’18 First-ever Lower School Musical, Annie, goes up in the Woodman Center

Mar ’20 Fully remote learning begins due to COVID; in-person gatherings are affected for more than two years. (When Harvest Dinner resumes in Oct ’21, Matt and Head of Upper School Laura Twichell were masked and ready to serve!)

Apr ’21 MB publishes strategic action plan for DEI, A Care For People

Sep ’21 Luke Anderson joins MB as Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

2018–19 MB TRIPs program reaches new heights, with 449 students and 62 faculty participating in overnight educational experiences: five international, seven domestic, and five local overnight trips

Nov ’18 New program in Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation launched

Dec ’20 MB Believes Campaign ends with more than $65 million raised

Spring ’22 Matt oversees his final Commencement and receives an honorary degree from Board Clerks Jane Ritson-Parsons P ’17 ’21 and Reza Talenghani ’90 P ’21 ’23

HARVEST DINNER: PETER GOLDBERG; COMMENCEMENT: RYAN VEMMER

2022

A Transformational Tenure

The MB community gathered this past spring to celebrate the historic tenure of Matt Glendinning, the completion of our new Lower School (see page 41), and the naming of Glendinning Hall.

Clockwise from top left: Head of School Matt Glendinning and Head of Lower School OJ Martí shake hands at the entrance to the new Lower School; students (wearing t-shirts celebrating "Transformation") enjoyed lawn games and ice cream on the Back Circle; Matt and his wife, Katherine, participate in a skit covering highlights from Matt’s tenure; an exuberant dinner followed the community celebration; Matt touches the sign of the newly named Glendinning Hall.

where they have opportunity to collaborate. This makes intuitive sense to me.

What can schools do to foster such a culture of learning, where, in Kenny’s words, “everyone is passionate about continually growing”? Clearly the answer depends on individual circumstance, but some of my initial strategies have included:

• Prioritizing the process of constructive feedback, e.g., by visiting classrooms frequently, and making faculty/staff input a component of my own evaluation;

• Promoting 21st century programming, e.g., by convening a global studies research team, and supporting curriculum innovation such as a new Design Thinking course in the upper school;

• Focusing on professional development, e.g., by providing in-service training on world-class teaching, and exploring creative ways to support the passions of our teachers.

FRESH THINKING ABOUT THE FACULTY LIFE CYCLE

This summer we launched an all-school task force charged with strengthening the systems that support great teaching, including hiring, orienting, mentoring, evaluating and continuously developing the faculty.

The result is a plan that supports the entire faculty life-cycle. Designed primarily by teachers for teachers, it includes new guidelines for hiring committees; a new employee orientation process; a

mentorship program; and ideas for faculty growth such as midcareer sabbaticals, departmental retreats, and support for priorities such as Friends education, global studies, and multicultural education.

As part of this overall effort, a new evaluation protocol will move beyond merely documenting current practice and ask faculty to undertake considerable growth. Some features include:

• A cohort approach: a cross-divisional group of teachers who collaborate in a mutually-beneficial experience spanning the school year. After assembling for initial goal-setting in September, members serve as resources for one another’s evaluations, and share professional development plans at year’s end;

• Reliance on multiple sources of data: At least three class visits with written feedback, student feedback via an online survey (grades 6-12), self-reflection, and two additional sources chosen by the teacher;

• Creation of individualized professional development plans through which faculty stretch to reach new levels of knowledge, skills and abilities.

While standardized for everyone in some ways, this protocol provides flexibility and choice in how one may demonstrate excellence. It accommodates different teaching styles, a factor that often plays an inordinate role in teacher evaluations yet has no verifiable impact on student

learning. And it requires that determinations about teaching quality be based on multiple viewpoints. I am confident that by supporting the lifelong learning of our faculty in these ways we will enhance MB’s culture of continuous growth and excellence.

WHAT WILL ALL THIS MEAN FOR OUR STUDENTS?

In a genuine culture of learning, teachers are continuously engaged in deepening their expertise, refining their curriculum, bringing the latest research back to the classroom, and partnering with colleagues in order to improve students’ learning. Such professional development is a consistent part of faculty life at MB.

Among other initiatives, this year we are excited to launch a five-year $130,000 program funded by the Edward E. Ford Foundation and generous members of our community in support of inter-disciplinary faculty travel, study, and collaboration. Funds will be directed toward initiatives that link directly back to the classroom by means of new curriculum or faculty partnerships.

Whether judging an eighth-grade science project, participating in a senior seminar on global extinctions, or observing fourth graders in an immigration project, I have been genuinely impressed by the variety and quality of instruction. There is no question in my mind that a world-class education stems first and foremost from world-class teaching; my goal is to make sure that this is what MB students experience in every classroom, every period, every day. MB

You are the epitome of a transformative educator, teacher, and school leader. You are a class act who does things with elegance and Quaker simplicity.

—CARLTON TUCKER, P'18

Dear Matt,

“In just one meeting, Matt inspired me to believe that students at Moses Brown could in fact be prepared to meet the challenges of their generation.”

MB parent, as quoted in a board letter to the MB community announcing Matt’s appointment as head of school, November 21, 2008

A look back at the future of education

BY MATT GLENDINNING

Published in the September 2016 edition of the Leadership + Design newsletter.

Does strategic planning actually work? That’s a heretical question these days. Conventional wisdom suggests that pausing once every five years to examine internal programs and scan the external environment can be a powerful stimulus for growth and change. If you don’t know where you’re going, any path will take you there, right?

The most effective strategic plans seem to emerge from community-wide dialogue. They focus on ambitious but achievable goals, and establish metrics and milestones for gauging progress. Viewed across a horizon of five years, therefore, today’s strategic plans are almost always a tactical success.

But when viewed more widely — say, across 25 or 50 years — are strategic plans truly strategic? In other words, when it comes to transformation in schools, how much is deliberate and how much is circumstantial? Do strategic plans cause change, or reflect it? And, more practically, what role do leaders play in effecting auspicious change in their school?

While these may be unanswerable questions to some extent, the 232-year arc of Moses Brown School’s history provides an interesting case study. There, several distinct eras stand out for their pace of growth and innovation.

1900

From 1879 to 1904, Moses Brown was blessed by the leadership of a Quaker from Maine named Augustine Jones. At the time, improvements in public schools and changes in higher education were forcing private schools to modernize as well, and in response Jones undertook some important initiatives. A lover of machines as much as art, his vision for Moses Brown included:

• The introduction of mechanical arts like metal working and carpentry, and fine arts like drawing, painting and music;

•

The admission of day students for the first time and a move toward the ‘country day’ model of education then emerging in Baltimore;

• A continuation of the school’s religious traditions, paralleled by new priorities such as physical fitness and outdoor activity;

• Improvements to campus infrastructure such as a centralized heat plant, electric lights, telephones, and new facilities for athletics and art; and

• Attention to long-term financial sustainability, including gaining tax exemption and growing the endowment.

Sound familiar? These fundamental areas — program, enrollment, facilities, and finances — still form the basis of most strategic plans today. The tools in the administrator’s kit haven’t changed much in a hundred years.

What seems exceptional about Jones, though, when considered a century later, was his clear understanding of the times and of the school. He embraced some of the changes of the industrial revolution and resisted others, harnessing the innovative spirit of the day while preserving the fundamental character of the school. His prescient strategy worked: enrollment flourished, and Jones left an impact on the school long past his tenure.

1950

The first half of the 20th century was a time of profound change for American private education. Whereas in 1900 many private schools had a religious

affiliation and focused as much on character development as on academic accomplishment, by mid-century the focus was squarely on preparation for college. The shift toward heightened academic standards was mirrored by the emergence of qualifying exams — the College Board in 1900, SATs in the 1920s, Achievement tests in the 1930s, and APs in the 1950s.

And with the launch of Sputnik in 1957, America was engulfed by a wave of existential anxiety and calls for school reform.

It was in such an environment that MB chose as its new Headmaster Robert Cunningham (1957–1964), a graduate of Princeton and a Rhodes Scholar who had taught at Exeter and helped develop the AP Program at the College Board. His sterling credentials and previous experience presaged the thrust of his tenure at MB — academic rigor — and under the rubric of what was called The Program for Progress, the school experienced another period of rapid growth. Major accomplishments included:

• The introduction of Advanced Placement courses, with a strong emphasis on Science and a new facility to teach it. (Six weeks after Sputnik was sent into orbit MB’s rocketry program was featured in Life magazine.);

• Ability-differentiated courses in the Upper School and increased workload for students;

• A focus on teaching excellence, including a new program of classroom visitation and evaluation, review of curriculum by outside experts, and increased teacher salaries;

• Perhaps in counterbalance to the emphasis on rigor, creation of an Advisory program and a separate Middle School to address the unique needs of preadolescents; and

• Creation of a Development Office and a capital campaign that raised almost $1 million for new campus facilities, including a new Upper School building designed to foster cross disciplinary learning.

When considered 50 years later, these changes appear both well-timed and strategic in terms of positioning the school within its evolving market. Enrollment at MB spiked more than 25% under Cunningham’s leadership. Interestingly, though, his tenure ended involuntarily in 1964 after disagreement with the board over administrative policies. Having vision clearly is one thing; working with and through others to implement it is something else.

2000

The methodical, inclusive, and cyclical process we call ‘strategic planning’ today largely evolved in the second half of the 20th century. Looking at MB’s plans from the 1980s and later, what stands out — especially in comparison with earlier periods — is their breadth and almost clinical rigor. A plan from 2001, for example, enumerates seven primary goals and 37 subsidiary objectives covering every functional area of school operations: curriculum, enrollment, faculty, facilities, diversity, sustainability, endowment etc. This proliferation no doubt reflects the ongoing professionalization of school management at the time. Such increased sophistication introduced a paradox into school leadership, however: the question of prioritization. Is it really “strategic” to focus on improving everything all at once?

LESSONS

Drawing a lesson from MB’s history, real transformation in schools seems to emerge from a unique fusion of opportunity (the times), vision (leadership), and planning (focused goal setting). In preparing for the future, school leaders need to attend to what they leave out of their plans as much as what they include. Indeed, selectivity may be the key tool that allows school leaders to anticipate rather than react to changing times.

Only time will tell whether today’s strategic plans — strongly focused on innovation, collaboration, social justice, sustainability, and global partnerships — are tactical or strategic. Historians of the future can ponder whether our plans made the times, or the times made our plans. MB

‘Transformational, intellectual, and kind’

Matt’s time here at Moses Brown was very special, and he accomplished an incredible amount. I’ll never forget, I was on the search committee to find Matt, and we saw a lot of great talent. But when we met Matt, I thought, Well, I think we just found the Quaker Indiana Jones. He’s an archaeologist, an historian, he’s kind of a fit guy, he’s super well educated in Greek history and all these interesting things, and he has a tremendous care of people.

Matt is a massive intellectual, Matt is a deep thinker. Matt is a complex problem solver who would tackle problems through research and understanding and investigation. Matt worked hard to resolve bias. He’s a boundary pusher in his thinking. He wasn’t comfortable with the status quo. He didn’t mind taking challenges and daring to risk things in our world at Moses Brown. When we were looking at building the Woodman Center, the riskiest thing was to put it in the center of campus. Having it at the center of campus, as the heartbeat, he thought, “That’s where it should be, but this is going to be hard.” It wasn’t the easiest solution, but it was clear that it was the boldest.

In his fundraising efforts, it’s one thing to say we want to raise money. It’s another thing to work across the campus and the broader Moses Brown community to build consensus on the “why” we need to raise money. Matt created, articulated, and authenticated a vision. To understand all of the multiple desires of all the different factions of our community, from alums to faculty to current students, parents, grandparents—there’s a lot of voices with a lot of different expectations. And so Matt did a phenomenal job distilling that down through a Quaker process. He was able to build real belief.

Now, after Matt’s tenure, the school’s student population accurately reflects the diversity of the community in which it resides. Huge accomplishment. I couldn’t say that when I attended, but we were able to say it when my kids graduated. That had a massive impact on the quality of education my kids received. The school is on a much better financial footing, it’s got phenomenal new facilities. He invested in teacher rigor. I would define Matt’s legacy as transformational, intellectual, and kind. MB

Thoughts from Gary Goldberg ’87 P ’17 ’19 ’20 as told to Savannah Jacobson

Gary Goldberg ’87 (center) is pictured above with his wife Elizabeth (far right) and their children: Jude ’19, Sinjon ’17, and Honor ’20. “Moses Brown has been an absolute game-changer for me,” says Gary, “as well as my ability to rationalize complex thoughts, conflict, opportunity. I get from Moses Brown as much as I give, as an institution. I’m a net recipient, not just a donor.”

Head of the class

BY JON GOLD, ENGLISH TEACHER

Matt graduated this year with the Class of 2022; some of those seniors arrived at the same time he did, back in 2009.

Harry Dessel, Kennedy Jones, and Zane Zaidi have come to a unique appreciation of Matt’s skillful leadership of our school — which makes sense because the same fall that Matt arrived on campus, these three members of the Class of 2022 were nervously beginning their first days as MB students in Melinda Van Lare and Martha Handley’s kindergarten class. As Harry, Kennedy, and Zane — and Matt — prepare to graduate, the students are looking back on their overlapping tenures.

For Zane, he was transported back to his first convocation as a kindergartener 13 years ago this past fall when, as co-president of the Upper School Student Senate, he himself was up at the podium alongside Matt, preparing to address a school community that hadn’t been able to gather together for many months due to COVID restrictions. “There was so much anticipation, and we were all a little nervous. Right as the Lower School speaker approached the podium,” Zane recalls, “the sound system cut out because of the rain,” causing panic among the student speakers. “Matt was so calm and made sure everyone knew we were all in the same boat and that it would be okay.”

Zane can speak for many of us when he comments how “MB has changed dramatically since the time Matt and I started, from small things to the food in the cafeteria to large-scale projects like the Woodman Center, Y-Lab, and state-of-the-art fitness center.” Harry points out that “having a real space for performances, art, and community building has really transformed the school.” The students know how proud Matt is of these new facilities, given how often they saw him getting coffee in the Woodman Cafe, where he would always stop and chat and ask them what they were working on.

The physical impact of the various building projects on campus is obvious to students, but all three were able to connect deeper changes to Matt’s leadership; Kennedy

pointed to the school’s major emphasis on diversity, equity and inclusion as a significant accomplishment of Matt’s tenure. When word reached Matt that the students of color affinity group was passionate about getting a DEI coordinator hired, she relates, he immediately attended one of the affinity group meetings, listened intently to the students’ vision, then embarking on a search for candidates. Kennedy notes that it was clear how much Matt wanted to listen to the students and understand what they thought MB needed from this kind of position.

Of course, any discussion with students about Matt’s time as Head cannot avoid what may be, at least in the minds of students, Matt’s signature MB accomplishment: his viral turn in the “School is Closed” video. Zane says that after that, Matt “became a kind of celebrity on campus,” while for Harry it was “a moment I’ll never forget; the sense of pride and joy in our school was a wonderful lift.” All the students are

quick to note, however, that Matt was always approachable and interested in them and their classmates, especially in Woodman Cafe and on the sidelines at games. It was clear to Kennedy and her classmates that he “listens and cares about every student at MB and does his best to make sure everyone is comfortable in this space.”

What more could students ask for from a leader whose tenure overlapped with their 13 years as students at MB: institutional transformation and viral fame from a Head who was invested in nurturing the inner promise of each and every student. “He’s the embodiment of MB,” Zane reflects, “it is hard to imagine what the school will be like without him.” MB

Kennedy Jones ’22 and Zane Zaidi ’22 —two of the students who arrived in 2009 alongside Matt — are shown here helping lead part of the farewell celebration for Matt on May 20, 2022.

A partner in global education

BY KAREN LUSTIG, ENGLISH TEACHER

Jerrett Wilson, who arrived at MB the same time as Matt, talks about the support he found from the new head of school.

After earning his Master’s in Madrid and teaching for three years in North Carolina, Jerrett Wilson entered the gates of Moses Brown in 2010, the same year as Matt Glendinning. Jerrett’s responsibilities at the school have shifted dramatically in the past twelve years — from a French and Spanish teacher to the head of RISE camp to the current Director of Student Life — but he’s quick to point out that the school itself has evolved in much the same manner.

“Matt has always had an affinity for French and, subsequently, he and I came to know each other on that level,” Jerrett recollects. In 2019, through the TRIPs program, he and several other teachers chaperoned a student trip to France to watch the Women’s World Cup performance. It was an inspiring week for a variety of reasons but none more so than the chance to watch his students’ education in action. To see kids integrating into communities they’ve studied from afar, says Wilson, is a dream come true. And though traveling in larger groups can get complicated, “Matt has always made global education a priority — including the promise that every student can travel abroad in their high school years, regardless of finances.”

Jerrett adds that Matt has done everything necessary to make the TRIPs program and other initiatives successful — and that begins with hiring people who are committed to the work and who operate with vision. Gara Field, the Head of Global Education; Luke Anderson, the Director of DEI; Beth Lantz, Health and Wellness Coordinator — all are manifestations of Matt’s commitment to a well-rounded educational program and a thriving community.

“The thing I’ve always appreciated about Matt,” Jerrett continues, “is that he knows how to work toward his own goals while still entrusting each teacher to do what’s best in their classroom. He brought Project Based

Learning forward in an explicit manner but, as our own ideas progressed, we each integrated group-oriented, hands-on learning in ways that really worked for our age groups and our disciplines.”

But there’s more tangible evidence of Matt’s leadership and Jerrett says he walks through it every day. “Our physical campus has changed dramatically in the last twelve years and that’s because of Matt’s ability to mobilize donors and make things happen.” Moses Brown may be over two hundred years old but its space has moved into the 21st century with an appreciation for tradition and an understanding of how best to use modern technology. Among the myriad additions and improvements are a renovated Lower School, refurbished library, exploratory Y-Lab, community-oriented squash courts, and one building that’s fundamentally changed daily business. “Woodman,” says Jerrett, “has affected our lives in a way we didn’t see coming. It’s not only made our musical and theatrical performances fundamentally better, but it’s made us better as far as seeing each other. We’re more of a community because that space allows all of us to be together and to really see each other in the course of a busy week.” That’s, perhaps, a metaphor for the way Moses Brown operates. “Matt has always been forward thinking,” Jerrett adds, “but he’s done so while also providing me with the daily support and the reassurance I need in order to fulfill my responsibilities to our community.”

Object lessons

BY ERIK WILKER P ’22 ’26, DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATIVE & STRATEGIC AFFAIRS

For 13 years, Erik ran the Head of School’s office and served as a key partner for Matt. This piece was written in June 2022.

Matt’s desk is backstopped by floor-to-ceiling shelves, housing MB mementos (photographs, game balls, an admiral’s bicorn hat) and books. Among books on education, leadership, running and the ancient world is one of his favorites, A History of the World in 100 Objects. This book sparked the MB Archives project and the Upper School Immersion class that Matt taught in 2020. Setting out to tell a comprehensive, complex and compelling truth by interpreting and contextualizing objects, this book speaks directly to Matt’s training as an archaeologist. So it seems fitting to turn its treatment on Matt and the artifacts of his industry.

Exhibit 1: Bic® 4-Color retractable ballpoint pen (orange barrel, .8mm)

Matt uses this pen almost exclusively. Maybe it’s a portkey to his childhood. Maybe he just loves the way it writes and the options it gives him to categorize his tasks and thoughts. It can’t surprise anyone to learn that Matt has a system for its use.

• Red ink for idea journaling, planning and outlining. Red also for editing.

• Blue ink for community: handwritten notes (sympathy, celebration, inquiries into health and wellbeing, and thank-you after thank-you).

• Green ink to take down live meeting items (his follow-up actions or comments offered by others).

• Black ink for signatures (and to suffice when the blue ink runs dry).

If not a charm from his childhood, the pen certainly still works as a toy. He silently fidgets the clicker while listening to others.

Exhibit 2: Apple Magic™ detachable keyboard

Matt is an agile typist. It’s through volume, not force, that he wears out keyboards. The spacebar is first to go.

Matt writes to communicate, but first he writes to know his mind. When he wants to think something through in a principled, careful way (very often), he first sets it straight on the page, then tests his ideas with others. He iterated MB Believes and other strategic documents in this way. Administrative, personnel, and procedural matters he also approaches through writing. Meeting scripts, speeches, and so many emails. We’ve learned to keep a spare keyboard on hand. Clickety clack.

Exhibit 3: Discraft Ultra-Star 175-Gram Sport Disc™, white with blue MB logo

Matt is a former Division 1 college soccer player who still plays competitively on weekends, also a committed runner and occasional triathlete.

He has run with the cross-country teams and played with and guest coached MB soccer teams. Yet a Frisbee seems the most-

fitting symbol of the spirit of play that Matt brought to the school because it shows his willingness to celebrate the interests of others—or his inability not to be competitive (take your pick). Ultimate Frisbee is not Matt’s passion or expertise. He’s 100% just okay at the sport. Yet, here’s the email he sent to MB staff and faculty on May 17, 2013:

Dear All,

In a fit of brash over-confidence, I have just issued a challenge to upper school students playing Frisbee on the back circle: Fac/ Staff vs. Student Ultimate Frisbee. The challenge was readily accepted, so now I need to call together a team of those who have, at some point in their life, tossed a Frisbee. Let me know if you’re interested, and I’ll try to get us all together on an upcoming Friday afternoon.

Matt

People came and played, and the game has happened in some form most years since. Mo, Kit, Oliver, and Graham proved to be reliable ringers, and Bruce was incredibly hard to guard even when running in rain-soaked jeans. Matt’s love of play brought people together and let new aspects of their personality shine.

Exhibit 4: Tall case clock in the Head’s office, Federalist style, cherry wood. Made in 1817 and given to MB by John Bailey Jr. of New Bedford, with a sketch of the original school building painted in the dial by 16-year-old William A. Wall Every hour spent leading the school through planning, writing and community engagement was built on many more hours of listening. On chairs and

couches and around tables, Matt spent most of his days meeting with every school constituency, listening for what was most important to them.

The clock chimes the hours, sometimes authoritatively marking the end of a meeting, sometimes sounding small as the conversation blazes on. When a meeting ends, in the five or ten minutes before the next, Matt jumps to the keyboard to send off the emails he has promised or to start a long document that he will get back to at the end of the day, when it’s just him with the clock for company.

The clock, here 192 years before Matt, will be here for the next many heads. It has been a steady witness to Matt’s 13 years of listening and leading Moses Brown. If the clock is counting down Matt’s tenure, the time it marks certainly also upholds it. Every hour, every small piece of an hour, was enthusiastically used to advance and honor our school. MB

TOP: DAVID O’CONNOR

WE DID IT!

Matt’s tenure was defined by MB Believes, the strategic plan and $65 million campaign that expanded global and experiential learning, transformed the campus, and generated historic new resources for scholarships and teaching excellence. Here are a few highlights of what our community made possible.

THE WOODMAN FAMILY COMMUNITY & PERFORMANCE CENTER is a 36,000-sq.-ft. multifunctional facility that is the heart of the MB campus, providing dynamic spaces to learn, play, perform, worship and celebrate.

The award-winning design includes Glendinning Hall, pictured, with theater-style raked seats that fold back into the wall and a hydraulic floor that turn a 500-seat theater into a completely full floored hall that can host science fairs, receptions, school dances, dinners and more. With a lobby café, art galleries, costume and scene shops, and professional grade sound and lighting, Woodman is transforming student life.

A 5,000-sq.-ft. engineering and maker space, the Y-Lab is where ideas move from theory to practice, and students are encouraged to make their own discoveries. It features an endless supply of modeling materials and leading-edge technology: 3D design software and printers, multiple CNC routers, laser and vinyl cutters, industrial sewing machines, a video and sound production studio, and a dedicated robotics lab.

The Y-Lab

Jones Library

Completely renovated in 2016, the Walter Jones Library serves middle and upper school students and connects to the Woodman Center via an enclosed glass bridge. Modeled on evidencebased best practices for 21st-century library design, it contains classrooms, quiet study rooms, a variety of furniture and seating options, and flexible spaces for teaching, research, and presentation.

Opened in December 2017, the Gorgi Family Squash and Education Center is a world-class, 12-court squash facility that houses our boys and girls squash teams, SquashBusters Providence, PVD Squash, and Brown University Squash. The facility was developed through a unique partnership with SquashBusters, a nonprofit that uses squash as a way of improving the academic and life outcomes of under-served children.

Gorgi Family Squash Center

A top-to-bottom renovation and expansion of our Lower School provides our students sunny new classrooms and gathering areas, an imaginative play studio called the Wonder Lab, an interconnected science and technology lab, and a flexible suite of rooms designed for individual learning support and enrichment. The Mencoff Commons is the home for foreign language learning and the Debbie Goff library, which also serves as a public gathering spot.

4,139

Each dot at left — all 4,139 of them — represents a single contributor to the MB Believes campaign. Thank you

Here are some other numbers to understand the scope of the campaign and how your commitment has transformed the future of Moses Brown.

contributed

increase in students receiving scholarships

increase in funds for faculty development

largest gifts in MB’s history made during the campaign, from $2.5 million to $9 million

ANDREA HANSEN

Hope & Lloyd

Jack F. ’35 is welcomed by Head of Lower School OJ Martí at the doors of the new Lower School building on the first day of school, September 7, 2022.

Getting to know Ron and Debbie (again)

With Matt’s departure, two seasoned administrators will be leading Moses Brown this year: Associate Head of School for Academics Debbie Phipps and Interim Head of School Ron Dalgliesh P ’21, who have worked together for a combined 30 years at MB.

Read the full interview at mosesbrown.org.

What will feel different to our community about this year? What will feel the same?

DEBBIE: In some ways, this year feels like a return to usual: care for community, learning and growing together, and best of all, greeting students this fall without their smiles covered by masks. However, if we consider a return to the usual without also thinking about all we’ve learned in these last pandemic years, we’d be doing students a disservice. Knowing more about their mental health, recent research about working memory, considering the ways in which students have grown up in a different world means that we need to continue to challenge students while always assessing what is working best. It’s exciting and a little daunting, but all the best aspects of education are both.

RON: For the past few years all of us have spent so much time worrying about — and responding and reacting to — conditions that were largely out of our control. I hope this year can feel different in the ways we make a shared commitment to re-engage in more personal forms of relationship and community building.

What are your main goals for the year?

DEBBIE: I hope we rebuild and recognize the joy and opportunity of being part of an educational community. It’s those hallway and lunch table conversations that have been less frequent but so important, or the chance to collaborate and learn across divisions, and with and from students — especially, lower school students entering one single building!

RON: As usual, Debbie’s thoughts are so resonant with me. My goals this year are fundamentally about getting us

DAVID O’CONNOR

back to basics. Every day and in every way, I want to focus on our students and our faculty and on the deeply personal and essential relationships they forge in the classroom. I also look forward to reaffirming our partnership and connections with our families, and the work we do together to nurture and care for their children.

What excites you about your new roles? What scares you?

DEBBIE: Remaining responsive to the students in front of us while also committing to skill development and challenge feels like a lot — and also exciting. I’m also really excited by the synergy of connecting Luke’s, Jen’s, and Beth’s work, both geographically (in a shared office) and philosophically in recognizing the interconnectedness of DEI, Friends Ed, and health/wellness as integral to education.

My worries always center on two things; remembering names, and the anxiety of lunch on the first day of school. I have a recurring nightmare, each year, of a student who doesn’t eat lunch because they can’t find a place to sit. I always breathe easier when we reach 1:00pm on the first day.

RON: After nearly 30 years in education, half of which have been at Moses Brown, I’m most excited by the opportunities for learning and growth in my new role. As educators, the worst thing we do is become complacent. By embracing new challenges and opportunities, we remain connected to our students, and the mix of excitement and nervous energy that comes from being pushed out of your comfort

zone to learn something new. Any concerns I have come from the enormous sense of responsibility I feel for the care, belonging, and growth of each and every person in this community. It’s daunting to be responsible for the ongoing stewardship of a 238-year-old school, but I know I’m not alone and I won’t be afraid to ask for help!

What are specific moments from your tenure that, in your mind, typify MB?

DEBBIE: I have the privilege of being on stage for Commencement each year, and some favorite moments are those few seconds that each senior waits before climbing the steps to cross the stage. It’s a chance to look at each one and realize that they’re ready for what comes next — and in some cases, to think about what a long journey that’s been. Those visions and the messages at Baccalaureate never fail to inspire.

RON: My next most meaningful moment will happen in June, when in my new role I will hand every member of the Class of 2023 their diploma. Now in my 15th year at MB, I will have known some of those soon to be graduates since they were three years old in our nursery classroom, for the entirety of their educational experience. That moment will be very meaningful for me.

What are you reading now?

DEBBIE: I read primarily contemporary fiction in the summer. Jennifer Egan’s The Candy House has taken up lots of real estate in my brain this summer, and keeps me thinking about consciousness, technology, and human authenticity. And though I taught [Virginia Woolf’s] To the Lighthouse for a number of years, hearing it quoted in my niece’s wedding vows means I started rereading it; there are sentences in it so perfect that it makes me feel like an imposter putting words together. Reading in the summer, without watching a clock and ideally under an umbrella by some salt water, is about as good as it gets for me.

RON: I love history, so my reading list usually lends toward historical fiction and nonfiction. My two favorites this summer have

been The Moth and The Mountain by Ed Caesar and The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn. Caesar’s book is a fascinating true story of Maurice Wilson’s quixotic journey, flying solo from England to the Himalayas in the 1930’s in an ill-fated attempt to make a solo climb of Mt. Everest. Its pages are filled with lessons of the geopolitics of the time and all that can be accomplished with imagination, determination, and belief.

Quinn’s fictional account of the reallife Russian female sniper Lyudmila Pavlichenko (sorry, not a very Quakerly topic) offers a window into Pavlichenko’s incredible personal story and her unique role in building US support for opening a second front in WWII. It also sheds light on the unlikely relationship of two women — Pavlichenko and Eleanor Roosevelt — who remained friends for decades. MB

“I want to focus on our students and our faculty and on the deeply personal and essential relationships they forge in the classroom.”

– Ron Dalgliesh P’21 Interim Head of School

“It’s exciting and a little daunting but all the best aspects of education are both.”

– Debbie Phipps Assoc. Head of School

Members of our 2/7 classes and friends gathered on May 6 and 7, 2022, for Moses Brown’s first in-person Reunion since 2019.

Reunion 2022

Clockwise from top left: Middle House looked its finest for Reunion Weekend; Farhad Zaltash ’77, Darryl Wood ’77, Marcus Battle ’77, and Tim Judge ’78; Elizabeth Elder ’17 and Caroline Veale ’17; the Class of 1972 celebrating their 50th Reunion; alumni and student lacrosse players; the Class of 1982 enjoying a special dinner.

For more on Reunion Weekend, including photo galleries, visit mosesbrown.org/reunion.

Opening the Doc Odell Archives

T he Dr. King B. “Doc” Odell Archives and Reading Room was dedicated on Saturday, May 7, 2022, as part of Reunion Weekend. Doc is a beloved longtime teacher, coach, and archivist. He was able to visit with many friends and alumni at the event, treating the crowd to a classic speech just before the official dedication. On display was the first exhibit of this newly renovated space, which was curated by current students, Head of School Matt Glendinning, Rebecca Leuchak P ’04 ’09, Karin Morse ’79, and school librarian Anne Krive. Thank you to the members of the classes of ’64, ’65, and ’67 who raised funds for this great project. MB

TOP: JON CHASE ’64; OTHERS BY RYAN VEMMER

Clockwise from top left: alumni gather in the new Dr. King B. “Doc” Odell Archives and Reading Room; Doc surrounded by Karin Morse ’79 (left), Head of School Matt Glendinning, and numerous friends and alumni; MB Archivist Anne Krive P ’17 and Rebecca Leuchak P ’04 ’09, who helped spearhead and organize this project, stand in front of a case holding memorabilia; Charlie Wick ’67 and Chip Tucker ’67 peruse the vitrines of artifacts from the school’s history.

Alumni inducted into Hall of Fame

Six alumni athletes and the 1982 Boys’ Varsity Lacrosse team were inducted into the Hall of Fame as part of MB’s Reunion Weekend 2022.

Marcus Battle ’77, a high school track and field All-American and four-time All-State basketball player, he was a National Junior Olympic champion in the triple jump; current undefeated world champion in the triple jump in the Senior Games.

Dave Murphy ’91, All-SENE in both baseball and football, Dave went on to captain the Brown baseball team, where he had a career .500 batting average and was All-Ivy and All-New England.

Emily Abood ’07, a 12-season varsity athlete, she was a fourtime first-team All-SENE and AllState selection in lacrosse. She went on to play college lacrosse at Cal and was a two-time AllAcademic team selection.

Kristian Photopoulos ’92 was a two-time captain and three-time All-New England selection in lacrosse. He won two national championships at at Syracuse, where he was an All-American and team captain in his senior year.

George ‘Toby’ Price ’92 was an All-New England lacrosse player, a New England Champion in the shotput and captain of the football team. At Syracuse, he was an All-American, and won two national championships.

Sharon Hart Silveira ’97 earned 11 varsity letters at MB, in soccer, basketball, and softball, named MVP of the girls’ softball team all four years. She played college soccer at Pomona, setting the school assist record as a freshman.

1982 Boys’ Varsity Lacrosse team won the SENE League Championship with a 13-0 undefeated season, outscoring their opponents 220–65.

See full bios of these incredible athletes — and a list of all Hall of Fame inductees — at mosesbrown.org/alumni/halloffame

Three honored with MBAA Alumni Awards

Hyun Kim ’97

25th Reunion Achievement Award

Hyun is currently a COO for a UN global climate change initiative and is a 10-year veteran of the UN, working in peacekeeping, diplomacy, and counterterrorism issues, spending half of those years in the frontlines of conflict. Previous to this position, Hyun served for four years as a South Korean military officer, which included a tour in Iraq and missions in Afghanistan and Lebanon. He is also a member of the HarvardStanford Preventive Defense Project. Hyun — pictured above with Head of School Matt Glendinning and MBAA Clerk

Jason Engle ’98 P ’28 ’30 ’33 — attended MB from seventh to twelfth grades as a foreign student from South Korea.

BY DAVID O’CONNOR

KIM AND PAUL MAEDER

Paul Maeder ’72 Distinguished Alum Award

Paul Maeder is the chair, cofounder, and a general partner of Highland Capital Partners in Cambridge and Palo Alto. Since 1987, Highland has invested in more than 280 early stage enterprises. Paul was the chair of the National Venture Capital Association during the creation and passage of the JOBS Act and served on the SEC Advisory Committee on Small and Emerging Companies. He has been recognized by the Forbes Midas List as one of the top venture capitalists in the industry. Paul currently serves as board chair of 2U/Edx, and on the Board of Trustees of Princeton University. Pictured above with MBAA Clerk Dave Murphy ’91 P ’27 and Head of School Matt Glendinning, Paul attended Moses Brown for 13 happy years, graduating in 1972, where he served as captain of the sailing team and editor-inchief of The Quaker

Joyce Champlin Freeman P ’15

Faculty/Staff Member of the Year

Joyce has held the position of Head Athletic Trainer at Moses Brown since 1990. She is well-known to hundreds of MB alumni and student-athletes, noted for her care, compassion, and expertise; she focuses on not only taking care of injured athletes, but also the whole student. Joyce is a past president of the Rhode Island Athletic Trainers Association and was inducted into the Rhode Island Athletic Trainers Hall of Fame in 2020. Outside of MB, she worked for passage of the Rhode Island Concussion Bill, protecting athletes statewide, and helped MB become certified with the Safe School Sports Award. Joyce also is a considerable athlete in her own right, as an accomplished runner and triathlete.

Jason Engle ’98 becomes Clerk of MB Alumni Assoc.

We want to hear from you! Alumni interested in meeting with Jason or getting more involved should email Meghan Hansen, director of alumni programs, at mhansen@ mosesbrown.org.

Dave Murphy ’91 stepped down as clerk of the Moses Brown Alumni Association in June and passed the torch to Jason Engle ’98. The self-governing board for all MB alumni, the MBAA coordinates a range of events and experiences for alumni to stay connected with the school and each other.

“My experience as Clerk was nothing less than a wonderful opportunity to engage the MB community in a deeper and more meaningful way,” says Dave, who has joined the Moses Brown School Board of Trustees. “MB helped shape me and is having a similar impact on my own children’s lives. I am both honored and excited to serve the community and help guide MB through the current transition and the next chapter of MB’s story.”

Due to his professional experience as president of Contractors Supply Inc, Dave will serve as Clerk of the Grounds and Buildings committee.

Jason assumes the role of Clerk after 13 years on the MBAA, where he helped improve the awards selection process and assisted in planning all MBAA events around Providence, including the Quaker Classic Golf Outing and our fall reception. Jason is vice president of Little Kids, Inc., which is the #1 bubble toy company in the country and also produces other award winning toys; he and his wife, Jessica, are the parents of three Moses Brown students.

“As both an alum and current parent, I am excited and honored to represent the MB alumni community,” said Jason. “Moses Brown alumni are committed to the success of Moses Brown, and I look forward to increasing alumni participation within the school community.”

One of the ways Jason hopes to achieve this is encouraging alumni to stay actively engaged with the school. Whether it’s being a guest speaker in class, participating on MBAA committees, or supporting the Randall Bliss ’46 scholarship fund among others, there are so many ways alumni can give back and support MB. MB

2022–23

Alumni Association Board Members

Joana Ruano Ames ’10

Alexander L. Egan ’03

Jason S. Engle ’98, Clerk

Jazmine Estrada ’10, Clerk, Local and Awards Committee

Maggie Moran Ford ’08, Clerk, Communications Committee

Alexa Flinton Gold ’04

Katherine T. Gorgi ’08

Jane C. Knowles ’81, Recording Clerk

John B. Lewis ’09

John R. P. Pariseault ’97, Clerk, MB Connects Committee

Adam Joseph Pennacchio ’01

Mia Rotondi Puddington ’09, Asst. Clerk; Clerk, Nominating Committee

Jennifer Reavis ’13

Matthew John Romano ’14

Miles C. Rutter ’04

Bob Samors ’77, Clerk, National Committee

Omar Khalik Siddiqi ’91

Conal Smith ’06

Glenn S. Sparr ’85

Evan Tong ’97

David Vanech ’98, Treasurer

James Lewis Worrell ’85

Michael P. Yules ’10

Phil Zexter ’81

Dave Murphy ’91 and Jason Engle ’98

Karin Morse ’79 continues to make a difference

We’d love to hear from you! Alums are needed to enhance the MB experience for everyone — whether sharing your knowledge with students, volunteering with the arts and athletics, or more. Be in touch with either Karin or Meghan to get involved.

Karin Morse ’79 kmorse@ mosesbrown.org

Meghan Hansen P ’28 mhansen@ mosesbrown.org

F or almost four decades, Karin Morse ’79 has been a teacher, advisor, coach, Dean of Students, Director of Alumni Relations, and friend to generations of colleagues and alumni. Back in January, she took on a newly created position as Senior Alumni Engagement Officer and School Historian. This new position leverages Karin’s deep institutional knowledge and expansive alumni relationships, allowing her to focus on connecting with individual alumni. She will continue to be present in the work of the MBAA, including her longtime stewardship of the Hall of Fame Committee. And you will continue to see Karin at alumni events locally and around the country.

Another new dimension of her work involves partnering with Anne Krive P ’17, Director of Libraries, MS Librarian, and Archivist to make the MB archives more accessible to our community, finding more ways to share the innumerable treasures therein. (We got a sneak peek of this in the spring; see page 52 for more.)

In addition to her alumni and archives duties, Karin is in some ways coming full circle, once again growing her work with students. This year she is taking on expanded coaching duties, now leading both the boys’ and girls’ tennis programs. Last fall, Karin also returned to the classroom and is again teaching French in the Middle School this year. There is no doubt that Karin will continue to influence the lives of current and future alumni, as she’s done for more than 38 years.

This transition brings a new face to our community: Meghan Hansen P ’28, who will serve as our new Director of Alumni Programs. Meghan has a wealth of experience in the alumni relations field, having worked at Roger Williams University in Bristol, RI, for the last 17 years. We’re also excited that Meghan is taking on the role of MB parent, as her daughter joins our middle school. MB

Karin Morse ’79 is pictured above at the 2006 Reunion with Katie Karpowicz Young ’99, John Walsh ’96, Scott Young ’96, and Larry Tremblay.

“If my first weeks are any indication, the Moses Brown community is incredibly warm — both intentional and thoughtful.”

—Meghan Hansen P ’28 Director of Alumni Programs

Six parts of our new visual identity

Moses Brown has embraced a new visual identity as part of a holistic look at the words and images we use to represent ourselves. Keep an eye out for a few key elements as you see new applications this year.

1. Our new wordmark is our primary logo; through deep discussions with our community this past year, we determined we no longer wanted to be represented visually by a building or a Quaker figure. We use a typeface rooted in the classics but with an extra kick of personality. (Sound like any school you know?)

2. A new monogram gives us a nice secondary mark when we need to fit into smaller spaces. (We can totally picture a hat with this on it.)

3. A community with as much individuality as ours needs an expanded color palette to match! Blues remain our foundational colors, but we now have a library of more vibrant colors, too.

expressive expressive expressive

4. The typeface we’ve chosen can be both sophisticated and expressive — the perfect spectrum to represent a school like Moses Brown.

5. Loosely inspired by the concept of inner light, these distinctive shapes — there are more than two dozen of them! — are another way we can represent the individuality of our community.

6. We built elements that will work together in myriad ways — allowing us to convey the most appropriate feeling in our work.

Five Moses Brown icons retire

Five long-serving faculty and staff members retired at the end of the 21–22 school year: Bruce Shaw, Randy Street, Kristin Street, Tom Andrew, and Kevin Perry. “To me,” said Head of School Matt Glendinning in a community message last spring, “these five exemplify what it means to work at a school. Blessed with energy and creativity, they have worked tirelessly in support of children and their learning.

“Lifelong learners themselves, they are versatile, and they draw on an ever-growing set of skills and experiences. Their diverse passions and interests lead them to playing multiple roles within the community. And they are all empathetic and caring people who have invested themselves fully over the years in the growth of others and the institution as a whole. They leave big shoes to be filled, even as they have inspired others to walk in their footsteps.”

Bruce Shaw P ’99 ’02 ’06 came to MB in 1974 and has taught math, physics, computer science and served as set designer for many plays. Bruce is known for his versatility as an educator and willingness to step in when there is a need. Having worn a number of hats during his time here, including coaching track, rowing, and sailing, and serving as Chair of the Math and Performing Arts Departments, Dean of Students, Academic Dean and Acting Head of Upper School, his impact has been undeniable across our community.

Randy Street P ’97 ’05 ’06 joined MB in the fall of 1979. Teaching Woodshop to students across eight grades of their MB careers (K-7), Randy has had a profound and lasting impact on thousands of students. Countless alumni speak fondly of the evocative scent of wood that permeates the 120-year-old Three Oaks Studio, and recall in detail the various masterpieces created under Randy’s

tutelage, from spoons and bowls, to bug catchers, toolboxes, and benches. Teaching in general is hard work; teaching woodshop to children ages 5-13 is a small miracle. Randy must have eyes in the back of his head to be able to keep students organized, engaged and safe on a daily basis!

Kristin Street P ’97 ’05 ’06 came to MB in 1980 and has taught Photography, Painting, Sculpture, Book Arts, and many other subjects. A practicing artist herself, Kristin is the person chiefly responsible for preparing and hanging all the incredible student artwork on display in MB’s hallways and galleries (and for refreshing those displays on a regular basis). In the classroom, Kristin held an intentional pedagogy. Whether creating toys from scavenged electronics or designing and sewing new clothing for exhibition in a fashion show, Kristin’s students learn about form, function and

Bruce Shaw, Kevin Perry, Tom Andrew, Randy Street, and Kristin Street pose on May 2, 2022. These five have collectively contributed 189 years of service to Moses Brown!

aesthetics, and they develop collaborative problemsolving skills that will serve them well no matter what they choose to do after Moses Brown.

Since joining the faculty in 1987, Tom Andrew P ’96 ’99 has cared for and engaged with this community in numerous ways. In addition to teaching English courses such as Fiction into Film, Tom has served as Department Chair, Class Dean, Discipline Committee member and Secretary of MB’s chapter of the Cum Laude honor society. Tom has a deep passion for soccer, and coached at MB (which he did at the varsity and middle school levels for 30 years), traveled to the quadrennial World

Blessed with energy and creativity, they have worked tirelessly in support of children and their learning.

Cup tournament, and organized a team of MB faculty and staff to participate in Project Goal’s annual roundrobin. The fact that MB’s historic campus is now formally credentialed as an arboretum is entirely due to Tom’s commitment to environmental sustainability, and in sharing that passion with students Tom has championed a central tenet of Quakerism, stewardship.

Kevin Perry, our Plant Manager since 1997, has overseen a transformation of nearly the entire campus, including construction of interior roadways and parking lots, a fieldhouse addition, Ross House, the Operations building, and renovation of Bready and Hoffman houses. In more recent years, Kevin helped lead the construction of a new Head of School residence as well as the Woodman Center, the Y-Lab, the Gorgi Squash and Education Center, a new heating plant as well as the renovation of Jones Library, the Lower School, and many athletics facilities. It’s literally true that MB would not be the same place today without Kevin’s expert guidance over the years. MB

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Graduating the Class of 2022

While rainy weather led this year’s graduation to take place inside the Waughtel-Howe Field House, nothing could dampen the exuberant and resilient spirit of this enthusiastic graduating class, capping their MB experience in typical lively fashion.

Board Co-Clerks Reza Taleghani ’90 P ’21 ’23 and Jane Ritson-Parsons P ’17 ’21 kicked off the event offering wellwishes for the class. “This is the beginning. Be yourself, be authentic and go out in the world and do the incredible things we know you are capable of.”

The board of trustees also recognized Matt’s leadership through his 13 years at MB, making him an official member of the Class of 2022, complete with diploma.

2022 will be remembered as a spirited class that made the most of its time together, staging a fake prom, lighting up the Friends Hall deck with games of foursquare, and forging unexpected friendships and strong connections in a unique high school experience. Student Senate Co-President Ruby Howland ’22 counseled her classmates to “see yourself as important and value your place in the world.” The Class of 2022 has endured a pandemic and nationwide turmoil, still departing MB on a note of joy, remembered not only for their resilience but also their optimism. “I know wherever I go, I will never experience a community as dedicated and talented as this one,” said Zane Zaidi ’22.

Matt Glendinning, in his final MB Commencement, said that this year’s senior class will be remembered for their empathy, friendship, unity, and care for one another.

“I’m proud to be graduating with you all,” he said.

Dave Murphy ’91 P ’27, clerk of the MB Alumni Association, spoke to the strength of the MB community and the impact of faculty/coach mentors like Paul Donovan, encouraging the graduates to bring their own connections into the future.

And in an eloquent and humorous address, Dr. Molly Bliss ’86 shared some key life lessons and values, highlighting truth, Inner Light, and service, and encouraging students to take meaningful and needed action. “You have the tools to become caring and compassionate leaders,” she said. “Fight for the world you want to live in.” MB

DAVID O’CONNOR

Candids of the Class of 2022 at graduation; above right, Dr. Molly Bliss ’86 — leader and supervising physician for the school’s annual healthcare service trip to the Dominican Republic — gave the Commencement address.

DAVID O’CONNOR

In Memoriam

We

Kaki

George

George

Ralph

Jim

Ethel

Roy

Frank

Chris

Mark

Ray

John

Ralph

William

John

Marion

David

Mark

Justin

Hank

Class notes will return!