Mustard Seed Annual Report 2022-23

ANNUAL REPORT

2022 • 2023

Class Notes 14

Our Donors & Volunteers 16

"Being a parent in this beloved community has been such a source of joy on so many levels. Serving as a chaperon, I was given the opportunity to see our students walking in the world with curiosity and respect for their surroundings, caring for each other, and engaging deeply with docents at the museum and the exhibits we went to see. Afterwards, we made our way to a beautiful elevated pocket park for a surprise picnic and their delight was contagious. Volunteering with the school, you always seem to get so much more than you give and this day was no exception. I came home feeling more thankful for the school than when I'd left in the morning and just thinking back on this day makes me smile."

—Laurie Goldstein, Current Mustard Seed Parent

Dear Mustard Seed Families and Friends,

For the first time in many years, preschool teacher Kristen Jordan attended the Baccalaureate Dinner, listening with interest (and some tears) to the Class of 2023’s poised speeches to and about each other. "I taught Polly, Owen, Oliver, Ronan, Kalina, Matilda, and Baxter every day when they were preschool students. It was so lovely and moving to hear who they had become!" Stories like these fill me with a pride that is bittersweet. I am proud of the positive impact of our school on so many children’s lives, and like Ms. Jordan, find those Baccalaureate talks especially compelling. We are privileged to witness the power of a Mustard Seed education directly through the words of our students and families when they graduate.

Our feature article on Honorings, a long-standing tradition at Mustard Seed, is representative of the theme and purpose of the 2022-23 Annual Report. At the end of the school year, each student is gifted with a character trait, like brave or light-hearted or welcoming, and an assembly of stories shared by their teachers around that quality. For preschool students, this ceremony is held during morning worship surrounded by family and classmates. Morning worship is the place where preschool students hear Bible stories about God’s love and how others deal successfully as people of character with God’s help when faced with life’s challenges. It's the place where they are celebrated for their birthday and may try precursors to more formal public speaking training for the first time. It’s the place where they learn songs that enhance the music in their lives. Morning worship is the place where we intentionally tend to the heart of every student at Mustard Seed. The Honorings ceremony is just one component of that effort.

I would like to honor you, our donors and volunteers, supporters and sponsors, for all of the ways you give to Mustard Seed! Please enjoy this tribute to you and the work we have accomplished together.

With gratitude,

Abby Hall Choi Head of School

In the spring, fourth and fifth grade students visited the National Museum of the American Indian to heighten their STEAM study on Indigenous peoples and address the essential question: How can we better honor the cultural heritage of this land? Prior to the field trip, students used a map collection to learn the unique geographic characteristics of Indigenous cultural areas. They worked in groups to research the lives of indigenous people in specific cultural areas and the ways geography affected them. In art, they discussed color symbolism in contemporary Western culture and Native American culture, and learned bead weaving. The museum offered hands-on opportunities to explore many artifacts and Native innovations and technologies.

From the President of the Board of Trustees

Dear Mustard Seed Families and Friends,

Since its founding in 1979, the Mustard Seed School’s teachers, administration, and Trustees have committed to inspiring minds, cultivating hearts, and removing barriers for our students. The best manner to honor that commitment has been the driving force in the Board’s difficult deliberations on the sustainability of our school over the past few years. For me personally, the importance of that stewardship has weighed heavily.

This issue of the Annual Report shares an insider’s view of our Honoring Ceremony from the perspective of the students, the teachers, and the parents. Our longtime and beloved tradition of celebrating our students with the gift of a special word at the end of the year entails a perhaps surprising amount of time and thought on the part of our teachers. The word represents a distillation of the complexities of the whole child and the teachers’ love and aspirations for that child. For their part, students recognize the word as the precious gift from their teachers that it is, and cherish it. This practice is just one illustration of the child-centered intention, devotion, and invention that constitutes what is so special about our school.

Having served on the MSS Board since 2010 and being the proud parent of two MSS graduates, I see our merger with Hudson as our best avenue in preserving and advancing the essence of Mustard Seed. Please know that this decision was made after extensive study of all available options and a consideration of both the broad view and the individual students. Although Mustard Seed School will not retain its name under the integration plan, we believe The Hudson School shares many of the same values and goals for the development of the whole child. I, along with the Board and school administration, feel confident that our students will continue to grow into compassionate, responsible changemakers who are socially conscious and committed to lifelong learning and service with this merger.

I want to thank our donors, volunteers and supporters in the Mustard Seed community, and especially our teachers and current parents, for their initiative, understanding, and confidence. I join you in mourning the passing of Mustard Seed as a stand-alone school, but look forward to our future and our children's future with hope.

Warm regards,

Scott Rostan President, Board of Trustees

HONORINGS

You are tender with your friends. You offered comfort to a friend when she missed her mommy. You love connecting with others, eagerly sharing your joys and discoveries during activity time and at the park.

Creative, independent, delightful, diligent: These are some of the character qualities that sixth grade student Zoe Cassadayho has been gifted over her years at Mustard Seed Honoring Ceremonies.

“In preschool at my first Honoring Ceremony, I remember being surprised that my teachers would dedicate special time to think about my personality and tell me stories about myself,” says Zoe.

In first grade, many of Zoe’s friends were already jumping to the third bar on the monkey bars in the playground at Church Square Park. She felt bad that she still needed to ask her friends for help on the bar and in spotting her on the ground in case she fell. Then she remembered her special quality identified in preschool.

“I thought about my word, independent, and it made me feel stronger. I decided to really focus on my goal and practice. It took me a few days of trying my best, but I was finally able to jump to the third bar without any help!”

Keen observation, reflection, and record-keeping are key functions of the teacher in their role as facilitator in our Reggio-inspired classrooms. Teachers employ photos, videos, and journaling to document the learning processes, interests, and milestones of each individual student. They gather data from parents in listening conferences held at the beginning of each school year. All of that research comes into play in

their thinking about their students’ words and the accompanying stories.

Sometimes a thorough study of the student’s records presents an alignment that points to one distinct trait. At other times, the word comes first and a constellation of stories is arranged around the word. Teacher teams may spend weeks adjusting, assembling, and composing the detailed anecdotes that illustrate and support their decision.

Ideally, preschool teaching teams make a decision on words, particularly on advanced words, long before the ceremony. That timeline provides opportunities to use the word in context to ensure that the child has gained a thorough understanding of their word when they receive it. For preschool student Elliot, whose word was enthusiastic, teachers noted instances of his enthusiastic behavior in the classroom and the park verbally in the weeks leading up to his Honoring. By the time they read his description excerpted below, he possessed a deep comprehension of the word: 'You enthusiastically try out new words right away, even whispering new phrases and songs during quiet time. When you were the first child in the classroom one morning, you watched as the next children came in and you said, “I am first. I am gold. John is frankincense and Elaina is myrrh.”'

Kindergarten-Grade 8 students receive their words on a button with stories as part of commencement. For all students, capturing the

I thought about my word, independent, and it made me feel stronger. I decided to really focus on my goal and practice. It took me a few days of trying my best, but I was finally able to jump to the third bar without any help!

story of a child in a concise word and a few stories demonstrating that word is a true labor of love for teachers who have recorded stories all year and are considering the whole child in all of their complexity. The contemplative work on this project can take months.

“We really enjoy thinking about children in this way and want to get it right,” says preschool teacher Kristin Jordan. “We work hard to get it right!”

Why would teachers expend this much care and intention in preparation for one celebration? They know that for many students, the word becomes the child’s signifier for a host of

heroic qualities and an inner dialogue of their academic and social accomplishments that the child will now own. Zoe’s narrative of the monkey bars is not an isolated case. Individual reiterations of her story could be expressed by any number of Mustard Seed students and alumni.

In addition, some words actually commemorate a challenge that a student has met over the course of the year. For example, one child, whose word last June was brave, now sports a beaded bracelet every day to school with the word spelled out. Teachers honored her

Suzanne McEnrue, mother of three MSS alumni and grandmother to one current student, has never considered herself a sentimental collector. However, the buttons that Mustard Seed students receive at the end of the year have always held a treasured place in her heart.

"I'm not one of those parents who hold onto every memento, trophy, and school project that my children acquire. However, I have saved every single button that was given to each of my three children and I always know where they are," says Ms. McEnrue. "When I planned to attend my granddaughter's Honoring Ceremony, I knew I wanted to bring her mother's buttons. They were always so special to me because they vividly demonstrated how well the teachers at Mustard Seed knew my children and the quality of that relationship. The words were often indicative of not only who they were but also areas they may have struggled."

"Although I am longtime friends with many of the faculty and always appreciated the fact that the words captured my children's essence, I still do not think I realized the amount of time that teachers spend in making these decisions until attending my grandchild Maisie's Honoring Ceremony this year. The buttons are touching and meaningful for the student as well and gives them a sense of pride."

bravery with their choice and wanted to ensure that she remembered it too.

“Our hope for each child is that their word will become a part of their identity,” says Ms. Jordan.

For their part, students recognize the trait as a precious gift from their teacher. “You might expect to feel embarrassed with that much attention, but there is no sense of embarrassment,” says Zoe. “You know that everyone is so proud of you and that you will be true to the word because it has been chosen especially for you.”

The stories for preschool students are formatted into the form of a letter that is read to the child by their teachers during the presentation of a medallion. The presentation is made to three to four students at a time in a festive atmosphere during morning worship where the child is surrounded by their family. Always welcome to morning worship, siblings, grandparents, and extended family often plan to attend and celebrate on this significant day. If a child’s birthday falls in June, every effort will be made to schedule the presentation on their birthday.

For the Saint-Bess family, the Honoring Ceremony represented a profound moment for their son and a watershed experience for their family. Because Elijah is their first child and Mustard Seed is his first school, everything is new.

“My aunt has worked as a professional at a private school for many years so she has been

able to provide us with some guidance about what to expect at Mustard Seed,” says Nadege Saint-Bess. “But even she was not familiar with the concept of Honoring Ceremonies. We did not anticipate the positive impact it would have on our son.”

“We have been so impressed with the patience, kindness, and professionalism of his teachers. This is our only experience with a teacher and they are always pleasant and willing to answer any questions that we pose,” says Aiyetoro Saint-Bess. ”I’m so glad that we got to see Elijah’s reaction when his teachers read his letter. It took him a moment to register that their words were about him.”

“When the teachers gave us the exact word for his personality, I knew we were in the best place for our son,” says Ms. Saint-Bess. “I could tell, just from that letter, that my son is seen and acknowledged for who he is. Honoring someone and recognizing their contribution to the classroom so early in their academic career is such a beautiful tradition.”

Weeks after the presentation, Elijah said to his mother, “I know I am tenderhearted because I really care about people.”

“That comment demonstrates to me," says Ms. Saint-Bess, "that he had digested the information and understood it in a very fundamental way. He fully understood the word tenderhearted and why his teachers had given it to him.”

Our hope for each child is that their word will become a part of their identity.

CLASS OF 2023 Baccalaureate Dinner

MS. BRASSER: Hi Brent! Thanks for interviewing with me today. How did you decide to become a teacher?

MR. HARRIS: Good Morning, Becca! As a college student, I didn’t have much direction and after attempting a few majors made the choice of education based on my parents’ occupations. I found out pretty quickly that it was a really good alignment of my skills—genetically, it made a lot of sense. More than anything what has kept me teaching after going to school to become a teacher are the students, especially Middle School students. I find their energy and positivity to be contagious, and really fun to be around. What seemed like a random choice at the time has really been a good fit.

MS. B: What is your favorite subject?

MR. H: I really enjoy teaching language arts which is not a surprise since that was my major. I find that MS students are much better at writing than they think they are and tapping into their creativity energy before that the imagination phase in their life disappears is so delightful.

MS. B: You talk a lot about writing. Is there a particular reading experience that you recently had or book that you enjoy sharing with your students?

MR. H: There is a splendid book of poetry by Mary Oliver, A Thousand Mornings. I read it for the first time just before going on a

Face-to-Face

canoe trip in northern Ontario, which is one of my favorite places to be. Her poetry is all very nature-based, and I find reading about nature while being in nature makes me more intentional about my outdoor time. She has a very spiritual way of writing that I really enjoy and relate to a lot. I feel more connected with nature and with God as a result of that. At the beginning of the school year after the trip, I suggested the book to some of students in place of one of their Responsive Reading essays. I invited them to write in the margins of my book in a unique color of pen as they read the poems. That’s a book that I bring with me every time I go on a trip in nature. It’s so beautiful to reread the poems and see the thoughts of the 10–12 students along the way. It also reminds me of certain students that I’ve had through the years and seeing their thoughts in the margins makes me really proud of them.

MS. B: You are organizing a literary dinner party with your favorite authors, living and dead. Who would you invite?

MR. H: There are so many. Mary Oliver would have to be one; Kurt Vonnegut who wrote Slaughterhouse Five, has this unique and playful writing style and the third one would have to be Tolkien, a creative marvel. I have always loved his world-building. It would be fun to see all of these people interact: one inspired by the real world and nature, another inspired by creating his own world and then Kurt is so funny. There are

others, but those would be three would be on the short list.

MS. B: What are some ways that you keep your students engaged and motivated? How does that help them become changemakers and self-directed learners?

MR. H: One of the most important things for a Middle Schooler is to feel comfortable in their own skin; to be confident in themselves and who they are. So a huge role that a Middle School teacher plays in the life of MS student is affirming them and making them feel confident—that is something to which I aspire—affirming students to be themselves even if they might think compared to the ideal of the cool, popular preteen or young teenagers they don’t feel like they are up to snuff. Helping to make them feel that sense of confidence in who they are is an extremely important part of the process. It could be considered one of the base layers for all the other things. Flourishing can only happen if there is a certain layer of comfortability that a child has and then the engagement comes after that is already established.

Priority one is that the classroom is a place where students can feel comfortable enough to show their true selves to their peers and their teachers.

MS. B: Going back to literature and Mary Oliver, is poetry your favorite genre of literature?

MR. H: Poetry has become one of my favorites in the last handful of years. For a

A Cross Interview Between Sixth Grade Head Teacher Brent Harris & First Head Teacher Becca Brasser

long time, I found it to be terribly boring but once I found a certain kind that I really liked I changed my viewpoint. My favorite genre is definitely science fiction and has been since Middle School science class. My go-to are: scifi books, scifi movies, and scifi tv shows. I guess thinking about the not-so-distance future must be something that clicks with me.

***

MR. H: Why did you become a teacher?

MS. B: Like you Brent, many of my family members are teachers and I actually actively resisted being a teacher for a long time. I said I wanted to not be a teacher because my mom was a teacher, my brother was going to be a teacher and all of my aunts and uncles were either teachers or pastors. I said I want to do something different. I was going to be an archaeologist or something far-fetched. There came a day I remember coming home from college and saying, “I’m going to be a teacher." Something just occurred to me: I can’t escape this. It was what I was called to do and be and I can’t help it. I’m just going to have to do it!

I think it probably had something to do with the fact that I thought history classes in college were boring. They were not interactive at all and in order to get to the archaeologist place, there would be a lot of history classes. No, I need to be more involved in hands-on life in the world. I just knew that teaching was what I wanted to do. I’d had some stints as a camp counselor and babysitter and things like that and I was really good at it. I was always really good at connecting with kids and making them feel understood.

MR. H: That goes for any grade really, but definitely first grade. In your mind, what makes Mustard Seed special?

MS. B: So many things: It’s hard to describe and when someone asks why I’ve taught here for 20+ years, there are many right answers. It feels like home and it felt like home from the first time I came to school before I interviewed here. Cindy Kuperus was my third grade teacher in Grand Rapids so when I was in college during one of my spring breaks, I came here and volunteered in her classroom. I thought, "This is where I want to teach." (By that point I had accepted that I was going to be a teacher!)

The combination of the independence of the students and the artistry that they are encouraged to pursue, the community feel, the diversity: There are so many things that are special about Mustard Seed that combine to make a place that I’ve never seen anywhere else. The faith aspect permeating through it: It was a kind of faith that I could really latch onto. Because at that point when I graduated from college, I was starting to think, "What do I truly believe for myself?" Mustard Seed gave me the place to think about what was important to me.

MR. H: How do you prepare your students to be changemakers at such a young age?

MS. B: The classroom is always new enough to be a challenge. In some sense, you teach a curriculum, but most of the time what you are teaching are the children. Because the children change every year, how you teach changes. The surprising part is always how much there is to learn. Every year you have to learn personalities.

MR. H: What is your ideal reading experience and what is the last great book you read?

MS. B: I often find myself reading for comfort which means rereading favorites. I probably read every Jane Austen book at least once a year. If I want to read before bed or waiting for the bus, I’ll just be able to count on that collection of stories. Opening one of her books on my phone is like going out for coffee with someone from college, I haven't seen you in ten years but it’s like we never left off having a conversation because I know the book so well.

The last new book I read recently, I Thought You Said This Would Work, is a road trip book. Besides Jane Austen, I really like travel books, novels and memoirs that are set on the road.

MR. H: In the New York Times Book Review tradition: Dinner party, dead or alive authors, who would you invite?

First grade students come to school ready to figure out who they are and they need help figuring that out. Because so many things that grown-ups tell children are about corrections. They don’t often hear that what they do is good and right.

MS. B: It has a lot to do with how they interact with each other in the classroom. They can’t look out of their school community until they’ve mastered the interpersonal skills inside the classroom. Otherwise, it's just being moved by pity. You say we’re collecting baby food or doing something for others—that puts us in a transactional power position until students realize that everybody has things that they need and everybody has things that they can give. Those are the lessons that happen in the classroom, much more of a give and take and caring for each other.

MR. H: In your 21 years of teaching what has surprised you the most?

MS. B: I would ask Dr. Becky Kennedy, author of Good Inside, a parenting book on how to be a parent that always makes the most generous interpretation of their children’s behavior without assuming that they are being naughty or defiant; Jane Austen, great social commentary and very progressive while being exactly appropriate for her time, and from very different perspective, Malcolm Gladwell. He thinks a lot about patterns, tells a lot of interesting anecdotes and draws conclusions from them. There is a lot of truth and wonder in what he notices about the world. That would be my party.

MR. H: Sounds like a bash!

The MET

Middle School students visited The Metropolitan Museum of the Arts with a focus on the American Wing, the Egyptian galleries, and the Afrofuturist Period Room.

Recognizing the intrinsic value of the arts in expanding and enriching the inner lives of our students, Mustard Seed places a high priority on traveling to the many world-class arts institutions and museums in our area. On a spring field trip to The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Middle School students were scheduled to spend a third of their allotted time exploring the collection in The American Wing, surrounded and inspired by John Singer Sargent portraits including Madame X, Emanuel Leutze’s monumental Washington Crossing the Delaware , and sculpture by Augustus Saint-Gaudens. For some students who may be experiencing The MET for the first time, this wing provided a direct viewing of familiar masterpieces.

The MET also offers fertile ground for the study of history and culture in line with our interdisciplinary practice at Mustard Seed. In an attempt to absorb as much as possible, students were encouraged to pause in the Hall of Arms and Armor before proceeding on their expedition to Egypt. Through the galleries, they explored authentic artifacts and art such as early civilization tools, displays of mummies and their accompanying funerary objects, and valuable jewelry to complete worksheets on ancient history. This adventure culminated dramatically at the threshold of The Temple of Dendur, the only complete Egyptian temple in the Western Hemisphere in an environment intentionally designed to house it.

For the final third of their visit, students entered the Before Yesterday We Could Fly: An Afrofuturist Period Room installation to support their study for Black History Month. This exhibit presents an important portrait of Andrea Motley Crabtree, the first woman and the first Black woman to serve as a deep-sea diver in the U.S. Army. However, the majority of the space is occupied by a reimagining of a traditional period room in the style of a Seneca Hill resident. The room, curated by a creative team led by an Oscar-winning production designer, juxtaposes historic objects with pieces from modern artists. Employing an intentional eye on every detail from the wallpaper to the coffee cups, the installation’s collection is an effort to address the narrative of American racism by drawing on a dark time in New York City's Central Park's history.

In addition to acting as an introduction to the museum, this field trip prompted multiple opportunities for students to investigate classroom topics at greater depth. By approaching intriguing and sometimes difficult subjects through an artist’s lens, students were asked to cross boundaries, to make connections between disciplines, and to draw inferences about the interrelationships of ideas.

“Although there is a limit in the amount of material that may be covered in one day, my hope is that after the field trip, students will feel excited and comfortable about planning future visits on their own.”

—Ms. Buckley

Class Notes Young Alumni Give Back

WILL SYTSMA,  19

SHUBHI JHA,  19

Will and Shubhi visited MSS campus for the Eighth Grade Breakfast providing recommendations and encouragement to the Class of 2023. They advised the students to think of high school as "a lot like middle school but with a vaster expanse of options." The two spoke to the class about being unafraid to try and risk failing at new things like clubs.

After meeting at Mustard Seed in third grade, Will and Shubhi became good friends in Middle School and remained so even while attending different high schools. Will was accepted to The Hudson School while Shuhbi enrolled at Trinity School in Manhattan. Four years later, the two childhood friends found themselves headed to the same city for college this fall and plan to meet up at least once a month. Will is involved in two student organizations at American University in DC—AWOL, the investigative journal, and the student government elections commission. Shubhi is attending The George Washington University and has already been given a tour by Will on his campus.

BRYNN WALLNER,  04

Brynn, who is based in New York City and travels internationally for her business, Dimepiece, spoke on campus to several classes about math for I Math Day.

“At Mustard Seed, you learn to seek and recognize the goodness and beauty in the world. I am not a religious person, but I do consider myself to be a spiritual being. As a child In worship, I heard stories about the struggle between good and evil. Rather than brushing complex issues under the rug, I considered difficult philosophical questions along with my Mustard Seed peers at a very young age. What is the value of being kind to your neighbor? Jesus was kind to the lepers and modeled behavior for my current encounters with the unhoused in my neighborhood.

You learn to be gracious. Even with the small sample size of 15 students in my class, there was tremendous diversity that I would not have experienced in the suburbs. You go to school with all walks of life and it teaches you to nurture a curiosity about others and become a good listener. Making new friends is easy for me because I feel like I can get along with everyone. The key to life is to have an open heart. If you can hold onto that premise, it will carry you into adulthood.”— Brynn

JETTE FRANQUI,  19

Jette joined Team Manager Cara Hilton, Head Coach Tim Hilton and Assistant Coaches Rachel and Godfrey Chan in coaching the 2022-23 Rebels to the Final Four!

"I think it speaks volumes to note Jette’s heading as a 'high school student volunteer' as an 'alumnus' to point out the many ways that we (as a school) value leadership from older student role models (similar to the 'reading buddies' across the grades) and mainly that MSS has a long legacy; in other words, alumni willingly return and re-engage, and volunteer their time."—Cara

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Soma and Bradley Rench

Mary Laura and Cesar Reyes

Margaret and Tony Rich

Claire Meyer-Rokita, '04 and Mark Rokita

Anthony L. Romano Jr.

Stephanie and Scott Rostan

Mary Vidal and David Russo

Lila Russo

Nadege and Aiyetoro Saint-Bess

Cynthia Sanford

Serena Saw

Catherine Scanlon

Jocelyn and Eugene Schmidt

Lynn and Bret Schundler

Katherine and Stephen Scott

Martha Zapantiotis and Chris Sevastakis

Catherine and Thane Sheetz

Lyubov Shklovskaya

Jessica Smith

Garey Lea and Robert T. Smith

Zoë Snow

Lexi and Nathaniel Solder

Theresa Gambacorta and Jason Stahl

Marybeth Strobel and Gordon Stamplis

Dolores and Peter Steenland

Jackie and Jeff Streelman

Kate Streelman

Sarah and William Streeter

Ashley Sweeney, '05

Stacy Sweeney, '07

Julia and Bill Sytsma

Emily and David Sytsma

Ann and William Sytsma

Lillian Meyer Taylor, '04 and Sean Taylor

Larry Thomas

The Rev. Dr. Elaine and Tim Thomas

Jane and Harry Thomasma

Rachel and Dave Thompson

Colleen and Burak Tirtirian

Sheri and Cliff Turner

Quinta Urrutia

Don Valdez

Sandy and Mark van der Pluym

Nancy Van Epps

Kristen and Conner Van Pevenage

Betty Van Someren

Marilyn Vanden Handel

Shelley and Bill Vander Meulen

Nathalae and Orlando Velez, '94

Ashley Horne and Erasmia Voukelatos

Ethel and Louis Wallinga

Brynn Wallner, '04

Maria Master and Scott Wallner

Heather Welesko

Robert Westveer

Paul Whelan

Dana and Paul Whelan

Barbara Wiesner

Angelina Larita Wiley and Jesse Wiley

Christina Richards and Catherine W illiams

Kelly Eads and Matthew Wilson

Claire and Nicholas Wolterstorff

Shizuko and Hisami Yokomizo

Sarah and Michael Zoch

Businesses, Churches, Foundations, & Matching Gifts

AARP

Allianz Global Bank of America

Bounce Market

Brookfield Asset Management

Barlow Chevrolet

Carnegie Diner & Café

ConnectOne Bank

Eastern Christian High School

Facebook

Finnegan's Pub

First Christian Reformed Church

The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation

Haven Savings and Loan Assn.

Hoboken Orthodontics

Hoboken Wise Vision and Hearing

Irvin Simon Photographers

Loyola School

Merck

Morgan Stanley

NewVanden Bos, LLP

Saint Elizabeth's Church

Saint Paul's Lutheran Church

Saint Peter’s Prep

The Chicago Community Trust

The Presbyterian Church in Leonia

The Turrell Fund UBS

In Honorem

In honor of Terry Battaglia

Mary Laura and Cesar Reyes

In honor of Sossi Essajanian

Mary Lou Essajanian

In honor of Jan Gallagher

Billie Peterson

Bonnie Erickson

Edward Fosse

Virginia Fosse

In honor of Cindy Kuperus

Henriet and Jim Meyers

In honor of Claire Litman, '31

Emily Litman, '89

In honor of Joan Litman

Margaret Lukens and Joe Corkery

Ashley Horne and Erasmia Voukelatos

In honor of Larry Litman

Silvia Gosnell

In honor of George McHugh, '25

Nina Napolitano

Patricia and John McHugh

In honor of Shanna Pargellis

Terry Battaglia

Jane and Harry Thomasma

Ashley Horne and Erasmia Voukelatos

In honor of Mary Vidal

Lyubov Shklovskayar

In Memoriam

In memory of Al Battaglia

Terry Battaglia

In memory of Kitty Falk

Catherine Galvin and Deb Ghatak

In memory of John Feury

Joan Allman and David Bates

Suzanne and James McEnrue

In memory of Randy Sanford

Cynthia Sanford

Families Volunteer Their Time & Expertise

In the 2022-23 school year, groups of Mustard Seed family volunteers organized to play new and expanded roles with major positive impact on the life of the school.

connectivity

parents and the school commu-

PA strives to build community and supports the staff of Mustard Seed in their pursuits of the mission. 1. We care for the Mustard Seed Community. 2. We serve as a resource to the school and champion the mission of MSS. 3. We have fun and cultivate a joyful community within our neighborhoods.

In addition to the many planning meetings with Head of School Abby Hall Choi, the Parent Association also convened with the Grassroots Marketing Committee and developed a survey for the greater MSS parent community to determine the details of this fledgling association. In 2023 before and after the merger announcement, they hosted several social events in the park for families.

While the Parent Association planning group formulated a long-term vehicle for the Mustard Seed version of formalized parent participation, the Grassroots Marketing Committee brainstormed social media efforts and in-person events that would generate excitement and belonging around the school in the short term. They collaborated with the Rebels coaching team, and Ms. Mauldin and the PROS to create a Sidewalk Spirit Tunnel commemorating the basketball team's placement in the Final Four.

Samantha Mackenzie (pictured with daughter Adeline, '32), Jen Lowney and Monica McEnrue, '99 joined to form MSS' nascent Parent Association with the Mission Statement: The MSS parent association creates greater

between

nity. The

In their efforts to continue to build school spirit, the Grassroots Marketing Committee held a fabulous Moms Go Out cocktail and painting event at ArteVino in Hoboken as well as supported the traditional Family Camping held at the end of the year.

“I wanted us to create a special event for MSS moms to get to know each other socially and to connect to build a strong relationship in the Community,” says Karla Jimenez. The Committee gauged interest and appropriate price points with a survey and then planned the event based on that feedback.

422 Willow Avenue

Hoboken, NJ 07030

201. 653. 5548

mustardseedschool.org

To celebrate their mastery of the alphabet, the Kindergarten class collaborate to write, illustrate, and publish a themed alphabet book every year. This work culminates in a presentation where each child proudly speaks a line about their letter (and sometimes two letters!) in front of the Mustard Seed community followed by a party with family and friends. A copy of their book resides in the classroom for viewing later.