Acorn - Spring/Summer 2022

North Shore Country Day

· Spring/Summer 2022

in this issue

a c o r n · Spring/Summer 2022

features 4 College Counseling 8 Film Producer Joanne Golden ’74

depa r t men t s 2

Tom Flemma Head of School

HEAD’S LETTER

10

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

11

DISTINGUISHED GUESTS

14

EVENTS

18

FA C U LT Y

21

BOOK REVIEWS

22

LIVE AND SERVE

27

S AV E T H E D AT E

28

VISUAL ARTS

30

PERFORMING ARTS

32

AT H L E T I C S

34

P H O T O S F R O M O U R PA S T

36

ALUMNI CONNECTIONS

38

IN MEMORIAM

40

CLASS NOTES

45

ALUMNI REFLECTION

Molly Ingram McDowell ’80 Director of Development mmcdowell@ nscds.org

On the front cover Photo illustration by iStock.com/Sadeugra

Tracie Frederick

Opposite page Artwork by Sahana Bhattal ’31

SPRING/SUMMER 2022 The Acorn is published by the Marketing and Communications Department of North Shore Country Day for alumni, parents, grandparents and friends. Its goal is to connect our school community, celebrate recent accomplishments and capture the essence of life and learning at NSCD.

Communications Associate, Co-Editor cwachter@nscds.org

Nancy Green Whiteman ’71 Director of Alumni Relations nwhiteman@ nscds.org

North Shore Country Day

Jay Young

310 Green Bay Road

Communications Associate jyoung@nscds.org

Photographers Jay Young Tura Cottingham Christine Wachter

Winnetka, Illinois 60093 847.446.0674

Tura Cottingham Director of Marketing & Communications, Co-Editor tcottingham@ nscds.org Christine Wachter

Senior Associate Director of Development tfrederick@ nscds.org

Margaret Ringia Hart Design, margaretringiahart.com Graphic Arts Studio Printing, www.gasink.net

On the back cover College Counselor Sharon Cooper and Andy Meyer ’00 If you know more about this photo or any of the other archival photos in this issue, please call the Alumni office at 847.441.3316 or send an email to alumni@nscds.org

1

2

3

5

8 2

4

6

7

9

h e a d’s l e t t e r

Continuing to evolve, innovate and grow

Reading through these pages of the Acorn, I understand the combination of fatigue and exhilaration I am feeling at the end of June. It was a busy year! What you see in this issue are highlights—special events and achievements—that are markers of the school year. Each of these is the culmination of a tremendous amount of effort by teachers, students, staff and administrators. As they say, it takes a lot of work to make something look easy.

In this COVID era, that’s doubly true.

When your normal routines and processes have to be re-imagined, the background effort that it takes to pull off even the most routine events is markedly greater.

That’s why I believe that these packed pages ref lect not only a “normal,” busy school year, but a triumphant one. The return of such critical milestones as the Homecoming Pep Rally, Susan Marshall Concert, Interim Week, Hot Chocolate House, Dunk Alz, Service/Community Engagement Week, Grandparents Day and many others signals significant progress toward the regular rhythm of the school year. To be able to have the annual Benefit back on campus, in person, was a real boost in the dark days of February.

With so much dislocation and turmoil in the world, providing structure and regularity for students is a worthy achievement in itself. But to go beyond—to welcome parents and grandparents, speakers and artists back to campus—means that the full richness of the NSCD curriculum returns as well. These are the things

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

College Counseling Boot Camp Interim Week Buddy Day Second Grade Reader’s Theater Dunk Alzheimer’s Middle School Field Day College Counseling Boot Camp Morning Ex Director of College Counseling and Institutional Research Kristen Kaczynski

that amplify and deepen the learning that happens in the classroom, court, studio and stage, and strengthens the community connection that is a hallmark of our school. It was another hard year of school, but what a relief and privilege to do it so well thanks to the work of so many.

Throughout these pages you’ll also see that even during the pandemic, we have continued to evolve and innovate and grow.

Our faculty and staff took advantage of many opportunities for professional development, and brought their new insights and techniques back to their classrooms, offices and teams.

Some of this work was in support of the institutional priorities we identified early in the year—the STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, mathematics) and EDI (equity, diversity and inclusion) curricula. Both of these areas of emphasis will strengthen and deepen our work in these critical areas of 21st century learning.

New opportunities such as Invention Convention and FIRST LEGO League join our long-standing Science Olympiad program and growing club opportunities as ways for students to explore their interests and develop their STEAM skills. A new partnership with The Garage at Northwestern University allowed us to offer a new entrepreneurship class.

Outside speakers such as Britt Hawthorne engaged students and teachers across the entire school in conversations around EDI, supporting the work already occurring in advisory groups, grade level meetings and classrooms around these crucial topics. Faculty and staff across the school have worked to build substantive programming. In addition, several parent programs this year, led by Director of Equity, Inclusion and Community Engagement Lauren Collins, brought parents into these conversations.

These two topics both support the continued development of the NSCD skills curriculum—our central academic priority. This ongoing effort to align and

assess the core skills we teach at NSCD JK-12 will continue to help highlight the things we do best.

They are also things that have been crucial throughout the school’s history, and that you see amply illustrated in the examples of Joanne Golden ’70 and Thandi Steele ’18.

To me, their testimonials show the true power of a North Shore education. More than the ability to recall a date or solve an equation, NSCD provides the skills and confidence to adapt and grow, solve challenges and confront ambiguity. Whether that was Joanne tackling the television and film industry, or Thandi conquering college and feeling amazingly well-prepared for what comes next—both credit their teachers and the program at NSCD for their readiness and, as Thandi said, “fearlessness.”

Which leads me finally to the subject of our cover story on college counseling. It’s a topic that is much in the news these days, with the miniscule acceptance rate and bad actors getting most of the press. Well, the story we tell here, the story of what I consider to be one of the best college counseling programs in the nation, is one where NSCD students and families get phenomenal support, navigate a tricky process while learning as much about themselves as colleges, and achieve wonderful outcomes. I hope you see in this description of our college process what I see every day—and experienced this year as the parent of a senior: an exemplar of intentional design and a commitment that every graduate finds a college or university where they will thrive.

All of this—the planning, the delivery, the daily classes and the strategic initiatives—would not be possible without the tireless efforts of our faculty, staff and administration, the partnership of our parents, the talent of our students, and the ongoing support of our alumni and friends. Thank you.

—Tom Flemma, Head of School

a c o r n · Spring/Summer 2022

3

COLLEGE COUNSELING At North Shore Country Day, the college counseling department provides individualized support for students and their families every step of the way

feature

C

hoosing a college is one of the biggest decisions a high school student has to make. Luckily, at North Shore Country Day, the college counseling department is available to provide individualized support for students and their families every step of the way—from the initial research phase to figuring out financial aid once students have been accepted, and everything in between.

Our college counseling structure is unique and powerful. NSCD has two college counselors who work with all students and their families throughout their time in upper school to help make academic and co-curricular choices.

However, the college search truly takes off in November of junior year.

Following a “College Night” workshop, both counselors begin to meet with each student to get to know them and build a rapport. And while some schools limit the number of visits to the college counseling office, NSCD students can schedule as many meetings as they need, as often as they want throughout the year.

Both parents and alums agree that having unlimited access to the college counselors goes a long way in easing the anxiety in what can sometimes be a stressful process. Katie Devereux, parent of Maeve ’21, Mac ’23 and Quinn ’25, recalled when her eldest was in the thick of her college search.

“I think Maeve was in there every day,” she said. “Any question she had, any thought that popped into her head, she could just walk right in and ask. They were so knowledgeable about the process and they know the students so well on such an individual level. It really goes a long way in keeping kids’ anxiety levels down.”

The college counselors serve as advisors and advocates, empowering students to drive their own college search as well as develop vital decision making and communication skills.

“It’s a developmental process that allows them to build on the skills they’re learning as students at North Shore,” explained Director of College Counseling and Institutional Research Kristen Kaczynski. “So they are not just applying to college—they’re also learning to be better writers, better communicators, better self-advocates. They’re learning decisionmaking skills. The counselors and parents are here to serve in supporting roles.”

In January of the junior year, the counselors meet with students and their families to discuss their interests and find out more about what they are looking for in a college. Based on that conversation, the counselors suggest colleges for the student to research. Then students continue to meet with the counselors throughout the spring of junior year to develop a list of

places where they will eventually apply.

Regular access to two college counselors is a hallmark of NSCD's approach.

Rachel Olatunji ’21, who just completed her first year at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, said the school was not on her original top 10 list when she started researching colleges. But the more she dug into the resources that were available to her, the more she realized it might be a good fit.

They are not just applying to college— they’re also learning to be better writers, better communicators, better self-advocates.”

KRISTEN KACZYNSKI Director of College Counseling and Institutional Research

“I knew I wanted to go to an elite college that also had a sports culture,” explained Rachel, who was an Iron Raider at NSCD, playing three seasons of sports for all four years of upper school. “But what really drew me was the major I’m now in— human and organizational development— which isn’t available in many other

a c o r n · Spring/Summer 2022

5

feature through five different applications and made us decide who we would admit, deny or put on the waitlist. We talked about all the reasons why, and then our admission rep told us what they look for. It gave us a solid understanding of how colleges The boot camp is view applications—what’s important and what’s not—and it was really helpful and amazing. They had insightful to be able to see first-hand how us go through five the process works.” different applications For the next two days, the students and made us decide who work on their Common Applications, we would admit, deny participate in mock interviews, brainstorm or put on the waitlist. essay ideas and begin writing their essays.

They also attend sessions on athletic KATIE DEVEREUX, parent of recruiting, learn about building portfolios Maeve ’21, Mac ’23 and Quinn ’25 and go through case studies where they learn the do’s and don’ts of filling out their college applications.

In June, the rising seniors and their This year, there was a mix of new and families participate in the NSCD College returning college representatives on the Counseling Boot Camp. A rite of passage boot camp faculty: Greg Moyer, Dickinson for the past 14 years, boot camp provides College; Charles Cammack, University students an opportunity to learn more of Miami; Carol Lin-Murphy, University about the college application review proof Chicago; Santiago Ybarra, Pitzer cess directly from college admission repreCollege; and Kathleen Pipala, University sentatives, and begin to apply that of Rochester. This level of access to admisknowledge to their own applications. sion officers is unheard of at most other Strategically scheduled for the very first high schools and is a distinguishing days of summer break, boot camp sends feature of NSCD’s process. students off into the summer with all “NSCD dedicates significant resources, the tools they need to begin work on both human and financial, to college their applications, returning to school counseling,” Kristen said. “The boot camp in August with significant portions gives families insight into the college already complete. process in a really individualized way.

The three-day program kicks off with And while it’s free to our students, it’s a session for parents, which gives them a very intensive and sends them off into chance to ask questions of the five college the summer with a good picture of what admission representatives who comprise they need to get accomplished.” the boot camp faculty and go through a Greg Moyer, assistant vice president for case study exercise that illuminates the enrollment and director of admissions complexity of the admission process recruitment at Dickinson, has been on the from the college side. faculty of NSCD’s boot camp since its early “The boot camp is amazing,” said Katie, days.

In all his travels, visiting schools who just completed her second round in from California to New Jersey and June with her son Mac. “They had us go schools. I describe it as the people side of business. It’s very interdisciplinary and provides me with skills that I can apply to many different areas in the future.”

everything in between, he says he’s never seen another program quite like it “North Shore’s college counseling team is so good at what they do,” Greg said. “It takes a lot of effort to be able to pull off a program like this, and it’s a real testament to North Shore that representatives from such a diverse group of colleges would be willing to take the time out to do this during the month of June. They’re able to attract some high-profile schools as a result of North Shore’s reputation and the relationships the college counselors and administrators have built.”

When the students return in the fall, the college counselors again work individually with students on essay revisions and paperwork so they can submit their applications. They also host representatives from as many as 150 colleges for oncampus information sessions. Essentially every day in September and October, during almost every class period, seniors have the chance to talk with these reps in small groups, or sometimes individually.

“It’s nice to be able to meet the person who’s reading your application,” explained outgoing Associate Director of College Counseling Lizzy Giffen. “Students can ask them questions, and Kristen and I sit in on the meetings to help build relationships and support our students, but also to keep up-to-date on all the colleges.”

And what is the outcome of all this individual support? When college admission officers visit NSCD, several things stand out about our students.

First, they rave about what good writers they are—a testament to the strength of the English department, and something that also illustrates the importance of collaborative learning and interdisciplinary work.

“One of the things we’ve heard for years is that our students are far ahead of their

peers in their writing skills,” Kristen explained. “So they can write a good English paper, but they also know how to write a lab report for their science classes and how to work with primary documents for their history classes. Regardless of what field they might be going into, the way they communicate stands out.”

These skills are honed in classes like advanced open research, where students can dig deep into topics that interest them, or the open entrepreneurship lab, piloted in the fall of 2021 in partnership with The Garage at Northwestern University to give students an opportunity to bring their entrepreneurial ideas to life.

Because of these experiences, NSCD students tend to think more creatively about how they want to approach their studies in college. “They’ve already had a chance to test out college-level thinking in a safe, high school appropriate way,” Kristen explained. “Admission officers are impressed that our students produce such self-directed work at the high school level, and they’re given the resources and tools they need. If there’s a student who has the interest and the drive to do something, they tend to be really well supported by the school to make it happen.”

North Shore helped give me the confidence to participate in things outside of school. And I knew that experience would help me stand out.”

One of the biggest advantages of a small school like NSCD are the relationships. Just as each student is known by their teachers, students get the opportunity to get to know other adults in The extracurriculars the school community. and activities section of “North Shore students are creative and my college applications collaborative thinkers,” Greg said.

“They're ambitious, they’re smart, they’re was one of the things engaged—but they also care about their I felt very proud of. community and come with such a refreshRACHEL OLATUNJI ’21, ing, open mind to the process. That makes Rising sophomore at Vanderbilt a difference. ” Admission officers often University, Nashville take note of how poised and confident NSCD students are. And they’re not afraid to talk to adults and advocate for themAnother thing that stands out about selves. It’s something that they’ve pracNSCD’s program is the way arts and ticed over their entire school career. athletics are integrated into every stu“When we talk to our students who are dent’s high school experience. While it’s now in college, what we hear most often is not uncommon to have some kind of aththat they felt incredibly well-prepared to letic requirement, most schools do not engage with their professors,” Kristen said. require students to perform onstage in a “They’re not afraid to go to office hours play—something that pulls many teenagor to ask questions. And because of the ers out of their comfort zone and gives relationships they’ve forged with their them confidence to be able to speak in teachers here at North Shore, they’re able front of a crowd. to transfer those skills to the relationships “The extracurriculars and activities they then have with their professors in section of my college applications was college. And it’s not just the students who one of the things I felt very proud of,” go to smaller colleges or universities. It’s Rachel said. “I played three sports, and I also the ones who go to really large schools was also an advisory mentor and I worked who come back and say, ‘Oh I know how in a therapist’s office from sixth to 12th to do that, it’s no big deal.’” grade. Being encouraged to participate at

Where Our Students Go to College At North Shore Country Day, 100% of seniors who apply to four-year colleges and universities receive offers of admission. The 54 members of the Class of 2022 were admitted to 108 colleges and universities and enrolled in 42 of them—located in 18 states, the District of Columbia, Scotland and England. The colleges range in size from as small as 1,000 to as large as 40,163.

The following schools have enrolled six or more NSCD graduates in the past four years:

• Northwestern University (15) • Tulane University of Louisiana (11) • Denison University (9) • University of Michigan (7) • Washington University in St. Louis (7) • Middlebury College (6) • Southern Methodist University (6) • University of Denver (6) • University of Notre Dame (6) • Vanderbilt University (6) For the full matriculation list, visit www.nscds.org/college-counseling.

a c o r n · Spring/Summer 2022

7

JOANNE GOLDEN ’74 Film Producer Builds Impressive Career on NSCD Foundation

8

feature Joanne says her time at NSCD had a profound impact on her career, in part because of Roger Shipley, who was the head of the theater department at the time. “He just let us do our thing. There was an openness of being able to work the tech side with no restrictions. He let us get our hands dirty, make mistakes and learn from our mistakes.”

For more than 40 years, Joanne Golden ’74 has been working as a film producer in New York City. She’s worked on feature films, made “zillions” of commercials and traveled the world producing all kinds of marketing, advertising and entertainment films.

But she may not have accomplished any of that if it hadn’t been for the technical theater classes she took at NSCD. “It started as the requirement to participate in performing arts, but I wasn’t interested in the performing side—I liked running the lights and being very involved in the technical piece,” Joanne recalls.

After graduating from NSCD, she went to New England College to study in the technical theater program. “Then I really caught the bug during an internship in NYC between my junior and senior year of college. After I graduated, I came back to focus on film in New York.”

Her brother Jim Golden ’70, now retired, was a producer, owned a production company and a few commercial production businesses. “He was really talented and connected with directors, and hired me as an assistant—essentially, a gopher,” Joanne says.

She entered the film industry just as it was transitioning away from being a male-dominated business, and women were beginning to step into roles of responsibility. “It worked out brilliantly for me because it was more of an open environment and it still is,” Joanne says.

“The requirements of being a producer really check the boxes that women just innately have—like organizational management, communication, collaboration, listening and many more.

“All those are a big part of putting together a team. I’ve always said, I’m a bit like a combination camp counselor/ cheerleader,” she laughs. “You bring the team together and organize their day and say, OK, we’re going to do this in the morning, and then we’ll have lunch and you’re going to love lunch, and then we’ll finish our day somewhere else.”

Mentoring is also essential as teams ebb and f low, and Joanne says she is proud to have mentored a number of people with whom she still keeps in touch. “I believe in mentoring. I believe in showing the joy of our craft. I’ve never felt I should keep the job skill set a secret. I feel you should share everything, and if that person was meant to take my job, a secret won’t stop that. It’s about everybody’s success.”

Most recently, Joanne was an executive producer and then head of production for MasterClass—an online education platform that offers subscribers access to tutorials and lectures pre-recorded by experts in various fields. Every class includes pre-recorded videos, a class workbook, interactive assignments and community activities.

The list of talent she has worked with is long—from filmmaker Ken Burns, to artist Jeff Koons and magician/entertainers Penn and Teller—and it’s hard to pick a favorite. “They were all just magic,” she says. “Just being able to interact with these instructors—all these very well-known individuals—shooting for two to three days with them. It’s remarkable because they have so much to offer in their expertise and insight.”

As head of production for MasterClass, she oversaw all the shoots that were going on—everything involved with the physical production—and was in charge of troubleshooting. For example, at the beginning of the pandemic in early 2020, Joanne got a call from then vice president of production asking her how they would be able to continue producing segments since all locations in the U.S. were shutting down.

“When I was on the agency side of the business, I produced a very successful shoot in Iceland. I called my contact there and they were able to accommodate us, so we relocated and filmed there for six months.”

Again, it was her years of experience that helped her find creative solutions.

“That’s what being head of production is really about—it’s problem-solving with your team,” she explains. “When we came

back to the U.S., we had shoots all over the country and found other places to film safely. We had unbelievably high protocols—higher than what was being required by the CDC or anybody else.

We didn’t want anyone to get sick. Those were really challenging times.

“My longevity in the business and knowing all kinds of people all over the world was both my gift and asset to MasterClass as executive producer. And when I transitioned to head of production, the team had more agility than I do in a lot of areas, but I had a depth of experience. So collaboratively, the teamwork was perfect.”

Joanne says her time at NSCD had a profound impact on her career, in part because of Roger Shipley, who was the head of the theater department at the time.

“He just let us do our thing. There was an openness of being able to work the tech side with no restrictions. He let us get our hands dirty, make mistakes and learn from our mistakes. I had that same philosophy when I was working in production—you let people do things and if they make mistakes, hopefully you’re watching and can catch it before it gets too far out of line.”

As Joanne adjusts back to being an independent producer, she has more time to focus on personal interests. “I love Central Park and I am part of the Central Park Conservancy.” This group of volunteers helps preserve the 843-acre park, and provides oversight and expertise to make sure it is accessible to everyone. She also loves to travel.

“North Shore really allowed me to pursue my interests and gave me the skills to be confident in a competitive industry.

I spent much of my career freelancing and that is crazy. I only had one full-time job and that was the last four years at MasterClass. It was a great honor and an incredible cherry on top of my entire career. I also have to tip my hat to my parents who let this kid go to New York and not really have a job day-to-day. And it all worked out.”

a c o r n · Spring/Summer 2022

9

accomplishmen t s

Chicago Student Invention Convention: Cameron A’Hearn ’31, Leena Johnson ’31, Arjun Venugopal ’30 and Grady Macejko ’30

Science Olympiad Team

Chicago Student Invention Convention

Chinese Speech Contest: Carissa Schultz ’24

Model United Nations

Midwest High School Chinese Speech Contest

This year, NSCD offered third, fourth The weekend of May 13, Carissa Schultz and fifth grade students the opportunity ’24 participated in the 2022 Midwest High to participate in the Chicago Student School Chinese Speech Contest, organized Invention Convention (CSIC) curriculum by Western Michigan University. After a as part of the lower school’s after-school preliminary contest with a recorded enrichment program. CSIC lesson plans speech and talent show, a live speech, and focus on critical thinking, creativity a contest on Chinese language and culture, and innovation, and the program culmiCarissa won 3rd place in the heritage level nates in a final competition of studentof the Excellent Chinese Learner Award. built prototypes.

Cameron A’Hearn ’31 won two Science Olympiad awards—first place in the K-third grade The North Shore Country Day middle category and the Molex Technology & school Science Olympiad team, under the Transformation Award, which includes direction of Head Coach Lee Block along a meeting with the Molex team; Leena with many volunteer coaches, competed Johnson ’31 placed second in the K-third in its 25th consecutive state tournament grade category; and Grady Macejko ’30 in April.

NSCD finished 17th overall out and Arjun Venugopal ’30 received the of 44 schools competing.

Additionally, Founder’s Award, honoring students they earned a 2nd place medal in Bridge trying to make an impact on others’ Building (Alexander Roy ’27 and Daniel lives, awarded by CSIC founder Anneliese Schanzenbach ’27) and a 4th place Gegenheimer. medal in Experimental Design (Paige Highlander ’26, Alexander Roy ’27 and Eli Gallaga ’28).

10

Model UN NSCD’s middle and upper school Model United Nations program wrapped up on May 2 with a conference after school for students in grades 5-8, run by upper school students. The event was a huge success, and upper school committee chairs Alicia Isasi ’23, Dani Savin ’23, Robert Hansell ’22 and Neil Behl ’23, and vice chairs Danielle Isasi ’23 and Andrew Xing ’22 worked hard to determine award winners.

The following students were recognized for their work: Best Delegate Emmett Cotter ’27, Danny Sundt ’26, Lily Aiston ’29 and Porter Hilton ’29; Outstanding Diplomacy Quentin Tao ’26, Claire Ziegler ’28, Saisha Sharma ’29 and Charlotte Potthoff ’29; Honorable Mention Sarah Milbratz ’28, Kashif Yousufani ’26, Austin Brindley ’29, Sophia Storino ’29 and Kavya Keswani ’29.

dis t inguished gues t s

Nayomi Melton ’31, Henry Long ’31, Ashlyn Sparrow and Preston Ver Eecke ’31

Ashlyn Sparrow with second graders in the Live+Serve Lab

Franke Fund Brings Game Designer Ashlyn Sparrow Back to NSCD Why are video games so important?

That was one of the first questions Ashlyn Sparrow asked when she spoke during a Morning Ex community gathering celebrating Black History Month.

Ashlyn is a game designer who helps lead the Weston Game Lab at the University of Chicago, and she uses video games to illuminate real-world problems.

“The EDI Council chose Ashlyn as the keynote speaker for the Black History Month program because we recognize the power of representation for young learners,” explained Director of Equity, Inclusion and Community Engagement Lauren Collins. “Black women have been and continue to be underrepresented in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) fields—particularly in the world of gaming.”

During her talk, Ashlyn explained that the gaming industry was one of the few entertainment industries untouched by economic troubles during the coronavirus pandemic. In fact, it’s growing exponentially. When she asked the students how many of them played video games, almost everyone raised their hands.

“Games are such an important cultural medium of our time,” she explained.

“Since so many people play them, it’s getting to a point where we can start thinking

critically about the games that we play and how we can start designing new and different types of games and use them for educational purposes.”

Ashlyn’s love of gaming began around age 10. Now she channels that passion into developing games that address problems such as climate change and public health.

Because video games are interactive and immersive, they engage the player and the designer to think about how society works and their role in it.

Following her presentation, Ashlyn stayed on campus all day and met with groups of students in all divisions. She worked with computer science classes to design games, talked more about using art in game design with a middle school art class and answered many questions. She spent time in the Live+Serve Lab and connected with upper school students interested in internships.

Her visit was so impactful that teachers and students wanted to connect with Ashlyn again. One student said it was the best Morning Ex ever. So with support from the Franke Family Fund, Ashlyn returned twice in May. Ashlyn first came back to NSCD to meet with teachers. During her time on campus she shared tools and ideas to integrate games into the curriculum.

The following week, she devoted an entire day to working with students. She met with second grade, third grade and an upper school visual art class in the morning, then middle and upper school students were invited to drop in for a “Lunch and Learn” session.

“Ashlyn attended our Foundations class and talked about designing characters for games,” said Upper School Art Teacher Laura Hsieh. “She asked about the kinds of games students preferred, and they were able to see first-hand what projects Ashlyn and her students were designing.

She discussed what types of games exist, the framework or criteria for playing certain games, and how and why the characters were designed the way they were—as people or non-humans, wearing certain outfits and possessing certain qualities.”

The Franke Family Fund was established in 2008 by Barbara, Richard, Katherine ’77 and Jane Franke ’80 to support programs that enhance students’ experiences during the academic year. It encourages faculty to develop creative and unique ideas that are schoolwide in scope, broad in interpretation and application, and significantly and positively impact the school community. (Learn more about Richard Franke's legacy on page 38.)

a c o r n · Spring/Summer 2022

11

dis t inguished gues t s

Alexander Hersch and accompanist Katherine Petersen

Susan Marshall Concert: Alexander Hersch Alexander Hersch is on a mission to make classical music more relevant.

“If you look at any other genre, like pop music, jazz or especially hip hop, the visuals in the videos show how the music is part of culture,” explained the 28-yearold classically trained cellist, who was the featured artist for this year’s Susan Marshall ’76 Memorial Concert. “Classical music is always marginalized. People make you feel like you have to understand it to be able to truly appreciate it, and I think that’s total nonsense.”

Instead, Alexander creates videos that tell stories, and incorporates lighting and multimedia into his performances.

During the height of the pandemic when all live performances were canceled, he partnered with a Japanese toy store to create a video, filling tiny chairs with little toys from the store to create the audience.

The last shot featured a sleeping toy, just

12

like a classical concert where someone falls asleep. “I had to make it realistic,” he laughed.

Raised in Chicago, Alexander began playing the cello at the age of 5. He completed his undergraduate and graduate studies in music at the New England Conservatory in Boston where he graduated with academic honors. He was also a recipient of the Frank Huntington Beebe fund for studies in Berlin during the 2017-2018 academic year where he studied at the Hanns Eisler Hochschule for Musik Berlin.

When he returned from Germany, he and his best friend from college decided to start their own chamber music festival.

“We put on five concerts in six days, all over the city,” he explained. “I think I played 13 pieces that week.”

Since then, what started as a weeklong festival has grown into NEXUS Chamber Music, an artist-driven collective whose

mission is to make chamber music culturally relevant. Specializing in live performances and multimedia content, NEXUS presents an annual festival in Chicago and tours nationally during the year.

In April, Alexander spent the day on campus, beginning with a performance during Morning Ex. The annual Susan Marshall ’76 Memorial Concert was established in 1983 by Susan’s parents, Irl and Barbara Favill Marshall ’46, in memory of their daughter and her life-long love of music.

Susan played violin and piano, enjoyed singing and graduated from North Shore in 1976. She continued her studies at Dartmouth College and in graduate school at the University of Denver. Each year, a young emerging musician is invited to perform a concert and visit with students and faculty.

After the concert, Alexander visited with students in all divisions, answering questions and playing additional music on

Oliver Mah ’27

Alexander Hersch with the senior kindergartners

Alexander Hersch with third graders

his 327-year old G.B. Rogeri cello, on generous loan from a sponsor through the Guarneri Hall Affiliate Artists program and Darnton & Hersh Fine Violins in Chicago.

“There’s a reason this school is so highly regarded,” Alexander said. “I had such a great time spending the day with the students and faculty. I feel like I was asked more relevant questions by the kids here than I am at most colleges. I love how curious and open people are.”

As he explained to a group of upper school students, Alexander travels quite a bit, and his cello accompanies him everywhere—with its own seat on an airplane. “Cello Hersch” even has his own frequent f lier account!

Alexander has performed at music festivals worldwide including: Marlboro, Caramoor, Ravinia Steans Music Institute, Music@Menlo, I-M-S Prussia Cove, Perlman Music Program Chamber Music Workshop, Amsterdam Cello Biennial,

Hall on November 30, 2022. In addition to Kneisel Hall, Lucerne and the New York performance opportunities and recording String Orchestra Seminar.

Alexander has quickly established him- services, the prize package also includes a $4,000 Father Eugène Merlet Community self as one of the most exciting and creService Grant. ative talents of his generation, having Alexander is planning to use the money performed as a soloist with the Houston to develop a social outreach project called Symphony and the Boston Pops. He has received top prizes at competitions world- Haydn’s Favorite Pizza, a series of free wide including the Astral Artists National interactive chamber music concerts for Auditions, Salon de Virtuosi Career grant, underserved communities in Chicago. The concerts will be launched in partnership National Federation of Music Clubs Biennial Young Artists Competition, New with existing music schools and will offer children and their families a chance to York International Artists Association learn about chamber music while also Competition, Friends of the Minnesota Orchestra, Ima Hogg, Schadt, Luminarts, enjoying a meal.

“All the concerts happen on weekday Hellam, Boston Pops/New England evenings, and are open to students and Conservatory Competition, Jefferson their families—and everyone gets free Symphony International Young Artists pizza,” he explained. “I’m hoping if we can Competition, Society of American get the parents on board, it will become Musicians and the Fischoff National part of the family value system, and that Chamber Music Competition. will be huge.”

Alexander recently won the 2022 Pro Musicis International Award and will be giving his debut recital at Carnegie Weill a c o r n · Spring/Summer 2022 13

events

Grandparents Day: Kyndall Wilcher ’26 and grandfather Tim Johnson

Hugh ’33 and Patrick ’29 Heneghan with grandparents Abby and John O’Connor

Bill Stixrud and Ned Johnson

Hot Chocolate House: Ethan Jackson ’31

Edison Collins ’31

Parent Education During the 2022-2023 school year, the NSCD PA Parent Education committee organized and hosted numerous events for school parents. Most recently, on May 5, Upper School Learning Specialists Tom Saleh and Ceil Scanlan, and Middle School Learning Specialist Christine Ritchey, guided parents through the process of applying for accommodations on the ACT and College Board exams, as well as high school placement tests. The presentation also covered how students are supported with accommodations at North Shore, the diagnostic evaluation process, guidelines for documenting a disability and creating a paper trail, and the process for applying for accommodations.

In April, upper and middle school parents were invited to learn about teen mental health, including challenges that teens face, recognizing when they need help, and ways to open up conversations that support their personal experiences and those of their peers. Led by professionals from The Josselyn Center, a community-based health provider whose mission is to ensure Mental Health for All, parents learned how to identify and support the differences between regular emotions, and those that are more severe and long-lasting.

14

Xander ’34 and Nico ’34 Athas with grandparents Chip ’72 and Janice Herndon

Finley Todd ’31

Grandparents Day In addition, the Parent Education committee held a Zoom meeting in February with bestselling authors Bill Stixrud and Ned Johnson to discuss their newest book, “What Do You Say? How to Talk with Kids to Build Motivation, Stress Tolerance, and a Happy Home,” moderated by Diana Flemma Each family that attended the program received a free copy of the book.

Director of Equity, Inclusion and Community Engagement Lauren Collins led several programs throughout the year.

In March, middle school parents were invited for a morning workshop to walk through the middle school EDI curriculum. The program previewed upcoming spring plans for the students and was designed to build community with other middle school parents as lifelong learners.

She also presented “EDI at NSCD—A Community Conversation” to more than 50 JK-12 parents about the alignment of NSCD's mission statement, strategic plan and pillars with the equity, diversity and inclusion work happening across all three divisions. As a follow-up, Lauren hosted a program in April to continue the important conversation started in December. It was an opportunity to deepen parent engagement, while connecting within and across divisions.

More than 150 grandparents came back to campus for the first in-person Grandparents Day since 2019. The event started with a program in the auditorium, featuring a welcome from Head of School Tom Flemma, updates from each division and a student performance. From there, the format varied slightly from previous years, but grandparents were delighted to peek into their grandchildren’s classrooms and then join them for a walk through the Live+Serve Lab and the middle school art show in the John Almquist Gallery. They also had time to peruse the Book Fair before heading to a lemonade reception in the cafeteria.

The Return of Lower School Traditions Lower school parents were welcomed back to campus for a number of spring traditions that had been relegated to Zoom and livestreams these past two years. First, junior and senior kindergartners invited their parents, as well as the lifers, to join them on May 13 for the annual Musical Tea—a North Shore tradition for more than 30 years. The students made colorful bouquets out of paper and presented them to their parents at the beginning of the

Musical Tea: Iris Yao ’35, Alvin Liang ’35 and Graham Cunningham ’35

Bella Flemma ’22 and Lila Golson ’22

Connectathon: Raiders Support Annual Giving An integral part of Raiders Connect week is the Alumni Spring Connectathon.

We appreciate our dedicated Alumni Board and Class Reps who reached out to fellow alumni to share school updates, provide reminders for alumni events and Annual Giving, and gather class notes for the Acorn magazine while reminiscing about their time at North Shore.

Dinosaur Day: Karthik Venu ’33, Emmet Colman ’33 and Alex Shinn ’33

concert. Then the students sat on the f loor of the Mac Gym and sang a variety of old favorites, with their parents watching from the stands.

Next, the third graders invited their families to the Cafe de Montmartre for the return of the Third Grade Hot Chocolate House on May 20, featuring the finest in live readings, music, art, food and drink— this year in the auditorium. Later that day, second graders took to the stage for a reader’s theater, which replaced the usual second grade play.

A relatively new tradition was first grade Dinosaur Day. Each first grader spent weeks researching a different dinosaur, learning about when it lived, how its fossils were discovered, what it looked like, what it ate, how it protected itself and other interesting facts. Then they spent an entire day celebrating their hard work, beginning with dinosaur-themed games during PE class, a reader’s theater in the auditorium where they performed “Dinorella”—a take on the classic Cinderella story—and painted dinosaur eggs during art class. In the afternoon, parents visited the classroom while students presented their research reports and showed off their dinosaur dioramas, or DINOramas.

You make a difference! Thank you to all who made an Annual Giving gift in support of students and teachers which helps to provide the exceptional NSCD experience. This spring, gifts had double the impact—as a special incentive, a group of generous alumni matched all alumni gifts up to $28,000.

This helped increase alumni participation and get closer to the Annual Giving 2021-22 goal of raising $1,492,425. Give Annually. Impact Daily.

If you’ve made a gift online, you may have noticed the prompt, “What inspires you to give?” Below are some reasons, and we’d like to add yours to the list! Email Development Associate—Annual Giving Maureen Wilde at mwilde@nscds.org with your reason to give.

“Proud to be a Raider” – Alum “NSCDS was an important part of my life” – Alum “Love the school and all the faculty” – Parent “My students!” – Faculty “In honor of my grandchild” – Grandparent Thank you to our Spring Connectathon volunteers:

Annie Aggens ’88 Carlos Angeles ’12 Jay Bach Cathy Kleiman Bartholomay ’79 Phyllis Beattie ’72 Jim Davis ’64 Emma Flannery ’17 Grace Flickinger ’12 Tom Geraghty ’62 Madelaine Kukanza Goldstein ’08 Naomi Hattori ’02 Hall Healy ’59 Pete Henderson ’47 Betsy Perkins Hill ’70 Marcia McMillan Hines ’56 Manny Hodzic ’15

Elizabeth Ingram ’82 Craig Johnson ’70 Gaby Levi ’95 Suki Lipman ’70 Suzanne Folds McCullagh ’69 Firouz Niazi ’17 Ted Notz ’53 Scott Olson ’79 John Roberts ’49 Sarah Geist Rosen ’86 Jeannie Lea Scully ’63 Katie Todd ’96 Ashleigh Palmer Weathers ’04 Larry Williams ’87 Anne Hines Young ’77

a c o r n · Spring/Summer 2022

15

events

Co-Chairs Ritu Jain and Kelly Callon-McLean

The Benefit 2022 raised more than $400,000 for teachers

Shrunali Rai, Shalini Venkatesh and Aditi Singru

THE BENEFIT 2022: THE POWER OF A TEACHER Investing in teachers is the single most significant way the school community can ensure that teachers, the school and its students are growing, thriving and adapting for the future.

North Shore Country Day brought in more than $400,000 at its annual fundraiser on Friday, February 25. The Benefit 2022— The Power of a Teacher was the first major event held indoors on campus since the start of the pandemic. Proceeds will help advance ongoing efforts to build and foster an exemplary faculty.

“The vibe was electric,” said Head of School Tom Flemma. “We were together, old friends and new, faculty and staff, alumni and parents, feeling that perhaps the world was on its way back to normal.

It was emotional and inspiring to glimpse the return of the spirit and connections that make NSCD such a special place.”

Investing in teachers is the single most significant way the school community can ensure that teachers, the school and its students are growing, thriving and adapting for the future.

Proceeds from this event will help the school: • Attract, retain and support faculty and staff in a competitive labor market; • Ensure teachers have the resources and tools necessary to foster and propel NSCD’s evolving essential skills and STEAM curriculum; and 16

• Provide additional professional development and enrichment opportunities to nourish their knowledge, creativity and passion, and infuse those things into their classrooms.

Supporting the school’s teachers is a major initiative from North Shore’s 2017-2022 Strategic Plan. According to the plan, “The quality of the student experience at North Shore is inextricably linked to the skills, talents and commitment of our faculty and staff. Creating the conditions and opportunities for these esteemed educators to thrive and grow is essential to achieving our individual and institutional ambitions.”

More than 250 parents, alumni, faculty, staff and friends of the school gathered for a lovely evening of cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and food stations in the library. Then guests moved to the auditorium for the main program, featuring a live auction and a paddle raise to support NSCD teachers, as well as a video presentation highlighting the impact teachers have on their students. Those who could not attend the program in person were invited to view a livestream. After the program, guests moved to the Arts Center

for dessert and several rounds of Bingo, complete with prizes.

Over the years, NSCD’s annual benefit has raised more than $7 million to fund areas not fully covered by the operating budget, such as curriculum and teaching fund grants, student scholarships and faculty enrichment grants. It has also helped fund major capital projects including the renovation of the lower school, construction of the Conant Science Center, and renovation of the auditorium and Arts Center.

A special thanks to Benefit Co-Chairs Kelly Callon-McLean and Ritu Jain, as well as the Benefit Planning Committee and Host Committee.

Thanks also to the evening’s corporate sponsors for their generous donations: Premier Valenti Builders; Premium Breakthru Beverage Group and Byrne, Byrne & Company; Patron BMO and LuLu (Learning Unity, Living Unbiased); Friend M-J Asphalt Paving Co. Inc., The Hill Group and Pasquesi Sheppard LLC; and In Kind Graphic Arts Studio and Judy’s Mailing Service.

Kim Frezados, Hannah Chung, Sarah Geist Rosen ’86, Betty Fisher Wiggins ’93, Ritu Jain, Janelle Wood, Kelly Callon-McLean, Angel Jackson and Erika Milbratz.

Lakshmi Lakshmanan, Eamon Kelly, Ibo Gunay, Pete Tarsney and Sibel Tekin Gunay

Jessica Montgomery, Chethra Muthiah, Jay Surakanti and Brian Montgomery

Angel and Thom Jackson

Mukund Venu and Priyanka Nair

Lisa Doi ’09 and Eric Langowski

Irene Goldstein, Aaron Tantleff and Jill Sheiman

Jenny and Ilya Beyrak

Manuel Ortiz and Irene Margiotta

Kristi Kamen and Rebecca Reátegui ’12

Senior Volunteers: Back Row Jack Saccaro, Ahan Jain, Cooper Rhoads, Antonia Lopes, Bella Flemma, Lexi Jackson and EllieaStevenson; Row Alma Fitzgerald, c o r n · Front Spring/Summer 2022 17 Lindsey Glew, Liliana Green, Lila Golson, Emily Yoo, Charlotte Bartell and Ashley Zabel

facult y Professional Development During the February In-Service Day, the entire faculty and staff attended a workshop entitled, “Growing Through It: Pandemic Fatigue, Resilience, Growth and the Road Ahead,” facilitated by Dr. Caroline Adelman. During the interactive session, she discussed the personal and interpersonal challenges experienced by many of us over the past two years of pandemic living, and the ways in which the particular demands placed on educators and caregivers may exacerbate these challenges. She also discussed the concepts of resilience and post-traumatic growth, and shared concrete strategies for developing greater resilience, connectedness, optimism and self-compassion. Later that afternoon, lower school faculty participated in a workshop with Britt Hawthorne, anti-racist facilitator, educator and New York Times bestselling author. The workshop centered on integrating age-centric, anti-bias and anti-racist practices in the classroom.

Director of Equity, Inclusion and Community Engagement Lauren Collins and the EDI Coordinators—Lower School Spanish Teacher Winder Holeman, Upper School Social Studies Teacher Louis Mercer, Middle School Learning Specialist Christine Ritchey and Communications Associate—Digital Specialist Jay Young— participated in a Racial Equity Facilitator Training Series through the Equity Literacy Institute.

First Grade Teacher Cristy Athas, Lower School Science Teacher Annie Collins and Lower School Technology Teacher and STEAM Integrator Julie Tuten attended IDEAcon, one of the Midwest’s largest ed tech conferences, hosted by the Illinois Digital Educators Alliance in February.

Development Associate—Events and Alumni Relations Kim Baker, Development Assistant—Major Gifts Troy Chirico and Development Associate—Annual Giving Maureen Wilde attended the CASE-NAIS Independent Schools Conference in Denver.

Upper School Spanish Teacher Ana Baez and Middle School French Teacher Anne-Marie Dall’Agata in March attended a live webinar entitled, “Best, most powerful strategies for teaching World Languages,” sponsored by the Bureau of Education and Research. The following day, Ana attended another live webinar 18

Caroline Adelman

entitled, “Pollyanna. High School Racial Literacy Curriculum Overview.”

Lauren Collins and Director of the Live+Serve Laboratory Drea Gallaga participated in an Impact Circle with Impact.Ed, centered on the “AntiOppressive Education in ‘Elite’ Schools,” a collection of essays edited by Katy Swalwell and Daniel Spikes. There will be a paper published as a result of the Impact Circle, with an article that Drea wrote.

Upper School Chinese Teacher Di Li and Middle School Chinese Teacher Yun-Chu Chen attended the National Chinese Language Conference in April.

Lower and Middle School Physical Education Teacher Katia Adams attended the SHAPE America National Convention & Expo in New Orleans in April.

Lauren Collins participated in a threeday, place-based learning experience called The Journey Together, with stops in Atlanta, and Selma, Montgomery and Birmingham, AL. She also attended the INDEX Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Conference in Austin.

Director of Marketing and Communications Tura Cottingham attended the INDEX Communications Conference in Salt Lake City in February.

Drea Gallaga is participating in the ongoing ISEEN Professional Affinity Group for Service Learning Directors.

She also attended the ISEEN Winter Institute in Sedona, AZ, in January.

Upper School Science Teacher Gina Gnoffo enrolled in a cultural anthropology course.

Britt Hawthorne

English Department Head and Upper School English Teacher David Grossman participated in a seven-week virtual course

by Teton Science Schools entitled, “Introduction to Place-Based Learning.”

Physical Education Department Head, Teacher and Coach Kyle Jones attended the United Soccer Coaches Convention in Kansas City in January.

Lower School Reading Specialist Sharon Lieberman attended a webinar entitled, “​​The Neuropsychology of Written Language Disorders: Developing Evidence Based Interventions,” in March.

Middle School Spanish Teacher Alejandra Mendoza attended the Northeast Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Language in New York City in February.

Fifth Grade Teacher Ethan Rodehorst attended an Executive Function Teacher Workshop in January.

Middle School English and Public Speaking Teacher Susan Schinleber attended a number of webinars throughout the winter and spring: “Virtual Germany and Israel,” “Who Betrayed Anne Frank?,” “Pyramid of Hate,” “The Abuse and Trivialization of the Holocaust,” “The Refugee Crisis Connecting the Past to Today,” “A Holocaust Survivor’s Blueprint for Happiness” and “Connecting Stories Across Genocides.”

Communications Associate—Print Specialist Christine Wachter attended an editor’s forum for school magazine editors in San Francisco, sponsored by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). She also attended the virtual three-day UCDA Creative Summit.

Kim Baker

Kualoa Regional Park in Oahu

Statue of Duke Kahanamoku in Waikiki

Lifelong Learning Grant: Travels in Hawaii B Y K I M B A K E R , D E V E L O P M E N T A S S O C I AT E — E V E N T S A N D A L U M N I R E L AT I O N S

Last year over spring break, thanks to a lifelong learning grant from North Shore Country Day, I had the opportunity to spend a week in Hawaii. It was truly a magical week and one I have long dreamed about. In fifth grade we were assigned a project to research and teach our classmates about one of the 50 states. I immediately knew which state I wanted and could not have been more thrilled to learn I would get to spend time IN school reading about a place I had so quickly become enamored with: Hawaii. It started with sea turtles and pineapple (I wasn’t the most imaginative 10 year old—what can I say) but as I spent time learning about the native heritage of the islands, the incredible natural environmental elements and places to explore, I was even more enamored. I begged for hula skirts and a plane ticket. I got the hula skirt.

As an adult, propelling my own learning as I navigate a busy schedule and life, I found myself drawn to Hawaii more than ever. I recognize the need for a place that still focuses so much emphasis on nature and culture. A place that surrounds volcanos and national parks unlike anywhere else. A place with a powerful history. A place to explore and get out of my comfort zone.

City life here in the midwest is always an adventure, but finding yourself in a national park, on a volcano or miles of beach is a great way to remind yourself

of everything the world and our country have to offer and why we need to protect and replenish it. I have trekked, kayaked, rafted and camped my way through as many places as my time and budget has allowed. I find great joy in being in a place where the wilderness that surrounds is vastly different from where I live daily, and the islands of Oahu and Maui did not disappoint. I spent time catching the sunrise on the Haleakala Volcano on Maui which rises 10,000 feet above sea level with a remarkable crater at the summit, hiking to waterfalls along the Road to Hana, relaxing on beaches with the local sea turtles in Oahu followed by fish tacos from the food truck along the sand. Arguably the most exciting, I trekked through the Kualoa Regional Park in Oahu—where Jurassic Park was filmed. There were far less velociraptor sightings than I had imagined, which is probably for the best.

Hawaii is also filled with a wonderful and passionate culture. The Bishop Museum on Oahu was a remarkable experience to delve into the culture of the islands. It is a space of true celebration of the history of Hawaii. One of the most popular cultural traditions is the luau.

I will start by acknowledging that many luaus these days are not considered authentic and are just targeted towards tourists, however through cultural centers and museums you can still find an experience that more closely represents the tradi-

tions and culture. These modern luau celebrations often ref lect the more multicultural society of modern Hawaii and include dances, food and music from other Polynesian cultures and not just its Hawaiian roots. We attended a beautiful luau on the western shores of Oahu which did just that.

My childhood education of Hawaiian history began mostly after Hawaii became a state in 1959 and centered around Pearl Harbor and World War II. This history was a pivotal part of my time on Oahu, where I was able to spend a great deal of time at the Pearl Harbor National Memorial, allowing me to connect with and deepen my understanding of a place and time in which I have intellectually invested for so much of my life.

This trip also gave me an opportunity to discover more about the islands’ rich early history and culture before what we are traditionally taught. While we could only learn and look from afar due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Iolani Palace— the only royal palace on U.S. soil and former home of Queen Liliuokalani, the last monarch of the Kingdom of Hawai’i— was a great place to start learning about the early history of the islands.

I cannot thank NSCD enough for its dedication to lifelong learning, making my childhood dream to explore Hawaii a reality.

a c o r n · Spring/Summer 2022

19

facult y Faculty Profile: Cristina Torres SENIOR KINDERGARTEN TEACHER

I need to write all my stories down and make a book out of it to look back on.

Kindergartners speak so freely and openly, without any type of reservation. I love that about these kids.

Q. What are you looking forward to next year as you make the transition to teaching second grade?

A. I’m very excited about diving deep

Cristina Torres (right) with Cole McLennan ’34

Q . Why did you become a teacher?

A. I was a camp counselor when I was 15

and taught swimming, and that jump started my passion for helping children.

But I’ve always loved working with kids.

I found out later that my grandmother was a principal in Cuba, and it all made sense. It runs in the family.

Q . This was your first year at NSCD. Where did you teach before coming here?

A. I taught pre-K 3 and Pre-K 4 at an

independent school in Miami for 15 years.

Then I moved to Chicago for a few years and taught first grade in CPS and I loved it. But then I had an opportunity to move back to Miami. Honestly, the pandemic was crazy, and as much as I loved Miami because my friends and family are there, I came back to Chicago every summer, spring break and Thanksgiving.

So when I got stuck in Miami during the pandemic I thought, why am I still here?

I’m always trying to get back to Chicago. I could just live in Chicago. So I started looking at independent schools and I found North Shore. My sister and her family live in Northfield so it was perfect.

is important for any age group, but especially for these early childhood learners.

The pandemic was hard and learning how to teach online for early childhood was a challenge that I was not fully prepared for. It took a lot of trial and error, long nights and weekends. But we got through it, and honestly, the best parts of my day were the one-on-one sessions with my kids over Zoom. I got to see them, talk with them, connect with them again. They’re the ones who definitely propel me and push me forward. It’s a beautiful thing at the end of the year when I get to see how far they’ve come.

Q. Early childhood learners have a reputation for being pretty awesome.

What are some of the funniest things that have ever happened to you as a teacher?

A. In Miami we have a lot of roaches, no

matter where you live. I’m terrified of cockroaches—to the point where I start climbing furniture and yelling. It’s very embarrassing. So for one of my classroom jobs, I had a cockroach killer. It’s not that they were out all the time, but at least once a month there was a roach somewhere in the classroom. So I would pick certain students and they would kill my roaches.

Q . The past few years have been I would ask parents first, of course. But hard on teachers. What keeps you in they would just step on them for me and the classroom? put them in the trash. This past year, I A. It really is about the kids. I always like received a card from one of my students to create a family culture in my classthat I still have on my refrigerator. It said rooms. We call ourselves the SK family.

“Thank you for helping me go to sleep at I always bring in that family dynamic rest time.” And he drew a picture of him because it’s a huge piece of creating an sleeping on a mat, and me standing next environment that’s welcoming and acceptto him and my eyes were spirals. It was a ing and caring and loving—which great illustration of how crazy rest time actually is, and I thought it was so funny.

20

into curriculum, getting involved in the writing process and teaching math skills.

I really miss that deep academic piece where I have all these objectives in front of me and the challenge is to figure out how I can make it really fun and engaging for students. Creating project-based learning is something I’m really passionate about.

There’s so much new research out there that shows how project-based learning reaches all students. I’m looking forward to exploring ways to challenge students individually. School should be fun.

Q. What are your plans for the summer?

A. I spend a lot of time with my family

over the summer. My sister has three girls who are 11, 9 and 7. So my sister, brotherin-law and I do our own little summer camp every summer. We go to museums, have water balloon fights in the backyard, do art projects and tie-dye t-shirts. We’re going to take a road trip to Asheville, NC, and then at the end of summer we’re going to spend two weeks in France. This will be the girls’ first trip internationally, and after two years of not really being able to travel anywhere, I’m definitely looking forward to it.

Q. What do you like to do in your free time?

A. People in Chicago are so nice. That

midwest charm is real. But what I really love about Chicago is the food, so I go out to eat a lot with my friends. We’re always trying new restaurants in the city.

We look through the Michelin Star guide, or look for something with a cute patio. I have a list on Yelp of 250 restaurants! My favorite is Galit, which is a Middle Eastern restaurant in Lincoln Park. Avec is fantastic. But I’m also really into fried chicken right now, so Parsons Chicken & Fish. I’m all over the place! I will eat anything as long as it’s good.

book re v ie ws The Hour of Land: A Personal Topography of America’s National Parks

by Terry Tempest Williams PUBLISHED 2016, MACMILLAN

Four summers ago, my husband and I went out west for two months to camp and hike our way through 14 of our National Parks. While there is something about walking through the natural landscapes of these places that can turn just about anybody into a poet, West with Giraffes: A Novel The Heart’s Invisible Furies Terry Tempest Williams makes the

by Lynda Rutledge

by John Boyne experience of our parks especially visceral, as well as historical and PUBLISHED 2021, PUBLISHED 2017, intellectual. In her book “The Hour of LAKE UNION PUBLISHING PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE Land: A Personal Topography of This book is historical fiction at its best, In “The Heart’s Invisible Furies,” John America’s National Parks,” she recounts based on the powerful 1938 hurricane Boyne tells the story of one man’s life, her experience and knowledge of the that severely damaged a ship transporting from beginning to end, and in so doing, parks—a new one in each of the 13 a young male and female giraffe from paints a portrait of Ireland in the 20th chapters—from the Tetons to Africa to New York, destined for the Century. Born out of wedlock to a social Gettysburg, Alaska to the Gulf of San Diego Zoo. The story is vividly told misfit, the main character Cyril is sepaMexico, and the vast spaces between through the memory of centenarian rated from his mother and begins a life Acadia and Alcatraz.

Woodrow Wilson Nickel, who is deterthat will be filled with adventure, coinciWoven into her observations of these mined to write a journal documenting dence, misfortune, luck and ultimately an wild lands is a narrative of her own his great adventure before he dies. evolving quest to find his own identity. At personal journey—memories with her When the ship arrives at the Brooklyn times larger-than-life and almost allegorifather, a rift between her and her port, the female has a severely injured cal, this book balances humor with heartbrother—and her relationships with the ankle. Along with a mob of reporters break and is incredibly hard to put down. land. Her words convey a deep reverence and curious onlookers, is 17-year-old John Boyne has won many awards for his for the land, its history, its f lora and Woody, a Dust Bowl orphan from Texas. various books, including “The Boy in the fauna, and for the people who depend The giraffes are loaded onto a truck with Striped Pajamas,” which was later turned on the land, even while this dependence a custom-built crate, complete with large into a movie. “The Heart’s Invisible Furies” may be destructive. Williams discusses hatches for the long necks to pop their is perhaps his most personal, as Boyne the ways in which fracking in the heads out for fresh air and leaves. But himself struggled with his home country’s Bakken oil fields is affecting not only before they even begin the cross-country acceptance (or lack thereof) of his identity the physical land and its wildlife, but journey, they must quarantine in New and sexual orientation. Through Cyril, he also the lives of the people pouring into Jersey for 15 days. sheds light on Ireland’s historical intolerthe area to try making a quick fortune Woody hides in the giraffes’ stall ance of homosexuality and how it evolved outside of Theodore Roosevelt National during quarantine and forms a bond with and changed in more recent years. More Park. She tackles the complexities of our the animals. Through a stroke of luck, akin to epic stories like “The World national memory of the Civil War, and persistence and a lie or two, Woody is According to Garp” than the beautifully war in general, at Gettysburg National hired by the zoo’s head keeper Riley tortuous “A Little Life” (both are amazing Military Park. Testimonies from locals Jones to drive the giraffes on the 12-day reads as well, by the way), this novel is of the after-effects of oil spills near voyage to San Diego. epic in scope but touching and personal Gulf Islands National Seashore tell sides Included are a colorful cast of characin execution. There is something in this of the story we couldn’t know just by ters including a young photojournalist, novel for everyone, and it is my go-to book reading headlines. In short, Williams and a devious and dangerous circus recommendation for anyone who is lookcovers a broad swath of both literal and master. Just as in real life, the story capti- ing for a good read, regardless of their figurative territory. vated the nation and the media. They orientation. (I recently recommended it This book satisfies the craving for were greeted in towns by curious onlookto a friend who found it so captivating a nice, long, meditative walk through ers, hounded by the press and humbled that, at one point, she hid from her own the wilderness, especially when you by the help of strangers along the way. teenage children and read it in the pantry aren’t able to take those walks yourself. with a f lashlight, undisturbed!)

Tura Cottingham

Director of Marketing and Communications

Brad Rose Visual Art Department Head and Middle School Art Teacher

Elizabeth Kindig Middle School Humanities Teacher

a c o r n · Spring/Summer 2022

21

live and serve

Interim Week: Penrose Bigelow ’23

Noah Youderian ’24 and Majed Tabbara ’24

Community Engagement Week: Lauren A’Hearn ’27, Josephine O’Brien ’27 and Avery Avedisian ’27

Anna Beth Woolf ’24 and Kate Henry ’24

Buckley Oelerich ’23, Michael Olatunji ’23, Evan Fortier ’23 and Mac Devereux ’23

Community Engagement Week

Interim Week After a year-and-half hiatus, Interim Week returned to the upper school the week of March 14. The program, which began in 1976, features intensive, weeklong courses that take students outside the normal classroom setting. This year’s 16 courses included experiences both on and off campus in the Chicagoland area, and about a third of them involved a community engagement component.

Community engagement Interim experiences connect NSCD students to a community where they can learn across lines of difference. These are more than just volunteer trips, they give the students an opportunity to dive deep, learning about systems and structures and engaging meaningfully with the individuals in the communities being served.

One Interim built on the tradition of knitting circles—spaces to bring communities of people together and for social activism. Students learned basic knitting techniques and then crafted hats, booties and hand mitts for babies in the newborn intensive care unit of a local Chicago hospital. The course also included watching documentaries, reading articles and hearing speakers talk about issues in maternal health care and disparities in accessing

22

quality care across racial and socio-economic lines, especially in the Chicago area.

Another group examined the history and context of gospel music and the blues.

Students examined the connections between the urban environment, historical movements and music, touring locations in Chicago to connect these artistic creations to the larger culture in which they emerged. Over the course of the week, each student built a playlist of songs from both genres and shared their commentary with the school community through a podcast.

And yet another group learned the art of glass blowing and f lameworking at Firebird Community Arts, an organization with a mission to empower and connect people through the healing practice of glassblowing and ceramics. They offer trauma-intensive programs with robust wraparound services and healing justice programs that focus on cultivating wellbeing and reimagining futures. Students in this group worked with glass to create and design personally meaningful and/or functional objects.

After returning from spring break, students participated in an Interim gallery walk, where each group set up a table and presented what they learned to their peers and teachers. Students rotated from

station to station, taking turns presenting and learning about their classmates’ experiences. Several groups also presented during Morning Ex.

Middle School Community Engagement Week Sixth and seventh grade students participated in the first-ever Community Engagement Week in March with a choice of one of seven themed groups: Parks and Rec, Environment, Service Animals, Indigenous Communities, Music and Arts Access, Community Mapping and Literacy.

The goal of the week was to give students an opportunity to more deeply engage with a community different from their own. Each day featured a variety of field trips, guest speakers, service projects and a deep dive into their specific topic.

The Parks and Rec group looked at urban planning and learned how things like parks, festivals, community centers, murals and city services impact someone’s wellbeing. Students visited Winnetka Village Hall, as well as the fire department, police station and public works department to learn more about municipal services.

The environment group examined the restoration and reclamation of land,

Middle schoolers visit the American Indian Center of Chicago

Prosthetics Unit: Julie Tuten, Cameron A’Hearn ’31 and Caroline Hulick ’31

Vikram Kelly ’28 and Eli Gallaga ’28

Annie Aiston ’31, Hope Frederick ’31 and Naia Colman ’31

the stewardship of important natural resources, and issues of environmental justice in Chicago and its surrounding areas. They visited Skokie Lagoons, the Montrose Beach Bird Sanctuary and Volo Bog, and also worked in the campus gardens.

The Service Animals group took a field trip to the Lincoln Park Zoo, and also visited with a Bouvier des Flandres named Gigi—a certified therapy dog owned by a school family.

The Indigenous Communities group strived to better understand the present, modern lives of Indigenous people in this area and how history connects to the present. Students participated in a drum circle at the American Indian Center of Chicago, and took a behind-the-scenes tour of the newly opened “Native Truths: Our Voices, Our Stories,” a permanent exhibition at the Field Museum.

Students in the Music and Arts Access group explored the value of access to arts programs and looked at ways to increase that access for underserved communities.

Students put together a recital for people in the adult day program at the Northern Suburban Special Recreation Association, which provides services to people of all ages with disabilities. They also visited the Chicago Cultural Center, wrote letters

Community Engagement Week

to legislators and screened a documentary called “Music Changes Lives.”

The Community Mapping group looked at the history of the land that the school and surrounding communities were built on—who owns what or decides what is built or demolished? What animals live in the area? What was here before the school was here? They visited the Winnetka Historical Society and the Burnham Log House, and also took a field trip to the Pullman National Monument in Chicago.

The final group, focused on literacy, looked at how the community in which one lives can impact access to education.

They visited the Christ Church Rummage book room in Winnetka, as well as Bernie’s Book Bank in Lake Bluff.

At the end of the week, students put together a community showcase in the Library and Live+Serve Lab, where they presented what they learned to parents and other members of the NSCD community.

Third Grade Prosthetics Unit Third graders embarked on an exciting new unit on limb differences, combining STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) skills with service and

social-emotional learning. After studying prosthetics in their homerooms, students collaborated with Lower School Technology Teacher Julie Tuten to create a functional prosthetic hand using the 3D printers in the Live+Serve Lab. Students also created and sold stationery through an online order form and at a booth during “Live and Serve” Fest to raise money for a camp in Colorado for children with limb differences. Through the process, they learned about budgeting, promotion and sales. The stationery was inspired by a picture book series by disability rights lawyer, activist and an author Emily Harvey—”The Girl with the Robot Leg,” about a girl named Poppy. Emily, who was born without a fibula bone, had the lower part of her leg amputated when she was 2. She now runs the LIM359 Youth Camp for individuals with limb loss/difference, their siblings and children of individuals with limb loss/difference.

The third graders had a chance to talk with Emily over Zoom, who answered lots of questions about her different prosthetic legs. “I really liked meeting Emily Harvey after we researched her in social studies,” said Finley Todd ’31. “I’d never seen a person with a prosthetic before.”

a c o r n · Spring/Summer 2022

23

live and serve

Climate Change Action Club

Supply Drive for Ukraine

Middle School Raffle

Live and Serve Fest: Elizabeth Shinn ’30 and Melissa Howard

Climate Change Action Club

Middle School Raffle

This spring, the middle school Climate Change Action Club started an Instagram account to publicize its initiatives, educate the NSCD community about the effects of climate change and offer ways to slow it down.

Students worked hard to create posts on a variety of topics, including “No Mow May,” an initiative to help create a habitat for bees and other early-season pollinators.

They also offered tips on what kinds of things can and cannot be recycled, and shared simple ways to conserve water— like reducing showers by five minutes or running a dishwasher, rather than hand washing dishes, which both save about 20 gallons of water. They also posted about the initiative to save the Bell Bowl Prairie, one of the state’s last remaining ancient gravel prairies, which is in danger of being destroyed to make room for the Chicago Rockford International Airport expansion. To learn more, follow @nscd_ccac on Instagram.

The middle school student council hosted a raff le in January featuring a selection of experiences and tangible items donated by middle school faculty and students.

The raff le raised $871, which was used to purchase laptop computers for two boys from Afghanistan who had recently arrived in Chicago with their families.

They desperately needed computers for school and to learn English.

Among the 18 raff les prizes were: authentic Wisconsin cheese curds, the chance to pie a student council member, a chance to pie the principal, an opportunity to make guacamole with the Spanish teacher, to play MarioKart with the math teacher, a homemade cheesecake, a private music lesson, a handknit hat, and breakfast and a drink from Starbucks.

24

Ukrainian cities, the Green family and their friends in Ukraine were able to sort out the logistics of getting supplies to an Eastern border city, where their family is from.

Donation boxes were located at the top of the V in the upper school, at the Arts Center entrance, at the entrance of the lower school and in the Live+Serve Lab. The school community donated things like dry packaged goods—such as cereal and protein bars—baby supplies, basic hygiene items, pet food, first aid kits, clothing, winter coats and more.

“Live and Serve” Week and Fest

North Shore Country Day held its second annual “Live and Serve” Week, beginning May 9, and culminating with the first-ever Supply Drive for Ukraine “Live and Serve” Fest May 14. This joint Sophie Green ’23 and her family organized effort between the Parents’ Association a donation drive for the war-torn people of and the school’s “Live and Serve” proUkraine. While many relief organizations grams offered opportunities for the struggled to deliver essential supplies to entire NSCD community to take action through service.

Marissa Sanchez-Andersen ’34 and Alessandro Debosio ’34

Dunk Alzheimer’s: Karen Segal and this year’s Dunk Alz Student Committee

Dhilan Suri ’33 and Anika Venu ’30

Nick Potter ’22

Each day of the week, families provided an opportunity for alumni from around lunches and dinners for clients of the world to put the school’s motto into Connections for the Homeless in Evanston. practice collectively by organizing service In addition, each day had its own theme: projects in their local area. Since then, it • Monday, May 9: Random Acts of has expanded to include current school Kindness Day families, faculty and staff.

• Tuesday, May 10: Educate Yourself Day • Wednesday, May 11: Wish Lists Day Dunk Alzheimer’s • Thursday, May 12: At-Home Service Transformed Projects Day • Friday, May 13: Supply or Food Drive Day For the past two years, the COVID-19 panOn Saturday, the entire school commu- demic has disrupted the traditional Dunk nity came together for a celebration of Alz Basketball Bash, an annual fundraiser service and a Social Impact Fair, where for Alzheimer’s research, typically held in students showed off some of the service January. But that hasn’t stopped students projects they had been working on from finding ways to continue to raise throughout the school year. Families money and awareness for this important volunteered on campus in a number of topic. This year, the student-led Dunk Alz ways—preparing the school gardens, committee reimagined the event to making cards, sorting donations and include the junior varsity and varsity baseassembling care packages. In addition, ball games on May 14, in conjunction with there were bounce houses, food trucks “Live and Serve” Fest. There was also a and other fun activities. kickball game and several items raff led off “Live and Serve” Week grew out of an throughout the day. In the weeks leading initiative from the alumni office. It started five years ago as “Live and Serve” Day—

Edgar Romero ’25

up to the event, students sold Dunk Alz t-shirts and sweatpants. Overall, they raised about $4,000.

Dunk Alzheimer’s was started by NSCD alumnus Jonathan Segal ’15, and has been carried on by several other students over the years, including his younger sister Caroline Segal ’20. Their grandmother was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s at age 60. The disease affects more than 6 million Americans and was the sixth leading cause of death in the United States in 2019, killing more people than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined.

At this time, there is no treatment to cure, delay or stop the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, and federal funding for research is at risk of being cut, so fundraisers like this one are needed now more than ever. Since 2013, the NSCDS community has raised more than $75,000 for Alzheimer’s research.

a c o r n · Spring/Summer 2022

25

live and serve

Tom Flemma and Thomas H. Garver ’52 Owen Keyt ’24

Cathy Bell Bartholomay ’79, Bill Bartholomay, Tom Flemma

Little Library Gets a Makeover In the spring of 2015, a Little Free Library was installed on campus near the circle lot.

Over the years, hundreds of books have circulated through the Little Library and the weather took a toll on the structure.

Thanks to Owen Keyt ’24 for giving it a makeover, the Little Library looks better than ever.

Cathy Bell Bartholomay ’79 and her husband Bill Bartholomay have been supporters of the lending library and posed by the renovated “Bill Bartholomay Little Library” while on campus for NSCD’s “Live and Serve” Fest May 14. We are grateful to Owen, Bill and Cathy for their support and demonstrating our school’s motto “Live and Serve.”

26

Heritage Society Profile: Thomas H. Garver ’52 I came to North Shore Country Day in the fall of 1948 as one of a few boys who lived in Leicester Hall, as close as the school ever came to having a boarding department. I was a native of Duluth, MN, and while some people said that I seemed smart enough, I hardly demonstrated this in the public schools I attended. My parents were always worrying about their children, and through happenstance, my mother and I had back-to-back meetings with Dr. Benjamin Spock, the “baby and child doctor” who supposedly knew all about kids. After our meeting, he said I might benefit from going away to school, and suggested we consider North Shore. On a subsequent business trip, my father stopped in Winnetka for a meeting with Perry Dunlap Smith, the school’s founder and headmaster. During the course of their conversation, P. D. threw on his dark purple Italian naval officer’s cape, took my father on a tour of the place, and that settled it.

North Shore did its best, but while my academic achievements remained modest, the inf luence of the school on my identity was profound. The quality that I found most important then (although, of course, I didn’t recognize it at the time) was the school’s intimacy, its strong bond between the individual faculty members and their students. My memory, now 70 years after the fact, was how thoughtfully the teachers accepted the individual students for who they were, while at the same time working to strengthen and support their unique personalities.

These days, NSCD is pointedly working to raise money to support scholarships in order to extend the reach of the school and expand its vision to individuals who would not otherwise have access to it.

Scholarships help to open the envelope of a North Shore Country Day education to others, to the benefit of everyone involved.

I’m a now retired art historian. I spent much of my career as a staff member in a number of American universities and public art museums. It’s not a lucrative business and my gift to the school will be modest, but I have asked that it go into North Shore’s scholarship funds. Dr. Spock was right. The experience of NSCD set me on a new path, sent me off to a college I would not have attended otherwise, located in a part of the country then unknown to me, and from there into a life I suspect I would not have seen from Duluth. I am grateful to have attended North Shore Country Day, and to have sampled an experience that was both intellectually passionate and emotionally supportive.

SAVE THE DATE! Homecoming 2022, September 30-October 1 We look forward to seeing everyone on campus for a fun-filled weekend! Families, alumni, parents of alumni, and current and former faculty are invited. There will be special events, programs, athletic competitions, food and more. Final schedule coming soon!

Reunion Classes This Year: 1947, 1952, 1957, 1962, 1967, 1972, 1977, 1982, 1987, 1992, 1997, 2002, 2007, 2012 and 2017

2022 Francis R. Stanton ’27 Recognition: JONATHAN STRONG ’62 This year’s recipient, Jonathan Strong ’62, was chosen for his dedication to the field of education with a long and outstanding career teaching creative writing at Tufts University and as a distinguished and highly recognized author. His impact as an educator and writer has been significant and meaningful across many generations, and his life exemplifies the school’s motto “Live and Serve.” The presentation will be given during the Raider Review on Saturday morning of Homecoming weekend in the auditorium.

a c o r n · Spring/Summer 2022

27

v isua l a rt

Robbie Black ’23

Leo Wachter ’33

Lucrezia Bradley ’27

Jatin Venugopal ’32 Junnah Quraishi ’23

Kashif Yousufani ’26

Grace Brennan ’30 Lulu Barnett ’28

Lower School Collaborative Artwork

Owen Keyt ’24 Nicholas Olvera ’22

Max Flemma ’26

Ashley Garcia ’24 Emily Ver Eecke ’27

perfor ming a rt s High School Musical North Shore Country Day upper schoolers returned to the stage March 10-12 for Disney’s “High School Musical”—the first full-scale musical production held live and in person at the school in more than two years in front of a sold-out audience.

This year, there were seven plays included in the festival:

“It was an amazing moment—one that I will never forget,” said Performing Arts Department Head and Theater Teacher Julia Macholl, who directed the show. “There was such an emptiness, performing in an empty theater. A live audience just makes everything come to life.”

•“A Pleasant Surprise?” by Mariel Flickinger ’24

Although COVID-19 restrictions were lifted by the time of the performance, the ongoing pandemic threatened to throw a wrench into things. When it was time for rehearsals to kick into high gear, the omicron surge forced a pause. And when the cast was finally able to come together, safety precautions created an extra layer of complication. But the cast and crew worked overtime, with early release from classes and later-than-normal rehearsals, and their hard work paid off.

•“Immoral Money” by Daniel Becker ’23

“The students really stepped up their effort in rehearsals,” explained Upper and Middle School Choral Director and Music Teacher Timothy Mah, who was also the music director for the show. “J​​ulia and I couldn’t be more proud of them for pouring their hearts out on stage, and bringing back live performances to our auditorium with a giant splash and tons of energy!”

Take 10 Play Festival The upper school’s annual 10-minute play festival “Take 10” returned to the stage April 13. For the first time in three years, students performed their original plays in front of a live audience in the auditorium.

Each play was produced and directed by students in the upper school directing class. Some were based on personal experience, observations and media events, while others stemmed from pure creativity. Once the scripts were finalized, the student directors held auditions, cast the roles and ran their own rehearsals.

High School Musical

30

•“Mommy, Why Do I Look Like a Disney Character?”

by Jackson Berner ’24 •“Dating is…Taxing” by Alli Smith ’24

•“Unprofessional Professor” by Kiran Jorgensen ’23 •“Double Date” by Maya Belabbes ’24 •“Status Report” by Sky De La Cruz ’23

Middle School Performing Arts Showcases Middle school acting, dance, technical theater and improvisation classes, along with a select group of instrumental ensemble and chorus members demonstrated their growth and celebrated their journey over the course of the school year with two performing arts showcases: one in January and one in May. The winter showcase was livestreamed, while the spring showcase returned to its usual format onstage in the auditorium with a live audience.

Instrumental Ensemble and Chorus The middle and upper school instrumental ensembles livestreamed a winter concert for families and friends, playing everything from 1950s jazz to 1990s grunge to contemporary pop. Then in the spring, the combined middle and upper school instrumental ensemble and chorus concert returned to the auditorium for a live performance with a full audience.

“Ann Goodrich and I are incredibly proud of our students,” Timothy said. “It has been a very trying two years in the world of band and chorus. But they have been undeterred—despite all the craziness—and I’m delighted we were able to share their hard work with our community.”

High School Musical: Emilise Comeau ’24, Addie Stillman ’25, David Jackson ’24 and Kiran Jorgensen ’23

Take 10: Quincy Howard ’24

Charlie Ver Eecke ’25 and Nicolette Fox ’23

Caleb Goldstein ’24, Tommy Hoffman ’23, Toren Strauss ’24 and Tommy Kalotis ’24

Middle School Performing Arts Showcase: Bronwyn Wood ’28 and Nick Thomas ’26 Instrumental Ensemble and Chorus: Kendall Phillips ’28

Annie Ford ’26

Ana Ristic ’22

Emilise Comeau ’24 and Via Kelly ’25

Emma Shinal ’27

Middle School Chorus

a c o r n · Spring/Summer 2022

31

at hle t ics Winter and Spring Season Highlights

Winter 2022 Conference Honors

• The boys basketball team had a remarkable playoff run, winning the regional championship for the first time since 2012.

• The girls basketball team finished second in a tough ISL conference with an overall season record of 16-8.

• The boys baseball team earned its fifth straight regional championship appearance after bottling to fit in 21 games in seven weeks.

• The girls soccer team advanced to the regional final game for the 10th season in a row.

• The boys tennis team finished second in the sectional tournament and tied for the best finish in NSCD boys tennis history.

• The track and field program finished with its highest point total at the sectional event, and between the two teams had more state qualifiers in more events than any other team in Raider track and field history.

B OY S B A S K E T B A L L : All-Conference Honorable Mention Mason Meyers ’22, Nick Potter ’22 and Robbie Black ’23; ISL Co-Sportsmanship Award Boys Basketball Team

ISL Coaching Staff of the Year G I R L S B A S K E T B A L L Bruce Blair ’69, Brendan Kolton ’01

and Irene Margiotta

G I R L S B A S K E T B A L L : All Conference First Team Alma

Fitzgerald ’22 and Bethany Bulwa ’23; All Conference Honorable Mention Emilise Comeau ’24; ISL Sportsmanship Award Girls Basketball Team

Spring 2022 Conference Honors B A S E B A L L : All-Conference Buckley Oelerich ’23,

Michael Olatunji ’23 and Trafton O’Brien ’24 G I R L S S O C C E R : First Team All-Conference Ellie Stevenson ’22; Second Team All-Conference Lindsey Glew ’22 and Lexi Jackson ’22; All-Conference Honorable Mention Alma Fitzgerald ’22, Anna Ristic ’22 and Suraiyya Omar ’23; IHSSCA All-Sectional Ellie Stevenson; IHSSCA All-Sectional Honorable Mention Lexi Jackson; IHSSCA All-Sectional All-Academic Peyton Hudson ’22 B OY S T E N N I S : All-Conference Honorable Mention

Konrad Lundstedt ’23 and James MacGeachy ’23 T R A C K A N D F I E L D : All-Conference Cole Connolly ’22,

Danielle Savin ’23 and Emilise Comeau ’24

Bo Stevenson ’24

32

Emilise Comeau ’24

Tae Won Lillig ’23

Jack Ryan ’23

Mason Meyers ’22

Alma Fitzgeral ’22

Michael Olatunji ’23

Trafton O’Brien ’24

Girls Soccer

Chris Johnson ’22

Jack Saccaro ’22

Aram Dombalagian ’24

Nick Potter ’22

Ana Ristic ’22

Lexi Jackson ’22

Ahan Jain ’22

James MacGeachy ’23

Track and Field: Ella Capozzi ’23, Emilise Comeau ’24, Danielle Isasi ’23, Dani Savin ’23 and Liliana Green ’22

Track and Field: Owen Keyt ’24, Aramis Thai-Garcia ’24, Robert Hansell ’22, Brian Xing ’22, Cole Connolly a cSmith o r n’25, · Andrew Spring/Summer 2022 33 ’22, David Jackson ’24 and Nicholas Olvera ’22

pho t os from our pa s t “A picture is worth a thousand words” and tells an important and interesting story. If you can identify any of these photos or tell us a story about them, please contact the Alumni and Development Office, 310 Green Bay Road, Winnetka, IL 60093, send an email to alumni@nscds.org or call 847.441.3316.

34

a c o r n · Spring/Summer 2022

35

a lumni connec t ions ‘Live and Serve’ Day and Fest “Live and Serve” Day was expanded even further this year to an on-campus “Live and Serve” Fest on Saturday, May 14. (See story, page 24.) NSCD alumni, faculty, staff, students and families celebrated together with service projects, a social impact fair and other fun activities.

Meanwhile, for the fourth straight year, alumni from across the miles and class years celebrated “Live and Serve” Day in their own communities, performing acts of service or volunteering with organizations that are meaningful to them. Recent graduates Charley Bell ’21 and Abby Kaplan ’21 participated in a beach clean up, while Danielle Simon ’21 volunteered at a “Girls on the Run” event.

Special thanks to the alumni “Live and Serve” Captains and Committee for promoting this special day to honor our school motto: Annie Aggens ’88, Cathy Bell Bartholomay ’79, Phyllis Beattie ’72, Rebecca Lockhart Curry-Edwards ’04, Dana Brown Davenport ’96, Paul DeWoskin ’86, Jessica Gerber ’04, Naomi Hattori ’02, Betsy Perkins Hill ’70, David Hines ’81, Tiara Miles ’07, Sarah Geist Rosen ’86, Bob Stibolt ’72, Karen Block Thomas ’09, Katie Todd ’96, Ashleigh Palmer Weathers ’04 and Anne Hines Young ’77.

“Live and Serve” Fest: Phyllis Beattie ’72, Sarah Geist Rosen ’86 and Anne Hines Young ’77

Raiders Connect Week Our second annual Raiders Connect Week was a great success! This was a special time for alumni, offering fun ways to connect with each other and the school by sharing stories and photos through social media.

Thank you to all alumni who shared their favorite NSCD memories or posted photos on social media throughout the week. It was a great time of fun moments, Raider spirit and nostalgia.

Alumni Board Dinner The year-end Alumni Board dinner was held at Hackneys on Lake in Glenview to celebrate a productive year. The following outgoing Alumni Board members were thanked and recognized for their service: Annie Aggens ’88, Betsy Perkins Hill ’70, Suzanne Folds McCullagh ’69 and Ted Notz ’53. The board also welcomed new members: Allison Kaplan Bosco ’03, Jim Deuble ’76, Andre Lodree ’96 and honorary board member John Roberts ’49. The Alumni Board also acknowledged Director of Alumni Relations Nancy Green Whiteman ’71, who is retiring in June, with a special rendition of “O’er the Fields,” with rewritten lyrics provided

by Phyllis Beattie ’72. Phyllis, along with former faculty Barb Sherman, created a special Raider hat for Nancy to wear now and in retirement.

Head of School Tom Flemma then announced Nancy will forever be an Honorary Alumni Board member for her dedication to North Shore Country Day and her fellow alumni.

Melinda Roenisch ’80, Katie Todd ’96 and Kelly Todd

NSCD on the Road— Regionals with Alumni and Friends North Shore was back on the road this year with regional gatherings in California, Colorado, Florida and New York. Thank you to everyone who joined us for these gatherings and shared their memories and the impact of NSCD. And a special thanks to our hosts: Carole and Bob Kopple ’61 (Los Angeles); the Deuble family and former faculty Frank Dachille (Denver); John Roberts ’49 (Vero Beach, FL); and former faculty Chris Boyle (New York).

36

Ainsley Frederick ’35 and Kayleigh Weathers ’35

Alumni Board Dinner: Back Row Molly Ingram McDowell ’80, Tom Flemma, Anne Hines Young ’77, Ashleigh Palmer Weathers ’04, Jay Bach, Larry Williams ’87, Jim Davis ’64, Carlos Angeles ’12, Naomi Hattori ’02, Jim Deuble ’76, Madelaine Kukanza Goldstein ’08, Sarah Geist Rosen ’86; Front Row Suzanne Folds McCullagh ’69, Betsy Perkins Hill ’70, Nancy Green Whiteman ’71, Phyllis Beattie ’72, Katie Todd ’96

“Live and Serve” Day: Charley Bell ’21

L A : Mary Young, David Hines ’81, Marcos Ochoa, Frank Cermak-Ochoa ’00, Bruce Everett ’60, Diana and Tom Flemma, Carole and Bob Kopple ’61

Raiders Connect Week: Caren Jeskey ’87 and Jenni Barr Bell ’87

D E N V E R : Back Row Rachel Mabie ’12, Rob McClung ’91, Frank Dachille, Charlie Sklare ’09, Patrick White ’12, Emily Gaud ’00, Emily Yates ’02, Amy Nasaw ’88, Heather Utzinger Michelotti ’87, Ann Mullins ’66 and Amy Deuble; Front Row Caitlin White Tesoriero ’07, Peter Fine ’02, Jim Deuble ’76, Aleda Deuble ’12 and Barbara Schilling Stanton ’63

N E W YO R K C I T Y : Jeremy Barrand, Heather Mabie ’14, John Kehoe ’88, Lew Davis, Kim Baker, Bruce Jarchow ’66, Jim Golden ’70, Joanne Golden ’74, Bill Hines ’73, Bert Jarchow ’07, Nancy Jarchow, Tom Flemma, Brian Sarfo, Chris Boyle and Molly Ingram McDowell ’80

V E R O B E A C H : Richard Handley, Sally Green Handley ’68, Mary Ann Flemma, Tom Flemma, John Roberts ’49, JakeaHowe Blunt, Nancy Green Whiteman c o r’68, n ·JuliSpring/Summer 2022 37 ’71, and Lori Howe

in memori a m Remembering Richard J. Franke

Richard J. Franke

North Shore Country Day lost a loyal Raider with the passing of Life Trustee Richard J. Franke on April 15, 2022. Richard served as treasurer and president of the Board of Trustees, as well as chairman of the major fund drive, Endowing Educational Excellence. His two children, Katherine ’77 and Jane ’80, are alumni of the school, and his wife Barbara worked at NSCD as a college counselor.

In 1986, Richard was the second recipient of the Foster Hannaford Recognition, a program that annually recognizes a person for their distinguished service to North Shore Country Day. In the citation, then Head of School Dick Hall wrote, “His clarity of vision and strength of purpose have been the key to the excellence that has characterized the school during his tenure.”

In 2008, Barbara, Richard, Katherine and Jane established the Franke Family Fund to support programs that enhance students’ experiences during the academic year. North Shore Country Day is grateful for the legacy the Franke family has left here at NSCD and we continue to see the impact on our students thanks to their generous contributions.

Excerpts from his obituary Richard J. Franke, who started as a summer intern with the investment bank John Nuveen & Company and went on to serve as its chief executive officer for 22 years, died from complications related to pneumonia on April 15, 2022 in New York City. He was 90 years old.

Richard was born in Springfield, IL. At 18, he left Springfield for New Haven, CT, to attend Yale College. His education at Yale transformed him, laying the ground for a life that wove a commitment to the humanities into a business model of investment banking. He was wellknown at Nuveen for hiring not only top MBAs but also analysts with history and English PhDs. Under his leadership, the company began paying the college tuition of all children of Nuveen employees, no matter their rank.

After graduating from Yale, Richard served in the Army and then received an MBA from Harvard in 1957. He began working at Nuveen in 1955 and then served as its CEO from 1974 to 1996. He and his wife Barbara made Chicago their home for 55 years.

Besides his business career, he pursued his love of the humanities by supporting many cultural and educational institutions. At his death, he was an emeritus board member of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Chicago Shakespeare Theater and the University of Chicago. He served as a trustee of the Newberry Library and the

38

President’s Committee on Arts and Humanities, and president of the Illinois Humanities Council. He chaired the board of Americans United To Save the Arts and the Humanities and the National Trust for the Humanities. In 1996, he was named a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. In 2011, he became a member of the American Philosophical Society.

While a trustee of the University of Chicago, the Franke Institute for the Humanities was named for Richard and his wife Barbara. They established the Franke Fellows program, supporting the research of graduate students at the University of Chicago, Yale University and Northwestern University.

In 1988 he founded the Chicago Humanities Festival joining Chicago’s premier cultural institutions in a literary and artistic celebration of the humanities.

The Chicago Tribune noted his role in creating this novel venture as a “unique annual jewel of a civic affair.” In recognition of this work, President Bill Clinton presented him with the National Humanities Medal for his vision “bringing the pleasure of art and ideas to the people of the great city of Chicago.”

Richard believed deeply in a duty to give back to his community and to those who were not as fortunate as he had been.

He modeled the importance of business support for the arts, and personally gave generously not only to the arts and humanities, but to educational

Richard and Barbara Franke

Richard Franke and Dick Hall

organizations and those serving refugees and people with insecure food and housing. Richard’s children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and countless colleagues and friends treasured his generous and playful spirit.

Collaborative Poetry Project, 2009-2010

Design Thinking, 2012-2013

Franke Fund Programming Through the Years The Franke Family Fund gives faculty a wide berth to develop creative and unique ideas that can be implemented across all three divisions, JK-12. The first Franke Fund initiative—Woody Guthrie: Songs in the Key of Change—was an interdisciplinary schoolwide program examining the role of music in social activism in the 20th century. In the years since then, a variety of distinguished guests—poets, activists, writers, actors, scientists, entrepreneurs and even a NASA astronaut—have come to campus to inspire and motivate NSCD students. Here are a few highlights: POETRY—CALEF BROWN AND CIN SALACH

In 2009-2010, students and faculty alike were immersed in a multisensory, multidisciplinary poetry program. Over the span of a few weeks, every student in the school participated, either by writing or reading poetry, creating poetry-themed art, viewing poetry projects on campus or listening to poetry during Morning Ex programs. More than 200 students and faculty collaborated to create a community art installation, writing poems and verses on a 6-foot canvas which still hangs in the entrance to the Arts Center. Students also worked together on a silly haiku project and embarked on a one-line-a-day challenge to memorize a poem and recite it to someone. Visiting poet, author and illustrator Calef Brown wrote a poem that inspired a play called “Funky Snowman,” which premiered on campus, while poet Cin Salach performed in the upper school.

Videos of poetry and visual art projects were also displayed around campus.

program in first grade, while middle school students spent time on area farms as a part of service week. The upper school DESIGN THINKING— E-Club developed on-campus composting DESIGN FOR AMERICA and hydroponic growing systems, and a The 2012-2013 program kicked off with a number of upper school Interim Week Morning Ex featuring Design For America, programs were centered around food— a network of innovators using design including several service programs and thinking skills for local social impact. one on the science behind molecular gasStudents from Northwestern University tronomy. Bob Aiken, the CEO of Feeding who were involved in the program talked America, the nation’s leading domestic about their earliest memories of designing hunger-relief organization, presented at a something, and invited students from the Morning Ex. audience onstage for a hands-on design U P S TA N D E R S — M A R J O R I E A G O S Í N , challenge. Throughout the year, NSCD W RITER AND ACTIVIST students were asked to embrace design thinking in a variety of ways: design a Students were encouraged to “embrace the way for a person on crutches to carry challenge to speak out, do the right thing, their lunch tray, or create the tallest struc- and make decisions that help create positure possible with dried spaghetti and tive change in our world and make a conmarshmallows. Nasa Astronaut Dr. scious choice to step in instead of stand by.”

Gregory Charmitoff visited and talked The Upstanders theme in 2015-2016 was about making dreams come true—how integrated into curricular and co-curricuto design your own future. The junior lar programming, such as advisory and kindergarteners designed and built community conversations. Franke Fund models of tree houses. Finally, students events included a visit from Marjorie used a collection of foam blocks in the Agosín, a Chilean-American poet, writer, science center to build something. The human rights activist and professor at process and results entertained and Wellesley College, and an Almquist inspired those who passed by.

Gallery exhibit of her Arpillera collection; faculty/staff professional development FOOD—BOB AIKEN, focused on developing Upstanders; a lower FEEDING AMERICA school Upstander book series; and Harold The 2013-2014 Franke Fund program Hines Fellow Bryan Stevenson, founder focused on food topics including nutrition, and Executive Director of the Equal Justice urban agriculture, food sourcing, hunger Initiative, the author of the New York and a variety of other subjects. Lower Times bestseller “Just Mercy,” and a schoolers studied food waste and continMacArthur Fellow. ued the development of the aquaponics

a c o r n · Spring/Summer 2022

39

cl a ss notes

1930s

Alice Graff Childs ’37 was born in

the fall of 1919, just a month before North Shore Country Day opened its doors. Their joint start in this world became more significant and special when she enrolled in the school as a freshman. Alice loved North Shore and was always quick to tell anyone how proud she was to be a graduate. She stated emphatically that it was her most inf luential educational experience, preparing her for all her future endeavors, from college, to business, to life and developed in her a passion and curiosity for lifelong learning. Her connection to North Shore was constant throughout her life with fellow alumni friends, regularly hosting reunion and regional events, serving on the Alumni Board, attending school programs, performances, alumni trips and supporting fundraising initiatives. Whenever at North Shore she was a welcoming presence seeking to engage with everyone. She would leave these occasions widening and expanding her circle of NSCD friends. Everyone loved and enjoyed Alice. For so many, Alice Childs served as a role model in how to live and engage in the world. We were fortunate to be in her presence and have her as an alumna and will miss her dearly.

In 2008, North Shore recognized her lifelong commitment to the school with the Foster Hannaford Recognition. She was described as an “ambassador, role model and the embodiment of North Shore’s motto ‘Live and Serve.’ Her positive involvement is broad and far-reaching; her philanthropic support, so consistent and most generous; her spirit and energy most genuine; her connections to others so open and honest.” For the full citation, visit www.nscds.org/hannaford.

40

Retired judge Marshall Forrest ’36, 103, died peacefully in Medford, OR, on January 12, 2022. He was born on April 4, 1918 in Chicago and was educated at North Shore Country Day, The Lawrenceville School, Princeton University and Northwestern University before joining the U.S. Army in 1942. During WWII, he served in the Signal Corps, in North Africa and Italy. He graduated from the University of Chicago Law School (cum laude, Order of the Coif) in 1947 and moved to Bellingham, WA, where he raised his family and practiced law.

Marshall served in the Washington State Legislature, served on the Board of Trustees for Western Washington State College, taught business law, and spent the latter part of his career as a Superior Court Judge of Whatcom County and on the Washington State Court of Appeals (1989-93). After retirement, he served on the Washington State Gambling Commission and handled multiple arbitrations. Among his many awards, Marshall was proud to receive the Washington State Bar Association Outstanding Judge Award in 1992.

Beyond his legal and civic career, Marshall was a wide-ranging intellectual and embraced life to the fullest. He was passionately interested and well-read in politics, philosophy, literature, history, education and architecture. He led the Bellingham chapter of the Great Books Program for many years, became a Lifemaster in Bridge, was an avid skier on the slopes of Mount Baker, hiked and camped throughout the North Cascades, went skydiving, owned many impractical dogs, built a cabin on his Waldron Island property, and had many whitewater canoeing adventures and misadventures. He was always up for the next adventure, never complained about setbacks, and was universally loved and admired by friends and family alike.

Marshall is survived by his first wife, Ernestine Tabrah; their three children, Stephanie Forrest of Scottsdale, AZ, Kimball Forrest of Anchorage, AK, and Hilary Forrest of Anacortes, WA; and three grandchildren, Marnie Hazlehurst, Fletcher Hazlehurst, and Madeleine Carey.

His second wife, Katherine, preceded him in death; she is survived by two daughters, Elizabeth Stewart and Barbara Sinnott, three grandchildren, and three great grandchildren. Marshall requested that

there be no public memorial service and that in lieu of f lowers, memorial remembrances should be sent to Planned Parenthood or WildEarth Guardians.

Alice Graff Childs ’37 was born September 3, 1919, to Everett and Verde Graff. She passed away on February 22, 2022 at the age of 102. In her heavenly rest, she joins her husband William, her son Robert, her daughter Nancy and her grandson, William Schenck. She is survived by her daughter, Deborah Childs Kessler (Richard), her granddaughter, Elizabeth Phillips, and her grandsons, Charles Schenck and Andrew Buecking as well as six great grandchildren.

Alice lived in Winnetka for 89 years.

She graduated from North Shore Country Day and Smith College, class of 1941.

During the 1970s and 80s, she was a proud co-owner of Sundial Travel and was also involved with many charitable organizations. A longtime member of Indian Hill Club, she excelled in tennis and golf by winning tournaments in each.

Her love of music and art was pursued by taking courses into her 90s. She had limitless energy and curiosity.

A long time resident of Naples, FL, where she and her husband wintered until 2000 when she became a resident, she was involved in the Naples Philharmonic Center for the Arts, becoming one of the first season ticket holders.

Alice cherished her friendships by taking an interest in everyone she met.

An avid entertainer, she hosted parties and dinner dates with regularity. She loved duplicate bridge, crossword and jigsaw puzzles. Her mind was always active. In her 90s, she was still taking courses at local venues.

Alice will be greatly missed by her community of friends. There will be a celebration of her full life in Winnetka on September 3.

1950s Paul Loomis ’56 was born in Evanston, IL, on March 18, 1937, and died on November 12, 2021 in Vancouver, WA. He was the fourth and last surviving child of John S. and Margaret White Loomis of Winnetka. He graduated from North Shore Country Day in 1956, where he was captain of both the basketball and the football teams, and played leading roles in yearly Gilbert and Sullivan productions. Paul graduated from Yale University in 1960

Alice Graff Childs ’37

Paul Loomis ’56

with a B.A. in English. He also received an M.A. from Northwestern University. He enjoyed teaching middle school English and history classes at NSCD and later at Shady Hill School in Cambridge, MA. At North Shore, he was a very popular teacher, known for his quick wit and timely manifestations of humor. Paul’s skill and creativity was shown in his humorous adaptation of the fairytale “The Princess and the Pea”. The stage production of “The Lumpy Mattress” was presented for the student body and parents, directed by Paul; all the actors were his middle school students. He also coached the middle school football team.

He served as a medic in the U.S. Army Reserves for five years and was honorably discharged. Paul became an award winning salesman for the 3M Corp, then went into the life insurance industry, earning a Certified Life Underwriter degree. After brief ly working in San Francisco, Paul joined the firm of Atkins and Timpson Insurance Agency in San Antonio. He later became a full partner in Atkins, Loomis and Timpson Insurance. After almost twenty years, Paul formed his own agency, Loomis Insurance Services, moving to the Portland, OR, metro area in 2000.

Throughout his life, Paul was a prominent baritone singer, first in Chicago, then New Haven, San Francisco, San Antonio and Portland. He was president of the San Antonio Symphony Mastersingers, San Antonio Master Chorale, the Texas Bach Choir, and founder and president of the San Antonio Men and Boys Choir. He sang comprimario roles in the San Antonio Grand Opera festivals and sang the role of Melchior in Menotti’s “Amahl and the Night Visitors” in six different productions in San Antonio over a seven year period.

Phil Moore ’60

Rick Fall ’62

continued his career as a professor of history and law. Phil was definitely a powerful presence in all realms of his life.

Phil was the master of ceremonies for all family functions, a natural born orator and vibrant storyteller. If you knew him, you would understand why he was consistently referred to as the “loving curmudgeon.” He kept his family and friends close and always made you feel his pride. His impact on others was colossal.

Many sought his wise counsel. Phil was an invested in loco parentis for his Australian/ Chicago nieces and nephews, and his extended network of children’s friends.

His zest for life was apparent in his love of playing games and having fun. Phil was an avid tennis player, die-hard Cubs fan, loved writing, reading, boating, music, dancing and was consistently found with a New York Times crossword puzzle. His Phil Moore ’60 passed away on February 19, 2022, in Easton, MD, due to respiratory wit, humor and intellect was constant.

He was a loving father, brother, huscomplications. Phil was a resident of band and friend and is survived by his Charlevoix, MI. He was born in Evanston, partner of 20 years Catherine Paklaian, IL, on June 27, 1942, to Henrietta Boal his first wife Nancy Scheff ler, three chilMoore ’33 and Philip Wyatt Moore Jr. dren Chris Moore (Jenno Topping), Liza Phil grew up in Winnetka, where he Ledford (Mark Ledford) and Rachel Moore attended North Shore Country Day. His (Vinnie Ricasio), step-children Sara Vesci grandparents, Ayres Boal and Lesley (Kevin Vesci) and Jonathan Paklaian, two Johnson Boal, were among a group of sisters Ayrie and Lucy Musawa (Eagle), families who founded the school in 1919, brother Tom (Kerry), nine grandchildren and his mother was an alumna. A graduate Mason, Maddie, Alice, Charlie, Ike, Reid, of Harvard University and University of Nate, Connor, Liam and many cousins, Chicago Law School, he was an activist nieces, nephews, extended family and who made a huge impact. Phil was a civil friends. In addition to his parents, he was rights worker in the Mississippi Summer preceded in death by his sister Lesley.

Project, registering black voters in Jackson, MS. His activism continued into Rick Fall ’62 died April 5, 2022, at home corporate reform, as Executive Director of in Morrison, CO. He was born in 1944 in the Project on Corporate Responsibility, Chicago and grew up in Winnetka. He which started with Campaign GM. He also leaves behind his life partner Karen “KK” participated in political reform and was a Daugherty, former wife Olivia Edwards, part of the team that changed the rules for daughter Laney F. Hall (Joel) the delegate selection process in 1968. He Other choirs in which he sang were the Yale Glee Club, San Francisco Conservatory Cantata Singers, the Texas Bach Choir, and numerous church choirs including the Trinity Cathedral Choir and Trinity Consort, Portland, OR. He is survived by his wife of almost 48 years, Melinda Atkins Loomis, son Nathaniel and his wife Sita Farmer Loomis, grandsons Manu and Ari Loomis; two daughters by his marriage to Jane Angelus, Marilyn Loomis Haley and husband Cris Haley; and Susan Loomis Maletta, grandsons Matthew and Marcus Maletta alumni niece and nephew Wickcliffe Loomis Blasi ’67 and Jack Loomis ’69.

1960s

a c o r n · Spring/Summer 2022

41

cl a ss notes

“Les Beaux Châteaux” by Dorothy Mackevich Marks ’78

Sally Green Handley ’68, Bob de la Fuente ’85 and Nancy Green Whiteman ’71

and son Michael H. Fall (Staci) along with his grandsons Sullivan and Fletcher Fall.

He was preceded in death by his wife Diane Hankins Fall and leaves behind his step-daughters Christine Mosch (Brad) and Cari Gardner and his step-grandchildren Paige, Quinn and Max (Christine) and Emily (Cari).

Rick was the son of the late Joe Fall and Sarah Rozet Bull Wood and step-son to the late Henry C. Wood. He was preceded in death by his sister Sara “Sheri” Rozet Perkins and his half brothers Henry “Skip” Wood Jr. and David Wood.

He attended North Shore Country Day and Middlebury College in Vermont, where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1966. He was also a member of the Delta Upsilon fraternity.

Rick moved to Denver in 1969, where he began his career in commercial real estate. He helped to sell, lease and manage space in the newly completed Colorado State Bank Building while working with Coldwell Banker in the early ’70s. He then moved to the real estate divisions of Frederick R. Ross Company, followed

by Boettcher & Company before moving to Vail, CO, in the ’80s.

In Vail, Rick joined Vail Associates Real Estate which later merged with Slifer Smith & Frampton. While there he was an award-winning associate broker for Vail Associates and later a broker and owner in the development of Arrowhead.

Rick was no stranger to the Vail Valley, his family was an investor in the original Vail partnership in 1962, more than a dozen properties were owned by the family into the late 1990s, and Rick was a lifetime passholder at Vail.

42

An avid skier and golfer, Rick entertained friends, family and clients yearround in the Vail Valley. His ability to find common ground with people from all walks of life allowed him great success in the real estate business and in life. In 1997, Rick and Diane relocated to Naples, FL, where he continued to work in the real estate community until his retirement.

Rick had a great love for golf, playing on many courses around the United States and in Scotland. He also competed in a number of tournaments, from the Jerry Ford Invitational in Vail for a number of years, to father-son tournaments at the Denver Country Club, he loved the formal and informal competitions on the golf course. He was, at one time or another, a member of Denver Country Club, Country Club of the Rockies, Country Club of Sapphire Valley, Hole in the Wall, Colliers Reserve Country Club, and the Imperial Golf Club to name a few. He was able to play golf into his 70s.

He loved to live. Not only was he a golfer and skier, he also frequented the theater in both Colorado and Florida, he rode horses all over the Vail Valley, he traveled the world with friends and family alike, he raised a number of dogs, some for hunting and some for companionship, and he loved driving his Corvettes. As a child he also invented a number of games with his counterparts which included Furd, launching cherry bombs into the air with tennis rackets, and Skeeching.

Rick carried his sense of humor with him throughout his life. From perfectly timed one-liners, to well written rhymes, he could bring a smile to anyone’s face.

Former Faculty Shirley Smith Johnston and Adrienne Weisse

If you said anything that could be considered a set up, Rick was there to make sure the joke was made.

He lived a full and beautiful life.

He will be missed.

1970s Dorothy Mackevich Marks ’78 shares,

“I am thrilled to announce that ‘Les Beaux Châteaux,’ my first novel, inspired by a headline that French bakeries were shuttering, is now available for pre order! From one reviewer: ‘Dorothy Mackevich Marks has written a story that brings romance, family problems, fraud and victory together in a delightful tale. This was the most intriguing book I have read so far.’ —Readers’ Favorite. I’m very happy to share this story and I hope that you enjoy reading it as much as I loved writing it.”

1980s Bob de la Fuente ’85 met up with Nancy Green Whiteman ’71 and Sally Green Handley ’68 in Fort Lauderdale, FL .

Dan Bloedorn ’87 started a new position

as account manager at Sportunity.

1990s Erik Sosa ’93 resides in Playa del Carmen with his sons, where he is currently teaching recycling art for middle and upper school students at Colegio Puerto Aventuras, as well as English literature to upper schoolers and Spanish at the Learning Center for new students who need help integrating with their new language skills.

Bobby Sullivan ’08, Peter Callahan ’09, Frank Dachille, Karen Block Thomas ’09, Lee Block, Becca Dachille ’09, Matt Thomas ’09, Therese Block, Geoff Curley ’10, Danny Nolan ’09, Jordy Blenner ’09, Benjy Blenner ’02 and Ryan Nolan ’11

2000s Jordy Blenner ’09 and Ryan Nolan ’11

have a two person comedy group in Chicago called Late Night Shenanigans.

They were recently voted “Best Sketch/ Improv Troupe” in Chicago Reader’s Best of Chicago. They performed their most current show, “To Insanity & Beyond,” in May at The Annoyance Theater.

A number of NSCD fans attended and gave great reviews!

2010s Mary Sturgis ’12 has started a new job as Foreign Affairs Officer at the United States Department of State.

Justin Hartley ’19 shares, “I am honored to be recognized as a recipient of a 2022 Community Involvement Award from Tulane Center for Public Service and CACTUS, the Community Action Council of Tulane University, as Tulane’s Outstanding Student of the Year. The award commends outstanding students, student organizations, service-learning courses and community partners who have positively impacted the greater New Orleans Community. The award ceremony was a lovely experience, and I am excited to continue working to foster belonging and engage in community and political organizing here in New Orleans.”

Rachel Block ’19 recently returned from studying abroad for the semester in Seville, Spain. “My goal was to hone my Madeline Ugarte Dunne ’15 graduated from Spanish skills in a true immersion experiNorthwestern University with a Master of ence—not only to improve my language and f luidity, but to expand my learning Science in Information Design and beyond my coursework at Denison. I Strategy in September 2021. enrolled in five classes and a two-week CJ Charnas ’16 started as a Sustaining language intensive, all conducted in Design Engineer with Acuity Brands in Spanish, and lived with a local Spanish May in Atlanta. host family for my stay. This semester has put me well on the path to f luency and Emily Leiter ’16 writes, “I will be staying given me a far more global perspective. in Atlanta this summer to work as a legal In recognition of these accomplishments, intern in the General Counsel’s Office of I received a certificate of achievement in the Southern Poverty Law Center. I am excited to support the SPLC as they engage intercultural education through my study abroad program, CIEE Council on in groundbreaking impact litigation in areas like children’s rights, economic jus- International Educational Exchange.

“Additionally, I am proud to share tice, immigrant justice and voting rights. that despite my absence from Denison’s I’m very thankful to everyone who has campus this semester, I won the Walter supported me throughout my law school journey thus far, and I truly cannot believe T. Secor award for excellence in the Modern Languages department. I am that I’m almost done with my first year. I forever grateful for the opportunity I had look forward to seeing what this summer to study abroad and I am looking forward has in store!”

Former Faculty Michael Querio

to applying what I have learned in my final year of undergraduate education at Denison this fall!

“This summer I will join the Morningstar Inc. team in Chicago as an intern with the events team. I look forward to utilizing my other major, communication, in marketing and advertising endeavors as well as learning about the financial security and business industries.”

2020s Caroline Segal ’20 shares, “I am very excited to share that I will be interning this summer at the U.S. Department of Commerce through the Future Leaders in Public Service internship program.

I am really looking forward to this experience in D.C.!”

Former faculty Former upper school faculty members Shirley Smith Johnston and Adrienne Weisse met up in Atlanta for a visit earlier this spring.

Michael Querio reports, “I’m the Executive Artistic Director at the Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre in Grand Lake, CO. Our 56th season opened in June, and this summer we’ll be producing ‘Jersey Boys,’ ‘Cinderella’ and ‘Desperate Measures.’ At the end of last season, we celebrated my 25th year with Rocky Mountain Rep, starting as Music Director back in 1995— shortly after I started teaching at NSCD. I was promoted to Artistic Director in 2005, and then became Executive Artistic

a c o r n · Spring/Summer 2022

43

cl a ss notes

Lee Block, Beth Vrotny ’10, Steffi Curley ’14, Heather Mabie ’14, Sarah Vrotny Plutino ’14, Mayree Nolan ’14, Quinn Gray ’14 and Vinnie Vrotny

Director in 2016 right after I left North Shore. As hard as the pandemic has been for every aspect of society, it caused us to cancel our 2020 season—like so many other theaters and arts organizations around the country. We’re looking forward to mounting a normal season, employing 45 theatrical professionals from around the country. Even though I’m in Colorado for the summer months, I still have a home in Chicago.”

Marriages Sarah Vrotny ’14 to Brian Plutino February 26, 2022 Ryan Randolph ’04 to Megan Kaminskas

April 22, 2022 Danny Shatz ’03 to Jenna Spitzer

April 30, 2022

Births

Ryan Randolph ’04 and Megan Kaminskas

In Memoriam contance caldwell koch ’46 December 9, 2020

marshall forrest ’36 January 12, 2022

April 10, 2022 Mother of Karen Wollaeger Steinmetz ’69, Frank Wollaeger ’71, Michael Wollaeger ’73, Mark Wollaeger ’75 and Anne Wollaeger

joyce bixler bottum

February 19, 2022 Son of the late Henrietta Boal Moore ’33 Brother of Ayrie Moore ’59, Lucy Moore Musawa ’62, Thomas Moore ’64 and the late Lesley Moore ’65 Nephew of Ayres Boal ’25, Stewart Boal ’25, Thomas Boal ’27 and Susan Ballard Boal ’33

April 11, 2022 Grandmother of Hannah Bottum ’13 and Sam Bottum ’16

alice graff childs ’37 February 22, 2022 Sister of the late Bob Graff ’40 and the late Nancy Graff Nevins ’41 Aunt of Judy Nevins ’68 and Barbara Nevins ’70

irving h. abarbanell

May 3, 2022 Brian and Sophie Smith Finnerty ’06

March 16, 2022 Father of Rachel Abarbanell ’98

david l. blumberg March 27, 2022 Father of Tony Blumberg ’76 and Alan Blumberg ’83

rick fall ’62 April 5, 2022 Son of the late Sara Bull Wood ’38 Brother of Sara Fall Perkins ’65, the late Skip Wood ’38 and the late David Wood ’70 Nephew of the late Richard Bull ’43

44

janet wollaeger powell

philip w. moore ’60

conlan william finnerty

Conlan William Finnerty

Jenna Spitzer and Danny Shatz ’03

richard j. franke April 15, 2022 Husband of Barbara Franke (Former Staff) Father of Katherine Franke ’77 and Jane Franke ’80

bartlett richards iii April 23, 2022 Grandfather of Trevor Hayward ’20, Charlie Hayward ’23 and Griffin Hayward ’25

gwendolyn osborne May 14, 2022 Mother of Kenneth Rye ’88

angeline galbraith brown ’65 May 23, 2022 Sister of Jack Galbraith ’69 Mother of Angeline Brown Leonard ’93, Foster Brown ’95 and Whitney Brown Healey ’97

Aunt of Louis Brown ’96, Nicholas Brown ’97 and Jennifer Brown Hodges ’00

Send in Your News!

T H E D E A D L I N E F O R T H E FA L L ACORN IS AUGUST 15, 2022.

Email alumni@ nscds.org or call 847.441.3316 .

a lumni r efl ec t ion by thandi steele ’18 courses, I had a strong quantitative foundation to build upon. But even with exceptional academic experiences and opportunities, some of the most important lessons I have learned from North Shore are not strictly academic. Although there are a multitude of lessons that my North Shore experience instilled, I want to highlight a few that have felt exceptionally relevant in the past four years.

Fearlessness: The normalcy of asking teachers for help was one of the many special things about North Shore. Most of my teachers would go out of their way to offer their support and encouragement. The encouragement of self-advocacy during my NSCD education helped me f lourish academically, and more importantly, develop lifelong skills that I rely on to this day. In college, many students avoided office hours, but I would never hesitate to attend.

I felt empowered and confident seeking help when needed, and seeking connections with my professors even at times when I was uncomfortable with the material. In challenging internships, I have felt comfortable asking others for help and At North Shore, I learned have formed strong relationships with superiors. I have reached out to college that any single moment in alums for career advice. This “fearlessness” our lives does not define us, that North Shore has instilled will stay with me as I continue to confidently and and that hard work, tenacity courageously face the world. and determination are Multidimensionality: I grew up at North Shore knowing that I could try some of the most important everything. Academically, I found intercontributors to achievement. ests in subjects such as language, math, music, science and social studies. Out of the classroom, I found interests in a multiAs an almost Lifer (I am still salty!), I can tude of sports, clubs and other outside activities. I was, and honestly still am, a sincerely say that my experience at North person who likes to have a lot on my plate, Shore Country Day has had a profound and at NSCD I never felt obligated to miniimpact on who I am today and who I will mize any of my interests. Instead, I was continue to grow to be. As a college senior encouraged to explore them. In college, two weeks out from my graduation from I sought a liberal arts education to have Williams College, I am currently in an the f lexibility to pursue my many interests. intense period of ref lection, making this I pursued a statistics major and a Chinese the perfect time to think about all that major, while still having the opportunity North Shore has given me. I felt wellto take other classes in a diverse range of prepared for college—In my first college subjects, including math, dance, English lab, I felt confident and comfortable, as I and Africana studies. Outside the classhad already been exposed to the proceroom, I had the opportunity to compete on dures in my North Shore biology classes. the track and field team, as well as particiWhen I began my college Chinese studies, pate in numerous campus clubs and stuI was well-prepared for the challenges that dent jobs.

North Shore has taught me that learning a language brings from my four if I have interests, I can feel excited and years with Li Laoshi. When I embarked on empowered to explore them. my first college math and statistics

Resilience: Resilience was a hidden life skill I was fortunate enough to discover.

NSCD is a rigorous academic environment with room for students to pursue their own paths and achieve their own goals.

Whether it was missing the mark on an essay or conducting a failed science experiment, like most students, I experienced my fair share of academic challenges during my time at North Shore. I remember in my senior year of biology, I had invested a lot of time into developing a creative experiment. After finally conducting it, I realized that there were some key errors in my experimental design that made any results practically unusable. The feeling of failure did not last for long. Instead, what I do remember is my teacher, Mrs. Pfannerstill, offering her encouragement as she allowed me to make my own errors and learn from them, while lending her guidance as I went about redesigning the experiment. In college, the occasional academic “knock down” definitely continued.

Whether it is being humbled on a math exam or a poor performance at a big track meet, these things never kept me down for long. When losses that are larger and deeper than any of these relatively trivial examples occur, I feel confident in my ability to face them and eventually overcome them. Maybe it has something to do with the “Live and Serve” mentality. At North Shore, I learned that any single moment in our lives does not define us, and that hard work, tenacity and determination are some of the most important contributors to achievement. As I move forward and continue to confront life’s adversities, I feel well-prepared.

Through my brief ref lection on some of the ways North Shore has impacted me, I feel a sense of confidence in how I move through the world. At the time of writing this, I am exactly two weeks away from graduation, and I am feeling a bit ref lective as I process my education up to this point. I also understand that many of the attributes I have developed today were ignited and nurtured at North Shore. The 12 years of education I had the privilege of receiving has deeply inf luenced my character, values and perspective of the world. I feel grateful to have had an education where I felt valued, challenged and inspired, as these are things that have allowed me to succeed, and will allow me to f lourish as I continue to take on new life challenges that are awaiting me.

Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Permit #2026 Northbrook, IL