Oak Meadow Today - Winter 2013

Oak Meadow Today Oak Meadow Montessori School News & Annual Report

INSIDE THIS EDITION Faculty Spotlight Class of 2012 Profiles Annual Report

Winter 2013

letter from the editor Tell Me Your Story When I started at the school this past July, I knew a large part of my job would be telling the Oak Meadow story. In order to be successful in this endeavor, it was and continues to be important to listen to those who have been so powerfully impacted by their experience at the school, and there are many of you. From the teachers who dedicate their lives to providing our students with a fulfilling and fruitful education to the parents who send their children to our school, and all of the alumni who have passed through the halls over the past 35 years, I know that each and every one of you has a story to tell.

My hope is that Oak Meadow Today can be one vehicle through which to highlight these stories. Each and every one of you has helped to shape Oak Meadow, but how has Oak Meadow shaped you? If you are so inclined, tell me your story. You are a chapter in the beautiful book that is Oak Meadow.

Warm Regards, Arielle Driscoll Director of Marketing & Communications

Board of Trustees Lyn Goldman, Chair Mike Princi, Treasurer Darlene Vanstone, Clerk Barbara Brady Buck Chintamani John Collins Jessica Donohue

Beth Dube Vivek Gupta Tom Hotchkiss Lori Locascio Jamie Ross-Cory Laura Stockfisch Anita Tarantino Rachel Tadmor

Management Team Bill Perrine Head of School Joanna DeStefanis Assistant Head of School Arielle Driscoll Director of Marketing & Communications

Margaret Gebhard Director of Finance & Operations Erin Palmer Director of Admission & Parent Relations

Parents’ Association Elana Chandler, Chair Kimberly Boschi, Vice-Chair Amanda Price, Secretary Meghan Antonangeli Golden Bryant

Peter Foley Art Hennessey Kiana Kaymanesh Denise McKenna Amanda Price Latha Rao

Oak Meadow Today WRITER/EDITOR/DESIGNER Arielle Driscoll PHOTOGRAPHY Kimberly Boschi Laura Dempsey Arielle Driscoll Vivek Gupta ASSISTANT EDITORS Sally Blute Laura Dempsey Erin Palmer CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Beth Dube Lyn Goldman

Oak Meadow Today is published annually for our graduates, past and current parents and grandparents, students and friends of Oak Meadow Montessori School. Oak Meadow is dedicated to the child-centered Montessori philosohpy which fosters excellence, personal growth and cultural awareness while nurturing children’s spirits. A diverse community of life-long learners, we cultivate confident, independent and compassionate human beings by providing the tools and experiences needed to embark on rich, meaningful journeys as responsible citizens of the world.

For further information, visit www.oakmeadow.org.

Comments and alumni news may be emailed to adriscoll@oakmeadow.org.

contents

Winter 2013

Class of 2012 performs at their June graduation.

Letter From the Head By the Numbers Faculty Spotlight

2

Around Oak Meadow

10

3

Class of 2012

12-15

Good Reads From the Blogosphere

4-5 5 6-9

Alumni Night

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Graduate News & Notes

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2011-2012 Annual Report

18-20

letter from the head of school Dear Oak Meadow Community: “Oak Meadow is uniquely positioned to be a leader under the new educational paradigm.” Taken from our Strategic Vision, this quote helps drive much of our current work. It also highlights the natural—and healthy—challenge of balancing the school’s need to continually evolve without losing sight of the enduring best practices that have anchored Oak Meadow for 35 years.

The 2011-12 school year saw significant evolution. Under the board of trustees’ commitment to the vision, and under Interim Head of School Paul Wenninger’s leadership, several board-led task forces and committees were created to address the main questions raised in the Strategic Vision. These questions are as follows: • How do we continue on a path to becoming a great school with an educational program second to none?

• How do we articulate what separates us in the marketplace in ways that will resonate with parents?

• How do we build a financial model that assures institutional sustainability and the ability to compensate our staff appropriately?

In response to these questions, a great deal has been set in motion: 1) a board commitment to increasing the faculty professional development budget; 2) the creation of a board-led Marketing Task Force; and 3) the formation of a Financial Sustainability Task Force.

For me, this work has been an invaluable guide during my first six months as head of school. The work of the Marketing Task Force in particular, has helped set the stage for this year’s marketing and school-identity initiatives. These initiatives include aligning around story or metaphor to better describe our amazing school, website improvement, and marketing strategies to help maximize our resources (human and financial).

I have always worried, however, that the term “marketing” connotes negative feelings in school communities. After all, few schools ever worried about formal marketing until the past decade.

Many people, in fact, still associate “marketing” with the for-profit world of business. However, marketing, or more aptly “match making,” has become essential to the health and sustainability of schools. Alignment between our message and our school culture remains my ultimate goal and continues drive our work this year.

In addition, I am eager to see the work of the Financial Sustainability Task Force begin to inform our financial strategies and decisions. I am also excited to work with both the board and the faculty as we look for ways to enhance our curriculum through technology. None of this year’s strategic vision work would have been possible without the stage being set last year by so many people. I am grateful for their commitment to the school’s growth and for their appreciation of the timeless wisdom that continues to guide Oak Meadow.

Sincerely, Bill Perrine Head of School

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by the numbers

400 combined Number of years Teaching Experience Among Lead Teachers and management team.

255 vs.

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Number of students enrolled in 2011-2012 versus the number of students enrolled in 1977.

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Bill Perrine is Oak Meadow’s sixth head of school.

1977 Number of faculty and staff, full and part-time, employed

by Oak Meadow during the 20112012 school year.

Year Oak Meadow was founded by Michelle DuBois.

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faculty spotlight: kellie mcelhinney

by Arielle Driscoll

It is not every day that you hear someone describe her best friend as 1500 lbs. and “dark bay,” particularly when she spends the majority of her time with pint-sized students; however, Children’s House teacher Kellie McElhinney does just that. Of course, she’s describing her draft cross horse, Jackson.

While some people find their outlet at the gym or on the yoga mat, Kellie immerses herself in caring for her horse. “When I’m with him, it’s the only time in my life when I shut everything else off,” she says. “It’s just him and me.”

“I literally drove off the road one day, found a place, and started riding.”

-Kellie McElhinney

Growing up, Kellie always wanted to ride horses. She remembers trying to get friends to take up riding with her, but no one ever showed enough interest and the opportunities to ride never became apparent until one day in her twenties when she decided to make it happen. “I literally drove off the road one day, found a place, and started riding,” she says.

After a few years of lessons and leasing horses, Kellie’s then new husband, Frank, supported her decision to purchase a horse of her own.

Thinking she’d have several months to start saving for her own horse, she inquired about purchasing at her barn; but with her devotion to the sport and the animal so evident to those around her, she was presented with an opportunity much quicker than expected.

“I thought I would have six months to start saving up, but the next week they had him,”

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Kellie McElhinney’s draft cross horse, Jackson.

Kellie says. The staff at her barn knew that Kellie was ready for a special horse, and also knew she had the ability to care for a horse that needed some rehabilitation, who needed some extra love and care. That horse was Pete, now known as Jackson. “Is Pete for sale?”

Kellie asked as soon as she laid eyes on him.

And he was, but first Pete had to get well.

Purchased from an auction, Pete came to the barn essentially as a rescue, and very ill. In fact, he almost lost his eye, but thanks to the barn hands who cared for him on an hourly basis for several days, Pete pulled through and Kellie took over care, renaming him Jackson.

Not only was Jackson in poor health at the beginning, but he also had little-to-no skill set. “He didn’t even know how to walk forward with someone on his back,” Kellie says. With the help of a crew of people, training and lessons, and lots of time with Kellie, Jackson was trained and Kellie had found her passion.

“It’s the only time I’m really in the moment and my wheels aren’t spinning,” Kellie says of her time with Jackson. Animals have always been a big part of her life, so caring for Jackson came naturally. Clearly her care and concern for young students translates well into

her outside hobby, as animals and children both share an innate innocence and need for careful attention and guidance.

It has been eight years since Kellie purchased Jackson, and her time with him has transformed. At first, she was scared to ride him in an outside arena given his lack of skill; now she only rides him outside and never in an arena. While the two participated in a few dressage shows, Kellie now enjoys a more casual relationship with Jackson. She has joined the New England Horse and Trail Association, through which she learns about trail rides in the surrounding area. Spending several hours on the trail for 10-13 mile rides, Kellie finds her inner peace enjoying both the outdoors and her best friend, Jackson.

Clearly her care and concern for young students translates well into her outside hobby...

Good Reads 21st CENTURY SKILLS: LEARNING FOR LIFE IN OUR TIMES

By Bernie Trilling & Charles Fadel

“This important resource introduces a framework for 21st Century learning that maps out the skills needed to survive and thrive in a complex and connected world. This book is filled with vignettes, international examples, and classroom samples that help illustrate the framework and provide an exciting view of twenty-first century teaching and learning.”

—21stcenturyskillsbook.com

MIND IN THE MAKING

By Ellen Galinsky

“Galinsky has spent her career observing and analyzing how children learn. Collaborating with top researchers in the science of childhood brain development for the past decade, she identifies seven life skills that help children reach their full potential and unleash their passion to learn.”

—Publishers Weekly

MONTESSORI: THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE GENIUS

By Angeline Stoll Lillard

“One hundred years ago, Maria Montessori, the first female physician in Italy, devised a very different method of educating children, based on her observations of how they naturally learn. In Montessori, Angeline Stoll Lillard shows that science has finally caught up with Maria Montessori.”

—Oxford University Press

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from the blogosphere Alumni Perspective: Sandy Wood ’04 Sandy Wood is a 2004 graduate of Oak Meadow. In seventh grade, Sandy met the Venerable Lobsang Phuntsok, a Buddhist monk, when he presented on Buddhism as part of an Eastern Studies curriculum.

Sandy stayed in touch with Lobsang through her mother who was attending his Sangha group for Buddhist teaching and meditation. Later, Sandy had the opportunity to travel with Lobsang to visit Jhamtse Gatsal in northern India, which is described as “a unique community where love, compassion, and wisdom grow and flourish naturally and freely.” Sandy moved on to Concord Academy where she graduated in 2008.

Following high school, she took a gap year, during which she traveled on a semester-long program in India and taught English in Costa Rica. Now a senior

at Vassar College studying geography and education, Sandy has returned to Jhamste Gatsal five times, helping to teach and support at-risk children. Currently servings as coordinator of their sponsorship program, she is also a member of the board and continues to fundraise for the school while back in the United States.

In this recent blog post, Sandy attempts to teach students the joy of mathematics, recalling the joy of her own educational experience while at Oak Meadow, and employing Montessori methods in her teaching. To learn more about Jhamste Gatsal, visit jhamsteinternational.org.

-Arielle Driscoll

January 2, 2013

NUMBERS by Sandy Wood ’04

The kids are starting their exams, beginning today with math. I high-fived them all on their way into the converted prayer hall this morning.

For the last week, I’ve been working in particular with a group of four 7th graders, whom Deki asked me to tutor during 5th period while she reviewed with the rest of the class. Lately, they’ve also been showing up at my room in the afternoons and last night we practiced decimals and fractions together until I fell asleep in a pile of kids and polar fleece. I have been consistently blown away by their persistence.

It’s tricky learning how to teach math. There was a point last week when I was walking them through solving for x I could see that I might as well have been speaking gibberish and juggling; they were so not following. But I returned the next day, armed with more concrete explanations and ways they could

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Sandy Wood ’04 (top right) with her students.

physically draw, cut, and hand out the fractions we were manipulating. And that was awesome. I learned as much as they did that week.

I’ve been working with the class I and II students, too. On Monday, I introduced them to multiplication using boards that were sent over from Oak Meadow. Sanjay–an energetic, notoriously-hard-to-manage-in-a-group second

grader–sat with me through tea break with this distinct, intent focus that appears in him in rare and precious moments.

Yesterday, Tenzin, Tashi and Rinchen practiced dividing fractions using an activity I invented enabling them to draw and visualize what the equations meant. Rinchen fairly quickly understood and moved on to solving the problems in the abstract. Tenzin, on the other hand, continued illustrating the procedure for much longer, really benefiting from the concrete representation. There are a billion children in the world. It’s the same arithmetic that we all learn, but for each child the discovery is fresh.

At a peace-themed consortium at Vassar two years ago, one student began her presentation on mathematics (correctly) identifying that

the audience was all probably wondering about its connection with peace. She had loved math in school; it inspired her with its conquerable challenge. She believed all children should have the chance to explore the things that excite their imaginations the way math did for her.

As I’ve been rediscovering these puzzles by explaining them to new batches of children, I’m freshly grateful for the qualities of my early education. Mom and Dad: did you realize, when you presented me with Montessori 18 years ago, that it was a gift not just to me but to countless generations of other children who would benefit from the methods I learned? In any case, much love and thanks. <3 sandy

An Outside Perspective: Peter Gow, Educator We recently had the pleasure of welcoming educational consultant, blogger, and longtime independent school educator Peter Gow to Oak Meadow. Peter’s experience at Oak Meadow was unparalleled, so much so that he dedicated his December 4th blog post to his time here. His observation of Karen Kelley’s Middle School humanities class left him thinking that he “may have seen the perfect class,” during which students participated in a thought provoking discussion.

Karen says the class observation was merely a culmination of the Montessori experience, giving credit to each Oak Meadow program level for allowing children to blossom. “We

would not be reaching the levels that we do in the Middle School without the preparation at each of the other program levels, starting with Children’s House and moving on through the Elementary programs,” she says. Karen explains that Peter’s observations would have been apparent in any of the Middle School classrooms, not just humanities. “It is the cohesive nature of Montessori that allows us to create this environment for our Middle Schoolers,” she explains. In Peter’s words, “there’s something good happening at Oak Meadow.”

-Arielle Driscoll continued on page 8

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from the blogosphere Tuesday, December 4, 2012 BEST CLASS EVER; EVER AGAIN? by Peter Gow

I recently ran across Australian educator and blogger Andrew Douch’s account of the “best school [he’s] ever seen.” Northern Beaches Christian School in Terrey Hills, near Sydney, sounds idyllic, right down to the acoustically clever ceilings that keep noise levels down. I’d like to see this place.

And it reminded me of an experience I had last month, seeing what might be the best class I’ve ever seen. Really.

What I witnessed was a seventh/eighth-grade humanities class at Oak Meadow Montessori School in Littleton, Massachusetts. The students were getting started reading Antigone, but teacher Karen Kelley is all about pushing the human, the personal side of student understanding, and so she was getting the students revved up to explore the moral questions raised by Sophocles by having asked them, as homework the night before, to take a favorite character in literature, film, or even television and decide where that character might fall on the scale of Laurence Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development. They’d already spent class time talking about Kohlberg’s work.

If I thought the approach was cool and likely to be fruitful (and I sure did), I was blown away by the kids’ responses. In a seminar that would be the envy of anyone working at a Harkness table or even plenty of graduate school literature professors, students took the discussion ball and ran with it: politely, smartly, each kid fully engaged and fully immersed in the learning. I heard kids talk about the moral development of SpongeBob SquarePants, Ferris Bueller (and Dean Rooney), and both sides of the Syrian conflict; one girl

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made the anguished observation that a character she deeply admires—Katniss from The Hunger Games—isn’t really very far along, and “it makes me really sad to have to admit this.” With only minor clarifications and gentle probing from their teacher, the students created a discussion that was lively, balanced, and intellectually and even affectively provocative. The kids listened to one another and pretty clearly worked to understand where their classmates were coming from, as we used to say. Unlike so many seminars I have seen (and occasionally taught), no one felt the need to prove himself or herself the winner. Everybody won.

It was beautiful. I replayed the class in my head for days, and I couldn’t find a flaw. Even when the last couple of kids, who I thought were hanging back, finally jumped into the conversation, it was with full energy and engagement; they’d just been waiting for their moment to say their piece, and then they were off to the races with the rest. For years I’ve had an echo in my head of an old review of Bruce Brown’s 1966 film The Endless Summer, in which a couple of surfers travel the world in search of “the perfect wave.” The review called it “the perfect movie.” I think I may have seen the perfect class.

And that would be the end of it: a very happy memory, a standard against which I can measure other classes in other schools in years to come. It sure gave me enormous respect for Karen Kelley and the school and the kids; whether it was the pervasively positive and engaged school culture or some result of the Montessori-infused curriculum at the younger grades, there’s something good happening at Oak Meadow.

But, I have come to realize, it may be that the days of such classes are numbered, even in small, closeknit independent schools like Oak Meadow.

“In a seminar that would be the envy of anyone working at a Harkness table or even plenty of graduate school literary professors, students took the discussion ball and ran with it: politely, smartly, each kid fully engaged and fully immersed in the learning.” -Peter Gow Missing from this ideal class were many of the bells and whistles of “21st-century learning.”

There was no technology, no instant accessing of Wikipedia or social media via iPad or smartphone.

There was no project or problem, per se, no making or fabricating to be done, just kids with a photocopied summary of Kohlberg and the first pages of Antigone. There was no formal collaboration to be done, no roles in the group that needed to be assigned or played. It was all face to face, fingers running over the texts to find the evidence.

The collaboration on display was whole-class, and virtuosic from the teacher to the quietest kid—the platonic ideal of the “guide on the side” model of education. The energy was kid energy, all the way, and it was beautiful and bumpy and smart and naïve and insightful and revelatory in all the best ways that middle school education can be those things. In the course of the discussion not only were ideas connected, so were human beings.

But it was, in fact, about as Old School as could be.

It would be all too easy to imagine a new regime swooping in and replacing the xeroxes with laptops, the discussion with a Skype conference with a class in some other school, far away. It might even be that old school stuff like Kohlberg, whose work has been subject to time’s critique, might be deemed irrelevant, perhaps in some way not quite politically correct or, worse, too complex and sophisticated for thirteen-year-olds.

And what about Antigone? Isn’t there some juicy, dark Newbery medal book that can pose the same challenges and issues but in a more relevant, more contemporary context? Can’t we do the same

things online, but leveraging economies of scale in a much larger, more cost-effective class?

The zeitgeist of our moment makes such dystopian thinking all too easy, and despite whatever else I might say here about contemporary and forward-thinking approaches to education—and I’m a fan—I will never stop believing that there must always be a central place in our schools for such discussions, such live action give and take, in a context that looks, sounds, smells, and feels like a place of real kids and real, smart, creative teachers. If we can figure out how to recreate online or using other texts what Karen Kelley and her students achieved, fine (I guess; I’d have to see it before I would believe it could be done).

But what I saw in that classroom was above all innovation—innovation in a juxtaposition of texts that asks students not just to read and think and talk but also to understand and even judge characters from a heightened and morally and intellectually informed perspective. And innovation is about ideas first, not gadgets. I fear that in an age of so much material change, it is easy for us to forget that, and fail to see or appreciate true excellence when we’re staring it in the face.

It all made me believe all the harder that we have to protect and honor great teaching and outstanding learning, even when the individual elements look quite familiar. Let’s not lose such quiet, pure, stunningly perfect educational moments.

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around oak meadow in 2011-2012 CH Art

The Journey: Math

UE Band

‘11-’12 OMMS Otters Soccer

Art Show

“...we can only give each individual the chance to fulfill his potential possibilities to become an independent, secure, and balanced human being.” -Maria Montessori

‘11-’12 OMMS Otters Basketball

A Midsummer Night’s Dream Performance

Science Fair

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‘Charlotte’s Web Performance

Halloween

Fun Days

2011-2012 parents’ association

2011-2012 Oak Meadow Parents’ Association Board Anita Tarantino, Chair ~ Elana Chandler, Vice-Chair ~ Padmini Balaji, Treasurer ~ Ying Chen, Secretary Blaine Alvarez-Backus ~ Catherine Anderson ~ Kimberly Boschi ~ Golden Bryant ~ Elizabeth Hacala Mary Haller ~ Art Hennessey ~ Denise McKenna ~ Maria Powers ~ Latha Rao

Each year, the Oak Meadow Parents’ Association (OMPA) organizes, sponsors, and hosts beautifully executed events for the entire school. In addition to events, OMPA members also serve as room parents, field trip chaperones, library volunteers, organize staff appreciation events, and fill a myriad of other roles that make Oak Meadow the vibrant community that it is.

A whole-hearted thank you goes out to the OMPA Board members, and all of the parents who dedicate countless hours to enriching the lives of our families.

Community Service

Book Fair

Room Parents

Events

Library Volunteers

Staff Appreciation

Outreach

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graduation

2012

Guhan Aravinthan Nick Kaffine

William Berrier

Philippe Lessard

John Scriven

Caley Dempsey

Shae McDonald

Christian Suglia

Joe Hille

Alec Mills Meghan Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connor

Sonia Tremblay

Gavi Zahavi

by Arielle Driscoll

On June 7, 2012, thirteen eighth graders graduated from Oak Meadow. While some students began their academic career at Oak Meadow, others joined in later years, but each left an indelible mark on the school. As is true of all Oak Meadow commencement ceremonies, the day was filled with moving speeches from the Middle School faculty to each of the students, and

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included a performance by the graduating class.

Attending both public and private secondary schools, Oak Meadow graduates are well prepared as they navigate their way through high school and beyond. Read on to learn about a few of the graduates. Congratulations and best of luck to the class of 2012!

William Berrier

FROM: Began at Oak Meadow TO: Acton Boxborough Regional High School, Acton, MA

Prior to joining Acton Boxborough Regional High School this past fall, William Berrier spent his entire academic career at Oak Meadow. Moving up the ranks from Children’s House all the way to Middle School, Will enjoyed math and art classes, but also felt his strengths in gym class.

Will participated in After School Enrichment Programs including drum lessons, the Mummers play, and the Middle School play. An avid hockey player, Will played on local teams through the years, and is currently on the JV “A” hockey team in high school, practicing with the varsity team after just a few short weeks. Will has won many trophies and medals during his years as a hockey player, and has begun to help others enjoy the sport as well. Most recently, he volunteered to help young skaters in Concord’s “Learn to Skate” program. At Acton Boxborough, Will is doing well academically and enjoying his new group of friends.

Caley Dempsey FROM: Began at Oak Meadow TO: Dublin School, Dublin, NH

Calling Oak Meadow her second home, Caley Dempsey found herself helping out around the school wherever she was needed. From child care to performing community service after school assisting teachers in need, Caley always found a way to keep herself busy at Oak Meadow. Caley’s favorite subject at Oak Meadow was math, as she found it challenging yet fulfilling. She also enjoyed her cultural education in Spanish class and the drama program. Caley also had the opportunity to participate in Montessori Model United Nations during last year at Oak Meadow.

She brought her “can-do” attitude with her to the Dublin School this fall, earning Honors in her academics, and actively engaging in dance. She looks forward to a winter of snowboarding and alpine skiing, and plans to learn how to crosscountry ski as well. Caley continues to pursue acting at Dublin, and hopes to join the crew team or lacrosse team in the spring.

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Shae McDonald

FROM: Innovation Academy Charter School, Tyngsborough, MA TO: Lawrence Academy, Groton, MA

Shae McDonald joined the Oak Meadow community in Middle School, and quickly made a place for herself there. During her short time at Oak Meadow, Shae decided to “help out in any way possible.” Shae was an Oak Meadow tour guide for prospective parents and also served on the Middle School Finance Committee. She took a particular liking to the Oak Meadow drama program, and participated in the performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream as Titania, queen of the fairies. Shae says her absolute favorite subject at Oak Meadow was science. At Lawrence Academy this year, Shae continues to be actively involved in her school environment, serving as an admission tour guide and participating in performances, most recently in an interpretation of Homer’s The Odyssey.

Meghan O’Connor

FROM: Began at Oak Meadow TO: Central Catholic High School, Lawrence, MA

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Meghan O’Connor is a driven student-athlete who credits her UE and MS teachers with helping her learn to balance her studies and her sports. A former member of the Oak Meadow cross-country team and a talented diver and swimmer outside of school, Meghan also found time to participate in several Oak Meadow performances including Willy Wonka and Achaean Crowd. At Central Catholic, Meghan continues to excel in all areas as a participant in the school’s competitive Honors Program and as the only freshman to make the cut for Central’s Girls Varsity Dive Team. This past fall, Meghan was the only Central Catholic diver to advance to Sectionals held at MIT. Meghan also placed fifth in the Merrimack Valley Diving Conference. She will continue to dive through the winter for her club team, Solo Aquatics. Meghan feels her confidence to transition to a large, urban high school and her ability to succeed as the only freshman on a team of all junior girls was instilled in her through her experience in multi-age classrooms at Oak Meadow.

Christian Suglia

FROM: Fay School, Southborough, MA TO: St. John’s High School, Shrewsbury, MA While at Oak Meadow, Christian Suglia was active in soccer, basketball, cross-country and Montessori Model United Nations, and he certainly has not slowed down since moving on to St. John’s High School in Shrewsbury, MA. In fact, Christian has joined the varsity alpine ski team as a freshman, and has continued with Model United Nations, gearing up for a five-day trip to Chicago to represent his school in February. Clearly a student who enjoys actively learning, Christian says humanities and humanities seminar at Oak Meadow were his favorite classes because they provided him a great opportunity to participate and discuss his thoughts. Christian’s love of learning is evidenced in his achievement of making First Honor Roll during his first semester at St. John’s.

While Christian is enjoying his new school and activities, he writes, “I miss all at Oak Meadow (you cannot get rid of me!!!).”

Sonia Tremblay

FROM: Keystone Montessori, Chelmsford, MA TO: Middlesex School, Concord, MA Joining the Oak Meadow community in third grade, Sonia Tremblay took full advantage of her time at the school. Participating in both ski club and cross-country, she also spent a few years involved in Destination Imagination. During her Middle School years, Sonia participated in Montessori Model United Nations, and both the regional and state science fairs, winning third and second place respectively. Her peers also elected her to serve as a Middle School Student Representative in both seventh and eighth grades. While at Oak Meadow, Sonia also discovered her love of math and science, but equally enjoyed art classes. She was the only freshman to make the cut for the Middlesex varsity cross-country team. In her spare time, Sonia participates in the Science Club, the Middlesex Arts Association, the Chapel Chorus, the student-led newspaper the Anvil, and serves as editor of the blog for the Middlesex Iris, a student-led arts and literary magazine.

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reunion 2011

(L-R:) Samantha Broderick ’08, Shannon Saywell ’08, James Baker-Coe ’07, Charlotte Callon ’10, Pooja Patnaik ’09, Karolyne Shieh ’09, Collin McKinley ’08, Gray Milkowski ’11, Andrew Gorham ’11, and Josh Glass ’11.

Caroline Hickey ’10 and Paulina McGrath ’10

Gray Milkowski ’11 and Edward Hacala ’11

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(L-R): Maia Russell ’11, Matthew Gorham ’10, and Kaela Cote-Stemmermann ’10.

Pooja Patnaik ’09 and Karolyne Shieh ’09

MS Teacher Barbara Orlowitz and Nina Rizzi ’10

alumni news Class of 1997 Mike Yedinak is headed back to school this summer, but not for traditional classes. From early February through midJune, he will attend Judge Advocate Officer Basic training for his work as an attorney in the United States Army Reserve. A member of Oak Meadow’s first full 8th grade class, Mike credits his Montessori upbringing for a diverse and engaging career that has included stints in politics, technology and law.

Class of 2005 Nicholas Sullivan is a senior at Norwich University in Northfield, VT, studying electrical engineering. He is also part of the Air Force ROTC program and in May 2013 will be commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Air Force.

Class of 2008 Geoffrey Keane is double majoring in psychology and biology at Trinity College in Hartford, CT. He is part of the Asian American Student Assocation and Student Government.

Class of 2009 Peter Fidrych is a student at Westford Academy where he is involved in the Westford Academy Theater Arts program and serves as a peer counselor for incoming freshman.

Chris Kaffine is attending Innovation Academy Charter School in Tyngsborough, MA. He keeps busy playing the drums and conducting research work through MIT. Pooja Patnaik is a student at the Academy of Notre Dame in Tynsborough, MA, and is

quite busy in her spare time.

She serves as student council treasurer, is a member of the Spanish Honor Society, and volunteers at the Jimmy Fund clinic at Children’s Hospital. She plays varsity tennis and last year her team won the Division II championships. She recently won first place for her Law Day essay, and placed third in the state at the We the People competition.

She hopes to pursue pre-med studies in college.

Karolyne Shieh is a student at Concord Carlisle High School, and is an impressive student athlete. Currently she is ranked first in the state and second in New England for golf, and placed third in figure skating at the New England regionals.

Class of 2010 Charlotte Callon is a student at Westford Academy and is participating in winter and spring track, and cross country. She is a member of the Honors Choir and participates in performances at the PCA in Westford. She also tutors in Lowell.

Kaela Cote-Stemmermann is a student at The Cambridge School of Weston where she is heavily involved in the dance and theater departments. She is head of Poetic Justice and was recently invited to partake in a Chinese opera at Shanghai Theater Academy in Shanghai, China.

She continues to pratice Irish step dancing.

Caroline Hickey is a student at The Cambridge School of Weston. She plays on the varsity basketball team and serves as co-head of the book club, and was recently the stage manager of the dance concert.

Matthew Gorham is a student at Tabor Academy in Marion, MA, where he plays varsity football, varsity squash, and basketball.

Ben Hille is a student at Nashoba Regional High School in Bolton, MA, where he snowboards and plays soccer.

Nina Rizzi is a student at The Cambridge School of Weston, and enjoys theater, SCUBA, and sailing. She has taken particular interest in her Mandarin classes, and enjoys travel both with school and alone.

Ethan Walshe is a student at Westford Academy and serves as the editor in chief of the school newspaper The Ghostwriter. He also participates in the Spanish Exchange.

Class of 2011 Andrew Gorham is a student at Tabor Academy in Marion, MA, where he plays football, hockey, and baseball.

Edward Hacala is a student at Lawrence Academy in Groton, MA. He is on the soccer team and is working on a new iPhone application.

Oren Karp is a student at Lawrence Academy in Groton, MA, where he recently performed in the fall play. He is a member of the ski team and plans to play baseball in the spring.

Ethan O’Dell is a student at Lawrence Academy in Groton, MA, where he enjoys soccer, basketball, and tennis.

Maia Russell is a student at The Putney School in Putney, VT. She has enjoyed horseback riding,

rock climbing, yoga, spinning yarn, and working in the kitchen.

She also enjoyed a trip to Korea.

Class of 2012 Guhan Aravinthan is a student at Acton Boxborough High School and is having fun in the drama department.

Caley Dempsey is a student at Dublin School in Dublin, NH, where she enjoys cross country skiing and dance.

Joe Hille is a student at The Cambridge School of Weston and enjoyed running cross country this past fall.

Phillipe Lessard is attending Lawrence Academy in Groton, MA, where he participates in soccer and ski racing.

Alec Mills is attending Nashoba Regional High School in Bolton, MA, where he is a member of the Nashoba Political Awareness Club.

Meghan O’Connor is at Central Catholic High School in Lawrence, MA, where she continues to enjoy swimming and diving.

John Scriven is attending Dublin School in Dublin, NH, where he is part of the cross country and soccer teams.

Christian Suglia is attending St. John’s High School in Shrewsbury, MA, and participates in Model UN, tennis, and skiing.

Sonia Tremblay is a student at Middlesex School in Concord, MA. She is active in the Middlesex Arts Association, cross country running and Science Club.

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2011-2012

annual report

What a difference a year makes!

Two years ago, the Oak Meadow Board of Trustees began the process of collecting and confirming the key competencies that we required of our next leader in order to continue our work as an independent Montessori school.

We sought a candidate with the ability to create excellence, to engage and inspire, and to manage strategically. We focused on the importance of management skills, including a fluency in business acumen needed to continue the growth and development of our school, and the ability to drive execution. Equally, we felt it necessary to find someone with exceptional interpersonal skills such as the ability to foster open communication and manage all constituencies with grace and composure.

Last year was an interim time designed for deliberate pause, reflection, and planning. It afforded our board to be appropriately thoughtful and strategic in our decision. Our steadfast search committee recommendation resulted in a unanimous vote by the board to appoint Bill Perrine as Head of School effective July 1, 2012. Bill met and exceeded all of our required key competencies, and his philosophy was and continues to be consistent with our schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s values and initiatives described in the Strategic Roadmap.

This year marks the 35th anniversary of Oak Meadow as an institution.

The board and school leadership continue our strategic quest of what it means to be an independent school with a Montessori philosophy in relationship to our mission statement, roadmap, and identified guiding principles. A Financial Sustainability Task Force and a Marketing Task Force were established to begin work with Bill on several strategic themed goals upon his arrival. Already, progress in the financial, marketing, and school-identity activities are healthy and evident in the physical appearance of the school, as well as operationally.

In the eight years my family has been a part of this community, Oak Meadow has stayed on course with its mission, promoting a healthy sense of self, embracing opportunity, and assembling to appreciate its past, present, and future. I hope you will join me on May 18, 2013, to commemorate Oak Meadowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s evolution and the promise of its future at our 35th anniversary celebration.

Kind Regards, Lyn Goldman, Chair Oak Meadow Montessori School Board of Trustees

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2011-2012 Board of Trustees Robin Foley, Chair Mike Princi, Treasurer Darlene Vanstone, Clerk Barbara Brady Buck Chintamani John Collins Beth Dube Barbara Eghan Lyn Goldman Vivek Gupta Tom Hotchkiss Lori Locascio Mike Princi Laura Stockfisch Rachel Tadmor Darlene Vanstone

2011-2012 Board Committees and Chairs Audit & Risk Committee John Collins Committee on Trustees Darlene Vanstone Executive Committee Robin Foley Finance Committee Mike Princi Development & Advancement Beth Dube Facilities Committee Barbara Brady Head of School Search Lyn Goldman Strategic Planning Vivek Gupta

The Board wishes to recognize and express heartfelt appreciation to the following individuals for their dedicated service as a trustee and generosity to Oak Meadow: Robin Foley Chair of the Board of Trustees, 2010-2012

Martha Torrence Trustee 2009-2012

Robin joined the board in 2006.

She served as treasurer for three years before beginning her chairpersonship in 2010.

During Robin’s tenure the board concluded the school’s first five-year strategic plan, celebrated the success of a three-year capital campaign, helped maintain healthy enrollment during one of the most challenging economic environments in recent history, and launched a yearlong, school-wide strategic visioning process. As chair, Robin also graciously guided the board and the school community through the departure of a beloved head, as well as the search for an interim and new head of school. Robin attended a Montessori school as a child.

She and her husband, Peter, are the proud parents of three daughters – Julia, Charlotte, and Cate. The Foley’s remain active members of the Oak Meadow community.

Operating Revenue as of June 30, 2012

6%

91% Tuition and Fees

Enrichment

2%

Fundraising

1% Investment Income

Operating Expenses as of June 30, 2012 Administration Classroom and programs Facilities, mortgage, utilities

2%

8% 12%

78% Salaries, benefits, taxes

Martha’s relationship began with Oak Meadow when she visited the school as a member of its Association of Independent Schools in New England (AISNE) accreditation team in 2007. She served on the board’s Strategic Planning Committee for two years sharing more than 20 years of experience as a nationally known and respected Montessori educator and leader.

Martha’s contributions are especially noteworthy during Oak Meadow’s 2010-2011 year-long strategic visioning process. As a facilitator, she led us to honor our core Montessori values while innovating and reflecting on best educational practices. She encouraged us to represent cutting-edge thinking in the Montessori world. We wish Martha all the best as head of school at Summit Montessori in Framingham, MA. -Lyn Goldman

2011-2012 Annual Fund Since its inception eight years ago, the Oak Meadow Annual Fund has contributed more than $450,000 to the school’s operating funds. Annual giving helped close the gap between the total cost of educating our children and tuition. Once again the Annual Fund committee organized Montessori Madness, a school wide basketball tournament with proceeds benefitting the Annual Fund.

Annual Fund contributions helped to make possible: improvements to facilities, playgrounds and community space, classroom enrichment programs and materials, new curriculum initiatives, and financial aid for deserving students. The Annual Fund also helped to support faculty and staff professional development, which continues to be so critical in keeping up with new developments in brain research and other educational best practices and breakthroughs. The 2011-2012 Annual Fund raised $75,773.

The Board wishes to recognize and thank the members of the 2011-2012 Annual Fund Committee who gave their time, energy and financial support to guarantee another successful year of giving.

Beth Dube, Chair ~ Gail Burati ~ Elana Chandler Ying Chen ~ Tim Donohue ~ Laura DuBois Richelle Dupont ~ Beth Hodgkinson ~ Denise McKenna Thanks to all those who showed their support of the school by contributing to the 2011-2012 Annual Fund.

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2011-2012 annual fund donor list The DuBois Society ($2,500 and above) The Dube Family Peter and Robin Foley Tom and Patti Hotchkiss Corporate Matching Gifts AMD Foundation Fidelity Foundation (2) The 1977 Society ($1,000 to $2,499) Kim and Chris Alley Nadia and Edwin Cohen Nijan and Teresa Datar The Erdogus-Brady Family The Goldman Family The Iyengar-Gupta Family Montessori Madness 2012 Northern Bank & Trust Co. Greg and Michelle Pflaum The Princi Family Boris and Lessia Shajenko The Tadmor-O’Dell Family Corporate Matching Gifts Bank of America Juniper Networks The Leadership Society ($500 to $999) Dr. and Mrs. Dwayne Baharozian Peter Bogosian and Sara Martinian Katharine and Charles Denault The Faia Family Mr. and Mrs. Robert Hodgkinson William Holmes and Darlene Vanstone Kathy Lubar and George Kinder The Larew Family The Lilliott Family Paul and Amy Osenar Fran and Sumner Parker The Rao Family Vandana and Vivek Sharma James and Ann-Marie Suglia The Tarantino Family Paul Wenninger Avis U. Wright Winthrop and Sarah Wu The Andrew Zhang Family Corporate Matching Gifts AMD Foundation (2) IDC International Data Group New York Life Foundation Reichheld Ting Orthodontics

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The Oak Leaf Circle ($250 to $499) The Baldoumas Family Sreeni Bhaireddy Vishal Bhatia and Sunanda Pepalla The Böttger Family Michael Broderick John and Jocelyn Capen The Chandler Family Yonghao and Ying Chen The Chintamani Family Dr. and Mrs. Lawrence Climo The Dempsey Family Mary Haller and Kevin Donohoe Paul and Lisa Eisenberg Arthur Hennessey and Maria Borowski Deb and Chris Kovacs The Kovtun Family Ron and Sue Kwon, Grandparents of Sophia Larew Pierre Lessard and Sally Harris Wenying Su and Zhitao Lu Frank T. MacGrory in honor of Jamieson and Brendan Dube Nikhil and Anu Mani The Family of Johan Mathew Steve and Denise McKenna Richelle Dupont and Kevin O’Connor Erin Palmer Margaret Gebhard and Don Perkins The Rabinowitz Family Wayne and Michelle Ronchetti Stephanie Krasnoff and Moise Solomon David and Rachel Stettler The Stockfisch Family Yefei and Nan Zhang Family Anonymous (5) Corporate Matching Gifts AMD Foundation Cadence Design Systems, Inc. Netscout Systems, Inc. Plymouth Rock Foundation Qualcomm Charitable Foundation Raytheon Matching Gifts for Education Your Cause, LLC The Acorn Circle ($100 to $249) Barbara Anderson, for Madeline and Taylor O’Connell

Family of Lauren Andrews Sami Aslam and Seema Azam The Burati Family Eric Campbell Alex Chaharom and Kiana Kaymanesh The Collins Family Katharine and Charles Denault Joanna DeStefanis Ashvin Dsouza and Maeve Lobo Dunkin Donuts of Littleton, MA Barbara J. Eghan The Erdogus-Brady Family The Family of Angelina Fang The Fidrych Family Justin Fry and Jessica MadocJones The Garcia-Zilinskas Family Thomas and Laura Hart Christopher and Elizabeth Hickey The Hoover Family Deepen and Vidya Joshi Catherine and Arthur Karp Jim and Jean Kilian Gene and Susan Kosinski, of Kosinski Farms The Lai Family The Lillie Family Suzanne Madoc-Jones Eleanor Maglothin The Marchetti Family Ryan and Jennifer McDonald Sharon McNamara Metromedia Energy, Inc. Trish Jenisch and Jeffrey Miller Prat and Asa Moghe John Moores and Joelle Prince Rob Moran and Jessica Rowse Moran The Nguyen Family Jay and Maria Powers Richard Poyner and Lori Locascio The Price Family The Samavedam Family Varija and Prashant Saxena Molly and Norm Shanklin John Sheedy Ellen Oak and David Shute Fanny Mlinarsky and James Sozanski The Spencer Family The Strobel Family Olive Tamm William and Lillian Tarantino The Ethan Tu Family Michael and Joann Yauga

Anonymous Corporate Matching Gifts GE Foundation Network for Good Oracle Matching Gifts Program Synopsis Friends of Oak Meadow (up to $99) Dinu Ajikutira and Sangeetha Gowda Catherine Anderson and family Erik Antelman and Golden Bryant Kimberly and Giovanni Boschi Samm Broderick Maryann Broderick Bill and Fiona Carr The Carter Family Jean Chandler The Cote-Stemmermann Family Suzie Coughlan Dale J. Cunningham Brenda Mahnken and Rob Greenberg The Howard Family Mel and Jennifer Jiganti Jim and Karen Kane The Family of Dylan Kaplan The Kelley Family Miao Lu and Yurong Sun Leslie Morris and Peter Mills Alex and Diane Movsessian The Pixley Family Nai Nai Shriram Ramanathan and Vinutha Ram Stephanie Saywell Shannon Saywell Donna Siedlar Michael and Adele Sullivan The Tirupati Family Senthilraja Family Jing Zhang and Jing Liu Anonymous (4) Corporate Matching Gifts Bank of America Cisco Matching Gift Program (2) Verizon Foundation Gifts in Kind Jennifer and Brandon Bitner Mary Haller and Kevin Donohoe Gene and Susan Kosinski, of Kosinski Farms

If we have made an error or omission, please accept our apologies and contact development@oakmeadow.org.

Join Ollie the Otter and show your support with a gift to the Oak Meadow Annual Fund. Help us make a difference. Make your pledge today!

End of Year Carnival Fun!

2 Old Pickard Lane Littleton, MA 01460 p: 978-486-9874 f: 978-486-3269 www.oakmeadow.org