2019 Winter Bulletin

Winter Bulletin 2019

Annual Report of Giving 2018 – 19

BOARD OF TRUSTE E S 2 019 – 20

ALU M N I COM M I T T E E 2 01 9 – 2 0

Winter Bulletin 2019 Annual Report of Giving 2018 – 19

Officers

Alumni Committee Co-chairs

Seth Brennan, Chair Polly Crozier, Vice Chair Peter Barkan ’86, Secretary Sam Wilderman, Treasurer

David Glynn ’91 Eliza Drachman-Jones Quincy ’98

Editor Kate LaPine

Neeraj Agrawal Rahul Ballal Seth Brennan Nicole Danforth Mark Dolins Sara Leventhal Fleiss ’95 Ken Frieze Abigail Ross Goodman ’91 Gregory Kadetsky ’96 Heeten Kalan Heena K. Lee Jessica Lutzker Todd MacLean Amy Lloyd McCarthy ’86 Lesley Ryan Miller Rebecca Nordhaus Neela Pal Young Ju Rhee Joseph Robbins Mary Skelton Roberts Anna Sinaiko Shadé Solomon Christina W. Vest Emily Lubin Woods

Ex Officio Scott Young Head of School Eric Chapman Assistant Head of School for Academics & Program Kimberly Boyd Assistant Head of School for Finance & Operations

Board Chairs Emeriti

Kathrene Tiffany Bell ’96 Bob Bray ’53 Aldel Brown ’04 Astrid Levis-Thorne Burns ’98 Emily Potts Callejas ’89 Nick Cary ’09 Carlos Castillo ’97 Rodger Cohen ’74 Alexandra Connors Craig ’99 McCall Cruz ’06 Stephen Davis ’97 Melissa Deland ’95 Margaret Gormley Donahue ’99 Sara Leventhal Fleiss ’95 Daly Franco ’05 Anne Collins Goodyear ’84 Greg Kadetsky ’96 Bob Kenerson ’53 Amy Lampert ’63 Abbott Lawrence ’85 Nia Lutch ’97 William Maness ’07 Maddie Mitchell ’06 Jim O’Keefe ’91 Chip Pierce ’81 Miriam Posner ’03 Jordan Scott ’89 Rebecca Lewin Scott ’89 Mimi Stubbe ’03 Brian Swett ’94 Cary Williams ’09 Elizabeth Wilsker ’04 Rebecca Wilsker ’00

Special thanks to Shannon O’Leary for editing the Annual Report Design Robert Beerman, Onward Upward Photography Flo Farrell John Gilloolly Kate LaPine Tony Rinaldo Photography Jerilyn Willig Printing Puritan Capital The Bulletin is published twice yearly for the alumni, parents, and friends of The Park School.

We welcome your comments and ideas.

The Park School 171 Goddard Avenue Brookline, Massachusetts 02445 To contact The Bulletin: Kate LaPine Director of Communications 617-274-6009 lapinek@parkschool.org To report alumni news: Jamie Byron Director of Alumni Relations 617-274-6022 alumni@parkschool.org To make a gift to Park: Beatrix Sanders Director of Development 617-274-6020 sandersb@parkschool.org To report address changes: Audrey James Development Coordinator 617-274-6018 development@parkschool.org

Kennett F. Burnes Vincent Chiang David D. Croll Charles C. Cunningham, Jr. George P. Denny III David G. Fubini M. Dozier Gardner John L. Hall II Kevin J. Maroni J. Michael Maynard Anne Worthington Prescott Suzie Tapson Deborah Jackson Weiss

The Park School admits qualified students without regard to race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, sex, disabilities, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, or family composition to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. Park does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, sex, disabilities, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, or family composition or any other status protected by applicable law in the administration of its educational, admissions, financial aid, athletic and other policies and programs.

Headmaster Emeritus

Cover artwork African Masks Grade 6 As a tie-in to their yearlong study of Africa, sixth graders design and decorate clay masks in art. Their creations utilize motifs, decorations, and authentic materials like straw and cowrie shells.

Robert S. Hurlbut, Jr.

Head of School Emeritus Jerrold I. Katz

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Winter Bulletin 2019

Letter from the Head of School Letter from the Editor

LET T ERS

N E W T RUST EES

Rahul Ballal Nicole Danforth Ken Frieze Mary Skelton Roberts Anna Sinaiko

CREAT I NG T HE PAR K P ORT RA I T

Introducing the Park Portrait, an articulation of the intellectual and social-emotional competencies that define Park students during their educational journeys at Park and in preparation for the lives they’ll lead beyond.

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G R AD U AT IO N 2019

36 REUNI ON 2019

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A L U M NI NOT ES

inside back cover Alumni Achievement Award: Ty Burr ’73

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Annual Report of Giving 2018 – 19

DE A R PA R K SC HOOL C OM M U N I T Y, WITH THE 2019 – 20 SCHOOL YEAR well underway, I am thrilled to write to you with

much to share about the great work in process at The Park School.

The academic year began with a fresh and inspiring look for Park on the web and on campus. I am pleased that we launched Park’s new visual brand identity and make it a proud and prominent part of our campus aesthetic. From our new signage at the front door to a brand new website, these are meaningful visual symbols of the exciting changes underway at Park. Please see the Letter from the Editor by Kate LaPine on page 4 for more on our new visual brand and website.

Before I turn to the priorities for this year, I want to share the progress we made during my first year as Head of School. Most importantly, we recruited and hired 26 fantastic new faculty and staff including new academic leaders, Eric Chapman (Assistant Head for Academics & Program), Connie Yepez (Director of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion), and Tina Fox (Lower Division Assistant Head). I believe that attracting and retaining excellent teachers and school leaders is a defining aspect of academic excellence. Park’s new faculty and staff are of the highest caliber and bring with them new ideas, perspectives, and approaches that will push our School to the next level.

In addition to recruiting a fantastic slate of teachers and administrators, below are a few highlights from the 2018 – 19 academic year: •T he opening of Park’s state of the art Makerspace complete with 3D printers, a laser cutter, vinyl cutters, a green screen, tools for circuit building, and low-tech making tools too numerous to describe; •T he relaunch of Park’s International Travel Program taking soon-to-be Park graduates to China, France, Italy, and Spain, allowing the entire eighth grade to apply language skills and cultural knowledge through service projects, home stays, tailored experiences, and an immersive experience for ten days abroad; •T he renovation of Park’s early childhood wing providing beautifully designed and student-centered teaching spaces for PreK and Kindergarten, and the completion of the redesigned and dynamic Discovery Playground for PreK, Kindergarten, and Grade 1; •T he completion of Park’s five-day qualitative Assessment for School Climate, Inclusion, and Multiculturalism generating important findings and defining critical next steps that were shared with the faculty, staff, and parent communities in the spring. Additionally, Park faculty and staff engaged in three intensive days of multicultural skill development through our partner organization VISIONS Inc. during opening faculty and staff meetings this August.

In addition to the critical operational and programmatic initiatives shared above, Park also set out to define and articulate the intellectual and social-emotional competencies that define Park students during their educational journey and in preparation for the lives they’ll lead beyond Park. The cornerstone of our program is academic excellence, combining both high standards of scholarship and the encouragement of each child to develop to his or her greatest potential, and it is in the spirit and realization of our Mission that we share in this edition of the Bulletin The Park Portrait. The competencies shared on page 8 through 25 define excellence of mind and character. The Portrait will serve as a Northstar for Park educators in their examination and definition of our curriculum and instructional practice.

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THE PARK SCHOOL

Through the Portrait and its competencies, we define what it means to learn with purpose, to strive for success, to balance well-being and to achieve and contribute as members of the communities they inhabit. Whether you are a member of the alumni community, a parent, a grandparent, a Park educator, or a student, I hope you see in the Portrait the real and aspirational attributes that have and will direct teaching and learning at The Park School.

Turning to the 2019 – 20 academic year, we are focused on several academic and programmatic initiatives. Although there are additional projects underway, these three will have the most enduring impact on the experience of Park students: • Building on the work started last year, Eric Chapman will lead curricular and instructional review and renewal processes for mathematics and writing. This work will redefine how math and writing are taught, learned, applied, and assessed at Park, and will ensure that all of our students have the discipline-specific knowledge and skills required to be creative problem solvers and skillful communicators throughout their lives.

• In preparation for Park’s move to a two-division model in 2020-21, featuring a PreK – 4 Lower Division and 5 – 8 Upper Division, Kimberly Formisano (Lower Division Head), and Caroline Beasley, (Upper Division Head), will lead the redesign of Grade 5 as a highly differentiated, student-centered beginning to the Upper Division; launch a new academic schedule bringing innovative changes PreK through Grade 8; and Kimberly Formisano and the PreK teachers will work to extend the weekly schedule to four full days with added time for science, music, art, and play for Park’s youngest students.

• Building on the findings of our qualitative diversity, equity, and inclusion assessment last year, Connie Yepez (Director of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion), will work with faculty, staff, and administrators to develop an implementation plan with short- and long-term action steps to enhance and build inclusion at Park.

I believe this important work will define the future of our school, a future in which Park is the very best PreK – 8 school in Boston measured by the academic excellence we deliver, the studentcentered model we demonstrate, and the social-emotional well-being of our students. This is the future in which our diverse community of children and adults learn better because they are supported and nourished by our equitable and inclusive practices and a future where Park’s faculty, staff, students, parents, and alumni possess a strong sense of pride for who we are and how we prepare our students for the lives they’ll lead.

I am energized by the work we are doing to move our school forward. As I begin my second year as Head of School, I am also enjoying the more informal ways I am getting to know families at drop-off, on the athletic fields, and in the classrooms where I see children and teachers delighting in the small wonders of teaching and learning. I should also add that I am also enjoying my new role teaching Grade 7 Growth Education this year.

In closing, I am excited and inspired by the work ahead. I’m eager for the partnership of the full Park community. I welcome your questions, and I look forward to sharing updates in the years to come. We are entering an exciting and dynamic period for The Park School.

Warmest regards,

Scott Young Head of School

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THE PARK SCHOOL 171 Goddard Avenue Brookline, MA 02445 617-277-2456 www.parkschool .org

DE A R PA R K SC HOOL F R I E N DS , THIS SUMMER, we unveiled a new logo for our 131-year-old institution.

While our dark green color and original seal with the School’s “Simplicity & Sincerity” motto has been in service since drawing teacher Louise Ames Norman designed it in the late 1930s, it was time to refresh our approach to communications. “Rebranding,” as it’s called, is no small feat. In our case, the process began nearly five years ago! With the help of Trustees Katie McWeeny and Neela Pal and through extensive research, we identified the pillars of Park’s educational approach: academic excellence; diversity, equity, and inclusion; support for the whole child; vibrant community involvement; and compassionate, innovative, individualized teaching—clarifying our “brand identity” as the Park educational journey.

We then enlisted the talented team of graphic designers at PopKitchen in Providence to create a new “visual brand identity” for us. From their six very different approaches to the design, we landed on a new ‘logo type.’ Centered on our “Park Green”—which is called PMS 349 in case you’re curious—our versatile new logo features a bright color palette and ‘counterforms’, the shaped fields that are created by the spaces within and between the shapes of the serif font ‘letterforms’ themselves. The logo has both a horizontal and square application and can be filled with color or photographs.

This new logo is designed to work in partnership with our longstanding School seal, which we’ve elevated to a more formal role in our communication strategy. As a tribute to the “Charter Oak” in the seal, the new logo includes a small oak leaf which points towards the lower curve of the “P.” Please know that the seal will remain an integral component of Park’s identity. Going forward, we’ll use the seal on official documents like diplomas, and both the seal and the new logo will appear on stationery and the footer of our website!

Meanwhile, we’ve worked hard to thoroughly update Park’s identity: you’ll see the new logo incorporated in these pages, in and around campus, as well as throughout our new website: www.parkschool.org.

Best wishes,

Kate LaPine Director of Communications

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THE PARK SCHOOL

L E A R N I N G TO R E A D

H O U S E P R OJ E C T

I N T E R N AT I O N A L T R AV E L

GREEK STUDIES

RA ISIN H G C ICK

Research shows that PreK–8 schools offer demonstrable advantages over the separatemiddle-school model, in terms of children’s academic performance and personal wellbeing.

And Park’s history and experience bears this out.

We’re focused on these formative years.

Park’s teachers, curriculum, resources, and expertise all center on the developmental needs of early childhood and young adolescent learners.

Park is a healthy, supportive environment.

We provide a comfortable, nurturing community where students are known and come to know themselves. This setting fosters the development of strong peer and student / teacher relationships that allow children to feel at

Our students grow up at the proper pace.

In a PreK–8 school, students don’t feel compelled to rush to grow up. Instead, they feel comfortable with their age, focus on their learning, and enjoy their childhood. They tend to have a higher sense of self-esteem and confidence, which can contribute to a healthier adolescent development. Additionally, by Grade 8, students can be active and insightful participants in the search for their best-fit high school.

Students benefit from leadership opportunities.

Research shows that students in PreK–8 schools gravitate toward leadership roles at a younger age. At Park, our Upper Division students take advantage of a wide range of academic, athletic, and service leadership opportunities. In addition, they purposefully serve as mentors to younger students.

Our parents are our partners.

Compared to stand alone middle schools and high schools, PreK-8 schools, like Park, welcome a higher level of parental involvement, which has been found to correlate with enhanced student success and wellbeing.

At Park, we grow-up together.

STUDENT DEMOGRAPHICS

TECHNOLOGICAL RESOURCES

274 Girls

50+ Digital projectors

261 Boys 44% Students of color

2 Makerspaces with state-of-the-art equipment

14 Average class size

1:1 iPads in PreK – Grade 2

FINANCES

1:1 Chromebooks in Grades 3 – 8

$25.2 m Operating Budget

FACULTY

$54 m Endowment

109 Faculty members, with an average tenure of 10 years

$3.4 m Financial Aid Budget

23 % Students receiving aid $30,429 – $46,000

Range of tuition from PreK– Grade 8 CAMPUS AND FACILITIES

34 Acres 28,000 Volumes and audiovisuals in library 305-seat Theater 6 Grass playing fields 3 Full-size basketball courts 3 Playgrounds 2 Climbing walls & adventure equipment

78 % Hold advanced degrees FACULTY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT (2017–18) $ 309,000 Professional Development

Budget 173 Fully funded professional development workshops, conferences, classes

WA S H I N GTO N D.C . T R I P

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THE RIGHT SCHOOL DURING THE RIGHT YEARS

WHO WE ARE ease and be their authentic selves. It enables them to take risks and make mistakes; stretch and achieve their full potential.

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Park deliberately dedicates itself to your child’s first 10 school years. This is the era of childhood and early adolescence, when we guide and accompany children on their educational journey. It’s an intentional arc during which students explore, advance, and acquire new insights and abilities — intellectual, moral, and social.

GRADE 4

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THE PARK ARC

GRADE 3

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OUR JOURNEY

GRADE 2

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GRADE 1

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AY Y D

KINDERGARTEN

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I M M I G R AT I O N S T U D I E S

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P O P S I C L E PA R T Y

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PREK

GRADE 5

GRADE 6

GRADE 7

GRADE 8

WHERE WE COME FROM

HOW WE GET HERE

WHERE WE ARE HEADED

While Park feels like a neighborhood school, families come from nearly 30 cities and towns in the greater Boston area. Approximately 40 percent of our families come from Boston neighborhoods, another 40 percent come from Brookline / Chestnut Hill / Newton, and the remaining families come from towns to the west, south, and north.

Park families utilize a variety of methods to get to campus each day. Families create carpool groups, participate in the schooloperated transportation program, ride bikes, and sometimes walk to School.

Our secondary school counselors provide the tools, resources, and individualized program to support each Park student in finding a “best fit” for high school. We begin working with students and their families in the spring of seventh grade.

Whether a student seeks a public or independent school, we offer guidance about all aspects of the search process. Next schools report that Park students are exceptionally well prepared for the rigorous demands of high school and are insightful, curious, and collaborative learners.

The Park community reflects the diversity of our metropolitan city. Families speak dozens of languages at home — from Arabic to Urdu —and are encouraged to share their cultures in the classrooms and during community celebrations. We work to build a strong sense of community among people from many different cultural heritages, races, family configurations, financial means, and life experiences. Just as important, we emphasize our common ground and the shared values of life at Park, and in the world beyond.

Transportation The School operates five bus routes for students, based on population, proximity to MBTA stations, and safe pick-up and dropoff locations. Routes to Boston, Brookline, Brookline / Newton, Jamaica Plain /Mattapan, and Newton / Wellesley are available.

Registration is required for all buses, which arrive by 8 am and leave School at 3:15 p.m. or 4:45 p.m. for an annual fee of $ 2,800 per family. Financial aid is provided to all families who qualify at the same rate of support as they receive for After School Programming.

Carpool Some parents choose to park and accompany their children into the School, while others drop off in front of or behind the Main Building.

POPULAR SECONDARY SCHOOL CHOICES

Beaver Country Day School Boston Latin School Brookline High School Brooks School Buckingham Browne & Nichols School Cambridge School of Weston Commonwealth School Concord Academy Dana Hall School Deerfield Academy Dexter Southfield School Milton Academy Newton North High School Newton South High School Noble and Greenough School Phillips Academy Andover Roxbury Latin School Winsor School

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N EW T RUST E E S N ICOL E DA N FORT H

N RAHUL BA L L A L

R

ahul spent his first four years in the UK before his family immigrated to Michigan. From there, they moved to Dayton, Ohio, where he attended a small independent day school similar to Park. For college, he traveled east to attend Brown University majoring in biology. After running a knowledge management startup in San Francisco, he moved back east to Washington, DC, where he met his wife, Sonia. They completed their graduate work and moved to Boston for jobs and additional training, landing in Brookline. Initially, they were not considering independent schools for their children Meenu (’24), Shyla (’27) and Saavin (3 years), but really loved Park.

“We arrived here more by serendipity than by planning.”

Rahul is currently the CEO of a venture backed biotech startup developing novel drugs for patients suffering from sickle cell disease. He enjoys traveling, is an auto enthusiast, and knows that learning is a lifelong journey. Despite spending a decade in Boston, Rahul has remained an Ohio sports fan, loving the Bengals, Reds, and depending on the day, the Cavaliers. He will also occasionally root for the hometown teams.

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THE PARK SCHOOL

icole Danforth joins the Board of Trustees eager to lend her perspective both as a parent whose Park experience spans decades (Elias ’24, Jordan ’24, and Sam ’05) and as a community child and adolescent psychiatrist who specializes in building resilience in the face of challenges.

During her eldest child Sam’s time at Park, she was struck by the School’s strong commitment to not only academic excellence but also the emphasis on social and emotional growth, which in turn fostered lifelong friendships. With twins in Grade 3, Nicole is aware that each student and family at Park may have unique needs and she is committed to supporting the School as an inclusive and equitable learning environment.

Nicole was born the youngest of three girls as a “faculty brat” at Dartmouth College and moved to Salt Lake City as a fourth grader. Under “Utah Blue” skies Nicole was introduced not only to hiking and powder skiing as well as the forces of intolerance.

In her public school she was called out for “believing” in evolution and was once asked to leave a science classroom when she argued that fossils are real. As an athlete, Nicole used sports to campaign for inclusiveness: at age ten she became the first girl in the state of Utah to play in a “boys” baseball league, and later in high school competed against boys on the school golf team. Nicole graduated from Amherst College and soon after competed around the world on golf tours in Asia, Europe, and the U.S. After several years of competing at an elite level, Nicole channeled her curiosity and interest in young people and healthy development into studying psychiatry at Dartmouth Medical School. Following a fellowship in child psychiatry at the McLean/Massachusetts General Hospital program, Nicole worked as the medical director of the MGH Sports Psychology Program while serving as the psychiatric consultant to an outpatient

addictions program.

This has evolved into her dream job, where she wears three hats: she is the director of outpatient programs in the Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry at Newton-Wellesley Hospital (where she oversees a clinic devoted to caring for kids as well as their parents); is a psychiatric consultant for local college and professional sports teams; and has a private psychiatric practice in Newton. She also volunteers some of her free time in the Library at Park.

Nicole and her wife, Judy, live in Brookline and juggle two careers, three children and their oversized well-loved dog, Moxie.

KEN F R I EZ E

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en Frieze and his wife, Tamar, have three daughters—Sloane (Grade 4) and identical twins Avery and Marin (Grade 1)—all enjoying their time at The Park School. The Friezes are recent transplants from Back Bay to Chestnut Hill and the family is enjoying being closer to school and all their Park friends. Ken is a proud product of the Newton public school system, but was immediately jealous of the opportunity to learn at Park during the admissions tour. In addition to serving on the Board of Trustees, Ken chairs the Annual Fund’s Major Gifts Committee, while Tamar has chaired

M A RY SK E LTON ROBE RTS

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A N NA SI NA I KO

ary Skelton Roberts joins the Park Board as the mother of an eighth grader who has been at Park since Kindergarten. In those years, Mary has seen Dahlia blossom into a child who has found her voice, eagerly explores her passion for the arts, and embraces her love of learning.

Since joining the Park community in 2011, Mary has volunteered in different capacities, including: Springfest, serving as the PIN (Parents Independent schools Network) representative, Class Rep, and co-chairing the new parents’ dinners.

Mary is Afro-Cubana, a first generation American whose parents left Cuba to escape the harsh Castro regime. Mary speaks fluent Spanish and during her spare time, when she is not micromanaging Dahlia, she is preventing her dog, Scooter, from catching the squirrels at the Arnold Arboretum, and practicing her salsa moves with her husband.

In her day job, Mary is a co-director for climate at the Barr Foundation. In that role she functions as a thought leader, strategist, and change maker, leveraging a multi-million-dollar portfolio to modernize the transportation system and transform communities into more walkable, connected, and thriving places—two critical levers for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. At Barr, Mary spearheads efforts to bring Bus Rapid Transit to Greater Boston, she also focuses

on ensuring that the region is aware of and prepared for the impacts of climate change.

Mary holds a master’s degree in city planning from MIT and mediation accreditations from the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School and the Center for Dispute Resolution in London, England, where she served as lead faculty. Prior to joining Barr, she was a mediator and strategist for national and international corporations, nonprofit, and government clients.

Mary actively participates in numerous charity walks and volunteers at community organizations throughout the city. She is currently a trustee of the Tufts Health Care Foundation, chairs the board of Hispanics in Philanthropy, is a trustee of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston, and serves on the Milagros Para Niños Advisory Committee at Boston Children’s Hospital. She is delighted to be joining the Park Board of Trustees.

Springfest and the PA Communications Committee, and she currently volunteers as a PA Advisor.

When not spending time with his family, Ken serves as the CEO of Gordon Brothers, an investment company headquartered in Boston. Previously, Ken served as the CEO of RetailExchange.com, was a management consultant with Bain & Company, and a turnaround consultant with The Recovery Group, which is now part of Deloitte CRG. Ken is a member of the American College of Bankruptcy and is a former board member of Polaroid and The Sharper Image, and served on the board of the Turnaround Management

Association for six years. He has authored numerous articles for The Secured Lender and the Journal of Corporate Renewal, where he also served on the editorial board. Ken is a former member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO). He holds a BA from Lehigh University and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He served as a trustee of the American Jewish World Service in addition to many local, national, and international philanthropic activities, and he currently serves as a co-founder of the Boston Corporate Finance Community’s “Gathers to Give.”

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nna, who grew up in Minneapolis, and attended Princeton University for college, first moved to Boston in 2002 to attend graduate school. She completed her master’s in public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School and then earned a PhD in health policy at Harvard’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

As an assistant professor of health economics and policy at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (HSPH), Anna conducts research on health insurance in the United States with a focus on how policy and information can help patients navigate the healthcare system and find affordable health care. At HSPH, Anna teaches courses on health economics and on health care systems; she is on the curriculum committee for health policy in the Department of Health Policy and Management; and she advises masters and doctoral students. Anna is also a commissioner of the Massachusetts Group Insurance Commission, which provides health insurance and other benefits to state and several municipal employees, retirees, and their families.

Anna lives in Newton with her husband, Josh, and three children—Sasha (Grade 7), Talia (Grade 5), and Reid (Grade 2). After the family’s experience with a Montessori preschool, Anna and Josh were looking for a school environment that would keep their children questioning and experimenting, and set the stage for the rest of their education.

They chose and value Park because the School not only teaches students academic skills, but also helps them to develop self-awareness and self-confidence, provides them with a sense for the greater world around them and their role in it, and teaches them to be respectful and productive members of a community. At Park, Anna has served as a Class Representative and loves giving admissions tours. She looks forward to continuing to contribute to the School as a Trustee.

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THE PARK SCHOOL

CREATING THE PARK PORTRAIT

By Jamie Byron & Christian Porter

“ L OOK I NG BAC K , ON E OF T H E SI NG L E MO S T I M P ORTA N T T H I NG S PA R K TAUG H T M E WA S TO C ON N E C T T H E DOT S , Y E S , B U T TO A LWAYS C ON N E C T T H E M A F T E R H AV I NG TA K E N A F E W DE TOU R S T H ROUG H A DV E N T U R E , W H I M SY, A N D L I F E - C H A NG I NG S U R PR I SE .”

CA RY W I L L I A M S , C L A SS O F 20 0 9, GRADUAT I ON SPE AKE R 2 015

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or decades, the School has invited a recent alum, six years after their own time at Park, to return as the graduation speaker. A moment of reflection and inspiration, the speakers often look back at their educational journey with an eye toward identifying the key elements that still guide their post-Park lives. Many of the speakers share the realization that a Park education is unique, and that every student who attends Park leaves with a distinctive educational experience. “I know your social studies curriculum has taught you all the significance of meaningful activism. This is such a gift and a privilege. Most are not taught how to responsibly use their positions of power; as graduates of Park School, you wield an incredible amount of privilege. Use your voices to stand up for those who cannot—even when it may not be a popular choice.” (Sophia Clarke, Class of 2012. Graduation Speaker 2018).

Although Park graduates are articulate and passionate voices for the unique learning experience that Park provides, the School itself has never had an official account of the hoped-for outcomes of a Park education. “Defining Park’s distinctive why presented an interesting and important challenge in my first year as Head of School,” Scott Young reflects. “Park students and graduates go off into the world and shape the communities they touch through the work they do. Articulating the key intellectual and socialemotional competencies that allow and encourage them to effect change and make a difference clarifies the purpose of our School and orients and directs the educational journey Park students and graduates travel through Park and the lives they will lead beyond.” The ability to articulate such a student-centered vision of what makes Park, “Park” was the goal of a year-long, community-wide initiative to create our first Portrait of a Graduate.

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THE PARK SCHOOL

In the fall of 2018, Scott Young and Pamela Penna, serving as the Director of Curriculum & Instruction, initiated and led a task force that spent the year researching, analyzing, writing, and revising a Park Portrait. The committee represented a wide-ranging constituency: veteran and new faculty and staff, Upper and Lower Division teachers, classroom teachers and specialists (see page 25 for the complete list). Initial and revised drafts of the Portrait were shared with the whole Park community—faculty and staff, students, parents, trustees, and alumni—and the final Portrait, which is presented here in the Bulletin, was completed in June 2019.

WHAT IS A PORTRAIT?

Throughout the 21st century, the ways in which people live and work have evolved. Necessarily, leaders in education are evaluating how schools can best support students and equip them with the skills that they will need to thrive in today’s world. Pamela Penna explains, “Schools are the things that have changed the least in all the years we’ve been developing as a country. We really need a different kind of human in our world because we’re facing different challenges and different problems that need to be solved.” As schools consider how they can best equip their graduates, and as they aim to distinguish their institutions, creating a “Portrait of a Graduate” has become a best-practice step for self-evaluation. Through this initiative, schools have the opportunity to reflect on the skills and competencies that will distinguish their graduates, and will provide them with every opportunity for success in the 21st century.

In creating Park’s Portrait, the Committee reflected on the School’s aspirational goals for our graduates, as well as what distinguishes Park from our peer institutions. In other words, what makes Park, “Park”? Susanna Whitaker Waters ’99 shared, “While my peers in the Class of 1999 may have known we were living the ideals of ‘simplicity and sincerity’ throughout our years together at 171 Goddard Avenue, the recent Portrait has more specifically outlined the values and skills that make a Park education so special.

It speaks not only to what students learn throughout their educational journey, but also to the people that they become.”

J OY F UL L E A R N E R S

Pursuing curiosity and finding joy in challenge, they welcome a journey of lifelong learning.

M I N D F UL L E A D E R S

Seeking multiple perspectives and acting with kindness, they lead in service of their community.

SK I LLF U L CO M M U N I CATO R S

Considering audience and listening thoughtfully, they communicate with purpose and responsibility.

P R ACT I C E D A DVO CAT E S

Exercising empathy and courage, they care for self and others.

CO M PA SS I O N AT E CO L L A B O R ATO R S

Valuing the vision and voice of others, they collaborate to achieve a common goal.

CREATI V E PROBL EM SOLV ERS Generating questions and learning from mistakes, they create and explore solutions.

T H E PA R K P ORT RA I T THE CORNERSTONE OF PARK’S PROGRAM is academic excellence, combining both high standards

of scholarship and the encouragement of each child to develop to his or her greatest potential. It is in the spirit and realization of our Mission that we share The Park Portrait — an articulation of the intellectual and social-emotional competencies that define Park students during their educational journey with us and in preparation for the lives they’ll lead beyond Park. These competencies define excellence of mind and character, and the Portrait serves as a Northstar for Park educators in their examination and definition of our curriculum and instructional practice. The Portrait directs teachers as they pursue educational excellence, whether in the classroom or the studio, on the playing field or the stage. Through the Portrait and its competencies, we define what it means to learn with purpose, to strive for success, to balance well-being and to achieve and contribute as valuable members of our school community.

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JOY FU L LE A R NER S Pursuing curiosity and finding joy in challenge, they welcome a journey of lifelong learning.

Park is a school filled with students and teachers who find true and authentic joy in the process of learning. In classrooms and on the playgrounds, students are encouraged to ask questions fueled by genuine curiosity, and embark on a path of discovery with their teachers and peers. When they graduate, students depart Park not only with the knowledge and skills that will help them to excel in high school, but also a deep understanding and self-awareness of their own learning process. Susanna Whitaker Waters ’99, Academic Dean at Brooks School explains, “I appreciated that Park teachers are not merely instructing students what to learn, but instead teaching them how to learn. This approach inspired me to pursue a career in education, and now I admire these same qualities of curiosity and inquisitiveness in Park graduates who continue on to Brooks School, where I live and work.” Lifelong learners themselves, faculty find joy in equipping students for this journey. Park teachers help students in pursuing their passions, support them through times of challenge, and join them in celebration of their accomplishments.

DISCOVERY PLAYGROUND:

“The monkey bars are good for jumping, swinging, mostly climbing. So what I do is I skip one bar, skip the next, and when I get to the last bar, I jump. I try different things each time because I need to try to get better.”

Akil Meadows, Class of 2027

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PROBABILITY CARNIVAL: “The Probability Carnival is a great opportunity for seventh graders and students in Grades 1 – 3 to learn together. The seventh graders choose and design games of chance with younger students in mind, and find joy in creating a final product that they find personally fulfilling. The carnival is a great time for connection and for students of all ages to support the learning of their peers.”

Christy Keblusek, Math Department Head

ARC @ PARK: “For my independent making project, Ms. Fogarty helped me learn how to use tools to create the helmet like riveting guns and tin snips. I learned a lot in the process and it was fun to use what I was learning in such a hands-on way. At ARC at Park, typically people asked, ‘Can I try it on?’ It does not fit everyone!”

Will Glick, Class of 2020

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LOWER DIVISION PARTNERSHIPS : “Buddy partnerships make a big school

smaller, and create opportunities for connection between kids of all ages. My first grade class partners with PreK buddies for the entirety of the year, and through these partnerships they play, practice compromise, compassion, listening and speaking, applying learned skills to new situations, and tapping into creativity and imagination. In addition to partnering with Park's youngest students, our first graders also have the opportunity to partner with Park's oldest students! The eighth graders have the chance to be role models, to delight in being treated with zero judgement and 100 percent admiration, and to make an authentic difference in someone's day. Through these partnerships, our youngest and oldest students feel seen, valued, and cared for by their peers.”

Jerilyn Willig, Grade 1 Teacher

MIND FU L LEAD ER S Seeking multiple perspectives and acting with kindness,

they lead in service of their community.

Park students are encouraged to look for opportunities to serve their communities, both at Park and beyond. They recognize that leadership is a collaborative process that requires respect and openness to all voices, and that a just and effective leader always has the community they serve at heart. In his 2016 graduation address, Tenzin Thargay ’11 stated, “I truly believe that Park is the perfect garden to cultivate the necessary seeds for compassionate leadership in the 21st century…From understanding oneself as well as others, to embracing another perspective, you are also developing key life skills that will take you far.”

Within the Park community, students offer not only feedback for improvement, but the action, energy, and leadership needed to make the School a better place.

Students and graduates are constantly asking how their communities can be made better and more just, and serve as humble change-makers.

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EMPATHY TASK FORCE: “The Empathy Task Force was born out of a conversation about what it means to be empathetic. Students were excited for the opportunity to be involved, and submitted applications to explain why they would be good members of the Task Force. They decided to focus on Park's “Buddy Bench,” and how they could encourage that it be used more effectively. They designed a survey asking their peers how they currently used the Buddy Bench, and how often. They discovered that the bench was not being used as intended—as a place for students to connect with one another when feeling left out—and brainstormed possible solutions. They decided as a group that this problem could be helped by teaching our youngest students about the purpose of the “Buddy Bench” so that all students will have this same knowledge to carry with them through their recess time at Park. The Empathy Task Force presented their solution to the entire Lower Division, and this year they introduced two new Buddy Benches to the Discovery Playground so that all Park students can feel included and valued."

Kimberly Formisano, Lower Division Head

ATHLETICS: “Serving as a captain on one of Park's 15 sports teams is a real leadership opportunity for our Upper Division student athletes. On younger teams, students take turns serving as captain so that, when they reach eighth grade, they are equipped with the skills they need to effectively lead their teammates. Captains endeavor to lead and meet the expectations of their teams as well as serving the entire school community by helping to plan the school-wide Spirit Day and representing Park in competitions with other schools.”

Bob Little, Director of Athletics, and Dana Welshman-Studley ’85, Associate Director of Athletics

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SKILLFU L C OM M U NI C AT OR S Considering audience and listening thoughtfully, they communicate with purpose and responsibility.

Park students know that responsible communication is as much about those with whom they are communicating as it is about themselves. They confidently articulate their perspective while also respectfully considering the differing opinion of a peer.

In written, spoken, digital, and artistic expression, Park students recognize that an effective communicator is open to feedback, and they have the opportunity to practice this important skill through their entire journey at Park. From our youngest students’ first performance in PreK, to student graduation addresses—and at countless moments in between—students are encouraged to think about why, what, and to who they are communicating. They depart Park with a deep skill-set and an empathetic eye and ear for their audience.

MODEL UN: “As delegates to Model UN conferences for area middle schools, Park students research and present the needs of their assigned country. They deliver opening speeches, negotiate in caucuses, and pass resolutions to address the issue under discussion. Giving thought and care to the position of the country they represent, they discuss and debate topics such as education, nuclear disarmament, and women's rights.”

Curt Miller, English Teacher and Model UN Advisor

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MORNING MEETING: “Morning Meeting at Park was such a special way to start

the day together as a larger community. It was a time when we learned so much from teachers, guests, and fellow students. Teachers shared their passions with us through presentations and musical performances, and it was a way for us to see the teachers in a different light beyond the classroom. Morning Meeting was also one of the first times that I practiced my public speaking skills. We would rotate through who would make announcements about the results of our field hockey games. I remember when it was my turn to make the announcement feeling nervous to speak in front of the whole auditorium, but knowing that it was a supportive environment.

Moments like that helped prepare me to feel comfortable speaking in front of a large group in high school, college, and beyond. As a teaching apprentice at Park years later, I looked forward to morning meeting and enjoyed seeing students have opportunities to practice their listening and communication skills.”

Nia Lutch ’97

WORLD LANGUAGE: “After three years of language study, eighth graders have learned to become flexible in their thinking, to take responsible risks, and to understand that it's okay to make mistakes.

When the time comes to travel abroad for their culminating trips to France, Italy, Spain, or China, they step outside of their comfort zones and are able to experience the differences and similarities that exist in the country that they have studied for so long.”

Liga Aldins, World Language Teacher

MUSIC PROGRAM: “Park’s music program shapes the students to be resilient, confident, expressive presenters. Park offers a supportive environment that develop these skills. We continue to enjoy watching these skills at work as students present during morning meetings, performances, and Graduation.

We let the students know that a little nervousness before performance is not a bad thing. Most people get butterflies before presenting. Mistakes help you become more resilient; just ‘keep it moving.’ There have been many times that I have been moved by student presentations.”

Janice Allen, Music Teacher

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COMPASSIONATE COLLABORATORS Valuing the vision and voice of others,

they collaborate to achieve a common goal.

From their first days at Park, students know that the educational journey is not one that they will have to travel alone. Rather, they are taught that partnerships with their teachers and peers is paramount—and makes the journey much more fun!

Beginning in the Lower Division, teachers empower students to think about how they can work with those inside and outside of the school community, and they find joy in this creative process. Collaborative projects across Park’s divisions and departments model this skill for students, as they watch their teachers working together to connect projects across their various classes. Through initiatives such as Park’s second-grade partnership with The Sophia Snow Place in West Roxbury and the fifthgrade immigration unit, students learn that effective and respectful collaboration can lead to real, positive change in their communities.

GRADE 5 IMMIGRATION UNIT:

“There’s a whole piece of the project about being compassionate and empathetic because we’re entrusting kids with really important, sensitive stories. They are collaborating with one another about the best way to honor their interviewee’s immigrant story. The project also emphasizes respectful communication, being sensitive when you are collaborating with the interviewee to get more information.”

Courtney Bonang, Grade 5 Teacher

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SOPHIA SNOW PLACE PARTNERS: “Every single week, a second grade class visits our partners at the Sophia Snow Place in West Roxbury. The second graders really feel seen and heard by how curious the residents are about them and their lives. And, they get to actively work on what it means to come up with thoughtful questions to ask their Sophia Snow partners. We’ve learned that they love Bingo, and boy do we throw a really good Bingo party there!”

Kat Callard, Grade 2 Teacher

DRAMA PROGRAM: “Drama is all

about valuing the vision and voice of others. Students enjoy participating in the collective vision that guides that organic process that happens from 3 – 4:30 p.m., four days a week.

Collaboration in drama looks like kids taking measured risks with support from their castmates and the adults, and then reflecting on that measured risks, always coming back to the collective vision.”

Kyra Fries, Drama Department Head and English Teacher

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HOUSE PROJECT: “The House Project is a great opportunity for sixth graders to think creatively and learn from their mistakes. The project allows students to make individual design choices based on their interests, and collaborate with faculty and each other to work through their design, brainstorm solutions, and ultimately design a product that they take great pride in.”

Christy Keblusek, Math Department Head

C RE AT IVE P R OBLEM S OLV ER S

Generating questions and learning from mistakes, they create and explore solutions.

Park students know that the joy of learning is in the journey. As agents and leaders in their own education, they follow their curiosities and troubleshoot through challenges on their way to finding creative discoveries and solutions. Students and teachers support each other through this process, in an environment where taking responsible risks and making mistakes is valued as part of a Park education. Saunders Haley ’18 reflects that “At Park, I learned to embrace every aspect of the problem-solving process—mistakes most of all! It was the patience and positive energy of my teachers who really made all the difference.” Graduates leave Goddard Avenue with the skills needed to succeed in their next steps, and the grit to continue trying and think creatively when they encounter challenge.

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MULTIMEDIA MYTHOLOGICAL CREATURES: “To create their ‘Multimedia

Mythological Creatures,’ fourth graders draw on their classroom study of Greek mythology and their knowledge of stories and folklore. Students are challenged to use at least three different materials in their projects. The finished creatures are vibrant and colorful, beautifully juxtaposing various media to create a rich assemblage of patterns and textures.”

Nancy Popper, Art Department Head

ADVENTURE EQUIPMENT:

“Park’s adventure equipment aids our students on their physical, cognitive, and affective learning journeys. It encourages them to problem-solve, both independently and with their peers, and to participate in positive risk-taking activity that requires courage, self-confidence, self-reliance, patience, perseverance, and selfcontrol. The adventure components of our Physical Education program allow students of all ages to give their brains a workout equal to their bodies.”

Michelle Young, Physical Education Department Head

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PRA C T ICED ADV OC AT ES Exercising empathy and courage, they care for self and others.

Park graduates know when to stand up for themselves and others and do so, even when it might not be easy. They recognize the incredible privilege and responsibility that accompanies a Park education, and seek to find ways to use their voice to make the world a better place. As Nathan Kellogg ’02 remarked upon receiving the 2018 Young Alumni Achievement Award, “I can say without question that my years here at Park were incredibly powerful, expanding my knowledge of both the world and of myself. I made lifelong friendships, developed my skills as a leader, and learned how to be a curious, critical thinker. I also learned how to leave the world around me better than I found it.” Park students are taught to be conscious and empathetic when another’s situation and viewpoint might differ from their own, and to advocate for their fellow community members. As they come to know themselves at Park, they are supported in voicing their own needs, and empowered to do so. They take these important skills with them, and use them to improve their own lives and the lives of those around them when they depart Park.

RECYCLING PROGRAM: “The Grade 4

recycling program follows the model of ‘get informed, get inspired, get going!’ We emphasize that we are not only talking about our future but also how people are already being impacted by our actions. Parents tell us their whole family is changing habits at home—reducing food waste and trying to reuse and reduce—so it’s having a rippling impact!”

Eliza Botsford, Grade 4 Teacher

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UPPER-DIVISION STUDENT-LED CONFERENCES:

“Being able to learn the skills of being reflective, both in and after moments, that’s really necessary in order to build that skill of self-awareness. This is what is happening in studentled conferences. What’s magical about them at the middleschool level is that early adolescence is when the child starts to ramp up their autonomy, and their freedom to make choices, and can learn from those choices.”

Caroline Beasley, Upper Division Head

GRADE 3 NATIVE AMERICAN UNIT:

“We learned about Native Americans and their experience in America. We talked about prejudices and stereotypes and biases. At the age of eight, that was really, really cool for me, and I know that a lot of people, especially with a typical American elementary school curriculum, don’t get to experience that learning. I think that should be praised.”

Priya Devavaram ’17

GRADE 8 INTERNATIONAL TRIPS: “While traveling abroad, students participate in service opportunities that allow them to get to know the country that they are visiting even better.

Whether leading their peers in an on-site class presentation in Italy, living and working in a residential community which provides housing, food and support for displaced individuals in Spain, volunteering at a senior center in China, or helping to restore the ancient Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route in France, eighth graders experience another culture through service.”

Liga Aldins, World Language Teacher

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HOW WILL THE PORTRAIT BE USED?

In the development and revision of curriculum, the Portrait will help to ensure that, at each point in their educational journey, students are challenged and supported in their endeavor to become joyful learners, mindful leaders, skillful communicators, compassionate collaborators, creative problem solvers, and practiced advocates. Eric Chapman, Assistant Head of School for Academics & Program, believes that the Portrait “will serve as a blueprint that Park educators can use to examine our curriculum and our practice. It has the power to aid teachers as they design and refine curriculum.

In this way, Park will be able to ensure that our programming across all grade levels and disciplines is serving a purposeful role in our students’ journey.”

From our youngest students in PreK to our eighth graders preparing for graduation, each grade-level

and department will use the portrait to ask themselves: “How are we helping our students to develop these competencies?” Throughout their entire journey at Park, students will see connections to each of these skill sets in their classes, on the playing field, and on-stage. Additionally, the Portrait aligns with Park’s mission statement and core values to guide the overall educational vision and program. Academic excellence, the joy of learning, respecting the dignity of others, and valuing diversity are fundamental beliefs that characterize each of these guideposts.

The Portrait aims to put words to the feelings that students, faculty, and parents experience at Park, and to outline the skills that our alumni will need in today’s world. As we envision Park’s future, and all that is ahead of our current students, it is humbling to reflect on the thousands of alumni who

“ T H E PA R K P ORT R A I T OU T L I N E S T H E VA LU E S A N D S K I L L S T H AT M A K E A PA R K E DUC AT ION SO S PEC I A L . I T S PE A K S NOT ON LY TO W H AT S T U DE N T S L E A R N T H ROUG HOU T T H E I R E DUC AT IONA L JOU R N E Y, B U T A L SO TO T H E PEOPL E T H AT T H E Y B E C OM E .”

S USA N N A WH I TAKE R WAT E R S ’ 9 9

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ABOUT THE AUTHORS Jamie Byron Director of Alumni Relations “Participating on Park’s Portrait of a Graduate Task Force has been an amazingly rewarding and informative experience. In my role as Director of Alumni Relations, I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to learn from alumni about why their Park education was meaningful, and how it helped to prepare them for the next steps in their education and career. Working on the Task Force solidified for me the incredible consistencies, across decades, that have existed in a Park education. Although the School’s curriculum has been enhanced throughout the years, the core competencies with which our students depart Park have remained the same.

Whether they graduated over 60 years ago, or just last June, alumni depart with the skills that they will need to excel as students, professionals, and people.”

have graduated from Park in its 131-year history, and how their education here shaped the people that they became. Even though the Portrait is new, these Park-specific characteristics are familiar. “There are many graduates who come out of this school with a certain type of value,” states PreK Teacher Hilary Fabre. “They’re kind, they think bigger than their own parameters, and they’re changemakers. I do feel these qualities are reflected in the Portrait, which is a kind of moral compass to engage mindfully and actively with other students and with the world. I think it’s absolutely accurate, and I do think it starts quite young and continues throughout the School in various ways. Students are given opportunities to practice these skills and these are very, very important life lessons.” And as the world continues to change, we expect that Park’s Portrait will as well.

THE PORTRAIT OF A GRADUATE COMMITTEE, 2018–19

Caroline Beasley Upper Division Head

Karen Manning Science Teacher

Megan Bounit Head of Academic Technology

Curt Miller English Teacher

Jamie Byron Director of Alumni Relations

Pamela Penna Director of Curriculum & Instruction

Hilary Fabre PreKindergarten Teacher

Christian Porter Librarian

Christy Keblusek Math Department Head

Connie Yepez Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Dean Laabs Art Teacher

The Portrait of a Graduate Committee is grateful to the faculty and staff members, parents, students, alumni, and secondary school colleagues who contributed so generously to this initiative, and we look forward to continuing to partner as the Portrait evolves in years to come.

Christian Porter Librarian "Working in the Library for more than a decade has provided me with a unique overview of a child's journey at Park.

The PreKindergartener who checks out their first book matures into the eighth grade student who uses an academic database to complete a major research project. I eagerly volunteered to serve on Park’s Portrait of a Graduate Task Force because I was excited about the opportunity to help capture the distinctive educational experience Park students receive. As a teacher, I am already using the Portrait to shape my instruction and curriculum choices. As a parent of a recent graduate and a current student, I value the Portrait as a guidepost that helps me understand and evaluate their academic and social-emotional learning at Park. And knowing that the Portrait is a living, flexible document also reassures me that we can continue to refine our understanding of what makes a Park education so special."

Scott Young Head of School

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G RADUATION CLASS of 2019

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Each year, a Park School alum with six years of post-Park experience is the featured speaker at Graduation. At the School’s 131st graduation exercises in June, Victoria Alvarez ’13 delivered the address.

Since Park, Tori has lived and studied in the Boston area, on the West Coast, and abroad. Throughout, she’s maintained a commitment to community service and an interest in language and culture that has roots in her own family’s experience.

Her passions germinated during her time as a Park student when she first became active in community service projects, choosing Horizons for Homeless Children as her Grade IX work-study placement. In high school at Dana Hall, she volunteered with Best Buddies, an organization pairing able-bodied helpers with folks challenged by disabilities. After a semester at Reed College, which she realized wasn’t the right fit for her, Tori travelled to Germany, exploring and taking classes before returning to begin her sophomore year at Boston University. Now in her senior year at B.U., she is majoring in Spanish literature and volunteers to help animal friends at the MSPCA. Tori plans to move to Madrid after college, where she hopes to earn a master’s degree in education with the goal of teaching English.

2019 GR A DUAT ION A DDR E SS:

Victoria Alvarez ’13

G

ood morning students, faculty, parents, and, most importantly, the Class of 2019.

Before I get into my speech, I want to say that I feel honored to be invited back to Park to speak. Park has been a part of my life for years and the Park community has always made me feel right at home.

Although Park holds a special place in my heart, I must admit that in the years following my graduation, I have not been the most active alumna. In fact, a week ago, I came back to Park for the first time in almost six years in order to meet with some of the members of the graduating class. As I walked through the familiar halls to the meeting, I was greeted by many of my former teachers, and was quickly reminded of the comfort Park had provided me over my ten years as a student here. However, there was also a feeling of dread as all of of my teachers asked me the same question: ‘How is your speech coming along?’ My reply to all of them was a short: ‘It’s coming.’ This was a half truth. I did have a lot written at the time, but it was all disjointed bits and pieces that didn’t seem to fit together in a way that felt worth sharing. I found myself stumped because, though six years isn’t a lot of time in the grand scheme of things, a lot has changed both at Park and in the world since my own graduation, and given that, I wasn’t sure I would have anything insightful to share with the graduates as they move on to the next stage in their lives.

However, my visit proved me wrong.

When I reflect on my experiences at Park, ninth grade was a defining year for me, and the year I remember most fondly.

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Before my return visit, I attributed a lot of my love for that final year at Park to the unique experiences that I participated in with the other 15 members of my graduating class, such as Stump Sprouts and Work Study, things that no longer exist at Park. However, sitting amongst members of the Class of 2019, and watching them laugh and joke with each other so easily, I was brought back to my own Park days. I could tell that they really knew and trusted one another – like they were a family—and I remember feeling this way about my own grade.

Speaking with the graduating class reminded me what was truly important about my experience, and the experiences of other Park students: the supportive people who surround you through this journey.

After chatting with some of you, I continued the conversation with the faculty leaders, Mr. Kessler and Mrs. DiAdamo, and a word they chose to describe the Class of 2019 was “risk takers,” though they pointed out that you may not be aware of that quality in yourselves. To me, “risk taker” was the perfect description of the type of person that comes out of Park.

A risk taker is someone who constantly challenges themself, someone who is willing to step outside of what is expected of them. When defined, being a risk taker sounds intimidating, so it is no surprise that you are unaware that you have that label, but that is only because Park’s empathetic community makes it so easy and rewarding to take risks. I can say that with certainty because of my own experience at Park.

When I first came to Park in 2003, I was not a risk taker.

Granted, I was six at the time, so there weren’t many risks for me to take, but still... I remember walking into Ms. Miller’s Kindergarten class on the first day of school and my stomach dropping. To preface this, I should say that outside of my family, I was painfully shy and would go out of my way to not stick out, saving all my talking and energy for when I got home.

In fact, my mom used to have to set a timer for me to be quiet in order to get some peace. Needless to say, my shyness was not truly definitive of me as a person, but a protective cover I would take out in public. Ms. Miller’s personality was quite the opposite of my public persona. For those of you who weren’t lucky enough to know Ms. Miller while she worked at Park, she was the true embodiment of a Park faculty member, equal parts eccentric and thoughtful, and always kind. I can still remember her sing-song voice reading to my class or calling us in from recess. Now, back to the fall of 2003: Ms. Miller’s classroom was already bursting with energy, a reflection of her own exuberance—it took me about a minute after walking into her classroom to realize that blending into the background would not be an option there. In fact, as soon as I arrived, Ms. Miller steered me over to a table of other students crowded around a caterpillar in a cage. Normally I would have stood

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on my tip toes, peering over the other students, keeping my distance. However, with the aid of Ms. Miller’s gentle nudge, I elbowed my way into the crowd, ooing and ahing along with the other members of my class. I laughed with them at the caterpillar’s strange body, completely at ease.

When it comes to an average day at Park, my first day was not out of the ordinary; Park students are constantly encouraged to interact with one another and with the world around them. But, for someone who was scared to make that first step, it was groundbreaking. From that day forward, my confidence slowly began to build, because regardless of the situation, I always knew that the safety I felt on that first day was available to me. It wasn’t a fast process, nor was it easy for me or my teachers (I was constantly getting progress

reports that said I needed to participate more actively.) Around the time I entered the Middle Division, though, I began to speak up more in class—not a huge risk for most, but again, for someone who (as other people put it) NEVER spoke, sharing my ideas was hard. What if I was wrong? What if I got made fun of? But, to my surprise, even when I was wrong, I was never ridiculed, and I learned that I really enjoyed engaging in our discussions, whatever the topic, because it deepened my understanding—I learned that being a student was an intricate part of my identity.

By the time I reached the Upper Division, my participation in class had increased to the point where speaking too much became more of the issue rather than not speaking enough.

This increase in participation also translated to my interactions with my classmates. In the Upper Division, the opportunities to branch out and meet other students increase by tenfold, but the friendships that come along during this time are a result of risk—to attain the deep connections that you all have made during your time at Park calls for vulnerability and trust in others to accept you. Again, this may be something you have not realized because Park provides a space in which this risk is encouraged. For example, I remember that my friends and I, trying to be sneaky, would often ask to “do work in the hall” during class. To be clear, we actually did do some work, but

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we also spent the time talking and laughing, deepening our connections with one another. Though we thought we were being sly, in retrospect, our teachers knew exactly what we were up to. I can remember In eighth and ninth grades Ms. Barre sticking her head out into the hall while we were writing our big research papers to keep us on task, but never breaking up our fun, understanding that building our relationships with each other was just as important to our success at Park. For me, this allowance was crucial—I made strong bonds with classmates that I might not have gotten to know otherwise, and suddenly a new piece of my character was revealed to me: I was a friend.

During my early teens, a time that is often described as the most insecure time of a person’s life, I was not scared of judgment because I had never faced any at Park.

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Embarrassment was momentary, and failure wasn’t a bad thing; it was a chance for improvement. As my confidence grew, I kept taking risks, now with extracurriculars, such as theater and art.

Once again, I was faced with the same fear: what if I fail? And once again, the answer was, I would try again. And I failed a lot when it came to theater. I have a horrible memory, so I was constantly forgetting my lines, and routinely having to ad-lib during performances or fumbling through dance numbers. One time I messed up the steps so badly that I fell off one of the platforms on stage during a performance. I wasn’t hurt, and just laughed about it backstage even though it was mortifying.

I was constantly making mistakes and learning from them. I always felt the encouragement of my community, be it from my teachers, friends, or just acquaintances, especially during tech week. Going up on stage, I was completely vulnerable,

but it never scared me because of the support and comfort Park provided – the benefits of taking risks became clear to me.

Currently, I stick strictly to visual arts, but my love for the arts came from my time doing theater at Park.

Now, for the little bit of insight I can offer the graduating class (I’m only 21, so it’s not too much!) You may not recognize it, but being a Park student has made you confident, confident enough to continue to chase after risks once you leave, even without Park’s community to catch you if you fall. People are going to ask you all the time: Who are you? And, while it’s a frustrating question, it is an important one and one with an ever changing answer. To figure out who you are, you need to take risks. When I left Park for Dana Hall, I began to fall into my old habits of hiding behind my shyness—it was daunting to me to risk failure, whether it be academic or social, surrounded by such an unfamiliar group. I began to feel defeated. I had left Park with a sense of self: I was a learner, I was a friend, I was an artistic person. Suddenly, though, I began to question who I was in this new context. I can’t pinpoint exactly when it

happened, but eventually I realized that in these core qualities of who I was, I was missing one—confident. I had been so used to risk taking in a familiar community, I didn’t realize that I had been taking risks, or the bravery that taking those risks had required. In the transition, I had lost some of my confidence, but I recognized that to build it up, and to continue understanding who I was, I needed to keep challenging myself.

I didn’t take big risks, like skydiving, but small ones, like being the first to introduce myself to someone or to share my honest feelings. Slowly, I felt myself become just as confident as I had been while at Park, but with a deeper understanding of myself that comes with age and experience. Park has taught me that, when I take risks, the people who truly matter to me will see me through my successes and failures. As cliche as it sounds, there really is no such thing as failure if it results from taking a risk, because you always learn more about yourself and the world around you.

At the end of my senior year at Boston University, I will be moving to Madrid, my biggest risk yet. As May of 2020 approaches, I have felt the increased pressure of this challenge.

I don’t know how this will turn out, I don’t know if it will be a success or failure, but writing this speech has reminded me of how far I have come, and though this transition will be daunting, I’m prepared for it because risk taking has become second nature to me.

And, Class of 2019, I know that risk taking has become second nature for you all as well. I know that right now you are all itching to get your diplomas and become highschoolers —I felt the same way. And your excitement is warranted, because high school is fun. But, I would be lying if I said it didn’t have its challenges. However, you are entering this new stage in life with all the lessons that Park has given you. So, whenever things don’t go according to plan, know that you are a risk taker, and that you confident enough to see any situation through. And, even if they aren’t there physically, you always have the support of the members of the Park community. Congratulations, Class of 2019!

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class graduation speaker: Audrey Kim ’19

I

have heard that each graduating class at Park has its own unique character. That never made sense to me. How can 60 different people have one character? Well, it took me ten years filled with classes, field hockey, orchestral ensemble, and even a broken foot, but I finally figured it out.

Three months ago, during rehearsal for the winter musical, a fire extinguisher fell on my foot and broke it in several places. It wasn't that big a deal, and everyone told me that I needed a better story. But I had to wear an AirCast boot and use crutches for six weeks, and that was a real drag.

I was disappointed about possibly having to quit the winter musical and probably miss our class trip to France.

And I knew the grand finale of my eighth grade year was going to be a lot less grand. But after all my time at Park, I should have known better.

My classmates choreographing and producing the musical got together with the cast and changed the dances around so that I could still perform. It took a lot of extra planning, and I did not ask or want them to do it. I just wanted to bow out and hobble into the audience. But they did it, and not a single person was upset or irritated.

In fact, the unexpected challenge seemed to excite and energize them. I watched and listened as they happily

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put their heads together and came up with creative ideas and suggestions.

It ended up being an amazing performance. It was classic Park School.

Then I almost dropped out of our class trip to France. I have seen adventure movies about wilderness exploration and mountain climbing.

I know that dragging around a wounded team member is a pain in the butt at best or ends up killing off half the team at worst. But my classmates and teachers would not have it. A wheelchair was rented. Friends and teachers, even classmates I was not especially close to, readily took turns hauling my bags, and pushing me around the countryside of southern France. My crazy, wonderful Park School family.

Long after we have moved on to other places and the rest of you have forgotten about one random classmate and her silly broken foot, I will always remember how you came together for me, eagerly, happily, and naturally.

Not a big deal for you or in the grand scheme of things. But it was a bigger deal for me. And I can’t help but think, if this is how Park has trained us to respond to one classmate's silly broken foot, imagine how incredibly well prepared we are to tackle the really serious problems we will face in this world.

So how can 60 different people have one character? Well, just like each person’s character is uniquely shaped by family, friends, and life experiences, our Class of 2019 has been uniquely shaped by teachers, classmates, and experiences that have never been shared in the same way by any previous Park School class and will never be shared the same way again.

I have had ten years filled with amazing Park experiences.

Now, as I finish my last year at Park, I am so grateful for all the memories I can share with my classmates. Whether we have been here for ten years or one, we have shared the same anxieties about first days at school and making friends. We have strengthened our friendships by struggling together with impossible math problems, square dances in music, and frantically cramming for final exams. We have fought and made up. Sadly, we have had to let some friendships go. We have learned that it is impossible to like or be liked by everyone, but we have learned that we can and do respect one another.

A lot. I appreciate each and every one of you, and I am so proud to have been one of your 2019 Park School classmates. Let’s continue to stick together. Always. Congratulations and thank you.

C ONG R AT U L AT ION S , C L A S S OF 2019!

Congratulations to the Class of 2019! Our graduates have completed their arc at Park in stellar fashion.

They are academically and socially prepared to be leaders on their next schools’ campuses, both public and private listed below. Collectively, they submitted 233 applications to over 45 independent schools.

Not surprisingly, our students continue to be sought after by these secondary schools because of their signature Park School optimism, character, and genuine intellectual curiosity.

SHAHIN ALIABADI

CONCORD ACADEMY

MOLLY ISAAC

MATTHEW ALLAIRE

NEWTON NORTH HIGH SCHOOL

MAYA JOHNSON

BRIMMER & MAY SCHOOL

OLIVER BARKAN

NORTHFIELD MOUNT HERMON SCHOOL

ROHAN KALAN

BEAVER COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL

GRACE BEECHER

NEWTON NORTH HIGH SCHOOL

NIK KATHIRESAN

MILTON ACADEMY

SARA BERZ

CAMBRIDGE SCHOOL OF WESTON

AUDREY KIM

NOBLE AND GREENOUGH SCHOOL

ANNABELLE BRENNAN

DEERFIELD ACADEMY

WILL LAUGHLIN

NOBLE AND GREENOUGH SCHOOL

MYLES BURGESS

DEXTER SOUTHFIELD SCHOOL

ELSA LESTAGE

MILTON ACADEMY

AIDAN CHIANG

MILTON ACADEMY

THEO LEWIS

NEWTON SOUTH HIGH SCHOOL

KEEGAN CLAUNCH

THE NEWMAN SCHOOL

GRACE LLOYD

JOHN D. O’BRYANT SCHOOL

AARON COHEN

THAYER ACADEMY

JUSTIN LOWRY

NOBLE AND GREENOUGH SCHOOL

VERA CORTELL

BEAVER COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL

MADISON MCCASLIN

CONCORD ACADEMY

ETHAN DHADLY

ROXBURY LATIN SCHOOL

GINNY O’MARAH

MILTON ACADEMY

AVERY DOLINS

WINSOR SCHOOL

GRAHAM OWENS

BOSTON LATIN SCHOOL

LILLY FELDMAN

CAMBRIDGE SCHOOL OF WESTON

CHARLEY POTTER

BEAVER COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL

BEN FLEISHMAN

CONCORD ACADEMY

JOEY POTTER

BOSTON UNIVERSITY ACADEMY

ABRAHAM FRANCO

THE NEWMAN SCHOOL

ZOË POWELL-MCCROEY

BEAVER COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL

NEVA GONZALEZ

CONCORD ACADEMY

OCTAVIA REOHR

NOBLE AND GREENOUGH SCHOOL

REBECCA GOODMAN

BEAVER COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL

SAM RUDIKOFF

NOBLE AND GREENOUGH SCHOOL

WILL GRIMES

NOBLE AND GREENOUGH SCHOOL

HENRY SALTZMAN

NOBLE AND GREENOUGH SCHOOL

ELLIE HAIGNEY

BOSTON LATIN SCHOOL

NEEL SCHERFKE

BUCKINGHAM BROWNE & NICHOLS

FINN HAYES

BROOKS SCHOOL

FATMATA SESAY

BUCKINGHAM BROWNE & NICHOLS

ALEXANDRA HERMAN

BEAVER COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL

ISAIAH SOLOMON

CAMBRIDGE SCHOOL OF WESTON

CALEB HIRSCHFELD

MILTON ACADEMY

ALEX TANG

CATE SCHOOL

OLI HOCHBERG

WINSOR SCHOOL

KATIE TRAN

CONCORD ACADEMY

MAYA HOLZMAN

THE RIVERS SCHOOL

AMERI VEST

PHILLIPS ACADEMY ANDOVER

OMAR IBRAHIM

JOHN D. O’BRYANT SCHOOL

RALPHIE VOGEL

MILTON ACADEMY

HAYDEN IDSON

HOMESCHOOL

NATHAN WILDERMAN

NOBLE AND GREENOUGH SCHOOL

MILTON ACADEMY

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class graduation speaker: Will Laughlin ’19

G

reetings family, friends, teachers, administrators, and most of all, my mom, who might need a tissue right now. And also greetings to my fellow graduates, the Park School Class of 2019. I am here today to talk to you about the future. What does the future hold for each of us? Will one of us find the cure for the common cold, solve climate change, or even become President of the United States? Will one of us come back to Park and become a teacher?

The possibilities are endless and while that may be daunting, it is also exciting.

During our time at Park School whether you have been here for ten years, like me, or just one year (shout out to Ellie and Mr. Young), we have a foundation built on strong character, curiosity, grit, zest...you know what I am talking about...the things we hear everyday that should give us all confidence that anything is possible for each and every one of us. Some of us (shout out to me) are still working on personal responsibility, but I am hopeful I will figure it out before next year.

When we arrived at Park ten years ago, the world was a much different place. President Obama was finishing his first year in office, Instagram didn’t exist, and Rob Gronkowski hadn’t caught a pass in the NFL.

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Fast forward to today…. Boston has become literally the greatest sports city in the world – the Patriots and Red Sox are World Champs at the same time, and sadly, Gronk’s playing career is over (unless he comes out of retirement!). My point is that so much can change in such a short time frame and there is no way to predict how any of it will turn out. Even though that sounds scary, I think we are well prepared for whatever the future brings.

In sixth grade, all of my friends and I joined The Park School soccer team and competed against other schools for the first time; which was a HUGE deal. There were so many of us that we had to split up into two different teams, both undefeated going into the famous “Fessy Cup” tournament. We combined our two teams together and I can still remember that feeling of all of us being together! We beat the first two teams we played, including Fessenden where a lot of my outside of school friends go, and Tenacre. Next, we played the Fay School (our only loss this varsity season) and got beat by a close score. But, Fessenden tied their game versus Tenacre, which meant we made it into the finals! Sadly, two of our most dominant players couldn’t play: Theo Lewis, who hurt his wrist the game prior, and Nik Kathiresan... who left to go to a Steelers game in Pittsburgh….. which they lost! That final game of the Fessy tournament was hard fought and kids were flying

around in the rain, thinking of hoisting that beautiful trophy. We beat Fay 3-1, which surprised everyone, including probably most of all, ourselves!

Being presented that famous trophy in the pouring rain with all of my teammates, was and will always be one of my greatest memories at Park. On that rainy day in October, we approached this tournament with an open mindset and expected the unknown. We should approach the future just like that.

We’ve also had great teachers at Park who have prepared us for whatever the future brings and believed in us when maybe we didn’t even believe in ourselves. For me, Mr. Miller and Mrs. Coen have supported me in ways that I can’t even begin to thank them enough. I’m sure everyone has connections like this so make sure to hug it out with those special teachers on your way out today!

I saw an awesome quote in this year's Yearbook on Molly Isaac’s page from Dr. Seuss. “Don’t cry because it's over, smile because it happened.”

I think this sums up how we should all feel right now as we look back on our time at Park. As for the future, I can’t wait to see all of you at our reunions and who knows, we might even run into each other at a few Duck Boat parades over the coming years!

Thank you again to everyone here today, and congratulations to my friends….The Class of 2019!

T H E JOA N CROCK ER AWA R D FOR COM MU N I T Y SERV ICE Each year, the Parents’ Association presents the Joan Crocker Award for Community Service to a departing parent volunteer who has uniquely contributed selfless, abundant, and dedicated years of service to the benefit of The Park School. It is named in honor of Joan Crocker whose 25 years at Park exemplified the kind of devotion and steadfast zeal this award recognizes in its recipients.

In 2019, the PA presented TWO awards!

Betsy Ball Throughout her 65 years at Park, Betsy has embodied every aspect of the mission of The Park School and the Parents’ Association. From her diligent work ethic, to her professional comportment, to her warm and welcoming nature, she is the epitome of a Park School parent and community member.

2019 marks 35 years since she received the 1984 Joan Crocker Award as a parent volunteer here at Park. Through the decades since then, she has helped every generation of the PA in accomplishing its mission. She IS The Park School.

Susanne Chiang Every corner of the School has witnessed Susanne’s humble dedication: from the Lobby, to the West Gym, to the soccer fields, to the front desk, to the Springfest cotton candy table, to open house, to the classrooms, to the Faculty & Staff luncheon, and even to the PA closet. As another parent so nicely put it, “this year’s recipient truly embodies the spirit of the Park community that values family participation. Her presence at Park has been exceptional, and she is a role model for all of us and our children.” You all know her. Susanne is warm, wise, welcoming, generous, with kind words and a fun sense of humor, simple, and sincere.

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1 A lly Connors Craig ’99, Margaret Gormley Donahue ’99, and David Donahue 2 Sandra Folsom, Emily Potts Callejas ’89 and Mayyha Geha ’89 3 Alumni and faculty members enjoy reconnecting at the Reunion Cocktail Party 4 Class of 1974 friends reconnecting at Reunion 5 Former faculty members Marie Dalton-Meyer and Leslie Meyer 6 Class of 2009 classmates Isa Moss, Astrid Pacini, Alice Berenson, and Emily Bloch 7 Park Faculty—present and past—Fred Cunningham, Phil Gambone, Bob Little, and Dean Conway 8 Kimberly Formisano and Nick Cary ’09 9 Allene Russell Pierson ’74 and Rodger Cohen ’74 10 Former Head of School Cynthia Harmon, Miranda Haymon ’09, and Mercedes Garcia ’09

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11 A lice Berenson ’09, Emily Bloch ’09, and Head of School Emeritus Jerry Katz 12 Kenzie Bok ’09 and Liga Aldins 13 Guests looking through some materials from Park’s Archives!

14 Alex Heard ’84, Fred Cunningham, Joanne Cunningham, and Amy Stubblefield ’84 15 H ead of School Emeritus Jerry Katz and Headmaster Emeritus Bob Hurlbut 16 Carter Smith ’09 and Bob Little

I N M AY, we were thrilled to welcome the classes ending in ‘4s’ and ‘9s’ back to Park to celebrate their Reunions—and it was a great turnout! This is always a special time, with alumni getting reacquainted with friends that they may not have seen in years, and with teachers they may not have seen in decades. With their Reunion ahead of them, many Park-ies find themselves reflecting on their time at the School, and the friendships that they made here. To the classes ending in 5 and 0—we look forward to hearing your Park memories, and to seeing you on campus this spring!

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17 H eadmaster Emeritus and alumni visitors with their first-grade buddies 18 First graders take their Alumni partners around school to photograph “iconic” spots at Park on their iPads 19 Alumni try out Park’s new Makerspace!

20 Alumni and first grade photographers captured Mr. Young on their iPads!

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A LU M N I V I S I T I NG MOR N I NG On the day before Reunion, we were pleased to welcome alumni, who ranged from the Class of 1974 to the Class of 2015, to Alumni Visiting Morning! Alumni in attendance did a special project with some of Park’s youngest students, enjoyed a faculty panel, and took a master class with English Teacher Curt Miller! Thank you to everyone who was able to attend. Please mark your calendars for next year’s Alumni Visiting Morning on May 15!

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In advance of her 45th Reunion last spring, it was our pleasure to receive the memories below from Melissa Trask Davy ’74.

W

hen you change schools, you don’t always miss the old place right away: you are too busy focusing on the new place. A delayed reaction hit me when I had children. Suddenly I missed Park, or realized I wanted my kids to have an experience just like the one I’d had there. Those early years gave me patience and compassion to face the world going forward—one could think of it as a sort of “reserve,” intellectual and emotional. It helps when you find yourself in a pinch, and you can go back to it in your mind. That early age leaves vivid and permanent impressions on the brain, and no doubt my memories are colored by some pleasant error of perspective. As fate would have it, I now live within shouting distance of both the Old and “New” Park Schools, so happy memories waft over toward me regularly.

The other day, for the first time in decades, Lucy Boling and I somehow got to reminiscing about first grade, the “Dick and Jane” readers, and Miss Judkins’ very firm sort of kindness. I remember her face and the fact that she was a pretty serious lady, yet she was often smiling. We remembered dear Mrs. Ball, who actually took our green backpacks home to sew each name on them by hand in cursive made of rainbow-colored thread. I think she was the one who read to us from “Brer Rabbit.”

Lucy dug up some pictures from an old Park Bulletin, and there they were, exactly as we remembered them: Miss Judkins and Mrs. Ball. About third grade, my memory moves toward the cookies and juice after recess which we ran upstairs to devour, and the pet hamster in the classroom. Fourth grade is part of a different era in my mind, and I remember more: racing to finish all the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys mysteries in the hallway with Karen Bougas Linn and Lucy, working on math in those same hallways, reading a book called The Light in the Forest with Miss Miller, and getting to write short stories for Miss Williams and read them aloud. I also remember feeling empowered by building my own bookcase and birdhouse in Shop with the gruff but inspiring Mr. Bourne.

The recesses we had, morning and afternoon, stretch to extravagant, sunlit lengths in memory. I’ll never forget an incredible fort that Brian Palmiter created in the woodsy hill on the edge of the playing field, which everyone wanted to join. It turned out he was generous about letting people in. Once admitted, you got a password. It’s hard to describe exactly why it was so much fun being a part of that project. Maybe it was because everyone had jobs, and we were all building things there, organized by Brian.

I used to take a taxi home with kids from my neighborhood. There was a solid seat in the back like a sofa, and two pop-up metal seats facing it like café chairs, which we rode without seat-belts.

Those were the days of the actual hippies, as opposed to the fashion statements we see today.

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They were living in the public spaces of the city. There was busing in the public schools in Boston, and the country had just lived through the shootings of the Kennedys and Martin Luther King. Everything seemed cause for disagreement, and all kinds of change was in the air. There were often mass demonstrations in the streets. Trying to get around town, you’d see long-haired people clambering up the traffic lights and waving their arms to make a statement. It was nothing like the Dick and Jane readers, but then again, very little really is. Grown-ups in general seemed concerned, but I knew everything would be OK. This was due to another trick of the mind: adapting to the status quo. Still, in retrospect, I’m grateful that my parents sacrificed to send me away every day to Park. It was an oasis of calm, and a place apart.

I was not good at sports, which my mother attributed to our living in the city. Still, I admired our extremely fit gym teacher, Mr. Smith, and the energetic Cunningham twins, Caroline and Eleanor, who finished endless sit-ups to win awards and medals.

I can still see Mr. Smith’s chiseled profile and crewcut, head up and shoulders back, striding past with a whistle around his neck. Even if gym wasn’t my forte, I came to life when we got to bounce on the trampoline and defy gravity. Lucy, Karen and I displayed our abilities in one spring show by walking the balance beam. This was also not an area for which I was naturally gifted, but I gave it my best.

Of course, now I’d be delighted to be able to do it again. I remember we had to recite poetry in a competition for which I memorized Joyce Kilmer’s “The House With Nobody In It,” whose last lines haunt me still. At some point we got to watch the ninthgraders put on Thornton Wilder’s Our Town on the stage in the theater. I was really impressed. They looked like real adults, and it was as good as any professional play I’d seen.

Most people in my class talk about Mr. Hurlbut as the principal, but the one I remember was Mr. Groblewski. He was thoughtful, slender, balding, and able to deliver a stirring assembly speech—his was the Kennard Road campus, by the way—not the Goddard Avenue address. Kennard Road had kind of a different gestalt from the school today, though what is inside may be the same. At the time, the current buildings would have been called “modern,” while there was something especially cozy, and warm and fuzzy, about Kennard Road. They showed us drawings of what the new campus would be like, before the move, and told us that if you flew above it, the new building was going to be shaped like a “P.” I have never flown over, but now I drive by a lot, living in Jamaica Plain on the Brookline line.

I remember choruses of “Scarlet Ribbons,” “Bonnie Prince Charlie,” and “Blowing in the Wind,” as we sat downstairs, on the floor next to the piano,

1974 in Mrs. Levy’s music class, holding purple and white sheets with that “mimeograph” smell. I saw Mrs. Levy once at a Kennard Road Reunion. She actually remembered me, though I must look different. I was stunned that she didn’t look any older. I guess that’s a gift for some teachers, in exchange for the challenges they face: perpetual youth. I will also never forget art class, in a separate building that felt like a big old barn. I loved wearing a smock and getting covered with paint and clay. One time, I pulled the stool out from under Jeffrey Mark as he was leaning forward with rapt attention to finish a chef d’oeuvre. I do not think of myself as the kind of person who would do that, but, well—I guess I was!

To his great surprise, he leaned back and fell all the way to the ground. As we were only in fourth grade, the distance to the floor was not that great, and I think he must have been OK, because we laughed about it afterwards. (Here’s hoping you were really OK, Jeffrey!)

At recess we fanned out over what seemed like three giant fields, and it felt as if no one were watching us. Of course, several teachers were always standing outside and I’m sure they could see most of what was going on, but they didn’t hover. The space felt big enough for us to spread our wings. I remember one recess, I was conscripted in an arduous effort to gather dandelions with Lucy and Diane Runyon. We separated the stems because one of us had heard you could eat dandelion greens, and we thought the “greens” were the stems. We put them in a metal bowl over a vent outside of one of the buildings, which gave off warm air or steam. Sadly, the horrendous flavor of the product brought this experiment to a halt. It turned out that here, as with so many things, the joy was in the preparation. My favorite part of the playground was the swingset, enormous like the fields in memory, giving me the sense of detaching from gravity.

This was a slightly different Park School from the one near me now which occupies a vaster expanse of land than the old one, because the school was growing and needed more space. When I pass it now, I hear what I think are the cries of happy children, though they may actually be arguing, or trying to score a goal, or something else.

That’s when my mind plays a last trick of merging the old Park and the new one together.

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2004 Class of 1969: Back Row, L to R: Paul Merrill, Nat Crane, Jack Chandler; Front Row, L to R: Sandy Heussler Carney, Sarah Wehle, Gary Saunders, Margie Gluck Dell Class of 1974: Back Row, L to R: Former Faculty Bill Satterthwaite, George Schuller, Christopher Randolph; Middle Row, L to R: Christopher Paci, Allene Russell Pierson, Former Faculty Les Meyer, Former Faculty Marie DaltonMeyer, Polly Hoppin, Ginny Maynard Swain, Heather Crocker Faris; Front Row, L to R: Alex Bok, Rodger Cohen, Sarah Henry Lederman, Shady Hartshorne, John Kunhardt Class of 1979: Back row, L to R: Tim Naimi, Jennifer Morss Drayton, Henry Hammond, Will Rowland, Holly Dando, Eli Boling; Front row, L to R: Cathy Godbey Turner, Wendi Daniels, Sally Solomon, Lalla Carothers, and Margie Talcott Class of 1984: L to R: Michael Kris, Alex Heard, Amy Stubblefield, Caron Lipsky Savenor, Former Faculty Bill Satterthwaite, Brad Moriarty

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2009 Class of 1989: Back Row, L to R: Jake Freifeld, Raphael Folsom, Catherine Rowbotham, Allison Morse, Katherine Westgate, Robert Colby; Middle Row, L to R: Timothy Walsh, Ian Glick, Dahlia Aronson Ehrenfried, Cate O’Connell; Front Row, L to R: Libby Dunphy, Emily Potts Callejas, Bizzy Glasser Riley, Mayya Geha, and Ali Epker Ruch Class of 1994: Back Row, L to R: Hilary Sargent, Tori Wellington Hanna, Joanna Bengel, Claude Mayo, Brian Swett; Front Row, L to R: Jenny Shoukimas, Annie Claflin, Ethan Kurzweil, Kristen McEntyre, Jennifer Berylson Block Class of 1999: Ally Connors Craig, David Cavell, Jessica Freeman-Slade Carbone, Susanna Whitaker Waters, Liz Stahl Class of 2004: Back Row, L to R: Liz Wilsker, L.J. Cangiano, Everett Wallace, Addison Godine, Zach Modest; Front Row, L to R: Charles Li, Steven Fox, Eliza Cope, Kenzie Bok, Jenna Kaplan Class of 2009: Back Row, L to R: Isa Moss, Miranda Haymon, Alice Berenson, Astrid Pacini, Emily Bloch, Joshua Ruder, Jess Franks; Front Row, L to R: Nick Cary, Mercedes Garcia, Diana Chaves, Kristopher Bronner, and Carter Smith

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C L A S S O F 19 70

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A Note About Park’s Class Year Designations Over Park’s 131-year history, the number of grades offered and the graduation year or final year have varied. The School had a ninth grade program for nearly 50 years (1967 – 2016) and, for all classes that graduated prior to 2016, we assigned our alumni a class year based on their ninth grade year. Therefore, all members of pre-2016 classes are listed by their Grade 9 designation, whether or not there was a Grade 9 during their time at Park. The Class of 2016 includes both the Grade 8 and Grade 9 classes who graduated that year.

Beginning with the Class of 2017, Park began assigning a class year based on the Grade 8 year.

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We were saddened to learn that Barbara Tilden Lindeman passed away on December 19, 2018. She leaves behind two daughters, Lucy Lindeman Carty and Amy Lindeman Gouger, two granddaughters, and four great grandchildren. Barbara lived in West Hartford and then moved to Chatham after her husband Edward passed in 2014.

1953

Class Representative Bob Bray

1963

Class Representative Amy Lampert

1965

Doug Quine shares, “My wife Maryclaire and I celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary (and achieved a lifetime dream) with an around the world trip. After three weeks in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Botswana learning history, seeing exotic animals, natural wonders, and meeting interesting people, we passed through Qatar to two days in Hong Kong and then three days in Kyoto and Hiroshima,

50 T H R E U N I ON!

Japan. A great experience with a 36-hour anniversary on July 13 as we crossed the international dateline.” Following the trip, Doug was back doing medical research at the VA hospital in West Haven, CT. Doug took some fabulous photos throughout their journey, for which he wrote accompanying haikus!

1966

Class Representative Wigs Frank

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Class Representative Davis Rowley

1945

Class Representative Natalie Park Schutz We extend our deepest condolences to the family of Frederica (Teddy) Williams Lawrence Sando, who passed away on July 19, 2019.

Teddy was predeceased by husband Edward (Ted) Lawrence Jr ’41, and leaves behind two children, Diana and Christopher; two stepchildren, William and Susan; five step-grandchildren; and eight stepgreat grandchildren.

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Doug Quine ’65’s haikus above: Elephant appears Parallel photo shooting Seen live and on screen at left: Old sailing challenge Today dark storms turned to sun Doug: Cape of Good Hope photos: MaryClaire M. Quine

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Class Representative Vicky Hall Kehlenbeck

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Class Representative Needed!

Margie Gluck Dell shared that she is working as a residential realtor at Coldwell Banker in Newton. She enjoys yoga, mahjong, walks on the beach, concerts, and museums.

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REUNION YEAR!

Class Representative Anne Singer

45 T H R E U N I ON!

1980 REUNION YEAR!

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1975 REUNION YEAR!

Congratulations to Adrienne Brodeur whose memoir Wild Game: My Mother, Her Lover, and Me was published by HMH books this fall!

Check out www.adriennebrodeur. com for more details about Adrienne’s memoir and book tour.

1984

Class Representatives Margaret Smith Bell Rodger Cohen

Class Representatives Colin McNay Bill Sullivan

Class Representative Needed!

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Class Representative Tenney Mead Cover

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Class Representative Sam Solomon

1978

1971

Class Representatives Lalla Carothers Sally Solomon

1972

4 0 T H R E U N I ON!

1974

Carey Peabody writes, “I continue to be strangely obsessed with standup paddle board surfing, mostling in Santa Cruz, CA, and do look forward to seeing everyone at our 50th.” We look forward to seeing you and your classmates in May, Carey!

Class Representative Needed!

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Class Representative Needed!

1979

Class Representatives Lisa Livens Freeman Elise Mott

Class Representative Anne Collins Goodyear Elena Whethers Thompson shares, “All is well in Maryland where I am living with my family.

I was really sad to miss my classmates for our reunion in May but hope we can find a way to get a bunch of people together before our next one. Hope everyone is well!”

Photo: Julia Cumes

1981

Class Representatives Matt Carothers Alex Mehlman

1982

Class Representative Allison Nash Mael

Class Representative Needed!

1973

Class Representative Rick Berenson Rick Berenson shares that his wife, Barbara, is busy giving book talks on her 2018 book, Massachusetts and the Woman Suffrage Movement: Revolutionary Reformers.

In March, Connie Berman Moore tells us that she was happy to have brunch and a walk with some of her awesome classmates. It was like they had never been apart! (photo L to R: Lisa Black Franks, Jen Cunningham Butler, Connie Berman Moore, Bunny Forbes Hickey, and Patti Sonnabend Wagner).

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In a visit to the MFA led

by Katrina Newbury ’85, Kindergarten students practice ballet in imitation of Degas’ Little Fourteen-Year-Old Dancer. photo: Julianne Damaskos/ Will Lyons

1985 REUNION YEAR! Class Representative Needed!

Katrina Newbury writes, “This spring, students in Julianne Damaskos’ and Will Lyons’ Kindergarten class invited me to visit their class as an “art expert” prior to their visit to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. It all comes full circle…

Feeling grateful and privileged to call recently retired—but no less creative or busy—Judy Hale my first art mentor (and my daughter’s, Gillian Lamb ’22, too).”

1986

Class Representative Mark Epker Jay Livens

1987

Class Representatives Mary Sarah Fairweather Geoffrey Glick

1989

Class Representatives Dahlia Aronson Ehrenfried Ian Glick Rebecca Lewin Scott

C L A S S O F 19 9 0

1990 REUNION YEAR!

1995 REUNION YEAR!

1991

We learned through American Business Media that Katharine Burrage Schmitt was named to the 2019 Class of Women of FIRE (Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate) by Banking New England magazine—congratulations, Katharine!

Class Representatives Zachary Cherry Alexander Rabinsky

Class Representative Jim O’Keefe

1992

Class Representative Needed!

Class Representatives Lilla Curran Nelson Matthew Stahl

30 T H R E U N I ON!

1996

Class Representatives Kathrene Tiffany Bell Nick Brescia Merrill Hawkins Katayoun Shahrokhi We were thrilled to hear that Lucas Hall is playing Draco Malfoy in the San Francisco production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Congratulations, Lucas!

1993

Class Representatives Jessica Ko Beck Jaime Quiros Alison Ross

1994

1988

Class Representative Liza Cohen Gates

Class Representatives Alan Bern Aba Taylor

SAVE THE DATE

Saturday May 16 If you are interested in helping plan your reunion, please contact Jamie Byron, Director of Alumni Relations, at 617-274-6022 or alumni@parkschool.org

C L A S S O F 1985

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35 T H R E U N I ON!

We also hope that reunion classes, as well as alumni from any class, will be able to join us the day before Reunion for Alumni Visiting Morning HollyMay Dando ’79 and her mom on Friday, 15th! celebrating midsummer in Sweden.

10th: 2010 15th: 2005 20th: 2000 25th: 1995 30th: 1990 35th: 1985 40th: 1980 45th: 1975 50th: 1970

A L U M N I N OT E S

L to R: Congratulations to Lucas Hall ’96, who is playing Draco Malfoy in the San Francisco production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child; Recently engaged: Franklin Ross ’99 and Rachel Kay ’05; It looks like it was a great time at the wedding of Lydia Wallace ’01 and Michael Joseph Stinnett!

1997

Class Representatives Sarah Conway Suzy McManmon Sarah Robbat Primavera In July, Suzy McManmon married David Michael Murphree at The Kittansett Club in Marion. In attendance were classmates Chase Johnson, Katherine Jose, and Brendan Cooney. Congratulations, Suzy!

Wishing all the best to Kristaps Aldins and his wife, Shannon, who welcomed daughter Nora Jean Aldins in June. World Language Teacher Liga Aldins shared that she is enjoying being a grandmother!

1998

Class Representatives Meg Lloyd Sarah Swettberg

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1999

Class Representatives Colin Arnold Susanna Whitaker Waters Elizabeth Weyman Congratulations to Franklin Ross and Rachel Kay ’05 who got engaged this fall!

2000 REUNION YEAR! Class Representative Jessica Whitman Seney

Fay Rotenberg Bush writes that she has had quite a busy year! In the past two years, she officially moved back to Boston, got married, had daughter Willa Rotenberg Bush, and joined Firefly Health as president. Congratulations, Fay!

25 T H R E U N I ON!

2001

Class Representative Ben Bullitt Congratulations to Lydia Wallace who was married earlier this year to Michael Joseph Stinnett! Lydia’s brother Everett Wallace ’04 officiated the wedding, and guests included Henry Andrew Watterson ’01 and friends from 2004: Zach Modest, Addison Godine, and Steven Fox.

2002

Class Representatives Alejandro Alvarado Alexander Lebow It was great to hear that Pearson Smith Alspach attended Lee Rotenberg’s wedding, where Lee got to meet Pearson’s two sons, Jay and

CLASS OF 2000

Walker. Congratulations, Lee! Pearson and her husband, Adam, and the boys also got to spend time with Page Smith ’05 and Carter Smith ’09 in the Adirondacks! Park also congratulates Matt Weinberg who recently graduated from Columbia Business School.

2003

Class Representative Diana Rutherford Congratulations to Christine Elliot Minott and husband Addison who welcomed their daughter, Pearl, in August!

2004

Class Representatives Steven Fox Molly Lebow

2 0 T H R E U N I ON!

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2005 REUNION YEAR! Class Representative Lilly Bullit

2006

Class Representative McCall Cruz Congratulations to Daniel Berenson on his September wedding! He is studying medicine at Stanford, having recently completed a PhD in biology there. His bride, Melanie, is an MBA student at Stanford. Park congratulates Noah Donnell-Kilmer who was married to Layla Williams Kilmer at Sassafras Fork Farm in NC. In attendance were classmates John Bullitt, Sam Platt, Sam Rosen, Johnny Getz, sister Gracie DonnellKilmer ’11, and Luke Walker ’08.

2007

Class Representatives Thomas Cope Benjamin Schwartz Mollie Cunningham Young We were so glad to learn from Amy Lampert ’63 that son Ben Lampert got engaged this year to Kelsy Morrison. Congratulations to the Lampert family! Park also congratulates Rebecca Freeman-Slade Rasky, who was married on May 4, 2019 in Gloucester. Sister Jessica Freeman-Slade Carbone ’99 was the matron of honor.

2008

Class Representatives Manizeh Afridi Marielle Rabins We were thrilled to hear the news of a good deed done by Charles Platt! Charles works as a tattoo artist in Georgia, and we learned from a story covered by CBS 47 that he and his co-workers raised funds at Second Skin Tattoo to pay off overdue lunch debt for local students. He shared that they had raised approximately $8,800!

At right, Ben Lampert ’07 and fiancée Kelsy Morrison Below, L to R: Nicholas Carbone, Jessica Freeman Slade Carbone ’99, Rebecca Freeman-Slade Rasky ’07, and William Rasky

2009

Class Representatives Mercedes Garcia Cary Williams Rich Berenson ’73 shared that his daughter, Alice Berenson, is now a second year medical student at University of Massachusetts.

2010 REUNION YEAR! Class Representatives Gilad Seckler Michela Thompson

2011

Class Representatives Grace Donnell-Kilmer Eliza Thomas Lilah Lutes is living in Los Angeles and recently became an assistant and exhibition coordinator for director Tim Burton. This summer she was in France working on Burton’s upcoming show at the Neon Museum in Las Vegas, and was soon to start planning for Seoul 2020. Lilah maintains her own artistic practice, and plans to go

Above, L to R: John Bullitt ’06, Noah Donnell-Kilmer ’06, Gracie DonnellKilmer ’11, Layla Williams Kilmer, Sam Platt ’06, Sam Rosen ’06, Johnny Getz ’06, and Luke Walker ’08 at Noah’s wedding

back to school for her MFA in the next few years. She also shared that she and some Park classmates visited Noa Sklar last year in New Orleans! After graduating summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Pennsylvania, Sophia Griffith-Gorgati moved to the Zhejiang province of China, where she teaches English. She's looking forward to a second year of living in and exploring the East!

2012

Class Representatives Enya Meade Jaleel Williams

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15 T H R E U N I ON!

2013

Class Representatives Justine Hatton Katherine Mitchell

2014

Class Representatives Ellie Formisano Olivia Mills Erica Jarrell is a junior at Harvard University, where she is studying molecular and cellular biology, as well as playing rugby for their Division 1 program. We were proud to learn that Erica was selected for the USA Rugby Under-20 training squad, and represented the US in the tri-nation tournament (US/England/Canada) this summer. Way to go, Erica!

A L U M N I N OT E S

C L A S S O F 2 010

2015

Class Representatives Caroline Beecher Jonathan DeJesus Congratulations to David Tsai and Rick Ono, who began college at Yale University and MIT, respectively, this fall. And congratulations to Schuyler Edie, who is in her freshman year and playing field hockey at Tufts University. Best wishes to Jurnee Peltier, who is attending Temple University’s Rome campus!

2016

Class Representatives John Joseph DeMarco Charlotte Ketterson Gage McWeeny River Studley Park wishes a wonderful first semester to the members of the Class of 2016 who began their first semester of college this fall (see page 48). We hope that many of you are able to make it to the Young Alumni Bagel Breakfast on December 20!

2011 friends: Lilah Lutes, Miranda Hunter, Sylvie Florman, Jenna Isaacson, Noa Sklar, and Liz Koris

10 T H R E U N I ON!

2017

Class Representatives Ainsley Bonang Priya Devavaram Nina Kathiresan

2018

Class Representatives Molly Brenner Brie Doherty Theo Goldman Jonah Paquette Sofia Samuels Adele Spitz

2019

Class Representatives Annabelle Brennan Isaiah Solomon It was a busy summer for Park’s most recent graduates! Alexandra Herman started her summer with an amazing trip to Costa Rica with Park, then enjoyed going to camp.

Her family then traveled to Colorado where brother Zach Herman ’16 was competing in a soccer tournament, and then continued on to California to celebrate a friend’s

birthday. Madison McCaslin reports that she was spending a lot of time on the Vineyard this summer with her family, and was enjoying swimming, kayaking, paddle-boarding, playing tennis and volleyball, attending theater performances, and visiting artisan fairs and stores.

Vera Cortell attended a ballet summer course in New York City at The School of American Ballet, which offered five weeks of intense training in the Balanchine technique.

Vera was one of a limited number of students who was selected to stay throughout the year, training daily and attending academic classes.

She was thrilled to be selected and hopes to attend in a future year, but this year was instead starting high school at Beaver Country Day. Congratulations, Vera! Ellie Haigney spent a lot of time in Boston this summer with friends and family.

In July, she traveled to Key Largo, and also enjoyed a whale watching cruise with her family. (She even spotted Liga Aldins while she was out on the ocean!) Ameri Vest started the summer by spending four weeks in Texas at summer camp, followed by sailing in Ilseborough, Maine, where she taught younger children how to sail. She was sad to see summer coming to

a close, but was excited to begin high school! Audrey Kim told us that she was lucky enough to spend much of this summer traveling and seeing Park friends. She traveled to Costa Rica and Italy, as well as to Georgia. She spent the second part of the summer working as a summer tennis camp counselor for kids from 3 – 10—it was exhausting work, but she loved meeting all of the kids, and jumping into the pool on Fridays, fully dressed! Rebecca Goodman shared that she had a great summer, and enjoyed seeing family, traveling, reading, and camp.

She missed her Park friends, but was looking forward to the start of high school. Annabelle Brennan had a lot of fun over the summer spending time with family. After graduation, the family embarked on a six-week adventure in Spain, where they visited Grenada, Conil de la Frontera, Madrid, Valencia, Menorca, and Barcelona. A few highlights were visiting the Alhambra in Grenada, climbing the great rock of Gibraltar and meeting monkeys while seeing Africa, the beach, and the food in Madrid and Barcelona. At the end of the summer, she was very excited to start high school. Over the summer, Neel Scherfke’s family went to Germany, and then Neel went to basketball and robotics camps. It sounds like it was a great summer for the Class of 2019, and we hope that high school is off to a great start.

2019 classmates Molly Isaac, Avery Dolins, Ginny O’Marah, and Elsa Lestage competed against each other and then enjoyed a mini reunion at a Milton v. Winsor Field Hockey game this fall! photo by Amy Saltonstall ’87

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W E DDI NG S

I N M E MOR I A M

1997 Suzy McManmon and David Michael Murphree July 13, 2019

Anne Dayton March 8, 2019 Mother of James Dayton ’67, Lauranne Dayton Oliveau ’70, Robin Dayton ‘77, and Gregory Dayton ‘79

2001 Lydia Wallace and Michael Joseph Stinnett September 7, 2019 2006 Daniel Berenson and Melanie Goldstein Berenson September 1, 2019 2007 Rebecca Freeman Slade and William Rasky May 4, 2019

Robert Ehrmann ’37 February 24, 2019 Brother of Rabbi H. Bruce Erhmann ’32 Llewellyn Howland III June 21, 2019 Husband of Jay Williams Howland ’57, Father of Jessie Howland Cahill ’85 and Cornelius Howland ’87, Grandfather of August Howland ’27

L to R: Lydia Wallace ’01 and Michael Joseph Stinnett were married this fall; Daniel Berenson ’06 married Melanie Goldstein Berenson in September

Frederica Williams Lawrence-Sando ’45 July 19, 2019 Widow of Edward Lawrence-Sando ’42+, Sister of Albert Williams ’41+, Sister-In-Law of Robert Lawrence ’41

A R R I VA L S 1997 Kristaps Aldins and Shannon Aldins Nora Jean Aldins June 19, 2019

Barbara Tilden Lindeman ’38 December 19, 2018 Nancy Hall Nichols Roggeveen ’34 July 5, 2019

1999 Jeremy Kellogg and Jane Boonchaisuk Mira Thangorn Kellogg July 22, 2019

Starting L top, clockwise: Nora Jean Aldins, daughter of Kristaps Aldins ’97; Nathan Kellogg ’02 with son Christoper; Pearl Irene Minott, daughter of Christine Elliot Minott ’03; Mira Kellogg, daughter of Jeremy Kellogg ’99

2002 Nathan Kellogg and Meg Coffin Christopher Burt Coffin-Kellogg May 21, 2019 2003 Christine Elliot Minott and Addison Minott Pearl Irene Minott August 10, 2019

Y O U N G A LU M N I B AG E L B R E A K FA ST S AV E T H E DAT E !

F R I DAY D EC E M B E R 2 0

For the Classes of 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 B R E A K FA S T

Y U L E F E S T I VA L

8:30 – 9:30 a.m.

The Park School Dining Room

9:30 – 11:30 a.m.

The West Gymnasium

Questions? 617-274-6022 or alumni@parkschool.org

46

THE PARK SCHOOL

A L U M N I N OT E S

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A LUM N I C L A M BA K E It was a beautiful, sunny Sunday afternoon for Park’s Annual Alumni Clambake! Thank you to the many alumni, faculty, families, and friends who attended. The famous donut-eating continued to be a favorite among some of the youngest attendees, and a few members of Park’s Administrative Team got in on the fun by competing in the potato sack race. It was a close call, but Scott Young, Head of School, took the race! Guests enjoyed a delicious lunch, and the opportunity to connect with their classmates and former teachers. We look forward to seeing you next year!

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ne of the Clambake’s youngest attendees gets in on the fun!

O Jada Smith ’16, Jordyn Britton ’16, and Lanie Cherry ’16 Kiana O’Keefe ’25 and Kaylee O’Keefe ’23 get everyone geared up for the potato sack race Faculty Member Liga Aldins and Brianna Connolly ’01, and Brianna’s daughter!

Classmates Sarah Shoukimas Ryan ’97 and Matt Cutrell ’97 with their families The donut-eating contest gets underway!

Head of School Scott Young and Assistant Head of School for Finance and Operations Kimberly Boyd join the potato sack race Eliza Drachman-Jones Quincy ’98, Louisa Quincy ’29, Rich Quincy, and Hannah Quincy 2019 Classmates with Ms. Come!

From L to R: Ellie Haigney, Katie Tran, Alexandra Herman, Madison McCaslin, Kathy Come, Justin Lowry, Charley Potter, Ben Fleishman, Isaiah Solomon, and Alexander Lee Britt Hall ’66 and Lesli Rothwell ’73 Isaiah Solomon ’19 and Charley Potter ’19 Enjoying the last lobsters of the season!

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College Choices for the Class of 2016 Rishi Banerjee Kira Bierly Alyse Bierly Caroline Bonnevie Alexey Boycko Susanna Cabot Manciana Cardichon Gabriella Casagrande Alex Cherry Sophie Collins Arroyo Cameron Croce Rishi Dhir Annie DiAdamo Ian Emery Leyla Ewald Thacher Formisano Charlotte Gifford Harry Golen Charlotte Grossman Pierce Haley Asa Hamot Cooper Hartmann Zach Herman Thaddeus Howe Will Jarrell Jonah Johnson Kate Jones Sadie LeStage Charlie Loewenguth

Eliza Lord Macey Mannion Lauren Marandett Annie Muggia Sadie Murray Henry Ngo Kevin Michael O’Boy Jamila O’Hara Eva O'Marah

Hannah Park Jack Pierce Claire Randolph Myles Riehl George Rowe Robert Rubin Jackson Smith Alex Tesson Ben Tyszka Aydin Uluer Katherine Wilcox Ben Wilmerding Jack Wilmerding Mason Winter Kyla Wright

Middlebury College Brown University American University Wesleyan University Brown University The University of Edinburgh Harvard University Colorado College Princeton University Harvard University Colby College New York University University of Massachusetts, Amherst Brown University Harvard University Bucknell University Bowdoin College Rice University Northeastern University Colgate University Princeton University Kollegium Spiritus Sanctus (Brig, Switzerland) Babson College Dartmouth College American University Swarthmore College Washington University in St. Louis Middlebury College Gap year 2019–20; University of Colorado, Boulder in 2020 Gap year 2019–20; Yale University in 2020 Princeton University Colgate University Middlebury College Bates College Wheaton College Colby College Harvard University George Washington University, Elliot School of International Affairs Brown University George Washington University Skidmore College University of Wisconsin Bowdoin College Princeton University Harvard University Bowdoin College Case Western Reserve University George Washington University Harvard University Elon University George Washington University Bowdoin College Berklee College of Music

Members of the Class of 2016 Graduating from High School in 2020 Caleb Coleman John Joseph De Marco Megan Duckworth River Studley Kion Young

Senior at Groton School, Princeton University in 2020 Senior at Roxbury Latin School Senior at Dana Hall School Senior at Norfolk Agricultural High School Senior at Phillips Academy Andover

Please note that this list, compiled by the Alumni Office, does not include all members of the Class of 2016. While the Class of 2016 includes members who graduated from both Grade VIII and Grade IX in 2016, this list includes only members of the class who graduated, or would have graduated, in Grade IX in that year. The remaining members of the Class of 2016 will graduate from high school in 2020. Alumni not appearing on this list have not submitted their information to our office. Please call the Alumni Office at 617-274-6022 or email alumni@parkschool.org with any changes or additional information.

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B E CO M E A CL AS S RE P RE S E NTAT I V E Classes of

1960, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1978, 1980, 1985, 1992

á Stay in touch with friends! á Gather class news for the Bulletin! á Help to plan your reunion!

Want to learn more?

Please contact Jamie Byron, Director of Alumni Relations, at 617-274-6022 or alumni@parkschool.org

48

THE PARK SCHOOL

PARK IS PROUD TO HONOR FILM CRITIC TY BURR ’73 AS THE 2019 RECIPIENT OF THE PARK ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENT AWARD.

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s the film critic and cultural columnist for the Boston Globe, Ty believes that he has seen in excess of 10,000 films! He began his career at Home Box Office in the 1980s, where he helped program the Cinemax paycable service. He then transitioned to Entertainment Weekly, where he worked for over a decade as a critic and senior writer, covering video, music, theater, books, and the internet. He became a film critic for the Boston Globe in July 2002, where he has worked since.

Ty has written multiple books, including Gods Like Us: On Movie Stardom and Modern Fame, The 50 Movie Starter Kit: What You Need To Know If You Want To Know what You're Talking About, and The Best Old Movies for Families: A Guide to Watching Together. He has written articles for publications including the New York Times, Spin, the Boston Phoenix, and regularly appears on such media programs as WBUR’s “Here and Now,” WGBH’s “Greater Boston,” MSNBC News, and NPR’s “All Things Considered.” A member of the National Society of Film Critics and the Boston Society of Film Critics, Ty is also an adjunct professor in the Film & TV Department of Boston University and in the Visual Media Arts department of Emerson College. In 2017, he was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Criticism.

Ty attended Park from 1960 – 1972. He went on to Milton Academy, and studied film at Dartmouth College and New York University.

On October 18th, it was our pleasure to welcome Ty back to Park to present him with the 2019 Alumni Achievement Award.

” Without question, I owe whatever success I’ve achieved to the skills, encouragement, and values I received at Park. It was there I learned not just the baseline grammar and love of the word that helped me to become a writer, and not just any aesthetic guidelines I might apply in my reviews, but the virtues of compassion, tolerance, curiosity, and kindness. How to be human, in other words. I owe the School a lot.”

Do you know a Park graduate who deserves recognition?

Nominations sought for Alumni Achievement Awards. Since 2008, Park has honored alumni who exemplify Park’s values and educational mission through exceptional work in their career or field of endeavor. We seek to recognize alumni whose leadership and contributions have made a meaningful impact and inspire our current students and alumni.

Alumni Achievement Award for graduates in Classes 2002 and above Young Alumni Achievement Award for graduates in Classes 2003 – 2019 Send nominations to alumni@parkschool.org, or The Park School Alumni Office, 171 Goddard Avenue, Brookline, MA 02445

The Park School 171 Goddard Avenue Brookline, Massachusetts 02445

Change service requested PA R E N T S O F A L U M N I , if this publication is addressed to your son or daughter who no longer maintains a permanent residence at your home, please notify the Alumni Office of the new mailing address.

617.274.6022 or alumni@parkschool.org. Thank you!

ALUMNI,

you can update your information on our website: www.parkschool.org/alumni, then search for “connect.�

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