Spring Bulletin 2009

Board of Trustees 2008–09

Alumni Committee 2008–09

Officers

Minnie Ames ’86 Co-Chair Ali Epker Ruch ’89 Co-Chair

Kevin J. Maroni Chair Paula A. Johnson Vice Chair Richard Banks ’74 Secretary Lisa Black Franks ’78 Treasurer

Cover art: In Dr. Chris Hartmann’s seventh grade pre-algebra class, students investigate 2-dimensional geometry on graph paper and in the computer lab using a software program called The Geometer’s Sketchpad.

As a concluding project for this unit, seventh graders create tessellations from squares and rhombuses. A tessellation “covers a plain surface by repeated use of a single shape, without gaps or overlapping.”

This stylized butterfly pattern is based on a design created by Carina Young ’10. To create their tessellations, the students begin with a rhombus or a square, then take away a piece of the original shape (in this case, a triangle) and add that same piece somewhere else. The yellow line indicates the original square; the grey indicates the triangles Carina removed; and the pink triangles outside the perimeter of the square are what she added to create the butterfly.

Marcus Cherry Teresa Chope John Connaughton William B. Drucker Richard Edie Abigail Johnson Brian Kavoogian William H. Kremer Martin J. Mannion Anne Marcus Stuart Mathews Amy Lloyd McCarthy ’86 Pamela McLaurin Nicole Murray Happy Rowe Carmel Shields Garrett Solomon ’86 Harold Sparrow Suzie Tapson Lanny Thorndike ’81 Ralph Wales Ex Officio

Jerrold I. Katz Head of School

John Barkan ’85 Peter Barkan ’86 Bob Bray ’53 Lisa Amick DiAdamo ’86 Mark Epker ’86 Rachel Levine Foley ’85 Abigail Ross Goodman ’91 Anne Collins Goodyear ’84 Jennifer Segal Herman ’82 Jeffrey Jackson ’95 Julia Lloyd Johannsen ’93 Greg Kadetsky ’96 Richard Knapp ’90 Amy Lampert ’63 Abbott Lawrence ’85 Nia Lutch ’97 Melissa Daniels Madden ’85 Allison Morse ’89 Chip Pierce ’81 Meredith Ross ’86 Jordan Scott ’89 Rebecca Lewin Scott ’89 Garrett Solomon ’86 Anna Sullivan ’95 Kathrene Tiffany ’96 Eve Wadsworth ’95 Diana Walcott ’85 Phoebe Gallagher Winder ’84

Cynthia A. Harmon Assistant Head for Program & Professional Development Jane H. Carney Assistant Head for Finance & Operations Board Chairs Emeriti

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

Robert S. Hurlbut, Jr.

Park is a coeducational school that admits qualified students without regard to race, religion, national origin, disabilities, sexual orientation, or family composition. Our educational policies, financial aid, and other school-sponsored programs are administered in a nondiscriminatory manner in conformance with applicable law.

The Park School Spring Bulletin 2009

Editor

In this issue:

Kate LaPine Assisted by Liz Ballard and Eliza Drachman-Jones ’98

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Letter from the Head of School

There’s something happening here.

Design

Irene Chu

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by David Perry, Social Studies Department Chair

Photography

Alycia Braga Photography Eliza Drachman-Jones ’98 Flo Farrell Tom Kates ’84 Kate LaPine Davide Perry John Rick

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The Bulletin is published twice yearly for the alumni, parents, and friends of The Park School. We welcome your comments and ideas.

To report alumni news: Eliza Drachman-Jones ’98 Director of Alumni Relations 617-274-6022 alumni@parkschool.org To support Park: Rob Crawford Director of Development rob_crawford@parkschool.org To report address changes: Sarah Braga Development Office Manager 617-274-6018 development@parkschool.org

Alumni Profiles in Math

Colin Arnold ’99 Ali Burnes Balster ’90 Alex Kehlenbeck ’98 Yrinee Michaelidis ’00 Tina McVeigh ’74 Jonathan M. Richardson ’76 Betsy Walcott ’81

Jaguar Press

To contact the Bulletin: Kate LaPine Director of Communications 617-274-6009 kate_lapine@parkschool.org

An Angle on Park’s Math Curriculum

by Kate LaPine

Printing

The Park School 171 Goddard Avenue Brookline, Massachusetts 02445

Ren-dezvous with Humanity

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Alumni Notes

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Foundations for the Future capital campaign

Forging Ahead, Because We Must!

A

L E T T E R

T O

T H E

P A R K

C O M M U N I T Y

There’s something happening here. What it is ain’t exactly clear.

T

hese words from a song by Buffalo Springfield were an anthem of sorts for many of us who grew up in the confusing swirl of events of the late 1960s associated with the Vietnam War.

We are now challenged by a new kind of uncertainty that is particularly foreign to the usually predictable world of independent schools. How will the current global economic crisis affect Park School?

How will it affect our lives and the lives of our children?

Independent schools educate just a little over one percent of the children in this country. Is the financial model that has sustained them in the past still going to work in the future? In 2008–09, Park is recognized as a leader in program quality, in faculty compensation, in support for our teachers’ continuing professional development, and in ensuring that all of our students are growing up as members of an economically diverse community.

Over the past fifteen years, in particular, this growth has been facilitated by a rapidly growing annual fund, net revenue from expanded summer programs, and the earnings generated by a steadily growing endowment. During the current school year, approximately 25 percent of our $16.8 million operating budget is derived from sources other than tuition.

Thanks to good management and good timing, we at Park have not yet felt all of the effects of the recession that are being experienced by some of our peer schools.

We began this school year with a major

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The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009

construction/renovation project fully funded and complete. Our endowment — which was valued at about $38 million on June 30, 2008 — has been invested conservatively, so that our loss of about 28%, while awful, is not catastrophic.

Demand for admission remains extremely strong (392 applications this year for 58 available seats). We have an extraordinarily talented and dedicated faculty and staff. Our school will open in 2009–10 with no changes in program or services to students.

So, how has Park been affected by the current economic downturn? Three major areas stand out for me.

First, we are seeing a significant increase in requests for financial aid from continuing families. As Park’s Board of Trustees developed the School’s operating budget for the upcoming academic year, they voted a commitment to meeting the documented needs of continuing families first, before extending financial aid to newly admitted students this spring. To meet the expected “new” need, the financial aid budget was increased by 7.5 percent to $2,253,000. It appears, as of this writing, that approximately twenty students whose families are paying full tuition in 2008–09 will be eligible for some financial aid in 2009–10. Next year, 130 children (23.6 percent of the student body, up from 22.1 percent this year) will receive financial assistance from the School. As we move forward in working with current families, what we can commit to each and every Park parent is that his or her individual

story will be listened to and considered carefully, that we will offer available aid based on a consistent formula, and that those facing changing circumstances will have their privacy respected by those of us charged with managing the financial aid process.

Second, Park’s Administration and Board of Trustees will work together over the months ahead to proactively and thoughtfully develop a new financial model for the School. We must be prepared for a range of possible scenarios as we look beyond the 2009–10 academic year.

Already, we have imposed a moratorium on new capital projects and we have frozen many operating expenses for the upcoming school year at 2008–09 levels.

We will plan for uncertainty by carefully examining additional sources of revenue and potential reductions in expenses. We can commit to every member of the Park community that we will remain missionfocused. Our priority will be to protect programs and services that are central to the experience of students across Grades Pre-Kindergarten through IX. Third, the pervasive mindset of anxiety is finding its way into conversations among teachers, parents, and alumni.

Something is happening here. What it is ain’t exactly clear. If I call a special faculty meeting, some teachers immediately assume that it is to announce a reduction in positions. Growing numbers of parents have begun to express anxiety about signing their children’s enrollment contracts, knowing that they are not eligible for aid

now, but worrying about whether they will remain in a position to meet their obligations over the course of the entire upcoming school year. People at Park — like everywhere else — are anxious and uneasy. Yet we have great strengths to draw upon as a community as we create the future at Park School.

As head of school, I recognize the challenge of leadership in times like these. I am committed to continuing to articulate the importance of our mission, to planning thoughtfully, to sharing timely, accurate information with all who might be affected by the hard choices that may lie ahead, and to staying focused on the core values of simplicity and sincerity that have long been at the center of the Park community.

Thank you for your confidence and your ongoing support for Park.

Jerrold I. Katz Head of School

The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009

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Park encourages its faculty to pursue a wide range of opportunities for continuing education. The professional development budget provides funding for classes, workshops, conferences, and at times, special study tours.

Ren-dezvous with

Humanity

by David Perry Social Studies Department Chair (1987 – )

Crossing Beijing’s Tiananmen Square approaching the Meridian Gate, an entrance to the Forbidden City, the home of China’s emperors for 500 years

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The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009

K

ongzi, known to most of us here in the West as Confucius (551-479 B.C.E.), espoused the importance of the virtue of ren, translated by most sources as meaning “humanity.” The word “humanity,” of course, carries a few meanings.

Among these are “human beings” and “humaneness.” Most sources I have encountered interpret this latter definition as meaning “compassion,” both toward all of humanity and to nature as well. As a social studies teacher, I harbor a lifelong fascination with and passion for seeking a deeper and broader understanding of humanity. What I think I have learned over the years has, I believe, led me, most of the time, to view humanity with greater humanity.

I have taught social studies at Park for 22 years. For all but a few of those years, I have taught Park’s Grade VIII students about China. In April 2008, I embarked on a two-week study tour to China (Beijing, Xi’an, Shanghai, Souzhou, and the areas surrounding these cities) with nineteen teachers and tour leaders. This, my first trip to China, was offered and organized by Primary Source, an organization that specializes in professional development for teachers. Their motto is “educating for global understanding,” and that is, indeed, what they do, through courses and study tours focusing on the cultures and histories of east and southeast Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and the United States. As my keen interest in China’s history and culture goes back even further than my time at Park, it thrilled me deeply to have had a chance to visit, in person, this land and people that have drawn my interest for so long.

In Park’s Upper Division, we, too, educate “for global understanding” through our social studies program, focusing our curricula on Africa, the United States, China and Asia, and Europe in Grades VI, VII, VIII, and IX, respectively. Among other age-appropriate, educational goals, we seek to cultivate in our students a global perspective and to promote the understanding that, as anthropologist Wade Davis put it, “other cultures are not failed attempts at being you. They are unique manifestations of the human spirit.” Or, as Kongzi could have put it, we

Morning exercises for students at the Dandelion School, an independent school for the children of migrant workers in Beijing

aim to have our students strive to be people of ren — humane, compassionate, knowledgeable, and wise human beings — and to value these virtues in themselves and in others.

From the moment I met my tour group at Logan Airport, to our arrival back in Boston sixteen days later, I felt myself to be a sailor of sorts on a vast sea of humanity — in both senses of the word. In the first sense, human beings, I experienced humanity writ large, as China’s population of 1.3 billion people. My experiential understanding of this number grew and persisted throughout my time in the Middle Kingdom. In the second (but by no means secondary) meaning — humaneness — I experienced humanity writ intimately, as in a family of three sharing life’s journey together and sharing of themselves with a stranger from another culture. Over the course of my brief time in China, through all of the historical sites, delicious meals, and my feeble attempts at speaking Mandarin, it was the presence of people that, like the air and the weather, were atmospheric and perpetual.

I am, in many ways, a country boy at heart. I cherish open spaces — mountains, lakes, rivers, deserts, oceans, beaches, and deep woods — places where there are few other humans and where nature dominates and permeates my experiences in these places. Those who know me know that time in wild places feeds my soul in impor-

The Imperial Vault of Heaven in Beijing

At Park, we aim to have our students strive to be people of ren— humane, compassionate, knowledgeable, and wise human beings— and to value these virtues in themselves and in others.

tant ways. I live and work in a vibrant, seemingly densely populated part of a vast nation of 300 million people. This can make carving out time by myself in nature challenging, but I have a lot of experience in overcoming these challenges in my home landscape. Nothing in my experiences with both solitude and society, however, had prepared me for the human reality, the ocean of humanity that is urban eastern and northern China. Throughout most of my travels there, I confronted, that is came face-to-face with the number — 1.3 billion — that is China’s population. We Americans encounter that statistic frequently. But what does this number mean? One answer is that about one out of every five human beings on the planet is Chinese. But what does that mean? I’m not sure that I know, but I try and imagine this to help. I imag-

The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009

ine that everywhere I encounter other people — driving to work, teaching my classes at Park, sitting in a faculty meeting, riding the “T,” sauntering through my neighborhood in Millis or walking along the streets of Boston — I try to imagine four times the number of people. This gives me sixty students in a class instead of fifteen, a much longer commute to work, etc. As it turns out, at least from what I learned in my travels, this is a fairly accurate measure of things. James, my host for an overnight stay in Xi’an, teaches at an elite middle school in Xi’an. He has sixty students in each of his two classes. These numbers were also in evidence at the other schools that our group visited and at almost every stop along the way.

Even the city of Xi’an itself, described by our tour guide as a medium-sized city with a small feeling, has eight million people. Once China’s ancient capital, modern Xi’an’s pedestrian and motor traffic had grown so thick in the city that underground walkways were built to handle the flow of foot traffic without impeding the movement of motor vehicles and bicycles.

I found this tunnel system most effective for getting around near our hotel. I could easily travel through these walkways to a giant shopping mall, a Starbucks Coffee shop, the historic Muslim quarter, and a delightful urban park. And I was most grateful that the exit signs off of the main subterranean path were written in both

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The Great Wall of China, Mutianyu section, about 80 km north of Beijing

Mandarin and English. In my time traveling them, these wide passageways (a little wider than the width of a two-way street), were always traveled by many people.

One way that this scale of humanity has influenced my thinking is in wondering how the Chinese government even approaches doing its part to help meet the needs of that many people in terms of social services, infrastructure, healthcare, or food. I don’t have an answer to that question, but I was most impressed by the fact that, in my experience with domestic train and air travel in China, everything was clean, efficient, comfortable, and on time.

We can’t seem to manage that here with one-quarter the number of people. But China has had lots of experience with managing things in a large nation (as well as a lot of experience with large-scale famine and civil war). The last time that China’s population was the same as the current population of the United States was around 1800.

Now, my experience with transportation in China was limited, and, to be fair, the traffic jams that we sat in on our tour bus in Beijing made Boston traffic seem like a drive in the country. And that automotive snarl came with only a small percentage of Chinese people owning cars.

But here, too, the daunting human math comes back to my mind, as even a small percentage of 1.3 billion is an awful lot of cars — too many for Beijing’s roadways

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The Bell Tower in Xi’an’s city center, as seen from my hotel room window

While China is far from making its carbon footprint sustainable. . .

I also saw some wonderful “green” initiatives, too.

to handle smoothly, or to make its carbon footprint sustainable.

China’s environmental issues remind me of another memorable issue of my time in Zhongguo (the “Middle Kingdom,” China’s name for China). While there, I became increasingly aware of the subtle ways that our own media shape our perceptions of China in negative ways — not by lying, but by leaving out some seemingly important pieces of information. For example, the fact of China’s damaging environmental impact is frequently reported in American media, and I saw evidence of this in my travels. In addition to the sharp rise in automobile (and bus and truck) use, and the inevitable air pollution that literally follows this use, perhaps the most damaging fact is that China generates most of its electricity for its 1.3 billion people (there’s that number again. . .) by burning coal — and not in “clean coal”

The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009

plants. But what I also saw were some wonderful “green” initiatives, too. For one, China and the Chinese seem to recycle everything — paper, plastic, glass, metal, etc.

Even in large cites, I saw ubiquitous, clearly-labeled, well-maintained bins for people to place recyclables in, and I also saw people using these bins. I also began to notice, during those long forays in traffic, objects on most high-rise rooftops that looked like barrels perched atop some sort of slanted flat panel. I asked about them and learned that they are water tanks and solar collectors, and I also learned that that is how most people living in those highrises heated their water. And yet, even with these impressive initiatives that China’s people seem to have embraced wholeheartedly, my thinking drifts back to that number, that 1.3 billion who, even with the best ecological practices, will, no doubt make a deleterious impact on the Zhongguo.

To say the least, China, as a nation, faces many challenges domestically in the years ahead. But what is life like for individual Chinese? Of course, I cannot answer that question definitively, but I can relate what I experienced with the family that I stayed with overnight in their home on the outskirts of Xi’an. My experience with my host family will stay with me for a long time. Here I was, a stranger from the other side of the world, and my hosts welcomed me as though I was a family member that they had never met. “James” (my host’s

A dumpling-folding lesson with “Jerry” at his family’s home in Xi’an

English name), his wife “Alice,” and their seven-year-old son “Jerry” live in an apartment which they own on the eighth floor of a building that is part of a cluster of buildings that form a twenty-first century Chinese village. This complex of high-rise houses is the contemporary home of an ancient village called Li Jiao Bu, which is part of an outlying section of Xi’an called Shihlibo.

David Perry, “Jerry,” and “Alice” with the Bell Tower in the background

Magnificent dumpling feast at a Xi’an restaurant famous for its dozens of varieties of dumplings, including a dark, walnut shaped one made from walnut flour and filled with walnut filling

James had originally planned for all of us to hike up a small mountain about a half-hour drive outside of Xi’an — but the steady rain foiled that plan. Once I convinced James that I didn’t mind the rain, the two of us headed out for a walk. We went through the old village gate to where the paved road ended and a steep, downward-sloping dirt road led to a brand new, multi-lane road and a paved, modern park by the Chan River. The rain had turned the dirt road to a slick and sticky mud and clay mix that clung to the bottoms of our shoes in slabs. I began to understand, perhaps, how those beautiful Neolithic pots were made at Banpo (an important archeological site that Park’s Grade VIII learn about and that my tour group visited) just a few miles downstream from where we were.

James remarked that having the earth of such an ancient village on one’s shoes was a good omen.

We made it to the river without a complete mud bath. Once there, we tromped happily along the river on a dirt trail, eventually circling back to James’s home by way of the busy main street of Shihlibo, a section of Xi’an that few tourists visit. The sight of this white man walking along its main street drew many startled, lengthy stares. I grew concerned, at one point, for the safety of a couple of bicyclists who, while gazing with puzzled fascination at the apparently bizarre sight of me, appeared headed for a collision with a

The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009

parked truck. Fortunately for them, they averted their gazes and their bikes just in time to avoid crashing.

As James and I walked, our conversation ranged from our shared love of hiking in mountains to contemporary Chinese religion, to Chinese and American education, to sharing English and Chinese words for things (for example, I learned that my daughter’s name in Chinese is “Liao Shu”).

Two-and-a-half hours after we had begun, we had made a circle and found our way back to James’s home. And we had both found a friend in a former stranger from the other side of the world.

Back at James’s family’s cozy home, I learned that we would be making dumplings for dinner. Alice had prepared the filling (ground pork, Chinese cabbage, and seasoning) and the dough. And together, James, Jerry, and I rolled the dumplings into a couple of shapes. I, of course, needed a lesson from James and pointers from Jerry to get the hang of rolling a good dumpling. Usually, two of us would roll the dumplings while the third would take a picture of us rolling the dumplings. We made a few dozen dumplings, using all of the filling and almost all of the dough. They would be our main course for dinner.

As I later learned, our meal together was a typical northern Chinese meal.

We dined in my host family’s living room (traditionally, kitchens are not used for dining in China, and dining rooms gener-

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ally do not exist in Chinese homes), and we enjoyed a cornicopic cold appetizer course of grape tomatoes, cucumber, Chinese broccoli and soybeans, cold roasted chicken, cold, cooked, marinated pork, and a plum dipping sauce. This feast-in-itself was followed by our dumplings, and we ate almost all of them. The entire meal was — as was almost everything that I ate while in China — delicious!

Following dinner, James and I drank several toasts together — to friendship, our time learning from each other, to family — with Chinese-made red wine. Traditionally, toasts in China are made with a potent rice brew that westerners historically have difficulty digesting. And the northern Chinese, in my experience, love to make and drink toasts. So James, perhaps in deference to my delicate western digestive system, insisted that we toast with red wine, which is gaining popularity among Chinese, especially in cities. As we sipped our wine, James, Alice, Jerry, and I shared photographs of our families and extended families, and we took photographs of one another to remember our time together.

An awkward moment surfaced when, in sharing pictures of my children, it occurred to my hosts that I had both a son and a daughter — two children. I saw a look of sad longing cross the faces of Alice and James, and James explained that they yearned to have a larger family, but they

were limited by China’s one-child policy.

James studied the pictures of my children even more intently at that point, and impressed upon me how lucky I am to have my family. Hearing his wise words, I felt my own pangs of longing, longing to hold my children, and deep gratitude for my family and the role that they, especially my wife, Beth, played in making it possible for me to travel to China. No words were needed for us all to understand the power of those moments and how sharing them brought we former strangers closer together. James and I silently and simultaneously looked at each other and lifted our glasses together in one more toast.

“We” cleared our dinner dishes.

Actually, my hosts cleaned up as my offer to help was firmly refused, and I knew not to argue this. I then presented my hosts with gifts to thank them for welcoming me into their home. I feel safe in concluding that Red Sox Nation now has one more outpost, in Xi’an, as Jerry did not take off the hat that I gave him for the remainder of my visit. Alice then gave me a couple of handmade (by her sister) stuffed animals to bring to my children. We all thanked each other repeatedly, and then settled in for lots of laughter at the movie Shaolin Soccer. I didn’t need a translation to understand the universal language of slapstick. After the film, we all got ready for bed. Jerry, for that night, would sleep in his parents’ room, as

A musical welcome at Pangliu Village school, outside of Xi’an

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he had given me his room to stay in. It had been a long, whirlwind of a day. Months later, I am still absorbing all that it held. I slept well.

In the morning, we enjoyed a light breakfast of steamed buns filled with meat and vegetables, soymilk, and hot tea. I took a brief, delightful, solar-heated hot shower, dressed, and packed up my belongings.

James had called us a taxi, and we headed into the center of Xi’an (where my group’s hotel was). We had some time before I had to meet my tour and say goodbye to my host family. I introduced them to Starbucks coffee, and they showed me around a beautiful park in the center of Xi’an. We took some more photographs, and Jerry continued to wear his Red Sox cap proudly. At last, we meandered our way back to my hotel to say goodbye. Our farewell filled us all with sadness at parting so soon, joy to have found friendship in one another, and gratitude for our time together.

Confucius once advised, “Behave toward everyone as if you were receiving an important guest.” The old master would have been pleased with and proud of the hospitality that I received from James, Alice, and Jerry. So far from my home, they made me feel completely welcome and at home, an important guest of the Middle Kingdom.

“James” with his American guest and new friend, David Perry

The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009

n o e l g n A n m u l A u c i r r u C h t a M s ’ k r a P

Pine a L e t a

by K

Do you credit Park with teac hing you the three “R’s”? In issue of The Pa this rk School Bulle tin, we take a look at ’Rithm In 2009, studen etic. ts learn much more than this elementary fo of mathematic rm s, which mod ern teachers w ould call Num Try a few of th ber. e problems an d see how yo u do!

SAMPLE

We are also p leased to prese nt profiles of several Park Sc alumni who co hool ntinue to use mathematics in their daily work a range of en — gineering to n euroscience, p u b lic health to paramedicine.

PROBLEMS

?

Curious to see how your math education compares to Park’s? Here are some geometry problems for you to try— don’t worry, we won’t grade your answers or ask to see your work!

The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009

9

ares!) (or nightm memories ck a b g paral, n ri ty ord b similari Does the w ngruence, co , ers fs o ro g ninth rad lanes, p ber lines, p tes? Park’s a m in e rd m ss. e o a R cl co s, and eometry postulates? s, polygon ool level g le ch rc of proving -s ci s? h , m a ig h re re l a itiona ng theo ndiculars, orous, trad efore provi g b ri e r a lels, perpe iv fo in ce y re re tr mo Geome students f this and pen their n do Park o o y t ti e n study all o ra e th a d p e u re of p y the tim , each st What kind practice b dergarten f in , o K th T p in e LO g -d A ginnin ords in have had books! Be ch time aff xt u te m ct Well, they e t e a g xp h n e T alle cs. “ s. We t and Ch mathemati n problem Enjoymen me r a day on to work o u o e h m n ti re given ti a a re st ts o lea , with m at. Studen ic th p spends at ills, n to a M e th a th ins Katrin t it’s more study of sed to, bu res,” expla u u substantive d e w ce n ro a p ze the children th st memori more from ach nd, not ju ta rs e d their appro n u d revamped es K-V. d ve ra to learn an a tics G h a r e m fo e id ation-w of Math Specialist teachers n f Teachers o l th Park’s Math rds a ci a n m d u t n o a C ta t th tional ation S It turns ou 89, the Na and Evalu 9 1 m ng lu In vi u . ic ro cs p rr ti u a s for im lled “C g mathem mendation nt paper ca e m a to teachin th rt co o d re p re y im n rth ma undersco leased an ich put fo he paper h T ss . w (NCTM) re e 2 n ,” -1 ch K cs ri ti s a to the in grade l Mathem e exposed ducation for Schoo ent, nes — to b ematics e o th a d Measurem m te n f & o le y y st the ta Geometr ju s, the qualit t n o o n ti ra — e r & Op ll students cs: Numbe need for a ty. ent in mathemati f o e are confid & Probabili g n s si ra dents who u ata Analy of the full st D and d te n ch a ra a e s, ro atically lit Function es to app m u & e s iq th n rn a e ch m tt te a d P thematriety of envisione reason ma know a va to o The NCTM h d n w a ; cs te nica emati w math to commu several ne to do math tandards, ho are able S w their ability e d th n a y y and a b g s; o h in pedag n problem s set fort o n e o g rk ti n a o a d w n ch e to a real comm emphasis d on the re er marked increasing p se a d a p e B d . is n h e lly T a m “ ic ped. propriate ncil recom ere develo s” and ap ve . The Cou ti a la in u tr ip a n K curricula w ract, like ” says on “ma ift as well, ng handsto the abst si u te e d cr n a n t, co content sh the remen ually from tion, measu move grad on estima ts n e d u st y to help rse. technolog metry cou grade geo the ninth

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Geometry

PROBLEM

1 Samantha says this figure is called a rhombus. Felix says it is called a square. Josh says it is a parallelogram. Can they all be right? How is that possible? Explain.

QUADRILATERAL = PARALLELOGRAM

Thus, SQUARE = RHOMBUS = EQUILATERAL Answer: A parallelogram is a quadrilateral (4 sided figure) with opposite sides parallel.

A square is a parallelogram with 4 equal sides and 4 right angles. A rhombus is a parallelogram with 4 equal sides and equal opposite angles.

PROBLEM

2 RUBBER BAND ROCKETS How can we make a rubber band fly like a rocket?

Grades K–2: Up, Up and Away Children will compare distances, measure distances using non standard or standard units, use angle measures, and collect, organize, analyze, and interpret data.

Materials:

In this investigation, children will use rubber bands to explore how changing a variable affects the distance the rubber band rockets travel. K–2 students can use 30- and 60-degree angles and compare. Children in grades 3 –5 can choose the launch angles that they wish to investigate and will make their own launchers. Practice “shooting” rubber bands with their fingers as well as experimenting with other ways to “shoot” the rubber bands.

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• Two rubber band rocket launchers Each launcher can be made using a protractor and a ruler. The ruler is taped to the protractor at the given angle so that the centimeter side of the ruler is on the bottom edge and forms one side of the angle. The ruler should be taped to the protractor in such a way that the straight edge of the protractor may be held flat against the floor.

The rubber band is then wrapped around the end of the ruler and stretched along the centimeter side to span the designated centimeter measure in preparation for launch.

The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009

• Sets of rubber bands in various lengths and thicknesses • Measuring stick or tape (standard units) • Popsicle sticks or uniform lengths of string (nonstandard units) Keep tract of results as you do the following: 1. Decide on how to measure how far the rubber band goes.

2. Decide how much “thrust.”

3. Decide thickness and length of rubber band You can do some trials to determine the above and then run some trials changing the angle of the launcher. What gets the best results? How are the launch results the same? How are the launch results different? What might lead to these differences?

Learning Math in Kindergarten through Grade V

E

lementary school teachers started to pay attention to more than getting kids to learn how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide. “Before, geometry and data analysis were considered filler, something that were always taught in the last few weeks of school — if at all — because teachers focused on teaching Number,” says Katrina. While computational fluency remains a major goal, now there is substantive work in these other areas of mathematics throughout the elementary grades.

In the 1990s, teachers at Park began incorporating many of the recommendations into their classrooms but individual teachers selected their own curricular materials. Children certainly learned mathematics, but there were wide differences in approaches and which elements were emphasized. Partly in response to this inconsistency, the School formally sought out a single mathematics curriculum to use in Kindergarten through Grade V. As the NCTM Standards state, “ A curriculum is more than a collection of activities: it must be coherent, focused on important mathematics, and well articulated across the grades.” After several years of evaluation, Park selected the Investigations in Number, Data, and Space® curriculum for the Lower and Middle Divisions.

“We’re asking kids to have a much deeper understanding of mathematical concepts than we ourselves learned in grade school,” Katrina says. Students still learn the basics, still memorize their multiplication tables, but they have a better sense of how multiplication works and can apply that understanding to real-life situations. The Standards emphasized problem-solving strategy, especially for long-term, open-ended problems without clear-cut formulations and without definite answers. Like real-world situations, these problems can be worked on individually or by groups

of students for days or weeks, a striking contrast to a classroom of students working alone to solve drill and practice problems. “The kids are engaged in the mathematics they are learning, not just memorizing what we tell them.” Somewhat surprisingly, built into the Investigations curriculum are many layers of professional development so that teachers are engaging in the mathematics along with their children. The implementation has had a profound effect on teachers. Fifth grade teacher Courtney Bonang remarks, “I’m a much better mathematician now because the curriculum has transformed the way I work with numbers. I can only imagine that if I’m 38 and am having this experience after three years of working this way, kids who are getting this exposure through grade school are at such an advantage. I say to my students all the time, “Poor me; I only learned the algorithm.” I hope my genuine thrill with my own learning is coming across to my students.” Veteran second grade teacher Phyllis Ong adds, “I realize that many of my students in the past who were considered successful were really just parroting back facts and algorithms they had memorized with no real understanding. With Investigations, I see kids who really understand what they are doing, who can manipulate numbers, and who can truly figure out solutions to problems in multiple ways.”

How Does This Approach Work as Preparation for Ninth Grade Geometry?

M

ath lessons at Park hum with activity. In Grade V, children are building meter cubes with balsa wood sticks in order to measure their classroom in square meters. On another day, children in first grade are putting a set of wooden blocks called “geoblocks” into a sock. Then the children take turns reaching in

Grades 3–6: We Have Lift Off Children will measure and compare distances using standard units, measure angles with a protractor, find the range, mode, and mean of a set of data, and collect, organize, analyze, and interpret the data.

Materials: Same as previous 1. Decide how to design the launcher to make the rubber band fly best.

2. Design an experiment to compare the effects of changing controlled variables, such as launch angle.

3. Decide how to measure the distance traveled.

4. Decide on “thrust.”

Organize how to collect data. Run trials and record results. New experiments can be designed to test other variables.

Which rocket launcher gets the best results?

How are the launch results the same? How are they different?

Taken from Teaching Children Mathematics

The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009

11

and try to name the shape based on the number of vertices, faces, and types of angles they feel. Everywhere, children are working together and working independently. It is clear that the mathematics is rich and the children are deeply engaged in what they are doing.

In each grade, the curriculum addresses the main topics of Number & Operations, Patterns & Functions, and Data Analysis & Probability, and even the youngest students encounter the Geometry & Measurement unit. “We’re teaching geometry in Kindergarten and we’re calling it ‘geometry,’ Kindergarten teacher Toni Gilligan states matter-of-factly. “Five-year-olds need to develop their spatial sense and deepen their understanding of the two- and three-dimensional world. They explore the geometric idea that shapes can be combined or subdivided to make other shapes.

Using tiles (2-D) or blocks (3-D), children put shapes together and take them apart, deepening their understanding of different shapes’ attributes and how shapes are related. And, often the children who are proficient in Number have to re-adjust in order to think spatially.”

Five- to seven-year-old students develop a real knowledge of how shapes are related (part to whole) and they learn many important features such as sides, vertices, and angles. They use manipulatives and a geometry software program called Shapes to explore how different shapes can be combined to form others, experiment with geometric transformations (rotations, translation, reflection), make patterns, and investigate symmetry. (See Illustration A) Second graders, who can identify the sides of a polygon and are familiar with the concepts of congruence and symmetry, have to figure out ‘What makes a rectangle a rectangle?’ and ‘How are rectangles different from squares?’ Katrina contrasts this to her own education. “I clearly remember my teacher drawing two pictures on the board and saying ‘Learn this rule: a square is a rectangle but a rectangle can’t be a square.’ Our kids have to visualize what they’re learning, they are figuring out how to think logically.

These students take what know about the attributes of shapes and make this discovery for themselves. They’re going much deeper than we ever did.”

The Investigations curriculum is designed to build on concepts introduced in earlier grades, so in fourth grade, the main geometry unit expands on the students’ knowledge of 2-D and 3-D shapes. For example, students have to construct a 3-D rectangular pyramid out of paper and then design another with three times the volume. (See Illustration B) To enhance their familiarity with the characteristics of a variety of shapes, third, fourth, and fifth graders visit the School’s computer lab to experiment with LogoPaths. In this software program, students have to instruct a turtle to move through a maze or to create a shape by determining angle measurements and length. In addition to learning the geometric principles of length, perimeter, and angle, students also engage in rudimentary computer coding. (See Illustration C ) With five years of geometry under their belts, fifth graders are able to identify quadrilaterals by attribute and classify them in more than one way. They measure angles of 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, and 150 degrees, and measure perimeter, area, and volume — deepening their understanding of the relationship between volume and linear dimensions.

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Illustration A: Geometric quilt squares created on the computer by students in Grades K-II.

Illustration B: Students get practice in switching between two- and three-dimensional shapes.

Examples

df 50 lt 90 fd 25 rt 90 fd 50

lt 30 bk 75 rt 120 bk 75 rt 120 home

repeat 4 [fd 75 rt 90]

repeat 45 [fd1 rt1]

Illustration C: Using specific line and angle measurements, Middle Division students instruct the turtle in LogoPaths to create geometric shapes.

How many fifth graders can a cubic meter hold?

The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009

Brookline Math League

H

aving logged nearly 900 hours of mathematics over their years in school, fifth graders are eager to join Park’s math team for Grades V and VI. In the town-wide Math League, fifth and sixth graders compete against teams from other Brookline elementary schools. Three times a year, the ten teams gather for a meet that features five events: team problem solving, and four individual events: arithmetic operations, bases, geometry, and patterns.

“Thirty fifth and sixth graders attend our weekly practice,” says Steve Kellogg, who has been teaching math at Park since he joined the faculty in 1983. Park’s involvement in the League began when Tom Smith, who taught math for many years before Breaking a three-way tie, Park’s 2008-09 Math Team took first place in the final meet of the season becoming the School’s Director of with a perfect score in the team problem-solving event. Two sixth grade students, Neekon Vafa and Alex Leighton, won trophies for three perfect scores in three events. Way to go, Team!

Technology, entered the first team in 1980.

Since those days, the department chair has coached the Park team. “Anybody can be on the Math Team,” PROBLEM Steve explains. “If they come to all the practices, I guarantee they will compete in a meet. While winning is not our objective, we do really well. The team generally wins two events every meet and once a year wins the whole meet.” It’s true — Park’s trophy case is full of awards from the League!

3

The House Project

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15 = x 20(60) = 80x 20y = 80x 60 = y 4800 = 80y 4800 – 60y = 80x 60/x = 80/80-y 20y = 80x 20/x = 80/y Answer:

The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009

Two poles, 60 feet tall and 20 feet tall, stand on opposite sides of a field. The poles are 80 feet apart. Support cables are placed from the top of one pole to the bottom of the opposite pole. How far above the ground is the intersection of the cables?

Note: If you change the distance between the poles, x is always 15!

hen students enter Park’s Upper Division in Grade VI, there is a palpable shift in expectations for the eleven- and twelve-year-olds. Academic work in the sixth grade is a balance between assignments that demand a new level of depth and more abstract thinking and the teaching of specific skills and strategies.

Mathematics is a case in point.

“We want sixth graders to understand the concepts behind every problem they do,” Steve Kellogg clarifies. “This course is preparing the students for pre-algebra, which they will encounter in Grade VII.” Sixth graders study number theory, scale and measurement, ratio and proportion, percent, area and volume, and simple equations. Teachers have students practice traditional and non-routine problem-solving strategies daily.

One of the most unconventional and memorable components of the sixth grade curriculum is the House Project. Since 1973, sixth graders have been applying geometry (calculating angles, perimeter, area and volume) and other mathematical concepts to design and build model houses. Bill Satterthwaite, “Mr. Satt” to legions of math and science students at Park from 1970–87, got the idea at a math workshop. Since then, the project has evolved in the ensuing 36 years.

In the 70s and 80s, students produced their houses at home. There was great variation in the materials used and level of parent participation. Students with architects for parents were at a

13

distinct advantage! Alice Perera Lucey ’77, who teaches English and social studies and serves as a secondary school counselor for Grades VI-IX, tells the story of when she found herself in a terrible bind the night before the project was due. “I had cut out all the pieces to build my model, only to find that there was not one shred of scotch tape in our whole house. (And this in the days before CVS was open till 10:00pm!) Screaming, I went to my mother for help. She looked at me matter-of-factly and said that she was not going to save me from my poor planning. I was desperate. I scoured every cabinet in our house and found one adhesive that might work. The next day, I brought in my poor house project assembled with Band-Aids!”

Nowadays, the Math Department oversees the whole project in-house and provides standard materials to every student. With a caveat to stay within a budget of $200,000, each sixth grader designs and “builds” a house in the two weeks before Spring Break.

First, they must understand the budget: it costs $100/square foot for most construction, $125/square foot for bathrooms, and $150/square foot for kitchens. Next, the students start sketching different shapes that would work for a 2,000 square foot house, taking into account features such as bathrooms, windows, and steps. Then, they calculate how to draw scale models of their houses at 1/4 inch to one foot. For a 2-D view similar to a blueprint, they draw the perimeter and footprint of their homes on graph paper. Students often find it helpful to draw an elevation of their building to help make the leap from two dimensions to three; it can be difficult to know where to put walls where before there were only lines. Finally, sixth graders must accurately cut walls out of cardboard and assemble their houses on top of the graph paper.

Grades VII and VIII

I

n Park’s Upper Division, math classes are sectioned homogeneously to enable students to be with peers who learn at a similar pace and who are performing at the same level. Seventh graders study pre-algebra, including operations with integers, algebraic expressions and equations, data analysis, and geometry, and eighth grade students take first-year algebra. Elaine Hamilton, who has been teaching math at Park since 2006, comments, “Technology has really changed how students learn these concepts.

Devices such as graphing calculators and spreadsheets allow kids to see things much more quickly and then manipulate the data.

The technological tools cut out the drudgery and the tedious tasks and allows them to work on the higher level questions.” The technology enables teachers to better accommodate different learning styles and ask thought-provoking questions to really test students’ knowledge.

Seventh and eighth graders also have the opportunity to join the Upper Division Math Team, which practices weekly throughout the fall and winter in preparation for the regional MathCounts competition. Elaine coaches four students and four alternates as they compete against other schools in the district.

The first round is a “sprint” where the students have 40 minutes to answer 30 questions, then a round where they have six minutes to answer two questions. In the final round, the four team members

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Top: House Project Veteran Alice Perera Lucey ’77 helps a sixth grade student get a straight line. Bottom: Aaron Yemane ’11 and Zack BennetEngler ’11 put the finishing touches on their house.

The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009

collaborate to answer ten questions in 20 minutes. Questions in MathCounts competitions are an assortment of algebra, trigonometry, geometry, probability and statistics.

PROBLEM

4

Grade IX Geometry A circular table has an area of 1,256 square inches. To enlarge the table, you can open it in the middle and place rectangular boards, called leaves, in it. Each board is 12 inches wide and is rectangular in shape.

What is the new area of the whole table if 3 of these leaves are added?

(Use 3.14 for π)

“P

ark’s ninth graders are doing what Euclid did in 300 B.C.,” Steve Kellogg explains. The course emphasizes formal proofs and some indirect proofs. In mathematics, a proof is a convincing demonstration (within the accepted standards of the field) that some mathematical statement is necessarily true. Proofs are obtained from deductive reasoning, rather than from inductive or empirical arguments. That is, a proof must demonstrate that a statement is true in all cases, without a single exception. An unproved proposition that is believed to be true is known as a conjecture. The statement that is proved is often called a theorem.

Once a theorem is proved, it can be used as the basis to prove further statements. Ninth graders get to work on many types of problems, including discovering and exploring theorems on their own using a software program called the Geometer’s Sketchpad.

All the exposure and practice with geometry concepts beginning in the younger years lays the foundation for grasping the sophisticated ninth grade curriculum. “A lot of what we’re doing now is familiar to me from the geometry and patterns events on the Math Team in fifth and sixth grade,” Isa Moss ’09 articulates.

Steve presented the following example. “Younger kids would show that a triangle has 180 degrees using an informal proof like cutting out the corners/angles of a triangle and lay them out on a straight line. (See Illustration D ) But in the Grade IX geometry class, students have to prove that there are 180 degrees in a triangle by using the Alternate Interior Angles proof.” (See Illustration E) While not formally billed as a “capstone” course, students recognize that it functions as one. “Geometry in ninth grade really puts together everything we’ve learned here at Park,” Henry Lucey ’09 told me. (He happens to be Alice Perera Lucey’s son, but I didn’t ask about his House Project adventures!) His classmate Josh Ruder agreed, “In previous grades we mostly studied 2-D shapes, simpler stuff. This course builds on what we’ve learned before. Its harder and more complex, more abstract.”

1256 + 1440 = 2696 square inches 480 x 3 = 1440 20 = r boards are 40 x 12 = 480 400 = r 2 Ac = πr 1256 = (3.14) r 2 2

Answer: Illustration D: Informal proof that the inner angles of a triangle = 180°

Illustration E: The Alternate Interior Angles Proof of the Triamgle Angle Sum Theorem

Theorem If ABC is a triangle then m∠ABC + M∠BCA + m∠CAB = 180 degrees Proof In Triangle ABC, construct line l through points A and B and line k through point C and parallel to line l. Since lines l and k are parallel, m∠BAC = m∠1 and m∠ABC = m∠3 (Alternate Interior Angles).

Also, on line k angles 1, 2, and 3 form a straight angle and m∠1 + m∠2 + m∠3 = 180 degrees. Using this equation, we can substitute m∠BAC for m∠1, m∠BCA for m∠2, and m<ABC for m∠3 to prove that m∠BAC + m∠BCA + m∠ABC = 180 degrees.

The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009

15

A L U M N I

P R O F I L E

Colin Arnold is a firefighter-paramedic for the city of Berkeley, California. Following ten years at Park, he attended Noble and Greenough School and graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in 2005 with a BA in anthropology. He

joined a local ambulance company where he supervised county operations and became a nationally registered paramedic in 2007. He lives in Oakland, California.

Sixth grader Colin Arnold with his four-story house project!

>

> COLIN ARNOLD ’99

T

his line of work is all about being prepared. Every day,

we walk into situations having no idea of what we may find. The key to a successful call is being able to

maintain control of the scene, and without a strong presence (and perhaps a touch of ego), this can become very difficult. I believe that the confidence that I rely on daily can be attributed in part to Park. This is ironic, because I remember being a very insecure kid in school. But Park taught me to think independently, which helped build the foundation that I depend on so heavily now.

It turns out that I also rely upon the math I learned at Park. I remember well the weekly quizzes that Mr. Howard gave us in fifth grade. He would give us one minute to do 100 basic multiplication problems. On Mr. Walsh’s eighth grade algebra tests, which were always hand-written, he would ask a question about an creative topic that had nothing to do with algebra. He would read our answers out loud after collecting the tests, which inevitably involved jokes about him. And Mr. Kellogg’s geometry class in ninth grade really hooked me. I took pride in the formulas and I still remember the pneumonic “C.P.C.T.C.” although I have long since forgotten what it stood for; I think it had something to do with triangles. [Mr. Kellogg weighs in: “Right you are, Colin! C.P.C.T.C. stands for Corresponding Parts of Congruent Triangles are Congruent. The theorem states that if two or more triangles are congruent, then all of their corresponding parts are congruent as well.”]

I still use his class to this day when it comes to the firefighting side of the job, but that’s a whole different story.

Probably the most common application of mathematics for a paramedic is calculating drug dosages. We use a narcotic analgesic called Fentanyl to treat pain. This medication comes packaged as 100 micrograms in two mL, and

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The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009

the usual dose is one microgram per kilogram. This means

multiply and divide fractions quickly in fifth grade.

Paramedics usually don’t have time to look up a drug

that we have to first convert the patient’s weight from pounds to kilos, and then calculate how many milliliters of

dosage or check a patient’s medication, so every day we

solution to give based on the concentration of the drug.

review protocols and learn about new prescription drugs

While it’s not the rocket science that I know some of my

so that when the time comes, we will know the informa-

fellow Park alums are versed in, it gets challenging enough

tion. In our county, paramedics are licensed to dispense 24

when you have a very sick person with you in the back of

different medications that have a wide range of uses —

an ambulance. It gets even more complicated when you

from reversing particular types of overdoses, to cardiac

are dealing with pediatric, elderly, or hypothermic patients.

emergencies, to asthma and allergic reactions. Knowing

Their bodies metabolize the medication in a drastically

the effects, side effects, therapeutic index, and medica-

different way from the norm, so the dose has to be

tions that interfere with the effects of each of those

altered. There are a lot of people in Northern California

medications is absolutely essential.

who can thank Mr. Howard for teaching me how to

The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009

17

P R O F I L E A L U M N I

A Park School “lifer,” Ali

the States, she enrolled

Currently, she spends three

recalls her math classes

at Cornell University’s

days a week at the com-

with Emily Tucker and

Engineering School where

pany’s Grafton facility as a

Steve Kellogg as “inspira-

she majored in “Opera-

planning analyst. The

tional with plenty of

tions, Research, and

Balsters live in Hopkinton

opportunities to figure

Industrial Engineering.”

with their two children,

things out” for herself.

Since college, she has held

Katie (3) and Lila (16

After Park, Ali graduated

a variety of positions at

months).

from Milton Academy, and

Precision Castparts Corp

then took a year off to

(PCC), an aerospace manu-

travel. Upon returning to

facturing company.

> ALI BURNES BALSTER ’90

L

ogical problem solving. That’s really what drew me to the field of engineering, not visions of working in a lab wearing a white coat. My dad planted the

seeds for me; he worked at a chemical company and loved delving into the detail of the manufacturing and engineering processes. I was intrigued and wanted to challenge myself. During orientation at engineering school, somebody actually said, “look to your right and your left. Only one of you will graduate.” I couldn’t believe that we were being treated that way — for the first time, I didn’t feel like my educators were on my side. I now realize how lucky I was to attend two wonderful schools, where every teacher I encountered was fully invested in my education and believed in my ability to succeed. That moment at orientation, because I’m extremely stubborn, I decided that I was going to be one of the ones to make it. Engineering school was hard. I was clearly a minority, not only because I am a woman (one in seven, at the time), but also because I was determined to have a social life and a fun college experience.

With my B.S. in hand, I was eager to join the workforce and start applying what I had learned to real-life problems. I landed at PCC, a Fortune 500 company that manufactures critical components for the aerospace, power generation, and general industrial markets. I love manufacturing: the constant action, the literal and visual sense of accomplishment, the variety of challenges.

My work with PCC has afforded me many opportunities: I have worked in six of their plants, from Portland, Oregon to Edinburgh, Scotland, holding titles from “Manufacturing Engineer” to “Materials Manager.” For the past three years, I have been a planning analyst at our Ali with daughters Katie and Lila

18

plant in Grafton, Massachusetts. I am challenged daily at

The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009

I love manufacturing: the constant action, the literal and visual sense of accomplishment, the variety of challenges.

work, but am also able to enjoy a three day work week.

The Planning Department sets the strategy and drives

maximum tonnage, furnace size, heat temperature, and crew size. Using multi-variant mathematical modeling

operations to manufacture parts on time at the lowest

techniques, I was able to devise some possible strategies

possible cost to meet customer demand. This includes

to achieve the goal. In the end, we are executing a plan

everything from raw material procurement through collec-

that is optimal given the unusual circumstances.

tion of cash. Circumstances are constantly changing due to

In all of my work assignments, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not a math skill or

changes in customer demand, corporate directives, and

a particular calculation that I have found the most useful.

equipment uptime. A recent example: a couple of months

Rather, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the interpersonal and communication skills

ago, our sister plant in Houston had an equipment failure

(which I learned at Park) that have been invaluable to my

which put their forging press out of commission for

professional life. I believe that Park, unlike Milton or

approximately six months. Very quickly our Grafton facility

Cornell, educated the whole person. In the math class-

had to determine how to absorb that work onto our

room, Mr. Kellogg and Ms. Tucker not only made sure that

presses so that PCC wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t lose out to competitors. I

I understood each concept, but also when and how to use

was asked to prepare a viable operating plan based on

it, and why it was true. And one of the most useful

these new and unforeseen circumstances. Before the

lessons was when they would challenge us to teach each

outage, both the Grafton and Houston presses were oper-

other. I learned that the trickiest part of learning math was

ating at least five days a week, 24 hours a day. Given the

communicating a concept to someone else. When I

new circumstances, we had to revisit the batching logic,

mastered that, I knew that I truly understood!

The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009

19

Alex Kehlenbeck entered

currently employed as a

P R O F I L E

Park at age four in 1987

software engineer at

and was there for the next

Google in Boston where

ten years, through eighth

he has worked on a

A L U M N I

school and then received

grade. He went on to

variety of research and

Phillips Academy for high

engineering projects.

his BS and MS in mathematics from Stanford University in 2005. Alex is

> ALEX KEHLENBECK ’98 Pythagoras and his famous theorem about right triangles.

For many years a career in academia had seemed certain, but along the way I discovered that the life of a math professor wasn’t quite the cookie-filled affair I had imagined it to be. As I looked at my options post-college, technology, and finance — two of the most common

Details matter, and always double-check

options among my peers — joined graduate school as potential careers. Ultimately, I accepted a position with Google that combined the theoretical appeal and logical

your work!

clarity that had drawn me to math, with the more practical and tangible outputs of engineering.

Today, I’m lucky enough to get to apply math in my work every day. Whether it’s studying the pattern of hyperlinks on the Web to improve search, or using combi-

I

natorics to analyze the performance of new algorithms, or probability and statistics to figure out how reliable a t was probably in middle school, in one of the daily

particular software design will be in the face of hardware

practices Alison Connolly used to run before each of

failures, math is at the very center of nearly all our work.

the Massachusetts Math League meets, when I

Indeed, sometimes the lines separating math, engi-

decided I would become a math professor. Those twenty

neering, and experimentation are so blurry they might as

minutes of practice, rushing through as many of the

well not even be there. In one research project I worked

hardest “#3” problems as we could before recess was

on, for example, we were attempting to identify names of

over, were the highlight of most days (and not because of

people and companies on the Web. (Sounds simple, but

the tasty snacks used to lure us there!) I imagined that

which is “Ann Taylor”?) We’d form a hypothesis about an

simulated the life of a professor and who wouldn’t want

approach that might work (the math), then implement a

to have a whole career of that? I even knew what my

system to execute that hypothesis (the engineering), and

specialty would be: number theory because that division

finally run experiments to determine how accurate our

of the MML contests always had the most interesting and

hypothesis was (the scientific method). That cycle might

surprising problems. And indeed, more than a decade

be repeated several times each day.

Two of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned came

later I ended up doing my undergraduate and master’s

20

work studying elliptic curves and modular forms, subfields

from doing math at Park. In one series of math league

of number theory that in spite of all their modern

contests, the only problem I missed all year was a simple

complexity, can directly trace their roots back to

one-point question that I thought I could do in my head,

The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009

Whether it’s studying the pattern of hyperlinks on the Web to improve search, or using combinatorics to analyze the performance of new algorithms, or probability and statistics to figure out how reliable a particular software design will be in the face of hardware failures, math is at the very center of nearly all our work.

and without checking it afterwards. That gnawed at me

don’t always trust them. I probably make at least a dozen

for weeks, and I haven’t forgotten since: details matter,

little mental estimates every day — how much network

and always double-check your work. Its relevance is clear

traffic will this design generate? How much disk space will

whenever I remember that the wrong typo can send

we need for each million users? How much longer will

millions of users’ queries hurtling into electronic oblivion,

that web page take to load if we add an extra image to

never to be seen again.

it? — and having a set of rules of thumb that tell me if a

The other lesson came in seventh grade, when two classmates and I had a special math class once per week

final answer is at all reasonable is invaluable. . . but always double-check!

with Steve Kellogg. One day he asked us to imagine pulling a length of string taut all the way around the equator of the earth, and then to imagine adding one extra yard to the length of the rope. How far above the surface of the earth would the rope then sit after making it taut again? I won’t give away the answer, but it’s probably much more than your intuition tells you.

The lesson was this: having a complete set of rules of thumb to use when making estimates is very useful, but

The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009

21

P R O F I L E A L U M N I

Yrinee Michaelidis entered

College of Engineering in

and development.

Park in Nursery (now

Needham, she studied

She currently works as a

called Pre-Kindergarten) in

mechanical engineering.

consultant in Boston.

1989. She went on to

Yrinee was a member of

Noble and Greenough,

the second class to gradu-

where she spent her junior

ate from Olin and spent

year in France with School

two years working for a

Year Abroad. As a student

start up in the entertain-

pioneer at the newly-

ment industry before

formed Franklin W. Olin

turning to product design

> YRINEE MICHAELIDIS ’00

M

ath has always been my passion. The beauty, simplicity, and endless possibilities enthralled me from a young age. As I got older, I loved my

math teachers Ms. Tucker and Mrs. Connolly for nurturing me and helping me develop. In fact, ninth grade geometry remains the favorite class of my entire education! Under Mrs. Connolly’s guidance, we six girls in the honors section felt unstoppable. Mathematics was empowering to me, lent me confidence through teenage years and helped me define myself. I still announce my membership to Team Starfish: Yrinee, upper left, with her freshman teammates holding their “starfish wall climber”—one of only two creations from the class that climbed the wall successfully!

MathCounts with a distinct tone of pride. Life is pretty sweet as a nerd.

I wish I could say that I always wanted to be an engineer. The truth is that I entered Olin College of

>

Engineering on a full scholarship without any knowledge of what engineering was. It was so exciting! I discovered that engineering is an awesome combination of problem solving, logic, math, and equations attempting to define the behaviors of the world. In my first year, I built a servocontrolled wall walker that used suction to climb up glass; learned about controls and programming, and most importantly what it was to design, fabricate, and make things. I fell in love with the feeling of creating — taking raw materials like aluminum, steel, and plastics — and daring to turn them into something else. And so it began, my life as a maker — dabbling in engineering.

After my freshman year, I worked at Foster-Miller, Inc., doing research and development work for the defense industry. I worked on “black projects” that require security clearance, testing products for use in the military. It was pretty exciting work and math was a part of everyday life; I learned to use software in testing and relied on my basic understanding of fluidics and the governing equations. I

22

The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009

> Yrinee cutting fiberglass mat for a sailboat racetrack that is currently in use at the Museum of Science, Boston.

spent 15 months at Foster-Miller including working there part-time during the academic year. The practicality of industry was a refreshing weekly break from the projects and theory of school.

As a sophomore, the “User-Oriented Collaborative Design” class changed my life. I fell in love with design and recognized that mechanical and artistic design could be combined to deliver functionality and aesthetics. I started taking art and design classes in the hopes of combining them with my more technical side. Sophomore and junior year continued to be a blur of art, economics (my minor), and highly technical mechanical engineering classes, all present to balance each other.

Sitting in class, I wanted to be out in the world,

Yrinee takes a break from rebuilding Blue Man Group’s Boston stage.

making an impact. But I dutifully learned the fundamentals of fluid dynamics, thermodynamics, statistics, and higherlevel math. These courses paved a career path that could

>

lead to so many different industries. But my junior year, I entered the Disney Imaginations, an international design competition for students that brought me to the world of entertainment. I worked with a partner to design and present our concept of a park-wide system of video capturing that we called “YourStory.” We were flown out to California where we presented our design to Disney executives and — we placed second!

After graduation, I spent two years working for 5 Wits Productions, a design and fabrication shop north of Boston where I designed interactive displays for museums and theme parks. I loved working at a start-up because I could experience many parts of the company. I did a lot of modeling and design with SolidWorks, some project management, and a lot of fiberglass work as I created projects for the International Spy Museum and the Museum of Science in Boston. It was a great experience and a really fun industry. It seems I’ve been bitten by the start-up bug; I’m now working at another start-up doing product design and business development, but I can’t wait for my own shot.

Needless to say math is an ever-present part of my life.

Because of math, I was able to study engineering. As an engineer, I learned to solve problems: big, small, concrete, and abstract. And math is everywhere in everything I do — in cost calculations and market analyses, temperature readings and 3-D CAD modeling. I still don’t always know what an engineer does, but thanks, Mrs. Connolly, geometry is still my favorite and most useful subject!

The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009

23

P R O F I L E A L U M N I

After discovering her knack

Columbia: one in interna-

including project director

Columbia and Rutgers. Six

for algebra at Park, Tina

tional affairs and a second

for the maternal-infant HIV

years ago, Tina returned to

took geometry, pre-calcu-

in population and family

transmission research pro-

the New York City Depart-

lus, and one semester of

health, which led to con-

ject. She then pursued her

ment of Health, and is cur-

calculus at Miss Porter’s

ducting field research in

PhD in measurement, eval-

rently the director of the

School. As a political sci-

international family plan-

uation, and statistics in

Psychiatric Epidemiology

ence and history major at

ning in Latin America.

educational psychology at

Unit. She and her husband,

Tufts, she studied econom-

Shifting her focus to

Columbia Teacher’s College.

Henry Chin, live on the

ics and took a single com-

domestic health in 1987,

Her training in statistics

Upper West Side with their

puter class, but no college

Tina held several positions

enabled her to design and

children Lizzie (7) and

math courses. Tina earned

with the New York City

oversee research projects in

Jamie (8 months).

two master’s degrees at

Department of Health,

substance abuse at

> TINA MCVEIGH ’74 The City of New York conducts an annual telephone survey of 10,000 New Yorkers that asks about drinking, depression, weight, diabetes, blood pressure, exercise,

Statistical modeling and data analysis

diet — all sorts of questions. I’m responsible for analyzing

is a social application of math

questions that pertain to mental health and substance

that helps answer really important

social isolation among seniors, comparing kids who carry

these data (and information from other databases) for abuse. I get to work on some really interesting projects: weapons to those who don’t, risk factors for suicidal

questions.

ideation in youth, correlates of fear of an intimate partner, prevalence of anxiety and depression, trends in psychological distress in the years following the terrorist

B

attack on the World Trade Center, and relationships between psychological distress and physical health, particasically, I’m miserable at math — but I love data analysis. It’s really not exaggerating to say that eighth grade algebra with Mr. Satterthwaite

I am also the principal investigator of a collaborative retrospective longitudinal study of children born between

changed my life, although I did not know it at the time. I

1994 and 2004. This study has been developed over the

have come to realize that there are different kinds of

past five years and involves acquiring and linking indi-

math for different kinds of aptitudes. So while geometry

vidual level data on approximately 1.4 million children

could make me gag, algebra lights a fire under me.

I encountered statistics for the first time in graduate

24

ularly diabetes.

from a variety of data sources including birth and death registries, early intervention financial and administrative

school and recognized that it was an extension of

databases, lead testing and inspection databases, and

algebra. Statistical modeling and data analysis is a social

department of education data including third grade test

application of math that helps answer really important

scores and special education records. These data are

questions. The field of public health draws individuals

being merged with census tract-level data from the 2000

from the medical arena and those from the social and

census to enrich our measurement of socioeconomic

political sciences. Using statistics, we social scientists

status. We hope to complete the data matching and

analyze data to measure the health of populations. How

merging process by summer 2009. The data will then be

healthy are people? What can be done to make them

analyzed to answer questions related to disparities in

healthier? What is the most effective intervention?

access to early intervention services, long-term outcomes

The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009

for use in subsequent matches.

of receipt of early intervention services, relationships between birth weight, gestational age and utilization of

Once the data are available for analysis, the fun

early intervention services, relationships between blood

begins. I get to think about what statistical model best

lead levels and third grade test scores, birth characteristics

answers the research question: what variables are impor-

associated with autism, etc.

tant, what groups to compare, and whether I should incorporate neighborhood-level data or just look at indi-

Regardless of the project, my work follows a fairly predictable process: 1) start with identifying the research

vidual characteristics. As these questions get answered

question or problem; 2) follow with a review of related

the statistical model gets more and more refined until an

literature; 3) identify the data needed to answer the ques-

optimal solution emerges. Those results then get tran-

tion. In most cases, I work off of data sets that have

scribed into tables, interpreted, and incorporated into

already been prepared for analysis. Sometimes, such as in

testimony, program plans, policy documents, agency

the case of the isolated seniors work, I have to wait for

monographs and peer-reviewed publications. My career in

my data to be collected as part of a larger survey activity

public health research is extremely satisfying because I get

carried out by another unit. Increasingly, my work involves

to collaborate on timely and important projects with

matching administrative data from multiple sources. I am

colleagues who are dynamic, bright, social activists who

working with a great team of researchers from across the

also enjoy the mix of scientific rigor, intellectual stimula-

agency to carry out the longitudinal study data match,

tion, and social purpose that our work involves, and I get

and in the process developing a set of practice guidelines

to play with X and Y every day!

The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009

25

Jonathan attended Park

and physics. He went on to

P R O F I L E

from Pre-K to Grade IX,

earn a PhD in physics from

except for two years in

Harvard University in 1994.

San Antonio, Texas while

Jonathan now lives in

his father took a research

Brookline with his wife,

sabbatical. He graduated

Dorothy Richardson, a

A L U M N I

from the Commonwealth

child and family psycholo-

School in 1980 and from

gist, and their two children

the University of

who attend Park, Ian ’17

Pennsylvania in 1985 with

and Ellie ’12.

a BA in both mathematics

> JONATHAN M. RICHARDSON ’76

“M

ath” means different things to different people.

Most people think only of arithmetic, which is certainly what is taught first. We first learn

integer arithmetic, then fractions, and finally long division.

Pretty boring stuff for the most part. Many go on to learn algebra, geometry, and finally calculus. This is where things start to get interesting, but often is the end of the number line for most students. The math I found most interesting in college was that which bordered on the

I loved the proof that there are more real numbers than fractions, although

philosophical. I remember loving number theory. I was fascinated by the difference between the different types

there is an infinite number of either!

of numbers (transcendental, imaginary, etc.). I loved the proof that there are more real numbers than fractions, although there is an infinite number of either! I loved studying Gödel’s theorem, which points to the limits of logical systems. I regret not studying more statistics,

Technologies and System Applications Group at the M.I.T.

however, which have turned out to be of the greatest use

Lincoln Laboratory.

So where is the math now? In my career it is applied

in my career.

So what got me into math? Well, Mr. Satterthwaite at

to sensor development and evaluation. Lincoln both

Park School, of course (among others). Studying math at

develops new technologies and helps to evaluate those

Park was fun, challenging, and a source of personal pride.

from other sources. It is our job to ensure that technolo-

Park offered more than just math preparation, it instilled

gies and systems are rigorously evaluated before they are

in me a great curiosity for all things mathematical. I loved

considered for deployment. Evaluation is carried out

calculus in high school, majored in both math and physics

through a combination of analytical modeling, laboratory

in college, and eventually got a PhD in physics from

measurements, and field trials. Modeling typically involves

Harvard. The funny thing is that I didn’t want to go into

understanding the physics of the sensor. Typically, models

theoretical physics or math, but preferred experiments.

are based on laboratory data. Finally, sensors are tested in

Since finishing my doctorate, I have become an applied

the field. If all goes well, the field data compares well

scientist, working with both scientists and engineers. My

with model predictions (as determined by statistical

understanding of physics, instrumentation, statistics, and

analysis of the data).

Computers and software have evolved into fantastic

analysis has allowed me to contribute to a variety of

26

endeavors, including medical imaging and (most recently)

tools for science and engineering. For software, I particu-

detectors for biological and chemical threats in the Sensor

larly like Mathematica, which I used to alter the images

The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009

presented with this article. Before computers, every scientist, engineer, mathematician, accountant, and anyone processing numbers had to be good calculators themselves. I have great envy and respect for such people, as I am not particularly so gifted in that respect (and may be getting worse with age). I graduated college around the time the PCs were introduced and have used them ever since. I fondly remember programming the first MS-DOS computers to run experiments and analyze data in graduate school. Since then, the tools available have improved enormously, providing not only powerful data analysis and visualization, but formula derivation (“symbolics”) as well. It’s a geek’s dream come true!

I made a tough decision many years ago not to go

>

into academia. My goal was to have a more balanced life,

Jonathan produced the following montage by applying various mathematical transformations to his “boring headshot.”

with a bit of time for family and non-career pursuits. I think I have achieved that goal, but I do miss teaching. I have been very grateful for the occasional opportunity to present one thing or another in my children’s classrooms over the past several years. My most recent effort was entitled “The Shape of Numbers,” presented to my son Ian’s first grade class. In this presentation I talked about how different numbers of objects can be arranged into characteristic patterns. You can’t think of the number three without thinking of a triangle, for example, and four is about as square as you can get. Some numbers can be arrayed as rectangles or squares whereas others can’t (we call them prime numbers). At the end, I asked the class to find their own patterns using various art supplies and graph paper. I can report that Park continues to offer excellent teaching in math and that the six and seven-year-olds seemed truly enthusiastic about my presentation.

So what’s next? I wish I knew! I still enjoy having active involvement in research, analysis, and field measurements. I also enjoy working with people entering the field and have sponsored one student pursuing his master’s degree while at Lincoln. I hope to collaborate with MIT main campus this year in the application of relatively new microscopy techniques. Above all, it’s lovely to have the opportunity to support my children as they learn math and everything else.

The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009

27

P R O F I L E A L U M N I

Betsy entered Park in 1970

Biological Sciences, special-

(at the Kennard Road cam-

izing in neuroscience.

pus) and graduated in

Betsy is currently a

1981 from 171 Goddard

research fellow at The

Ave. From Park she went

Neurosciences Institute in

to Milton Academy and

San Diego and lives in

then to Harvard for her

Solana Beach with her

undergraduate work.

husband, Stephan Miller,

She completed her PhD

and their daughter, Lila,

in 1997 at the University

who is four-and-a-half.

of California Irvine in

> BETSY WALCOTT ’81

M

y interest in the brain began with a fascination

you think about the rapid interactions going on every

with individual differences in behavior, but a

second within a tiny millimeter of brain tissue. We know

college course on pharmacology hooked me on

that the brain works by engaging many different

the idea of studying the biological workings of the brain.

networks of connected neurons in complex spatial and

My broad interest is in synaptic and neuronal physiology,

temporal patterns that somehow give rise to sensation,

or in plain terms, how nerve cells (neurons) in the brain

thought, and behavior. That “somehow” is what neuro-

communicate with each other (via contact points called

scientists study.

synapses) to form the basis of learning and cognition. My

One of the most unusual aspects of the institute

current project is focused on how the neurons in the

where I work is that half of the researchers work in the

prefrontal cortex — the part of the brain that sits right

lab while the other half develop mathematical models of

behind your forehead — develop, and how development

brain systems and implement the models into brain-based

proceeds differently in disorders such as autism.

When discussing the brain it is almost impossible not

devices. These are machines (automatons) that have software-based brains designed with the principles of real

to evoke mathematical concepts. The brain is made up of

nervous systems. They can navigate, sense the environ-

hundreds of billions of neurons, each neuron making

ment and most importantly, learn. Two-way interactions

synaptic connections with hundreds, if not thousands, of

are encouraged between the biologists and the modelers.

other neurons. The numbers get very big very fast when

I feel fortunate to have found a great place to do research where my findings at the more microscopic-level can influence the more systems-level approaches to understanding global brain function and dysfunction.

Math is an essential tool in my research. I use it for everything from preparing solutions to analyzing gigabytes of data. One example of how I use math requires a little bit of explanation. Technically speaking, I am a patch

When discussing the brain it is almost impossible not to evoke mathematical concepts.

clamper. That means I make electrical recordings from neurons in a small piece of brain tissue in a dish under a microscope. I use rodent brains that are remarkably similar to human brains. This type of recording can be performed in humans but only in conjunction with brain surgery, so for research into the brain at this level, we still need other sources of tissue. Using the patch clamp technique, I can listen in to what neurons are saying to one another.

Neurons speak using an elegant combination of electrical

28

The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009

> Betsy, “patchclamping” in the lab at The Neurosciences Institute.

Under the microscope, she is making electrical recordings from neurons in a small piece of brain tissue “to listen in to what the neurons are saying to one another.”

and chemical signaling. These recordings have enabled me to measure how different types of neurons change throughout normal development and to discover differences in neurons from a rodent model of autism.

When I am patch clamping, I have to make quick calculations about the electrical properties of the cells, the electrodes that measure the signals, and the concentra-

camera steps further and further away from the man,

tions of drugs that I am using. While this is simple math, I

an order of magnitude at a time until the view is from

find it fun dealing with such tiny numbers as 10 –12

light years away from our galaxy. An updated version is

amperes (picoamps) of electrical current and huge

available at http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/primer/java/

numbers like 109 ohms (gigaohms) of resistance. Dealing

scienceopticsu/powersof10/ that goes down to the level of

with metric scales and measuring numbers by the thou-

electrons. To me, this is analogous to the many levels of

sands (e.g. pico, nano, micro, milli, kilo, mega, giga)

brain function from consciousness down to individual ions

reminds me of a couple of experiences at Park. The first is

that are involved in chemical signaling at the synapse and

using Cuisenaire rods in Grade VI, wooden manipulatives

beyond. I am grateful for having such enthusiastic and

that helped us get a sense of scale and learn to do calcu-

creative math and science teachers like Mr. Tom Smith,

lations. The other is a short movie called “Powers of 10”

Mrs. Bernheim, and Mr. Kiernan and others who created a

that we watched several times over the years at Park. This

learning environment where my neurons were so activated

movie starts with a bird’s eye view of a man asleep on a

that they formed memories that have remained engaged

picnic blanket. Over the course of a few minutes the

for more than 30 years.

The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009

29

1967 Class Representative Rowley Davis DRowley@hammondre.com 617-469-0443

Alumni Notes

1968

30

Class Representatives Robert Hurst Rob.Hurst2@verizon.net 617-332-6808 Vicky Hall Kehlenbeck vkehlenbeck@rc.com 781-235-2990

1972 Class Representative Andrew Cable 781-642-9910 Thanks to Debbie Shaw Link ’48 for sending in this wonderful photograph from 1946 of seventh and eighth graders. Top Row L-R: Hugh Mitchell, Peter Gundersen, Harry Beckwith, Oliver Rodman. 2nd Row: Herbert Horgan, Tad Anderson, Peter Gulick, 3rd Row: Debby Shaw, Emmy Faulkner, Betsy Porter, 4th Row: Ruth Reynolds, Ginny Bridge, and Janet Warren

1933

1948

“The best news is I have,” writes Ruth Crocker Young, “is the birth of our first great grandson, born on the 19th of November 2008. We are busy cleaning out our 50-year collection of things, getting ready to move to a retirement home next year. When the snowy winter is over we will go to our island on Lake Winnipesauke for the summer.”

“I still have only fond memories of Park School from 70 or so years ago,” writes Vera Converse Gibbons.

1937 We were happy that Janice Ehrmann was able to come and enjoy the Alumni Clambake in September, but missed Bob Erhmann, who was unable to attend this year. We learned that Bob and Janice celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a big party this fall. Congratulations! Bob writes, “My life is uneventful, but that doesn’t prevent me from enjoying it. Much of my time is spent caring for Janice, my wife, who is disabled. Thank goodness for Martha, my younger obstetrician daughter. We frequently go together to restaurants, movies, science museum and theatre.”

1938 Class Representative Putty McDowell pbmcd2@verizon.net 781-320-1960

1950 Class Representative Galen Clough 812-477-2454 Pamela Hill Biren sends this news: “Our far flung seven children and twelve grands keep us busy visiting and just communicating. We worked hard to help Obama achieve his victory and are hopeful for the future with his leadership and vision.”

1953 Class Representative Bob Bray Rbray@thebraygroup.com 617-696-8673

1963 Class Representative Amy Lampert aslampert@gis.net 617-232-4595

1966 Class Representative Wigs Frank 610-964-8057

The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009

1973 Class Representatives Rick Berenson rickber@venzyme.com 617-969-0523 Maggie Frank O’Connor Maggie-o@comcast.net 413-467-3966 Rick Berenson sent the following updates: “1. We got a puppy named Hera after the Greek goddess (yay Park 4th grade!). She is a fourth generation labradoodle — a hypoallergenic breed with a great personality that we highly recommend to the Obamas! 2. Daniel (Park ’06, BB&N ’09) has been admitted to Yale, but is awaiting results from his other application before deciding where to go.

His sister, Alice (Park ’09) is a freshman at BB&N. 3. One of my startups, InCytu, is commercializing an in-situ bioreactive device system developed at Harvard with applications in stem cell delivery and regenerative medicine. Its lead application is a melanoma vaccine, which we hope to get into the clinic in 2009.” At the Alumni Clambake, Lesli Rothwell said she’s been doing a fair amount of painting this past year, mostly oils. With the Navigator Foundation, she is mounting art exhibits of 20th Century photography that opened at Endicott College (Czech art) and Gordon College (Russian art) in January. “All is well,” reports Julia Talcott. “We have just built a printmaking/art studio in my backyard here in Newton Corner, which is a dream come true.

I also have started teaching printmaking classes at the Arsenal Center for the Arts in Watertown. Betsy Leahy

Morton and Ty Burr appear regularly in my life and Susan Storey Frank and Macy Lawrence Ratliff when I get lucky. Our older son Ramsey is at Colby College in Maine and loving it, twins Isabel and Stoddard are in 9th grade at Newton North High School. James Meigs, my husband, is still working hard as an internist and researcher in the area of diabetes and heart disease at Mass General. My parents, Hooker and Jane, are doing well, still in the same house in Brookline. Can’t believe we all turned 50 this last year!” From Orlean, Virginia, Douglas Wise Hytla writes: “The barn is almost done. Medora (20) just returned from Mendoza and Jon is finishing his first semester at Washington College.

Hattye is a live wire and is half-way through sixth grade.”

1974

35th Reunion

Class Representatives Rodger Cohen skiboy@mindspring.com 508-651-3981 Margaret Smith Bell James_Bell65@msn.com 617-267-4141 Thanks to your Reunion Committee: Margaret Smith Bell, Alex Bok,

Rodger Cohen, Heather Crocker Faris, Polly Hoppin, Allene Russell Pierson, and Beth Haffenreffer Scholle, your 35th Reunion is right around the corner — please join your classmates on Saturday, May 9, 2009 for this special occasion. For more information please contact Eliza Drachman-Jones in the Alumni Office at alumni@parkschool.org or 617-274-6022.

Shady Hartshorne sends news that he is “going to Alaska for three weeks to edit a show for the Discovery Channel. My wife, Laurie and I do travel writing for GoNomad.com http://www.gonomad.com/corp/shady andlaurie.html Laurie is still practicing massage and working at the Schlesinger Library at Radcliffe.”

Congratulations to Tina McVeigh on the birth of her son James Higginson Mon-Tsi Chin, who was born June 20, 2008. “We are all adjusting to our cramped quarters and nights with little sleep. Attached is a photo of Jamie with his big sister Lizzie (age 6). I look forward to seeing everyone at Reunion.” Ginger Erlich Thoerner is married to Mathias Thoerner, an architect from Munich. They live in Easthampton, New York and have one daughter, Sophie, age 16. Ginger graduated from Harvard and is a lawyer selling real estate.

1975

1976

Class Representatives Colin McNay fivebear@mac.com 617-731-1746

Class Representative Tenney Mead Cover Tenney.cover@verizon.net 781-329-5449

Bill Sullivan bsullivan@rwholmes.com 978-568-1303

1977

We were interested to read in the Boston Sunday Globe last November about Nick Lawrence’s show at the Pierre Menard Gallery in Cambridge: “Nick Lawrence: Notes from Underground 1982-2007, a 25-year Survey.” As the Globe reported, “The retrospective, which features close to 150 works, culminates an ordeal that began with a truly unhappy accident in 2004, when Nick lost 20 years’ worth of paintings: 1,200 artworks.”

Today, Nick splits his time between Cape Cod and New York. He has studios and owns DNA Gallery in Provincetown and in New York (Freight + Volume). Locals might be interested in knowing that he still owns Nick’s Moving Co., which he founded in Somerville in 1988 “to support his early art habit.”

Class Representative Sam Solomon sa.solomon@verizon.net 781-784-0385 We were glad to hear from Sarah Ehrlich Aronin, who lives in Larchmont, New York with her family: husband, Eric, and Caroline (11) and Isabel (7). Marshall Berenson writes, “After 18 successful years my wife, Kathy, and I have sold our floral and event design business. We are looking forward to new and exciting creative endeavors. I will be returning to my musical roots and begin writing and recording music. I will also continue my leadership roles with the gastronomic organizations Les Amis d’Escoffier and La Chaine des Rotisseurs.”

1978 Class Representative Needed “I’m getting ready to open the High Line,” reports Josh David, “a park on

CLASS OF 1974 — 35TH REUNION!

The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009

31

1. Got butter? 2. The Faulkner House lawn provided the backdrop for the annual gathering 3. Enjoing lobster under the tent 4. Lucy Ames Hirschfeld ‘18, daughter of Minnie Ames ‘86 and Brian Hirschfeld

1

Alumni Clambake Sunday, October 14, 2007 2

When Park School friends gather to share a complete lobster feast, you’re bound to have a great time! Alumni from the Classes of 1953 – 2008 enjoyed good eats, a tour of the school building,

5

and a chance to catch up with friends, classmates and teachers. Special thanks to the Park Alumni Committee members who helped organize this memorable event!

3

6

7

8

9

10

12

11

32

5. Becky and Garrett Solomon ’86 with their twins, Cambell and Cooper 6. Brother and sister team, Jack ‘16 and Elizabeth Pierce ‘19, play some baseball 7. Peter Barkan ‘86 8. Chloe DiAdamo, daughter of Lisa Amick DiAdamo ’86 9. Tom and Margo Smith reconnect with alumni 10. Rob DiAdamo and son, Caleb 11. Rob Crawford, Director of Development, welcomes alums back to Park 12. Melanie Hill and Mark Simmons ’85 13. Minnie Ames ‘86 runs the registration table as Ali Epker Ruch ‘89 and Greg Kadetsky ‘96 sign in

13

4

Myra Paci ’80 with her daughers Nora (6) and Adriana (10)

1981

Josh David ’78 on top of the High Line in New York City.

1979 friends and classmates Joan Morse, Wendi Daniels, and Hilary Hart had a mini-reunion this fall.

an historic elevated railroad viaduct in New York City. I’ve been working on the project for ten years with cofounder Robert Hammond. If you’re in New York this summer, come take a look! You can also get more information at www.thehighline.org.”

with young children who have severe behavior problems, and spent a few months at a specialized school teaching reading. And now…. I’m not sure what my next step will be in the academic-assistance field. As for brusheswith-Park during the year, David and I went to see a friend perform his music at a local café, and behold: There was Tom Smith, also performing! It was terrific to see him. And, one of the highlights of the year was attending Maggie Remensnyder’s

1979

30th Reunion

Class Representatives Lalla Carothers lcaro@maine.rr.com 207-829-2283

wedding to one of David’s best friends. I look forward to talking about all of this and more at our 30th Reunion in May. I’m excited to see Park friends and reconnect.”

1980 Class Representative Andres Hurwitz andreshurwitz@hotmail.com 323-468-9276

Class Representatives Matt Carothers Mcarothers88@yahoo.com 508-785-0770 Alex Mehlman amehlman@yahoo.com 781-461-8510

1982 Class Representative Allison Nash Mael emael@msn.com 617-332-0925 Alexandra Ehrlich manages the Valentino boutique on Newbury Street. “After three years of trying, I finally made the playoffs in my fantasy football league,” reports Rutledge

Sally Solomon sallysolomon@alumni.neu.edu Thanks to your Reunion Committee: Lalla Carothers, Kevin McCarthy, and Sally Solomon, your 30th Reunion is right around the corner — please join your classmates on Saturday, May 9, 2009 for this special occasion. For more information please contact Eliza Drachman-Jones in the Alumni Office at 617-274-6022 or alumni@parkschool.org.

“In the last year, I have moved to a new house in Lexington, taken a new job as a pathologist at Winchester Hospital, and changed my name back to Nina Frusztajer — all good things, but I have to say I’ll be happy if this year is not quite so eventful!” “This year has been a good one for my husband, David, and me, with a few changes to the status quo,” reports Sally Solomon. “We moved from Cambridge (where David had lived for 17 years) back to Brookline, my old stomping ground. A really big move was that I left my job at Northeastern University, where I had been for 17 years (we figured we’d work around a theme). I followed a long-held interest of working directly

CLASS OF 1979 — 30TH REUNION!

The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009

33

Alice Storey Wille ’80

(1965 –2008)

When Myra Paci ’80 learned that her classmate Alice Storey Wille had died of cancer on June 7, 2008, she encouraged her classmates to honor Alice’s memory in the pages of this Bulletin. Many thanks to Barbara Storey McGrath ’70 for sending photographs of her late sister.

Remembering Alice by Myra Paci ’80 First of all there’s her name. Alice. With the tall, forthright A at the beginning followed by that sibilant second syllable, whispering her mysterious power. And then the last name: Storey. When you were seven or eight years old you might confuse whether it was the thing you read or a part of a building but in either case it fit her because she was a worthy subject for a book and formidable enough to be built of brick and mortar.

Over our elementary and middle school years I often went to her house, first passing through the kitchen: a professional-looking affair with restaurant capabilities, invariably filled with a smattering of sisters, stepsiblings, her step-father Charlie, and of course her mom, Adair, grinning at me wickedly, sipping from a glass of wine, and more often than not stirring a pot of something on the stove that emitted a heavenly perfume. Everyone would greet me heartily and with slightly ironic smiles on their faces–here comes that skinny, mop-haired Paci girl again. Alice and I would run upstairs to her bedroom, close the door, and listen for hours to—this is embarrassing to admit— Elton John. We’d swoon to his love songs, worry over his losses, and practice our dance moves in the mirror to his pop beats. We’d talk about our friends, our enemies, boys we liked. We’d maybe make a bead necklace or weave a bracelet—some miraculous skill Alice had learned from her four older sisters. She’d yell back at them fiercely when they yelled through the door to turn Elton down.

The whole scenario captivated me. I had two older brothers, curly haired and slight like me, not tall, imposing sisters with long, straight blonde hair (the attribute I most coveted in life) and a high quotient of cool.

Like her sisters, Alice was a completely different physical animal from me. I can thank the precision of childhood powers of observation for still being able to visualize the round

34

of the in the back er and Alice kn ul Fa le App uck.

Faulkner’s tr

smallness of her nostrils, the flatness of her nose, her neat, thin lips with their pronounced bow, her square, even teeth, and perhaps most vividly, her seemingly endless limbs. Her legs and arms extended as though to the horizon and bore a light, shiny filigree of golden hairs.

I would admire the silver and rope bracelets that only enhanced her narrow but hardly fragile wrists. Her long, elegant fingers enchanted me. Her long, elegant feet astounded me. In the summer, her body would turn a golden tan, her hair a flaxen blonde, and her goddess-like stature would only increase in my eyes.

One memory encapsulates so much of what I feel about Alice. One day—was it in 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade or maybe even later?— Ms. Knight, our exigent but quietly doting P.E. teacher, told us we were going to engage in a

The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009

series of endurance tests. I remember the room: not the bright, cavernous basketball court with the honey-colored oak floor and high ceilings but a low, dark, unpleasant little room facing the front of the school. We had to move through several physical tests: how many pull-ups could we do, how many push-ups, how many sit-ups, and so on. For the sit-up portion Alice and I ended up as partners, one person sitting on the other’s ankles while the supine one performed the exercise. I managed fifty or so. I thought I’d done rather well and settled down smugly on Alice’s ankles so she could give it a try. I sat on her bony lower legs and watched first with indifference, then irritation as she easily surpassed my fifty, then amazement as she continued indefatigably toward 200 then 300, then worry as she showed fatigue but did not stop. The room

slowly emptied as our classmates finished their tests and wandered off to the locker rooms to shower, dress, and meet their rides home. I’m sure one or two friends hung on, watching Alice, gape-mouthed in wonder at her strength and endurance. Ms. Knight stayed on as well of course, looking both concerned and impressed. Alice’s slim, muscular torso kept its rhythm down and up from the mat, even when her round face was red and sweaty and displayed her exhaustion. But she was determined, her jaw set, her blonde hair pulled back in a loose pony tail, her eyes focused inward on her goal. She smiled wearily now and then when she passed another hundred or one of us exclaimed in delighted amazement. When the winter afternoon’s darkness had already turned the glass door black, she reached one thousand and lay back triumphantly on the springy gymnastics mat. She held her sore stomach muscles and groaned, but looked—and was— utterly victorious.

I find it hard to believe that Alice is gone. She was an emblem of power for me as a child, both in her equine grace and easy braininess, and in the perhaps slightly less benign sway she held over so many of us in our class. She was without a doubt one of the queen bees in the classroom for years: in four square and our more formal after-school sports, with the boys for whose attention we competed, and in the intricate hierarchy that we girls created for ourselves. When I left Park School after eighth grade to jump-start my high school years, I left with some regret the exciting jockeying of our queen bee power games and with even more regret close friends like Alice.

The last time I saw Alice was at her first wedding back in the late eighties after college and recently following my father’s death.

Unfortunately I was in a daze of grief that kept me from being as fully present as I would have liked. But I kept in touch with her sporadically over the years and knew she was experiencing some difficulties. My other close friends from our class—Apple Faulkner, Sudie Naimi, Jenny Swett—and I discussed how we could reach out to Alice and help her bring herself back to health and to her shining strength. Not much came of those talks that I know of except perhaps a few more phone calls and emails to her. In my mind, she remained far away and maddeningly impossible to save.

Alice’s death shakes me not only for the loss of all she was, all her potential, but also because it reminds me that I barely scraped by to continue my own life after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2000. I fre-

quently wonder why I survived and Alice did not. Discounting the particulars of our differing cancers, why could she not have been given a reprieve as well? I mourn Alice, and grieve for the bright future that I often hoped she was on the verge of grasping with her long, beautiful hands.

A few memories of Alice seem to have stuck in my head; I remember her showing up to school in fourth grade dressed like one of the girls from Little House on the Prairie (which was a big hit at the time), and everyone got a kick out of that because she looked almost exactly like one of the characters. She was always so poised, and she had a great sense of humor.

—Andres Hurwitz ’80

I think I would describe Alice as the original “Queen Bee.” People just buzzed around her, were attracted to her sense of humor, her way of telling a story, her smarts and her long blonde hair. She was a gifted mimic, capturing voices and quirks of speech with perfect timing. She had a strong personality—bossy, even—but she was so much fun that you just wanted to follow her ideas, be near her. At least I did. I always remember that Alice had the best handwriting, the longest braids, the widest stride for the 12-minute mile and a great laugh. Alice made everything look easy.

— Jessica Slosberg Benjamin ‘80 I remember hanging out in her bedroom exhaustively listening with intense passion to—yes, I am outing us—Billy Joel. On vinyl!

I remember her thick silver bracelets, which I coveted. And yes, I remember that flaxen blond hair and legginess and all the boys tripping all over and around her.

—Elisabeth Subrin ’80 It’s so long ago, but like Myra, I have a very visual image of Alice. All lanky legs and arms and, of course, the smile—I can really picture her smile. A very sunny personality. She was always enthusiastic and game for anything, I remember.

—Adrienne Brodeur ’80

I recall Alice as an athletic, vibrant kid who was always very hip and popular. Some years ago I read in the Bulletin that she had gotten married and was raising her daughter. No doubt her spirit and energy left many positive imprints and I join with our class in extending collective condolences to her family.

—Erica Johanson DeBenedictis ’80 I remember that Alice was the last in line at gym show, which meant that she was the most skilled, and that she was. Her routines were so graceful and always included those moves that so many of us were not able to perfect.

She was so statuesque, long, lanky and held herself with such poise at a time when poise was not even part of the curriculum. I remember spending time at her home, which always seemed to be a bit of a retreat as it was such a comfortable place, and I just remember all of the older girls (the Storey sisters) lingering about. Four square, bombardment— you name it Alice was right in there leading the pack. It was so sad to learn about her death this year and I will always have fond memories of Alice.

—Jillian Rudman ’80

ara Storey t to right: Barb 2006. From lef Frank ’73, in ey er or th St ge n to sa Su ters ey Meley ’71, The Storey sis or St 0 i ’8 im M ille e the lat Storey W McGrath ’70, d the late Alice derson ’76 an Eliza Storey An

The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009

35

Simmons. “I lost in the semi-finals.”

Last summer, Andrew Winter’s family moved to Hanover, New Hampshire. “Our family has grown with the addition of “Stella,” a female yellow Labrador. Ethan is in 6th grade in the newly built middle school, plays tackle football and electric bass. Reed is in 4th grade, plays tackle football and electric guitar.

Mason is in 2nd grade, plays flag football and drums. We are rocking in the granite state. Please come visit!”

1983 Class Representative Lisa Livens Freeman llivens@hotmail.com 508-878-2953 European representative Jonathan Chaloff reports: “After 13 years in Rome, I moved to Paris in 2007, dragging my two year-old daughter, Yamima, along.” The winner of the longest commute is: Sandy Bergland! “I commute to Memphis from my home in Park City, Utah, where I am a pilot for FedEx. I fly the MD-11 domestically and internationally. The class notes from the 25th Reunion were great! Everyone looks well.” We heard from Walter Doyle this fall: “Being back in Boston has been great and I have run into many of my fellow Park alumni

friends. I shared some fish with Nick Nyhan who just returned from six months in Paris with his wife and two children. Nick is enjoying life in Brooklyn fixing-up a brownstone and was volunteering some of his free time to the Obama campaign while he awaits the arrival of his third child. Will Robb came to town with some extra Red Sox tickets this fall and Rob Ball and I were lucky enough to get the call! It was a great game and Will and I took notes from Rob’s comprehensive database of Red Sox facts and figures! I ran into Ian O’Keeffe at the North End skating rink where we both take our children to skating lessons. Ian has four kids, is living on the Hill and is threatening to come and join me in the geriatric hockey league I play in — would be fun to see if the O’Keeffe/Doyle combo can still make a couple plays together after 25 years. I have bumped into and seen lots of others around town who are all doing well and busy raising wonderful families.

Carl Prindle, Sarah Caner Gaylord, Lisa Livens Freeman, Stephens Dunne, and many others.

What a great class we have!” “After five years in San Francisco and five years in N.Y.C., I’m back in Brookline, a mile from where I grew up!,” writes Juliet Siler Eastland. “Is this what they mean by the “circle of life?” Busy as a part-time freelance writer and full-time wife and mom to

Andrew Winter ’82 and family welcomed a canine friend to the clan this year.

Pictured here are sons Ethan, Reed, and Mason with Stella.

two lovely daughters. Life is good.”

Josh Wolman and his wife, Rachel, and their kids, Lily (6) and Graham (4) moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma this year. Josh is now the director of advancement at Holland Hall School.

“Last year, in Washington D.C., when I worked at Sidwell Friends School, we saw classmate Laurie Kohn and her family regularly. I was sorry to miss the reunion; though I loved reading all about my classmates, their families, and life experiences. I truly hope to be there for my 30th!”

The Park School

Reunion Weekend

Saturday, May 9, 2009 – Sunday, May 10, 2009 3:00–4:00 PM : Tour the “Old Park School” on Kennard Road 4:00–5:00 PM : Tour today’s Park School

25th Reunion

Class Representative Anne Collins Goodyear ACG610@gmail.com 703-931-9016 Thanks to your Reunion Committee: Anne Collins Goodyear, Brad Moriarty, Tara Albright Robinson, Elena Thompson, Laura Church Wilmerding, and Phoebe Gallagher Winder, your 25th Reunion is right around the corner — please join your classmates on Saturday, May 9, 2009 for this special occasion. For more

1999 –10th Reunion 1994 –15th Reunion

1989 – 20th Reunion

1984 – 25th Reunion

1979 – 30th Reunion 1974 – 35th Reunion

7:30 PM : Individual class dinners off-campus

1969 – 40th Reunion

To learn more, contact Eliza Drachman-Jones, Director of Alumni Relations alumni@parkschool.org or 617-274-6022

1959 – 50th Reunion

5:00– 7:00 PM : All-class party in the new Park School Library

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1984

The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009

1964 – 45th Reunion

A financial planner with his own business, Jonathan Kurtz lives in Great Falls, Virginia with wife, Susan, and two children.

1986 Class Representatives Mark Epker mepker@beaconcommunitiesllc.com 781-326-4299 Jay Livens jlivens@sloan.mit.edu 978-318-0866 Jonah Givelber writes from Tacoma, Washington, “Life is going very well.

Our boys, Julen (7) and Luka (4) are enjoying school. My wife and I are doing well. Unfortunately, we won’t be in Brookline at all this year, but, as always, it remains close to my heart.”

And we also heard from Kenneth Kurtz. He is a physician, living in Villanova, Pennsylvania with his wife, Kari, and three children.

1987 CLASS OF 1984 — 25TH REUNION!

information please contact Eliza Drachman-Jones in the Alumni Office at alumni@parkschool.org or 617-274-6022.

From Switzerland, Natascha Geilich Armleder writes: “I’ve lived here for 16 years now! Sébastien and I have two children, Tassilo (4) and Cosima (3). I am also doing my masters in counseling. I hope to make it to the Reunion, but it is doubtful, as I will have just returned from the States two weeks earlier. However I have been happy to catch up with some of you through Facebook.” “I am married on Long Island with three kids,” reports Donald Barrick. I have converted my wife, Nancy, and raised all three kids: Emily (10), Christopher (7), and Brandon (3) as Boston fans.

The kids all annoy their classmates by wearing Sox and Pats paraphernalia. I know I’m one of very few people who think it’s cool that the Sox have a high prospect named Lars Anderson! Scary that he was born well after we left Park (we’re getting old!)” Anne Collins Goodyear sends word that “my husband Frank and I continue to enjoy living in Washington, D.C. and working together as curators at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery. Frank is in the Department of Photographs and I’m in the Department of Prints and Drawings. Later this spring and dur-

ing the summer, two exhibitions I’ve helped organize will be on view: “Inventing Marcel Duchamp: The Dynamics of Portraiture” (March 27–August 2, 2009) and “Reflections/Refractions: SelfPortraiture in the Twentieth Century” (April 10–August 16, 2009). Hope you can come see them. If so, please let me know. I look forward to seeing my classmates and meeting spouses and children at our upcoming 25th (gasp) Reunion!” “Hello to everyone in the Class of ’84!” says Kate McNay Koch. She is still enjoying life in rural Peru, Vermont with Bill and kids Mehana (8) and Will (7). In 2007, Elena Wethers Thompson moved to Maryland with her family.

“We are settling in with our two children, Tessa (3 1/2) and Ellis (21 months). It’s an adjustment and I miss Boston but it is nice to be closer to family. I finally joined Facebook last month and have been connected with past Park classmates, which is great! Would love to be in touch with many more and to see some of you at our spring reunion. I am going to start a Facebook Group for our class so please look out for it and join the group. I still keep in touch with Jessica Pearlman and Alicia Lancaster Silva regularly. Hope you (my former classmates) are all doing well and are happy.”

1985 Class Representatives Rachel Levine Foley rlfoles@aol.com 781-559-8148 Hattie Dane Kessler hdkessler@yahoo.com 617-739-9639 Melissa Daniels Madden melissamadden@comcast.com 781-237-4959

Class Representatives Mary Sarah Baker Mary.sarah.baker@gmail.com 212-595-5887 Geoff Glick gsglick@rcn.com 508-893-8912 “I’m still moving full speed ahead to catch up with my sons, Aidan (3) and Sawyer (2),” admits Natalie Coggeshall Nelson. “There’s nothing like experiencing the world through the eyes and heart of a toddler (or two!)”

Natascha Geilich Armeleder ’84 and family at the beach

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37

❇ Sarah Swett ’98, Greg Kadetsky ’96, and Nia Lutch ’97

Allison Morse ’89 and Jonathan Mitchell ‘89

ALUMNI HOLIDAY PARTY

Janice Allen conducts young singers in Pre-Kindergarten through Grade III

DECEMBER 4, 2008

Ellen and Joe Koltun ’85 brought little Gabriella to the party!

❆

❄

Gigi Saltonstall and Rich Knapp, both Class of 1990

Alumni, faculty, and staff celebrated the winter holidays at Park on an early December evening. Musical performances by Park’s children’s choir and PACE (Park’s Adult Choral

Ensemble) complemented the festive atmosphere and hearty fare in the

Nia Lutch ’97, Sarah Swett ’98, Meg Lloyd ’98, and Bri Connolly ’01 who have all been interns at Park!

library, which was transformed into

Scottie Brigham Faeber ’57, Amy Lampert ’63 and Ruthie Chute Knapp ’57

a convivial and cozy venue for the occasion. Park’s Alumni Committee organized a children’s book drive to benefit Cradles to Crayons. The School was delighted to welcome back its alumni and friends to kick

❇

off the holiday season!

Laura Church Wilmerding ’84, Michael Wilmerding, and Bri Connolly ’01

1984 classmates Phoebe Gallagher Winder and Laura Church Wilmerding

Josh Dorfman ’90 and Peter Amershadian

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Even the little ones know “Children Go Where I Send Thee!”

The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009

❆

Amanda and Abbott Lawrence ’85 with Tim Sullivan ‘85

❇

1988 Class Representative Liza Cohen Gates lgates@digitas.com 617-267-6184 “Tree planting in Guinea, growing peanuts, eating sufficient quantities of diverse tropical fruits, working with folks to conserve biodiversity resources, and enjoying the shade (one of the immensely important services performed by trees) all continue to be my principal pastimes,” reports Jordan Kimball. “I cannot remember who the Park School teacher was who shared Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree with us in the early years, but it was a key literary moment in my life, which helped lead me to one of my life-long objectives — to love trees for their supreme importance to life on Earth, and help promote their conservation and propagation. Much respect due to Park for planting trees throughout the land.” Karen Kurtz Matzkin, who is an attorney, lives with her husband Drew and two children in Newton. Ramsay Westgate sends word from San Jose where he is in his fifth year teaching 11th & 12th grade at The Harker School, a private K-12 high school. “The school is a snapshot of Silicon Valley life, with most of my students being first-generation-born American citizens, and largely coming from the Indian subcontinent or the Far East (China & Taiwan). My wife, Andrea, teaches at a nearby public high school, and our daughter, Sarah (a precocious and energetic dynamo), turned three in December. Love to hear from any Park alums living in the Bay Area, and hope to make it back for reunion 25 since I missed number 20.”

1989

20th Reunion

Class Representatives Dahlia Aronson dahliabeth@gmail.com 617-969-5045 Ian Glick ibglick@aol.com 617-264-7198 Rebecca Lewin Scott Rebecca.scott@earthlink.com 781-772-1946 Thanks to your Reunion Committee: Ali Epker Ruch, Allison Morse, Jordan Scott, and Rebecca Lewin Scott, your 20th Reunion is right around the corner — please join your classmates on Saturday, May 9, 2009 for this special occasion. For more information please contact

CLASS OF 1989 — 20TH REUNION!

Eliza Drachman-Jones in the Alumni Office at alumni@parkschool.org or 617-274-6022.

1990 Class Representatives Zac Cherry zcherry@nb.com 212-863-3339 Alex Rabinksy arabinsky@hotmail.com 773-645-4381 Zachary Cherry let us know that he moved to Palm Beach at the end of 2008 to become the vice president of finance for Energy S.O., LLC. “We’re developing renewable energy properties around the world. Hope everyone in the Park family is well.”

We also heard from David Hans: “This fall, I co-founded a law firm in Manhattan, which specializes in media law, intellectual property, and insurance coverage disputes (www.smallmanhansllp.com). We are currently representing former CIA officer Valerie Plame Wilson and Simon & Shuster, Inc. in a First Amendment dispute involving government censorship of public domain information that Wilson sought to publish in her 2007 memoir, Fair Game. The case will be argued in the

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in early January 2009.”

Congratulations to Aisha Yasin on her marriage to Lawrence Irving Celester, Jr. On August 31, 2008, 150 family and friends gathered at The Lord Thompson Manor in Thompson, Connecticut for the

service and reception. Park School alumni Jaime Quiros ’93, Keisha Powell, Christina DeVaughn, and Tamika Smith cheered Larry and Aisha on at the joyous event, and Aisha’s siblings Tariq Yasin ’93 and Malaiqa Yasin ’97 were in the wedding party!

ALU M N I E-MAIL DRIVE! You can help Park get GREENER! We want to increase our electronic communications with alumni and reduce our carbon footprint.

Please make sure that we have your updated e-mail address. Drop us a line with your name and class year to Alumni@parkschool.org.

We’d also love to hear your NEWS for the next issue of the Bulletin!

Thank you!

The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009

39

1991

1996

Class Representative Needed

Class Representatives Nick Brescia nick_e_pockets@hotmail.com 781-646-4229

A belated congratulations to David Coggeshall who married Lori Evans in June 2007.

Merrill Hawkins merrillhawkins@gmail.com 617-699-6260

1993 Class Representatives Jessica Ko Beck jessicako@gmail.com 917-691-3540

Katayoun Shahroki Katayoun_shahrokhi@yahoo.com Kathrene Tiffany ktiffany@gmail.com

Jaime Quiros qstips@yahoo.com 617-522-3622 Ali Ross alross@gmail.com 646-528-4248

Anna Sullivan ’95, Ashley Hall ’97, Suzy McManmon ’97, Ladd Levis-Thorne ’96, Astrid Levis-Thorne ‘98, and George Sargent ’96

Emily Braucher writes from Bogota, Colombia: “I am doing research for my anthropology master’s on displaced women here in Bogota. It is challenging work on a challenging topic but I am meeting inspiring and wonderful people.

I am happy to be living with my boyfriend’s family here in the city and come day soon I will make it back to Boulder, Colorado.” “I’m living in Jamaica Plain with my wife and beautiful one-year-old daughter,” reports Clark Freifeld. “I’m a graduate student at the MIT Media Lab.” Congratulations to Lawrence Perera on his marriage to Lynne Duquette last spring in Taos, New Mexico. We also heard from Ivy Redd, who is working for a real estate company in Atlanta.

1994

1995 Class Representatives Lilla Curran lillacurran@gmail.com 617-480-7673 Matt Stahl StahlM@cbsnews.com 617-353-0961 Alisha Crutchfield grew up on Mission Hill and graduated from The Steppingstone Foundation’s 14-month academic program in 1992, when she enrolled at Park. After graduating Park in 1994 and BB&N in 1998, she attended UMass Amherst. She moved

to New York without knowing anyone and without a firm job, but became an intern at Def Jam Music.

Outside of the typical administrative work, Alisha began helping to style the new artists. She assisted Ludacris’s stylist for two years and now is the CEO and head stylist for Stylewise, a professional stylist company to celebrities, as well as the founder and CEO of Mogul Impact Entertainment, a talent-booking agency. She has styled clients including Kanye West, Vanessa Williams, Ludacris, Dave Chapelle, Patti Labelle, and Russell Simmons for magazines, movies and music videos.

15th Reunion

Class Representatives Alan Bern alanbp1@yahoo.com 781-326-8091 Jake Peters Stuff_parkschool@jake.net 617-395-8288 Aba Taylor abtaylor829@gmail.com 617-361-6370 Thanks to your Reunion Committee: Jen Berylson, Jake Peters, Hilary Sargent, and Kristen Sullivan, your 15th Reunion is right around the corner — please join your classmates on Saturday, May 9, 2009 for this special occasion. For more information please contact Eliza Drachman-Jones in the Alumni Office at 617-274-6022 or alumni@parkschool.org.

CLASS OF 1994 — 15TH REUNION!

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The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009

Anna Capezzera sends us this news: “I moved to Silver Lake, in East L.A., and landed a job with The Media Access Group at WGBH. It’s kind of funny that I moved all the way out to California and ended up with a job based in Boston. My job title is “Describer,” and I wish I had a concise way of explaining what I do. In a very simplified sense, we turn movies and TV shows into a sort of book-ontape, so that a blind person can hear a full description of what’s happening while the program is actually running. It doesn’t take the place of dialogue or soundtrack, it just gets added in, so you can still hear the actual actors speaking and the music/sound effects that were composed for the program. It’s a great job, and I enjoy the opportunity to see a number of films before their release. Other than that, I’m definitely liking the mild winters out here, and I saw Hannah Labaree about a month ago when

she passed through the area.” “Hello from Portland, Oregon!” writes Jonathan Sheffi. “Well, after living all over the west coast for four and a half years, it’s finally time to come home. Last week I was accepted to Harvard Business School, and I am eagerly looking forward to it. I was in Boston when I heard, and celebrated with many old friends, including Greg Schwanbeck. I also recently met up with Zac Johnson when he was visiting Portland for a few days, and with Julia Kung and Liz Prives when I was down in Palo Alto. Hope everyone else is doing well in these tough times.”

1997 Class Representatives Suzy McManmon smcmanmon@svip.com 919-949-8262 Sarah Conway Sarah.r.conway@gmail.com 617-501-5837 Sarah Conway writes, “I had a nice holiday season in the U.S., including a few days in Boston. I spent a great

1998 Classmates: Eliza Drachman-Jones, Daphne Johnson, Abbie Johnson, Jonathan Tucker, and Alex Aronson

Jonathan Tucker ’98 bumped into his third grade teacher, Ann Kopp, while traveling this year

deal of that time at the Lewis’ house, hanging with Anna, Chloe ’99, and Eve ’04. One night I grabbed drinks with Anna, Nia Lutch, and Fred Warburg, and I also spent time with Anna and Fred on New Year’s Eve. Everyone is doing well — Anna is back living in L.A. working at a consulting firm, Fred is in finance in Boston, and

1998

park update If you were “friends” with Park on Facebook, you may have noticed that our presence disappeared suddenly. In January 2009, the Park Alumni Facebook Profile was shut down due to Facebook.com protocol.

Since then, we have established a Park School Alumni Association Fan Page. Please join us and learn about events, look at photos, and connect with fellow Park Alumni. To find this page, enter “Park School Alumni Association” into the search field and become a fan.

Links to Facebook and LinkedIn can be found on Park’s alumni website:

www.parkschool.org/alumni Connect with other Park alumni today!

Nia is an intern at Park. I’m now back in Bali, Indonesia where I continue to work at a consulting firm specializing in conservation finance.

I have upcoming trips to the forest of Sulawesi in Indonesia, the Philippines, Palau, Laos, and Hong Kong, some for work, some for play. I’m also studying for my CFA Level III exam, which I will take (and hopefully pass!) in June. If you find yourself in South East Asia, please let me know!”

Severine Fleming is directing The Greenhorns, a documentary about young farmers in America. She is living, farming, and bicycling in the Hudson valley of New York. www.thegreenhorns.net. Paul Naddaff is currently working for PUMA North America as the sports marketing manager. He is focusing on building awareness of PUMA’s high-performance running product line. Since starting a year and a half ago, the running business has grown by 35%. Paul writes that he is “still holding my monthly Big Kids Dodgeball Tournaments — going five years strong!” www.BigKidsDodgeball.com. Paul also tells us “I’m living out my dream of making cool toys/gadgets.

I recently came up with an idea for a great remote control toy and hired an engineering firm to build me a working prototype. I’m in the process of pitching the concept to major toy companies with the intention of them buying the idea.” Liz Grote Ouellet had a boy named Dylan Justin Ouellet on January 5, 2009. Liz writes “He was six pounds, three ounces, 19 inches long, and we are enjoying every second with him.”

The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009

Class Representatives Lydia Hawkins lydiahawk@hotmail.com 508-362-8225 Meg Lloyd Buggs6@gmail.com 617-571-1631 Sarah Swett Swett.sarah@gmail.com 617-794-8164 From New Orleans, Dave Liebowitz writes, “I am teaching high school English and have been doing this for the last two years. Despite some challenges, it has been a great time, and I love the city. I still keep in touch with a few folks from Park and was sorry I missed the reunion.”

1999

10th Reunion

Class Representatives Colin Arnold tanker223@gmail.com Elizabeth Weyman weymane@gmail.com 781-237-5957 Susanna Whitaker-Rahilly s.w.rahilly@gmail.com 781-248-6231 Thanks to your Reunion Committee: Ally Connors, Grace Faturoti, Alex Goldstein, Margaret Gormley, Ben Hindman, Chloe Lewis, Franklin Ross, and Greg Vernick, your 10th Reunion is right around the corner — please join your classmates on Saturday, May 9, 2009 for this special occasion. For more information please contact Eliza Drachman-Jones in the Alumni Office at 617-274-6022 or alumni@parkschool.org.

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CLASS OF 1999 — 10TH REUNION!

Read about Colin Arnold’s experiences as a firefighter-paramedic in Berkeley, CA on page 16 of this Bulletin. In November, Alex Goldstein accepted a new position as the Press Secretary for Governor Patrick’s Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development. And, David Kenner recently returned from two years in Lebanon, where he worked as a journalist for Now Lebanon and worked on a master’s at the American University of Beirut. His is now living in Washington D.C., writing for Foreign Policy magazine while finishing his master’s thesis. Since graduating from Yale, Rebekah Emanuel has been pursuing answers to these two questions: What are the determinants that drive an injured party down a constructive versus a destructive path?

How can communities, laws, and institutions help? She has studied in the Middle East and Uganda, and will spend 2009-10 in Ireland on a George Mitchell fellowship. In Ireland, she wants to explore: What can human rights law teach us about creating and adjudicating processes that limit vio-

Top to bottom: 1998 classmates Meg Lloyd, Eliza Drachman-Jones, Matt Krouner, and Sarah Swett; Carlos Castillo’07, Sarah Swett’98, and friend; Alex Lutch ’02 and Nia Lutch ’97

Park Pub Night in Boston October 23, 2008 On a crisp fall evening in October, 20 Park alums gathered at Dillon’s in Boston for Park Pub Night.

Friends from the Classes of 1990–2000 came together for a fun evening of laughter and libations. A huge thanks goes to the Park Young Alumni Sub-Committee for planning and promoting this great event. We are looking forward to our next Park Pub Night in Boston this spring—hope to see you there!

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The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009

Top to bottom: Jessica Whitman ’00 and Spencer Bush-Brown ’00; Merrill Hawkins ’96, Kathrene Tiffany ’96, Rich Knapp ’90 and Jeff Tulman ’90; Sarah Shoukimas, Sarah Conway, and Fred Warburg – all ’97

more AP exams as a senior at the Commonwealth School.

2005 Class Representatives Lily Bullitt Lily_bullitt@yahoo.com Ashley Sharp asharp@deerfield.edu

Congratulations to Rebekah Emanuel ’99 on being awarded a George Mitchell fellowship for 2009 –10.

Fay Rotenberg ’00, Camilla Hammer ’03, Jay Manzi ’02, and Lee Rotenberg’02

lence? What can transitional-justicestructures do to create empowering outlets for grief? What can social anthropology teach us about how ritual, relationship, and community guide people scarred by tragedy?

Rebekah explains, Ireland “is an island that has endured much tragedy, and many have had to figure out what to do with grief. It is an island where the same generation that has seen active conflict is making the transition to a thriving new set of futures.” Congratulations from all of your friends at Park!

where I will be or what I will be doing next year, but teaching is a likely possibility. At Bowdoin, I am a freshman proctor, museum docent, senior interviewer for the admissions office, and an active member of the outing club.” Rebecca also writes that she recently saw former classmate and close friend, Caitlin Dick, at the Clayroom in Brookline, where we caught up on life and painted pottery.

“Unfortunately, since Caitlin and I took a year off after high school, many of our classmates aren’t around, because they are working!

We feel lucky to have one more opportunity to relax before entering into the real world, and we are grateful to our classmates for providing a preview of what is to come. So while I miss the good old days, I look forward to the future.”

2000 Class Representative Jessica Whitman Whitman.jessica@gmail.com We saw Sara Redd and her dad at the Alumni Clambake in the fall. Sara has been teaching tennis and was heading off to business school at Simmons this January.

2001 Class Representatives Diego Alvarado d_alvarado@massbay.edu Ben Bullitt bbullit@gmail.com Lenny Dosoretz is working in Providence for the Attorney General.

You can find Julia Rosenthal working in New York City as a sales and marketing assistant for Molton Brown, a luxury skincare company.

Rebecca Spiro writes “I am currently a senior at Bowdoin College majoring in visual arts and art history and minoring in Spanish. I am not sure

2002

across the street from Sara’o Bery.

Occasionally she also runs into Jesse Coburn and Alejandro Alvarado.

2003 Class Representative Diana Rutherford drutherford@berklee.net At Spelman College, Rachel Redd is a theater major.

2004 Class Representatives Steven Fox Steven.fox@richmond.edu

Sabrina Lee, Olamide Oladipo, and Gordie Sayre all graduated cum laude from Milton last spring. Sabrina, as Head Monitor, received the James S. Willis Memorial Award. Gordie received The Performing Arts Award, and Olamide was awarded The Gorham Palfrey Faucon Prize “for demonstrated interest and outstanding achievement in history and social science.” We read in the Brookline TAB last fall that Simon Reale qualified for the AP Scholar with Distinction Award, earning an average grade of at least 3.5 (out of a possible 5) on all exams taken and grades of 3 or higher on five or more exams taken Spring 2008 as a senior at Nobles.

Congratulations to everyone!

2006 Class Representative McCall Cruz Mccall_cruz@yahoo.com

2007

Molly Lebow mlebow@tulane.edu

Class Representatives Thomas Cope 617-522-5662 thcope@mxschool.edu

Jared Walske qualified for the AP Scholar Award, earning an average grade of at least three on three or

Ben Schwartz 617-413-0995 ben_schwartz@bbns.org

Class Representative Alex Lebow alexlebow@gmail.com “I’m heading off to New Orleans after graduation to participate in the Teach for America program,” reports Alex Lebow. “I spent New Years with fellow Park classmates Matt Weinberg, Sam Hawkins, Alejandro Alvarado, Molly Boskey and Amy Kurzweil.” We hear that “Julia Spiro is in the English honors program at Harvard and is planning on writing a thesis next year. She serves as the associate editor for the Crimson’s weekly magazine, Fifteen Minutes, and also serves as a student docent at the Harvard Art Museum.”

At Wesleyan, Meg Weisman is busy writing her senior creative writing thesis, singing a cappella, and living

On “Mountain Day” in September, Cushing Academy students Louisa Carroll ’07 (left) and Colin Redd ’07 (second from right) posed on top of Mt. Monadnock with other friends.

The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009

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1

2

Clockwise from top: 1. Emily Bloch and Johnny Murchison, both ’09; 2. Eliza Cover ’09, Emily Meltzer ’08, Kendall MacRae ’08; 3. Alex Jundanian ’07 and Jacob Aduama ’07; 4. Rebecca MacRae ’06, Monica Stadeker ’06 and Steve Kellogg; 5. Peter Boskey ’05 and Clara Dennis ’05; 6. Augusta Winthrop ’09, Evan Joy McLaurin ’09, and Astrid Pacini ’09; 7. Manizeh Afridi ’08 and Jacob Aduama ’07; 8. 2007 Classmates Thomas Cope, Alex Jundanian, David Haviland, Ben Lampert, Brae Cabot, and Elyssa Carlson

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3

Young Alumni Bagel Breakfast

5

December 13, 2008 Dozens of young alumni from the classes of 2005–2009 crowded into the dining room on the morning of Yule Festival to reconnect with classmates and reminisce with Park teachers.

6

7

8

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The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009

2008

Former Faculty News

Class Representatives Manizeh Afridi 617-406-9339 manizeh252@yahoo.com

Jeff and Rebecca Abrams (current Grade I teacher) welcomed their new son Samuel Mitchell Abrams on January 23, 2009. “Weekly conversation keeps some of the rust off my ability to speak French,” reports former French teacher Lise Aubry. “My ‘Painting with Spirit’ class makes Mondays very special days and two book groups keep me reading, one of life’s greatest joys!” Matt and Erin Kelly Blute (Director of Annual Giving 2005-06) welcomed son Ryan Andrew Blute on November 4, 2008.

Erin writes, “It seems people all across the country are referring to Ryan’s birth day as “historic,” so I guess we’re not the only ones who think he’s special!” Former librarian

Marielle Rabins 617-838-9444 marielle_swim@yahoo.com As an eighth grader, Trace Smith spent four months away from Nobles to live and train at the one of the most rigorous ski academies in the country. At a severe disadvantage as only a weekend skier, Trace placed 14th at the Junior Olympics in spring of 07. He has trained in Chile numerous times, in Panorama, Canada, and Mt. Hood Oregon and raced all over east of the Mississippi. He owns 12 pairs of skis for the different events, has raced as fast as 60 mph and gotten frostbite on his feet. Wow!

2010 Park students at the Roxbury Latin School include Nick Spinale, who was elected president of his 8th grade class, and Khalif Mitchell, who sends his warm regards.

2011 Tenzin Thargay was elected president of his 7th grade class at Roxbury Latin.

Ryan Andrew Blute

Rusty True Browder writes, “I continue to love my role as K-8 librarian at the Lawrence School in Brookline.

And what a pleasure to welcome Park librarians Dorothea Black and Christian Porter as they explore options for Park’s gorgeous new library!” Former Assistant Head of School Wanda Holland Greene sends word that “Robert, David, Jonathan, and I are happily settled in San Francisco. The weather is gorgeous, but a bit cold in the summer, and the city itself is filled with diverse neighborhoods and incredible people.

Being the head of The Hamlin School is everything I hoped it would be. Lots of love to all my Park family.” (Read Wanda’s reflections on her trip to Washington in January for the presidential inauguration on page 47.)

Mary Jo Neish, who completed her student teaching requirement at Park during her senior year at Wheelock wrote with memories and news: “I had a really harsh master teacher with my senior year experience so it was really a windfall that Wheelock had two experiences and I landed at Park and a great situation in the nursery school. I live in a darling cabin in the Santa Cruz Mountains in California. I had my 70th birthday in September and am looking into senior apartments in Portland near my daughter Sarah Kate because I have taken a few spills here. I wish the entire Park family a happy and healthy new year!”

Aisha Yasin ’90 married Lawrence Irving Celester in August.

Weddings 1990 Aisha Yasin and Lawrence Irving Celester, Jr. August 31, 2008 1993 Lynne Duquette and Lawrence Perera ’93 March 20, 2008

Arrivals 1974 Henry Chin and Tina McVeigh James (Jamie) Higginson Mon-Tsi Chin June 20, 2008 1983 Craig Eastland and Juliet Siler Eastland Ella Eastland July 28, 2009 1984 Oliver and Tara Albright Robinson Anders Hazard Robinson September 3, 2008

Lawrence Perera ’93 married Lynne Duquette on March 20, 2008 in Taos, New Mexico. Park alums in attendance were Perera sisters Alice Lucey ’77, Lucy Adams ’84, and Caroline Barry ’79 as well as Alice’s sons and alums-to-be Henry Lucey ’09 and George Lucey ’11 (not pictured here).

The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009

Anders Hazard Robinson, son of Tara Albright Robinson ’84

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In Memoriam Jean Mallory Childs ’45 January 12, 2009 Elvira Growdon January 22, 2009 Parents’ Association President (1980-1982) Mother of Allegra Growdon Richdale ’83 and Whit Growdon ’91

Jamie Higginson Mon-Tsi Chin, son of Tina McVeigh ’74, pictured here with big sister, Lizzie.

Marjorie LeMay November 27, 2008 Mother of Tamsin Knox ’70 and Eugene Knox ’71 Grandmother of Brendan Yucel ’10, Simon Yucel ’10, and Morgan Yucel ’08

Gabriella Adele Koltun, daughter of Joe Koltun ’85

Caleb Winder and Phoebe Gallagher Winder Charlie Winder June 21, 2008

J. Daniel Nyhart December 6, 2008 Trustee 1963-1974 Father of Nicholas Nyhart ’70, Lynn Nyhart ’72, and Andrew Nyhart ’76

1985 Ellen Crowley-Koltun and Joe Koltun Gabriella Adele Koltun September 7, 2008 Amanda and Abbott Lawrence Estelle Prescott Lawrence November 8, 2008

Ashley Dodd Phipps ’91 sent us this photo of her children, Harper and Ogden.

Anne Wight Phillips’31 February 12, 2009 Mother of Asa Phillips ’72 and Anne Phillips Ogilby ’73 Erdna M. Reggio Rogers ’31 February 8, 2009 Sister of Nicholas Reggio ’40

1986 Amy and Peter Barkan Lila Rose Barkan August 19, 2008

Robert Morse Sturgis ’53 February 13, 2009

1991 Mina and Jim O’Keefe Kaylee O’Keefe January 8, 2009 Ogden Phipps and Ashley Dodd Phipps Ogden Mills Phipps II August 12, 2008

Theodore C. Haffenreffer, Jr. December 27, 2008 Father of Beth Haffenreffer Scholle ’74 Grandfather of Liza Scholle ’10

Roger Sonnabend December 7, 2008 Father of Andrea Sonnabend ’66, Stephanie Sonnabend ’68, Jacqueline Sonnabend ’69, and Alan Sonnabend ’72 Adrienne DeVaughn ’92 sent in this great photo of her twins Josiah and Joshua.

1992 Adrienne De Vaughan Joshua Davis De Vaughn and Josiah David De Vaughn November 23, 2008 1997 Justin Ouellet and Liz Grote Ouellet Dylan Justin Ouellet January 5, 2009

Ellen Simonds Stout ’41 December 23, 2008 Mother of William Stout ’70 and Ellen Lee Stout ’72 Sister of Amy Simonds Naimi ’49 Aunt of Timothy Naimi ’79, Susan Naimi DiGiovanni ’80, and Cameron Naimi ’84 Lydia Xypteras November 29, 2008 Park School Chef 1969-1972 Teresa Waye January 1, 2009 Mother of Alex Waye ’10 and Nathaniel Waye ’18

Dylan Justin Ouellet, son of Liz Grote Ouellet ’97

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The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009

Ms. Holland Greene Goes to Washington Wanda M. Holland Greene, Head of the Hamlin School in

talk about? Will we work diligently to breathe life into our creed each day so that every child benefits from a school that values honesty, responsibility, respect, care, and positive thinking?

San Francisco, was a beloved figure at Park from 1997–2008.

She wrote this essay for the Hamlin School community upon her return from the presidential inauguration in January, and wanted to share it with her Park School friends, as well.

I

t is February 20, and it has taken me exactly one month to thaw from the bone-chilling cold of Washington, D.C. and to fully process the experience of attending the 56th Inauguration of the 44th President and Vice-President of the United States of America. Throughout the past four weeks, I have often caught myself thinking about my three days in our nation’s capital; each reverie is filled with the magic and meaning of history — my own and that of this country. I was born and have given birth during the nervous excitement of presidential election years — 1968, 2004, and 2008 respectively — and President Obama was elected on November 4, my late father’s birthday.

(Oh, how James David Holland, born and raised in the Jim Crow South, would have beamed with pride as he cast his vote for an African-American man.) My memories of being in Washington are mainly jubilant, a few troubling, and others remain floating and uncategorized. I have chosen to capture in words four distinct memories — each one a bold and relentless thought that keeps coming up for air, refusing to drown in the rapid swirl of my life. It has become increasingly clear to me that I must rescue these ideas, savor the details, and keep them close. Casting these essential memories into a sea of forgetfulness would be unwise and ungrateful; this written reflection, therefore, is my very own “Washington monument” that will give history and memory permanence.

The Dearly Departing It is Sunday night, January 18. Our bags are packed, and we have unearthed our East Coast winter gear from the stillpacked boxes on the second floor. Robert and I are ready to leave our sons for the first time in their lives. David and Jonathan have always risen in the morning to find one or both of their parents at home, but Robert and I have decided that we must both head to Washington, D.C. to witness history being made.

Thanks to Senator Feinstein, a former Hamlin parent and grandparent, we have two seated tickets for the swearing-in ceremony.

Hair!

It is Monday, January 19. Washington is humming with the optimism and activity of American citizens, and there is Obamaparaphernalia everywhere. I chuckle as people are lining up to take pictures next to a life-size cardboard cutout of the President-elect. Robert and I hail a taxi to the Hart Office Building to pick up the tickets from Senator Feinstein’s office. As we step off of the elevator, I exclaim, “I know that hair!”

Robert gives me a confused look. I quicken my step and peer into a nearby office, which happens to belong to a senator of Louisiana. Sure enough — I’m right. The hair never lies. Standing before me for the second time in the past two months is RUBY BRIDGES. I say, “Hi, Ruby!” (as if I’ve known her for years), and I introduce her to Robert. She replies with a smile, “Hi, Wanda!” I want to melt because she remembers my name.

We talk only for a short time because she needs to head across town for a book signing, and I say goodbye after thanking her again for such a wonderful and inspiring visit to Hamlin in early December. How poignant it was to see how far the country has come — that little African-American girl in Norman Rockwell’s 1964 painting (“The Problem We All Live With”) who faced angry and villainous mobs as she walked into Louisiana’s William Franz Elementary School grew up to see an AfricanAmerican elected to the highest office in the land.

Kenyan Cab Driver It is Monday, January 19, about 2pm, and Robert and I are headed to an Obama art show on M Street in Georgetown. A gracious cab driver (who backed up on a one-way street to pick us up) greeted us with a great smile and immediately engaged us in conversation. He told us about how difficult it was to drive through the city with all of the street closings, how he would make only a couple hundred extra dollars that week, and how glad he would be when the city resumed normal operations. Then he said, “I am from Kenya. Barack Obama’s

father is Kenyan, and his mother is from Kansas. A white woman gave birth to him and raised him for some time in a home with her white parents. So why do you in America call him black?” Robert and I began discussing with him and with each other the “one-drop rule,” its roots in slavery and segregation, and its implications for how people have defined race in America. We explained that the “onedrop rule” was a historical term that meant that anyone with a trace of African ancestry in America was considered black and therefore denied rights and privileges. Our cab driver looked perplexed and saddened. There was no time to finish the conversation.

At the art show, Robert and I stopped in our tracks to gaze at a powerful painting that visualized the “one-drop rule.” Barack Obama’s face stared out at the viewer, and there was a medicine dropper above his head from which dripped blood, darkening the top half of his face and leaving the bottom half pale.

In an ironic twist of fate, has the oppressive “one-drop rule” been turned on its head such that we now celebrate a multiracial man as the first black president?

Four weeks later, the cab driver’s questions are still exploding in my head.

My time in the cab and at the art show reminded me of an excerpt from Langston Hughes’ autobiography, The Big Sea, where he stated: “You see, unfortunately, I am not black. There are lots of different kinds of blood in our family. But here in the United States, the word ‘Negro’ is used to mean anyone who has any Negro blood at all in his veins. In Africa, the word is more pure. It means all Negro, therefore black. I am brown.”

For certain, the issues of racial and cultural identity are deep and complex, and they are incredibly important and relevant at Hamlin, our extraordinary school that boasts a range of fabulous individuals and families, many of whom are bilingual, international, multiracial, and multifaith. How do we describe and talk about ourselves and each other? Can we celebrate the beauty of our skin tones and explore our souls beneath? Shall we join together, boldly examining our biases, and build the inclusive community we

The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009

The Sandwich, the Diaper, and the Bottle It is Tuesday, January 20. The peaceful transfer of power has taken place, and it is time to make our way back to our friend’s home where we are staying. There is an enormous throng of people blocking the entrance and escalator down to the Metro station, so Robert and I decide to walk. As we lock hands and move away from the crowd, I glance at the piles and piles of garbage strewn everywhere.

Trashcans are overflowing with all kinds of refuse, and I see a half-eaten sandwich, a dirty diaper, and an empty Aquafina bottle sitting on top of one receptacle. I have a quick flashback to childhood when I used to watch a commercial where a Native American man cried one tear because the beach was covered with litter and someone threw garbage out of a car window. I felt troubled by the sight of the three items, which should not have been in the same trashcan, and I felt like a true California resident! For the past eight months, I have worked in a school where composting and recycling are second nature to the adults and children, where Lower School girls are adept at bringing in a snack that doesn’t create trash, and where Middle School girls are ecstatic about a competition to save energy and prevent climate change. With all the planning that went into the inaugural events, I still can’t figure out why there weren’t twice as many trash cans, and some blue bins for recycling all of those water bottles and soda cans. I also wonder whose job it was to clean up America’s mess, how long it took, and how much it cost.

Whether one is a head of school or the President of the United States, leadership is a lofty and sacred responsibility. We are charged with serving people to the best of our ability, protecting them from hurt and danger, and helping them to live their best lives. I loved returning home to kiss my sons and to lead Hamlin, and I will continue to embrace the important tasks before me with intelligence, enthusiasm, humility, joy, and courage. In the words of President Obama, “Let it be said by our children’s children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God’s grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.”

My dad would have said, “Amen to that.”

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Foundations for the Future capital campaign — Forging Ahead, Because We Must!

A

bout three years ago, Park received its first pledge for our $15 million Foundations for the Future capital campaign. Since then, we have raised $11.9 million in gifts from the community and $9 million from tax-exempt bonds, built a new wing for Grades IV-V, renovated classrooms for Grades I-III, and watched the global economy fall into a tailspin. Indeed, much has changed at Park and in the world since 2006.

But today, Park’s mission-driven goal remains the same: to raise $15 million to ensure deep economic diversity in the student body and to sustain our leadership among peer schools in our ability to attract and retain the finest teachers. The troubling economic climate only makes our goals more urgent; Park must raise the remaining $3.1 million over the coming year to sustain the distinctive qualities of our school community.

We see a path to achieving the goal, and it goes through you.

S U M M A RY O F T H E O B J E C T I V E S O F Foundations for the Future Uses of Funds Faculty

$ 4,000,000

Facilities

$16,000,000

Financial Aid

$ 4,000,000

Total

$24,000,000

Sources of Funds Foundations for the Future

$15,000,000

Tax-Exempt Bond Financing

$ 9,000,000*

Total

$24,000,000

* Park secured $9 million of 4.88% fixed-rate 30-year bonds. The bonds are interest-only for the first ten years, have virtually no covenants, and can be prepaid at any time without penalty.

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Over the last several months, we have seen several indicators that Park can count on its community to continue to support the School through these troubled times.

For example, as of this writing, our Annual Fund has reached 90% of its $1.4 million goal, with four months to go until the end of our fiscal year. In October, an anonymous alum offered to give Park $500,000 for the Campaign if we can raise $500,000 in new pledges from alumni, and we have already received $250,000— half of the target amount! All winter and spring, parents, alumni, and past parents have met with administrators and development volunteers to discuss supporting our capital campaign. And, despite how the economic downturn has affected their own accounts, people are giving.

Of course, these examples buoy the efforts of our staff and multitude of volunteers. But in the end, we will need the support of everyone reading this Bulletin in order to reach our $15 million goal and assure Park’s short and long-term strength. Please consider making your own gift at a level commensurate with your love for Park and your ability to contribute. A gift to Park— especially in 2009—makes a dramatic impact in the lives of students.

The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2009

Park School Alumni, Consider Yourselves Challenged!

O

n the day after the Campaign Kickoff in October, a Park School alum (who wishes to remain anonymous) contacted the School with an exciting proposition. If, by December 31, 2009, Park can raise $500,000 in “new pledges” from alumni for the Foundations for the Future capital campaign, this alum will make an additional gift of $500,000.

The timing of this challenge could not be better. As we strive to complete our ambitious capital campaign focused on faculty compensation, financial aid, and enhanced spaces for teaching and learning, alumni support is critical. It is the donor’s hope that this challenge will inspire alumni to make a tangible impact at Park at a time when, more than ever, the School needs the support of its alumni.

The “rules” of this challenge are simple: •

Pledges must be made between October 8, 2008 and December 31, 2009, and gifts may be paid over a multi-year period.

•

Every capital pledge that is either unrestricted or restricted to one of the campaign’s objectives will count towards the challenge.

•

Because of the critical importance of Park’s Annual Fund, we request that alumni who are regular donors to the Annual Fund give to the Annual Fund first, and support the Alumni Challenge with an additional pledge.

•

Park must raise the entire $500,000 amount (in pledges) in order to receive the $500,000 challenge gift. A lesser amount raised will not be matched.

The entire Park School community is deeply grateful to the alum who dreamed up and offered this challenge, as well as to the many “early” donors who have already contributed half of the $500,000 goal! We will reach out to all alumni in 2009 to ask for help in raising the remaining $250,000. Please consider giving as generously as you possibly can! To learn more or to make a pledge or gift now, please contact Rob Crawford in the Development Office (email Rob_Crawford@parkschool.org or call 617-274-6020).

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