Report of Gifts 2019-2020

REPORT OF GIFTS 2019–2020

Stories of Inspiration

From the Head of School Dear Friends, Each year our Report of Gifts is a window into the giving spirit and generosity of the Penn Charter community. People are inspired to give because of what Penn Charter means to them. They share stories of who or what has been important to them—maybe it’s a teacher, a team, or the Quaker values that underscore their lives or their children’s lives. They give because they want to support our educational program, the people who taught them or teach their children, or the

Darryl J. Ford Hon. 1689

facilities that make the programs possible.

This year our community, like the rest of the world, experienced the unexpected. The coronavirus pandemic has had a financial impact on many households, leaving some of our families wondering if a Penn Charter education were still affordable under new circumstances. When a group of Penn Charter donors learned of the difficult decisions some families were

Development Office 2020-2021 Chief Development Officer John T. Rogers Hon. 1689, P ’99, ’00, ’04 Director of Stewardship and Special Projects Stephen A. Bonnie OPC ’66 Assistant to the Chief Development Officer Shawna Hanley Director of Advancement Services Shannon Makhija P ’21, ’25 Assistant Director of Development Nicole Martz P ’22, ’24 Assistant Director of Alumni Relations MaryKate O’Brien OPC ’12 Director of Alumni Relations and Leadership Giving Christopher Rahill OPC ’99 Director of the Annual Fund Emma Rowan Development Assistant Blanca Womack P ’20

facing, they wasted no time responding to my call to help. Together they set out to raise money with this goal in mind: to ensure that no current students would have to withdraw from Penn Charter because their parents’ resources were adversely affected by the pandemic. They met that goal.

You—our community—have embraced the How Far? capital campaign, supporting our Strategic Vision and helping to transform our campus. You have supported new educational programs and experiences for our students; professional development for faculty; and new or improved athletic fields, the Graham Athletics & Wellness Center, now under construction, and a new lower school to come. This year’s additional gifts to preserve the Penn Charter community—this largesse—is beyond and in addition to the powerful generosity that people have exhibited toward the How Far? campaign. This is about supporting families now. I thank you, our donors, for all of your support, for the additional generosity to support our current families adversely affected by the pandemic, and for your commitment to the core of our mission: helping students lead lives that make a difference.

Sincerely,

Darryl J. Ford Hon. 1689 Head of School ON THE COVER: Tented outdoor classrooms are among the health and safety measures Penn Charter has taken during the pandemic to be able to offer on-campus instruction to as many students as possible, for as many days as possible.

Photo: Ray Bailey OPC ’09

BOARD MEMBERS

John A. Affleck OPC ’64, P ’98, ’02 Christine B. Angelakis P ’11, ’13, ’18 Richard A. Balderston OPC ’69, P ’02, ’05 Anne Marble Caramanico Hon. 1689, P ’07 William B. Carr Jr. OPC ’69 Grace Sharples Cooke P ’08, ’11 George Eastburn P ’94 Ilana H. Eisenstein OPC ’95 David Evans OPC ’59 Jane F. Evans Hon. 1689, P ’93, ’95, ’98 Amy E. Gadsden P ’23, ’27 Mark D. Hecker OPC ’99 Teresa A. Nance Jeffrey A. Reinhold P ’12 Benjamin E. Robinson III OPC ’82 Robert L. Rosania OPC ’82, P ’22, ’23 W. Scott Simon OPC ’78 Larry L. Turner P ’19, ’22 F. John White OPC ’65, P ’90, ’96, ’99 Caesar D. Williams Jr. OPC ’80, P ’15

SENIOR OVERSEERS

George C. Corson OPC ’52, P ’83 Nelson J. Luria OPC ’59 William F. MacDonald Jr. OPC ’62, P ’05 Edward Zubrow Hon. 1689

REPORT OF GIFTS CASH RECEIVED, JULY 1, 2019 – JUNE 30, 2020 ANNUAL FUND Alumni Annual Fund

$

1,002,330

Parent (Current and OPC Parent) Annual Fund

$

497,397

Friends Annual Fund

$

46,425

Grandparent Annual Fund

$

36,324

Faculty and Staff Annual Fund

$

22,536

SUBTOTAL

$ 1,605,012

RESTRICTED ANNUAL GIVING Educational Improvement Tax Credit

$

1,575,875

Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit

$

462,750

Teachers Retirement Contribution

$

396,844

College Prep

$

2,000

Other

$

586,970

SUBTOTAL

$ 3,024,439

TOTAL GIFTS TO CURRENT OPERATIONS

$ 4,629,451

CAPITAL AND ENDOWMENT Faculty Endowment

$

228,075

Scholarship Endowment

$

1,895,576

Campus Transformation

$

3,158,561

Program Excellence

$

289,450

General Endowment

$

42,898

Unrestricted

$

5,795,335

TOTAL CAPITAL AND ENDOWMENT GIFTS

$ 11,409,895

ALL CHARITABLE GIVING

$ 16,039,346

THIS YEAR, to save money and trees, we published the donor lists of the 2019-20 Report of Gifts online at penncharter.com/gifts. The material is protected with a password to ensure the privacy of our donors.

William Penn Charter School • Report of Gifts

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How Far?

Lower School students created an outdoor book-sharing kiosk in the design of the iconic bell tower.

BY THE LIGHT OF OUR CHARTER

How far can we see?

CAPITAL CAMPAIGN:

A STATUS REPORT

The new calendar year began with exceptional fundraising activity for the

How Far? campaign: In the month of January 2020 alone, new gifts and committed pledge payments brought in cash totaling $7 million.

As the deadline for this Report of Gifts neared, the total raised

leaders to map the final stages of the campaign and

to date by the capital campaign exceeded $84 million.

anticipate making an announcement this fall. They are

“We have much to celebrate and much to be thankful for,” said board member and campaign co-chair Christine Angelakis P ’11, ’13, ’18. “We also have more work to do.

“Our fundraising has outperformed for financial aid, faculty salaries and professional development, and annual giving,” Angelakis said. “We need to raise more capital dollars for construction.”

aware that many in the PC community are asking about plans for building a new lower school, a need that was the impetus for the How Far? campaign.

“This campaign will not be complete until we put a shovel in the ground for a new lower school,” MacDonald said. “The timeline for the project depends on philanthropic interest and support, but we will do it.”

MacDonald and Angelakis said that among the gifts received

Angelakis and co-chair William F. MacDonald Jr. OPC ’62,

this year was an anonymous $5 million designated for the

P ’05 are collaborating with board members and school

new lower school. continued on next page

William Penn Charter School • Report of Gifts

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CAPITAL CAMPAIGN: A STATUS REPORT

LOOKING BACK The need for a lower school facility that supports innovative teaching and what neuroscience has taught us about the way children learn was outlined in Penn Charter’s 2013 Strategic Vision.

Since then, Penn Charter developed and began to implement a campus transformation that will make it possible for the school to remain in East Falls for decades to come.

Central to the campus transformation are these construction projects: • Build a new baseball field across School House Lane on land PC acquired in 2016 for $1.8 million.

Completed in spring 2019.

• Build a $40 million Athletics & Wellness Center on the site of the old baseball field. Penn Charter broke ground on the William A. Graham IV OPC ’58 Athletics & Wellness Center in 2019, and the project is on schedule for completion in July 2021.

• Tear down the field house and build a state-ofthe-art lower school on that site. Timeline to be determined.

This plan realigns the new athletics facility and fields on the eastern side of campus, from the scoreboard on Maguire Field all the way across School House Lane to the Strawbridge Campus and Somers Field, home of the 2019 state champion girls soccer team. And, on the other side, the Lower, Middle and Upper Schools will converge in a pedestrian-friendly and vibrant Academic Village.

Board clerk Jeffrey Reinhold said the campus transformation positions Penn Charter to achieve its Strategic Vision and remain in East Falls for another 50 years and beyond. “This reconfiguration of the campus allows us to remain in the city and advance our program in academics, arts and athletics right here in East Falls,” Reinhold said.

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William Penn Charter School • Report of Gifts

EwingCole, the architecture and engineering firm that designed the new baseball facility and the Graham Athletics & Wellness Center, is working on detailed architectural plans for the new lower school for our youngest learners. This rendering dates from 2017.

CAPITAL CAMPAIGN: A STATUS REPORT

LOOKING FORWARD As the board, Head of School Darryl J. Ford and Chief Development Officer Jack Rogers plan next steps for the capital campaign, they hope to focus donor interest on funding for facilities.

Construction for the baseball facility and Graham Center were more costly than originally estimated, and support for construction of new facilities is the one unfulfilled fundraising goal of the How Far? campaign.

As the capital campaign has progressed— the leadership giving phase began in 2013 and How Far? went public in October 2017— much of the cash raised has been put to use: • Of the $84 million raised to date, $23 million was raised for annual giving on a goal of $16 million. Each year, annual giving dollars have been invested in program excellence and in fulfilling Strategic Vision initiatives, including expansion of the 1:1 laptop program, the Teaching & Learning Center and IdeaLabs.

• Maguire Field and the baseball facility were built with donor gifts, and the Graham Center construction is funded with donor gifts and financing.

• Over the course of the campaign, Penn Charter’s endowment has grown with $12 million in gifts to support financial aid, faculty professional development and general endowment.

Those gifts, the strength of the markets and good management grew the endowment to an all-time high $100 million, before the pandemic.

The covid-19 pandemic briefly shifted attention from the campaign to the need to keep the PC community whole; over the spring and summer, the entire Penn Charter board and many donors who carried the capital campaign stepped up to make gifts to a newly created Preserving Our Community Fund. (See page 6.) In the year ahead, the focus returns to completing the How Far? campaign.

“Almost a decade ago,” Ford said, “our community developed and embraced a game-changing Strategic Vision, and that vision laid the foundation for this campaign. We have completed 75 percent of that vision and, when we lay the final stone for these two building projects, we will be closing the book on the most successful campaign in Penn Charter history.”

PC

William A. Graham IV OPC ’58 made the lead gift to the Graham Athletics & Wellness Center, opening the way to begin construction.

Pictured at the October 2019 groundbreaking: Head of School Darryl J. Ford, campaign co-chair Christine Angelakis, Graham and campaign co-chair William F. MacDonald Jr.

William Penn Charter School • Report of Gifts

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PRESERVING OUR COMMUNITY FUND

KEEPING OUR COMMUNITY

WHOLE Penn Charter has not been immune

made a recommendation to the board to pivot and focus efforts on helping

to the hardship caused by the

Penn Charter’s families, many of

covid-19 pandemic. Our families

whom had already reached out to ask

have experienced income loss,

the school for help. The board fully supported the decision to create a fund

job loss and illness. When school

with the distinct purpose of keeping

leadership began hearing from

the school community intact during

PC parents about the toll that the

this difficult time.

PC’s alumni

coronavirus was taking on their

base is loyal,

resources, they began developing a plan to keep the Penn

and Chief

Charter community whole.

Development Officer Jack

The Preserving Our Community

expect during this pandemic,” Head

Fund, or PC Fund, for short, was

of School Darryl J. Ford said. “And

Jane Evans

established to provide assistance to

so, while we were fielding phone

current families adversely affected

calls about families’ additional

that. Said board assistant clerk Jane

by covid-19. This includes those who

need, we had already set in place the

receive financial aid and now need

conceptualization about how we would

additional resources as well as those

raise funds to support our families.”

who typically don’t receive aid but

In the midst

have been faced with income loss

of the How Far?

that would make continuing at Penn

capital campaign,

Charter unaffordable. The PC Fund is

board members

available to the entire Penn Charter

and campaign

community, including all families, faculty and staff.

“Having lived through another

Christine Angelakis

co-chairs Christine

Angelakis P ’11, ’13, ’18 and William F.

economic downturn, the Great

MacDonald Jr. OPC ’62, P ’05, along

Recession of 2008, we knew what to

with Ford and the Development Office,

6

William Penn Charter School • Report of Gifts

Rogers Hon. 1689 recognized

Evans Hon. 1689, “Jack was adamant that the alumni would step up and protect the school and that everyone would be able to return and that we would continue to be the wonderful place that we are. The fact that this happened speaks volumes of us.

Community is key.”

In a Zoom presentation in early May with the school’s faithful donors, Ford conveyed, in general, the financial setbacks that families were experiencing and how much additional financial aid he expected the school

PRESERVING OUR COMMUNITY FUND

“OUT OF $1.2 MILLION, more than half of that

their lives. It was very easy to say the priority is keeping these families.”

was given by the board,” Jack Rogers said. “Such overwhelming support from the whole board inspired others to answer the call. The timing of this effort and the leadership of the school tapped into the hearts of our donors.”

Ken Young OPC ’68 was one of those who answered the call.

Young made a gift to the Preserving Our Ken Young

Community Fund

because he didn’t want an unavoidable disruption of family income to prevent a child from being able to continue at Penn Charter. “I think it hit home,” he said. “With just some help from a

would need to distribute before the

effort and the leadership of the school

beginning of the 2020-21 school year.

tapped into the hearts of our donors.”

The school acted quickly to contain costs, he explained, but needed new gifts to meet families’ needs.

“Jack followed up with everyone

If the impetus for this particular gift to Penn Charter was new for donors, the reason for their commitment to the school is not. “There is a lifelong

after that,” Evans said, “and they all

partnership between the donor and

supported the effort because we are

the school,” Angelakis said. “They give

100 percent behind the school and behind Darryl.”

To date, donors who include alumni, parents, former parents, teachers and board members have contributed

to Penn Charter because they believe deeply in the mission—they feel that

number of people, those students will be able to continue without anxiety for the students and parents caused by a temporary lack of income.”

“What is lovely about this partnership between Penn Charter families and the school and our donors,” said Ford, “is that keeping students at the center of a PC education in the midst of a pandemic became the central goal.”

the school was transformative in

PC

– Rebecca Luzi

If you would like to make a donation to the Preserving Our Community Fund, please contact Nicole Martz at 215-844-3460 ext. 265.

more than $1 million to the Preserving Our Community Fund. When PC decided to hold tuition levels for the new school year at the 2019-20 level, some parents donated the difference back to the school to support this fund.

Every board member has joined the effort, together pledging more than $600,000 to keep Penn Charter’s community intact.

“Out of $1.2 million, more than half of

EXPANDING FINANCIAL AID, ENSURING ACCESS Jennifer Khoury Newcomb and Andrew Newcomb P ’29, ’33 believe strongly in Quaker education, and their giving to Penn Charter is a testament to that. Having already made a PC Annual Fund gift and made gifts via the EITC and OSTC state tax-credit programs, the Newcombs joined the effort to keep Penn Charter’s community whole by using the special purpose entity BLOCs to support financial aid at PC. “EITC is unique in that it amplifies the impact of your gift, as it acts like a super-charged contribution matching program,” Andrew said. “It’s an exceptional way to give to Penn Charter as it ensures more students have

that was given by the board,” Rogers

access to a difference-making educational experience.”

said. “Such overwhelming support

Both Andrew and Jennifer serve as members of the How Far? capital

from the whole board inspired others

campaign committee.

to answer the call. The timing of this

William Penn Charter School • Report of Gifts

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WE THANK THE FOLLOWING DONORS

For Making a Gift to the Preserving Our Community Fund.

John A. OPC ‘64 and Cynthia H. Affleck

Matthew Kessler OPC ‘99

Michael J. and Christine B. Angelakis

Peter S. OPC ‘80 and Kate Klein

Richard A. OPC ‘69 and Claudia F. Balderston

Christopher and Jessica Kohles

Sally J. Bellet and Stein/Bellet Foundation

Steven F. OPC ‘74 and Corinne Koltes

Drew and Susanna Brown

Marc R. OPC ‘86 and Caroline E. Lisker

Anne Marble Caramanico Hon. 1689

Nelson J. OPC ‘59 and Mary M. Luria

William B. Carr Jr. OPC ‘69 and Stephanie Middleton

William F. Jr. OPC ‘62 and Leslie MacDonald

Darren J. and Priya Check Timothy and Jennifer Clarke George C. Corson Jr. OPC ‘52 Merritt T. Cooke III and Grace Sharples Cooke

Duncan M. OPC ‘61 and Ellen McFarland Melchiorre Family Charitable Foundation, Inc. John and Peggie F. Murphy

Michael and Susan Dell Foundation

Teresa A. Nance and Kermit Moore

Edward C. Sr. OPC ‘47 * and Joan Driscoll

Philadelphia Insurance Companies

George and Sharon Eastburn

Jeffrey A. Reinhold and Kathleen A. Lister

Ilana H. Eisenstein OPC ‘95 and Thomas H. Scott OPC ‘95

Benjamin E. Robinson III OPC ‘82 and

David Evans OPC ‘59

John T. Rogers Hon. 1689 and Nancy Rogers

Walter and Jane F. Evans Hon. 1689

Robert L. OPC ‘82 and Laurie A. Rosania

James J. Fitzgerald IV OPC ‘87

Leonard C. Schwarz OPC ‘61 and

Darryl J. Ford Hon. 1689 and Gail Sullivan Ford

Cecilia Atkinson

Jeanne J. Fleming

William and Amy Gadsden

W. Scott OPC ‘78 and Hillary Simon

Eleanor Gedraitis

John F. OPC ‘78 and Kristin Somers

Elizabeth A. Glascott Hon. 1689 and Thomas G. Macy

Curtis and Jacinta Toll

John and Frances Glomb Mark D. Hecker OPC ‘99 and Elizabeth M. Spagnoletti-Hecker OPC ‘08 Barbara Jordan

Larry L. and Cynthia M. Turner Gregory and Patricia Veith Raymond OPC ‘61 and Priscilla Vickers F. John OPC ‘65 and Betty Ann White

Douglas L. and Katherine Jordan

Caesar D. Jr. OPC ‘80 and Katrina Williams

Alison Kessler OPC ‘04 and Brandon Shockley OPC ‘05

Kenneth J. Young OPC ‘68

* deceased

8

Timothy and Jennifer McCusker

William Penn Charter School • Report of Gifts

Edward Hon. 1689 and Judith M. Zubrow

PRESERVING OUR COMMUNITY FUND

LEVERAGING A GIFT FOR FACULTY LEARNING When Pennsylvania schools closed in the spring and Penn Charter transitioned from on-campus to distance learning, the school acted simultaneously to contain costs in anticipation of months of pandemic uncertainty. School leadership decided to consolidate some staff positions and eliminate or reduce faculty and staff travel, student overnight trips and catered events. But professional development, always a priority at Penn Charter, would be more important than ever. In an effort to prepare for a variety of scenarios that might extend distance learning for any of the three divisions, teachers, administrators and counselors would have to learn new technology and methods to succeed in the 2020-21 academic year.

Academic Dean David Brightbill conducted an audit of the distance-learning professional development that would be needed to further prepare teachers for all possibilities for the fall. He researched opportunities from a variety of providers, and tailored them to educators in each division.

Instead of dialing back on professional development, Penn Charter would need to find additional money for it.

Enter Herbert (Pug) Winokur OPC ’61 and his wife, Dee. Winokur had already established the Herbert S. and Marjorie L. Winokur Fund in 1996. Named for his parents, the fund supports professional development, sabbaticals and graduate school tuition for teachers. In a typical year, the school spends only the interest the fund has earned. But 2020 isn’t a typical year.

The Penn Charter Alumni Society honored Herbert “Pug” Winokur OPC ’61 with the Alumni Award of Merit in 2013.

William Penn Charter School • Report of Gifts

9

PRESERVING OUR COMMUNITY FUND In the spring, Winokur asked that his endowed faculty fund

learning,” he said. “The many professional development

be used to support the highest academic need of the school.

opportunities teachers enrolled in this summer allowed

To this end, his Winokur Fund has underwritten $100,000 of

us to further hone our skills as online educators. We

training for faculty and staff on distance-learning platforms

learned best practices on an array of topics such as how

this summer. “This is a great use of endowment with the

to build community virtually, how to design engaging

donor’s approval,” Chief Development Officer Jack Rogers

learning activities for any platform, and how to assess

Hon. 1689 said. Winokur will add to the endowed fund in 2022.

student understanding. We also honored our process for

When Winokur first established the fund, he was motivated to give teachers the opportunity to use the summer to

professional development, which is that we gave teachers choice in the courses they ultimately selected.”

develop their craft. “I really had a close relationship

Winokur’s Penn Charter experience was more traditional,

with a number of faculty, and they were important to my

even classical. Winokur’s Class of 1961 was devoted to

growth and to my life,” he explained. Eventually, the fund

Fritz Kempner, a teacher of Latin and Greek and mentor

also provided for sabbaticals. Every year, Winokur was

of the Greek Society. “What I learned from Fritz was not

impressed by the list of teachers who benefited from it and

only the classics,” Winokur said, “but how to reason, how

the opportunities of which they took advantage.

to go from facts to conclusion, how to make both sides of

More recently, Winokur became aware that Penn Charter needed to be at the forefront of using new technology to reinforce distance learning, and he wanted to help teachers take advantage of best practices. “Sometimes,

an argument. When I think about who influenced my life philosophy the most at Penn Charter, it would be Fritz.

Fritz taught me a love of life as well as Latin.

“The reason Dee and I chose to name the fund after my

providing the last dollars to help knit capabilities together

parents is that they were devoted to the school and the

will leverage existing capabilities and produce a better

education it provided. It was a financial hardship for them

result,” he said.

to send me. Those tuition funds could have been spent in

Brightbill found that teachers made the most of the summertime courses they took. “As a faculty, we learned

other ways, but they spent them on my education. They chose good instruction.”

a great deal last spring as we transitioned to distance

PC

– Rebecca Luzi

Teachers participated in the following distance-learning professional development, funded by the Herbert S. and Marjorie L. Winokur Fund, during the summer of 2020.

• Global Online Academy courses: “Designing for Online

• One Schoolhouse courses: “Academic Leadership for

Learning: Assessment”; “Elementary/Lower School”;

Hybrid Learning Design” and “Design for Resilience.”

“Student Agency”; “Wayfinding”; “Skills-Driven Learning”;

For administrators, school directors and assistant

“Relationships.” For pre-K to 12 teachers.

school directors.

• Google Certification for Educators. For pre-K to 5 teachers.

• Reading and Writing Project at Columbia University Teachers College: “Planning and Leading Culturally Responsive Read Alouds and Book Talks.”

For pre-K to 5 teachers.

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William Penn Charter School • Report of Gifts

• One Schoolhouse course: “Steady in the Storm: Protecting Student Mental Health in Hybrid Learning Environments.”

For school counselors.

ANNUAL FUND

The Right Place, The Right Time,

THE RIGHT GIFT

For Matthew Gannon OPC ’05 and

A favorite class, a transformative teacher, memories

Trish (Manning) Gannon OPC ’05,

of a triumph on the stage or on the playing field: Underpinning the diversity of a student’s experiences is the Penn Charter Annual Fund, which makes possible excellence in academics, arts and athletics. lives, and worthy of their support.

to Be a Quaker was on the calendar

The interactive day of giving raised

just when the covid-19 outbreak was morphing into a deadly pandemic and

their first gift to the place that has impacted them both deeply.

“It just felt like time,” Matt said of their

Penn Charter’s fifth annual Great Day for March 12, which turned out to be

Great Day was the right day to make

William Penn Society leadership gift.

(See page 19). “The reminder of Great Day was a good impetus. We really

countless tributes and $340,253 from

enjoyed our time there, received a

389 donors on that single day.

strong education, and we maintain

the day before the state announced a stay-at-home order that emptied the school and forced a quick pivot to distance learning.

The Great Day team huddled on March 10, considering whether to postpone the day. Ultimately, the decision was made to forgo some of the frivolity and celebration of the day and move forward with a singular and simple focus: What does PC mean to you?

Great Day 2020 looked different but was a celebration of PC nonetheless.

Hundreds connected to share reminiscences about beloved teachers and friends. It was as if Penn Charter, viewed through the prism of troubled times, looked larger as a valued place, a touchstone for their

Matt Gannon, an investment banker with Barclays, and Trish (Manning) Gannon, a manager of development operations with Teach for America, expected to celebrate their 15th PC reunion in May. The OPC ’05 couple, who both started at PC in Upper School, live in Philadelphia with their two children (Gunnar and Peyton) and hope to someday be PC parents.

William Penn Charter School • Report of Gifts

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ANNUAL FUND

WHY I GIVE

Amanda Aronoff and James Keller love that all of Nathaniel’s talents as an athlete, scholar, leader and chess player can shine at PC. Nathaniel pictured, center, with his parents and siblings.

great friendships. It was important to

The remarkable support and

us to support the school in a way that it

celebration of the school on Great Day

supported us during our tenure there.”

was a beacon in a darkening sky. The

Amanda Aronoff and James Keller P ’26 chose Penn Charter for their youngest, Nathaniel, “because we thought it was going to be the perfect place for our son,” Amanda said.

Nathaniel “has blossomed in every possible respect,” she said of her son’s first year at PC. “The teachers got him as a person and as a learner.”

Like the Gannons and the PanepintoBurnites (see page 13), Amanda and James made a leadership gift to the Annual Fund on Great Day to Be a Quaker. “We wanted to be part of the bigger effort,” Amanda said of their gift. “The Annual Fund can be used in the broadest way. We are happy with everything, so we trust the school to use

Penn Charter community—especially parents—supported the Annual

–OPC ’74

“Each year, but especially in a year like

I give because of all the success I’ve achieved I owe, in large part, to the dedicated and patient teachers and coaches I was gifted at Penn Charter.

Thank you.

this one, every gift makes a difference

–OPC ’91

Fund even amid the challenging circumstances of the latter part of the school year. OPCs, parents, faculty and staff continued to give, ending the 2019-20 fiscal year by meeting the goal, having raised $1,605,012 for Penn Charter from more than 1,515 donors.

for students and teachers,” said Emma Rowan, director of the Annual Fund.

“Because of the generous support from new and longstanding donors in our community, Penn Charter is better prepared for what may come next year.” PC

it in the most beneficial way.”

12

Penn Charter was an integral part of my development; I benefited from the generosity of alumni before me and want to do the same for the benefit of current and future students.

William Penn Charter School • Report of Gifts

– Julia Judson-Rea

I carry the values and education that Penn Charter instilled to this day, nearly 45 years after my graduation.

I was blessed with extraordinary teachers.

–OPC ’75

ANNUAL FUND

THE ANNUAL FUND can be used where it is needed

Members of the William Penn

most, supporting the school’s highest priorities,

Society will include parents, OPCs,

like curricular innovation, exceptional teaching,

parents of OPCs, grandparents and

financial aid, equipment and technological advancements.

For current parents Lisa Panepinto and Steven Burnite P ’24, Great Day also marked their first leadership gift to PC. Their son, Evans, is in ninth grade.

“We realized things were about to change in the world and for school and the country as we knew it,” Lisa said.

“Understanding how meaningful PC has been to Evans’ life, to our life, how everyone was making us feel part of the community... It felt right to give during a time of great uncertainty, to give to someplace with great longevity that we care a lot about. We understood there would be a real transition to distance learning. We thought there might be families who might need more support that we’re lucky to not need. We wanted to support that.”

Coming from the southwest and in their first experience in an independent school, the Panepinto-Burnites hadn’t been exposed to Quakerism before Penn Charter. “We’ve been inspired by the Quaker ideals. The social responsibility fits nicely with our family values. The values are one more reason why giving to the school is a good thing to do,” Lisa said.

friends – at the following levels.

RICHARD MOTT JONES BENEFACTORS

$50,000+

ichard Mott Jones, head of school from 1874 to R 1917, helped reorganize the school from a network of small schools into a college preparatory school for boys and initiated the move from Center City to the campus on School House Lane.

JOHN FLAGG GUMMERE PATRONS $25,000-$49,999

John Flagg Gummere, known respectfully and affectionately as “the chief,” was a scholar, renowned educator and head of school from 1941 to 1968.

HANNAH CALLOWHILL PENN COUNCIL $15,000-$24,999

Hannah Callowhill Penn, William Penn’s second wife, is credited with keeping the colony of Pennsylvania running during her husband’s ill health.

CHARLES THOMSON CIRCLE $10,000-$14,999

harles Thomson, head of school and Latin teacher C from 1755 to 1760, was secretary of the Continental Congress during the American Revolution.

ANTHONY BENEZET GUILD $5,000-$9,999

Anthony Benezet, one of America’s first abolitionists, started the first school for African American students and left that school to the Overseers in his will, with a small stipend to keep it going.

WELCOME ASSOCIATES $3,000-$4,999

illiam Penn’s two-month journey to America W began in Deal, England, on the 150-foot ship Welcome. The Welcome landed first in what is now New Castle, Del., finally stopping in Chester, Pa., on Oct. 28 or 29, 1682.

1689 FOUNDERS $1,689-$2,999

William Penn Charter School is the oldest Quaker school in the world, founded in 1689 by William Penn.

THE CLOCK TOWER SOCIETY Steve Burnite and Lisa Panepinto moved from Colorado to East Falls and feel the values and academics of the school are just right for their son, Evans. Their daughter just finished college.

A new leadership giving society for young OPCs within 10 years of graduation.

OPCs 0-5 years from graduation lead with a gift of $16.89 or more, annually.

OPCs 6-10 years from graduation lead with a gift of $168.90 or more, annually.

William Penn Charter School • Report of Gifts

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EITC

EITC: An Obvious Choice If there’s one spot on campus that stands out to Tony Salvi, it’s probably the Earl and Pam Ball Theater in Penn Charter’s Kurtz Center for the Performing Arts, a place where his daughter, Isabella, an 11th grader, has now spent considerable amounts of time.

“It’s unbelievable,” he said of PC’s widely-admired theater space.

Bella Salvi first set foot in the Kurtz Center while touring high schools as an eighth grader. As a ninth grader, she participated in the fall play and the all-school musical, and the following year she was cast as Morticia in the 2019 production of The Addams Family.

Several high-quality shows in that state-of-the-art facility clearly left an impression on Bella’s parents, as well.

“She’s done a lot of shows, but this one was up there. She’d never been on a stage that big,” her father explained.

“She loved every moment of that production.”

Cast, crew and orchestra members

Tony and Erica Salvi found PC during

develop a special relationship with

their daughter’s final year at a pre-K

the Ball Theater during the months of

to 8 school, after an extensive search

preparation that go into a musical, and

process. “Lots of open houses, lots of

Bella was no exception.

visits.” Bella immediately felt at home

on Penn Charter’s campus, like she would be supported there. When it came time to make the choice for high school she was confident.

“It was her decision. She directed the process,” Erica recalled. “Knowing she felt comfortable there was really important to us as parents.”

The Salvis have supported Penn Charter since the beginning, and last year they made their first EITC gift, which was an obvious choice, a simple way to redirect some of their tax dollars toward an institution they care about and give other students access to the opportunities Bella has enjoyed.

The Salvis also made a separate gift to the How Far? campaign, supplemented

by Tony’s employer, Vanguard, through a company policy that offers a 50 percent match on employees’ charitable donations.

“We knew this campaign was important to the school, and we wanted to do what we could to contribute,” Tony said. Chief Development Officer Jack Rogers helped direct some of the Salvis’ gift toward the crew team, another essential aspect of their life at PC. “Such a wonderful team. She had a great freshman season,” Tony remembered. They look forward to getting back out on the river as soon as possible.

Giving back to their daughter’s school makes sense to the Salvis. They know she’s happy there, and they’re happy for her. They want to pay it forward. PC

The Salvi family – Erica, Bella and Tony – after Bella’s performance as Morticia in Penn Charter’s 2019 production of The Addams Family.

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William Penn Charter School • Report of Gifts

– Ray Bailey OPC ’09

EITC

A GIFT, MAGNIFIED Mr. Granger ... Mrs. Davis ...

Reid Bush ...

The significance of this particular trio of faculty favorites—representing the visual arts, chemistry and biology, respectively—snaps into focus when you discover what Scott Marlowe OPC ’80 does for a living.

Diagnostic radiology became the vehicle for Marlowe’s seemingly disparate interests, combining his love of photography and science, plus a family tradition of medicine, in one discipline.

And though Marlowe’s passions didn’t begin at Penn Charter, they found a

Scott Marlowe and his wife, Sue, at PC’s 2019 Leadership Donor Dinner.

Following medical school at MCP/

he give for the first time through the

Drexel and a fellowship in Pittsburgh,

Educational Income Tax Credit (EITC).

greater expression here through his

Marlowe joined a private radiology

work with those three mentors, and

practice in central Pennsylvania and

countless others, who propelled him

then returned to the Philadelphia

on to a degree in computer science

area in 2009, where he took a position

and then medical school.

with BTD Radiology at Chestnut Hill

Marlowe came to PC late, in 10th grade, on the recommendation of a good friend, and in those three formative years he was challenged in ways he hadn’t been at his previous school. “You weren’t just expected

Hospital. He’s stayed connected to Old Penn Charter over the years through alumni events and class reunions.

Marlowe has also given back to PC since his early 20s, but only in 2019 did

When asked what appealed to him about making a gift through EITC specifically, he explained how his donation would be “magnified” through the program, subtly invoking a bit of technical vocabulary from his field.

“It allowed me to give a lot more than I otherwise could,” he said.

PC

– Ray Bailey OPC ’09

to spit back information and fill out multiple choice tests,” he recalled.

“You had to actually prove what you could do with the knowledge.”

To learn more about how to use your personal or business tax burden to make a gift to Penn Charter, contact Chris Rahill OPC ‘99 at crahill@penncharter.com or 215-844-3460 ext. 134.

William Penn Charter School • Report of Gifts

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FACILITIES

CHEERING FOR LACROSSE IN STYLE The next time you enjoy a comfortable seat for a lacrosse or

toward the school rather than away from it. A scoring table was

field hockey game at Penn Charter’s Perrott Field, thank the

added to the other side, where the home stands used to be. And

Earley family.

the entire area was landscaped to make Perrott Field a premier

The Earleys provided the lead gift in redesigning the turf field to enhance the appearance as visitors enter from School House

athletic destination in metro Philadelphia.

“Harold and I had talked about this for years,” said coach Pat

Lane and to create a more fan-friendly viewing experience.

McDonough OPC ’90. “When you go into a college lacrosse

New and more elaborate bleachers, including a press box, were

stadium, you feel that excitement, like everything is right on

added and moved to the “opposite” side of the field, facing

top of you. This will give us a real home-field advantage.” continued on next page

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William Penn Charter School • Report of Gifts

FACILITIES Harold Earley, the chief financial officer at the foam products

to two league titles. He played lacrosse at the University of

manufacturer FXI, Inc., and his wife, Denise, have also made

Pennsylvania and now works for a private equity group in

significant gifts to Penn Charter in support of scholarship

New York. Younger brother Kyle Earley OPC ’19, a lacrosse

programs through Pennsylvania’s Educational Improvement

midfielder, is now a student at Bucknell University.

Tax Credit (EITC) and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) programs, which allow donors to give money to private schools in exchange for tax credits.

“They’ve been wonderful parents,” said Chief Development Officer Jack Rogers. “And through their generosity, they have made it possible for a lot of kids to attend Penn Charter who otherwise would not have been able to do that.”

The Earleys spent a lot of time at Perrott Field, cheering for their two sons. Tyler Earley OPC ’12 was a first-team

“Our boys got a great education at Penn Charter,” Harold Earley said. “We had a great experience and met a lot of terrific families. We are huge fans of the school, and we have been glad to support it in many ways.”

McDonough returned the sentiments. “The Earleys are such a good family,” he said. “When they see something that needs to be done, they just do it.” PC – Mark F. Bernstein OPC ’79

all-Inter-Ac attackman who also led PC’s water polo team

William Penn Charter School • Report of Gifts

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FACILITIES

ALL-TIME WRESTLING GREAT

ATHLETICS & WELLNESS CENTER Asked to name the best wrestler in Penn Charter history, coach Peter Shaifer OPC ’82 didn’t hesitate.

“Billy Stuart,” he said. “No question.”

It is fitting, then, that the wrestling room in the new William “Billy” Stuart OPC ’61

William A. Graham IV

OPC ’58 Athletics & Wellness Center will be named in honor of William “Billy” Stuart OPC ’61. Stuart lost only one

TEAMMATES: This yearbook photograph of the 1958 PC wrestling team shows freshman Billy Stuart in the front row, first on the left, and senior Bill Graham, fourth from the right.

match during his five-year PC wrestling career, starting off in the 95 lb weight class as an eighth grader and eventually

at the time, and Headmaster John F. Gummere. When Stuart

moving up to the 137 lb class. At Lehigh University, he won

decided he wanted to transfer from Brown to Lehigh, his

the national championship in 1965, his junior year, the only

father insisted that he first get Gummere’s approval.

former Inter-Academic League wrestler to win a national wrestling title, and placed third as a senior. During that championship season, Stuart and his teammates, known as the “Terrific Trio,” were featured in Sports Illustrated and Newsweek. He finished at Lehigh with a career record of 50-6.

In 2002, Stuart was inducted into the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association Hall of Fame.

If that isn’t enough, Stuart was a multisport athlete who played football his senior year and started on the defensive line. It was the only year he was heavy enough to meet the minimum varsity weight limit.

In the classroom, Stuart did well enough to earn admission to Brown University (he transferred to Lehigh as a sophomore) but cheerfully described himself as “an instigator, a troublemaker.” History teacher Herbert McVey kicked him out of class so many times, Stuart chuckled, that at the first sign of mischief McVey would bark, “Billy ... the door.”

There were many people keeping an eye on Stuart at PC, most notably his father, Kenneth Stuart, a PC board member

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William Penn Charter School • Report of Gifts

Success continued for Stuart after he hung up his wrestling singlet. He earned a master’s at Penn State and a medical degree from the University of Maryland. Stuart spent his career as an emergency medicine doctor, first in Illinois and finally in Lowell, Mass. He continues to work as an expert witness in medical malpractice cases.

In Stuart’s day, the PC wrestling team practiced in the basement of the main building. Future wrestlers will enjoy more light-filled accommodations and up-to-date equipment, thanks to a lead gift by the best wrestler in the school’s history. Stuart said he is happy to give something back.

“It was a great education, a great experience,” he said of PC. “All these years later, I still have friends I stay in touch with.” PC – Mark F. Bernstein OPC ’79

FACILITIES

HONORING A MOTHER AND A TEACHER NEW LOWER SCHOOL

When Peter Klein OPC ’80 and his wife, Kate, made their gift to the How Far? capital campaign, they wanted to support the Lower School. Klein had two specific teachers in mind.

One was his mother, Barbara Klein, a much-beloved reading specialist in the Lower School from 1972 to 1981.

The other was James Redman, who taught sixth grade in the early ’70s when Lower School was K-6. One of the first African-American teachers at PC and in the Lower School (as well as one of the first male Lower School teachers), Redman was a formidable figure. He insisted that students sit at their desks every morning, when he would greet them with, “Good morning, class,” to which they would reply, “Good morning, Mr. Redman.” Every afternoon, he would dismiss them in the same way.

It was Redman’s teaching, though, that really made an impact on Klein. His academic lessons focused heavily on the African-American experience, including history, biography and culture. Part of the year was also devoted to studying Africa; each student was assigned a specific country to research and write a report about. In Klein’s year, the sixth grade play was Lorraine Hansberry’s, A Raisin in the Sun. “Those things really opened my eyes,” Klein recalled. “They were subjects I didn’t have a lot of exposure to growing up, so I always appreciated it, and even more so now. Mr. Redman’s class left a big impression on me.”

Now semi-retired and living in Seattle, Klein graduated from Yale and earned an MBA at the University of Washington. He spent more than a decade as chief financial officer at Microsoft. Three brothers also attended Penn Charter: Lawrence OPC ’72, a cardiologist living in Indiana; Andrew OPC ’74, a former economist for the U.S. Department of Commerce; and twin brother Donald OPC ’80, a financial manager living in southern California.

Barbara Klein, Lower School reading specialist

“It was a pleasure to contribute to the lower school part of the overall capital plan,” Klein said. “Attending PC was a very impactful, profound experience. I remember every single one of my teachers. But it’s still astounding to me that we used to fit the entire school into the one main building.” PC – Mark F. Bernstein OPC ’79

William Penn Charter School • Report of Gifts

19

PLANNED GIVING

CHAMPIONING

the Child’s Perspective Barbara McNichol came to teach at Penn Charter’s Lower School in 1988, on the heels of a long career as a social worker helping former prisoners reenter society. Those who knew her best at PC knew it was a deep-seated love for children that led McNichol back to graduate school and into a second career in the classroom.

And despite the delayed entry into the world of teaching, she was surprisingly ahead of her time.

Early in her eight-year tenure at PC, for instance, McNichol pitched an idea to her colleagues in kindergarten that she had picked up from a professor: stocking the classroom with pencils of various sizes and letting the kids choose whichever one felt best to them. The proposal represented a break from the traditional one-jumbo-size-fits-all approach to writing implements the kindergarten team had been following.

Barbara McNichol (left) with friend and colleague Kathy MacKnight at MacKnight’s farewell party in 1992.

“It was a revolutionary idea to let the choice be made by the students,” recalled Beckie Miller Hon. 1689, one of

“I remember looking back years later and thinking, That’s

McNichol’s co-teachers at the time, but McNichol was set

the kind of educator we want in place, somebody who

on following her professor’s research-backed advice. “She

explains to you, ‘We’re not just going to order the same old

was adamant about it; it was important to her.” And a

pencils every year because that’s what we do. We’re going to

multiplicity of pencils prevailed.

rethink this from a child’s perspective.’”

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William Penn Charter School • Report of Gifts

PLANNED GIVING McNichol, who died in 2010, would be right at home in PC’s modern-day Lower School, where a fervor for childcentered education has inspired division-wide forays into project-based learning and the Reggio Emilia approach used in pre-K that emphasizes experiential, self-directed curriculum. These days it’s all about rethinking things from the child’s perspective.

In addition to her capacities as social worker and classroom innovator, McNichol was an experienced gardener and trained musician who performed with the prestigious Singing City Choir. She lived with her husband, Jack, an architectural consultant, in Chestnut Hill and later at a Quaker-based senior living community in the suburbs of Philadelphia.

“She really did a nice job of teaching values to the kids.

SHE TAUGHT SHARING, SHE TAUGHT CARING FOR ONE ANOTHER, BEING GENEROUS AND KIND. That’s what I remember about her most.”

Jack passed away in 2019, prompting the release of funds the McNichols had set aside for Penn Charter and earmarked to support students of color in the Lower School.

Retired kindergarten teacher Chris Christoph Hon. 1689 said the McNichols’ bequest is a fitting postscript to Barbara’s time at PC. “That doesn’t surprise me one single bit. She really valued children and wanted to make sure that anyone who needed a helping hand could get it.”

And while Christoph recalled McNichol as a “thorough professional” versed in the finer points of early childhood education, she also believes the most significant lessons McNichol imparted to her students weren’t purely academic.

“She really did a nice job of teaching values to the kids. She taught sharing, she taught caring for one another, being

She was a “motherly” figure for kindergarteners, added Judi Morrow, who taught with McNichol during the 1988-89 school year.

And her affection for children wasn’t limited to students, either. McNichol fussed over Christoph’s infant son Jonathan OPC ’07 when his mother brought him to PC to visit, and later offered to watch Miller’s son Tate OPC ’16 once a week during her retirement.

Miller, who happened to be a neighbor, took her up on it; she could tell the arrangement was mutually beneficial based on the joy it brought her friend and former colleague.

And how very like Barbara McNichol, with two careers under her belt, to put in a third act as a volunteer babysitter. PC

generous and kind. That’s what I remember about her most.”

The Barbara and John McNichol Fund will support students

McNichol’s appearance, like her teaching style, was refined

scholarship. There are also plans to honor Barbara with a

but unpretentious. Miller remembers “crystal blue” eyes and the short cropped hair that she reportedly trimmed herself. “She wasn’t caught up in the ‘properness’ of

of color in Penn Charter’s Lower School through an endowed dedication in Penn Charter’s new Lower School building.

– Ray Bailey OPC ’09

presenting herself, but she was always put together.”

“If there’s one word to describe her, it’s elegant,” said former PC teacher Kathy MacKnight, who considered McNichol a close friend until her death. “She just had this way of

Planned gifts are one way to establish an endowed fund, ensure the future of our school and create a lasting legacy. Penn Charter endows funds at $100,000.

moving through the world in a very elegant way.”

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Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage

PAID Philadelphia, PA Permit No. 6118

Development Office 3000 West School House Lane Philadelphia, PA 19144