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former faculty notes Steve Bailey, former computer teacher, wrote: “This year has been one like no other for all of us. Heather and I are very lucky to be spending the pandemic in Vermont, one of the less densely populated states in the US. We were able to go outdoors most days. Fortunately, our explorations of the woods and mountains surrounding us has provided Melissa ’00, Heather and Steve Bailey us with locations where we exploring in Vermont find very few people. We have gotten to know our local area far better than we ever did before. We did lots of hiking and swimming in the summer, and we are doing lots of cross-country skiing and hiking in the winter. Our big news is that our daughter Melissa ’00 has moved to Vermont and lives only an hour away. We are enjoying including her in some of our outings.
“Our volunteering at the local food pantry has been curtailed due to our age. We have been replaced by college and high school-aged workers, though I still am on the board of the food pantry. We are scheduled to get our vaccinations on March 3, and we hope to resume some of our previous activities. In the meantime, we are trying to stay safe and enjoy the outdoors.”
Helen Bodel, former Middle School teacher, wrote: “It seems a complicated—and exciting—start to 2021 for all of us, especially with increased hope that a COVID-19 vaccine will be available within months. I thrill at seeing a compassionate new president in office—one with ideas about re-energizing the affordable health care act; about immigrant families’ road to citizenship; about fair taxes for the middle class; and about all sorts of help and support for those in need of housing, medicine and work. I rejoice, in seeing a remarkable woman in the vice presidency, especially one from the Bay Area, my home for 30 years! In midDecember, I left Vermont and flew to Kona, HI, where I spent my fifth grade year back in 1955... and where you might correctly imagine that the coastal dirt road leading past our home on the lava shore and into the village is now three lanes wide; and that large (gorgeous) condominiums have replaced lava fields and cottages! The massive root-hung banyan trees I remember scattered along the road to town remain so; and the tall plumeria still give off their sweet smell to us passers-by. With the UC Moss Landing Marine Labs shut, Annie B. ’03 is here with me, snorkeling on the reef most days, hanging with old Berkeley friends, and working on her new thesis topic. Me, I eat papaya and pineapple, drink Kona coffee, and gaze at the sea, just as retired as I’ve been since 2011— but with tan lines!” Peter Buttenheim, former Middle School teacher/coach, wrote: “Hi from Northampton, MA where Frances and I have been living with our older daughter, Jennifer, and her family since last May when we sold our Delaware condo. The countryside in The Pioneer Valley has been the perfect place for us to sequester during the COVID-19 crisis. “Frances and I had planned to move to Kendal, a CCRC in Kennett Square, PA, but Kendal was closed as of last spring to any new residents because of the pandemic. We expect to move there in March 2021. “I had to have major surgery for bladder cancer on December 14 at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, NH. John Gordon ’72 knew about the surgery, and he wrote cheerful and uplifting emails to me ahead of time from Vermont. JOURNAL
“What I did not know was the fact that John reached out to Steve ’72 and Evan ’73 Bash as well as Giaff ’72, Cam ’73 and Grayson ’74 Ferrante, plus Gary Salup ’74—all of whom played on the PDS varsity soccer team when I was the coach.
“Each of them sent a note to me that I got to read during my week in the hospital, and I cannot tell you how meaningful it was to hear from young men I knew way back in their teens in the 1970s who are now mid-life gentlemen! Vibes from old friends are the very best medicine… “To everyone connected with PDS, please stay safe and healthy!”
Kay Haartz Cortelyou, former math teacher, wrote: “I have tried to think of new news that might be different from last year’s news. But we all know that 2020 was a year most of us did little, except try to avoid others, wear our masks, and stay COVID-19 free. We have been fortunate to be so close to our son, Chris, and granddaughters that they qualify as part of our family unit. The granddaughters were not in school for seven months, so we spent a lot of time with them. Our son had his home office in our home and worked out of that office five days a week. Most horse shows were canceled. Kip was the most productive and least affected because he has two large gardens which he cares for himself—and he continues to do that. We have been in Spring, TX for 15 months; we have eaten something from his gardens every day during that time. Last week during the record cold, he did have a few crops freeze; but today it is 70, and he will replant. We have had our COVID-19 vaccinations. We have hopes for a better 2021, as everyone does. As always, I love to hear from my students and appreciate those who already have reconnected with me because of this column. We live north of Houston. In time, maybe when this issue has been mailed, we would enjoy visits, real, virtual or email. Thank you for continuing to publish this column.”
Laurie Curtis, former Lower School teacher wrote: “All is well in Marion, MA. Hal and I continue to love living near the ocean and not far from Boston. I continue to love my work in admissions and as a reading tutor at Our Sisters School in New Bedford. The highlight of our COVID19 quarantine was being able to have a tiny wedding for our son, Parker Curtis ’02, and his bride, Mary Sisson Curtis. We absolutely adore Mary; she is a former PDS English teacher. They both teach in Boston, though at separate schools.” Betsy Davis, former Registrar, wrote: “I have been involved with two start-up companies—one selling real estate in the Maldives and Sri Lanka, and the other is selling snowmobile tours in Wyoming— Yellowstone and Jackson Hole. Between the two, it’s kept me quite busy. “I was also able to go on a 10-day horse packing trip into the Wind River Range in Wyoming last August—the perfect COVID-19 vacation. “My kids (Megan ’10 and Grahame ’13) are both doing well. Megan lived with me for a bit this year but is back East now—and studying to be a nurse. Grahame is also back East and, unfortunately, due to COVID-19 I’ve only seen him once in the last year. I even sold my NJ house in July and never went back for the closing. What a weird world we live in.”
Steve Hancock, former Head of the Middle School, and Stephanie Hancock, former MS music teacher, wrote: “We relocated to Milwaukee, WI in July of 2020 as Steve became the Head of School at University School of Milwaukee, a thriving independent school of 1,100 students on the north side of Milwaukee. We are truly enjoying our new home, even in the midst of the pandemic, and this also brings us ‘back home’ as Steve grew up in Wisconsin and Stephanie in Illinois. Stephanie is teaching in the USM band program, assisting with the Middle School bands. Emily ’17 will graduate from Oberlin Conservatory in the spring
