31 minute read
Alumni Notes
1940s class of 1945: 75 th reunion
1950 s BLAIR BIGELOW ’52 Blair reports, “Meredith and I moved in February 2019 to Wake Robin, a CCRC in Shelburne, VT. Since I’m now eighty-one, I gure I am on third base in the baseball game of life. Wake Robin is a great place; if interested or curious, check its website. e sad news is that my brother Jack (Rectory 1950) died last fall, October 2018.”
1960s CLAUDIA ABBOTT ’60 Claudia reports, “My husband and I are keeping busy in retirement. We recently enjoyed a weekend visit from my former student, Jordan Brandon ‘14, and enjoyed showing him the many changes on Rectory’s campus. In mid-October, my classmate from 1960, Alan Forsyth, ew out to experience New England in the fall and to visit campus and several athletic events.”
Blair Bigelow ’52.
ANTHONY J. WOODWORTH ’52 Anthony reports, “I am living the retired life with my wife of 58 years. We have three children and seven grandchildren who visit on occasion.”
PUNCH SMITH ’56 Punch reports, “My wife of 55 years and I are enjoying our blessed life here in Charleston, SC. We get to see our rst great-grandchild, Norah (three months) weekly. I nally retired ten years ago, and it has been 50 years since I left active duty with the Marines after duty in Vietnam and Parris Island. All three daughters live within 2 miles of us, with four grandchildren. I am looking forward to attending Rectory’s 100th next year. I have always appreciated the jump start I received from my Rectory experience. Gratefully, Punch”
Claudia Abbott ’60 and Jordan Brandon ’14.
SANTA CLAUS ’61 Santa Claus reports, “I am currently a Child Advocate & Clergyman. Formerly, I was a Councilman for the City of North Pole, AK. I am the President of the North Pole Community Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Alaska Public Broadcasting Commission.”
Santa Claus ’61.
ROBERT MORGAN ’69 Robert reports, “I am an O ensive Coordinator at Citrus College.”
KEVIN M. CORRIGAN ’69 Kevin reports, “I am retiring in December 2019 after almost 50 years in various parts of the Food Business. roughout high school, college (American University), and later, I worked as a chef in Washington, DC, where I met my wife, Peggy (Ferguson), a Rectory ’76 graduate. To our knowledge, we were the rst Rectory grads to tie the knot together. We have been married for 32 years and have a son, Sam (22). We live in Granville, OH and hope to move to MidCoast Maine in the near future. I left the kitchen and got into the sales side of food in 1986 as a Food Broker in the Mid Atlantic. I worked with Sysco in Baltimore, then moved on to sales management positions for three di erent U.S. food manufacturers. I have been with a subsidiary of Hormel Foods for 23 years, managing our sales in 1/4 of the U.S. anks to my two years of Latin at Rectory, I have been successful at crossword puzzles.”
RICK JACKMAN ’69 Rick reports, “I am retired and staying active with my nine grandchildren.”
1970s class of 1970: 50 th reunion
DONALD HART III ’70 Donald reports that he is currently recovering from knee replacement surgery after su ering from a torn meniscus. His kids are all grown. His youngest grandchild just graduated from high school. He has two great-grandchildren, a grandson (5 years) and a granddaughter (6 months). His youngest son is getting married soon while his third son is pursuing his second Masters in Business Administration. He is happily retired and is celebrating 22 years of marriage with his wife.
JEFF BYRON ’70 Je reports, “After more than 36 years in Washington, DC, Stephanie and I moved to Asheville, NC in 2012. Stephanie is responsible for promoting Asheville as a tourist
destination. I’m mostly retired but still work... without pay. I have two children,Virginia, a pediatrician in New Orleans and Jamie, an entrepreneur who recently relocated to Maryland from Cambridge, MA. My step-daughter, Olivia, is a 4th former at e Asheville School. It would be great to connect with classmates if you’re in the area.”
JAMES APRAD ’71 James reports, “I am happy and busy in real estate management and development, and raising my two little boys.” He is married to Elizabeth Woltzen. ey have two boys Ethan (9) and Owen (7).
James Aprad ’71 with his sons.
DOUGLAS COHEN ’72 Douglas reports, “I’ve been a composerlyricist working in NYC for the last 35 years. My 14th musical, e Evolution of Mann, is now an original cast recording on Amazon, iTunes, and other streaming platforms. It has also just been published by Samuel French. I’m beginning my 8th year teaching at the Neighborhood Playhouse and fondly remember my teachers at Rectory.”
Douglas Cohen ‘72.
MICHAEL MCADAM ’75 Michael reports, “I married Jody Pelfrey McAdam on February 18, 2017.”
1980s FEDERICO PRINCE ’82 Federico reports, “I have been the CEO of a small Pharma company here in Mexico for almost ve years. It has been a great challenge and always a privilege to lead the folks that work at Laboratorios Kener. Family wise, my four kids keep growing, and the joys of parenthood are always present. Except for my wife, they are the best thing that has happened to me in life.”
Michael McAdam ’75.
PEGGY (FERGUSON) CORRIGAN ’76 Peggy is a freelance graphic designer. After Rectory, she went on to St. Paul’s School in Concord, NH, then Connecticut College. Her years of pond skating in CT and NH instilled a life-long love of ice hockey, and she plays on a women’s recreational league. She is also an avid horsewoman. Peggy is married to fellow Rectory alumnus, Kevin M. Corrigan ‘69.
KEELEY CURTIS KRISKEY ’77 Keeley reports, “I am still healthy, still married, and still own Financial Sense LLC, a Daily Money Management company. My daughter joined my company nearly ve years ago. If all goes well, I will continue to work into my 70s, though hopefully less. We are so fortunate to live close to our two children and their families and have Sunday dinners together. We currently have three grandchildren and are expecting three more within the next seven months. Life is good. I hope my old Rectory friends are doing well!”
MICHAEL DANFORTH ’78 Michael reports, “I have been in the media business for some 25-30 years. Currently, I own my own business for nancial media and own three Coastal Angler Magazine franchises in Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Long Island. I have three children all through college, except one. He graduates in December from the University of Lynchburg.”
Frederico Prince ’82 and his family.
MAC BRUTON ’82 Mac reports, “Rectory is a really special place and was instrumental to my development. It is hard to describe the positive in uence the school had on me. Most importantly, however, it instilled a sense of con dence in me that I have to this day.”
DAVID BUCHANNAN ‘83 David reports, “I am doing very well. Living in Wake County, NC, working as a landscaper for a town. I would love to hear from some classmates.”
David Buchannan ’83.
LISA WALSH ’84 Lisa was proud to celebrate her daughter Sophia’s graduation from e Woodstock Academy in June. Sophia is heading to Drew University and will be a member of their Division III Fencing Team. Lisa and Sophia traveled to Columbus, OH in July for the Summer Nationals (for fencing). In April, Lisa enjoyed catching up with a few of her Rectory classmates at their 35th Reunion over Alumni Weekend.
Lisa, far right, with her daughter Sophia and boyfriend, Josh Nelson.
PENRY PRICE ’84 Penry reports “I am happily living in Greenwich, CT and working in NYC at LinkedIn, though I nd myself on planes quite often. My wife, Melissa, has put her interior designer career on hold to give as much as possible to the raising of our two kids. Our son is a rising college sophomore, and our daughter will be a senior in high school this fall. It is hard to believe that I graduated from Rectory 35 years ago; it just doesn’t seem possible that that much time has passed. I am still trying to be active in any sport I can nd time for and am a passionate fan of the New England sports teams—what a run, huh? Wishing the best to all of my 1984 classmates and good luck as we all hit the 50-year-old milestone!”
Penry Price ’84.
class of 1985: 35 th reunion
ROB GERDSEN ’86 Rob reports, “I continue to teach biology and marine biology at Blair Academy in New Jersey and love seeing Rectory graduates come our way!”
1990s HUNTLEY RITTER ’93 Huntley reports, “I have been busy with our marketing agency, Sta ord, focused on digital advertising, e-commerce, and our marketing technology platform, USeek. I was on Yahoo Finance and in Forbes recently.
class of 1995: 25 th reunion
NATHAN FORD ’96 Nathan reports, “I am enjoying life. I am married to a wonderful partner, Jenna. I’ve been at UPS for 18+ years and have two great boys, Chase who is four and Hundson who was just born in May.”
Katrina Kucher ’01.
JOHN SEAWARD ’02 John reports, “I spent some time down in GA with the recently retired Mr. and Mrs. Seaward who are enjoying their well-deserved free time.”
Hundson and Chase Ford, sons of Nathan Ford ’96.
2000s ANDREW ZAWACKI ’00 Andrew reports, “My wife, Diana, and I welcomed our rst child on Tuesday, July 2, 2019. Our son is named Landon omas Zawacki. Mom and Landon are happy and healthy! We currently live in Orange County, CA.”
KATRINA KUCHER ’01 Katrina reports, “I got married in 2019 and am currently living in North Carolina working as the North America Environmental Coordinator for Volvo Group Trucks.”
John Seaward ’02.
WYATT JEFFERS ’03 Wyatt reports, “I have been Pro Sur ng since 2017. I am sur ng two events, one in Virginia Beach and the other a week after in North Carolina on the WSL (World Surf League) WQS (World Qualifying Series) surf tour at the end of August.”
Wyatt Jeffers ’03.
ANDREW HORVATH ’04 Andrew reports, “I now live in Bozeman, MT. I work for World Wildlife Fund’s Northern Great Plains Program. e area we work in spans across ve states and two Canadian provinces. We are trying to conserve intact grassland habitat that provides habitat to many ungulate species and grassland birds. It’s a lot of fun, and I get to do it in a beautiful part of the world!”
VICENTE CAJIGA ’04 Vicente reports, “Life is going well. After becoming a professional skydiver and base jumper for the last 11 years, I’m now working in a fueling infrastructure startup in Mexico City, and recently moved to Denver.”
MICHAEL BOGDASARIAN ’04 Michael reports, “I am currently a 2nd Class Petty Ocer electrician’s mate in the US Coast Guard. I am stationed in Ketchikan, AK, on the WLM 175 buoy tender Anthony Petit. It’s absolutely gorgeous out here. Perfect for the outdoorsy types. My favorite part is the camaraderie with my ship mates, either in tough times or good times. It’s like having a second family. e thing that drew me to the Coast Guard was a solid career where I could learn skills for the outside world.”
ALEX BENTON ’07 Alex reports, “I just started a new job as a Project Manager at a tech company in the seaport in Boston called SessionM. Rectory is the place where I really started enjoying learning, and the sta is one of the biggest reasons for that.”
FRANK WEST ’08 Frank reports, “On June 15, I married the love of my life, Danielle, in Christiansburg, VA. Danielle is a preschool special education teacher, and I work at my alma mater, Radford University, in the alumni relations department. I hope to get back to Rectory soon for a visit!”
Vicente Cajiga ’04.
DANIEL DINOV ’04 Daniel reports, “Recently returned from a successful tour in Spain, promoting my new album, High Life! I co-founded a record label, Greenpoint Records, and in August I will be the resident guest DJ on-board the Norwegian Bliss cruise line, sailing to Alaska.”
Michael Bogdasarian ‘04 (third from left) with his ship mates aboard the WLM 175 buoy tender Anthony Petit (pictured above).
MILES COLLINS ’04 Miles Collins reports, “I have a new job: president and COO of Paci c Fertility Centers of Los Angeles.”
BEN DREXLER ’05 Ben reports, “I just moved to Atlanta and am loving my job at Zoom Video Communications. Getting married in October to the beautiful, kind, and compassionate Annelise Fry.”
Daniel Dinov ’04.
ANDREW GLEASON ’06 Andrew reports, “I’m attending graduate school at UT Austin this fall where I’ll be pursuing my masters in computer science. I’m doing that part-time while I am also about to start a new job as a software engineer at Salesforce.”
Frank West ‘08 with his wife, Danielle, on their wedding day.
HANNAH (SMITH) STEWART ’08 Hannah reports, “I am starting my third full school year working at Rectory School in the technology department. I live on campus with my wonderful husband, Stephen, and our two awesome dogs. On February 19, 2019, we welcomed our beautiful baby girl, Teagan Eleanor, into the world! My year has been full of new adventures. We are so lucky to have our village here at Rectory helping us raise our amazing daughter.”
Teagan Eleanor Stewart, daughter of Hannah (Smith) Stewart ’09.
MIN JAE YOO ’09 Min Jae reports, “I represented and led Team Korea as one of the captains at the 2019 Asia Paci c Lacrosse Championship in July. We nished in 3rd place and won the rst ever medal in Korea lacrosse’s history. I marked one full year at Merck & Co (MSD Korea) as a Public Policy Specialist on August 1, 2019.
2010s class of 2010: 10 th reunion
MATTHIAS HEMPHILL ’10 Matthias reports, “I am moving to Chicago in the near future to study improv comedy.”
DAN MURPHY ’10 Dan reports, “I’m entering my second year at Georgetown University Law Center.”
JORGE PORTILLA ’10 Jorge reports, “I graduated last December from a BS International Relations program at the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México. Currently working in a local consulting rm that specializes in energy in Mexico City.”
JACKSON LARRABEE ’11 Jackson reports, “As my undergraduate education concluded, I thought back to how far I’ve come and realized the impact Rectory faculty, teachers, coaches, and community had on me. e small and tightknit community, as a whole, helped to give me a grasp of the giant and wonderful world we live in. Rectory honed and in uenced my leadership skills, my desire for travel, everlasting drive, and love of education.” He also reports that he is a Superintendent at Federal Marine Terminals, where he manages the union labor, loading operations, and logistics for loading a cargo ship.
rectory alumni take home awards from the woodstock academy
MARGARET (MEG) VIRGINIA RITZAU ’16 ZACHARY RICHARD PAIGE ’16
Jackson Larrabee ’11.
Electricity filled the air at The Woodstock Academy on June 14 and 15, 2019 for graduation and class night when two Rectory School graduates from the class of 2016 took home copious awards. Margaret (Meg) Virginia Ritzau was Valedictorian for her class, and she and Zachary Richard Paige were both awarded the Yale Honor Cup. Both were summa cum laude, and they both won Donald and Hope Williams Scholarships on class night. The Donald and Hope Williams Scholarships are awarded to students who have exhibited outstanding academic achievement, demonstrated a commitment to excellence and a willingness to accept challenges, and are active participants in The Academy community through service to others, and as leaders.
Meg Ritzau also won the Abraham and Evelyn Rodensky Memorial Award for Excellence in Writing; the Louise P. Jordan Memorial Award for Outstanding Female Vocalist; Outstanding Achievement in History; Tri-M Award; and the Woodstock Academy Music Parents’ Association Scholarship. Meg reports, “I’ll be attending Vassar College; I’m looking forward to pursuing math and music in a liberal arts setting!”
A member of the Tri-M Music Honor Society, Zach Paige was also awarded the Louise P. Jordan Memorial Award for Outstanding Male Vocalist and The Woodstock Academy Music Parents’ Association Scholarship. Zach is headed to Gordon College in Wenham, MA, where he will be studying Biology on the pre-med track along with pursuing a minor in music. While he was at Rectory, Zach attended a Camp Mowglis, which is run by Rectory School alumnus Charlie Walbridge ’62. Zach attended Camp Mowglis, an all-boys camp, for five years as a camper. This past summer, he was asked back to the camp as a junior counselor for boys ages 7-9. He loves the people he has met at the camp and loves the community they have formed. Zach also would like to share that after fully dedicating himself to his faith, he has gone forth with the formal baptism process. He is excited to pursue his faith further at Gordon College come September.
We spoke to some of Zach and Meg’s teachers here at Rectory to comment on their successes. Ms. Meghan Fluckinger said, “I taught both! What an honor for both of them! Meg always has been an articulate and gifted young adult who I enjoyed spending lots of time talking about books, authors, and various genres. When I think of Zachary, I think back to all of the times he brought in homemade chocolate chip cookies ‘just because!’ He is a kind soul who is a friend to many!”
Mrs. Patty Shattuck spoke highly of both Meg and Zach. “I did not teach Meg, but I was her Advisor for one year when she was in either 5th or 6th grade. She was in my MELP when Claudia Abbott and I led the Flights of Fancy MELP, which included trips to various educational sites in CT.
Meg was a model student; she was full of curiosity, eagerly participated in each activity/event, and was so appreciative of the smallest gestures of kindness and caring. In turn, she was always well behaved and enjoyed helping fellow students whenever she could. Though Meg excelled academically and was full of creativity and talent, she was also extremely humble, which was so endearing. At the end of the school year when she had participated in my MELP, she gave me a necklace that she had made herself. I still wear that necklace proudly and always think of her when I do!
I never had the pleasure of teaching Zach either, but when he was at Rectory, I monitored the afternoon Day Room all year. I saw him frequently and got to know him well. He was always very polite and friendly, with a big, genuine smile. He was very unassuming, never boastful, and he was the kind of kid who would drop everything to help someone in need. Just a great allaround young man who always gave 100% effort!
I am not surprised that either of these students achieved the honors they did at their high school graduations! Good for both of them!”
congratulations to these two high-achieving rectory school alumni!
send us your updates and upload your photos: rectoryschool.org/alumni
MADELEINE HUTCHINS ’11 Madeleine reports, “I graduated from Yale University in May with a B.A. in Philosophy and am heading to Yale Divinity School to do a Master of Arts in Religion (M.A.R.) in Religion & Literature.”
CJ LANNON ’12 CJ reports, “I’ve become a full-time re ghter in the city of Providence, RI, as well as an “advanced-cardiac EMT,” which recently allowed me to purchase my rst home at 22 years old. My father became a re ghter in Providence when I was only four years old, so I grew up around it. I loved it too much not to apply and go through the brutal and intense six months of the academy training that goes along with being hired. My father is now an 18-year Captain in our department, as well. Our department has approximately 500 members. rough the job, I have gained brothers and sisters that take care of each other at any given moment (on and o the job). We work 24-hour shifts at a time, so we live together, cook meals together, learn together, etc. I would give Rectory School 110% credit for helping me learn, at a young age, the people skills, leadership qualities, proper ways to address myself in the department emails, the way to carry myself in the public eye, and many more things that come along with being an adult and responsible person in the workplace.”
CJ Lannon and his dad, Captain Christopher Lannon.
TYLER SHERIDAN ’12 Tyler reports, “I played junior hockey in Canada for the past three years. Last year was my rst year of professional hockey with the Mentor Ice Breakers in Mentor, OH. is o -season, I was o ered opportunity to play professional hockey in Sweden, so that is what I will be doing. I am very excited as it will be my rst time going over to Europe. I think it will be a good experience personally and hockey wise. I will keep you posted on how my season goes. I hope everything is well with Rectory. I am very fortunate that I went to such a great school.
JIMMY SON ’13 Jimmy reports, “I recently joined the national service.”
JORDAN BRANDON ’14 Jordan reports, “I am studying cinematography and media at Sarah Lawrence College. I will be doing a semester at Syracuse University this coming fall to explore the campus and everything it has to o er, including lm and media, prestigious psychology classes, and the collaborative and social networking environment that the students bring. I am currently interning at Hearst Media, working video and photo production shoots for Cosmopolitan, Men’s Esquire, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, Men’s Health, Woman’s Day, and more. I recently worked as a camera assistant for several Macy’s commercials.”
MEIXIONG “MERRILL” WANG ’14 Merrill reports, “I am beginning my junior year at the University of Kentucky as a business major.”
ANNA MURPHY ’15 Anna reports, “I am going into my second year at Elon University in North Carolina, pursuing a degree in business management and economics! Currently, I am working and spending my summer on Nantucket running the front of the house at Island Kitchen! Also, I recently accepted an internship with Fresh Prints Co. as a Campus Apparel Manager for Elon!
Anna Murphy ’15.
STEVEN FERRARO ’15 Steven reports, “I am currently playing Juniors Ice Hockey with the Long Beach Sharks! I just graduated from high school this year (June 2019) and will be taking a gap year to try and get college scholarships for hockey!”
MICHAEL MILLS ’16 Michael graduated Cum Laude from e Winchendon School. His classmates voted him “Most Musical.” Michael sings and plays both the saxophone and guitar and is also a member of the Vocal and Instrumental Ensembles. Michael played lacrosse and hockey for the Wapitis. He was a member of e Winchendon School’s theater group and was cast in numerous roles, including the lead male role, Troy Bolton, in Disney’s High School Musical on Stage!; Perchik in Fiddler on the Roof; Jonathan Brewster in Arsenic and Old Lace; Dr. Frank Gibbs, one of the play’s main characters, in Our Town; the male lead, Jamie Wellerstein, in e Last Five Years; and Juliet’s father, Lord Capulet, in his school’s version of Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet. Michael’s nal high school performance was as Sam Carmichael in the smash hit musical Mamma Mia! His nal performance included singing multiple songs, including two solos and a powerful and moving duet of “S.O.S.” with the musical’s female lead. Michael will be continuing his studies at Texas Christian University (TCU) College of Fine Arts Department of eatre located in Fort
Worth, TX. Admission to TCU’s Acting Program is extremely competitive and intense. Following a successful pre-screen video audition, Michael traveled to New York City to be interviewed and auditioned live for possible acceptance to TCU’s College of Fine Arts. Michael was one of only 12 students accepted into TCU’s BFA Acting Programs Freshman Class. He was also awarded a TCU eatre Scholarship as part of his acceptance package.
Michael Mills ’16.
STANLEY SHEN ’16 Stanley reports, “I am ocially enlisted in the Singapore Army.”
ANNA MENDENHALL ’16 Anna reports, “I just graduated from Pomfret School, and I’m headed to Occidental College in Los Angeles, CA this fall to study Sociology and Public Health.”
Anna Mendenhall ’16.
IKER GARZA ’17 Iker reports, “I am starting my acting career. Hopefully, I will migrate to LA to start a new job in Hollywood. Recently, however, I have been traveling the whole world.”
KENNY MILLS ’17 Kenny had a banner junior year at Hebron Academy. He was inducted into the prestigious Cum Laude Society. Membership in the Cum Laude Society is considered the highest academic recognition a student can receive at Hebron. Kenny was one of only seven students to be bestowed with this honor. During the school’s Baccalaureate service, Kenny was honored with e Harvard Book Prize for excellence in scholarship and high character, combined with achievement in other elds and the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Medal & Scholarship for excellence in Mathematics and Science. As part of the award, Kenny was presented with a $125,000 RPI Scholarship. e National Association for Music Education also recognized Kenny for his academic and musical achievements with membership into their Tri-M Music Honor Society. Kenny is an active member of the school’s Jazz Band, Orchestra, Chorus, Hebegebees A Cappella Group, and e Hebron Academy Drama Players. Kenny also received the school’s Music Achievement Award in recognition of his outstanding performance, dedication, and commitment to Excellence in Music. Kenny was selected as the winner of Hebron Academy’s Winter Writing Contest. His essay, “Martianism,” will be published in an upcoming edition of e Hebron Review. Kenny was also selected to serve as a Proctor for the upcoming 2019-2020 academic year. In addition to his academic and artistic accomplishments, Kenny is a 3-sport letterman (hockey, baseball, and mountain biking) and captain of the varsity mountain biking team. He nished the 2018 season ranked 17th out of 97 riders in the Northern New England High School Mountain Bike League East B Division.
Kenny Mills ’17 receives his Cum Laude Society Pin.
JAKE BACKMAN ’19 Jake reports, “We traveled to Norway this summer for a family trip!”
Jake Backman ’19.
we would love to hear from you!
Contact Sheighla Wall, Alumni Relations and Events Manager at 860.963.6740 X370 or email sheighla.wall@ rectoryschool.org.
“when I think of a young man with respect, basketball talent, and care for others, Keyonte is the first person who comes to mind.” John Seaward, Keyonte’s basketball coach at Rectory
keyonte beals ’19
Recent graduate, Keyonte Beals, Class of 2019, has been busy since he left Rectory in June. While at Rectory, Keyonte thrived in the classroom, dorm, and especially on the basketball court.
Jamie Haines, History Teacher and a MELP leader on the Florida Everglades trip this past spring spoke highly of this young man who was only at Rectory for a year. “Two things impressed us the most about Keyonte on MELP. First was his self-confidence. There was a group of young men playing basketball at a park we went to, and he confidently walked onto the court and joined right in. He didn’t know these men or their abilities. He did know that to improve his game, he needed to challenge himself against the unknown. From what I could see, he was one of the best players on the court! The second thing was his self-assurance. In a group of nine other boys, classmates and peers, Keyonte was never a follower. He didn’t get caught up in any conversation or action trying to impress the others or fit in. He is a young man who doesn’t need reassurance from his peers. He is a leader in his actions and his inactions. Keyonte is someone I expect to hear great things about in the future and someone that Rectory will look to with pride and say, ‘He went to our school!’”
The energy he brought to the campus is something he also brought to his basketball team this summer. Keyonte traveled around the country with the U15 Big Time Hoops Spartans. He helped his team reach the national championship game in Las Vegas, NV. This fall, he is attending Vermont Academy where he received a full scholarship.
Keyonte reports, “Everything is good. I’ve been traveling a lot this summer and training every day. I have grown to love basketball more through the process.” He said, “I loved everything about Rectory School. It was a very family-oriented school, and the teachers had good relationships with students in and out of the classroom. Rectory dorm parents had a huge impact on me because they were always there if I needed anything. Rectory helped my basketball career because I was one of the oldest on the team as well as a captain, which allowed me to become a leader on and off the court.”
Soccer coach, Matt Vollinger commented on Keyonte’s efforts on the field, “Keyonte was a natural leader and always supportive of his teammates. His energy on the field was inspiring and contagious. Keyonte admirably stepped outside his comfort zone as a goalie and assumed the position of a forward in which he excelled throughout the season. Keyonte demonstrated great sportsmanship and respect for his opponents throughout the season, and he set a great example for others to follow.”
John Seaward, one of Keyonte’s basketball coaches, said, “Keyonte was sensational both on and off the court. His skill, basketball IQ, and being a team player first made him a joy to work with every day. When I think of a young man with respect, basketball talent, and care for others, Keyonte is the first person who comes to mind.”
Robert Roy, also his basketball coach said, “As a basketball player, Keyonte is truly blessed. His talent, competitiveness, and leadership are well above his age level. Keyonte accepted every challenge headon and was vital to our success. Throughout the year, Keyonte was a consistent role model for his younger teammates to help establish a winning culture.”
We can’t wait to follow Keyonte’s success at Vermont Academy and beyond.
MONKEY BREAD recipe
ingredients
1½ sticks unsalted butter, melt and set aside
1½ tablespoons cinnamon
1½ cups sugar
2 packets Grands Buttermilk refrigerated biscuits
directions 1. Combine cinnamon and sugar in a bowl.
2. Separate each biscuit into 9 pieces and toss in the cinnamon/sugar mixture.
3. Place pieces into a greased 9” x 13” pan.
4. Combine the remaining cinnamon/sugar mixture with the melted butter. Pour on top of the pieces in the pan and toss to coat evenly.
5. Bake at 375 degrees for 23 minutes or until light brown on top.
Note: Monkey bread continues to cook after you remove it from the oven, so if it looks a little undercooked, still remove it. It goes from done to burned very quickly.
the tradition of monkey bread at rectory is fall we welcomed Brad and Mary Lou Seaward’s grandson, William, to the class of 2029 at Rectory. For those of you lucky enough to know the Seawards when you attended Rectory as boarders, do you remember the boarding breakfasts they held each year? Mrs. Seaward’s famous monkey bread was undoubtedly on the menu. While both the Seawards retired after the 2018 school year, last year they surprised the Class of 2019 with a huge serving of monkey bread in the Wolf Den (our student center that opened in 2017). Needless to say, it was a great hit and gave our 9th graders another moment to gather together before the rush of the end of the year and graduation was upon them.
Perhaps some of you would like to capture that memory that Rectory and the Seawards gave you by making monkey bread for yourself, your families, and friends so we begged Mrs. Seaward for the recipe and we’ve included it to the left. Of course, if you’d like to share any of your memories of the Seaward family during your years at Rectory, we’d love to hear from you. We are gathering memories and stories for our centennial publication—you can email us at centennial@rectoryschool.org.
ALUMNI REUNION WEEKEND April 25–26, 2020 RETURN TO RECTORY
We invite alumni from all class years to come back to campus for Reunion Weekend! This year we celebrate our classes that end in 5s and 0s with special celebrations for the following reunion years: 1945, 1970, 1985, 1995, 2010
EVENT HIGHLIGHTS
• Faculty & Student Panels • Reunion Class & Alumni Luncheon • Athletic Games • Campus Tour • Class Photos • Cocktail Hour • Alumni Dinner & Awards Ceremony Emerging Leader Award Athletic Wall of Honor Distinguished Service Award
Alumni Reunion Weekend is fun for kids too! We invite you to bring your family to join in several kid-friendly activities that make the day memorable for the whole family.
rectory creates!
Throughout the year, Rectory students have the opportunity to be creative. In the Collins Art Barn and the re-opened woodshop as well as in the classrooms, students and faculty have an incredible mix of projects in progress all year long. Here is a sampling of some of them.
Even on Halloween, our Elementary Students are in the Collins Art Barn. collins art barn
watercolor Art teacher, Miss Judy Blakelock, was delighted with the results of her watercolor class.
Jocelyn K. ‘22 fi nds her passion for robotics. robotics
model plane Mr. Bastow and TJ P. ‘20 work on building a model plane together.
printmaking Bob D. ’20 shows his work to his dorm parent Mr. Pinkney at the printmaking showcase.
music Mrs. Wiegel shows Kyle C. ’20 how to play the Ocarina during her music elective.
woodshop Mr. Josiah Fuller oversees woodshop which was reintroduced last year as part of our elective program. Proud students show off their fi nished mallets.
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528 Pomfret Street, P.O. Box 68, Pomfret, CT 06258
