Alumni
CONNECTIONS FALL/WINTER 2015-16
Imp-Tiger Tradition Continues Fun Run & Fall Imp-Tiger Day
The fourth Founder’s Day Fun Run in the fall of 2015, surpassed the parent council goal of $10,000 with a total of $11,365 and the Imps prevailed! Fun Run highest pledge earners, Maram El-Geneidy and Jessica Elliott.
Rivermont Collegiate | 1821 Sunset Drive | Bettendorf, IA 52722 | T: (563) 359-1366 | F: (563) 359-7576
Grandparents & Special Friends Day Visitors! Music! Art! Goodies! Wednesday, 25 November 2015. The School celebrated Grandparents and Special Friends Day. The celebration originated during Jack Deniston’s years as headmaster. Many alums will recall their first
grade teacher Kathy Topalian who organized the event. Mrs. T retired three years ago and enjoys her days caring for her granddaughter. Her daughter, Ashley, a former student herself, teaches Rivermont third graders.
Mrs. T with her daughter Ashley and granddaughter.
Carlotta and Christopher Fernandez, children of Amalia Portillo’89, with their grandfather.
Rakesh (A) and Dhatri Alla with their daughter Inika Alla.
Memories of Ana Torstenson Kehoe, Class of 1965 ~first published in the St. Kit’s reunion commemorative booklet, August 2014~ “Watching my first May fete in 1952. I thought all the seniors looked beautiful in their matching dresses. My sister starred as a lobster in a version of Alice in Wonderland and I wanted to be a lobster too. “Debating history in 7th grade. The class pretended to be old ladies in a beauty parlor (getting our hair permed) discussing the pros and cons of integration. “Mapping every tree on campus in biology class and creating a portfolio of leaves and their characteristics. “Celebrating Cicero’s birthday in Mrs. Bloom’s Latin class. Little did I know that I’d teach Latin for 4 years later in life! “Struggling through Mrs. Strohm’s geometry class. All the angles seemed obtuse to me. “Taking our very strict English teacher, Mrs. Craigmiles, to the cinematic version of Hamlet at The Orpheum, and most of us falling asleep.
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Alumni Connections - Fall/Winter 2015-16
“Competing, a Tiger smashed my thumb with her hockey stick during a tournament. Fortunately the Imps won, but my fingernail has never recovered. “Putting up a sign in her yard, one classmate announced that the Senior Slumber Party would be held at my house (address included). About 50 uninvited boys showed up for the evening, and my mother wasn’t happy, but we were! “Marching across the tennis court as May Queen in the rain. “Reading my senior essay at graduation about the women’s movement and Betty Friedan’s new bestseller, The Feminine Mystique. “Making great friends for life, including my husband who was my date for senior prom.” Sharing memories? Updating contact information? Easy on The School’s website: www.rivermontcollegiate.org
Winter Concert
Holiday Open House
Another tradition. Thursday evening, 10 December 2015, music filled Becherer Hall Auditorium as The School’s string, instrumental, and vocal ensembles performed.
Asha Alla with her father Rajesh Alla (A)
The School celebrated the Joseph Bettendorf mansion centennial, hosting an open house, Saturday, 12 December 2015, 1:00-4:00 pm. As Headmaster Curtis Fee declared: “One hundred years is a big deal!” Parent volunteers beautifully decorated the mansion. Quad City Symphony Orchestra musicians performed.
Faculty and staff members dressed in period costumes; provided fun facts about the mansion, the school, and the Bettendorf family; and served light refreshments. Parent Beth Heaney baked a spicy molasses cookie from a one-hundred-year-old recipe. (cooks.com/recipe/tg8wm1oy/ old-fashioned-molasses-cookies.html) An estimated 250-300 people attended.
Welcome Back Week! Headmaster Curtis Fee inaugurated a week-long celebration MondayFriday, 4-8 January 2016, encouraging former students and faculty to return to campus or to Skype. Sharing memories and lifeafter-school stories. Teaching lessons and leading activities. The response to the invitation so pleased The School. So many visited
Dr. Arvind Movva (A)
and Skyped, leading activities and visiting with current students! The photo selection gives some idea of the event’s success. A guestbook in which visitors wrote memories is appended to The School’s website to share.
Ryan Howell’15 with Interim Headmaster Curtis Fee.
Interested in joining us next year? Tell us!
Constance Stamer Wheeler, former preschool teacher.
Margy Dobbeleare, former 2nd grade teacher.
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Robotics Competition
Rivermont’s Middle School gals, The Dumpster Divers, advanced to state, competing 16 January 2016 at Iowa State University. The team includes legacy students—Asha, Rajesh Alla’s daughter, and Olivia, Leigh Ann Broders Schroeder’s daughter. Competing for the first time, the fifth grade team, This Shouldn’t Have Worked, received the Judge’s Award, presented to the team that the judges feel displays overall FLL values, has fun, and brings energy to the competition.
The Middle School team, Hunk of Junk, received the overall Project Award, given to a team that solves a problem innovatively. The problem? Encouraging people to recycle pizza boxes. The solution? Creating aluminum liners to prevent grease accumulating on the boxes. Legacy students include Nirmal, Rajesh Alla’s son, and Christopher, Amalia Portillo Rodger’s son. State Competition Honors Competing in the State Robotics Competition, Iowa State University, the Dumpster Divers received first place for Gracious Professionalism and a trophy; Asha earned the Grace Hopper Award for Core Values and Leadership.
Grace Hopper award winner Asha Alla.
A Farewell
The Silver Sisterhood
Earlier this fall, The School sadly accepted Rod Ossowski’s resignation. Many alums recall the courteous, kind-hearted gentleman who served as Director of Development and Alumni Relations, 2012-2015.
Recognize anyone? Recently, five former colleagues lunched and reminisced; they represent more than 150 years of teaching at The School.
Now catching up on his reading and listening to music, he writes that The School was one of his career’s “most rewarding experiences… and will always be close to [his] heart.” In the interim, Gwen Livingstone Pokora volunteers to coordinate alumni matters. Contact her at pokora@rvmt.org. Send cards and well wishes to The School. Rod will receive them.
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Alumni Connections - Fall/Winter 2015-16
Front row: Linda Hampton, Diane Kemmerer, Kathy Topalian Back row: Gwen Livingstone Pokora and Suzanne Johnson
Alumni Updates Rose Mary Simpson Mets ’57 writes: “Think of you often and of our great times spent at St. Katharine’s. Have been in touch with some alums from my era and it’s been so good! Have a wonderful New Year filled with progress.” The School received the sad news of Nicole Osborne’s death, Monday, 9 November 2015. View • Noy Thrupkaew ’92 TED talk: www.ted.com/speakers/noy_ thrupkaew • “It Matters”: www.kylehausmannstokes.com/it matters Nate Holbrook ’04 edited this award-winning11-minute film News to share? Tell The School. Check the website.
ermont Collegia v i R A te
GALA
Plan to attend Wonderland Saturday, April 9, 2016 5:30 p.m. - Hosted Cocktails & Silent Auction 7:00 p.m. - Dinner & Live Auction 9:00 p.m. - Dancing The Outing Club 2109 Brady Street, Davenport, IA Dress: Elegant (black tie optional) For more information or to RSVP email Lesli Shaheen: annualevent@rvmt.org or visit the eventon Facebook: Rivermont Collegiate’s Annual Event. RSVP no later than March 18th.
Memorial Gifts The School acknowledges gifts commemorating Catherine Arp Waterman, SKS class of 1947 member from the following: Mary Lee Denman Griswold ’47 Ruth Michels Cigledy ’47 Kristine Munson Lamp ’47 Polly Nichols-Marshall ’54 JL & Ana Torstensen Kehoe ’65 Kermit & Jenny Palmer Sutton ’68 John & Amy Tyler Telleen Woodward & Julia Brenton Ed & Courtney Decker Robert Ellis Carney & Appleby PLC
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Rivermont Collegiate 1821 Sunset Drive Bettendorf, IA 52722
www.RivermontCollegiate.org/Alumni
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