Saint Ann's Times | Summer 2023

SAINT ANN’S TIMES

SUMMER 2023

FAIRY CROWNS — ADRIAN & RAMY’S 3RD GRADE CLASS

Onward

Summer 2023

Ever since starting kindergarten in 1967, I have lived my life in the cycle of the school year. Whatever emotions swirl as one year ends—exhilaration at what has been learned and discovered, pride in what new knowledge and mastery have been attained, anticipation of the more languorous and unstructured days of summer—unfold within the knowledge that all will begin again in a few months’ time. As I write these words, the 2022–2023 school year at Saint Ann’s is coming to an end. Graduation and a wider world await our seniors; some of our faculty and staff are heading off to new adventures or wellearned retirement.

I am also stepping off the Saint Ann’s carousel, and there is so much I will miss once I go. While I will not be here next September, I can imagine it so clearly: The nervous excitement of a preschooler or kindergartener for whom Saint Ann’s is a novel adventure. The joyful reuniting of friends, whether they are five- or fifty-five-years-old. The anticipation of teaching something for the first time. The constant striving for knowledge—of Latin conjugations, of algorithms and ancient empires, of the physical universe itself. The ongoing quest to better comprehend ourselves—our wondrous beauty, our indelible flaws, and our unending becoming—so that we might engage fully and joyfully in a community that draws from and reflects the diversity of the city around us. A school bound together by its love of children. Lastly, what I will miss most of all: The everyday experience of being part of a community of shared values and a shared vision of childhood and education.

It is my enduring hope that Saint Ann’s will continue to thrive, and my deep conviction that it will. What is required is a lasting commitment from every member of our school community to educate children in ways that reinforce their sense of a universal humanity, that sustain joyful encounters with a shared storehouse of knowledge, and that celebrate each child’s potential, their identity, and their sense of belonging. The school must hold fast to our core beliefs: We celebrate the transcendent possibilities and fundamental necessity of art. We allow children the space to create, take risks, make choices and mistakes. We embrace freedom in what we choose to teach as a means of engaging the intrinsic motivation of students through our own enthusiasm, passion, and knowledge. Our practice and pedagogy unfold within an ambitious vision of what our students are capable of achieving. We share our dreams, so that we might dream together.

This is the school I have been privileged to lead these past thirteen years, and that I will carry in my heart however my next chapter unfolds.

Love, Vince Tompkins Head of School

NYSAIS Accreditation

This year, Saint Ann’s underwent the 10-year re-accreditation process for the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS). The process began in the fall of 2021 and culminated in March 2023. During this time, the school reviewed and ultimately revised the mission statement, over 40 members of the Saint Ann’s community prepared a comprehensive self-study of how the School operates and fulfills its mission, and the school hosted a visiting committee comprised of faculty and administrators from fellow NYSAIS-accredited schools.

Saint Ann’s School received re-accreditation by NYSAIS in June 2023. The report that accompanied the decision provided a unique opportunity to see Saint Ann’s through others’ eyes. The report states that, “Joy and wonder are palpable within every classroom, stairwell, and building that makes up Saint Ann’s campus,” adding that their visit allowed them to immerse themselves in “Saint Ann’s curriculum, culture and community, which was a rich window into the excellence of its intellectually rigorous and joyful program.” The report also contains a number of important recommendations that Kenyatte, other school leaders, and the Board will take up in the 2023–2024 school year.

Thank you to everyone who lent their time, energy, and expertise to our self-study steering committee and welcomed and engaged with our NYSAIS visitors.

Artwork by Sabine K , 12th Grade

And It All Falls Down: Sixth Grade Students Design Rube Goldberg Machine

It’s a bright Monday morning in May, and a group of sixth graders are tinkering with items not often found in a middle school science classroom: colorful blocks, toy cars, and a Polaroid camera. While the tools may not be typical, the subject matter is fairly standard: the students are learning about energy, specifically kinetic and potential energy. Their assignment? Design and build a Rube Goldberg machine—a contraption that uses a complex set of steps to complete a simple task, such as turning on a light switch or popping a balloon. Or, in this case, taking a class photo using a Polaroid camera.

The sixth grade unit on energy began with conceptual discussions and mathematical analyses before the students embarked upon building their machine. Earlier in the year, they tackled complex questions involving the motion of roller coasters, and how, as the roller coaster moves, the initial potential energy is converted to kinetic energy (and therefore more speed). Students then built their own roller coasters, observing as marbles traveled along spins and curves and loops as the initial potential energy converted into kinetic energy. The class decided that they wanted to use their roller coasters as the foundation for their very own Rube Goldberg machine, connecting each structure to the next to carry marbles along the entire trajectory, eventually triggering a Polaroid camera to take a photo of the class.

The class watched videos of other Rube Goldberg machines for inspiration before splitting into smaller groups to design sections of the contraption. Students used objects found around the classroom—dominos, weights, tubes, rulers, string, matchbox cars, pulleys and cables, bungee cords, playing cards, and more—to piece together a machine where each part connected to and set in motion the next. After weeks of work, the class tested their Rube Goldberg machine in its entirety. While the machine did not run in one full go, each individual part worked successfully, and the class erupted into applause as the camera clicked and flashed. Several students created a video showing the process of building and testing their machine, and the class watched the video at the end of the year as a way to celebrate their hard work.

“This group was creative, industrious, collaborative, innovative, and so much fun,” shared Science and Math Teacher Michele Levin. “They loved tinkering with each and every little detail, showed great determination to make it all work, and supported each other along the way. It was a joy to work with them on this project!”

Kindergarten ‘Secret Messages’ that say affirmations such as ‘you are beautiful’, or ‘you are like the moon’. Inspired by the work of artist Matthew Hoffman, students layered letters vertically to create interesting shapes out of their affirmations, creating their secret messages.

One Book Day: The Next Chapter

A new Saint Ann’s tradition continued this year, as Upper Middle School students debated, wrote stories, and contemplated intergalactic travel during the school’s second annual One Book Day. Run jointly by the library and the Upper Middle School office, the event revolved around The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera. One Book Day kicked off with an in-person keynote address from Higuera, followed by a variety of workshops, with topics ranging from disability justice and peer pressure to the history of Halley’s Comet and nutrition in space.

At the end of the day, students, faculty, and staff reconvened as a group for a Moth-style storytelling event. The day itself was a story of dedicated and engaged readers of diverse ages, interests, and backgrounds coming together to share perspectives and knowledge—and a book.

Starting the Day with Sunshine & Poetry

During the annual celebration of Poem in Your Pocket Day, Preschool families gathered to share poetry with one another to the accompaniment of drum beats. There were original poems and favorite poems, and everyone enjoyed a lovely morning together in the garden.

When Math Meets Art

On Friday, May 5, students in third through twelfth grade explored the intersections of mathematics and art at the annual Math Art Festival. The festival, which is hosted by the Math Department, celebrates mathematical art and exposes students to some of the amazing examples of work in this field.

“Many people know about origami and maybe have some sense that it’s vaguely mathematical— geometry! angles!—but there are so many other things that fall into that category,” explains Elizabeth Sheridan Rossi, Chair of the Math Department. “One can study the mathematics behind the art, but students can also just appreciate mathematical art without getting into the nitty gritty of the math behind it—it’s accessible for everyone!”

Students had the opportunity to attend the festival during their math periods, where they were guided through mathematical art projects by the students in the Middle School Math Art class. This year’s festival featured curve stitching, triskele paper globes, hexaflexagons, celtic knots, hitomezashi, sonobe making, and several different origami stations.

Lunar New Year & Taiwanese Pen Pals

By Yejing Gu, Chinese Teacher and Chinese Language Coordinator

The Year of the Rabbit kicked off with the Lunar New Year on January 22, 2023. Saint Ann’s began our one-week celebration with lantern making, calligraphy, and Chinese painting, and we decorated our school in festive colors and with lucky charms. Students received red envelopes with Chinese candies and snacks, heard the story of the Beast Nian and the Great Race for twelve animals to earn a spot on the zodiac calendar in the order they arrived, and watched some highlights of the spectacular Spring Festival Gala. Students also attended and participated in a traditional Chinese music concert featuring the Ba Ban Chinese Music Society of New York. We learned about a lot of Chinese instruments, and some students got the opportunity to play some of the instruments and do ribbon dance; everyone learned traditional Chinese gesture dance. We also made more than one thousand dumplings (pork and vegetarian). What a fun and delicious way to kick off the Year of the Rabbit!

Also this year, and thanks to Chinese Teacher Josephine Hsiao laoshi, we connected with the Xintai (新泰國中) middle school in Taipei, Taiwan and started a Pen Pal Project. We paired our twenty six Chinese 1 students with twenty one of their seventh grade students. Over the past three months, we have had three exchange projects. The first one was a self-introduction through videos; the second one was to describe a place or an item at school and let the pen pal guess what it was; and the third one was to write a handwritten letter and send it to the pen pal’s home. Students made friends through this project, and were learning Chinese organically from native speakers. It was an unforgettable and unique experience!

Harry Potter Evening in the Library

With an enchanted ceiling, a human-sized delivery owl soaring through the stacks, and classes ranging from potions to divination, the Annie Bosworth Library turned magical on the night of Friday, May 5. It was the library’s annual Harry Potter Evening, in which the librarians—joined by other members of the Saint Ann’s community—welcome fifth graders enrolled in the library elective into a library transformed. Head of School Vince Tompkins, channeling Professor Albus Dumbledore, gave the opening remarks, and revealed some of 129 Pierrepont’s supernatural secrets. High School students, many of whom had fond memories of their own experiences with the event, became prefects, fortune tellers, potions assistants, and aides to the magical healer—who bore a striking resemblance to Nurse Pumpkin Wentzel. Even a magically-inclined parent got involved, providing a shockingly skilled demonstration of wizardry. It was over too soon!

Celebrate Saint Ann's features notable and innovative voices and talent from across our parent and alumni community. These events bring our community together to celebrate the centrality of the arts at Saint Ann's.

Celebrate Saint Ann’s: The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window

Our event on February 7 at BAM featured the sold-out and highly acclaimed The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window followed by a talkback with actors Oscar Isaac (Sidney) and Rachel Brosnahan (Iris) and dramaturg Arminda Thomas. Oscar Isaac, a Saint Ann’s parent, received a Golden Globe Award nomination for his appearance in the Coen Brothers’ Inside Llewyn Davis He starred in the science fiction thriller Ex Machina and appeared in the Star Wars Trilogy as well as in Dune. He headlined the HBO miniseries Show Me a Hero which earned him the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor—Miniseries or Television Film. Oscar most recently was nominated for a 2022 SAG and Emmy Award for his role in the HBO and Hagai Levi adaption of Scenes from a Marriage. Additional past stage credits include The Public Theater’s Hamlet, We Live Here at Manhattan Theatre Club, and The Public Theater’s Shakespeare in the Park productions of Romeo and Juliet and Two Gentlemen of Verona

In the first major New York revival since its original Broadway run, The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window is set in 1960s Greenwich Village. The play paints a portrait of Sidney and Iris Brustein’s marriage, and their progressive circle of friends whose ideals do not always match reality. At the center are Sidney and Iris fighting to see if their marriage can survive Sidney’s ideals. After the highly acclaimed BAM production, the show transferred in April to the James Earl Jones Theatre on Broadway.

Celebrate Saint Ann’s: The Persuaders

Our third Celebrate Saint Ann’s event of the year on March 13 was a discussion and Q&A held in the Rotunda with author Anand Giridharadas about his latest book, The Persuaders, published in October. Saint Ann’s parent Anand Giridharadas is the author of the international bestseller Winners Take All , as well as The True American and India Calling. A former foreign correspondent and columnist for The New York Times for more than a decade, he has also written for The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and Time, and is the publisher of the newsletter The.Ink. He is an on-air political analyst for MSNBC. He has received the Radcliffe Fellowship, the Porchlight Business Book of the Year Award, Harvard University’s Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award for Humanism in Culture, and the New York Public Library’s Helen Bernstein Book Award for Excellence in Journalism.

In The Persuaders, Anand explains that the lifeblood of any free society is persuasion: changing other people’s minds in order to change things. However, America is suffering a crisis of faith in persuasion that is putting its democracy and the planet itself at risk. Americans increasingly write one another off instead of seeking to win one another over. Debates are framed in moralistic terms, with enemies battling the righteous. Movements for justice build barriers to entry, instead of on-ramps. Political parties focus on mobilizing the faithful rather than wooing the skeptical. And leaders who seek to forge coalitions are labeled sellouts. In The Persuaders, Anand takes readers inside these movements and battles, seeking out the dissenters who continue to champion persuasion in an age of polarization.

Celebrate Saint Ann’s: The Wanderers

Celebrate Saint Ann’s headed to the theater again for a performance of The Wanderers at Roundabout Theatre Company on March 30 followed by a talk back with playwright Anna Ziegler ’97 and cast members Lucy Freyer (Esther) and Dave Klasko (Schmuli). In The Wanderers, two couples from very different worlds face the joys and challenges of commitment, culture, and community—until a surprise email from a movie star puts one of their marriages to an unexpected test. The play asks the vital question: Can we ever be happy with what we have while we have it? Saint Ann’s parent, alum, and former faculty member Anna Ziegler is an award-winning playwright, whose plays include Photograph 51, Actually, The Last Match, and Boy. Her work has been produced on the West End, at major theaters around the U.S. and in Australia, Japan, Italy, Germany, India, and Sweden. She holds commissions from The Roundabout, Second Stage Theater, and Grove/Whitman Productions. She is also developing television and movie projects with Paramount, Defiant by Nature, and Leviathan Productions.

Q&A with Anand Giridharadas and David Smith (Director of Advancement)

Skating Party

Over 700 parents, grandparents, faculty, and students glided out onto the ice at the LeFrak Center in Prospect Park for our annual blockbuster Skating Party on February 28. Immediately following snow the night before, the spacious open air outdoor rinks gave our large group ample space to skate, some younger members of our group using the available skating aids. Unlimited hot chocolate helped people warm up during breaks to snack at the café or to chat. The annual Skating Party continues to be a beloved and popular winter tradition enjoyed by our community.

An Evening with Dwana Smallwood

In collaboration with the Brooklyn Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, the DEI office hosted Brooklyn-born, international dance icon Dwana Smallwood on April 13 for an inspirational and empowering evening. Dwana, a principal dancer with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, has captivated audiences with her artistry and has been recognized for her commitment to the arts within diverse communities. In conversation with Director of Advancement David Smith, Dwana shared her passion for dance, her zest for life, and her tools for empowerment. Following this event, Dwana returned to Saint Ann’s to attend the African Dance performance. She was excited to celebrate the program and talent of our dancers.

Pictured Left to Right: Sherrish Holloman (Director of Diversity & Institutional Equity), Kenyatte Reid (Incoming Head of School), Crystal Bobb-Semple (Trustee), Denise Harrell, Aisha Williams, Dwana Smallwood, Crystal Granderson-Reid

Dwana Smallwood and David Smith (Director of Advancement)

A Toast to Vince Tompkins

On Thursday, May 11, families, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends gathered to celebrate Vince Tompkins and all things Saint Ann’s. From delicious bites and drinks to moving remarks, musical performances, and a special video presentation–it was a night to remember and a truly special celebration of our school.

Thank you to everyone who made this event possible, to all those who underwrote this celebration and for our many contributions to the Scholarship Fund in honor of Vince. We are grateful to Bottlerocket Wine & Spirit, wino(t), and Alaric Flower Design for their generous donations. Additional thanks to of alum), Francesca Connolly (parent of alum), Theater Teacher Hallett (parent), staff member Tim Charters

“The fight to keep us all afloat when everything seems upside down. More than once. More than twice. Vince, you have fought to be dry ground for a sea of drowning people more times than I can count, more times than most of us will in a lifetime. And here we are—safe, steady, strong.”

Sarah Moon, College Counselor and Student Equity Coordinator

“I’ve watched him show Saint Ann’s what he has always given Daniel, Lucy and me: patience, unwavering support, and so much love.”

—Julia Tompkins ’14

“Seeing Vince and Alison beam at school events where their children took part, and seeing that same admiration at another student’s art, poetry, or science project was a frequent joy in my work with Vince.”

—Mino Capossela, President of the Board of Trustees

“Having graduated ten years ago, somewhat disillusioned and frustrated by many of the cultural norms of this community, it was the years I spent quietly watching from afar that made me want to reengage. Through every email signed ‘Love, Vince’ I saw good change. The type of change that I know can’t happen over night. The type of change that grew my affection for Saint Ann’s, facilitated by a leader who truly loved his role and wanted to bring this school forward, into a space where we could acknowledge every student fully, not just those who fit a dominant narrative.”

Chinyere Odim ’13, Young Alumni Trustee

The 2023 Puppet Parade was all smiles and sunshine! In early May, Saint Ann’s students, parents, faculty, and staff took to the streets to share the creative energy of the school with our greater Brooklyn community. This year, the Puppet Parade celebrated Theater Teacher Nancy Reardon who retired after fifty years of teaching. There was even a larger-than-life puppet of Nancy made especially for the parade.

Photos courtesy of Todd France

The Class of 2023 will matriculate at the following colleges:

By Isa A., Kindergarten

by Braden O 8th Grade

Photo

sound

go mining to the depths in: Australia and Africa. Get the blacksmith’s metal. Listen. Let it travel through your ears. Ways to have it, that’s your choice. Hear Otis Redding’s call. Overhear the radio.

—Cairo M , 3rd Grade

Saya L , 7th Grade

Since our founding in 1965, Saint Ann’s School has upheld a commitment “to nurture the wonder of children,” an endeavor that requires trust, love, optimism, and a supportive community. Our mission, over the course of 57 years, has been bolstered by the generous support of parents, alumni, faculty, grandparents, parents of alumni, trustees, and friends of our school.

We express our sincere gratitude to the many donors who sustained this tradition of support with a gift to the 2022–23 Annual Fund. Your philanthropic contribution has benefited every student in countless ways. THANK YOU.

For questions about giving to Saint Ann’s or becoming involved as a volunteer, contact:

David Smith Director of Advancement 718.522.1660 Ext.225

Hannah Swacker Kurnit ’97 Associate Director of Advancement

Welcome New Faculty & Staff

Matthew Blood Capital Projects Manager

Matt Blood joins as our new Capital Projects Manager and has expertise in the fields of design and construction, architecture, and historic preservation, specifically within New York City. Past experience includes working at The Trust for Governors Island, Brooklyn Grange Design Build, and NYC Departments of Parks and Design and Construction.

Cosima Higham Associate Head of the Lower School

We are pleased to welcome Cosima Higham as our new Associate Head of the Lower School. Cosima joins us with nearly a decade of experience in education, most recently as a Third Grade Head Teacher at The Berkeley Carroll School. Cosima holds an MSEd in Childhood General Education from Bank Street and a Certificate in School Management and Leadership from Harvard University.

Matthew Stephens

6th Grade Dean

We are thrilled to welcome Matthew Stephens to Saint Ann’s. Matthew has over a decade of experience in schools, in both instructional and administrative roles—most recently at The Hewitt School, where he served as a Middle School Math Teacher and Advisor. Matthew has previously worked with students at the Dalton School, Knowledge is Power Program, Ascend Learning in Bushwick, among others.

Aidan Thomas ’04

10th Grade Dean

Please join us in welcoming Aidan Thomas ’04 as our new 10th Grade Dean. Aidan comes by way of Brooklyn Independent where he served as a Math Teacher, Curriculum Designer, and Grade Team Leader. Prior to that, he spent several years at Uncommon Charter Schools working as a teacher, Director of Math Support, and Principal. Aidan holds an MSEd from Bank Street and a Bachelor’s degree from Colgate University.

Faculty & Staff News

Golnar Adili

Art teacher Golnar has work in three upcoming shows: at the Hudson D. Walker Gallery in Provincetown, Massachusetts, the Jameel Art Center in Dubai, and at the Gallery of the University of Virginia’s Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library.

Peter Clark

In February, music teacher Peter performed in Opera Roanoke’s production of Glory Denied This summer he will be in Don Pasquale at the Union Avenue Opera in St. Louis.

Alex Darrow ’87

Former Head of the High School Alex will serve as Interim Head of the High School and 12th Grade Dean for the 2023–24 academic year.

Alejandro DeSince ’14

Alejandro is leaving their role as College Office Coordinator and Recreational Arts Teacher to be the Assistant Head of School for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging at the Cambridge Friends School in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Emily Eagen

Music teacher Emily hosts the video series Sing with Carnegie Hall. The interactive music series is designed for children ages three through six.

Ellen Friedrichs

Coordinator of Health Education, Ellen, used the Saint Ann’s Professional Development grant to travel to Uganda to learn about HIV-stigma reduction and global public health campaigns.

Jacob Goodhart

Jacob is transitioning into a new role and will now be the Alumni Relations and Volunteer Manager. He was formerly the Advancement Associate.

Julia Izumi

Playwriting teacher Julia’s new play Regretfully, So the Birds Are ran this spring at Playwrights Horizon.

Hannah Kurnit ’97

Beginning in August, Hannah will serve as the Interim Director of Advancement. She was formerly the Associate Director of Advancement.

Alisha Mascarenhas

With support from Saint Ann’s School Professional Development Fund, poetry teacher Alisha will participate in the La Baldi residency in Tuscany, Italy, this summer where she will work on poetry and translation. Her debut book of poems, A Catalogue of Risk, will be published in fall 2024.

Sarah Moon

The paperback version of Middletown, by College Counselor and Student Equity Coordinator Sarah, was released in June.

Joshua Rivera

Diversity and Institutional Equity Coordinator for sixth through twelfth grade, Joshua, has accepted a position at Rye Country Day School.

Veronica Rivera

Veronica, 11th and 12th Grade Dean, will now be the 12th Grade Dean.

Amanda Robiolio

Amanda, currently the 10th Grade Dean, will now be the 11th Grade Dean.

Stephanie Sassoon

Nineteen recent paintings by art teacher Stephanie were exhibited in a show this June and July at the Schoolhouse Gallery in Provincetown, Massachusetts.

Elena ‘Lenny’ Sheppard ’05

Elena is moving from alumni relations onto the communications team.

Chloe Smith ’98

After twenty-two years at Saint Ann’s, Chloe, who has been Head of the High School since 2017, will be departing to be the Head of School at The Co-op School in Brooklyn.

David Smith

David, the Director of Advancement, is transitioning to work as a consultant on the School’s capital gifts fundraising.

Louis Trujillo

In June, Louis co-presented a session titled, “Navigating Conversations About Race-Conscious Admissions in a K-12 Setting,” at the annual Association of College Counselors in Independent School (ACCIS) Summer Institute held at Syracuse University. He was joined by Ashley Armato (Lovett School, Atlanta, Georgia) and Leilani Arita-Takayama (‘Iolani School, Honolulu, Hawaii).

Yuri Velez ’02

Yuri, 7th Grade Dean, will now be teaching art and serving as a tutor.

Asiya Wadud

Poetry teacher Asiya published work in The Yale Review and in the Iowa Review’s Portfolio on Black Resiliency.

Jeewon Wright-Kim

Associate Head of the Lower School Jeewon is leaving Saint Ann’s and moving to Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Jen Zerneck

Jen, the 6th Grade Dean, is transitioning into the role of 7th Grade Dean.

Artwork by Greta L , 7th Grade

Retirements

Nancy Reardon

After fifty years teaching theater at Saint Ann’s, Nancy Reardon is retiring. Below is an excerpt from Head of School Vince Tompkins’ toast to her at Alumni Day.

“Tonight I want to raise my glass to a teacher who has touched the lives of thousands of students over half a century at Saint Ann’s. I’m talking of course about Nancy Reardon—a teacher, director, and artist without parallel. As a director she has brought joy, exuberance, brilliance and luminosity to our theater. Over and over and over again. As a theater teacher she has shown countless students how to venture out onto the limb of risk-taking and vulnerability and empathy and thereby to discover the artist within each of them. To read through the many, many evaluations of Nancy’s teaching, evaluations written by the chairs of the Theater Department is to encounter encomium on top of encomium. I will admit though that my favorite line is from Nancy’s evaluation in 1977, in which one finds—amidst a shower of praise—this sentence: “If there is any reason to criticize, it is in the area of budget control!”

Nancy, you have made your mark on Saint Ann’s in so many ways, but of special significance for me —as Head of School and as a parent—is your Shakespeare Workshop. As a teacher of Shakespeare you have shown the enduring power of words written half a millennium ago, and you have ensured that Shakespeare continues to occupy a sacred place in the Saint Ann’s pantheon.

Nancy, thank you for fifty years of being such stuff as dreams are made on. May your revels never end! We love you.”

Jesús Martín-Basas

In June, Spanish teacher Jesús Martín-Basas retired. We will miss him dearly. When Jesús joined the Saint Ann’s faculty, he was already a Saint Ann’s parent. It was thanks to his son, Julian Martín ’15, that Jesús met the then chair of Romance Languages Marielle Vigourt (former faculty), and in the 2006-2007 school year a wonderful plan was hatched for Jesús, then working as a creative director in advertising, to volunteer his time to help some of our Spanish students on an animation project. It was a great success and, lucky for us, Jesús joined as a full-time teacher the following year. The rest, as they say, is history. Through his years with us Jesús has taught all levels of Spanish, and led students on trips to many countries including Cuba and Colombia. We wish Jesús a wonderful retirement.

Welcome New Trustees (2023)

Chinyere Odim ’13

Chinyere will join the Board as a Term Trustee after her three-year term as a Young Alumni Trustee. Chinyere has been incredibly impactful to the school since her appointment. Chinyere currently serves on the Nominating and Governance Committee, where she is leading the development of a more systematic trustee education and professional development program, and she serves on the Finance Committee. Chinyere attended Saint Ann’s from Kindergarten through twelfth grade. She is currently a doctoral student of Sociology at Brown University; her research is focused on how social class and race impact school choice. Chinyere began her career teaching English at Deerfield Academy in Western Massachusetts. Chinyere holds a BA from Swarthmore College, an MS from University of Pennsylvania, and an MA from the University of California Berkeley. Chinyere also serves on the Alumni Council of Swarthmore College.

Ashley Mathis ’08

Ashley will join the Board as a Term Trustee after joining as a Young Alumni Trustee in 2020. Ashley currently serves on the Physical Facilities Committee and on the Financial Aid, Admissions and Enrollment Committee, which she will Chair beginning next fall. Ashley has worked diligently with the Board on additional ad hoc committees, the DEIB working group, the mental health working group and most recently on the Head of School Search Committee. Ashley is a Senior Analyst, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) at S&P Global. She drives priorities, policies, and programs that advance S&P Global’s DEI strategy across two divisions and is the DEI external benchmarking surveys and awards lead. Ashley holds a BA in Sociology from Boston College and an MEd in Social Justice Education from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She is a member of the New York Junior League.

Alice Goldman Reiter

Alice Goldman Reiter was appointed a trustee in May 2023. Alice received a BA from Yale and a JD from New York University. Alice is an experienced litigator and advocate at Cuti Hecker Wang LLP. Her diverse practice spans a variety of practice areas, including housing discrimination, employment discrimination and retaliation, sexual assault and abuse, police misconduct and prisoners’ rights, and commercial matters. Prior to joining Cuti Hecker Wang in 2013, Alice worked as an associate at a large commercial firm in New York City and as a law clerk for Hon. Barbara S. Jones of the Southern District of New York. Alice is a recipient of the 2015 Fair Housing Justice Center’s Acting for Justice Award. Alice and her husband Ben have two children at Saint Ann’s School, a rising first and fourth grader.

Information about our full Board of Trustees is available on our website.

Alaina joins the Saint Ann’s Board of Trustees as our newest Young Alumni Trustee. Alaina graduated from Saint Ann’s in 2018. She holds a BA from the University of Pennsylvania in Fine and Studio Arts. Alaina currently works as a Commerce Producer at Bon Appétit and Epicurious, where she also writes articles on everything from (the best) tahini to a (Tik Tok-viral) bag sealer that’ll cure your stale snack woes. Alaina also started her own baking blog called Crumbs and Nibbles.

Departures

Daniel Bergner ’77

Dan, a former Saint Ann’s faculty member in the English Department and former student from 1967–1972, departs after seventeen years on the Board. He has served on a number of committees, including Secretary on the Executive Committee. Dan has been a crucial voice in sustaining the school’s mission, in advocating for the centrality of the arts, and on behalf of faculty and staff.

Stephen Cassell ’81

For eleven years, Stephen was a crucial partner with school staff as the Chair of the Physical Facilities committee, and an advocate for centering the experience of children, of environmental sustainability, and of accessibility. Stephen brought his decades of experience as an alumnus, as a Saint Ann’s parent, and as a visionary architect and one of the founding partners of Architectural Research Office (ARO) to the school to help guide the school’s improvement and stewardship of its physical plant.

Marjorie Coleman

Marj joined the board in 1994 as the parent of two Saint Ann’s children. Now three of Marj’s grandchildren continue as Saint Ann’s students. Marj has been an invaluable advocate of the school for over three decades and we are grateful for having had her guidance, wisdom, support, and energy. Marj has served on a number of board committees during her tenure, including the position of Vice President. She served on the Head of School Search Committee in 2010 and has, throughout her board service, been a fierce advocate for the school and its unique mission.

Marc Mayer

In his eighteen years as a trustee, Marc served as a member of the Head of School Search Committee in 2010 and was co-Chair of the Head of School search in 2022. He was, for a number of years, the Treasurer and Chair of the Finance Committee, and in that role helped to strengthen the school’s finances, develop the school’s capacity for long term financial planning, and lead the Campaign for Saint Ann’s in 2011–2015.

Brad Weekes ’13

As a Young Alumni Trustee, Brad served on both the Finance and Advancement Committees and was a member of the NYSAIS accreditation Governance Committee. Brad remains—as he has been since graduating from Saint Ann’s—an active and enthusiastic member of our alumni community. Brad was recently back on Pierrepont Street on Alumni Day to celebrate his 10th reunion with the rest of the class of 2013.

We are very grateful to Dan, Stephen, Marj, Mar,c and Brad for their deep devotion to Saint Ann’s and their commitment to the work of the Board during their tenure as trustees.

Alaina Chou ’18 young alumni trustee

Artwork by Anna M , 12th Grade

Dear Ocean,

How did you get such soothing colors?

How when I see you

All my thoughts disappear

How do you have life all over you

Such as homes in your mold

You split Into waves

Always trying to get on land

Yet you resist

And let yourself drift away

Then come back again

As if you want to stay

How do you change colors from blue to green to aqua?

Did the leaves give up their colors for the sake of your beauty

Did the sky pour blue onto you

Spreading through the tips of your waves

Then to the bottom of the sea

Changing,

But somehow still the same?

by Inez A , 4th Grade

Staying in Touch with Saint Ann’s School

Dear Alumni,

Summer is a relatively quiet time at Saint Ann’s, affording us the opportunity to reflect on the year gone by. This school year was filled with old traditions (the Puppet Parade, Alumni Day, sings on the Red Stairs) and some cherished new ones as well, like Senior Dinners and the annual Harry Potter evening. There were also the countless spontaneous displays of art, learning, music, and joy which make Saint Ann’s the place we know and love.

Alumni were very much a part of the 2022–23 school year, and engaged with the school through various avenues, including volunteering, speaking to students, attending events, and so much more. We are grateful for your continued dedication to your alma mater, and your hand in upholding the values of this community.

Looking forward, we hope you will continue to connect with Saint Ann’s. If you are interested in becoming more engaged, there are many ways to stay involved:

• Make plans to attend Alumni Day next May 18, 2024 — guests of honor will be the classes ending in 4s and 9s.

• Keep your contact information up to date (email us at alumni@saintannsny.org to make any changes).

• Give a reading, speak to a class, share your professional expertise and experience. We love visitors!

• Follow our Facebook page (Saint Ann’s School Alumni News), as well as following us on LinkedIn, and Instagram (@saintannsschool).

• Check out the Happenings page on our website www.saintannsny.org to see upcoming events.

• Give a gift! Alumni donations to the Annual Fund are a chance to make contributions in honor or memory of a classmate, a teacher, or anyone who impacted your education.

• Suggest another idea! We’re all ears.

As we look toward the upcoming school year, some shuffling will be taking place in our office. Jacob Goodhart will transition from his role as Advancement Associate to be the new Alumni Relations and Volunteer Manager. I, for my part, will be moving onto the School’s communications team. Please connect with Jacob (jgoodhart@saintannsny.org) moving forward for all alumni related needs.

As alumni you comprise Saint Ann’s School’s living history and your influence and input help us to uphold the School’s values as we define our future. We are so grateful for your support.

With love,

Elena ‘Lenny’ Sheppard ‘05 Alumni Relations Manager

718.522.1660 ext. 324 | esheppard@saintannsny.org

Alumni Day 2023

This year’s Alumni Day honored classes ending in 3s and 8s, and featured an alumni meet and greet with Incoming Head of School Kenyatte Reid, a cocktail party for all alumni, and dinners for classes celebrating milestone years. We loved seeing so many familiar faces back at Saint Ann’s!

ALUMNI EVENTS

Alumni Visitors

We are always thrilled when alumni come to visit, and this winter and spring we were excited to welcome back two alums from the ’80s and one from the ’90s. Thomas Beller ’83 joined the high schoolers for a winter Friday Meeting during which he read from his new book, Lost in the Game: A Book about Basketball In May, Alissa Quart ’89 read to High School English classes from her latest book Bootstrapped: Liberating Ourselves from the American Dream. Back in February, Jocelyn Goode ’99 returned to lead a Black History Month Roller Skating Event. Jocelyn, who is the Founding Director of the AfricanAmerican Roller-Skate Museum led a Mobile Museum Experience which had Upper Middle School and High School students from Black Femme Circle, Black Luminaries Inspiring Safe Spaces (BLISS), and Get Uncomfortable, Start Talking (GUST) roller skating around the 12th floor gym.

Alumni Auction

We were excited to showcase the incredible work of our alumni in our third ever online Alumni Auction. All donations to the auction were made, created, painted, built, invented, designed, written, composed, acted, edited, directed, or owned by Saint Ann’s alumni. Items included an editorial consultation with Alexandra Shelley ’79, brunch at Russ & Daughters Cafe with Niki Russ Federman ’95, a kids’ singalong party led by Ari Brand ’02 —and much more! All proceeds supported the Scholarship Fund at Saint Ann’s School. Thank you to all the alumni who donated auction items and to everyone who participated in the online event.

Black History Month Roller Skating with Jocelyn Goode ’99

Alumni Party in Los Angeles

In April, dozens of Saint Ann’s alumni in Los Angeles gathered at the home of James Busby (former faculty) for a Saint Ann’s Alumni Happy Hour. Classes from the ’80s, ’90s, ’00s, and ’10s were represented and all who gathered enjoyed reconnecting with their fellow New Yorkers who now call California home.

ALUMNI MINI FEATURES

Bahia Ramos ’92

Working in the arts has led me down a path I never imagined for myself. I spent the early part of my career in cultural institutions, at familiar Brooklyn gems like Brooklyn Children’s Museum and Brooklyn Botanic Garden, building connections between the institutions and their communities. After attending graduate school, this initial path opened up opportunities for me in institutional philanthropy. I have spent the last 15 years in institutional philanthropy supporting the arts, arts education, and communities of color through initiatives at Knight Foundation, in Miami, Florida, and now at Wallace Foundation, here in New York.

As an industry we are interrogating the role we play in contributing to an equitable society, and I am grateful to play a leadership role in advancing work that is aligned with my values and passion. I reflect on how my curiosity was nurtured as a child, and how integral that was to my ability to navigate through and question the issues I encounter in my work today.

Alex Sterling ’04

My first introduction to music production and audio engineering was at Saint Ann’s in the “Music and Computers” and “Music and Multimedia” classes taught by Stefani Langol (former faculty), and then Gary Langol (music faculty).

This exposure launched me into an early and ongoing fascination with sound engineering and music making that led me to pursue what has become a nearly 20 year career in the field.

After several years of freelance audio engineering I founded Precision Sound Studios in Manhattan, a recording studio, which provides music production and audio engineering services to a wide variety of clients around the world including major artists, record labels, films/shows, brands, and other commercial audio content.

In addition to operating Precision Sound, I also co-founded Space Lab Systems, a company that designs and manufactures products for the professional audio industry including the world’s first motorized height adjustable speaker stand with a proprietary vibration isolation and decoupling technology.

As I continue my work in audio engineering and product development I am often reminded of, and thankful for, the invaluable exposure and creative opportunities that my education at Saint Ann’s provided.

Jeremy Ney ’10

I use data to unpack U.S. inequality. I want policymakers, politicians, and change-makers to know which regions are most in need so we can direct our resources to support those communities.

When I started this work almost a decade ago at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, I began by looking at income inequality. But the more I looked, the more I saw how healthcare, education, taxes, race, gender, and location all deeply impacted opportunity in America. I enrolled in a dual degree MBA/MPA program at MIT and Harvard to dig into those interwoven forces.

While there I built data visualizations to illustrate inequalities on everything from life expectancy, to childcare costs, to food deserts. I put these into a newsletter called American Inequality and started sharing it with the world. After a while, readers began writing back with their stories on inequality—the challenges they faced paying rent, teaching in low-income areas, and trying to bounce back after terrible floods. I published their stories coupled with maps of inequality in a variety of outlets (The Los Angeles Times, NPR, and TIME magazine) and had the opportunity to share those on the TEDx stage too. Most importantly, I got to chat with Saint Ann’s high schoolers about all this in January 2022.

What’s next for me? While I continue to work full-time at Google on privacy technology, this fall I’ll be joining the faculty at Presidio Graduate School as an adjunct professor to teach a course on how to use data for social change.

Eliza Callahan ’13

Three years ago, just as the pandemic took hold, I was diagnosed with a rare, not-well-understood disease of the inner ear and I was told that within a year I’d likely not have my hearing. For one year, I felt that reality set in—I was not able to listen to music, let alone voices, and everything started completely fading out. I was in graduate school at Columbia at the time getting my MFA in NonFiction and believed that I was experiencing the rapid sunset of my music playing days. I had released a record in February 2020 with my project, Purr (via ANTI-Records). I feel so lucky three years later to be in remission and to have just released a sophomore record, Who Is Afraid of Blue?, and to have a forthcoming novel, The Hearing Test, to be published by Catapult in Spring 2024. The book began as an essay on silence and somewhere along the way became a fictional document on seeing–––about an artist in her late twenties, who awakens one morning to a deep drone in her right ear but is offered no explanation for its cause. As the specter of total deafness looms, she keeps a record of her year—a score of estrangement and enchantment, of luck and loneliness, of the chance occurrences to which she becomes attuned—while living alone in a New York City studio apartment with her dog. Writing the text, I thought often of discussions that took place in former faculty Nancy Fales Garrett’s classroom and of the paragraph of The Poetic’s (on tragedy) that she had us learn by heart (and which has refused to fade!).

Abayomi Awoyomi ’19

Leaving New York for the Midwest, an indeed exciting region of the country, turned out to be a massive step in the right direction. I recently completed my last semester at WashU and earned my degree in Chemistry with a minor in Jazz Studies. This journey was highlighted by my publication in the American Chemical Society journal for a novel synthesis of a proof-of-concept energy storage device. Unable to rid myself of the love of the sport of track and field that had grown so strong at Saint Ann’s, I competed as part of the Bears track team for “four” years (boo COVID). As a team captain for two years, I set school records in the triple jump, earning my spot at Nationals for indoor and outdoor track and field seasons.

To my dismay, I was informed that neither a bachelor’s nor a Master’s degree in chemistry would allow me to pursue the level of research that I yearned for; I applied and was accepted to the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Chemistry Ph.D. program, where I will be researching energy storage chemistry and continuing to compete as an athlete but in a higher division (thanks to COVID, I guess).

I am hoping I can keep on making people proud, so I’ll be doing my best!

Re-envisioning Computer Science at Saint Ann’s

Earlier this year, Saint Ann’s began the exciting work of reimagining the Computer Science Center, which first opened over thirty years ago. The emerging mission of our Computer Science and Technology Department is to bring together computer science, technology integration, and the arts, reflecting the role of technology as an integral part of the creative and learning process for students across multiple disciplines. To support this educational vision, we are redesigning and renovating the approximately 2,300 square feet of teaching and learning spaces. The design process was informed by the teachers and students who will be using this space in the coming years.

These renovations were made possible by the generous support of the Saint Ann’s community, including a 3:1 match from the Edward E. Ford Foundation, which provided $100,000 after our community raised $300,000. All of these funds will be spent directly on the new facility, including equipment, and will cover a portion of the total cost of the renovation. If you are interested in supporting this effort, please visit the school’s website to make your gift.

Work on the re-envisioned space began in April, and renovations will be completed for the start of the 2023–2024 school year. We look forward to seeing what our students dream up in these innovative new spaces.

Demolition and build in progress.

Renderings courtesy of Lea Architects

Glow

Glowing lights

glowing stars

the glowing moon

glowing world

glowing planets

glowing sun

glowing houses

everything glowing

By Timiyo W , Kindergarten

Preschool Mural

Artwork by Cece C., 12th Grade Flyway

Into the house come a flock of spring birds— May is the age for family to return to a silver nest that was never theirs. They come from gentle suburbs, shying trees. Grandma delivers pizzas in her car, the aunts mow lawns and fuss about the sons. They taught you the meaning of “tailgating” but in the process showed you messy love. Love is everything that they are made of— if you can parse through the cigarette smoke and mumblings in their dreams, the glance of ghost, the wandering—not quite snail, not quite walk. We as people can never truly know one another—but they believe we can.

By Lyla B , 11th Grade

Artwork by Calla M , 12th Grade

WATERMELON

It’s not the smell of wax you enjoy

It’s the journey you take back to childhood birthday parties

And the awkward pause when everyone is singing you happy birthday

You’re just supposed to wait until they’re done.

It’s not the word C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S that makes you smile

It’s the thought of snow and presents

The smell of pine and sugarcookies.

Can’t you smell watermelon when you think of a watermelon

I can

Close your eyes

Now can you?

By Darwin S., 7th Grade

Photo by Esme Q , 10th Grade