Saint Ann's Times | Winter 2022-2023

SAINT ANN’S TIMES

GANESH BY SUSIE & KAI’S 2ND GRADE STUDENTS

WINTER 2022–23

Time in a school year stretches and compresses, accelerates and crawls, often feeling desperately short and at others interminable. But its overarching structure is the annual cycle of beginning, middle, and end. Each June, we salute our graduates at the end of their Saint Ann’s journey, bid fond farewell to colleagues retiring or setting out on new adventures, and anticipate welcoming new students, new teachers and staff come September. At Saint Ann’s, we have always sought to cultivate a sense of the importance of each moment, each day, each fleeting opportunity to create and to discover, aware that we are shaped by our past, sensing future needs and obligations, but letting neither the past nor the future stake undue claims on our attention. When we speak of learning for its own sake, or declare that education at Saint Ann’s is not a means to an end, we are also describing an attitude towards time that grounds us in the here and now.

And yet, we move forward with each spin around the sun; the new year builds on what we have experienced and learned from the years that preceded it. For the past eighteen months, this process of introspection and reflection has been unfolding in a particularly formal and even prescribed way, as we completed an extensive ten-year self-study that is a condition of our membership in our accrediting body, the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS).

We started with an inclusive process to rewrite our mission, which now begins with the simple and profound statement: “Saint Ann’s exists to nurture the wonder of children.” Through the hard work of many colleagues—teachers, staff, administrators, and trustees—we now have in hand a careful and thorough review of critical aspects of our school: mission and culture, teaching and learning, governance, financial sustainability, student life and community, and others. While each section ends by noting areas for growth, attention, and change, there is so much here that affirms both new commitments and things we have cherished over decades.

Every section of the self-study—even those that have more to do with school operations than with curriculum, pedagogy, and culture—affirms our sense of purpose and reflects on the many ways we fulfill our obligation to our students and to one another in a unique and changing community. As I read the completed document, I was struck anew at how all of our various pieces and parts form a distinctive whole and share a fundamental sense of purpose. One way among many to describe what that is, one that our self-study conveys with particular clarity, is our commitment to sustaining a culture of inquiry.

“Central to our work as a school community,” our self-study notes, “is the pervasive sense that through inquiry, invention, and adaptation, we learn together. We aspire to create environments where each student feels invited to ask questions as they engage with the material and where there is a lively tension between order and spontaneity.”

Evidence of this aspiration is to be found across our school—from preschoolers joining Jacques Cousteau on a dive in the Calypso; to investigations of sound and light, of thorny mathematical problems, of the human skeletal structure, of the rhythms and dances of Ghana in the Kindergarten and Lower School; to explorations of new languages and texts, of ancient cultures and atomic

structures, of self-expression and human connection through art and theater across Middle and High School. Our self-study rightly declares that, at Saint Ann’s, “the curriculum is the vehicle that brings sophisticated intellectual and artistic ideas and pursuits into the realm of childhood and is the terrain in which expert teachers and curious students build relationships, question the world, make discoveries, and ultimately cultivate a passion for life-long learning.” So often at Saint Ann’s, learning is questioning, and the knowledge and skills our students come to possess feel real and authentic to them as a consequence.

Seeking to become a community rooted in trust and equity—a place that honors every person’s identity and full humanity—similarly fosters a culture of inquiry by assuring everyone of the opportunity to participate on equal terms and with the assurance of shared respect and love.

While this self-study comes along but once a decade, the enduring values and practices it describes are manifest every day at Saint Ann’s, where we seek to invest each moment we are together with all of the possibilities that a school filled with bright, curious, and multi-dimensional people inherently contains. So often visitors to our school remark on the atmosphere of joy and playful adventure that infuses each space we inhabit. I am confident that our visitors this spring will see this for themselves, and once again affirm the vitality of our ongoing symposium in learning and living.

Vince Tompkins Head of School

Artwork by Maud A , 12th grade

In October, the Saint Ann's Board of Trustees voted unanimously to appoint Kenyatte A. Reid as our next Head of School. As President of the Board of Trustees, Mino Capossela, wrote in the announcement: “We look forward to him celebrating our students, faculty and staff; strengthening connections within our community; and nourishing the intellectual and artistic vitality that is central to Saint Ann’s. As a parent of two Saint Ann’s graduates and a current senior, Kenyatte has been a joyful, first-hand observer of the heights Saint Ann’s students can reach when inspired by our deeply committed and talented faculty.” We will welcome Kenyatte officially as our Head of School in summer 2023.

To read the full announcement about his appointment, please visit the Saint Ann’s website.

The Singer

By Vivienne B , 1st grade

The singing mouse on a stage

feeling proud takes a bow

Niesha C , 8th grade

Theater Meets Technology: Students Craft Costumes with 3D Printing

By Jascha Narveson, Computer Teacher

The driving force for the collaboration was costume designer Kate Mincer (Theater Teacher) who wrote to me about the possibility of getting some elements printed for Beauty and the Beast, specifically for the clock Cogsworth. As luck would have it, her visit with me overlapped with one of my Upper Middle School 3D printing sections so some of the kids got to meet her and hear her pitch. I then put together a simple page on my website with instructions, images, and a video for them to get oriented and draw some inspiration.

As gears and swoops got printed, I pinned them up on the front wall of the classroom to further inspire others. I like the variety of approaches that students have taken to designing their gears and swoops, with some making more straightforward pieces and others choosing more fanciful designs, which created a nice mix. I'm very appreciative of having an applied real-world project so early in the year for my 3D printing students. May every year bring new demands for custom designs from the Theater Department!

Kindergarten and 4th Grade Students Create Art Together from Dreams

This semester, Carly Dashiell and Suki White’s kindergarten class collaborated with Gena Oppenheim’s 4th grade theater class to create original performances. It all started when Gena’s students talked about feeling like the “smallest kids in the big building.” They then had the idea to interview students at Saint Ann’s that are “even smaller than them.” Thus, the Dreams project was born! Gena’s students visited the kindergarten during their class time and interviewed the kindergarteners about their dreams for the future. Their central question was: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” They received such delightful responses as, “the best paper folder,” and “a teenager.” The 4th graders then turned those responses into a short dramatic presentation which the kindergarteners took a “field trip” to the "Big Building" to see. The kindergarteners were a rapt audience and after the show asked questions about “life as a middle schooler” while everyone enjoyed a snack. In response the kindergarteners have invited the 4th graders to have “a cameo” in their upcoming silent film. We can’t wait to see where this collaboration takes them.

Reptile Visitors in the Art, Science & Nature Class

by Katya Arnold, Art Teacher

I am a strong believer that in our "screen" age it's very important to be in touch with the real-world—to see, touch, and observe behavior. That is why in my classes we draw live animals.

In this year's Art, Science & Nature high school class taught by Jessica Zayas (Science Teacher) and myself, we study a variety of things that are connected to the nature around us, like apples, fungi and frogs, root vegetables, grains, birds, lobsters, and flowers. In the science portion of the class we study genetics, do labs and dissections, and explore things under the microscope. In the art portion, students do realistic drawings from real objects and animals like snakes, lizards, wild mushrooms, and flowers. They also do a creative interpretation of the theme we are studying in the medium of their choice.

Recently we had some reptile visitors to our classroom. They were an albino reticulated python named Elsa, a Burmese python named Bertha, and an Argentine tegu named Jaba. In addition, there was a turtle and three lizards. The animals visited us from Blue Diamond Entertainment in New Jersey. They were tamed, and they served as good models for all of my art classes.

We invited everybody from the art department to bring their students to meet the animals, and we had excited visitors from all grades. Students enjoyed observing the animals, touching them, and learning about their ages, habits, and behaviors. Most importantly, our Art, Science & Nature class, who was currently studying reptiles and amphibians, was able to sketch the animals for two undisturbed hours.

Beauty and the Beast

Our High School actors, singers, dancers, musicians, technicians and costume crew performed this “Tale as Old as Time” this past November in the Bosworth Building theater.

Photos courtesy of the 2023 Yearbook Editors.

Visiting China Institute with Chinese 1 Students

By Yejing Gu, Chinese Teacher and Chinese Language Coordinator

On October 20, the Chinese 1 students went on a field trip to China Institute, a nonprofit educational and cultural institution founded in 1926. China Institute recently launched a new special showcase: Mountains and Painting: An Educational Journey Through Landscape Art. It features thirteen artists through twenty-two works of art that reveal the importance of mountain culture in Chinese history and art. In Chinese legends, mountains are pillars that hold up the sky. By examining the impact of mountains on Chinese culture and its traditional aesthetic, this showcase reveals the formats, compositions, techniques, subjects, and aesthetics of Chinese painting.

During the trip, our students learned about the five great mountains of China, different brush types, the way mountains were depicted, and their significance in Chinese culture. Students also participated in a hands-on landscape painting workshop to apply fundamental ink and brush techniques. It was an eyeopening and fun experience!

7th and 8th Grade Co-Ed Soccer Debut

This year's 7th and 8th grade soccer team experience was completely different than in other years— our biggest success was forming a new type of team. This year, nine students made up our 7th and 8th grade co-ed soccer team. These fierce nine were super engaged and had a great experience going to schools all over the five boroughs and playing against mostly all boys, but some co-ed teams. During training and practices, they had to amp up their cardio and resistance, as normally there are eleven players on the field with substitutes; Saint Ann's learned to be tenacious and self-sufficient team players.

From left to right: Paul Benney (Head Coach), Mateo Velikonja (8th), Colin Lawry (8th), Maisie Sexton (8th), May Gantcher (8th), Anaia Jean-Francois (8th), Jack Sweeney (7th), Shivraj Rajpurohit (7th), Cooper Richardson (7th), Elias Goris (7th), Atonaltzin Rayo (Assistant Coach)

OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM

Girls Volleyball Championship

The 2022 the varsity girls volleyball team had a strong season, finishing with an 18-5 record. They were the Athletic Conference of Independent Schools regular season and playoff champions. They finished third in the regular season of the Athletic Association of Independent Schools league and, as the third seed, advanced to the tournament finals. They received the #4 seed in the New York State Association of Independent Schools Athletic Association Tournament and advanced to the quarterfinals before losing in an amazing five set match with the #5 seed, Fieldston. Congratulations to the team!

Team members include:

12th grade: Lulu Johnson, Piper Lamson, Bailey Reid

11th grade: Logan Burr, Isabelle Cowart, Midori Myrthil, Clio Westhoff

10th grade: Sophia Ahrens, Amelia Austin, Beau Johnson, Nora Mahler

9th grade: Clementine Tebbe

Managers: India Cole (12th grade), Suky Richards (12th grade), Amari Williams (12th grade)

Coach: Shannon Carr, Recreational Arts teacher

College Office Visits Rice University

In September, members of the Saint Ann’s College Office went to Texas for the for the annual NACAC Conference (National Association for College Admission Counseling). Before the conference they visited colleges and universities in Dallas, Austin, and Houston. One such visit was to Rice University where they met with a few Saint Ann’s alums.

Listening for Owls

By Maia S-V., Kindergarten

From left to right: Louis Trujillo (College Counselor), Angus Jelinek ’19, Victor Kaplan ’20, Miles Gantcher ’22, Elizabeth Hannan (Director of College Counseling), Sarah Moon (College Counselor)

I made an owl sound in the night nothing came back but an echo

I saw stars tiny white dots standing on the porch ready for bed

Celebrating the Saint Ann’s Literary Festival

By Anaka P , 11th grade

Last year, Katherine S-R. (11th grade) and I created the first Saint Ann’s Literary Festival, which took place on a Tuesday afternoon in October and consisted of numerous “literary” snacks—such as madeleines for Marcel Proust or Southern biscuits for Toni Morrison—and hundreds of free books. All of the books were found on Brooklyn stoops during the pandemic. This year, the festival was elevated; it spanned a week instead of an afternoon, had more free books, and four writers who came to speak about their books and their creative processes. They were all interviewed by Katherine and me. The writers were a diverse group: playwright Sarah Ruhl spoke on Monday, New York Times writer Vikas Bajaj joined on Zoom on Wednesday, biographer Aseem Chhabra discussed his books on Thursday, and finally, esteemed novelist and New Yorker journalist Larissa MacFarquhar came to speak on Friday. The festival was attended by high schoolers, middle schoolers, and some teachers!

Welcoming Little Amal

By Christina Rodriguez, Puppetry Teacher

As the school year began, Saint Ann’s Puppetry students, and the community at large, had the thrilling privilege of welcoming Little Amal to New York City as part of Handspring Puppet Company’s ongoing global event, “The Walk.” A twelve-foot tall puppet of a ten-year-old Syrian refugee, Little Amal has traveled to over eighty-five cities around the world since 2021 and was created in order to raise awareness, empathy, and resources for refugees across the globe. Puppetry students worked diligently to create whimsical flying pigeon puppets to welcome Little Amal and help guide her trek across the Brooklyn Bridge. High School Puppetry and Theater students were specifically invited to join the ranks of professional puppeteers and artists in the Pigeon Corps. They performed a choreographed scene, designed by playwright Robin Frohardt, at St. Ann’s Warehouse with Little Amal and the Pigeon Puppets. Students, families, and community members joyfully gathered to celebrate this once-in-a-lifetime moment.

Singing at the 9/11 Memorial

By Maya C , 12th grade

This past September, I was nominated by the Brooklyn Youth Chorus to sing the National Anthem at the 9/11 Commemoration at Ground Zero. While I stood nervously on the podium, amid the scrutiny of news cameras and the gaze of dignitaries, the most palpable feeling was the solace and respect of the crowd of victims’ families before me. And it was the most touching when those who lost loved ones sought me out afterwards to thank me personally for my song. A simple rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner" had the extraordinary capacity to move people in such a meaningful way

Convincing myself to perform in the first place was challenging. Although it’s often said that 9/11 united the country, those with brown skin, or characterized as “Arab,” endured both the institutionalized and civilian discrimination that was ingrained in America’s psyche after the attacks. Indeed, my own family, and particularly my Muslim mother, felt this alienation. So how could I reconcile the heightened Islamophobia and its implications for my family, with honoring the grief of victims’ loved ones? I felt hesitant to participate in the healing process of a tragedy that many believe the nation may have weaponized. And what’s more, the anthem I would be singing is a script that has gone unfulfilled in its promise of freedom.

After much internal debate, though, I began to consider the event in another light. By not performing, I would potentially be relinquishing this opportunity to someone belonging to a dominant group, reinforcing that the grief of 9/11 is reserved for a specific subset of the United States. Instead, to be a person of color singing about pride and freedom to households across the country was a symbol of not only the strength in diversity, but an affirmation that we do, in fact, belong here. The tragedy belongs to all of us, and should serve as a unifying force that urges us to examine and rectify its systemic causes. By overcoming the internalized discrimination that initially deterred me from singing, I am hopeful that I participated in the necessary progress toward a nation less divided than before.

NAIS People of Color Conference

The NAIS People of Color Conference (PoCC) is the flagship of the National Association of Independent Schools’ commitment to equity and justice in teaching, learning, and sustainability for independent schools. PoCC offers a variety of programming that allows people of color and allies of all backgrounds in independent schools to come together, reflect on their individual experiences, and learn from one another. Organized by the Director of Diversity and Institutional Equity, Dr. Sherrish Holloman, Saint Ann’s sent a delegation of more than forty teachers and staff. This represents the largest number in the school’s history and reflects our ongoing commitment to diversity and equity and to supporting our BIPOC colleagues. The conference was held in San Antonio, Texas, and featured a variety of guest speakers including, poet and educator, Nikki Giovanni, who delivered an impactful message regarding the hopes and responsibilities schools face when educating young people. Another highlight of the conference was the workshop titled "Flipping Privilege to Disadvantage: The need for DEIB Framing in College Counseling" presented by Louis Trujillo (college counselor).

The Lower Middle School Dance Party

On October 21, the Lower Middle School hosted a much anticipated dance party in the lobby of the Bosworth Building. The event was DJ’d by Saint Ann’s very own Mark Rumble (Security Staff) and the 4th and 5th grade attendees were thrilled to be there. The night was a huge success equipped with board games, conga lines, and a lot of songs to which everyone sang (and shouted) along.

Since our founding, Saint Ann’s has remained rooted in our commitment “to nurture the wonder of children.” This endeavor is bolstered by the generosity of parents, alumni, faculty, grandparents, parents of alumni, trustees, and friends of our school.

We hope you will uphold this tradition of support at Saint Ann’s by making a contribution to the 2022-23 Annual Fund. We strive for full participation from our community, and gifts of every size make an immediate impact on the student experience and affirm our shared values.

Make a Gift

100% of our Annual Fund volunteers have shown their support for Saint Ann’s with a gift to the school this year.

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

THE GROWING SHELF

A collection of books written by alumni and faculty. The below were published by alumni in 2022. Find more Saint Ann’s authors by checking out the “SaintAnn’s” page on GoodReads.

The Invisible Kingdom: Reimagining Chronic Illness, Meghan O’Rourke ’93 (published March 2022; a National Book Award finalist)

This Time Tomorrow, Emma Straub ’98 (published May 2022)

Giuliani: The Rise and Tragic Fall of America’s Mayor, Andrew Kirtzman ’78 (published September 2022)

Antisocial Language Teaching: English and the Pervasive Pathology of Whiteness, Justin Pierce Baldwin Gerald ’03 (published September 2022)

Weird Girls: Writing the Art Monster, Caroline Hagood ’00 (published October 2022)

Lost in the Game: A Book about Basketball, Thomas Beller ’83 (published October 2022)

SECTION HEADER

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 Collaboration

Our first Celebrate Saint Ann’s event of 2023 was a performance of The Collaboration on January 19 at Manhattan Theater Club’s Samuel J. Friedman Theatre on Broadway followed by a talkback with actors Paul Bettany, Jeremy Pope, Krysta Rodriguez, and Erik Jensen. Over 100 community members—faculty, parents, alumni, and parents of alumni—attended the event. Paul Bettany, Saint Ann's parent of over 20 years, is an actor, writer, director, and producer. He has received Emmy nominations for his role as Vision in the Marvel series WandaVision. He was classically trained at the Drama Centre in London. He made his stage debut in a West End production of An Inspector Calls under the direction of Stephen Daldry. Bettany also starred in the Academy Award winning film A Beautiful Mind; Fox’s Master & Commander : The Far Side of the World for which he won an Evening Standard Award for Best British Actor, the London Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor and Elle Style Award for Best Actor. Other credits include the Academy Award nominated film Margin Call, the British films Journey’s End and Blood, the action films The DaVinci Code, Solo: A Star Wars Story and the avant-garde film Dogville

In The Collaboration, longtime international superstar Andy Warhol (played by Bettany) and the art scene’s newest wunderkind, Jean-Michel Basquiat (played by Pope), agree in the summer of 1984 to work together on what may be the most talked about exhibition in the history of modern art. The world premiere of The Collaboration was originally produced in 2022 by the Young Vic Theatre London.

From left to right: Paul Bettany with Jeremy Pope; Jeremy Pope speaking to audience

Grade-Wide Parent Parties

This fall, the Advancement Office welcomed parents in each grade of the Preschool, Kindergarten, and Lower School divisions back to school on different nights for casual social evenings. Taking place from September through October, these gatherings kicked off the school year aiming to give parents an opportunity to get to know each other and to enjoy the company of our vibrant parent community. From warm potato croquettes and baked brie to bountiful charcuterie boards, parents enjoyed light refreshments while meeting fellow parents.

Talkback with Paul Bettany and Jeremy Pope following The Collaboration

Picnic with a View

Over 800 people attended our annual Picnic with a View on September 30 held at the Bridge View Lawn on Pier 1 in Brooklyn Bridge Park. It was a comfortable autumn day brightened by spectacular views of Manhattan, the East River, and the bridge, of course. While parents chatted and socialized on Saint Ann’s picnic blankets, students enjoyed playing tag, soccer, frisbee, and games on the lawn. Everyone welcomed the return of the iconic apple cider donuts alongside autumn refreshments including apples and apple cider.

Fun Run

On Sunday, October 24, the Saint Ann’s Recreational Arts Department hosted the Fun Run in Prospect Park. It was one of the best attended gatherings in this event’s history with representatives from every part of our community—the eldest participant was 84-year-old Jan Hyde (parent to Robin Motley ’88 and Jason Hyde ’90) who has been attending since the very first Fun Run. Students, faculty, alumni, parents, and grandparents alike enjoyed hot chocolate, chomped down donuts, and breezed through the 3.35 mile loop with the fastest time clocking in at 21.02 minutes.

Picking Apples

By Sloane Leahy, 1st grade

Apples on the trees red, green, yellow orange leaves red circles hanging from a branch

From my dad’s shoulders

Current Faculty

Loren Bevans

Theater teacher Loren Bevans was the costume designer for the play Silent Sky, presented at Burning Coal Theater in Raleigh in December.

Coleman Collins

Coleman, a math, art and language structures teacher, showed artwork in the group exhibition Wet Conceptualism at The Opening Gallery in Tribeca.

Julia Izumi

Playwriting teacher Julia Izumi’s new play, Regretfully, So the Birds Are, premieres in March at Playwright Horizons.

Jascha Narveson

Computer teacher Jascha Narveson released a new album of "perky ambient music," .0, for people who enjoy tinting their environment with sound.

Marty Skoble

Marty Skoble, poetry teacher, has two poems in the forthcoming issue of Hanging Loose Magazine

Welcome New Faculty & Staff

Brynn Bank Mathematics Teacher

Brynn Bank joined our faculty as a new math teacher, and this year is teaching middle school math. She comes to us from Lunar Solar Group, where she was a Senior Growth Analyst, and prior to that she was at Dartmouth College where she studied quantitative social science.

Robin Becker Director of Communications

We are pleased to welcome Robin Becker as our new Director of Communications. Robin comes to us from the Ethical Culture Fieldston School where she was most recently the Assistant Director of Communications for Institutional Engagement. Robin’s experience also includes customer service at Warby Parker, teaching with AmeriCorps, and an MFA in creative writing from Sarah Lawrence College.

Night Fall

By Jackson Tsai, 4th grade

In the evening light

A single car’s headlight blinks warm colors. An empty street crowded with air

Dark clouds roam the night sky

A gush of wind rising the dead

A black cat with gleaming yellow eyes

Then a street light blinks off and causes A domino effect

I watch as the starlight takes over my house I watch how the horizon becomes A cemetery of sun

Night fall...

Artwork by Lucinda Empson-Speiden, 12th grade

STAYING IN TOUCH

Staying in Touch with Saint Ann’s School

Dear Alumni,

These last few months marked my beginning in the role of Alumni Relations Manager. What a privilege it’s been to more closely get to know so many of you! I am impressed every day by the many paths former Saint Ann’s students take. Among us are actors and opera singers, lawyers and scientists, historians, doctors, teachers, engineers, entrepreneurs, painters, playwrights… Name a field, any field, and there’s likely a Saint Ann’s alum who occupies that world. The diverse roads alumni have taken are testament to the very many interests nurtured and fostered at Saint Ann’s. It’s impossible to look at the current students and not wonder where their own growing interests will lead.

This winter has been busy at school, filled with performances, presentations, concerts, and events. Our Alumni Newsletter, which you can find on our website in the ‘Alumni’ section, includes more details about what our students are up to. Looking ahead, we are excited to welcome you back to school on Alumni Day, May 6. While all alumni are invited, we will be celebrating in particular the milestone years of classes ending in 3s and 8s.

This year at Saint Ann’s we have had exciting engagement from alumni in the form of community volunteers and alumni guests. We hope you will continue to connect with our community in various ways and bring your accomplishments and careers back to today’s students. If you are interested in becoming more engaged with Saint Ann’s there are many ways you can stay connected:

• Attend Alumni Day—Saturday, May 6, 2023

• Donate or participate in the upcoming Online Alumni Auction (April 24–May 4, 2023).

• Stay in touch by sharing your news and updating your contact information (email us at alumni@saintannsny.org)

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

• Follow us on Facebook, 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 alumni you have the opportunity to be part of our school community, utilizing your voices and influence to hold us to the values that define Saint Ann’s. You are our past and can be integral in shaping our present and future. We are so grateful to you for helping us to do that.

With love,

Elena 'Lenny' Sheppard '05 Alumni Relations Manager

718.522.1660 ext. 324 | esheppard@saintannsny.org

ALUMNI DAY 2023

SAVE THE DATE | SATURDAY, MAY 6.

Join us at Saint Ann’s for an evening of celebration — a cocktail party for all alumni, faculty and staff followed by dinners for classes ending in 3s and 8s.

SAINT ANN'S ALUMNI AUCTION

APRIL 24–MAY 5

Calling All Auction Items!

This spring we will hold a virtual Alumni Auction—with proceeds going directly to the Scholarship Fund at Saint Ann's School. All donations to this auction, whether they are an item, experience, subscription or service—must be made, created, painted, built, invented, written, designed, composed, acted, edited, directed or owned by a Saint Ann's alum. If you have an item you'd like to donate to the auction, please fill out the donation form via the QR code or email esheppard@saintannsny.org.

ALUMNI MINI FEATURES

Cody Schreger-Maher ’99

I am now a triple certified health coach and Simple Shui House Therapist. In 2010, after a decade performing around the world as an aerialist and acrobat, I was grounded by a near fatal health crisis. Through restoring my own vitality I discovered a passion for wellness. I am the founder of Agency Wellness which focuses on helping people expand their vision, knowledge and practice of what it means to be well. In 2022, I launched Intentional Shui: The Art of Feeling Good. My mission as a House Therapist is to help clients see their homes as living entities that hold a vital influence in their lives. Through the wisdom of Feng Shui, I guide clients to align their spaces with the energy of fortune and opportunity, and help them witness the magic of living with intention.

Elizabeth Novella ’07

Singing has been the focal point of my life since I was twelve-years-old. It was one of the things that drew me most to Saint Ann’s. In fact, my first private voice teacher, Fred Martell, came into my life thanks to the suggestion of Saint Anns’ own Peter Clark (Music Teacher).

My career has afforded me the opportunity to sing Antonia in Aspen Music Festival’s production of Les Contes d’Hoffmann, several roles at Sarasota Opera, Villa Lobos’ Bachianas Brasileiras with the New York Philharmonic, and now The Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors at St. Petersburg Opera in Florida. I was also recently named a finalist in the Tenor Viñas Competition at the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona. My favorite part of being a singer beyond experiencing the beautiful music is forming lasting relationships with my colleagues around the world.

While all those shows were professionally fulfilling, singing Adele in Die Fledermaus with The Muses Project in Hot Springs, Arkansas this past September was incredibly personally fulfilling. Fred now lives in Little Rock and this show meant seeing him and singing for him for the first time in several years. To have my singing reunite me with the man who convinced me I could pursue opera professionally was a full circle experience I could never have dreamed of.

I always say that my four years at Saint Ann’s were my favorite educational experience, but this recent reconnection makes me appreciate it even more. It is exemplary of what makes Saint Ann’s such a wonderful place. Had Peter not sensed that I might be a good candidate for private voice lessons, I would never have met Fred. I will always be grateful to have attended a school whose teachers saw my strengths, met them with curiosity, and pushed me to aim for higher things.

Rebecca Schultz ’08

Ilana Harris-Babou ’09 and I first became friends circa 2005 in Angelo Bellfatto’s Painting Intensive class, so it was thrilling to be able to collaborate with her this past September on her show Mise-enscène at Open Source gallery in Gowanus. The show was about artists transforming domestic space; Ilana and our mutual friend Pallavi Sen made resin corn cobs, ceramic utensils, a watercolor of corn stalks in a storm, textiles like notebook paper, a shelf like an altarpiece. Coleman Collins (Math, Art and Language Structures Teacher) and I gave readings at the opening, which was to this lapsed New Yorker (I live in Los Angeles now) a magical, very Brooklyn affair: warm night, stoop-lined block, bright little former garage of a gallery filled with my dear friends' beautiful work, people—including many Saint Ann's-ers!—spilling out onto the street.

IN MEMORIAM

James ‘Jim’ Halverson

Former Faculty

We learned that Jim Halverson passed away last summer. Jim worked at Saint Ann’s from 1970 until 2006 serving in many roles over the decades including English teacher, mathematics teacher, language structures teacher, and Chair of the English Department. Below is an excerpt from an obituary by his son Lief Halverson ’87

I am writing with a heavy heart that my father died on July 3rd. My wife Joan and I were with him, when it was clear that he could not survive the damage that had been done from the procedure he had gone through. We respected his wishes to stop all life support and he died peacefully with us by his side.

My father was born January 29th, 1942 in Indianapolis, Indiana, the youngest son of George and Martha Halverson. He went to Brown University because he got a full scholarship due to his intentions to be a physics major, but after having great English teachers at Brown, he bravely changed his major to English, and English teaching became his life.

My father met my mother, Anita, in Paris, where he decided to go after graduating from college. They met in a French language class at the Sorbonne. The rest is history, and what a wonderful history they and we, as family and friends, have had with them.

My father was a much beloved teacher to the great number of students whom he taught throughout his long career, as an English teacher, in Baltimore, at the Gilman School, but then, for thirty-six years at Saint Ann's School.

Ted Kaufman Former Staff

Long-time Saint Ann’s physician and part of the broad Saint Ann’s family, Dr. Theodor (Ted) Kaufman died at home surrounded by family on November 26, 2022, age eighty-eight.

Ted was a surgeon (among many other medical careers) but had many other passions, such as devising fiendishly difficult acrostic puzzles, creating dozens of works of stained glass art, and woodworking. His artistry can be seen in the stained glass window he repaired in the Bosworth Building.

Ted was known to many in the Saint Ann’s community as the husband of Linda Kaufman, our former Associate Head of School; as the father of Laurie Camm ’75, David Kaufman ’77, Susan Ruiterman ’78 and Lisa Dewhurst ’82; and as the grandfather of Jimmy Dewhurst ’14, Sean Dewhurst ’17, Emily Dewhurst ’20 and Matthew Dewhurst ’23. He was also in loco parentis to the many Saint Ann’s children who lived with Ted and Linda over the years, especially Alex Goor ’89 and Dan Goor ’93.

Ted and Linda met at Shaker Village summer camp as teens, and the romance lasted through sixty-seven happy years of marriage. Saint Ann’s, and his family and friends, will miss Ted's love, wisdom, and dry humor.

Craig Linet ’90

By Valerie Linet ’94

Once upon a time in Brooklyn, Craig Adam Linet (1973–2022) was the first-born, brilliant, red-haired child of our parents Lois and Les Linet. He attended Saint Ann's School from 1982–1990, before heading to Vassar College. He died unexpectedly of natural causes a few days after his fortyninth birthday in his apartment in Saugerties, New York in March 2022. Craig did not walk a straight line and so this is not a traditional fairytale. From start to finish, Craig was a wonderfully distinct person who did things his own way. He was a quirky charmer with a clever and curious mind. To see his obituary, please visit www.gormleyfuneralhome.com/obituary/Craig-Linet.

If you’d like to see more photos or express condolences, please search him by name on Facebook (or go to tinyurl.com/craiglinet) to find his memorial page, where you can create a post.

Margaret Logue

Former Staff

By Bill Everdell (former faculty)

July 19, 1926–June 22, 2022

Margaret Logue hardly ever raised her voice and rarely took a podium; but she led three schools in a way that brought the clamor of individual voices, young and old, together in the love of each other and of learning of imprescriptible excellence. Our founding headmaster, Stanley Bosworth, hired her in 1971 to be an ombudsman for all the students when Saint Ann’s was all of six years old, because she was the clever parent of a gifted child (Bill Logue ’76). She took over with marvelous skills which she continued to duly credential with graduate courses in Government and Child Psychology and, in her 7th year at Saint Ann’s, a Master’s in Education from NYU. She mentored all ages, including teachers like Barbara Everdell, the teacher who succeeded her in the job. Stanley praised her in a recommendation as “a person of absolute dignity, integrity and probity … afraid of nothing and no one yet giving and concerned to all.” Ruth Chapman (former faculty), who came to Saint Ann’s a few years into Margaret’s tenure, recommended her for the headship of the Carroll School as “the voice of wisdom and model of dedication among us.” Margaret capped her career as head of Caroll and “retired” to Martha’s Vineyard in 1986 where she had many connections including her daughter Kathy who was living there married to Saint Ann’s first plant manager, Ernie Mendenhall. But Margaret believed in lifelong education, and never retired from her profession. She continued to teach until age 93, and never stopped learning.

Swamp Beasts

By Addie M , 1st grade

Lurking in the swamp are little beasts you never know what’s going to be there bones dancing in the light

Artwork by Anna M , 12th grade

GANESH BY SUSIE & KAI’S 2ND GRADE STUDENTS