Shore Country Day School: Bulletin - Spring 2014

SHORE

COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL SPRING/SUMMER 2014

INSIDE: Promoting the Lifelong Athlete • Acapalooza!

All the World’s a Stage • A Profile of Dr. Tom Seman Alumni News • Drama Takes Center Stage at Shore 1

2013–2014 BOARD OF TRUSTEES EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Joseph F. Trustey, President Rosemary S. French, Vice President Robert L. Clark, Jr. ’79, Treasurer; Secretary COMMITTEE MEMBERS James S. Allan Jennifer M. Borggaard ’84 Kevin T. Bottomley Sheila A. Burke John J. Collins Pam C. Demetroulakos Robert J. Duffy Susan C.D. Fortin James A. Hamilton Julia R. Hesse Courtney T. Kagan

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Karla C. Kaneb Jennifer W. Knowles Ledyard H. McFadden Nicola C.G. Savignano ’84 Kelly E. Sheehan ’00 William M. Shields ’84 Bobbye Lou Sims Eve M. Trkla Joshua A. Webber Duncan B. Wilkinson Patrick A. Wilson

SHORE COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL Established 1936 545 Cabot Street Beverly, Massachusetts 01915 (978) 927-1700 www.ShoreSchool.org ADMINISTRATION Lawrence A. Griffin Head of School Lilia N. Carey Director of Admissions and Secondary School Counseling Marjorie G. Cregg Director of Advancement Benjamin G. Kennedy Head of Upper School Elizabeth U. MacCurrach Head of Lower School Roberta B. Whiting Chief Financial Officer EDITORS Marjorie G. Cregg Linda M. Grodberg Joanne M. Harder Alison S. Jahn Douglas P. Lucey Kathryn H. Lucey ’01 Walter F. Morris Jane S. Stark Sander J. van Otterloo ’91

TABLE OF CONTENTS

From the Head of School. . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 All the World’s a Stage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 A Profile of Dr. Tom Seman. . . . . . . . . . . 5 Acapalooza!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Return to San Sebastian, Spain. . . . . . . 8 Reassessing Priorities: Some Questions to Ponder. . . . . . . . . . 11 Promoting the Lifelong Athlete at Shore Country Day School. . . . . . . . 13 Shore in the News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 At Our Finest Campaign Update . . . . . . 18 Alumni News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

DESIGNER Karen Shea Design

Drama Takes Center Stage at Shore . . 32

PHOTOGRAPHERS Bobbie Bush Photography

Enriching the Days at Shore. . . . . . . . . 34

Creosote Affects Daphne Clark Faldi ’89 Linda Grodberg Shawmut Design and Construction

Profile: Deborah L. Coates Inside back cover

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FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL When passion and vision blend, small miracles become possible. A cadre of Shore parents ac-

cepted the challenge over a year ago of planning and executing the fundraiser and fun raiser All the World’s a Stage, our first all-community event in the phenomenal new Center for Creativity.

Their collective vision unfolded before the spaces were even built, resulting in a gala that highlighted the past and the future of theater at Shore, the creative arts, and the power of community connections. When our auctioneer introduced the final item for bid, it was not something anyone would walk away with that evening. Instead, it was a promise of the inspiration and excitement our children

On the night of November 9, 2013, the entrance to Shore’s Science Building was beautifully draped in fabric and dramatically accented with red lights. In essence, it had all the markings of a premier opening night event, which indeed it was! The first official event in the new Lawrence A. Griffin Center for Creativity, All the World’s a Stage, was staged and ready to go. The event co-chairs, Elaine Horrocks, Lia Wainwright, and Beth Webber, masterfully orchestrated the details for this remarkable evening.

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would express when they stepped into the Kiva and explored the miracle of our planet Earth.

Thanks to the generosity of so many donors that evening, the Frenzy raised the monies to bring two of the most dynamic learning tools imaginable to Shore. Upon our return from spring vacation, the first of these tools, the OmniGlobe®*, was unveiled in the Kiva. The expressions of wonder and appreciation and the crescendo of excitement as the children explored this three-dimensional display of everything from the ocean bottom to the live weather patterns circling our globe provided all the assurance that this would be a transformative gift.

The event showcased the expressive arts from Shore’s past.

Colorful vignettes were placed throughout the Kiva — posters and photos were on display along with mannequins dressed in costumes from past Shore performances, each showcasing various time periods. Former drama teacher Diana Hoyt and past parent Cotton Talbot-Minkin worked alongside parent volunteers to create these charming scenes.

And to think the vision is only halfway complete! This summer, a second installation will take place high in the Kiva tower on the second floor of the Center for Creativity. A floating globe eight feet in diameter displaying NASA’s view of our revolving planet will complete the Global Commons area in our Center for Creativity.

Kindergartners engrossed in learning about the OmniGlobe

This community passion and vision sets Shore apart. It is no wonder that our children are inspired to love learning when their parents and teachers share that same spark.

A special thank you to all the Frenzy donors.

Look for a complete list in our next Annual Giving Report, due out this fall. * Go to www.arcscience.com for a demonstration.

No one wanted to miss this inaugural event in the new Center for Creativity. An amazing number of guests were treated to scrumptious hors d’oeuvres prepared by Fireside Catering, along with wines from Tenuta Santo Pietro, beers from Harpoon Brewery and Newburyport Brewing Company, as well as spirits from Cold River Vodka.

A highlight of the evening was the entertainment — a vibrant drumming performance by Beverly’s own Express Yourself* on the stage in the new theater. This talented group uses the arts to find a path to healthy self-identity. Each year,

Express Yourself drummers perform at the Citi Performing Arts Center-Wang Theater. They have also performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Leading up to the event, the online auction held over 200 items available for bid. Through the Bidding for Good auction site, all bids could be seen which made the online auction activity quite lively. The pre-event raffle was a huge hit, as well. At only $100 per raffle ticket, a purchaser had a one in 200 chance to win a trip to New York City, New Orleans, or Los Angeles to see the Primetime Emmys. The

Express Yourself drummers

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winning ticket was drawn live at the event, with the winner choosing to go to New Orleans.

Of course, the evening would not have been complete without the silent and live auctions. Fifteen unique items were up for bid in the live auction, including intimate dinners, trips near and far, sporting event tickets, and two unique art pieces — including one created by Shore’s entire student body. The silent auction for the Grade Masterpieces was a highlight with all students at Shore involved in the creation of a unique piece of art specific to their grade. From fingerprint art to colorful footprints, from smiles on pillows to photos of students in a box, and from origami to painted wood chips, parents delighted in bidding on these one-of-akind masterpieces, all true testaments of Shore’s dedication to the arts.

Each year, the Parents Association Benefit selects one item from a faculty wish list as the Frenzy item. This year, the Frenzy supported two separate items for the school: the OmniGlobe, a spherical display system that provides the most accurate depiction of the Earth with high quality, interactive animations depicting the changing Earth, and an eight-foot globe that will hang in the tower of the Center for Creativity. The Frenzy bidding raised over $69,000 for the purchase of these globes. The OmniGlobe was delivered to Shore during March break and has been a center of activity for faculty and students alike. The eight-

Co-chairs Elaine Horrocks, Beth Webber, and Lia Wainwright

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foot globe will arrive at Shore this summer. Watch Shore’s website for updates.

All the World’s a Stage was a monumental success, an entertaining night of fun with friends, and a record-breaking fundraising event. This night would not have been possible without the many volunteers, donors, and attendees who supported the event. Please look for the complete recognition list in our next publication, the Annual Giving Report, due out in the fall. * To learn more, go to www.expressyourselfinc.org.

Cotton Talbot-Minkin, Shari Card, and Diana Hoyt

consciousness, drowsiness, blurred vision, foggy thinking, lack of concentration, and the sense of “feeling off.” The typical child with a concussion is a 14-year old male playing hockey or football. When compared sport for sport, girls are more likely to get a concussion in the same sport.

The average concussion takes approximately three weeks to heal.

A child needs to be followed by a medical team to make certain that symptoms do not worsen. A child diagnosed with a concussion needs complete rest to allow the body to heal itself.

To hear Dr. Tom’s talk on concussions to the Shore Parents Association, please visit Shore’s website at www.shoreschool. org/DrTom.

About Dr. Tom Dr. Tom and Gayle Seman sit high atop an observation tower in Shanghai, China, in 2011

A Profile of Dr. Tom Seman For many years, Dr. Tom Seman has been an active member of the Shore community. Both of his children are graduates — Jay ’05 and Tory ’06. Dr. Tom served as a member of the Board of Trustees from 1999 to 2005, and he has been Shore’s medical consultant for nearly nineteen years. A local pediatrician, he is known by many Shore parents as “Dr. Tom.” Shore’s school nurse Sue Cronin often consults with Dr. Tom to get his perspective and expertise on various medical situations. Through the years, Dr. Tom has generously shared his knowledge with Sue and supported her in her role at Shore.

In early January, the Parents Association invited Dr. Tom to speak about concussions at their monthly meeting. Dr. Tom shared his knowledge about recognizing the symptoms of a concussion, managing a concussion with proper treatment, and understanding the repercussions of multiple concussions.

Below are some excerpts from Dr. Tom’s comments:

After completing his undergraduate degree from the University of Vermont, Dr. Tom received his degree in Medical Photography from the Beth Israel Hospital School of Medical Photography and his medical degree from Tufts University School of Medicine. Dr. Tom completed his residency in pediatrics at the Medical Center Hospital of Vermont, now the Fletcher Allen Medical Center. When he returned to Massachusetts, he accepted a position at North Shore Pediatrics, where he attended to high-risk deliveries and critically ill newborns. Today, Dr. Tom serves as the President of North Shore Pediatrics.

Dr. Tom enjoys sharing his medical expertise through teaching, speaking engagements, and writing articles for local newspapers and health-based websites. He currently teaches third-year medical students at the Boston University School of Medicine. Dr. Tom has received numerous awards including the 2005 Best of Boston Pediatrician by Boston Magazine and the Peer P. Johnson Day Teaching Award from Beverly Hospital.

Concussions are blunt trauma blows to the head that cause the brain to twist and snap back. Usually a concussion occurs from a side or back hit. There are approximately 144,000 emergency room visits per year for concussions, yet there are around 3.8 million concussions per year based on statistics from athletic trainers and primary physicians.

Dr. Tom and his wife Gayle love spending time with their son Jay, who is enrolled in a doctorate program in explosives engineering, and their daughter Tory, who is working towards her doctorate in occupational therapy. Dr. Tom cherishes his free time, especially if he can be outdoors. An avid gardener, he can often be found in his basement during the winter starting hundreds of seedlings for his flower and vegetable gardens. When he is not gardening, Dr. Tom loves to spend time in Maine relaxing on the beach and fishing for striped bass with Tory.

How is a concussion determined? Within four hours, common symptoms begin to appear — headache, fatigue, dizziness, loss of

Thank you, Dr. Tom, for your many years of dedication and service to the health and well-being of the Shore community!

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ACAPALOOZA!

A Decade of A Cappella Music at Shore

Shore’s male a cappella group the Acafellas

With the crowd on the edge of their seats in anticipation, the emcee sashays onto the stage and introduces the headlining act: “And now, please welcome the voices behind the Warblers on the hit TV show Glee — the runners-up on the first year of NBC’s a cappella reality show The Sing-Off — from Tufts University — the Beelzebubs!” With the recent rise in popularity of a cappella music, which has spawned shows like The Sing-Off and movies like Pitch Perfect, this introduction must have been uttered from some big venue, in some big city, at some big a cappella show. Perhaps even a festival that draws talented and well-known groups.

If you happened to be in attendance for the sold-out Acapalooza show in February, you know that those words were spoken from the stage of the brand new theater in Shore’s amazing Center for Creativity. Shore has clearly hit the big time!

Shore’s a cappella music program has grown tremendously during the past two decades, and the annual Acapalooza concert has been a showcase for singing talent from Shore as well as participating high school and college groups. At the most recent show, the audience was indeed treated to talented and well-known groups who entertained the crowd with humor, soaring melodies, and tight harmonies, not to mention a bit of beatboxing thrown in for good measure.

It is hard to believe, but Shore has staged a decade of Acapalooza concerts, with the most recent show launching a new decade of music on a new stage. It all started with more humble beginnings…

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A cappella music, or singing without instrumental accompaniment, started at Shore sometime in the early to mid 1990s. To the best of available information, an all-girls group, led by former music teacher Terry Becker, began performing at Shore assemblies, singing songs that were classically arranged and strong on harmonies. Former science teacher Jeff Uchin started a boys group a few years later, with the focus leaning more towards contemporary music with a side helping of humor injected into the performances. Then with the guidance of former Shore music teachers Mike Salvatore and Peggy (Hwang) Lao, former Shore 4th grade teacher Yungjin Oh, and current 3rd grade teacher Sam Hamlin, the two current a cappella groups were born: Puellae Cantantes and Acafellas.

In the first few years, the groups tended to be small, especially the boys, who started out with eight to ten singers. At that time, a cappella was not nearly as popular as it is currently. In the words of Yungjin Oh, the boys sang “for the pure joy and fun.” Now each group has twenty student singers, selected by auditions, showing how much being part of a singing group has grown in popularity.

Shore’s Acapalooza concerts began in 2005 by the inspired vision of Yungjin Oh, who along with music teacher Mike Salvatore, were the Acafellas’ mentors. Among Yungjin’s many interests, two passions stood out. One was for a cappella music, as he “benefited greatly from singing” throughout his schooling, and the other was for supporting and increasing diversity initiatives at Shore. The idea of holding a concert to highlight and benefit both of his passions came to life.

Boston University’s Treblemakers, and most recently Tufts University’s Beelzebubs. For a small elementary/ middle school on the North Shore, that is an impressive list of schools and entertainment! Area high school groups, both private and public, ranging from Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School’s Dell Belles to Medford High School’s Los Rubios, and Pingree School’s Spectrum Highlights to Roxbury Latin’s Latonics, have graced Shore’s stage and brought back alumni to sing once again for a Shore audience.

Shore’s female a cappella group Puellae Cantantes, featuring soloist Madeleine Potter

The first Acapalooza concert featured groups from St. Mark’s School, Concord Academy, and St. John’s Preparatory School. The second concert featured a group from Northeastern University, the first college group to participate. The Northeastern singers held a workshop with Shore’s singers as part of their involvement in the show. This general format continues today. At the last concert the Beelzebubs taught Puellae, Acafellas, and the four other participating high school groups their version of “Cecilia” by Simon and Garfunkel. The entire ensemble sang the song together on stage for the show’s finale. For Shore’s middle school students and the audience, it was a magical moment to top off a fantastic night.

After the roar of the spectators subsides a few decibels, the beaming emcee works his way to the front of the throng on stage and propels the crowd into the brisk night with an impassioned “Thank you, Beverly!

Goodnight!” As the evening closes, a singular thought is on everyone’s mind: we cannot wait to attend the next decade of Acapalooza concerts.

Shore’s Acafellas featuring soloist Dylan Vienot

Acapalooza is now ten years old, journeying from humble beginnings in the Dining Hall to showcasing top-notch acts on the grand stage of the new theater. It is a concert that celebrates and showcases a cappella singing at many different age levels, and it raises funds and awareness for ongoing diversity initiatives at Shore. Acapalooza also provides an opportunity for alumni to continue their connection to Shore, as many groups who have performed over the years have a Shore alum in their ranks. Shore has enjoyed the voices of college groups like the University of Rochester’s Midnight Ramblers and Harvard University’s Glee Club Lite. Shore has also welcomed MIT’s Chorallaries,

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PARENTS OF GRADUATES FUND

Return to San Sebastian, Spain “Learn Spanish and Basque in San Sebastian, Spain.”

Basque — the ancient, mysterious language that has baffled historians for centuries! Its origins are still unknown, its linguistic relatives still unidentified, if they exist at all. I felt as though a single beam of heavenly sunlight had pierced the thick walls of Building 12 to illuminate my bright and shining future path.

In September of that same year, I boarded a plane bound for New York City. There I met up with a group of American students from the Universities of Reno, Nevada and Boise, Idaho. Both areas have a high concentration of Basque immigrants. Many Basques are shepherds by tradition, and a century ago, the verdant, spacious mountains of the American west had beckoned and spoken of the chance to expand one’s enterprise and become wealthy. Basques are fiercely proud of their culture, so their descendants had created programs in Basque Studies in their new homeland.

BY GRETCHEN BOWDER In the late winter of 1985, I was in the midst of my sophomore year at MIT studying architecture. It was a career choice that I had assumed I would love. I didn’t. I felt stuck, and I didn’t know what to do. Changing my major to science or engineering seemed out of the question.

Although I was always quite good at science and math in high school, at MIT I was literally surrounded by geniuses in these fields. Being “quite good” was not good enough. I considered taking a year off and trying to find a job working in an architect’s office. Perhaps a little experience working out in the real world would pique my interest again, and I would rediscover why I had been interested in architecture in first place.

Thinking that the career counselors could help me in my quest for an internship, I took a walk down the long basement corridor toward their office one gloomy afternoon. The walls were lined with bulletin boards. Black and white typewritten papers primly labeled “Request for Proposals” and “Research Grants Available” were pinned in neat rows. Suddenly, an oddly garish poster stuck to the wall with cellophane tape stopped me dead in my tracks.

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Our group traveled to San Sebastian, a beautiful seaside city — the former summer retreat of kings and queens of Spain.

It is nestled halfway along the northern border of Spain, just where the rocks take a sharp left toward France. Shops with art nouveau facades, swank hotels, and belle-epoque apartment buildings face the perfectly semi-circular Playa de la Concha. To the east, the foothills of the Pyrenees, their slopes dotted with fluffy white sheep, shelter San Sebastian’s back.

I spent the next nine months nurturing what has become a life-long commitment to and love affair with the Spanish language and the Basque culture. I knew no Spanish when I arrived, but through daily classes and living in an apartment with five Basque college students, I quickly learned to get by. I also spent that year rowing crew on a club team.

My firmest friendships came from that experience — friendships that I have maintained to this day.

Fast-forward nearly three decades to 2012 when I had the great fortune of being chosen for the Parents of Graduates Award. It had long been a dream of mine to be able to spend a summer in the place where I first learned Spanish, and thanks to the generosity of this award, I

was able to spend four weeks during the summer of 2013 in San Sebastian. We stayed with my friend and former crew teammate Koro, her daughter Olga, and their sweet Spanish greyhound Sancho. My two teenage children, Gus and Georgia, berated me for not speaking Spanish with them from the moment we stepped off the plane in Madrid. They also quickly connected with my friends, giving them the most genuine motivation a person can have for learning a foreign language.

framed our discussions with reference to current European foreign language teaching standards and methodology.

We also explored new activities that we could use in our own classrooms, each of us having a wealth of knowledge and experience to share. Of particular interest to me were various activities for getting novice speakers to immediately begin using their emerging conversational skills to express and elicit personal information and to work together to solve informational puzzles.

I enrolled in the Methodology and Culture course for nonnative teachers of Spanish at the Lacunza School, within walking distance of Koro’s apartment. My class was small: two teachers from Ireland, one from Germany, and me.

Our instructor Eduarda was marvelous. Her methods of introducing activities were captivating and drew us all in before we even realized that she had a didactic purpose in mind. We studied advanced grammar but at the same time

Many of Eduarda’s activities explicitly avoided the centrality of the teacher, putting the learning entirely into the students’ hands. It was thought-provoking and sometimes uncomfortable to be thrust into the role of language learner again. As someone who is talented at picking up foreign languages, I was surprised by how frustrated I felt when being instructed using some of Eduarda’s many methods. It was a clear reminder that students of any age learn by a variety of approaches; that what is comfortable and effective for one may not be either of those things for another; that the role of the teacher in teaching a skills-based subject is to develop thoughtful, creative, and varied activities so that every student can connect to the material, thrive, and feel both challenged and competent at various points in the learning sequence.

During the afternoon sessions, we explored how to use short films in the classroom as a basis for intensive grammar study, and we examined many of the instructional materials available in the local bookstores. I came back with some charming storybooks and workbooks of partner activities. I also learned how to better incorporate idiomatic expressions into my teaching in order to enrich my students’ experience with all the lively, colorful language that is used in real life.

Most days after class, I spent time with my friends Koro and Peio. They were incredibly welcoming, planning excursions to local historic and natural sites. We toured an eighteenth century iron forge, hiked to a megalithic burial site complete with characteristic features such as dolmens, cromlechs, and menhirs at the top of a mountain, visited the luminous beaches of San Jean de Luz just over the border in France, and boated to a nearby island for a sunset picnic on my daughter’s fifteenth birthday. The San Sebastian jazz festival was taking place during our first week there, and what a thrill it was to hear Jamie Cullum and Elvis Costello perform on the beach in the evening!

Georgia and Gus Bowder-Newton with Gigante

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Late summer is the time during which almost every little town in the north of Spain holds its saint’s day celebration.

We visited Errentería, where we saw toddlers bidding goodbye to their pacifiers by pinning them to the vests of the fifteen-foot high papier-mâche men and women known as gigantes. In Pasajes San Juan, the summer home of Victor Hugo, my friend Reyes and her daughter Lorea beamed at us as they paraded by in traditional dresses, holding aloft the oars that they would later use to race traditional Basque whaling boats through the harbor.

During San Sebastian’s Semana Grande, costumed cabezudos whacked passersby with inflated sheep bladders.

Musicians played txistus and tambores as the gigantes whirled through the streets. Each night culminated in a fireworks competition. Companies from different countries and regions of Spain pulled out all the stops to see who could put on the best show. I have never seen

San Sebastian Harbor

drop of about fifty degrees is not something my aching joints will soon forget.

On our way back south, we stopped at the Catholic shrine at Lourdes. How could you not be impressed by the importance that Lourdes has for millions of Roman Catholics? The crowds, the endless processions of elderly people in wheelchairs, the lines of the sick being wheeled on hospital gurneys, the thousands of candles, the people kneeling on the hard stone in front of the little grotto that holds Mary’s statue — these are sights that can provIde a new perspective on the world — on the diversity of religious beliefs and the breadth of experience that is the human experience.

Gretchen Bowder with her children and crew club friends in San Sebastian

such marvelous displays in all my life. At midnight, the toros del fuego ran through the streets, frightening everyone.

Spouting showers of sparks and crackling fireworks, the papier-mâche bulls mounted on the shoulders of local men charged the crowd, causing everyone to scream and scatter. In the old part of town, we packed ourselves into overflowing tapas bars and ate steamed mussels and potatoes in spicy brava sauce. The kids sampled tortilla de patatas and mosto, a sweet white grape juice.

With another friend, Ana, we took a day trip to the French Pyrenees. Ascending the mountain on a chair lift, going from sea level to almost 8,000 feet in the course of a few hours, and simultaneously experiencing a temperature

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Almost thirty years ago, a single poster in a basement hallway at MIT determined the course of my professional life. And although I never did become fluent in Basque, I have picked up a few words and phrases after all these years. Eskerrik asko, Shore Country Day School! Thank you for allowing me to reconnect with old friends, refresh my spoken language skills, learn new classroom techniques, and rekindle my love for the culture of northern Spain.

Established in 1997, the Parents of Graduates Fund (POG) provides a major professional growth experience for one Shore faculty member. Each year, parents of graduating students pay tribute to the gifted Shore faculty by contributing to the POG Fund. Past recipients have traveled to Egypt, Peru, Spain, South Africa, England, and throughout the United States, reinvigorating their teaching with new ideas, innovations, and excellence. To support the POG Fund, please visit the Support Page on the Shore website at www.ShoreSchool.org.

Reassessing Priorities: Some Questions to Ponder

BY LARRY GRIFFIN

Editor’s Note: The following article has been adapted from comments prepared by Head of School Larry Griffin for the North Shore Chamber of Commerce meeting held on the Shore campus this past spring.

I take this opportunity to share just a few of my personal thoughts and insights on parenting and the need to reassess priorities. I worry that we have become a generation of parents who live through our children rather than for our children. We have professionalized childhood and created a world in which choices appear to be designed to enhance individual and team growth, but in reality they lead to specialization, isolation, and loss of creative thought.

What exactly do I mean by professionalized childhood? From an early age, too often we arrange the use of our child’s time from the moment she wakes to the moment she falls asleep. We have become a generation obsessed with providing the best of everything for our children.

Parents are looking for ways to provide the ultimate educational and social advantages for their child.

At what point do all of the opportunities and activities that we provide become over-programming? When do our hopes and expectations for our children become a burden? Might the abundance of adult scheduled and organized activities come to deprive our children of time for spontaneous play, individual creativity, and personal decsion-making? What are the consequences of this deprivation?

One of the most profound changes in our generation is the proliferation of competitive sports that begins when a child is barely able to perform the basic skills required to simply play the game. Where once children waited until third or fourth grade age to join town recreational sports programs, there are programs and clinics available as soon as a child is able to hold a stick or swing a bat. Where once children played in their town sports programs in three sports over three seasons, many now have

to make major choices — will they continue to experiment with different activities and sports? Will they even consider taking a season just to explore other creative outlets? Or, will they feel the need to reach for a higher, more select team that plays a single sport year-round? What happens when they reach the sixth grade and AAU sports teams beckon? Will they try to play for the town team, perhaps the school team, and a strenuous, select team simultaneously?

More often than not, during the week, many of our children are in organized activities from the minute they get out of school until bedtime, and weekends are often focused on accommodating practices, games, and sports competition travel.

Parents are spending exorbitant sums to send their children to specialized camps and clinics, even hiring individual professional coaches for skill development. Are we doing this for the children or for ourselves? Where is the pick-up game? When do children learn to negotiate the games for themselves?

When do they play without an adult controlling the time, partners, rules, and all of the conditions for play?

Parents often tell us it is the child’s desire that drives their decisions when, I submit, it is more realistically the parent wanting to see his child be a leader and get ahead in the race to the right secondary school and college.

Let me shift focus for a minute to another game changer for our children — technology. I feel equally as passionate about this topic. Communication and accessing information are easier than ever before, and the whole world is at our fingertips. There is no doubt that the Internet and the possibilities for communication through technology have enhanced our lives and brought us closer to others across the globe. However, have we as parents kept up with the advances of technology and controlled our children’s access appropriately? Or is it possible that we have professionalized childhood and allowed our children to be exposed to

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information before they are emotionally and socially mature enough to comprehend it? Are we as parents able to keep up with the proliferation of social media sites and limit our child’s access to those she is mature enough to use responsibly? Have we taken the time to assess what is an appropriate amount of time to spend online daily? Have we helped to establish guidelines for our family use of media? Have we wrestled with the question of when it is appropriate to allow our child to have a cell phone, and what level of access does our child need? Can our child succeed in today’s culture without a Smartphone? Again, I ask, who is making the decisions? These are not easy questions, and they vex educators as much as they do parents. The greatest increase in disciplinary situations within our schools over the past decade is in the inappropriate use of technology. At Shore, while we have a Community Code to delineate the character traits we value most highly, we also have an Acceptable Use Policy for technology to guide our children toward desired online behavior. This is a constant conversation.

So when we look to the future and assess the critical learning strategies that will best serve our children, we as educators must promote concepts focused on the character traits of collaboration, creativity, curiosity, resiliency, ethics, time management, and respect.

Shore is part of a national consortium of independent schools, INDEX, which has developed with ETS, the Educational Testing Service, what is now called the Mission Skills Assessment to help us measure our curricular success in addressing these mission driven character traits. We are looking beyond the traditional standardized test measurements. Our mission statement helps define the non-cognitive skills that help children lead healthy and compassionate lives. The purpose of this assessment is to ensure we are doing our job instilling these non-cognitive skills in our children.

In much the same way, I ask that our parents assess patterns and choices that play into their child’s character development. If we are looking to encourage creativity, have we provided the opportunity for it to blossom? Do our children have unstructured playtime with access to materials for creative expression? Do we provide our children with unstructured time with children of other ages to learn to choose activities and to negotiate rules and boundaries? Are there times when they have to learn resiliency because we don’t provide the referee or assure everyone feels good by providing trophies and recognition for every participant? Have we instilled good habits for time management by helping children learn to make

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choices, or have we indulged every wish and tried to fit everything into our child’s schedule? And, have we talked about the value of participating and the reasons we join teams? Where do ethics fit in our picture?

There is no one right answer. As with many issues in life, balance appears to be one of the keys to raising happy, healthy children. I have no doubt that children should experiment with different activities and sports to develop different sets of muscles. Children should also have time to be curious and to simply explore ideas without always having a class, course, coach, or team. They should have clarity with regard to boundaries and consistency with regard to enforcement of expectations, especially when the issue is safety. They need to know when decisions are appropriately theirs to make and when they will be guided by the judgment of trusted adults.

And if anyone is looking for one of the most beneficial activities for any child, it is the gift of reading. There is no limit to the imagination in reading; there is no better path for the curious — no better use of time, and nothing that will promote a lifelong love of learning better than learning to love to read.

It is my fervent hope that all schools are wrestling with these same questions and looking for ways to make our curricula most relevant and useful for the next generation.

We at Shore are having a wonderful time providing an array of learning opportunities and developing our children’s strengths and interests. Our mission is focused on building the educational foundation and the skills that will allow our children to become creative, curious, resilient, and ethical members of society.

This conversation will continue during the next school year at a “Coffee with the Head.” Stay tuned for details.

Promoting the Lifelong Athlete at Shore Country Day School

BY NANCY MCNALL

Immersed in a school culture that embraces a multitude of sports ranging from field hockey and baseball to track and squash, we do well to consider two questions: how do we help our students reach their athletic potential and, more importantly, how do we help them to understand the importance of physical activity as a life skill?

Faculty, staff, and administrators who coach at Shore believe that athletics are an important element of a well-rounded education. We work with our students to help them learn valuable life lessons that include how to function as a team, how to win and lose with dignity, how to develop skills to handle competitive situations, and how to remain physically fit. Coaching at Shore is as much about the development of the individual student as it is about the sport.

In this age of growing sports specialization, young athletes are being asked to commit to playing one sport earlier than ever, with pressure often coming from town and club teams. The conversation around specialization in sports is not so much about what is right or what is wrong as it is about the importance of providing opportunities for young athletes to broaden their athletic horizons. In today’s club and youth sports environment, school sports programs, more than ever, play an important role in providing young athletes the choices they deserve.

Shore Country Day School has a long tradition of requiring students to participate in a different sport during each season of the school year. In the Upper School at Shore, the athletic program exists in lieu of a traditional physical education curriculum because we recognize the benefits of being a part of a team and participating in a variety of sport activities. Participating in three distinct sports seasons allows Shore students to experience a variety of coaching styles, play with different teammates, and develop different muscle groups. Heather Crutchfield, Associate Director of Admissions and varsity field hockey and lacrosse coach at St. Paul’s School, could not agree more with Shore’s sports program philosophy. “I think that kids can learn a great deal from participating in different sports, having different coaches, and training and competing with different athletes while not overexerting the same muscles or peaking too early in a specific sport.” She goes on to add, “I want my girls to consider each day of practice a gift and be raring to go out there and learn instead of being burned out because they do the same thing day after day or think that they know all there is to know in a sport because that is all they do.”

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In my role as Athletic Director at Shore, one of the greatest joys is seeing a young intramural athlete evolve from someone who says “I can’t” to someone who realizes “I can.” This evolution is often the result of participating in a variety of athletic activities, which can also lead to success in school and enhanced relationships with both students across grade levels and faculty and staff members who serve as coaches. Ultimately, these benefits translate into strengthened connections throughout the Shore community.

Field hockey coach Nancy McNall discusses plays before a game.

The benefits of participating in multiple sports are widely known. They include a reduced risk of overuse injuries, the development of different muscle groups and skills sets, and the confidence to try new sports in later years. Young athletes who sample a variety of sports are more likely to have positive experiences and continue to be active into adulthood. A twenty-one year tracking study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that consistent activity from ages nine to eighteen significantly predicts adult activity.

Not surprisingly, Shore alums often look back with gratitude on their athletic experiences at Shore. Recent Shore graduate Will Fitzpatrick ’13, for example, applauds Shore’s multisport philosophy. “When I entered Shore, I viewed myself as an ice hockey player. If Shore had not required me to play other sports, I may never have discovered my love for lacrosse, which I now hope to play in college.” Lisa Miller, Harvard Women’s Lacrosse Coach, is not surprised by this testimonial. She states, “My best athletes and players are, and always will be, multisport athletes.”

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Shore’s athletic program provides the foundation for our students to embrace an active and healthy lifestyle well beyond Shore. Not only do some of our students go on to participate in secondary school and college athletic experiences, but some also return to campus during the summer to coach at Shore’s sports camps and encourage the next generation of Shore athletes. Shore alums have also gone on to run in marathons, hike to the top of Mt. McKinley, and even lead yoga classes.

Long after the wins and losses of a given season fade over time, the desire for a lifelong commitment to physical activity is what we strive to instill in Shore students.

SHORE IN THE NEWS!

Boston Children’s Theatre and Shore Country Day School Announce Partnership Collaboration between award-winning children’s theatre and Beverly school to bring summer studios to the North Shore-Boston, MA (March 31, 2014)

We are thrilled to announce that a collaborative partnership has been formed between Shore Country Day School and the award-winning Boston Children’s Theatre. The following press release, which included all the exciting details, was sent out to the entire North Shore community in late March. The partnership underscores Shore’s commitment to the arts and showcases our incredible new facilities.

The award-winning Boston Children’s Theatre (BCT) and the renowned Shore Country Day School in Beverly have announced a creative and collaborative partnership beginning the summer of 2014. The relationship helps to further strengthen the commitment both the theatre and the school have to the arts in the community.

BCT will bring its respected pre-professional Summer Studios program to the campus of Shore Country Day School where students will perform in the school’s new state-of-the-art 375-seat theater. Summer Studios attendees will also have access to the school’s dynamic Center for Creativity, which includes classrooms for all arts disciplines and studios, as well as Shore’s hallmark Innovation Lab.

According to BCT Executive Director Toby Schine, Shore Country Day School and BCT have similar philosophies about raising the visibility of the arts on the North Shore.

“As a theatrical organization, we are thrilled to partner with a school that has made such a substantial commitment to the arts in this area,” said Schine. “Together we can make a significant contribution to the community through classes, programs, workshops and productions.”

Head of Shore Country Day School Larry Griffin adds, “Shore is excited about sharing our incredible arts facilities with aspiring actors and audiences from throughout the North Shore region through our partnership with BCT.” While BCT will maintain a presence in Boston with classes and performances, Schine says the location of Shore Country Day School is a definite advantage as BCT’s programs continue to grow. “Many of our students live north of Boston, and having a home at Shore Country Day School provides a wonderful opportunity for us to provide a more convenient location for both our current students and for students interested in trying our program for the first time.”

BCT Summer Studios for students ages 9–19 will be held at Shore Country Day School between June and August.

Summer Studios for ages 4–9 will be held at BCT’s Boston location. For more information and to learn about BCT, visit www.bostonchildrenstheatre.org.

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About Boston Children’s Theatre

About Shore Country Day School

For over 60 years, Boston Children’s Theatre has served as one of the region’s premier not-for-profit theaters. Named Best of Boston® 2013 and 2012 by Boston Magazine for Best Children’s Theatre, BCT’s mission is to provide access to exceptional theatrical experiences dedicated to fostering the artistic and personal development of diverse youth, with a focus on professional training and the development of new works. Programs at Boston Children’s Theatre provide a unique chance for self-discovery and individual expression in a supportive and productive environment. At BCT, talented and motivated students gather from across traditional boundaries and nationalities to learn about themselves, each other, and the world, as they create some of the finest theatrical productions in New England.

With its emphasis on conceptual, integrated, and creative learning within a strong liberal arts tradition, Shore Country Day School, located on a 17-acre campus in Beverly, MA, serves 440 Pre-K through Grade 9 students from 40 communities across the North Shore. Families seek out Shore’s programs and state-of-the-art facilities for academic challenge, innovative teaching, and a balance of scholastic, artistic, physical, and personal growth. Students graduate with exceptional breadth, independence, and preparation for future learning.

BCT’s Summer Studios production of “The Drowsy Chaperone”

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Grade 9 students in the Center for Creativity with their science teacher, Robin Koval

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THE FINEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE WHAT INSPIRE US, WHAT HUMBLE US, WHAT WE GIVE TO THOSE WE LOVE. You selected Shore because you knew it to be the finest, and you put your trust in us to do the same — to choose the best curriculum, the best teachers, and the best course forward.

The Shore community unites to support the teachers and programs that have built Shore’s reputation as one of the most exceptional educational options on the North Shore and beyond.

The creativity that will flourish as a result of this campaign will build an even brighter future for our students and our school.

The connection between past and present, community and creativity, and Shore and the larger world will support that which we are most passionate about: our children.

“COMMUNITY, CONNECTION, CREATIVITY...

THE COMBINATION OF ALL THREE IS THE FULL SHORE …SHORE AT ITS FINEST.” Larry Griffin, Head of School

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At Our Finest, The Campaign for Shore Country Day School began in June 2011. As of June 2014, Shore has raised over $17 million. The funds raised have given us the momentum to reach our $20 million goal. Now is the time for the entire Shore community to come together in support of the campaign goals: completing our campus and strengthening our endowment. The Lawrence A. Griffin Center for Creativity is fostering creativity, communication, and critical thinking — the highlights of a 21st century education. It is also providing a space for the community to gather and celebrate the talent and successes of Shore’s students and faculty. We now need to strengthen our endowment to ensure we will have the flexibility and capability to address future needs, including the cost of tuition, student access, and continued superior facilities.

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Pam Demetroulakos, Past Chair, Parents Association Bobbye Lou Sims, Chair, Parents Association “The Parents Association provides opportunities for busy parents to connect with each other and the school. This creates a strong and supportive community that is our cornerstone. The Parents Association is proud to support the At Our Finest Capital Campaign which has amongst its goals community and connection.”

David Torchiana, Past President, Board of Trustees “It was a privilege to lead the Board of Trustees for a small sliver of Shore’s history and to understand how solid Shore’s foundation is. This Capital Campaign positions us to succeed in the challenging demographic and economic environment of today. If we do our job right, our school will be even stronger when its centennial rolls around.”

Mary Kinahan, Faculty “The faculty at Shore are committed to being life-long learners. This desire is supported by the professional development that Shore provides. My colleagues and I possess the behaviors that we ask of our students. We are curious. We seek answers. We strive to fill our brains with knowledge and to reach our potential. We are constantly researching the most current methodologies in education. By engaging in the learning process, we are models for our students. Our enthusiasm remains high, and our students reap the benefits. Shore’s value of professional development allows faculty to fulfill their constant longing to know more and be their best.”

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Sam Cregg ’10 Louisa del Rio ’10 Keith Morency ’09 “At Shore, we were surrounded by intelligent people who also had an interest in the extracurriculars. Shore kids valued politeness, integrity, hard work, and respect for one another, qualities we appreciated once we got to high school.”

Nicola Savignano ’84, Chair, Campaign, Current Trustee and Parent “Everything Shore is and has to offer has depended on the generosity and foresight of those who came before us. The most important issue now is to secure Shore’s endowment to enable the school to continue to retain and recruit talented faculty, to attract the best and brightest students, and to maintain our incredible facilities. A strong endowment means a strong school.”

tCampaign begins June 2011

Sam Philbrick, Past President, Board of Trustees “Through the At Our Finest Capital Campaign, it is exciting to see the community invest in the campus with the construction of the Center for Creativity and the strengthening of our endowment. Together, we are building on Shore’s core sense of community as well as providing facilities that will support the aspirations of all our students.”

$5M

John Collins, Current Trustee and Parent “Every gift helps. If we all get involved and give what we can, the impact will be significant. By playing your part in the Campaign, the momentum will continue and bring the At Our Finest Capital Campaign to its goal.”

$10M

Merril and Greg Chin, Past Trustee and Past Parents “Our children, Taylor ’11 and Cassie ’14, were fortunate to have a Shore education, and we want to make sure future students have the same experience. Our children benefited immensely from the generosity of families who supported past Shore capital campaigns, which built our science center, expansive library, and dedicated dining hall and servery. We want Shore to continue to be a leader in Pre-K – Grade 9 education, and our support for the At Our Finest Capital Campaign is our way of making that happen.”

Kathy Harris, Past Trustee and Past Parent “As my three children reflect back on the schools they attended, Shore distinguishes itself as the most challenging yet most supportive environment of all their schools. They truly felt that everyone at Shore cared deeply about their success and well-being. This all stems from the Administration, the Board of Trustees, and the faculty and staff who all share a commitment to the mission of the school. My husband John and I invite you to join us with a gift to the At Our Finest Capital Campaign which furthers the mission for the next generation.”

Kent Vienot, Faculty “The Lawrence A. Griffin Center for Creativity offers possibilities for both academics and arts. It is providing opportunities for our students to be creative problem solvers. The Center’s emphasis on creativity and community shined at our first Acapalooza concert in the new theater this year. It was a sold out event!”

Joe Trustey, President, Board of Trustees “My wife Kris and I support Shore and the goals of the At Our Finest Capital Campaign because the quality of teaching our daughters have received is amazing. The Center for Creativity will address our key campus needs for the next twenty-five to fifty years while a simultaneous growth in endowment will maintain our financial stability and thus secure the future of the school.”

Ro French, Current Trustee and Parent “The education at Shore is beyond compare to any other school. It begins with the passionate faculty who inspire a love of learning in our students. As a trustee of the school for the past nine years, my greatest source of pride is the Board’s consistent support for professional development, allowing our faculty and staff to further their education. The opportunity to grow the endowment through the At Our Finest Capital Campaign will ensure that Shore is the best school it can be, today and in the future.”

$15M

Jim Hamilton, Current Trustee and Parent “This campaign has already been transformative for Shore. All of us know the impact that the Center for Creativity has had on our children. That said, it also has had a tremendous impact on the faculty and their ability to most effectively deliver the program. Completing the campaign by raising money for endowment will have a similar impact on the school. More financial aid dollars and money that will allow the academic program to evolve with the times is crucial to the long term success of Shore.”

$17.2 Million raised June 2014 t

$20 Million Goal 2016 t 21

Thanks to our donors

— you have helped us on our way to be

Please join these first phase donors with a gift to the At Our Finest Capital Campaign.

As the At Our Finest Campaign continues, we look forward to honoring our first phase of donors through their recognition on our donor boards and named theater seats in the Lawrence A. Griffin Center for Creativity this September.

Please see the enclosed pledge envelope for more information.

Gifts made as of June 16, 2014 Margaret and John Adams Abigail and George Albrecht David Alexander ’01 Katherine Alexander ‘98 Mary Alice Alexander Susan Sunbury and James Allan Barbara Almy JoAnn Amatucci Stephanie and Troy Anderson Beth and Marc Andler Katariina and Sanford Anstey Melinda and Robert Armacost Anne and Peter Ayer Anne and John Babcock Hope and Robert Bachelder Martha and Edward Bacigalupo Melissa and Jeffrey Barlow Maud Palmer ‘49 and Randolph Barton ‘48 Patricia and David Benson Deborah Bernier Lisa Spence and Frederick Biebesheimer Daisy Blakney ‘05 Erik B. Blakney ‘09 Maura and David Blundin Ellen and Anthony Bolland Jill Bonina Jennifer Motley ‘84 and Andrew Borggaard Rosemarie and Kevin Bottomley Susan and James Bowers ‘51 Joyce Wallace and Ralph Boykin Jane and John Bradley

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Looking down from the balcony inside the new theater Beatrice Totten ‘59 and Peter Britton Lynn and James Bryant Sheila Burke Joshua Cahill ‘90 Patricia and Andrew Campbell Sarah Campbell ‘87 and James Goundrey Shari and Geoffrey Card Dianne and Wesley Card Leslie and Ron Cardarelli Lilia and Stephen Carey Jennifer Buras and Christopher Carmosino Mary Roickle and Martha Carter Meghan and William Cashel Merril and Gregory Chin Christopher Clark ‘55 Deirdre and Robert Clark ‘79 Deborah and Malcolm Coates Howard P. Colhoun Patricia Colhoun ‘51 Allison and John Collins Anne and Franz Colloredo-Mansfeld ‘78 Rudolf Colloredo-Mansfeld ‘80 Catherine and Nathaniel Coolidge ‘53 The Corning Family Jennifer and David Costello Carolyn and Philip Coughlin Marjorie and Donald Cregg Hilary Holcomb ‘47 and Albert Creighton Creosote Affects Margaret and Charles Crockett Stephanie Crockett ‘06 Jill and Peter Curatolo Michelle and Gennaro D’Ambrosio Catherine and Samuel Daume

Emily and Alex Davie Constance Dawes Mary and David Dearborn ‘52 Sara and Eugene del Rio Pam and James Demetroulakos Diana and Charles Devens Gail and Dimitri Dimopoulos Tuyet and Doanh Do Amanda and Matthew Dobbins Karen and Christopher Doggett Mary Ellen and John Donna Eleanor and Glenn Dorr Diana and John Dotson Elizabeth and Robert Duffy Dyal Compass Nina and Samson Edo Robin and Steven Ellis Deborah Logan and Mark Evans Carter and Timothy Everitt ‘81 Daphne Clark ‘89 and Kelleigh Faldi Robin and Joseph Falzone Elizabeth and Stephen Fantone Arlene and Matthew Fleming Susan and Paul Fortin Amy and Franklin Foster Tina and Herbert Foster Elena and Hugh Foster Erica and Jeffrey Fotta Rosemary and Hollis French Audrey Duva-Frissora and Henry Frissora Katherine and Joseph Furey Jane and Charles Gardiner Beverley and Robert Ginn Ana Glidden ‘09

Donna and Roland Glidden ‘70 Kathleen and Stephen Goeben Judith and Robert Gore Nora and David Griffin ‘00 Catherine and Lawrence Griffin Robert Griffin ‘02 Linda Grodberg Christine Barensfeld and John Hagerman Julia and Thomas Haley Ann and Brinley Hall ‘55 Margaret and Robert Hall ‘64 Lucille and James Hamilton Mary Hamilton Eve and Sam Hamlin Leslie and James Hammond Emily and Adam Harder ‘92 Joanne and Paul Harder Jane and Donald Harris Kathryn and John Harris Janet and Robert Hazelton Tom Hazelton ’84 Agnes Mura and John Heinritz Patricia and Bruce Herring Julia and Randall Hesse Carolyn and Michael Hintlian Carol and John Hoag Eloise Weld ‘55 and Arthur Hodges Katherine and Drew Hoffman Jennifer and Morton Hoffman Elaine and James Horrocks Megan and Robert Houser Diana Hoyt Sydney Shriver and Russell Hughey Cara and J. Britton Hutchins

Pre-K students creating colorful Logo sculptures in the Innovation Lab Deedie and William Iler Katherine Izzo Kathleen and Ronald Jackson Susan Jackson Beth and Bradley Jacobson Ali Jahn Cornelia Lee Clark ‘48 and John Jennings Laura Jennings-Cranford ‘57 Courtney and Mark Kagan Karla and Jeffrey Kaneb Jane and Joseph Karaman Robert and Midge Kart Stewart Kemp Christina and Benjamin Kennedy Diane and James Kessler Mary and Ryan Kinahan Curtis Kinder ‘80 Bobbye Lou Sims and Thomas Kingston Kathryn and Raymond Kinney Jennifer and Robert Knowles Janet and Steven Kouroubacalis Kristen and Olaf Krohg Nadja and Michael Kunst Peter Lappin ‘70 Mela Lew and Harold Leach Victoria West and Brewster Lee Sunny Yoon and Christopher Lee Cynthia Becton and Philip Levendusky Lynn Lindsey Holly and Donald Little ‘76 Francee and Stephen Longmuir Bronwyn and Caleb Loring ‘59 Alexandra Lowery ‘99 Mardi Lowery Kathryn Harris ‘01 and Patrick Lucey Ana Colmenero and Hoyt Ludington Elizabeth Skates and James Maccarone Elizabeth and Augie MacCurrach Ursula and Jacek Makowski Elizabeth Mallon Denise and Graham Marks Kathy and Scott Marshall Susan and Frederick Mason Sydney Atkins Mason ‘98 and Peter Mason ‘93 Donna and Stephen Mastrocola Mimi and Flynn McDonnell

Mimi and Scott McDougal Mimi and Ledyard McFadden Carolyn and James McGarry Lisa Coppola and Patrick McGhee Jesse McKenna Deborah and Timothy McKenna Martha and Jeffrey McLaughlin Nancy and Cameron McNall Sarah Carpenter ‘93 and Augustus Means ‘85 Catherine and John Meany Robyn Glazer Milbury and Thomas Milbury Fiona and Richard Minney Katherine and David Mittelbusher Nathaniel Morgan ‘08 Susan and Richard Morgan Rose Morgan ‘80 Elizabeth and Frederic Morris Paula Moseley ‘70 Joan F. Mullen Susan and Peter Murley Keisha Myrie Nancy Hazelton ’85 and Sean O’Bannon Kaitlin O’Brien ‘95 Kelly and William O’Connor Anthony O’Donnell ‘92 Diane and Henry O’Donnell Karen and Ronald O’Hanley Janet and Richard Oliver Kathryn and Ford O’Neil ‘77 Carol and Michael O’Neill Parents Association Jinah Seo and Young Park Jagruti Patel and Rahul Patel Susan Peck ‘72 Diane and Richard Peinert Sheila Peretti Mary and Paul Perkins Adriana Petrillo ‘01 Denise and Enrico Petrillo Susan and Samuel Philbrick Sandra and Mark Pocharski Carol and David Porter Kerry and Peter Pound Mimi and Ronald Pruett Kathy and George Putnam ‘66 John Rando ‘79

Ellen Robbins Suzanne and Davis Robinson Shenley and Graeme Rockett Lynda and Todd Rogers Elizabeth and Ronald Rossetti Anne Giampietro Ruben and Rolf Ruben Wendy Rubin Colleen Ruble Pamela and Michael Ryan Marjorie and G. Neal Ryland Jane and Robert Saltonstall Whitney and Nicola Savignano ‘84 Michelle Franciose and Paul Schimmel Leigh and Alan Scharfe Sara Goldsmith Schwartz and William Hannum Gayle and Thomas Seman Shawmut Design & Construction Kelly Sheehan ‘00 Christy and Tim Sheehan Patricia Moore and Wayne Sheridan Elisabeth and William Shields ‘84 Paula and Binkley Shorts Patricia and Joseph Silveira Priscilla and Richard Singleton Mary and Ronald Skates Martha and James Smeallie Rebecca and Derek Smith Elizabeth Smith Susan and Hugo Smith Karla and Rodney Smith Gwenllyn and Ralph Sneeden Ethel Spence Elizabeth and Gary Spiess Joseph and Augusta Stanislaw ‘65 Jane and Paul Stark Kathleen and James Stavis Lockhart Steele ‘89 Jodie and Jack Stevenson ‘70 Loretta and Bruce Stokes Jake Stokes ‘09 Samantha Stokes ‘05

Marie-Armide and Charles Storey ‘74 Cynthia and Harley Stowell Cornelia Streeter ‘78 Christina and Ralph Sweetland Sarah Whitehead and Jerry Talleri Jessie and Robert Tavares Ingrid Thoft ‘86 Susan and Frederick Thorne Emily Brown ‘81 and Stuart Thorne ‘77 Dawn and Stephen Timms Lisa and David Torchiana Stacey and Ali Towfighi Eve Trkla Thomas Trkla Kristine and Joseph Trustey Narda and Mark Ulian Rose-Marie and Eyk van Otterloo Erin and Sander van Otterloo ‘91 Mabel and Ralph Vogel Natalia and Andrew Wainwright Anne Wigglesworth Walker ‘61 Daphne and Brian Walsh Celina and Jared Ward Penny and Seth Ward Hugh Warren ‘67 Beth and Joshua Webber Anna Petropoulos and Ralph Weissleder Beth and Daniel White W. Bradford Whiting ‘87 Roberta and William Whiting Gracyn R. Whitman Sally Kerans and Michael Whouley Kimberly and Duncan Wilkinson Nina and Patrick Wilson Sheila and John Woelfel Elise and Oliver Wolcott Sarah and Meldon Wolfgang Suzanne and Scott Wolke Rose Bryant Woodard ‘59 Virginia Vogel ‘80 and Samuel Yonce Effie and Evan Ypsilantis

Reaching new heights on Shore’s new playground

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ALUMNI NEWS

Youngeun Ahn ’11

I graduated from Shore not so long ago. In fact, it was just a few years ago that I went to school everyday dressed in a collared shirt and khaki pants, played junior varsity field hockey, and had the part of “The Doorknob” in the play Alice in Wonderland. In some ways, those days feel like such a long time ago! This year I graduated from St. Paul’s School where I continued to strive to do my best, even when bombarded with tests, labs, presentations, and papers every single week. I can honestly say that Shore prepared me well for this experience.

The first class I ever took at St. Paul’s was Humanities, a combination of English and history. I remember distinctly the day my teacher gave the class an example of a five paragraph essay and explained to us what a thesis is. She went on to say that many students arrive at St. Paul’s not knowing how to write an essay. I remember thinking to myself, “Maybe I’m more prepared for this new environment than many others.” After all, at Shore I had written numerous five paragraph essays based on carefully crafted thesis statements. At Shore, I also had had the opportunity to read some really great books — like Good Night, Mr. Tom and Where the Red Fern Grows — that often led

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to meaningful writing assignments.

Some of the books that I read at Shore remain personal favorites today.

Shore’s academic program helped to prepare me to persevere under pressure, and while the work at St. Paul’s was not always easy, I managed to earn two art awards as well as two silver medals and a gold medal on National Latin Exams. I worked hard to manage my time well so that outside of class I was able to tutor a few native Korean students in English.

Time management is another skill that I learned at Shore.

Because my days are full, I do not find myself thinking back to the good old days at Shore, but I know that Shore has played a significant role in my life.

In short, my attending Shore was a wonderful experience. At Shore, not only did I receive a strong academic foundation, but I was also given opportunities to participate in theater, learn how to play field hockey, and be part of a community that encouraged us to be our best, to serve others, and to be solid global citizens.

Youngeun Ahn ’11 recently graduated from St. Paul’s School in Concord, New Hampshire. She played the clarinet in her school band and was also the graphics editor for the school newspaper, the Pelican. When not in school, Youngeun enjoys spending time with her family in Waltham, Massachusetts.

Alex Buck ’01 It has been a long time since I have thought back on my Shore days. You know there is something special going on when you are seeing Facebook updates from your former English teachers!

I have many memories of Shore. I’ll never forget my first elementary business lesson from Justin Myers in

Mrs. Creesy’s first grade classroom when he tried to sell some of my own toys to me. Then there were the times that Catherine Martini would toss me off the slide on the Lower School playground, all in good fun. I also remember picking dandelions on the playground and dipping them into mud puddles to see if they tasted good.

In Upper School, I loved Mr. Wilder’s history class where Jonathan Lee would sometimes make me laugh so hard that I had to be excused to compose myself at the water fountain.

Mr. Wilder had high standards, but he always took the time to be empathic toward his students. Those qualities have stuck with me into fatherhood.

I still can recall the anticipation and occasional dread I would feel during afternoon classes before lacrosse practices with Mr. Smith and Mr. O’Brien. The experience of being part of a team and working together helped me to feel that I belonged to something bigger than myself. I learned how to push myself beyond my comfort zone — not a bad thing to learn at a young age.

Other memories? The shadow murals painted on the cinderblock walls of the Howard Gym…the long walks along the tracks to the back forty fields for IM soccer…sharpening my math skills with the help of Mardi

ALUMNI NEWS Lowery who shared anecdotes as well as candy treats to motivate me…And how can I forget Mrs. Griffin who introduced me to this new book called Harry Potter? A series I read up until they were finished. These are all good memories for me.

I also appreciated the benefit of learning in an environment that encouraged the young artist in all of us. My mom, Sissy Buck, is a talented artist who was the first person who nurtured the artist in me, but I will never forget Ruth Bauer who kept the creative spark lit in so many of us.

writing. My first movie, The Great New Wonderful, was released in 2005, and then I began writing for television.

After working on a couple of shortlived network jobs, I was hired by AMC’s Breaking Bad in 2008 as a writer/ producer/director for five incredible, Emmy Award-winning seasons, working with amazingly talented and generous people while spending time in beautiful New Mexico where the show was filmed. The show wrapped a year ago, and I’m now helping to adapt an Australian show entitled Rake for Sony Television.

The experiences I gained in my younger years have no doubt transformed me into the person I am today.

Alex Buck ’01 earned his BFA in sculpture at Montana State University where he met his wife, “the beautiful and talented Allie Buck.” Alex is the father of “two wild and wonderful boys,” Angus and Arlo. Alex and his family live in Bozeman, Montana where they enjoy all the benefits of living in an active outdoor community. Alex runs his own backpack company, aptly named BuckProducts. Everything his company produces is handcrafted and manufactured locally. The business is growing steadily, with loyal and satisfied customers worldwide, proof that American-made products are gaining traction again. Alex credits his strong educational background for much of his success. To learn more about BuckProducts, visit www.buckproducts.com.

Sam Catlin ’84 After graduating from Shore in 1984, I moved to New York City where I lived for the next fifteen years. During that time, I graduated from high school and attended New York University. I went on to graduate school to study acting at NYU before moving out to Los Angeles in 2000 with my then girlfriend and now wife Julie. With work opportunities few and far between as an actor, I fell into

My time at Shore absolutely prepared me for the rigors of Hollywood. I feel my time in the classroom and on the playing fields instilled in me a sense of drive and determination. I have so many fond memories of my time at Shore. Geometry with Mrs. Calder… memorizing The Constitution with Ms. Deschamps…cranking hard on the lacrosse field for Mr. Hall…riding the rough waves on a whale watch with Mr. Williamson — good times! I kept in touch with classmates Sam Iler and Jamie Walters for awhile, but otherwise I have completely fallen out of touch with Shore, I’m sad to say. Recently I came back to the North Shore for a quick visit with my wife and kids for the first time in over fifteen years. Next time I visit, I plan to take a ride to Shore to see the old campus and check out the new Center

for Creativity. Hopefully, that will be sooner rather than later!

Sam Catlin ’84 is a television writer/ producer/director living in Los Angeles with his wife Julie and their two boys, Ben and Eli .

Daphne Clark Faldi ’89 When I think about my childhood, Shore is always at the forefront of my memories. I am the youngest of four children, all of whom attended Shore. In many ways, Shore has been like a second home to me. For several years, my mother taught reading in the Lower School, and she coached field hockey and lacrosse. I clearly remember running around the Shore fields as a young child with my lacrosse stick in hand during her practices.

Little did I know that someday, I’d be coaching lacrosse at Shore while my young children ran around the fields with their lacrosse sticks!

For me, Shore has always been a comfortable place. As a student, I felt supported by my teachers and coaches, and although I worked hard, I remember having lots of fun and meeting so many people who ultimately became lifelong friends. Class trips, particularly those in the Upper School, helped me to build deep and lasting friendships. I was lucky enough to be in Continued on page 27

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ALUMNI NEWS

Betsy Stavis ’05

Betsy Goes to Washington!

BY JOANNE HARDER Last summer, Shore alum Betsy Stavis ’05 experienced the trip of a lifetime when she accompanied a group of boys and girls to the White House to meet First Lady Michelle Obama for the Second Annual Healthy Lunchtime Challenge “Kid’s State Dinner” in support of the First Lady’s Let’s Move! initiative. A graduate of Boston University’s prestigious College of Communications, Betsy was working in New York City at a public relations agency where one of her clients was Epicurious, Conde Nast’s award-winning digital food brand.

Betsy’s road to the White House began when Tanya Steel, editor-in-chief of Epicurious, approached the White House and Let’s Move! about creating a recipe contest for kids.

After much back-and-forth, the Healthy Lunchtime Challenge was born. Kids ages eight to twelve were invited to submit recipes that followed the MyPlate.gov food paradigm and were also healthy, delicious, creative, and cost-efficient.

Over 1,300 recipes were submitted, and fifty-four children, one child from each state and territory, were chosen to travel to Washington, D.C. and meet with Mrs. Obama at the White House.

“Because of my affiliation with Epicurious, I was invited to accompany the group as a media liaison, coordinating media coverage before, after, and during the event,” explained Betsy. “It was truly an experience of a lifetime to work with the White House Press Office and coordinate something of such magnitude.”

After pre-event security screenings and multiple security checkpoints the day of the event, Betsy and the rest of the group finally made their way into the White House.

Upon entering, each child was announced to the press and then led to the West Wing of the White House where they were greeted by the Marine Corps Band. “That alone was inspiring,” said Betsy. “There was so much positive energy and excitement in the room. I couldn’t help but think how wonderful it was that Tanya’s vision ultimately became the event of a lifetime for all of these children, and for me, too!”

Once all of the attendees had a moment to grasp the fact that they were actually guests of Mrs. Obama at the White House, the “Kid’s State Dinner” began. According to Betsy, the menu was amazing. “We feasted on cauliflower crust pizza, spring rolls, healthy fruit smoothies, and so much more. The

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entire menu was chosen from the winning recipes and can be downloaded for everyone to read as an e-cookbook at recipechallenge.epicurious.com,” said Betsy.

Tanya Steel spoke first, followed

by Mrs. Obama. Both women expressed how truly grateful they were to be surrounded by such inspiring and creative young minds from all across the country. They also mentioned how important being involved in what you eat is to helping you stay healthy both in your body and in your mind.

Then, just before dessert, the First Lady walked to the podium for a second time to tell the group that despite what parents say, sometimes you are allowed to eat with your hands.

“The children were delighted,” said Betsy. Mrs. Obama then added that she had a special guest to introduce, and to everyone’s surprise, President Obama walked on stage, announcing, “I decided to crash the party!” He was greeted with wild applause, and then he thanked everyone for their efforts to keep America healthy.

After the President left the room and the tables were cleared, the group made one final stop at the White House vegetable garden with Sam Kass, Assistant White House Chef and Executive Director of Let’s Move! Sam spoke briefly about some basic gardening skills before the children and the accompanying adults climbed back on the bus.

“That was when I was finally able to take a breath and actually reflect,” said Betsy. “I was so fortunate to have participated in such a fun and unique event. The looks on the children’s faces alone made all of the late nights and long weekends of helping to plan the event worth it.” Betsy credits the kids and their parents for their commitment to living healthy lives. “The passion and creativity that these kids and their families put into being healthy and eating right has inspired me and hopefully others to do the same.”

Betsy Stavis ’05 is now an account executive at Hunter Public Relations, an independently owned and award-winning consumer products public relations firm based in New York City.

ALUMNI NEWS Continued from page 25 the first class ever to travel to Squam.

We paddled in pairs to the island, our canoes laden with food and other supplies for what seemed like hours because we had trouble locating the right island. I still remember laughing hysterically with my best friend as we paddled along in what seemed like circles. On the last day of our trip, we woke up to a snow squall, and there’s nothing like bad weather to get people to work together. We packed our gear and paddled back to the mainland in record time. Of course, by the time we got back to Shore, we described the snow squall to anyone who would listen as a major blizzard!

Playing on Shore athletic teams was definitely a highlight of my days as a Shore student. While the uniforms of today are much different than the ones back in my day, members of Shore teams all know the pride a player feels wearing a Shore jersey to represent our school. I believe there is nothing better than being a part of a team. Now that I’m back coaching at Shore, I try to instill in my players the importance of the team component and working together to accomplish a common goal. This is an important life lesson that I learned at Shore.

After I graduated as a ninth grader, I felt completely prepared for the next step academically, socially, and athletically. I went on to graduate from St. Paul’s School and Harvard University, continuing to play field hockey and lacrosse before moving to Sun Valley, Idaho, where I lived for three years and met my husband Kelleigh.

Today Kelleigh and I and our three boys live not far from where I grew up. I work at Shore in the Admissions Office and coach lacrosse. Life has come full circle for me. I love my job at Shore where I am surrounded by amazing

people who inspire me every day. My children are receiving an incredible education, and I’m coaching on the same fields that I played on as a Shore student. Who could ask for more?

Daphne Clark Faldi ’89 is currently the Associate Director of Admissions at Shore.

In addition, Daphne is the girls’ varsity lacrosse coach. Daphne lives in Hamilton with her husband Kelleigh and their three boys Charlie, Owen, and Reid, all students at Shore.

Piper Gore ’94

My life has taken some interesting turns since my days at Shore. After graduating from Governor’s Academy and the University of Wyoming, I briefly managed mutual funds for a bank before moving to Los Angeles where I hoped to pursue a career in acting. Instead, I got into the fashion industry when I accepted a corporate position with Lucky Brand Jeans and Levi Jeans. I realized then just how much I love fashion. About three years ago, I took a big risk and began my own fashion line — PiperGore — and I have not looked back. Today I manage my company from start to finish. I design clothing, work closely with my public relations and sales teams, and even buy my own office supplies when necessary! It’s not always glamorous, but I love what I am doing, and early results have been more than promising. I couldn’t be happier.

Looking back, I realize that Shore gave me a strong foundation that has served me well. Shore works hard to develop a sense of community in its students, and at Shore, there were always people that I knew that I could rely on and trust.

Today, I know how important building community is as I persevere to build a successful business. Yes, the Shore curriculum was rigorous, but it taught me the importance of self-discipline, and any success that I have achieved has had its roots in self-discipline and hard work.

My memories of Shore are vivid and meaningful. Playing on the girls’ varsity lacrosse team and singing “We Are the Champions,” memorizing Spanish verb conjugations, having long talks with Mrs. Hoyt, drawing pictures on science tests in hopes of earning a few extra points — all of these moments are etched into my heart. Little did I realize during my time at Shore that some of my Shore friends would become lifelong friends.

Today I stay in touch with Deb Kay, Drew Stoddard, Mary Felton, and Andrew Squibb, as well as with Mrs. Harder, often through Facebook. One of these days when I return to the East Coast for a visit, I hope to stop by Shore and walk around campus, just for old time’s sake.

Piper Gore ’94 lives in Santa Monica, California, and she runs her women’s apparel company PiperGore out of Los Angeles. Piper spends most of her time designing clothing and attending trade shows in New York City and Los Angeles.

She tries to return East regularly for work and to visit her family. Piper’s constant companion is Dennis, her little French bulldog. A year ago, the pipergore line made its major debut in Neiman Marcus stores across the country, and it is now also available at Anthropologie stores and at shopbop.com.

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ALUMNI NEWS

Lauren Henderson ’02 It’s hard to believe that over a decade has passed since I was a student at Shore! In the years immediately following my graduation, I attended The Newman School, where I delivered the Commencement Address last year.

After Newman, I went on to earn my Bachelor of Arts degree from Wheaton College, double majoring in Music and Hispanic Studies. At Wheaton, I was preceptor, a member of the Wheaton Field Hockey Team, the Musical Director of one of the campus singing groups and a member of the Wheaton College Jazz Band. I have had many wonderful school experiences, but it was at Shore that I was able to

build the strong academic and social foundation that has helped me in so many ways.

When I reminisce about my days at Shore, I realize that it was where I discovered my passion for music and the arts. Shore was a fabulous experience for me. I remember everything from eating Cheerios during my entrance exam to participating in the third grade Egyptian and Shakespearean plays to being in the cast of Free to Be to playing varsity field hockey and lacrosse to singing with the Puellae Cantantes to discovering my love of the pottery wheel in Mrs. Bauer’s art class to annual class camping trips with “see-fars” and rope courses to Headmaster’s Holidays… the list goes on and on! Each experience helped me to broaden my perspective and gain confidence.

A Trip to Armenia

BY ALESSANDRA FRISSORA AND ALI HAMLIN

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ALUMNI NEWS At Shore I learned to balance my academics with extra-curricular activities. I also fostered many relationships with people who have become lifelong friends. Rachel Doorly has been my best friend since the second grade and always will be. Nick Almy, who attended Wheaton College with me, remains a dear friend. I also keep in touch with Thomas Smeallie (and his lovely wife Nuria), Dennis Fantone, Morgan Atkins, Katey McBride, Mallory Jaffe, and Kate and Jake Sullivan, as well as Joanne Harder, one of my favorite teachers from Shore and a kind and supportive person in my life.

Robert Frost once said that people should strive to make their avocation their vocation, and in many ways, I have achieved this. Today, I am a professional jazz and Latin jazz vocalist, songwriter, and recording artist. I also work as a Project Manager for Universal Music Group, where I collaborate specifically with Republic Records and Island Def Jam. As a professional jazz and Latin jazz vocalist, songwriter and a full-time employee of Universal Music Group, my every day life is a balancing act, and I can honestly say that Shore Country Day School prepared me for the life I am living.

Alumni connections to Shore often do not end after graduation. Years may pass, but time does not interfere with the strong bonds that develop among students.

Although distance during high school and college kept our communication to a minimum, we always knew we could count on each other. Shore cultivated our dedication to active learning. Doing, seeing, and experiencing were always at the center of our education at Shore. When this value becomes a standard, it extends far beyond formal education and roots itself in all aspects of life. This drive led us both to the other side of the world to live in another country. This time abroad is near and dear to us because we have something else in common besides our Shore education: our Armenian ancestry. Each of us has one grandparent of Armenian descent, and we both share a pride passed down to us from our grandparents and parents.

Alessandra Frissora ’06 “Don’t forget, you’re Armenian, too!” my Armenian grandmother often reminded me throughout my childhood. Having a predominantly Italian ethnic background, I became well-versed in Italian-American culture, but heeding my grandmother’s advice, I never forgot about my Armenian heritage. I savored the lahmajun and paklava that my grandmother prepared

Lauren Henderson ’02 is a New York City based singer and songwriter. In 2011, she released her first album, Lauren Henderson, which is available on iTunes, Amazon, and CDBaby and is accessible as a pandora.com station. Lauren’s diverse musical background is rooted in jazz and expands to rhythm and blues, Latin, soul, gospel, classical, fusion, neo-soul, pop, nuevo-flamenco and many other forms.

Lauren has composed, performed, studied, and directed music in the United States as well as internationally. A supporter and fan of the arts in general, Lauren also enjoys salsa dancing, painting, acting, photography, exercise, and spending time with friends and family.

during the holidays, and I beamed with pride as she recounted the story of her parents’ emigration from Turkey to the United States after the threat of genocide.

I treasured volumes of Armenian art and culture, and as I grew older, I longed to learn more about my Armenian heritage. During my sophomore year at Boston College, I attended a lecture one evening entitled Challenges in Women’s Health in Resource Poor Countries: The Case of Armenia. It was then that I became aware of some of the social and economic issues facing women in Armenia and began to consider the possible connections between my own professional interests, which include psychology, public health, and cultural studies.

During the spring of 2012, I traveled to Turkey with my family to visit the old homes where my Armenian ancestors lived before the genocide. Seeing the remnants of my ancestral past overwhelmed me, and I became even more eager to learn about the plight, resilience, and rich culture of the Armenian people. Not yet ready to focus my academic career in a graduate program after receiving my B.A. in psychology from Boston College, I desired instead to do something that would help me gain a global perspective within the field of my professional interests while also developing a deeper sense of my own heritage. In short, I was determined to find my way to Armenia. Through online research, I learned about Birthright Armenia, and the rest is history.

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ALUMNI NEWS My time in Armenia has been an incredibly rich experience. I volunteer for thirty hours each week at three different placements: Fighting Infectious Diseases in Emerging Countries (FIDEC) Armenia Foundation, Fund for Armenian Relief (FAR) Children’s Support Center, and Repat Armenia Foundation. My work at FIDEC includes research for new healthcare program implementation and onsite visits to medical facilities used for current projects in rural regions. At FAR, I update content for program brochures and spend time with the children who receive twenty-four hour care and rehabilitative services at the Center. Finally, at Repat Armenia, I edit interviews with repatriates to post on the foundation’s website. In addition to my volunteer work, living with a host family has granted me the opportunity to connect with locals and learn more about Armenian culture. I also participate in language classes, weekly cultural forums, and weekend excursions outside of Yerevan, the capital. Although the city is a great place to live, some of my favorite excursions take me outside of Yerevan where we generally eat and socialize at the homes of local villagers. The hospitality and warmth I experience during these gatherings truly connect me to this country and its people.

telling me that she was planning to volunteer for about six months in Armenia. I was curious to learn more, and so she sent me information about the program. As someone who jumps at any opportunity to travel, I took one look at the Birthright Armenia website and thought to myself, “Wow! How am I only hearing about this program now?”

As I near the end of my time in Armenia and look forward to graduate school and a career in clinical psychology, I have a message for Shore students: I encourage you to travel outside of your comfort zone to the farthest corner of your world. That corner may be the other side of town, a different city, or another country. Meet the people you would have never met, and see the things you would have never seen. Only then will you begin to grow.

My time in Armenia thus far has been exceptional.

As a Birthright Armenia volunteer, I currently work at two sites: The American University of Armenia’s Math and Writing Center and the Armenian Environmental Network. I’m living with a great family that is supportive and patient as I learn to speak Armenian. Growing up, my only exposure to Armenian culture was through food, but today, I am learning both about the culture of the country itself and life as a Diasporan Armenian with other volunteers from around the world. Everyday I wake up knowing I will learn a little bit more about this place, and my connection to Armenia continues to grow.

I guess I have Alessandra, Shore, and Mark Zuckerberg to thank for that!

Ali Hamlin ’06 Last May I received a Facebook invitation to attend Alessandra Frissora’s college graduation party. Sash and I had been classmates for nine years at Shore, but we didn’t keep in touch after we headed off to different high schools. Seven years later, I was thrilled to hear from her, and Mark Zuckerberg gave us a place to reconnect.

Unfortunately, I was unable to attend Alessandra’s party, but I sent her a message to ask how she was doing and what her plans were after she graduated from Boston College. I shared with her that I was graduating from the University of Rochester and that I wasn’t sure what I’d be doing after my summer internship at the Darling Marine Center in Maine. Alessandra responded by

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My love of travel and hunger to learn about our world actually started back in 1997 when I was in the second grade at Shore. That year, my dad was awarded Shore’s Parents of Graduates (POG) grant, helping my family to travel to Egypt, Greece, and Rome. On this trip, I was exposed to different cultures and ways of living, and these memories have stayed with me over the years.

As a student at the University of Rochester, I had more opportunities to explore the world, spending a summer in Beijing participating in materials science research, a semester in Kenya studying health and community development, and two stints in Malawi studying anthropology. After reconnecting with Alessandra and graduating from college, Birthright Armenia became a logical next step, allowing me to gain valuable professional experience, explore my Armenian heritage, and learn about an area of the world I knew little about.

Alessandra Frissora ’06 and Ali Hamlin ’06 are currently volunteering in Armenia as participants of Birthright Armenia, a program that supports young Armenians from around the world, commonly referred to as Armenian Diasporans, as they seek to establish a connection to Armenia and learn about the country’s culture while gaining professional experience and contributing to Armenia’s development through volunteer work.

ALUMNI NEWS

A Memorial Tribute to Larry Alexander ’65

BY JOANNE HARDER and nodding his head in approval as I spoke, and making others feel good about themselves.”

Mary Alice, David ’01, Larry, and Katie ’98 Alexander at David’s graduation from Shore

Much has been written in the news about Larry Alexander’s distinguished career in law, education, and public service since he passed away on November 6, 2012 at the age of 62 from complications relating to a rare blood disorder. As a state representative from the Eighth Essex District from 1979-1990, Larry helped to push forward many measures, including one that prohibited politicians from keeping unused campaign funds for personal spending. Larry was also a chief sponsor of the Massachusetts Bottle Bill. In 2008, Larry returned as a lecturer at Yale University, his alma mater, where he is remembered as a passionate teacher who encouraged his students to tackle legislative ethical issues and discuss these issues with open minds. Today, we honor Larry as a devoted husband to Mary Alice and father to Katie ’98 and David ’01, as well as a beloved former trustee at Shore.

A Shore alum himself (Class of 1965), Larry Alexander went on to graduate from The Hotchkiss School, Yale University, and Boston University School of Law, but he always had a special place in his heart for Shore. Larry served as a trustee at Shore from 1992–1998, and anyone who had the privilege of knowing Larry can’t help but remember his infectious smile.

“His smile could light up a room,” recalls former parent and trustee Kathy Harris. “I don’t think that I ever saw Larry when he wasn’t smiling. I gravitated to him at Shore events because he exuded such positive energy. He adored his wife Mary Alice, and he was so proud of Katie and David. I’m a better person for having known him.”

Elizabeth MacCurrach taught health to both Katie and David Alexander before becoming Head of Lower School, and she echoes some of the same sentiments. “I especially remember Larry’s supportive presence on every Back-to-School Night.

Larry had a way of sitting close to the front of the class, smiling,

Shore faculty member Debra Parkhurst remembers Larry’s wonderful sense of humor and unconditional love for his children. “He was so great at seeing the big picture and at letting the little things go. He always had his video camera close at hand, and Katie once told me that she thinks her entire childhood was recorded.” Faculty member David Lund adds, “Parent conferences with Larry and Mary Alice were always fun. Larry was always smiling and enthusiastic, and he was genuinely interested in the curriculum and how his kids were doing, and he always took the time to ask about my family.”

When asked about Larry’s tenure on the Board of Trustees at Shore, Head of School Larry Griffin thoughtfully recollects that “Larry could look through any problem and think in terms of what was best for children. He was quick to give credit to others and respect their good intentions. I always looked forward to seeing Larry when he returned to campus for community events. He loved Shore, and he always appreciated Shore’s positive influence on Katie’s and David’s lives.”

Anyone who knew Larry Alexander knew that Katie and David were his pride and joy. “My dad instilled his passion and commitment to others in us,” says Katie, a former teaching assistant at Shore and now a lead kindergarten teacher at Brookwood School. “From the moment I decided to become a teacher, my dad was one of my biggest supporters. Whenever he introduced me to people he knew, he always was sure to mention, ‘She’s a teacher!’” David adds, “My father’s model of loving to live life for its own sake and confidently following his heart to pursue happiness will continue to inspire choices I make for the rest of my life. I think anybody who knew my father learned from his exemplary passion for living.”

Probably no one knew Larry Alexander better than his wife of thirty-five years Mary Alice who offers these heartfelt words about her husband: “Larry was a kind, genuine person — he was brilliant, insightful, and caring. He was very much a modest individual, with not a trace of arrogance. He saw the world with the glass half-full, saw the best in people, and wanted to bring out the best in people.”

Larry will perhaps best be remembered by all who were fortunate enough to know him as simply a good man who in the words of Larry Griffin “always gave his best and made the world a better place” — a fitting tribute to a remarkable man.

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Even before the Lawrence A. Griffin Center for Creativity opened last September, the drama program had been giving Shore students theatrical opportunities for years. For decades, Shore students performed in Broadway musicals, one act plays, dramatic monologues, or Free to Be You and Me. Many Shore students and alumni fondly remember their parts in the third grade Egyptian Play which graced the stage of the Big Room in the Lower School for many years. This year, students hit the big time and the big stage in the brand new theater, delighting the audience with another original play.

Whether through classroom exercises or public performances, Shore students learn to expand and deepen their creative expression, discover their inner voices, and build their selfconfidence. Integral to every child’s curriculum, theater provides students with the tools to access and heighten their imaginations. Besides acting on stage, students also have the option to learn about the technical and backstage elements of theater, running the sound and light boards, and constructing sets. Experience in theater promotes creative collaboration, imaginative exploration, and essential life skills for Shore students.

This year, fourth grade students presented a collection of Nigerian, Chinese, and Aboriginal folktale plays from cultures they studied in their curriculum. Fifth grade students presented an original play called The Heroes Club, a moving story about everyday heroes in the world, and

Drama Takes Center Stage at Shore!

BY SARAH CARLIN

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every fifth grader had a moment to shine on stage.

Upper School drama offers more opportunities for students to find their voices and perform in theatrical productions.

The sixth grade drama curriculum emphasizes the process of developing acting skills through mime, improvisation, and physical comedy. Students have the option of participating in the sixth grade play during the winter trimester. This year’s production was The Surprising Story of the Three Little Pigs, an entertaining comedy with familiar characters.

Seventh grade drama classes present a story from another culture each trimester, creating animated characters, developing acting skills — both vocal and physical — and working together as an ensemble. They present their plays to Lower School students. The sets and costumes are simple, and two students from each class take the responsibility of designing and building set pieces and creating a musical

score appropriate to the story. This year’s seventh grade plays included The Ch’I Lin Purse, a Chinese folktale play adapted from the story by Linda Fang, Sense Pass King, an African folktale play adapted from the story by Katrin Tchana, and One Grain of Rice, an eastern Indian folktale play adapted from the story by Demi.

Of course, the ultimate theatrical experience at Shore for many students is the annual musical production. Auditions for roles are open to students in Grades 7–9, and last March, Shore’s Upper School thespians took to the big stage in the new theater to present HONK! The cast and crew worked diligently as an ensemble, learning choreography, memorizing lines, practicing songs, and building sets.

Their dedication and hard work resulted in a production that could have rivaled the best of any off-Broadway show.

Ninth graders at Shore have the option of enrolling in Advanced Theater Arts (ATA). In addition to receiving a comprehensive introduction to high school drama, students in this class present four performances over the course of the year: fall monologues, winter one-act comedies, a one-act drama for the Massachusetts Educational Theater Guild Festival, and the Improv Blast. Each performance challenges the students in different ways and helps them to build their acting skills and knowledge of theatrical processes. Students learn to bring written words to life on the stage, to engage with other actors, to analyze scripts, to develop methods for physical and vocal characterizations, and to understand the importance of pacing. At the end of the year, ATA students present a collection of improvised scenes for an audience, creating absurd characters in ridiculous situations and applying the acting skills they have honed throughout the year. The performance is fun for both actors and audience members.

Shore students truly benefit from the school’s commitment to theater arts. Experience in theater encourages creative problem solving, nurtures the imagination, and cultivates community. What better way to prepare Shore students for the future!

Editor’s Note: Faculty member Sarah Carlin writes many of the plays produced at Shore, and third grade teacher Sam Hamlin writes the annual Egyptian Play. Writing original plays allows teachers to tailor scripts to meet the needs of the curriculum.

2014 Mainstage production of HONK!

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Enriching the Days at Shore Walk through the Kiva after school on any school day afternoon, and you are bound to see Lower School students playing guitars, practicing on their violins, creating a beat on the marimbas, or even building wooden scooters in the Innovation Lab. Upper School students find a quiet spot on the second floor of the Kiva to begin their homework. During the summer months, Shore’s campus bustles with a variety of summer programs that attract students from the entire North Shore. Since Alyssa Freda became Shore’s Director of Auxiliary Programs four years ago, afterschool and summer activities has been revamped, expanded, and re-energized.

Alyssa Freda, Director of Auxiliary Programs

Student Enrichment Activities — SEA Shore During the school year, Lower School students who remain on campus after 3:00 p.m. have the option of participating in an array of activities designed by Shore teaching assistants or beginning their homework. Lower School students who remain on campus after 4:00 p.m. may choose to participate in arts and crafts and private music lessons, while Upper School students attend a study hall in order to get a jump start on their homework.

Students and parents alike give high praise to SEA Shore.

“My children absolutely love SEA Shore and its variety of activities. It is a great opportunity for them to choose an enrichment class they are interested in.”

“SEA Shore is a fantastic program that allows children to explore a special interest, like violin, marimba, or art, and play with students in different grade levels out on the playground and in the classrooms, investigating areas beyond the curriculum offered during the regular school day. Any time I try to pick my daughter up before SEA Shore, she just about refuses to leave!”

Brooke Schatz carefully designs her pottery on the wheel during SEA Shore.

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“The highlight of my week is my woodworking class. It is fun that you get to ride what you make. You also get to use cool tools. You will love it.”

“I rely on SEA Shore for my daughter because I work, but SEA Shore is much more than child care. My daughter has enjoyed fabulous enrichment opportunities including violin lessons, jewelry making and Legos. She looks forward to choosing the fun activities she will participate in. And when she is not involved in enrichments, it is just a great time to play with friends and relax after a busy day at Shore.”

“I like the freedom of working on different wood projects and using all the tools. We all make scooters that we can ride, and we even have brakes! I also made some signs out of wood that I cut, sanded, and painted.”

In the Innovation Lab, Owen Faldi carefully marks the wood for his scooter before he makes his cut.

SEA Shore students focus on writing their stories that will be bound in their handmade books.

Esme Shields takes a private clarinet lesson after school during SEA Shore.

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toured the clubhouse and met a Red Sox player. This camp was a big hit, and Shore is thrilled to announce that the Boston Red Sox Baseball Summer Camp will return to campus again this year.

This summer, campers will also have the option to participate in the first ever PrimeTime Lacrosse program, as well as the always popular Boston Soccer Academy camp and girls’ lacrosse and field hockey camps.

Students wanting to participate in a summer enrichment program at Shore may choose from a variety of activities that include Marimba Band, Whimsical Wire Sculptures and Glowing Fairy House Lanterns, Ceramics, Clay Fun, Book Making, and The Lunch Bunch.

Of course, a highlight of Summer Shore Graham Ellis is all smiles with Wally at the Boston Red Sox Baseball Summer Camp.

2014 will be the Boston Children’s Theatre Summer Studios described in Summer Shore more detail in an article beginning on page 15.

Under Alyssa’s leadership, Summer Shore has expanded and now includes more summer sports camps, a theater arts program, and a variety of enrichment activities.

Last summer, Alyssa hit a home run when she reached an agreement with the Boston Red Sox Baseball Summer Camps to offer their program on Shore’s campus. This coeducational program included a week of skills and drills by experienced coaches, a visit to Shore from the Red Sox mascot Wally, and a trip to Fenway Park where campers

To learn more about Shore’s afterschool and summer programs, please visit the Programs tab on Shore’s website: www.shoreschool.org.

Niall Kearney and Sam Borggaard play in sync on the marimbas.

Summer Shore lacrosse campers learn essential skills.

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PROFILE: Deborah L. Coates Years at Shore: Twenty-four Responsibilities and Duties: Teaches science and health to Grades 3 and 4, enhances curriculum and mentors new teachers, introduces students to the inflatable Starlab, Lower School Science Chair Activities/Interests: Rigorous exercise, the sheer beauty of creation, watercolor painting, reading, building with Legos, singing with the Shore Singers

Favorite Books: The Samurai’s Garden by Gail Tsukiyama and Help, Thanks, Wow: The Three Essential Prayers by Anne Lamott Favorite Movie: Entrapment starring Sean Connery Favorite Quotes: “I think, at a child’s birth, if a mother could ask a fairy godmother to endow it with the most useful gift, that gift should be curiosity.” — Eleanor Roosevelt “Time takes everything. But your heart, your character, your faith, do not belong to time. So build your home in your heart. And make that home strong, make that home beautiful, Then you will always be safe, and you will never be alone.”

— From the book Forgotten Fire by Adam Bagdasarian Greatest Satisfaction: Providing learning challenges and witnessing the mind wrestle and then pin the insight to knowledge Comments from Debbie: I am so appreciative that Shore accepted openly a proposal from Colleen Parenteau and me to serve Shore best with a job share in science. It has allowed me to continue to energetically embrace teaching and to care for my husband.

Thoughts from Colleen Parenteau: Glance into Debbie’s classroom and you will see children bursting with excitement, ready to delve into investigation. Debbie’s innate love of inquiry is at the heart of her teaching. Ambitious, dedicated, and highly reflective, she is constantly fine-tuning her lessons to meet her students’ needs and provide additional challenges. A true pioneer in the field, Debbie was one of the first faculty members to integrate iPad technology into the curriculum.

Always well-researched and prepared with an array of materials to explore, Debbie creates engaging lessons that invite students to probe curiosities, challenge misconceptions, and build critical science process skills. In Debbie’s eyes, every question posed by a child is valid and worth exploring. Her science laboratory is a place where children stretch their minds and build a strong foundation in science — while having a barrel of fun.

Debbie simply loves her job, and this love inspires others to take on new challenges and do their very best for Shore students. It is not surprising that alumni often return to Shore singing her praises, and excited about their own careers in science. Varied and far-reaching, Debbie’s talents and interests are intricately woven into the fabric of the school. She is nothing short of an invaluable and visionary leader for the Shore community.

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