Solebury School Magazine Winter / Spring 2016

WHEN THE FINAL CURTAIN FALLS A senior reflects on his six-year SoleStage career. pg. 13 >

WINTER / SPRING 2016

INNOVATIVE ELECTIVES These classes allow students to have unique academic experiences not often found in high school. pg. 16 >

REUNION WEEKEND 2016 Get all the details for one of our favorite events of the year. pg. 30 >

THIS PAGE: On February 9, 2016, varsity girls basketball player Denia Campbell ’17 scored her 1000th point at home while playing against Doane Academy. The team later defeated New Foundations Charter School to win the Penn-Jersey League championship.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2015-2016 Scott Bolenbaugh P’09 Chairman Tom Hunt ’74 P’16 Vice Chairman Alan Sheriff P’08 ’16 Secretary Joan Reinthaler ’53 Treasurer Jay Abbe ‘59 Bette Jane (BJ) Booth P’11 Dan Cohen ‘63 Andrea Devereux P’14 Jonathan C. Downs ’71 P’03 ’08 ‘09 Andrée Newsome Falco ‘63 Dr. Ellen Faulkner P’06 ‘11 Jeremy Fergusson ‘63 Barbara Fordyce P’07 ‘13 Josh Perlsweig ‘03 John Petito P’96 ‘03 Mike Sienkiewicz ‘56 Anne C. (Annsi) Stephano ’58 P’77 ’78 ‘81 Derek Warden ‘79 Navarrow Wright ’88 P’16 ‘19

HEAD OF SCHOOL Thomas G. Wilschutz

HONORARY TRUSTEES Bill Berkeley ‘49 Chris Chandor ’60 P’86 Alan Donley ‘55 Betsy Bidelman Meredith ’54 P’81 Richard Moss ‘48 Eric Shaw ‘55 Jean Tappan Shaw ‘53

ON THE COVER: Our SoleStage Players put on a phenomenal production of Rent as our 2016 winter musical. Photo by Beverly Berkeley

Photo by Kevin Cook, Solebury School’s photography teacher and a Getty Images grant recipient. www.kevincookphoto.com

WINTER / SPRING 2016

CONTENTS

SOLEBURY SCHOOL WINTER/SPRING MAGAZINE

Editor Jennifer K. Burns Director of Advancement and External Affairs

Managing Editor Deb O’Reilly Director of Publications and Online Communications

Photo Editor Beverly Berkeley Director of Marketing and Communications

Alma’s Update Editor Renee LaPorte Director of Alumni Relations and Gift Planning

Design and Production Proof Design

Please send change of address to:

SOLEBURY SCHOOL 6832 Phillips Mill Road New Hope, PA 18938 Phone: 215-862-5261 Fax: 215-862-3366 Email: alumni@solebury.org © Copyright 2016 Solebury School

CONNECT WITH SOLEBURY SCHOOL

FEATURES

8 STEM Week 2015

Solebury School hosted its first-ever STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) Week this year. PLUS: Get to know Dr. Sherie Michaile ’73, teacher at Girls Who Code and former chemistry teacher and data systems manager.

13 When the Final Curtain Falls

Senior Jonathan Fleming reflects on his six-year SoleStage career.

PLUS: Solebury catches up with actor and philanthropist Joyce Bulifant ’56.

16 Innovative Electives

Inspired by teachers’ passions, these electives allow our students to have unique academic experiences not often found at the high school level.

20 Exam Time, Reimagined

Our Middle School Parent Dinner turns the pressure of finals week into a celebratory night for students, parents and faculty.

22 Inspiring Great Writers

At Solebury School, students become effective communicators through their writing.

FACEBOOK facebook.com/Solebury-School-191183385937 TWITTER twitter.com/SoleburySchool

30 Reunion Weekend 2016

A weekend full of events for reconnecting and reminiscing with your favorite Solebury School alumni.

YOUTUBE youtube.com/SoleburySchoolUWatch INSTAGRAM instagram.com/soleburyschool/ PINTEREST pinterest.com/soleburys/

www.solebury.org

DEPARTMENTS 2 A NOTE FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

A message from Tom Wilschutz

4 BEYOND THE BOOKS

News and events from Solebury School PLUS: Jonathan Hendrixson ’91 talks to Solebury

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A LOOK BACK

24

ALMA’S UPDATE

A painting in the main office offers an interesting glimpse into Solebury’s past Catch up on alumni news PLUS: A spotlight on Helen Nienhueser ’53

A NOTE FROM TOM WILSCHUTZ

HEAD OF SCHOOL ON THE FIRST DAY OF CLASS after the winter holiday

the teachers to chefs, van drivers,

I found myself in the Dining Hall mid-morning during our M&M (Music and Meeting) period. This is a time when many of our students have 40 minutes free to accomplish many things, or nothing. More than a few find their way to the Dining Hall where our chefs offer a morning snack. Gathered around a table were a gaggle of students whose center was one of our Dining Hall staff, Anthony Porter. It was as though a beloved family member had returned from a long separation – they were so happy to see him.

staff. The tensile strength of these

If I had to identify one characteristic

that students at most independent

of Solebury that is emblematic of the

schools have great relationships

magical environment that nurtures

with their teaching faculty. What

our students I would highlight

I love about Solebury is that these

moments like this. You would suspect

great relationships extend beyond

maintenance crew, and the office relationships with our non-teaching staff is as strong and meaningful to our students as the bonds they develop with their teachers. And this distinguishing trait of the Solebury community has long been part of our DNA.

Mike Mullen

As many of you know, from 1981 to 1989, a gentleman named Mike Mullen P’87 cared for Solebury’s physical plant…and our students. Mike was such a part of the fabric of the Solebury community that the 1985 Yearbook dedication read: “This Book is dedicated to our very best friend, Solebury’s own Renaissance man, Head of School Tom Wilschutz buys a hot chocolate on the opening day of Mike’s Café.

Shown (from left): Solebury School juniors Savion Simon, Alex Babicki and Abbie Rains.

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Mike Mullen.” Mike passed away, as it happened, on campus in 1989. Shortly

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thereafter, the students established what became known as Mike’s Café: a place to gather, grab a snack or a drink and just hang out. Much like Anthony now, Mike was part of the everyday experience of the students.

Mike’s Café gradually withered away, to the point that its space was repurposed for other uses in the summer of 2014.

But the idea remained. In December 2015, I was approached by three students with a proposal: they wanted to bring Mike’s Café back, once again run

Josh’s bench, handcrafted by Solebury parent John Zerrer.

by students, and they wanted to put it in the Crib. I told them I needed a week to touch base with a few stakeholders.

Dedicating any space on campus to a specific purpose reduces the options for all the other space needs we have. One week later, I gave them the green light.

Mike’s Café is now fully operational,

reached out to us to say he would

fully stocked with food and drink, a

like to craft something in memory of

fireplace for those chilly days…and a

Josh. John, a fine woodworker, has

very special bench. Earlier this year,

gifted Solebury with a wonderful

Solebury School senior Josh Lomas

bench made of black walnut and ash.

lost his life in a tragic car accident.

The bench is housed in the Crib,

Josh was relatively new to Solebury,

contributing to the ambiance of Mike’s

but he made a lasting impression.

Kirby Fredendall, one of our art teachers, had Josh as a student.

“Josh sat to my right every day in art class for three months. Every day, he had a cheerful hello, he always thanked me when he left, and always asked how my weekend had gone when we met on Monday. He was a sweet, kind, sincere young man…I will remember Josh for his wonderful good nature and for his impressive goals and for his hard work.”

Josh Lomas

Café, reminding us all that schools are transient communities that touch and shape lives in so many ways as students, faculty and staff, arrive, stay for a time, and then depart. For a generation of Solebury students, Mike Mullen was the touchstone in the daily rhythm of their lives. The Senior Class of 2016 will forever carry the memory of an absent friend, Josh. And years from now, a Solebury student will sit on Josh’s bench, read the plaque while eating something just purchased from

A few days after Josh’s death, current

Mike’s Café and perhaps wonder, just

Solebury parent John Zerrer P’17 ’20

who were Mike and Josh?

To celebrate the extraordinary dedication of our faculty and staff – and to inspire them for generations to come – we are raising funds at our annual dinner auction for a special endowed award. See page 33 for details.

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WWW.SOLEBURY.ORG

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BEYOND THE BOOKS

Solebury School Says Goodbye to Janice Poinsett After 28 years, a beloved member of the Admission Office retires.

BY LAUREN ECKSTEIN

The year was 1988.

Solebury School had 90 students.

There was no John D. Brown Athletic Center, no Abbe Science Center, no Walter Lamb Hall. To help you appreciate just how long ago this was, picture this: Ronald Reagan was president; “Don’t Worry Be Happy” Associate Director of Admission Janice

by Bobby McFerrin Poinsett retires this year. was popular on the radio; the very first Die Hard was in the movie theaters for $3.50 a ticket; and cellphones were as big as bricks. This was the year that Janice Poinsett P’99 ’01 arrived at Solebury School.

were stained from carbon paper. She often found herself learning on the fly -- if a student needed a tour, she led it; if an advertisement was required, she designed it; if a new database was introduced, she taught herself how to use it. Yet while Janice watched the school more than double in size, as new buildings sprouted up, a website and magazine were launched, and as she guided the school through multiple marketing campaigns, Janice believes the heart of the school hasn’t changed. “The soul of Solebury School remains the same,” she said.

Solebury was also a place for her sons, Josh ’99 and Jeremy ’01, to thrive. Both boys attended Solebury School’s summer day camp until they were old enough to be counselors and later attended all four years of high school here. “I grew up here and my kids did, too,” Janice said.

Over the years, what Janice has loved the most is meeting countless prospective students and their families. She relates to the parents, and her nurturing tone puts even the most nervous students at ease. Soon enough, they start talking about favorite books or songs, and Janice’s curiosity kicks in. “After they

Now, after working with three heads of school, four different directors of admission and moving her files into four different offices, Janice will retire from her position as Associate Director of Admission.

When Janice joined Solebury School, she was a young mother of two boys looking to return to the workplace. Initially she was hired to work the front desk at Solebury School. Within a couple of years, Janice moved into the admission office, and she’s been there ever since.

While introducing Solebury School to prospective families for almost three decades, Janice has watched the school grow and change. She remembers the days when she had to drive to New Hope Quick Print to send a fax, and when her fingers

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Janice with her beautiful family, including sons Josh ’99 (far right) and Jeremy ’01 (far left).

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BEYOND THE BOOKS leave, I Google the book they mention and see what it is,” she said animatedly.

“An international student told me about some music that he liked, so I downloaded it from iTunes. It’s good!”

Janice said she also loves following the progress of students she helped admit to Solebury School. “I advocate for students and then four years later, they graduate and they are so grown up and confident,” she said. “That’s gratifying. They’ve found their way; they’ve blossomed.”

As Janice prepares to retire at the end of this school year, she is facing her own kind of graduation, which she anticipates with a mixture of excitement and wistfulness. “I will miss the interactions with everybody, the camaraderie, the laughing,” she said.

“It’s not going to be easy, I know. I can see crying in my future.”

She is not the only one who will be wiping away the tears.

“I view her very much as the guts of the admission office and that’s going to be very hard to replace,” said Scott Eckstein, the Director of Admission.

“She is, at times, content to be behind the scenes. She never seeks the spotlight for herself, so some people are not aware of how good she is or how vital she has been to admission and the school as a whole.”

Yet Janice is also ready to begin a new chapter of her life. She may be retiring, but she still has the interests and energy to rival the teenagers she interviews each day. Janice said she’s looking forward to moving into a retirement community in Little Egg Harbor, NJ, with her husband and getting involved in exercising, photography and traveling.

When she reflects back on her time at Solebury, she feels a sense of gratitude.

“This place has seen the strength in me,” she said. “I grew up here. I found myself here.”

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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Josh Poinsett ’99 While at Solebury School, Josh Poinsett played on the school’s soccer and baseball teams for all four years of high school and served as the captain of each team during his senior year. Josh said he especially appreciated the dedication of his teachers at Solebury School, who helped point him toward his future career.

“My experience at Solebury was very positive and rewarding,” said Josh. “I had great friends, received a comprehensive education, and the teachers always went above and beyond to help the students. My passion for computers and technology was strengthened at Solebury, especially with the mentoring from Bill Falabella [Solebury School’s former Directory of Technology]. That experience certainly helped guide me to the career I have today.”

Josh attended Millersville University and DeVry University, graduating in 2004. After working for eight years as the Senior Systems Administrator at the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg School for Communication, he left for a brief stint as the Assistant Director of IT at Rutgers University - Camden. He is now back working at the University of Pennsylvania as the IT Director at the School of Nursing.

Josh lives in Marlton, NJ, with his wife, Erica, and his three children Jacob, 10, Sydney, 7, and Kira, 5.

Jeremy Poinsett ’01 Reflecting on his years at Solebury, Jeremy said he appreciated the school’s supportive environment, the natural beauty of the campus, and the countless hours he spent in the school’s computer lab. All through his four years of high school, he played on the school’s soccer and baseball teams. He said the school was a great fit for him in many ways.

“While attending Solebury School, I particularly enjoyed the outdoor environment that the campus offered,” he said. “I still value, to this day, the family community that enabled me to grow and develop intellectually and socially. I will always cherish the time I spent at the school and all the time I spent in the computer lab.”

After graduating from Solebury, Jeremy went on to attend the Alfred Institute of Technology. He worked as a mechanic at Todd’s Garage in Stockton, NJ, for many years and recently opened Poinsett Automotive LLC in Stockton.

He lives in Doylestown, PA, with his wife, Alyssa, and their two toddlers Hunter, 2, and Piper, 1.

WWW.SOLEBURY.ORG

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BEYOND THE BOOKS

An Updated Look for the Main Office The newly redesigned space feels functional and friendly, new and nostalgic.

BY LAUREN ECKSTEIN

Efficient, yet warm. Fresh, yet historic.

Current, yet classic. In redesigning Solebury School’s main office, there was a lot to consider. This one area is many things – essential workspace, the first impression for prospective new students and their families, and a snapshot in the nostalgic memories of many alumni. Tackling this makeover project essentially boiled down to four words: small space, big goals.

“How do you make it feel contemporary and functional and still maintain the historical ties to the school?” asked Holly Victor ’89, Solebury’s Parent Relations and Auction Manager, who was on the redesign committee. “Our goal was to re-envision the space for it to be functional today while still carrying its historical significance and the character of a farmhouse. It was important to us that our alumni still recognize it and feel connected.”

After six months, the office redesign is complete and seems to have accomplished all of its goals. The changes are somehow both subtle and significant. The wide, rustic floorboards are still there, just refinished and brightened. The cozy chairs that belong in a historic farmhouse are still there, just updated.

The welcoming atmosphere is intact, just with a fresh, airy, polished touch.

A team of five administrators, faculty and staff at Solebury School comprised the redesign committee. They each brought their own priorities, suggestions and patience to the project.

“We all had different ideas and, at times, it took a while to reach agreement,” said Scott Eckstein, the Director of Admission who was on the redesign team. “Each step we took was an improvement and things kept falling into a better spot. In the end, I was thrilled and really grateful for each person’s contributions.”

The redesign committee worked with Jonathan Hendrixson ’91 of Hendrixson’s Furniture in Furlong, PA, to decorate the

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BEYOND THE BOOKS space. (See below.) Jonathan suggested pieces that were clean, fresh, and consistent with the historic nature of the farmhouse architecture.

On a recent afternoon, the main office glowed with a soft latewinter light. Plush upholstered chairs patterned in pale blues

clustered near the big stone fireplace. Dark wooden tables with elegant silhouettes accented the room.

“There are really great pieces, and they all flow together in the space,” said Jonathan. “It looks fresh and calm, and that’s important. It represents what Solebury is about pretty well.”

Thank you to our anonymous donor for your vision and generosity with this redesign. Thank you, Jonathan, for your flawless execution.

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Jonathan Hendrixson ’91 FURNITURE STORE OWNER / DOYLESTOWN, PA When Jonathan Hendrixson was asked to help redesign Solebury School’s main office, he was excited, honored and a little bit hesitant.

There was a tiny part of him that wanted our school to stay just how it was in his memory.

“The school looks amazing and the new improvements are great,” he said. “But it’s funny, you almost have an inclination to want it to look exactly the way it did. It shows you how nostalgic people are. When I talk to people that I went to school with, we all remember it as being pretty magical.”

Jon was a day student at Solebury School for his junior and senior years, graduating in 1991. Before arriving at Solebury, he described himself as an “uninspired” student. Yet when he started attending school here, everything changed. “I went from being a really uninterested student to becoming very, very intellectually engaged,” he said. “My old school was a turn-off. When I got to Solebury, I took a very different view and it carried me through college. For me, to be honest, it was the time that I was really turned on academically.”

Jonathan said he appreciated Solebury’s small class sizes, the passion of his teachers,

WINTER / SPRING 2016

and the emphasis on learning instead of test-taking. “I felt like all my subjects were so much more engaging,” he said. “It was rigorous and we went into depth, but there was more space to make the subjects relevant. The teachers knew all of us, and understood what was engaging to us. I felt there was a lot of personal concern for all the students. Teachers were interested in how you developed as young people beyond just academics.”

Jonathan went to Bucknell University, majoring in English and Philosophy.

After college, he joined his family’s furniture store, Hendrixson’s Furniture (www.hendrixsonsfurniture.com), which has an original location in Furlong, PA, and a second store outside of Allentown, PA. The store, which celebrated its 50th year in 2015, sells distinctive classic and contemporary furniture and has a team of interior designers. So, when Solebury School decided to redecorate the main office,

Jonathan with his wife and daughters.

Hendrixson’s Furniture was an obvious choice. And although making changes to the school that features so fondly in his memories may have given him a moment’s pause, Jonathan said he was also thrilled to be asked. “I was really happy to do it,” he said. “It’s fun for me.”

Now that the redesign is complete, Jonathan said he loves the way it came out. He also said that it was gratifying to be able to give back to the place that gave so much to him.

“It was great, really great,” he said. “It was a lot of fun for me to have something to contribute back to the school.”

WWW.SOLEBURY.ORG

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STEM WEEK 2015 O C TOBE R 1 9 -2 3

[STEM = Science, Technology, Engineering and Math]

BY DEB O’REILLY

This fall, Solebury School hosted its first-ever STEM Week.

Students participated in science demos and workshops, and sat in on lectures from guest speakers.

“We wanted to bring science, math and engineering out of the classroom,” said Cari Nelson, Science Department Chair. “We wanted students to realize these disciplines overlap and are interwoven in so many ways. STEM Week gave all students, whether in grade 7 or 12, the chance to see that science, technology and math are a part of our everyday lives, and introduce them to scientists and businessmen who incorporate those disciplines in their careers.”

“The overriding theme that emerged throughout the week was change; the world around us is constantly evolving, and this generation is responsible for the new technologies, careers, and knowledge that will be used tomorrow,” said Britta Milks, Math Department Chair.

“Many of the events spoke to this change and hopefully inspired our students to open their minds to possibilities that have yet to be explored.”

TOP: Guest speaker Karl Horan shared that science and math can be applied in a number of fields, drawing from his own career path. Horan has been a mortician, the County Medico-legal Investigator and assistant to the County Medical Examiner, eventually becoming a Global Business Director for a multi-national fragrance and flavor company.

BOTTOM: Special guest speaker Jack Markell, Governor of Delaware and former VP at Nextel, spoke on current events and why STEM-related skills, and language skills, are so valuable to the next generation of the American workforce.

OUR STEM TEACHERS, on the final day of STEM Week. From left: Jon Freer, Cari Nelson, Michelle Gavin, Rick Tony, Britta Milks and Dave Merola. Not pictured: Matt Baron, Andre Lutz, Dan Perez, Jen Perez, Jordan Reed and Quinn Waters.

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2

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6 45 5

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THE FINAL EVENT OF STEM WEEK 2015 All week long, students worked to solve a problem posed to them that Monday: How far would our entire student body, faculty and staff stretch if lined up person to person? How far would we stretch if lined up fingertip to fingertip?

On Friday, October 23, everyone on campus gathered to find out.

This fun schoolwide, outdoor event was the perfect ending to an incredible week of learning.

1. Guest speaker Alan Sheriff P’08 ’16 of Solebury Capital LLC demystified what it means to take a company public. Students learned the basics of a company’s growth potential, how it stays competitive and profitable, what an IPO is, and more.

2. Teacher Jordan Reed adjusted the sun filter on Solebury’s telescope for students. Jordan’s sister, Penn State University’s Andra Reed, M.S., along with Greg Garner, Ph.D., spoke to students about climate change earlier in the week.

3. Students checked out drones brought in by guest speaker Toby Dilworth of Upshot Aerial Photography LLC. Dilworth, 18 years old, shared how he taught himself to build his own drones and eventually piloted his own business in a field so new that it’s only recently been regulated by the government.

4. Blacksmith Julie Scott of Twisted Two Six demonstrated her metalworking skills.

Watch a video of the event, captured by guest speaker Toby Dilworth’s drone, at solebury.org/STEMweek2016.

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5. Students made clouds in a jar, volcanoes from baking soda and vinegar, and Oobleck (a substance that’s both liquid and solid).

WWW.SOLEBURY.ORG

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I also had an interest in art, but I felt the

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

need to make a choice on which to pursue

Sherie Michaile ’73 TEACHER, GIRLS WHO CODE (GIRLSWHOCODE.COM)/ PETALUMA, CA After Sherie Michaile graduated from Solebury School in the early 1970s, she earned bachelor’s degrees in mathematics and chemistry, a master’s degree in chemistry, and a doctorate in chemistry.

Her career has taken a winding path, from teaching chemistry to working as a data systems manager. Recently retired from full-time work, Sherie has embarked on a A selfie of Sherie Michaile.

new chapter as a teacher at the celebrated

in college. But it wasn’t like the pressure kids feel today about college. There’s such a huge amount of competition to get in to college.

Q: A fter Solebury, you pursued several degrees…

Right, I earned a double bachelor in mathematics and chemistry, then went on to get a doctorate in chemistry. I was doing post-doc training in medical physiology and teaching at a university in Toronto before I went on the “mommy track” when I had my son, Jacob. After that, I patched together a career that allowed me flexibility as a mom, including teaching at a community college. I kept my toes in the water, career-wise, teaching and eventually branching out into technology.

Girls Who Code, a seven-week intensive summer program for teen girls.

She spoke to us on her career and future plans, her influences, and how Solebury inspired the confidence and developed the skills needed to pursue a career in the sciences – especially as a woman in an often maledominated field.

Q: I n college and early in your career, were you one of few women in your field?

When I graduated from Solebury, I thought I wanted to be a marine biologist, so I went to a biology-based college, Southampton College. Biology was a

Q: You stopped by the Solebury School campus recently for the first time since the 70s. How has it changed since then?

Q: Did Solebury inspire your passion for the sciences?

more accessible field for women than

Your teachers have amazing influence

ratio of women to men in biology. But as

I lived at Solebury for three years, and the focus in the 70s was on developing selfconfidence, self-reliance and individuality.

There was a great sense of community – we all felt very connected. Today, it seems to still foster individuality and community, but now there’s more of an emphasis on the academic and preparing students for their launch to college and beyond. And of course, there are more buildings than there were in the 70s – dorms, a theater, the science center.

and physics teachers. Xavier LaPorta

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on you. I had incredible math, chemistry was my chemistry teacher. And Frank Ammirati, my physics and math teacher, was a huge influence on me.

I always had an aptitude and interest for math and science, but he was such a wonderful person, he made it so easy to learn and not feel judged.

And he introduced us to computer

other sciences; there was close to a 50/50 I continued to grad school for chemistry, the numbers really dropped. There were only two other women out of 20-25 students in my grad classes. But I never felt uncomfortable. I never doubted I should be there. And there’s always been a lot of camaraderie between women in my grad classes and in the workplace in my field. In my last job as a data systems manager, I was the only woman in my department. But I was very well accepted,

programming, which was very new back

and there were tons of other women in

then. That served me very well.

the company.

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should start them as young as possible.

But my main concern is that while you can have a lot of book knowledge, and teachers can cram info into your head, the missing link is critical thinking. That’s something that was very encouraged at Solebury during my time there – thinking on your own, learning to evaluate. I’m grateful for that. STEM is great, but I would also like to see, perhaps, ethics or moral philosophy taught in schools. *

Q: W hat advice would you give to students– especially to girls – who are interested in STEM-related fields?

A photo of Sherie from Solebury School’s 1973 yearbook.

Q: What led to your work in computer science as a data systems manager?

San Francisco. I gave up my summer to

I had burned out on teaching. I took a few

person to sign on, but I persevered. It

courses to update my skills and found a job that offered new opportunities.

It’s important that Solebury students realize you don’t have to stay on the path you initially choose. Your interests may

do this, and I found that I was the oldest was exhilarating. We covered robotics, html, javascript, mobile development, algorithms and databases – we covered so much ground in so little time; it was an extremely vigorous program. The

change, or your personal circumstances

teenagers just soaked it all in.

may change. One of the most important

Besides teaching them skills, Girls

things Solebury gave me was that it

Who Code brings in female speakers

taught me how to learn. I learned how to

to share how they climbed the ranks in

learn, and I learned to trust that I could

technology. Yes, STEM-related fields are

learn. I’ve always felt confident in that.

still dominated by men, but we’re making progress and inroads into it. There’s more and more of a female community.

Q: How did you get involved with Girls Who Code?

I had some health issues that led me to retire from full-time work, but I was bored to death. I wanted to do something that was interesting and challenging and used my technology skills. I heard

There’s a sisterhood associated with it.

Q: W hat do you make of today’s spotlight on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) in education?

about Girls Who Code and volunteered to

There’s just so much more information

teach an after-school middle school club.

that kids can and should learn. I’m glad

That led to teaching the Girls Who Code

that people are realizing that the next

seven-week summer intensive course in

generation has a lot to learn and that they

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It doesn’t come effortlessly to anyone.

Some say that guys have different wiring that makes computer programming and engineering more attractive in their minds, but women not only have the ability to take on those fields, they bring more of “the big picture” to these fields.

And they help make their colleagues look at the big picture. Students should also know that STEM is evolving, it’s not all about sitting alone with your headphones on – it’s collaborative and social. It needs to be more collaborative to get to new places.

Q: W hat’s next for you?

I’m currently volunteering as an AP Computer Science teacher at a local high school.** I may do more related volunteering as a teacher. Teachers have incredible influence, they’re amazingly important. To me, it’s the highest calling – the scariest one, too – but I’m glad I’m coming back around to it.

–BY DEB O’REILLY *Solebury School’s 10th graders can take an Ethics class as part of our Social Studies curriculum. ** See page 19 to learn about some of Solebury School’s computer science-related electives.

WWW.SOLEBURY.ORG

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A LOOK BACK

Art History at Solebury School A painting in the main office by a former art teacher and well-known painter offers a glimpse into Solebury’s past.

BY DEB O’REILLY The next time you’re in Solebury School’s main office, take a moment to check out the painting outside of Head of School Tom Wilschutz’s office. It’s of a boy in costume. The boy is former student Ben LaFarge ’50, who is dressed for a school play, Berkeley Square; the art itself was quickly painted to use as a prop in the play. “For the record,” Ben told us, “I played the lead role, but I wasn’t chosen for my talent – I was chosen for my looks! A more talented friend [and castmate] rightfully stole the show,” he laughed.

What’s remarkable about this portrait is who painted it: John Fulton Folinsbee P ’34 ’36, a Pennsylvania impressionist artist well known for his landscapes.

Folinsbee moved to New Hope in 1916. He dabbled in portraits but primarily painted landscapes of Lambertville, New Hope

A portrait of Ben LaFarge ’50 in costume, by John Fulton Folinsbee.

and the Delaware River. According to the Michener Art Museum, the way Folinsbee painted bodies of water – “with a deep, moving and powerful quality” – was influenced by two traumatic events from his childhood. Folinsbee was stricken with polio at 14 after swimming in waters contaminated with the virus, and his older brother died from a tragic diving accident shortly thereafter.

Folinsbee’s two daughters, Joan and Elizabeth, attended the Holmquist School for Girls in the 1930s. (Holmquist was founded in 1917 at the east end of Phillips Mill Road. In 1949, Holmquist merged with the Solebury School for Boys, becoming Solebury’s “Lower Campus.”) Folinsbee taught art classes at Holmquist for many years. He died in 1972 in New Hope.

Pennsylvania impressionist John Fulton Folinsbee taught art classes at the Holmquist School for Girls.

To learn more about artist John Fulton Folinsbee, visit johnfolinsbee.org.

STEP BACK INTO FOLINSBEE’S ERA by joining us at Solebury School’s annual dinner auction on April 30, 2016, at the Hotel du Village – the site of the original Holmquist School for Girls. See page 32 for details.

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THE ARTS

WHEN THE FINAL CURTAIN FALLS Senior Jonathan Fleming reflects on his six-year SoleStage career.

BY JONATHAN FLEMING ’16 I never planned on falling in love with the theater. Despite growing up singing and dancing, I hadn’t considered performing in a show. Then, when I was 12, my parents signed me up for Solebury’s StarCatchers Summer Theater Camp. Our production was Forty-five Minutes from Broadway, under the direction of Rebecca Wilschutz, and my first role was the gangster Legs Ruby. What started out as a means of introducing me to the Solebury School community before starting middle school here soon inspired a deep interest in theater. After camp, I knew I had to do theater at Solebury.

My first fall show, You Can’t Take It With You, coincided with Theater Director Shawn Wright’s Solebury debut in 2010. In many ways, this show, a zany comedy, reflects my theatrical journey: one that has been defined by monkeys, dead bodies, and – needless to say – interesting relationships. I’ve been fortunate to play an eclectic, invigorating range of characters, from John Buchanan, Jr. in Tennessee Williams’ Summer and Smoke to the iconic role of Ren McCormack in Footloose. Every role has challenged me, both technically and emotionally. Each character has given me a greater self-awareness and has pushed me to tell their story by reaching inside myself. By the end of any run, it’s hard to say goodbye.

Although every show brings its own experiences, there will always be one that stands out from the rest: The Drowsy Chaperone, a musical from my ninth grade year. In many ways, what happened behind the scenes was more meaningful to me than what the audiences saw onstage. I still remember to this day standing outside in the cold with my fellow castmates as Nikki Gale ’13 practiced her hysterical spit-takes in my face. The tight friendships we created were reflected in our performances, and it made for a memorable show. I still hear great things about it today.

When I celebrate with friends and family after each show, one line I always hear is “I thought you graduated!” I like to respond with a lighthearted “you can’t get rid of me yet!”

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Jonathan played Angel Schunard in Solebury School’s winter musical, Rent.

Unsurprisingly, this year – my last – is special to me. My final fall play was Shakespeare’s comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Last spring, Shawn introduced the class Shakespearean Acting, which covered everything from text analysis to performing the words (hint: Shakespeare is actually one large soap opera). When I learned I’d be able to put these techniques into effect with A Midsummer Night’s Dream, I was beyond excited. It worked out that I played Demetrius, whose monologue I studied while in Shakespearean Acting.

When I look back on my journey on the Solebury stage, two thoughts come to mind. First, I think how lucky I am to do theater at a place like Solebury, where the overarching community is already close-knit, accepting and artistic. Second, I think of Rent, my final show, in which I played Angel. Of all my favorite musicals, Rent is one of the most challenging but rewarding shows there is. I am honored that Solebury has brought it to our stage, and it is my hope that audiences left with a new perspective on theater and on life.

I never planned on falling in love with theater, but I’m so glad I did. As I await my college decisions, I am excited for what’s ahead. I hope to major in theater and pursue every opportunity I can to perform on stage. I will always remember the foundation that Solebury gave me in becoming the actor I am today.

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THE ARTS ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Joyce Bulifant ’56 ACTOR AND PHILANTHROPIST / RANCHO MIRAGE, CA Solebury School has many alumni working on Broadway, in television, and in film – actor Joyce Bulifant being one of the most successful. After Solebury, “I went right to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. One of my teachers was involved in a Broadway play, and he said, ‘Why don’t you give it a try?’”

Joyce nabbed the first role that she auditioned for, the role of Nancy in Tall Story.

She played the lead female role of Amy in Broadway’s The Paisley Convertible (“the highlight of my career”), and then headed west for Los Angeles, where she spent the next several decades starring in various television and film roles, most notably as Marie Slaughter on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, a popular sitcom of the 1970s. She also had roles in television’s Just Shoot Me!, Weird Science, the mini-series The Shining, and in

the classic comedy film, Airplane! Joyce was also a frequent panelist on the game shows Match Game and Chain Reaction.

In November 2015, Joyce was honored by the Palm Springs Women in Film & Television organization with a Broken Glass award for women who have “broken through the glass ceiling” in entertainment. In 2014, Joyce and her husband – actor and composer Roger Perry – were awarded a star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars in California.

“You know what’s funny,” she added, “Our star is surrounded by stars given to my former husbands [James MacArthur ’56 and William Asher], including my television husband, Gavin [MacLeod of The Mary Tyler Moore Show]. They asked if it was OK, of course! I think it’s great.”

Joyce knew she wanted to be an actor since age 4, but she credits studying scripts at Solebury with finally helping her learn to read. “[Solebury] didn’t know that I was dyslexic. That was a different time, and I was great at faking things. But several children in my seventh grade had difficulty reading, so a football coach named Don McCook took those children into our class and read stories to us. It was the first time anyone had read to me,” said Joyce, who had spent time in foster care prior to Solebury. “Learning plays at Solebury was the turning point. Suddenly, the black words on the white page had meaning. Acting them out with emotion – that was the beginning. I tried out for my first play when I was in seventh grade, The Birthday of the Infanta [by Oscar Wilde]. I played a court jester, and in a way, I’ve been doing that ever since,” she laughed.

Today, Joyce is the executive vice president for the Dyslexia Foundation (www.dyslexiafoundation.org), a nonprofit established to identify and

Actor and philanthropist Joyce Bulifant ’56.

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assist children with dyslexia. Joyce and

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ADVICE FROM THE PRO “The business has changed so much since I started. When I moved to Los Angeles, I signed a contract with Universal Studios.

These days, studios don’t take the time to develop actors and promote their careers, so networking is very important.

Continue doing workshops and perfecting your craft, don’t stop studying. Keep following your dream, but I always say to young people to make sure you have a day job or something else you’re able to do if you’re going to pursue a job in the arts.”

Joyce and her husband Roger performed at a Solebury School workshop in 2009.

her son, movie director John Asher, are dyslexic, and she has worked for the cause for more than 30 years. Autism became another cause close to her heart after her grandson was diagnosed

In addition to charity work, Joyce once held another job that might surprise her fans. Even during the busiest days of her acting career, Joyce did interior design work on the side, which she fell into

with the disorder. Joyce is also actively involved with Tools for Tomorrow, raising money for their after-school arts program for at-risk youth. Joyce and her husband, Roger, have also built a cottage in Colorado for abused children, now called the River Bridge Regional Center (www.riverbridgerc.org). “I’m the most proud of that project,” she said.

When we spoke to Joyce, she was in fact, juggling work for three different charity benefits. “I’ve never been the lady who could just play tennis and get my nails painted. I’ve always been involved with charitable work. I wish every single person would prioritize giving back – the world would be a better place. And I think a culture of giving back is very much a

Joyce once taught icon Fred Astaire the dance called “the twist” for the television show, Mr. Lucifer. “We were supposed to dance the twist, and he didn’t know how to do it. He said, ‘Joyce, could you teach me that dance?’ I was in awe of him. It was really something.”

after offering her decorating advice to a contractor, who then hired her. “I was doing The Mary Tyler Moore show, the first Bill Cosby Show, and my own show.

In between, I would be decorating.”

Joyce still acts today. “My son, John, keeps putting me in his films,” she said.

She most recently starred in his comedy, Tooken, in 2015. And her blended family of 10 children and 14 grandchildren keeps her busy. “Family is so important, all of the children are very close. They say I’m the glue.”

Joyce is also working on a memoir that’s been years in the making. (“I’m dyslexic, remember!” she joked). The book, which spans her entire life, is currently being edited; afterward, she and her editor plan to shop it to publishers.

We can’t wait to read it.

–BY DEB O’REILLY

part of Solebury School.”

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WWW.SOLEBURY.ORG

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INNOVATIVE ELECTIVES Inspired by teachers’ passions, these electives allow our students to have unique academic experiences not often found at the high school level.

BY LAUREN ECKSTEIN

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While Solebury School’s curriculum focuses on core classes, like Physics or American History, a deliberate emphasis is also placed on offering contemporary and forward-thinking elective courses. Classes span every department and are widely varied in their content and approach. Yet what they share is a desire to create educational experiences that are engaging, challenging and decidedly different. Here are brief snapshots of five classes offered at Solebury School this year that just might make you want to go back to high school again.

DESIGN THINKING

taught by Jon Freer Four students and a teacher sit together holding hand-scribbled

and generate ideas. Today’s class: the paper clip challenge. While students brainstormed alternate uses for a paper clip, they were also sparking their creativity, challenging their critical thinking, and learning that

lists and fistfuls of paper clips.

groups are often more innovative than

“It could be a shoelace clip to keep long

“This class breaks them out of the

laces from dangling,” says one student.

individuals. routine,” said Jon Freer, a science

“It could be unfolded and used as a

teacher and Solebury School’s

pointer if you’re teaching someone to

Educational Technologist. “It does teach

read,” says another.

skills, but there’s also a type of creativity

“You could attach them together and

and energy that I don’t see in my other

make a jump rope,” offers another

classes.”

student.

Students in the class have redesigned

This is Design Thinking, an elective

a wallet and explored the gift-giving

that explores creative solutions to real-

process. Jon said he likes how the class

world problems. Students learn how

asks students to truly engage, think,

to use empathy, optimism, innovation

and become problem-solvers. “Students

and collaboration to rethink issues

need to be innovators,” he said. “You’re

SCORING FOR BIG AND SMALL BAND taught by Cathy Block

When students were asked if they wanted to try a difficult class, they said, “Yes.” When they were warned that there would be approximately 90 minutes of homework to do in one night, they still responded with a loud, unanimous, “Yes!” So Cathy Block decided, for the first time, to teach Scoring for Big and Small Band to a group of incredibly dedicated and talented student musicians.

WINTER / SPRING 2016

Students in Jon Freer’s class work on designs for a wallet.

taking disparate parts and creating something new, creative and useful.”

Students seem to appreciate the class and this atypical learning process. “It’s more hands on and it gets you thinking,” said Justin Berger ’16. “I’m learning how to listen to other people’s ideas as well as not being afraid to voice my own.”

“This was a class I’d always wanted to teach here, but needed enough of a quorum to make it happen,” she said. “I had a blast teaching it.”

The class asked students to explore many musical questions. “What makes a good arrangement and what doesn’t?”

Cathy explained. “How do you voice horns, and know about each particular horn, such as baritone sax? Where does that horn sound good? The information is vast and filled with scrumptious

WWW.SOLEBURY.ORG

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INNOVATIVE ELECTIVES details… It was very advanced information that one would find at the college level in a music school.”

For their final project, students arranged a jazz standard and Cathy invited musicians to play the students’ work. “What an exciting day that was!”

Cathy said. “It was wonderful watching our kids have their work played. It’s the best way to learn.”

And so, after all that hard work, did the students regret saying “Yes” to the class?

Hardly.

“The amount of homework was incredible but you wanted to do it,” said Nealon Edgar ’16. “It was a great class, probably the best class I had in my six years here.”

Musicians play students’ arrangements for their final project.

Read Cathy’s blog post about her students’ final project and listen to recordings of students’ jazz standard arrangements at www.solebury.org/scoringclass.

ENGINEERING 1

taught by Dan Perez A biology teacher at Solebury School wanted a bracket that would secure an iPhone to a microscope, allowing students to take photos of microscopic images during classroom labs. So, down the hall, students in Engineering 1 took on the challenge.

Engineering 1, taught by Dan Perez, is designed to be an educational and entertaining introduction to applied STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) concepts. Group and project-based learning was the emphasis, and students were asked to use critical thinking, engineering, design, technology and project management skills to solve “real world” problems. In this elective, students first identified needs on campus. Then they got to work.

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The 3D printer in Solebury School’s MakerSpace.

“It took us a month,” said Daniel Sheriff ’16, who worked on the phone bracket with Emma Shymon ’16. “There was a lot of trial and error in the design phase, but the first time we printed it, it worked.”

In other classes, students might print out their final paper on a

traditional copier machine. Students in Engineering 1 print out their final projects on Solebury’s 3D printer, creating a real, useful, tangible tool.

“It’s cooler than just writing something, because you don’t usually get to design stuff and print it and it just comes out,” Daniel said. “It’s pretty cool.”

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INNOVATIVE ELECTIVES

DIGITAL DESIGN: ILLUSTRATION, MANIPULATION & ANIMATION

In the class, students are challenged to create and develop a character, thinking about how it moves, how it looks when it is facing you, how it looks

taught by Quinn Waters ’01

facing away from you, and more. As

Some people are concerned that computers are dumbing us down and

a 30-second animated film featuring

a final project, students must make

numbing our creativity. Those people have never set foot in a digital

their character.

design class. In this elective, students learn about the convergence of art

Quinn, who also teaches 2D Printing

and technology as they explore illustration and animation. Using Adobe

and Computer Music Production,

Illustrator™ and Adobe Flash™, students are invited to create digital manifestations of their imaginations.

said that the courses he teaches are generally only found in college or as an outside-of-school activity. “I tell people what I teach, and they are kind of

“Students like creativity and having the freedom to make their imagined concepts become a reality,” said Quinn Waters, the Technology Director at Solebury School who teaches the class.

“Every single project I do with them, I’m impressed with them. Students always amaze me. You’re thinking, you’re 17 years old, how did you come up with this?”

REALITY HUNGER: INTRODUCTION TO CREATIVE NONFICTION

high school education for this form of creative writing,” he said. “We teach the novel, we teach the short story, we teach the poem. But creative nonfiction is a vital form of creative writing.”

their own stories,” Jared said. “But they have very real, human experiences. How you process the last 16 years is just as great fodder for writing as anything that’s in a novel.”

In this class, students are challenged to plumb the depths of their own experiences. They learn that their stories are important, interesting, and worth putting on paper. “Students don’t often think they can be the authors of

For Jared, creative nonfiction is a personal interest and he loves being able to share it with his students. “Part of what so amazes me about teaching here is, this is my passion,” he said. “This is the kind of writing I enjoy.”

taught by Jared Levy

“This class has the most interesting literature you’ll read in high school.”

astounded that a high school has these kinds of courses,” he said. “I love what I do.”

This is what Jared Levy tells students who walk into his classroom for “Reality Hunger: Introduction to Creative Nonfiction.” And as students plunge into essays by Joan Didion, David Foster Wallace and Hunter S. Thompson, as they discuss writing in an advanced seminar setting, and as they write their own personal and experimental work, they find out what a college course feels like.

Jared, who models the class after a creative nonfiction class he took at The New School in New York City, said that teaching this genre of literature is unique. “I don’t think we make space in

WINTER / SPRING 2016

On the final day of Winter Trimester, teacher Jared Levy (center) took students to a local café for readings.

WWW.SOLEBURY.ORG

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EXAM TIME, REIMAGINED Our Middle School Parent Dinner, held at the end of the Fall Trimester, turns the pressure of finals week into a celebratory night for students, parents and faculty.

BY DEB O’REILLY

Weeks of research, creative writing, graphic design, filming and editing – challenging, cross-curricular work – was poured into our Middle Schoolers’ final projects during this year’s Fall Trimester.

But rather than just receive grades and move on, students were able to showcase their work to parents during a special dinner on campus with faculty. It’s a night that’s become a welcome tradition at Solebury School.

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THIS YEAR’S PROJECT? Redesigning the $10 bill, following the U.S. Treasury’s news that Alexander Hamilton would be replaced with a notable American woman. Each student chose a female historical figure to research. Then, by learning and using Adobe Photoshop™, they designed their currency and created $10 bills featuring a female hero’s likeness using the school’s 3D printer.

In English class, students studied Greek mythology and were challenged with writing a modern myth designed to teach people how to live better lives. Their myths, covering topics from bullying to cellphone addictions, were turned into either an iMovie or iBook by the students and screened at the dinner.

“By tying in components of History, English and Science within the curriculum, we remove the barriers between disciplines and make for a more comprehensive learning experience for our students,” Middle School Director Cari Nelson explained.

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OPPOSITE PAGE: Students, parents and faculty enjoyed a potluck dinner together. TOP: “One of my favorite parts of this project was learning Photoshop™ and actually designing our own $10 bill. We learned to use Tinkercad, an online app used to create and print 3D models, to make the bill stand out and give it security features,” said eighth grader Tyler Scotti. “We also used Tinkercad to make the 3D security stamps. For an extra effect, we used UV ultraviolet ink.” BOTTOM LEFT: A parent browses the $10 dollar bill projects. Students researched American women from the famous abolitionist Harriet Tubman to the notas-recognizable Revolutionary War civic leader Esther De Berdt Reed. BOTTOM RIGHT: Students decorated vases with the mythic gods they studied; these vases doubled as centerpieces for the tables.

WINTER / SPRING 2016

WWW.SOLEBURY.ORG

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INSPIRING

GREAT WRITERS

At Solebury School, students focus on writing.

BY DEB O’REILLY

At Solebury, writing well is more than just being in good standing with the grammar police (knowing the difference between “your” and “you’re”).

Here, it is a skill that needs to be honed. Attention is paid not just to the content of the writing, but the craft. When we ask recent alumni how prepared they were for college, one of things we hear time and again is how confident they are about their writing skills.

phone to emailing and texting. Being able to communicate effectively through writing – no matter what industry you work in – is a necessity. In fact, according to Forbes, companies like JP Morgan and Coca-Cola eliminated voicemail in 2015 for employees who don’t interact with clients. Ditching voicemail – an “irrelevant communications medium” –

“I tell my students that you are judged

Journalism School. “No matter

by your writing. If you misspell a word

what you’re writing, you have to be

was seen as an easy cost-cutting measure.

or your writing is unclear, you will

intentional. Spoken words disappear but

At Solebury, we’re keeping our voicemail.

be judged by your peers, your future

written words stick around. Proofread

professor, your future boss. Words are

everything.”

important – that’s you on the paper,” says

Arguably, writing well has never been

Lauren Eckstein, an English teacher at

more important, with a cultural shift

Solebury and graduate of the Columbia

from communicating in person or by

But since the written word matters more than ever, we work hard to sharpen our students’ writing skills. English is required every trimester at Solebury School. Students learn to express their ideas effectively in writing, strengthening their vocabulary and grammar skills as they write in many genres: expository writing, free writing, creative writing, journal writing, playwriting and poetry. Through editing, revision and proofreading, students learn the steps to creating a polished, final draft.

Qualifying seniors can go a step further by taking our AP English Literature & Composition.

Beyond English, students can choose from an array of college-level writing electives. Short Story Writing, The Literature of Food, Investigative Reporting for Social Change, and

Teacher Sarah Sargent meets with junior Aidan King in Solebury School’s Writing Center.

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Reading Kurt Vonnegut are a few of

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those offered this year. This fall, roughly 30 students took our Personal Essay Writing elective, which many seniors used as a unique opportunity to draft and polish their college applications essays with help from their teacher.

“All of our English teachers embrace the writing process and guide students through from discussion and pre-writing to final draft and sometimes even publication,” said Diane Downs, head of the English department. “We are

A Word From Our Alumni “In my first-year writing class at Cornell, I was fortunate enough to use everything I learned from high school... I even earned a writing scholarship for a paper in my Management Communication class. For fellow Solebury students, I would highly suggest taking one or two writing classes if you can and seek help from teachers when you need it. For international students, I would suggest taking a class with [ESL Director] Cinnie Wappel and work hard to sharpen your language skills.

It will benefit you in the long run.”

JUNHUA (RICHARD) WU ’13 A junior at the School of Hotel Administration, Cornell University

committed to teaching this way because we have experienced the power of language and literature and understand that by refining their writing, students can also refine their thinking. We feel fortunate that because of the small class sizes at Solebury School, we are able to act on those beliefs. Students receive thorough written and verbal suggestions on how they can improve their writing.

For most assignments, students are encouraged to continue drafting papers until they are satisfied with the results, because we understand that it is by writing and rewriting that we become strong writers.”

Our students – both middle school and high school – are also able to visit Solebury’s Writing Center to seek help

“Before Solebury, everyone told me that I was a poor writer. It was something that I was always very self-conscious of. I had an amazing advisor/English teacher as part of the Learning Skills Program at Solebury. My advisor would go over papers with me for hours. I also credit the accessibility of all of my teachers at Solebury. Every teacher I had would make time to help me in any way possible to ensure I understood the material. I remember going to office hours for one of my senior year English classes with [English teacher] Sarah Sargent. In addition to being a great resource, she encouraged me to participate in peer reviews. Peer reviews have helped me throughout college and beyond. Even in my professional career, I find myself asking my friends to review a cover letter for me before I submit it.”

SAM ZBIK ’09 Sam graduated from the University of Delaware in 2013 with a major in Food and Agribusiness Marketing and Management, and earned her MBA from Georgian Court University in 2014. She now works in sales for the Homasote Company.

with any paper from any class. The Writing Center is staffed by English teachers Sarah Sargent, who has a master’s degree in English, and Kara McCabe, who has two master’s degrees – one in Secondary Education English and one in English Literature with a focus on writing and writing centers.

Sarah Sargent is also a published writer, poet and writer of Young Adult literature.

Through these varied opportunities, our students leave Solebury armed with a very necessary life skill. Because as the world

“At NYU, I am a Global Liberal Studies student with a concentration in Contemporary Culture and Creative Production. My program, like Solebury, follows an interdisciplinary, liberal arts-based curriculum with a focus on writing in a variety of contexts. I have learned to see writing not only as a way of recording thoughts and emotions, facts and fictions, but as the very process that brings those elements of our lives into being in the first place … Solebury taught me how to think, and by extension, how to write. With 30-40 papers a semester, I’m lucky that I know how. I also credit Lauren Eckstein and her brilliant electives with my interest in journalism, creative nonfiction, and language in general.”

CAMILLE LEBLANC ’12 A junior at New York University

advances, ironically, writing is one skill that cannot be replaced by computers.

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WWW.SOLEBURY.ORG

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ALUMNI NEWS AND CLASS NOTES

ALMA’S UPDATE SUBMIT A CLASS NOTE MAIL: Solebury School Attn: Alumni Office 6832 Phillips Mill Road New Hope, PA 18938-9682

Holmquist helped its students develop and

the first part of the Great Wall, checking

nurture what’s inside of them, rather than

out the giant Pandas in Chongzing, cruising

“crushing” them with pedagogy. Today,

the Yangtze River and visiting the summer

Alice is painting happily and living in a

palace of the Dalai Lama in Tibet. Jean

retirement community. She recently lost

headed home with beautiful memories and

her dear husband. At his memorial service,

an appreciation for aging after witnessing

family and friends danced to John Denver

the reverence shown by the Chinese people

music and ate donuts. Life is still good.

towards her and Chinese seniors.

E-MAIL: alumni@solebury.org

PETER WHELAN is at work finishing his third novel, Highway of Evil.

CLASS NOTES

CLASS OF 1949

CLASS OF 1938

’67 P’95 ’98 recently saw Langhorne Slim

EVERETT MORSE is 98 years old and full of happy memories of Solebury School.

Everett, we will expect photos from your 100th birthday celebration in two years.

BILL and KAREN BERKELEY and JOHN BROWN (aka, SEAN SCOLNICK ’99) at Asheville, NC’s famous music venue, The Orange Peel. Bill said that our talented Langhorne gave a powerful and enjoyable performance, and they talked with him briefly after the show.

A fun evening for all.

CLASS OF 1940

CARLA ZINGARELLI ROSENLICHT is 91 years old. Despite using a walker, she recently toured Macchu Picchu with her daughter and had a ball. This winter, she visited Iceland to see the northern lights. Carla lives in a retirement community in California, where her hobbies include complaining and

NOEL CROWLEY shared with us the sad news of the passing of his wife, Laurie. They married in 1953 and raised five children together. A talented musician, Laurie’s interests were varied, from music to geology to world traveling.

CLASS OF 1956

SANDRA MIGEL DE BRUIN’S third log/journal, “Patient’s Medical Journal,” was published in October 2015 by Skyhorse Publishing, Inc. The journal is an easy way for patients and families to keep track of medical records. It is divided into sections, such as past surgeries, major illnesses, current medications, etc.

There is also a section to record upcoming medical visits.

CLASS OF 1952

FAITH ALLMAN VILAND is an antiques dealer

DICK WALSH is looking forward to his 65th

Her son Michael is a retired Navy captain.

whose husband is still with us at 97. Carla says

Solebury School reunion in 2017 and hopes

Faith has four granddaughters, two in

she misses Bucks County.

some of his old friends will attend. (We do, too.)

college and two in high school.

CLASS OF 1947

CLASS OF 1953

CLASS OF 1957

Widem, daughter of recently deceased

her biggest bucket trip yet: China, Tibet and

from teaching this past year but continues

SELMA WAXMAN. Alice says she loves that

Singapore. Highlights included climbing

to be professionally active. Her book, The

gossiping. (Too funny, Carla!) She is still in touch with PENNY WARREN CACCAVO ’41,

ALICE HAINES BATES recently met with Susan

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JEAN TAPPAN SHAW recently returned from

specializing in early American and Folk Art.

NICKY FISCHER HAHN RAFTER finally retired

WINTER / SPRING 2016

ALMA’S UPDATE Crime of All Crimes: Toward a Criminology

in the upper wing of the Barn, where he

Ecuador, after 37 years in the interior

of Genocide, will be published in March

roomed during his senior year. Thank you

design business. Elated over this new

2016 and she is already working on a new

for visiting, Andy!

chapter in their lives, Eden will have more

book about memorials. She is also editor-in-

time to dedicate to her work as an animal

chief of the Oxford Research Encyclopedia

communicator, including doing readings

on Crime, Media, and Popular Culture.

for severely autistic people. Eden credits Solebury for teaching her about doing good work for the community.

CLASS OF 1958

BOB STOCKTON has recently been appointed

CLASS OF 1977

editor of “The Chiefs,” the quarterly publication of the National Chief Petty

ERIC and Susan WALD are settling into

Officer Association. He has begun work on

their new home in Sag Harbor, NY. Their

his seventh novel.

children’s newspaper, The Waldo Tribune, celebrated its 25th anniversary this past

CLASS OF 1960

year. They were honored to have Don Duga illustrate their November/December cover.

RICK SMITH is practicing clinical psychology

JOHN FUNK with his wife, Deb, bought

Duga is the legendary animator and creator

in California where he specializes in

a home in Portland, ME, and will move

of the cartoon, Frosty the Snowman.

domestic violence, post-traumatic stress

there when they sell their home in New

syndrome and head injuries. He continues to

Hampshire. He will continue to practice

write and publish his poetry and music, and

law at his firm in New Hampshire,

he tells us, “I feel good; I’m still doing it.”

Massachusetts, Vermont and Maine. He

CLASS OF 1961

SANDRA MASON DICKSON COGGESHALL and her daughter, Lisa, have recently shifted

CLASS OF 1979

FRED ROYAL writes, “Solebury School holds

and his wife have eight grandchildren;

a special place in my heart. [It] helped me

regrettably, most live on the West Coast.

grow, mature and prepare for my adult life.

I enjoy the fruits of higher education in that

CLASS OF 1965

I can lead teams, create ideas, and make things happen in environment and civil

their focus to education. Sandra teaches

PEGGY JOHNSON loved catching up with her

engineering practice.” Thank you for your

adult art classes in Maine, including

former classmates last May at Solebury’s

kind words, Fred.

Drawing: the Foundation of Art, and will

Alumni Weekend. This May, Peggy

segue into Anatomy: Figures and Portraits.

will attend the premiere of “Requiem

She has also been asked to teach classes on

Poem,” performed by New Hampshire’s

Mohegan Island, ME, during the summer.

Manchester Choral Society. Peggy wrote

Guitarist and singer JOSEPH PARSONS has

the text – 12 poems distilled from Philip

begun his Solo Acoustic / Electric Tour

CLASS OF 1962

Simmons’ book, Learning to Fall: The

through Germany, Denmark, the United

Blessings of an Imperfect Life.

Kingdom and France. He will play 37

to retire from her clinical social work soon.

CLASS OF 1981

venues from February to May 2016.

SALLY INDEPENDENCE BOWIE has no plans

CLASS OF 1972

ANDREA NEVINS SHERMAN enjoys staying in

earned his second masters degree in Speech

LETITIA COBURN was interviewed on

touch with fellow Solebury alumni through

Language Pathology, and her youngest son is

Pawling Public Radio by Jennifer Rosvally,

Facebook and meet-ups with ELIZABETH

in his second year of medical school in Seattle.

a therapist and former actress, who was

FAAS and PETE CENEDELLA. She is still in

All are happy and healthy and working hard.

exploring the use of the arts for healing and

New York and has worked as a managing

interviewed several creative arts therapists.

editor at the American Geriatric City for

CLASS OF 1963

While Letitia wasn’t able to speak about her

more than 20 years, a flexible job that

passion, Psychodrama, they discussed Dance

allows time for yoga and volunteer work.

ANDY TODD spent a day at Solebury School

Movement Therapy and Psychodramatic

Andrea has a son in college and a daughter

last winter. He sat in on PETER AMMIRATI

BodyWork.

nearby who works as an assistant teacher.

Dining Hall and took a campus tour with a

EDEN SCOTT BUCK CROSS and her husband

JULIE-ANN SILBERMAN-BUNN now works

Solebury sophomore. In the photo, he’s seen

are retiring and moving to Cuenca,

as a Hospice Chaplain for Kindred at Home

She loves what she does. Her oldest son

’82’S Ethics class, enjoyed lunch in our

WINTER / SPRING 2016

WWW.SOLEBURY.ORG

25

ALMA’S UPDATE Hospice in Blue Bell, PA, a job she loves. She’s seen here with husband Ken Silberman-Bunn and her stepsons, Adam and Ian.

CLASS OF 2003

CLASS OF 2006

Teacher Award at Beijing High School

distinction from Pratt Institute in May 2015,

in China.

earning a Master of Professional Studies in

RASHAD SHABAZZ earned the Outstanding

MELISSA JESTER-CHIRIANI graduated with

Art and Cultural Management. She previously

CLASS OF 2004

CLASS OF 1993 ALLEGRA SLEEP

of the Fine Arts (PAFA). She currently

travelers and locals in the same area. It’s

manages programs and communications

an easy way for people in a certain location

for a non-profit that engages at-risk youth

to discover awesome events, news and

in educational arts in the South Bronx, NY,

activities happening real time.

Northern Uganda and South Africa. In July 2015, she married artist Luca Chiriani, whom

CLASS OF 2005

Marissa Zaidman in 2014, graduated from

“The Museum of Temporary Art” in

she met while studying at PAFA.

CLASS OF 2007

BEN DAHL just started at George

American University with a degree in Political

Washington University Law School,

Science, and he moved from California to

focusing on Intellectual Property law.

Portland, OR, landing a job at ADP. Dan,

September

what’s next? Keep us posted.

2015 in Taos, NM, which

MEG O’DONNELL was promoted recently to

attracted hundreds of people to the

“Waiting” by Allegra Sleep

opening event.

The works of art were unframed and executed on cardboard. Artists included the legendary boxcar moniker artist buZ blurr (aka Colossus of Roads), local and international graffiti artists, traditional and contemporary painters and photographers. Allegra, a painter, now works with the Taos Historic Museums.

CLASS OF 1996

REBECCA HALLORAN recently moved to Phoenix, AZ, as the Director of Grants Evaluation for the Southwest Office of Native American Programs, part of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The Office annually awards over $260 million in grants to more than 175 tribal nations in California, Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico. This was Rebecca’s 21st move and she adores the desert, so she hopes it will be the last. She plans to attend her 20th reunion in this April. Can’t wait to see you, Rebecca.

26

Painting from the Pennsylvania Academy

travel app called HerePin, which connects

accomplishments recently. He married

show called

Pennsylvania, along with a certificate in

MARK BARDI and his friends created a neat

DAN SIEGEL has managed many

curated an art

received her BFA from the University of

The Magazine

CLASS OF 2008

MIKE BARDI published

Staff Scientist II at the Academy of Natural

the book, The Word

Sciences of Drexel University in Philadelphia.

“Toe”: How One Word

(Yes, the place where children go to see

Is Redefining Mental

dinosaurs, she clarifies.) Ask Meg about lentic

Health, available on

macro-invertebrates, and she’ll talk your

Amazon. It’s a social

ear off. She graduated from the University

therapy book designed

of Pennsylvania in 2010 with a BA in Earth

to help others. He

Sciences and Environmental Studies. She is

has also created a free

now in the Master of Science program for

app called Project Toe. Whether you want

Environmental Policy at Drexel University,

to chat with someone who needs someone

hoping to graduate in spring 2017.

to talk to, or you want to share your own life struggles, the app makes it easy to connect with others.

CLASS OF 2009

ALEXIS DAVIS THOM is back in the States after teaching English classes at a youth center in Taounate, Morocco, while in the Peace Corps. She now works as a coordinator for the Advisory Board Company in Washington, DC.

CLASS OF 2010

MANNY MATLOCK is a Financial Representative for Northwest Mutual.

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ALMA’S UPDATE

CLASS OF 2011

CHRIS WAVLE, an avid skier, is living in Utah working as a ski butler, delivering ski rentals in Park City, UT.

CLASS OF 2012

BIRTHS SUZANNE CUNNINGHAM ’01 and husband Matt Trowbridge welcomed their son,

RACHAEL SCOTT COOK ’95, husband Corey Cook and their two daughters welcomed a sweet baby boy named Elliot David Cook on August 28th, 2015.

Calvin Frederick Cunningham-Trowbridge, on December 26, 2015. The family is healthy and settling in to their new routine.

JACOB ARNOLD graduated summa cum laude from Temple University’s Honors Program in May 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science, earning honors in his major. Jacob was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa Society. Now, he is in a post-bachelors program at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, working on the pre-requisites for the MCAT and medical school.

CLASS OF 2013

HOPE NEWHOUSE ’02 and her wife Delphine

KEZIAH GROTH-TUFT, a junior at Dickinson

Spirit Kilhoffer-Newhouse on October 13,

College, recently returned from studying

2015 in Paris, France.

are delighted to announce the birth of Ella

Arabic in Jordan for four months. For

DEATHS

her spring 2016 semester, she is studying

William Kershaw, Jr. ’41

abroad in Denmark. Keziah also was

8/30/1923 – 6/13/2015

selected for the Greater Research

Will was born in Philadelphia and was

Opportunities (GRO) Fellowships the

raised in the area until World War II.

Environmental Protection Agency.

In 1942, he joined the U.S. Army Signal Corps and served until the end of the War.

CLASS OF 2014

He was educated at Princeton University, the University of Pennsylvania, Temple

SAM ARNOLD is in his sophomore year at

University and Stanford University, where

Stevens Institute of Technology, studying

he obtained a BA in Electrical Engineering

mechanical engineering, and has been on

in 1948.

the Deans’ List every semester.

PETER RANDAZZO is attending Rider University, majoring in Political Science.

He is active in Rider’s Political Club and worked on a campaign this past summer.

He tells us that his writing professor was impressed to learn that Solebury teaches annotative bibliographies during our

RILEY MURPHY ’02 and ALYSSA (SNYDER) MURPHY ’06 welcomed a baby girl on August 30, 2015, named Tallulah Joy Murphy. She was born at home in Ottsville, PA, surrounded by family, and a happy and healthy 6 lb, 8oz. Her parents tell us she is bright and bubbly and always smiling!

Adele Farlee Hantin ’46 Adele died on June 9, 2015 from heart failure.

Josh Lomas ’16 10/8/1997 – 11/26/2015 Josh will be remembered by many loving

students’ freshman year.

family and friends. Josh had a passion for

CLASS OF 2015

collection, including his Jordans. He was a

Over Christmas break, HALEY HUXLEY

was looking forward to attending college.

participated in an intensive two-week

He always had the perseverance to achieve

musical theater program that ended with

his goals, no matter how hard he had to

a showcase production called “First We

work. Josh’s mantra in life was to “Always

Dream” at the Off-Broadway York Theater

be perfect.” We have sorely missed Josh

Company in New York City.

on campus.

WINTER / SPRING 2016

all things basketball, especially his sneaker straight A student with a bright future who

WWW.SOLEBURY.ORG

27

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Helen D. Nienhueser ’53 2015 WINNER OF THE ALASKA CONSERVATION FOUNDATION’S LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD / ANCHORAGE, ALASKA After graduating from Solebury School, Helen continued on to Brown University, later earning a Masters of Public Administration from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.

In 1959, she moved to Alaska and decided to settle there.

While she may be best known as the author of the hiker’s “bible,” 55 Ways to the Wilderness in Southcentral Alaska (now in its 5th edition), Helen has devoted her life to her state as an advocate and environmentalist. She has chaired the board of the Trails and Recreation Access for Alaska, served on the Anchorage Parks and Recreation Commission, and spent 18 years working for the Alaska Department of Natural Resources. She has also served on the board of the Alaska Conservation Foundation, and in 2015, earned their Lifetime Achievement Award. Helen still makes time to address worthy causes today. For example, last year she helped thwart plans to build a road called the Bragaw Extension through the University of Alaska Anchorage campus.

• I have a super-insulated home (built in 1950s), with triplepane windows and added insulation, cutting use of natural gas for heating down by about 40%.

• I walk, and in the summer, I use a bicycle instead of driving as often as possible. My granddaughter, Becca, works in Anchorage and does not own a car. She commutes daily year round with a bicycle equipped with studded tires.

• I drive a relatively small fuel-efficient car – a Subaru Forester with all-wheel-drive – desirable for some winter driving conditions, even in town.

• I limit air travel.

• I shop locally when possible.

• I use 99% recycled paper in my printer, meaning paper that has already been used on one side.

• I use LED bulbs for lighting.

• I participate only in non-motorized recreation.

Students in our Solebury Environmental Action Committee (S.E.A.C.) were fortunate to have the opportunity to interview Helen via email. (Thank you, Helen!) Here are some highlights of what they asked, along with Helen’s answers.

Q: In your daily life, what do you do to be sustainable?

A: • I live close to the center of town so that we drive less and also have the option of mass transit (though it’s not as convenient as it could be) or walking or biking.

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Q: Are you vegetarian? Some of us are, some aspire to be.

A: N o, but I aspire to cut down on my meat consumption and learn more vegetarian dishes.

Q: You visited Alaska in the 1950s and never left.

What made you fall in love with it?

A: S pectacular mountains, seemingly endless wilderness, friendly people.

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Q: Y our book, 55 Ways to the Wilderness in Southcentral Alaska, is considered the best hiking guide for Alaskans and tourists. Would you ever write another book, whether about hiking or conservation?

A: M aybe, but I am too busy right now. I may possibly collaborate with my son and co-author, John Wolfe Jr., on a new edition of 55 Ways.

Q: While hiking in Alaska, have you encountered grizzly bears? If so, what happened?

A: B lack bears are much more common than grizzlies in southcentral Alaska. I once encountered a grizzly; that was on a river trip in southwest Alaska where we stopped to talk to some fishermen. We got back in our boat quickly and left, but the bear appeared more curious than dangerous. I am careful to make noise when hiking which discourages encounters with wildlife, and I carry bear spray but have never needed to use it. I have encountered black bears while hiking several times, but the bear has always either ignored me or been at least as scared as I was and has rapidly disappeared.

I encountered lots of grizzlies at the McNeil River State Game Sanctuary and Refuge in Alaska. There, human access is by permit only and only when the salmon are running [migrating] – the bears are not hungry and basically ignore the humans. Humans are only allowed out of the campsite in a group accompanied by a Fish and Game staffer with a gun. There has never been an attack.

We actually once heard a bear cub purring while nursing!

came before that. As part of this, we created a good public participation process to enable citizens to participate in those decisions.

To give you some context, conservation as an active statewide movement really took hold in Alaska in the 1970s shortly after the discovery of oil on the North Slope. By its nature, conservation was seen by Alaskan developers as a major threat to their dreams, especially in a state that saw the development of natural resources as the basis for its economy. As Alaska has matured and our population has grown, this divisiveness has moderated.

But we are still a western state and still dependent on natural resource development.

A friend who now lives here but has worked for a national conservation organization in [Washington] D.C. says that the way conservationists are treated here (by some political leaders and some of their appointees) is different from the way they are treated in D.C., where they are respected and expected to have a seat at the table.

Q: What advice do you have for young conservationists / activists?

A: • Get a good education. Develop your critical-thinking skills, seek opportunities to practice public speaking, and develop your writing skills – these are tools for persuading others to support social change.

• Educate yourselves about climate change, e.g. read Naomi Klein’s This Changes Everything.

• Live your values.

• Get involved in public policy issues that affect the environment.

• Support the election of policy makers who share your values, or run yourself.

Q: What would you consider your biggest achievement during your 18-year career at the Alaska Department of Natural Resources?

Q: Can we visit? Just kidding. Not really…

A: P articipating in the development (and implementation)

A: A laska is a wonderful place to visit (or live), and besides, we

of a land use planning process for over 100 million acres of undeveloped state lands. There were no models for this – Alaska became a state in 1959 and planning in the 1950s was in its infancy; other states with land grants

WINTER / SPRING 2016

need your help to keep our wonderful federally owned parks and refuges intact and protected – especially the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. They belong to you, too!

–BY DEB O’REILLY

WWW.SOLEBURY.ORG

29

ALUMNI NEWS

20 16 Reunion

Solebury School

Weekend

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS FRIDAY, April 29 3:00-4:00pm REGISTRATION Carriage House School memorabilia available for purchase

7:00-8:30pm ALUMNI RECEPTION Hotel du Village 2535 River Road New Hope, PA 18938 Complimentary, reservations required

SATURDAY, April 30 9:30-11:00am REGISTRATION

We’ve planned a weekend full of events that range from low-key drinks to a midday lunch to a rather glamorous night out at our Dinner Auction at the Hotel du Village (see page 32 for more details).

Carriage House School memorabilia available for purchase

10:00am MEMORIAL SERVICE Alumni Memorial Garden

12:00-1:00pm REUNION LUNCH AND CLASS PHOTO Herbert S. Boyd Dining Hall Enjoy a complimentary lunch

1:00 pm ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME CEREMONY John D. Brown Athletic Center

3:00-5:00 pm ALUMNI BURGER AND BEER BASH Head of School’s Home $10 per person

6:00-10:00 pm SOLEBURY’S ANNUAL DINNER & AUCTION Hotel du Village 2535 River Road New Hope, PA 18938 $125 per person, reservations required

Depending on your schedule and interest,

(behind Founders Library) Rain location:

these events offer you a chance to reminisce

Abbe Science Building

and reconnect with friendly, familiar

Honor the memory of alumni and friends who are recently deceased

10:00 am

11:00am–12:00pm

Join your classmates for a complimentary farewell buffet brunch

faces. Reunion Weekend is also a great opportunity to network.

STATE OF THE SCHOOL

Please RSVP at

solebury.org/reunion.

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The Magazine

Performing Arts Center

SUNDAY, MAY 1 FAREWELL BRUNCH Herbert S. Boyd Dining Hall

Presented by Head of School Tom Wilschutz, Q&A to follow

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S O L E B U R Y S C H O O L’ S

ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME 2016 INDUCTION CEREMONY

SATURDAY, APRIL 30, 2016 • 1PM JOHN D. BROWN ATHLETIC CENTER

Please join us as we induct the Athletic Hall of Fame’s Class of 2016!

MELLISA BROZENA PRESTER ’01 • JERMAINE GILLARD ’96 KEITH PINCKNEY ’87 DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD FOR ATHLETICS

RICHARD MOSS ’48

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WWW.SOLEBURY.ORG

31

S O L E B U R Y S C H O O L’ S

DINNER AUCTION 2016 SATURDAY, APRIL 30, 2016 • 6:00-10:00 PM HOTEL DU VILLAGE, NEW HOPE, PA (www.hotelduvillage.com)

Join us for Havana Nights, a great party for a great cause.

Each year, the auction raises more than $100,000 for educational

Hotel du Village has retained the historical elements of this

programming, student activities and facility improvements at

special place where generations of Holmquist and Solebury girls

Solebury School. These funds impact the experience of every

lived, ate and studied. When you join us there for Havana Nights,

student at Solebury.

you will step back into a unique part of Solebury School’s history.

This year, our auction is moving to an exciting new venue – the

Havana Night’s fun Cuban theme also offers a throwback to a

gorgeous Hotel du Village! Hotel du Village has special ties to

place trapped in time – a colorful, tropical island that celebrates

our school’s history. It’s the site of the former Holmquist School

great music, dance and food.

for Girls, founded in 1917, which merged with the Solebury

If you haven’t already, buy a ticket and join us! Tickets include

School for Boys in 1949. Until the 1970s, this property served

valet parking, live entertainment, open bar, a seated farm-to-table

as Solebury’s “lower campus.” Newly renovated and reopened,

dinner, and our not-to-be-missed silent and live auctions.

RSVP: www.solebury.org/auction (click on “Auction Tickets”) 32

The Magazine

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AUCTION 2016 SPECIAL APPEAL The Above & Beyond Endowed Award for Faculty and Staff WHAT DOES “ABOVE AND BEYOND” MEAN? It’s the unparalleled support, commitment and guidance that we offer our students all year long. It’s what sets us apart. It’s what makes us Solebury. There’s the dedicated math teacher whose persistence and attention helped a student finally overcome his lifelong math block, rebuilding his self-confidence. There’s the coach who encouraged a senior’s exciting

first pin in wrestling. And there’s the staff member who has driven boarding students to their college interviews. Everything we do is for our students. Last year, our Home and School Association created the Above & Beyond Award to recognize the person who has truly exceeded the expectations of their position – even by Solebury’s standards – and this year’s Special Appeal will help grow the award.

“This significant monetary award will honor and inspire an exceptional member of our faculty and staff each year. As an endowed award, it will strengthen our school’s very foundation.”

-HEAD OF SCHOOL TOM WILSCHUTZ

WHAT IS A SPECIAL APPEAL?

HOW CAN I CONTRIBUTE TO THE SPECIAL APPEAL?

DURING THE ANNUAL DINNER AUCTION, we seek donations to enhance a specific area or program. Previously, the Special Appeal has raised funding for initiatives like renovating the Crib and the Barn’s Black Box Theater.

IF YOU ATTEND THE AUCTION, please donate during our Special Appeal, which will be featured during the live auction. If you’re not able to attend, you can make a contribution at solebury.org./auction.

Solebury School is a 501c3 corporation and all Special Appeal contributions are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

Thank you for supporting our community!

6832 Phillips Mill Road New Hope, PA 18938-9682 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

SAVE THE DATE

Arts Festival Week................................... April 17-23 Reunion Weekend............................. April 29-May 1 Graduation..................................................... June 11 For more events and updates, please visit www.solebury.org.