Lantern ss2017

Lantern THE

SPRING/SUMMER 2 01 7

T H E M AG AZINE OF LANDM ARK SCHO O L

THE ARTS AT LANDMARK

Our Mission

}

Andrew Oprian and Ady Tibrewal bask in the glow of being new high school graduates.

L I F E TOU CH

Landmark School’s mission is to enable and empower students with language-based learning disabilities (LBLD) to reach their educational and social potential through an exemplary school program complemented by outreach and training, assessment, and research.

Lantern THE

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

The Lantern is published twice yearly by the Marketing and Communications Department at Landmark School, P.O. Box 227, Prides Crossing, MA 01965-0227 The Lantern is available online at landmarkschool.org/lantern Contact us at lantern@landmarkschool.org Lantern Editorial Committee and Contributors Bob Broudo P’11 Scott Harlan Carl Gasowksi Rob Kahn Tom O’Riordan Christine Ozahowski Joe Rose Susan Tomases Tristan Whitehouse Designer Melanie deForest-Malloy

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

Photographers Julia Bishop Ryan DeJoy Peter Harris Jason Kan Kelly Chadwick Photography Kieran Kesner ’09 Carl Gasowski Lifetouch Michael Solis Cindy Spreer

F RO M TO P : K I E RA N K E SN E R ’ 0 9 ( 2) ; CA RL GA SOWS KI

Contributors Bill Chamberlain Sarah Ciras Cassie Coleman Gemma Flavin Michelle Granese Susan Hedman Adam Hickey Paul Howard Abigail Howe ’20 Tara Joly-Lowdermilk Katharine Judy ’21 Kaleigh Mangiarelli Chris McKernan Jeremy Melvin Sarah Patt Carole Rein Beth Rowen Meg Sebens Bruce Stoddard Linda Sylvester Amy Veling

The Lantern 1

*

TABLE OF CONTENTS

32

COVER STORY

13 The Arts

14 A Calling in the Arts 20 O’Connor Family Inspiration Gallery 22 Come Out of the Woodwork

by Beth Rowen

25 Nature or Nurture

by Hazel Crowley

28 A Place for Discovery and Growth

by Susan Hedman

30 Digital Art

by Gemma Flavin

32 Off to RISD

by Adam Hickey

36 Take Note

by Susan Tomases

38 Scholastic Art and Writing Award 44 Graduation & Transition 54 Senior Moment of Fame Cover photo by Kieran Kesner

36

28 2

The Lantern

44 SPRING/SUMMER 2017

5

DEPARTMENTS ◗ HEADLIGHT

4

Lifelong Passions and Skills

◗ THE BEACON

5

Landmark’s News in Brief

◗ LIMELIGHT

56 Riding Tandem ◗ SPOTLIGHT

58 60 62 64

58

Faculty: Kelli-Ann Camacho Alumni: Michael Solis Parent: Jennifer Haggerty Student: Katia Green

◗ PENLIGHT

66 Katharine Judy ◗ STARLIGHT

68 Athletics 70 Performing Arts ◗ EVENTS

72 Casino Night, Making Waves, Golf Benefit, Las Vegas and Viking Drop!

64

74 Homecoming 2017 ◗ FLOODLIGHT

75 Alumni Notes ◗ WELCOME

80 New Trustees

70

72 SPRING/SUMMER 2017

The Lantern

3

*

HEADLIGHT a message from the headmaster

Lifelong Passions and Skills “Skills, not frills” was the thought of the times for educating students with languagebased learning disabilities as Landmark opened its doors in 1971. The prevailing perspective was that “extraneous” programs such as visual and performing arts, even group athletics, were beyond the processing and organizational scope of such students and would only further reveal their challenges.

4

The Lantern

arenas, the students are willing to take risks and try new things. Boston Globe Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, the production of Little Shop of Horrors, chorus and dance presentations, beautiful woodworking, technical and physical theater sets, and so much more emanate from the efforts of the teachers and of these talented students. The end result is that they all gain tremendous strength from the risks they have taken, feel more confident in their academic classes, receive feedback on their inspiring work, and develop lifelong passions and skills.

The arts at Landmark are an integral and critical component of the global educational and social development programs at our school. The arts, far from being frills, are often the prescription for broad-based lifelong skills and success, and the artistic work of our students enriches all aspects of the school community.

Bob Broudo, Landmark School Headmaster

K I E R A N K E S NE R ’ 09

Fortunately, this perspective began to change early in the school’s history and has evolved light-years ahead of those days. Now the arts are viewed as an opportune and appealing door to learning, facilitating the expression of creativity and talent not always immediately accessible when processing the various aspects of language.

Today’s perspective includes the awareness that students who take risks in the learning process, who try new things, who ask good questions, and who learn to have their own voices become stronger individuals and better self-advocates.

Landmark’s visual, performing, and practical arts department heads and teachers have mastered strategies for engaging students with languagebased learning disabilities, many of whom have never drawn, sung, danced, recited, or used hand tools before, to help develop forms of expression, venues for creativity, and confidence. In these

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

Beacon Landmark’s News in Brief |

SPORTS

|

FACULTY

|

THE ARTS

|

STUDENTS

❱❱ SPRING/SUMMER 2017 |

PARENTS

|

ALUMNI

|

RESOURCES

❱❱ RECOGNITION

S USAN TOMAS E S

And the Award Goes To…

A Walk on the Wild Side This June elementary students celebrated an annual tradition on our EMS campus, the Vocabulary Parade. Over 50 students paraded around the main building, through the courtyard, and finished in the meeting room where they each took the stage stating their word’s definition, synonym, antonym, and then using it in a sentence. The audience was amused, as always and the costumes were some of the best we’ve ever seen. We can’t wait until next year!

EVENTS! SEE YOU THIS FALL SPRING/SUMMER 2017

◗ Wendy Ellis, Head of our Elementary•Middle School Speech and Language Department, recently received the Massachusetts Association of 766 Approved Private Schools (maaps) Albert E. Trieschman award for Exceptional Direct Service to Children. At the awards luncheon she was joined by her daughter, husband, fellow faculty member Jennifer Schley Johnson, and Rob Kahn who said, “It was such an honor for Landmark to be represented by an exceptional educator of Wendy’s caliber.”

Congratulations Wendy!

Stay in the Loop CONNECT WITH US: facebook.com/landmarkschool @landmarkschool landmarkschool The Landmark School Alumni

HOMECOMING OCTOBER 14

HS PARENT DAYS OCTOBER 19-20

EMS PARENT DAYS NOVEMBER 2-3

Celebrate our 47th anniversary and come back to campus for our 5K Road Race and Fun Run, Alumni Soccer Game, campus tours, and 20+ year reunions. Pg. 74

Current high school families please stay tuned for more detailed information to come on these special days to learn about your child’s progress.

Elementary and Middle School families are invited to come to campus for teacher and advisor conferences, speakers, and more.

More information to follow.

The Lantern 5

Beacon ❱❱ Landmark’s News in Brief

SPRING BREAK 2017 ❱❱ FAR AFIELD

Faculty Trip to Mozambique

❱❱ OUT WEST

“Water Tour” of the Southwest Desert For nine days over their March vacation, a group of curious and fun Landmark students embarked on an experiential learning trip to parts of the California and Nevada desert. The trip was called, “The Water Tour” and the primary learning was focused on how water is used and abused in the area. The kids hiked in desert ecosystems, saw hieroglyphs, rode a horse, scaled an enormous sand dune, hiked to an oasis, played frisbee on an enormous polo field, went into the Hoover Dam, and scrambled over hundreds of rock formations. We ate our meals together, had meaningful discussions, and learned new things about each other and the region.

Over March Break, five Landmark teachers traveled to Maputo, Mozambique to facilitate trainings for teachers. Cassie Coleman, an Academic Advisor at the High School, has family that lives in Maputo and runs a foundation called the Sunshine Approach Foundation, through which the teacher trainings were organized. The other teachers that attended were Kaleigh Mangiarelli, Kyle Clark, Lauren Morrow, and Kate Kinsman.

Training sessions were held at three local Mozambican schools where local teachers came on their own time to learn more about Classroom Management and Lesson Planning. The atmosphere was one of collaboration and learning, most teachers walking away with new ideas on how to engage their students in the learning process and how to make their lessons come alive. The most exciting discovery that was made was how classrooms around the world can share commonalities in student behavior and learning.

All in all, it was a successful trip and laid the groundwork for future trips. At the end of the trainings, school directors requested we come back in July because next March was too long to wait! ❱❱ THE BIG APPLE

New York City Performing Arts Trip This March fourteen Performing Arts students and four faculty members visited Manhattan. We saw two Broadway shows (Wicked and Miss Saigon), an Eddie Palmieri concert at Jazz at Lincoln Center, and the opera La Traviata at the Met. We also toured Radio City Music Hall, Lincoln Center, and the other Met (the art museum). Many of the students especially enjoyed the singing waitstaff at Ellen’s Stardust Diner, going to their first jazz concert, and, of course, shopping in the Big Apple!

Back by Popular Demand

LANDMARK PARENTS ASSOCIATION EVENT 6 The Lantern

This spring the Landmark Parents Association hosted founder of Eye to Eye and author of Thinking Differently, David Flink to speak with our 8th and 12th grade students on each campus and to address over 60 parents later that evening. This is the second time that David has joined us on the Landmark campus and we know he will always entertain and engage us with relevant and humorous stories about navigating life with dyslexia and ADHD. We look forward to David’s next visit! Learn more about David and his impactful work at eyetoeyenational.org.

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

❱❱ RECOGNITION

Leading the Way

❱❱ TRADITIONS

A Celebration of Talents To celebrate EMS Day on April 27, the community pooled their best resources for a fun day of out-of-the-ordinary activities and even some frivolity. Students selected from a vast range of options from making and eating momos (Nepalese dumplings), playing lawn games, mastering the challenge of the Rubiks Cube, crafting, learning new board games, and much more. A special lunch was provided by SAGE Dining Services, and the day culminated in one of our best-ever Variety Shows featuring student, faculty, and staff acts as diverse as karate, singing and dancing, gymnastics, a cheesy joke contest (first one to laugh or smile loses… ), and some well-rehearsed music performed by the EMS Milkbreak Band. Thanks to everyone for their creativity and enthusiasm.

EMS’s Sarah Patt: Teacher and Author Since grade school I’ve always written and dreamt of becoming an author but like most kids I changed my mind a million times; vet, pediatrician, interior decorator, and teacher were just a few. I was apprenticed to a Boston designer for years but my passion ultimately steered me toward teaching children with special needs. Growing up and listening to my grandmother’s “glorious” days of teaching first grade inspired me.

It wasn’t until all three of my children were less needy of me-resorting to their bedrooms to independently complete homework, did I literally say, “I think I’ll write that novel now!” So becoming an author never left my mind—I just put it on the backburner. Although my debut novel Because of Savannah falls under the general fiction category, I confess, there is truth in the story line coinciding with my own ideologies... and now protagonist Dakota will not leave my mind!

So I have no choice but to continue to grow her, making my dream into a trilogy.

Learn more about EMS’s Sarah Patt, www.sarahpatt.com SPRING/SUMMER 2017

Nick Engstrom ’18 has demonstrated noteworthy leadership as a student at Landmark School and especially through our Debate Team and Model UN Club.

As Captain of the Debate Team he has participated in numerous scrimmages and tournaments over the past three years. At the Lincoln/ Sudbury tournament last year he won three of five rounds with partner Taylor Weeks ’17. Their topic was “How the benefits of the internet outweigh the harms of decreased personal privacy”. He received the “Top Speaker Award” and ranked 4th in overall points out of 250 participating debaters.

“Nick’s leadership capabilities are truly phenomenal”, says Debate Team co-teacher Bruce Stoddard. “Nick commands a room with his presence, poise, and intelligence and inspires others with his drive, enthusiasm, and infectious smile.”

The Lantern 7

Beacon ❱❱ Landmark’s News in Brief

Evening of Dance

❱❱ IN IT TO WIN IT

Slam Jam at EMS

This February, Landmark’s High School dance program strutted, sashayed, and floated across the stage of our black box theater.

The dancers impressed audiences with their grace, creativity, focus, and talent. Special thanks goes to Kelli-Ann Camacho (page 58) for her choreography, leadership, and support and thank you to Kieran Kesner ’09 for the stunning photos!

...and the winner of this year’s EMS Slam Jam competition are the Ankle Breakers.

Patrick Brennan ’21 (coach) Maxx Brennan ’21 Jack Pomposelli ’21 Ms. Julie Littlefield Faculty Knock Out Winners: Mrs. Kristine Stark Ms. MJ Martin Elementary Knock Out Winners: Will Pitkin ’24 Van Elwell ’24

❱❱ Kermit and Fozzie Bear Visit Landmark Kermit the Newf and Fozzie Bear, two Newfoundland dogs, visited Landmark’s Elementary students and the tykes at Tot Spot this April.

Kermit is a service and therapy dog, actor, model, and host of Dog Tales, a weekly reading group for children at his local library in Florida.

Owner Bonnie and her mother Molly read their book about Kermit to the students and discussed the history of the Newfoundland breed, the roles of service and therapy dogs, and gave everyone a chance to pet and interact with the two huge, friendly pups. All students left with a free copy of The Adventures of Kermit the Newf, personally “pawtographed” by Kermit himself!

8 The Lantern

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

2017 Awards ❱❱ LPA WINNERS

Nathan Stowes ‘11 Citizenship Award ❱❱ Cara O’Neill ’17 The Nathan Stowes Citizenship award, named after one of the kindest and most generous students to attend Landmark School, is given out to honor an individual who is a model community member and a positive force on campus. The recipient is someone who commits time toward improving campus, helps others through volunteer work, befriends everyone they meet, and makes everyone’s day a little brighter at Landmark.

Christopher Darcy ‘05 Award ❱❱ Ryan Gosselin ’17

Landmark Parents Association Scholarship Recipients Landmark Parents Association award recipients selected for their growth, motivation, and effort.

Amira Ghobrial Cara O’Neill Michael Tucker Olivia Valenti

This award is bestowed in memory of Christopher Darcy ‘05 and is given to a student who is involved in athletics or a combination of athletics and the arts who honors Chris’s commitment to better himself/herself. The award recognizes a student who gets up early every morning to be transported to the high school campus, plays three seasons of sports each year, then after practices and/or games, travels home to study, without complaint, in preparation for the next day.

Max Clayman ‘10 Compassion Award ❱❱ Rachel Venuti ’17, Adam Fee ’21 Awarded​in memory of Max Clayman​ to those students graduating from the middle school and the high school who naturally incorporate regular acts of kindness and compassion​into their everyday lives​and as a result have made their schools better, more positive places. ​T​o this year’s awardees we say, “Thank you for making the world a better place. Thank you for keeping Max’s memory alive.”​​

Patrick Murphy ’06 Award ❱❱ James Walsh ’17, Eric Citrano ’17, Adwitiya Tibrewal ’17 We are ever grateful to the Murphy family for their continued support and caring and for keeping Pat’s memory alive within the Landmark community. Pat was a kind, gentle, caring soul who was well liked by peers and faculty.

This scholarship is awarded in memory of a student whose quiet kindness and respectful attitude was greatly appreciated during his or her time at Landmark School.

Winter Photo Contest The fourth annual Winter Photo Contest has become a welcome tradition providing a creative outlet for our students and giving them a good reason to engage in the drama, and sometimes mess! of the winter season.

This year we had plenty of snow to provide just enough spice to what could otherwise be a very bleak time of year.

61 students from our Elementary• Middle and High School campuses participated and submitted over 150 photos. Thank you to our judges Melanie deForest-Malloy, Carl Gasowski, and Peter Harris for reviewing each photo and weighing in and thank you to our students who submitted the highest quality work we have seen in the contest’s four years.

We heartily congratulate our winners: Alex Phelan ’19, High School Michael Sheehan ’22, Middle School

​​ SPRING/SUMMER 2017

The Lantern 9

Beacon ❱❱ Landmark’s News in Brief

CIN DY S PRE E R

Congratulations to these stellar athletes for their sportsmanship, determination, and skill on the field, track, and court.

EMS Outstanding Spring Athletes Nik Guthrie ’22 - track and field Aidan Warren ’22 - track and field Aidan Shea ’21 - lacrosse

C I NDY S P RE E R

Champs!!

High School Athletes of the Week Steve Davis ’17 - lacrosse Katya Leikikh ’20 - lacrosse Zach Wilcox ’17 - baseball Via Valenti ’17 - tennis Quinn Demain ’19 - track Phil Jeffries ’20 - sailing Jack Anastopoulos ’18 - tennis

C IN DY S PRE E R

Superstars Girls Varsity Basketball Team goes to NEPSAC Championship This past winter, the Girls’ Varsity Basketball Team ended their season by advancing to the New England Preparatory School Council (NEPSAC) tournament for the first time in school history. To qualify, teams have to be in good standing against schools in their class across New England and be selected by the NEPSAC council.

The Vikings lost in the first round, but with the legacy the veteran players left behind and the enormous talents of the underclassmen players, the expectations for next year are high.

Swim team - New England Prep School Championships Nine members of the swim team traveled to Deerfield Academy in Deerfield, MA on Saturday March 4th to compete in the New England Prep School Swimming Championships. It was a trials/finals meet, meaning that everyone swims in the morning and the top 16 swimmers compete in their events again at night. In most events there were over 20 competitors, some had as many as 50.

Caroline Manning ’18, Sarah Mann ’20, Bianca Drouin ’21, Jake McCaughey ’17, Chris Belfi ’17, Ethan Townsend ’19, Josh Thibeau ’20, Luca Miranda ’20, and Justin Estep ’19 all swam extremely well!

Jake, Chris, Ethan, and Josh also swam the 200 Medley Relay, placing 3rd. They also swam the 200 Freestyle Relay, placing 2nd, and breaking their own Landmark School record.

10 The Lantern

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

❱❱ LIBRARIAN’S DESK

Summer Reading Suggestions

❱❱ GOOD DEEDS

Paper or Plastic?

Thanks to the efforts of a cadre of passionate Landmark High School students, in cooperation with Eric Magers of the Gloucester Clean City Commission, commercial use of plastic bags and styrofoam may soon disappear in Gloucester.

On a drizzly Saturday morning in May, high school students, supported by teacher Paul Howard and Chaplain Bill Ferguson, hit Main Street to share information with nearly 50 local businesses pertaining to the commission’s push to enact legislation banning commercial use of plastic bags and styrofoam within Cape Ann’s premier fishing community.

Ipswich, Manchester-by-the-Sea, and Marblehead recently adopted similar bans, prohibiting the use of thin-film plastic bags and styrofoam food containers as part of a North Shore movement to reduce the amount of non-biodegradable materials clogging landfills and littering the beautiful land and seascapes along the Massachusetts coastline. Participating students included: Avi Bajoria ’19, Emma Champey ’20, Leo Fobert ’19, Daniel Kanaracus ’20, George McNamee ’19, and Reece Stevenson ’21.

Community Effort Arranged by EMS Counselor Meg Sauder, High School Industrial Arts Department Head, John Fettig and his team of students, recently donated their time and talents to repair former Language Arts Department Head, Terry Jennings’s old car for a Sudanese family who has been granted asylum in Beverly. Thanks goes to everyone involved for helping provide a working car giving this family the independence to access jobs and wages to succeed in our community.

Students who helped prepare the car under John Fettig’s supervision include: Austen Ayers ’20, Michael Bird ’19, Marco Calvanese ’18, Adin Chapman ’18, Dean Conrad ’17, Nicholas Dalton ’20, Lee Dalzell ’20, Steven Davis ’17, Benjamin Enos ’20, Aaron Gould ’18, Phillip Jeffries ’20, Peter Laid ’21, Andrew Opian ’17, Delma, Adam, and Samir are joined by Michael Roy ’18, Jake Sagarino ’17, and Terry Jennings (center) at their Anthony Warry ’19. apartment in Beverly SPRING/SUMMER 2017

For those of you who are looking for some summer or fall reading, here are some suggestions from our High School and Elementary•Middle School Librarians.

FROM AMY VELING, HIGH SCHOOL LIBRARIAN March: Book Three

by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin Wolf Hollow

by Lauren Wolk The Sun is Also a Star

by Nicola Yoon FROM LINDA SYLVESTER, EMS LIBRARIAN Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet by Erin Dionne (reading level 5.4) Half a Chance by Cynthia Lord (reading level 4.3) Good Night Mr. Tom by Michelle Magorian (reading level 4.9) Where the Red Fern Grows

by Wilson Rawls (reading level 5.3) Junk Drawer Engineering: 25 Construction Challenges That Don’t Cost a Thing by Bobby Mercer (reading level 5.4) Down to Earth: How Kids Help Feed the World by Nikki Tate (reading level 5.9) Pedal Power: How one Community became the Bicycle Capital of the World by Allan Drummond (reading level 3.6)

The Lantern 11

Beacon ❱❱ Landmark’s News in Brief ❱❱ DOING GOOD

International Day A On May 4th Landmark’s High School celebrated our diversity through International Day. The day included workshops and presentations by members of our International Group in collaboration with the Gay Straight Alliance. The purpose of the day and mission of the International Group is to foster a sense of identity, acceptance, and belonging for the international community, as well as to explore, raise awareness, and honor Landmark’s rich cultural and ethnic diversity. The theme this year was “The Wonderful Mosaic that is Landmark”. Landmark High School Teacher, Kanella Zaralides spearheaded the effort and remarked about this annual event, “I’m always amazed at the pride and creativity that our students bring to International Day. It’s a way for our community members, who come from outside of the United States, to share their culture. And students from the US reflect on where they come from and show pride in their ethnicity and heritage.”

Participating faculty members included: Jennifer Day, Kylie Murphy, Eleni Nikitas, Carole Rein, and Victoria Tansey.

Model UN Nine students attended the model United Nations summit this spring held at Northeastern University. Nick Engstrom ’18 received the “Best Delegate Award” in his committee addressing malnutrition and Taylor Weeks ’17 received the “Best Speaker Award” in his committee on the Israel/Palestine conflict. Juniors McKenna Wolfman and Max Lawton-Yoder presented a passing resolution with a group of delegates in their committee on climate change. Sophomores George McNamee and Sean Sullivan participated actively in their committee on free press, Jake Salloway ’17 went solo in his committee on the protection and rights for the elderly, and Josh Thibeau ’20 and Tim Doherty ’18 partnered with veterans Nick Engstrom and Taylor Weeks respectively. All students were engaged and the Debate Team has a deep well of intellect and talent moving into the next season of competition.

12 The Lantern

Landmark Women Make a Statement This spring, five strong young women went to the Massachusetts State House, lead by faculty member Carole Rein, in honor of “Women’s Advocacy Day”. Most students were already familiar with some of the current issues that were discussed, such as Planned Parenthood, and they learned about less well-known but pressing matters like female genital mutilation. The students confidently and articulately visited several State Representative’s offices asking questions and sharing their own views. Ms. Rein said, “What was obvious to me was their curiosity, strength, willingness to take on risks conversationally, and their awareness of what is worth fighting for. They have pride in themselves and I was proud of them!” Participating students included Gaby Kenney ’20, Cole Bascome-Duong ’18, Lizzy MacMannis ’18, Rachel Venuti ’17, and Gwei Strong-Allen ’18.

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

THE

ARTS

The impressionist painter and sculptor Edgar Degas said “Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.” Art is communication.

It is a vehicle for its creator to document a moment, share emotion, or tell a story. So it’s no wonder that many Landmark students excel in the arts whether painted, performed, written, sculpted, or sketched. This issue is dedicated to the extraordinary artistic talents of just some of our students and alumni. Enjoy.

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

The Lantern 13

A CALLING IN THE ARTS

Landmark’s Visual Arts Department has turned out many talented artists since our founding, some of whom have pursued advanced study and careers in the arts. There are too many to name in one Lantern article so we’ve decided to highlight the talents of a small group that graduated between 2004 and 2007 and recently reconnected with the school.

Here we share insights from some of these remarkably talented alumni.

Kaitlin McGowan ‘06 CAREER: Freelance Graphic Designer STUDIED AT: Pratt Institute kaitlinmcgowan.com

“I create design solutions for clients. Depending on the project, my role will shift. I’m a researcher, strategist, and production artist. I am involved with everything from print and digital to marketing, branding, etc. It’s all about communicating the story in the best possible way.

Everyone learns differently! This is especially true when working with people in different fields, as I have, from politics to fashion. Landmark taught me patience, organization, and advocacy; these are essential for freelance work.

Creative work is all about people and storytelling. Every job is an opportunity to learn something new about yourself, your client, and the world.”

14

The Lantern

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

Alanna D’Orlando ‘07 CAREER: Apparel Product Developer, New Balance, Boston, MA STUDIED AT: LIM College New York City, NY newbalance.com

“One of the most fulfilling aspects of my craft was finding my niche in the fashion industry. I found a happy balance of being both creative and analytical. I love being part of the creative process in developing apparel, and I also love to see the impact it has not only physically but metrically.

I am constantly problem-solving so my creativity pushes boundaries in ways I never sought out.

My advice to students looking to go into an art-related field would be to explore all options and keep pushing the boundaries of your creativity. While I was exploring colleges and potential degrees I felt lost. I developed a list of what I was looking for in the next phase of life and in my education. A few items I listed were: arts, a school with sports—specifically lacrosse, an urban environment, and having a successful career path after college. Where would I find an art school with lacrosse? My wavy, windy path landed me in a field that encompassed all the criteria I wanted.”

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

The Lantern

15

Tyler Grenzeback ‘07 CAREER: Co-owner and tattoo artist, Broken Crow Collective, Portland, ME STUDIED AT: Maine College of Art, Portland, Maine brokencrowcollective.com

“Landmark helped me achieve success in many ways. Having dyslexia is a challenge in everyday life, but Landmark helped give me the tools to work through it. Through their art department I realized that I could go to college for art and could make a career out of it. I had no intention of attending

16

The Lantern

college prior to learning that. Now, 10 years later, I have a BFA and co-own a tattoo shop with some of the best artists around. Landmark helped me develop the confidence to not let my learning differences limit me.

My advice to any student looking to go into a creative field is to never give up. Talk to as many people as you can and show others how serious you are about your passions. I’ve learned from personal experience that confidence and hard work will take you a long way. My last bit of advice, and most important, is to have fun. If you aren’t having fun what’s the point in doing what you love?”

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

Mark Davidson ‘04 CAREER: Wedding Photographer specializing in photojournalism, owns and manages photo booth business STUDIED AT: Brooks Institute of Photography mark-davidson.com, boston.clearchoicephotobooth.com

“I developed my work ethic while at Landmark. Learning to read better was not easy. I recognized early on that to really achieve success in my studies, my work needed to go beyond the school day. That same work ethic helps me in my career today.

For students interested in pursuing the arts professionally, I would suggest that before you go to college try to discover what you feel most passionate about. Find the best person in that field, cold call them, develop a mentoring relationship with them and, if needed, be willing to work for them for free for a period of time.

Think of it as an ‘extension’ of your education.”

Sofia Plater ‘07 CAREER: Master’s Degree candidate the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston STUDIED AT: Boston College www.sofiaplater.com

“I definitely credit Landmark’s art program and wonderful faculty for getting me interested in a career in fine arts.

My two amazing teachers, Mrs. Jamieson and Mrs. Dubin, were influential in the way they taught and supported nearly every idea I had. They always allowed me to experiment with unusual materials and pushed me to take my own direction on the projects they assigned.

My advice would be to learn as many media as you can and experiment to find what you love doing. Document your pieces with professional pictures and submit them to every show you can find. Don’t get discouraged when you don’t get accepted to every one; there are many more out there.

My long-term goal is to be an exhibiting artist in galleries and museums, experience great residency programs around the country, and eventually become a teacher in an art program that’s hopefully very similar to Landmark’s!”

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

The Lantern

17

Gabriel Mozart Steven Abeyta ‘07 CAREER: Cinematographer, writer, and director for surrealistic Native American storytelling STUDIED AT: Chicago Academy of the Arts and Vancouver Film School

“I had many more opportunities than most kids coming out of a reservation. At Landmark, my reading levels went from kindergarten to 8th grade.

I learned how to function and became a strong and capable student. Being around other students gave me more confidence.

Despite the fact that I still struggle with reading, writing, and spelling, I wrote a film script seven years

18

The Lantern

ago, called The Beginnings of My Heart, that was recently accepted into the Sundance Film Institute, and I am now making it into a feature film. I can’t tell you how rewarding this has been—and I never used my dyslexia as an excuse.

My advice to students is not to be afraid of being vulnerable. The story of my film is about a young person’s heart exploding from pain and insecurity, and it’s about learning to love yourself.

Dyslexia automatically makes you feel different.

The rest of the world hasn’t figured out that being dyslexic gives you all kinds of strengths that most people don’t have.”

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

Vivienne Lowe ‘05 CAREER: Co-owner and creative force behind Tien 2, a custom clothing and jewelry design shop in Beverly, MA STUDIED AT: Lasell College www.tien2.com

“In addition to running Tien 2, I also design and make costumes for Landmark School’s Performing Arts Department. Next year I am hoping to start an afterschool program where students will learn about the craft of costume design and construction.

One of the most fulfilling aspects of my work is that I am in touch with every facet of the design, the concept, and the execution. I also love the social interaction of working closely with my clients.

My hope is to be working at what I love until I’m 100! I want to always keep myself challenged and learn something new as often as I can.”

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

The Lantern

19

O’CONNOR FAMILY

INSPIRATION This April Landmark celebrated the opening of the O’Connor Family Inspiration Gallery located in the heart of the high school campus.

Beth Jamieson, Visual Arts co-department head, thanks attendees for being part of an “ever-evolving” space on the high school campus where students, faculty, staff, alumni, and guest artists will collaborate to showcase their creative pursuits. She reminds the group, “the possibilities are limitless!”

20

The Lantern

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

CARL G ASOWS KI ( 3 )

GALLERY

Our first visitors passed through the new gallery during Parents Days this spring and remarked on the professionalism of the space, the beauty of the way the inaugural show was displayed, and of course, the remarkable student art on view.

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

The Lantern

21

COME OUT OF THE Creative pursuits born out of wood

By Beth Rowen

Justin Estep

C

reativity, enthusiasm, passion, and pride are embraced and encouraged at Landmark—in the classroom, on stage, in art studios. The woodshop is no exception. Recent visits to Doug Turnbull’s woodshop classes found students bursting with each of these traits—and more—as they measured, cut, sanded, and discussed their projects.

JUSTIN ESTEP, SOPHOMORE Each of Doug’s students was required to make a bench so they could learn basic skills, such as milling and making a joint, before they moved on to more complicated projects. Justin wasn’t content with designing a simple bench. His has a row of dovetails joining one leg to the top and wedged square pegs joining the other leg to the top.

He considers woodworking a calling. “Woodworking picks you. You try different things and find what suits you,” he said.

Justin spends almost every day after school in woodshop. He also works on projects outside of school. He’s already built a skiff and a shed, and hopes to become a carpenter.

“It’s awesome to look back and see what I made. I prefer to make complicated things,” he said. “It takes a lot of time, but it’s worth it.”

OWEN SUNNERBERG, SENIOR Owen beamed as he explained the process of building his 14-foot canoe. He didn’t work from a plan, instead he modeled his boat on the fire-engine red canoe hanging from the shop ceiling. He’s building the boat over a marine plywood frame. The hull is seven pieces, each beveled by hand to create strong epoxy joints and mimic the curves of the frame.

“It feels great to know I created this with my own hands,” he 22

The Lantern

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

WOODWORK CARL G ASOWS KI (4 )

Owen Sunnerberg

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

The Lantern

23

CARL G ASOWS KI ( 2)

said. “I’m excited to see the finished product and test it in the water this summer.”

“Woodshop is an escape, a bit of distance from the pressure of school,” said Owen. “I find myself in a different state of mind, where I can be creative and work independently.”

AVERY ALBL, JUNIOR Avery took woodshop on a whim freshman year and discovered a hidden talent. “I said, ‘Why not try it?’ and it turns out I’m good at it.” So good that she won the woodworking award her freshman year at Landmark, and an honorable mention in the New England Student Woodworking Design Competition her sophomore year.

Avery applies skills she’s acquired in woodshop to other classes at Landmark. “Woodworking has helped me learn that overall, things come out better if you plan and organize ahead of time.”

She also enjoys the collaborative, collegial nature of woodshop. “Class brings people together who would never know they had anything in common,” she said.

“I prefer to make things for other people,” she added. “They come out better because I care more if it’s for someone else.”

Avery Albl

Cameron Flores

CAMERON FLORES, SOPHOMORE This is Cameron’s first year in woodshop, and he’s hooked. He plans to make a boat his senior year. He’s learning fundamental skills while working on a frame for a panting done by a brother’s friend in India. Actually, Cameron needs to make two frames: first, a plywood subframe held together with pocket screws; next, a more refined exterior frame with mitered corners.

Cameron looks forward to woodshop each day after his tutorial. “Woodshop helps all my stress go away.

I’m fully focused when I’m in here. It’s like meditation to me.”

Like Avery, Cameron recognizes that woodshop has broadened his social circle. “I get awesome ideas from other kids in class. I come up with something small, and they give me ideas to create something bigger and better,” he said. “I’ve grown a lot socially from this class.”

24

The Lantern

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

NATURE OR NURTURE

Landmark’s faculty members use their talents outside of the classroom to entertain and delight. By Hazel Crowley

W

hat kind of person decides to stand in front of a crowd and perform? Are they driven by nature or nurture? Four Landmark Elementary•Middle School staff members exemplify the different paths an artist travels.

Take Karl Pulkkinen, head of Guidance and Transition at the EMS. Twenty years ago, he joined the understaffed cast of a nativity play at the Moraine Farms Waldorf School in Beverly.

Karl was to provide comic relief as a shepherd in, yes, The Shepherd’s Play. He had never acted before. Encouraged by his community, Karl accepted the challenge, reprising his performance every year since. Karl’s later roles have ranged from English Squire in The Corn Is Green to stage manager of the farcical comedy Arsenic and Old Lace. He has acted on experience (twice playing the father to his own daughter) and beyond, as a corrupt stockbroker. Throughout, Karl has maintained his original role, valuing collaboration over content.

On the other hand, there’s Carolyn Aliskewicz, EMS faculty member. Like Julie Andrews, her teenage performance idol, Carolyn has always Karl Pulkkinen (top) and Carolyn Aliskewicz (bottom center) relish their theatrical roles outside of their Landmark work.

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

The Lantern 25

used to dye his hair green. As a musician, Jerry’s experiences are diverse—he’s opened for Arlo Guthrie and the Mighty Mighty Bosstones (separately), he estimates he’s played the Etta James classic “At Last” at over 25 weddings, and he’s written and recorded rockabilly music as an “Oh Boy” backing singer Sarah Swain. As a kid, listening to his older brother’s Beatles records, Jerry knew he wanted to be a musician, specifically, a good one. Over the years, he’s honed his teaching philosophy: “start playing, listen to everything.”

And sometimes a passion leads in another direction. Seven years ago, EMS faculty member Elizabeth Sarantos, a lifelong devotee of classical music, answered a newspaper ad for the Threshold Singers. Soon, she found herself among a handful of volunteers performing bedside songs by request in the homes and hospital rooms of the North Shore’s elderly and dying. Though she’d studied piano and taken voice lessons for 25 years, Elizabeth speaks with great passion of the unique complexity of hospice singing.

Thrilled by choral, orchestral performance since joining The Madrigals in ninth grade, Elizabeth now reflects on her voice as the gift she is happiest to give.

Born with it? That’s nature. The surprising places it takes you and you take it? That’s nurture.

26 The Lantern

J O E N AVA S

been “alive” with the desire to act. Since donning a toga at age 13 to become Hippolyta in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer’s Night Dream, Carolyn has relished “stepping outside herself.” Though shy, Carolyn was drawn to becoming “someone different.” In her career, Carolyn has tackled numerous difficult roles, from teaching improv to autistic children to portraying the mentally disabled Aunt Bella in Lost in Yonkers to wearing a mustache in a gender-bending production of The Bad Seed. Yet she continues to set goals: play Lady MacBeth and start a performance group at the EMS. Then there’s Jerry Smith, also an EMS faculty member, a musical chameleon and not just because he

(Left) Elizabeth Sarantos entertains at the EMS Day variety show accompanied by Mary Kahn.

Jerry Smith (above on left) with Sarah Swain and the “Oh Boys.”

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

The Lantern 27

28

The Lantern

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

A PLACE FOR DISCOVERY AND GROWTH Using inspiration from history, nature, and literature

By Susan Hedman

As students come into the art room, I want them to see class as a place where they can explore a wide variety of art concepts, unique vocabulary, cultural awareness, science, the natural world, and art history. The curriculum changes from year to year to keep things fresh, and involves a variety of media.

Working on art projects is a way to practice organizational skills in keeping with Landmark’s mission. Having taught tutorials at Landmark in my first years, I try to incorporate executive functioning skills. Most projects take multiple sequential steps to complete, not much different than writing an essay. The atmosphere of the art room also models structure and organization.

We work together on units of study, but create individualized products to express each child’s personality.

A recent art unit introduced students to the French artist Henri Matisse’s style through short videos and books. Particular attention was paid to the combination of bold colors and patterns seen in many of his paintings of interior spaces. An exhibit in 1905 showcased the work of Matisse and other modern painters. This style of art became known as “Fauvism” or “wild beasts” in French. To bring Matisse into the classroom we concentrated on his goldfish paintings. Younger students completed a collaged fishbowl using fabric, paint, and cut-out goldfish. Others learned about basic fish anatomy and created mixed media illustrations that were displayed in a huge fish bowl. Some older students constructed a painting of a fish bowl in an interior space.

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

A clay pinch pot fish is a project we often create during the clay unit. Students learn how to attach two pinch pots to create a basic hollow form. This form can then be transformed into a variety of creatures: add a tail, fins, scales, and a face to the form and it’s a fish! One year a group of boys transformed the fish into a shark. One young lady asked if she could make a whale—another easy conversion. Still another clever young artist created a whale sitting upright reading the book Moby Dick. Seeing this type of inventiveness makes my day.

More inspiration comes from the natural world around us.

A unit about the monarch butterfly and its amazing journey and life cycle not only produced vibrant butterfly paintings, but also teachable moments for concepts of symmetry, science, and geography. A unit on the mythical Chinese dragon introduced students to ancient Chinese culture as they made mixed-media illustrations of their own dragon. Another year, each student created stylistic portraits typical of early Egyptian art.

It all comes down to meeting each student at their level and working to push them to achieve their personal best. Helping children embrace their creative side has been a great job.

There will always be a spectrum of ability in art, but success is based on personal growth. Learning is a dialogue and teaching includes the perspective of the learner. The potential for artwork is in seeing the world around us and is forever unlimited.

The Lantern

29

DIGITAL ART Teaching Traditional Art Skills and Life Skills in the Digital Art Room

By Gemma Flavin

Access our digital art digitally!

Instagram @landmarkemsdigitalart Artsonia.com - “Landmark Elementary Middle School” Students upload their own work to share with family and friends Artsonia Facts & Stats: 13,460 visitors to date 3,212 pieces of artwork uploaded 1,201 comments 723 fan club members.

Artsonia shares 20% of profits that we use to purchase supplies and plastic filament for our 3D drawing pens.

30

The Lantern

My main goal in the Digital Art class at EMS is to teach traditional and digital art skills in a creative and accepting open-studio format. Students work with iPads at their own pace, creating artwork that covers most traditional art-making skills and concepts. We use our hands and a stylus to draw, paint, design, photograph, manipulate images, work with green-screen technology, create animations, and even throw pots on a virtual potter’s wheel.

We also work with 3D drawing pens that are very similar to handheld 3D printers.

I want my assignments to be open-ended whenever possible, and I try to foster an environment of acceptance, experimentation, creative reflection, problem-solving, responsibility, and ultimately the ability to step outside the comfort zone. Students learn to work their way through the creative process, while practicing newly acquired skills, learning from their mistakes, and eventually reaching their final goal. There are quite a few “light bulb moments” during class when I can see the gears turning and the final moment of relief and excitement when the magical lightbulb above each of their heads shines brightly.

We use a workflow model, moving from one app on our iPads to another, sometimes utilizing three or four apps to get to our final piece of work. This way of thinking about the creative process and learning to mentally picture the next few steps allows students to create an amazing piece of work, while selecting how they need to proceed. All the while, they are experimenting with the process; constantly evaluating their decisions, applying previously learned knowledge and skills, and eventually creating something they never thought possible.

Digital Art class and the process of creating art on an iPad seems to be a mystery to most adults. Children love to experiment and they are not afraid of “breaking” the iPad or making mistakes. I hope my students will take with them the skills necessary to think for themselves, question ideas, manage their time, take responsibility for their own learning, develop focus, and ultimately create amazing artwork with great pride and a big smile on their face.

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

James Sheehan ’22

Isabella Sestini ’24

Jack Bram ’23

Aidan Cammann ’21

Tim Dobies ’21

Mia Kaminsky ’24

Sophia Pirone ’21

Lindsay Pitkin ’22

Declan McKernan ’27

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

The Lantern

31

OFF TO RISD!

32

The Lantern

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

By Adam Hickey Four alumnae explore their artistic voices at Rhode Island School of Design, and each brings her unique perspective to the forefront. Michelle Authelet ’16, Sabrina Clark ’15, Motoria Usovicz ’14, and Olivia Wise ’13, freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior respectively, are fearlessly finding their voice in the media of painting, textile design, and sculpture.

O K I E RA N K E SN E R ’ 0 9

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

n a recent Sunday afternoon as the first taste of spring arrived in East Providence, Heads of the High School Visual Arts Department Beth Jamieson and Kara Healey (a RISD alum herself ) spent time visiting with these hard-working artists and reflecting on their collective transition from Landmark School to RISD and how their art has evolved. As the unhurried lunch unfolded, upperclassmen Oliva and Motoria shared their wisdom on navigating the idiosyncrasies of professors, finding free food, and fiscally shrewd ways to attain materials for projects.

Under budding trees while enjoying smoothies and falafel sandwiches, the girls opened up on how the opportunity to attend Landmark School prepared them for the challenges of studying at one of the leading art schools in the nation. Each highlighted the challenges of moving from a highly structured and homogeneous culture to the cacophony that is art school. Yet they collectively maintained the salient reality that without the skills Landmark taught and validated, they may very likely have missed out on the opportunity to take advantage of the RISD experience.

The Lantern

33

Later that afternoon, the students showed Beth and Kara their studio spaces and highlighted their current interests and projects: Olivia: senior thesis using fabric to paint, and then deconstructing the work and manipulating the pieces into woodcarvings — a completely new path for her Motoria: textile major exploring various biological and human forms in her work as well as oil painting Sabrina: tackling issues of race, gender, and class structures through sculpture and performance art Michelle: getting acclimated to the high demands of RISD and learning to thrive in a rigorous foundations year Looking back on their visit, Beth and Kara reflected, “It was incredible to reunite and see how RISD has shaped these talented young women.”

These students’ work and personalities are so varied and diverse, yet they all share the common bond of the Landmark experience.

34

The Lantern

“

It was incredible to reunite and see how RISD has shaped these talented young women.”

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

The Lantern

35

TAKE NOTE I

t’s 1:30 in the afternoon on a Thursday in April. It’s EMS Day—a day filled with an array of workshops that range from solving the mystery of Rubik’s cube to making and eating momos (Tibetan dumplings)—and the Variety Show finale is about to begin.

Students are assembled in the gym, some sitting in stands and others spilling onto the floor. Other students are backstage rehearsing stand-up comedy, dance and gymnastics routines, karate, singing, and more. The Milkbreak Band, comprised of faculty members and students, is entertaining the audience with rock, pop, and funk tunes. At the center of this happy gaggle of instrumentalists is a fair-haired boy sitting behind a large drum set confidently keeping time for the group. Meet Landmark sixth grade student Jack Bram.

Jack is relatively new to Landmark but not to music. In fact, on the weekends he plays in three bands: a rock band called the Flaming Pandas, a bluegrass band named the Candy Mountain String Band, and even a jazz band, all through The Real School of Music in Burlington, Massachusetts.

Inspired by bands like The Kinks, Ramones, and The Cynics, Jack plays the drums, upright and electric bass, guitar, and even a little ukelele.

He spends his school vacations at The Real School, where he teams up with other kids to take music lessons, write songs, shoot music videos, and play their masterpieces for live audiences.

But his love of music has gone far beyond 36

The Lantern

performance. Jack’s tutorial teacher is Mary Kahn, an accomplished musician in her own right. In addition to working on phonemic awareness and expressive language skills, Jack and Mary also study music theory and sight reading for the first five minutes of their daily tutorial.

When gently encouraged, Jack proudly shares the meaning behind the Circle of Fifths, a graphical illustration explaining the relationship among the 12 tones of the chromatic scale, their corresponding key signatures, and the associated major and minor keys. It’s abstract, to say the least, but for Jack, explaining its meaning is as natural as breathing in and out.

Fast forward to the end of the Variety Show.

Jack is standing on stage gripping his drum sticks.

The space fills with a recording of a song that is ethereal, melodic, and melancholy. It ends and the audience claps politely. An EMS teacher asks, “Jack, did you write and record that song?”

He nods yes and smiles sheepishly. The audience goes crazy and jumps to their feet, cheering and clapping for their schoolmate. The pride is palpable. The community feels it and so does Jack.

Jack’s original composition is called “Into Darkness,” and he wrote it at a time when the weight of feeling misunderstood in school was heavy. Those days are now behind him and he looks forward to writing and playing music, discussing music theory, and many more ovations.

Jack plays the double and electric bass, guitar, drums, and even a little ukelele.

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

CA R L G A SOWS K I (4)

EMS’s multi-instrumentalist Jack Bram makes his mark at Landmark

By Susan Tomases

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

The Lantern

37

2017  GOLD KEY Addy Tibrewal ’17 Self Portrait, charcoal on paper 38

The Lantern

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

SCHOLASTIC ART AND WRITING AWARDS

 GOLD KEY Lindsay Pitkin ’22 Digital self-portrait  GOLD KEY Addy Tibrewal ’17 Stretchmarks, charcoal on paper

 GOLD KEY Gavin Carmichael ’17 Slab Vase, ceramics

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

The Lantern

39

2017

SCHOLASTIC ART AND WRITING AWARDS  SILVER KEY Svetlana Simkovits ’18 Beach, printmaking

 SILVER KEY Julian Vye ’17 Self Portrait in Mask, charcoal on paper 40

The Lantern

 SILVER KEY Cristina Monarrez ’18 Photogravure

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

 HONORABLE MENTION Acadia Caron ’18 Self Portrait, charcoal on paper

 HONORABLE MENTION Ryan Dumont ’17 Self Portrait, charcoal on paper

 HONORABLE MENTION Samantha Williams ’17 Tapestry, ink on fabric

 HONORABLE MENTION Jacqueline Connor ’20 Self Portrait, charcoal on paper

 HONORABLE MENTION Abigail Howe ’20 Slab Vase, ceramics

 HONORABLE MENTION Katharine Judy ’20 digital painting

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

The Lantern

41

2017

SCHOLASTIC ART AND WRITING AWARDS

 HONORABLE MENTION Cristina Monarrez ’18 Alphabet in Food, graphic design

 HONORABLE MENTION Katia Green ’17 photography

 HONORABLE MENTION Cara O’Neill ’17 Movie Poster, graphic design

 HONORABLE MENTION Madison Coddington ’17 Spiral Vase, ceramics 42

The Lantern

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

 HONORABLE MENTION Elizabeth Macmannis ’18 Movie Poster, graphic design  HONORABLE MENTION Cara O’Neill ’17 Book Cover, design  HONORABLE MENTION Ady Tibrewal ’17 Self-Portait Color Study, acrylic on canvas

ADDITIONAL ART AWARDS  BEST IN SCHOOL 6th Congressional District Awards Lyandra Benitez ’19 Self-Portrait, charcoal on paper

 FIRST PLACE Endicott College Art Competition Christina Monarrez ’18, Photogravure SPRING/SUMMER 2017

The Lantern

43

GRADUATION Landmark 2017 High School Graduates Jonathan Paul Ahern Southern New Hampshire University Manchester, New Hampshire Abdulmajeed Abdulaziz Al Hammad Suffolk University Boston, Massachusetts Brynne Melissa Arsenault Suffolk University Boston, Massachusetts

GRADUATION PHOTOS BY LIFETOUCH

44

The Lantern

Kyra MonĂŠt Bailey Wingate University Wingate, North Carolina

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

2017 Christopher Eric Whalen Belfi* Providence College Providence, Rhode Island Ryan E. Bottis Johnson and Wales University Providence, Rhode Island Izabella Farah Boussart Newbury College Brookline, Massachusetts Zachary Daniel Bowden Westfield State University Westfield, Massachusetts Grant Noble Buchanan Nichols College Dudley, Massachusetts

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

The Lantern

45

Gavin T. Carmichael* Champlain College Burlington, Vermont Antonio D. Chase Massasoit Community College Brockton, Massachusetts Eric Alexander Citrano Bryant University Smithfield, Rhode Island Madison Marie Coddington University of Dayton Dayton, Ohio Jackson Cole University of Southern Maine Portland, Maine Olivia May Colton Lesley University Cambridge, Massachusetts Dean William Conrad Westfield State University Westfield, Massachusetts Kevin Patrick Dalton College of Charleston Charleston, South Carolina Stephen Andrew Henry Davis* Saint Micahel’s College Colchester Vermont Jake Richard Diaco Lynn University Boca Raton, Florida Gabriel Barringer Dietz* University of New England Biddeford, Maine Krystyna Theresa Pauline Dolson Southern New Hampshire University Manchester, New Hampshire Ryan Edward Keen Dumont Bryant University Smithfield, Rhode Island Samuel Richard Esbenshade Unity College Unity, Maine Susanna M. Eustis Travel Students eagerly await the graduation ceremony

46

The Lantern

Samuel S. Fishman* School of Visual Arts New York, New York SPRING/SUMMER 2017

Melissa L. Gaudet Mount Wachusett Community College Gardner, Massachusetts Amira Ghobrial* Queen’s University Kingston, Ontario, Canada Peter Walsh Glidden Becker College Worcester, Massachusetts Ryan Gosselin New England College Henniker, New Hampshire Katia Adele Green* Johnson and Wales University Providence, Rhode Island Charles Michael Healy Salem State University Salem, Massachusetts Elizabeth Courtney Hersch Parsons Paris School of Art and Design Paris, France Garrett M. Hoag Bryant University Smithfield, Rhode Island Thomas Howland Keene State College Keene, New Hampshire Alec James Hurst University of Denver Denver, Colorado Sam Karag Roger Williams University Bristol, Rhode Island Henry Hon Lam Koo* University of Technology Sydney Ultimo, New South Wales, Australia Brian H. M. Kreidberg Hofstra University Hempstead, New York Cameron Alexander Lane-Matthews University of New Hampshire Durham, New Hampshire Jacob Dunlea Latta University of Maine Orono, Maine John F. Maher III Long Island University Post Greenvale, New York SPRING/SUMMER 2017

The Lantern

47

Bennett Austin Malbon Norwich University Norwich, Vermont Jacob Robert McCaughey* Bryant University Smithfield, Rhode Island Robert M. McDougall Curry College Milton, Massachusetts Andrew Sullivan McNamee Regis University Denver, Colorado Alexander Douglas Meier Savannah College of Art and Design Savannah, Georgia Devin Murphy Plymouth State University Plymouth, New Hampshire Lukas Nahass University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, Colorado Cristina Patrice Nelson Endicott College Beverly, Massachusetts Matthew Robert Nevins Saint Michael’s College Colchester, Vermont Clara Louise O’Connor Savannah College of Art and Design Savannah, Georgia

Headmaster Bob Broudo with guest speaker Don Sweeney

Cara H. O’Neill Emmanuel College Boston, Massachusetts Andrew Denton Oprian Vermont Technical College Randolph, Vermont Cooper Norman Ozoonian Westfield State University Westfield, Massachuseetts

Taylor Weeks ’17

Philip William Popken Emerson University Boston, Massachusetts Aidan Reed Powers Bryant University Smithfield, Rhode Island Jake Skiffington ’17

48

The Lantern

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

Riley Francis Prokop Paul Smith’s College Paul Smiths, New York Jacob M. Sagarino The Peterson School Woburn, Massachusetts Jacob Sallaway University of Massachusetts Lowell Lowell, Massachusetts Moritz Schuster Suffolk University Boston, Massachusetts Jake R. Skiffington Plymouth State University Plymouth, New Hampshire Robin Hood Southwick University of Maine Orono, Maine Owen Matthew Sunnerberg University of Massachusetts, Amherst Amherst, Massachusetts Christopher A. Talcofsky Curry College Milton, Massachusetts Adwitiya Tibrewal* Drexel University Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Matthew Lee Tucker Saint Michael’s College Colchester, Vermont Michael Lee Tucker Saint Michael’s College Colchester, Vermont Olivia Rose Valenti* Bryant University Smithfield, Rhode Island Rachel Kate Venuti Salve Regina University Newport, Rhode Island Julian Hayes Vye Massachusetts College of Art and Design Boston, Massachusetts James Joseph Walsh Curry College Milton, Massachusetts Taylor William Weeks* American University Washington, District of Columbia SPRING/SUMMER 2017

The Lantern

49

Samuel Wigden State University of New York Maritime College New York, New York Zachary Kade Wilcox* Johnson and Wales University Providence, Rhode Island Samantha Jepson Williams Bryant University Smithfield, Rhode Islan Douglas A. Woodin Wentworth Institute of Technology Boston, Massachusetts *Preparatory Program

Undergraduate Destinations HIGH SCHOOL Austin Ayers Flint Hill School Oakton, Virginia Joseph Hall Del Oro High School Loomis, California Abigail Howe Tyngsborough High School Tyngsborough, Massachusetts Zachary Mitsakis Masconomet Regional High School Boxford, Massachusetts McKinley Nault Kents Hill School Readfield, Maine Jake Regan Wakefield High School Wakefield, Massachusetts Darby Rich Tilton School Tilton, New Hampshire Ashton Sears Shining Mountain Waldorf School Boulder, Colorado Kathleen Sullivan Proctor Academy Andover, New Hampshire

50

The Lantern

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

Elementary•Middle School Lillian Abbott (grade 8) North Andover, MA Landmark High School Landon Alpaugh (grade 8) Wellesley, MA Landmark High School Maxx Brennan (grade 8) Wakefield, MA Landmark High School Patrick Brennan (grade 8) Arlington, MA Landmark High School Isabella Cahill (grade 8) Boxford, MA Landmark High School Aidan Cammann (grade 8) Andover, MA Andover Public Schools, Andover, MA Josiah Castellucci (grade 8) Gloucester, MA Landmark High School Thomas Coughlin (grade 8) Topsfield, MA St. John’s Preparatory School, Danvers, MA Braden Coyne (grade 6) Danvers, MA St. John’s Preparatory School, Danvers, MA Tanner Coyne (grade 8) Danvers, MA Landmark High School Julius Culliton (grade 8) Dorchester, MA Landmark High School Timothy Dobies (grade 8) Newton, MA Landmark High School Thomas Evans (grade 8) Danvers, MA Essex Technical High School, Hathorne, MA Adam Fee (grade 8) Andover, MA Landmark High School Jack Fittz (grade 8) Andover, MA Landmark High School SPRING/SUMMER 2017

The Lantern

51

Wylie Glorieux (grade 5) Essex, MA Manchester-Essex Public Schools Blake Gondella (grade 8) Georgetown, MA Landmark High School Heather Graham (grade 8) Andover, MA Landmark High School James Grayken (grade 8) Boston, MA Landmark High School Ryan Johanson (grade 8) North Andover, MA Landmark High School Katharine Judy (grade 8) Ipswich, MA Ipswich High School, Ipswich, MA Matthew Kaminsky (grade 8) Lexington, MA Landmark High School Jonathan King (grade 6) Marblehead, MA Marblehead Public Schools, Marblehead, MA Noah LaFlamme-Howe (grade 7) Newburyport, MA Clark School, Rowley, MA Charles Lopardo (grade 7) Manchester by the Sea, MA Landmark High School Lily Lopardo (grade 7) Manchester by the Sea, MA Landmark High School Meghan McTeague (grade 8) Lowell, MA Landmark High School Taylor Nault (grade 8) North Hampton, NH Landmark High School Nicholas Nold (grade 8) North Hampton, NH Landmark High School Jayla Odorczuk (grade 8) Swampscott, MA Landmark High School

52

The Lantern

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

Alberto Pennace (grade 8) North Andover, MA St. John’s Preparatory School, Danvers, MA Sophia Pirone (grade 8) Somerville, MA Landmark High School Jack Pomposelli (grade 8) Needham, MA Landmark High School Morgan Sebastian (grade 8) Wellesley, MA Landmark High School Aidan Shea (grade 8) Andover, MA Landmark High School Andre Sicuranza (grade 8) Auburndale, MA Landmark High School MacKenzie Stowell (grade 7) Manchester by the Sea, MA Landmark High School Melissa Sullivan (grade 8) Somerville, MA Landmark High School Caroline Swearingen (grade 7) Marblehead, MA Landmark High School

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

The Lantern

53

Senior Moment of Fame

Andrew McNamee, Regis University

Cara O’Neill, Emmanuel College

Robin Southwick, University of Maine

Kyra Bailey, Wingate University

Michael Tucker, Saint Michael’s College

Via Valenti, Bryant University

54

The Lantern

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

A few days before graduation we asked our seniors to try to sum up, in one word or a short phrase, how they felt about leaving Landmark.

We were impressed with the honesty and the introspection they put into their answers. Here is just a small sampling of what our newest graduates shared.

Samantha Williams, Bryant University

Andrew Oprian, Vermont Technical College SPRING/SUMMER 2017

Julian Vye, Massachusetts College of Art and Design

Cristina Nelson, Endicott College

Krystyna Dolson, Southern New Hampshire University

Sam Fishman, School of Visual Arts

The Lantern

55

56

The Lantern

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

♥

LIMELIGHT a love story

Riding Tandem

by Christine Ozahowski

For Jennifer and Chris McKernan, the pursuit of outdoor adventure eventually led to their greatest adventure in marriage and their true passion for teaching. Jen, a native of Vermont, decided that the world of interior design was not her true path, so she chose a more adventurous outdoor life that included living in Colorado and working for a fly fishing outfitter in Idaho and Wyoming. Chris, who grew up in Boston, left a promising career in investments and travelled extensively across the United States and Europe while working with professional cycling teams. However, it was the calling to be teachers that led both Jen and Chris to Landmark.

Jen had been teaching at Landmark for a few years, and was away for the summer when Chris arrived on the EMS campus in July of 2005. It was a rather cheeky comment from a long-time faculty member that made Chris wonder what would lie ahead. “I was sitting at lunch and was asked if I was single. When I responded that I was, I was told that wouldn’t last long.” When Jen returned, it did not take much time for her to hear about “the new guy.” A chance meeting in the teacher’s lounge left an impression on both of them. Their first date, not surprisingly, was a bike ride.

After a challenging fall of 2006 marked by the death of Chris’s father, Chris knew by Christmas the time was right to propose. “We needed some levity after a tough few months.” In typical Landmark “family” style, there were a few friends who were aware of his intentions. While enjoying a special night out, Jen was surprised at dinner with an Asscher-cut diamond that reflected her classic style. Wanting to host a casual summer wedding, Jen planned their “Gatsby” lawn party SPRING/SUMMER 2017

for July of 2007. The reception was held at a 300 year-old barn and complemented by blue hydrangeas and pink roses, jazz music, croquet, and seersucker suits. Jen was a stunning bride in a slender, flowing dress with a lace back and tiny pearl buttons. Chris wore his father’s wedding band and grandfather’s watch to honor the memory of these two important men.

It’s very apparent that this sentimental couple’s commitments to each other, teaching, and family drive important decisions. They purchased a “fixer-upper” in Beverly Farms and were soon surrounded by friends and family offering help. Their first child, Cole, named after Jen’s grandfather, was born in “true teacher fashion” to coincide with April vacation in 2011. Their family grew again four years later with the birth of their second son, Quinlan. Jen and Chris have built a life grounded in faith, family, and community; and reflecting on these values, Jen says, “Life is about finding what you love, and making your own adventure.”

NAME

Christopher and Jennifer McKernan HOMETOWN

Beverly Farms HOBBIES

Cycling YEARS AT LANDMARK

27 NEXT GENERATION

Cole and Quinlan

The Lantern

57

*

SPOTLIGHT faculty

Gotta Dance

by Sarah Ciras

Landmark School is known for providing venues where students can flourish, and Kelli-Ann (Nave) Camacho’s dance curriculum is no exception. Kelli-Ann has been teaching dance at Landmark for nine years and has grown the program from a single class of five students to its current three classes and 18 students.

58

The Lantern

as their competition director, where her work has been nominated for “Elite Choreography” at national competitions. She also actively performs in musicals, most recently choreographing and performing in Marblehead Little Theatre’s Best of Broadway Revue. Kelli-Ann has taken on musical theatre roles with several other companies, performing in national tours such as Star Power’s original Power Pak Tour, VEE Corporation’s Sesame Street Live, and in Out of This World, both East and West Coast National Tours, where she played Super Grover. Other dancing credits include opening for the musical groups Blessed Union of Souls and Evan & Jaron.

Kelli-Ann was married in 2015 to Joel Camacho, who accepts her profound admiration of Broadway actor Jeremy Jordan and shares her deep love for their adorable dog Charlie. Kelli-Ann’s kindness, talent, and humor inspire her students. As Rachel Bussone, class of 2016, puts it “Ms. Camacho is someone I will forever look up to, and I’m glad I got the chance to learn from her.”

NAME

Kelli-Ann Camacho PROUD OF

Growing Landmark’s dance program PASSION

Choreography and dance YEARS AT LANDMARK

Nine FAVORITE PET

Charlie the dog

CA R L G A SOWS K I

The Evening of Dance, a two-night affair where students can showcase their talents, is the first time performing in front of an audience for many.

Kelli-Ann is there to support them through what is often a stressful process. As Via Valenti, a class of 2017 graduate attests, “I am grateful for all Ms. Camacho has done for me, especially building my confidence and helping me conquer some of the biggest challenges in my life.” KelliAnn also choreographs the spring musical each year, and many of the student-actors have little to no experience dancing. She always makes sure they are comfortable taking the stage with their newfound skill set.

The foundation in dance that Kelli-Ann provides often opens a new window for her students, and she excels at bringing out the best in them. “She always encouraged me and never let me give up,” states Jamie Bergin ’14. “She showed me that dance wasn’t just a silly little hobby, but therapy.” Jamie has since gone on to become a dance instructor herself.

Kelli-Ann teaches varied dance styles from ballet to hip hop to contemporary, though her passion lies in musical theatre. After school, she heads to the North Shore Performing Arts Center

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

The Lantern

59

*

SPOTLIGHT alumni

From Dallas, Texas to Landmark and Back

by Susan Tomases Michael Solis is informal, friendly, and unassuming. He prefers to talk about his kids rather than himself. One would never know from meeting this warm and chatty alum that he is the creative mind behind award-winning retail displays and environments, furniture, packaging, and point-of-sale displays for retail giant Neiman Marcus, among others.

60

The Lantern

self-advocacy and confidence to rise to a challenge I learned at Landmark, were essential for me. Retail goes at lightning speed and complements how I think. The work and demands are constantly changing. I love switching gears and juggling multiple projects in a day.”

The rest, as they say, is history. Michael returned to Dallas and eventually became the director of design at Neiman Marcus overseeing 42 visual managers, one for each unique store. Part of the Neiman Marcus brand is to excite and entertain shoppers. No two stores are alike and Michael likes it that way.

He is now Vice President of Creative at JGX Group, a design and fabrication firm serving clients as diverse as Bobby Brown, Fossil, Vince, and yes, Neiman Marcus.

NAME

Michael Solis HOMETOWN

Dallas, TX CLASS OF

1987 FAVORITE PART OF HIS WORK

Constantly changing demands and working at lightning speed CURRENT POSITION

Vice President of Creative at JGX Goup

Just one of the countless window displays Michael has designed for Nieman Marcus.

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

M I C HA E L SO LI S

One glance at his website, Michael-Solis.com reveals a plethora of creative concepts promoting brands as recognizable as Chanel, Cartier, and even Target.

Michael’s Landmark journey began during a summer program before his sophomore year of high school. He confesses that he was so enamored with the scenery and weather of the North Shore that he didn’t want to return to his hometown of Dallas, TX. That began his time at Landmark until he graduated in 1987.

When asked to recall what was so special about his Landmark experience he said, “I loved the closeness with my teachers. They really encouraged me to ask questions and ask for help.

These were life lessons for me even though I didn’t know it at the time.”

After leaving Landmark, Michael went to Parsons School of Design, where he could sink his teeth into his love of art and design. After college he stayed in New York City. He flourished as an artist, diving into furniture, product, interior, and custom design jobs. He learned that he excelled in the corporate retail setting where deadlines are short and projects change at a moment’s notice.

“The skills I learned as an artist, paired with the

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

The Lantern

61

62

The Lantern

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

*

STARLIGHT parent

Building Community on the Road

by Michelle Granese

RYA N D E J OY

It’s 6:45 a.m. on a sunny spring morning in Lexington, Massachusetts. Cars are gathered at a rest stop where 13 Landmark Elementary•Middle School students are boarding a bus for school. Parents are saying goodbye, offering last-minute reminders, and wishing their kids a good day. For many this would seem challenging – sending their child to school an hour away in Manchester—yet for these families it has become so natural, a normal weekday morning. Despite the ease of this arrangement, it does not happen on its own. Jennifer Haggerty P’22, of Needham, Massachusetts, is one of the exceptional Landmark parents who make this operation run smoothly for families in the Metro West area.

Three years ago when Jennifer’s daughter Ciara started at EMS, their family was lucky enough to join a parent-created bus arrangement. At first, it had been a bit unnerving for Jennifer and her husband, John, to put their young daughter on a bus with unfamiliar children headed to a brand new school so far away. To get to know everyone better, Jennifer and John hosted a dinner for the parents of the children on the bus and quickly gained comfort hearing similar stories about each family’s journey to Landmark and experience with the school community.

After that first year on the bus, Jennifer and other parents decided to rethink the transportation arrangement for their children, not only to improve logistics, but more importantly, to strengthen community among the local Landmark families.

Together, the parents scouted and negotiated a new bus contract, coordinated logistics, and SPRING/SUMMER 2017

improved group communication. Before the start of the academic year on the new bus, Jennifer and John began a new tradition of gathering parents and children for an ice cream social at their home to review schedule updates, introduce new riders, and present the official “bus rules” for the year.

Most importantly, the kids and parents had a time to catch up and share their excitement for the year ahead.

We are grateful for all of Jennifer’s contributions to the Landmark community, which extend well beyond transportation logistics. In addition to hosting other Metro West social events and volunteering at EMS as much as she can, Jennifer has also created a “Frequently Asked Questions” document for new EMS families, highlighting ways parents can get involved, as well as the little things like where to grab a cup of coffee and what beaches to visit while waiting to pick up a child!

NAME

Jennifer Haggerty DAUGHTER

Ciara Haggerty CLASS OF

2022 UNOFFICIAL TITLE

Landmark Metro West Ambassador

The Lantern

63

*

SPOTLIGHT student

Queen of the Kitchen

by Joe Rose After one-and-a half years as a student in Landmark’s Prep Program, Katia Green began to think outside the box in terms of her future. What she began to envision at that point in her junior year would go a long way toward changing her life both academically and personally.

“Most of my friends were looking forward to their senior year at Landmark,” said the 19 year old. “Even though I loved Landmark, I had some things I wanted to do sooner, rather than later!”

With several years of experience working at Boston-area eateries, Kat was specifically exploring starting her college experience early by studying culinary arts in an early enrollment program at Johnson and Wales University ( JWU) in Providence, Rhode Island.

“Johnson and Wales was offering exactly what I was looking for,” she explained. “I knew that I wanted to work in culinary services and eventually become a chef, and this was a perfect opportunity. In the early enrollment program, I could use my senior year to finish my high school credits, while starting to study the culinary arts, all on the JWU campus.”

What Kat was exploring was something that had never been considered by a Landmark student.

Essentially, she would be dually enrolled at Landmark and JWU, take all her classes in Providence, while still coming to Landmark to meet with her advisor, Chris Murphy, once a week. In the spring of 2016, Kat presented her idea to the Landmark Diploma Committee, which approved her as the first dual-enrollment college/high school student in the school’s history.

“I really did a lot of research into the JWU program before I presented my idea to the Diploma Committee,” she remembered. “I had a lot of 64

The Lantern

help from Mr. Murphy as well as Mrs. Crossman, director of Transition and Guidance, and Mrs. Cunningham, Prep Program academic advisor. In the end, the committee approved my proposal and I started to plan my move to Providence.”

Last fall Kat moved into JWU student housing and began taking several classes including English Composition, College Mathematics, and Life Science, which would help her fulfill her high school graduation requirements. The following trimester, she began studying in the globally recognized kitchens of the Johnson & Wales Culinary Arts department, where she worked with master chefs in classes such as Cooking in the Global Marketplace, Food Safety and Sanitation Management, and Foundations of Baking and Pastry.

Kat’s original idea clearly turned into an unmitigated success, as she fulfilled all her high school requirements, while also passing all of her college courses.

“Landmark helped prepare me in so many ways,” she said. “From the classroom strategies, to the skills I learned living residentially at Landmark, I could not have succeeded without the support of the entire Landmark community.”

Kat graduated with her Landmark class on June 3 and will return to JWU as a college sophomore for the 2017-18 school year in the fall.

Needless to say, there will be countless accomplishments and delicious dishes in her future.

NAME

Katia Green HOMETOWN

Boston, MA CLASS OF

2017 BEST OF BOTH WORLDS

Landmark Senior and Johnson and Wales Freshman

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

The Lantern

65

*

PENLIGHT

in their own words

Getting Back on Track

by Katharine Judy

Before coming to Landmark, school was a nightmare for me. Of course I had friends, but the classes were extremely difficult. I was reading almost three years below my grade level and my writing, well it wasn’t the best. Whenever I read I couldn’t seem to grasp the concept of each chapter and the words on each page seemed to float away into the abyss. I was constantly pulled out of class for extra reading lessons while my friends read a book that I thought I could never read.

66

The Lantern

I also had met a group of friends who made me feel welcome and happy again, even though I kept ditching them after milkbreak to go to the library (sorry). One of my favorite classes I had at Landmark was tutorial. My tutorial teacher and I have bonded so much over my seventh and eighth grade years and will probably continue to do so when she tutors me throughout high school. Tutorial class made me enjoy reading again, like a lot, to the point where I actually read under my desk in the middle of three science classes (which I feel guilty about now—sorry Ms. Littlefield!).

Next year I will be leaving Landmark. At times I am still worried about returning to public school, given my rough experience in sixth grade and how great my experience at Landmark has been. However, when I think negatively about my new school, I remind myself of all the skills and tools that I have acquired. I try to remember my old friends and how they are excited to see me come home. Also, there are many new opportunities that await me, including interesting new classes, such as screenwriting and extracurricular activities, like the tech crew. As I look back on my time at Landmark, I stand happy and prepared for the challenges I face ahead.

NAME

Katharine Judy HOMETOWN

Ipswich, MA NEXT STEP

Ipswich High School FAVORITE LANDMARK MEMORY

Being welcomed by Landmark students in the lunchroom WHY I’M GRATEFUL TO LANDMARK

Gaining academic confidence and a love of reading

CA R L G A SOWS K I

Unfortunately, the following year was a disaster. I entered middle school with my best friends and a rested mind from the summer, but then I got my class schedule. None of my friends were in any of my academic classes. That year was probably one of the worst school years of my life. Each day I left school with a dreary face and lots of homework that I did not understand. I had a special teacher who helped me when I needed it, but with that teacher came other children who were not as interested in learning as I was. Eventually, I heard I was going to Landmark. Although I was sad about leaving my best friends, I was happy to leave the difficulties of school behind me.

When I entered Landmark the following year, I was terrified. Even though I was going into seventh grade, I still remember complaining to my mom that I wanted her to stay when she dropped me off, and until lunchtime I continued to wish she was there.

I entered the dining room, the place I dreaded the most, when a group of girls asked if I wanted to sit with them. That is one memory that always sticks out in my mind; they were so welcoming and nice to me. For the first time, I felt truly at home and smart in a school environment, surrounded by fellow dyslexic students and teachers who really cared about every single child in the classroom.

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

The Lantern

67

*

STARLIGHT athletics

Making an Impact, Leaving Their Mark

68

The Lantern

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

by Tara Joly-Lowdermilk

In their final year at Landmark’s Elementary•Middle School, the eighth graders have worn many hats. They’ve been tour guides, student council members, peer leaders, friends, student panelists, and dedicated learners. All of these roles have helped them develop into strong, committed, and mature young adults; but it may be their role as student athletes that has proven to be the most impactful.

At EMS, the eighth graders not only provide a strong, steady presence for their teammates, but they also rise to the challenge of becoming leaders for the underclassmen. These young men and women have a knack for encouraging their teammates, a willingness to take charge, and an unrelenting desire to represent their school with class and sportsmanship.

Examples of leadership could be seen throughout the year. Landon Alpaugh and Josiah Castellucci led the soccer team on the pitch this fall and were always willing to lend an ear when less experienced teammates had questions or needed support. During the winter season, boys basketball co-captains Jack Pomposelli and Patrick Brennan could often be found during practices working with the younger players on plays or offering gentle reminders about team expectations. Taylor Nault stressed the importance to the girls basketball team of working hard and how sticking together can only make a team stronger. Matty Kaminsky and Nick Nold served as perfect role models on the track and field team this spring, guiding others and showing what true sportsmanship looks like.

As eighth graders, many of our students chose to travel to Landmark High School to compete on the swim, wrestling, tennis, and lacrosse teams.

Aidan Shea, Tim Dobies, and Adam Fee were productive participants for the boys lacrosse team, while Bella Cahill and Heather Graham assisted the girls varsity lacrosse team in multiple victories. Blake Gondella swam with the Vikings, showing the team that, while he might have been younger, he could hang with the strongest swimmers. Jack Fittz took to the court on the tennis team, reaching both personal and team goals.

The impact an eighth grader has on a Landmark team whether at EMS or the high school is immense. They serve as captains, leaders, and facilitators both on and off the field of play. Providing a consistent, reliable example of what it means to be a Landmark student athlete, these eighth graders have left lasting legacies for years to come. By giving 100% dedication and constant effort throughout the 2016–2017 season, these student-athletes not only contributed to many Landmark victories, but also helped to transform Landmark athletics and mold their teammates into skilled, confident athletes.

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

The Lantern

69

*

STARLIGHT performing arts

Opportunities to Shine

by Jeremy Melvin This has been a busy year in the Performing Arts Department. In addition to our usual schedule of dance performances, music concerts, and plays, we made several new opportunities available to our students.

70

The Lantern

school day in the near future.

Students were given more chances to perform on campus this year, as we offered Ensemble Night, a spring version of the popular Solo Night in the fall. We also had a series of student-run Coffee Houses throughout the year in which students could sing, read something they wrote, play an instrument, do a stand-up routine—whatever talent the Coffee House Committee could uncover! Especially exciting was that a student band came together and performed at Ensemble Night and several of the Coffee Houses. They named themselves “Under The Stands” because they practice on the stands in the Theater during free time.

And although we have put on a musical every spring for over 20 years, this year’s production of Little Shop of Horrors was the first time we have used a lot of puppets—two of them large enough that the student puppeteers were inside them!

As head of the department, I was especially glad to see how eagerly our students embraced and took advantage of these new opportunities—and how many of their skills and talents were able to shine even more brightly as a result!

The cast and crew of this year’s musical, Little Shop of Horrors, delivered three outstanding performances to packed houses.

K I E R A N K E S NE R ’ 09

The most popular change this year was the New York Trip we took in March (see pg.6)!

This year we also offered free voice and guitar lessons to any interested students. The voice classes were taught by Caroline Teague, assistant Reading Department head, and the students learned classical vocal techniques, which they demonstrated in their recital this May. Peter Fedele, who has provided private guitar lessons on campus for many years, offered a group guitar class, and several participants performed with the students of Nate Efinger’s “Exploring Music” class, who also learned guitar as part of their curriculum.

The Technical Theater crew also had the opportunity to do more large-scale building than usual this winter when they worked with Andy Knox ’97 to build a mezzanine storage area in the Scene Shop. The whole program benefited, along with the student crew, because their labors provided us with good long-term storage for large items, such as scenery flats.

We also offered a sewing and fashion design class as an occasional after-school activity this spring, led

by Costumer Vivienne Lowe ’05 (see page 19). This was a pilot for a class we hope to offer during the

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

The Lantern

71

*

EVENTS

Doubling Down The tradition continues! The 12th Annual Casino Night brought together Landmark alumni, parents, faculty, and staff for a fun evening of games and prizes. Thank you to our generous sponsors and donors for making this night a success. We raised more than $20,000 to support the Landmark Fund.

Prior to Casino Night festivities, more than 70 alumni and friends from the Class of 2006 and surrounding years celebrated their 10th reunion with a festive gathering at 7 Central Restaurant in Manchester.

Waves of Gratitude For the third year in a row, we held our auction and concert at the magnificent Shalin Liu Performance Center, in Rockport, MA. Guests enjoyed a performance from the talented Landmark High School chorus, an exciting live auction lead by emcee Billy Costa, and a memorable headline act, the Indigo Girls.

72

The Lantern

K I ER A N K ES N E ER ’ 09

This event gets better every year. Our appreciation goes out to all of our event participants, especially our sponsors and donors.

This year’s celebration raised a record $190,000 to support the Landmark Fund.

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

Alumni Hit the Strip On the Links Landmark hosted the 25th annual Golf Benefit in June, and the day did not disappoint. We welcomed 144 golfers to Ipswich Country Club for a fun afternoon on the links. The tournament was a huge success, raising more than $400,000 to support students and teachers at Landmark.

We are grateful to all of our sponsors and participants for making this year’s event so memorable.

In February, Landmark headed west for the third annual Las Vegas Alumni Reunion. It was an exciting trip filled with laughter and adventure as a group of 14 alumni and friends gathered to share stories and reconnect. There were many highlights, but what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas! Make sure to check our events calendar and join us next year.

Viking Drop

The misty, cool weather did not discourage our 144 golfers.

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

On June 8 the High School held its second annual Viking Drop. The event raised over $10,000 for the Landmark Fund, which supports our students and teachers. Students, faculty, staff, parents, trustees, and friends gathered on Alumni Field and watched as a viking parachuted from a plane onto the field, landing on a numbered square. The purchaser of that square won tickets to a Patriots game this fall, along with dinner at Davios and VIP parking at Gillette Stadium. Thank you to all of those who contributed and helped us cap off a successful year of fundraising for Landmark School.

The Lantern

73

FALL FESTIVAL AND

homecoming Saturday, October 14, 2017 A N D 2 0 + Y E A R RE U I N I O N S !

Please join the Landmark Community for a fun day filled with our 8th annual 5K Road Race, Family Festival, BBQ & Alumni Activities!

Students, alumni, friends, faculty, and staff - bring your families All are invited to enjoy the festivities!

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

RYA N D E J OY

Katie Mullen, Manager of Advancement Special Events at kmullen@landmarkschool.org or 978-236-3408

74

The Lantern

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

Alumni Notes facebook.com/landmarkschool

@landmarkschool

landmarkschool

The Landmark School Alumni

Stay in touch! Please email us and let us know what you’ve been up to.

Send updates and pictures to Lantern@landmarkschool.org Greg Kearney ‘74 Greg was awarded Second and Third place in the Editorial Cartoon Award of the Kansas Press Association.

John Benvenuto ‘76 John was a student at Landmark in 1971, the year the school opened! After Landmark he graduated high school and received a B.S. degree in Behavioral Science. He lives in Stratford, CT and works for Sacred Heart University.

Abiche H. Dewilde, Ph.D, ‘97 Abiche received her Bachelor of Science from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Biotechnology, her Master’s in Science from the University of Massachusetts Lowell in Biology and Biotechnology, and her Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts in Biomedical Engineering and Biotechnology.

Greg Kearney ‘74

Robert McCarthy ‘76 Robert is a retired fire-fighter and EMT from the Reading Fire Department in Massachusetts. Robert credits his time at Landmark and his ability to think differently and creatively with helping him become an accomplished Fire Alarm Technician. Robert wants to remind current students that their way of thinking is a gift!

Stefanie Sacks ‘84 Stefanie is an artist and speaker. She hopes one day people will understand that English is a language, not a measure of intelligence.

Liz Winchell ‘91 Liz owns and operates All Fired Up in Washington D.C. and Bethesda MD. Carlos Moreno ‘94 Carlos and his wife Thamara recently visited Landmark School from their home in Willemstad, Curaçao. Carlos owns and operated The Education Center in Curaçao. Carlos is passionate about helping students with LBLD receive an appropriate education.

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

She is a Professor at UMASS Lowell and is president & CSO of InVitroMetrix designing cell based biosensors for drug discovery in Lowell, MA. Abiche credits her summer at Landmark with changing her life.

Micheline Thomas ‘98 Micheline works full time at Petco and is going to school part time to become a vet tech. Micheline moved from NYC to Saint Louis in 2016.

Carlos Moreno ‘94

Tyler Payne ‘02 Tyler credits Landmark with helping make him the positive and productive person he is today. He thanks his teachers at Landmark for recognizing his potential. He believes it is better to contribute than to take, and believes there should be more positive feedback, similar to the feedback he found at Landmark, in today’s society.

Dillon and Mary Okner ’04 Dillon and Mary welcomed their son Nolan into the world on April 25. Nolan weighed in at 7.5 lbs and is happy at home with mom and dad. Congratulations Okner family!

The Lantern 75

Brian Bonacci ‘07

Gabby Pecoraro ‘07

Sarah Amaral ‘06 Sarah is working in Human Resources for Catholic Charities Archdiocese of Washington, D.C.

Ryan McKechnie ‘08 After completion of an independent marketing study of Australia, Ryan will be graduating from Jacksonville University with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Marketing. After graduation he plans on traveling out west to become certified as a mountain guide. From there, he will be seeking a career in the field of outdoor education and back-country guiding where he can share his passion for snowboarding, surfing, and the outdoors.

Brian Bonacci ‘07 Brian has been living in NYC, working in the film industry, specializing in camerawork and lighting.

Gabby Pecoraro ‘07 Gabby and her father trained for and completed the Best Buddies Challenge, a 100-mile bike ride from Boston to Cape Cod, MA. The ride benefits Best Buddies International and their mission to enhance the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. They had a great time doing this event together.

Thomas (Thoai) Kline ‘10

Sarah Clinkscales

Sarah Clinkscales ‘08 Sarah graduated from Baylor University in 2014. She currently works as a Graphic Designer for Ann Page Designs. Sarah enjoys photography, yoga, and traveling.

Matthew Schur ‘08 Matthew works as the Associate Director of Finance at the Liberty Hotel in Boston. He’s also pursuing an MSA part time at Suffolk University.

Christina Norton ‘09 Christina has worked as a Medical Assistant at Cambridge Health Care Alliance since 2010. She is also pursuing a degree at Bunker Hill Community College and is enjoying continuing her education in the medical field.

Marissa Meads ‘09 Marissa graduated from Massachusetts College of Art and Design in 2013 with a Bachelors of Fine Arts and a concentration in Architecture.

For the past three years, she has been working at RCA, LLC as an Architectural Designer. She is also taking classes at The Boston Architectural College for a Digital Design and Visualization certificate.

10 Year Reunion!

Over 70 Alumni gathered in Manchester-by-the-Sea for the 10ish year Reunion. It was a blast, and so good to see everyone!

76 The Lantern

Thomas (Thoai) Kline ‘10 After Landmark, Thomas went to New England College for engineering, then switched to exercise science. He fell in love with working out and is planning to go to study Physical Therapy.

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

Pelagia Candelas ‘12

Ian Campbell ‘13

Thomas is currently working at the YMCA as a personal trainer in Keene, NH. He is also working at his parents’ farm nearby called Nye Hill Farm. Nye Hill is an organic farm with over 30 animals. They make their own beer and have a pottery studio as well.

Thomas recently qualified for the American Ninja Warrior Competition.

Liz Giber ‘14 & Megan Doolan ‘14

Lia Giber ‘14 & Megan Doolan ‘14 Lia and Megan pictured here behind Governor’s Landing on a recent visit back to campus. Lia attends University of Vermont and is studying Education and Megan is studying Graphic Design at Westfield State.

Pelagia Candelas ‘12 After graduating from Landmark in 2012, Pelagia went on to earn a BS in Biology from UMass Amherst as a Biology/Premed student.

After graduation, she accepted a position as a research tech at a cardiovascular nutrition lab at Tufts University, where she worked on a clinical trial with Massachusetts General Hospital to better understand how inflammation of the brain could be a potential cause for clinical depression. Her work will be published by PLOS (Public Library of Science)!

Pelagia just got accepted to Boston University’s cellular molecular biology Master’s program and will be starting her graduate studies this fall.

Ian Campbell ‘13 Ian is a Senior at Curry College and is serving as Vice President of the IT Club.

Tyler Schulz ‘15 Tyler is currently a sophomore at Marist College majoring in Political Science with a minor in Business and also getting a paralegal certificate.

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

Peter O’Connor ‘15 Peter recently came back to Landmark to talk to students about his experience since joining the Marine Corps. Peter is currently in training in the field of ground electronics maintenance. The Marines was not the path Peter had expected he would end up on, but he says it was one of the best decisions he ever made and thrives in the structured environment.

Cole and Liam Burbage ‘15 After a postgraduate year at Northfield Mount Hermon, Cole and Liam enrolled at St. Lawrence University. They are competing as decathletes on SLU’s highly-regarded track team. They were each named Liberty League Rookie of the Week during the Winter Track Season. Cole went on the be named Liberty League Rookie of the Year.

Kevin Richardson ‘16 Kevin is competing as a pole vaulter for Florida Institute of Technology. Florida Tech had the best The Lantern 77

Greg Hokanson ‘17 Greg graduated from Sacred Heart High School in Kingston, MA this spring and is headed to Keene State College next year!

Kate Ginder ‘17 Kate graduated from Cape Elizabeth High School in Maine this June. She was a member of the National Honor Society and a 3-sport athlete. Kate earned Girl Scouts’ highest award for producing a video called “A Dyslexia Buddy” addressing the need for resources for children diagnosed with dyslexia and their parents. “A Dyslexia Buddy” is being shared with public libraries as well as The International Dyslexia Association. Kate will be attending Smith College in the fall.

Sebastian Ramos ’17, with Landmark’s beloved Jean Crane, on a recent visit back to Landmark.

Zachary Webster ’18, winner of the Audobon Photography Awards

season in program history this year, and has much to look forward to in 2018.

Sebastian Ramos ‘17 Sebastian is graduating from high school in his hometown of Mexico City.

Fleet Cooper ‘17 Fleet is graduating from Martin County High School in Stuart Florida later this month and has enlisted in the US Navy.

Fleet ships out on July 6th for basic training and hopes to become an aviation machinist’s mate, working on aircraft engines.

Kate Ginder ‘17

Alumni Theater Night - 2017 Landmark alumni gathered for Landmark’s Dinner Theater.

The Performing Arts Department performed Robin Hood to great applause.

LB Wallace ‘14, Kyle Dolson ‘14, Sam Foilb ‘16, Alex Foilb ‘16, Madelyn Fraser ‘16, Jamie Blouin ‘16, Andy Knox ‘97

78 The Lantern

Zachary Webster ’18 Zachary Webster, rising senior at Proctor Academy, has been named the winner of the Audubon Photography Awards (http://www.audubon.org/ magazine). In addition to appearing in the leading birding publication in the US, the photo will hang in the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC, as part of the Nature’s Best Photography photo exhibit. The exhibit will open in the fall of 2017 and remain open for a year.

The photograph, a pair of carmine bee-eaters in a mid-air battle, was taken in the Luangwa Valley in Zambia in the summer of 2016. This is the second time that Zachary has won this prestigious award and the second time his photography will hang in the Smithsonian.

Young Alumni Night Out 2017 Landmark Alumni gathered for a night of fun and old-school video games at Salem’s Bit Bar. Jason Hill ‘06, Tom O’Riordan, Jeff Gladney ‘06, William Tylko ‘13, Mark Davidson ‘04, Dylan Rock ‘13, Jake Pike ‘05

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

IN MEMORIAM

Alumni Visitors: Kat Belguendouz, Josh Jacobson, Jackie Mahoney, Shane McLaughlin, all members of the class of 2016.

ALUMNI BREAKFAST 2017 GRADUATION, JUNE 6, 2017

Jerome Johnson ‘96 Jerome Johnson, class of 1996, passed away recently from complications during heart surgery. He is remembered by the staff who worked with him as a kind and well liked student who was respected by everyone in the Landmark Community.

Jerome leaves behind both his parents, Albertis and Christilee, a sister Brenda Johnson, his daughter Adrianah Johnson, several aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and friends.

Patrick Graham ‘10 Patrick James Graham, 25, of Palm Beach, FL formerly of Winchester, MA passed away unexpectedly at his apartment in Florida on May 23, 2017.

Patrick loved the outdoors and spent many hours boating, fishing, and going to the beach in Florida and Cape Cod. Patrick lit up any room he entered and always made those around him smile. He was a great friend, brother, and son.

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

The Lantern 79

Welcome New Trustees We are honored to welcome four new intelligent and passionate members to our Board of Trustees. These individuals offer the school inspiring leadership, vision, and proven commitment to the Landmark mission.

Jennifer Buddenhagen P’23, ’27 Jennifer has been an involved parent of two children at Landmark School for several years.

She serves as the Executive Vice President, Senior Vice President Global Marketing for Carling Technologies, Inc. Jen has been with Carling Technologies for 16 years, a privately-held, familyrun global manufacturer of switching, circuit protection, and power control products for a diverse market portfolio. Jen oversees all aspects of the company’s advertising, literature, website, exhibitions, and marketing systems. As a mother of four sons, Jen is busy juggling family and work responsibilities. In her free time she enjoys boating, skiing, and hiking with her family.

80

The Lantern

Michael Pehl P’21

Ilan Segev P’18

Spencer Smitherman ‘08

Mike has extensive experience working with growth-stage businesses as both an investor and an operator. He is a founder and multiple-time CEO with a deep understanding of the unique operational challenges that growing companies face. He has taken several companies public and has served at Advent International, Razorfish, i-Cube, International Consulting Services, and is the cofounder of SAP America.

Mike founded North Bridge Growth Equity in 2007 and is currently a managing partner. Mike and his wife, Randa, have a daughter who is currently attending Landmark High School.

Ilan is the Executive Director of a Private Wealth Management group at Morgan Stanley. Prior to his work in financial services he was as a career diplomat for the State of Israel where he had been an officer in the Israeli Defense Forces.

In his role as a diplomat, he opened the first Israeli offices in Qatar and then served in Atlanta as Israel’s second highest-ranking diplomat to the United States. Ilan is the co-chair of the Israeli American Council of Boston and is an overseer on the Newton Wellesley Hospital Board. Ilan and his wife Shiri, have three sons one of whom attends Landmark’s High School.

Spencer is a former student and graduate of Landmark School. He attended both the Elementary•Middle School and High School.

Currently he is serving on the Landmark Board of Trustees as the Alumni Representative. Following Landmark, Spencer attended Bentley University where he majored in Business Management with a focus in Entrepreneurship. Spencer moved to the West Coast to begin a career in technology after college. He is currently working at Optimizely as a Senior Solutions Architect where he leads enterprise implementations for Optimizely’s A/B testing and personalization software.

SPRING/SUMMER 2017

LANDMARK SCHOOL

Board of Trustees FOUNDED 1971

Harvey L. Alter ’82 Glenview, IL Vice President The Alter Group Jennifer Buddenhagen P’23, ’27 Magnolia, MA Executive Vice President, Carling Technologies, Inc. Moira McNamara James P’10 CHAIR Marblehead, MA Director of Video Operations The Conference Board *Nicholas A. Lopardo P’92, GP’22, ’23, ’24 CHAIRMAN EMERITUS Newburyport, MA Founder and President Susquehanna Capital Management Co. Robert J. Broudo P’11 PRESIDENT AND HEADMASTER Beverly, MA Landmark School, Inc. Martin P. Slark P’01 VICE CHAIR Burr Ridge, IL President and CEO, Molex, Inc. Mark R. Brislin VICE PRESIDENT Hamilton, MA Landmark School, Inc. Julie A. Murphy CLERK Beverly, MA Landmark School, Inc. Charles P. Harris CLERK EMERITUS Winchester, MA Landmark School, Inc.

Jeffrey Carney P’16, ’18 Wellesley, MA President & CEO Mackenzie Investments Jennifer Paul Casey P’02, ’06 Marblehead, MA Casey Family Foundation

Bill Gersh ’06 Beverly Hills, CA Agent, The Gersh Agency

Catherine Slark P’01 Burr Ridge, IL Volunteer

Emily Haggman Manchester, MA President and Director of Client Services, Haggman, Inc.

Spencer Smitherman ’08, Alumni Representative San Francisco, CA Senior Solutions Architect, Optimizely

Sandra L. Jesse P’13 Manchester, MA Consultant Robert S. Merowitz P’06 Sudbury, MA President & CEO Universal Realty Corporation

Nancy Crate P’19, ’21 Beverly, MA Volunteer

Joseph H. Morgart P’12 Weston, MA Alternative Investment Pioneer Investments

Alan Dachs San Francisco, CA CEO and Director, Fremont Group

Michael Pehl P’21 Manchester, MA Founder and Managing Partner, North Bridge Growth Equity

Lynne Darling Melochiek ’98 Hampden, ME Director of Community Relations Darling’s Automotive Group

William T. Patten P’07 Hamilton, MA Director of Administration Brookline Bancorp

John DeJesus P’07 Marblehead, MA Retired Entrepreneur

Edward W. Probert Jr. P’15 Simsbury, CT Westminster School Assistant Headmaster for Advancement

James Duffy P’14 Auburndale, MA President Ravago Holdings America, Inc. Nadine Gaab Cambridge, MA Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School Faculty at Harvard Graduate School of Education

George W. Ratermann ’79 Livermore, CA Founder and Owner Ratermann Manufacturing, Inc. Ilan Segev P’18 Newton, MA Executive Director, Private Wealth Management, Morgan Stanley

Michael D. Tancreti P’09, ’11 Nashua, NH Chief Executive Officer Ashwood Development Company David A. Tessier P’10 Beverly, MA President Hospitality and Gaming Advisors *Robert J. Campbell P’04 Rockport, ME Investment Counselor Beck, Mack, & Oliver *David G. Peterson P’08 Bedford, MA Sales Management Consultant *Suzanne H. Sears P’02 Hamilton, MA * Trustee Emeritus

Post Office Box 227 Prides Crossing, Massachusetts 01965-0227 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED