Sycamore Magazine / Summer 2017

SYCAMORE

ALUMNI ISSUE GRADUATION 2017 Speeches, High School & College Choices

IVAN COMPETES IN NATIONAL SPELLING BEE

Summer 2017 INDIANA’S ONLY PRIVATE, INDEPENDENT SCHOOL FOR GIFTED STUDENTS FROM PRESCHOOL THROUGH 8TH GRADE

SYCAMORE

SYCAMORE FROM HOLLY LEE: DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT One of my favorite parts of my job is talking to an alumni about Sycamore. They often fondly recall the hard work they did for teachers that they loved. They recall projects that pushed their thinking and lifetime friends they made in the halls.

back of my finances and time to Sycamore. I am acutely aware of how fortunate I was to be able to attend Sycamore. My parents made a lot of sacrifices to provide the best education available to me and my sister at every step. My husband and I have a real desire to alleviate any financial burden to families and make a Sycamore education a possibility for others to the extent that we are able.”

I hope you will join Madeleine in donating to Sycamore this year, using the enclosed envelope. n

Almost every alum I speak with is thankful for the love of learning and the work ethic they received at Sycamore. As our alumni are mature, they are also giving back financially to Sycamore. Madeleine Briscoe Smith (‘96) said “I consider it a privilege and a joy to be able to give PRESCHOOL STUDENTS ON THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL.

VOLUME 11, No.1 FROM HEAD OF SCHOOL

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HEAD OF SCHOOL DIANE BORGMANN

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BOARD OF TRUSTEES MIKE ROSIELLO - PRESIDENT

NICKY IVAN FINISHES IN TOP 20 NATIONAL SPELLING BEE SYCAMORE SCIENCE BOWL TEAM

COMPETES AT NATIONALS IN WASHINGTON DC

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TWO FROM SYCAMORE AT NATIONAL MATHCOUNTS COMPETITION

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RETIREMENT BREAKFAST HONORS THREE TEACHERS

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BORTZ AND STUDENTS CREATE CONTEST GARDEN

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MIDDLE SCHOOLERS “MAKE A CHANGE” PROJECT

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ON THE COVER:

THE GUENTHNER SIBLINGS: (FRONT) KATHERINE, MATTHEW, AND MARGARET (BACK) EVAN AND GRACE

SEE MORE STORIES, VIDEO, NEWS & MORE ABOUT SYCAMORE SCHOOL AT SYCAMORESCHOOL.ORG

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HEAD OF EARLY CHILDHOOD JENNIFER WILLIAMS HEAD OF LOWER SCHOOL GLENNA LYKENS HEAD OF MIDDLE SCHOOL JAMIE MACDOUGALL

ALUMNI STORIES

MEENA MOORTHY ELLIE SHEFFIELD HELEN BRODY JOEY MERVIS JUSTIN MATEI

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NEWS & NOTES: ALUMNI

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GRADUATION SPEECHES

RHEA ACHARYA MARGOT HELFT

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NEWS & NOTES

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AUCTION SUCCESS

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HIGH SCHOOL DESTINATIONS & COLLEGE CHOICES

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DIRECTOR OF ADMISSIONS DR. SUSAN KARPICKE DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT HOLLY LEE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER PATRICK JUDAY SYCAMORE SCHOOL ASSOCIATION COURTNEY PRYOR - PRESIDENT

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SYCAMORE

SYCAMORE

FROM DIANE BORGMANN Dear Sycamore Friends, Alumni are important members of the Sycamore family. In the early days of the school, Sycamore didn’t focus much on the alumni population. The school was too busy building a school and a successful program. In those days, there weren’t very many alumni, and most of them weren’t even adults yet.

But as Sycamore has matured, so have our alumni!

We now have around 900 alumni, and we work hard to stay in touch with them.

Alumni are involved in several ways at Sycamore. First of all, we have several alumni who are current Sycamore parents. Yes, we do have a growing number of Sycamore legacies! Beyond that, however, our alumni are involved on task forces, committees, and our Board of Trustees. Some Sycamore alumni serve as assistants in our summer programs, resource people in our classrooms, and sometimes as full time employees! Erica Harrison (class of 1999) is our Assistant Director of Admissions, and we have recently hired Alexandra Lange (class of 2009) as a Kindergarten Assistant for next year and Ellie Sheffield (class of 2004) as a Spanish assistant. It’s amazing to see the enduring love for the school and the desire to give back coming from our alums.

Speaking of giving back, our alumni also give back to the school financially in an ever-increasing way. In our previous campaign, “For Minds and Bodies,” 23 alumni participated. In our current “Fulfilling

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Promise” campaign, 83 alumni have given. Many of our newest alumni, our graduating 8th graders, have already pledged a small gift to Sycamore each of the four years of their high school experience. Many have also volunteered to serve the school in other ways as they continue their educational journey. There’s not much more exciting to our current students than having a former student come back to visit!

TOP LEFT:

SPELLING BEE FINALISTS RIGHT: IVAN COMPETING IN THE CONTEST BOTTOM LEFT: IVAN RECEIVING HIS FINALIST MEDAL

Sycamore hosts annual alumni reunions for any and all Sycamore alumni in December, and in May of each year, we host the high school senior graduating class reunion.

It’s always such a treat to reconnect and hear everyone’s college choices and future plans.

NICKY IVAN FINISHES IN TOP 20 IN NATIONAL SPELLING BEE

In this edition of the Sycamore Magazine, you will read the stories of a few of our amazing alumni. There are many more! We plan to remain connected, and I hope maybe you will discover some new connections with some Sycamore alums!

Sycamore School 8th grader, Nicky Ivan, made it into the finals in the Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee before being one of the final 20 eliminated. Of the record 291 spellers competing in this year’s bee, 40 were named finalists after two preliminary rounds.

Onward and upward!

There were 19 spellers remaining when Ivan was eliminated on the word noyade (a mass drowning).

Best regards, On the first day of competition at the national event, Nicholas correctly spelled the words “revulsive” and “anthroposophy” in the opening round.

“It’s been draining for us at times,” said Nicholas’ father, Mircea Ivan to the Indianapolis Star while at the national competition. “It’s

actually pretty intense here.” He admitted he was covering his ears by the time his son was spelling his last word.

Nicholas said he has been working toward this since he was 9.

“I’m excited and scared at the same time,” he told The Star. “I’m just nervous because Round 4 is usually called the ‘lawnmower round’ because more than half the people got out in that round last year. I won’t be mad if I lose because I already made it this far.”

To qualify for nationals, Ivan won his local spelling bee by correctly spelling “attaché.” He also correctly spelled “schottische,” “decamerous,” and “pickelhaube,” to name a just a few. Ivan started his path to the finals when he was crowned the champion of the North District Spelling Bee at St. Richard’s. He went through over 20 rounds of spelling and vocabulary in that event. He advanced to the Regionals at IUPUI on March 5, where he captured the Scripps Spelling Bee Regional title, making it through more than 70 rounds to earn the win. n

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SYCAMORE

SYCAMORE

SCIENCE BOWL TEAM MEMBERS (LEFT TO RIGHT) JOSH FRANCE, RHEA ACHARYA, COACH DAVID SCHUTH, ETHAN KACEENA-MERRELL, AND NOAH TAN THE INDIANA MATHCOUNTS TEAM INCLUDED SYCAMORE’S NOAH TAN (4TH FROM LEFT) AND RHEA ACHARYA (5TH FROM LEFT), ALONG WITH TEAM COACH TRENT TORMOEHLEN (FAR RIGHT)

SYCAMORE SCIENCE BOWL TEAM COMPETES AT NATIONALS IN WASHINGTON, D.C. Sycamore School students traveled to Washington, D.C. in April to compete in the National Science Bowl Finals and earned their third consecutive national top 8 finish. This year, Sycamore tied for 6th place.

Sycamore finished 2nd in the nation in 2016.

In the head-to-head competition in Washington, D.C., Sycamore topped Lincoln Elementary (IL) in their first match before losing to eventual tournament runner-up Olde Middle School (WA). Sycamore moved into the consolation bracket of the double-elimination tournament, topping Aubrey Bend (KS) before falling to Harvard Westlake (CA).

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“I was really proud of how hard the kids worked,” said Sycamore Science teacher and Science Bowl coach, David Schuth. “I’m proud of what they were able to accomplish this year.”

The team, captained by Sycamore’s Nicholas Ivan, won the regional competition to earn a spot in the National Science Bowl Finals.

Ivan was joined on the team by Sycamore Middle School students Noah Tan, Rhea Acharya, Ethan Kacena-Merrell, and Josh France.

Sycamore fielded two teams for the National Science Bowl Indiana Regional competition at Indiana State University. In addition to Sycamore winning 1st place out of 14 teams, Sycamore had another team captained by Evan Piper, consisting of Dennis Aydin, Vishnu Iyer, Adam Vieth, and Spencer Durham. They finished in 4th place. n

TWO FROM SYCAMORE AT NATIONAL MATHCOUNTS COMPETITION

Acharya and Tan were part of the Sycamore team and mathletes from across Indiana who competed at Purdue University at the 2017 State MATHCOUNTS contest. Sycamore students had a very strong showing, led by Acharya, who finished 2nd place and Tan, who finished 4th and earned both a place on the Indiana team.

The Indiana MATHCOUNTS team finished 22nd in the country at the MATHCOUNTS National competition, with Sycamore’s Rhea Acharya and Noah Tan part of the five-person team that represented the state at the May event in Orlando. The two, plus three teammates from Carmel and West Lafayette, earned the honor of representing their state with top qualifying scores at the state event held earlier this spring.

Additionally, Rhea and Noah each earned $8,000 scholarships to Purdue University and Rhea earned a $5,000 scholarship to Rose Hulman as the top female competitor.

The Indiana team was led by Sycamore coaches, Trent Tormoehlen and Bob Fisher.

All eight Sycamore students finished in the top 30% of the 195 competitors at the state competition, with Shaan Mishra placing 18th, Jeremy Smart, 21st, Spencer Durham 27th, Vishnu Iyer, 28th, Nicky Ivan 29th, and Evan Piper 56th. n

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SYCAMORE

SYCAMORE

LEFT TO RIGHT:

LEFT TO RIGHT:

JEAN WRIGHT, DENISE MURPHY, AND LAUREN DITCHLEY

RETIREMENT BREAKFAST HONORS THREE TEACHERS

The SSA hosted a reception for Jean Wright, Denise Murphy, and Lauren Ditchley, who are leaving Sycamore after years of extraordinary service.

Denise Murphy has taught Art Appreciation to Childhood students since 1995, and will be retiring and moving to Michigan.

Jean Wright, a longtime teaching assistant in Kindergarten, is returning to college to earn her teaching certificate. Maybe we will see Jean back at Sycamore someday!

Lauren Ditchley will be a professor at the University of Indianapolis and continue her work as an artist.

Many Sycamore former staff and teachers returned for the celebration in May to say thanks to these departing teachers who have contributed love and hard work to making Sycamore a great place for students. n

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KELSEY REHMEL, JOHN COUTANT, ZOE CARPENTER, SOLOMONE SOMANI, AND JULIA WATSON

BORTZ AND STUDENTS CREATE CONTEST GARDEN Erin Bortz and 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade students created a temporary garden early this spring at Sycamore, and participated in a contest with their entry highlighting the re-purposing of milk and juice cartons.

Entrants to the contest used cartons from their school cafeterias to either build or enhance a school garden. Teachable moments about environmental stewardship, sustainable packaging and healthy living were a part of the contest.

“The kids learned a great deal about what it means to complete a project start to finish,” Bortz said. “They brainstormed ideas, created a blueprint for our project, listed the steps they would need to do to complete the project, and executed those steps.

Though Sycamore did not win the $5,000 grand prize in the contest for the best use of cartons in a school garden, they did enhance the school’s playground area this spring, and learned about recycling and eco-friendly habits.

“Because they were involved in every step of the project, I think this made them feel more invested and proud of all of their work. I am proud of all of their hard work and dedication to this project,” Bortz said.

Over 70% of each milk or juice carton is made from trees, a renewable resource, and cartons are recyclable for over 50% of households in the US. In addition to recycling, milk and juice cartons can be repurposed.

WATCH VIDEO ON THE SYCAMORE SCHOOL YOUTUBE CHANNEL: YOUTUBE.COM/SYCAMORESCHOOL CONTEST WEBSITE WITH WINNER PICTURES: CARTON2GARDEN.COM n

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SYCAMORE ALUMNI

SYCAMORE

There’s one special memory that Moorthy carries with her from Sycamore.

MIDDLE SCHOOLERS “MAKE A CHANGE” PROJECT WORKS TO HELP PETS, HOMELESSNESS, AND CANCER RESEARCH Sycamore School 7th graders completed a May 2017 project called “Make a Change.” It was a 7th grade assignment in which students were charged with creating and enacting a non-hypothetical project that will make a sustainable change in our community. Students were encouraged to push beyond volunteering and think of how they can shape and affect how others think.

“I can never forget the time Ms. O’Malley taught us the preposition song in class,” she said. “She told us it would be the only time we would ever hear her sing.”

These projects centered on teaching and spreading awareness about a cause, need, or issue. Students created educational material and found a way to target their audience.

EDUCATION AND AWARENESS:

SUPPORTIVE WEBSITES AND MESSAGE BOARDS:

Moorthy has selected medicine as her area of interest, and her parents are a big reason for her path.

EXAMPLES OF PROJECTS:

“Having my parents as role models has played a big part,” she said.

Since both of my parents work in ophthalmology, I have always been interested in helping other people. At an early age my parents taught me the importance of service to others.

These projects sought to provide support and connect people who could use that support and helped each other.

EASIER FOR ELDERS – JOSH FRANCE

Josh created adaptive utensils and tools to help elderly and people who have a difficult time doing everyday tasks like eating, cooking, and even putting on their socks.

“I don’t think my intent has really ever changed,” she continued. “I’ve wanted to be a doctor for as long as I can remember, so I entered high school with that goal and will continue pursuing it throughout college and hopefully medical school.”

A PUP’S ENJOYABLE TRUE SELF (PETS) – TOMMY KAPLAN

“One of the most challenging aspects of the project is that students are asked to make every effort to make their change lasting and continue beyond this project,” said Beth Simpson, Middle School Language Arts teacher.

Simpson said that after researching similar nonprofits, learning business-style writing skills like how to write grants and project proposals, creating logos, slogans, and mission statements, students then engaged in a full-scale service-learning project in which they interacted with members of the community, to raise funds, and enact their service to make a change.

THIS YEAR’S PROJECTS ARE ORGANIZED UNDER THE FOLLOWING HEADINGS:

These projects focused on innovation. Students created something to solve a problem or fulfill a need.

INNOVATIVE SERVICES:

Tommy’s project helps make people aware that shelter dogs are not disabled, but are actually adoptable. There are hundreds of dogs in shelters that need to be adopted, and often people think something is wrong with them. He made and donated vests that say “Adopt Me.” to dogs at the Indianapolis Humane Society, Boone county Humane Society, and Waldo’s Muttley Shelter

2013 SYCAMORE GRAD EARNS PRESTIGIOUS IU SCHOLARSHIP

CLICK, SHIP, CHANGE - ALYSSA GRABHORN AND KAROLENA ZHOU

Alyssa and Karolena sold jewelry and art, and then gave profits to breast, brain, and gallbladder Cancer associations.

Take a look at the students’ projects: simpsonbeth.wixsite.com/ makeachange2017 n

“Through our affiliation with the Indianapolis Sai Center,” Moorthy said, “we would work together as a family in monthly soup kitchens and community service projects.”

MEENA MOORTHY Meena Moorthy (‘13) graduated this spring as the valedictorian of North Central High School, and is the 2017 recipient of the prestigious Herman B. Wells Scholarship from Indiana University. Meena will major in Pre-Med and would like to go into research and study abroad, taking advantage of the opportunities associated with the Wells Scholarship.

More than anything else, Moorthy says Sycamore helped her develop a strong work ethic.

“Sycamore prepared me really well for high school in all subject areas,” she said. “Two that stick out in particular are math and grammar.

I entered high school much better prepared in both of these areas than did most other students because of my Sycamore education. The grammar that Ms. O’Malley taught us during 6th and 8th grade made me a better writer in high school, where there really wasn’t a huge focus on teaching proper grammar.”

Besides O’Malley, Meena lauds Mr. Tormoehlen, Ms. Mihm, and Mr. Young for getting her prepared to succeed. “History and Language Arts classes were always favorites,” she said. “Sycamore teachers do an excellent job with high school preparation.”

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Her service to community has also been evident outside of the medical offices too.

Moorthy chose to attend North Central High School, one of the larger schools in the city. It was the diversity that attracted her.

“There are all kinds of people here from different walks of life, whether it is ethnically, racially, socioeconomically, etc. I believe that North Central’s diversity has created a very accepting culture, one in which students respect other students regardless of their differences.”

Her favorite thing about being at North Central for four years?

“It’s possible for anyone to find a niche,” she said. “There really are endless opportunities here, partially because of the diversity of the student body.

I found my niche of being involved in the performing arts program as a clarinetist for the Wind Ensemble and Symphony Orchestra.”

That diversity of experience, coupled with the gifted peers and accepting culture at Sycamore has had a lasting impact on Moorthy’s high school life.

She’s learned that her success and potential for happiness is inside her.

And it is inside others too.

“Don’t focus too much on what other people think of you,” she said, when considering advice she might give to an eighth grader at Sycamore.

“Do what you want to do to make yourself happy.” n

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SYCAMORE ALUMNI

SYCAMORE ALUMNI On weekends, the parks will be crowded with families, couples, and tourists enjoying the weather and appreciating time together. You stop for a drink and some tapas and the festivities in Spain,” she said.

“People never seem to be in as much of a hurry here, which was an interesting adjustment for a busy American girl.”

INDY TO SPAIN AND BACK ELLIE SHEFFIELD Ellie Sheffield thinks about the future. She contemplates what is best for her and for others. Ellie thinks about what would make her happy, and what would make the world a better place.

about applying to teach abroad, in Switzerland and various places in South America. But it was her experience in 2015 during a winter term, and a trip to Spain, that she said “My heart kept coming back to,”

That’s why, this year, Ellie has been in Spain. She’s been teaching. She loves the rhythm and the depth of the country. To her, it’s a place where she can both learn and make a difference.

Ellie felt drawn to people, and figuring out how she could help the most, or at least in a way that directly impacts someone’s life.

“One of my favorite things about the Spanish culture is that appreciating life knows no age limit,” she said. “You will see people of all ages walking around town, sitting down for dinner at any time of night, appreciating the same shops I am appreciating.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re 23 or 83, the man at the grocery store will still call you beautiful.”

Sheffield, a 2004 Sycamore School alum and recent DePauw University graduate, followed her heart when time arrived to make a post-graduate choice. The internal conversations she was having seemed to always lead to a place of service.

“When I was finishing up my senior year at DePauw, I was all over the board in terms of what my post-college plans were. I interviewed with several different types of companies and organizations, ranging from account executive roles, to pediatric mental health assistant positions at hospitals, to consulting roles.

None of the opportunities that came to fruition really spoke to me.”

Throughout these interviews and applications, Ellie was doing research

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“I have always known I wanted to work with people,” she said. “By the end of my college career, I had it narrowed down to wanting to work in education, but I never visualized myself as a teacher. But I knew teaching in Spain would give me the opportunity to strengthen my Spanish speaking skills to a level strong enough that I could confidently profess fluency.”

Ellie also knew the classroom learning would be invaluable to her in any career, just as immersion in the day-to-day movements and rituals of a new country would lead to a deeper understanding of languages and customs.

“I would get to experience new cultures and (find out) what it is like working in a school setting,” she said. “All the pieces continued to fall into place perfectly, so I knew the decision to teach in Madrid was the right one.”

The Sycamore grad has taken the opportunity to discover nuances and customs that have sharpened her world view. She talks of the Spanish appreciation for things like parks and green spaces and the time people take for each other.

“Meals (in Spain) are a time to enjoy company and enjoy food, rather than a time allotted (before) moving on to the next portion of your day.

“I did a lot of changing in my college years.”

Sheffield was intent on finding a profession where she would be able to work directly with people and positively impact their lives, to help them realize their potential. That meant looking at what she truly believed in, and following her heart. She just had to figure out where her heart was going to take her, because, she said “My career interests changed almost daily.”

Elle knew that heading to Spain was a path without a true roadmap.

It wasn’t about maintaining a structured, consistent, always-lived-likethis routine. It was going to be about personal and potential professional growth and finding out what that felt like to be an American in foreign land teaching people who may never have been taught by an American.

“I am doing something now I would probably have not planned for myself at 17, but helping people has always been my guiding compass. I wake up every day excited to see my students rather than rolling over to hit the snooze button, and that is a good sign that I am doing something right.”

“I have gotten to see Europe, and experienced having to fly by the seat of my pants to make things work by teaching lessons about the SAT in Spanish - when I had been fully prepared to teach in English.”

“I truly think of my time at Sycamore as the foundation for my successes that I have had thus far through my educational career. Sycamore taught me to be organized, diligent with studying, hard-working, and curious.”

She has also noted that the system in Spain doesn’t allow students to receive the same experiences in making their own intellectual discoveries through projects, experiments, and working in groups as she remember in her education, though she notes, “The teachers here are loving, and they care about their students.”

For Sheffield, and for all students, it is the teachers we remember, right?

The people who made us feel special and smart. There were a few teachers who Sheffield has special memories of.

Despite this, the door that she opened to teaching in a foreign country is one Sheffield says was ultimately the right one for her at the time.

“I loved so many of the teachers at Sycamore, from Early Childhood with Miss Quakenbush and Mrs. Clayton, to lower school and Mrs. Kendall and Miss Jockish, to Middle School with Mrs. Crady, Ms. O’Malley, Mrs. O’Keefe, Coach Fink and Coach Lickliter.

“Eight months into the experience, I can honestly say it has been the best choice I ever could have made for myself. I have realized how much I love it when each and every one of the kids has that light bulb moment and can put concepts together.”

In Spain, the ability to see her old Sycamore friends is limited to anything online. Social media allows her to stay connected. Sheffield still manages to keep in touch with several classmates as well as students in the grades above and below her.

She credits Sycamore’s homework assignments for teaching her the ability to accomplish many different things at once and to prioritize responsibilities.

“After experiencing elementary school education here in Spain,” she said.

“I feel so grateful for the education I received at Sycamore.”

She says the special thing about friends from Sycamore is that they may not see each other often, but when they are back together, Sheffield says “it never feels like it has been so long, and we have so many things to catch up on and reminisce about our Sycamore days.”

“And yes,” she says, “I still can, and do, recite Word Within the Word definitions whenever I come across one of those words.”

“My 8th grade self cried the whole last week of school when leaving Sycamore because I loved it so much. I would tell my 8th grade self to not worry, because you will carry those memories of Sycamore forever.”

With Sycamore’s education guiding her, Sheffield’s, first college experience was in North Carolina before settling on the Greencastle campus and going through a process familiar to most who attend college: What is my major, and why am I choosing it?

“I originally attended Elon University, but after a semester there, I chose to transfer to DePauw University,” she said. “Upon transferring, my intent was to major in Kinesiology. I felt that my life and career goals were more closely aligned with a major in Psychology and minors in Business Administration and Spanish.”

And one more piece of wisdom to tell her younger self ?

“I would also tell my middle school self that Mr. Schuth’s science classes will pay off in high school and make every high school science class ten times easier.” n This summer, Sheffield is planning on returning home to Indianapolis to continue learning, beginning her Masters work at Butler University, working on advanced degree in School Counseling.

She will also join Sycamore School as a middle school Spanish teaching assistant.

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SYCAMORE ALUMNI

SYCAMORE ALUMNI Looking back on their family’s years at Sycamore, Helen said that helping keep the school growing and maturing was important to the family, even after Courtney had graduated.

“We chose the school because it so clearly offered the best fit for the academic needs of our children, provided in an environment that was nurturing, stimulating, happy, and fun. We continued our involvement because we formed close relationships with other families, teachers, and administrators, so Sycamore became an important part of the community life of our family,” she said.

Helen said they took the duality of academic and social success seriously.

“Throughout their time at Sycamore, emphasis was placed on respect, self-reliance, organizational skills, and time management, which are great life skills.”

THE BRODYS TOGETHER FOR COURTNEY’S HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION DAY

THE BRODY FAMILY: THREE SYCAMORE GRADUATES AND LIFELONG CONNECTIONS AN INTERVIEW WITH HELEN BRODY When Helen Brody talks about Sycamore School, she exudes a personal history that includes parenting three Sycamore graduates, and leadership through the Board of Trustees, SSA, and day-to-day activities that surrounded the school lives of her children.

Helen and her husband Bob (a past Sycamore School Board President and current trustee) are the parents of Scott, Mary, and Courtney, three alumni of Sycamore. She has a unique perspective on what Sycamore and its teachers have meant to her as a parent, what the academics have meant to her children, and how she works to stay connected to the Sycamore community.

The Brody’s oldest child, Scott (class of 2002), received his B.A. in Economics from Purdue University and completed his MBA in 2016 at the IU Kelley School of Business. He works for Primaria, a health care services company based in Indianapolis. In May, he and his wife Michaela Graham welcomed their first child, Gemma Louise.

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Mary (class of 2006) graduated with a B.A. in Psychology from DePauw University and received her Master’s in Teaching in 2016 from Marian University. She completed a two year assignment with Teach for America at IPS 51, and she is now the grade level chair for first grade at Kipp Indy Unite Elementary, a charter school located in the Martindale-Brightwood community.

Courtney (class of 2013) graduated with honors from Brebeuf in 2017, and begins college at Indiana University in the fall. She plans to study Psychology and Management.

With each child at different stages of their lives, Helen said choosing Sycamore when the children were younger was something they did as parents because they knew it would give their kids a chance to develop in a school and social environment that recognized the uniqueness in each child.

“If there is one thing we realized over the 20 years we were involved at Sycamore it is that each class is very different, and each child is different,” she said, “so the intersection of those two things led to a unique and singular experience for each one.”

“At the same time, the school was growing and maturing, so our family saw a great evolution and improvement, not just in the facility but also in improved resources available for faculty and programming.

As different as their experiences were, all came out of Sycamore with a great foundation for future success.”

As talked turned to teachers, Helen remembered how the school evolved. “We know so many wonderful teachers, both past and present,” she said. “We were lucky to have been at Sycamore from its ‘early years,’ so we experienced a number of the founding teachers.

These exceptional women not only were outstanding in the classroom but also had a deep sense of purpose, commitment, and dedication to the school and its future. The school got its start and survived its early years through the hard work of these dedicated teachers and staff.

They made sacrifices in many ways, including salaries and benefits, that many in the community did not realize. There were many terrific faculty members who came later and shared that same sense of purpose and vision of what Sycamore could be.”

Helen talked about some of the many notable teachers her children experienced, mentioning Chris Greene (Pre-K), Kathy Mosher (K), Elaine Sandy (1st), Paula Fair (Music), Eileen Prince (Art), Mary O’Malley (English and Grammar), and Linda Lewis (Math), and she highlighted the contributions of two specific leaders. “(Former head of School) Nyle Kardatzke played an important role in guiding the evolution of the school from a startup with limited resources to the highly regarded, professionally run, unique environment that it is today. He did it with great equanimity, warmth and wit,” she said.

“That strong foundation is being taken to the next level through the outstanding leadership of Diane Borgmann.”

Bob, the Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Ambulatory Services for the entire Franciscan Alliance healthcare ministry, has been an active supporter in helping guide Sycamore School to its current position as a leader in gifted education as a past Sycamore Board President.

“We believe strongly in the mission of the school and feel that it is a very important resource for the Indianapolis community, not only for families but employers as well,” Helen said. “I served on the board in its earlier years and encouraged Bob to become involved, knowing that the school would benefit greatly from his high level organizational expertise. Through our board involvement, we understood well the ongoing need for support of parents, both current and past.”

Throughout Helen and Bob’s involvement, she said they worked to make the school accessible to as many gifted students as possible.

“We felt it was important to help the school gain an even stronger financial foundation to continue its development and to establish an endowment which helps the school be more accessible to all.”

As she looks back, with the hindsight of having three children who attended Sycamore and then head to high school and college, Helen understands the value of what their family found at Sycamore School. “The most meaningful part of being at Sycamore is the strong sense of community for both students and parents,” she said.

“Exceptionally strong academics, with an outstanding curriculum that is continuously evaluated and improved and creatively delivered by experienced and caring faculty. (We have) great memories that include opportunities to help in the classroom, as well as the fantastic field trips, especially the Florida Keys, Washington DC, Art Institute of Chicago, and the Grand Canyon.”

And are there friendships that lasted after the kids left Sycamore?

“Absolutely. We still get together regularly with a couple of “Sycamom” groups for dinners, breakfasts, and special occasions, and we host an annual “Christmas Turducken Party” with several families from the class of 2002,” she said. “Our oldest still counts a number of his Sycamore classmates as his best friends and sees them whenever possible.

“We are very thankful to all who have given to the School over the years, in ways both large and small, and we hope that the investments made by our family and others continue to serve the school long into the future.” n

In addition to teachers and staff, her own family has made numerous contributions to the school and community over the past 20 years.

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SYCAMORE ALUMNI

SYCAMORE ALUMNI PRODUCING THE NORTH CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL LIP DUB JOEY MERVIS “...If you work hard enough and assert yourself, and use your mind and imagination, you can shape the world to your desires.” ­— Malcolm Gladwell, Outliers: The Story of Success While a student at Sycamore School, Joey Mervis had already started to accumulate experience and practice, well on his way to the 10,000 hours that Outliers author Malcolm Gladwell talks about as integral to greatness. As a middle school student, Mervis worked on video projects, acted in plays, and started to take leadership roles amongst his classmates.

Joey is a 2017 graduate of North Central High School. As a senior, Mervis spearheaded a lip dub video at the school and was the key player in the process; he directed and produced the video.

Part of his focus was to emphasize and include all school groups into the video.

Mervis, who began working on the project in August 2016, talked to us about the challenges of coordinating more than 1,000 people for the video shoot and why they decided to make it a fundraiser for Riley Hospital for Children. He also revealed what other high school in Indiana was an inspiration for the video. We even got Mervis to talk about what he has up his sleeve next.

Mervis said the idea for a lip dub originated with one of his teachers and grew from there.

“The idea originated from Leslie Decker, an English teacher at North Central, and the sponsor of Senior Class Council,” he said. “She had seen other high schools’ lip dubs and recognized the unique opportunity we had at North Central to create a video to raise money for a worthy cause and also highlight our diverse population.”

Once he started to work on the project, Mervis started to put together a group that could tackle the enormity of the task, and they set about finding a charity to support. They quickly latched onto the idea of Riley Hospital for Children.

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“Shortly after we started working with Riley on the video, our attention was directed to the Caroline Symmes Endowment for Pediatric Cancer Research at Riley,” he said. “This endowment was started in honor of Caroline Symmes, a young girl who lost her battle with cancer at 5 years old because her doctors simply didn’t have enough research to treat her. In 2016, $5 billion was raised for cancer research, yet only 4% of that was directed to pediatric cancer research.“ “When we learned this statistic and heard about Caroline’s story,” he continued, “we felt that her endowment would be the perfect place to direct the funds within Riley.”

While the video wouldn’t be shot until the spring of 2017, work began in August 2016, shortly after the school year began. The four Senior Class Council officers met with Mrs. Decker for one class period a day. Many of those periods were dedicated to Lip Dub pre-production, which included making the original music mix used in the video, planning the video, and reaching out to celebrity contacts.

“We had to make a map of exactly where in the school we would travel during the video,” he said. “We then had to determine which hallways needed to be secured and assign some of our crew to those areas.”

Mervis also had to organize two units of filming, the first was the main lip dub at North Central, and the second was for the opening footage shoot in and around Riley Hospital.

Mervis admits that there were many moving pieces and things that could have gone wrong in the video. By far the biggest challenge of the video is that it had to be shot in one take.

“Once the camera started rolling, we couldn’t stop, no matter what happened,” he said.

A big challenge was time and being able to organize more than 1,000 people at one time.

LEFT:

FILMING THE NORTH CENTRAL LIP DUB VIDEO RIGHT: JOEY MERVIS (TOP ROW, CENTER) WITH THE PRODUCTION TEAM AND STARS OF THE VIDEO

“We had no time during the school day to film, so everyone participating in the video had to volunteer their time on two days after school, one for a dress rehearsal and one to film,” he said. “We were very lucky to have such a great production team for the video, which included our production manager, two assistant directors, and a production crew of about 20.”

Mervis said he has several favorite parts of the video. Seeing all of the thousand students so happy and passionate about the project ranks at the top for him. “My next favorite part has been the response we’ve seen since the video was released. It makes me so proud to see how many people support the video and how it represents North Central.”

Mervis talked of his gratitude to Avon High School, which produced two Lip Dubs videos in 2014 and 2016.

“We not only watched theirs hundreds of times, but we also worked sideby-side with them in the earliest stages of production,” he said. “They were so generous and helped us with any and every question we had. I learned

so much through this process. I learned a lot about video production, marketing, and the struggles of non-profits. However, the most important lesson I learned was that everyone can, and should, make a difference.“ “That sounds very simplistic, but it really has changed my worldview drastically,” he said. “When we started this project and we learned about Caroline’s story, it became much less of a school project and much more of an obligation, in the best kind of way. It felt like it was completely within our power to accomplish this, and therefore, we had a responsibility to do it and do our part to help children battling cancer. “ Watch the Video: www.northcentrallipdub.com.

Joey Mervis will be performing with Summer Stock Stage this summer and, because of his experience with producing the video, working as a freelance video editor for a marketing company in downtown Indianapolis before he heads to NYU in the fall. n

17

SYCAMORE ALUMNI

SYCAMORE ALUMNI COACH DAVID FINK:

How did you choose Yale?

I was lucky enough to have a lot of choices through the college recruiting process. Last fall, I narrowed it down to Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Dartmouth. I visited all of those schools, and obviously they’re all great schools, all great institutions. I was kind of fortunate because Yale was my number one choice.

JUSTIN MATEI:

COACH:

So, they wanted you pretty badly.

When I visited there, I remember the first day I was a little apprehensive because on other visits (to other schools), coaches were kind of trashing Yale. But I visited and it just felt like kind of a second home.

We drove around campus, and that kind of dispelled any misgivings I might’ve had. I spent the night there, woke up and just thought, “I need to come here.” So, it all ended up working out just fine, because it was my number one.

JUSTIN:

COACH:

And rowing was a big part of that.

JUSTIN:

Yeah, rowing was a huge part of it.

COACH:

So, your recruiting process for that was pretty heavy?

JUSTIN:

Yeah, yeah. It was full support, which was super, super nice.

Is there anything you remember from Sycamore that helped prepare you for Culver?

COACH:

ROWING HIS WAY TO YALE JUSTIN MATEI Our alumni are a diversified bunch. Over 32 years, we’ve watched them become scientists, teachers, athletes, and beer makers, among many other things. There’s not much a Sycamore grad can’t do. And there is a handful of teachers who have been here to see the growth of students, from preschool through middle school, into high school and beyond.

to most as “Coach.” He has seen 22 classes graduate, after joining Sycamore upon graduation from Southwest Missouri State University (now known as Missouri State) in 1995. The collegiate swimmer moved into teaching after graduation and has formed a bond with many student-athletes here at Sycamore.

It is an impressive list: Art teacher Eileen Prince has been here since the beginning, having joined Sycamore when the school opened in 1985. Head of Early Childhood and former Kindergarten teacher Jennifer Williams; third grade teacher, Deb Reidy; and retiring art teacher, Denise Murphy each have more than 20 years of teaching experience at Sycamore.

This spring, we sent David to Culver Academy to catch up with one of those student-athletes, Justin Matei, graduated this spring and heading to Yale University in the fall of 2017. The two sat down for a spirited talk about Sycamore, high school, competitive athletics, and Justin’s career aspirations. The transcript of the conversation embodied a uniqueness that exists between teachers and students at Sycamore. For that reason, we are presenting the conversation as it was recorded, offering a glimpse at how our graduating middle schoolers quickly turn into young adults.

Another teacher who has made an impact on students at Sycamore is David Fink, Sycamore’s longtime Physical Education teacher, known

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Absolutely. At Culver, it’s much like a typical school where you have a group of really driven students, academically, and then you have other students. You have students who are here for different reasons, for the militaries and for an athletic reason or because their parents sent them here. I think Sycamore really, really prepared me very well to be in that group of driven students and to surround myself with people who reminded me of people at Sycamore, who are always striving for academic success, even if it’s not the easiest path.

JUSTIN:

Do you have a memory of your four years here at Culver that showed you that you made the right decision coming here? Or has it just been the overall process?

COACH:

I think Culver is more of a slow burn. You realize it gradually throughout the lessons that are taught. I remember coming in as a new cadet - the new cadet system here is not easy. I mean, it’s not like West Point, but there’s a lot of stuff you have to go through that you don’t really see the point in. Sometimes, still, even now, I don’t see the point in it. But after graduation you realize you’ve gained certain levels of maturity and certain levels of responsibility that you just would never gain anywhere else.

JUSTIN:

When you were at Sycamore, maybe in eighth grade, but building up to high school, were you really interested in boarding school, or not at all?

COACH:

I was not interested until seventh grade, when I visited Culver with the leadership team, I had no idea about any of it. I was not planning on going to any boarding school, but I remember just coming here, onto the campus, and I was just so impressed. I kind of fell in love with the school. I knew I had to come here no matter what, and I told my parents. They thought I was crazy. They told me they wouldn’t pay for it. So I had to find a way, which luckily, I was able to. And it was great. I think things just kind of fell into place.

JUSTIN:

COACH:

Do you keep in touch with any classmates from Sycamore?

Ben Snyder is right across the hall from me. It’s great. Ben and I are still great friends. Sarah George is in most of my classes. I talk to her. I know Jonathan Schwartz is going to Yale, so, I’m looking forward to reconnecting with him.

JUSTIN:

Are there any Sycamore experiences that stick in your head that are good memories?

COACH:

JUSTIN: Well,

all of the trips were just fantastic. I don’t know of any other middle school that goes to Florida for marine biology. In the classroom, I remember just having a group of friends that you can mess around in class with, that all know the answers, that all have your back, and that all help each other, and joke around with each other, and that’s just something I’ll never forget.

19

SYCAMORE ALUMNI

SYCAMORE ALUMNI

Do you remember teachers that pushed or inspired you? What were your favorite classes?

COACH:

My favorite classes? I would have to say history with Mr. Young was just a standout. It was so good. He’s fantastic, readying me for Culver history classes. I’ve basically taken all of the AP histories now.

JUSTIN:

I’ll have to let him know that. Now, when you came here, you weren’t into rowing, right?

COACH:

JUSTIN:

No, I was not.

COACH:

What pushed you in that direction?

have a great faculty member here, named Colonel Forsch, who is the adult supervisor of the military system here. He’s actually retiring this year, and he’s the novice coach for rowing here, and he’s famous for going around campus recruiting kids for the team. “Oh, you look tall,” or like, “Looking good, kid. You’d look better in a boat,” or some stuff like that. So, he goes around recruiting, and he’d done that quite a few times to me throughout the year, and I was just like “whatever.” And then one day, we were just standing in formation and he came up and he gave his usual shtick and I guess it just kind of clicked. I was like, “You know, I might as well go try out.” I tried out. I almost didn’t make the team because I came out late. They had to have a team vote to see if I should be on the team, and I was really apprehensive. I was pretty terrible when I started out. So, it’s just crazy to see like what’s come of it.

They’re doing really, really well. We just moved to Chicago.

My mom really likes her new job. My dad is still working at Purdue, but he’s looking for somewhere closer. My sister’s settling in really nicely.

So, life’s good. I know she was really concerned leaving Sycamore that she wouldn’t be able to make friends, but she’s doing fine.

COACH: What are you thinking about studying at Yale? Do you know?

JUSTIN:

That’s awesome. What kind of rowing awards have you won?

We’re kind of a small program, but we’ve done well with the Midwest Scholastic Level. I’ve been able to travel up to the East Coast for a national championship. We had the third fastest overall time there last year in our semifinal. I’m hoping for more success this year, which I think we can achieve, but I’m also really looking forward to the summer because I’ll be moving to Boston. There’s a really storied club that I’ll be joining this summer, and we’ll be competing at a lot of cool regattas.

I’m thinking about going into economics, going into Wall Street, and then possibly transitioning into politics. I liked Yale so much because they have a combined major called Ethics, Politics, and Economics. I can study both politics and economics and not double major, which I think would be a really tough burden with athletics.

Also, I know in today’s world, computer science is really, really important. So I might do a minor in that.

JUSTIN:

Oh, nice. What’s the name of that club?

JUSTIN:

Riverside Boat Club.

It’s a long slog. You arrive on campus and immediately you’re training in mixed boats, mixed abilities. The big race that fall is Head of the Charles and Boston, which is the biggest race in the United States, and Yale has a history of success there. So, I’m excited for that. It’s a lot of longer racing, a lot of more endurance, 6K, 5K. You train all winter long because really, it’s like a buildup sport. So, the fall season you’re working your technique, but in the winter, you have to keep continuous growth, or else you’ll lose all your aerobic base. That’s where the struggle really comes; that’s where the pain really comes. But then, luckily, that’s broken up by two training trips in winter break and spring break. They usually go down to Miami, somewhere warm, to train actually on the water.

JUSTIN:

It’s kind of like swimming because you start right away when you get there in August, but Nationals isn’t until March, so during winter break, you’re right in the middle of season and you take a training trip.

COACH:

JUSTIN: Then, spring racing season starts, It is a pretty short racing season.

There are about five regular season races, then there’s the regionals race, and nationals in June. If your team either wins the regionals or the nationals, the alumni will usually pay for a trip to Henley in England.

So, then, that’s another race you’re training and you fly out and that’s the biggest race in the world other than the Olympics.

COACH: I

COACH:

appreciate your taking this time out to talk. It was good seeing you.

How’s your family doing?

JUSTIN:

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This summer, former Sycamore School student and current PGA Tour golfer, Patrick Rodgers, continues his journey as a golf pro. Rodgers, who later went to Avon High School and to Stanford, has recently garnered some notice with his putting, and he has been using a new Indianapolis racing-inspired putter that gained some attention from local and national media when he posted a top five finish in a tournament this spring.

SYCAMORE GRAD LAUREN CIULLA EARNS

What’s your season like? Is it a extended season? I know when I was in college, being an athlete was tough.

COACH:

JUSTIN:

COACH:

FORMER SYCAMORE STUDENT & PGA TOUR GOLFER PATRICK RODGERS GARNERS NOTICE USING INDIANAPOLIS-BASED PUTTER

JUSTIN: We

COACH:

NEWS & NOTES: ALUMNI

It was great to talk to you. Absolutely. n

CONGRESSIONAL AWARD GOLD MEDAL

Butler University junior-to-be and Sycamore graduate Lauren Ciulla was awarded the Congressional Award Gold Medal in 2017. To receive this award, Ciulla completed over 400 community service hours; spent 200 hours developing musical skills; practicing advanced clarinet pieces; and devoted over 200 hours to physical fitness, improving her tennis skills.

She fulfilled the exploration component—which has to be at least four overnight days—with a trip to India. That’s close to 1,000 hours—or over 41 days—of self and community betterment. “I knew it would be a lot of work, but I enjoyed the challenge of maintaining focus in four different areas,” Ciulla said with a laugh. “It’s been a big part of my life for a while now.”

2013 GRADS RETURN

In May we welcomed back the Sycamore Class of 2013 (PICTURED ABOVE) for a reunion before they scattered to college. Good luck to our recent high school graduates.

E-RECYCLING DRIVE HUGE SUCCESS

Sycamore 4th grade students (PICTURED LEFT) teamed up with Sycamore alum and current University High School student Jay Maturi, along with Tech Recyclers, for an Electronic Recycling Drive in April. The drop-off location was at Sycamore and students and adults donated old computers, cables, VCR’s, cameras, phones, printers, and more. They collected over 2,000 pounds of electronics.

FACULTY/STAFF ADD CONTRIBUTIONS TO INDY CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS

With small fundraising opportunities throughout the year (including our Denim Days when teachers and staff wear jeans), Julie Szolek-Van Valkenburgh in our Human Resources office announced at the end of the school year that the faculty and staff, through these small, multiday opportunities, had contributed more than $2,400 to organizations throughout Indianapolis that help our fellow citizens. n

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2017 SYCAMORE GRADUATES 2017 GRADUATION SPEECHES Student speeches reflect on moments and look to the future. At the end of their 8th Grade year at Sycamore, students have the opportunity to write speeches that are then considered for delivery at the graduation nand honors ceremonies. This year, Rhea Acharya and Margot Helft were selected to give the graduation speeches in front of the classmates and families.

RHEA ACHARYA I have absolutely loved my time at Sycamore.

There is something so special about this school. If you stand by the carpool line in the morning, watching us wheel in our overflowing luggage and chat with friends, you will see genuine smiles on our faces.

Because here at Sycamore, we have such a sense of community and trust and love, where everyone belongs and everyone is held close.

We understand each other on a deep level. It is this component, this essence of the school, that has allowed Sycamore to change so many lives. If it weren’t for Mrs. Koehler and her vocab journals, I might even say that the help and care I’ve received here is quite contiguous.

In my nine years here, Sycamore has taught me to appreciate the little things, and as a result, it is the little things that I will miss most. I’ll miss Mr. Young and all the life lessons --and desk cracks -- he’s shared with us the past two years. I’ll miss Mrs. Simpson’s hugs and the way she knows exactly when I need one. I’ll miss Señorita Burke and the funky videos she shows us. I’ll miss Mr. Schuth with his high-level sarcasm and infectious love for games.

And I’ll be honest - I’ve shed many more tears than what should be my fair share this past month. Mainly because I’ve realized that saying goodbye is never easy. It’s at these poignant moments that we remember all the quirks about each other and the good times that have been shared. It’s when we try to engrave our friends’ smiles into our memories, and when we take our last photos.

But what is spectacular about this community is that saying goodbye to each other now is not forever. It barely even is a goodbye. These photos won’t be our last ones together, and this won’t be the last time I see your smiles. Because this group of people, this Sycamore Class of 2017, these are the friends I’ll lean on when I’m lost, and these are friends I’ll celebrate with when I’m happy. We’ll see each other — at various sports games, parties, competitions, and reunions later on.

22

And I know that the next time any of us go to an art museum, we will recognize “vanitas” in a painting and will be reminded of Mrs. Prince.

Whenever I learn about the layers of the Earth, I’ll remember the song we wrote and performed for Ms. Hillman on her birthday in fourth grade. We’ll be reminded of each other in the little everyday things.

When using paperclips, I’ll remember Ms. Mihm and our advisory group’s (the Mad Mihm Mob) dream to break the world record for the longest paperclip chain ever. I’ll miss Ms. MacDougall’s contagious flair for life, and I’ll miss Mr. Tormoehlen telling me that my outfit clashes or that my slip-on shoes are untied or that I need to be more awake in the morning.

Now I stand here today with my friends by my side. I know all of us are battling clashing emotions of fear and excitement, love and regret, happiness and sorrow. In front of us is an unknown future - we hope high school will bring new experiences, new friends, and new memories. And we think that behind us is the family we have at Sycamore. But it’s not behind us. Sycamore is family, and family has always been known to be forever. You, my friends, are my past, but you are also my present and my future. We will all make new friends, but that doesn’t mean the old ones will be left behind. Each and every one of you has a gift to give the world, and you all have a story that should be heard. You know how to make me and many others smile and you have the courage in you to be a leader in society. I’m confident that 15 years from now, it will be some of you that I’ll be hearing about on the news.

We are the smallest class to come through Sycamore in a while; we are at our largest now since first grade with 31 people. This has just made us closer to one another and strengthened our bond. Mrs. Lykens always called our class “small but mighty”, and now, I realize how true that is. We’ve overcome many obstacles to reach the friendship we have today, but if I had to go through this journey again, I’m not sure if I would have changed anything at all.

I’ve always been inspired by my teachers at Sycamore and by my parents and by my classmates--you’ve helped me to always see the beauty in life. You’ve taught me to dream big and live my life to the fullest. I know that I’ll carry Sycamore’s love for the rest of my life, and I sincerely hope you can feel my reciprocation. From my second grade buddies to my teachers to my best friends, you have made me cry in joy and sorrow and have made me snort on the ground in laughter. I love each and every one of you dearly. Thank you for being a part of my life. Now, here’s to memories, new and old! n

2017 SYCAMORE GRADUATES

MARGOT HELFT Everyone always seems to want to know where kids go to school. I was never sure why.

Just plain curiosity, I suppose. I have always been proud to tell them and represent this incredible school. The question that usually follows the first one is “How long have you been going there?” My answer is twelve years. Every time I tell someone this, they seem shocked. And I am too, truthfully. Has it really been that long? It’s felt like months, not a decade. But that’s right. Twelve years. I don’t think that’s even possible anymore; I’m pretty sure only eleven grades exist now. Early Childhood has changed since I was there, toddling along in our line order with the rest of my classmates. The school has changed since I first set foot within these walls. The building has changed, the people here have changed.

I’ve changed, too.

My mom likes to joke and tell people that I set a Sycamore record.

For the first seven months of my being here, I didn’t say a word to anyone. My parents like to say I saved all of my talking until I got home, which, looking back, is probably true. I suppose this mysterious silence stemmed from a piece of my personality that is still a part of me today. I am what you would call an introvert - an extremely shy introvert. I was then, and I am now. But obviously, something has to have changed or I wouldn’t be standing up here, speaking to an entire audience composed of everyone from my family to my teachers to people I’ve never met before.

For those of you who don’t know, Sycamore has a buddy system. Fourth graders are paired with Kindergarten buddies and eighth graders are paired with second grade buddies. This is something everyone looks forward to. I will always cherish the memories of my fourth grade buddy, Anne; my eighth grade buddy, Gargi; my Kindergarten buddies, Annabel and Elizabeth; and my second grade buddy, Zaynab. Those couple hours that I got to spend with my buddies has really shaped me.

It’s one of the central parts of Sycamore that may seem insignificant from the outside, but is, in reality, incredibly valuable.

When I was the younger buddy, I looked up to my older buddy, letting them inspire me. Now, I get to try to have the same impact on my buddies.

As a Kindergartener with my fourth grade buddy, I thought she was

unimaginably old. I was astonished to think that I would one day have a Kindergarten buddy. But, four years later, I found myself loving the adorable little Kindergarteners I got to spend time with. Another four years went by, and now I see that the buddies I had when I was in fourth grade now have Kindergarten buddies of their own. And I realize how much time has passed even in the short life I’ve had so far. This little quirk of the Sycamore experience has been incredibly special to me, giving me insight into my own life as not many other experiences would have. It’s given me perspective.

Sycamore never treated me like a number. Every teacher has given their time to help me and my classmates. I’ve never felt like I couldn’t approach a teacher with a question. The teachers and friends I’ve gotten to know here have given me tremendous courage. Although I refused to speak in EC, I warmed up to the idea by Lower School. I was still petrified whenever I had to speak to any adult or in front of a class, but at least words were being spoken. Middle School here at Sycamore forced me to do things that scared me and things that I had never done before. I had to do a real Science Fair project, with a real experiment, do a real presentation, in front of real judges. That was something I never thought I was going to be able to do. It didn’t matter that I didn’t do incredibly well. I had tried something new, and enjoyed it.

History Day was quite a step up from the little fifth grade Science Fair that had occurred the previous year. History Day taught me perseverance, hard work, and how to overcome frustration and seemingly dead ends. That’s one thing I love about Sycamore. It presents you with challenges, shows you how to get through them, forces you to think for yourself, and ultimately prepares you for the next obstacle. The next main hurdle for me was Mr. Young’s eighth grade history class. I wrote, nearly memorized, and delivered a speech about an issue I was passionate about. Rhea and I read a Supreme Court Case, wrote a legal brief, formulated arguments, and delivered them to the class. Even just a few years ago I would never have been able to comprehend, let alone been able to accomplish the things I have done this year. Had Sycamore not been a part of my entire life, it would be hard to imagine how different I would be. I would still be the silent, teary, shy little girl I was when I first got here. n

23

SYCAMORE

SYCAMORE NEWS & NOTES

At the ISSMA Organization Festival, all three judges awarded both the 5th Grade Concert Band and the 6-8 Grade Symphonic Band gold ratings (the 43rd and 44th in school history).

SYMPHONY IN COLOR RECOGNIZES FOUR SYCAMORE STUDENTS

Four Sycamore students received recognition from this year’s Symphony in Color competition. A group of judges first selected 100 Finalists from the several hundred entries they received. A second group of judges chooses 36 from the top 100. These 36 receive gold ribbons. The following Sycamore students won awards: GOLD MEDAL

FINALIST

Kelly Fulk

Megan France

(GRADE 4)

Jessica La Pradd Katie Hur

TWO WINNERS IN SCHOOL BAND & ORCHESTRA WRITING COMPETITION

Two Sycamore School students, Rhea Battia and Georgia Bott, were named two of the five winners selected in the grade 4-8 category from entries from all over the United States in the Nationwide SBO (School Band and Orchestra) Magazine essay contest. The two were each presented checks for the $1,000 scholarship during a ceremony at Sycamore. In addition to the scholarships to the winners, Sycamore School will receive $2,000 in music products.. This is only the second time in the history of the contest that there have been two winners from the same school.

(GRADE 5)

(GRADE 5)

(GRADE 6)

Students across the state created art based upon recordings of selections played by the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. Each school is allowed to enter six of their participants in the contest.

THREE TO NATIONALS AFTER EIGHT STUDENTS ADVANCE TO STATE AT NATIONAL HISTORY DAY

Ava Cabellon (exhibit board), Jordan Pecar (performance), and Hudson Pangan (website) all qualified for the National History Day contest in D.C. in June; Jaclyn Copeland served as an alternate with her individual performance. The first and second place winners of each division earned a spot at nationals.

Symphony in Color is an enrichment program of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra Association involving more than 30,000 Indiana school children each year, it culminates in a juried exhibition at the Hilbert Circle Theatre and Indiana State Museum.

SYCAMORE PARENT SENDS RESEARCH PROJECT TO INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

Sycamore parent Melissa Kacena, Ph.D., an associate professor of orthopedic surgery, is part of a team expanding efforts beyond the traditional laboratory setting and, in collaboration with NASA and the Department of Defense, her orthopedic research headed to the International Space Station as part of the SpaceX10 mission. The SpaceX10 mission, launched on February 14 from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, will allow the team to examine fracture healing in mice in the weightless environment of space and to analyze the effects of current and novel bone healing drug therapies.

The team will then be able to translate these new discoveries in bone regeneration for various bone conditions, including osteoporosis, fracture healing, due to trauma and other bone disorders.

SYCAMORE STUDENTS RHEA BHATIA AND GEORGIA BOTT (PICTURED WITH MUSIC TEACHER CANDI GRANDLUND AND THE SCHOOL BAND AND ORCHESTRA REPRESENTATIVE).

EACH EARNED $1,000

SCHOLARSHIPS IN A NATIONAL ESSAY CONTEST.

STUDENTS COMPETE IN SPEECH MEET

At the Riverside Junior High Speech Meet this spring, Sycamore 8th Grader Aidan Myers finished second in the Impromptu category, and 6th Grader Steven Sun finished seventh in the Exempt category. It was the first event for both competitors.

who are participating in Group I events are upperclassman in high school. It is practically unheard of to find middle school ensembles at the state level.

SOLOS

(GOLD RATINGS)

Janvi Bhatia, flute

(PERFECT SCORE)

Jessica Godfrey, alto saxophone WIFE OF FORMER HEAD OF SCHOOL PASSES AWAY

ISSMA GOLD RATINGS FOR NINE SYCAMORE MUSICIANS

Betty Lorraine Eib, the wife of founding Sycamore Head of School Gene Eib, passed away peacefully in her sleep February 9.

Betty married Oscar Eugene Eib in 1947 and moved to Indiana.

She and Gene had four children, Bette Jene, Kathy Ellen, Mary Lynn and Retha Louise. Betty worked as a substitute teacher and later as a secretary in the guidance office at North Central High School.

She was involved in Gene’s work at Spring Mill, Nora, and Grandview Elementary schools, as well as Sycamore School.

Nine Sycamore band students participated in the ISSMA State Solo and Ensemble Festival this year. All of the soloists and ensembles earned gold ratings, and two of the solos earned perfect scores.

The ISSMA Solo and Ensemble Festival has no grade level divisions.

Instead, students are entered in one of five group levels based on the difficulty of the music being performed. Group I is reserved for the most difficult music and there is a required list of pieces that students must select from to enter in Group I. At most schools, the students

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Margot Helft, violin (PERFECT SCORE)

ENSEMBLES

(GOLD RATINGS)

Janvi Bhatia, Carly Chandler, Rhea Bhatia: flute trio Shaan Mishra, Jaxon Oldham, Andrew Pirkle, Jaclyn Copeland: Mallet quartet

This is the fourth year in a row of having a mallet quartet from Sycamore make it to the state level. In addition, this was the second year Sycamore also had a flute trio. The student musicians performed music for a judge, who critiqued the student’s performances.

The scores were then tallied and each student or group earned a rating (gold, silver, bronze, participation). Congratulations to all participants on outstanding performances.

Jordan Pecar

2ND PLACE, JUNIOR PERFORMANCE DIVISION

Hudson Pangan

2ND PLACE, JUNIOR WEBSITE DIVISION

Ava Cabello

2ND PLACE, JUNIOR EXHIBIT DIVISION

Jaclyn Copeland

3RD PLACE, ALTERNATE, JUNIOR PERFORMANCE DIVISION

“What a great showing for a great group of young scholars,” said coach Linda Mihm. “We had nine students compete in regionals, and all nine should be exceptionally proud of the projects they created!”

ROBOTICS TEAM COMPETES AT STATE AND WORLDS

Sycamore School’s Middle School VEX Robotics team competed at the State Competition, and earned the AMAZE Trophy for Design and Programming.

Congratulations to Karl Wang, Owen Wright, Alex Griesemer and Max Pfeffer as the team placed 6th in the teamwork competition and 9th in skills competition. A total of 36 teams had qualified and competed at the state meet. The squad also competed at the VEX Worlds in Louisville in April.

WONG WINS MUSIC TITLE

Wesley Wong (3rd grade) won 1st place in the prestigious Indianapolis Matinee Musicale Student and Junior Scholarship Competition in the Strings division (1st to 5th grade) held at Butler University in April.

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SYCAMORE

SYCAMORE

a perfect score on the contest; a feat only ten fifth graders earned nationwide. Congratulations to Abby Cheng, Aditi Dey, Owen Murray, and Alex Wei. Sycamore 6th graders placed ninth out of 33 teams.

SPANISH STUDENTS EARN NATIONAL EXAM HONORS

Sycamore took part in the National Spanish Exam (a high schoollevel test) with 115 6th-8th graders taking a test, measuring them on vocabulary, grammar, reading, and listening. After the scoring, 51 of the 115 students received honors recognition or higher (meaning they scored in the 50th percentile or higher).

SYCAMORE’S HISTORY BEE TEAM, WITH 7TH GRADERS (LEFT TO RIGHT) IRENE LIANG , EMMA HERMACINSKI, NIHA KISHAN AND HENLEY LYNCH, FINISHED 17TH IN THE NATION

SYCAMORE TOP TEN FINISH IN INDIANA HS MATH LEAGUE

MISHRA PLACES IN GEOGRAPHY TOP 10

Sycamore School joined 34 high schools from across Indiana in competing in the Indiana High School Math League. The High School Math League consists of six contests throughout the year, each consisting of 6 questions. Though Sycamore is the only middle school competing in the contest, they were able to secure 9th place out of the

Eighth grader Shaan Mishra competed in the state level competition of the National Geographic Bee, and finished 7th overall. The finals aired on WFYI the week of May 21.

35 teams, finishing ahead of local schools such as North Central High School, Fishers High School, Culver Academies, Guerin Catholic, Westfield, and Hamilton Southeastern.

Sycamore held its first-ever Olympics, carrying on the longtime tradition of Field Day. Teams were made up of preschoolers through 8th graders (about 26 on each squad), all competing together - and against other teams. A video of the day captures the Sycamore joy of the day, and the camaraderie among teammates and teams.

The top scoring individuals for Sycamore were Noah Tan, who finished in 12th place, and Rhea Acharya, who finished in 21st place. Other students contributing to Sycamore’s team score were 7th graders Abby Ko, Vishnu Iyer, Jeremy Smart, Miguel Spalding-Price, Lauren Caldwell, Karolena Zhou, and Olivia Willamson, and 8th graders Evan Piper, Spencer Durham, and Shaan Mishra.

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SYCAMORE OLYMPICS

SHAAN MISHRA EARNED A TOP 10 FINISH IN THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC BEE STATE COMPETITION.

Isabel Hargrove

SCORED A 100% ON THE READING AND LISTENING SECTION (GOLD - 97TH PERCENTILE)

Constantine Stefanidis

95TH PERCENTILE

Charlotte Thompson

95TH PERCENTILE

Rhea Acharya

LANGUAGE ARTS TEAMS EARN TOP 10 FINISHES IN NATION

96TH PERCENTILE

FOR 5th, 6th, AND 7th GRADE

Nicky Ivan

97TH PERCENTILE

Emma Hermacinski

Sycamore School students in 5th, 6th and 7th grades competed in the National Language Arts League’s competition, with the 7th graders winning the national title and each team finishing n the top 10 in the nation.

Two seventh graders, Emma Hermacinski and Jeremy Smart. earned the “National Student Leader” title, out of only four nationwide.

“The contest results directly reflect the hard work students have put into their studies this year,” middle school teacher and Language Arts coach Beth Simpson said. “The contest mirrors the reading and language usage sections of tests like the ACT, and students applied what they have learned in classes to the contest.”

WATCH THE VIDEO on the Sycamore School YouTube channel

Youtube.com/sycamoreschool

The 5th graders placed 2nd in the nation with four Sycamore fifth graders earning the distinction of “National Student Leaders” for recording

SCORED THE HIGHEST IN 7TH AND 8TH GRADE IN THE 98TH PERCENTILE.

SYCAMORE EARNS 17th PLACE AT HISTORY BEE NATIONALS

Four Sycamore students represented the school and competed at the National History Bee in Atlanta on June 1-4, finishing in 17th place.

Approximately 350 students competed in the event at the elementary, seventh, and eighth grade divisions.

Emma Hermacinski

(TOP 8 AT REGIONALS AND 3RD OVERALL)

Henley Lynch

(TOP 8 AT REGIONALS)

Max Pfeffer

(TOP 8 AT REGIONALS)

n

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SYCAMORE

SYCAMORE AUCTION SUCCESS: THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO CONTRIBUTED The 2017 Sycamore School Auction for Advancement was “An Evening of Southern Charm.” The event was held in Carmel at the 502 East Event Center and was generously sponsored, once again, by The National Bank of Indianapolis. Those in attendance enjoyed wonderful southern fare including mint juleps, southern fried chicken and various pies. After a lively live auction and a Fund-An-Item that raised over $30,000 to renovate the restrooms across from the cafeteria, the crowd enjoyed competitive cornhole games. This event was a great success because of the fabulous chairs: Sumi Maun, Harold Lee and Beth Peyton and silent auction chair Lynda Parziale. Over $116,000 was raised to benefit Sycamore School.

FINE ART

Jim Anderson Gregory Beall Kelly Bremer Shawn Causey Danny Clark Gary Dausch Shawn Causey Jonathan Eddy Grabow Family Marcus Hendry David Lord Kiran Naqvi Kyle Ragsdale William Denton Ray Carolyn Springer Darren Strecker John Strickland Regina Vandivier LOCAL BREWERIES

21st Amendment Wine & Spirits Barley Island Brewing Company Bier Brewery and Tap Room Big Lug Canteen Chilly Waters Brewing Company Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant Flat12 Bierwerks Granite City Food & Brewery

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Heady Hollow Brewing Company MashCraft Brewing Company Oaken Barrel Brewing Company Payless Liquors Redemption Alewerks Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery Sun King Brewing The District Tap The Ram Restaurant & Brewery Tow Yard Brewing Company Zink Distributing Company SYCAMORE EXPERIENCES

Tiffany Applegate Marissa Argus Jennifer Berger Diane Borgmann Erin Bortz Melissa Branigan Laura Brueckmann Melissa Burke Dusty Burwell Julie Clawson Ryan Cox Lauren Ditchley BJ Drewes David Fink Paula French

Doris Fulwider Steve Fulwider John George Chadwick Gillenwater Jo Dee Grau Erica Harrison Jennifer Hendry Cara Hermacinski Leslie Katz Nathan Keith Catherine Kirkendall Beth Koehler Holly Lee Glenna Lykens Jamie MacDougall Jim McCarter Linda Mihm Amy Miltenberger Ruth Moll Denise Murphy Mary O’Malley Rob Nichols Naomi Patterson Lynn Pels Eileen Prince Kim Pursch Deborah Reidy Leroy Richens David Schuth Jeannie Shull Beth Simpson Tiffany Stahl Deb Stewart Trent Tormoehlen Maria Truesdale & Family Pam Westermann Jennifer Williams Jean Wright Lori Yesh Tony Young FOR THE FAMILY

A Bunch of Childs Music AH Collection Bark Tutor School for Dogs Bobby Cooper Salon Boncosky Family Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre Butler Arts Center Ciaccia Family

Climb Time Indy City Dogs Grocery Conner Prairie Cunningham Family CycleBar Carmel Jacky Doke of Origami Owl DeVeau’s School of Gymnastics Distinct Images Elan Furs F3 – Fit Flex Fly Fancy Fortune Cookies Fluffy Puppy Pet Sitting Fire Eye Fitness Janeira/Crawford Family Jeanie Gensheimer Martial Arts Giggle Learn Tutoring Grabow Family Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre Harley Davidson Southside Healing Arts Lori Henderson Henderson/Nicodemus Family Hoosier Heights Indoor Rock Climbing iLoveKickboxing Indy Adventure Boot Camp Indiana Ballet Conservatory Indiana Primetime Sports Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra Indy Hoops Academy InterActive Academy International Talent Academy Invoke Yoga and Pilates Studio Jewish Community Center JW Marriott Kids Ink Children’s Bookstore Kiss Kiss Bang Bang Salon Kits & Kaboodle (Westfield) Koteewi Range Sport & Target Archery Center Kroger Kumon of Indianapolis Lily Pai Designs Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes McNamara Florist Mi Nail Salon Mike Chesney Monkey Joe’s Moyer Fine Jewelers

NCAA Hall of Champions Orangetheory Fitness Ossip Optometry & Ophthalmology Philipe’s Day Spa & Cosmetique Pools of Fun (Noblesville) Primetime Sports Pryor Photography Pure Family Chiropractic PXP Endurance Reis Nichols Jewelers Saks Fifth Avenue Jonathan Sprout Story Monsters Ink Studio Movie Grill Summer Stock Stage Sycamore School Tanselle Family Taylor Family Team Witsken Tennis The Alexander Hotel The Avery Coonley School The Game Preserve South The Hot Room The New You Esthetics The Palladium WonderLab Museum of Science, Health & Technology Yesh Family FOOD & DRINK

Abuelo’s Mexican Restaurant Ale Emporium Arni’s Restaurant Artisano’s Oils and Spices B Spot Burgers Baker Family Bazbeaux Pizza Biaggi’s Ristorante Italiano Black Market BoomBozz Pizza & Taphouse Bonefish Grill Bravo Cucina Italiana Buca di Beppo Buffalo Wild Wings Café Patachou Charleston’s Restaurant Chef JJ’s Downtown Ciaccia Family Claddagh Irish Pub & Restaurant

Classic Cakes Coalition Pizza Cunningham Restaurant Group Drake’s Indianapolis Eddie Merlot’s Endangered Species Chocolate Firebirds Wood Fired Grill First Watch Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar Fresh Market Fresh Thyme Farmers’ Market Gigi’s Cupcakes Giordano’s Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream & Yogurt High Velocity Hoagies and Hops Hubbard & Cravens Coffee and Tea Joe’s Butcher Shop and Fish Market Kona Grill Kroger Le Peep Restaurant Lee Family (Harold and Jessica) MacKenzie River Pizza Grill & Pub Maggiano’s Little Italy Market District MBP Distinctive Catering Meridian Restaurant & Bar Metro Diner Moeller Family Monical’s Pizza NouvEau Inc., Sparkling Eau de Vin Ocean Prime On the Border Mexican Grill & Cantina Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt Osteria Pronto Parziale Family Peterson’s Restaurant Peyton Family Piada Italian Street Food Prime 47 Rascia’s Creative Cakes Repeal Restaurant Rockstone Pizza Pub Rook

Ruth’s Chris Steak House Sawasdee Thai Restaurant Schakolad Chocolate Factory Seasons 52 Squealers Barbeque Stacked Pickle Starbucks Sullivan’s Steakhouse Taylor Family Ted’s Montana Grill The Best Chocolate in Town The Fresh Market The Lit Moose The Melting Pot Trader Joe’s FOR THE HOME

Allisonville Nursery, Garden & Home Altum’s Horticultural Center & Landscape Arts A Poppin’ Baker Family Butler Toyota California Closets Cathedral Marble & Granite Cleary Vacuum Deck The Walls Susan Deidrich Four Corners Framing Barbara Friedenson Design Habig Garden Shop Harley Davidson of Indianapolis Holder Mattress Lisa Lueck of Ganache Chocolatier Syeda Khatib Luxe Home Interiors Maple Leaf Farms Martin Gallery of Fine Art Outre P.J.E. Lawn Care & Landscaping Rosie’s Gardens Salsbery Brothers Landscaping Sullivan Hardware & Garden Sundown Gardens Supreme Surface Cleaners The Tile Shop TradeSource

Tremaine Tile, Granite and Marble TriPhase Technologies Ty’s Detail Warm Glow Candle Company Sports Memorabilia & Experiences John Abrams Brookshire Golf Club Dye’s Walk Country Club Golf Galaxy Golfsmith GolfTEC Highland Golf Country Club Indianapolis Motor Speedway Harold and Jessica Lee Loftus Family Maun Family McMurtray Family Josh and Lynn Mervis Parziale Family Plum Creek Golf Course Prairie View Golf Club Purgatory Golf Club River Glen Country Club Rachel Simon Stuart Sun Valley Sports The Outdoorsman Sports Shop Twin Lakes Golf Club Wilkerson Family Wolf Run Golf Club *List of Donors in alphabetical by category

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THE RT OF PERSONAL SERVICE

2013 SYCAMORE SCHOOL GRADUATES: COLLEGE CHOICES

CLASS OF 2017 HIGH SCHOOL DESTINATIONS BREBEUF Drake Hagerman Kate Loftus Gus Mervis Shaan Mishra Jaxon Oldham Parker Passarelli Andrew Pirkle Drew Wrightson CANYON CREST ACADEMY (CALIFORNIA)

Adam Vieth

CULVER ACADEMIES Carly Chandler Cassie Kaplan HERRON HIGH SCHOOL Elsie McNulty

Gayatri Balasubramanian

Emily McDonnell

HARVARD UNIVERSITY

PURDUE UNIVERSITY

Nico Biagioni

Jordan McQuiston

NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY

UNIVERSITY OF EVANSVILLE

Courtney Brody

Kaya Mernitz

INDIANA UNIVERSITY

MIAMI OF OHIO

Claire Dallman

Joey Mervis

NEW YORK UNIVERSITY

NEW YORK UNIVERSITY

Maya Elliott

Andy Metzman

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA

INDIANA UNIVERSITY

Matthew Flowers

Meena Moorthy

INDIANA UNIVERSITY

INDIANA UNIVERSITY

Audrey Geipel

Brendan Murphy

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

PURDUE UNIVERSITY

Timothy Geisse

Jay Natarajan KENT STATE UNIVERSITY

PURDUE UNIVERSITY

Sarah George

NORTHWEST

THE ONEAMERICA TOWER

WEST CARMEL/ZIONSVILLE

Anne Havlik

WESTFIELD/CARMEL

MERIDIAN-KESSLER

East 146th Street at Cool Creek Commons

49th and Pennsylvania Street

Kathyrn Papp

WESTCLAY®

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Towne Road near 131st Street

320 North Meridian Street

Abhinav Ramkumar UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO

Evan Hay

106th and North Michigan Road

One American Square

UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME

INDIANA UNIVERSITY

GEIST/FISHERS

Olio Road at 116th Street

GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY

Matthew Gerdisch

CARMEL

East Carmel Drive Near Keystone Ave.

Ditch Road and 84th Street

Oksana Oleschchuk

NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY

NORTH CENTRAL Spencer Durham Margot Helft Laura Jannetta Ajay Mahenthiran Claire McGuire

DOWNTOWN

107 North Pennsylvania Street

GREENWOOD

CASTLETON

Jonathan Schwartz

West Smith Valley Road and SR 135

Bash Road and East 82nd Street

YALE UNIVERSITY

BALL STATE UNIVERSITY

Mike Johnson

Fariya Shamrin INDIANA UNIVERSITY

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS IN 2018

CARMEL Rhea Acharya Janvi Bhatia Olivia Childress Nicholas Ivan Aidan Myers Anjali Natarajan Rineet Ranga Noah Tan CATHEDRAL Owen Wright

PARK TUDOR Alex Griesemer Ethan Kacena-Merrell Evan Piper

Ariana Katz

Ben Snyder WEST POINT MILITARY ACADEMY

NEW YORK UNIVERSITY

Kourtney Kinchen

Carmela Verderame NEW YORK UNIVERSITY

NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY

Margaret Klemsz

Jack Walters

INDIANA UNIVERSITY

ATTENDING CANADIAN HIGH SCHOOL (5 YEARS)

Dennis Aydin

Karen Lu

Tommy Williams

UNDECIDED Ben Witter

Justin Matei

PHILLIPS EXETER ACADEMY

261-9000

(NEW HAMPSHIRE) BUTLER UNIVERSITY

COLGATE UNIVERSITY

©2010 The National Bank of Indianapolis

Member FDIC

YALE UNIVERSITY Service_loc_4C_8.5x11_bld.indd 1

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www.nbofi.com

2/26/10 7:11 AM

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Non Profit Organization U.S. Postage

1750 West 64th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46260

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED www.sycamoreschool.org 317.202.2500

SYCAMORE SCHOOL 8TH GRADERS IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

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