Country Connections Summer/Fall 2022

Country Connections

The Magazine of The Country School Summer/Fall 2022

A publicAtion for country School Alumni, fAmilieS & friendS

Head of ScHool

John D. Fixx, P '06

editor

Liz Lightfoot, '77 P '05, '07, '08, '12

contributorS

John D. Fixx

Beth Lane

Will McDonough

Ibrahim Mohamed

Ruba Nadar

Keith Smith Nicole Talmadge

GrapHic deSiGn

Teresa Sullivan, P '15, '18, '18

pHotoGrapHy

Teresa Sullivan and members of The Country School community

alumni correSpondence

Send change of contact information, class notes, and information about births, marriages, and deaths to alumni@thecountryschool.org.

CELEBRATING

Celebrating Community: A Message from Head of School Country life: What's New

Country SChool Board of truSteeS 2022-23

Matthew Callahan, Finance Co-Chair

Dr. Felicia Cuomo, Trustee

Deirdre Devaney, Finance Co-Chair

Dr. Mary Didiuk, Board Chair

Ryan Duques, Treasurer

John D. Fixx, Trustee

Dr. Bonnie Hiatt, Trustee

Melissa Hill, Vice-Chair, Institutional Advancement Chair

Spring Hollis, Trustee

Stephanie Johnson, Faculty Representative

Tom Main, Trustee

Matthew Murphy '98, Trustee

Helise Owens, Trustee

Dr. Eileen Reach, Trustee

Charles Robertson ’01, Committee on Trustees Chair

Dr. Howard Rogers, Program Committee Chair

Marina Scott, IDEA Board Committee Chair

Tim Smith, Secretary

Christine Wang, Trustee

CELEBRATING COMMUNITY:

A MessAge froM the heAd of school

Dear Country School Alumni, Families, and Friends,

Welcome to the 2022 edition of CountryConnections in which we share news from on and off campus, shine a spotlight on our Signature Programs, and offer a preview of the exciting opportunities on the horizon as we strive toward The Country School’s 70th anniversary. Mostly, though, this issue celebrates the Country School community, because if there’s one thing we’ve learned over these last few years, it’s that people coming together with a common purpose make all the difference.

Last June I wrote,“If you can ascertain the character of an individual by how they respond during times of challenge, I think you can also appreciate the strength of a school community when it confronts challenges, such as Covid.” Although my words were intended for our current community, I I think anyone reading this magazine will be able to recognize the unique Country School can-do spirit in action.

Dr. Mary Didiuk P ’22 ’24, the chair of our Board of Trustees, expresses it best, “I am so grateful to this community for offering our children a nurturing and supportive learning environment where students are encouraged to enjoy childhood as unique and important individuals. Time moves quickly, and life can be complicated, but joy and kindness endure perennially at The Country School.”

Community was also a major theme for the Connecticut Association of Independent Schools’ Visiting Team, who were on campus last fall for our Decennial evaluation and re-accreditation and summarized their visit this way: "The Country School students shared their true sense of belonging, connectedness with others, and joy of learning. The kind, inclusive, and caring community that is nurtured at The Country School was palpable."

No doubt these words would be music to the ears of our school’s founders, who in 1955 set out to create a school community where, “through smaller classes and individual attention, children may progress according to their ability.” Key to their vision was a strong connection between students and teachers and “an atmosphere of learning in which parents and teachers working together can help children realize their full potentialities.”

In the spirit of all of the above, thank you for being part of this special community, where joy and kindness, belonging and connectedness, and the excitement of learning and creation continue to be a part of every child’s day, regardless of what is going on in the world around them. Our founders couldn’t have foreseen Coronavirus, but I am certain they would be proud to see the “magic of this small school with a big heart” as it boldly sails ahead, celebrating every student as they learn and grow, knowing they are unique and important individuals, and that this community will always be there to support them.

With gratitude and optimism for everything that lies ahead.

John D. Fixx, P '06 Head of School

OUNTRY LIFE: WhAt’s NeW

A cAMpus updAte

Although No oNe

— ANd No plAce — hAs escAped upheAvAl siNce covid Arrived oN the sceNe iN eArly 2020, the couNtry school fAred better thAN MANy. After A period of reMote leArNiNg, We Were Able to returN to iN-persoN leArNiNg iN septeMber 2020, ANd school hAs beeN hAppily iNpersoN siNce.

hands-on learning and children stretch, grow, discover, wonder, play, create, and reflect so that, when they graduate, they can face the future with confidence, knowledge, determination, and joy.

During the most intense periods of Covid, we learned to utilize the whole campus, with many classes, meals, and snack sessions held outdoors. Our hearty students and teachers, already accustomed to Outdoor Education adventures and multiple outdoor recesses each day, knew how to adjust for a life lived largely outdoors, and they wholeheartedly embraced our reinvigorated outdoor presence.

We are grateful to our Covid Task Force, made up of science and health experts within the community, who helped develop school policy vis-a-vis virtual vs. in-person learning, social distancing, masking, quarantining, etc., all with the goal of keeping members of our community healthy and safe and school open and functioning at the highest possible level. Likewise, we are grateful to our hard-working technology team, led by Bill Leidt for many years and then by Joseph LaMacchia, for making the transitions to, from, and between virtual, in-person, and hybrid learning as seamless as possible. And of course, we are grateful to our community of students, teachers, administrators, staff, and parents for their flexibility, understanding, and diligence, as we worked so very hard to keep everyone safe and every school day as joyous and full of growth as they always have been.

Finally, we are forever grateful for the unique characteristics of this beautiful, 23-acre campus in the countryside and for the vision of Hugh and Elizabeth Jones, two of our school’s founders, who had the foresight in 1955 to purchase an expanse of land on Opening Hill Road, thinking that the small farmhouse and the field and woods surrounding it might make a good setting for an elementary school. As you can see as you scroll through these photos, ours has continued to be a happy campus, where days are filled with active,

Can you imagine a better school setting, especially during a pandemic (or any other time, for that matter)? Where else can students spend so much time outside, learning and playing, in fresh air? As it turns out, others have come to see the magic of our country campus, and after the lockdown ended, we saw a growth in enrollment, particularly from families wishing to leave more congested environments.

The hearT of Campus

In our last issue of CountryConnections , we introduced the new Burt Family Green, the oval courtyard between the Farmhouse and the academic buildings, which during our dedication ceremony in 2019 one friend described as “an anchor on campus.” Thank you again to Jeff ’61, Allee, Taylor ’00, and Hilary ’03 Burt for your vision; the Burt Family Green has proven to be far more than an anchor during its relatively short life. In fact, it is more like the beating heart.

When we couldn’t come together inside because of social distancing requirements, the Burt Family Green was our communal venue, serving as the daily lunch, recess, and classroom spot for several grade levels. When we were only able to gather communally if we were outdoors, it became our de facto auditorium/ gymnasium, the go-to site for All School Meetings, Alumni Reunion (complete with s’mores around a campfire), the Halloween Parade, the Fall Festival, the Holiday Program, the Book Fair, Grandparents & Special Friends Day, the Spring Soiree, the 8th Grade Dance, Countrystock (with bouncy castles and karaoke), and a spectacular Class of 2022 Graduation. The Burt Family Green feels so essential and so much a part of campus life that it’s hard to imagine what we ever did without it.

IDea Brave spaCe

Since 2019, a dedicated group of Middle School students have been leading the IDEA Student Alliance (IDEA stands for Inclusion, Diversity, Empathy, and Action), spearheading diversity and inclusion efforts on and off campus. After holding meetings in various locations, members of the class of 2021 suggested creating a designated space for their conversations. The result is the “Brave Space,” a quiet outdoor meeting spot at the edge of the field, where the baseball field meets the woods. It’s a perfect space to sit quietly, talk, and reflect, with a beautiful view of campus in the distance.

alumnI lIBrary

In addition to the hundreds of vibrant books available to students in Elmore Library, we have a growing collection of titles by TCS authors in the Alumni Office. Authors include former Heads of School David MacLane, Tom West, and Steve Davenport and more than two dozen alumni authors. If you have a title to add to the collection, please let us know! Email alumni@ thecountryschool.org.

Class of 2021 ouTDoor Classroom

Thanks to the families of the Class of 2021, whose generosity resulted in a magical, permanent, outdoor learning space outside the Farmhouse. The circular bench, an outdoor answer to the Harkness Tables that grace our Middle School humanities rooms, is made of local lumber and was designed and built by someone who knows our campus from the inside — Will Cooley ’04.

Class of 2022 farmhouse paTIo

Perhaps taking the lead from the class of 2021, students and parents of the class of 2022 opted to further enhance the space outside the Farmhouse with a beautiful renovation of the patio area. After an excavation of the old patio surface, new bluestone, beautiful plantings, and special seating were added, enabling the patio to be used for outdoor meetings, academics, parent coffees, and almost any other special function. If the Burt Family Green wasn’t welcoming enough when visitors arrived on campus, the new community patio overlooking it is a warm embrace, effectively saying, “We’re glad you’re here. Have a seat and stay a while.”

’99 cuts the ribbon for the

“Dedicated to Jordan Katz ’99, whose leadership led to the beginning of our

JorDan KaTz Cross CounTry TraIls

Thank you to Dr. Lee Katz and Lauragene Lyons P '99, '01 for their generous support in formally caring for and naming our running trails. In the late 1990s, their son Jordan Katz ’99 asked his English teacher and Middle School director if the school could start a running team. The request was music to the ears of his teacher/administrator, a certain John Fixx, who happily ran the campus and bushwacked what

would one day be the Katz Trails. Over time the trail has grown, improved, and gained more foot traffic. Dedicated in October 2020, the now year-round training ground for dozens of Country School student runners between the ages of 5 and 14 (and lots of teachers and parents), it also serves as the site of the annual Country School Invitational, attracting hundreds of student-athletes from across the shoreline.

Jordan Katz

Jordan Katz Cross Country Trails, accompanied by his young daughter. The sign by the trail reads:

Cross Country running program at The Country School.”

cOUNTRY LIFE: WhAt’s NeW

A progrAM updAte

What makes an education last a lifetime? That’s a question we ask all the time; after all, “education that lasts a lifetime” is both our school’s “tagline” and an essential part of its mission.

Although people — our excellent teachers and our engaged and engaging students — are at the heart of the answer, so is our program. Since its founding, The Country School has been committed to a rigorous, creative, exciting academic program capable of preparing students to thrive alongside the best minds anywhere. But we have also always known that to be truly valuable, truly lasting, an education must also foster social and emotional growth. In other words, what matters most is not what we know but our ability to take our understanding and use it to make a positive difference in the world.

To that end, The Country School proudly boasts five Signature Programs: Elmore Leadership, Public Speaking, STEAM, and Outdoor Education, and, new in 2019, Global Citizenship.

elmore leaDershIp

Named for longtime Country School trustee Robert W. Elmore, the Elmore Leadership Program seeks to

develop students into civic-minded citizens who will become tomorrow’s leaders, practicing our Country School core values of kindness, respect, and responsibility. Through a coordinated series of activities, programs, and experiences, students take turns leading and letting others lead, speaking and listening empathetically to others’ voices. While maximizing the talents and backgrounds of all members of the community, they learn important lessons about collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and perseverance.

puBlIC speaKIng

High priority has been placed on public speaking since The Country School’s earliest years, when David MacLane, our first headmaster, established the Lois MacLane Poetry Recitation. But the annual poetry recitation is just the most visible example of public speaking opportunities on campus. From PreSchool-Grade 8, we are committed to developing our students’ voices, both formally and informally, so children learn that what they have to say is important and that what others have to say is worth listening to. The goal is that, as they go out into the world, students are comfortable using their voices boldly and thoughtfully to make a meaningful difference in their community and the broader world.

sTeam

Through integrated Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math, all students explore themes in depth and across the curriculum. They tackle real-world problems that require them to ask questions and solve problems. By integrating all elements of our curriculum and teachers from across disciplines, STEAM engages every learner, and the hands-on, creative nature of a STEAM exploration means the learning will last. Perhaps most important, STEAM gives our students practice using the skills they will need in the future and the inspiration to be tomorrow’s innovators.

ouTDoor eDuCaTIon

Using the outdoors as both teacher and classroom, our school-wide Outdoor Education program provides opportunities for children to learn about themselves, their peers, their teachers, and the environment in ways that cannot occur within the confines of the classroom. During the course of their years at The Country School, students hike the nature trails that surround campus, work in the Children's Garden, and master challenges on our on-campus ropes course. They paddle canoes, climb mountains, scale rock walls, and ride river rapids further afield. Far more than simple physical challenges, these activities are purposely designed to allow students to define and strengthen for themselves qualities of character and citizenship, ideals of practical and philosophical leadership, notions of responsible stewardship of the environment, and sound decisionmaking skills.

gloBal CITIzenshIp

The Country School Mission calls upon students to work collaboratively and serve the common good, while one of the three major school rules asks them to take responsibility for themselves and their world. Developing global citizens is an essential goal of the school's 11year program, aimed at preparing graduates to lead in the global environment they will inhabit. Grounded in the belief that when people with different backgrounds, talents, and experiences come together, new ideas and opportunities are born, our Global Citizenship program honors and harnesses the power of our differences as we prepare students to take proactive roles as leaders and partners in our interconnected, multicultural world. The Country School’s Global Citizenship work is guided by the National Association of Independent Schools’ Principles of Good Practice - Educating for Global Citizenship and International Mindedness, which, among other things, calls on schools to:

• Support and show evidence of learning and teaching that challenges students to expand their perspectives and understanding of the world they live in, including foreign language acquisition, cross-cultural communication, collaboration, global problem-solving, creative thinking, ethical and empathic decision making, and recognizing different perspectives

• Foster a climate of respect for all peoples and cultures

• Actively seek opportunities that promote global awareness, intercultural experiences, transnational exchange, travel, and collaboration for students,

faculty, and administrators

• Emphasize the value of intercultural communication and commitment to ethical action and service locally, nationally, and globally, and at all grade levels.

IDEA

We have expanded our longstanding Diversity initiative into an endeavor we call IDEA. Known on many campuses as Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (or DEIB), IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Empathy, and Action) speaks directly to that notion of “harnessing the power of our difference” as we prepare students to make a difference in the world. Infused in what we do and who we are at every level of the community, IDEA initiatives flow from our IDEA Statement, which, in turn, flows from our school’s Mission Statement.

mIssIon sTaTemenT

The Country School honors our students’ creativity, sense of wonder, and intellectual curiosity. Our integrated curriculum aligns rigorous academics with a commitment to character and leadership development. We nurture every student’s unique role in the community, empowering each to serve the common good. Graduates of The Country School face the future with confidence and an education that lasts a lifetime.

IDEA Statement

Guided by our mission statement, we affirm that inclusion and equity are essential to our caring community and exist as natural components of our educational program. Understanding diverse cultures, backgrounds,

and perspectives promotes the kindness, respect, and responsibility that we build in and beyond our classrooms. Developing empathy allows us to embrace our common humanity by respecting all individuals for who they are. Country School students are leaders and listeners who, through their compassionate actions, can change the world.

Like Global Citizenship, the tenets of IDEA also follow NAIS guidelines. In the overview for their Principles of Good Practice - Equity and Justice, NAIS states the following:

NAIS schools value the representation and full engagement of individuals within our communities whose differences include—but are not limited to—age, ethnicity, family makeup, gender identity and expression, learning ability, physical ability, race, religion, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status. NAIS welcomes and celebrates the diversity of our member schools. We expect member schools to create and sustain diverse, inclusive, equitable, and just communities that are safe and welcoming for all. We recognize that to do so requires commitment, reflection, deliberate planning and action, and ongoing accountability.

The 2021-2022 school year brought some important IDEA milestones on campus. First and foremost, we were thrilled to welcome Keith Smith as our first Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging. Also our talented Band Director, Mr. Smith joined us from Virginia, where he was a high school band leader and led diversity

and inclusion efforts. Since joining The Country School, he has been actively involved with DEIB leaders from across the state, attending bi-weekly meetings with others in his position elsewhere, while also engaging in national conversations at venues such as the NAIS People of Color Conference. This school year, he has been supporting an effort to conduct a NAIS climate survey on campus, which will help guide our efforts going forward, especially as we formulate a Strategic Diversity Plan. Other recent IDEA highlights of the year include: Our 10th Annual IDEA Day, a day of workshops centered around IDEA themes; Ongoing meetings, planning, and engagement by our IDEA Student, Faculty, and Family Alliances; First meeting of Parents of Color Affinity Group; Professional Development on diversifying hiring; The development of an IDEA glossary of terms for students at various grade levels; Expanded celebrations of heritage months; nauguration of the IDEA “Brave Space.”

a message from DeIB/IDea DIreCTor KeITh smITh:

Belonging is an invaluable part of each student’s Country School experience. Teachers and students bring their unique selves to school and we embrace this sense of community.

In my first year as Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging I have taken pride in the clear work the school has been doing for several years. Country School is a community that aims to bring people in. When there is a united effort for belonging, all parts of our community are the beneficiaries. As we continue to progress, Maya Angelou will help guide our steps, “I long, as does every human being, to be at home wherever I find myself.”

Thank you, Country School students, teachers, and families, for your work to “bring people in.” And to our alumni, I encourage you to help us continue to make TCS feel like home for every student, family, faculty and staff member. As alumni you have unique experiences, and your perspective can help bring us closer to becoming the best version of our community.

hIsTory of IDea

In its current iteration, “IDEA” at The Country School began 10 years ago, when Gabby Mbeki, then a 5th Grade teacher, introduced IDEA Day on campus, but its principles

have been part of Country School since the beginning. Indeed, in the school’s founding documents, prepared in 1955, the founders wrote that The Country School “is not an exclusive institution” but one “where, through smaller classes and individual attention, children may progress according to their ability.” Within a few years, the school embarked on a scholarship initiative aimed at enabling students to attend if their families couldn’t afford full tuition. Later, school leaders initiated a program to expand diversity beyond socio-economic, believing that a more diverse and inclusive population leads to a better education for all. A committee focusing on diversity was formed, and in 1993 a Diversity Statement was adopted. In 2021, that statement was revised to its current iteration.

Ms. Mbeki’s vision of IDEA Day, a one-day series of workshops centered around diversity, inclusion, and belonging, has expanded to include multiple events, speakers, and activities throughout the year, including our annual workshop day, which this year headlined Ms. Mbeki, now a teacher and DEIB practitioner at Buckingham Browne & Nichols School in Cambridge, MA, as our keynote speaker. Our active IDEA Alliances (student, teacher, and family) support this work. An IDEA committee on the Board of Trustees provides strategic direction.

elmore leaDershIp TeaChIng fellows

Augmenting both Global Citizenship and our IDEA Initiative, The Country School welcomed three Elmore Leadership Teaching Fellows over the last two school years. Ibrahim Mohamed, a recent graduate of Connecticut College and a native of Somaliland, and Devan Cowles-Garcia ’11, a Country School alumna interested in expanding DEI efforts and representation, joined us during the 2020-21 year. Ruba Nadar, a recent graduate of Barnard College who co-founded an award-winning Columbia/Barnard chapter of a national DEI organization, joined us in 2021-22. Our teaching fellows filled in wherever they were needed, sharing their expertise and bringing an array of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives to our community.

Editor’s Note. Ibrahim is currently enrolled in a Masters program, studying Economics and Finance at Ohio State.

a one-of-a-KInD famIly: a refleCTIon from ruBa naDar, 2022 elmore leaDershIp TeaChIng fellow (excerpt): My journey at TCS began in early January, and it was clear from the start that I had a place in the community. As the Elmore Leadership Teaching Fellow, I had the joy of working with every single child and teacher at the school. They showed me the way, one kindness at a time.

I made dinosaur skeletons with PreK, played mat ball with Kindergarten, made art with 1st Grade, solved math problems with 2nd Grade, played NBA-level basketball with 3rd Grade, built forts and explored history with 4th Grade, and I even had the chance to go to the Met with 5th Grade. I had the opportunity to teach and make art, which further showed me the creativity of our students and teachers alike. Through my mixed-media art class I witnessed my students' capacity for multidisciplinary making. By May they were no longer daunted by mixing media; they used their comfort with collage, painting, drawing and performance to produce spectacular works all in collaboration with one another. They also advised me on my mural for Shrek: The Musical and encouraged me along the way. This trust allowed me to paint in a way I never have at a scale I have only dreamt of.

Lastly, I am so proud to have worked with the IDEA Alliance this year. This foundational work that our community is committed to will allow for TCS and its students to build the future it deserves. I am so grateful to The Country School for allowing me to forge my path as an educator, artist and friend to all.

(excerpt): The first thing I noticed when I joined the school was how everyone was supportive and connected with everyone else at the school. There is a strong sense of community that strives to build a culture of community by including everyone — students, teachers, and parents — in the educational process. This is a place where everyone is committed to improving the students' educational experience.

As a teaching fellow I tried to help students and make them understand how to apply what they have learned in class to everyday life situations. Whether I am teaching Spanish, history, talking about refugee issues, or Islam, my goal as an educator is to help students develop the skills and empathy required to be global citizens and look at the world critically, respecting and valuing diversity, recognizing that people are shaped by different circumstances and cultures, and reflecting on their own actions and attitudes as they also take responsibility for them. As educators, I believe our ultimate goal should be to create an environment where students think critically, and then support them as they engage in productive struggle. At The Country School, we strive to do that.

Editor’sNote:RubaisbackhomeinLondon,continuing herworkasavisualartist.

InspIrIng sTuDenTs To ThInK CrITICally anD gloBally: a refleCTIon from IBrahIm mohameD, 2021 elmore leaDershIp TeaChIng fellow

coMMuNity: iN the NeWs

Foundation, enabling Country School teachers to infuse biotech practices and equipment in the science curriculum and allowing Country School students to provide biotech mentoring in underserved communities. As a robotics coach, she has focused on engaging more girls through special programming.

During the height of Covid, Dr. Cornell modeled a major component of the Country School mission — serving the common good — when she chose to return to her research roots, taking a sabbatical so she could work full-time on the development of Detect, an accessible, at-home Covid test. Last school year (2021-22), while remaining at Detect part-time, she rejoined us on campus, teaching science and coaching robotics. Detect founder Dr. Jonathan Rothberg, P ’13, ’15, ’23, ’25, the renowned scientist and entrepreneur, applauded Dr. Cornell when she was nominated for the Women of Innovation award, saying that her innovations in lateral flow technology “are at the core of our accurate and scalable test platform” and that her “scientific prowess, collaborative spirit, and work ethic make her an outstanding team member at Detect." Coming from the man who earned the National Medal of Technology and Innovation from President Obama for inventing and commercializing high-throughput next-gen genome sequencing, this was high praise indeed.

The Class of 2022

Congratulations to the Country School Class of 2022. The 31 leaders, scholars, athletes, artists, writers, mathematicians, scientists, public servants, orators, innovators, and adventurers of the class of 2022 will be taking their many talents and interests to: Avon Old Farms, Brookfield East High School (WI), Cheshire Academy, Choate Rosemary Hall, Daniel Hand High School, Guilford High School, The Frederick Gunn School, Holderness, Hopkins, Miss Porter's, Phillips Academy Andover, Pomfret, Westminster, and The Williams School. Read more about some of their accomplishments in the stories below.

InspIrIng The nexT generaTIon: Dr. amy Cornell Science teacher and robotics coach Amy Cornell, P ’23 ’26 was in the headlines this year as a winner of the Connecticut Technology Council’s Women of Innovation Award. Honored for her efforts in the classroom and the lab, the award recognizes “women who lead Connecticut’s future in STEM and pave the way for tomorrow’s breakthroughs.” A former NASA scientist, Dr. Cornell has made it a point to expose students to real-world science and scientists, and to expand the array of young people who might envision themselves working in the sciences. To that end, she secured a grant from Avantor Science

Editor’s Note: Dr. Cornell was not the only Country School teacher to be considered for the Women of Innovation Award. Her fellow science teacher/robotics coach Stephanie Johnson was one of three finalists in 2019. How fortunate are we to have so many Women of Innovation inspiring the next generation at The Country School?

IN coNtrAst to the disMAl heAdliNes We ’ ve groWN AccustoMed to seeiNg every tiMe We opeN the pAper, receNt MoNths hAve brought A robust portfolio of good NeWs stories About MeMbers of the couNtry school coMMuNity ANd About our school itself.

sevenTh graDer wIns genes In spaCe JunIor sCIenTIsT awarD Ksenia Podoltsova ’23 is one student who knows she benefited from her teachers’ innovative instruction. This spring, she was one of only five Middle School students across the nation to win a Genes in Space Junior Scientist Award. Aimed at addressing human health needs and countermeasures during long-duration space missions, Genes in Space asked students to design molecular-based experiments to be conducted on the International Space Station.

For her project, Ksenia opted to focus on SANS, or Spaceflight-associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome, and how she could improve astronauts’ vision because in space, low gravity allows more than half a gallon of fluids to gather in the head, putting pressure on the eyeballs. Similar to SANS, glaucoma elevates eye pressure, so Ksenia proposed implementing Drug-Eluting Contact Lenses soaked in Latanoprost drops, a common prescription for glaucoma, and evaluating common genetic markers related to intraocular pressure expressed in ocular tissues during glaucoma.

More than 1,000 students submitted proposals, about 250 of which came from Middle School teams, and Ksenia said she was well prepared for the challenge. “The Country School has a robust STEAM and biotechnology program, and Genes in Space provided me with the perfect opportunity to apply what I have learned in science class to the real world,” she said. “I chose a topic I am

passionate about, I used my resources, I wasn’t afraid to ask questions, and I learned from others. Most of all, there is still much to improve in space, and it is my generation’s responsibility to take action.”

As part of her award, The Country School received a P51 Fluorescence Biotechnology Kit, which includes some of the same DNA technology used aboard the International Space Station. Perhaps, just as her teachers have inspired her, Ksenia and the biotechnology kit will inspire other future scientists.

While Ksenia was busy with her SANS endeavor, a team of Middle Schoolers turned their interest in virtual reality, cryptocurrencies, and non-fungible tokens (or NFTs) into a creative fantasy NFT project they called the Inquisitive Owl Country Club. Modeling their efforts on the evergrowing NFT collection phenomenon, with “Bored Ape

mIDDle sChoolers spearheaD InquIsITIve owl CounTry CluB

Yacht Club” perhaps being the most famous, they not only educated the rest of the community about the ways creativity and art are shifting the global and digital economic landscape, they helped raise money for tuition assistance at The Country School.

Working with Will McDonough, history teacher and Director of Community Engagement, students invited Micah Stahl ’01, a writer, artist, and animator based in Los Angeles, to design a prototype Inquisitive Owl. The club's members welcomed classmates, teachers, and alumni to create their own iteration of the owl. Each owl became a unique manifestation within the Inquisitive Owl Country Club, which guests at the annual school auction were invited to bid on.

The masterminds behind the project — 8th Graders Milo Burch, Harrison Hodge, and Christopher Yuh and 7th Grader Luca Coletti — also moderated a panel featuring Micah and several NFT/cryptocurrency experts, including Dave Chenell (Designer and animator at Normal), Rory Tait (Asset Acquisition & Operations at Rally), and Dan Roberts (Editor-at-Large at Decrypt). As Chris said before the panel, "I'm interested to see where the world is going, and our moderators are at the forefront of current technological advancements. There is just so much to learn from them."

In addition to Micah, who was thrilled to be involved, at least one alum was wildly enthusiastic to hear about the project. Charlie Sullivan ’15 wrote to the IOCC leaders, "Bravo on your initiative to learn beyond the classroom. From my experience, learning becomes meaningful when my lessons align with my personal interests. That seems to be what is happening with the Inquisitive Owl initiative: your interests reflect innovative mindsets that TCS, your parents, and peers have nurtured in you. When I was a student at TCS, we were one of the first classes exposed to STEAM, what was then the latest form of innovative learning. Seven plus years later, you are embarking on the next wave of innovative learning – FinTech. I am incredibly excited to observe your work with Mr. McDonough."

DIplomaTs In The maKIng

For the past decade Country School students have been participating in the Kingswood Oxford Model UN, an academic simulation of the United Nations where students from area schools play the role of delegates from different countries and attempt to solve real world issues. This year, longstanding Model UN coach Jason Wainio partnered with Country School alumnus and former student (now colleague) Peter Burdge '09 to coach a team of 13 Middle Schoolers. Eighth Graders Milo Burch, Harrison Hodge, and Christopher Yuh and 7th Grader Alexander Monin were named four of the six Best Delegates. Eighth Grader Natalie Yuh earned Outstanding Delegate and 7th Grader Elizabeth Rogers received Honorable Mention.

For the third straight year, Country School 8th Graders participated in the Witness Stones Project, seeking this year to restore the history and honor the humanity of a man named Theophilus Niger, whose story had been lost to history. Enslaved near Horse Pond in Madison for much of his life, students learned through their research that Mr. Niger married, raised a family, gained his freedom, and amassed extensive property. Two of his sons went on to fight in the Revolutionary War and a grandson led a successful pre-Civil War Black voting rights effort in Rhode Island.

Continuing a tradition started by theClass of 2020 when they researched a woman named Lettuce Bailey and then by the Class of 2021, who researched her mother, Tamar, members of the Class of 2022 spent months combing through primary source documents that had been buried in local archives. They pieced the information together, adding to the historical record with a biographical account of Mr. Niger’s life. Inspired by visiting writer Jumoke McDuffie-Thurmond, who wrote a series of poems inspired by his enslaved ancestors, they also wrote poetry and created visual art and a musical composition to honor Mr. Niger’s humanity. Their work concluded with a public installation of a brass marker near Horse Pond so that Mr. Niger’s life story and contributions can be widely known. Alumni are participating in the Witness Stones Project as well. Elke Zigmont ’19 heard about the class of 2020’s project and volunteered as a summer intern for Witness Stones, researching and transcribing many of the primary source documents students used for the Theophilus Niger project. John Reach ’20, who participated when he was an 8th Grader, also volunteered to do transcriptions (the original, handwritten documents, some more than 250 years old, are often nearly illegible). Last year, after learning that Witness Stones was coming to Wallingford,

John lobbied school leaders at Choate Rosemary Hall to allow students at the Wallingford-based boarding and day school to participate. His efforts were successful, and this fall, he and his sister, Evelyn ’21, are helping spearhead a project focusing on a young girl who was enslaved in a house that is now a dorm on Choate’s campus.

The power of sTorIes anD sToryTellIng: InspIraTIon from masTer sToryTeller laConIa TherrIo

As a community that places high value on the spoken word, The Country School was honored to welcome professional storyteller Laconia Therrio to campus to share stories from around the world. Made possible by a grant from The Madison Foundation, Mr. Therrio’s three day visit had him sharing stories with students of all ages, broadening their own capabilities as storytellers and shifting their perspectives.

Mr. Therrio's stories ranged culturally from the cemeteries of New Orleans to the backwoods of 18th Century North Carolina, to China, Ghana, and beyond. He performed for younger Country School students and joined members of the IDEA Student Alliance for a virtual meeting with a group of student leaders from Madison’s Polson Middle School. His final session on campus landed him primarily as a listener. In 8th Grade history and English classes, students shared what they had learned about Theophilus Niger through their Witness Stones research. After listening to them weigh in, Mr. Therrio shared his heartfelt gratitude, thanking them for — some 252 years after Theophilus Niger's death — allowing this formerly enslaved man to finally be seen. As Mr. Therrio said, "You have pulled this man from the dustbin of history and allowed his story to be told." His final message was profound: "Stories build, stories bridge, and stories connect" But most importantly, "The telling of stories is the laying of a seed."

The wITness sTones proJeCT: honorIng enslaveD InDIvIDuals who helpeD BuIlD our CommunITIes

As an offshoot of our Global Citizenship and Elmore Leadership Signature Programs, members of the school community have been engaging in multiple efforts, inside and outside the classroom, to learn about and/ or support refugees and other displaced persons. Fifth Graders began the year with an exploration of Refugee, the book by Alan Gratz which focuses on three children seeking refuge in different parts of the world (Syria, Cuba, and Nazi Germany) at different times in history. Students and teachers from across the disciplines brought science, technology, engineering, the arts, and math (or STEAM) to bear in the project, exploring topics such as how water currents and weather might affect the journey of a refugee family or how orienteering, cardinal points, and maps might help students replicate/reimagine a journey. Students created maps and posters to reflect the three stories and then, for a culminating project, invited the school community to join them for an evening walking tour, with stations representing different points in the journey of each character and students sharing narrations.

A few weeks later, responding to the wave of individuals and families fleeing Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover, The Country School partnered with the Southeast Connecticut World Affairs Council to bring Chris George, executive director of Integrated Immigrant and Refugee Services (or IRIS) in New Haven, for a talk about refugee resettlement. Open to the public, the presentation, both virtual and in person, was attended by more than 60 people. Fifth Graders introduced the speaker, while a 7th Grader offered poignant closing remarks.

On a snowy February morning, a team of Country School athletes participated in the IRIS Run for Refugees, with the Country School team raising $1,600 for refugee resettlement. This was the fifth year that Country School students, teachers, parents, and alumni have participated. Country School athletes ran their hearts out, with Laila Goodman, 5th Grade, placing second among 12 and under girls and Keve Fruzstajer, 6th Grade, and his brother, Tash, 4th Grade, finishing 2nd and 4th in 12 and under boys. Meanwhile, history teacher/Director of Community Engagement Will McDonough, proudly wearing Country School blue and gold, was the overall winner of the day, finishing the 5K course in 16 minutes and 35 seconds.

young leaDers

ToolBox: summer worKshop aT TCs

Throughout the year, as part of the Elmore Leadership Signature Program, Country School students engage in a series of activities, programs, and experiences aimed at developing leadership skills.This summer, 20 young leaders from the Connecticut shoreline joined forces on

campus for The Young Leaders' Toolbox, a week-long workshop centered around the notion that nobody leads alone.

Led by Mr. McDonough and one of his former students, poet Maya Becker, the program invited 6th-9th Graders to join forces to create a cohort of engaged and passionate young people. Highlighted by a slate of local and international guest speakers and featuring dynamic exercises and discussion-based activities, the workshop included themes such as "Leadership Styles," "The Art of Affirmation," "Listening as Leadership," "Charting a Course," and "Finding Your Why." Participants are already talking about regrouping to continue their leadership journey. Serving as mentors for the workshop were two recent Country School graduates, John Reach ’20 and Joshua Reichard ’21

gloBal CITIzenshIp parTnershIps: namBale sChool/TCs maTh Class anD Call To Care uganDa/TCs elmore leaDershIp The past school year, two meaningful partnerships allowed students to learn about and/or support efforts in East Africa. The first, a pilot partnership between a magnet school in Nambale, Kenya, and The Country School saw 5th Graders from each community come together for a special virtual math class. Organized by 5th Grade math teacher Deborah Line, who had worked with students and teachers at Nambale previously, 12 students from Madison and 12 students from Nambale came together virtually for a math activity, a language everyone could speak even with a 7,000 mile and 7-hour time distance between them. Plans are underway for the program to continue this year.

Student members of the Elmore Leadership Team, working with Will McDonough in his role as director of Community Engagement, planned a Marathon Relay fundraiser to support construction of a well in rural Uganda. Partnering with Call to Care Uganda, they organized a run for the TCS community, with all proceeds going toward the well effort. The work of Call to Care

learnIng

aBouT anD supporTIng refugee reseTTlemenT

Uganda and the need for fresh water in rural Ugandan communities are not new to members of the Country School community. In 2015, Country School students spearheaded months of fundraising to construct a well near Odongoi Primary School, eventually raising enough money to begin construction. This time around, they raised $1,335 toward building a new well.

CounTry sChool Cross CounTry runners aChIeve four all amerICa CITaTIons 2021 was another banner year for Country School athletes, including undefeated seasons in several sports and multiple stellar performances. Perhaps chief among the latter was the appearance by seven Country School runners at the USA Track and Field Junior Olympics Cross Country Nationals in Lexington, Kentucky. Competing from TCS were 3rd Grader Liv Killam, 4th Grader Tash Frusztajer, 5th Graders Laila Goodman, Anna Gunderson, and Tillie Killam, 6th Grader Luke Schupp, and 8th Grade Captain Anna Vlieks. Racing for The Country School as

individuals and for their club team Litchfield Track Club, tenacious athletes Anna, Tillie, Liv, and Laila earned All America citations at Nationals.

supporTIng anD showIng solIDarITy wITh uKraInIan CITIzens

When 7th Graders learned that school driver Mike Clark had been leading a humanitarian effort to benefit those in need following the Russian invasion, they wanted to get involved too, spearheading an initiative to collect medical supplies for hospitals in Ukraine. Calling themselves the “Strong Souls,” a group of 4th Graders committed to making the world a better place also chose to focus on the situation in Ukraine, holding a bake sale and raising nearly $500. Meanwhile, Josie Leiss, a 5th Grader, wanted to create a visual representation of The Country School’s support, since the school’s Blue and Gold colors are the same as the Ukrainian flag. She asked the school community to wear bright blue and gold spirit wear, gather on the Burt Family Green, and arrange themselves in rows to resemble the stripes on the Ukrainian flag.

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coMMuNity: every voice MAtters

seeIng The sea wIThIn: unDersTanDIng CommunITy aT The CounTry sChool

By wIll mCDonough, hIsTory TeaCher anD DIreCTor of CommunITy engagemenT

call this space their home (students, teachers, administrators, families, staff members), I think about innsæi often. All the time. Our own inner seas colliding in an overwhelming estuary of experience. A “constantly moving world of vision, feelings and imagination beyond words.”

Here at The Country School, one of the roles I’ve taken on in my first year as a member of the faculty bears the title, Director of Community Engagement. What a title, right?

As a new member of the community, the notion of directing a community I, myself, am only just beginning to understand and acclimate into, feels a little impossible. And yet the thoughtful school leaders who created this role have had simple instructions in this first year. They’ve asked and encouraged me to observe. To connect. To ask questions. To listen. To reflect. And, when opportunity arises, to say, “Let’s Go!” When we’re new in an environment, whether it’s a neighborhood, organization, or setting, we tend to ask ourselves one important question: “Do I belong here?” As I’ve asked myself this question since joining the community in the summer of 2021, one of the things I’ve learned about this community is that the answer is yes. Unequivocally, yes…and it’s always yes. For everyone.

You see, everyone belongs here. This ethos of inclusion and belonging is built, not into the curriculum, or the schedule, but into the innsæi of the place, itself. This community is a place of belonging because here, those two words community and belonging are synonymous. Let me explain through three conversations I had in the past year.

1. “How are you doing doing?”

The ancient Icelandic word for intuition is “innsæi,” but in Iceland it has multiple meanings. It can mean “the sea within” which is the borderless nature of our inner world, a constantly moving world of vision, feelings and imagination beyond words. It can mean “to see within” which means to know yourself, and to know yourself well enough to be able to put yourself in other people’s shoes. And it can mean “to see from the inside out” which is to have a strong inner compass to navigate your way in our ever-changing world.

These words come from the back cover of Innsæi: The Power of Intuition, an Icelandic film by Kristin Olafsdottir and Hrund Gunnsteindottir. And, though the box of a DVD might be an unlikely source for philosophical wisdom, I think innsæi is one of the most poignant and beautiful words I’ve ever encountered.

I heard someone once note that your mood is like waves on the water and your personality is akin to the size of the body of water. But your soul is the essence of the water itself. I like to think about innsæi like this. The essence of the water, itself: quite aptly, the sea within. As someone who spends my days in a school, surrounded in this simultaneously beautiful, fragile, inspiring, and messy habitat by the other native creatures who

Recently, a parent of one of my students rolled up to me in the parking lot as I walked to my car at the end of the day. After exchanging introductions, the parent asked, “So, Will, how are you doing doing?”

The message here was simple: I am not just exchanging pleasantries…I care about how you are actually doing. I want to be authentic. I want to know the real answer. And I want to honor the fact that it’s okay if you are not okay.

This level of authenticity is rare in independent schools. So often it feels as though we, the educators, exist with the sole purpose of providing for families and serving students. For a teacher to show a human side, or a vulnerable side, feels like we’re admitting we can’t handle the weight of it all. The reality, though, is that we can handle it…and we do, but we also need to lean into the discomfort of acknowledging that we are also human. We experience emotions, and we vicariously carry the emotions of our students and their families as well.

Certainly, at The Country School my colleagues and I prioritize putting our students first…and we are human beings who navigate the world in our own lives. We realize (in them and in ourselves) that self-care is brave and that we need each other. This commitment to developing authentic partnerships, to listening to understand, and to valuing relationships reminded

me that the circles of community at The Country School run deep. Parents, students, faculty, staff, administrators, alumni, grandparents, neighbors…we are all part of a family that genuinely cares how each other are doingdoing

2. “Dad, it’s just like…we have time to BE.”

My own three kids, like all children, need time. They need time to connect, time to process, and time to reflect. They need time to complete assignments and time to pursue their passions. But sometimes, they just need time to BE.

This art of embracing stillness and quiet is paramount in learning, innovating, and evolving to a new stage of proximal development. My kids, upon their acclimation to 5th, 4th and 2nd grades at The Country School, have noticed this. As we’ve reflected on exactly what it is that makes their experience at TCS so different from anything else they’ve experienced, they’ve continually pointed to the fact that they are never rushed. Whether at recess, in the woods, or during an exploration into an academic project, they are invited to navigate the passage of time on their own, prioritizing their energy and enthusiasm in something I would articulate as an authentic and natural form of rigor.

This type of rigor–as distinguished from the stress-inducing hours of homework that is often mistaken for rigor in academia–stems from a depth of engagement and the energy one expends in pursuit of something. At The Country School, I have found that life is simultaneously rigorous and calm; it invites floating from idea to idea without haste, but with a richness that only those who truly understand the art of pursuing a passion would understand.

The student community at The Country School is passionate; they pursue curiosity, appreciate and use time well, and know what it feels like to embody the essence of a human being, not just a “human doing” who goes through the motions and completes assignments before moving onto the next assigned task.

Each of my children is unique in the ways they view the world. There are times when each learns fast and slow, and when their inquiry dwells in spaces both near and far; but each of them needs time. Permission to blur the fixed lines of a schedule is key in pacing our energy in the adult world, and the world of children is no less “real” than the world of grown ups. In fact, as I’ve found myself swept off my feet by The Country School as both a parent and an educator, I’d contend that the “realness” of childhood is in many ways even more rich and tangible than the so-called “real world” of adulthood. While “we have time to BE” could be seen as an opportunity to disengage, I see it as completely the opposite: it honors and normalizes process and builds organic rhythm into the pacing of the day.

3. “We’re not ready, but we’re ready to try.”

This comment was made by one of my 7th Grade students. It took place as the entire class and their advisors spent

time together on an overnight trip in the Berkshires of Massachusetts. As the student and their group completed a task, they were asked by the activity facilitator if they were ready. “We’re not ready, but we’re ready to try!” was this student’s response.

I was speechless as I took a few steps away to appreciate what I’d just heard. I heard the student’s language and courage and optimism echoing in my mind as I looked out across the lake. Wow. If I’d possessed that measure of poise, that thoughtfulness, and that ability to both playfully and fearlessly approach a challenge as a 7th Grader, how differently would my adolescence have been?

The terms resilience, growth mindset, and grit get thrown around often in the over-jargonized landscape of education. And for good reason. But to see the manifestation of a school that lives a real and tangible embodiment of ethos and culture that sews fearless curiosity and willing fortitude into daily encounters and opportunities is nothing short of magic.

As I watched the rippling waters of the lake that day, I found myself in awe of that magic. Magic, not in some impossibly veiled and nuanced way that hints at hyperbole, but magic I could articulate; magic I could distinguish; magic I could point to with my feet firmly planted on the ground and say, with conviction,

If I could go back and do it all again, I’d want to do it right here. Not just the physical place on Opening Hill Road, but the community, the people…the sea within. It’s the way of being a part of something this big and real and alive makes me feel. It’s about who I — who we all — are becoming here.

I am Director of Community Engagement not because the community needs direction, and not because the community lacks engagement. No, not at all. Instead, I am in this position so I can tell these stories, connect these dots, unite these beautiful opportunities to blow the ceilings off our capabilities; to take this “sea within” this innsæi of The Country School and turn it inside out, enabling the broader community and the global community to feel this energy and opportunity. My role is to collect all this magic in my arms and with banners flying high, to follow the lead of these brilliant young students and say, “Let’s Go.” They are ready. And they are worthy of being followed.

in 2021 after 13 years at New Canaan Country School, where Editor’s Note: Will McDonough joined “our” Country School he taught English and history and was named a “Top 100 Visionaries in Education” by the Global Forum on Education and Learning. In addition to serving as Director of Community Engagement and teaching history at The Country School, Mr. McDonough serves as a cross country coach and adviser. His three children, Naomi (rising 6th Grader), Jonah (rising 5th Grader), and Gideon (rising 3rd Grader) are Country School students.

olympIan, arTIsT, role moDel: alexIs saBlone ’00 All eyes (and, most especially, Country School eyes) were on skateboarding superstar Alexis Sablone last summer when she made her — and her sport’s — Olympic debut in Tokyo. Narrowly missing the podium with a 4th place finish, Alexis may serve as Head Coach for Women’s Park and Street Skateboarding in Paris 2024, according to a report in Forbes.

A legend in women’s skateboarding, with seven X Games medals (three golds, two silvers, and two bronzes) and a 2015 World Skateboarding Championship under her belt, Alexis is among the most decorated of any female skater in the world. This Barnard- and MIT-degreed phenom is no slouch in academic and creative realms either, and at least a few of us can say we saw her multi-pronged successes coming from way back. Alexis’s Country School English teacher (aka Mr. Fixx) will never forget when his former student, riding her skateboard, jumped over him as he — voluntarily, and with total confidence — lay there on the ground. Nor has he been able to forget her flawless recitation of Edgar Allen Poe’s "The Raven" for the MacLane Poetry Recitation.

Alexis, who grew up in Old Saybrook, started skating when she was nine, watching and rewatching video tapes to learn technique. As she told ESPN in a 2011 interview, “I would just skate alone every night in the garage and on my porch. In 5th Grade, I changed schools and there were a few skaters there [in Madison, Conn.]. We would all bring

our skateboards to school — I don’t really know what we did with them, though, because we didn’t skate at school. But that was the first contact I had with other skaters.” (For the record, Mr. Fixx says Alexis’s jumping over him took place off campus. And we have spoken with some of the other TCS skaters who tried, but failed, to keep up with Alexis back in the day. Of course, they all watched with pride last summer as she competed in Tokyo.)

Alexis went on to Hopkins, and then gained attention in 2002, when she appeared on the groundbreaking skate video PJ Ladd’s Wonderful, Horrible Life. When she tried to get an agent, she was reportedly told there was no money in women’s skateboarding. Of course, she proved them wrong, winning at major competitions all over the world while also managing to excel academically and artistically. Using the undergraduate degree in architecture she received from Barnard and her MA in architecture from MIT, Alexis has designed a skateable sculpture in Sweden and is working on other skateable objects/parks. She’s constantly drawing, she’s an animator, she’s writing a graphic novel, and Alexis Sablone sneakers are all the rage, including the limited edition Jack Purcell-Alexis Sablone collaboration, part of Converse’s 6th Pride collection. (You might have read about Alexis Sablone and her sneakers in publications like Vogue or The New York Times.) This fall, she added retail owner to her CV, when she and two friends opened Plush, a skate shop in New Haven. Maybe you caught her talking about her new venture on Connecticut Public Radio during its grand opening?

Alexis also serves as a role model for countless young athletes, including Marla Lafferty ’21, who — with the help of their shared math teacher, Bob McGee — was fortunate enough to interview her idol for her 7th Grade passion project (Who can say no to a request from Mr. McGee?). Thank you, Alexis, for taking time out of your busy schedule to speak with a Country School fan. Thank you for giving Mr. Fixx some fun stories to tell. And thank you for inspiring all of us with your creativity, athleticism, and commitment to following your passion.

Will Levis, Kentucky’s hot shot quarterback, has been in the news too many times to count. These days the stories are primarily projections about how high he’ll go in the NFL draft (and most of the predictions are VERY high), although there have been some viral videos about the way he eats bananas and drinks his coffee (you can Google them). For our purposes, though, the story we’re focusing on is more TCS-centric.

First, there was the visit he and Mr. Fixx enjoyed last winter, when Country School athletes were competing at USATF cross country Junior Olympics Nationals, which happened to take place in Lexington, KY, home of the Kentucky Wildcats. Mr. Fixx and the star quarterback got together for lunch and the encounter generated a fun story in the Lexington Herald-Leader.

“Kentucky quarterback Will Levis has a cannon for an arm,” reporter Josh Moore wrote. “It was loaded from a young age. John Fixx, headmaster at The Country School, the private school that Levis attended through eighth grade, recalls watching a younger Levis throw a football around during school breaks. ‘He would knock his friends over with his passes,’ Fixx said with a laugh.”

The article goes on to discuss the fact that “Fixx was unable to turn Levis over to his sport of choice,

cross country, but is nevertheless proud of what he’s accomplished as a collegiate athlete.” Likewise, the reporter writes, Will is “impressed by the mentality that Fixx has instilled at The Country School since arriving in 2013. He kind of brought that love of running to the school and got a lot of kids into cross country. It’s just a really good way to stay in shape, and it’s crazy to see, even though it’s a PreK through 8th Grade school, how many good runners have come out of there.”

Not included in the article, but on his former teachers’ minds, is the way Will models the Country School mission. A top scholar-athlete in high school at Xavier, Will won the prestigious Brother Celestine Academic Award while also being named to the National Honor Society and becoming a Ryken Scholar. Starting his collegiate football career at Penn State, he graduated Magna Cum Laude in three years with a degree in finance and then transferred to Kenucky, where he’s studying for his Masters in finance and has been leading the charge on and off the field as captain and starting quarterback.

Then there is all that he has given back to communities he’s a part of. Will is constantly participating in or spearheading fundraisers to support others in creative ways, such as completing a five mile run, while running backwards, to raise funds for those with limited access to food during the height of the pandemic or auctioning

wIll levIs ’15: grIDIron roCKsTar

off a bespoke pair of his cleats to support those affected by last year’s deadly tornadoes in Kentucky. He’s even supported his elementary school alma mater. When then 7th Grader Luke Piagentini, now a student-athlete at Hamden Hall, reached out to Will for guidance on Luke’s “passion project,” Will was all in. Most recently, Will made a generous donation of his time and expertise to the 2022 Spring Soiree — 20 lucky young athletes will learn from Will then play a 30-minute touch football game with Will as the all-time quarterback.

DoIng well By DoIng gooD: Cooper sChwarTz ’20

Cooper Schwartz graduated from The Country School during the height of the pandemic. So what did he do during the summer between 8th Grade and high school, when he couldn’t hang out with friends? This civic-minded young man dreamed up a socially conscious business, Hedgehog Beanies. His idea was to sell a line of winter hats, all adorned with a logo depicting a hedgehog, his favorite animal. For each cap he sold, one would be donated to a person experiencing homelessness in New England.

By November, he was ready to launch and the rest is history. Walk around any Shoreline town when the temperatures drop, and chances are you’ll see someone wearing a Hedgehog Beanie. That’s certainly true on campus, where two out of five hat-wearing students (and teachers) at outdoor recess are likely sporting a hat adorned with a hedgehog.

The fact that Cooper opted to start a business which also serves others doesn’t come as a surprise to those who knew him as a TCS student. A perennial volunteer at The Community Dining Room in Branford, where Country School families served dinner to families and individuals in need once a month, Cooper has also been a regular volunteer at a local homeless shelter. Thank you, Cooper, for embracing your “unique role in the community” as you “serve the common good.”

BroaDenIng perspeCTIves anD represenTaTIon: Devan Cowles-garCIa ’11 While joining us on campus as one of two inaugural Elmore Leadership Teaching Fellows, Devan Cowles-Garcia ’11, was profiled as “Person of the Week” in The Source newspaper. Reporter Jesse Williams wrote about Devan’s commitment to racial justice and her desire to see People of Color represented in the towns (Madison and Guilford) she grew up in and the schools (Country School and Daniel Hand) she attended.

The article described Devan’s experiences growing up as an Afro-Latina child in a largely white community and how as an adult, in 2020, while attending a Madison Diversity and Inclusion Committee, the Zoom meeting they were attended was “Zoom bombed” by teens uttering racial slurs and sharing bigoted, hateful images. The experience and her discovery that the perpetrators were young teens made Devan realize that change must “start with the children,” as she told Williams in the article. Devan was a panelist during our 2020 virtual Alumni Day, sharing her experiences working toward racial justice. Later, she met with school administrators and agreed to come on board as a teaching fellow, a flexible position which allowed the school community to benefit from her knowledge, energy, and perspective while she gained experience teaching in a variety of scenarios, from leading an 8th Grade history class about the role of Black Women in U.S. history to reading to and discussing books with younger students. She also worked with faculty members, serving on the IDEA Faculty Alliance and presenting at a Faculty Meeting as well as to members of the IDEA Student Alliance.

“unDeTerreD, leaDIng wITh empaThy, generosITy of spIrIT, BelIeves In people”: some of The aDJeCTIves useD To DesCrIBe “The fIerCe maggIe Coyne” What a year for Maggie Coyne ’18! Her senior year at Miss Porter’s started off with a bang when she received the Williams College Book Award, presented to a rising senior at the top of her class who has demonstrated intellectual leadership and made a significant contribution to the extracurricular life of the School. Here are some of the words used in the award announcement:

"If you want to be the best, you have to believe that you can be the best. Most people have big ambitions but a work ethic that does not match. This award winner has everything that an elite athlete requires to maximize potential and achieve greatness. She has the drive and desire to win, she has the temperament to overcome setbacks, and she fosters leadership and believes in people. Her actions over the past four years, as a studentathlete, have shown everyone just how invested she is in the process. The Polly Laughlin Memorial Trophy Award goes to the fierce, Maggie Coyne '22." Finally, she was also honored with the Alumnae Award, presented to the senior whose “generosity of spirit, sense of service, and enthusiastic involvement with the school embody the best qualities of Farmington Women.” From the presenter of that award:

"This community member is relentless in her pursuit of academic growth. Leading by example as a Keeper, she also shares in the responsibility of both upholding traditions as well as re-envisioning them in ways that better serve the Porter’s community. Finally, as a senior member of the varsity crew team, she endured a tumultuous couple of years navigating the pandemic both as a rower and a team member on whom others rely for perseverance and perspective."

Congratulations, Maggie Coyne! We look forward to hearing more about your life in college at Villanova.

unCoverIng anD sharIng sTorIes: genealogIsT Bryna o’sullIvan ’00

In an article in Tufts Now, the official news source for Tufts University, genealogist and Tufts alumna Bryna O’Sullivan describes how a 160-year-old letter by a Black “body servant” in the Confederacy changed her career. As 8th Graders have learned through their Witness Stones work, the word “servant” in the 18th and 19th centuries was often a euphemism for an enslaved person, and that is what Bryna discovered while doing her research. "I didn’t fully recognize it at the time, but the letter changed my

approach to history,” Bryna writes. “It encouraged me to love the idea of story.”

What she says next in her essay resonates with all of us who have worked on the Witness Stones Project. “When we start speaking about story, we see history very differently,” she writes. “In one of my current projects, I have been working to identify and document African American veterans of the Revolutionary War buried in a local cemetery. In trying to tell their individual stories, we have found ourselves grappling with questions about power, agency, and financial resources. We have had to work to understand how the community functioned at the time, from all possible angles. The discussion becomes far more inclusive and far deeper.”

Thank you for your work and for writing this insightful article, Bryna. Thank you, too, for joining us to lead a workshop about genealogy on IDEA Day four years ago. Your visit came a few months before The Country School began doing the Witness Stones Project, and what you taught us about searching, curiosity, and looking for the individual story to shed light on the broader story clearly sparked something. To learn more about Bryna and her work with Charter Oak Genealogy, visit charteroakgenealogy.com.

envIronmenTal susTaInaBIlITy, healThy eaTIng, InTergeneraTIonal ConneCTIon: sarah plaTT ’14 anD sow, grow, savor

During the 2019-2020 school year, Sarah Platt '14, then a sophomore at the University of Connecticut, learned she had won a UConn IDEA grant which would enable her to run Sow, Grow, Savor, a gardening initiative aimed at fostering public health, promoting social cohesion, bridging generational gaps, and cultivating an interest in gardening, cooking, and sustainability. She planned to run her project out of the Madison Senior Center, inviting children and seniors to come together to plant, pick, and cook produce. She even planned to put together a cookbook based on their collaborative efforts.

And then along came Covid, and everything changed. Rather than using the Senior Center, Sarah based her gardening efforts at the then-very-quiet Children’s Garden on campus, growing produce and delivering it to seniors, as needed. She put her intergenerational activities on hold, as everyone hunkered down behind closed doors. But when school was able to open again, she harvested the final crop of fruits, vegetables, and herbs and gave the produce to 4th Graders, who took it home and created imeals, sharing their creations cross-generationally at the dining table and then submitting copies of their recipes,

which were compiled into a virtual cookbook. Fast forward to the present. Sarah graduated this spring from UConn as a Biology major with a minor in French. She is now a post-graduate associate in the Department of Dermatology at Yale School of Medicine, and she plans to attend medical school.

Even with all of that on her plate, the cookbook she imagined is now also a reality. It’s even “intergenerational” in that it features recipes from people of all ages. One of the recipes, hailing from a 1970s-era Country School cookbook in the Country School archives, is a recipe for Gazpacho Andaluze from Joanna Davenport, former art teacher and wife of Steve Davenport, Head of School from 1974-1977.

Others who shared recipes include Sarah herself and a chef whose name might be familiar: a certain Jacques Pepin. Copies of Sow It, Grow It, Savor It are available through the alumni office. Email alumni@ thecountryschool.org for information. And stop by the “TCS Museum” (by the front door of Robinson House) to see both the 1970s and the 2020s Country School cookbooks.

oysTers, arT, anD envIronmenT: faTher/DaughTer Duo JoIn forCes

Jonathan Waters ’66 and Emilie Waters Harris ’02 were featured in “Charted Waters,” a recent article in the Daily Nutmeg focusing on the oyster business they run together and their other work: creating art and teaching.

The article describes how Jonathan, a Yale trained sculptor, began his career in the New York art world, before returning to Stony Creek, where he grew up, and starting an oyster business while continuing to create art on the side. Emilie grew up on an island off Stony Creek, traveling by boat to shore before making the trek to The Country School campus. In part because she saw how the environment and unsustainable fishing practices had impacted the oyster industry, reporter Kathey Leonard Czepiel writes, Emilie developed an interest in environmental science and, after graduating from McGill, began teaching biology and coaching fencing at Hopkins. For a time Jonathan gave up oystering, focusing solely on his art while Emilie was busy with her work at Hopkins. (We were lucky to have Jonathan host The Country School in his art studio for one of our annual fundraisers, this one focusing on the Arts; he then created a site-specific sculpture, Haiku, which lived on campus for many years, inspiring students to think and create.)

Czepiel caught them for the Daily Nutmeg during the pandemic, when Emilie was teaching remotely. In the last scene, she describes Jonathan boarding Merlin, the “small big boat” he and Emilie built with a couple of other shipwrights, and heading out for the day’s haul. Emilie and Czepiel look on until Czepiel breaks the silence, writing: “Does it ever get old, being out on the water or looking out at this priceless view, I wonder out loud?”

“‘Nope,” she quotes Emilie as saying. “‘It doesn’t.’”

Madie Leidt '12 was a superstar throughout her years at The Country School, setting the pace in the classroom and on the athletic field from the age of four. A Country School “Lifer,” she contributed to every aspect of our school community throughout her ten years on campus.

So it came as no surprise to anyone who knew Madie back in her earliest years to learn that she did the same at Middlebury College, where she graduated in May with a degree in economics and a slew of accolades and accomplishments, including the title of All-American, having helped lead the Middlebury Panthers Women’s Ice Hockey Team to a perfect 27-and-0 season and the NCAA Division III National Championship.

“Madie was such a great athlete and so good at every sport, there was never a doubt she would play something in college and excel,” said former, long-time Athletic Director Chris Wallack, adding that he also knew early on that Madie wouldn’t limit her accomplishments to the sports field (or ice rink). “Madie was a great student, athlete, and character — it’s no surprise she led her team in so many categories. … Honestly you couldn’t find a nicer kid.”

Madie’s Middlebury hockey coach, Bill Mandigo, echoed those sentiments, calling Madie, a two-year captain, an ideal leader, someone whose passion, energy, and talent have helped set the tone for the Panthers throughout her tenure. “There’s always a smile on [Madie’s] face,” Coach Mandigo said in an article published in February in the Addison Independent. “We go how she goes.” And this year, “how we go” happened to include a 11th NESCAC title for the Panthers and a trip to — and ultimately an overtime victory in — the NCAA Division III title game.

As extraordinary as she is on the ice, Maddie’s more than

a hockey player. As part of a “MiddEntrepreneurs course,” she developed a specialized hockey coaching glove that is capable of storing markers, erasers, and whistles. As she told a reporter, “It’s been a fun project that I’ve realized

could be a side hustle to continue with.” Some of her TCS teachers can’t wait to see where she goes with this one. And with the business and innovation genes (not to mention the athletic genes) she inherited from her parents, former Technology Director Bill Leidt and marketing guru Beth Wood-Leidt, we know the sky’s the limit.

So what’s next for Madie? We hear she’s playing professional hockey in Hungary. Stay tuned for news on her latest venture.

sTIll laCIng on hIs sKaTes: Trevor hanger ’91, polITICal sTraTegIsT/hoCKey player

One more quick hockey story. We loved stumbling across this one in The Washingtonian and elsewhere. A political strategist by day and a backup NHL player by night, Trevor Hanger has been serving as one of the Washington Capitals’ emergency goalies, which basically means he attends games and is on call in case the goalie gets injured or can’t play for another reason. A strategic advisor for a government-affairs firm, he was recommended by a former Yale classmate who now works with the Caps.

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all amerICan, nCaa ChampIon, sCholar-aThleTe, InnovaTor: maDIe leIDT ’12 seTs The paCe

ALUMNI: serviNg the coMMoN good — ANd the couNtry school

Dr. Sage Aronson ’04, scientist and innovator, delivers a Zoom Elmore Leadership Talk, speaking with students about Swab56, the covid test swab he and his colleagues at Neurophotmetrics developed at the height of the pandemic.

When Covid relegated students to virtual learning, Nora Lee '10, an education specialist for Zoo New England, Zoomed in and introduced students to some of her animal friends at the Franklin Zoo in Boston.

Noah Hastings ’11 joined Jason Wainio’s World History Class (virtually) from the country of Jordan, where he teaches social studies at King’s Academy.

Jackson Holahan ’01 Zoomed in from California on Veteran’s Day to talk about serving his country, including in Afghanistan.

Matt Griswold ’81, joined by his wife, Mik, Zoomed in for a remote Distinguished Alumni Award ceremony. The 2020 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient, Matt was honored for his innovative work to use renewable energy to power Judge's Farm, his family’s perennial farm in Old Lyme.

Gabriel “Jack” Chin ’78, an author, legal scholar, and professor at the University of California Davis School of Law, was the 2021 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient. He joined us to discuss his work to advance human rights and racial and social justice.

You can read more about other alumni and their work to fight covid — on health care front lines, by creating and sourcing personal protective gear, and/or by ensuring resources reach people stuck at home or with limited means — in our 2020 online alumni magazine: https://issuu.com/thecountryschool7/ docs/alumni_-_serving_the_common_good_during_a_pandemic.

ALUMNI: voices

a sTuDenT refleCTs: “The TIme of my lIfe” James Wang ’22 joined us as a 6th Grader from Wuhan, China, through our International Student Program. When he arrived, his written and spoken English was limited, but over time, with the help of his classmates, teachers, and tutor Bob Borden, his facility with English grew, as did his engagement inside and outside the classroom. James graduated this June a key member of our school community, delivering an unforgettable speech in near-perfect English and with an even better sense of humor and comedic timing. We wish James well at Avon-Old Farms. Here is James’s speech from graduation:

To quote Green Day, “It’s something unpredictable but in the end it’s right, I hope you had the time of your life.” As a Chinese exchange student in America, I have had the time of my life the last three years at The Country School. From the faculty to the students, to the classes and the activities, I had a great time with this big family.

When I came to America, I saw some differences between the way they teach in China and here at The Country School. In China, the teachers come to our classrooms and we sit at our own desks. Staring at the same blackboard all day can put you into a coma without you even knowing. I remember I had a funny 4th Grade math teacher, but that was an exception, because a lot of teachers were old, boring and strict. At The Country School, I had a great math teacher this year. His name is Mr. Birdsall. He is a younger version of Mr. McGee, who I really liked. I have had two great

English teachers, Mrs. Sullivan and Mrs. Liu. They made English a lot of fun and brought books to life for me. In history class, I had Mr. McDonough. He talked about important social issues in America as well as world problems. In 6th Grade, I was struggling with my English like a padawan trying to master the force, and then I met Mr. Bob [aka Bob Borden]. Mr. Bob has been more than a tutor because he would show me stuff. For example, he showed me what a frisbee was, what fudge and tootsie rolls were, and that learning English can be fun.

When I think about my friends in China, one boy in particular comes into my mind. He was not the sharpest knife in the drawer; actually, he was the dullest one. One time after a snowstorm, he thought it was a good idea to lick a metal pole, and he was stuck there in the cold snow for a long time. Fortunately, my friends in America are sharper than that, even though sometimes they act like clowns. However, they are really friendly and they always have my back.

The Country School has a lot of extra curricular activities. One of my favorites is Dungeons and Dragons. It is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game. In China, we don’t have Dungeons and Dragons, so I really had fun playing it. I also like robotics, because I learned robotics back in China and I had a great time building stuff. At The Country School, we had some competitions and we went really far. I really enjoyed playing frisbee because there are no frisbees in China. I continued to play soccer in America because I really like playing the game, and I got better at playing basketball here at The Country School.

When I look back on my three years at The Country School I appreciate all the opportunities that I have been given, opportunities to show who I am and to share my culture. One of my proudest moments was when I shared a presentation to the school about Chinese New Year. This place has shared so much with me, and I was happy to be able to give some back. In conclusion, I came to America, I liked what I saw, and now I’ve got my wings and I can fly.

Editor’s Note: James was the fourth international student to join us as part of our International Student Program and the only one to join us for multiple years. He and his predecessors have brought much to our community, and we are grateful that they chose to make Country School their ahome for all or part of Middle School.

an alumna refleCTs: “ThanK you Truly Several months into the pandemic, a card addressed to “TCS Teachers and Staff”’ arrived in the mail from Katie Rozear ’19 and signed by several of her classmates and Country School friends. Here is an excerpt, shared with Katie’s permission:

Even though I was once your student, I would like to take this letter to congratulate you and thank you for all of your hard work…. I want to make it extra clear that your lessons and teachings make a major impact on people’s lives. You taught me how to be kind and thoughtful, and how to make the most out of every situation. I live by those teachings, and although it’s only been around two years since I have left school, I can say that I have passed them down to many people.

As I was making this, Mason Williams ’20 asked me what had made me write the letter. I replied, “I’m not really sure. I guess I just missed my days there and was thinking about them. It gave me inspiration.”

And it is true. Whenever I need a boost of morale, I always think about my days at TCS — from meeting my class for the first time on my shadow day to acting out Romeo and Juliet … in Mrs. Burke’s class to crying in the van [driving] back to the campsite in Utah (for hours). For some reason, this simple action can always make me smile.

That’s what TCS does. It makes me smile…. The hard work that every one of you puts into every day at TCS has changed my life forever and I don’t doubt that it has for others as well.

Katie goes on to say that she and some of her classmates have “done a really good job staying connected” during the pandemic. And by "good job," she means that she is “having monthly check-ins to make sure everyone’s alright, talking every night, supporting each other, laughing together, and playing games together. These people became my family during 8th Grade and they still live up to the name.” Katie closed her letter with these three words: Thank you truly. Right back at you, Katie.

The CounTry sChool

While talking with one of our former teachers recently, she remarked that a school is “a living organism,” with “multiple generations of wonderful people and stories that deepen, focus, and enrich the present environment.” How do you even begin to acknowledge the impact an individual teacher has had on you? How do you honor the multiple generations of people and stories that, collectively, contribute to the present? How do you celebrate the living organism that is our school?

sprIng soIree: CeleBraTIng our reTIrees

Last spring, members of the Country School community, past and present, came together under a tent on Burt Family Green for the Spring Soiree, the first large gathering on campus since Covid arrived on the scene. As we do each year, we raised vital funds to support our school’s mission and operations. We also held a special celebration to honor some true Country School legends who retired at the end of the 2020-2021 school year: Bob McGee, Chris Wallack, Louise Jackson, Bill Leidt, and Dan Cross. Thank you to

everyone who joined us and everyone who submitted tributes to and photos of some of our favorite people ever. It was a spectacular gathering (huge thanks to our coordinators, Alise Ferency P ’24 and Suzanne Sliker P ’19, ’22), and beyond fun to be together again after so much time apart. And it left us wanting more.

summer 2023: CeleBraTIng CounTry

It was nearly 70 years ago that a group of parents and educators on the Connecticut shoreline came together to discuss the notion of creating an independent school on the shoreline that could “reach the minds of young children and develop their natural enthusiasm for learning.” This summer, another group is planning a gathering to honor and celebrate the living organism known as The Country School and all those who helped create and sustain it. Organizers include alumni, current and former parents, and current and former faculty members. If you would like to join the planning committee, please reach out to alumni@thecountryschool. org. We actively seek organizers/participants and memories we can share at our gathering, tentatively scheduled for late August. Stay tuned for more news.

1959

What a gift it was to welcome Nat Barrows back to campus on graduation day 2019, a full 60 years after his own graduation from The Country School. In a speech that was as profound as it was humorous, Nat, a celebrated writer and publisher in Maine, told the school's most recent graduates to follow their own internal compasses as they seek to find their true direction in life. "Feel that compass, follow it, find your true direction,” he said. “Find the courage to hold on to your core values, even if the world around you chooses to behave differently. ... Surrender to your heart on your journey and it will take you where you need to go." He then gave the soonto-be graduates a present to help guide them on their own journeys: a compass encased in a wooden box with a red heart on the lid. What could have been a better send-off gift for the 22 to graduates, just back from their adventures in Utah, as they prepared to set out on their next journey? Thank you, Nat, for sharing your memories and your gifts, both physical, and metaphorical, with all of us.

1960

Last summer we enjoyed catching up with Terry Reimers who used her covid isolation to send us a lovely and informative email. “I'm not sure when the last time (if ever) I sent in any information on my activities,” she wrote in August 2021. She and her husband, Jim Byrnes, now live in Florida, having sold their house in Ithaca, NY. Their son, Andrew, lives in British Columbia with his family and, as of her email last summer, they hadn’t been able to see each other since February 2020. That said, “life in Florida as a ‘retiree’ offers many opportunities to be active outside, which has been a blessing this year especially,” she writes. “I play golf, go to the gym (masked), swim and take walks. Most of the cultural and social activities have been restricted, but we've gotten quite good at Zoom lectures

and meetings.” She sends her best wishes to TCS staff, faculty and students, closing her message with the following: “I wonder what the younger students will remember of this pandemic? Maybe they are journaling in English class so they'll have a record to look back on.”

Thanks so much for reaching out, Terry! We hope you’ve now been able to see your family, and, yes, we have done a lot of journaling and reflecting on campus, not just in English class but in every subject. It’s amazing how many disciplines a pandemic reaches — English, history, global studies, science, math, STEAM, the arts, technology, and more. Even athletics have been affected to some extent, with lots of focus on games that can be played outdoors with minimal physical contact. It’s certainly a time worth writing about!

1963

We were delighted to catch up recently with Douglas Stone. A paper conservator in Milwaukee, he is a member of the American Institute for Conservation and runs a business called Fulkerstone Fine Arts. He has been in business as a paper conservator since 1976, first in Boston and then Wisconsin, starting in 1978, and has served as a consultant and conservator of maps, including for the American Geographical Society Collection at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. Because we’ve been working on the Witness Stones Project, which requires that we be able to read 250-year-old handwritten documents, we asked if there were any techniques to help when ink is faded or the paper discolored. Great news! Apparently there are; we may be calling on his expertise!

1977

We were happy to hear from Diana Staley a year ago when, after seeing a Facebook post about the history of the Farmhouse on our TCS Alumni page, she shared a comment with two photos. The timing was perfect, since we had just embarked on another school year. Her comment included two photos from a 1976 Shoreline Times article. The first showed teachers Carolyn Proctor, Dick Bradford, Carl Cavrell, and Jim Masker doing curriculum planning before the start of the

year. The second showed French teachers Madame Connor and Madame Robinson, and Latin teacher Margaret Schermer. As Diana wrote in her comment, “Where would we all be if it was not for our great teachers who inspired us to be who we are? Never forget!” Indeed, thank you to all the unforgettable teachers of the past and those who carry the torch now. And thank you, Diana, for this amazing reminder of what it means to have experienced an education that lasts a lifetime. As we wrote in the original post, here’s to another extraordinary year of lifechanging learning!

Annette Sachs Cook has a new creative venture “TownieSwag.” For several years Annette sold handbags she designed and produced and then, during the early days of the pandemic, she channeled her talents into mask-making. These days she’s producing bags, pillows, tea towels, aprons, etc. designed to showcase the unique attributes of our hometowns. Founded with motto, “Townie pride, it’s a thing,” Annette’s creations are filled with dozens of local landmarks, stories, sayings, jokes, and characters, essentially conveying what each local town is known for. Annette is from Killingworth, so there are lots of Killingworth items filled with Killingworth lore, but you’ll also find Madison, Guilford, etc. Shoreline residents, watch for Annette’s handiwork at your local shops or fairs. Or look up Annette’s work at TownSwag.com. As her website says, “The Gift of the YEAR!”

1978

The school community was thrilled to welcome Gabriel “Jack” Chin back to campus (albeit virtually) so he could receive the 2021 Distinguished Alumni Award. A renowned legal scholar, writer, speaker and professor at UC Davis Law School, Professor Chin focuses on civil rights issues, and he and his students have produced groundbreaking work aimed at

redressing historical wrongs. Among their successes: reversing Jim Crow laws still on the books and helping the country’s first Chinese-American lawyer, Hong Yen Chang, gain posthumous admission to the California Bar Association decades after he had been denied admission under the Chinese Exclusion Act. We loved hearing about Jack’s important work to support the legal rights of all Americans, how he came to his chosen career, and some of his Country School memories. We look forward to welcoming him to campus when he’s back on the East Coast!

and big thanks for having me out to the farm!” Thank you, Matt (and wife Mik, pictured here), for joining us to receive the Distinguished Alumni Award and for inspiring all of us with your efforts to protect our planet.

demonstrated history of working in the wine and spirits industry, and he has been generous to our community, sharing wine and other specialty drinks for some of our special occasions. Welcome aboard, Matt, and thank you for your service to The Country School!

1981The covid-delayed 2020 Distinguished Alumni Award was presented virtually to Matt Griswold, a farmer, entrepreneur, and innovator who is contributing to the global conversation about renewable energy and sustainable business practices. Matt, the father of Max ’11 and Eli ’13, runs Judge's Farm in Old Lyme with his brother, Martin, on land that has been in the Griswold family since 1640. The property may be steeped in history, but Matt and Martin are in the vanguard with their innovative efforts to make Judge's Farm carbon neutral – or as close to carbon neutral as possible. Recently, they were visited by Congressman Joe Courtney. “Great to get out to Judge’s Farm in Old Lyme this week, where they’re growing some of the best local perennial plants in the northeast,” Rep. Courtney wrote. “Brothers Matt and Martin Griswold founded Judge’s Farm in 1990, and today they’re delivering perennials, herbs, and vegetables across New England. With the help of a new USDA grant, they just recently installed a solar array to power their future fleet of electric trucks—a project that will help them be more sustainable and lower delivery costs. Congrats to the Griswold Brothers on all their success,

We were delighted to receive an unexpected note from Terry Di Bella at the start of the last school year. Terry was writing to thank the school for the ways her teachers supported her and asked for the school to send a copy of the 1981 and 1982 school yearbooks; specifically she was seeking the mission the school lived by a the time (which hasn’t changed dramatically in the years since). In her note, Terry wrote that she is deeply grateful to Country School teachers for taking on “the enormous challenge of a four-and-a-half year old deaf child who could not speak well at all and did something stunning with me.” Namely, she wrote, her teachers helped her grow her vocabulary and writing skills and also gave her routine practice speaking out loud. The MacLane Poetry Recitation helped her “project my voice very clearly,” and roles in school plays “helped with speech clarity.” She closed her letter with the following; “Hoping the best for all of you in every possible way, and with absolute gratitude for my years there.”

1994

We were also grateful to hear from Tiffanie Barton during the height of the pandemic, when she said she was doing something she called “mom camp.” Since attending in-person camp wasn’t possible, she resorted to some of her memories from TCS, including the 4th Grade state study (who remembers “Fifty Nifty United States”?). When she and her children got to the state of Arizona, she pulled out her photo album from her 8th Grade trip to the Grand Canyon and came across this photo of Ed Blatchford. Knowing we would appreciate it, she sent us a copy. Thank you, Tiffanie. Do we ever appreciate it!

1998

Matt Murphy is a new member of the Board of Trustees. The president of Murphy Distributors, Matt has a

1999

Joined by his family, Jordan Katz returned to campus in the fall of 2020 for the dedication of the Jordan Katz Cross Country Trails (see earlier article for more). During the ceremony, Jordan shared a few words about what his Country School cross country experience meant to him. “I remember when I was your age, running in the woods, pushing myself not because I had to but because I wanted to,” he said. “That was some of the purest joy I ever experienced. Running in the woods is this incredible thing that people have been doing for hundreds of years. It warms my heart to imagine all the good memories that are going to be made here for you and for future people as well.” Thank you, Jordan, for joining us for the ribbon cutting and for getting us started on such an important program. Thanks, in part, to your efforts, we have alumni running in college at places like Notre Dame, and countless students running in high school. And, of course, we have our robust running crew on campus, ranging from our Flying Owlets, some as young as age 5, to the parents and teachers who participate regularly.

Many thanks to Eric Fabricant for continuing his efforts to support our school through his leadership alongside Marina Sachs ’07 on the Alumni Association. We loved seeing Eric and his classmate Aaron Silidker at our Spring Soiree celebrating teachers.

2001

Charlie Robertson P ’33, president and CEO of American Cruise Lines, is a member of the Country School Board of Trustees. Along with his wife, Kristen, he is also a Country School parent (daughter, Claiborne, is a member of the class of 2033, and newborn Charlie III). Thank you, Charlie, for finding time in your busy schedule to serve your alma mater!

And so great to see the next generation enrolled too!

On the subject of busy schedules, it’s tough to keep up with Sam Dangremond’s doings. After receiving his MBA/JDL, Sam spent last year working as a Connecticut Superior Court law clerk in New London while continuing to serve as contributing digital editor at Town & Country. As we learned in the podcast Hospitality Forward, he is also a private pilot and an EMT. Oh, and for his new day job, he works as an associate at a NYC law firm.

As described in an earlier portion of this magazine, Micah Stahl worked with 8th Graders and Mr. McDonough to design a prototype owl for the Inquisitive Owl Country Club. Micah said he enjoyed working with the kids and Mr. McDonough and that it’s “been awesome to learn more about what’s going on at the best little school in the universe,” adding that it’s “nice to know the future is in good hands.”

2002

Congratulations to Dr. Zaynah Abid who was recognized alongside her Columbia Medicine colleagues for their research in Pediatric Emergency Medicine. Specifically, their research focused on the risk of traumatic brain injuries in infants younger than three months with minor blunt head trauma. A Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellow at NewYork -Presbyterian/Columbia University- Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital, Zaynah completed her MPH at Yale School of Public Health and medical school at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. She completed her residency in pediatrics at New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital and is currently working on a project describing children with congenital heart disease in the emergency department using the Pediatric Health Information System database.

We were pleased (but not surprised) to see paintings by Antone Konst on display this fall at Each Modern gallery in Taipei, Taiwan. A graduate of Cal Arts (BFA) and Yale (MFA), Antone has exhibited

widely across the U.S. and abroad. In an introduction to “Dear Future,” a 2021 show of his work at the Marianne Boesky Gallery in Aspen, CO, Antone’s painting were described as capturing “the emotive impact and uncontainable energy of an indefinite future, shifting his portrayed characters between moments of hope, dread, tension, and humor.” For those of us who remember Antone when he was in Middle School, bounding around campus with his endless energy, creativity, positivity, and sense of humor, that description of his work makes so much sense. Congratulations, Antone.

2003

We love seeing Little Owls in our new TCS onesies (thanks, Cathy McGrady P ’14 ’14, for ordering them). Here we have sweet Lennon Mae Fearon. Thank you, Caitlin Fearon, for allowing us to share!

were marked by the pandemic to leave behind. And how meaningful is it to have it designed and installed by a fellow alum?

Congratulations to Ben Firke, whose play I Am the Gooseking ran at The Tank in NYC last year. Here’s how it was described: “The rare play that grows more relevant to its times by the hour, I AM THE GOOSEKING examines the dark world of online radicalization, the loneliness of modern life, how conspiracy theories tear families apart, and how finding the right narrative makes all the difference.”

2006

Huge congratulations to Kerry Wallack on being inducted into the Madison Athletic Hall of Fame. A star multi-sport athlete at TCS and Hand High School in Madison, she went on to play basketball at the University of Rhode Island.

2004

Lennon isn’t the only “model” Owl this year. Here’s Sibyl MacGregor, accompanied by her buddy, Archimedes the Owl. Thank you, Rebecca Joslow McGregor (now living in London for all those on the other side of the pond), for snapping and letting us share this photo!

2007

Here is Tatum Hill, daughter of Catherine Kelly Hill, also modeling the new Country School onesie (although we understand she’s actually a member of the “gold” team; still, pretty darn cute!). Thanks for sharing the photo, adoring grandma, Kerri Kelly!

The beautiful Class of 2021 outdoor classroom, a circular bench made of local trees, is the handiwork of Will Cooley

A carpenter based in Lyme, Will worked on site during the late spring of 2021, building the circular bench according to the vision of the graduating students and their families. What a perfect legacy for students whose last years on campus

Congratulations to Jake Gadon on his latest award! At the recent Colorado Broadcaster Association awards ceremony, he was named Best Sportscaster for his work as Sports Anchor and Sports Director with KOAA 5 in Colorado Springs. A graduate of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism & Mass Communication at Arizona State University, he has covered more than 500 NFL, MLB, NCAA and high school games in his time as intern with ESPN and Fox Sports, plus his time as the Sports Director for KOSA in Odessa, Texas.

2009

The Country School was thrilled to welcome Peter Burdge to campus as a Middle School humanities teacher. Peter teaches English and history, serves as an advisor, and coaches sports and Model UN. Mr. Burdge is already a mainstay of the Country School community, teaching and coaching alongside some of his former teachers. He rejoined The Country School after four years teaching at Kingswood-Oxford. A graduate of Connecticut College and Choate Rosemary Hall, Peter rejoined The Country School after four years at Kingswood-Oxford, where he taught, coached, and served as an advisor for the Middle School Student Government Association.

Jared Glasser loved art, writing, history, current events, politics, and science when he was at The Country School. A little over a decade later, he’s finding a way to combine his varied interests in one particular endeavor: cartoons. Sometimes accompanied by a simple caption and other times by what he calls “One Minute Reads for That Free Moment in the Day,” Jared’s funnies are humorous and eye-catching, so much so that they’ve even been picked up by a biotech company for its client outreach.

2010

Gabe Davis is spending a year in Jordan on a Fulbright Scholarship, conducting research on how nonprofits develop services for Syrian refugees.

When he returns, he plans to attend Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies for an MA in International Relations. Meanwhile, the social enterprise and aspiring nonprofit he founded, The Overseas Dispatch, continues. Committed to encouraging creativity among people who are passionate about the world, The Overseas Dispatch provides editorial and advising opportunities to content creators ready to get their ideas out into the world and matches those capacities with their flagship publication, The Overseas Dispatch Magazine. Check it out at overseasdispatch.org. Best of luck in Jordan, Gabe. While there, maybe look up Noah Hastings ’11 and Charlotte Madere ’03, both teaching at King’s Academy.

2011

After receiving his MA from Tufts in Offshore Wind Energy Engineering, Max Griswold is working as a project schedule on Vineyard Wind 1, which is set to be the first commercial-scale offshore wind farm in the United States.

2012

We loved stumbling across an article from Pomona about Michael Waters (Pomona ’20) about the way he turned his senior History thesis into an article which was eventually published by The New Yorker. This remarkable young writer has had pieces published recently in The Atlantic, The Economist, Wired, and more, and we hear he is working on a book. Bravo, Michael! If only you could see your former English teacher, Mrs. Sullivan, beaming from ear to ear.

After working in pediatrics at Yale, Ashley Luchini is now a traveling nurse! Her first stop: Hawaii. Aloha, Ashleyenjoy!

What a treat it was to watch Hayden Page teach about renewable and nuclear energy on campus this fall! Hayden joined members of the award-winning Country School robotics team, along with their advisors, Stephanie Johnson and Joe LaMacchia, for a session about sustainable energy. As team members prepare for this year’s competition, the FIRST and LEGO Education Challenge asks them to reimagine the future of sustainable energy. Hayden, who received his Bachelors of Science degree in Environmental and Nuclear Engineering from Clemson, recently returned from Europe (specifically Vienna and Geneva), where he was working on nuclear energy policy and UN Sustainability goals. While waiting to head to his next position in Australia, he’s been at home in Guilford, and when Mrs. Johnson learned he was here (and what he’s been doing) she invited him to speak with the robotics team. For their part, students were excited to discuss nuclear and renewable energy with an expert. And Hayden’s teachers were excited to take a back seat while their former student led the discussion.

On the subject of teachers and teaching, it’s a treat to see that two members of the Class of 2012 have officially joined the education profession! Sonny Capaccio teaches music and math at Marvelwood, a boarding school in Kent, CT. He also takes part in the theater department as the music director of their fall productions and directs various extracurricular music ensembles. During summer vacation, it’s Sonny’s time to take the stage (how well we remember his performances at TCS, with lead roles in Beauty and the Beast and Pirates of Penzance!), and this past summer you might have caught him in Seven Deadly Sins, Curlew River, and Sweeney Todd with Madison Lyric Stage.

After half a year at TCS last year, filling in wherever she was needed, and half a year serving as a Spanish teacher, filling in for new mom (of twins!) Snra. Lachance, Honor Clements has also jumped into the teaching profession full-time. This year, she joined the Taft School as a Penn Fellow in the history department. As a fellow, she simultaneously studies toward her MA in Education from the University of Pennsylvania while teaching human geography, coaching soccer and rowing, and serving as a dorm advisor at Taft. Honor thanks TCS students, teachers, and administrators for helping her prepare for her new role.

2014

Country School teachers are thrilled to have a new colleague on campus — someone many of them enjoyed as a student. Joining us as a teaching assistant in PreK this fall is Allie Mascia, a recent graduate of UConn. During her years in Storrs, Allie served as an Assistant Teacher at Miss Mary Max’s PreSchool in Tolland, volunteered as a Big Sister, served as a senator in student government, wrote articles about campus events, and was (and is) a swim instructor, offering one-onone coaching. Longtime teacher Karen Chiaia is thrilled to have Allie working alongside her.

world-renowned a cappella group offered a workshop for grades 4-8, along with a Q&A session.

2016

Andre Salkin was one of the featured speakers at Designing to Share, a virtual event co-presented by the Old Lyme Library and Public Art for Racial Justice Education and made possible with the support of CT Humanities. Andre, founder of @leftnortheast, talked about creating helpful and inspiring graphics as a tool for grassroots community building.

2018

The mighty class of 2018 has several collegiate athletes competing for colleges across the country this year. Among them is Ava Hamblett, a recent graduate of Hopkins, who is swimming at Rice. Ava capped off her high school career as the Girls 500 Freestyle Champion at the New England Swimming & Diving Tournament, with a time of 5:00.68. She was also honored as an All-FAA recipient and as Academic All-American. Will de Chabert, profiled as Person of the Week in Doubles is Tons of Fun for de Chabert, a Source article last spring about his success on the Daniel Hand tennis team, has taken his academic and tennis talents to St. Lawrence. Likewise, Claire Langille, Person of the Week for her role as the Number 1 Girls’ Singles player at Hand, is playing at Union College, where she plans to major in mechanical engineering.

list, but here is a list of colleges where many of our most recent high school graduates have landed: Boston College, Bryant, Clark, Cornell, Duquesne, Elon, Fairfield, High Point University, Northeastern, Providence, Redlands, Rice, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, St. Lawrence, Union, University of Miami, UC Santa Cruz, Virginia Tech, Washington University.

iN MeMoriAM

Although we may no longer be able to see them face to face, we remember, honor, and continue to feel the impact of those who have passed on. As Katie Rozear ’19 said in her lovely note, “Thank you, truly.”

What a treat to welcome Owen Wheeler and the Yale Whiffenpoofs to campus for a special performance this fall. Owen, who got his start on the Country School stage, performing in multiple choral and musical theater programs as a Middle Schooler and winning the chorus award, wowed his audience with his solo rendition of “House of the Rising Sun.” After the performance, members of the

A special shoutout to all of the members of the Class of 2018 who helped out on campus throughout the years, either by working at Owl’s Nest, running a summer camp program, or helping out with buildings and grounds. We will miss all of you! Special shoutouts to these stalwarts: Lila Sullivan, Annie Rotermund, Claire Langille, Maggie Coyne, John Arrandale, Meryl Sullivan, Tristan Kolb, Matthew Bassett, Wiley Johnson.

We extend our congratulations to all members of the Class of 2018 as they head off to college. This is an incomplete

“Love Permeated Everything”: Remembering Ed Blatchford, former Head of School by Beth Lane, former teacher and administrator

Editor’s Note: After learning about the passing of Ed Blatchford on April 19, 2020, his former colleague, Beth Lane, was moved to send the following remembrance of her dear friend and mentor. This was just one of many beautiful tributes we received for Ed, who served The Country School for 11 years, from 1986-1997. Ed passed away of complications from late-stage Parkinson’s Disease and the COVID-19 virus, leaving behind his wife, Claire, their daughters, Laurel and Christa, and their four grandchildren. We thank everyone who sent us notes and/or tributes and photos.

We look forward to celebrating Ed and his contributions to TCS when we gather this summer.

Ed Blatchford profoundly affected my life. He offered me a beginning position at TCS. That “chance” he gave me led to a fulfilling teaching career. He lovingly supported me at so many junctures of change and growth. And what a fine teacher Ed was! Really, we were all his students learning at our own pace and in our own way. He valued and nurtured our individuality.

Ed’s leadership was filled with integrity and humility. It was never about himself. He inspired us in everything he said and did and, most importantly, he convinced us to see each child as precious. We were learning from each student as much as they were learning from us. And love permeated everything.

When I worked with him in my administrative role and would be encountering some difficulty with a teacher or a parent, Ed would patiently listen and then gently point out that persons’s finer qualities and bring my focus away from whatever was driving me nuts about that person to what was good and true.

I always felt such love from Ed. He was a model for how we were to relate to our students. No matter how much complaining I might unload about a student I was struggling with, I knew from Ed’s example that to make any progress I must first and foremost love them. And guess what? It worked.

Our professional development was guided by Ed’s deeper understanding of man’s spiritual reality. He made it practical and palatable for whatever stage a person happened to be in their understanding of this. I remember being so invigorated and excited about the upcoming year because the opening faculty meetings were filled with such rich and meaningful material.

Ed manifested an unusual amount of wisdom, perceptiveness, patience, insight and empathy. His written word was inspiring, thoughtful and sincere. He also had a profound gift for the spoken word.

His eloquence at meetings, assemblies and other gatherings brought a satisfying sense of unity and purpose.

Ed also brought a great deal of childlike spontaneity and humor to the workplace. This ability of his to see the lighter side of a situation helped to dissipate many potential challenging situations. The joy and creativity he radiated was felt all through the school.

And permeating everything was Ed’s beautiful quality of grace and gentleness. What a blessing to have known and worked with such a fine man. The Country School will always hold the imprint of his presence.

“An Enormously Influential Role Model”: Remembering Tom West, Former Teacher and Head of School

Editor’s Note: Former Head of School/ English teacher Tom West passed away in September 2019 in Colorado from complications of pneumonia, leaving his wife, Meva Eringen, and his children Wendy and Kenny West, classes of 1977 and 1978, respectively. Tom first joined the school in 1963, serving as Assistant Headmaster, English and history teacher, and Athletic Director. In 1968, he became Head of School, serving in that role until 1973, when he left to return to his first love: teaching. After the school sent out a notice about Tom’s passing, Bill Pike ’67 sent a beautiful and personal remembrance. We share an excerpt from Bill’s email, with permission, below. Thank you, Tom, for all you did for students and teachers at The Country School. And thank you, Bill, for taking the time to share your respects and gratitude for this remarkable educator.

From Bill Pike:

I extend my personal condolences to you, to Tom's family and to the entire Country School Community. Tom was a massively important guiding force at the school during its early years as well as being an enormously influential role model in my life during my elementary, high school, and collegiate years.

I was a member of the class of 1967, one of 19 8th Graders...who headed off to a

variety of secondary schools in June of that year armed with the knowledge and confidence in our abilities that came from having Tom West as our home room, English and history teacher. It was really quite difficult to avoid Tom's influence. …. Tom was our English teacher in the 6th and 7th Grades as well as our soccer and baseball coach…. Upon the retirement of Kay DeFrancis in 1966, Tom became our home room teacher in 8th Grade and added history to his repertoire of instruction. In the summer of 1966 my sister Adele, TCS '70 and I were among a handful of students who enrolled in Tom's entirely voluntary creative writing course that met twice each week at the school during July and August. That course is the closest I've ever come to having one-onone instruction in writing technique and taught me skills that I've gone on to use throughout my scholastic and adult life.

Bill writes about coming to know Tom in a new way when Tom left The Country School to teach at the Hammonasset School, an independent high school founded in Madison in the 1970s. Bill, whose parents were involved as founders and trustees at Hammonasset, served as an intern there during the school’s first semester.

Of course, Tom was on the faculty as an English teacher. I pulled out my copy of the 1974 Hammonasset yearbook this evening to see if there was a good photo of Tom to share but the only picture shows him with his head down, doubtlessly reading a piece of creative writing from one of his students.Tom's first love was teaching and I know he was delighted to be able to get back into it full time at Hammonasset.

Tom and his family became close friends with my family during those years. My parents [Connie and William Pike] were both trustees at Hammonasset and devoted so much of their time to the fledgling school that my sister and I began to refer to the school as our third sibling. Tom was part of Hammonasset from its very first day of operation. I'm sure that I probably encountered Tom on various occasions into the 1980s but I will never forget the incredible eulogy he wrote and delivered in the Hammonasset

arts barn on the occasion of my father's funeral almost exactly 35 years ago on September 22, 1984. It broke him up, it broke me up, it broke us all up, but it was a true expression of the feelings that all of us shared. There were four different eulogies at that service. Tom delivered the second one and I delivered the last. When the service was over we gave one another an enormous bear hug as we struggled to deal with our emotions. What had started 20 years earlier as a classroom relationship between a student and a teacher had evolved into a valued friendship between that student and the man who served as both a mentor and a role model.

Outside the members of my immediate family, I would have to list Tom West as one of the most significant and influential people in my life. We have all lost an exceptional friend.

we also rememBer anD CeleBraTe The ConTrIBuTIons of The followIng CommunITy memBers:

William Calvin Baskin, Jr. P ’85, ’88, Former Trustee

William Calvin Baskin, Jr., of North Branford died peacefully at home on February 14, 2022. A longtime New Haven lawyer, he shared his energy and expertise with an array of local nonprofits and agencies, including The Country School, where he served as a trustee. Mr. Baskin served in the U.S. Army and later attended Yale Law School. After graduation, he joined the law firm of Wiggin & Dana, practicing law there until his retirement in 2003. We share our condolences with is wife, Judith, sons William C. Baskin III, Peter Allison and Timothy Allison, and daughters, Cornleia Beaulieu and Phoebe Burbine.

Janet Scharr Gochberg P ’12, Former Trustee

Longtime trustee and tireless volunteer Janet Susan Scharr Gochberg P ’12 passed away on March 9, 2022 of cancer, leaving her beloved daughter, Katelin ’12, her parents, Jerome and Marlene Scharr, and countless other adoring family members and friends.

An effervescent spirit who was always looking for ways to make our campus and our world more welcoming, Janet served on the Board’s Buildings and Grounds and Advancement committees. Since the day she arrived on campus when Katelin was in PreK, she took hands-on leadership roles, serving as an active Room Parent and Chair of the Annual Fund, Phonea-Thon, Judge's Farm Day, and Arts Council. Always one to roll up her sleeves and just pitch in wherever help was needed, Janet painted backdrops for school plays, generously supported our school, chaperoned field trips, and happily cleaned up after school events. No job was too big or too small or too messy.

Janet was a friend to everyone, from teachers to staff to administrators to parents to students, and she immersed herself so fully in every effort she was a part of that Mr. Fixx described her as “a force of nature,” a description which made it into her official obituary. Janet’s obituary also described her “subtle, clever, light-hearted, and ticklish sense of humor” and the ways in which she made “people around her feel as though they were the center of the universe.”

Those of us lucky enough to have spe'nt time with Janet know how true those words are. We also know how fortunate we were to have Janet Gochberg at the center of the Country School universe for a decade. Her contributions will be felt for decades to come and her memory will remain with everyone fortunate enough to know her. We send our love to Katelin, to Janet’s parents, and to the rest of the Scharr/Gochberg family.

Jim Maggart, GP ’08, ’10, ’18, Former Trustee

On November 19, 2021, the “Country School community and the independent school industry lost a lion,” Head of School John Fixx wrote, shortly after learning about the death of Jim Maggart, a legendary educator and former Country School trustee. Although Jim was known across the globe for his contributions as a Head of School and although he shared those gifts generously with The Country School as first a member and then the chair of our Board of Trustees,

we also knew him as a beloved parent and grandparent. The father of Country School science teacher Stephanie Johnson and her siblings, Jim was also the adored and adoring grandfather of three Country School graduates: Hannah ’08, Sarah ’10, and Wiley ’18.

Jim’s long and legendary career in education included graduate school and teaching and coaching positions in his early years and then serving as Head of School at Robert College in Istanbul, Turkey. Later he would serve as Head of School at St. John's School in Houston, TX and then Hamden Hall Country Day School in Hamden, CT. At each school, Jim left a legacy of academic excellence, technological innovation, financial stability, and strong programs in arts and athletics. He was a consummate teacher and coach who is remembered above all for his patience, encouragement, and calm guidance. He passed his rich experiences and perspectives on to generations of educators he mentored, including his three children, and to the schools he advised all over our world.

As Board Chair of Robert College and at The Country School from 2004-2010, as a partner at Educators' Collaborative, and as a leader in international school accreditations for the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Jim worked to improve the lives of countless students and educators. He was always trusted for his gentle honesty, sensible counsel, good humor, and warm, steady presence. He took great pride in the accomplishments of his students and joy in their athletic success, as well as in the many connections he maintained with dedicated colleagues over the years.

The Country School will be forever grateful that Jim shared his many gifts with our community, not the least of which were his daughter, Stephanie, sonin-law, Phil, and their three wonderful children. Our thoughts are with them, with his beloved wife, Kaye, and with the entire Maggart family.

Jan Ellison, Former Teacher

A long-time teacher who inspired many Country School 2nd Graders to love history, reading, and learning, Jan Ellison died peacefully at home on July 5, 2020, after a prolonged, non-COVID illness.

Jan, who enthusiastically taught 2nd

Grade until the age of 70, considered teaching to be a dignified honor. She apparently said she particularly loved teaching 2nd Grade because of the intellectual blossoming she witnessed in her students.

When she visited us a few years ago to conduct a history/genealogy workshop, Bryna O’Sullivan ’00, one of “Mrs. E.’s” former students said she became interested in history, and specifically family history, while researching the history of early Connecticut in 2nd Grade. Today Bryna is a genealogist, and she enjoys sharing her passion for history

with others, much as Mrs. E. did with her years ago. Thank you, Mrs. E., for sharing your care and attention with the Country School community for so many years. No doubt there are countless other students whose lives you changed.

Ann Fogg, Tutor

We were also saddened to learn of the passing of Ann Fogg of Madison, who died unexpectedly on June 1, 2021. A special education teacher for many years, Mrs. Fogg retired in the early 1990s and began tutoring at The Country School. During her years in education, Ann helped countless children to learn

how to read and was adamant that all children should reach their potential. We are grateful for the years she devoted to Country School students and share our condolences with her family.

Jeffrey Doll ’77

We were saddened to learn of the passing of Jeff Doll on January 21, 2020. A member of the class of 1977, Jeff was a graduate of TCS, the Hammonasset School, and American University and worked in banking. Condolences to his wife, Kassandra, his father, Bill, and sister, Janet.

COUNTRY LIFE: WhAt’s Next, A look AheAd & A cAMpAigN updAte

Dear Country School Family and Friends,

I first stepped foot on our campus as an employee six years ago, immediately enveloped in its beauty and strong foundation. Several words came to mind: lucky, magical, privileged, grateful, community. From those first moments, my strongest feeling was one of admiration for the strength of our school’s foundation. I studied each named space, and questioned, Who was Mrs. Robinson? Mrs. DeFrancis? Mr. Blatchford? With wonder I found lists of named graduates who thanked their teachers by dedicating classrooms, locker rooms, athletic fields. On that warm July walk, I understood that my feeling of strength at my new school was a gift from countless grateful families, hopeful children, and passionate teachers who believed in the future then that I live today.

Within several short weeks, I eagerly absorbed new titles: English Faculty, Coach, and, yes, parent. As a new hire, I hadn’t considered moving my children from the school district where my husband is their principal. Yet, with each passing day, the magic of Country School pulled us in, and my four childrens’ stories of forts and friendships, their voices in MacLane Poetry Recitation and Holiday Program, and their growing confidence as caring leaders has confirmed our small role in the grand history and future of our school. For six years, we have lived this magnanimous campus gifted us by those before us and celebrated what my family calls the “magic” of learning at Country School.

Learning is about exploration, revelation, and surprise. Surprise at the world: “Ah-ha!” and “I never knew that!” moments. Learning is about surprising ourselves. In the right environment, with the right tools, we unexpectedly tap into parts of ourselves that reveal a talent or skill or innate knowledge that we didn’t know we had. The Country School is just this kind of environment–where students discover their magic within. At the heart of our community is our teachers who instill in our students the confidence to share, question, and explore. These are the reasons why I am proud to launch the Talent Within Capital Campaign.

Over the next three years, the Talent Within will:

• Continue to pursue the Campus Master Plan’s next steps for functionality and beauty by building the Engineering Facility and Maker Space.

• Create a larger overall endowment comparable to similar schools to ensure long-term financial health and secure the institution envisioned by our Founders to “create an open atmosphere for learning in which parents and teachers working together can help children realize their full potential."

• Maintain the Operations Budget by reaching Annual Fund goals each year.

During the Talent Within Campaign, our entire community–alumni, parents of alumni, current parents, former and current trustees, grandparents, community friends–will be asked to make a gift to the Annual Fund. In addition to the Annual Fund, many donors will contribute to endowment and capital projects, just as the people before us did.

Your gift says a lot about us. In addition to empowering Country School to invest in teaching and learning, your gift demonstrates our community’s commitment to our mission. Your gift also acknowledges the hard work of our faculty to provide an exceptional education for every Country School child. Each time someone makes a gift to Country School they do so as a way to say “thank you.” Whether it’s a gift from a thankful alum or a grateful parent, each time a family chooses to make a gift, they choose to demonstrate their gratitude for the work our teachers are doing everyday.

Thank you for joining my family and countless others in the Talent Within. This is our chance to thank those who built the school we love today by leaving it stronger for those who will thank us many generations from now.

In gratitude,

Nicole M. Talmadge Director of Development

WHY DOES THE COUNTRY SCHOOL NEED A

COMPREHENSIVE CAPITAL CAMPAIGN?

Since The Country School’s founding in 1955, its facilities and operations have consistently reflected the concept of “country simplicity, being upgraded periodically through fund-raising campaigns.” During the 60th Anniversary Campaign completed five years ago, much was accomplished to upgrade many of the physical indoor and outdoor learning spaces we value today, one commensurate with the quality of teaching that takes place.

We embark today on a multi-year endeavor to expand the financial health and campus effectiveness of The Country School, with the same ambition as the generations who built us the space where our students thrive today.

engIneerIng faCIlITy anD maKer spaCe Hands on happens here! The new Engineering Facility will provide a much needed permanent location for our Maintenance team for all campus projects. The Maker Space will bring the term design thinking to life for students to create meaningful and relevant interdisciplinary projects. Here, students will learn the process of imagining, creating, evaluating, and trying again

and will be equipped with all the tools needed for creating and tinkering! Our combined Engineering Facility and Maker Space will support design thinking and project based learning across the disciplines. This creative space will be perfect for tinkers, engineers, computer scientists, robotics enthusiasts, artists and the like.

The Country School emphasizes each of the five elements of STEAM and is proud of how our curriculum has evolved. We now have the elevated concept of building a modest but appropriate Engineering Facility and Maker Space that will provide students an innovative Maker’s Space and engineering classroom in the same structure that will house the maintenance crew and all our scattered equipment. This model is the only of its kind in the country–where the real engineering work of the school is housed along with the student engineering learning space.

The design is simple (see below) and the location will be at the intersection of the new back driveway and Blinnshed Road.

The total cost of this project is approximately $2.5 million, with some $1.3 million of that for construction and the rest for outfitting it, fees, and an endowment to maintain it in top condition for the students to follow. We are seeking friends of the school with a background in science, engineering and technology who are in a position to help underwrite particular aspects of the building in the name of specific teachers or to honor family members or their children.

ENDOWMENT

Established in 1962 by parent donors and the Board of Trustees, our endowment secures The Country School’s future for the generations of students and educators yet to join our great school. “Until now, we did not quite have the courage to put money where it could not be touched [investment savings].” (Board Chair Clarissa V. Dundon, 1963.)

Since 2001, more than $900,000 has been generated from the endowment “draw” to support annual operating expenses at The Country School. The general endowment fund is similar to a savings account that generates income from the investment of the principal. When a gift is made to the General Endowment Fund, the gift is invested, allowed to grow, and simultaneously produces income. While the donated principal is never touched, an annual distribution from the earnings supports the school’s students and teachers.

The General Endowment includes the following seven endowed funds: Teacher Endowment, Founders Promise Fund, David and Marcia MacLane Scholarship Endowment Fund, David and Marcia MacLane Scholarship Endowment Fund, Elizabeth Coyne Scholarship Endowment Fund, Outdoor Education Endowment Fund, John Lee Public Speaking Endowment Fund, Sarah Barber Performing Arts Endowment Fund.

TeaCher enDowmenT

"Best chance to grow the school is to give teachers the chance to grow at the school." -Bob McGee

Established in 2019 by Dave and Cori Branco P’24, Andrew Duffy and Mary Didiuk P’22,’24, Rich Croce and Peggy Strange P’16, Mischa Frusztajer and Edina Torgyekes P’22,’24,’26, Dan and Mary Hally P’23, 25, Lucy Foundation (Toby & Tim Scott) P '78, GP '18, '18, '22, John and Eileen Reach P’20, ’22, ’26, Howard and Heidi Rogers P’23,’25,’28, Greg and Adrienne Sharon (Taco Pacifico) P’21, ’23, and Larry and Charlie Weiss P’21,’23, this fund supports faculty compensation, professional development, and retirement.

“...the best part is the faculty, who are well-educated, caring, passionate and involved. Just when a year has ended and you think, “that was a teacher of a lifetime,” your child advances to enjoy the next “teacher of a lifetime!” -Niche.com 2018

Founders Promise Fund

Established in 2011 by HJ Promise Foundation in celebration of the school’s 55th year, this endowed fund provides unrestricted financial aid to the students of Country School.

DavID anD marCIa maClane sCholarshIp enDowmenT funD

Established in 2012 by Duncan ’64 and JoAnn MacLane to honor the legacy of The Country School’s first headmaster, David MacLane, this endowed fund provides scholarships to deserving students who show great promise.

elIzaBeTh Coyne sCholarshIp enDowmenT funD

Established in 2022 by Drs. David Yuh and Bonnie Hiatt P ’22, ’22, this fund provides scholarships for students who live the mission of our school and exhibit a financial need greater than 50% of tuition.

“Elizabeth Coyne embodies much of what makes The Country School a special place. Her steadfast personal investment in the welfare and futures of her students serves as a continuous reminder of why parents and their students come to TCS. The Elizabeth Coyne Scholarship Fund honors her longstanding dedication to our children.” -David Yuh and Bonnie Hiatt

outdoor education endowment Fund

Established in 2008 by one Class of 2011 family this endowed fund supports The Country School’s Signature Outdoor Education Program, an unparalleled learning experience that instills in our students the confidence to face future challenges with courage toward success supports excellence in Outdoor Education or otherwise improving the quality of the program for students at all grade levels.

“Success isn't defined by the top of that rock face; it's defined by where you think you can go and then you're able to reach that point and then, is it that one more inch?” -Bob McGee, Outdoor Education Program Founder

John lee puBlIC speaKIng enDowmenT funD

Established in 2022 by Auctus Group in memory of Dr. John Lee P ’22, ’25, the John Lee Public Speaking Endowment Fund supports teaching public speaking excellence to students and will broaden delivery of explicit public speaking instruction and develop during and after school programming.

“Dr. Lee was a kind, generous, thoughtful, intelligent, fair, giving human. Dr. Lee impacted us because he cared about helping others grow. It is in that spirit that we are proud to help carry on the passion to inspire and foster growth in others through the John Lee Endowment Fund.” -John Gwin, CEO The Auctus G sarah BarBer performIng arTs enDowmenT funD

Established in 2021 by Everett Barber in honor of his wife and 20-year veteran teacher, Sarah Barber, this endowed fund supports excellence in performing arts or otherwise improving the quality of the program for students at all grade levels.

"Sarah Barber is the best teacher I have ever known."

-Commander Robert Ballard P ’08, ’12

ANNUAL FUND

Country School counts on +/-$250,000 in donations annually to support the Annual Fund. These funds for operational expenses preserve the strong educational program for students and help maintain a balanced budget. Donors are asked to maintain their co-commitment to the Annual Fund and annual fund-raising events while stretching to support the 70th Anniversary Capital Campaign.

“Our diverse academic experience includes Country School’s consistency to respect the individual design of each student. The Country School team considers the unique gifts amongst their student population. Not only are these educators within the classrooms, but they also share their leadership qualities within extended programs. Because of all these essential values and collaborative approaches to the unique Country School education, our kids are thriving, confident and motivated. We are certain that our children are also noticing these invaluable

contributions that will continue to empower their own values. While Country School continues to grow and evolve, we look forward to experiencing the creative, inspiring ways in which our community will demonstrate influential standards that will impact the leadership of our children’s future. The culmination of these personalized experiences at our beloved school inspires us to make a gift, above tuition each year, in support of the Annual Fund.” -Dan & Mary Hally

HERITAGE SOCIETY AT THE COUNTRY SCHOOL

Planned gifts cost you nothing during your lifetime. Established in 2004 by the Board of Trustees, the Heritage Society, recognizes those donors who, while wisely planning their own finances, also understand the importance of giving back to the school that set the foundation for their lives. The Heritage Society honors those visionary individuals who are making a bequest or lifetime gift to Country School. Contact Nicole Talmadge to join the Heritage Society.

TeaCher of The Year Kim Tobin King '85

If you were a Country School student or teacher in the mid80s you might have recognized a familiar face when you opened the newspaper or turned on the evening news last fall. In late October, Kim Tobin King was named Connecticut Teacher of the Year, with Gov. Ned Lamont surprising her with the news in front of her students and colleagues. We reached out to congratulate Kim, and we were thrilled when she agreed to accept The Country School’s 2022 Distinguished Alumni Award, an honor presented annually to an individual who embodies the spirit of the Country School mission.

What became clear, as we spoke to Kim and read about her activities since her graduation, is that she truly lives our mission in thought, word, and deed. A K-4 art teacher at Southeast Elementary and Annie E. Vinton schools in Mansfield, Kim was described in a release from the governor as “an exceptional educator who strives to give all her students a voice through art and creativity.” She is a role model who is “committed to her own growth and learning,” and someone for whom “equity, empathy, and respect are at the heart of her teaching.”

Kim uses art education to nurture her students’ thinking while also helping them recognize the commonality between their own stories and experiences to those of others. She believes

that student growth goes hand-in-hand with teacher growth, which is why she is committed to always seeking out new learning opportunities for her professional development. Beyond her classroom, Kim has worked to create safe spaces of learning.

A graduate of The Country School and then Hamden Hall, Kim went on to Syracuse University, where she earned her BA in Fine Arts, specializing in art photography, and then to NYU for her MA in Art Education. In 2002, she received an Aetna fellowship to attend UConn’s Connecticut Writing Project Summer Institute. And in 2020, she was awarded a grant from Fund for Teachers to study the art and culture of South Korea in an effort to help foster a greater understanding of universal humanity among her students. As Connecticut Teacher of the Year, she was honored at the White House along with her cohorts from other states.

When Kim graduated from The Country School in 1985, she was a co-recipient of the Faculty Prize. Carol Robinson, then head of school, commended her for her “positive outlook, consistent effort, and genuine attitude of caring,” which have been “quiet examples to the entire school.” Elected by some of her peers as the “person most helpful to others,” Kim’s “unflagging energy … spurred on teammates” during

athletic competitions. She met “high moral standards” for herself, which others were encouraged to emulate. “The Country School faculty awards you this prize with affection and respect,” Mrs. Robinson said. “It is proud to have you represent the school in the larger community. We will watch your progress with pride.”

Just before we went to press, Kim Tobin King ’85, Connecticut’s 2021 Teacher of the Year, joined us on campus to receive the Country School’s 2022 Distinguished Alumni Award. Below are excerpts from her speech On Teachers and Teaching: Planting the Seeds of the Future:

It may seem hard to believe that what you are learning now in Middle School can impact you decades later, but trust me, it can. Here is where I first learned to lead, in these buildings. On those fields outside, in these classrooms here. This is where I first learned to speak up, and over my lifetime I’ve been speaking up for those who can’t or have yet to learn to trust their own voices. Now, it’s not easy and I still struggle with giving self doubt space in my thoughts. I’m still learning and I’m still growing and you know what? Growth sometimes feels uncomfortable and that’s ok. Learn to recognize that feeling. Know that’s just you growing. Think of a time when you were pushed outside of your comfort zone. It comes with a feeling, right? You know the feeling.

Continue to stretch yourself, know that feeling and know

that you are growing and that you’re supported by some of the best teachers in Connecticut. Do you know why I know your teachers are some of the best in Connecticut? Because I know they care.

Not every student can say that. Do you know many schools have a school climate survey that they send out, and one of the questions is “Do you have a trusted adult at school,” essentially meaning, “Is there a teacher that you know that cares about you, that knows who you are?” You would be amazed how many students in Connecticut and across this country say no. Ask yourself, who is your one teacher that really cares about you? I bet you won’t have any trouble thinking of one.

I had a favorite professor in college who said unwritten letters are never received. So if you get a chance, and this is for the adults in the room too, send them a note. Let them know that the seeds they planted took root. When I was applying for the Connecticut State Teacher of the Year award, I wrote one of my essays about my 6th and 8th Grade homeroom and math teacher, Mr. McGee. I wrote about how he made math, of all things, interesting. That he was doing Project Based Learning before Project Based Learning was even a thing. After I wrote my essay, I reached out to him to let him know, over 30 years later, how much he meant to me. I was happy I could tell him how my students sit in the shade of the tree he planted all those years ago.

SCENES FROM ALUMNI DAY 2022

reunIonS, claSSmateS, SmIleS, SwIngS, FrIendS, country School memorIeS

For Parents of Alumni: If this magazine is addressed to a son or daughter who no longer lives at home, kindly call us with the correct address: 203.421.3113.