Connections Summer 2021
MA GAZI NE OF T HE EPIS CO PAL ACADEM Y
Navigating the Unknown A look back at how EA safely executed in-person learning during the 2020-2021 school year. PAGE 6
Unable to volunteer in-person this past year, the Freshmen Service Club connected to students at the G.W. Childs Elementary School in Philadelphia through letter writing. Pictured, Saige Forbes ’24 writes to her 4th grade pen pal, Chandler.
CONTENTS
Features
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6 Navigating the Unknown A Look Back at how EA Safely Executed In-Person Learning 24 Teaching Today Finding Silver Linings in Remote Learning 42 Alumni Awards Celebrating our 2021 Alumni Awardees 44 Engage Episcopal Alumni Share their Experiences in New Virtual Speaker Series
Departments 2 T.J.’s Take 4 Snapshot: Guitar 101 26 Then & Now 28 Snapshot: A Season to Remember 30 From the Sidelines 36 From the Stage & Studio 50 Class Notes 58 In Memoriam 60 From the Archives
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EDITORIAL T EAM Connections, the magazine of The Episcopal Academy, is published three times per year. We encourage readers to submit feedback, stories, and photos from your days at Episcopal. Alumni can also submit personal and professional updates and photos to be included in a future issue by visiting episcopalacademy.org/classnotes. The Episcopal Academy 1785 Bishop White Drive Newtown Square, PA 19073 Office of Communications 484.424.1478 mgodin@episcopalacademy.org Office of Alumni Engagement 484.424.1772 alumni@episcopalacademy.org Editor-in-Chief: Michele Godin
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Managing Editor: Jessica More Contributing Editors: Courtney Brinkerhoff-Rau P ’16 ’19 Kate LaBrake Kathryn Ercole Contributing Photographers: Mark Tassoni Courtney Brinkerhoff-Rau P ’16 ’19 Imana Legette Jessica More Tracy Rosenberg ’21 Design: Open Haus Studio Production: The Chambers Group
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T. J. ’ S TA K E
Sustaining Excellence
Our institution has always been known for excellence. Our approach to sustaining that standard is rooted in continuous improvement, knowing there is a danger in complacency. We constantly look for ways to get better. Sometimes we are actually so laserfocused on this goal that we do not stop to celebrate our accomplishments. Looking back on one of the most challenging times in our school’s history, we have much to celebrate. While students around the world remained in virtual and hybrid learning environments all year, we are proud of our efforts that kept students learning in-person, five days a week for nearly the entire academic year.
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Some of the stories in this issue will give you a glimpse into the herculean efforts that led to our success. We had to find creative solutions to keep our campus safe and to enable our teachers and students to thrive. Many of our past efforts to modernize our approach offered us an incredible foundation on which to lean. Our ongoing work to ensure the fiscal health of our school served us well. From campus enhancements, to expanded staffing, to new technology, to tuition assistance for families facing financial crisis, we spent over $3M in COVID-related expenses. Your support empowered us to succeed. While other schools struggled with the financial burden that COVID introduced, we leveraged The Episcopal Fund and our growing endowment to sustain our excellence. We thank you for living the Stripe of Generosity and giving us the flexibility to invest where we needed in order to keep students in school. The Learning Management System we implemented a few years ago allowed teachers, parents, and students to communicate and collaborate in all instructional modes. This system also helped us to execute more than 300 complimentary, virtual classes last summer, keeping students engaged and learning while they were stuck at home. Our 1:1 device program allowed us to easily deploy technology to every student to use during times of virtual and in-person learning. Everything we learned during our intensive work to design our current academic schedule greatly informed our work to design adjusted COVID schedules. Our talent acquisition strategy led to us having the right people in place to support us through a challenging time. We have built a strong team of resilient educators who prioritize professional growth and who are open to change. This resulted in everyone quickly adapting and pivoting throughout the year. We were also able to leverage expertise from our partners at Global Online Academy and other like-minded schools and forwardthinking organizations through various networks and relationships we have built in recent years.
Another advantage was delivered by our Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL). When I arrived at EA, our vision was to build a team of educators who would support their colleagues in taking their teaching to the next level, leading to better student learning experiences. Since its inception, the CTL has helped teachers improve their craft and explore ways of being more intentional with their lessons and assessments. Through workshops, designed specifically for EA teachers by EA teachers, and one-on-one consultations, our faculty have strengthened their ability to help students master content and grow their problem solving and leadership skills. Since we already had the CTL in place, we were able to quickly shift the team’s focus to prepare our teachers to succeed in each instructional mode. We needed to make sure that our academic rigor and standard of excellence did not falter due to the global health crisis. The CTL helped teachers get up to speed on new and emerging software for the virtual learning environment. They then worked to design a customized, 40-hour online teaching certification course that 136 of our teachers completed last summer. Schools across the nation began hearing about our course and quickly reached out to see if they could offer it to their teachers. While this coming year might continue to present challenges, we are more than ready to overcome them. We are in a great position to resume some of the strategic work we paused during the pandemic. This work will help us in our never-ending quest to not only sustain but bolster excellence at The Episcopal Academy.
Dr. T.J. Locke The Greville Haslam Head of School
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SNAP SHOT
GUITAR 101
Emma Anderson ’26 and her classmates in James Finegan’s Guitar 101 play music for passers-by on the Clark Campus Green. “Although this year has been challenging for music classes, I’m grateful that I have been able to meet with my guitar class in person,” shares Mr. Finegan, who took the opportunity to teach outdoors on sunny days. Students were permitted to take mask breaks if they were outdoors and safely spaced apart. “On an unseasonably warm day in November, I decided to take this group outside to share their music with anyone who happened to be passing by, which they did with enthusiasm.” Though the school year has come with challenges, the Music Department has turned many of those challenges into opportunities to try new things. Turn to page 24 to read more about the silver linings of the 2020-21 school year.
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Navigating
the Unknown By Michele Godin
AS THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC SURGED, tens of millions of students across the United States spent the 2020-2021 academic year in a completely virtual or hybrid learning mode. The experience at The Episcopal Academy was very different, as most students spent 85% of their school year learning in-person, on campus. Providing students with an in-person experience required more than simple masking and social distancing protocols. Instead, the COVID-19 pandemic forced school leaders to rethink almost every aspect of the school year. Oftentimes, what might seem like a simple health and safety decision required intensive teamwork and significant reengineering in order to implement. From physical spaces, to the flow of a typical school day, to job roles and staffing models, to the ways in which we teach and engage our community, to our beloved traditions, and more, school leaders had to redesign everything to ensure our students could safely thrive on campus. Today, as we reflect on our success in keeping EA’s campus open, we celebrate the incredible efforts of our entire community. Our administrators, faculty, staff, parents, students, and alumni were committed to doing whatever it took to maintain in-person learning. The smiles on our students’ faces, visible even through their masks, made all of the sacrifices worth it in the end.
Join us in taking a behind-the-scenes look at how we overcame one of the most challenging moments in our school’s storied history.
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Scan above to take a look back at our memorable year
Pictured: Kelly Smith ‘21 Photo Credit: Tracy Rosenberg ‘21 Summer 2021
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“We wanted to find ways to offer value to our families and additional income to our faculty during an incredibly challenging time,” shared Greville Haslam Head of School Dr. T.J. Locke. “We offered all of our courses free of charge to current families, and we covered the costs of Global Online Academy courses for students.”
A BUSY
SUMMER
The summer of 2020 was anything but restful for everyone at EA. Following the conclusion of a successful spring of emergency virtual learning, all eyes turned to the upcoming fall: How could we provide the best-possible education while keeping students and faculty safe? With a statewide stay-athome order in place, the COVID Operations Task Force began meeting virtually each week in May. By mid-July, the group was holding check-in meetings every other day with longer planning meetings each week. By August, the Task Force members returned to their offices on campus to continue preparations. The uncertainty of the extent of community spread come fall required the Task Force to consider three possible scenarios: a full virtual return, a full in-person return, and a hybrid approach. For each scenario, the team developed different Upper, Middle, and Lower School academic schedules, as well as revised plans 8
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to execute programs like Chapel, dining, student clubs, athletics practices, and arts events. Updates were shared with parents, faculty, and staff weekly via emails and webinars, along with regular parent polls to gauge each family’s comfort level with an in-person return. The Task Force closely monitored positive case trends and guidance from the CDC, Pennsylvania Department of Health, local officials, and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) PolicyLab. In mid-June, the local health department published its initial guidance to schools, which helped guide the development of EA’s Health and Safety Plan. EA faculty focused on keeping students engaged during a summer of isolation. When it became apparent that most summer programming would not run, EA mobilized to develop a virtual schedule of 300+ for-credit and enrichment courses for students in all grades.
To help faculty deepen their online teaching expertise, EA’s Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) offered three custom-designed professional development programs. The first two sessions helped faculty prepare for teaching their online summer courses. The third course was an intensive, 40-hour online teaching certification program that 136 faculty members volunteered to participate in. “There is a huge difference between taking an academic program and putting it online and intentionally designing a program for that environment,” explained Dr. T.J. Locke. “Our certification focused on helping teachers design dynamic experiences, foster community, balance synchronous and asynchronous time, and build formative assessments for the online environment. We wanted them to have all the tools necessary and to feel confident and prepared if we needed to start the year out in a virtual setting.”
PREPARING CAMPUS
FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR In coordination with the Task Force’s planning, EA’s facilities and operations team spent the entire summer preparing the physical campus. Every classroom had to be measured to ensure appropriate spacing between desks. In order to fit all students in each class, the team removed large furniture and ripped out built-in cabinets. They installed plexiglass dividers on desks in early education classrooms to help provide an added layer of protection. They created outdoor classrooms and mask break areas by installing tents wherever possible. They also reworked nurses’ offices, converted spaces into isolation rooms, and adapted faculty offices and common spaces. Upper School student lounges were relocated to larger spaces, like the Carrafiell Family Theater and Class of 1944 Chapel, where they removed furniture and carefully measured and marked distanced seating locations. They built a satellite dining hall in
the Dixon Athletic Center, which would allow students to be spread out across three dining locations. Extra stanchions and thousands of floor decals were installed across campus to help students maintain a safe distance from one another. The team reengineered the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems across campus to increase the amount of outside air being pulled in, to lower the humidity level, and to enhance filtration. They partnered with EA’s cleaning service to enhance the typical daily cleaning standard and to expand staffing so there would be more help with sanitizing high-touch surfaces during the school day. EA also invested in new electrostatic sprayer technology to apply an antimicrobial agent on high-touch surfaces. All water fountains were converted to bottle filling stations,
and touchless faucets were installed in bathrooms and handwashing stations. Barrels of hand sanitizer were ordered, and 150 dispenser stations were installed across campus. “The planning for our in-person return scenario was a massive undertaking. The work was intensive and at times felt neverending,” explained Mark Notaro, chief operating officer and chair of the Task Force. “Our facilities, maintenance, grounds, and security crews never lost sight of the goal to get our campus ready for a safe return. It was teamwork at its finest.”
The members EA’s COVID Operations Task Force led the school’s efforts in ensuring a healthy and safe learning experience for students. • Lawrence Capuzzi, Finance • Todd Fairlie, Athletics • Michele Godin, Communications • Laura Hurst, Health Services • Imana Legette, Middle School • Michael Letts, Upper School • T.J. Locke, Head of School • Terrance Malone, Lower School • Cynthia Nichols, Human Resources • Mark Notaro, Operations (Chair)
“ Our facilities, maintenance, grounds, and security crews never lost sight of the goal to get our campus ready for a safe return. It was teamwork at its finest.”
• Paul Sanders, Asst. Head • Joseph Shanahan, Operations • Katie Vigna, Dining Services
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SCHOOL DAY REDESIGN A large component of EA’s Health and Safety Plan focused on how different aspects of a typical school day would be managed in the inperson return scenario. EA adjusted its dress code to remove items that are not laundered daily. Other one-year adjustments included waiving the athletic requirement and allowing students to pack their own lunch instead of utilizing the standard all-inclusive lunch plan. School leaders also knew that some families might not be comfortable returning in-person if campus reopened, so a remote learning option was made available. This option would also help students or teachers who needed to quarantine or isolate at different points throughout the year. Teachers were provided iPads and stands to set up 10
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in their classrooms to allow students to join class from home. EA’s 1:1 device program allowed for every student, PreK through 12, to have a laptop or iPad to use while in-school and at home. In the Class of 1944 Chapel, seating dropped from 900 to 140. The team worked with school chaplains and the technology team to set up livestreaming capabilities, and faculty members volunteered to serve as producers. Students from one grade would attend Chapel inperson, while the rest of the students would remain in their classrooms and watch the livestream. The team of producers were also trained in EA’s new webinar platform so that Chapel could continue if school needed to transition to virtual learning at any point.
Finding a way to safely provide lunch to around 1,200 students also proved challenging. The new satellite dining hall gave an additional location to spread students out. Dining staff members would prepare meals and transport them in hotboxes from the Crawford Campus Center up to the Dixon Athletic Center. School leaders needed to restructure their daily schedules to incorporate more lunch blocks and to carefully schedule grades and students in a way that kept total capacity as low as possible in each space during each block. The flow of traffic to the dining halls and through the servery and eating areas needed to be retooled to allow for distancing, and tables needed to be carefully sanitized between blocks. With so many tables, the cleaning process would take some time, but
too much time would then impact the incoming group of students and not provide them much time to eat. The Task Force assembled a team of 25 administrators, staff, and student deans to help the cleaning and dining staff achieve quick turnover. The new daily health screening presented another logistical challenge. Completing on-campus screenings of 1,500 people would take too much time and may require staggered arrival times. The team partnered with an app developer to create a daily screening app that employees and parents would need to complete each morning before arriving to campus. Following completion of screening questions, a green screen would appear in the app. This screen would need to be shown to a school official before entering a building each morning.
The Task Force mapped out morning checkpoint locations and tapped faculty and staff volunteers to manage the areas. EA’s Health Services team would begin monitoring for failed screenings around 5 a.m. each morning and would follow up with each person to gather more information and determine if it was safe for them to come to school that day. “We knew many families would be uncomfortable sending their young children to school on buses, so we anticipated an increase to our carline traffic,” shared Head of Lower School Dr. Terry Malone. “We needed to find a way to quickly check for green screens as parents pulled up so that we could keep traffic flowing. We tripled our typical carline staff by leaning on team members from the
admissions, advancement, business, communications, and operations offices.” The “all hands on deck” approach was critical to the success of in-person learning. Faculty and staff jumped in to serve new roles, and special relationships were formed, as people who would normally not work closely together collaborated to ensure smooth and safe school operations.
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The Lower School needed to make many other adjustments to their day. Students typically travel to other classrooms for their “specials,” like library, science, Spanish, art, and drama. This year, the specialist teachers travelled to homerooms using mobile classroom carts. Many of the specialists’ rooms were too small to safely accommodate a full class, and school leaders wanted to limit student movement and hallway traffic. The playground was closed most of the year, so recess looked very different. Teachers leveraged outdoor spaces and tents to allow students to take mask breaks and, as one teacher described, “to get their wiggles
out.” Students continued to travel to physical education classes, but activities were revamped to allow for social distancing. All-school assemblies would be hosted via webinar and broadcast into each homeroom. Dismissal would also be managed differently.
would have more room to spread out. Upper School students who had free periods would now need to report to their relocated student lounge for a study hall. If they wanted to meet with a teacher or coach, they would need to be signed out.
The Middle and Upper School also needed to rework a lot for an inperson return. With strict capacity limits set for each classroom, school leaders needed to carefully design student schedules. To help reduce hallway traffic, the schedules were designed with added “passing time,” and class dismissals were staggered. Middle School recess would relocate to athletic fields where students
School leaders also anticipated that faculty and staff members may need to quarantine at different points throughout the year. To ensure extra hands were available to substitute in classrooms and help with other duties, the school hired 18 extra adjunct and assistant teachers. A few of these teachers were EA alumni who were excited to return to their alma mater to help out.
This year, the Lower School’s specialist teachers traveled to homerooms using mobile classroom carts.
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TESTING & CONTACT TRACING “One of our biggest challenges was designing a way to track where each student was during every minute of their day. We knew we would need this information for contact tracing and notification purposes if we had any positive cases,” shared Head of Upper School Mike Letts, Hon. “Our class, lunch, and athletic rosters were already housed in our database, so we added rosters for everything else we could think of, like student clubs, fitness room hours, bus riders, and more. We required teachers and coaches to take attendance during every block of the day to help us track who was here and which groups of students they interacted with each day.” The Task Force knew contact tracing and quarantining would be an essential layer in mitigating community spread. As the local health department’s contact tracing team became overtaxed, schools were asked to conduct their own contact tracing. The Health Services team was expanded to include the athletic trainers and five per diem
nurses. Four members of the team completed a specialized, six-hour contact tracing course from Johns Hopkins University and worked to set up internal processes for quickly isolating individuals, logging sensitive health information, and identifying close contacts. Health Services and Communications worked to design a three-tiered notification plan for future positive cases. Everyone involved in the process participated in practice drills before the school year began in order to be ready to act swiftly. Health Services and the Business Office also began working to establish relationships with testing providers and labs so that testing could be offered on-campus for symptomatic individuals and close contacts. As supply of Personal Protective Equipment became scarce, the teams collaborated to find and order masks, face shields, and other equipment for faculty and staff.
DECISION TIME As the summer weeks sped by, the time to make a decision on which scenario to implement for the beginning of school was drawing near. An extra week was added to the year to allow for flexibility and extra instructional time ahead of what might be a disruptive year. The first day of school was set for Aug. 31. Due to heightened positivity rates and fear of a post-Labor Day spike, the county health department issued a recommendation that all schools begin in a virtual setting through Oct. 8. Local health experts endorsed the recommendation, and state officials left it up to each school and district to make a decision on their instructional mode.
After a spring of virtual learning and an activity-less summer, many families were disappointed by the recommendation and strongly urged school leaders across the region to move forward with in-person learning. Countless news stories recounted four and five-hour long public comment sections of virtual school board meetings. One by one, school boards began announcing a virtual start, with a hopeful hybrid return in October. After much deliberation and consultation with health experts, EA announced it would also begin the year in a virtual setting. Work quickly began to coordinate for families to sign up for 15-minute time slots to retrieve personal items left behind the prior year and to pick up books and supplies for the first few weeks of school.
School leaders continued closely monitoring positivity and incidence rates. A special EA COVID Index was designed and updated daily, which compared the proportion of EA students from each local county to each county’s latest metrics. Weekly calls with health experts from the community and CHOP PolicyLab were held to help inform when it would be safe to resume inperson learning.
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With the statewide stay-at-home order lifted earlier in the summer, school leaders worked to organize small, outdoor, distanced gatherings for different groups of students during the first few weeks of virtual instruction. “We knew how disappointed our students were to not be able to return to campus. The lack of social interaction during the prior months was so hard on them,” explained Head of Middle School Imana Legette. “We wanted to find safe ways to help them socialize and reunite with their friends. Our expansive outdoor spaces allowed us to invite advisory groups back for some fun activities and to host small orientation sessions for new students.” The fate of fall athletics was still in question, but segments of Upper School teams began gathering on fields for distanced strength and conditioning sessions. Lower School hosted small activity days, especially for PreK and Kindergarten students to help them get to know their new school and classmates. Community service and other club activities were also hosted for small groups. In mid-September, a provisional plan to return to in-person learning was released to families. The anticipated post-Labor Day spike was not as drastic as health experts predicted, and the Task Force felt confident in its Health and Safety Plan. As the team prepared to re-open campus, it partnered with experts at KPMG to conduct a comprehensive audit of its plan. The KPMG team was impressed by the thoroughness of the plan and commended the Task Force for thinking through so many intricate details to ensure the health and safety of students and employees. 14
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STUDENTS REUNITE
RETURN TO SCHOOL Faculty returned to campus a few days before the students’ return in order to tour campus, attend special protocol training sessions, and conduct dry runs of the school day. One teacher described their return to campus like stepping into a time capsule dated March 12, 2020, when campus abruptly shut down at the beginning of the pandemic.
adhere to the new protocols. Student assemblies and club meetings were mostly held virtually, so headphones were a new essential school supply. School portrait day included a drivethrough option for students who were learning remotely. Choral and woodwind music classes relocated outdoors, and many other teachers took advantage of outdoor spaces.
While much work had been done to ensure everyone’s safety, anxiety levels were high leading up to the first student day.
The Inter-Academic League announced that an abbreviated, non-championship, fall athletic season for Upper School would begin in late October. The Athletics Department mobilized to increase buses, since fewer students could be transported due to social distancing, and to coordinate live streaming, since spectators would not be permitted to attend competitions. Middle School sports continued without competitions. Middle and Upper School designed new ways and spaces to supervise students between the end of the day and their sports blocks.
On Sept. 21, students began arriving a few grades at a time. The youngest students were welcomed back first, along with the senior class, who would play an important leadership role in setting an example for the entire student body. Throughout the week, school leaders and faculty held safety training sessions for students and helped them assimilate to the new protocols. All students returned together a week later, with approximately 10% of students choosing to remain virtual. As everyone settled into a new normal, the Task Force continued to closely monitor local positive case trends and evolving guidance. The health department’s guidelines for schools were updated 13 times throughout the year, requiring ongoing tweaks to protocols and school life. State officials issued a travel advisory, recommending against non-essential travel, and suggested that individuals quarantine if travel was necessary. As the weeks progressed, students and faculty fell into a new, natural rhythm. Typical autumn activities were adapted in real-time to
With visitors not permitted on campus, the Admissions Office needed to rethink how to manage the busy fall admission season. The team partnered with the Communications Office and school leaders to produce many virtual events and experiences to help prospective families learn more about EA.
beyond identified close contacts were recommended. During the fall, the school was seeing an average of two positive cases per week. Everyone spent as much time outdoors as possible. The Clark Campus Green took on a polka dotted appearance, as distanced circles were painted to help students identify where it was safe to take a mask break or enjoy a snack. The circles quickly became an iconic visual of the year. EA/Haverford/Agnes Irwin Weekend was canceled, but that did not stop students from celebrating Spirit Week. Students participated in themed outof-uniform days, outdoor activities, and lounge decorating contests.
On Oct. 20, EA was notified of its first positive COVID case in the community, and all of the Task Force’s planning and drills were put to the test. The team quickly completed contact tracing and issued notifications. For the first few positive community cases, the team consulted closely with EA’s school physician and local health officials to determine if quarantines Summer 2021
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WINTER STRESSES &
CELEBRATIONS Health experts were gravely concerned about people spending more time indoors and potentially traveling or hosting family and friends during the holidays. The Task Force faced the season with caution. A proactive decision was made to transition to virtual learning for a week following both the Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks. As positive case trends were monitored, a decision was also made that Upper School students would remain virtual between the two breaks. 16
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The decisions were wise, as positive cases reported to EA began to slightly rise following each holiday. In fact, positive cases were significantly spiking everywhere. By early-December, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania was reporting more than 10,000 new positive cases each day. The few schools that had returned to hybrid quickly transitioned back to virtual with no firm return dates planned. Local officials began increasing some of the easing restrictions in an effort to slow the spread. New indoor youth sports capacity limits were
enacted, forcing EA’s winter varsity teams to restructure their strength and conditioning sessions into groups of fewer than 10 people. The holidays at EA are always a special time and ripe with cherished traditions. Parents, faculty, and staff quickly worked to pivot in order to help students celebrate. The grounds crew set up an enormous tree on the Clark Campus Green, and the Music Department worked with students to produce and release virtual holiday concerts.
The EA Parents’ Association converted its Gingerbread Decorating party into an at-home activity, logged 400 orders of decorating kits, and braved the cold to staff a curbside pick-up for families. A special retrospective video was produced to celebrate the popular Scrooge Chapel and broadcast via webinar, to the delight of students and faculty. Seniors from the Upper School orchestra gathered in small groups in the evening to pre-record beautiful renditions of nine carols that would be played during the webinar broadcast of Lessons and Carols. A virtual Christmas Eve service was also hosted via webinar, and a special “EA Unlocked” podcast episode with student-performed holiday music was released. As the world turned the calendar page to 2021, hoping for a brighter year, Mother Nature made her presence
known across the Mid-Atlantic. Multiple snow storms and bitterly cold temperatures pounded the area, resulting in weather-related delays and virtual learning days. Families across the region collectively mourned the loss of snow days, now that learning could continue outside of the classroom. Lower School students still got to enjoy sledding during recess, and the school announced surprise dress-down days every couple of weeks to help keep student spirits high during the dreary winter months.
on campus. Most time was spent indoors since cold temperatures left campus snow-covered for weeks. A short, inter-league winter athletics season was held, and artists who missed the opportunity to perform regularly during Chapel and other events were featured via the new Performing Arts video channel. As the cold days began to fade away, the community optimistically eyed the spring, hoping to soon reach the light at the end of the very dark COVID tunnel.
By late January, positive COVID case counts began to decline, and the newly-approved COVID vaccines began making their way into the arms of healthcare workers and other high-risk individuals. Many other schools remained virtual with plans to resume hybrid learning in the spring. At EA, students and faculty eased back into COVID routines Summer 2021
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A HOPEFUL
SPRING
While EA successfully continued deploying its in-person learning plan, the majority of schools across the country remained in a virtual or hybrid environment. Pressure had been mounting to elevate teachers on the vaccine priority lists, in the hopes that schools everywhere could re-open. Teachers rejoiced on March 2 when government officials announced the goal to have all educators vaccinated by the end of the month. Finding an available vaccine appointment in those early days was like searching for the Holy Grail. As the Task Force worked with the county to set up a vaccination clinic, teachers were encouraged to try to find appointments on their own sooner. In midMarch, the county’s education department began accepting appointment reservations for their upcoming teacher clinics, which allowed those who hadn’t yet found an appointment to schedule their vaccination. Back on campus, spring had sprung. The trees and flowers were blooming, and the iconic white circles re-appeared across the Green, inviting students and faculty back outdoors. The EA Parents’ Association helped to brighten homes for Easter by coordinating a flower sale with drive-through pick-up. The Inter-Academic League announced plans for a full spring athletic season, with limited spectators, and a new, large outdoor stage appeared in front of the Chapel for ArtsFest and spring musical productions. EA’s dining services partner, SAGE, hosted a schoolwide outdoor lunch on National Picnic Day, leaving many students to remark how it was the first day that felt truly back to normal on campus. The combination of warmer weather, vaccine availability, and pandemic fatigue led many in the region to begin to let their guards down. School leaders asked the entire community to double down on efforts to maintain protocols and keep students safe. In mid-April, EA experienced a COVID spike in Upper School, forcing a transition to remote learning to mitigate any further spread and allow Health Services more time to contact 18
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trace. Health Services had recently secured a certificate of waiver to be able to operate similarly to a lab, allowing the school to process COVID tests on-site. Students who were identified as potentially highrisk were asked to secure a negative test before returning to school, and the Health Services team was able to offer convenient testing on campus. Upper School resumed without further incident three days later. In May, the Alumni Office hosted a special virtual Alumni Week celebration, complete with awards ceremonies, class reunions, and
town halls with school leaders and students. A limited number of parents and family members were invited to campus for spring concerts and productions of “You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown” by the Harlequin Club and “Godspell” by the Domino Club.
While the Task Force decided to maintain its on-campus protocols through the end of the school year, the outside world was starting to look a little more normal. This was positive news as the team prepared to host all closing exercises on campus.
As vaccines were approved for emergency use in adolescents, the Task Force worked with a local pharmacy to host a vaccination clinic for students. As vaccination rates in adults and teens rose, state and local officials began to ease restrictions and congregate setting capacity limits. Summer 2021
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CLOSING OUT A
MEMORABLE YEAR Leveraging the new outdoor stage, the Task Force planned for all ceremonies to be held outside. The team worked with outside production firms to help set up an audio system, jumbo-tron, and livestream feeds. Mother Nature made another appearance during the trying year by unleashing an early heat wave, wrought with the threat of dangerous thunderstorms. The 5th grade promotion ceremony, held on the final Friday of the school
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year, was hosted outdoors under a cloudy sky. The Class of 2028 was celebrated and welcomed to the Middle School. During dismissal, parents surprised the Lower School teachers with a special thank you car parade. The 8th grade promotion ceremony was held a few days later. Parents of the Class of 2025 gathered on the Green during an extremely hot morning. Students processed up the lawn to their seats and were congratulated for their
resilience, flexibility, and leadership in the Middle School before being officially welcomed to Upper School. EA’s 236th Commencement was held on the evening of Tuesday, June 8. School leaders had decided weeks prior to move the date up and to host Prom after Commencement. All seniors were tested twice prior to Commencement so that they could participate without needing to wear masks.
By the Numbers
$3.5M
693
in COVID-related investments
COVID tests administered
194
4,500
webinar events hosted
social distancing floor decals
144
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in-person school days
new adjunct faculty members
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A JOYFUL FAREWELL
TO THE CLASS OF 2021 The forecast for Commencement night was again questionable. About an hour and a half before the ceremony, the call was made to move indoors. Everyone involved in event preparations quickly transitioned everything indoors. Each graduate would be permitted two guests, to allow for proper distancing, and other relatives could view a livestream in the theater. Rain poured down on the Chapel roof as Valedictorian Bo Aldridge congratulated classmates. “The world will not long remember what everyday life was like under the shadow of COVID, but we will,” he shared. “We will remember that we did not merely exist, we did not just persist, waiting for the storm to pass, but rather in the face of overwhelming adversity, we dared to thrive, and develop into young adults.” The rain subsided and the sun appeared, just as the final organ notes of “Episcopal, Episcopal” could be heard wafting through the
air. The 137 members of the Class of 2021 and their families spilled out onto the Green, shrieking with joy and posing for photographs. The next two days were spent preparing for the on-campus Junior/ Senior Prom. For the seniors, it would be their first prom since last year’s was canceled. All students and their dates were required to visit campus for testing. A dedicated group of senior parents planned an amazing night for students, complete with fun music, a delicious dinner, twinkling lights, carnival games, photo stations, and a surprise fireworks display. As the stillness of summer crept across campus the next day, the reality of what the EA community had collectively accomplished set in. Despite many obstacles, students studied safely on campus for nearly the entire year and enjoyed countless, albeit modified, traditions. Students, parents, faculty, staff, and alumni demonstrated great resilience and
flexibility and banded together to support Episcopal and one another through one of the most challenging times in our school’s history. This year serves as a palpable testament to the enduring strength of our institution and community.
“ We will remember that we did not merely exist, we did not just persist, waiting for the storm to pass, but rather in the face of overwhelming adversity, we dared to thrive, and develop into young adults.”
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Teaching Today
Finding Silver Linings In Remote Learning By Jessica More
As lifetime learners themselves, many of EA’s teachers chose to view times of remote learning as both a challenge and an opportunity. “I have been teaching a long time. I’ve always thought to myself that if I’m not changing things in my own practices, if I’m not trying to keep the same skills but approach it differently, I’m going to get bored,” said Visual Art Department Chair David Sigel, Hon. “I’m not sure that anybody was ready for how this all came about, but it has been a wonderful experience and a very amazing reflective tool as a teacher.” After the “emergency” period of remote learning ended in the spring 2020, many faculty took part in an online certification course organized by Episcopal’s Center for Teaching and Learning over the summer. “The online certification introduced me to a lot of different ways to reach kids virtually through different programs and collaborations,” said 2nd Grade Teacher Cathie Hicks. In a cohort of PreK to 2nd grade teachers, Ms. Hicks and her colleagues reviewed things that went well in their classrooms in the spring, and brainstormed solutions for the challenges they had faced. In particular, they spent some time planning activities to help create a sense of community in a virtual classroom.
Adjunct Visual Arts Teacher Taj Cannon ’14 was grateful to the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) for helping him use remote learning tools at the beginning of fall semester.
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The changes were not as onerous for EA teachers as they could have been, in part because of the work of the Center for Teaching and Learning. “The CTL is a godsend,” said Middle School English Teacher Mark Luff, Hon. “The course that they offered us last summer was extraordinary. I’m using ideas from that on a constant basis. We were one of the few schools that handled it with the least amount of upheaval because we had already had CTL helping us with how to switch some of our teaching from the classroom to online platforms.”
Middle School students take advantage of the sunny weather to work on group projects on the Clark Campus Green.
This is Mr. Luff’s 43rd year at Episcopal. Over the years, he has made it his primary goal to remain up-to-date in his teaching practice. He saw this past year as a year of opportunity, a way to push himself to learn more. “If I teach something in the way where the kids turn off, that bothers me,” he said. “They live in a digital world, and I grew up in a different world, so I’ve trained and pushed myself to stay as current as possible.” He has not shied away from demonstrating to his students that he is still learning. If he gets stuck with the new platforms, a student might point him in the right direction. “I’ll say, ‘Wait, teach me.’ And I use those words on purpose because it’s a wonderful blend of who’s the teacher and who’s the learner.” That approach makes the students feel more comfortable, too, with asking for help and acknowledging that it is okay not to always know the right answer. Adjunct Visual Arts Teacher Taj Cannon ’14 was among a handful of new teachers who joined the faculty in September, first meeting his Upper School art students via Zoom. “I had not had much experience on Zoom,” explained Mr. Cannon, so in the weeks leading up to the start of school, he worked with the CTL. “They instilled a lot of confidence in me to use the tools, like breakout rooms, and suggested ways to connect and break the ice with students so we could have a dialogue, not just stagnant lectures. It has been so nice to have those resources and get information and support as a new teacher.”
Music Department Chair Jim Erwin brings classes outside to sing while socially-distanced.
The Performing Arts faculty, in particular, had to make major changes this year. Without being able to come together to perform until very late in the year, the faculty had to learn how to use software that enabled the students to record at their homes and combine the recordings into a virtual play, musical, choir, or ensemble. While an individual student’s work is often lost in that of the ensemble, these new methods have enabled instructors to see more of the individual musician in each project. “We had to reinvent our curriculum almost weekly,” said Music Department Chair Jim Erwin, “but that challenge was invigorating to us. It almost felt like you had a different career and were training to do something different, which is not going to make us weaker but actually make us stronger. And I think many things that we did this year will continue on even after all this is over.” In visual arts, the pandemic has allowed for more reflection. Mr. Sigel said, “Rather than feeling the pressure of, ‘What do I have to get done, where do I have to be at this certain time?’, students were asking themselves ‘Who am I and what am I trying to say?’ And that’s been a really amazing thing.” Mr. Luff found Episcopal’s Stripes to be helpful guides through the pandemic. “Whether it’s the Courage to try something new in the classroom or the Kindness that you extend to a student who may be struggling with the technology, this has been an opportunity to practice those 10 attributes as we mitigate these unfortunate circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Scan here to learn more about how our teacher’s went above and beyond this year. Summer 2021
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THEN & NOW:
From The Scholium Looking Back: EA closed for three weeks during The 1918 Spanish Flu Epidemic Reprinted with permission from The Episcopal Academy student newspaper, The Scholium. By Mahliat Tamrat ’23
Left: Episcopal's 2nd Graders received their Hymnals in Chapel in November. Right: Children also wore masks during outbreak of Influenza in 1918. Photo from the State Archives of Florida (1918).
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The Spanish Flu, caused by the H1N1 virus, was a deadly pandemic in 1918, inflicting a high mortality rate in people younger than 5 years old, 20-40 years old, and 65 years and older. The CDC reports that “the high mortality in healthy people, including those in the 20-40 year age group, was a unique feature of this pandemic.” Alternatively, the COVID-19 pandemic identifies older people and those with weakened immune systems as the high risk populations. Like COVID-19, initially, the 1918 virus was not well understood and nonpharmaceutical approaches were implemented due to the lack of proper scientific technology. These safety precautions, similar to COVID-19 measures, included self-isolation, quarantine, increased personal hygiene, disinfectant use, and limitations to numbers at public gatherings. At the time, the EA community’s primary concern was World War I, but the pandemic still altered daily life. For both the Spanish Flu and COVID-19, administration proceeded with caution, yet technology gives modern-day EA an advantage that was not present before: versatility. Today’s students have access to technology for remote learning. Online platforms such as Zoom and Google Classroom are both used at EA for conducting online school. Josephine Buccini ’21 elaborates, “Although I prefer in-person learning, it is nice to have more time and sleep in sometimes.” In contrast, in 1918, there was no way for the students to continue their education while school was closed. An article, assumed to be written by Editor-In-Chief Thomas R. Neilson Jr. (Class of 1919), in The Scholium from October 1918 discusses the impact of not being able to learn, “Returning to our work, we can but do the best that is in us to make up lost time and to actually prepare ourselves for the great world that is being cut out for us day by day by the world war.” The school’s initial three-week closure due to the 1918 pandemic impacted a variety of school activities, including the play and orchestra. The 1919 Tabula describes, “Due to the influenza epidemic the Domino Club was forced to
abandon the custom of giving its play during Christmas break. It was, therefore, necessary to postpone the date of the tenth annual performance until after the holidays.” Similarly, the 2020 Domino Club was unable to host an in-person production because of COVID-19 restrictions. Instead, the cast performed a play designed to be virtual. Morgan Bramwell ’21 explains, “We either filmed on Zoom with green screens or we filmed in-person in the Black Box Theater with green screens.” At the time, the fairly small orchestra had just been established, but was able to survive due to “the untiring efforts of Mr. Norden [Orchestra director at the time], whose enthusiasm is the cause of its success, the orchestra has accomplished much in spite of epidemics and other hindrances.” Today, in order to follow CDC guidelines, the orchestra split into groups to reduce the number of people and spread out around the room to practice. Chris Lo ’21 says that “It was tough knowing that we wouldn’t be able to have a ‘concert’ in the normal sense of the word. We ended up putting together a recorded piece.” Another similarity between EA students then and now is their ability to adapt to new circumstances. In the same article mentioned above, Neilson writes, “No matter how inconvenient the order for closing the schools is, no matter how much trouble we have been put to, and how much the program of the school has been distorted, we cannot but see the wisdom of this action, rising from sheer necessity.” Even though EA students in 1918 only closed for three weeks, they understood that closing was necessary to make sure everyone stayed healthy. Similarly, Tracy Rosenberg ’21 feels that “closing is not ideal, but I understand that adjustments must be made during a global pandemic.” Zachary Richards, VI form dean, believes that EA will get through the pandemic “Just as we did in 1918 and in other difficult years” by making sure that the EA community remembers to “hold on to [its] core values. We cannot lose our sense of decency. Put the needs of others above your own. We will be in a much better place as people for exercising such selflessness during a most challenging and trying time.”
EA students have risen to the challenges of wearing masks, learning outdoors, and practicing social distancing to remain safe while on campus.
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S NAP S HOT
A SEASON TO REMEMBER
After a 2019 Inter-Ac win, the boys’ cross-country team was anxious to begin training. Meeting over Zoom, the team’s seniors (co-captains Bradley French and Peter Woodville, along with seniors Arya Venugopalan and Jimmy Bruder) helped to keep the underclassmen motivated. When the opportunity came to resume training on campus, they were ready to make the most of it. Though their seasons were abbreviated, EA’s student-athletes felt incredibly fortunate to have the use of EA’s 123-acre campus to condition, practice, and compete—all while maintaining a safe social distance. “I am very proud of their overall commitment,” said Coach Jim Farrell ‘82.
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FROM THE SIDELINES
Fall 2020
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Making the Most of an Abbreviated Season Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, student-athletes spent the bulk of the fall practicing in small, socially-distanced groups, anxiously awaiting a league decision on the fate of their season. In mid-October, students rejoiced when the league announced it would move forward with a modified non-championship schedule. As the competitive season began, last-minute changes were often a daily occurrence, but student-athletes and coaches made the most of their abbreviated season. The Boys’ Cross Country team ended the season 5-0 with a winning margin of 25.6 places for those five races. Coach Jim Farrell ’82 shared, “Our second seven was 4-1 against the other varsity teams. This was the best team we have had in the past 20 years.” The Girls’ Cross Country team finished the season with a 2-3 record, defeating Agnes Irwin, 26-30, at home in the final race of the season. “The team worked hard all season long, even in September and early October when we were not sure yet exactly what meets we were training for and when they would occur. I’m proud of what the girls accomplished,” explained Coach Laurie Finnical, Hon.
The Field Hockey team wrapped up the shortened season undefeated, 6-0. “Senior Night was an amazing way to end the season honoring our leaders. We ended the game with a 9-1 win and memories that will last a lifetime,” said Coach Stephanie Fee. “I am so proud of the perseverance that this team has shown throughout the season, and the ability to make the most out of any circumstance that was thrown our way.” The Football team finished the season with a tough final game against rival The Haverford School. A season highlight was a 38-9 win over Penn Charter, where the team jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter. “Obviously this wasn’t the senior year my fellow seniors and I hoped for,” said Malcolm Folk ‘21. “But just to have had the opportunity to play high school football one last time was a blessing. We just focused on giving everything we had to the program day in and day out and helping out the younger guys to make sure they are ready for the years to come.”
After a challenging first tournament, the Golf team improved play at its next two league events, finishing only seven and five strokes behind first place The Haverford School. Senior co-captain Auggie Reilly finished in a tie for medalist at the final event, and Shane Lawler ended with the lowest scoring average, most wins, and points in the shortened season. “We were so proud of our program. We made the most of the situation by remaining nimble, keeping a positive attitude, and most of all staying safe,” said Coach Doug Borgerson, Hon.
The Boys’ Soccer team played five games across a three-week period, ending with a 2-2-1 record. The best performance of the season was against the previously unbeaten Springside Chestnut Hill Academy team. The final game, away at The Haverford School, sent the seniors off with a win. “This will be a season remembered fondly, in years to come, and a year where just being together was the best distraction and ultimately more important than wins and losses,” said Coach David Knox, Hon. The Girls’ Soccer team was comprised of a large group of underclassmen this year. A season highlight was the 1-0 win over Germantown Academy on Senior Night. “I am most impressed with how our seniors led by example in these most challenging circumstances,” shared Coach Andy Fraggos. “They remained positive and enthusiastic before we knew about competitions, and then when discovering we’d be playing Inter-Ac games, they maturely helped us pivot to prepare for competitions.”
The Tennis team continued its successful track record, sweeping the competition with a 6-0 record. “We were blessed with an outstanding group of seniors that had a positive attitude and infectious energy throughout this strange ‘season,’ “ shared Coach Whit Powell, Hon. “This year’s team was incredibly talented and was able to display that in a variety of ways throughout the season. They were flexible and always willing to make last-minute adjustments for the betterment of the team.” The Boys’ Water Polo team celebrated impressive wins over Penn Charter and Germantown Academy, notching a final 3-2 record. “Since the summer, every player put in a tremendous amount of work in the pool and the weight room to contribute to our success,” explained Coach Max Kelly ’06. “The biggest accomplishment was the mental toughness that all of our players demonstrated through this fall.” Due to some challenges at other schools, the Girls’ Water Polo team was only able to compete in three games against Germantown Academy and Penn Charter. “It is not the situation I was hoping to be in at the end of my senior season,” shared Jovana Sekulic ‘21. “We had to find our own way to bond and become one again. With three games in the season, which we won easily, we had the joy and happiness to share with one another.” Summer 2021
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FROM THE SIDELINES
Winter 2021
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Connections
A Short Winter Season As winter approached, positive COVID cases began rising. State and local officials increased restrictions, including limiting indoor gatherings to no more than 10 people. Winter coaches split their teams up into small groups and held small, distanced practices on campus. Conditions improved later in the winter, allowing for three weeks of competitive play for most teams. The Boys’ Basketball team played 10 games during the three-week winter season. Captain Will Delaney ’21 led the team in scoring, averaging 15 points per game, while Kevin McCarthy ’24 netted an average 11.8 points per game. “There were some real challenges that came with social distancing,” said Coach Brian Shanahan ’04. “But the team enjoyed the season and played hard.” The Girls’ Basketball team was excited to compete and showed growth during the brief season, competing with the best teams in the Inter-Ac. “Captains Allie Bush ’21, Caroline McCreary ’21, and Allie Sillo ’21 led the team in creating an environment that bred great teammates,” said Coach Chuck Simmonds, Hon. “Every EA player scored in a win over Springside Chestnut Hill Academy (SCH) and we had a big Senior Day win over a solid Baldwin School team.” Riley Cassidy ’22 led the team in scoring.
“The Ice Hockey team was happy just to hit the ice this season,” said Coach Steven Schuh. “After missing the first part of the season, we were able to practice throughout January and play two games against Germantown Academy (GA) in February.” Both games were hard fought contests and decided by a score of 5-3 with the home team winning each game. Captains Bradley French ’21 and Will Vander ’21 led the team and kept the squad motivated. “Overall, they displayed exceptional grit and resilience and worked hard,” said Coach Schuh.
Boys’ Squash had a season like no other. “The challenge of face masks and shields tested our limits, both mentally and physically, but the team handled the challenging situation admirably,” said Coach Lyall Patterson. Workouts included Magical Mystery Squash, tEAm Zoom workouts, and some fun practice playlists created by the seniors. There were several highlights, including a 6-3 win over Penn Charter on Senior Day and an 8-1 win over SCH. The future of EA squash is looking bright with many freshmen making the varsity squad. “So many special memories were created on and off the count, and we’re extremely grateful for all the hard work that went into making this season happen,” said Coach Patterson. The Girls’ Squash captains Kristen Weil ’21 and Eliza Aldridge ’21 helped keep the players focused and motivated as the team practiced and played four matches. Kristen was named to the 2020 U.S. World Junior Championship Team. “The team worked hard together toward being stronger for the future,” explained Coach Demer Holleran. “We talked about the positives of being able to compete. Creating a strong work ethic and supporting our teammates will lead to a great team in future years.”
The Boys’ and Girls’ Track and Field teams did not have any official meets but maintained a rigorous training schedule, despite snow and cold temperatures, with an eye on the spring season. The squads ran time trials and competed in intra-squad races. “For those competing in spring track, this winter’s training will greatly benefit them,” explained Boys’ Varsity Coach Zach Richards. “We also relied heavily on our senior co-captains, Aiden Chavis and Michael Zhou. They kept the team motivated at practice and led the team through Zoom workouts during snow days. They were great leaders!” The Boys’ and Girls’ Swimming and Diving teams competed in a virtual leaderboard for Eastern Prep and Inter-Ac schools. On the boys’ team, Jack Christian ’21 was in the top five of every event and first in the 100 Backstroke. The 200 Free Relay (Jake Shaud ’22, Jack Christian ’21, Chris Lo ’21, and Mason Kline ’22) ranks first in the Inter-Ac and second on the Eastern Prep Leaderboard. “The team saw amazing drops in time and much improvement off the boards from our three divers,” shared Coach Brian Kline, Hon. “From the newest of swimmers to the most experienced, this team continues to leave its mark.” On the girls’ team, Kelly Feuzeu Mekoue ’22, Emma Lunn ’23, Riley Pujadas ’21, Madeline Ott ’22, Hannah Neilly ’24, and Lauren Stasse ’24 are ranked in the top five of each of their events. Diver Kat Harrar ’21 finished the season at the top of both the Eastern Prep and Inter-Ac, finishing her EA diving career coming within points of the pool and school six-dive record, and breaking the 11-dive EA Pool record. All three girls’ relays are ranked second on the Eastern Prep Championship Leaderboard. “The team stepped up to the challenge to make the abbreviated season work and attacked each meet with intensity,” said Coach Kline.
There were over 30 student-athletes on the girls’ team. “What a season!” said Girls’ Varsity Coach John Goens, Hon. “Divided into three distinct groups (short sprint, long sprint, distance) the girls bonded quickly. Running in 35-degree weather, snow, and 25 mile-per-hour wind is taxing, both physically and mentally.” Through their leadership, senior tri-captains Grace Barton, Molly Limaye, and Jill McEntee kept the team together. The Wrestling team competed in two league festivals with no team scores kept. Wrestlers did well in their 6-8 matches. “Our senior co-captains, Bo Aldridge and Derek Coleman, led by example and were incredibly positive and the entire squad embraced a ‘can do’ attitude,” said Coach Damon Kuzemka, Hon. “They all were excited to be on the mats and took personal responsibility for following the protocols that allowed us to train. The daily training sessions this winter were great, all the guys worked hard and everyone showed improvement and grit under very difficult circumstances.” Summer 2021
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FROM THE SIDELINES
Spring 2021
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A Full Spring Season Spring athletes and coaches were thrilled to get back on the fields, the track, and the river, especially following the cancellation of the 2020 spring season and abbreviated fall and winter seasons. Many adjustments still needed to be made, but EA’s athletic administrators and coaches were willing to do whatever it took to make sure student-athletes could participate in a full season.
This year’s well-rounded varsity Baseball team included players from each class, with several freshmen and sophomores in the starting lineup. The team was very selfmotivated and led by a strong senior class. “Everyone was hungry to learn, compete, and get back on the field,” said Coach Tom Grandieri. The team wrapped up a packed season with a 10-12 record. It was a record-setting season for Softball, as the team went undefeated in all of its 12 regular-season games. The team batting average was an astounding .376, with six players batting above .400. Pitcher Emma Tansky ’21 was named league MVP, and multiple team members were named to All-Inter-Ac teams. All members of this year’s girls’ Golf team had the opportunity to play in a varsity match this year, including three new players. The team dropped its first match to Notre Dame by just six strokes but rebounded quickly with six straight wins. The squad ended the season 2nd in the league. Lauren Jones ’21, Kathleen Mark ’21, and Gracie McLaughlin ‘22 qualified for the Inter-Ac Individual Tournament. Lauren took 1st place and was named Inter-Ac MVP, and Kathleen took 3rd place.
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The Girls’ Lacrosse team was thrilled to get back on the field. The highlight of the team’s 8-7 season was a buzzerbeater win at home over rival Notre Dame. Co-Captain Sarah Groark ’21 scored her 100th career goal, and Alexa Capozzoli ’22 surpassed 100 career points. “We were a young group this season, and we grew a lot together,” shared Coach Josie Tomaino. The Boys’ Lacrosse team logged a 9-4 record and powered their way over rival Haverford School twice. They maintained a Top 20 ranking for part of the season and reached the semifinal round of the Inter-Ac Tournament. “The boys worked hard individually and collectively this season,” reflected Coach Chris Bates. “We all understood the importance of gratitude around the opportunity to play each day together.”
The Boys’ Tennis team recorded its best season in seven years. At 9-1, the team earned the best record in the league. “I give a ton of credit to the boys. They really wanted to play and knew that if they made a decision outside of school that impacted the team, we wouldn’t be able to compete,” said Coach Whit Powell, Hon. “They bought into our Covid protocols and never complained. I was very impressed with their dedication and work ethic each and every day.”
It was a gold medal season for both the boys’ and girls’ Rowing teams. The Girls’ Varsity 4x earned 1st place in all of its races, winning the Philadelphia City Championships, the Stotesbury Cup Regatta, and the Scholastic Rowing Association of America Championships. The Boys’ Varsity 4+ placed 3rd in the Philadelphia City Championships and 1st in the Scholastic Rowing Association of America Championships. “The team was grateful to be on the water for the whole season,” said Coach Molly Konopka, Hon. “They were great with rowing with masks and filling out their health screening for 5:45 a.m. practice.”
In addition to the undefeated meet record, the Boys’ Track and Field team won the Delco Championships (Small Schools Division), the overall meet title, and the Inter-Ac Championship. “It has been 42 years since EA won a league championship, so we called ourselves Team42,” explained Coach Jim Farrell ‘82. “That served as motivation for us to train hard and win the championship. Next year, we’re Team0!” Neo Vossschulte ’22 broke the school record for the 200m (22.33), and sixteen athletes hit Top 10 marks for their grade. School records and personal bests were the highlights of this Girls’ Track and Field season. “This season was tough, both mentally and physically, and the team fought through all of it,” shared Coach John Goens, Hon. “The mix of supportive veterans and those new to the team provided opportunities for growth at a rapid rate.” The 4x100 relay was named to the All Inter-Ac Team. At the Delco Championship meet, the team scored in nine events and earned medals in six. Four runners were named to All-Delco teams, and EA ranked in the “DELCO SUPER 7” in seven events.
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FR O M TH E
Stage Studio
Recordings of these (and other) performances can be found online on the new Performing Arts Channel. Scan this QR code to watch. The Performing Arts Channel created a space for musical and theatrical productions at a time when in-person performance was not possible.
NEW ARTS CHANNEL POWERS STUDENT CREATIVITY For the very first time, EA students’ musical, dance, and theatrical productions can be accessed from anywhere with the new, web-based Performing Arts Channel. Launched in October 2020 and hosted on vimeo.com, the EA Performing Arts Channel was created from the need to provide students with a means of exploring the arts in a safe way during the COVID-19 pandemic. “The goal of the channel was two-fold,” explains Middle School Theatre Director Gina Tomkowich. “First, it was a great way for students to showcase any of their creative work during quarantine. Second, it was an inclusive way to celebrate art together at a time when it would not be safe for students to rehearse in-person or perform in front of packed audiences.” “The channel is also a great way for the students who are attending EA virtually this year to get involved with campus life,” adds Middle and Upper School Orchestra Director James Finegan. “They really thrived with that kind of performance.” The Performing Arts Channel features everything from full-scale theatrical productions to small ensemble musical performances to solo storytelling. Videos are shot on the stage or in Chapel; in bedrooms and in cars. Some are highly edited with special effects, while others are recorded on phones. The result is a colorful patchwork of student creativity that spans Lower, Middle, and Upper School. The channel also provides a unique opportunity for students to explore the work of other grades. “We don’t have many opportunities outside of ArtsFest to celebrate creativity across divisions,” says Ms. Tomkowich. “Accessing the Performing Arts Channel gives our students a chance to do just this during the school day. The 7th graders in my advisory love watching “Believer” by the 6th grade Basses ensemble.” Access the EA Performing Arts Channel by scanning the QR code above. 36
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At the beginning of the school year, dancers took advantage of the crisp fall weather by rehearsing outside.
FEATURED ON THE PERFORMING ARTS CHANNEL: WINTER DANCE CONCERT GOES VIRTUAL Like so many other performances this year, the annual Dance Concert was virtual. Thirty-six Upper School and 25 Middle School dancers, along with two student lighting designers, created a beautifully choreographed and edited production under the guidance of Cara Lavallee, Gina Tomkowich, Alison King, and Kelly Leight-Bertucci, Hon., as well as outside choreographer Meghann Weaver. Computer science teacher Matthew Davis helped capture stunning drone footage of outdoor performances. Check out the production on the Performing Arts Channel!
Head of Upper School Mike Letts, Hon. shows off his dancing skills in the virtual Dance Concert.
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FEATURED ON THE PERFORMING ARTS CHANNEL: THE DOMINO CLUB PRESENTS SHE KILLS MONSTERS: VIRTUAL REALMS She Kills Monsters, by Qui Nguyen, is a humorous tale about friendship, loss, and acceptance. “We were already considering a traditional version of this play when the author released an online version,” explained Theatre and Dance Department Chair Dan Clay, Hon. Sixteen cast members and seven members of the stage crew met on a rotating schedule after school to rehearse and work on the technical aspects of the show. Students then recorded their portion at home in front of a green screen, along with a microphone and ring lights provided by the theatre department. “We’d all meet up on Zoom and film the scenes. We also had to film some of the special effects here at school, but because there’s no big ensemble scenes, we were able to do so and stay socially distanced.” Actors experienced the major differences in acting for film versus acting onstage. “It requires less rehearsal, but more patience,” said Mr. Clay. “Actors got to try things over and over again, play with different choices, and receive feedback in real time.” Technicians learned about film composition and editing. Sydney Clemmer ‘23 and fellow stage manager Brooklynn Smith ‘23 kept track of the footage, cataloguing everything, and then selected the best takes for final editing of the piece. “Technicians also learned about film composition and editing,” said Mr. Clay. As with most productions, students faced some technical challenges, but persevered. “Creativity often happens when one is given limitations,” said Mr. Clay. “I think the biggest loss was the build-up to production week that usually happens and the live exchange that happens between audience and performers. Nothing can replace that. I am really proud of the students’ resilience and flexibility this year. They have stayed positive despite all that has changed,” said Sydney.
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Congratulations to the six members of the Upper School Band and Orchestra who have earned a position with the PMEA District 12 Band and/or Orchestra: Bobby Albani ‘22 (alto saxophone), Felix Zhu ‘22 (clarinet), Nick Cerone ‘22 (baritone saxophone), Ashley Kim ‘23 (flute), Jonathan Hong ‘22 (oboe), and Eric Cui ‘23 (violin). The Middle School Harlequin Club produced a virtual play this fall, Dear Community. For this performance, students chose to think deeply about what divides us, but also what has the power to bring us together.
PAINTING A FAMILIAR SPACE— AT HOME
The students each returned to the original scene to take a picture of their piece as part of the larger surroundings.
Students in Visual Arts Department Chair David Sigel, Hon.’s 2-D Honors IV & V classes captured familiar and meaningful spaces in small oil paintings as they resumed classes virtually in the new year. They each incorporated something symbolic to help illustrate why this place is meaningful to them. “The observational painting should look as if it was in the space by matching the lighting, palette, and scale,” said Mr. Sigel. “I painted the road where I run every day,” shared Mary Cipperman ’21. “I selected my grandmother’s house because the assignment was supposed to be a meaningful landscape that wasn’t our homes,” said Josephine Buccini ‘21. “I basically grew up there, so it’s very important to me.” Josephine Buccini ‘21
Mary Cipperman ’21
SHINING A LIGHT ON WILDLIFE PRESERVATION Members of the Middle School Art Club were thrilled to see the work of their teacher Emily Tucci featured in the Crawford Campus Center Gallery. The exhibit, titled In Memoriam : In Honorem, focused on wildlife conservation and animal rights in the Serengeti ecosystem. “I primarily focus on wildlife trafficking with elephants—poaching and hunting and the preservation of them,” explained Ms. Tucci. The exhibition was set up similar to an exhibit in a natural history museum. As the viewer sits with the display, they learn more about the history of wildlife trafficking and motivations behind poaching. The show encompassed various works in a variety of media and also included her sketchbooks, which her students found especially interesting. “I love how they set it up, a couple are hanging from the ceiling, a couple are on the walls, a couple are on podiums” observed 6th grader Muriel Fitz-Kaltenmeier. “I think some of the best ways to work with art are to expose yourself to everything, pick a few things that are your favorite, but never section yourself off so specifically in one medium, you close yourself off for other possibilities,” said Ms. Tucci. Scan this QR code to watch a video tour of the exhibit.
In Memoriam : In Honorem was selected by CCCG Coordinator Susan Coote after Ms. Tucci’s graduate thesis show at the Maryland Institute College of Arts was canceled last spring because of COVID restrictions. Summer 2021
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MASKED SCULPTORS & SCULPTURES Each year, 3-D Honors Design students create a clay bust self-portrait. Students use reference portraits and mirrors, but this year, masks needed to be worn in class, which didn’t allow for close inspection of hidden facial features. “I did struggle about whether or not to do the portrait this year since the students would not have the opportunity to learn about and sculpt the structure of the mouth,” shared Ms. Hutchison. Taj Cannon ’14, who served as an adjunct faculty member this year, was assisting with the class. “He convinced me that the students’ incorporation of the mask was an important way to document the student experience and express the particular time we were going through with the pandemic.” Ms. Hutchison and Mr. Cannon used this challenge as an opportunity to teach students about how Greek and Roman sculptors were able to create the illusion of “draping” their subjects in layers of diaphanous fabrics. “Learning about how to sculpt a believable layering of drapery and fabric of the mask over the structure of the jaw and mouth was an important lesson in clay modeling,” shared Ms. Hutchison, adding, “they came out great!”
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LIVE MUSIC FILLS THE CLASS OF 1944 CHAPEL The Upper and Middle School Orchestras were able to perform in-person concerts for the first time all year in May. Parents were welcomed into the Chapel for the first time this school year to watch the performances, which were also live-streamed and are available to watch on the performing arts channel.
A SUN-LIT STAGE With the help of a newly-erected outdoor stage, EA’s performing artists were able to host various productions throughout the spring. This year’s ArtsFest took place on May 13 and featured outdoor performances throughout the beautiful spring day. Students flocked to the Clark Campus Green to support and applaud individual student performances, improv, concert choir, vocal ensemble, drumline, and the 6th grade chorus, among other acts. Later that month, a limited audience was invited to attend the Harlequin Club’s production of “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” and the Domino Club’s production of “Godspell”. The narthex of the Chapel served as backstage, and the dedicated tech crew re-built a satellite control room in the center of the Green every day for rehearsals and performances.
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Please join us in congratulating the 2021 Alumni Award Winners. Presented by the Alumni Society, these annual awards celebrate our alumni’s many achievements while at EA and beyond. DISTINGUISHED ALUMNUS
Mark Hoplamazian ’81 Mark Hoplamazian ‘81 is the current President and CEO of Hyatt Hotels Corp. In this role, he oversees more than 925 properties and 120,000 employees in more than 60 countries. Mark graduated from Harvard University in 1985, where he studied economics. He became a Wall Street analyst before earning a Master’s of Business Administration at The University of Chicago in 1989. He then began working under Jay Pritzker for the Pritzker Organization in Chicago. In 2005, he was selected to be its president, and to manage its merchant banking and investment activities as the principal financial and investment advisor to various Pritzker familyowned companies. One of these companies was Hyatt, which was founded by Jay Pritzker in 1957. Following the Great Recession in 2008 and 2009, Mark and the Hyatt team led the largest expansion in Hyatt’s history, doubling the number of hotels in the portfolio, achieving higher growth for Hyatt’s core brands, and expanding to 10 new brands over the past 13 years. Mark attributes his work ethic to his upbringing in suburban Philadelphia. Mark was the youngest of five children and his father, Harry, was a landscape architect and contractor. When Mark was 13, his father died from his fourth heart attack at the age of 53. “As a 13 year old, you don’t really have great context for financial security. Even though my mom would say everything is fine and I shouldn’t worry about the future, I always had financial security on my mind.” Mark attended Episcopal for Upper School, where he was involved with soccer, squash, football, chess, glee club, Student Council, Scholium (served as co-editor as a senior), Tabula, Vestry (served as senior warden), Math Club (served as co-president as a senior), and Hospitality (served as chair as a senior—a presage of his future at Hyatt). His rare relaxation activities include adventure travel and family immersion getaways, such as safaris in Africa, biking in France, hiking in Central America, and fishing in Idaho. “Nothing compares with the times when I can totally unplug and fully connect with my family while we’re exploring new things together, fully immersed and totally engaged in the moment,” he said.
SERVICE TO EA
Charles W. Ogelsby, Jr. ’63 After attending Episcopal, Charlie Ogelsby ‘63 received both a Bachelor of Science and a Master’s of Business Administration from Temple University. He began the financial portion of his career at Price Waterhouse in Philadelphia, followed by various controller and chief financial officer positions with a variety of companies in the greater Philadelphia area. He says the most fun he’s had in his career has been with his involvement with two family businesses. First, he enjoys working with his wife, Carol, and daughter, Ali, in residential real estate sales as part of The Ogelsby Group. He also enjoys working with his son, Matt, to bring lacrosse programs to the greater San Francisco area. As a senior at Episcopal, Charlie was president of the Student Fund, as well as the Spirit Committee. As stated in the 1963 Tabula, “In these two areas he displayed a desire to raise the extra-curricular life of the Academy.” He also lettered in football and track. For decades, Charlie has been a class agent and a loyal contributor to Episcopal. He was a key member on his class’ 25th & 50th Reunion Committee. In 1999, he was elected to the Alumni Board of Managers, serving for eight years before being elected to president, and thereby becoming a member of the EA Board of Trustees from 2005-07. Charlie has also been an active member of the EA Athletic Hall of Fame Committee since its inception in 2000.
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However, Charlie’s most memorable and enduring contribution to EA has been in his role as master of ceremonies for the Alumni Awards programs since 2005. Charlie was actually the impetus behind combining the originally separate events and awarding Episcopal’s traditional awards at the same ceremony as the Athletics Hall of Fame inductions. As emcee for each of the Alumni Awards programs (11 in total since 2005), he has communicated and coordinated with individual awardees and team representatives in order to prepare biographies and remarks. As emcee, Charlie maintained an air of celebration and honor for each awardee.
COMMUNITY SERVICE
ACHIEVEMENT IN THE ARTS
YOUNG ALUMNI AWARD
Won Shin ’85
David Bradley ’84
Won Shin ‘85 has been a dedicated servant in his community since his time at Episcopal. He lives by two principles grounded by a single purpose: First, the principle that education drives professional growth and independence; Second, that community responsibility is just as important as professional achievement. Both principles are grounded in Won’s personal statement of purpose in life, to be an example of what is achievable.
After graduating from Episcopal and Yale University, David Bradley ‘84 has enjoyed a 30-plus year career in the arts and is one of the Philadelphia area’s most in-demand, prolific, and highly respected theatrical directors. He specializes in boundary-crossing artistic collaborations which explore civic and community themes.
Medha Khandelwahl Agarwal ’06
After graduating from Episcopal, Won attended Texas Christian University and graduated from University of Texas at Arlington before getting his law degree at Southern Methodist University. As assistant deputy mayor, he served as Mayor Ed Rendell’s executive director of the Mayor’s Commission on People with Disabilities. Won went on to practice as a trial attorney representing people with disabilities. Currently, he is a managing director in international tax and transaction services at Ernst and Young in Philadelphia. He served on the Ernst and Young national steering committee for AccessAbilities, a professional resource network within the firm. Recently, Won was instrumental in the donation of a hand cycle to the Pennsylvania Center for Adaptive Sports from the Ernst and Young Philadelphia office. Won recently completed a nine-year term on the Board of Directors of the Inglis Foundation, was a member of the Board of School Directors for the Marple Newtown School District, is a peer mentor at Magee Rehabilitation Hospital, where he talks with newlyinjured patients and their families, and served on the Board of Directors of Arthur Ashe Youth Tennis & Education. In 2015 he was awarded the Magee Champion in the Community Award.
David has directed more than 30 productions at People’s Light Theatre in Malvern. He has collaborated often with Temple University’s Institute on Disabilities, including directing A Fierce Kind of Love, a play telling the story of the intellectual disabilities rights movement in Pennsylvania, which has had multiple sold-out runs. He is also an Artistic Director of Living News at the National Constitution Center, where he directed Fighting for Democracy. In 2008, David cofounded LiveConnections, which specialized in music education and socially-engaged music. In 2019, it merged with World Café Live, where David continued to produce education and community programs. He’s a contributor to The Philadelphia Citizen and his commentary has been published in The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Philadelphia Daily News, and the Philadelphia Business Journal. David also teaches Arts Leadership at Arcadia University. In 2020, David was honored with a 2020 Leadership Award from the Arts & Business Council of Greater Philadelphia and a Brighter Futures award from the City of Philadelphia’s Intellectual Disabilities Services for his work in accessibility and the arts. He and his wife Margaret Berger Bradley live in Northwest Philadelphia and are parents to sons Jacob and Noah.
Medha Agarwal ’06 entered Episcopal in 1995. While at Episcopal, she was involved in the Spanish Honors Society, Outward Bound, Student Council, Scholium, Mock Trial, and The Domino Club. Medha studied abroad in Delhi, was recognized as a National Merit Scholar, and named to The Cum Laude Society. She also lettered in water polo, swimming, and rowing. After Episcopal, Medha went on to attend Harvard University, graduating with high honors in social studies in 2010, and was a member of the varsity lightweight crew team. She wrote her thesis on social identity, focusing on second generation Muslim youth in America post 9/11. Medha also earned her Master’s in Business Administration at The Harvard Business School. After business school, Medha worked at Thumbtack, skedge.me, and Bain & Company. She also co-founded Roomidex, a website to help people find roommates within their networks. She currently invests in early stage startups at Redpoint Ventures across consumer, fintech, healthcare, and other technology businesses. Her investments include Tend and Smile Direct Club. Medha was featured in Connections magazine in 2013 as part of EA’s “20 Under 30” for her work in co-founding Roomidex, and in the fall 2019 in “Facets of Future Leaders.” Outside of work, she was a founding board member and advisor to Project HEAL, a nonprofit that funds treatment for those with eating disorders and promotes healthy body image. She currently lives in San Francisco, California with her husband and daughter. Summer 2021
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Engage Episcopal: Alumni share their experiences through new virtual alumni speaker series By: Jessica More In November, the Office of Alumni Engagement launched its new virtual alumni speaker series, Engage Episcopal, with the goal of bringing alumni voices and stories to your home. Featured alumni shared the experiences that defined them in each of the four conversations. You can read speaker bios and watch a recording of each event at episcopalacademy.org/engage.
Alumni Business Leaders Discuss Entrepreneurship in 2020 On Nov. 19, Caroline Waxler Levitt ‘89 moderated a conversation with EA alumni business leaders: Courtney Banks Spaeth ‘92, CEO and founder at growth[period]; Geoff Walker ‘92, senior managing director at Ankura; and Rob Wright ‘95, founder and CEO at World Back at Work. The three panelists agreed that nothing can really prepare you for being a CEO, especially during a global pandemic, but they all learned quite a bit about leadership this past year. Courtney, Geoff, and Rob shared the importance of encouraging a cohesive work culture, promoting career development, trusting your employees, keeping them informed, and letting them know they are valued. The panelists were each pleasantly surprised with how productive they and their employees have been from home, but also underscored the importance of nurturing interpersonal relationships in the work environment. Maintaining relationships with employees has been a priority for each of these alumni CEOs. With increased productivity, our panelists encouraged setting boundaries as we all work from home. “Your day used to be divided for you,” said Rob. “And now, it seems like the world doesn’t have any divisions anymore. I’m excited that my employees are happy to jump on a call on Saturday at four. But at some point, from a mental health perspective, I think that’s going to bubble over.” Each panelist shared how EA made them who they are today. Geoff shared that the EA network helped him through many professional transitions in his life. Courtney said that EA gave her enormous selfconfidence and a strong moral compass. Rob said EA was the main influence in what made him who he is today, a well-rounded person.
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Courtney Banks Spaeth ‘92
Geoff Walker ‘92
Rob Wright ‘95
Jay Branegan ‘68
Lara Seligman ‘07
Art Carey ‘68
Erin McCarthy ‘13
Alumni Journalists Discuss A Changing Media Culture On Dec. 2, English Department Chair, Anne Barr, Hon., moderated a conversation of four EA alumni journalists: Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists Jay Branegan ‘68 and Art Carey ‘68, POLITICO reporter Lara Seligman ‘07, and Philadelphia Inquirer reporter Erin McCarthy ‘13. The four panelists spoke in-depth about their careers and the changes in their field over the last few decades. Owing to the mix of two seasoned former journalists from the class of 1968 and two young reporters on the panel, participants were able to enjoy a fascinating conversation. The group discussed the nature of journalism, the economics of news, the impact of social media on the profession, the difficulties of remaining balanced, and what skills young EA alumni might need to make it in the field. Journalists have more demands today than in years past. “I understand that not only do you have to write the story, but you have to write the headline, you have to choose photographs and write captions, you have to write a summary for online posts,” Art said. “You always have to add value, give some additional exclusive or new piece of information,” Lara explained. Journalism has evolved into a different profession, she continued. At POLITICO, she aims to keep her articles brief, and “if it can be a tweet, just tweet it,” she said. Erin and Lara advised would-be-journalists to get some practice with social media, which has caused some of these tectonic shifts in the field. “Everyone knows who the number-one writer is on the site at any given time,” said Erin. With economy-metrics and story-success being measured by clicks and read time, your following on Twitter has a huge impact on your success. Art and Jay were instrumental in helping young prospective-journalists enter the field, and have been celebrated writers, working in what they called the ‘golden age of journalism.’ Still, the shifts feel monumental to them. “Art and I are going to go out and feed our brontosauruses now,” chuckled Jay, reflecting on how much has changed since his days as a journalist. To read more about Art’s reflections on the changes in the journalism profession, for better and sometimes for worse, turn to page XX in Class Notes.
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Gordon Cooney ‘77 Vince Vento ‘21
Episcopal Academy Lawyers Network Hosts a Conversation on Wrongful Convictions On Dec. 9, The Episcopal Academy Lawyers Network (EALN) hosted a conversation between an alumnus and a current EA student, centered around wrongful convictions. The two speakers were welcomed by Pat Devine ‘05 who, along with Gordon Cooney ‘77 and Zac Arbitman ‘05, founded the EALN in 2018. Gordon Cooney ‘77, a partner at Morgan, Lewis, & Bockius, spent 25 years working on pro bono cases, representing John Thompson, who was wrongfully convicted of murder in 1985. Gordon’s work aligns with the research of 2020 Lilley Fellow Vince Vento ‘21, who focused his intense research on exonerations in the United States. The men that Gordon and Vince got to know through their work each waited decades, waging long legal battles, to prove their innocence. Vince was connected with exonerees through the Pennsylvania Innocence Project and was able to conduct bi-weekly interviews and view their trial transcripts. Their stories made a deep impression on him. Vince was surprised at how little animosity the men held toward the judicial system. “They try to forgive and move on and positively impact the innocence movement rather than harboring negativity and having hatred which, I would argue, they reserve the right to do, but it’s really inspiring to see them do the opposite.” Gordon was deeply impacted by his experience as well. “I got to know John, and I also saw the impact of his wrongful incarceration and his looming execution on his mother, his grandmother, his kids.” For 11 years, Gordon and his team litigated the case. John was finally released decades after his conviction, after a Brady violation (exculpatory evidence that was withheld from the defense) was discovered. Through speaking with the exonerees, Vince was able to tell their stories in parallel to point out unique nuances while simultaneously painting one broad picture on the life of an exoneree in his final fellowship research paper. He presented his research to the Upper School this fall and his capstone research paper has been entered into the EA archives.
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Three of EA’s First Alumni of Color Discuss Their Experiences On Jan. 13, Dr. Mikal Anderson ’99, co-chair of EA’s Alumni of Color Advisory Council, welcomed members of the EA community to an important discussion with three of EA’s first graduates of color. Greville Haslam Head of School Dr. T.J. Locke moderated the conversation between Craig Renfrow ‘73, Michael Miller ‘76, and Renato Minard ‘79. The three men spoke about what it was like being one of a small number of Black students at EA. Being involved with athletics, the Vestry, and school work helped some the first Black students feel connected with their classmates, even among those who had known each other for decades. “The day was so filled, by the time I got home all I could do was go to sleep and get ready to come up the next day. It was something I looked forward to. When I look back now, I cherish it, I cherish the friendships,” Michael said. “And the Vestry was also part of what shaped a moral compass. I’m trusting that it is still helping to shape a moral compass for the students today,” he said.
Renato Minard ‘76
Craig Renfrow ‘73
Michael Miller ‘76
Many EA alumni of color, didn’t have the same positive experiences. Those forces, Renato agreed, have always been there. Several faculty members helped ease the transition for these men when they were young and remained invested in them after their graduation. Former EA french teacher Lynne Hill often drove Renato to school and had a huge impact on him. Craig was grateful to school administrators, who made sure to come to his mother’s funeral in 1998, along with many former classmates. Craig looked ahead, with hope, to 2022 when we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Black graduates at EA. Upon that occasion, he said, he wants to be able to “look at each other and say, we’ve made some progress in the last few years. We have a long way to go…but, we are here to support you and get this figured out.” If you are interested in getting involved with the Alumni of Color Advisory Council or learning more about our alumni of color engagement efforts, please email alumni@episcopalacademy.org.
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Leslie Ferraro P ‘20 ‘23 Nancy Brown ‘91
Caroline Waxler Levitt ‘89
Kimmy Gardner Reinking ‘00 Silicia “Lo-Lo” Lomax ‘14
Women of EA Goes Virtual in Third Year On May 19, members of the Episcopal community gathered virtually for the third Women of EA event. The evening’s speakers were Nancy Brown ‘91, senior counsel for the Office of Counsel to the Inspector General for Health and Human Services, Leslie Ferraro P ‘20 ‘23, president, QVC US and HSN, Kimmy Gardner Reinking ‘00 vice president of Human Resources at World Wrestling Entertainment, and Silicia “Lo-Lo” Lomax ‘14, health policy associate for Waxman Strategies and contact tracer with the CDC Foundation. The timely topic this year was Networking in the New Normal, and the dynamic discussion centered on how women can continue growing in their careers through times of uncertainty. Director of Institutional Advancement Jen Fifer P ‘31 ‘33 introduced the moderator, Caroline Waxler Levitt ‘89, who is the editorial director at Harkness Hall Consulting, saying, “With events like these, we continue to build relationships that help us grow and support each other’s personal and professional goals, providing continuing education that would not be possible without our shared community. I hope you will reach out to a friend or a fellow alum after the event to share even one nugget of information that sparked an ‘aha’ moment for you, tonight.” Caroline began by emphasizing how the pandemic has fundamentally changed the role of women, “many of whom have left the workforce due to job loss or family obligations.” She shared that 1.5 million fewer mothers of school-aged children were working in March of 2021 than in February of 2020. Concerns have escalated over the untenable mental load on moms, the lack of support for working women from management, and the ever-decreasing work-life balance.
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RETURNING TO THE OFFICE “The move to work-from-home resulted in both positive changes and some challenges,” said Leslie. Her goal for her teams is to get the best of both worlds by being thoughtful and intentional about the move back to the office. One of her guiding principles moving forward is to offer flexibility whenever and wherever possible, which should be a benefit to all employees—especially female. Nancy thinks this can be an opportunity for working women to assert themselves in expressing their needs. “There is strong evidence that we are doing great work even though we are not putting in face-time in the office,” she said, adding that the ‘facetime’ factor may be a bigger concern for women starting out in their careers. Lo-Lo agreed that productivity levels have proven to be as high—or even higher—than they were before the pandemic. She added that our communication style may change for good (and for the better), with technology enabling people to attend events and meetings without having to fly across the country.
THE JOB SEARCH Remote work has also changed the landscape of recruiting, hiring, and talent management. The panel discussed how women can make the most of new opportunities that will be available with higher salaries at greater distances. If you have been away from work during the pandemic, the panelists recommended working on Zoom skills. “We are finding out that there’s a whole array of soft skills that you really need even more of in a virtual space,” said Nancy, “You can’t rely on being in a physical room with people anymore.” Lo-Lo described the differences she experienced interviewing over Zoom (she clocked more than 100 hours of interviews during her job search this past summer). Kimmy agreed that in this pandemic, the interview process has elongated. She recommended having patience through your search. There is also an opportunity after a break from work to refocus and make sure your next job is the right fit. Kimmy shared that this is a great time for women to find a job that they are passionate about, set the boundaries early in the process, and find a culture that fits their lifestyle.
NETWORKING If you are looking for your next job, Lo-Lo recommended making the most of platforms like LinkedIn and Alumnifire, and reaching out to people in your network. She shared, “You can still have a coffee chat over Zoom.” Nancy agreed and recommended expanding your definition of what a mentor might look like. Connections and mentors do not just need to be with people older than yourself, or even be in your field, she added. “Lo-Lo graduated from Episcopal many years after me but that’s not going to prevent me from having a 15-minute coffee break and learning from her,” she said. “You can network with practically anyone,” Lo-Lo agreed. “Don’t limit your connections,” added Kimmy. If someone reaches out to you on LinkedIn, “always be open to it, because you never know where those connections are going to lead,” she concluded. We hope you will be inspired to do just that and expand your professional network through the EA community. Please reach out to Leigh Stewart, Director of Alumni Engagement, at lstewart@episcopalacademy.org, to get more involved.
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Class Notes 1930s 1939 CLASS AGENT: Heyward Wharton
1940s 1940 CLASS AGENT NEEDED
1941 CLASS AGENT NEEDED
1942 CLASS AGENT NEEDED
1943 CLASS AGENT NEEDED
1944 CLASS AGENT NEEDED
1945 CLASS AGENT NEEDED
1946 CLASS AGENT NEEDED
1947 CLASS AGENT NEEDED 50
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S END US YOUR NEWS We love to hear from you! Submit your latest milestones, news, and updates to be included in a future issue of Connections. Visit www.episcopalacademy.org/classnotes.
1948 CLASS AGENT: Richard Schneider
1949 CLASS AGENT NEEDED
1950s 1950 CLASS AGENT: John Rettew
1951 CLASS AGENT NEEDED
1952 CLASS AGENT: Jim Siegel
1953 CLASS AGENT: Don Pillsbury Thank you to Don Pillsbury for compiling all of the updates for the Class of 1953. Craig Moleski reports that he is doing great in independent senior housing in Minnesota with his wife, Carol. He had a couple of heart attacks a while back, but they fixed him up with a bunch of stents and now he is doing fine. He was back in Philadelphia for his brother’s, Walter Moleski ’54, funeral and drove by the old campus. “Brought back many great memories.” Amen, brother.
Kirk Hall was scheduled to go to France last summer to support his oldest son, Cameron, who runs very long races – this one around Mont Blanc! He and Gisela had rented a chalet for 15 family members coming from New York City, London, Germany, Austria, and Latvia – truly an international family. But then COVID-19 intervened. They are going to try this year. He commented on my quixotic quest to become a ham radio operator. He had used it extensively when he was cruising on Serenade, particularly to get weather reports. He continues to manfully battle Parkinson’s disease and is keeping it at bay. Other than that, he is well. Lynne Graburn had a fall while jogging that partially tore his Achilles’ tendon. It is healing, albeit slowly, and he is continuing to get around as it heals. He has declined to act like he has a problem walking. Anyhow, with COVID-19, there aren’t many places to go. Keep slugging. Bruce Watson is in good shape. He has kept his macular degeneration at bay with medication so he just suffers the slightly annoying aches that all of us old goats experience. Pretty good! His second daughter was married in June 2020 and is planning to build a family. He currently has three grandchildren. Dick Behr had bypass surgery last December (heart conditions seem to be catching in ’53) and is doing well. The only remaining issue is gaining weight back. Eat hearty, Dick! Recently, they sold their beloved condo in Cape May after 25 years. They are sad, but on the plus side, they got their asking price and it sold in just two days.
Which brings us to me, Don Pillsbury. I had a triple bypass in August, 2019. The surgery went well but there were complications following. Now, however, I am out of the woods/ over the hump and am doing well. Through my cardiac rehab, the endurance has returned, and we are working on regaining strength. On the ham radio front, I got my technical and general license early in 2020. There is a lot more to it than buying a radio and plugging it in. So I was looking for help in setting up a station. Then COVID-19 arrived. Full stop. We’ll see what happens. Chuck Evans was last seen navigating from Mendocino to Sonora.
1954 CLASS AGENT: M. Curtis Young
1955 CLASS AGENT NEEDED Roger Colley published his third novel in the Truthful Myth trilogy. Sopris is a story about seeking ways to resolve man’s unending conflict without resorting to violent behavior.
1956 CLASS AGENT: William Rapp
ENGAGE EPISCOPAL: SECOND THOUGHTS AND FURTHER THOUGHTS
Send us your news! Visit episcopalacademy.org/classnotes.
Harry Weaver died this past fall in Salem, Virginia. He was happily married to Eleanor Jo. He is survived by six children and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He was an avid golf player and owned a thriving chemical manufacturing business.
Class Notes
This brings us to some more sad news. Kurt Smith died last summer in Naples, Florida. He was happily married to Penny. He was a committed Christian. He owned several businesses in the hospitality industry. I remember going to the hotel that his father managed on a Friday evening to hear Jean Shepherd’s In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash, A Christmas Story late night broadcasting on KYW.
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Art Carey ’68, joined a panel of EA alumni journalists this past December as part of our virtual Engage Episcopal series. You can read more about the four-part series on page 45. Art was grateful to participate in the elucidating conversation, and shared his additional thoughts with alumni in an essay after the event. Below is an excerpt of his essay. “At a time when truth is under attack, and members of the media have been called ‘the enemy of the people’ and accused of spreading ‘fake news,’ it’s more important than ever that the institutions of a free press are viable and strong and that they enjoy the trust and support of the citizenry. By seeding the profession with alumni steeped in the values embodied by the Stripes on the school jersey–most notably, Honesty–Episcopal is helping, in the words of Saint Paul, ‘fight the good fight.’ Because the webinar was limited to an hour and it was important that everyone have ample time to talk, I was determined to keep my remarks short and succinct. Afterward, I realized I answered some questions incompletely. I also had some second thoughts and further reflections, which I’d like to share, partly because they illustrate just how much the business has changed and the demands and pressures faced by young journalists like Lara Seligman ’07 and Erin McCarthy ’13.”
How Episcopal Promoted Writing
“When Ms. Barr asked what propelled me into journalism, I cited the 500-word compositions we were required to write for English class, and shared New Yorker writer John McPhee’s advice that ‘writing teaches writing’ and “the important thing for young writers is volume.” In my EA days, I dreaded those weekly assignments because writing was such an agony (mainly because writing is thinking made visible, and thinking is difficult), but the practice and discipline paid off. Master teachers like Bob Lee, John Muir, Kennith Balsley, and William White imbued us with a respect for language and so developed our skill in deploying the written word that we were way ahead of most of our peers when we entered college. What was remarkable about Episcopal—and what I should have pointed out during the webinar—is that nearly all our teachers were writing instructors and advocates of language arts, whether the subject was history, science, or sacred studies. Throughout the curriculum, there was an insistence on verbal expression of the highest caliber.” Art also shared his thoughts on the topics of celebrity journalists, how to make creative work fun, and the demise of pretty writing and public thinking.” You can read his essay online in its entirety at episcopalacademy.org/engage. Summer 2021
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1957
1961
CLASS AGENTS: John Clendenning & Howard Morgan
CLASS AGENT: Cappy Markle
1958
1962
CLASS AGENT: Robert Bishop
CLASS AGENTS: F. Laird Evans, James Fulton & Robert Stavers
1959
1963
CLASS AGENT: Rowland Watson
CLASS AGENT: Andrew Jackson
1960s 1960 Craig Robert reports that he joined Libby and Jeff Kuch for an outdoor supper at their beautiful lakefront home on Lake Hickory.
CLASS AGENT: Maurice Heckscher After a distinguished law career, Aaron Finkbiner has become a distinguished painter! Go to YouTube, search his name, and you will enjoy a short video featuring some of his work. George David’s racing yacht has been in mothballs due to the pandemic. He and his family are not living much in New York City but rather spending time in Rhode Island and Scotland. Pinhead headed to Florida after Christmas and he had to pass last year on his Eagles season tickets, which he’s owned for more than 50 years! Maurice Heckscher moved to his vacation home in southern Delaware in March, 2020. Much more room to socially distance than in a small King of Prussia townhome! He is expecting his 14th grandchild this summer! King Smith reports that after retiring from announcing air shows and overcoming two serious illnesses, he has rekindled his love of trains. Two spectacular railroad trips to the Grand Canyon and a cross-country excursion from Los Angeles to Boston have highlighted his travel itinerary.
1967 CLASS AGENT: Christy Bell
1968 CLASS AGENT: Robert Mayock Jim Rooks is the author of a legal treatise, Recovery for Wrongful Death, and published a new, revised, and expanded edition in May 2020. The three-volume work covers all aspects of wrongful death litigation across the U.S. It’s been cited in over 300 U.S. court decisions since its inception in 1965, including five from the U.S. Supreme Court.
1964 CLASS AGENT: Thomas Zug
1965 CLASS AGENT: Bruce Brown
1966 CLASS AGENT: Stephen Dittman
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1969 CLASS AGENT: Charles Hitschler
1970s 1970 CLASS AGENT: Ronald Rothrock
1971 CLASS AGENT: Anthony Brown
1972 CLASS AGENTS: Edward Kilbourn & John Senior
1974 CLASS AGENT: John Spofford
1975 CLASS AGENT: James Cooke
1976 CLASS AGENT: Robert McMenamin Steven Yermish reports that he is still doing God’s work defending the indigent at the Public Defender’s Office in Miami. But after 15 years of working exclusively on death penalty cases, including two years as chief of the unit, he has now moved on to a special repeat offender courtroom. He continues to work with Scouting, on a troop, district, and Council level, including as a district chairperson. Steven’s son, Paul, attends Tulane University, in a double degree program. He is working on his Bachelor of Science in Finance as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Latin American Studies and is doing very well. Steven’s wife, Ann, has embarked on a new career as a therapist, having earned her Master of Social Work. After spending two years in a substance abuse rehabilitation program, she is now working in a private practice with a broad range of clients. Steven has not been back to campus since the Athletic Hall of Fame induction, but hopes to be there soon, COVID-permitting.
shared this festive photo from the holidays with kids Morgan Rees ‘21 and Billy Bagnell ‘06. Ho ho ho!
1980 CLASS AGENT NEEDED
1981 CLASS AGENT: Benjamin Thompson
1982 CLASS AGENTS: James Farrell & H. Brooke McMullin
“I wear my Eagles hat pretty much everywhere!” The pandemic has kept Frank Langfitt and his wife, Julia, in the United Kingdom since March 2020, but they took that time to travel to Scotland and got to know England better. Katherine, their daughter, is working at their local pub, while studying online at Lafayette College. Their son, Chris, is a rising highschool senior.
1983 CLASS AGENT: James Hole
1984 Bill Bagnell shared a photo of Billy Bagnell ’06 and Morgan Rees ’21 at his home in Charleston, South Carolina.
CLASS AGENT: William Keffer & Karl Mayro
1985 CLASS AGENT: John Susanin
1986 CLASS AGENTS: Nicholas Christos & Timothy Jannetta
1977 CLASS AGENT: James Alton
1987
1978
CLASS AGENT: Edward Jones
CLASS AGENT: James Borum
1988
1979 CLASS AGENT: Edward Lee & A. Christopher
Class Notes
CLASS AGENTS: Rex Gary & Gerald Holleran
1980s
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1973
Bill Bagnell (pictured as Santa) also
CLASS AGENTS: Mary Beth Bongiovanni & Kimberly Zinman Richter Summer 2021
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Medical Center in Red Bank, New Jersey. Big brothers Michael and James welcomed their new brothers with open arms. The Hadgis family resides in Rumson, New Jersey.
Carolyn Shaud, Mindy Menkowitz Scheier, Kim Tinari, Stacia Burk Halfpenny, and Kristen Cirelli Stowe went to visit Erin O’Brien Dugery at her and David’s new home in the Vail Valley of Colorado to celebrate her 50th birthday!
1990s 1990 CLASS AGENT: David Freemann
1991 CLASS AGENT: Holly Sando Rieck
1992
Alexandra Golaski Golaszewska married John B. Kelly on August 28, 2020. They had a tiny COVID wedding in Philadelphia.
1989 CLASS AGENT: Rebekah White Kreutz In April 2020, Matthew Asbell moved his legal practice from the intellectual property boutique law firm of Ladas & Parry in New York, where he was a partner, to the intellectual property practice group of Offit Kurman in New York, where he is a principal. 54
Connections
Pictured: Joyce, Blake, and Jennifer Sando. Blake Sando was honored by Ronald McDonald Charities as one of their Twelve Good Men for his volunteerism and contributions to philanthropy, civic engagement, and community service in South Florida. Blake and his wife, Jennifer, have lived in Miami for the past 16 years with their three children; Lizzie, Blakey, and Teddy.
CLASS AGENTS: William Dougherty & Charles French
1996
1993
CLASS AGENT: Michael McKeon
CLASS AGENT NEEDED
1997
1994
CLASS AGENT: Julie Manser
CLASS AGENT: Anna Morgan Cassidy
1995 CLASS AGENTS: Brooke Doherty Horgan & Catherine Kurz Demetrios S. Hadgis and his wife, Nancy, are thrilled to announce the birth of their identical twin boys, William and Nicholas. The boys were born on Nov. 18, 2020 at Riverview
As chief development officer for the Tulsa Housing Authority, Erik Solivan leads the investment of over $300 million in housing redevelopment and preservation of affordability in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
& Peter Tedesco
CLASS AGENT: Kathleen Harmer Leubecker
firm-wide to hold the title. In May 2020, Adam was named one of the most talented up-and-coming leaders in the Greater Philadelphia area by the Philadelphia Business Journal in their 30th Anniversary 40-Under-40 list.
Class Notes
1998
2003 CLASS AGENTS: Julia Crawford & Ann Imbesi Ware
Ruth Kelley and her son, Emery, enjoy living in Society Hill, Philadelphia. Ruth works as a private tutor for grades K-12. Emery reps EA in style!
Nick Brown announced the birth of his son, Max Pennock Brown, on Sept. 26, 2020.
2005 CLASS AGENT: Nicholas Morris Joe Rosati and his wife, Katie, welcomed their son, Joseph Anthony, on Feb. 18, 2020.
CLASS AGENT NEEDED
2000s
CLASS AGENTS: John Meyers & Kimberly Gardner Reinking Katherine Frank Schock and her husband, Ryan, welcomed their second child, Kyler, on July 20, 2020. Chéo Scott announced the birth of his daughter, Nova, in May 2020.
2001 CLASS AGENTS: Sarah Baker, Evan Coughenour
2004 CLASS AGENTS: Nick Brown, Renata Certo-Ware & Michael Ciccotti
1999
2000
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Last July, John Dougherty was named Partner within PwC’s deals practice in Philadelphia. He continues to reside in Bryn Mawr with his wife, Sarah, and two children, Meredith and Ryan, after moving back from New York City four years ago. The family adjusted well to working from home. As Meredith completed her Kindergarten year at Radnor Elementary, Ryan continued to pursue his passion for all things fire trucks, and Sarah developed new skills as a home teacher and summer camp director.
Christiana Frieman Voelker and her husband, Brad Voelker, welcomed a daughter, Eiseli King, on June 17. Big brother, Brandt Wyatt, is thrilled with his new baby sister. Christi is a software product manager at DXC Technology and currently lives in Michigan with her family.
Christmas 2019 Liz Palmer O’Dore is enjoying life in Seattle, Washington with her husband, Andy, and their daughter, Margaret. She shared, “Hoping to come home to Philly for a visit soon!”
2002 CLASS AGENTS: Kevin Dugan & Timothy Mahoney January 2020, Adam Murray was promoted to senior vice president, Wealth Management at Morgan Stanley. He is one of the youngest
Nick Morris announced the birth of his son, Hudson Wells Morris, on April 4, 2020. Brian FitzPatrick and his wife, Victoria, welcomed Xavier Blaise Fitzpatrick on July 31, 2020. On April 8, 2020 Zac Arbitman announced the birth of his daughter, Maxine Arbitman. Madeline Lurio and her husband, Tyler McIntyre, welcomed their son, Thomas Sidney McIntyre, on Nov. 19, 2019.
2006 CLASS AGENTS: Armena Ballard & Kelsey Reinhard Cox Summer 2021
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Kaitlin, welcomed their first child into the world. Georgia Elizabeth Lunkenheimer was born on Aug. 13, 2020. While COVID regulations made socializing more difficult, she made a bunch of new best friends including her parents, her dog, and a few stuffed animals.
2010s Keith Lunkenheimer announced the arrival of his son, Kipling Brennan, born Feb. 19, 2020. On March 2020, Max Kelly and his wife, Claire, welcomed their daughter, Olivia Frances Kelly. Denise Kossuth Kelly welcomed her son, Patrick Ryan Kelly, to this world on Feb. 15, 2020. Andrew and Kelsey Reinhard Cox had a baby boy, Laird Theodore Cox, on May 27, 2020.
2010 CLASS AGENTS: Stephanie Bernabei, Lauren Berry Maloney & Kirsten Petrocelli
2007 CLASS AGENTS: Shane Isdaner, Megan McFarland Krouse & Annie Spofford Ripley Ben Lurio and his wife, Kara, welcomed Andrew Joseph on March 25, 2020.
2008 CLASS AGENTS: Heather Hayes & Brian Young
2009 CLASS AGENT: Erin Flynn
A glimpse of what #ThankX is all about. Bruce Leto, Jr. has been working and managing a web design/ marketing startup company (Design With Artisan) and wanted to share the story of a client. In early 2020, Philadelphia native Carlos Colon (CEO) founded a community courier delivery service, #ThankX, with the help of Bruce and DWA. #ThankX connects people who need a parcel delivered or a task performed with helpers in their community.
Felicity in the The Philadelphia Inquirer in May, 2020
Colleen McKenna and her husband, Michael Niles, welcomed their son, Finn McKenna Niles, on June 27, 2020. 56
Connections
Kraig Lunkenheimer and his wife,
Felicity Johnson received her Master in Business Administration degree from The Wharton School at The University of Pennsylvania. She was the recipient of the Entrepreneurship
CLASS AGENTS: Nicole Cannon, Kelly Flynn & Sarah Keffer Soccer goalie AJ Marcucci ‘17 (Connecticut College) was drafted by the New York Red Bulls in January, 2021. He was selected 67th overall during the third round of the MLS Superdraft. He is the second EA alum to play MLS, joining former teammate Matt Freese ‘17.
2012
The MacBros, featuring EA’s very own John McElwee, released an album with the track “Mainline Chick” quickly grabbing local attention. The hit song was played on the Philadelphia area’s Q102 station and received thousands of downloads.
CLASS AGENTS: Kathleen Kneizys, Brian Metzler & Helen Miller
2020s
CLASS AGENTS: Haley Habenicht & James McEntee
Class Notes
2011
2017
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Perlman Grand Prize for My Virtual Veterinarian (myvirtualvetapp. com), a portal for pet owners that allows animals to receive medical care any time they need it through telemedicine. Felicity relocated to Boston, Massachusetts and is one of four employees currently at My Virtual Veterinarian.
2020 CLASS AGENTS: Emma Bittenbender & Kate Hershey
2014
What does clean water mean to you? In Jan. 2020, Maggie Mengel became a part of Glass Rose Films, a non-profit production company out of Villanova University’s Social Justice Documentary Program. In October, her team members spent two weeks in Singida, Tanzania documenting the water crisis. The area has an eight-month dry season, leading to a lack of adequate access to clean water. Maggie’s team plans to give two wells back to the communities where they filmed, and she is fundraising $90,000 for the project. You can learn more on social media at @glassrosefilms.
CLASS AGENT: Jack Keffer
2018
Madison Craft graduated from UCLA Luskin School of Social Welfare with her Master’s in Social Work in June 2020.
2013 CLASS AGENTS: James Costalas, John Florio & Megan Kilcullen
2015 CLASS AGENTS: Rachael Farmer & Taylor Gary
2016 CLASS AGENTS: Sarah Baturka & Charles Jordan
CLASS AGENTS: Brooke Kelly, Lauren Rodio & James Tang
2019 CLASS AGENTS: Parisa Afsharian, McKee Bond, Scottie Crockett & Brooke Kraftson
For the month of September, Natalie Johnston and Nicholas Christos hiked the Vermont Long Trail. It is the oldest long-distance trail in the country, running about 275 miles from Williams College to the Canadian border. The trail can be very rugged, as it runs along the state’s Green Mountain Range. Nick said, “We would stop in quaint Vermont towns every five days to resupply on food and gear, shower, and do laundry. Lean-to shelters are scattered about every 10 miles or so along the trail, so we would sleep in them, or in our tents. Our packs were about 40 pounds and our go-to meal was either mashed potatoes or ramen noodles. We met incredible people on the trail, were certainly challenged, and made absolutely unforgettable memories forged in some of the earth’s most beautiful scenery.” Summer 2021
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In Memoriam* Richard S. Chew, Jr. ‘47 Richard S. Chew, Jr. ‘47, longtime Chair of EA’s Art Department, passed away peacefully on Dec. 31, 2020 at his home with family. He attended the University of Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts before returning to EA in 1960 to teach woodshop in the Lower School. From 1969 until his retirement in 1990, he was the Chair of the Art Department and saw his three children graduate from Episcopal. He also spent 23 years as a painting instructor at Manayunk Art Center, where he was a charter member and on the Board of Directors. As a teacher, he insisted on high standards, the continued encouragement and development of talent in his students, and the effective and efficient management of the department. As an artist, he created several significant pieces for the school, including the school seal in 1975. An optimistic man and an extremely gifted painter, Richard truly connected with his students. Richard was married to Margaret Downey Chew until she passed away in 2009. He is survived by his children, Alyce and Richard, daughter-in-law, Virginia, and grandson, Jacob.
Sharon Passarella, Hon. Sharon Passarella, Hon. passed after a courageous battle with cancer on Nov. 18, 2020. Sharon’s husband, Anthony, passed away ten years ago. She is survived by her two daughters, Kelley and Elizabeth, and her grandchildren, Madigan, Mirabelle, and Glyniss. She took great joy in raising her daughters and watching her grandchildren flourish into beautiful young women. Her warm smile and her giving heart will surely be remembered by all who knew her. Sharon was extremely proud of her forty-four years of service at Episcopal, where she had many rewarding roles. During her tenure, Sharon witnessed the transition to a coeducational school, the expansion and relocation of campuses, and three different heads of school. Throughout our continual school evolution, Sharon was always happy to lend a hand in different areas of the school from the Front Desk, to the Business Office, to Community Outreach, to the Head’s Office, to the Chaplain’s Office, and the Health Services Office.
Michael P. Shouvlin ’50 Michael P. Shouvlin ’50 died peacefully on Jan. 22, 2021 with his loving family by his side. Mike is survived by his children, Catherine, Peter, and Pat, 10 grandchildren, and six greatgrandchildren. He was predeceased by his son, Kirk, and his wife, Mary Ann. Happily married for 64 years, he would often reflect on their marriage noting that they were a great team. Mike graduated from EA with high honors, received the Class of 1977 Prize, and “was one of the most outstanding all-around athletes” in his class. He was inducted into EA’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2017. He received the Distinguished Service Award in 1997 and the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2008. He served on the Board of Trustees from 1996 to 2002 and on the Alumni Society Board of Managers from 1992 to 1999, as president for the last two years. For his 50th Reunion, he collaborated with classmates to establish The Class of 1950 Scholarship Fund to provide funds for students with leadership in academics, athletics, and the arts. Mike attended Wesleyan University prior to returning to EA to teach the fourth grade and serve as an assistant football coach from 1957 to 1960. He later worked in publishing and career development before retiring to Cape May, New Jersey, where he continued to be active in the community.
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Connections
After graduating from Episcopal, Don enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1943, and served during World War II. After the war, Don attended Lehigh University, graduating with a Bachelor’s in Business Administration in 1948. He then worked for SmithKline Beckman Corporation, the pharmaceutical company, where he served in marketing, sales, administration, and management for 39 years. He served as president of the Pharmaceutical Division and as the vice chairman of SmithKline’s Board of Directors, and later, on the board of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association. Don was active in serving his community. He served on the Board of Temple University Hospital and the National Fund for Medical Education, among others.
1936 Fred G. Clark August 14, 2020
1951 Robert Howson May 1, 2019
1965 Bruce M. Brown December 18, 2020
1936 Stanley E. Harris, Jr. October 19, 2020
1951 Rev. W. Morris Lungstreth June 18, 2021
1966 William W. Bodine, III April 30, 2021
1942 Donald van Roden December 18, 2020
1951 Roland Morris May 11, 2021
1970 John F. Dautrich September 21, 2020
1945 Donald J. Meenen February 6, 2021
1951 The Venerable William Henry Murdoch, Jr. November 15, 2020
1970 Gary E. Wilcox February 15, 2021
1946 John Walton, III October 7, 2020 1947 Richard S. Chew, Jr. December 31, 2020 1947 Joseph B. Dallett February 6, 2021 1947 Greville Brent Lee Haslam November 2, 2020 1947 John L. Montgomery, II October 17, 2020 1948 John F. Arndt, Jr. December 19, 2020 1948 Rev. Albert P. Neilson February 11, 2021 1949 Richard Taylor Lyford, Jr. September 30, 2020 1950 Clair E. Hamilton December 14, 2020 1950 Henry H. Sangree May 12, 2020 1950 Michael P. Shouvlin January 22, 2021
1952 John R. Haines February 7, 2021 1952 Alfred Skyberg January 7, 2021 1953 Kurt W. P. Smith June 11, 2020 1953 Harry S. Weaver, III October 31, 2020 1954 John Lloyd January 7, 2021 1955 Felix Jackson April 16, 2021 1955 David M. Robb, Jr. March 5, 2021 1957 Robert G. Widing April 26, 2020 1958 Matthew W. Black, Jr. April 12, 2021 1964 William A. Bremer November 29, 2020
Class Notes
Donald van Roden ’42 passed away peacefully on Dec. 18, 2020, at the age of 96. Don served on The Episcopal Academy’s Board of Trustees from 1970 - 1987, and chaired the board from 1981-1987. During this time, he spearheaded Episcopal’s Century III endowment campaign in 1985. The campaign focused on building Episcopal’s endowment to better compensate it’s excellent faculty and increase financial aid for students. Don was a devoted classmate; proud parent to his son, Peter ’75; a loyal supporter, including through the Bishop William White Society; and, in 1987, he was honored as the first recipient of Episcopal’s Distinguished Service Award and was also named a trustee emeritus.
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Donald van Roden ‘42
1974 Dr. Paul B. Lukacs June 15, 2021 1974 Richard Q. Whelan March 19, 2021 1977 Thomas M. Dougherty December 15, 2020 1978 Mark E. Verdeur May 7, 2021 1979 Lance Jones October 14, 2020 1982 Ernest L. Rosato March 17, 2021 1989 Francis B. Tripodi April 16, 2021 Honorary Alumni Sharon Passarella, Hon. November 18, 2020 * Notification of passing was received between September 9, 2020 and June 30, 2021 Summer 2021
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From the
Archives Class Shields Offer a Glimpse Into History The tradition of creating a class shield to honor the contributions of graduating student-athletes dates back to the Class of 1907. Much like the Class of 2021, (pictured on the back cover), many classes designed their shields to showcase historic school and world events that the class experienced together. Today, class shields adorn the halls of the Dixon Athletic Center and remind students of the many alumni who share in their commitment to live the Stripes of Respect, Courage, and Sportsmanship, both on and off the field.
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In 1960, the space race to the moon intensified, as America and the Soviet Union successfully landed spacecrafts on the moon to gather data for future manned missions.
America kicked off its bicentennial celebration at midnight on January 1, 1976 by carefully relocating the Liberty Bell to a new, modernized tourist pavilion on Independence Mall.
Columbia, the first manned, reusable spacecraft to reach space, launched on April 12, 1981.
The Episcopal Academy celebrated the 200th anniversary of its founding.
In 2003, the United States successfully overthrew the authoritarian government of Saddam Hussein in Iraq.
The last class to graduate from the Merion campus paid homage to Christ Chapel in 2008.
Connections
The Episcopal Academy 1785 Bishop White Drive Newtown Square, PA 19073-1300 www.episcopalacademy.org ADDRESS SERVICE R EQ UES T ED
The Class of 2021 unveiled their class shield, designed in the shape of the COVID-19 spike protein, during Episcopal’s 236th Commencement Exercises.