Sundial Summer 2013 by The Ethel Walker School

THE

SUN DIAL Summer 2013

The Magazine of The Ethel Walker School

Walker’s & Global Education Reunion 2013 • Math & Science Innovations • Campus News

64 PUBLISHED BY The Ethel Walker School 230 Bushy Hill Road, Simsbury, CT 06070 860.658.4467 | www.ethelwalker.org HEAD OF SCHOOL

Elizabeth C. Speers P’16

EDITORIAL BOARD DIRECTOR OF MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS

Nan Flanagan ’93 EDITOR

Mara Braverman CONTRIBUTORS

Jane Rae Bradford, Sarah Edson, Nan Flanagan ’93, Susan Ford ’63, Bessie Speers P’16, Tom Speers P’16 TAKE NOTE, OUT & ABOUT

Eleanor Barnes P’19 PROOFREADING

John Groff PHOTOGRAPHY

Richard Bergen Photography, Kevin Mihaly Portrait Design, Lena Stein Photography, Nan Flanagan ’93, Tyler Varsell, Jacinta Lomba ’13, Liss CouchEdwards ’07, Sheri Schmidt, Tom Speers P’16, Genie Lomba P’13, ’16, ’18, Mimi Duran P’13 ADDRESS CLASS NOTES TO:

The Development Ofﬁce The Ethel Walker School 230 Bushy Hill Road, Simsbury, CT 06070 Or submit via email to: alumnae@ethelwalker.org

SEND ADDRESS AND EMAIL CHANGES TO:

alumnae@ethelwalker.org DESIGN

John Johnson Art Direction & Design PRINTING

Eastern Printing THE SUNDIAL MAGAZINE IS PRINTED WITH VEGETABLE BASED INKS ON FSC CERTIFIED 10% POST-CONSUMER FIBER CHLORINE-FREE PAPER STOCK.

90 The Ethel Walker School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origins in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, athletics, and other Schooladministered programs.

In This Issue 2

Message from the Head of School

Centennial Campaign New Dorm

Note from the President of the Board of Trustees

Walker’s Board of Trustees Outgoing Board Chair New Trustees Strong Leadership 25 Factors of Great Schools

Walker’s & Global Education Experiential Learning Fuels Understanding Susan Ford ’63 Helps with Trip Walker’s Prepares Students for Global Citizenship Creating Global Connections Appreciating the Richness of Diverse Societies Healing Amidst the Darkness of War Alumnae In the World

On the cover: Walker's students in South Africa on Field Study Trip

26 Academics & Innovation Mousetraps, Power Tools, & Newton’s Laws Bungee Cord Barbies Virtual Labs How Girls Learn Statistics Best Junior/Senior Projects iPad Year in Review: Friend or Foe? A Conversation with Sarah Edson 34 On Campus & Beyond Cum Laude Society Makeup Free and Proud On the Stage Beloved Community Member Retires Head's House Dedication Athletic and Equestrian Snapshots 54 101st Commencement 60 Alumnae News Walker’s Out & About Alumnae Board Reunion 2013 69 Take Note Updates and news from your Walker’s classmates and friends 109 In Memoriam 112 From the Archives Inside Back Cover: Planned Giving Corner

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In her book, Not for Profit, University of Chicago professor and philosopher Martha Nussbaum says, “Woven through [education] must be a cultivation of the ability to think from the perspective of another person, what we might call the sympathetic imagination. We are all born with this capacity in a rudimentary form, but if it is not trained it will remain crude and highly uneven.” Walker’s is a school of the world, and our teachers inspire and expect understanding, empathy, and a “sympathetic imagination” from our students on a daily basis. Our curriculum today includes terrific opportunities for students to learn about and appreciate differences between cultures and societies. Nineteen percent of our student body hails from 15 different countries, including Afghanistan, Australia, China, Germany, Hong Kong, Korea, Mexico, Namibia, Russia, Somaliland, Sweden, Taiwan, and Turkey. We have exchange programs with Australia, Scotland, New Zealand, and most recently South Africa; we are exploring a partnership with a school in China. Our sophomore seminar, required for all 10th graders, delves into global issues facing women, and our new AP Human Geography course instills understanding and appreciation for cultural differences throughout the world. In 2011, Walker’s students had the privilege of marching alongside Archbishop Desmond Tutu during the World Peace Walk right here in Hartford. This past November, a cohort of students traveled to South Africa on a field study and met with Archbishop Desmond Tutu for an hour’s conversation. Walker’s students encountered Desmond Tutu not once, but twice within a year! The field study was part of an innovative, blended learning course in collaboration with a local magnet school in Bloomfield, through which a group of Walker’s and Metropolitan Learning Center students studied

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This generation is globally connected. Walker’s students are well prepared to lead in this realm, and they exude the confidence, courage, and conviction that are the bedrock of our mission.

together in preparation for the culminating two-week immersion trip to South Africa. With robust elements of preparation and reflection, the course explored historic parallels between the United States and South Africa. As you will read in this publication, through an integrated model of learning, our students explored race relations, conflict resolution, and visited courts, schools, museums, markets, and homes. On her return from the trip, Darcy Hughes ’14 wrote, “Our trip to South Africa was such an incredible experience that it forced me to reevaluate myself, my society, and the world. Every day was a life lesson.” This generation “Z,” as some call it, is truly globally connected. They expect to learn in a way that educates them about the world, within the world; this means getting outside of our classrooms. Walker’s students are well prepared to lead in this realm, and they exude the very confidence, courage, and

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conviction that are the bedrock of our mission. As we recently celebrated the achievements of Walker’s Class of 2013 at Prize Night and Commencement, we can feel especially confident in the future. The leadership abilities and intellectual ambition of these recent Walker’s graduates are stellar. College acceptances this year included Yale, Dartmouth, Princeton, Harvard, Brown, Tufts, Bucknell, University of Pennsylvania, Middlebury, Bates, University of Virginia, and Smith. Within these pages, you will also read more about the success of our first year as a 1:1 iPad school, our new athletic fields, the Head’s House dedication, and, yes, . . . the NEW DORMITORY! If you would like to inquire about how you can structure a Centennial gift so that you can enable us to complete the new dorm by this fall for incoming students, please be in touch with me or our Development Office soon. You can look forward to more photos and coverage of the new dormitory in the next issue of The SunDial. As always, the School would not be enjoying today’s success without the dedication, loyalty, and investment of so many of you. Most especially, thank you to our outgoing Board Chair, Donya Sabet ’90, for her dedication and deep love of her alma mater, as she completes her service as a Trustee. It is an honor to welcome Stuart Bell as Board Chair, and we are fortunate to have his steady and wise leadership. It continues to be a great privilege to be surrounded by the care and talent of Walker’s students, faculty, alumnae, parents, trustees, and friends at this exciting time.

Elizabeth C. Speers P’16 HEAD OF SCHOOL

2013-2014 BOARD OF TRUSTEES Stuart M. Bell CHAIR DALLAS, PA

Lisa Pagliaro Selz ’69 VICE CHAIR NEW YORK, NY

Elizabeth Sivage Clark ’67, P’04 TREASURER CHICAGO, IL

Christopher L. Brigham SECRETARY HAMDEN, CT

Renée Alexander P’13 EX-OFFICIO PRESIDENT, PARENTS ASSOCIATION WILBRAHAM, MA

Lynn Allegaert ’64 EDGARTOWN, MA

Ann Fay Barry P’14 WOODSIDE, CA

Timothy R. Bazemore NEW CANAAN, CT

Elizabeth Rockwell Cesare TRUSTEE EMERITA SOUTH NORWALK, CT

Sarah Gates Colley ’75 CROSS RIVER, NY

Sarah House Denby ’72 BARRINGTON, RI

Harriet Blees Dewey ’60, P’86 RIDGEFIELD, CT

Kate Crichton Gubelmann ’67 PALM BEACH, FL

Spencer Lampert P’14 GREENWICH, CT

Cythlen Cunningham Maddock ’63 PALM BEACH, FL

Lynn Sheppard Manger ’59 NEW YORK, NY

Laura Mountcastle ’74 ANN ARBOR, MI

Amanda Pitman ’90 EX-OFFICIO PRESIDENT, ALUMNAE BOARD NEW YORK, NY

Note from the Chair of the Board of Trustees

As we continue into Walker’s second century, I am both honored and humbled that I have been chosen by the Board of Trustees to succeed Donya Sabet ’90 as Board Chair. I have great respect for the work Donya and the Board have done these past two years and realize all too well the shoes I will have to fill following in her footsteps. Over the last several years, the positive direction and momentum of the School has been evident. Most visible is the good work that has been done by our Building and Grounds Committee and the School to improve the physical plant. Since 2009 the School has invested over $7 million in its infrastructure to enhance existing structures, build new athletic fields, and start construction on a dorm that will be completed for the start of the 2013-2014 academic year. Our ability to invest in the campus is due to the dedication of our Development Office and the generous support of our alumnae, parents, friends, faculty and staff. The hard work of our admissions team to attract talented girls to the School, and most importantly the dedication of our teachers and staff to provide an excellent education for our students, are at the core of our mission. We can be proud of Walker’s students’ accomplishments in the classroom, on the athletic fields, in their college acceptances, and overall citizenship. Miss Walker did not start this school in 1911 to be a good school; her goal, and our goal, is for The Ethel Walker School to be a great school. In order to continue our momentum, we need to increase the size of our “bus,” to borrow from Jim Collins’ analogy. We welcome all alumnae and friends to continue to honor Miss Walker’s vision and to make all of our constituents proud to be associated with The Ethel Walker School. We know in our hearts that it will take all of our combined efforts to ensure Walker’s success as a great school in its second century and that this great momentum continues.

Letitia McClure Potter ’55, P’85 TRUSTEE EMERITA GREENWICH, CT

Elizabeth C. Speers P’16 HEAD OF SCHOOL SIMSBURY, CT

Stuart M. Bell CHAIR, BOARD

TRUSTEES

William Wrigley, Jr. P’14 CHICAGO, IL

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Farewell and Thank You, Outgoing Board Chair Donya Sabet ’90 Donya’s deep love for Walker’s is palpable. She has been a valuable Board Chair, colleague, and role model, leading the School through our 100th year. We thank her for her commitment to Walker’s and wish her all the best. “Thank you to our outgoing Board Chair, Donya Sabet ’90, for her dedication and deep love of her alma mater, as she completes her service as a Trustee.” ~Bessie Speers P’16 “Thank you, Donya, for your endless commitment and love for EWS. Your bright smile, perseverance, and leadership carried EWS into our second century and onto new horizons. I will miss you and know this is not a ‘good bye.’ Keep EWS close to your heart, and we will keep you close to ours. Thank you for all that you have done for EWS.” ~Sarah Gates Colley ’75

100th Commencement, L-R: Sarah Gates Colley ’75, Trustee, Connie Bell ’48, P’72, ’75, GP’12, ’14, former Trustee, Bessie Speers P’16, Head of School, First Lady of Connecticut Cathy Malloy, Donya Sabet ’90, Tisha Potter ’55, P’85, Trustee Emerita

Donya with Sarah Gates Colley '75, Trustee at 2012 Faculty Service Awards and Board of Trustees Cocktail Party

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Centennial Celebration, L-R: the late Debbie McKenzie ’55, former Trustee, Brooke Gaffney Redmond ’90, former Trustee, and Donya Sabet ’90

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New Trustees Ann Fay Barry P’14 Ann Fay Barry, mother of Walker’s student Savannah Symington Barry ’14, is a personal investment manager and active philanthropist. A graduate of Convent of the Sacred Heart, Dominican College, and Stanford University, Ann has supported numerous organizations and served on a number of boards related to education, conservation, healthcare, and the arts. She and her daughters live in Woodside, CA and also have homes in Alpine Meadows, CA as well as nearby Litchfield, CT. Ann’s interests include anything having to do with her three daughters’ equine pursuits, travel, reading, the arts, conservation, and education. Since 2009 Ann has been a loyal supporter of The Ethel Walker School’s Annual Fund and has also been involved in volunteer opportunities, hosting a Walker’s reception in San Francisco in 2010 and co-chairing the Parent’s Committee for the Annual Fund in 2010-11.

Stuart M. Bell Stuart M. Bell, newly elected Board Chair, is a certified financial planner, President of Luzerne Products, Inc., and has served on numerous charitable and school boards. A graduate of Vermont Academy ’80, Ohio Wesleyan University ’84, and College of Financial Planning ’98, Stuart began his professional career working for Chase Manhattan Bank in New York City before joining Luzerne in 1992. A loyal supporter and dedicated volunteer of the School, Stuart currently serves on the Fiscal Management Committee, Asset Management Committee, EWS Foundation Board, and as Investment Sub-Committee Chair. He is also a former Trustee, having served from 2007–2010. Stuart and his wife Carolyn make their home in Dallas, Pennsylvania and are parents of two sons. Stuart is the son of Constance Lavino Bell ’48, P’72, ’75, GP’12, ’14 brother of Constance Bell Moser ’72 and Deborah Bell Spoehel ’75, P’14, and uncle of Eda E. Bell ’12 and Elizabeth S. Spoehel ’14.

Cythlen “Lynn” Cunningham Maddock ’63 An alumna of the Class of 1963, Lynn Cunningham Maddock went on to earn a B.A. degree in Graphic Design at Parsons School of Design in 1967. Lynn ran an art gallery specializing in 20th Century British artists from 1984-1987 and taught art to both school-aged children and adult women. Throughout her career, she has also concentrated on her own art, which includes the production of oil, watercolor, and acrylic paintings. Celebrating her 50th class Reunion at Walkers this year, Lynn currently serves as a volunteer on her class’s Reunion Committee. She has also previously served on the Alumnae Board and as a Class Agent. Lynn lives in Palm Beach, Florida with her husband, Paul, and has three adult children and two stepchildren. She is the sister of Lucie Cunningham McKinney ’52 and aunt of Elizabeth Cunningham Newsome ’93.

Walker’s thanks five trustees for their completed terms of service and ongoing commitment to the School.

Abra Prentice Wilkin ’60

Abigail Trafford ’57

Margot Campbell Bogert ’60

Clive DuVal III P’09

Sophie Mellon P’15

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Strong Leadership & Stewardship BY BESSIE SPEERS P’16

Being a school trustee is no small commitment, and no school can accomplish what Walker’s has in the last several years without a deeply committed Board of Trustees. Our Trustees work tirelessly to ensure the future success of our School. We meet three times a year in addition to smaller, more frequent committee meetings in person and/or via teleconference. New trustees spend a day of orientation on campus and are assigned a board mentor. Trustees at Walker’s commit their time, talent, and treasure in amazing ways. As Head, I witness nearly every day, the dedication and care of our Trustees. Whether it is sending along an interesting article, picking up the phone and letting me know about a conversation with an alumna, offering to host an event, underwriting the cost of various initiatives, or giving the Head and her spouse a bed when traveling, Walker’s Board of Trustees cares about the big picture while also knowing that the little things matter. Our Board meetings include time to hear reports from various working committees while also providing time for education about different aspects of Walker’s. We always try to include a student component so that Trustees can hear the voices of the talented young women for whom the School’s mission is most central. At our spring meeting, typically a few students from the Environmental Science class present proposals about green initiatives they would like the School to support. Most recently, students proposed a Walker’s Apiary and presented the ecological benefit of bees. A generous trustee stepped forward to pay for it. The students were a-buzz! In addition to discussing issues pertaining specifically to Walker’s, as a Board, we also pay attention to the broader educational landscape, providing opportunities for Trustees to see other schools, as we did this fall with field trips to Westminster and Miss Porter’s Schools. This past January’s Board meeting was held in New York City and we were fortunate to have Patrick Bassett, President of the National Association of Independent Schools, join us for part of our agenda. We had a robust dialogue about specific measures for excellence in schools of the future (printed on the facing page), and we will be refreshing our Strategic Plan with many of these measures in mind. We also visited Avenues, The World School, a new for-profit, global school in New York City, led by Tyler Tingley, former Head of Phillips Exeter Patrick Bassett, President of the Academy; Robert “Skip” Matoon, National Association of Independent former Head of The Hotchkiss School; Schools, met with Walker’s trustees at their January meeting. From left, Kate and Benno Schmidt, former President Gubelmann ’67 Trustee, Head of School of Yale University. Visits like this Bessie Speers P’16, Patrick Bassett, ensure that we continue to stretch Harriet Blees Dewey ’60 P’86, Trustee, and Chris Brigham, Trustee. ourselves as a School and reaffirm our mission in the context of what is undoubtedly an education revolution.

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At this past January’s Board meeting, we had a robust dialogue about specific measures for excellence in schools of the future, and we will be refreshing our Strategic Plan with many of these measures in mind. WALKER’S TRUSTEES BY THE NUMBERS

21 8 12 16 5 members strong

parents

women

from

alumnae

men

9 different states

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25 Factors Great Schools Have in Common Patrick F. Bassett, president of the National Association of Independent Schools, developed this list of qualities of great schools. The list first appeared in the winter 2013 issue of Independent School magazine. Bassett wrote: “All schools have the capacity to become great schools. All they need is the focus and leadership to create the proper conditions for the board, school leadership team, staff, and constituents to do so.” GREAT SCHOOLS DO THE FOLLOWING: 1. Create and perpetuate an intentional culture shaped by the adults, rooted in universal values of honesty and caring, and relentlessly oriented toward achievement. 2. Eclectically capitalize on the best ideas about what works in schools, those gleaned from the past as well as those deemed best for the future.

financial, and human resources to achieve financial equilibrium. 10. Enable constituents to donate their time and treasure consistently by providing the metrics on school volunteerism, financing, and eleemosynary benchmarks, and by telling the school’s story in powerfully moving ways.

well-being of the school and in acknowledgment of the staff’s tremendous responsibility for and impact on students. 18. Provide leadership paths for teachers wishing to stay in teaching, rather than jump to administration, by creating a host of academic and taskforce leadership roles.

11. Pay it forward by building endowment and thereby sustaining intergenerational equity so that the next generation of families will be at least as well served by this generation as the current generation of families has been by its predecessors.

19. Track student outcomes over time, beyond the years in one’s own school, seeking data on how well the school prepared its students for the next legs of their life journeys—be it the next levels of education or life beyond.

4. Make a substantial commitment to professional development for faculty, expecting teachers to grow as learners themselves and to develop mastery in the art and science of teaching.

12. Commit to diversity of all kinds and at all levels to create the conditions and school culture so that students learn how to appreciate and map differences, then navigate and ride the waves of demographic change.

20. Seek data to make data-rich (not opinion-rich) decisions, embracing former Education Secretary Margaret Spellings’s observation, “In God we trust; all others, bring data.”

5. Develop collegial means to professionalize the profession, such as rounds, lesson study, digital faculty portfolios, and the like, adopting professional development strategies that are prevalent in high-performing schools and countries around the world.

13. Redefine the ideal classroom setting as one of intimate environment, not small classes, since the former can occur in schools or classes of any size and even online, and the latter can miss the point of intimacy.

6. Adopt a big vision, one that continually refreshes itself in order to sustain the enterprise along the five most strategic continua: demographic, environmental, global, financial, and programmatic.

14. Create a financially sustainable future by means other than persistently large annual tuition increases, recognizing that being the best value, rather than the highest price in town, offers the strongest value proposition.

3. Manifest a coherent philosophy of learning for students, be it constructivist, Reggio Emilia, Waldorf, Montessori, strengths-based, progressive, traditional, 1:1, or whatever — so long as it remains open to ongoing discussion, testing, and constant refinement.

7. Define the school’s “playground” in expansive ways, beyond the school’s borders into the local community, the region, and the world.

15. Achieve extraordinary parent and alumni participation in annual giving, reflecting superb volunteer organization and execution and a grateful constituent base.

8. Demonstrate the public purpose of private education locally, nationally, and globally through a variety of means, including modeling experimentation to improve schooling and partnering with the public sector at the school and university levels.

16. Adopt and fund “3 Rs” talent strategies that position the school to recruit, retain, and reward the best and brightest teachers, school leaders, and board members.

9. Embrace stewardship of the school and its resources, renewing and growing the school’s physical,

17. Compensate staff members fairly and competitively related to performance and contributions to the

21. To avoid unnecessary distractions, educate the board and parents thoroughly about how schools work, and about what student and parent needs a school can and cannot meet. 22. Market their schools with “sticky messages” that tell a compelling story. 23. Know their priorities when making difficult decisions, ranking first “what’s best for the school,” then “what’s best for the student,” then “what’s best for all other interests.” 24. Know that one’s mission-match with a prospective student (on the intake) and matriculating students (on the outtake) is the controlling factor in admissions and secondary school or college placement. 25. Find the right balance for the drivers of financial aid to achieve school goals of diversifying the school, managing enrollment, and attracting a talented class of students. Reprinted with permission of the National Association of Independent Schools, from the Winter 2013 issue of Independent School magazine

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Ground Broken on New Dormitory The deep freeze that settled over Simsbury didn’t keep the campus community from celebrating the groundbreaking of our new dormitory on January 24, 2013. Faculty, staff, students, trustees, alumnae, and invited guests gathered in the Chapel for the start of the groundbreaking ceremony, at which Head of School Bessie Speers P’16, Town of Simsbury First Selectman Mary Glassman, Trustee Emerita Sue Cesare, and student Margaret H. Hegwood ’15 gave remarks Mary Glassman, Simsbury First Selectman, talks about the special importance the new dormitory has to the history of the School and its close-knit about strong ties between Walker’s and community. Simsbury. Everyone then processed to the groundbreaking site, led by students carrying the Suns and Dials flags. Following remarks by Head of Upper and Middle School Brock Dunn P’19 and Director of Residential Life Emily Cole-Chu ’00, participants officially broke ground on Walker’s dorm. A lunch reception for the participants and guests followed the ceremony. The dorm is scheduled to open in fall 2013.

Head of Upper and Middle School Brock Dunn P’19 delivers remarks at the groundbreaking site.

Student-led procession to the groundbreaking site

From left, Emily Cole-Chu ’00, Rich Prager P’04, ’07, Doug Margison P’07, Walker’s CFO Tom Schneider, Susan Knapp Thomas ’80, Sarah Gates Colley ’75, Trustee Emerita Sue Cesare, Sam Gonzalez ’13, Lynn Sheppard Manger ’59, Head of School Bessie Speers P’16, Jess Chang ’13, Abra Prentice Wilkin ’60, Coriene Smith ’13, Brock Dunn P’19, Gail Shelton P’12, and Harriet Blees Dewey ’60 P’86

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Growth Toward Greatness The following are excerpts from remarks made by Trustee Emerita Sue Cesare at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new dorm on January 24, 2013. We are here today because, to quote a key refrain of the Centennial Celebration, “It’s Walker’s Time.” As the School continues to celebrate its 100-year milestone, it is creating and experiencing significant growth. For this good School, it is growth toward greatness. We are here to witness this phase of the 100-year milestone and to reflect on what will make greatness possible. The Centennial Celebration in 2011 captured the spirit and imagination of hundreds of constituents. Walker’s was on a roll. Boarding enrollment was at capacity. There was a strategic need to increase the boarding population, and the vision of the Centennial Center was far enough along to plan for its location. Building on this momentum and recognizing an immediate need, the Board of Trustees, at its 2012 September and November meetings, took thoughtful and bold action to make a new dorm a reality. The Board authorized the Finance Committee to secure bank funding for the project and thanks to the leadership of Stuart Bell, that was accomplished. Sarah Colley’s Centennial Cabinet continued with its fundraising efforts, and our tireless and totally committed Head of School has, to date, made over 290 visits to alumnae and friends of Walker’s to gain their interest and financial support.

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New Dorm Opening Fall 2013

Save the Date! Ribbon Cutting for the New Dorm September 20, 2013 Watch for More Information

The new dormitory is Phase 2 of the Centennial Campaign. Tucked between existing residence halls Smith and Cluett, the new dorm will be 23,000 square feet with 38 beds. It will feature suite-style rooms specifically designed for young women. Cozy common spaces as well as larger community rooms will be placed throughout the building. Four familystyle homes for faculty will serve as the community cornerstones. The dorm will open in fall 2013.

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Walker’s & Global Education “Global education is no longer a ‘nice to have’ curricular option for our schools. It is, in fact, a ‘must have.’ Educators have a moral obligation to ensure that our students are more than conversant in cultures and global experiences. This generation of students is already globally connected. Our role as a School is to enable meaningful, sustainable conversations and collaboration that can lead to deeper understanding and entrepreneurial solutions. “Global education is a given in today’s schools. What is not a given is how schools choose to engage students. At Walker’s, we believe that our students will be future ambassadors, diplomats, public health officials, and leaders across boundaries. Our students are keenly aware that the issues our world faces are global and quite frankly, cannot be solved by one country in isolation. Our students understand this better than we do. At Walker’s, a robust curricular commitment to global education is a priority, and it is one which our students deserve and welcome.” —BESSIE SPEERS P’16 HEAD OF SCHOOL

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Clockwise from left: Artwork adorning the doors of the South Africa Constitutional Court. Carvings depict the 27 rights of the South African Bill of Rights in sign language. • Jacinta Lomba ’13 takes a moment to reflect. • Learning about land and animal conservation at Krugerdorp Game Preserve.

Experiential Learning Fuels Understanding A Life-changing Trip to South Africa

After months of studying and planning, eight Walker’s juniors and seniors arrived in South Africa for a two-week stay in November as part of the South Africa and U.S.: Historical Parallels course. Students returned to campus transformed by their meetings with government leaders and anti-apartheid activists, new friendships with residents of South Africa and Zimbabwean refugees, and visits to impoverished townships created by the apartheid system and historic sites.

“The goals of the course were to study the history of racism and its legacy in South Africa and understand the parallels with U.S. history,” explains Walker’s Director of Equity and Social Justice Sheri Schmidt. Another course goal was to understand the power of youth activism in the dismantling of institutionalized racism. The direct experience with South Africa’s social and political issues deepened the students’ understanding of the material they studied. The friendships they made with the adults and young people they met made the Walker’s students keenly aware of how far the country has come—and how far it still needs to go—to leave apartheid behind. The students returned to campus inspired to believe in their own power to make a difference in the world. “When we asked what we, as young people interested in

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Clockwise from top left: Lauren Nicholson ’14, Lizzie Turner ’14 and Jacinta Lomba ’13 sit on “whites-only” bench at the District Six Museum. The museum preserves the history of this once racially diverse neighborhood in Capetown that was declared a whites-only area in 1966. • Lauren Nicholson ’14 with students from the Metropolitan Learning Center and The Albert Street School during the teambuilding activities. • EWS students at the reflecting pond at Freedom Park in Pretoria. • EWS and MLC students and faculty with Desmond Tutu in his offices in Cape Town.

social activism, should do to better our world, [Archbishop Tutu] told us to dream. He told us to forget cynicism and to be as idealistic as possible,” wrote Darcy Hughes ’14 about their visit to the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize and antiapartheid activist. (Student writing about the trip is excerpted in this article.) The South Africa course was a blended learning environment in participation with the Metropolitan Learning Center for International and Global Studies in Bloomfield. The two groups of U.S. students spent nine weeks during summer 2012 studying together in a rigorous online course, followed by four joint workshops in the fall to prepare for their trip. The course was developed and taught by Schmidt, Alice Mann of Walker’s, the MLC International Baccalaureate

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Coordinator Caryn Stedman, and Phoebe Milliken of the Plowshares Institute of Simsbury. Plowshares, which works globally to create a more just, peaceful, and sustainable world, was founded by The Rev. Dr. Robert Evans and Alice Evans. They have worked around the globe teaching techniques of conflict transformation for more than 30 years. During the trip to South Africa, the American students spent a full day visiting Gugulethu Township, a poor black area, which was a shocking contrast with American lives. Here they delivered aid packages donated by the School to local residents, who live in extreme poverty, with some families headed by children because the parents had died of AIDS. On other days the American students met South Africans whose protests as young people pushed the antiapartheid movement forward and visited memorials to the

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Clockwise from top left: Jacinta Lomba ’13, Devin Pafumi ’13, and Emilee O’Brien ’13 at the Constitutional Court with an installation celebrating the new South African constitution. • Students enjoying a water view • EWS and MLC students and faculty at District Six Museum in Cape Town • At “Grassroots soccer” in Khayelitsha township. The organization teaches about HIV and AIDS.

people—some younger than they are—who died during the protests. Walker’s and MLC students also participated in team-building activities with South African and immigrant Zimbabwean youth, including discussions about education, conflict, and being a young person in today’s world. The three very different groups became friends, and when it came time to part ways, there were tearful goodbyes and exchanges of contact information.

“When we asked what we, as young people interested in social activism, should do to better our world, [Archbishop Tutu] told us to dream. He told us to forget cynicism and to be as idealistic as possible,” DARCY HUGHES ’14

The American students forged strong connections with the students they met at the Albert Street School in Johannesburg. This school, sponsored by The Central Methodist Mission, serves Zimbabwean children who lack the documentation needed to attend South African schools. The Walker’s students are currently raising money to help support the Albert Street School. They are also using Facebook to stay in contact with their new friends from the South African school.

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Every Day a Life Lesson

What Motivates You to Succeed

BY DARCY HUGHES ’14

BY MADDIE GLASS ’14

Our trip to South Africa was such an incredible experience that forced me to reevaluate myself, my society, and the world. Every day was an adventure, but it was more than that; every day was a life lesson. South Africa filled me with so much gratitude for my incredible education, loving family, and good health. I left South Africa vowing that whenever I was thinking about complaining I would remember the people I met there and the stories that touched my heart. Another major takeaway, while uncomfortable at times, was a long overdue racial awakening. In Johannesburg I experienced a small fraction of what it meant to be a minority. Listening to our speakers as well as some of my friends talk about race were my first extended discussions on the topic. I learned a little more about what it means to be not white and that America is still very far from having racial equality.

While in South Africa, I learned to value education. When we went to the Albert Street School in Johannesburg, I was in shock to see the bare minimum of supplies to make a school. Going to the Albert Street School made me realize that it’s not about what you have but the things that motivate you to succeed in school. After hearing that the same kids who have next to nothing received a 97 percent passing rate for their exams for the whole school was eye opening. I now know that going to The Ethel Walker School is such a privilege.

Peace-building Day BY JACINTA LOMBA ’13

The most transformative part of the experience was the peace-building day when we reconnected with the South African youth and Zimbabwean refugees from two different schools we visited earlier that week. The day was a whirlwind of tears, laughter, smiles, and song. I will never forget the stories of struggle my Zimbabwean friends shared with me: their journeys by foot 2,000 kilometers to South Africa to escape the violent Mugabe dictatorship, or their memories of the family members they haven’t seen in more than three years. I remember the pain I felt as I was forced to confront and question my own privileged lifestyle.

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Always Do My Best BY LIZZIE TURNER ’14

When I saw the students at the Albert Street School, their humor and friendliness struck me. But their hardworking attitudes and determination shamed me a little as well. These students managed with almost no resources to get an incredible education. Another thing that I learned was the importance of learning and appreciating my history. Many of the people we spoke with from the generation that experienced apartheid expressed their dismay with the apathy of young people to learn and appreciate the sacrifices made for the ending of apartheid. It is important for me as an African American to understand that the lives that were lost and the sacrifices made by black people were so that I can be educated at an institution like Ethel Walker. I found in South Africa a deeper appreciation for my brothers and sisters who dreamed that black children could make something great of themselves without racial doors being slammed in their faces. I now see that I owe it to them to always do my best.

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Looking Beyond Privilege

Life Changing

BY DEVIN PAFUMI ’13

BY EMILEE O’BRIEN ’13

This trip has taught me how to look beyond privilege and myself. I have realized the enormous danger that comes with privilege, as it often can result in ignorance, and although ignorance is so easy, it is also ugly. In South Africa we saw so many beautiful, innocent people who had to deal with the consequences of a history of discriminatory, ignorant power holders. The only thing more frightening than the injustice we saw is how easily it can be paralleled to the United States. Because of this trip, I am now certain that success and happiness will not come from my personal gain, but will come from stepping outside myself and recognizing the needs of others.

The two words I would use to describe our class and two weeks spent in South Africa would be life changing. The first instance of the trip that changed my life was the greatest lesson of all. While visiting the Albert Street School in downtown Johannesburg, I saw 20 to 30 or more students in a classroom that would be suited for half that number of learners in any American school I’ve known. The Zimbabwean students at the St. Albert Street School taught me to appreciate all the resources available to me in school. It is my hope that I can use my education to bring learning and resources to those who don’t have the access in the future. The second lesson that I carry with me is a personal realization. I no longer wish to travel the world with the sole purpose of vacationing. I want to study the culture and history of the country before I embark on a journey there so that I can interact less as a tourist and more as a sincere, interested explorer of culture.

New Families & Storytelling BY LAUREN NICHOLSON ’14

I cannot begin to describe all the lessons I learned about the world, people, and probably most intriguingly, myself on our South African adventure. I’ve never been any farther than a few hours from my family, but one of the most important lessons I learned on this trip was how to create a new family. Over those two weeks, we went from a group of 15 students and four teachers to a family of 15 brothers and sisters and four crazy, loveable parents. We met South African youth who shared their stories with us, danced with young girls in Guguletu, listened to the tales of Desmond Tutu and to the miracle stories of Zimbabwean refugees, all of which taught me another lesson—the power of storytelling: The power to unite strangers from different worlds, the power to make a family out of students who might as well have been strangers, and the power to help heal a country that would appear to be irreparably scarred.

Treat Every Acquaintance as Your Equal BY CAROLINE CALANDRO ’14

I have learned so much from this trip—not only historical facts from the course, but true life lessons: Be generous, friendly, and open-minded in every circumstance, and treat every acquaintance as your equal. Make friends and forge connections at every opportunity, because we have something to learn from each person we meet. Everyone has the power and the duty to make a difference in the world, no matter how small the contribution.

From far left, opposite page: EWS and MLC students and faculty at District Six Museum in Cape Town, talking with museum founder Noor Ibrahim about his childhood memories of District Six. • On the beach in Cape Town, South Africa. • EWS students enjoying a soccer game. • Devin Pafumi ’13 and Jacinta Lomba ’13.

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Susan Ford ’63 Helps Make Trip Possible I decided to provide financial aid for the trip because I became aware of the circumstances that—while applications for the trip were open to all students—the traveling expenses meant that participating in this transformative experience was not within the reach of all Walker’s students. I know that attending Walker’s can be a life-changing experience in the most positive ways. I have no doubt Walker’s tries to ensure that every student, regardless of economic Emilee O’Brien ’13, Lizzie Turner ’14, Maddie Glass ’14, Jacinta Lomba ’13, status, can take advantage of opportunities to Lauren Nicholson ’14, Caroline Calandro ’14, Devin Pafumi ’13, Darcy Hughes enrich her education. Yet the reality is that ’14, in Freedom Park, Pretoria. sometimes students need additional support. traveling home for vacations, taking an I was able to give that support last SAT class, attending prom, and even year, and in the process I shared an “Because of this trip, buying textbooks, can be added stressors unforgettable journey with this for some students. outstanding group of students. I am now certain that In Gandhi’s words, “Be the change I intend to provide financial aid success and happiness will you wish to see in the world.” Join me for the trip to South Africa again next not come from my personal to support the voice and values we year. And, after realizing such a encourage and endorse through Walker’s. remarkable return on my 2012 gain, but will come from After making your annual fund gift, investment—the notes and pictures, stepping outside myself please consider contributing to this the special new ties to Walker’s initiative so that together we can help through these students—I have also and recognizing the needs bridge the gap and make sure that all of decided to initiate a funding source of others.” our students have access to the many that will be used to offset other DEVIN PAFUMI ’13 opportunities that Walker’s offers. expenses. Expenses that many of us Thank you. take for granted, such as the cost of

Clockwise from top left: Cloth at the office of the women’s anti-apartheid group, Black Sash. • One of the chambers of Parliament • Teambuilding activities with South African and Zimbabwean youth. • Devin Pafumi ’13, Jacinta Lomba ’13 and Emilee O’Brien ’13 at Grassroots Soccer.

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A Walker’s Education Prepares Students for Global Citizenship Below are courses that introduce students to global themes and issues, and challenge students to broaden their thinking beyond the familiar.

HISTORY Grades 6 and 7 Modern Cultures This course focuses on the same regions of the world considered in the Ancient Cultures course, so students can see how landforms and resources that affected life thousands of years ago still affect people today. Students who learned about Ancient Egypt in Ancient Cultures will learn about Northern Africa in Modern Cultures. Other regions covered include the Middle East and East Asia. Grade 9 Global Connections This course develops critical thinking skills through units of regional study in which students consider the relationship between physical systems and human systems. Students learn about resources, population, land use, government structures, and economic systems. Grade 10 Foundations of the Modern World This course introduces students to the people, events, and ideas that have shaped the 20th and 21st centuries in cultures around the world, including the Ottoman, Safavid, Mughal, and Mali Empires and the Chinese, Japanese, Aztec, and Inca civilizations. The course also covers European explorations and imperialism; religious, political, and economic revolutions; wars of the 20th century; independence movements in Africa and Asia; and contemporary issues. Grades 11 and 12 World Religions Students are introduced to the world’s great religious traditions, including indigenous sacred ways, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Sikhism. At least two visits to religious services are required along with

anthropological accounts of the experience.

Grades 9-12 Latin Levels 1 through 5

Grades 11 and 12 World Outreach Electives One semester courses give students a broad view of the historical record and contemporary issues of different parts of the world. Courses include African Studies, Caribbean Studies, East Asian Studies, Russian Studies, and The Middle East and Beyond: The Islamic World.

Grades 9-12 Ancient Greek

Grade 12 Advanced Placement European History This in-depth study of European History from the 1400s to the present emphasizes critical thinking, writing essays, researching controversial topics, and presentation of information.

LANGUAGES Grade 6 Introduction to Language: East Meets West Students learn about an ancient language, Latin, and a modern language, Mandarin Chinese. They become accustomed to the basic functioning of language and its constructs, ability to convey meaning, and unique way of reflecting the culture of the people who first used it. Grades 7 and 8 Latin 1A and 1B

Grades 8-12 Mandarin Chinese Introduction, Intermediate, and Advanced Levels Grades 11-12 Advanced Placement Chinese Grades 7-8 Spanish 1A and 1B Grades 8-12 Spanish 1 Grades 9-12 Spanish Levels 2 through 4 Grades 9-12 Spanish Conversation/Composition Grades 9-12 Advanced Placement Spanish Language Advanced Placement Spanish Literature Other Languages Those interested in studying French or German are offered online courses via Middlebury Interactive Languages (MIL). Students who wish to study any other language not currently offered at Walker’s may enroll in an online course at an approved online school.

TENTH GRADE SEMINAR Students learn about the critical issues women and girls face around the globe and domestically because they are female, including human rights issues. Each class chooses a cause toward which it directs its energies and efforts as a group.

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Creating Global Connections Outside of class, Walker’s also supports students in developing global connections and understanding and appreciating global diversity. From Chapel talks to Exchange Programs, students experience the world. Experiencing School Overseas The School participates in exchanges with peer schools around the world, so students can immerse themselves in a culture that is new to them. Walker’s has formed partnerships with independent schools that share a commitment to a rigorous academic program, a diverse and welcoming community, and a full breadth of nonacademic and cultural activities. Host families from schools both abroad and at Walker’s help to complete the experience. Walker’s students go overseas for two to three weeks after graduation while other schools are still in session. They attend classes, participate fully in school life, and live in a dorm or with host families. Eight students planned these trips for 2013, which are open to all students in the Upper School. The trip may be the basis for a junior/senior project. Walker’s also hosts students from the other schools for several weeks. The exchange schools are Dollar Academy in Clackmannanshire, Scotland; Loretto School, near Edinburgh, Scotland; St Catherine’s School, near Melbourne, Australia; and St. Michael’s Collegiate in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. Two Australian students made a presentation to the Walker’s community about their home school. The students were on an exchange program from St. Catherine’s School, near Melbourne.

A group of Walker’s students enjoyed a visit to Australia in June 2012.

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2012-2013 ASSIST students from Sweden, Spain, and Germany joined in a hike up Talcott Mountain.

Students studying at Walker’s for the year shared their customs during Holiday Vespers.

Spending A Year at Walker’s

Sharing the Holiday Spirit

Each year, girls from other countries join the Walker’s community for a year as part of ASSIST, a program that began more than 40 years ago to send outstanding international students to U.S. independent secondary schools. Forty-eight countries participate. In 2012-2013, Walker’s hosted a student from Sweden, another from Spain, and two from Germany. In prior years, students have come to Simsbury from outside of Western Europe, including Moldova and Turkey. The purpose of the program is to promote mutual understanding, cultural interchange, and a more peaceful world. For the international students, who come in Grades 10 or 11, it is an opportunity to immerse themselves in American culture, while they study U.S. history, American literature, and other subjects. For the Walker’s community, it is a window into different cultures and educational systems as they become friends with the international students.

Before Winter Break, the Walker’s community took time to enjoy the spirit of the holiday season with an event-filled evening of treasured holiday traditions. Students, faculty, parents, and friends reflected together during Holiday Vespers, a nondenominational Chapel service that included musical performances by Walker’s students, poignant remarks, and the sharing of cultural traditions by international students.

Learning at Asian Chapel On February 13, members of the Asian Club shared aspects of South Korean and Chinese culture during the annual Asian Chapel. Students spoke about South Korea’s innovative technologies, convenient delivery service, popular destinations, and other interesting facts about the country. The segment about China highlighted the country’s food, performing arts, and traditional games, including a video by Sally Yao ’15 showing the community how to do different styles of traditional Chinese jump rope. Following Chapel, the community enjoyed the always popular sushi bar for lunch.

Students and faculty enjoyed a Lunar New Year celebration.

Celebrating the Lunar New Year at Debby’s House (the Head’s House) On February 8, students and faculty enjoyed the Lunar New Year Celebration with traditional food and tea, lively conversation, and much laughter. Students from Asian countries shared how the Lunar New Year is traditionally celebrated and what an important event this is in Asian culture. “Asian food, hot tea, or just the opportunity to celebrate the Lunar New Year with 22 girls from all parts of China and all over the world truly makes me feel like I am home,” said Kayla Chen ’16. “Thank you all for the wonderful lunar New Year celebration!” SUMMER 2013

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John Monagan leads Advanced Placement Human Geography students in using maps to understand the patterns and processes that have shaped human understanding, use, and alteration of the surface of Earth.

Appreciating the Richness of Diverse Societies As it prepares students to make a difference in the world,

India and Nigeria with the aging population in Japan. Then they discussed the differing effects of population bulges on Walker’s introduces them to the diversity of cultures, their respective societies. languages, religions, customs, and economies around the As they studied different cultures, students looked at the globe. Understanding the whys and hows of differences forces that propel groups to move from their traditional between societies is a key building block to educating global lands and to split apart as they migrate. They considered the citizens. role of migrating groups of people in spreading languages, Advanced Placement Human Geography asks why and religions, and ideas and how these change as the migrants how these differences continue to evolve throughout our interact with new groups of people and places. world. Among other large-scale issues, Cultural landscapes are examined students are asked to develop a greater through ways such as how cities are laid understanding of globalization and its They considered the role of out. On a granular level, students potential benefits and risks. analyzed why a coffee shop might open “We discuss the place and space of migrating groups of people in on one street, for example, because it is everything,” says John Monagan, who spreading languages, religions, far enough from a competitor, and avoid teaches the course. “We take a look at what is going on around us on a daily and ideas and how these change another location, which is inconveniently located for commuters. This begins to basis and ask why it happens. We look as the migrants interact with create an understanding of the at everything from the diffusion of new groups of people environmental factors that impact languages to the reason a Starbucks may whether a business is successful or not. open where it does.” The course creates and places. The fast-paced course, open to 10th, understanding, acceptance, and 11th, and 12th graders, also introduced appreciation, critical to developing 21st students to the systematic study of patterns and processes century skills in an increasingly connected world. that have shaped human understanding, use, and alteration In the unit on population, for example, students of the surface of Earth. Students used spatial concepts and investigated factors that account for differences in rates of landscape analysis to examine human social organization and development. These included industrialization, access to its environmental consequences. In addition, they learned education and medical care, conflict, and ability to grow about the methods and tools used by geographers, and often food crops. Students compared the high rate of development used maps that they accessed on their iPads. in the United States with the far lower rate in Afghanistan. They contrasted the large populations of young people in 20

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Healing Amidst the Darkness of War AN INTERVIEW WITH SAJIA DARWISH ’14

Sajia Darwish ’14 fulfilled her junior/senior project requirement at the Cheragh Medical Higher Education and Hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan. To learn more about this requirement, please see page 29. Q. Why did you choose a hospital internship for your project? A. Being a doctor is not something that I simply want; it has

a story behind it. After the Taliban collapse in Afghanistan, there were not enough medical facilities and doctors, especially female doctors. More than 80 percent of women were illiterate and mostly they were not allowed to go to school or have a job, which is still a huge problem. This issue bothered me a lot, so I decided to contribute to the solution by becoming a doctor and showing everyone that women can be a valuable part of the society.

accidents, falling from a high level, and many other situations were completely new to me. In a city like Kabul where there is no lane for cars and no one wears a seatbelt, there are horrifying accidents. I enjoyed going to the hospital and meeting new patients every day. I did not focus on one specific area because I wanted to get a big picture of what it will be like to be a doctor.

Q. How did you go about setting up the project? A. First, I asked my father if this was possible for me to do.

Q. What did you learn from the project? A. Overall, this project was a great opportunity for me. After

Not only is it difficult for high school students to be allowed into the operation section, but also I was worried about the way to get there since the situation in Afghanistan is unpredictable and no one knows when a bomb will explode. But despite these facts, I took the risk and contacted some of the well-known hospitals in Kabul and chose Cheragh Hospital because it was easy to get to from my house. Q. What did you do at the hospital? A. During the three weeks that I was trained as a health

worker, I learned how to measure vital signs, inject in both muscle and vein, and provide emergency assistance. I also attended surgeries. Most of the things I experienced in this project, I had never seen before. Suicides, severe cuts, car

doing this project, I know what the responsibilities of a doctor are. It is a holy job and it requires hard work, especially in Afghanistan where the doctors have to deal with severe injury without the right tools. Most of the times treatment does not work and sometimes when it works, one area of the body gets better, but other parts of the body are destroyed because of the unqualified drugs. The darkness that the war leaves is a common pain that all Afghans share. Nowadays anything about Afghanistan includes war, even a student’s experience of a hospital internship. It is darkness that only education can lighten. So I hope for a peaceful day when there will be more chance for students to continue their education.

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Alumnae In the World DOCEY LEWIS ’67 Over 35 Countries in 35 Years Docey Lewis ’67 has worked for 35 years in over 35 countries as a textile designer for commercial companies and international development organizations. Now based in New Harmony, Indiana, she travels six to nine months each year for her work, most recently to Morocco, South Africa, and Nepal. Q. How did you decide on a career in textiles? A. I have a memory of a loom in our attic when I was two or three. I was

1981, Docey Lewis with son Owen in the Philippines

fascinated with the interlacement of fibers and how perfectly organized it was. I’m related to Eli Whitney and the social reformer Robert Owen. I grew up on the tale that Eli Whitney did miraculous things and died a pauper. I knew that I would have to pay my own way, and I was aware that I came from textile entrepreneurs. I took my first weaving class when I was in Palo Alto during my college years and felt like a duck taking to water. Q. How did your love of weaving grow into a business? A. My early career consisted of teaching weaving and producing weavings for

Docey Lewis teaching women in Columbia how to weave

gallery shows and craft fairs. Then I founded a production studio in California and later in the Philippines, where I lived for five years and operated a business for 14 years. In 1986, I moved back to the United States and founded Docey Lewis Designs, a design studio and international development consultancy using marketdriven design and trade as strategies for economic development. I have been a senior consultant to Aid to Artisans (ATA) since 1988, most recently working on organic cotton in Senegal and with backstrap weavers in Chiapas, Mexico. I have also served on ATA’s board and the boards of Vital Edge Aid, a humanitarian micro-aid organization, and HandEye Fund (HEF), which supports skilled artisans around the world, and I am the chair of HEF’s Artisan Small Grants Committee. I established ATA’s Artisan Health & Safety initiative funded by the eBay Foundation and work with the Hunter Douglas Charitable Endowment on Handmade Water, a project to clean up dye effluent created by village dyers. With my Nepali business partner, I began the Phaplu Monastery Project, a community development venture that includes organic agriculture, a dairy, a papermaking studio, a weaving workshop, monastery restoration, an education program, and a bed and breakfast. Q. What is most rewarding about your work? A. All the other avenues it has led me to—working with fair trade principles,

2012, Docey Lewis at her loom

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advising larger companies on how to navigate and empower artisan communities, constant innovation, and now, working with my son, Owen, and other young people to carry on the business. I’m so proud of both of my children. They were always willing to tag along on my trips and share in my vision of how to make a better world. For the past 30 years, I have been involved with designing and producing products that are not only healthy for the planet, but that also have a social mission of helping communities of women weavers, spinners, dyers, and embroiderers to earn a living from making the highest quality products for the

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highest quality customers. I am privileged to have worked in Q. Did Walker’s have an impact on your journey? over 35 countries and touched the lives of hundreds of A. Absolutely. I learned communication and leadership skills impoverished women, who can now send their children to there. I use my French regularly in the French-speaking school, learn to read, access health centers, and build better countries I work in. A broad curriculum that stressed lives for themselves and their families. academics, the arts, sports, and social service has served me I also work with other members of the Class of ’67 to well. I don’t think I would have been able to write all those support organizations around the world. We call ourselves State Department development reports, training manuals, the Magpies. By pooling our money, the Magpies have been and monographs, if I hadn’t had Miss Schutrum and Miss able to fund the college education of 30 Hunt drumming grammar and clarity girls in Nepal. In Phaplu, we help into my writing. I particularly support a technical training school that remember current events class on Not a day goes by when I don’t teaches girls and women how to make Saturday mornings. I loved that class. products for sale. I was curious about everything and connect my Walker’s education wanted to learn more. to my work with young women Q. What countries do you enjoy Even my spiritual development most? began at Walker’s. Not a day goes by in developing countries. A. Really, every place I travel has been when I don’t connect my Walker’s wonderful, even Bangladesh, which is education to my work educating girls not tourist friendly and is very flat. It in developing countries. I’m always has a wonderful culture. I am happy there, I am happy thinking and asking, “What more can I do?” wherever I go. It’s exciting to think about the impact I can have on others. Q. What advice would you give to current Q. What do you find most challenging? A. The rapid modernization taking place in artisan

communities. Many of the grown children of artisans don’t want to make crafts for a living. They are better educated than their parents or have other more appealing and better paying opportunities. The political situation in places like Nepal and Bangladesh also impacts our business.

students in their future careers? A. Entrepreneurial skills are vital. Learn basic business skills.

Have a vision, make a plan, work the plan, but be flexible. When opportunity knocks, trust your gut. Don’t forget about what quality of life you want, what will make you happy. It’s not all about the money. I don’t see a lot of happy people who are chasing the money. Figure out a meaningful life.

JULIA DIAMOND ’08 The Peace Corps in Madagascar In early March, Julia Diamond ’08 left Connecticut to join the Peace Corps for two years in Madagascar, off Africa’s southeast coast. “Walker’s helped me learn to push myself and take risks. The school had high expectations for me,” she said. Setting high expectations for herself, Julia spent her first three months living with a host family while learning to speak Malagasy, studying the local culture, and developing her assignment skills. She was given a health education assignment, and she was looking forward to teaching about disease prevention, water sanitation, and nutrition. Nearly 70 percent of the country’s 22 million people live in poverty. Julia Diamond ’08 and Jill Harrington, Dean of Studies & Faculty

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CODIE KANE ’08 Combatting Inequality in Education — One Village at a Time Codie is serving as a Fellow for Teach for China during 2012-2014, after graduating from Georgetown University with a psychology major and Spanish minor. Teach For China (TFC) is an organization that aims to provide all Chinese children a quality education by placing young leaders in rural, under-resourced schools. I live and work at an elementary school in a high-poverty village in Lincang, Yunnan. I teach English, gym, and art. I also organize the school’s weekly English radio program, English library, and English club. I will remain in my village for two years, after which I hope to pursue a career in education policy to fight for my students and others like them on a broad scale. I was drawn to teaching and TFC because I felt passionate about education inequity. I had witnessed it in a range of different forms across the globe—in Washington, D.C., while working with the D.C. Public Schools, in rural El Salvador while participating in Georgetown University’s Global Education and Social Justice Research Fellowship, and in my tiny hometown of East Hartland, Connecticut. By my senior year of college, I had seen too many promising children who were constrained in their life opportunities by virtue of their place of birth. I reached the conclusion that I could no longer simply bear witness to this unjust phenomenon; I had to participate in the effort to end it. I was a somewhat unusual candidate for the fellowship, because I had not studied Chinese before applying. I recognized this as an obstacle, but was interested in the possibility of learning as much from my students as they would learn from me. Since starting work with TFC in September, I have found that I was right to feel excited. My students and I engage in a true partnership. I actively endeavor to broaden their

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Codie Kane ’08 with three of her students in China

horizons, while they unintentionally do the same for me. My time at Walker’s was highly influential in my decision to join the organization. While there, I first began to grapple with issues of privilege and poverty. In AP U.S. History with Clarky, Social and Political Philosophy with Mr. Deeds, and numerous other courses, I was forced to critically examine inequality. I began to understand how and why I should work against it. The Walker’s emphasis on community service, additionally, allowed me to experience the range of ways I could work against social injustice. It demonstrated to me that I could be effective in doing so. Creating a strong culture of achievement—Teach for China’s term for a classroom environment in which students want to succeed and believe that they can do so—has been the focus of my work thus far as a Fellow. In an education system that caters to top students while leaving low performers behind, this has not been easy. My students are accustomed to a rigid concept of intelligence. They have been taught that some of their peers will always do well academically, while others will fail. I have worked to counter this through building an atmosphere of safety in my classroom. All of my students are encouraged to try and, more importantly, to support each other. One of the first things they learned, for instance, was how to ask their peers for help. I knew this was succeeding when a local teacher came to observe one of my classes. While chatting afterward, she mentioned, “I was so surprised to see Liu Hua Zhi participating so much. He’s never answered a question in my class. How is it that he had his hand raised throughout English class?” I consider this one of my proudest accomplishment to date.

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PAM CONSTABLE ’70 Bearing Witness to History in Over 40 Countries Pamela Constable ’70, a staff writer for The Washington Post since 1994, has covered Afghanistan, India, Iraq, Pakistan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. Previously, she reported for The Boston Globe from Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as from the former Soviet Union, South Korea, and the Philippines. She is author of several books based on her work overseas. Constable was the Walker’s 2013 graduation speaker. Q. What is it like to report from troubled places such as Iraq and Pakistan? A. It’s very difficult. There is hardship and often real danger.

Being a woman is not the most difficult part of reporting in countries under strife and conflict. Rather, it’s getting used to hardships such as no running water and extreme heat, and the danger that can erupt unexpectedly. As a reporter, man or woman, you are there with many others and are automatically part of that group. You don’t go out alone, and there is safety in numbers.

and the restoration of democracy. Afghanistan is another. I was there for five years right after the Taliban was overthrown. Now the situation has changed for the worse, but those first few years were indescribable, just to see people rejoicing in their freedom. Q. Why did you become a journalist? A. I have always loved writing, and I knew from a young age

that I wanted to be a journalist. Journalists don’t make a lot of money, but I knew it would feed my soul. Q. Did Walker’s influence your journey? A. I’ve been lucky to have many wonderful English teachers

in all my schools, but Miss Schutrum and Miss Hunt at Walker’s stick out in my mind. Miss Schutrum ran a program that involved tutoring inner-city kids in Hartford. I would spend one afternoon each week tutoring these kids, and it opened me up to social issues such as poverty and illiteracy. Miss Hunt took us off campus to plays and let us read authors she had not read before. She really rose to the occasion to nurture us and develop in us a true strength in writing. Q. What advice do you have for students and young alumnae? A. Experiment. Try different things you

Q. Have you ever felt in physical danger? A. Yes, often. Sometimes it had been

during military conflict, such as the urban fighting in Baghdad, but more frequently, it’s a result of protests or riots, or being lost in hostile or conflicted areas. When I report from overseas, I Q. What do you love most about your career? A. What I love most is learning

am trusted to bear witness to

something new every day and often being surprised. What I appreciate most is that I am trusted to bear witness to history for others. Because of that, I feel a great responsibility and an enormous sense of privilege to be doing this work, every single day.

that, I feel a huge responsibility

history for others. Because of

and an enormous sense of privilege to be doing this work, every single day.

Q. You’ve covered stories in over 40 countries. Is there a particular story that has stayed with you or impacted you more than others? A. Things that stick in my mind are not the individual

stories, but the places. Haiti is a place where people suffer so much, but they are so vibrant, with such wonderful art and music. It’s difficult to understand how those things can exist in the same place. Chile is another special place. I was there during tremendous turmoil, struggle against dictatorship,

think you might like. Don’t rush into a certain career too soon. There is nothing wrong with not knowing what you want to do. Take time to think and decide. The rise of technology and the Internet have created an emphasis on speed, but real thinking is about taking time and developing ideas and opinions. Look at yourself holistically. Ask yourself, what will make me fulfilled as a person? How can I be useful to society and the world? Think of life as a tree with many branches, always expanding, rather than boxing yourself in. Money isn’t everything. It can insulate you and prevent you from feeling empathy for others.

Q. You’re also known for your passion for animals. A. Yes, this is my passion. I started an animal shelter in

Afghanistan, a country where they don’t have vets or clinics or shelters for small animals. They value livestock because they depend heavily on it, but not pets except for guard dogs and fighting dogs. There were so many animals suffering and neglected on the streets. In the past nine years, the shelter has healed and saved hundreds of small animals. It is what truly makes me happy. SUMMER 2013

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Mousetraps, Power Tools, & Newton’s Laws Brock Dunn’s 9th grade Honors Physics course “is as inquiry-based as possible, emphasizing learning by doing,” he says. In the past year, his students designed water pressure rockets to fly as far as possible, built toothpick bridges, emphasizing strength, and observed and graphed the acceleration of bicycles, cars, and sleds in motion. And then there was the mousetrap car assignment. Dunn started this project with the instruction: “The mousetrap has to move your car. You’ll figure it out.” Much like situations in the real world, there were no rules for the size or shape of the cars. The students had to use problem-solving, team work, resourcefulness, and creativity to figure it out. As the students worked, they came to understand friction, motion, Newton’s laws, and other concepts. Although each girl worked on her own car, the students shared supplies and tools, with day students inviting boarders home for work sessions. Dunn invited the entire class to his house to use power tools and glue guns. Much like in the work force, teamwork was leveraged to accomplish a goal. The final day of the project found the girls in the gym measuring how far their cars moved when the arm of the mousetrap snapped. The class had agreed at the start of the project that a car that moved 5.8 meters (6.34 yards) would earn a C. The length the different cars moved varied, with the car developed by Nellie Speers ’16 moving more than 12 meters (13.12 yards).

EXCERPTS FROM STUDENT PAPERS ABOUT THE MOUSETRAP CAR PROJECT “Even though many of the cars did not go as far as we may have wanted, I think it was a successful project because we learned about all these important scientific concepts without even noticing. Also, in the future they will be easier to remember since we learned the concepts through doing instead of reading about them. So if the goal was to cover this material in the most entertaining, fun, and thorough way, I think all of us accomplished it with flying colors.” Nell Shea ’16

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“My first car was a complete failure. My second one was a little bit better. Then, moving on to my third one, there was a huge problem about my eye hooks, so it just tore up the whole mousetrap car. I got my new mousetrap the second day. I destroyed the snapper. Then I got another one. I destroyed it again. After this I made another car, but on the test day, it broke by itself. So I built another. It actually went pretty far. I tested it again and again. I don’t think there is even a word to describe how HAPPY I was! I am so thankful that I didn’t give up. I feel like I learned more than physics. I learned that I should never give up!” Candace Qian ’16

“Newton’s laws are factors in building a mousetrap car. Newton’s first law states that an object at rest wants to stay at rest, and an object in motion, wants to stay in motion, unless acted upon by an outside force. My mousetrap car relates to this because the car does not move until the mousetrap force (the outside/unbalanced force) makes it move, and keeps moving until all of its energy (kinetic) is consumed. Newton’s third law states that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. When the mousetrap snaps back, that is the action, and the axle spinning, making the car move forward is the reaction.” Lian Nicholson ’16

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Bungee Cord Barbies How many rubber bands will it take to drop Barbie from the balcony in Abra’s without hitting the floor when the doll has one end of a series of rubber bands wrapped around her feet and the other end held by a 7th grader? How much further will she fall when you add one, two, three, or even more rubber bands to the length of her bungee? After trying a number of experiments involving Barbie and rubber bands in the After trying a number of classroom, the students made experiments involving Barbie and predictions and then got to test them in Abra’s. rubber bands in the classroom, the These were the questions students students made predictions and in Lee-Ann Harris’s P’13 pre-algebra then got to test them in Abra’s. class investigated in a lesson on graphing and predicting results. Students graphed the number of rubber bands (the independent variable on the horizontal axis) against the distance the dolls dropped (the dependent variable on the vertical axis). Each Barbie used was slightly different and took a different number of rubber bands, which added to the complexity of the lesson. Among much laughter, the lesson introduced students to the serious concept of lines and interested them in linear functions. Later in the unit they returned to the Barbie graph to delve into slope and other ideas. Coverage of the presidential campaign and election presented another opportunity to tie graphing to the world when Harris challenged the students to consider how graphs can be biased. Long before they will be eligible to vote, the 7th graders analyzed how to tell an honest from a dishonest graph.

Virtual Labs When 6th-grade Ecology students asked the question, “How do organisms react to changes in abiotic factors in their environment?” they might have experimented with raising the water temperature in which actual fish were swimming. But as the temperature rose, the fish might have been harmed. So Julie Greshin P’12 directed students to a virtual laboratory to answer this and other questions throughout the year. Each of the virtual labs provides an introduction to the material being studied, the purpose of the experiment, and the procedure for conducting the lab work. In the abiotic factor experiment, girls counted the number of times the fish’s gills opened and closed over 15 seconds when the water was set at three different temperatures. The lab allowed them to repeat the experiment with two other types of fish. Then the girls graphed the results and discussed how this and other abiotic factors can affect biotic creatures. The final step was for the students to answer six questions provided in the lab. Greshin points out that using a virtual laboratory has other benefits beyond saving animals and students from distress. Because the virtual labs are, “very thorough and

clear,” she says that students can be more active learners, rather than passively sitting and listening to a lecture. Each girl can work at her own pace, finish the assignment at home if necessary, or conduct the entire experiment at home if she is out ill. Using the virtual lab, a student can even imagine having control over the environment she is studying.

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How Girls Learn Statistics Best Want to know which ice cream Walker’s students prefer in a blind test1 or how friendly the different grades are at lunch2? How about whether they can resist eating a brownie in order to follow directions3? Or how people worldwide answer the question: Which came first, the chicken or the egg4? Groups of Advanced Placement Statistics students conducted observational studies in February to learn the answers to these questions, after determining their goals and methods. In prior years, the students in Kim Overtree’s course conducted their studies after the AP exam in May. But in 2012-2013, the students progressed so quickly that Overtree moved the assignment up. She credits the faster pace to a fundamental change she made in the course to reflect how girls learn statistics best. From examining the research, Overtree learned that boys growing up see mostly fact-based statistics about real situations, such as those on baseball cards. Girls, however, tend to see statistics that may not be based on real information, such as claims in cosmetics ads. These statistics are selling a product based on body image, so there is also an emotional component to the numbers. She wanted her students to understand at the start of the year that statistics need to be based on facts and that most of the statistics they had seen were unreliable and may have been used to manipulate audiences. Conversations with colleagues at co-ed schools revealed that their female students learn this quickly from listening to the boys in the class. But could the same goal be achieved through another means? Overtree also looked at research about the teenage brain. She learned that typical teen traits, such as moodiness and engaging in risky behaviors, lead in time to success in adult thinking. Adolescents are going through a process of adapting to mature cognition. She realized that Walker’s students, if appropriately challenged, could adapt to a new way of thinking about statistics. Her final insight was to realize that the order of chapters in the textbook does not serve girls well. The book starts with visual data displays, which students find relatively easy. They are not challenged to adapt to a new way of thinking. Instead, Overtree decided to start the course with probability. She asked the girls to think about the statistics they were already familiar with. Soon students were asking questions about the data they previously just accepted as truth in the cosmetics ads.

This plunge into a different way of thinking excited the students, and they quickly adapted. Overtree says she saw a marked improvement in test grades over prior years. Another benefit was students’ increased sophistication about cultural messages. “This gave them the opportunity to look at the messages society sends us and question them for accuracy,” she explains. “The changes I’ve made challenged the girls in the class. They left the course with a more realistic idea of how statistics describe the world and how they can know if someone is being honest with the numbers,” she says. “This year the students understood the material better, so they could do a better job of applying it. And this year students were happier with the course and thought it was more fun.”

1 Different grades had different preferences, but overall students preferred the Hood and Breyers brands to Edy’s. 2 42 percent of sophomores sat at lunch tables with students from other grades, compared to 26% of juniors, 20% of freshman, and 11% of seniors. 3 Subjects were much more likely to follow oral instructions, and the presence of instructors impacted whether subjects chose to follow directions. 4 62.5% of people who responded to the question posted on Shake on WeChat think the chicken came first.

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Junior/Senior Projects Junior/senior projects provide an opportunity for each student to pursue an in-depth study of an area of interest outside the classroom. Project requirements include submitting a project proposal for approval, two weeks of intensive study (minimum of 80 hours), daily journal reflections, a post-project paper, a 10-15 minute presentation, and a dynamic poster capturing the essence of the project. 2012-2013 PROJECTS WERE: Olivia Aker ’14, ear, nose and throat medicine Taryn Anderson ’14, teacher assistant Mari Arico ’13, cheerleading counselor Ross Beed ’13, sheep care Jonell Brown ’13, American government Britt Camacho ’14, independent project: ukulele Jess Chang ’13, National Student Leadership Conference medicine program, University of Maryland Shany Choi ’14, university research lab, South Korea Amy Crescimanno ’13, history museum, New Britain Keelyn Crowe ’13, restaurant business Stephanie Cruz ’14, shadowing a city prosecutor Sajia Darwish ’14, hospital internship, Afghanistan Vicki Daguerre-Bradford ’13, Congressional campaign Kelly Dyson ’13, Habitat for Humanity, Hartford Angel Fang ’13, computer engineering, China Abby Fasano ’13, animal shelter Liz Glover ’14, broadcasting and journalism Nicole Gregory ’13, history museum, Farmington Grace Han ’13, hospital internship, South Korea Emery Hanson ’13, animal shelter Heejin Hur ’14, Healthy Family Organization community service Hannah Jones ’13, therapeutic riding Emily Kirby ’13, feline care Amanda Lee ’13, fashion design Ya Liu ’13, Chinese herbal medicine Jacinta Lomba ’13, Cape Verde music and culture Kari Macke ’13, counselor, soccer camp Marisa Martin ’13, feline care KyungRyun Mo ’14, volunteer care for elderly Madison Morsch ’13, business sales Lauren Nicholson ’14, Hands on Hartford community service Emilee O’Brien ’13, golf camp counselor Başak Öztahtaci ’13, study abroad program counselor Devin Pafumi ’13, coaching tennis/autism Tara Patrina ’13, arts camp counselor Meredith Pellon ’14, dance choreography Chelsea Regan ’13, chemistry lab, Trinity College Abby Reynolds ’13, Outward Bound Coriene Smith ’13, pediatrics Lena Springer ’13, coaching softball Caroline Streett ’13, Police Department, Farmington Abigail Symes ’13, volunteer, special needs Sam Tressy ’14, elementary education Mei Wheaton ’14, managing clothing store; benefit “Not for Sale” Laura Wheeler ’14, pathology internship Lucy Zhang ’13, cardiology shadow, China Yiru Zhong ’13, food inspection agency

Liz Glover ’14 with Irene O’Connor from Connecticut Channel 3 News

Shany Choi ’14 at a university research lab in South Korea

Ross Beed ’13 managed care of sheep.

Meredith Pellon ’14 choreographed contemporary dances. SUMMER 2013

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iPad Year in Review: Friend or Foe? BY SARAH EDSON, DEAN OF TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION, AND NAN FLANAGAN ’93, DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS

school, requiring every student and teacher to have an iPad as a tool to enhance learning. And so began a year full of excitement, discovery, and adjustment. Change can be uncomfortable, but at its core, innovation is about doing things differently. We knew that, unquestionably, the iPad would provide myriad new opportunities for learning: reading, taking and organizing notes, recording and editing video, writing and publishing, creating presentations. But we also learned it did much more. The year was filled with the discovery of unexpected benefits from simple conveniences, for example, girls taking photos with the iPad of class notes on white boards, ensuring they had access to all notes anytime they needed them, to in-class research via Google, enhancing the discussion beyond the norm. Teachers were learning alongside students; both were learning from each other. The joy of discovery was a two-way street, embraced by both our girls and our faculty. But with innovation, opportunity, and adoption, come challenges. Distraction is the biggest hurdle. One million apps are available to iPad users. Our students have games and distractions galore at their fingertips. Our excellent, engaging faculty are the key to combating this, and over the course of the year, we’ve seen how effective they are at keeping students focused in the classroom. Another challenge is less face-to-face interaction. While this trend is not unique to Walker’s, or to the iPad, as a school, we remain committed to balancing time each day

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ART CREDIT: GREG KULOWIEC

Walker’s began the 2012-2013 academic year as a 1:1

with athletics, the arts, riding, meal times, when we are not tied to our screens. E-books turned out to be a challenge this year, as well. Over the last 10 months, we have learned so much about the range in functionality and quality of different e-book platforms. Some are reliable, some are not. Yet through testing and collaborating with each other, we have successfully reached 85 percent penetration of e-books; an impressive figure for year one. Flash proves to be another challenge on the iPad. It doesn’t display well on the iPad device and yet many valuable learning resources are Flash-based. Knowing this, we remain committed to maintaining computer labs on campus so that our students can use the right device for the right task. In spite of the challenges, the iPad is a huge win for Walker’s. Ultimately, today’s students need to be skilled at finding the information they need, thinking critically about it, evaluating it, collaborating with others in using it effectively, and applying their creativity to solve problems with it. The iPad opens countless doors to support teachers and students in nurturing these fluencies.

A C A D E M I C S The possibilities are seemingly endless, and while it’s easy to jump on the technology bandwagon, a balanced approached is critical to meaningful success. Our focus is not on the ever-growing list of available apps, nor have our faculty fallen prey to the bells and whistles of the iPad. Our focus remains steadfastly on effective learning for our students where knowledge is the foundation and from there, we build to increasingly higher-order thinking skills. The iPad plays a critical role in this and with experience, continued exploration, and opportunities to share, there is much ahead for us to discover.

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DEAN OF TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION SARAH EDSON USES SIX VERBS TO DESCRIBE THE MYRIAD OPPORTUNITIES THE IPAD PROGRAM PROVIDES: 1. Connect—Classes can connect to learning opportunities beyond the School, for example, to look at a piece of art or read an article in a scientific journal. Because everyone has the same equipment, each student has an equal connection to these opportunities. 2. Critique information and sources—The iPads allow students to do more than collect information. They also can analyze the sources of information. 3. Collaborate—Students can work together more easily as they conduct research, write, solve problems, and publish their results. 4. Communicate—Students are learning the art and nuances of using digital channels to communicate in new ways with text, audio, and visual media. 5. Create—The iPad allows students to step away from being passive learners and instead create and publish content that demonstrates what they have learned. 6. Carry—The technology’s portability means it can be used outside the classroom, as when physics students videotaped moving cars to enhance their understanding of acceleration.

THE TEACHER’S EXPERIENCE The joy of discovery was a two-way street, embraced by both our girls and our faculty.

Michele Harris P’08 found that the technology provided unexpected opportunities for her 10th Grade Seminar. For a session on how AIDS affects girls and women in Africa, she gave the girls time in class to explore the topic in any direction they chose. Then the students shared what they learned, with each girl having something different to report on. “It was more meaningful how they amassed the information,” Harris explains. “They got away from the pattern of one expert and 16 followers. We were all learning at the same time.” Another benefit, she says, is that “this process meant that even the quietest students were participating.” Science teacher Julie Greshin P’12 found that the online textbook added to the success of her environmental science course. The textbook integrated exercises and labs with text and photos that could be blown up. The iPad also enhanced student attention. Greshin would prepare a presentation on her iPad and then project it onto the whiteboard and send it to students’ iPads, where they could add notes to her lecture. “They could listen more to what I was saying without worrying about missing something,” she says. SUMMER 2013

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A Conversation with Sarah Edson In an article in the Parent Newsletter, Dean of Technology & Innovation Sarah Edson discussed her four years at Walker’s. Q. You have a dual role here—teacher and Academic Technology Analyst. How do the two work together? What do you teach? A. I designed and teach a course on digital citizenship as part

I N N O V A T I O N Q. Do you have a particular approach to your job, both as a technologist and teacher? A. I want to help my students develop the ability to ask great

questions and seek good answers to those questions. I try to engage them in active learning as often as possible. I also want to empower them to create with technology at least as much as they “consume” with it. In other words, I want them not just to read, watch, listen, and observe; I also want them to write, record, edit, design, program, and ultimately publish their learning so that others may learn from them. I also want to model efficient use of technology. It’s not about using technology more; it’s about using technology well. Time spent away from screens, offline, outdoors, with friends and peers is an essential part of students’ development here.

of the 9th Grade Seminar. Throughout the class, my students and I examine the ways that today’s Internet, mobile computing devices, and social media platforms impact the way we live and learn. We explore such concepts as Technology will continue to digital literacy; digital communication; and digital law, rights, and change, and for schools to responsibilities. We also consider how thrive amidst such change, we digital technologies can both positively have to commit to a culture of and negatively impact our health and wellness. Outside of this class, I’m able ongoing learning, sharing, and to apply what I’ve learned as I support mutual support. Our collective all Ethel Walker School faculty and students in their use of technology for insights and expertise will help teaching and learning. us all advance.

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Q. What has been the most challenging, and most rewarding, aspect to our School’s transition to a 1:1 iPad program? A. It has been equally challenging and

rewarding that I am learning alongside every other teacher and student. We are all relatively new to the world of iPads, e-books, and emerging apps. And yet it’s my charge to help lead and support our community. So it has been

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a challenge not always having the right answer or solution immediately, but it has been valuable to model how to find or create those solutions. Technology will continue to change, and for schools to thrive amidst such change, we have to commit to a culture of ongoing learning, sharing, and mutual support. Our collective insights and expertise will help us all advance. Q. This will be your third year involved in EdCampCT, a day of free professional development for educators on campus. How did your involvement in this event come about? A. Three years ago, I participated in

EdCamp Boston and experienced Sarah Edson with students on an exchange trip to Australia firsthand what a simple but powerful concept it is to bring educators instructor. In the end, it was a fantastic, relevant together for a free day of participant-driven professional conversation that challenged the girls’ thinking, so I would learning. Teachers have so much to learn from one another, absolutely do it again. but the profession is largely conducted in isolation throughout the school year. To supplement professional Q. What do you enjoy most about being at development where outside experts are brought in, it can be Walker’s? extremely valuable to have a day when teachers from the A. I deeply appreciate this warm community, this gorgeous same school or region come together to share their practices, campus, and the chance to learn and laugh every day. I know ideas, and dilemmas. And unlike traditional conferences that that not every job comes with such perks, so I consider often charge a substantial registration fee, EdCamps are free. myself lucky. One participant of our inaugural “unconference” on campus remarked that he “learned more in one day at EdCamp CT than [he] ever learned in college or any PD in [his] first two years of teaching.” That and other positive feedback from participants has made it a no-brainer to continue hosting this event. Q. Can you describe a funny or memorable experience from the classroom? A. I challenged my students to engage

in a debate about whether or not school Admissions Departments should consider an applicant’s social media presence when deciding whether to admit the prospective student. The debate became heated on both sides, with a few girls literally climbing out of their seats to express their views. I felt more like a referee than an

Sarah Edson presenting at the Westminster Symposium

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Of course, we at Walker’s are not alone in our use of Latin in our motto. My own school in Hampton, in West London, founded in 1557 by the way, has Praestat opes sapentia roughly translated as “wisdom surpasses wealth.” As English Department Chair Roger Cantello P’14 delivered an Old Hamptonian, I agree. remarks to the community as 10 students were inducted into the What does our own motto convey about the character Cum Laude Society in recognition of their excellence in traits we value at Walker’s? When I came here to interview in academic work. The inductees are Heather Carey ’13, Nicole 2000, I was in the library on a tour with Mr. Prager, and he Gregory ’13, Allie Harris ’13, Jacinta Lomba ’13, Lauren asked me if I knew what the motto meant, Nullas Horas Nisi Nicholson ’14, Başak Öztahtaci ’13, Chelsea Regan ’13, Abby Aureas. Based on my schoolboy Latin (a subject I loved, if Reynolds ’13, Kate Richardson ’14, and Heejin Hur ’14. you can’t tell), I gave him a poor, but adequate translation Excerpts from Cantello’s speech are reprinted here. something along the lines of, “No hours but golden ones . . .” Now as I stand here alongside I feel honored to be invited to speak at my colleagues, honoring the school’s our Cum Laude Society ceremony Cum Laude inductees 13 years later, today, and I am grateful for the My faculty colleagues and I I think I have a much better, deeper opportunity to share a few thoughts as treasure your open minds and understanding of the motto, which we have started the “beginning of the seems to me to take a retrospective, your willingness to work hard; end” of this academic year at Walker’s. perhaps sentimental, look at a girl’s To the Class of 2013, I comfort you we want you to know that we time here. At this time of year, with the belief that all of you will value your diligence, we reminiscences and earnest reflections graduate, some of you with Honors, abound: Girls speak of years that fly admire your work ethic, and some of you with High Honors, some by, of appreciating what we have here. of you cum laude, and as one energetic we respect the ways that you We had our latest example of that in graduation speaker once put it, some of today’s senior speech. Our seniors leave balance your lives and manage you will graduate praise the laude! to face up to the challenges of the We are here to celebrate scholarship to make the most of our busy future with confidence, courage, and and give praise to the students in the days here together. conviction because of an Ethel Walker senior and junior classes who have been education. inducted to the Cum Laude Society.

Students Inducted into Cum Laude Society

Cum laude—with praise. Isn’t it interesting that we choose Latin to confer this particular designation, especially in a society that uses Greek words in its own motto? Latin provides a classical allusion, a sense of antiquity and gravitas even in this unbelievably ever-changing 21st century world. Why do we do this? I was listening to a head of a private school recently who was speaking to a group of admitted students and their parents, and he told them that their choice of high school was in many ways even more important than their choice of college, because schools had more of a hand in forming character. The objectives of colleges and universities are quite distinctly different from those of schools when it comes to character. I started wondering about this; then in the name of scholarship I began to do some research around other mottos.

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Top, from left, Roger Cantello P’14, English Department Chair, Head of School Bessie Speers P’16, Science Department Chair and President of Walker’s Cum Laude Chapter Dr. Julia Sheldon, Head of Middle and Upper School Brock Dunn P’19; middle two rows, from left, Heather Carey ’13, Abby Reynolds ’13, Başak Öztahtaci ’13, Chelsea Regan ’13, Nicole Gregory ’13, Jacinta Lomba ’13, Allie Harris ’13; front, from left, Heejin Hur ’14, Lauren Nicholson ’14, Kate Richardson ’14.

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We’ll sing our rather vibrant school song time and again in the weeks ahead, starting in just a few moments in fact, celebrating “the school we love so well.” I always enjoy seeing our girls sway as one to the tune—not such a big deal when I first came here. On the big day on June 9th this year, as in 100 years before, we’ll all be clapping at Commencement, but for our own reasons (as a former colleague of ours once said). Amidst this process, the formalities of closing the year require us to look back on your achievements Dr. Julia Sheldon, Science Department Roger Cantello P’14, English Chair and President of the Walker’s Department Chair, delivers Cum Laude at the school in a series of events and Cum Laude Society Chapter remarks to the community. traditions. This is one such an occasion, perhaps our finest, and one rightly held in the highest esteem by our community. Our cum laude inductees qualify to enter the society in part by Grade Point Average, but it is the qualities they possess and share with us behind the GPA that we honor, that we praise today. Ladies, the examples you demonstrate to our community set the right academic tone for the School. My faculty colleagues and I treasure your open minds and your willingness to work hard; we want you to know that we value your diligence, we admire your work ethic, and we respect the ways that you balance your lives and manage to make the most of our busy days here together. Teaching is a privilege and a pleasure, and as much as we Head of School Bessie Speers P’16 recognizes each Cum Laude inductee. all love the girls here, we also feel a profound and onerous sense of responsibility as we help you on your way. But teaching students who exhibit the qualities of honor and understanding, and now we hope you will carry on inspiring curiosity, allied with a sense of moral excellence and dignity others beyond this campus. that you exude, is truly a blessing. We simply hope that through your examples, you Our motto Nullas Horas Nisi Aureas speaks of time well improve the lives of others by sharing your undeniable spent, happy times, golden times, and at a school, such strengths, gifts, and talents. Please continue to be dissatisfied happiness should be derived from learning, trying one’s best, with the complacency of the status quo (more Latin!). We making connections in knowledge alongside friends and hope that you will pass on your excellent and honorable love teachers. Today we congratulate and praise you who have of learning wherever you go. reached the very highest standards of scholarship here at a Let’s just pause for a few moments. After a hectic place that values your voices as much as the weight of Monday full of the stresses and strains of the imminent history, the expansion of thought, the joy of solving complex approach of APs, SATs, classes, and practices and the rush problems in science and mathematics, the epiphany of past the blossoms to get here on time, clean, shampooed, understanding an author’s intention, the love of languages, and in Vespers dress, let’s just recognize one final time why and the sheer pleasure of the aesthetics of dance, art, and we’re here and what this unique moment in the School’s theater. calendar represents: On this beautiful spring day, on this I ask you to reflect upon what you have learned and how spectacular campus, as our school year moves toward its you’ve changed in your time here. The work we have shared inexorable conclusion, we sit among friends, colleagues, and together has enabled each of you to become what Mr. Darcy family to recognize cum laude the most deserving and in Pride and Prejudice calls an accomplished young woman. inspirational of our scholars. (You may recall that later he particularly emphasizes Well done, ladies! You are most worthy of our praise, and extensive reading). Yes, we have witnessed you increase your this is truly a golden hour! knowledge, sharpen your skills, and refine your SUMMER 2013

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Makeup Free & Proud Head of School Bessie Speers P’16 was one of more than 30 women leaders from the Greater Hartford community who agreed to be photographed without makeup for an exhibit at the Charter Oak Cultural Center in Hartford. Revealed: Images of Women Leaders Who Bared to Make Change was the culmination of the year-long Girlcott campaign. Walker’s student, Allie Harris ’13, was inspired to take photo portraits of over 100 makeup-free photos of Walker’s students and faculty members, which were featured during the gallery opening of the exhibit. Girlcott is a Hartford-based national movement of women willing to go makeup-free for the month of March and donate the money normally spent on cosmetics to the Girlcott Fund, which benefits women and girls locally and around the world. The ultimate goal is to raise awareness of the negative portrayal of girls and women in the media and its impact on society. Twelve Walker’s students starred in I Am An Emotional Creature at The Charter Oak Cultural Center in Hartford on March 7. Based on Eve Ensler’s bestselling book I Am An Emotional Creature: The Secret Life of Girls around the World, the students performed readings showcasing what it is like to be a teenage girl in today’s world of mass media, social pressures and seemingly unlimited digital access. The show was also part of the Girlcott campaign.

Bessie Speers P’16, Emilee O’Brien ’13, Rabbi Donna Berman, Hannah Jones ’13, Devin Pafumi ’13, Amy Crescimanno ’13, and Hannah Meehan ’13 at The Charter Oak Cultural Center Art Gallery.

Tina Wang ’15, one of 12 Walker’s students who starred in I Am An Emotional Creature, performing “Free Barbie” at The Charter Oak Cultural Center Gala on March 7.

Maggie Richardson ’15 appears on News 8 to talk about Girlcott and I Am An Emotional Creature, a performance based on Eve Ensler’s book

Below are photos taken by Allie Harris ’13 and displayed at Charter Oak Cultural Center. From left, Lena Springer ’13, Maggie Richardson ’15, Lizzie Turner ’14, Taryn Anderson ’14, German ASSIST student Hanna Schnitzer, Devin Pafumi ’13, Kate Czaja ’16

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Faith Middleton, This Year’s Bonz Speaker Award-winning journalist Faith Middleton, best known for her talk show on WNPR, The Faith Middleton Show, joined the Walker’s community as this year’s speaker in the Margaret Huling Bonz Women of Distinction Speaker’s Series. During her May 8 visit, she first met with students and faculty for an intimate and honest conversation about women in the world, including women in the media. “You have a seat at the table of life,” she said. “Take it, it’s yours.” Speaking during Chapel, Middleton urged people to be open, make connections—even small ones with a stranger —and redefine love to include these small moments. This speaker series is made possible by an endowed fund created in June 1999 through the contributions of generous donors in recognition of Margaret Huling Bonz after she served for 11 years as Head of School at Walker’s. The series exposes the School community to a culturally diverse array of distinguished women representing a variety of professions. Past speakers have included Gloria Steinem, Lee Woodruff, and Janet Hanson.

From left, Teacher Carol Clark-Flanagan P’93, ’97, Head of School Bessie Speers P’16, Faith Middleton

2013–2014 Big Seven Back from left, Brittany Camacho ’14, Lizzie Turner ’14, Taryn Anderson ’14. Front from left, Kennedy Hilliard ’14, Madison Glass ’14, Alissa Lopez ’14, Kirina Gair-MacMichael ’14

A Message from the Director of Admissions Dear Walker’s Alumnae, Parents, and Friends, Newly enrolled girls include eight siblings, six legacies, eleven different countries (Bahamas, China, Dominica, Germany, Hong Kong, Korea, New Zealand, Pakistan, Peru, Turkey, and Vietnam), 14 states, gifted artists, competitive athletes and equestrians, and strong scholars. As we move into the future, our Admissions team will renew its focus on growing our international student population in addition to the substantial domestic recruiting we already do. We will continue to make changes to our operation in order to strengthen relationships that are key to a competitive admissions program. Paramount to that is a commitment to nurturing relationships with myriad constituents, especially alumnae and current parents, some of our greatest ambassadors. If you are interested in being a Regional Ambassador for Admissions, please let us know. You can email me directly at mshea@ethelwalker.org.

Missy Shea, P’16 DIRECTOR OF ADMISSIONS

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A Little Princess

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Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re A Good Man Charlie Brown

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Dance Concert

Middle School Night of Excellence

This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Middle School Night of Excellence showcased the breadth and depth of talent from our Middle Schoolers. The night highlights excellence in the arts and is a favorite event among parents.

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Spring Break Service Learning Ten Walker’s students traveled with faculty chaperones Mallory Greene and Mimi Duran P’12 to Franklin, West Virginia, to participate in home construction projects for the Almost Heaven Habitat for Humanity. The group worked with students from Avon Old Farms School on installing roofing, framing walls, and painting on a threeunit house for low-income residents of eastern West Virginia. The girls felt incredibly proud to be a part of such a meaningful and altruistic service learning project, despite the long hours, challenging work, and harsh weather.

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Reﬂection on Building for Habitat BY CRYSTEAR LIU ’14

Before the trip, I thought I would learn only from our work, but what I forgot is: The lessons of life are everywhere. Looking back now, I see I learned more in the little apartment where we lived for the one-week trip. We lived together without Facebook, Snapchat, and all the other online communications. For all of us, I believe, it was the first time living without Internet in a long time. After a whole day of hard work, we actually went outside and played games and bonded with each other in real life. I, an indoor person, learned how to play volleyball. We wouldn’t stop playing until everyone was exhausted. It was soooo much fun. We are so obsessed with the social life provided by the Internet that we forget about the significance of face-to-face communication. This trip made me aware of what I miss when I am staring at my computer or iPad or cell phone screen—the smell of the grass, the blueness of the sky, the heat from the sunshine, and most importantly the real friends around me. So, to all: From now on, close your electronics once in a while, go play with real world friends. I promise you, it is much more fun.

Grapes Perform at Beneﬁt

More than Two Tons of Carrots

The Grapes, Walker’s a cappella group, performed in a benefit concert of Handel’s Messiah, Part One and the Hallelujah Chorus, in Hartford to support the Immaculate Conception Shelter and the City of Hartford’s No Freeze Shelter.

On a Saturday, Walker’s students help sort and bag 5,300 pounds of carrots at the Foodshare facility at the Regional Market in Hartford. Foodshare distributes supplies to food pantries and kitchens that serve the needy and brings fresh produce directly to area residents.

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Learning About Human Rights Issues Members of the Amnesty International Club traveled to Yale University where they joined with other clubs from around Connecticut to hear Professor Luis Zavala, a visiting fellow at Yale, discuss his work conducting human rights trainings with soldiers in the Mexican Armed Forces and advocating for protections for civilian life. Students also learned how to organize Amnesty campaigns and attended workshops on human rights issues.

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Visit to Local Civil War Landmarks On April 14, Mary Hendrickson’s Introduction to U.S. History class visited the Mark Twain House and Harriet Beecher Stowe House in Hartford. The class of international students has been learning about the causes of the Civil War and the period of Reconstruction that occurred after the war. After a guided tour of both houses, students listened to Stowe Center scholars present a program on how these two individuals brought about social change in our country. The writings of both Twain and Stowe had a profound effect on this time period in American history; their books have been called, “bookends to the Civil War.”

Students Facilitate Diversity Leadership Conference On April 21, nine members of the Justice League attended the Student Diversity Leadership Conference organized by The Connecticut Association of Independent Schools. Four of the Walker’s students served as workshop facilitators, including Samantha Gonzalez ’13 and Emilee O’Brien ’13, Paige WilliamsRivera ’13, and Sierra Yanaway ’14.

Parent Shares Humanitarian Spirit During Chapel on January 9, Walker’s welcomed Cary Wheaton P’14, executive director of Billings Forge Community Works. The Hartford nonprofit organization creates jobs and offers training, accessible housing, farm-totable food services, and arts enrichment programs. Wheaton talked about making a career out of the things she loved and marrying it with a lesson from her parents, “All of us should leave this Earth a better place than we entered it.” Then students, Assistant Head of School Stephen Dunn, and members of the Billings Forge team created a yogurt dip using farm fresh ingredients. Students and faculty sampled the dip during lunch. SUMMER 2013

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Green Cup Challenge

Celebrating MLK Day At this year’s Martin Luther King Day celebration, the School raised awareness of his work with economic injustice on the Poor People’s Campaign. Jamiah Tappin ’00, a community organizer in Boston, spoke about the health implications of poverty and the Foodshare organization. During an activity called Hunger 101, students were given a limited number of food stamps and had to figure out how to stretch their value at mock stores to put food on the tables for themselves.

Walker’s placed second in the Green Cup Challenge out of 33 New England independent schools for reducing energy consumption by 18.7 percent during the Green Schools Alliance’s month-long, student-driven challenge. To kick off the challenge, student members of the School’s Green Council placed green cutouts of footprints on empty classrooms and bathrooms with their lights off and black footprints on rooms with lights on when no one is in them. Students also encouraged the community to unplug devices when they are fully charged.

Keynote Speaker on Technology & Learning Dean of Technology & Innovation Sarah Edson was the keynote speaker at The Pomfret School’s event, “Technology and Learning,” on April 22. Her talk, “Educating the iGeneration: Leveraging Technology to Nurture Skills for Success,” explained why schools need to innovate. She also highlighted available technology resources that enhance development of critical skills for success and shared examples of ways in which Walker’s develops these skills.

World-Renowned Organist Performs During Chapel Ezequiel Menéndez performed and gave a talk during Chapel on February 6. He has been organist-in-residence at the School since 1994. Menéndez performed pieces on the organ and piano, taught the community about the workings of the organ, and shared the serendipitous background of his musical career.

Spring Break in the White Mountains English teacher John Groff headed north during spring break to hike with friends. He reported, “Wonderful trip! The pictures look wintry, but it was almost balmy up there.” He hiked up Mount Jefferson and Mount Clay in New Hampshire’s White Mountains.

Award from A Better Chance The A Better Chance–Northeast schools presents Walker’s with an award for graduating more than 50 ABC scholars. ABC recruits, refers, and supports students of color at leading schools across the country. From left, Nichelle Sutton-Anderson P’14, Walker’s Director of Admissions Missy Shea P’16, Walker’s Associate Director of Admissions Jenny Reynolds P’13, ’15 and Lamonda Williams ’87 from ABC.

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Endowed Piano Award Honors Toni and Rosi Grunschlag

Recognizing Academic and Civic Achievement During Morning Meeting on February 15, Jaeden Smith ’19 (l) and Kate Richardson ’14 (r) were presented with the Student of Merit award, given at the end of each quarter to recognize good academic performance and citizenship.

On February 18, a new award was announced in honor and memory of Toni and Rosi Grunschlag, beloved piano teachers who taught at the School from 1950 through 1975. Piano teacher Marguerita Smith, Music Department Chair Laurie MacAlpine, and Director of Alumnae Relations Eleanor Barnes presented the Grunschlag Endowed Piano Scholarship to Ziyu (Jade) Che ’15, a talented student who passed the highest level of the Associated Board piano exam last year. Jade was also selected by audition to play two Songs Without Words by Mendelssohn in a piano recital featuring the best piano students of the Connecticut State Music Teachers Association Hartford Chapter.

Awards for Poetry Recitation Nine students represented Walker’s at the Connecticut Organization of Language Teachers Poetry Recitation, reciting poems they memorized in French, Latin, and Chinese. Heejin Hur ’14 and Ashley Hwang ’15 won silver medals for Chinese.

Ziyu (Jade) Che ’15, center, with piano teacher Marguerita Smith, left, and Laurie MacAlpine P’08.

Scholar-Athletes Recognized An Impressive Skier Kathryn Phair ’18 competed in the USSA Tri-State Ski Racing Championships. “An experienced racer, Kathryn has made a smooth transition to high school team racing and has consistently scored for the Varsity Ski Team,” says Walker’s Ski Coach Laura Hicks P’10.

Teacher of the Future Matt Bavone, Language Department chair and Latin teacher, was named a Teachers of the Future by the National Association of Independent Schools for his creativity, innovation, and inspiring academic excellence in students.

Fourteen students were honored for excellence in both academics and athletics. Back Row, L-R: Kennedi Rookwood ’15, Ella Ross ’15, Heather Carey ’13, Abby Reynolds ’13, Jacinta Lomba ’13, Hannah Meehan ’13, Allie Leidt ’13. Front Row, L-R: Becky Xu ’15, Jianna Footman ’15, Sheriden Beard ’16, Allie Harris ’13, Madison Morsch ’13, Amanda Lee ’13. Not pictured: Hannah Jones ’13. The scholar-athlete program was created to honor athletes who have a cumulative GPA above 3.5 and also play either three varsity sports, ride at the varsity level for three seasons, or participate in dance at the advanced level for three seasons. SUMMER 2013

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Dogswood Day

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Suns Prevail Under Bright Skies!

Fourth Annual Grandparents Day

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Quickly becoming a favorite event at school, Grandparents Day on April 12 was filled with family hugs, laughter, glimpses inside the classroom, an iPad presentation from Dean of Technology & Innovation Sarah Edson, fabulous food, and afternoon tea to wrap up the day.

Prom 2013

Photos: Lena Stein Photography

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Beloved Community Member Retires Tom Schneider, Business Manager and Chief Financial Officer, will retire at the end of this summer. Tom has served as a stalwart member of Walker’s senior management team for the past eight years. His impact is undeniable. He created systems of financial discipline that have led to much of the School’s recent success. Under Tom’s leadership, the School was able to build a Head of School’s house, refinance its original bond, secure an S&P rating, build a summer barn, renovate and expand the Williams barn, reconfigure many faculty apartments, spruce up the campus for Centennial, and most recently, create the turf fields project and new dorm construction. In addition to leading a cohesive team in the Business Office, Tom has often represented the School in the community, at town meetings, at association gatherings of other schools, in bank meetings, in legal matters, and most recently at Professional Women in Construction of Connecticut. Having served as President of the Board of his daughter’s school for 10 years, Tom understands the importance of trusteeship and has ably supported the EWS Board’s Finance Committee. While there is no one more deserving of retirement, Tom’s presence and care will be missed dearly. About his retirement, Tom says, “I came here because the School didn’t have a Director of Finance, so I offered to stay for two or three years. I’ve been here eight because I enjoyed the students and staff after being in corporate America, and I felt like I could make a difference here. The first thing I plan to do is to enjoy some time off. Then my wife and I are considering relocation to Florida. I will most likely look to the nonprofit sector as a volunteer. I am not the sedentary type.”

Abra Prentice Wilkin ’60, former Trustee, Tom Schneider, Bessie Speers P’16, Head of School

Bessie Speers P’16, Head of School, presents Tom Schneider with a construction hat signed by the community.

“Tom Schneider is a colleague and friend whose dedication and work From left, Lynn Sheppard Manger ’59, Trustee; Donya Nagib Sabet ’90, Outgoing Chair of the Board of Trustees; Tom Schneider, Director of Finance; Sue Cesare, Trustee Emerita, take a hard hat tour of the new dorm on May 17, 2013.

ethic have impacted us all. His care, talent, and strong belief in

“The Ethel Walker School has been one of the most rewarding relationships I have experienced in my career. When I first met the leadership team in 2009, I was impressed by the depth of talent and commitment of the administration and, inspired by their extraordinary spirit and drive, knew they would lead the School to new heights. Today, I am proud to see the tremendous accomplishments of this team, led by Head Bessie Speers and her capable wingmen, Tom Schneider and Stephen Dunn. I am honored to have served Walker’s again, recently in financing the construction of the exciting, new dorm project and to have worked closely with its Board leaders, true patrons and astute stewards of this great School. With the blessing of Standard & Poor’s investment grade rating and a confident nod of their opinion of the School’s bright future, I look forward to watching the beginning of The Ethel Walker School’s second century, wistfully wishing I could be a 9th grader again!”

education have been remarkable.

JUDITH C. COMBS, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, STIFEL NICOLAUS & COMPANY INC.

BESSIE SPEERS P’16, HEAD OF SCHOOL

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I feel very fortunate to have worked with Tom through these years leading up to Centennial. Everywhere you look on campus, you can see his impact.”

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Head’s House Dedication On May 3, 2013, the Walker’s community dedicated the Head’s House in honor and in loving memory of former Trustee Deborah Williams MacKenzie ’55 for her leadership, loyalty, and investment in her alma mater. The program included the lighting of candles by Kennedy Hilliard ’14, the welcome by Head of School Bessie Speers P’16, the reading of the School Meditation by Emilee O’Brien ’13, remarks by Former President of the Alumnae Association Emma Simon ’89, introduction of the featured speaker by Elizabeth Turner ’14, remarks by Former Chair of the Board of Trustees C. Hugh Hildesley P’85, presentation of the plaque by Samantha Gonzalez ’13, and music by The Grapes.

At right, Tisha McClure Potter ’55, Trustee Emerita, Terry Williams ’55, David MacKenzie, Liz Muench ’55. Bottom right, Blair MacKenzie Vanbrunt, Steve MacKenzie and Tom Speers P’16.

Back row: Anne MacKenzie, Blair MacKenzie Vanbrunt, Carolyn MacKenzie Stimmel, Lisa MacKenzie, Steve MacKenzie. Front row: David W. MacKenzie, David O. MacKenzie, Marion MacKenzie Christoph, Douglas MacKenzie. Photography by Kevin Mihaly Portrait Design

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New Faculty and Staff Kelly Babbidge, Assistant Director of Financial Aid

Kelly attended the Williston Northampton School in Easthampton, MA, and received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Connecticut. She came to Walker’s after a year at The Governor’s Academy in Byfield, MA, where she managed student accounts, coached ice hockey and track, and advised the Entrepreneur and Investment Clubs. Her prior experience includes accounting operations management at a premier Connecticut hedge fund. Shauna Corley, Executive Assistant to the COO & Head of Strategic Initiatives

Shauna is an experienced executive assistant and sales support professional with a successful track record of supporting key leadership in various organizations, most recently at ING U.S. Life Sales. She is a graduate of Champlain College in Vermont with an Associate’s Degree. Caitlin Cowan, Science Teacher

Caitlin brings four years of teaching experience at a boarding school. A graduate of Kimball Union Academy, she received her degree from Endicott College in Beverly, MA, and completed her master’s of education degree in health education at Plymouth State University. While working at the Tilton School she taught science and worked in the Learning Center providing tutoring services for the sciences. She is certified by the National Board of Certification as an Athletic Trainer. She is also a certified CPR and first-aid instructor and holds an American Sports Coaching Certification. Todd D’Alessandro, Spanish Teacher

Todd graduated from the University of Connecticut and worked for Hertz, Banfield, and Pfizer, where he found that speaking two languages gave him a strong connection with the teams he managed and clients he called on. Todd will also lead the varsity soccer program as head coach. He was an All New England player at Farmington High, All Big East selection at UConn, was drafted by the Boston Bolts of the ASL, and played semi-professionally for the Lowell Red Devils of the LASA League.

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Sarah Ludwig, Dean of Library Services

Sarah received her B.A. from Mount Holyoke College and her M.S. in Library Science from Simmons College. She has worked in independent schools and at the award-winning Darien Library. She has written and spoken nationally on many topics, including information literacy, game design, integrating technology into the curriculum, teacher training, and promoting reading. Alanah Percy ’09, Admissions Associate

Alanah joins the Admissions Office this year after graduating from Gordon College with a B.S. in Kinesiology. As a Walker’s alumna, she is fully committed to the value of an all girls’ education. Kate Saxton, English Teacher

Kate graduated from Yale University with a B.A. in May 2012, magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa. She’s also done graduate level coursework at Yale. Kate’s academic interests revolve around Old English language and literature, Early Modernism, and children’s literature. She also enjoys creative writing, theater, and yoga. Kate recently spent a year teaching at Oakham School, a co-educational boarding school in the United Kingdom. Rick Taplin, Director of Summer Programs

Rick joins Walker’s after 20+ years in the entertainment industry working on feature films and television series. His most recent work includes production on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Wicked Tuna, and Richard Hammond’s Crash Course. He has deep experience managing teams, working on tight deadlines and keeping everything running within budget. He is married to Nan Flanagan ’93, the Director of Marketing & Communications at Walker’s, and his mother-in-law is “Clarky,” or Carol ClarkFlanagan P’93, ’97, a long time teacher at Walker’s. Lucca Troutman ’08 Music Teacher

Lucca has studied piano, voice, violin, and guitar for over 15 years. She graduated from Smith College with a degree in Psychology and Music. Previously, she served as Choir Director of the Avery Heights Nursing Home, Co-Director of the Cognitive Behavior Modification Program at the Northampton Community Music Center, Director of Music at the Summer@Walker’s camp, and organist and cantor at Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Hartford.

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New Chief Operating Officer & Assistant Head for Strategic Initiatives Appointed Thompson Tyler Greenlaw has joined the Walker’s team and brings a wealth of experience to his new position, most recently serving as Assistant Head of School for Operations/Chief Financial Officer at Buckingham Browne & Nichols School in Cambridge, MA. For 12 years, he provided leadership in many areas of the school’s operations, including finance, facilities management, capital planning and construction, human resources, campus safety, information technology, health, auxiliary enterprises, and food services. Among his accomplishments were leading BB&N’s facilities master-planning efforts, developing a 10-year financial planning model that serves as a capital planning tool, and serving as Assistant Treasurer and Board of Trustees Officer. As Business Manager/Comptroller for Dana Hall School, a girls’ school in Wellesley, MA, from 1995-2001, Greenlaw served as the chief financial and operations officer, performing many of the same functions as at BB&N. He also was Executive Director of auxiliary enterprises, the Dana Hall School of Music, and the Dana Hall Riding Center. His accomplishments included developing a long-range facilities master plan, which culminated in a successful tax-exempt bond issuance and construction of an $8.2 million replacement science and library building and a $2.1 million renovation to the Middle School. In addition, he developed plans for a new indoor riding arena and renovations to the school’s four dormitories. Before joining independent schools, Greenlaw worked in healthcare, as the Administrative Director of Facilities Management for The Toledo (OH) Hospital and the Senior Administrative Director for Facilities Services at Baystate Health Systems, Springfield, MA. Other business experience includes positions as Assistant Director of Buildings and Grounds for Plant Services at Boston College and Adjunct Professor, Western New England College, Springfield, MA, teaching a graduate course on healthcare management. In addition, he served as the volunteer Executive Director of the Environmental Management Association, Wellesley, MA, a national nonprofit organization of facilities managers. Greenlaw recently built a financial sustainability model for The “Thom Greenlaw is coming to Association of Boarding Schools and has been active in other independent Walker’s with a national following. school associations, often presenting at His energy, drive, financial savvy, their conferences, including the and desire to be an ‘all in’ National Association of Independent Schools, Association of Independent community member at a boarding Schools of New England, and school make him the perfect choice National Business Officers for Walker’s. We are eager to have Association. The latter presented him Thom’s expertise at the table and with its Hancock Award for meritorious services in 2008. he comes highly recommended by He received an M.A. in Higher his former head of school and Education Administration from colleagues. We are thrilled to have Boston College and B.A. in Organizational Behavior from Lesley him join our team!” University, Cambridge, MA. BESSIE SPEERS P’16, HEAD OF SCHOOL

FACULTY-STAFF RECOGNITION Each year, Walker’s celebrates its faculty and staff and recognizes those who have reached significant milestones in their service to the School. On May 17, the Parent Association hosted this year’s festive occasion. The following recipients received service awards: 30 Years Bryan Rathbun, Student Transportation Lead and Day Security Monitor; Grounds worker 25 Years Susan Perillo, Math Teacher, Faculty Development Coordinator 15 Years Thomas Deeds, English Teacher Jill Harrington, Dean of Studies and Faculty Laurie MacAlpine P’08, Music Department Chair Margaret (Meg) Mahoney, History Department Chair Julia Sheldon, Science Department Chair 10 Years Laura Hicks P’10, Math Teacher, Day Student Advisor 5 Years Eleanor Barnes P’19, Director of Alumnae Relations Matthew Bavone, Language Department Chair Stephen Dunn, Assistant Head of School Samantha Gadsden, English/History/Theatre, Housefaculty Laurie Hine P’16, Administrative Secretary Vivian (Lee-Ann) Harris P’13, Middle School Director, Middle School Math Teacher Helen Malave, Accounts Payable Manager, Payroll Thomas (Qi) Yang, Chinese Teacher

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Walker’s Development Office Team has joined the Walker’s team as Chief Operating Officer and Assistant Head for Strategic Initiatives. In this capacity, Thom will lead the Walker's Development Office team in achieving their goals. Most recently, Thom served for 12 years as Assistant Head of School for Operations/Chief Financial Officer at Buckingham Browne & Nichols School in Cambridge, MA. He also served as Business Manager/Comptroller for Dana Hall School in Wellesley, MA, for seven years and worked in healthcare and in higher education. He received an M.A. in Higher Education Administration from Boston College and a B.A. in Organizational Behavior from Lesley University in Cambridge, MA. Thom Greenlaw

Jane Rae Bradford, Senior Director of Gift Planning and Major Gifts, has 32 years of experience in development, with 27 years in the area of planned giving at Princeton University, Bryn Mawr College, and most recently, Carnegie Mellon University. She is a frequent speaker at

national conferences and has done extensive teaching and consulting in the area of charitable gift planning. She earned a B.A. and M.A. at Bridgewater State University. Director of Reunion Giving, has worked in development for 15 years, including as Director of Reunion Giving at The Loomis Chaffee School and at Middlebury College. She also runs her own nonprofit revolving around ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), serves on the board of The Children’s Center in Simsbury, and volunteers as a class agent for Loomis Chaffee and as an admissions volunteer for Middlebury College. Heidi earned her B.A. from Middlebury College and her M.A.I.S. from Dartmouth College.

Heidi McCann,

Sara Jane von

started July 1 as Senior Director of the Fund for Walker’s. Previously, she was the Director of Development at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury. Jane also has held development leadership positions at

Trapp

the French-American School of New York in Mamaroneck, NY, The Storm King School in Cornwall-on-Hudson, NY, and Greenwich Academy in Greenwich, CT. After attending Northfield Mount Hermon School, she was graduated from the University of Vermont with a bachelor of science in plant and soil science. She is the author of three landscape books. is Walker’s Director of Alumnae Affairs. She previously was the Director of Alumni Affairs at New Canaan Country School in New Canaan, CT, where she also played a major role in the annual fund and major gift fundraising efforts. Prior to that, Cara was the Associate Director of Reunion Giving and Annual Fund Class Liaison at Loomis Chaffee School in Windsor, CT. In 2002, she was graduated magna cum laude from Amherst College, where she was Captain of the Women’s Varsity Lacrosse Team. Cara Coscarelli Woods

began her new position as Walker’s Campaign and Prospect Research Manager on July 15. Jennifer (Je) is an author and was a resident faculty member at the Yale

Jennifer Banach

The Blizzard of 2013 Nemo, the Blizzard of February 2013, socked the Walker’s campus with 30 inches of snow and fierce winds. Campus and community members emerged from the storm in high spirits to a campus transformed into a winter wonderland. Girls broke out in spontaneous snow ball fights, skied and sledded down the main hill on campus, and took photos of the wintery scene as part of a spontaneous snow photo contest organized by the Communications Office. The School’s environmental services crew worked tirelessly throughout the storm to keep campus roads and walkways open and safe for students, faculty, and 50

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Writer’s Conference where she led a fiction workshop. Recently, Je was granted the Connecticut Artist Fellowship for writing. While working as a paralegal in a Litchfield, CT law office for eight years, Je moonlighted creating teaching guides for Random House for books by Maya Angelou, Salman Rushdie, E.L. Doctorow, and others. Je was graduated with honors from Manhattanville College with a B.A. in English and Philosophy/Religion. Senior Events Manager and Liaison to the Board, brings more than 15 years of development experience to the Walker’s team, having worked previously for the University of Connecticut Foundation – UConn Health Center, American Red Cross, and the United Way. She has a strong background in event planning, as well as volunteer and project management.

Paula Brink,

Office Coordinator, was graduated from Trinity College and received a Master’s of Education Lisa Frisbie ’77,

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from Cleveland State University. She has extensive experience in market research, social work, college admissions, and college and financial aid counseling. Lisa and her husband were house parents at Walker’s from 1990-1994. Lisa serves on the Board of Directors and as a College Counselor at the Simsbury ABC House. She is a Walker’s Class Correspondent.

Bryant University. She worked as a Computer Programmer for a small company supporting the auto insurance industry and then for Cigna Corporation, where she spent nine years developing programs for mainframes and personal computers. She has also operated her own photography business and is cofounder and President of Cape Verdean United Organization, which raises funds to build playgrounds and provide school supplies for needy chidren in the Cape Verde Islands, where Genie was born.

Katie Irish Pond,

Development Assistant, previously worked as an assistant to the Associate Director of Development at Cornell University during a capital campaign and as a Communications Specialist at Travelers Insurance Company. She has been a contributing writer to several publications. She earned her B.A. from the University of Connecticut. Genie Lomba P’13, ’16, ’18,

Database Manager, has a B.A. in Information Technology from

Tom Speers P’16

came to Walker’s in 2007 when his wife, Bessie, was appointed Head of School. He served as Interim Director of Development in 2009 and continues to support the Development Office and the School in various ways, including meeting with alumnae and parents, assisting with programs, hosting events, and traveling with the Head of School and other Development personnel. Tom also serves as Co-Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Hartford and is a Corporator at Renbrook School in West Hartford.

staff. The kitchen staff was reduced to one person, who successfully prepared meals for the community throughout the weekend. The true Walker’s spirit shone through: neighbors helping neighbors, students basking in the glow of friendship and snowy fun, house faculty and other campus residents opening their homes, everyone pitching in when needed and enjoying old-fashioned winter fun. SUMMER 2013

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Athletics Snapshot Varsity Golf Team Founder’s League Champion On May 15, the Varsity Golf Team came home victorious with the Founders League title after battling a tough Taft team on its home course, as well as strong opponents from Choate, Loomis, Miss Porter’s, and Hotchkiss. Darrell Carrington coaches the Walker’s team. The Founders League is comprised of 10 independent schools from Connecticut. The league emphasizes competitive athletics as well as strong academics.

From left, Chelsea Regan ’13, Emilee O’Brien ’13, Madison Morsch ’13, Amanda Lee ’13, Sara Stegare ’14

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WESTERN NEW ENGLAND CHAMPIONS Walker’s Varsity Softball team wins its first Western New England Championship! “This was a group that worked hard all year,” said Athletic Director John Monagan. “This championship was truly earned by the 12 members of the team. To see their excitement after the game was incredible.” This was the third time in four years that the softball team made the New England Tournament, but only the first time they won the championship. They finished this season with an 11-3 record.

SENIOR WINS PRESTIGIOUS GOLF AWARD

NEW ENGLAND SWIM CHAMPION

LENA SPRINGER NAMED TO NATIONAL TEAM

At the Pippy O’Connor Independent School Girl’s Golf Classic on May 13, senior Amanda Lee ’13 was awarded the Vittoria Isabelle “Izzy” Marley Award, given annually at the tournament to an exceptional student-athlete.

Abby Reynolds ’13 was named Most Valuable Player of the Division III New England Championship for Swimming. Abby, who is a founding member of Walker’s Swim Team, will attend Dartmouth College.

Lena Springer ’13 was chosen to play for the Puerto Rican National Women’s Softball Team in the World Cup of Softball in Oklahoma City, the Canadian Open in British Columbia, and the Pan American Games in San Juan.

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CREDIT: PARKER/RUSSELL - THE BOOK LLC

Equestrian Snapshot

Sheriden Beard '16 at Folly Farm Horse Show Tori Arute ’14, in Wellington

Savannah Barry ’14 on Intuition in Wellington

Taylor Lampert ’14, with miniature horse Rio, newly certified as a therapeutic horse.

Charlotte Gardiner ’14 (left) is the #1 ranked Junior Novice equestrian following her first place finishes at the Pine Top Horse Trials and Poplar Place Horse Trials over spring break. Her horse, Coltrane, is currently listed as the #3 Novice horse in the country.

SUMMER 2013

101st Commencement 54

THE SUNDIAL

“Yours is a class not afraid to dream, to create, to innovate, and to believe that anything is possible.” BESSIE SPEERS P’16 FROM HER CHARGE TO THE CLASS OF 2013

Fifty-two confident young women received their diplomas during the Schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 101st Commencement ceremony under sunny skies on Sunday, June 9, 2013, which took place in the circle in front of Beaver Brook. Students, faculty, alumnae, trustees, family, and friends were in attendance to celebrate the Class of 2013, who were recognized for their many accomplishments and contributions to the School.

SUMMER 2013

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From left, Trustees Sarah Gates Colley ’75, Tisha McClure Potter ’55, P’85, Elizabeth “Sue” Rockwell Cesare process during commencement.

C O M M E N C E M E N T

Student Body President, Sam Gonzalez ’13, addresses Walker’s community for the last time as a Walker’s student.

Alumna Pamela Constable ’70, a Staff Writer for The Washington Post and author of several books based on her work overseas, delivered the Commencement Address. Constable spoke about her harrowing, yet deeply fulfilling, experiences as a reporter throughout the world, as well as her special memories from her time at Walker’s. She also explained how the School helped to inspire her future career and prepared her to meet its Pam Constable ’70 delivers many challenges. (For more on commencement address Constable, please turn to page 25.) Constable advised students, “What matters is that you find your own cause, your own passion or avocation, that you hold on to it and follow it through, that you not allow your dreams to be deferred or lost or overwhelmed by the practical demands of a career or economic success.” She also referred to how much the School has changed and progressed since her time as a student, a point that Head of School Bessie Speers P’16 also spoke to in her Charge to the Class of 2013. Noting significant contributions of these students to the School’s technology, athletic program, and social justice work, Speers said, “Yours is a class not afraid to dream, to create, to innovate, and to believe that anything is possible.” Congratulations to The Ethel Walker School Class of 2013!

It’s all in the family! Celebrating on Commencement day, are from left, sisters Lila Reynolds ’15 and new graduate Abby Reynolds ’13, shown with their parents, Steve Reynolds, EWS Director of Information Technology, and Jenny Reynolds, EWS Associate Director of Admissions.

THE SUNDIAL

From left, Brock Dunn P’19, Head of Upper and Middle School, Grace Han ’13, Trustee Margot Bogert ’60, Head of School Bessie Speers P’16

Margot Campbell Bogert ’60, former Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees receives The Margot Rose ’80 Distinguished Alumnae Award at Commencement. Established in 2005 by Terese Treman Williams ’55 and Joseph Williams, the award is The Ethel Walker School’s highest honor and is given to graduates of the School who best exemplify Margot Rose’s attributes, ensuring that her work, dedication, and influence will be remembered now and always. The award honors an alumna who, by her devotion and talent, elevates the work of her profession, influences their community, or who gives extraordinary service to their school.

TWO PRIZES AWARDED AT COMMENCEMENT THE PRIZE FOR SCHOLARSHIP ABIGAIL ROBINSON REYNOLDS THE BEATRICE HURLBURT MEMORIAL PRIZE EMILEE O'BRIEN

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C O M M E N C E M E N T

EXCERPT FROM CHARGE TO THE CLASS OF 2013 BY HEAD OF SCHOOL BESSIE SPEERS P’16 Seniors, you are quite a group. Yours is a class not afraid to dream, to create, to innovate, and to believe that anything is possible. You are our first class to graduate as iPad experts! It was your class who said, “What about a swim team?” and found water at six in the morning in which to swim! It was your class who said, “Why not a cross country team to run in our beautiful woods?” and made it happen. Many of you have referred affectionately to the Ethel Walker “bubble.” It is your way of recognizing that what we have here is indeed special. At the same time, you are keenly aware of the privilege this bubble affords us. Ironically, and for as much as you use this term, yours is a class who has most definitely lived and learned outside the bubble. It is you who have led the way with social justice work, from Girlcott to I Am An Emotional Creature, to our first trip to South Africa. You are a class who cares about justice and equity. You seem to know that girls and women make a critical difference and that women reinvest 90 percent of their earnings in their families. When you give a woman or girl an opportunity, you create a powerful agent of change for the entire community.

Middle School Promotion Ceremony

You are a class that will both enjoy the world and improve the world. Yours is a class with exceptional leadership abilities, and you also have fun-loving qualities. From sheep to bees, you are not afraid to try new things, to pave your own path, to blow your own bubbles. While you have learned much this year about yourselves, you have also learned life lessons about how to “balance.” You have been the class that has raised the bar on senior speeches and shared more of yourselves with us in wonderful ways. Your legacy will live on in many ways. And finally, dear seniors, we believe in you so much that is hurts. Believe in yourself! Care more about inclusivity than exclusivity, reject elitism, and embrace equality. Pay attention to ways that you can combine your intelligence and intellectual might with compassion and humility, for it is in this combination that you will help transform and inspire the world. Seniors, we will miss you, we love you, and GODSPEED!

The following awards were presented: HIGHEST ACADEMIC AVERAGE

7th grade: JESSICA DE ATIENZA This year marks the 23rd Middle School Promotion Ceremony. Eighth graders processed into the Chapel

and TINA REALE 8th grade: IDABELLE PATERSON

to receive their promotion certificates in front of proud parents, faculty, and Upper School students. Advisors

CITIZENSHIP AWARD

delivered remarks about each girl before handing each

IDABELLE PATERSON

her promotion certificate, signifying graduation from

GWEN COUCH AWARD

the Middle School and entrance into the Upper School.

CHEYENNE WATTS

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C O M M E N C E M E N T

2013 Prize Night Awards and Recipients THE AMY C. REHFUSS AWARD LIAN NICHOLSON

THE RPI CERTIFICATE CRYSTEAR LIU

THE CLARISSA GREEN CUP LAUREN NICHOLSON

THE CAROLINE WALKER HONORS SOCIETY TARA LUCILLE PATRINA NICOLE TERESA GREGORY

MUSIC PRIZE JACINTA JACQUELINE LOMBA

THE HELEN BLAIR MEMORIAL PRIZE FOR RARE QUALITIES OF CHARACTER VICTORIA MARIE DAGUERRE-BRADFORD

BRANDEIS BOOK AWARD STEPHANIE CRUZ THE BROWN BOOK AWARD LAUREN NICHOLSON THE DARTMOUTH BOOK AWARD MARGARET HEGWOOD THE HARVARD BOOK AWARD LAUREN NICHOLSON THE MOUNT HOLYOKE BOOK AWARD CAROLINE CALANDRO THE ST. LAWRENCE BOOK AWARD CRYSTEAR LIU THE SMITH BOOK AWARD SAJIA DARWISH THE TRINITY BOOK AWARD KATHERINE RICHARDSON THE WELLESLEY BOOK AWARD HEEJIN HUR THE YALE BOOK AWARD DARCY HUGHES THE MARY SCOULLER NELSON ENGLISH PRIZE ABIGAIL ROBINSON REYNOLDS THE CHINESE PRIZE HEEJIN HUR THE FRENCH PRIZE ABIGAIL ROBINSON REYNOLDS THE LATIN PRIZE NICOLE GREGORY THE SPANISH PRIZE JACINTA JACQUELINE LOMBA THE HISTORY PRIZE HANNAH SCHNITZER THE MATHEMATICS PRIZE SUNNY KIM THE SCIENCE PRIZE CHELSEA B. REGAN

THE SUNDIAL

THE MADELINE SALA CHOIR GIRLS OF THE YEAR JI YEON HAN THE VIRGINIA CHILDS RAMSEY HINMAN PRIZE ELIZABETH TURNER THE PERFORMING ARTS DEPARTMENT PRIZE JI YEON HAN THE VISUAL ARTS PRIZE TARA LUCILLE PATRINA THE DOROTHY SILVERHERZ DANCE PRIZE VICTORIA LYNN PETRILLI EMILY EDANNA KIRBY THE ELIZABETH OLSON MARSHALL DANCE PRIZE ALEXANDRIA EMILY LEIDT MADISON ELISABETH MORSCH THE VOORHEES CUP AMANDA JIANNE LEE THE MERITORIOUS EFFORT CUP ABIGAIL ROBINSON REYNOLDS THE WILLIAM C. LICKLE ATHLETIC CUP LENA MAE SPRINGER THE WILLIAM C. LICKLE CUP TO HONOR FRANK O.H. WILLIAMS SHERIDEN BEARD

THE BARBARA AND ELIZABETH BYRNES MEMORIAL PRIZE FOR EFFORT AND ACHIEVEMENT ROSS COTTMAN BEED THE EMILY CLUETT PRIZE FOR COURAGE AND FORTITUDE SAHRA IBRAHIMI THE CUMMINGS PRIZE SAMANTHA LYNN GONZALEZ THE ISABEL JACKSON MEMORIAL PRIZE FOR FAITHFULNESS AND DEPENDABILITY ABIGAIL ROBINSON REYNOLDS THE CATHERINE HENDERSON MURTAUGH PRIZE JILL ELISE O’BRIEN THE CARY PAGE MEMORIAL PRIZE FOR VERSATILITY JACINTA JAQUELINE LOMBA THE HENRY B. SARGENT MEMORIAL PRIZE FOR KINDLINESS AND GOOD FELLOWSHIP ALEXANDRIA EMILY LEIDT THE ALISON STONE MEMORIAL PRIZE CHELSEA B. REGAN THE TRUSTEES’ PRIZE ALLISON LEE HARRIS

HEAD’S SERVICE AWARD CAROLINE CALANDRO ENAJITE IGHO CRYSTEAR LIU CHELSEA B. REGAN CLAUDIA RU

THE FACULTY PRIZE HANNAH SCHNITZER

THE CICERONE SOCIETY PRIZE ABIGAIL ROBINSON REYNOLDS VICTORIA MARIE DAGUERRE-BRADFORD

BEATRICE HURLBURT MEMORIAL PRIZE EMILEE O’BRIEN

THE MARGARET MALLORY CUP DANIELLE BOLIN

THE THEATRE PRIZE CHELSEA B. REGAN

THE BRUNHILDE GRASSI CUP ELLA ROSS

TECH THEATRE PRIZE VICTORIA MARIE DAGUERRE-BRADFORD

THE ALUMNAE BOARD PRIZE JACINTA JACQUELINE LOMBA EMILEE O’BRIEN

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The Class of 2013 – College Bound Despite the challenging landscape of college admission today, our Walker’s graduates continue to collect offers from selective colleges all over the country. Guided by their adventurous spirit and unwillingness to follow in the path of others, our 52 graduates will attend 38 different colleges including Brown, Dartmouth, Mount Holyoke, Smith, and University of Virginia. Maria Arico Ross Beed Jonell Brown Heather Carey Hen Chang Xinrui Chen Seo Yoon Cheong Amy Crescimanno Keelyn Crowe Victoria Daguerre-Bradford Eryn Dioli Kelly Dyson Lu Fang Abigail Fasano Samantha Gonzalez Nicole Gregory Ji Yeon Han Emery Hanson Allison Harris Sahra Ibrahimi Hannah Jones Emily Kirby Amanda Lee Alexandria Leidt Alice Lin Ya Liu

The University of Arizona University of Virginia Goucher College University of Colorado at Boulder Michigan State University The George Washington University Boston University University of Massachusetts, Amherst Merrimack College Roanoke College University of Colorado at Boulder Providence College Pennsylvania State University Lesley University William Peace University University of Delaware Pennsylvania State University Rollins College College of the Holy Cross Smith College James Madison University Furman University Mount Holyoke College University of Mississippi Boston University Brandeis University

Jacinta Lomba Karen Macke Ameena Makhdoomi Marisa Martin Hannah Meehan Madison Morsch Brianna Neely Emilee O’Brien Jill O’Brien Autumn Ondo Başak Öztahtaci Devin Pafumi Tara Patrina Victoria Petrilli Chelsea Regan Abigail Reynolds Brittany Sawyer Weiqian Sheng Coriene Smith Lena Springer Caroline Streett Abigail Symes Paige Williams-Rivera Hanye Zhang Xiao Yun Zhang Yiur Zhong

Brown University Ithaca College Hobart and William Smith Colleges Plymouth State University Skidmore College Wofford College Gap Year Furman University Franklin and Marshall College University of South Carolina Boston University St. Lawrence University Skidmore College University of St. Joseph Colby College Dartmouth College Holyoke Community College Pennsylvania State University Ithaca College University of Central Florida Still Considering Options Hobart and William Smith Colleges University of Hartford University of California at Irvine University of Massachusetts, Amherst Case Western Reserve University

SUMMER 2013

W A L K E R ’ S

O U T

A B O U T

Class of ’78 Mini-Reunion, Ashley Lickle O’Neil’s home, Rowayton, CT, January 25, 2013

“Dolly” Hall, Mari Christopherson Morsch, “Lili” Hoodes Bender, Helen Hummer Feid and Ashley Lickle O’Neil

Johanna Hunter and Debby Coward Smicka

Young Alumnae Pizza Party, Bell Library, January 10, 2013

Chelsea Keyes ’10 and Monet Clarke ’12

Pasadena, CA, March 24, 2013

Interim Co-Director of Development Heidi McCann visited Elena Miller Shoch ’59 at her home.

China, May 2013

Deborah Place ’12 and Kelsey Shelton ’12

Former Trustee Margot Campbell Bogert ’60 and Mimi Gardner Gates ’60 in China

Houston, TX Gathering, April 16, 2013

Delray, FL, January 2013

From left, Suzy Schroeder Chapman ’63, May Hope Johnson ’00, Betsy Holmes McKean ’83, and Claudia Ramsland Burch ’68

Bessie Speers P’16, Former Trustee Robert “Stretch” Gardiner P’67, ’74, Tom Speers P’16

THE SUNDIAL

W A L K E R ’ S

Sante Fe, NM, March 2013

O U T

A B O U T

NYC Happy Hour, June 19, 2013

From left, Catherine McCurley Donnally ’78, Atoosa Pezeshgpour Mamdani ’78, Ryland Burnett ’78, Dolly Hall ’78, Katherine Swibold ’78

Back row: Bessie Speers P’16, Margaret Gray ’67, Tom Speers P’16. Front row: Q. Bloch Cook ’53, Blyth Timken ’88, Phil Cook Lamonda Williams and Wendy Smith, both ’87

Scottsdale, AZ, March 2013

Martha’s Vineyard, MA, June 2013

Former Trustee Lucy Rosenberry Jones ’59, P’80, Nellie Speers ’16, Bessie Speers P’16, Elise Rosenberry Donohue ’55

Harriet Blees Dewey ’60, P’86 with husband, Bob, and their grandchildren.

Tucson, AZ, March 2013

Los Angeles, CA, February 2013

Betty Davis ’41, GP’80 and Nellie Speers ’16 at Elkhorn Ranch, Tucson, AZ

Cynthia Anderson Barker ’72 and her mother Diana Wanger Anderson ’47, P’72 with Tom and Bessie Speers P’16

Ariana Rockefeller Bucklin ’01 and Bessie Speers P’16

SUMMER 2013

A L U M N A E

N E W S

Alumnae Board Welcomes New President, Thanks Outgoing It is an honor to serve as the Alumnae Board President and take the reins from Celeste Niarchos, a dedicated leader, who successfully recruited new, enthusiastic members, and increased our alumnae events regionally. I look forward to working with fellow Alumnae Board members to continue Celeste’s hard work. As the School’s Centennial Capital Campaign continues to gain momentum, the Alumnae Board will work harder to reconnect with Walker’s graduates through local events, like the recent Happy Hours in NYC, Boston, and Hartford, and other activities such as the Boston Pops this past winter and the upcoming U.S. Open. We see ourselves as the School’s ambassadors, representing different generations of Walker’s, yet connected through our commitment to a School that is shaping the next generation of global leaders.

Every time I return to Walker’s for a board meeting, I am in constant awe of the students. They are bright, extremely confident, and engaging and seem to juggle a million activities that vary from sports, to trips to South Africa, to visits to top colleges to discuss initiatives in social entrepreneurship. Watching the next generation learn and grow is truly inspirational and renews my dedication to reconnecting each alumna with the School. If there are ways you believe the Alumnae Board could improve our interaction with alumnae, please write me with your suggestions at arp308@yahoo.com, or contact Cara Coscarelli Woods, Director of Alumnae Affairs at CWoods@ethelwalker.org. I look forward to seeing you back at Walker’s

Amanda R. Pitman ’90 PRESIDENT, ALUMNAE BOARD

Coming to the end of my terms on the Alumnae Board, the last two as president, has caused me to reflect on my Walker’s experience. I graduated in 1964, nearly five decades ago. The first decade was a time for staying in touch with friends; the second brought me my career; the third, my family; the fourth, my community; and the fifth, back to the start, The Ethel Walker School. All the while, the lessons learned at Walker’s—integrity, discipline, courage, and conviction— have served and sustained me. My term on the Alumnae Board has given me the opportunity to pay Walker’s back by playing it forward for the next generation. For the graduating seniors, my hope is that you will, in the words of Facebook’s C.O.O., Sheryl Sandberg, “lean in” and “circle up” to make the world a better place: just like Walker’s. With gratitude and affection,

Eleanor Barnes P’19, Director of Alumnae Relations, presents Celeste Niarchos ’64 with a rose bush in honor of her service to the School.

Celeste Royall Niarchos ’64 OUTGOING PRESIDENT, ALUMNAE BOARD

“The lessons learned at Walker’s— integrity, discipline, courage, and conviction— have served and sustained me.” CELESTE ROYALL NIARCHOS ’64

THE SUNDIAL

A L U M N A E 2013-2014 ALUMNAE BOARD Amanda Pitman ’90 PRESIDENT NEW YORK, NY

Tracy Himmel Isham ’85 VICE PRESIDENT CORNWALL, VT

N E W S

Walker’s Launches Alumnae App

Carter Margison ’07 SECRETARY NEW YORK, NY

Elizabeth Borland Blodgett ’91 LAKE FOREST, IL

Caryl Van Ranst Dearing ’60 MARTHA’S VINEYARD, MA

Leander Altifois Dolphin ’95 HARTFORD, CT

Mary Lotuff Feeny ’83 BRISTOL, RI

Lindsay Flynn ’05 WASHINGTON, D.C.

Ailsa Veit Foulke ’87 NEW YORK, NY

*Elizabeth West Glidden ’87 EAST HADDAM, CT

Katherine Hypolite ’04 PROVIDENCE, RI

Molly Love ’64 LOCUST VALLEY, NY

*Susan Jensen Rawles ’82 RICHMOND, VA

Deborah Rush ’77 COATESVILLE, PA

Jamiah Tappin ’00 MALDEN, MA

Catherine Terry Taylor ’79 PROVIDENCE, RI

Gwendolyn Wood Wisely ’96 RUMSON, NJ

*New AB Member

Features include: • A searchable alumnae directory • A map of alumnae near you • Alumnae event information • News from campus

Stay in touch! www.ethelwalker.org

• Instant access to Walker’s social media channels • LinkedIn networking

It’s free, secure, and easy to download to your iPhone, iPad, or Android. Download it now!

SUMMER 2013

R E U N I O N

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Hooray Sunray, Alumnae!

REUNION ’13 Walker’s welcomed home Classes Ending in 3s and 8s on May 17-19. Sunny skies carried the reunion celebration through Saturday, punctuated with events including a traditional Maypole dance, an alumnae parade to Chapel, and induction of the Class of 2013 into the Alumnae Association. The School’s current Big 7 answered questions from alumnae during a discussion Saturday morning, giving alumnae a glimpse into Walker’s today. Later on Saturday, the Alumnae Board hosted an alumnae panel

tackling a hot topic, “How Do You Make the Most of Being a Woman Today?” Former Trustee Abbie Trafford ’57 moderated the panel. Alumnae continued catching up and reminiscing at a cocktail party at Debby’s House (the new name of the Head’s House) followed by a formal dinner in Abra’s Dining Hall for all classes. The infamous Ba-Na-Na closed the evening, and the weekend wrapped up with an elegant Strawberries & Cream Brunch Sunday morning.

Reunion Photos: Lena Stein Photography

REUNION GIVING AWARDS: Class of ’53 wins The Elizabeth Nash Muench ’55 Tray for the highest participation to the annual fund during a reunion year (58% of the class donated).

THE SUNDIAL

Class of ’63 wins The Terese Treman Williams ’55 Bowl for contributing $75,000 to the annual fund in a reunion year (the class raised $85,602).

Photography by Lena Stein Photography

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The Sundial Bowl â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Highest number of classmates returning for Reunion (Class of 1978)

Alumnae Panel Discussion

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The Long Distance Award — for alumna Annette Chang ’98 who traveled farthest for Reunion from Hong Kong

Walker’s Today Panel with 2013 Big 7

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Take Note 1940 Your class needs a Correspondent! Contact alumnae@ethelwalker.org

Studebaker Hardy’s husband, Gordon. He passed in January 2013; please see In Sympathy on page 106.

Dorothy “Dottie” Hirsch Loebl keeps

1943 1941 Your class needs a Correspondent! Contact alumnae@ethelwalker.org

We share with regret news of the passing of Elizabeth “Betty” Carpenter Davis, a loyal friend of the School, on June 2, 2013 after a brief illness. See In Memoriam on page 111.

1942 Sylvia Breed Gates 01659 SW Greenwood Road Portland, OR 97219-8301 503-636-6305 sylviagates@comcast.net

Caroline Berry Laporte 5 Timber Lane, Apt. 222 Exeter, NH 03833 clapor@verizon.net

1944

REUNION

Your class needs a Correspondent! Contact alumnae@ethelwalker.org

1945 Martha “Molly” Darling Bell 363 East 76th Street, Apt. 19C New York, NY 10021 212-744-8264 molly@kirkpalmer.com

Sylvia Gates writes: The rains are

finally coming to the Northwest, after an unusually dry and warm winter. Spring comes very early here, and instead of the snowstorms I grew up with in Swampscott, MA, I have my first trilliums and azaleas out, and camellias coming. My neighborhood is relatively deserted for spring break week, when a large collection of young families take off for skiing on Mount Hood, which is less than an hour away.

Jane Cole Graves writes that they are fine even though somewhat tottery. She is afraid this next summer will be like last year—a terrible drought with everything brown, very few spring flowers, and trees trying to bloom. She remarks how strange it is that we depend on the weather. Sarah “Sally” Darling Wimmer has just had her right hip revised. This all started when playing softball at Walker’s; she slid into second base and tore the cartilage in her right knee. For this she was termed a good sport. Many years later this, for one reason or another, resulted in a right hip replacement. When she dislocated said hip for the third time her doctor said you cannot keep doing this. So this current procedure is called revision. Let’s hope it works the first time. Penelope Hall Porter says she is still

Sylvia Breed Gates ’42

Our class remembers with sympathy and admiration the life of Lillian

boarding schools, camps, and churches ruled, and tutors were an everyday occurrence for a child who could not read.

in the same nest writing children’s books, publishing them, and planning to complete her memoirs this June. It will be called A Pocketful of Penny’s and will be a series of essays about growing up in the ’30s and ’40s when governesses,

in touch with our California alumnae who get together for luncheon fairly often in Carpinteria, CA, where Hannah Grifﬁth Bradley lives. She is happy to know we braved “Sandy.” Payne Payson Middleton says there is no real news from her end. Her grandchildren are growing, and she and Sophie Chandler attend an Italian class. They both speak the language quite well, but writing and reading it is something they never had to do. She runs into Grace McGraw Parr when she comes east from Santa Fe. Rosalind Shaw Kornegay’s husband,

Clinton, writes that Roz had a fourth stroke in April 2012, and as a consequence her balance is uncertain and she moves more slowly. So they have moved into Laurelmead, a residence very close to their prior home with a view of the Seekonk River. Fortunately when “Sandy” came they were spared any serious problems. In the meantime they have enrolled in a class called “To Be Aged or Happily Aged,” which is especially interesting to them as they are living through the process. Frederica “Freddie” Schaefer Wright says she is fine and that life is

good. Their children are all over the country, and she spends time teaching knitting to Burmese and African women, a very new experience. She adds they have the second biggest group of USA Burmese in Fort Wayne, IN. I spoke by phone to Marian Markle Pool who now lives in Sanibel Island, FL. Grandchildren are all grown up, and she is working on the next generation. I ran into Amey Amory DeFriez at a Walker’s function at the Harvard Club this winter, looking marvelous in a great green dress. Sophie Chandler Consagra joined some friends and me for a delightful dinner. It was a great evening.

SUMMER 2013

Take Note 1946 Your class needs a Correspondent! Contact alumnae@ethelwalker.org

1947 Your class needs a Correspondent! Contact alumnae@ethelwalker.org

ample opportunity for reuniting with many EWS classmates and other alumnae, which is such fun. Jeanne “Jeannie” Ballentine Riegel

is here this week with her daughter and she looks wonderful and happy. Her brother and sister-in-law are here also, so it is always a happy occasion when they get together. Constance “Connie” Neher Purcell, Linda Trimmingham Warriner ’61,

1948 Your class needs a Correspondent! Contact alumnae@ethelwalker.org

1949

REUNION

Your class needs a Correspondent! Contact alumnae@ethelwalker.org

1950 Your class needs a Correspondent! Contact alumnae@ethelwalker.org

and I met with Jane Bradford who is Walker’s Development Office emissary. Jane is a whiz in every sense of the word. She travels far and often for Walker’s and is very excited about the strength and future potential of the School. She filled us in with information about the new building coming soon: a new dorm and the Centennial building, which will house an indoor pool and space for many other activities. She added that boarders now exceed day students. Three cheers to Bessie and Tom Speers, Eleanor Barnes, Jane Bradford, and the whole company at EWS. Anne “Annie” Scherer Paddock joined Mary Shwerin Ritter and me

1951 Your class needs a Correspondent! Contact alumnae@ethelwalker.org

1952 Your class needs a Correspondent! Contact alumnae@ethelwalker.org

1953 Susan “Susie” Kleinhans Gilbertson 18 Buttonwood Road Rumson, NJ 07760 732-842-2057 svwg@comcast.net

for lunch one day, and Annie and I are still enrolled in a music course together. Patricia “Trish” Sudler Stimpson

also met with us. She and John took a place in Delray for February. They became so enamored of Delray that they purchased a place there. In March they’re in Santa Barbara, CA, because their grandchildren are nearby. When in Delray, Trish and Annie Paddock ran into each other at bridge! Then they arranged another game together. Marty Schwerin Ritter looks forward to getting together with Louise “Lisa” Miller McElhinny and Wilson in a couple of weeks. They are in Miami until the end of March and will drive up here for the day. Quarrier “Q” Bloch Cook was in Delray also in January visiting her daughter. She was only here a short while and left before I got here, unfortunately.

Susie Gilbertson writes: Here we are

again after another news cycle. I’m happy to report that landing in the stimulating atmosphere of Palm Beach has provided

THE SUNDIAL

Lynn Beadle Sinclair shares that

fortunately all her news remains the same. “We’re doing well playing golf and

bridge several times a week. Daughters and families live in Scottsdale, Boulder, CO, and Mendham, NJ. Grandkids include a 16-year-old boy, two 13-yearold girls, and an 11 year old. They all are very active in sports, and we try to see them any chance we get.” Joan “Joannie” Grafmueller Grier

writes from Denver: “I am still working with PBS. In addition to other things, I am helping design funny ads for them that include random members of the community. The hope is that they will be like New Yorker cartoons—funny and subtle. One of them is the head of the designer department at Neiman Marcus. (He is the person who really runs the city.) I am also working on a couple of artistic projects related to Internet greeting cards and the licensing of some other designs. We continue to go to Carmel, which is the bouquet of our lives.” Nancie Magee Bourne writes: “Jim and I are here in Boca Grande, FL, enjoying some lovely sunny weather for February and March, and returning home to Greenwich on April 4. Love to all our classmates!” Nancy “Missy” Kitchell Lickle shares: “I had a lovely two-week vacation on Maui with our two sons and their families. The grandchildren are either grown or attending Montessori and Seabury Hall, a top-notch secondary school on Maui. When we receive their report cards, we find ourselves rather overwhelmed. Misses Green, Sindall, Walker, etc. would be impressed with education today!!”

1954

REUNION

Betty Richards Tripp 18 School Street Stonington, CT 06378 860-535-0432 Bettyrichards36@gmail.com Kathryn “Katie” Auchincloss Porter,

commenting on our last column, says, “I loved hearing that we are all in the same

Take Note boat—trying to keep our bodies going with exercise, our minds going with bridge and the like, and being active with our various nonprofit pursuits, but now not being on as many boards.” See below for more from Katie about a possible reunion. Virginia “Ginny” Backus Vanocur

writes from Santa Barbara that she is without email but “still working on joining the real world.” Karen Bisgard Alexander writes, “My life is so quiet that I can barely crank out yearly news, let alone quarterly! Soon I’ll have to report on what I ate for breakfast.” She then goes on to write about a very full and busy life: “Two grandchildren in college, another one next year, three more the next year. I shudder when I calculate the cost of training their brains that seem, in these teenage years, to be made of fluff. By the time our 3-year-old granddaughter reaches college, it will cost about the same as a Dreamliner, but I hope with better batteries.

In November the Chicago Art Institute opened its new Greek, Roman, and Byzantine galleries, accompanied by a book of the collection for which I wrote the opening essay. It was interesting to watch the whole book-publishing itinerary from cover to inside cover. The reinstallation of the galleries was financed by a generous New York couple, Mary and Michael Jaharis, whose roots were Chicago.” (Note: Frances “Frannie” Haffner Colburn says that Karen’s long essay is “very impressive.” See also my comment below.) Back to Karen: “We spent the week between Christmas and New Years in Vienna and Berlin, seeing all of their refurbished museums. When we got home, it was discovered that Walter had a new tumor that is now gone with a very good prognosis. When I don’t want to think about mortality, I’m heartened by the owl that lives in our trees. He/she hoots at me every dawn, but I’ve never been able to see him/her.”

Ursula Bitter Ulmer reports, “Nothing new to relate, no hurricanes or blizzards to compare with the East Coast’s heavy concerns. Zurich has had a long, cold winter, weeks at a time below freezing, but manageable.

I am still head of Admissions for ISAP (The International School of Analytical Psychology), which trains Jungian analysts, and I love the work. As we have candidates from 23 countries, it is a cross-cultural enterprise in depth. I have a small private practice on the side. I go once a year to Cape Town where some part of my soul got hooked and feels in its element, the landscape of mountain and sea, the Western and African cultures struggling to find a form that can allow survival without devastating loss, and especially the friendships that endure even though I no longer live there. In Zurich, my two grandsons, 6 and 7, look after me twice a week after school. On the icy paths they are careful to point out where to put my feet so I don’t end up a pile of broken bones, the fate of many elderly this winter.” Returning from Florida in late March, Patricia “Patsy” Blun Deetjen writes that another snowstorm in Maine soon greeted her. “I was in Boca Grande and had two delightful dinners with Nancie Magee Bourne ’53 and Jim and with their daughter, Kimberly “Kim” Bourne Fisher ’77.” Maria “Salo” Salome Cassanova Aguero and I have been in frequent

email contact, first, before and after I went to Cuba in December and, later, because we have mutual friends whom the Agueros hope to see with me when they are in Connecticut in early summer. Frannie Haffner Colburn, who also went to Cuba in December, stayed with Salo in Miami before her trip. In her usual creative way, Helen Harvey Mills sent this along: Leonard Cohen Hubbard Street Dance La Bohème All in one week in Chicago Plus voice lessons and pastels

Keep me busy and then there is My brilliant dog Bukowski (buki). Everybody read Knock Knock by Suzy McNear two classes above us at EWS It’s wonderful—a fictional memoir. Now Just went to a Book release Party— a posthumous reading from Theater of Memory by Mark Perlberg at Newberry Library. It’s a very excellent book of poems by the late husband of Anna Backer Perlberg, our history teacher at EWS who was not much older than we were at the time. Elodie Huntley Tilney and Bud enjoy

life in Vero Beach despite Elodie’s ups and downs with health issues over the past few years, most recently eye surgery. Elodie enjoys time with her 11-year-old granddaughter, Luna, who lives in Vero Beach also. Elodie writes, “I volunteered at the McKee Botanical Garden for several years doing all sorts of weeding, pruning, and caring for prize water lilies, but my main job was being “the orchid lady.” I supervised the care and feeding of a large greenhouse full of various species of orchids. Loved it. Unfortunately, I had to give it up while undergoing chemo, so I was replaced, but I still go back to do grunt work in the jungles that I love. Much prefer that to guiding visitors through the gardens.” Elodie and I had a wonderful follow-up phone conversation. It is amazing how easy it is to pick up with classmates after years of separation. I wonder if it is because at EWS we lived in such close proximity and rarely left the campus, something unknown to today’s students. Referring to our recent class column, Patricia “Patsy” Kelly McCornack

writes, “Sounds like we are all good, but aging, citizens!” Patsy says that she “had a wonderful river trip up the Seine to Normandy this fall—great fun and very interesting, but LOUSY weather. My bridge partner and I are leaving in early March for about three weeks on a road trip to Florida. (Note: They will stop to see Anita Larsen Fivek who spends

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Take Note winters there.) I hope we are speaking by the end of it! The most exciting news is that (grandson) Sam is off on his roundthe-world entrepreneurial jaunt and (grandson) Matt has, so far, been accepted to three of his four colleges. Everyone is well!” Barbara Mayer Marks and Fillmore write, “We see our eight grandchildren often as they live in Menlo Park and San Francisco and we live in the middle. How fortunate we are. We did take a trip in February to Hawaii, staying eight wonderful days in the sun. We don’t have any plans, except this summer we will go to Lake Tahoe where we have a condo. Our three boys and families use it all the time, winter and summer. That’s what it’s for. Weather here has been gorgeous— wish we could pass some along to the Easterners.”

Due to a communications glitch, Glenn Shannon Whipple has not been heard from for quite some time. But now she has made up for lost time with the following: “With warm greetings to all! I so enjoyed reading about all of our ’54 EWS classmates in the recent Take Note column. Don’t know where I was when info was requested, but am now rather glad that I wasn’t in the loop, because now I can relate to so many of their ‘stories’! I can’t remember when the last time was that I corresponded, so I may be repeating something (at our age, that’s a given, right?) But here goes. I’ll go backwards. Then when I get to where it’s something you’ve already known, you can stop paying attention! “We continue to live in Ruidoso, NM, going on 11 years now. Moved from Fort Worth, where I had lived for 66 years! So it was quite an adjustment from a big metropolitan area to a mountain town of some 10,000+ year-round residents. We love the climate and the peace of the forest as we live right up against the Lincoln National Forest. Our ski mountain of 13,000 feet affords Texas skiers their closest mountain (but way too easy for my children who prefer the mountains of Colorado.) Life is simpler and quieter, but Oggie, my husband,

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prefers it that way, and I’ve found enough to do to keep me busy. As P.K. said, ‘KEEP BUSY!’ I’m quite involved in my church activities being the Treasurer, on the Session, doing several Bible Studies. Due to a hip replacement in 2009, I don’t play tennis anymore, (Actually hadn’t in quite a while due to the pain . . . should’ve had it done about 10 years before! I have a feeling I would still be playing now if I hadn’t waited so long.) That plus other weird types of emergency surgeries and procedures have slowed me down, but I still go to a gym three days a week where I work out with a personal trainer for about two hours at a time, so I get plenty of exercise! That and hiking and walking with our new dog (Oggie’s daughter found him, a rescue, gorgeous pure-bred black Lab), whom we got in September of 2011. He’ll be 3 this April. I also sing with the University choir here as well as our church choir. And then there’s body maintenance—massages, facials, etc.! I seem to be gone from our house into town (we live out in the county, but it’s still only about 10 minutes away) for at least four to six hours every day doing something or other! “Oggie and I celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary by going to

England and Ireland for three weeks at the end of the summer. He had never been abroad (Hates to fly. I had to give him Xanax to get him over the ‘pond’), and I hadn’t been since 1975! We had a glorious experience and met some great people. Other than that, our venturing outside of Ruidoso consists of visiting my children and grandchildren who live in Houston and Denver. Son Jarrett lives in Houston and they have three children: David, 14, Thomas, 11, and Elizabeth, 9. Emily lives in Denver with her husband and two boys: Jack, 11, and Ian, 8. “Spent about six weeks in Ft. Worth at the condo that we fortunately kept there (after hip replacement where we stayed for three weeks) and then foot surgery this fall (four 4" pins in my toes to correct dislocated hammertoes, which had become too painful to enjoy walking. I told you I had weird things happening to this old arthritic body of mine!). Oggie and Duke (our dog) nearly went crazy because they didn’t have their beloved mountains to hike in, but I loved it since I got to see all of my longtime friends! And they were so sweet to us, bringing dinners by a lot. One even gave us a party! When one grows up in a place and lives there most of one’s life, a

Glenn Shannon Whipple ’54 with her family on their annual family trip to the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, CO. Glenn says, “My daughter and her husband and two boys are to my right; my husband, Oggie, is behind me; and my son and daughter-in-law and their three children are to my left (or to your right as you’re looking at the photo).”

Take Note special bond develops that is irreplaceable! I’ve made friends up here, sure, but it’s not quite the same. “My daughter and I are now going on our 7th annual trip, which we started when she turned 40 and I, 70, in 2006. The first year we went to Rancho La Puerto in Baja California, a spa founded by the owner/founder of the Golden Door. I likened it more to an adult boot camp than a spa, though! We took every dance class to be had, engaged in lots of different activities, and ate well. Emily and I are both foodies and love to cook. The next year saw us in Napa and Sonoma Valleys where we ate VERY well and drank some wonderful wines. Then to Vermont in the fall to see the leaves, where we stayed at a cooking school hotel in Burlington and took classes. Then back to California to Carmel, which we explored up and down the coast of Big Sur, etc. The fifth year found us in Chicago where I met up with my old roomie “H” (Helen Harvey Mills), with whom I’ve kept in touch via Christmas cards and email. Emily and I did the whole Chicago scene from Michigan Avenue to the observation deck of the Willis Building. (formerly the Sears) where yours truly walked right out into mid-air 100 and some odd feet above the ground. Emily was petrified! Last year we went to Aspen just for a long weekend in April. (This is usually the month we travel, because after that Emily gets very busy with her photography shooting for architects and designers around the Denver area as well as the Fort Worth/Dallas area. Her work appears in several magazines, and it’s been a great career for her, because she can kind of set her own pace.) (Mary Stein Dominick, sorry I didn’t look you up when we were in Aspen. Totally slipped my mind that you were still there!) “Emily has gone many times to shoot houses, but those trips were always workrelated, so we just went and hiked the Maroon Bells as far as we could go before the snow stopped us, and snooped around town and again dined well. This summer we are going to Boston (I haven’t been there since I was around 11

or 12!) and then on up to Maine before picking up her 11 year old from Kieve Camp in Nobleboro, ME. We’re in the planning stages right now and trying to figure out where to stay, etc. I enjoy planning a trip almost as much as going on it! And going with Emily allows me to be more adventurous in the foods we eat and the things we do. She keeps me young. Not that Oggie makes me feel old, but he does not like to stray very far from our house in the woods where he keeps very busy chopping and splitting wood for our fires, going on long walks with the dog while I’m in town, and reading, which we both do a lot of! Speaking of fires, we had a huge one last summer (June 2012) called the Little Bear Fire, which burned over 44,000 acres of forest and destroyed over 240 homes. I volunteered at the Recovery Center for several months helping people connect with the proper agencies to help them back on their feet. Many lost everything! We were relatively close to the southernmost edge (1-1/2 miles away) and were on alert. We drove around with both cars packed to the gills for over a week, in case we had to evacuate quickly. I would just take back into the house what I needed for the night and then pack it back up again the next morning! That was an experience! “Well, I’ve rambled way more than I meant to. But I was so inspired by what everyone else is doing, and although our life seems rather quiet compared to others of my class, we are happy and healthy (in spite of all my surgeries, I’m healthy as a horse! Go figure!). Take care, and thanks for reading this stream of consciousness!” Katherine “Kathie” Somerville Steele writes, “Greetings to all from the

alluvial plains of Mississippi. We (Ed Hunter and I) have little to report over the last year, and, as others have mentioned, that really is a good thing! We are as involved as possible with our combined family, which includes 12 grandchildren, etc., spread out all over the country. We truly enjoy our little town (Greenwood) and old (!) friends. We do hope to mosey up to NYC and

Connecticut this summer to visit my son and daughter.” Mary Stein Dominick writes, “So much was written about me in the last issue that I doubt if you need any more news from me right now. I’ll include a photo that was taken in mid-March at 11,500', the top of Aspen Highlands, CO, where we were skiing with out-oftown friends. I would love to see some EWS women out here—anytime. Sven and I mostly ski with one another, as many who are our age no longer ski downhill. We urge our kids and grandkids to come whenever possible.”

Mary Stein Dominick ’54, skiing at the top of Aspen Highlands, CO

Bette Van Deventer Gibson sent her email address from St. Thomas where she has escaped from this New England winter.

As for me, Betty Richards Tripp, I am fortunate to have children and grandchildren nearby and find the simple pleasures of home and hearth increasingly appealing these days. After years of community activism and involvement, I now keep a low profile except to serve on our town’s Board of Property Assessment Appeals, limited to only one month of meetings annually although the meetings are rather intensely scheduled during this time. Recently Frances “Frannie” Haffner Colburn and I went to New Haven to visit the much heralded, renovated, and

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Take Note expanded Yale Art Gallery. Frannie, a museum expert, declared it a triumph. Frannie had just returned from Columbia, SA, and Mexico, one of the many, always interesting and unique, trips she takes annually. Frannie writes: “My trip to it in December was an eye opener and one that continues to haunt me. While I was aware that Salo and others of our former EWS schoolmates were among the thousands who were forced to leave it in 1961 after Castro’s revolution transformed Cuba into a totalitarian state, the enormity of what they have been through had eluded me previously. While the island’s natural beauty remains and a modicum of private enterprise has been introduced recently, formerly beautiful structures are in shambles or have collapsed, agricultural and industrial sites are often abandoned, poverty is widespread, a police state exists and, to me, human rights issues overshadow both the proclaimed high level of literacy and touted health care system. On the other hand, the Cuban people were welcoming and friendly and the absence of materialism was a welcome relief from the crass commercialism that greeted us when we arrived back in Miami amidst the Christmas season.” On another note, I observed another “before and after” when I made an October visit to Bay Head, NJ, to visit Mary Schwerin Ritter ’53, 10 days before Superstorm/Hurricane Sandy ravaged the New Jersey shore, the lowlying but vast portions of New York City and, to a lesser extent but still severely, the coastline of lower New England. Fortunately, Mary had left Bay Head to return to Palm Beach before the storm. It was subsequent photos of the area where we had been so recently that showed a much altered shoreline littered with the remains of houses and seawalls. As I was completing these Class Notes, the postman arrived delivering the Chicago Art Institute’s book Recasting the Past, with the introductory 20-page illustrated essay/chapter entitled “From

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Plaster To Stone: Ancient Art at the Art Institute of Chicago” by Karen Bisgard Alexander. It is a well-researched, comprehensive, and very readable essay, not only about how the Art Institute amassed its classical collection, but also relating the 19th- and early 20th-century expeditions sponsored by the other major American art museums. Finally, here is an update on a possible mini-reunion. Those with email know of Katie Auchincloss Porter’s idea of classmates taking a trip together. As she says, we would have to fit in all of the activities we all enjoy: hiking, art, theater, etc. I find the concept appealing, as do some of our other classmates. Polly Barnes Hester says, “Living on the West Coast and rarely travelling east leaves me out of touch. Should a minireunion occur on the West Coast, I would be interested.” Patsy Blun Deetjen thinks, “A mini-reunion is a splendid idea!! Let’s go for it, girls!!” Ursula Bitter Ulmer’s comment is that if we are serious about a reunion, and it would tempt us to have one in Zurich, she would do her best to help make it happen and be a willing guide to the sights. Patsy Kelly McCornack says that, while she cannot accommodate us at her house, she would like to see a mini-reunion at Martha’s Vineyard. Glenn Shannon Whipple commented that since she lives three hours from an airport “it is difficult to travel anywhere, but I’d certainly entertain the thought of a mini-reunion if it was not too far away! My childhood friend, with whom I roomed for two years at Smith, has an annual suite-mate reunion in their various hometowns so that they are moving from one end of the country to the other, but they’ve certainly kept up with each other that way. It’ll be interesting to see what everybody says.” Bette Van Deventer Gibson says that she cannot join in this year. Please email your further comments and interests to Katie Auchincloss Porter or me. We shall keep you updated by email. For those of you whose email addresses I do not have, please share them with me.

1955 Letitia “Tisha” McClure Potter 44 Rockwood Lane Greenwich, CT 06830 203-869-6069 LMPotter@earthlink.net News of Elizabeth “Betsy” Russell Broda’s grandsons, who are ice hockey devotees, includes Sage, recruited as a goalie to play at the National Hockey Academy in Canada with temperatures hitting -30° F. Not what a Georgia boy is used to. Sage’s brother Deacon plays in Georgia, so Betsy can go to most of his games. Her eldest grandson, Buddy, will graduate from UVM this Spring, and Sam, his brother, is at Union and enjoys playing golf nearby. Her son, Jack, and wife Kaitlin live in Simsbury, where she will visit this April to check on their lives and their two labs. Terese “Terry” Treman Williams may

have the record for most surgeries and most patience and endurance of us all. In the beginning of March she had her seventh foot surgery, not counting the three ankle surgeries in 2011. Hopefully this is the last. I know Terry and Joe went to Turkey last year, so they manage to keep on going. Joe had a fall in November, which required many months of recovery. However, Terry concludes that they are “HERE” and for the most part happy and well. Charleston, with its history, fabulous restaurants, arts, music, and medical facilities, suits them to a T. With time to read during her recovery, Terry recommends In the Garden of the Beasts by Erik Larsen, about Nazi Germany just before World War II. It is a good companion to The Citizens of London about the same time period, which many of us have read. (Jenny Chandler and Tisha Potter are two.) She is looking forward to joining Elizabeth “Liz” Nash Muench at the dedication of the Head’s House at Walker’s in memory of our classmate Deborah “Debby” Williams Mackenzie (deceased). Jenny Stewart Chandler has a new

hip as of December. She is thrilled with

Take Note the result. She advises not to let anyone tell you to wait, for your hips, knees, and back will suffer as a result of hip pain and limited use. I (Tisha) can attest to this as I received a new hip in June 2012. What a difference. We both will be happy to talk with anyone who is contemplating a new hip. Her husband, Bruce, had a cochlear implant, which has slightly improved his hearing. They have enjoyed the winter in Bray’s Island, waiting to sell their house. Jenny looks forward to getting her golf clubs out and playing on the improved course. She wrote she could not put down Steve Jobs’ biography. I received an announcement from Patricia Marx Ellsberg that in March she was speaking at a teleseminar, Remembering our Magic, on the theme of Finding Mother-Love Within. Patricia explained, “Remembering our Magic is a series created for women to help them heal what holds them back, harness their unique gifts and talents, and take those gifts and talents global.” Patricia always is doing something interesting, and I was very sorry not to be able to call in to hear her. Our grandchildren are growing up fast. Bettina “Tina” O’Neil Lyons has two

grandsons at the University of Arizona; two others are freshmen in high school. Her only granddaughter is a student at the Orange County School for the Arts and wants to become a musical theater star. Tina says she has the talent and dedication, “so we’ll see.” What fun to have a granddaughter among the boys. Tina’s favorite books involve real stories. She has enjoyed Bitter Brew (Anheuser and Bush families), Paris: a Love Story (Kati Marton’s love story), Double Cross: The True Story of the D Day Spies, and No Easy Day: The First Hand Account of The Mission that Killed Osama Bin Laden. Thank you, Tina, for some choices that sound absorbing. Tina also likes to travel. Last year she and Dan went to Europe, and this past March they took a Mississippi River trip. Tina added she enjoys reading about Walker’s, which is a different school today than when we were there. Email exchanges with Carol Large Calhoun reveal her interest and work with foreign students. She has “adopted,” been host mother to several foreign students at Middlebury College. Her most recent students have been two brilliant Chinese young women. For her, the best part of global communication today is the exposure of the more

Natalie Fesenmyer Emery ’55 with the 2007 BMW 24 she races in meets. She is in front of her new house, which she designed with the assistance of her son, Sean.

positive attitude toward and treatment of women worldwide, leading to some conscience-raising of the appropriate response to it. In addition, Carol is interested in the School of Leadership Afghanistan, or SOLA, which is a “nonprofit, people-to-people organization dedicated to furthering educational and leadership opportunities in Afghanistan and the world for the new generation of Afghanistan, especially women” (mission statement of SOLA). Coincidentally, at Walker’s today there are three students from Afghanistan, one of whom is graduating this June and will be attending college in the U.S. Last fall Carol visited San Francisco, where her third daughter, Hope Horton, moved in the summer, leaving Greenwich, CT, for a new job. Hope is RN Director of Patient Services at the Stone Clinic in San Francisco. The clinic specializes in orthopedics with an emphasis on preserving one’s own joints. A highlight of Carol’s visit was spending time with Barbara “Babb-o” Babb Read, who spent hours driving Carol around San Francisco to orient her to the city, and dining overlooking the Pacific. It was a thoroughly delightful renewal of connection. Carol would welcome hearing from and about Walker’s alumnae in San Francisco and its environs.

Natalie with her son, Sean, and her daughter, Heather, both of whom live nearby. Heather took over Natalie’s horse business a while ago. SUMMER 2013

Take Note Suzanne “Suki” Holmes Welch is living in Arizona! In July, she moved from Maine to Sun City West, where she has a condominium as large as her Maine house and can welcome her family and friends. She had rented a house with a friend for four winters, so she is not a complete stranger to Arizona. Suki does miss singing with the Sweet Adelines and her Tuesday and Thursday coffee gatherings of 18. However, the weather is much kinder, and two of her daughters live in the West. Phoebe was visiting her when she called. Her grandsons like sports and are good at them. Will’s team won the Maine State Hockey Championships and came in second in the Regionals (New England), losing by only one goal. Jake left hockey for skiing and came in eighth in the Maine racing his first year. On the other hand, the girls prefer the arts—music and dancing.

As for me, Tisha McClure Potter, we are travelling after a three-year hiatus. An escape to Antigua with friends in February was really a treat. In April we plan to take the whole family to Captiva, FL, and then will be visiting islands in the Mediterranean in May. Always wanted to see where Laetitia Bonaparte was born. Then we will be ready to enjoy home. Our new addition is a corgi puppy, named Bandit. He kept us busy, going out in the winter every hour or two. Now he is more civilized and great fun, a good pal who loves us unconditionally. All of you take care, and enjoy the rest of the year. Love to all. A letter from Tania Goss Evans carried the happy news that her foot has healed well and she could enjoy some good skiing this winter, which was a surprise. She continues as a commissioner with the Smithsonian American Art Museum, which she very much enjoys. After a 10year hiatus, she has rejoined the Board of the Jackson Hole Land Trust, which is close to her conservationist heart and is also a community involvement in her home state. I remember that Debby Williams MacKenzie was involved with the Land Trust as well as the Wyoming Nature Conservancy. In May, Tania will be in New Zealand and is very

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sad to miss the dedication of the Head’s House in memory of Debbie who worked so hard for Walker’s.

1956 Adrianne “A” Massie Hill 2771 Peachtree Road NE # 10 Atlanta, GA 30305 404-846-0407 travelinghills@gmail.com Thanks to so many of you who sent back book selections for inclusion in this set of notes. There were a few duplications, but we are an eclectic lot when it comes to our reading preferences!

have sold their cattle and added a farm operator to help them more with chores. Nancy remains busy in activities in Springfield and particularly those that relate to the history of the area and to the life of Abraham Lincoln. Chick has drawn lovely cards at Christmas, which we are lucky to have received, and even though minimizing our own mementos, we have kept quite a few. Diana Forman Colgate sent a cheery note to say, “All is great—family wonderful with two in college and two more going.” Diana and Aileen “Missy” Turnbull Geddes live near each other on Long Island with frequent

BOOKS WE ENJOYED Phoebe Haffner Andrew and her

husband, L.A., have been spending part of the winter in San José Del Cabo, Mexico, to get away from Seattle’s somewhat gray and damp winter. All of their families but two members gathered there in March to celebrate L.A.’s 75th birthday. We hope to see the Andrews in May when we plan to be in Seattle for two weeks. Margaret “Peg” Peck Blosser, who

lives in Aiken, SC, has been artful over the years in writing a poem at Christmas that is filled with information about her family and now her “blended” family with Denver’s. As their families are located countrywide, their plans include visits with all plus those with friends, as well as journeys to foreign shores, most recently a cruise from Rome to London with a stop in Barcelona, which Peg says, “This has to rank among the most exciting.” Your news, Peg, is enjoyed by your armchair travelers as well! Nancy Lanphier Chapin and her

husband, Chick, have lived in Chatham, IL, since 1962. The property had been in the Chapin family since the 1930s, but Chick and Nancy, after living in town for a short time, decided that they wanted to be in the country, where they now are on Windridge Farm. Even though Nancy writes about “downsizing” a bit, as many of us are, what she means does not refer to books or mementos but animals! They

The Class of 1956 recommends the books they enjoyed reading: Phoebe Haffner Andrew: Rules of Civility by Amor Towles; Without Reservations and Educating Alice by Alice Steinbach; Fifty Russian Winters by Margaret Wettlin; Citizens of London by Lynn Olson; The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer; The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne Peg Peck Blosser: Gold by Chris Cleave; Mud Bound by Hillary Jordan Mary Jo Laﬂin Field: Wild by Cheryl Strayed; The Hummingbird’s Daughter by Luis Urrea; Someone Knows My Name by Lawrence Hill Missy Turnbull Geddes: Citizens of London by Lynn Olson; Stone’s Fall by Iain Pears Linen Miller Greenough: Killing Lincoln by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard Adrianne Massie Hill: Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg; The Guns of August by Barbara Tuchman Gigi Pearson Smithers: Rock the Casbah by Robin Wright Serena Stewart: The Light between the Oceans by M.L. Stedman

Take Note get-togethers. Diana and her husband, John, spend some of the year in the Sun Valley area on their ranch in Gooding, ID. Clarina Schwarzenbach Firmenich

so thoughtfully telephoned me last fall from Geneva after I had written that we are hoping to get to France sometime this summer. She had so much good advice about dates and places and kept us from heading in truly crowded directions! Clarina and her companion, Dusan Sidjanski, live in Geneva where one of Clarina’s sons, Patrick, his wife, Valentine, son, Adrien, and daughter, Laetitia, live. Patrick is the Chief Executive Officer of Firmenich & Company. Clarina’s son Antoine, his wife, Christina, and their two daughters live in Singapore where Antoine is the Managing Director of Aquilus, the Singapore-based research office of Aquilus Management. Clarina always sounds her cheery self! I keep saying “Thank you” to the heavens for email! Mary Jo Laﬂin Field sent a very nice note from San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, where Mary Jo and her partner, John Simonds, are spending part of the winter. They are in a writing workshop together, and Mary Jo writes, “It is both therapeutic and fun, especially since I’ve hardly lifted pen to paper since Florence Hunt, my favorite teacher of all time.” Mary Jo is trying to learn Spanish, although I sympathize with her as French was my first foreign language, too, and it is hard to separate the two! Their house in Rockland, ME, has been sold and so they are relishing some new-found freedom of time and place. Mary Jo and John make their home in Chicago.

Congratulations are in order for Missy Turnbull Geddes and her husband, Max, who have just returned from Paris where they celebrated their 53rd wedding anniversary. The Geddeses have grandchildren already through college and in the working world, and Missy and Max have been great about visiting these young ones throughout each year.

Melinda “Linen” Miller Greenough

Lorna Sargeant Pfaelzer, also a

sent a special Christmas card from Sheridan, WY, where they live. The drawing on it was of Santa Claus delivering bales of hay to their friends and neighbors, as Linen’s husband, Doug, was doing just that because the crop yield was much lower than usual on account of drought. Linen and her husband will be great-grandparents in early June! Linen continues to travel to Mexico in support of the medical mission in which she is involved. We had hoped to talk on the phone but kept crossing time constraints. Next time, Linen.

Chicago resident, wrote a nice note from St. Croix where she and her husband, Butch, are spending some of the winter. Lorna sees Betsy McNally Ravenel and Carol Keeney Munro each summer when she visits Betsy, in the Thousand Islands, and they get together with Keeney. That would be fun!

Katherine “Kiki” Judd who lives in Larkspur, CA, near San Francisco, wrote a good note about her family. She has two grandchildren, John (13) and Grace (17), who have spent their entire lives in Plano, TX, a suburb of Dallas. She sees them twice yearly, but does have two children living near her. Kiki has been in the residential real estate business for many years, and just this week I read that San Francisco is having one of its all-time banner years in home sales! I hope that they find their way to you, Kiki!

As you know from earlier correspondence, Gail Sheppard Moloney recently lost her very nice husband, Phil, after a long illness. I’ve spoken with Gail and Virginia “Gigi” Pearson Smithers

recently; both spend their winters in Vero Beach, and I was jealous when they recently had dinner together with other mutual friends. Gail has three daughters: Hillary who lives in England, Courtney who lives in Vermont, and Kim who lives in Scottsdale, AZ. Each of the girls is married, and with seeming effortlessness Gail visits with them hither and yon! Gail will move into her new home in Greenwich in the middle of May. Somehow the phrase VERY WELL ORGANIZED comes to mind! I chuckled when Gail wrote that her daughter Hillary is coming to Connecticut in June for her 25th reunion at Yale; Gail said that she remembered her father’s 25th at Yale and thought that they were “very old looking men!”

Edith “Edie” Radley sent a very cheerful note as she is “winding up about three weeks in Florida (Hobe Sound) with my beloved niece, Katy Gray, and family.” Edie has been very active in her church, St. Andrew’s, in Edgartown, MA, where she lives, and is presently serving on its vestry. “Always interesting work!!!” she says, and I would agree!

Having spoken with a number of you, I can say how very sad we all were to learn that Mary Laird Silvia died on January 29, 2013, after a Mary Laird Silvia ’56 short illness. “An inquiring mind” is the phrase that comes to mind when I think of Mary. We spent time together here in Atlanta two years ago when Mary came to visit one of her adored nephews and his family, and as we talked for most of one day, I learned even more about Mary’s many interests and talents. She really was a perpetual student and investigated deeply those subjects that interested her. In these last few years Mary worked hard on her family’s history. It is painstaking, I know, to go though many boxes and files, but she did it and contributed a monograph about the settlement of Rockland, DE, to the Hagley Library archives. “Versatility” is another word that comes to mind about Mary: She was fluent in French, continued as a singer while finishing her degree at Radcliffe, was courageous in her travels to far corners of the world long before cell phones and the Internet were here, and then traveled with her husband, Peter A. Silvia, a nautical architect-engineer with the U.S. Navy,

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Take Note whom she married in 1975. Mary was also interested in alternative medicine and became a proficient holistic health consultant in the last few years. She was a loyal friend to many and is missed; we were lucky to have her in our midst. Gigi Pearson Smithers and I have had several delightful phone conversations over the last few months. Gigi and her husband, Kip, have owned Escutcheon Antiques, Inc. in Vero Beach since 1996. In addition to their antiques inventory, Kip supervises instructors who are making those wonderful Nantucket baskets as well as collection baskets for the Smithers’ church in Florida. Gigi remains her artistic self and has been involved with the annual art show at Vero Beach Museum of Art, an event known as Art in Bloom, featuring arrangements based on the Museum’s collection. Gigi also told me about something entirely new: She learned how to make sailors’ valentines, an art form that originated in the 19th century, and has assisted an instructor in the shop to help customers who are making them for their own use. Creativity abounds in the Smithers family! Caroline “Carol” Stanwood and I continue to share our musical activities by phone and email. Carol is now singing in a choir that performed twice in February. She is also taking singing lessons with a master’s student in voice pedagogy at Colorado University in Denver. “I’m his guinea pig!” she writes. We both know how fortunate we are that our voices have not started to “wobble!” Serena Stewart and I keep in touch by telephone as well as continuing our iPad Scrabble Tournament! (I have reported on the outcomes before! She is very good.) Serena continues her Hope Lodge commitment in New York, as well as enjoying the abundant pleasures of New York. We hope to see her this spring.

Last fall as I was preparing our class notes, Marlene Marx Twaddell who lives in Providence, RI, sent a note that I want to include in this set. Marlene writes: “My grandchildren, visiting from

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Singapore, found a dog. . . . Well, you know how it is, when you don’t see those darlings enough. I let them keep it. Harriet, 11, named her ‘Glee’: she is part greyhound, part Lab, all black, sleek like a seal. But a puppy! She cries if we leave her alone. I need to walk her three times a day, sometimes four. I now get loads of exercise, meet scores of people, also with dogs, and my cholesterol has plummeted. We feel like parents again. We spoil Glee with toys and treats. Fortunately, there is a service here that picks her up for playgroup in the country, so I have a little time off. Glee curtails our travel, but anyway, I feel I’ve done enough for a lifetime. We are settling down to motor trips now with Glee in the backseat, face in the wind.” Marlene and I share (and I’m sure that many of us do!) the habit of reading in bed, late at night, lying down. My idea of a heavenly way to be quiet. And from me, Adrianne: “The Episcopal Cathedral of St. Philip continues to be a central part of our lives. My husband, Mal, and I sing in the Cathedral Choir, and I, in Schola, the Evensong Choir. We sing at least two services every weekend and at times of the year like this one, Holy Week concluding on Easter Day, even more. Mal serves as a lay reader and participates in two weekly classes; I lend a hand in the music department, and am in my last year of a three-year term on the Chapter (vestry) of the Cathedral. We are enjoying time to read, play some bridge, and enjoy a group of friends, the Moviegoers, we call ourselves; rather like a book club, we independently see a selected movie and then meet for a sumptuous potluck dinner and discussion led by the host about every six weeks. My piano partner, Linda Bath, a Hollins music major, and I play together almost every week; it was my good fortune to have met her almost upon arrival in Atlanta nine years ago. Our young families are well, son, Mal, here in Atlanta with his wife, Margaret, and their children, and Gordon, a bachelor lawyer in Denver. As always, I really enjoy hearing from each of you. Until the next . . . ! Be well.

1957 Sandra “Sandy” Lipson Ryon P.O. Box 1134 7201 Wilkins Lane Chestertown, MD 21620 410-778-4238 slryon@aol.com Elizabeth “Lisa” Dobbin Sherwood writes that her sister, Anne Dobbin Bailliere ’59, is sending a picture to this

publication of their families that was taken in California at Thanksgiving 2012. They also spend time together in Nantucket every summer. Mort and I had a very pleasant lunch with the Sherwoods and some mutual friends in Annapolis just before Christmas. Lisa recently ran into Janet Johnson. She says that Janet looks great and is serving as a supply priest in her diocese. Janet lives in Annapolis with her two dogs. Nat and Nancy “Kenny” King Howe were with Barron and Jane “Dedo” du Pont Kidd for three days of hunting on Fishers Island at the end of January. They then spent several days together in New York with two visits to the Met. She sees Phil and Tisha McClure Potter ’55 in Greenwich and says they’re wonderful. She has also been in touch with Jean “Jinny” Tilt Sammis. They both have a niece and nephew in Charleston, SC, who have met and had dinner together. In response to my email plea for news, Karen Peterson Earle reminded me not to forget the Mel Brooks line from Robin Hood, Men in Tights: “No Noose Is Good Noose!!” She went on to write: “Patricia Day Storm came to NYC for her birthday in January. This has now become a tradition. I make the arrangements at the Colony Club for dinner, and some very close old friends of both of us join us for the celebration. Pat’s husband, Howie, is a great raconteur so every year we close the club up. Great fun.” At the end of March, I went to Baltimore with two friends from

Take Note Chestertown, and Mary “Mimi” Gibbs Piper met us for lunch. It was lovely to see her. She and Jimmy spent a month in Florida—first time ever and they loved it. They were in Long Boat Key and enjoyed both the quiet there with the sun and the beach and the cultural and urban aspects of Sarasota with the Ringling Museum, the Botanical Gardens, and the Opera. They stopped in Richmond on their way home, where they had dinner with J. Randall “Randy” Furlong Street and heard all about her recent trip to Yellowstone this winter. The Pipers will celebrate Jimmy’s 80th birthday with his daughters in California this summer. They are grateful that they both have their health and their mobility! About that trip to Yellowstone, Randy Street writes, “My trip out to Yellowstone in February was outstanding! What a beautiful time to visit! It snowed every day, and we were very fortunate to see much wildlife. I even learned to snowshoe! All is well . . . waiting for spring.” Abigail “Abbie” Trafford says, “I am

coming to the end of my Trustee term at Walker’s. It has been an incredible experience—wonderful to witness the renaissance of the School under the leadership of Bessie. I wish I could have gone to Walker’s NOW! I’ll be there for Reunion in the spring to moderate a generational panel, similar to the one we had for Centennial. Every time I walk into Beaverbrook, I am reminded of how much women’s roles have changed—and how important the teenage years are to prepare girls to make the most of their lives. A bonus of being on the Board has been making new friends and remaking old ones. On a personal note, life is good. I love living in Boston with long stretches in Maine. Grandchildren are growing up too fast, friendships are the priority, and writing remains a habit. I keep up my links to Washington, which will always be a part of me.” Carlotta Marshall and Margaret “Rusty” Hawkins Quaintance say

they don’t have any news, but maybe we’ll get some next time.

Victoria “Tory” Kitchell sent an email: “No exciting news other than, after 20 years, my daughter and her family have moved from the Far East to St. Louis. They love it! It’s much easier to see them, a two-hour flight versus 22. I’m busy here with grandchildren in sporting events; my oldest granddaughter is going to Chapel Hill, playing lacrosse!!! I also spend time at the bridge table and volunteering for my two favorite organizations, the Pilot School (have been on the Board for 50 years!!! Think it might be time to get off?) and Canine Partners for Life. This is a fascinating organization that trains service dogs for those who have difficulty with mobility and also seizure alert dogs.” Tory is coming over to have lunch with me and another friend in Chestertown at the end of April. She and I discovered that we will have granddaughters in the same class at UNC this fall. We’ll certainly try to get them together. Eleanor “Holly” McKallor Page says that she loves her new life in Colorado. The winters are long so she’ll be coming east at the end of March to visit her daughter and two grandchildren on Long Island. She hasn’t seen Laurie Mack McBride yet, but her son, Doug Hanafin, is buying a house in Snowmass, so she’s sure that they’ll catch up with each other. Carolyn Stein Shohet wrote, “We are well. Still tending cows and sheep on our farm, which is one of the few remaining farms in Carlisle, MA. Henry David Thoreau used to come to Carlisle from Concord to buy a rabbit for his mother to cook for their Sunday dinner (when he was taking a break from Walden Pond). Dick and I celebrated our 50th anniversary this past summer. Where do the years go?”

From Gertrude “Trudy” Beebe Miller: David and I left Maryland in February and flew to Phoenix where we spent three days enjoying the sun and visiting friends from our long-ago days of living in Sedona. Then we flew to Honolulu and enjoyed three days wandering around the area of Waikiki Beach and Diamond Head, which is just

as beautiful and culturally interesting as we expected. We then flew in a ninepassenger single engine plane to Moloka’i Island, one of the smaller, less known, and less developed of the islands. We spent two sunny and relaxing weeks with old friends of ours who have a place there. We had a wonderful room with a view across the Pacific to Oahu. It was here that I got the very sad news of Marion Correa Bedrick’s death. My college roommate lives in NYC and attends the church that Marion attended. The big news from the home front is that the husband of our daughter, Jeanette, has been appointed to be a judge on the Maryland State Court of Special Appeals. We were all deeply saddened by the death of Marion Correa Bedrick in February. Her funeral was at the Church of the Heavenly Rest in New York. Marion sang in the choir there for 40 years. The music was beautiful and the service was a lovely tribute to her. Her children, Kate and Michael, spoke very movingly about her life. Carolyn Stein Shohet wrote: “When I think of Marion, I picture her eyes; they were startlingly beautiful. I also remember a friendly classmate whom I didn’t know well but respected and liked very much.”

1958 Barbara “Barbie” Welles Bartlett 4853 Congress Street Fairfield, CT 06824 203-259-2346 barbiebartlett@aol.com Elizabeth “Libby” Bartlett Sturges 111 Bow Street #6 Portsmouth, NH 03801 esturges@mac.com Barbie writes: I still live in Fairfield,

CT, and have celebrated my 42nd wedding anniversary with the same guy, had one son, John, and now have a grandson, McKee, born on Thanksgiving. I call myself “selfemployed” as a writer and artist and gardener. I have had a great life, travelled SUMMER 2013

Take Note married Eddie Davis and moved to Memphis where they became involved in acting and theater. They moved to Bay Saint Louis, MS, where one divorced daughter and children joined them. Wendy said that was a wonderful time and place for them until Hurricane Katrina blew everything away. They landed in Daphne, AL, and about then her husband dropped dead! She survived pancreatic cancer in 2012 and is well now. She still has family near and helps with her great-grandchildren. She volunteers, fosters golden retrievers, enjoys her family, and thinks she has lived a quiet “Betty Crocker kind of life!” Posey Wrape Early lives in Memphis Barbie Welles Bartlett ’58 and her grandson, McKee Bartlett

a lot, worked a lot, volunteered, etc., and I even sing in the church choir. I am glad to see from the questionnaires that those of you who have answered have also had quite a time and are generally busy and happy and mostly healthy. Alma “Mo” Haggin Ethington is still in Lexington, KY, and enjoys playing golf and swimming. Her “career” was keeping the books for the family business. She has two children and one still almost-new granddaughter born in November. She sends her love to the class and says that her life has been wonderful in so many ways. No complaints. Suzanne Gano Blackwell lives in North Carolina and, I am very sorry to say, lost her husband of 48 years back in 2009. Happily, her son and daughter and her three granddaughters live nearby. Sue has retired from running her own needlework shop and from managing the local hospital gift shop. She still volunteers as a mentor in reading for Hispanic children and drives for Meals on Wheels. Wendy Harcourt Davis, like Suzanne, also went to Katherine Gibbs in New York. She got married, had three daughters, and got dumped for a richer wife (her words). She then met and

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and has a son and a daughter and three granddaughters. She said she was pretty much happy with her life and had tons she still wanted to do, especially travel, as did everyone else who answered the questionnaire. More news, Posey! Beverley “Bunny” Benjamin Goodwin lives in Manhattan and is still

employed as a senior V.P. at Sotheby’s Realty, selling residential real estate. She has two daughters and six grandchildren. Bunny has kept up with and sees some of our other classmates who live in New York. Cicily Warren Hajek lives up in beautiful Sharon, CT, and enjoys her Morgan horse and competitive carriage driving in the summer. She is also into woodworking, creative sewing, needlework, gardening, and grandchildren. She considers her career was home and family, but she is also very much involved with the town and hospital committees and commissions. Cicily has four children, two girls and two boys, and nine grandchildren. She and Joe have been married over 50 years. In 1985 she was diagnosed with and treated for breast cancer. This led to rowing in a Cancer Survivor’s Crew— WeCanRow. She met a guest coach and had opportunities to row with her on the Potomac. This resulted in being recruited to row in the Master’s World Championship Regatta in Duisberg, Germany, last fall. Wow, Cicily!

Frances Stewart Ingraham is happily

into a new life of travel with her husband, volunteer work with children, education, music, golf, and bridge. As a career, she was a learning disabilities tutor, diagnostician, and real estate associate broker. They now live in Florida with summers in Rhode Island or Long Island. Frannie has two sons and four grandchildren. Her life sounds like a long slog of hard work coming around to being extremely happy now. Huzzah! Mabel “Muffy” Lewis had a career as

an Episcopal priest after being a wife and a mother. She has one daughter and lives, retired, in Newburgh, NY. To my question about taking classes, she replied “Yes, metaphysics, indigenous peoples and healing.” To the question about being happy with her life she replied, “It was a great struggle, being one of the first female Episcopal priests, living on the edge economically, but I’m glad I did it. Love my life now!” Martha “Marty” Bloch McLanahan is a designer, skier, art collector and volunteer living in New York. She had two sons and has five grandchildren and a very full life. Barbara “Suds” Sudler Maltby lives in Lakeville, CT, where she can garden, enjoy the country, work on local boards, and worry about politics. She is a consultant for Medical Ethics at the Sharon Hospital and on the Ethics Committee of Weill Cornell Medical Center in NYC. She has two sons and seven grandchildren. For what she hasn’t done, she would still like to learn an instrument and, I am sure, a few other things. Christina “Chrissy” Mathewson Salerno had a career in education as a

consultant but is retired from that now and runs a very successful thrift shop and raises money for good causes. She is also in an active book group, sings in three choral groups, and loves her church volunteer work. Chrissy had four children and now has 12 grandchildren.

Take Note Hilary Hale Spencer is still a happy California girl and did not have anything to report other than that they were expecting their first grandchild in March. I hope all worked out well, Hilary! Wendell “Wendy” Miller Steavenson has written me wonderful,

long letters loaded with news telling about what seems to be a charmed life with amazing children. She lives in London and gets back to New York on a regular basis and visits many of our classmates such as Alice Albright Arlen, Susan Scott Rowland, Barbara Sudler Maltby, Marty Bloch McLanahan, Frances Stewart Ingraham, and Lila Wilmerding Kirkland. I am very sorry to report that Wendy said that Susan Scott Rowland is not at all well after her

husband, Tony, died; Susan had a stroke from which she has slipped into some sort of dementia. How very sad! I am sorry Susan, may you please get better! Wendy has three children and her oldest son lives in New York and has provided three grandchildren to dote on. Her daughter is a staff writer for The New Yorker and is in all the hot and worrisome places in the Middle East. Her other son is in Indonesia, India, etc., setting up a biomass company. They all get together once a year at some wonderful place to vacation and re-connect. Karen Fitkin Swensrud also has had a charmed life and lots of stories to tell. Now she is living in a lovely condo on the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee and traveling to tropical heavens in the winter. About her life she said that she is happy and done it all—everything she could wish for has been done except perhaps skydiving, and she would do it all over with more golf and tennis. I visited her at the lake with Beverley “Bev” Dunn Wadsworth in the summer and we had a really wonderful time. Karen had two children but lost her son. Her daughter has had two daughters for Karen to spoil. Karen works with the local Humane Society to initiate and fund a “no cost” spay/neuter program and a trap-neuter-release

program. Her career was in political work, ending with an appointment in Washington, DC, for five years. Beverly Dunn Wadsworth and Dyer

have just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary and went back to the hotel where they honeymooned in Key Biscayne, FL. Bev and Dyer live in Maine in the summer and visit their two daughters and three grandchildren. In the winter they are in Sarasota. Bev is still taking classes in history, literature, and economics, and she enjoys gardening and volunteer work (seven hours a week in the Salvation Army kitchen and driving the elderly to appointments!). She had a career in property-casualty insurance and is still president of a small family company. She enjoys travelling and last summer they took almost a month in Australia and New Zealand.

Phyllis Mills Wyeth ’58 and Jamie Wyeth with Union Rags.

projects. Living in a wheelchair doesn’t seem to have slowed Phyllis down a bit. She said that Walker’s taught her discipline and how to get along with other people. It actually prepared her for her job at the White House at 19, but maybe not the horror of breaking her neck at 21. She said that an EWS French teacher who was fortune-telling told her that something like that would happen. She said she has had a great life with a great husband (married 45 years) who brings her joy and beautiful art subjects that he has. You, Phyllis, are amazing!!

1959 Bev Dunn Wadsworth ’58 and Dyer Wadsworth

Phyllis Mills Wyeth is still celebrating the wonder of her great racehorse Union Rags and all her other animals out on the Point Lookout Farm near Wilmington. Other than raising thoroughbreds, which has to be fun and is a long-time family tradition, Phyllis is involved in having inner-city children come and learn to grow vegetables on the farm. She is also involved in a project in Port Clyde, ME, called Herring Gut Learning Center for Marine Science where they raise fish and oysters and learn about the ocean. She said on her questionnaire that she has never stopped taking classes and learning and will never retire from her full-time work on these

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Lynn Sheppard Manger 8 East 81st Street New York, NY 10028 212-772-3068 nathypertension@aol.com I am writing these notes on the first of April, a beautiful spring day. I remember how exciting it was when spring came to the Ethel Walker School, just weeks left until graduation. Now on to the class notes. One of my EWS roommates, Ann Middleton Buckley, writes, “I am sorry that we did not get to New York this Christmas. It was such fun to see you and Bill in 2011. This past Christmas seemed to be filled with many events with the grandchildren, which truly brings out the spirit of the holiday. As

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Take Note you know, last June Ed and I traveled to Pasadena to help Elena celebrate her 70th birthday. It was a marvelous, funfilled weekend. We felt so fortunate to be a part of it with her family and friends. The summer also brought the sad passing of Deborah MacKenzie, whom we all will miss so much, friends both here and within the Walker’s family. Her family gave her a moving tribute. My highlight of the year was an October trip to Chile and Argentina. I had the opportunity to visit southern Patagonia and the Torre del Paine National Park. Explorations within the park were made by foot-hikes into the Andes and by horseback. There were two new, architecturally exciting lodges, both of which offered incredible views of the lakes and mountains. We then flew up to Puerto Mott and made the journey through the Chilean Fjords to Bariloche and the famous Llao Llao Resort, located between Lake Moreno and Lake Nahuei Huapi, at the feet of snow-capped peaks. After a two-day stay and a game of golf, we flew on to Buenos Aires. The EuroLatin cultural of the city gives it a very distinctive flavor in its art, architecture, and people. The food, wine, and music, particularly the tango, emotes the energy of the city, the city of Evita and now Pope Francis! My children and grandchildren continue to be the joys of my life. They are all well and busy in their particular pursuits.”

the magical Picasso museum right on the water in Antibes (don’t try to take photos of paintings though or you will be attacked by the attractive 30ish female attendants shrieking at you in French like harpies!). Long walks on ancient village streets and snacking on flakey French pastries amid the high-pitched sounds of an Algerian wedding created an amazing context in which to reconnect after some 50 (!!!) years since our school years at Walker’s. To be with two friends who had each been married to Europeans, one French and one Italian, and who have lived the majority of their adult lives and raised their children in those countries, was an enlightening experience, to hear them share a bit about what those lives were like. An amazing trip, all due to Judy’s generosity of time and effort! Lynn Sheppard Manger would like to add that she saw Meg Lindsay and Elena Miller Shoch in New York

before Christmas. They all had a wonderful lunch and stopped by the Metropolitan Museum to see the Christmas tree, which is always extraordinary. Meg came to New York in March and again we went to the Metropolitan Museum to see the Matisse show just before it ended and walk through the new fashion exhibit. “Both were fabulous and great to have Meg’s critical eye to guide me.”

Margaret “Meg” Lindsay visited Judithe “Judy” Lange Bizot in the south of France in September with Ann Woods Metalli arriving as well. Judy’s

knowledge of Provence and her willingness to drive around in insanely fast/crazy traffic allowed for special day trips to various unusual museums. In the medieval hill town of Saint Paul de Vence, the handsome Maeght Museum startled with broad views down to the Mediterranean far off, as well as an enormous Bonnard painting and exquisite Braque window in a chapel. And then outside again, you felt like you were walking around inside a Bonnard painting—the same trees, flowers, that shimmering light of Provence. And then there was the Chagall chapel in Nice and

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Nancy Rathborne writes a long

Christmas letter, which I have consolidated here. She states that after a wonderful trip to Val D’Isere in January 2012 to see her son and family, she returned to the west coast of Florida for the rest of the winter. By spring, Nancy was repairing some flood damage to her new home. By June, Nancy had welcomed a new grandchild, Gigi, to Neddy and Michelle. Then her son Henry with his wife, Ginny, and child, Katrina, came from Europe for a long visit. Nancy had a belated 70th birthday celebration on her 71st with all her family joining her in Florida. Her boys surprised her with a lovely birthday lunch. Nancy also does volunteer work for the homeless population in the area and tries to spend as much time as she can with her grandchildren. She finishes with the news of a new grandchild to be born at Christmas. What a wonderful present and a wonderful year. From sunny Miami, Esperanza “Pichy” Alfaro says, “I am sorry to say that there is not much to report from Miami, except that ‘no news is good news’ and that today is a beautiful and sunny day with a high in the mid-70s. My son is working temporarily at his office’s Pittsburgh branch and is sort of fed up with the cold and snow. He says he’ll never again complain about the heat and humidity in Miami! My children never made it to NY in November. I hope they are able to do it in the near future. This time is a little more complicated because my daughter just changed jobs two weeks ago. She is working at the North Campus of MiamiDade College in the Administrative Dept. of the School of Languages. Great benefits, thank God. My best to you and the rest of the ’59 bunch.” From snowy Vermont Lynn Weaver Tidman writes that she is looking

From left, Class of ’59 members Lynn Sheppard Manger, Elena Miller Shoch, and Meg Lindsay at the Metropolitan Museum, Christmas 2012

forward to hearing from all of us. She has been living in Norwich, VT, for over 35 years and raised two children, Mason and Ashley, who continue to live in Vermont. Ashley, her daughter, has four beautiful children under the age of seven. Mason is an acupuncturist and involved

Take Note in film, on both coasts. Lynn has been married to George for over 20 years and they have enjoyed lots of traveling, sailing, and friends. She continues to play paddle tennis and tennis three times a week. She also is fighting old age by working out at their local gym. Her favorite moments now are relaxing at her home of 35 years and enjoying all her family. From the West Coast Elena Miller Shoch sends news. “I was away in Mexico in February and then in midMarch back to Princeton for Jamie’s grandson’s christening on St. Patrick’s Day. And it snowed there, again! And you are having snow in NYC again too! What a winter it has been for all of you on the East Coast. All else is well. I am looking forward to an Easter visit from my San Francisco family and then a week with them for their Easter holiday in mid-April. Our summer plans are to go to Maine after 4th of July to my nephew’s for a Miller family reunion, and then I will have a short driving trip with my sisters in Maine and Vermont before they go back to London and Mexico City. Jamie and I are planning a month in Europe this fall, and I am really looking forward to picking up a new car in Munich and driving about to see new places and old friends. We must travel while we still want to do the

driving! Hopefully, we will catch Judy in Paris.” Have a wonderful trip and try to come through New York sometime. Still in California, Michele du Pont Goss writes, “Yes, we will be coming to Deerfield Academy for graduation! Nicolas is heading to Santa Clara here in northern California—a great school for him and a good baseball team! Very exciting and I think the cold got to him, a real California guy! No news, as usual. I did have a nice but short conversation with Judy Lange Bizot when she was passing through San Francisco the other day. Unfortunately, she didn’t have time for us to get together. But she did say she might be back, so we’ll see. That is it in the news department.” From Pasadena, Martyn Smith Belmont in response to my question, “Yes, I am still President of the Garden Club until June 2013. No news other than that. Just enjoying life, grandchildren, and selling a house now and then!” Heading northwest, it was nice to hear from Jane Ingraham MacCloskey. She writes that life is boring, but that is her choice. Then she goes on to say that they went to Spain and Portugal in September, followed by family and fishing in the fall in Central Oregon. They travelled on to Borrejo Springs in November and sold their house there. Back to Bend, OR, in January for total knee replacement and recovery, again boring! Then they went back to Borrejo Springs to a rental where Janie could go walking in the pool and birding. She is waiting to play golf. This June, they are off to Italy and returning through Rhode Island to visit Janie’s brother and his wife, Frances Stewart Ingraham ’58. Jane finishes, “We are well.” Roberta Downs Sandeman was in

From left, members of the Class of ’59 at Elena Shoch’s 70th birthday party in Pasadena, June 2012, Martyn Smith Belmont, Ann Middleton Buckley, and Elena

Aspen over Christmas and New Year’s where she found the Victorian town she knew is no longer and has been replaced by high octane. Roberta has been in Gstaad since January and leaves for Jordan and Petra shortly. I do hope to catch up with her when she returns to New York and hear more.

Exciting news from across the pond from Elise Becket Smith in which she writes that “twice a year in the UK, an Honours List is published, in which the Queen graciously grants to certain of her subjects various types and degrees of honour, from an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) at the bottom to a Knighthood (Knight Bachelor) at the top. As of 00:01 on the 29th of December, The London Gazette revealed that Martin (my husband) received a knighthood in the New Year’s Honours List. As you can imagine, we are thrilled, if a little bewildered, by the excitement; we just keep hoping they got the right Smith. Martin’s philanthropic adventures have never been less than challenging, fascinating, occasionally somewhat testing, but ultimately hugely rewarding. I join him in feeling immensely privileged to have been involved with so many wonderful causes and organizations. At some point in the next six months Martin will go to Buckingham Palace for an investiture, for which I will have to buy a hat and, knowing me, take a good supply of Kleenex. One assumes the blade of the sword faces away from the knight’s neck. “It is supposed that it will be easier to get reservations in busy restaurants, but when I phoned to book dinner yesterday and they asked for a name, I automatically responded ‘Mrs. Smith.’ What I should have said (though they gave us the table anyway) was Lady Smith. Here is the citation attached to the knighthood: “Martin Smith is a philanthropist of extraordinary range and generosity. His financial gifts have been matched with a rare level of advisory support and have included founding the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment at Oxford University; the creation of the Smith Centre at the Science Museum; a major contribution to English National Opera of which he was Chair; being lead donor since its inception of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment of which he is Chair; supporting Elise Becket Smith in creating the Becket Collection of Instruments at the Royal Academy of Music.” So Sir Martin and Lady Smith it

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Take Note now is. I suppose we will get used to it in time; for the moment you will have to forgive the occasional escaped giggle.” From Baltimore Anne Dobbin Bailliere writes that life seems to be roaring by at such lightning speed that she can barely keep up, much less gather her thoughts in a coherent fashion about what’s been going on! “As for Tom and me, we are doing fine and thank God, our daughters, sons-in-law, and grandchildren are all in good health and thriving in the San Francisco area (Lisi and her family are in the city, and Alexandra and her family are in Mill Valley).” Anne, do you get to see Michele when you are there? “All six grandchildren now go to the same school, Marin Country Day. We try to visit them two or three times a year (we’ll be going in May for a week), and in the summer they all come to visit us in Nantucket, which is both chaotic and wonderful! Tom and I took a cruise on The Seabourne last May with our nextdoor neighbors and good friends. The itinerary took us to ports along the Mediterranean from Rome to Barcelona and around to Lisbon. Before flying home, we spent several days in Cascais, Portugal, where Tom and I had been 48 years before on our honeymoon. This winter we spent three weeks in St. Barth’s and just recently returned from a week in Vero Beach and a few days in Delray

Beach, FL, with friends. Tom is still ambulatory (with crutches), so the good news is that he only has to use a wheelchair when he has to walk a considerable distance, such as in airports and touring. He still drives and we both seem to spend a lot of time at physical therapy! “Bucking the trend to move to a smaller residence, we instead renovated our kitchen in Baltimore last summer while we were in Nantucket. Friends thought we were quite nuts to undertake such a mammoth job while we weren’t around, but we really trusted our builder, and the end result is perfect! I play bridge once a week with a wonderful group of gals— we all started learning about three years ago—another friend and I are definitely the grannies in the group! And I have remained a board member with Family and Children’s Services, a nonprofit social services agency where I worked as a social worker in the late ’80s and early ’90s. But we haven’t been spared the inevitable sorrows of this period of time in our lives, and last June, Tom’s sister died, 10 weeks after her husband. Both were in their 80s (which no longer seems very old!), but Tom and I were very close to them so we miss them terribly. I keep in touch with Nancy Gerdau Graves. She came for a short visit in Nantucket last summer before she moved to Portland, ME, where she seems very

happy. I hope she’ll come for a visit again this summer! And if any other classmates find themselves in Nantucket, please call me! We’re in the phone book!” To my classmates above, thank you so much for responding. The news is as varied as our class. For those of you that did not respond, I trust all is well and that you will consider adding something the next time. Our 55th reunion is on the horizon—May 2014. I do hope some of you will join me and come up to see EWS. The new dorm will be finished (very exciting) and the new turf fields with a pavilion have been put to good use. I run into other EWS girls here in New York or Long Island, including Martha “Marty” Bloch McClanahan ’58, Karen Peterson Earle ’57, Sandra Lipson Ryon ’57, Cathleen “Cathy” Miller ’59, and Beverly Vander Poel Banker ’60. I also get to see Abra Prentice Wilkin ’60 and Harriet Blees Dewey ’60 at board

meetings and committee meetings. I have so enjoyed reacquainting with all of them. The ties that bind continue on. By the time you read this latest news it will be summer, so Happy Summer to all!

Julie Stout (daughter of Julie Jeppson Stout, class of ’59) and Judy Lange Bizot ’59 in Pasadena, February 2013

1960

Anne Dobbin Bailliere ’59 and her family

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Phyllis Richard Fritts 910 Ladybug Lane Vero Beach, FL 32963 772-234-7096 prfritts@earthlink.net

Take Note From Beverly “Bea” Vander Poel Banker, “Ashley married Dutchman Nicholas Enthoven on 7/14/12. It was such fun, full of young and family, dancing until 2 a.m. and then an after party! Super for us as they are living and working in NYC. I am so glad I had not hit my big birthday until three months after the wedding.”

in Virginia. so please come visit if you are in the D.C. area. Love to all the 1960 ladies.”

’47, who is busy with photography and the garden club here, and Kathryn “Kathy” or “Eggs” McCarthy Parsons ’75, who has made Jupiter

Caryl Van Ranst Dearing notes, “Travels to Florida and Big Sky. I’m on the EWS Alumnae Board and having an interesting time. I wish Walker’s was the way it is now. Bessie is the best!”

Clara Perkins Stites writes, “On March 1, our daughter Elizabeth successfully defended her Ph.D. at the Fletcher School of Tufts University. Her thesis stems from her extensive fieldwork in Uganda. Never satisfied with keeping life simple, she then went on to have her second baby at the end of March, joining brother, Zoeth, at home in Brooklyn. Also in March, my novel Sand and Gravel finally became available as an eBook. I’ve added a section of questions for discussion or book clubs.”

From Margot Campbell Bogert, “I’ve enjoyed my time on the Board of Trustees at EWS and am excited about the new dorm.”

Island her winter home and is having fun decorating a new house. ‘I still drink, quit smoking in 2000 (mouth cancer), and tip the scales at 150 no matter how many workout or Pilates sessions I squeeze into a week. I used to be 5'10" and am now 5'9" and shrinking. I shorten another pair of favorite slacks almost monthly. My mousey brown hair is thinning no matter how many streaks I put in, my eyelids are drooping, and sleeveless is no longer an option in any weather. I survived the fallout from a book my eldest child wrote about a brutal mother-daughter relationship.’”

Patricia “Patty” Connors Warrender

Abra Prentice Wilkin reports, “Marcha Metzger Grant, still in LA,

emails, “Last year was a big year for most of our classmates but a few of us are clinging to the 60s for a little while longer. Gen Elkus’s party in NYC was fun and a good opportunity to catch up with some classmates who did not make it to our 50th. We are headed to Exuma to celebrate my birthday in April and then to Montana in August to celebrate our 30th anniversary with our family and friends. It has been a year of big milestones that give me great pleasure. Two of my grandchildren share my love of the mountains of Montana and the K Bar L Ranch, so we went again last summer with their dad and had a magical week of riding, hiking, and spending tech-free (nothing works there) time together talking on the porch in the cool evenings . . . a rare opportunity in today’s world. The dogs have a monopoly on my time at home and I serve on the Norwich Terrier Club Board, which is time-consuming and challenging but hopefully important for the breed. Anthony is still working but we enjoy travelling when we can get away. Each and every day it is a luxury and blessing to wake up feeling good. My hope is that each of our classmates shares that. Our door is always open here

Elsa Yannopoulos Spaulding emails, “2-1/2 months in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. We are awaiting daughter Christina’s new baby in April, so will be around through the early part of the summer. All of our San Francisco friends have decided to relocate to Florida for tax reasons!”

tells me that she has lost 70 pounds, stopped drinking, still smokes, is back to a size 10 and says 70 is definitely the new 50! A few have been less fortunate: Marilyn Hodges Wilmerding is recuperating in Aspen from a black ice fall, has been bed-ridden for weeks, and is considering back/hip surgery. Elsa Spaulding in San Francisco has had six surgeries in two years on an arm damaged after a bad fall in Mexico, but is anxiously awaiting the birth of another grandson. Alita Weaver Reed is loving her new hip after some nasty complications last spring. In other news, Merry Bragonier Bouscaren and husband, Tony, sampled a winter on Nantucket and will be spending more time at their home in France now that they both have retired. I frequently cross paths with Palm Beach snowbirds Carroll Morgan Carpenter ’59 and Miranda Sampsell Donnelley ’61. We are all involved with a group at Mass General Hospital in Boston spreading awareness about mental health. Liz Nash Muench ’55 and husband, Tom, just spent a few Florida nights with us, and we had visits with EWS alums Margaret “Peggy” Plunkett Lord

Phyllis Fritts writes, “We are off to Seattle and then the San Juan Islands for our son James’s remarriage at the end of May, followed by a visit with our younger son, Garret, who is a chiropractor in San Francisco.”

1961 Leslie “Kim” Kelly Cutler 50 Drury Lane Worcester, MA 01609 508-752-5383 Kc.grafix2@gmail.com

1962 Sage Dunlap Chase P.O. Box 238 Elkins, NH 03233 603-526-4788 sagedunlapchase@gmail.com Margaret “Margie” Holley Sparks 101 Bellant Circle Wilmington, DE 19807 302-655-1969 Margaret.holley@cox.net Sage Dunlap Chase shares the “excitement over our class’s New Hampshire gathering September 24-27, with Wednesday the 25th being the

SUMMER 2013

Take Note highlight for those who can only come for a day. Sixteen of us are definitely committed, and at least eight others are trying to come. Last-minute attendees are welcome. The absolute deadline for decisions is September 15, so we can plan meals. Our collection of biographies (Paths Taken) will go out to all class members in mid-summer. We would like to hear something from EVERYONE, whether or not you are coming to the reunion, so email or snail-mail me soon, by the end of July at the latest.” Sage also reports that she is currently busy “preparing lectures for a teamtaught course at Colby-Sawyer College on Transcendentalism, which I haven’t thought about in at least 45 years! (The powers that be mistakenly thought I had continued my original career, teaching English, when I actually veered off into being a family therapist!) I am having fun researching Bronson and Louisa May Alcott, the Utopian communities, and Nathaniel Hawthorne, but becoming terrified at having to upgrade my computer skills. It is a different world from when I went to grad school in 1970, but important, I think, to try to stay abreast. Other family news is that we are expecting our 15th (and last!) grandchild in July!! It is a boy, which breaks the 7-7 tie. (Not bad, since we started with six guys and me!!)” Harrah Lord reports that she “moved to Rockport, ME, in 2000 after living in Sonoma County, CA, for 15 years. I love Midcoast Maine; it’s perfect for me. Began my own business as a book designer in 2001 and it, too, has been perfect for me. My only son lives in NYC, works at the New School, and he and his wife have a 6 year old, my one and only granddaughter. In 2010, I went on match.com after being VERY single for 18 years, met a wonderful man from Boston who moved in with me in July 2011. He also is perfect for me!”

One final note from Margie: Our energetic Walker’s teacher of speech and drama, Travilla Deming, passed away in December at the age of 102. She not only was an inspiration and a relentless

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champion of e-nun-ci-a-tion, but also offered a warm substitute family to several young Walker’s students. She was writing and directing shows into her 100th year, and her 2010 memoir Darling This . . . Darling That is available on Amazon.

1963 Cythlen “Lynn” Cunningham Maddock 1160 North Ocean Boulevard Palm Beach, FL 33480 561-844-9231 cythmad@aol.com

Margie Holley Sparks: “As for me, I’m

loving Delaware and finding retirement truly far more pleasant than I’d feared. I call this ‘free play.’ I’m looking forward to seeing everyone in September in New Hampshire.”

Lynn Cunningham writes, “I am looking forward to the great time we are going to have at our 50th Reunion. I am excited to see old friends and share stories and pictures.” Lynn is busy at this writing with three grandchildren visiting; they are 6, 4, and 2 years old!

Catherine “Cathie” Smith Leonard ’61 wrote the following In Memoriam for Anne Strong ’61 who died on April 4, 2013, after a courageous battle with lung cancer. Anne’s yearbook quote next to her picture sums her up pretty well. It reads, “Talented and diligent, Anne succeeds in everything she undertakes, and she undertakes almost everything.” At Walker’s, she served on the Pepperpot Committee, sang in the Grapes, gave piano recitals, and was a member of the English Club, the History Club, the Current Events Club, and the Science Club. An excellent athlete, she played on the varsity hockey, varsity lacrosse, and varsity softball teams and served on the Athletic Board. She sat behind me in the huge study hall where we took our SATs and was finished and shifting in her seat while I struggled to get through even part of those challenging questions. Very smart young woman! Anne and I kept in touch during our years after Walker’s. When I stopped in on her at Smith College, she made potato salad from scratch, which really impressed me. After law school, she proudly created a soccer program in Boston called City Kicks for inner-city girls and directed it for 10 years, giving hundreds of young girls the chance to play a team sport. Anne and her husband, Charlie, decided to share their life with a spirited little girl from China, Gwei, whom they adopted and gave every opportunity to experience life to the fullest. The three of them had planned to come to Prince Edward Island to visit my husband and me last summer but were unable to come because of Anne’s newly diagnosed lung cancer. An initial surgery and chemotherapy held the disease in check until November when a week after playing soccer, she became unable to swallow. The cancer was relentless from then on. She never enjoyed food or drink again and bravely fought through many surgical interventions and hospitalizations with no real improvement. Dinah Day and I did have a wonderful visit with Anne in March. We reminisced about some of the fun and humorous times at Walker’s, but had to tone things down at Anne’s request in case she started coughing uncontrollably. Dinah gave her a soothing Reiki treatment and some flavored lip gloss, both appreciated by Anne. It was a special visit to share love between us in person. Charlie said our visit was one of the rare times he had seen her smile. Anne truly was a gifted, warm, caring person who had much to offer others and did so selflessly. I am so glad to have met her at Walker’s.

Take Note Robin Frost Bessin shares: “At this writing, I am still compiling our Reunion Book and am fascinated by the lives led by the classmates who sent in their pages. My life seems rather trite in comparison to some of you! It may be trite but it’s very busy. We moved in March to our renovated ‘permanent’ dwelling in Vero Beach, FL. Time to simplify life and clean out the big home and all the memorabilia while there’s still strength left. But, oh, what a daunting, emotional task! My mom has been in and out of hospital this year, gobbling up a lot of time. And being in Florida, we’ve had visitors galore, the best of course those little grandchildren. We expect the birth of #8, my son Topher’s baby girl, in July! If you get a chance, be sure to watch Wild Horse Wild Ride, daughter Alexandra Dawson’s 106-minute documentary about wild mustangs and the Mustang Heritage Foundation.” Suzanne “Suzy” Schroeder Chapman says, “After spending a

weekend with my EWS classmates this past spring, I am going to spend a week floating down a canal in France with several college classmates. It is nice to have the time and opportunities now to catch up after all these years with people I have spent much time with decades ago!”

1964

REUNION

Cynthia Higgins Roby Cote d’Azur 100 South Street, Apt. 117 Sausalito, CA 94965 415-332-6556 croby@earthlink.net Dorothy “Dottie” Ferguson Corbiere writes, “Some things never

change. I am still working at The Meadowbrook School in Weston, MA, my 28th year, and teaching math, robotics, and technology in grades K-8. I teach two of my four grandchildren. The twins will go to public school (we have good ones) after one more year of preschool. We had a wonderful family vacation to Sanibel and now daughter Cait is finishing her training for the Boston marathon. She and her husband, Stu, are both triathletes and raising a tribe of mini-athletes. Cait made the American triathlon team and will compete at the Worlds in London next fall. Stu is a great supporter, but also is into competing as well. [Editor’s Note: Dottie shared with Walker’s that the Boston Marathon was an extremely traumatic day for everyone, but her daughter, son in law, and their family are all safe and well.] I do try to keep up with Walker’s news. I no longer see Anne Brainard Schmitt as our mothers have both left this world, but

they used to live in the same retirement establishment. My life is full—maybe too full—not enough ‘me’ time.” Beverly See White reports, “My beloved husband of 43 years has Alzheimer’s and has finally reached the stage where tomorrow, I am putting him in a wonderful retirement home that has an Alzheimer’s unit and is only 20 minutes away. I am at peace with the decision and have so many fabulous friends here in Beaufort and in Greenwich. Thus, I am going to have a lot more time on my hands and can travel. My mother died almost two years ago from Alzheimer’s, and Dad, who turns 92 and is VERY active, still lives in their house in Greenwich. I have a smallworld story and I don’t think Anne Brainard Schmitt has mentioned it. Seven years ago, Lewis and I sold our house in Greenwich and moved to Dataw Island near Beaufort, SC. We love the island and all the people who live here. I am very active in a lot of things here. About four years ago I learned that Anne and her husband, Steve, moved to the island. I had not seen her since our graduation!!!! Who would think after almost 50 years we would end up on an 830-acre island together? Anne, as you know, is a great athlete and I have her on my tennis team, which I captain. We were not friends at EWS, but I am having so much fun getting to know her. I have seen Elizabeth “Liz” Yinkey Moore twice (having dinner with her once). Also, my youngest daughter, Perrin, moved last April from Boston to SF. Perrin and her beau, Alex, live on Russian Hill. He works for Google and she works for the website Open Door in Sausalito.”

In March, Charlotte “Carla” Meyer, who has had a long career as a dialect coach, reported: “I am working with Cate Blanchett on a George Clooney film in Berlin called The Monuments Men. Ended last year with a film called Broken Horses, although fortunately there weren’t any. Chuck and I are still both doing well. We have two dogs, three cats, and six horses, so I’m never retiring.” Dottie Ferguson Corbiere ’64 and her extended family in Sanibel, FL SUMMER 2013

Take Note Patricia “Patsy” Ladd Carega says, “Francesca and her family moved to Hong Kong last December. As of this writing, I am about to visit. Though 18 hours in an airplane doesn’t thrill me, I am excited to see another part of the world. We are also going to Thailand, which I am really looking forward to. I have two adorable granddaughters who will soon be speaking Mandarin and who knows what else. I am really happy they will have the experience of knowing another culture. Other family news is that my son Marco announced his engagement last week. His future wife is American and Brazilian, so yet another country in the family pot. Word has it that the wedding will be in Brazil. I hope so! I am, of course, thrilled over the news. They are living in NYC. Alessia is at St. Paul’s School in Concord and loving her life there. Her husband is teaching up the Interstate at New Hampton School. They loved San Francisco (and so did I), but they are also very happy as they begin year two in New England. Livia is in New York City where she is part of the grand financial world and I am told doing very well. It is wonderful having three children within driving distance. I am blessed as all my kids are happy and doing well. As for me, I live in New Hampshire and enjoy all that Squam Lake and the nearby mountains offer. This year skiing was great, both cross country and downhill. I am still running a seasonal art gallery in my barn during the summer months and traveling when not skiing during the winter. I have a feeling we are creeping our way toward a big reunion. Ugh, but the years aside it’s always fun to catch up! Hope everyone is doing well.”

As I write this in late March, Cindy Roby, your class correspondent (for almost 50 years, egads!) reports, “We are in the throes of selling our house in Sausalito, CA. It has been such a wonderful haven during good times and bad for 40 years. I moved in as a newlywed with no children. Subsequently, had my two wonderful sons. For many years I wrote for the local paper, then for the Marin County Board of Supervisors and now, though retired, volunteer in the community. I am spoiled by having my 88

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younger son, Nick, here. He works at the Redwoods Retirement Community nearby. My eldest son, his wonderful wife, Ali, and grandson, Ryan, live in Atlanta where Jay works for Cox Communications. Jay also has a 9-yearold daughter, Madison. Maybe a Walker’s girl? Still miss my favorite Walker’s girl, my mother Elise Farley Higgins ’40. She died August 31, 2012.”

Lynn Allegaert ’64 and a friend in Paris

Anne Coit Williams shares: “Jack has retired as of this March, and I am going to close my private practice so we both are free to take a year off to travel. The plan is to leave in early July for London to visit with Jack’s sister and then explore the British Isles (reconnecting with Scottish cousins) for the summer, northern Spain for the fall, and head toward Italy for the winter and spring of 2014. We plan to be home by summer 2014. We are traveling with backpacks and hope to walk as much as we can. My plan is to return to work when we get home, and Jack will always be busy pursuing his interests. Our son, Winsor, will be starting work about the time we leave so he will most likely visit us for Christmas. He recently received an NCAA student athlete award for honors grades while on the sailing team at Johnson and Wales. Life is good and we feel so grateful for all we have! I look forward to seeing photos and reading news from Reunion!”

1965

1969

Your class needs a Correspondent! Contact alumnae@ethelwalker.org

Katherine “Katy” Murphy Ingle 918 Windsor Road Glenview, IL 60025 847-724-8560 Katymi47@gmail.com

1966 Your class needs a Correspondent! Contact alumnae@ethelwalker.org

1967 Caroline Adams Muller 40 Fifth Avenue, Apt. 4B New York, NY 10011 212-450-4359 Muller.caroline@gmail.com

1968 Kimberley Smith Niles 14 McLains Woods Road Groton, MA 01450 978-448-9279 kimniles@hotmail.com

REUNION

Cate Lord 30363 Hilltop Drive Evergreen, CO 80439 720-220-9140 catelord@yahoo.com Ginger Bevis Littleton sends this note: “I had a beautiful, albeit snowy, tour of EWS in March. The campus looks like something out of HGTV-New England style. Odd that Cluett is no longer the NEW dorm, but still looks great nestled in the trees. I have been subbing, singing, coaching lacrosse, and doing dog agility. I did all these things while I was working (except subbing) but now those pesky kids don’t get in the way during the day. I like taking Boot Camp classes at the gym and have decided that your recovery period in hours equals your age; so when I take a

Take Note Saturday morning class, I feel better about 1 a.m. on Tuesday. At least I’m there. Hope everyone is living her life to the fullest. Gurukirn Kaur Paulus Khalsa sends

this: “My husband and I are definitely enjoying being grandparents. I was able to help out Guru Dev Kaur and her husband, Seva Simran Singh, at the 3HO Yoga Festival in Florida in December. They did White Tantric Yoga while I did babysitting yoga at a lovely dude ranch near Lake Kissimmee. The baby, Puran Amrit Singh, especially enjoyed seeing the horses. The whole tribe came for a visit in February, which brought to mind many memories of their growing up. But it is nice not to have to be on nighttime duty anymore!”

running our vineyard operation and am learning firsthand about the threat of drought, moth infestations, heat spikes— you name it! There is always some new thing out there that challenges the harvest of great Cabernet grapes. We have been lucky, however, and have had mostly successful and copious harvests. I am still riding almost every day and still show my Warmblood hunter at Northern California shows. It has taken a new hip to keep me going, but that seems to have given me a new lease on the horse world. My mom is now 92 and is still living in her home here on the ranch. She now has live-in help, but is still sharp and engaged in the vineyard and the extended family. Bob is still working in San Francisco as the CEO of Selectquote Inc. He has an apartment in the city so he does not have to commute every day. I try to get into the city once a week, so I am a very lucky lady and seem to have the best of both worlds. Mark will leave the working world this fall to attend the Kellogg Business School at Northwestern. Daughter, Claire, surprised us all a couple of years ago by deciding to become a farrier! After getting her MBA and working in the trenches at a Silicon Valley hedge fund, she headed to Oklahoma to learn horseshoeing. She is happy and now working with Silicon

Valley high performance jumpers and dressage horses.” Cate Lord writes: “I am busy working

overtime at the VA so that I can fly to Florida and visit my grandchildren as often as possible. Winter has been amazingly frigid with subzero temps continuing into late March. My love to everyone with wishes for a happy spring and a beautiful, fun-filled summer!” And from Katy Murphy Ingle: “I just got back from visiting Gina in Switzerland and finally saw her on stage again after many years. This time she was acting, and she seems to be doing more of that than dancing, although she still trains and teaches her dance classes. She has just moved to Zurich and is very happy to have realized her dream. We had some nice mother-daughter time, going for a weekend to our old skiing area in Adelboden. Daniel is still doing freelance in San Diego; we saw him and his family at Christmas. I am busy painting two commissioned landscapes, and Bill is retiring from Argonne in April, although he has been asked back part-time. All is well with us in Glenview, and I thank everyone for their news!”

Gurukirn Kaur Khalsa ’69 and her grandson Puran Amrit Singh

Andrea Marschalk Scheyhing writes

this: “I’m working hard on some new sculptural paintings that I am developing and having great fun exploring. Our daughter, Lily, is living nearby, having found a wonderful job as Program Director at Summit Educational Group. Peter is excited about two new flower beds he is designing for our front doorway area, so all is well here in Stamford.” Jean Moore Edwards has this news:

“All is well in the Napa Valley. I am Painting by Andrea Marschalk Scheyhing ’69, Canyon de Chelly (mixed media) SUMMER 2013

Take Note 1970 Gail Chandler Gaston 202 East 75th Street New York, NY 10021 212-744-0070 GCGaston@aol.com Cornelia “Corny” Guest writes that

her three are all college sophomores— Jack and Andrew at the University of Chicago and Aune at Mt. Holyoke. Corny is now the Queen of Scrabble, running tournaments, teaching kids, and publishing The Last Word (www.thelastwordnewsletter.com), the newsletter for Scrabblers. Pam Kraemer Klurﬁeld writes, “I’m

enjoying being the Research Librarian and Media Specialist at Madison High School (NJ). Our daughter works at World Economic Forum and travels to Europe, so we have been enjoying her apartment in NYC. Our son is about to finish his master’s at Georgetown School of Foreign Policy so we go to DC to visit him, too. Our shore house got five feet of water during Hurricane Sandy—lots of overhaul there. Overall, we enjoy being empty nesters!”

Leslie Brooks is buying a second home

in Venice, FL, “so I can hike and swim half the year instead of hole up during the winter. I am writing my third and fourth books while doing a major rewrite of my second.” Gail Chandler Gaston is spending

time with her father (93) in Lake Forest, IL. Son, Jamey (26), is in New Zealand and environs for who knows how long! Daughter, Frances (25), is managing real estate interests in NYC. Gail spent an afternoon with Whitney de Roulet Bullock and husband, Clark, in Ft. Lauderdale in February. Cynthia “Cindy” Emerson Keefer

writes that she is very much enjoying her job at GE Treasury and living in Connecticut. “It provides a constant learning environment and requires long hours, but I am still making time for fun endeavors, too. I was lucky enough to travel to Austria and France in February for a week of skiing in beautiful St. Anton (Austria), Lech, and Zurs, followed by a few days in Nice and Monaco. I definitely have the European skiing bug and can’t wait to plan another trip!”

Catharine “Kim” Conway Coleman

and husband, Payson, have become Florida residents. “Definitely a change in our lives but a good one. Payson is opening an office here for his New York law firm, Pillsbury Winthrop, and I am re-opening a branch of Kim Coleman Interiors, LLC, which is fun and keeping me busy.” Their children are all doing well as are their six grandchildren—6, 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1! Pamela Constable was the 2013

commencement speaker at EWS on Sunday, June 9th. A journalist and staff writer for The Washington Post, Pam has reported for many years from countries in conflict around the globe. She recently lost her father, age 96, a longtime Connecticut resident. Pam plans to talk about his life and influence on her career in her commencement talk. Cindy Keefer ’70 skiing in Austria

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1971 Jean Hamilton 661 Bering Drive, Unit 201 Houston, TX 77057 713-785-6817 witchofendor@earthlink.net

1972 Joanna Betts Virkler 15826 Lake Ridge Road Charlotte, NC 28278 704-588-1959 Joannav2000@aol.com From Sarah House Denby: “We have two weddings coming up in 2014. Both of Charley’s sons are engaged. Owen and Katherine Gorman will be married in DC 6/7/14, and Charley and Jackie Colasante in Newport, RI, in September 2014. Of the five kids, only my daughter Lisa is not married, although she has been very busy as a first-time homeowner in the Germantown neighborhood in Philly. She teaches first grade at the GreenWoods Charter School and is completing her fourth year there. Son Ted and wife, Katie, moved to Lausanne, Switzerland, in March for one year. He works for Medtronic in their

Take Note spinal procurement area, and Katie is taking leave from General Mills to work as a private contractor for Nestle. They have a gorgeous three-bedroom apartment about three minutes from Lake Geneva, thanks to Medtronic! Guess where we’ll be skiing next winter?? We had a wonderful safari in Kenya last September that culminated in a threeday trip aboard a large dhow in the Indian Ocean off of Mozambique. That was a magical ending to an amazing trip; sleeping on deck under the stars was unforgettable, not to mention the many spectacular animals we saw prior to that. We spent a week in the Algarve area of Portugal in March; it was lovely and included two rounds of golf. The food was amazing, the people friendly and English-speaking, and the coastline beautiful. “We will be spending two weeks in China April 2-16, starting in Beijing, proceeding to Xian, and thence onto a large riverboat on the Yangtze. We’ll take the boat all the way to Shanghai. Hopefully the weather will be wonderful! We are also going to Ireland for a week, possibly in June, as a result of a silent auction bid for a local charity. So far, no grandkids. The kids are all into highpowered jobs these days! Hopefully, some will appear while my knees still work. Charley and I are still skiing and playing tennis as well as golf (some well, some not so well), and he is still playing hockey and trying to deal with the fact that he will be 60 in October! I am planning a surprise golf getaway to celebrate at the Greenbrier. Any visitors to RI are welcome. Also, as you may know, I am one of the newest members of the Board at Walker’s, which is a wonderful chance to work with Bessie as well as embrace how different—and better—Walker’s is than when we were there. I recommend that all of you should try to visit. The school and the girls are nearly unrecognizable—happy, sunny, friendly. A wonderful place.” And from Jane Hadden Geisse: “Our grandson arrived almost four weeks early on February 5!! Wendell Francis Gregory weighed 6.1 pounds, with lots of flaming

red hair!! I went out to Denver for a week’s visit, and he really is cute. A few bumps at the start but he is doing well, over 7 pounds now, except that he is colicky, which is really hard on his mom. If any of you out there have suggestions on soothing a colicky baby, let me know! I will pass it on. She and her husband are also in the process of selling their current home and moving into a new one April 3. They have to sell their home and buy the new all on the same day. I can’t imagine—and with a brand new baby!!! I am SO glad it’s not me. Too old for that. I got second at Master’s National Cyclocross Championships in Madison, WI. (18 degrees the day I raced!!) Then I got 5th overall in my race (they combined age groups) and 2nd in my age group at World’s Master’s Cyclocross Championships in Louisville, KY. There we had tornadoes come through and then it was, once again, 18 degrees for my race!! Truly epic conditions in both races that had all the bicycling magazines writing about it for some time. First time World’s had been in the USA so really neat to be able to be a part of it. “We are looking into Kiawah Island for our next off-campus reunion, probably the fall of 2014. The Martha’s Vineyard one was just a hoot, so you won’t want to miss this!!”

Wendell Francis Gregory, grandson of Jane Geisse ’72

And Beryn Frank Harty writes: “I’m in the process of starting a line of inexpensive ($6 per pair) but fun earrings made of prints of my photographs of birds, butterflies, and flowers of species native to the Florida Keys. Other than that, I have been spending a lot of time with my mother

in Miami for medical appointments, etc., and continue to also spend a lot of time at the Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden.”

Beryn Harty ’72 volunteering at Easter Migration Mania at the Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden

A sample of Beryn’s new line of photographic earrings

From Catherine Cappy Clark Shopneck: “Son Chris and his wife, Melissa (they got married last September), are expecting their first child, a girl, in August. I’m looking forward to being a grandmother. I’m still very active on the University of Denver’s board of trustees and still chair the board of the Independence Institute. Our sons are both in Denver, which is great. We spend a lot of our free time doing outdoor things we love, mostly skiing in the winter, and almost anything in the summer.” From Jill Englund Jensen: “I now have a lovely grandson, Joshua, born March 6 to my daughter Emily. My first! I’m continuing to grind through my doctoral program. Grind is the word; thank you, Mrs. Nelson and Miss Ash for all those papers we had to write. I

SUMMER 2013

Take Note really appreciate it now. I was able to travel to Japan in February to visit my son, Adam. He is assigned to the Naval Air Station in Atsugi. We spent four days traveling through Southern Japan. It was a great trip. I took a semester of Japanese at the local community college, so I could apologize every time I stepped on someone toes in the crowded trains. I am hoping to retire in three years. (Note from JBV: Jill is the head nurse for pediatric emergency care at a major hospital.) Health care is a difficult business these days. I’d love to have more time to dedicate to gardening, the bees, my family and friends. I really enjoyed seeing everyone at the reunion and hope we can do something similar to celebrate the year that most of us turn 60. As they say, ‘Old friends are the best.’ If anyone is anywhere near Delaware, I’d love to see you.” And finally from Joanna Betts Virkler: “I spent a wonderful afternoon with Leslie Zinkand Petter in Atlanta this spring. Leslie’s daughter is getting married in May with the reception to be held in their lovely Buckhead home. I had forgotten that Leslie spent many years in Japan as a child. Their collection of Oriental art is amazing. “Meanwhile, there’s lots going on in my family. There always is with six kids and eight grands. Son Arthur and his family are moving back to Charlotte this summer from Alexandria, VA. It’s good timing, too, since his wife, a lieutenant with the Navy Reserves, is going active and will be deployed to Djabouti (Horn of Africa) for a year. Arthur will hold down the fort with his two teenage stepsons and their 1-year-old baby daughter, our precious Sophia. My youngest daughter is back in college at 28, going to Loyola University in Chicago. Daughter Justine is divorced and finishing two years in Port au Prince with the State Department. She comes back to DC for a few years this summer. She’ll be covering the Turkey desk—very exciting. Our 10-year-old granddaughter was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes a couple of months ago, but she is a real trooper. For those of you in the Denver

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Wendy Berry Briggs shares: “I have

Leslie Zinkland Petter ’72 and Joanna Betts Virkler ’72

area, my stepdaughter, Kathryn Harris, and her family bought a Denver home about a mile from Denver University, my alma mater. She is development director for Generation Schools. Her husband commutes from their Winter Park home since he’s CEO of Granby Ranch Resort. My husband, Biff, is still working full time, though working on selling his business and factory. He’ll be 73 soon, so retirement is looking better and better. I guess I spend much of my time holding down my own fort, visiting children and having them visit us, too. Some satisfying volunteer work. Life is good. Like Jane, I encourage you all to join us for our fall 2014 Kiawah Reunion!”

1973 Your class needs a Correspondent! Contact alumnae@ethelwalker.org

1974

REUNION

Vanessa Guerrini-Maraldi Wilcox 580 West End Avenue New York, NY 10024 212-877-3413 vgmwilcox@nyc.rr.com

1975 Doris Pendleton McClain 425 South Hubbards Lane #373 Louisville, KY 40207 502-384-7041 Veda_mcclain@yahoo.com

been living in the Bath, ME, area since 1985. My husband and I moved here shortly after we married and started an advertising agency. We have raised five kids, including a ‘son’ originally from Sudan, on the small island of Arrowsic (pop. 350). Once my kids began to grow up and out (one is in her last year of graduate school, one is teaching school in Maui, one is working with autistic kids, one is a sophomore in college, and one is—ready?—still in Middle School) and my professional life became more of a priority, I decided to step away from design and marketing and change careers. Last year I opened a yoga studio where I have been teaching, and I also returned to graduate school, pursuing a degree in clinical social work. My yoga focuses on alignment and awareness, my social work on counseling, empowerment and social justice. As I begin the next chapter of life, I feel incredibly grateful: for a healthy mind and body, supportive and curious family and friends, work I love, and a natural setting that inspires me every single day.” Doris Pendleton McClain writes: “On a personal note, I am spending my spring vacation traveling to visit with my six grandchildren. I witnessed Kaleb’s baptism (with Olivia and Lauren) on Easter Sunday morning in Jonesboro, AR, and will spend time with Gabrielle Grace and her brothers, Isaiah and Elijah, later in Athens, GA. In my spare time, I continue to write and advocate for children and families.”

1976 Lisa Weber Greenberg 35 Westland Road Weston, MA 02493 781-647-7768 Lwgreenberg@gmail.com Lisa writes, “As life gets busier, it seems more important than ever to stay in touch with the people you really care about. Thanks to Monica Boyd and Julia Mailliard Nelson, I recently got an email from Ligia Reid saying she

Take Note was coming to Boston to visit her son, who is a freshman at Northeastern. We met for dinner and picked up right where we left off some 30 years ago. She is the Minister Counselor of Cultural Affairs at the Embassy of the Dominican Republic in Washington and looks amazing. She moved to the District of Columbia about three years ago when her daughter entered George Washington. I am headed to California this April to take my youngest to look at colleges. My son, Zach, will graduate from Brown in May and is headed to New York where my oldest daughter, Alison, is currently working.

Lisa Weber Greenberg ’76 and Ligia Reid ’76

Larke Woods Wheeler’s big news is

that her son Walker earned a spot on the diving team at the University of Georgia, where he is headed this fall. Her oldest is a junior at Auburn and the baby is a freshman learning how to drive. She cautions everyone to stay off the road in Atlanta for a while.

a nonprofit in Aspen, and her son is working on the gubernatorial campaign of Barbara Buono in New Jersey. She would love to get together with any classmates passing through Princeton, NJ. Staley Cayce Sednaoui sends news: “I

am thoroughly enjoying my second career as a nutritional counselor. I work with clients in person, as well as on the phone, and have several doctors in Princeton who refer clients to me. I am a Certified Nutritional Counselor as well as a Certified Eating Psychology Coach. After spending my entire high school career avoiding math and science, I am now taking undergraduate biology, anatomy, and organic chemistry in order to start a MS program in nutrition in the fall. Who knew?! Check me out: www.staleywellness.com. “On the family front, our oldest child, Coco, is a junior at UVA and facing the difficulties of trying to find summer employment. (Every employer seems to be looking for ‘passion,’ just as silly as applying to colleges.) Betsy, at 17, will graduate from Taft in May and is delighted to be heading to UVA next fall. Our youngest, Carter, is finishing 8th grade this spring, and he will be happily following in his sisters’ footsteps and going to Taft next fall. We Sednaouis seem to be creatures of habit!” Carol Lee O’Connor saw Rosemary Lingenheld Nolin last year, who looks

great and has started running races.

Carol, along with her fiancé, is moving to Las Vegas where she will be the Chief Clinical Officer for Kindred Healthcare. The move will bring her closer to her two children in Salt Lake City and their two award-winning restaurants: The Copper Onion and Plum Alley. She hopes to welcome visitors once she settles in. Shelley Crunden Cole writes that after 31 years as a public school English teacher, she will be retiring in June. She has been asked to deliver the commencement address by the senior class where she is presently teaching. Please look her up if you are ever in the Portland area. Elizabeth “Liz” Connery Mitchell

writes that she has had her design firm, Liz Mitchell Designs, for 25 years, and still enjoys riding, traveling, and working with Historic New England. She saw Wendy Berry Briggs ’75 who is a yoga instructor and looks the same as she did at graduation. Allison Wannamaker writes: “In

March I was elected president of the Board of the Centro Cultural Costarricense Norteamericano, an organization dedicated to innovative language teaching and to the fostering of cross-cultural experiences between the USA and Costa Rica. My daughter Sophie is a junior at St. George’s in Rhode Island. She misses the warm weather of Costa Rica! Attached is a

Margaret “Meg” McKee, who is busy practicing law, writes that she is thinking of Ourania “Nita” Koutsoukos who is recovering from a very serious fall this past January. Meg has a senior at UVM and a sophomore at the College of Charleston. She would love to catch up with Margaret “Douglas” Wise Hytla and hopes to see more of her classmates in the DC area. Frances “Flann” Lippincott writes that her daughter is working in development at the Anderson Art Ranch, Staley Sednaoui ’76 and her family

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Take Note photo of a pod of spinner dolphins we saw this Easter off the Golfo Dulce. Sadly, their population has been reduced by more than 80 percent by commercial tuna fishing practices.”

playing lacrosse for Connecticut College. It was a bummer to leave one child out of the family fun! Cheers to everyone!” Lisa Bourget Frisbie says: I “see” and chat with Susan Grifﬁn Yonkers on Facebook. Susan lives up in Newmarket, NH (near Concord), and is enjoying life.

The children of Katie Campbell Clark ’77, from left, Joey, 19, Brooks, 26, Clark, 24, and Sophie Grace, 17

Allison Wannamaker ’76 saw spinner dolphins off the Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica

1977 Lisa Bourget Frisbie 2 Caryn Road Weatogue, CT 06089 860-431-5216 afris@aol.com Deborah Rush Two Sisters’ Farm 400 Fairview Road Coatesville, PA 19320 610-380-9312 tusis@aol.com Katie Campbell Clark sends this news:

“This fall, I will be officially an empty nester! My youngest child, Sophie Grace (17), will graduate from high school in May and attend LSU. She plans to major in psychology. Last year Joey (19) graduated and is completing his freshman year at the University of New Orleans where he is excited to major in film. New Orleans is such a movie hub; it is the perfect major for him. My next oldest, Clark (24), graduated from LSU last year and is a financial analyst for Boeing, where he is working on the Mars Project. Brooks (26) is my oldest child, and he is the Audio/Visual Manager at the Ritz Carlton in New Orleans. I am offering an open invitation to any Ethel Walker classmates to visit me in New Orleans. I will take a day or two off from my job as litigation paralegal for in94

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house counsel at AIG and show you the sights around town.” Jamie Kyte Sapoch writes, “My

husband, John, and I have lived in Hopewell, NJ, for the past 25 years. We have two children, Emily, who is a freshman at Colby College, and Jack, who is in the 11th grade at the Solebury School in Pennsylvania. I have been a nonprofit consultant for more years than I care to admit, with a satisfying and diverse array of projects, including Centurion Ministries, which works to free those imprisoned for life and those with death sentences crimes which they did not commit. Life is good and we feel very fortunate. Walker’s gave me a good foundation.”

Sarah Day writes, “I summoned the courage to audition for the first time in six years for a musical. I have been cast in the musical The Way You Wear Your Hat (a Gershwin revue) at the TriArts Sharon Playhouse (Sharon, CT) in June. Excited!” Nancy Smith Klos sends news: “I live

in Portland, OR, where I am an artist/designer/teacher. My studio, Klos Studios, is celebrating its 22nd year of creating original art for national clientele. You can check out the happenings at my studio on my website, www.klosstudios2.com. My daughter Anna is a freshman at University of Oregon and loves being a Duck. With OU just a couple of hours from home, I love it when she brings friends home.”

Annfaye Sternberg Milkes writes, “My daughter Elle will be a freshman at Washington University in St. Louis next fall. Are there any Walker’s alumnae who have children at Washington U? If so, please let me know.” Lisa Bourget Frisbie adds: Let’s give a big “Hooray! Sunray!” to Annfaye and her husband who just celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary! Lisa Lorillard Halsted reports, “My

family (husband, Katie, and Willie) and I traveled to Sevilla, Spain, to visit our daughter Sheldon, who attends Georgetown University and is spending a semester studying in Spain with CIEE (Council on International Educational Exchange). We had a great time visiting and toured Tarifa, Ronda, and Granada. I was disappointed to leave Heidi, our oldest daughter, behind due to her

Nancy Smith Klos ’77 with one of her students

Catherine Cecil Taylor writes, “I am

living in Oregon now! Last July we drove cross-country with our three dogs from Vermont to Eugene, OR. My husband, Gordon, accepted a job as the Associate Dean for Finance & Administration for the School of Arts and Science at the University of Oregon. Go, Ducks!

Take Note Eugene is a beautiful place, but it is much different than Vermont. I am getting adjusted to our move, to a new home, new community, and new job. After some looking, I landed TWO jobs (per diem), one as an ER nurse and the other as a PACU nurse at a Plastic Surgery Office. I love both jobs and the flexibility of per diem work. Now to find friends. “My three boys are mostly grown up. My oldest, Timothy, lives in Raleigh, NC, and just bought his first home. Henry lives in Bend, OR, and is a mountain guide. He is engaged and will marry next August. My youngest, Timothy, is in college in Raleigh, NC. I continue to be on the board of Farms for City Kids, an organization that will always be close to my heart. Working with kids is what led me to my nursing career. I am driven by my love of people, my wanting to ‘talk’ to everyone, and treat all with respect and kindness. My dream is to travel to different countries where I can put my nursing skills to good use and help others. If anyone has any suggestions, please contact me: cecilca@aol.com.” Lisa Bourget Frisbie shares, “I love

being back in Connecticut! My children attend nearby schools (Trinity College and Miss Porter’s) and they frequently come home to do their laundry, eat, and just chill. My college counseling business, Academic Insight, is growing nicely and I love working with my students/clients. I spend my free time playing tennis (singles and doubles), taking day trips to the beach, skiing, gardening, and visiting family. Because I live close to Walker’s, I drive by the campus at least once a week. During the past year construction workers and machinery have swarmed the campus; as a result, the campus has changed its look: new athletic fields and the construction of a new dormitory. As a result of the construction of the dormitory, the wooded area between Smith House and Cluett is mostly gone. Although the woods are gone, our memories of sneaking a smoke and doing other things in those woods remain. It is wonderful to see the campus humming

with activity and the school thriving! I want to give you a heads up about a wonderful summer Walker’s alumnae opportunity—tickets to the US Tennis Open in New York City. My family and I joined other Walker’s graduates for a fun evening and crazy good tennis! This is a must on your to-do list. If you are in town, please give me a call (860-431-5216) and we can meet for lunch, go hiking, visit campus, and/or catch a Walker’s sport or other event. There is always something to do!” Deborah Rush writes, “I am working hard on the farm, moving feed, mucking, and raising thoroughbreds. One mare is due to foal any second but she seems to have her legs crossed. I am obviously using my Walker’s education to maximum benefit. My daughter, Isabel, is in 6th grade at Westtown and doing well at a new school. She will be 13 in June—eek! It was great seeing so many classmates at the Centennial. Wendy West and I were talking about trying to organize a class reunion off campus in a few years. (Better to start early.) If you have any thoughts, suggestions, or anything, please email me at tusis@aol.com. Would love to hear from you.” Elizabeth “Beth” Sudler writes that

she is leading the resilience strategy for a New York investment bank and spends as much time as possible in Sag Harbor. Carol Auchter Stiles notes, “I have

recently moved to Savannah with my husband, Al, and we love being here. My daughter Elizabeth started her first year at Penn Veterinary School this fall. My older daughter, Nicole, is in her second year of optometry school in Indiana. Wendy West Brenninkmeijer writes,

“I am finishing a certificate degree in health coaching and integrative health and healing practices in May from the University of Minnesota to complement my MA in psychology. I have a business called Healerswest and plan to write a book about healing and health coaching and integrative medicine as preventative medicine. I joined the Board of the Women’s Wisdom Initiative (umbrella

for Traveling Postcards and Shelter to Shelter), which is a creative action nonprofit started by our classmate, Caroline Lovell Malmberg. Check it out! Our son Ian (24) lives in Sweden, Sophie (22) will be a senior at Georgetown, and son Miles will be a sophomore at Sarah Lawrence. We just got a small beach house in Chatham, Cape Cod, to be closer to family and plan to go back and forth between there and Pasadena. My husband, Titus, started a private equity company, Solgenix, and invests in solar energy. I enjoyed spending time with Kimberly “Kim” Bourne Fisher and Ellen Fauver Reimer ’78 during Hurricane Sandy. I am in contact with Lisa Lorillard and Bathsheba “Sheba” Veghte and would love to be in contact with more EWS women! (Wendy@healerswest.com) I will be in Simsbury at our West family mausoleum to inter my mother’s ashes on May 20 and Rev. Tom Speers will be the officiant! I plan to swing by Walker’s for a peek! Let’s all try to get together please! With love, Wendy.”

1978 Ashley Lickle O’Neil 3 Harbor Bluff Lane Rowayton, CT 06853 203-966-6025 aoneil1@optonline.net Ashley O’Neil writes: “Now that I am

an empty nester with a bit more time on my hands, I am thrilled to be one of our reunion volunteers who is working hard to energize our great class and to bring all of us back together! The momentum is overwhelming, and each and every one in our class who has made the effort to re-connect so far has not been sorry and has had a LOT of fun! Just look what happened in Rowayton, CT, and Boston!! A lot of smiling faces!! I guess all of us are older and wiser and finally realize that ‘life is short’ and that ‘old friends are the best friends.’ Never forget that.”

SUMMER 2013

Take Note 1979

REUNION

Karen Polcer Bdera 24-03 86th Street East Elmhurst, NY 11369 718-429-7594 pinkwalk@gmail.com

Another Class of 1978 Pre-Reunion gathering in Boston included, from left, Frances Hughes, Jennifer Herman, Priscilla O’Reilly, Barbara “Barbi” Heimbach Webber, Anne Crandall Campbell, Deborah “Debbie” Riddle Bernier, Nancy Felton Hughes

Barbi Webber Heimbach ’78 says, “Cherish the moment with a good friend!”

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This in from Angelia “Angie” Heughan: “I am still enjoying my favorite pastime: travel. We have a few standing destinations: Williamsburg, Myrtle Beach (bike weekend), Pigeon Forge, and the biennual Thanksgiving cruise. This past year we were able to hit the usual spots and cruise aboard the Allure of the Seas with friends and family. We look forward to returning to New Orleans and Florida when we can find the time. We are currently trying to plan a family ‘get together’ for late summer. The kids are now in high school. Erik is attending the business prime magnet school as a junior, and Callie is preparing to be an educator at our local high school as a sophomore. I am still employed at AT&T, although I have determined that I prefer the technical track as opposed to management. I am now a Certified Ethical Hacker and I am pursuing a renewed interest in cyber security. I look forward to seeing everyone at our next reunion!”

The January 2013 Pre-Reunion gathering at the home of Ashley O’Neil ’78 in Rowayton, CT, included, first row from left, Deborah “Debby” Coward Smicka, Ashley Lickle O’Neil, Helen Hummer Feid, Ellen Fauver Reimer. Second row from left, Victoria Falk Michaelis, Ryland Burnett, Annabelle Reid, Johanna Hunter, Dorothy “Dolly” Hall, Mari Christopherson Morsch, Ana Cutillas Walker, Elizabeth “Lili” Hoodes Bender, Lois Taylor Baldwin.

Ann Rangen-Braga sent the following: “My husband and I have very busy lives. I own an optical shop and my husband is a partner in a CPA firm. We have a 4year-old grandson. His name is Austin and his family lives two houses down from us, so we see him often! Larry and I travel every year to attend a trade show for eyeglasses in Paris and then travel to other places after that. We have a very good and full life and are truly blessed!”

Dana Carter Lange reports: “I have taken a break from my job as an editor at Durham Magazine to be board chair for the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina. I have spent the last 11 months writing a daily blog, which is mainly a comedy about dieting with some recipes and a few inspirational tidbits. If you are looking for a laugh, log in to www.lessdana.com. My husband

Take Note and 14-year-old daughter, Carter, are good sports about often being subjects of the blog. It is great discipline to sit down and write for 20 minutes every day even when I don’t know what I am going to write about. I often draw on stories from my childhood and days at Walker’s. You might have made the blog and don’t know it.” Mary Derbyshire Petty loves living in Little Compton, RI, where she teaches Alexander Technique and Fitness. Her son Gordon is a sophomore at Wesleyan University and her daughter, Eliza, will be a freshman at Bard College in the fall. Not an empty nester yet; Liam has a few more years of high school. She loves keeping in touch with all of her EWS friends via Facebook! Lela Schaus Philip writes: “I am busy

teaching art and having fun creating my own art. Once a week I take an art class with Ellen Gerry Breed. We laugh a lot! During the month of May, I will exhibit my art in a Greenwich show called ‘Art on the Avenue.’ I am very excited about the opportunity to show my recent watercolors. Recently, I sat with Kelly O’Connor Pasciucco, watching her son play in a DeerfieldBrunswick lacrosse game (Brunswick won). It was fun to catch up with her. Also saw Katherine “Trina” Jones Stillwell, Elizabeth “Lisa” Danforth Hurst, and Cynthia Reed Klein on the

beach in Vero Beach, FL. So fun to see them! We really have not changed a bit! My son Nick graduated from Denison

Nick Philip, son of Lela Schaus Philip ’79, modeling for a Vineyard Vines catalog

and works in the corporate office at Vineyard Vines. Sam is a junior at Bucknell University, and Lily is in 7th grade at Greenwich Academy.” Arabella Wattles Teal writes how happy she is that her daughter India is graduating from NYU in May, even if she has to attend the graduation ceremony at Yankee Stadium. Jane Byrd Wiley Terlizzi and

husband, Chris, live in Wayne, PA, and St. Michaels, MD. Daughter, Page, works and lives in Washington, DC; son Chris is a freshman at Drexel U/College of Engineering; son Parker is in 8th grade. She recently left her job as a client relationship associate at Vanguard and now works in real estate. She enjoys reconnecting with EWS friends on Facebook and loves seeing Jane Stoner Humphrey when she is in the Philadelphia area.” Nancy Mack von Euler sent the

following information: “If you live in Connecticut, you may have seen a commercial for Smilow Cancer Hospitals with my daughter, Sarah, singing in the flash mob. Sarah is a junior in high school and sings with the Fairfield County Children’s Choir, which was featured in the commercial. If you haven’t seen it you can find it on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yA3A TkCI8L8.” And from yours truly — Karen Polcer Bdera, “Believe it or not, I have retired (at least for now). We’ll see if there is another adventure left in me, but I am enjoying spending some time with my dear husband, Nick, doing some home improvement projects, and working with the Avon team on the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. (Some of you may have seen me in the TV commercial that just started airing locally). Back in 1997, I had a scare, which ended up not being cancer. But it made me want to do something to help people who are not as lucky as I was. So I started walking these walks. I will be doing my 15th walk this year, and to date, have raised over $187,000 for them. I actually got my job at God’s Love We Deliver through a

Karen Bdera ’79, featured in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer Campaign

connection I made at a walk. Nick and I also plan on doing some traveling soon, while we are both vertical and healthy. If you find yourself in NYC and want to grab a lunch, drinks, or dinner, let me know. I have plenty of time and would love to show you around the town!”

1980 Ann O’Reilly 110 South Road Winsted, CT 06098 860-738-4442 ASOR1@aol.com Ann O’Reilly writes: “It turns out our

class is teeming with artists! We have spotlighted just a few of them in this issue. If there are other artsy types out there, please let us know!” Blair Leisure writes: “I live in Golden, CO, and am married to Jack Adelfang. We have a 2-year-old son named Ted and a 10-year-old dog named Uba. I have a small environmental consulting company, and we do wetland- and wildlife-related work on projects all over Colorado. Jack is a realtor and contractor and has his own company, too. I also oil paint, and you can see some of my artwork on www.blairleisure.com. Looking forward to our 35th Reunion in 2015!!”

SUMMER 2013

Take Note

Blair Leisure ’80 with her son, Ted

Brooke Hummer Mower lives in Chicago with her husband, two boys, and two dogs. As some of you may recall, she discovered a passion for photography while at EWS and has turned it into a career. You can check out her remarkable work at http://www.brookehummer.com/. Alison Seiffer Spacek is an illustrator whose work appears regularly in The New York Times, Glamour, and Newsweek. You’ll find a selection of her work at http://www.theispot.com/aseiffer. Elizabeth Dinkel has been recognized by House Beautiful, Elle Décor, Veranda, and California Homes & Interiors as one of America’s leading interior designers. Her full-service firm specializes in highend residential projects that take her all over the country. Visit http://elizabethdinkeldesign.com/ to see examples of her timeless interiors.

Elizabeth Dinkel ’80 and her husband, Aaron Meyerson, snowboarding at Whistler

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From a base in Santa Fe, Pamela Platt paints mural installations, architectural detail, and wall treatments and offers color consultations in residential and commercial spaces throughout the United States. Take a look at her beautiful work at http://www.pamelaplattstudio.com/.

her lamps are out of this world!” Jenny aims to “illuminate your imagination” with one-of-a-kind lamps made from recycled bottles, vases, and jugs. Her website is under construction, but for now you can see her work on Facebook by searching for “Drunken Lamps.”

Alice Hargrave is an award-winning

After months of stalking, I finally caught up with Susan Lierle Birrell, who was just back from a trip to Prague and Budapest with her daughters Caleigh and Grace. The artistic gene skipped a generation this time: Caleigh, currently studying in Berlin, is an artist who works in a variety of media, including paint, video, and text. You can see her work at caleighbirrell.com. Susan’s middle daughter, Emma, is in a four-year program at University of St. Andrews in Scotland, and Grace is studying at NYU. Susan, in a tip of the hat to our senior project of so many years ago (we observed at the TODAY Show), is senior vice president for business and legal affairs at NBC Universal in Los Angeles.

photographic artist and educator whose work has been shown at The Smart Museum of Art, The Tweed Museum of Art, The Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, Yale University Art Gallery, and The Museum of Contemporary Photography, among many other venues. She currently is an adjunct professor at Columbia College in Chicago. Take a look at her work at http://www.alicehargrave.com/. Hope Thurston Carter lives in Michigan with her husband and their three sons, Adam (currently at the University of Michigan), Ian, and Perry. She is busy with work, a hectic high school sports schedule, and, in her spare time, produces absolutely gorgeous photographs. While she enjoys photographing people, her passion lies in capturing nature in her quieter moments. You can see her work at http://hopecarterphoto.com. Aida Algosaibi-Stoklos studied architecture at New York Institute of Technology for three years before she found her true calling and switched to the School of Visual Arts. Now living in Tucson, AZ, Aida specializes in monoprinting. Describing her art, she says on her website: “I keep things simple, using only sepia with black and sometimes a bit of blue, colors that help me play with light. I apply the ink by finger or roller and take away ink with rags and gauze. When it comes to the portraits and figurative work, I am less interested in a true likeness than I am fascinated by catching a mood or essence.” Her work is on display at http://www.aidaalgosaibistoklos.com/.

1981 Veronica “Roni” Leger 91 Fayerweather Street #3 Cambridge, MA 02138 617-547-4130 veronical@alum.mit.edu This is the year of the 50th birthday parties! Happy Birthday to all my classmates! Mine is June 29 if you want to rub it in and send me old lady cards! As I write this, I just got back from

Heather Holmes writes that she recently saw Jenny Chamberlain McDowell ’81 in California, and that “she is an amazing artist—in particular, Roni Leger ’81 and Shelley Marks ’81

Take Note flying to San Francisco to help Shelley Marks celebrate her milestone birthday!

Latest news from Emily Eckleberry Johnson: “I recently met up with

What a great time!

Susan “Hooey” Stewart Wilks, Heather Sweeny, and Lee Gowen Marine for lunch at Café Centro in

Mary Beth Rettger writes that she just completed two big family trips and moved! The first was a family trip to Israel, as part of their synagogue, partially in preparation for her son Daniel’s Bar Mitzvah next November. She said it was an awesome trip with lots of great memories. Then she spent her 50th birthday on a plane to South Africa, as they took a relatively quick trip to the southern coast to visit family, friends, and elephants. She said the weather was perfect, they had a great time, AND, the airline helpfully lost her luggage for 24 hours, justifying some power shopping. In between those trips (which were planned) her family moved to a new lakefront house in Natick, MA, about a mile from their old house. She said they weren’t looking to move, but this amazing house became available. She said anybody kayaking past on Lake Cochituate is welcome to stop in.

Liza Paschal Alrick ’81 and Robin Lorton Danell ’81

midtown Manhattan on Feb 28. Although I was the only Dial who could make it, I did wear my purple sundial necklace from graduation in ’82 and my Peace Pearls made by Courtney. Lee wore a sun on her necklace. Check out the color of my parka and Hooey’s sweater! We had some great giggles, a delicious lunch, and a good catch up. Hooray, Sunray!”

Roni Leger shares: “In my news, I took a new job within Fidelity in late January. Good job, bad commute. I now drive three days a week from Cambridge, MA, to Smithfield, RI. It is about 60 miles each way. The other days I’m at home, so it kind of evens out. I think I need to start looking for a new car with REALLY good gas mileage.”

Class of ’82 members, from left, Hooey Stewart Wilks, Emily Eckleberry Johnson, Heather Sweeny, Lee Gowan Marine

Mary Beth Rettger and her children, Daniel Lurie and Emma Lurie, in front of the Western Wall in Jerusalem

Robin Lorton Danell and Liza Paschal Alrick caught up in Eagle,

CO, during Robin’s Women’s Association of Colorado Hockey Tournament in March. Robin has been playing ice hockey for 10 years, since her two sons were playing in youth leagues in their hometown of Aspen. Liza, her husband, and 8-year-old son, who live near Vail, had a great time cheering for Robin’s team.

Mary Bebel Schinke ’81 and husband, Steven, on safari in Tanzania, where the landscapes were breathtaking, the animals were magnificent, and the people of Tanzania were incredible hosts.

1982 Eve Agush Costarelli 16 Porter Road Natick, MA 01760 617-879-6062 AdamAnt_Eve@hotmail.com

Loel Benisch Romeo writes: “I have been happily cheering on Jamie Patterson Valentine via Facebook as she has embraced running with a recent completion of her first half-marathon. After running my first half last May, I somehow got blindsided by my 26-yearold coworker to train for two halfmarathons this spring on back-to-back weekends, followed by my first and only marathon in October. At least my hubby is crazy enough to train with me. I have also been involved in the Girls on the Run program for 4th- and 5th-grade girls at my school, building strength, self-esteem and friendships. It’s a terrific program. I haven’t been sick in three years, and I owe it all to running, diet, and yoga, another passion for another issue. Namaste!” Aimmee Hagler-Calvano writes: “I

am thrilled to report that my daughter,

SUMMER 2013

Take Note Sadie Calvano, has just been cast in a recurring role as Ryder’s new love interest, Keira, on ABC Family’s Melissa & Joey, and even more exciting, she will be playing Ana Farris’s daughter, Violet, on the new Chuck Lorre pilot Mom for CBS!! You can follow Sadie at http://www.imdb.me/sadiecalvano.

programs are booming, and I am starting family support yoga classes that offer families building blocks to deal with the stresses of school, work, ADD/ADHD, and various other activities. Rob and I just celebrated our first anniversary (plus the 16 years we were together prior), and we are getting set for our family honeymoon, our ‘Funnymoon,’ Costarelli European Vacation in Italy and Spain.”

1983 Anna Perkins de Cordova 2406 New Hackensack Road Poughkeepsie, NY 12603 845-486-5161 Ade_cordova@hotmail.com Courtney Callahan ’82, center, at St. John’s of Lattington, taken on Shrove Tuesday when Courtney always organizes a huge pancake supper with pancake races around the parish hall. She also teaches in the Sunday school.

Eve Agush Costarelli writes: “I have

finished my 15-month Deeper into the Art of Teaching Yoga program, and I am now officially a certified yoga instructor. It was an amazing experience! I am teaching a yoga class for veterans cosponsored by There and Back Again, a nonprofit organization that supports the well-being of service members. Its mission is to provide reintegration support services to combat veterans of all conflicts. My youth flamenco and yoga

Anna Perkins de Cordova writes: “Thanks to everyone who sent me an email. The pictures are wonderful. Your messages made this Class Notes project so fun and interesting. Our Reunion is May 17-19 and Jennifer “Jen” McDonough Albanesi, Mary Lotuff Feeny, Kelly Finn Mazo, Katherine “Katie” Hillman Wilhelm, Wendy Hodgkins DeLorey, and Karen Birnie Garzon are all helping with the event.

Let’s reconnect in Simsbury.” Both personal and professional reasons have Adelaida “Ady” Artime globetrotting from Miami to Madrid and Beirut. “I am a real estate agent and an interior designer. I have been able to work with many Spanish people who are relocating from Spain to Miami and looking for homes and apartments. Additionally, I have been fortunate enough to help them with their interior design needs. As far as Beirut is concerned, my fiancé is Lebanese and his entire family is still living in Beirut.”

RI, or in Stowe, VT, please look us up. We would love to hear from you.” Jen McDonough Albanesi is living in Avon, CT, with her husband, David, who works in NYC for U.S. Bank, and their two sons, ages 13 and 16. She is a realtor with ReMax Premier in West Hartford. Her younger son, Ryan, is at Kingswood Oxford and her older son, Patrick, is a junior at Avon Old Farms and has a verbal commitment from Boston College’s Carroll School of Management to attend BC and play for their Division I Men’s Golf team after he graduates in another year. She enjoys seeing Kelly Finn Mazo on occasion, and is busy with career, kids’ activities, volunteer work, “and all the other usual things we moms do.” Anna notes that everyone who wrote in with kids mentioned that catch-all category! Alina “Nina” de la Sierra Murphy

and her husband, Serre, who graduated from Salisbury, have three children, Marisa (18), Nicolas (15), and Alina (14), and they love living in Miami. Nina works part time for her brother in the finance world when she is not busy with the kids. She has been able to keep in touch with Louisa Cecil Harrison, Mary Lotuff, Garrett Handley Dee, Ana “Ini” Consuegra Cummins, and Wendy Hodgkins DeLorey. Fun fact

you would only put together through class notes: Nina’s daughter Marisa will be a freshman at Boston College this coming fall. Nina, Jen and their college kids will have to look for each other on campus in another year.

Mary Lotuff Feeny will be at Reunion

in May and hopes everyone can come. “Since last we were on campus together, I married Richard Feeny in 2009, and we live in Bristol, RI. I still remodel old houses . . . and there are plenty to keep me busy. If classmates are ever in Bristol, Eve Costarelli ’82 and her family

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Nina de la Sierra Murphy ’83 and her family, Serre, Marisa, Nina, Nicolas, Alina

Take Note Katie Hillman Wilhelm lives in Lake Forest, IL, with her husband, Keith, daughter, Keaton (10), and son, Kaden (8). She and her husband both work in the packaging industry, and Katie writes, “I started a new job the end of last year. I work for Kapstone Container, which was named one of Forbes’ best small companies in 2011. I am currently managing the construction of a new facility and will then manage both production and sales once we are up and running in mid-April.” Both her children are ranked USTA tennis players in the Chicago area, and her daughter will also play spring lacrosse, while her son will “hit the links.” She can’t wait to see everyone in May! Monica Vega de Geraldes lives in Santo Domingo with her husband and two daughters who are 11 and 12. She says the girls might consider attending Walker’s in a few years. Walker’s would be so lucky to have the 21st-century version of the Vega sisters! Monica worked for the National Aquarium for more than 20 years, but now works with her sister in their catering business and for their gastronomical magazine called Gastroteca. “It is loads and loads of fun, and I love it. I haven’t forgotten my marine biology though, and I also am involved with an NGO called Reef Check, through which we do a lot of marine conservation work.”

school volunteer work. She occasionally sees Elisabeth Allen Holland in Nantucket. She is definitely coming to the Reunion and can’t wait to catch up with everyone. Andrea Nelson Abbott is living in Bronxville, NY, and has worked for The New Yorker magazine for the last 15 years. She has two children, McLeod (16) and Lyric (11.5). McLeod is good friends with Elisabeth Allen Holland’s son, Ian, who also lives in Bronxville. In addition, Andrea sees Elizabeth “Lili” Arienti Sloane and my family every summer, “which is a highlight of the year. Our kids have a wonderful time together.”

Lyric Abbott (11.5) and McLeod Abbott (16), the children of Andrea Nelson Abbott ’83

Bettina “Tina” Cherry Honeycutt

has lived in Charleston, SC, for the last 17 years where she is married to Scott Honeycutt, who was her boyfriend from

Monica and Joanna, the daughters of Monica Vega ’83

Lorna MacDougall Denham wrote in from Montreal where she lives with her husband and three sons, who are 16, 14, and almost 10. She is busy with all the kids’ activities, community projects, and

sophomore year at Walker’s! “He went to Avon Old Farms. We started dating again after college and got married in 1993.” Tina and Scott have four children: Carter (16), Logan (14), Spencer (12), and Peyton (10). Whitney Riegel Mooney is looking

forward to reconnecting with classmates at our Reunion, which she will be attending with her mom, who celebrates her 60th Walker’s Reunion. “We have two boys. Liam is 14 and Nico is 12. They both attend the public school here. I’ve held various jobs since moving out here 12 years ago, but most rewarding and sustaining has been motherhood. I am planning on becoming a Bikram Yoga teacher. The training is nine weeks in LA next September.” She keeps in touch with Felicia Ambrosino Baer, and a group of women from the class of ’82. Lili Arienti Sloane shares: “My husband, Todd, and I have lived in Newton, MA, since 1997, when our daughter, Olivia, was born. Olivia is now 16 and learning to drive! Our son, Ian, is 13. Both children enjoy school and sports, and in particular swimming, softball, hockey, and baseball, with some skiing and tennis here and there. Olivia is the starting pitcher on the Newton North High School Varsity softball team. I spend most of my weekends at multiple sports events, but try to fit in some time at the health club! I have also been working as a lawyer at the same law firm (Segal Roitman, LLP) in Boston since 1995 and have been a partner since 2005. Todd has been an architect at Payette Associates Architects since we were married in 1991. Work makes life very busy! We have been fortunate enough to stay in touch with Walker’s friends, and love to spend at least a few days at the beach each summer in Manchester, MA, with Andrea Nelson Abbott and Anna Perkins de Cordova and their families. See you in May!!” Anna Perkins de Cordova shares: “I

Tina Cherry Honeycutt ’83 and her family

am living in Poughkeepsie, NY, with my husband, Michael, daughter, Claire (12),

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Take Note and son, Owen (9). My whole family looks forward to the annual Nelson/ Perkins/Arienti family gathering in the summer. I have been in the field of horticulture for 25 years, but took on a new position two years ago as the horticulturist for the National Park Service in Hyde Park, NY. May is not a month with a lot of down time in my field, but I am going to try to get to the Reunion. In addition to the news above, I had a quick note from Channie Chan-Saurajen saying she’s well and will send news ‘soon,’ and I receive publicity emails from Fondacion Grama Danse Panama, which must be coming from Ximena Eleta de Sierra, which reassures me that she continues to pursue her art in Panama. Thanks again for all your notes, and greetings to classmates. Keep them coming.”

Triathlon season will kick off for me this weekend and continue through the summer. Wish me luck and to be injury free! I love hearing from all my EWS buddies on FB . . . feels like yesterday!” Esther Pryor sends news: “I am

working as a pastry chef with the Max Restaurant Group and have recently started on opening my own dessert and chocolate company in Hartford. I also continue to run my father’s company, which has been a huge learning experience, and currently sit on the Board of Directors for three nonprofit arts organizations in Hartford. This past February Christina “Tina” Wright, my sister Elizabeth “Liz” Pryor Bradley, and I spent a long weekend in San Juan, PR, dining, drinking, and soaking up the sun—a mini EWS reunion.”

1987 Elizabeth “Liz” West Glidden 40 Stocking Lot Road East Haddam, CT 06423 860-808-4232 Lizwest8@gmail.com Liz West Glidden writes: “I have been in touch with several alumnae who write to tell me of their family and career successes. Lizbeth Licopantis King began a clothing business with her sister, Laurann Licopantis-Claridge King ’84, called Claridge and King. Menswear

tailoring and fabrics inspire the clothing. Check it out at www.claridgeandking.com. Liz credits her entrepreneurial spirit to Walkers!” Ailsa Veit Foulke has moved back to

1984

REUNION

Your class needs a Class Correspondent! Contact alumnae@ethelwalker.org

Clarissa Potter, Emiliana Vegas Abelmann, and Kathleen Brigham Uberuaga enjoyed lunch together this

winter. Emiliana and her two boys live in Washington, DC, as do Clarissa and her son. Kathleen lives in Riverdale, NY, with her daughter and two sons.

Kimberly “Kim” Franklin Ray is

1985

living in Arkansas with her husband and three girls who are now 16, 18, and 20! Kim was recently promoted to nurse manager for Labor and Delivery and NICU at Conway Regional Hospital. She is also the Director for Southern Lights Hoopdancers, a small business that performs hoop and fire shows in Arkansas.

Elizabeth “Betsy” Potter Giddings 14 South Shore Lane Albany Township, ME 04217 860-805-8711 dearepg@aol.com Allison Ross Hofstedder writes,

“Well, it’s been an adventurous season so far! Aside from running our business, Custom K9, I got bitten by a new bug in my sports endeavors, the ultra, as in ultramarathon, or any running race longer than a marathon. The active lifestyle here in this part of Florida breeds many athletes, so to run ultras is not that unusual. That said, I ran my very first one in March—33.3 miles! It’s safe to say that I did not RUN all the miles, but rather ‘power walked’ many, mostly due to a nagging temporary injury. I did finish it, but took way too long. This has given me the itch to try it again in the fall, but with better results.

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Manhattan with her husband, Adam, and their three boys. Ailsa has seen Wendy Smith and Lamonda Williams in the Big Apple since moving back. She has her own design and decorating firm and can be found at ailsafoulke.com.

From left, 1985 classmates, Clarissa Potter, Emiliana Vegas Abelmann, and Kathleen Brigham Uberuaga

1986 Your class needs a Class Correspondent! Contact alumnae@ethelwalker.org

1988 Your class needs a Correspondent! Contact alumnae@ethelwalker.org

Beth McGuiness writes, “I’m enjoying life in sunny Colorado and try to travel to the mountains as often as possible (when not working) to ski, hike, and bike with my boyfriend.” Carrie Viko Wilcox shares, “I’m as

crazy as I’m sure you all are! Mom of three (twins, Jack and Maggie, age 12,

Take Note and younger son, Charlie, 10), traveling husband, and running my special-event floral business. I can’t seem to get anything done! So looking forward (and hoping) everyone comes back for the Reunion. It would really be fun to see everyone again after 25 years!”

thing, but she finally knows what that’s all about! But this was a change she needed to make, and she’s always keeping an eye out for her next opportunities. According to Karen, she is “Still single. Still living in L.A. Still have an amazing group of friends. Still performing comedy improv every week and singing in her band, Phoenyx. Still writing my TV blog, www.tvtourguide.net. And still living life as best and as happily as she can.” And she’s going to the Ellen Degeneres Show for the first time! Hope she gets to play a game with Ellen!

foundation, and provides pro bono legal work for small nonprofits. With both daughters in college, she can sigh in relief; they are happy, healthy, and ambitious. Her elder daughter heads to Sierra Leone to work on a mapping project with a nonprofit based in Minneapolis and then to Kenya for an internship that’s part of her study-abroad program, which she’ll do in the fall.

The children of Carrie Viko Wilcox ’88, Jack, Maggie and Charlie.

1989

REUNION

Fiona Cox 1133 37th Avenue Seattle, WA 98122 206-568-2390 FCox@russell.com Honor Prouty Brodie is living in New

York with her husband, John, and their children, Nicholas (8) and Alexandra (3). She works at Tory Burch where she’s the Creative Director. She’s in touch with lots of Walker’s friends (all of whom she loves each year even a bit more!)” Karen Brundage writes that things

have really changed for her this past year. She left her job in PR after a decade and has suddenly become an independent contracting freak! She has about 10 jobs that she works ongoing while pursuing acting. Yep, she’s decided to give it another shot, but from a completely different place than before. She’s older and wiser, she doesn’t take herself or the business so seriously, and she has better tools, including an agent, union status, and actual, legitimate credits. In fact, she just filmed a music video last week with country music artist Kacey Musgraves and can’t wait for its premiere. It’s not always easy doing the struggling actor

Karen Brundage ’89

Jennifer “Jennie” Alter Abt sends

news: “I am still living in Telluride, CO. Life is beautiful. Currently, spring break for my kids Jessie, 9th grade, Emily, 7th, and Coby, 6th. Stephanie Lee just came to visit with her kids for NYC spring break. We had a blast.” Jennie and Aimee Murdock Burke

are leading the 25th Reunion (May 2014) for our class, so heads up. They want 100% participation! :) More to follow or please contact Jennie or Aimee. Aimee is on Facebook and Jennie will be handling emails. Jennie says she loves us all and is looking forward to an amazing Reunion. She wants us to remember how much fun we all are and plan on bringing that party spirit to our next Reunion! Thank you to Fiona for leading the charge!

Stacey Lombardo DiPiazza ’89, her husband, Jack, and daughters Marina, 13, Amelia, 11, and Marcella, 7, on vacation in St. John, Virgin Islands over spring break.

1990 Your class needs a Class Correspondent! Contact alumnae@ethelwalker.org

1991 Sarah Keefer 777 South Eden Street Apartment 503 Baltimore, MD 21231 443-326-9357 Sarah6369@gmail.com

Fiona Cox started working for Russell Investments at the beginning of the year. She still acts as the CFO of her family’s

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Take Note 1992

1996

Your class needs a Class Correspondent! Contact alumnae@ethelwalker.org

J. Drusilla Carter 13 Falknor Drive Manchester, CT 06040 860-634-7519 jdrusillacarter@gmail.com

Corinna Mendis has written and

produced a pilot TV series called Not in My Neighborhood. The series is intended to promote awareness of homelessness in suburbia and the fact that it is not just an inner-city issue. Corinna was inspired to write the pilot after she volunteered at a homeless shelter run by Hope House Ministries. She is currently a Physician Assistant in the Emergency Department at St. Charles Hospital in Port Jefferson, NY.

Allison Hulbert Potts writes: “We are having lots of fun with Zack, now 15 months old, but I am still wondering how anyone copes with more than one! I am enjoying being back at work part time, having taken a year off when Zack was born. It looks like we may be spending the autumn in Brisbane, Australia, (their spring of course!) as Simon has a sabbatical. We hope to travel around and catch up with friends, as well as visit some of the national parks before returning to the UK in time for Christmas.

Rosemary Logan ’96 with daughter, Brynn Rose Aumack, and gold medal at the Arizona Open for jiu jitsu

Lauren Rizzi Crawford and husband,

Pete Crawford, welcomed son, Flynn, to the world this past October. The happy three are enjoying their time living on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Kristen Milnes writes: “This year has

Corinna Mendis ’92

1993

Allison Hulbert Potts ’96 and son Zack

Kristin Carideo Flyer 784 Stratford Court Atlanta, GA 30350 770-395-2046 Kflyer1@bellsouth.net

1994

REUNION

Your class needs a Class Correspondent! Contact alumnae@ethelwalker.org

1995 Your class needs a Class Correspondent! Contact alumnae@ethelwalker.org

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Rosemary Logan writes: “Life has been full this past year. We finished building our ‘sustainable’ home this past summer, and I will graduate with a PhD in Education for Sustainability from Prescott College this May. This fall I start work at Northern Arizona University, teaching food justice and sustainability education through a unique program in civic engagement. Truly, a dream comes true! Lastly, after many years living without judo—a passion I discovered while at Walker’s—I discovered a close relative, Brazilian jiu jitsu. Practicing daily has deepened the happiness present in the rest of my life. Thank you, Poochie Montgomery, for this gift!!!

gotten off to an exciting start for me. Last month I bought a 1920s brick building and am in the process of renovating the six apartments. It’s really special to be part of the revitalization of a historic neighborhood in Columbus, OH, and I am looking forward to helping the area grow and prosper. Also looking forward to catching up with Rachael Roselli ’98 when she is in Naples this spring! “As for me, I am settling in to my new house and forcing anyone who comes over to admire my basement (finishing that basement was my big project for the winter). My new job is keeping me busy, and I’m very proud that I have just been named to the American Library Association’s joint committee with the American Association of Museums and the Society of American Archivists. I’ll be one of six librarians representing 65,000 members of our field in national discussions of professional trends and policies.” Drusilla Carter shares, “It’s been great to catch up with Jessica “Jess” Bartolini-Bugeln ’95 and Leander

Take Note Dolphin ’95 at alumnae events and to meet fellow Connecticut librarians Leah Farrell ’05 and Kristi Sadowski ’02!”

Vivienne Felix writes: “Happy spring! In March, I drove to Rough Rock, AZ, with a group of undergraduate students for a weeklong spring break service experience. While volunteering on the Navajo Reservation, we had the opportunity to serve in the elementary and high schools. This summer, I plan to travel to the UK, and am looking forward to presenting at an international academic advising conference in The Netherlands.”

1997 Karen Crowe 790 Boylston Street Apartment 22F Boston, MA 02199 617-875-7240 Kcrowe79@gmail.com Alicia Kelly Benedetto 6 Little Bear Drive Yorktown Heights, NY 10598 917-622-9946 Acbenedetto15@gmail.com

1998 Brooke Berescik-Johns 118 West 75th Street, Apt. #3A New York, NY 10023 646-483-9383 BrookeBJohns@gmail.com

Natalie, daughter of Jessica Terpstra ’98, with her baby cousin, Kennedy

also see Louise “Brody” Greenberg a few times a year. She lives down the street from my dad in Florida, and she is also doing well. I had a great time seeing everyone who came to the Walker’s Centennial and look forward to seeing everyone coming to the Class of ’98 Reunion in May.”

Nette Chien (Annette Chang) writes,

“After 1998, I went to Berklee College of Music, graduating with a voice performance degree. Back in Hong Kong since 2004, where I earned another certificate in music teaching. Then in 2012, I graduated from Hong Kong Chinese University with a master of music degree. Had two albums out in 2005 and 2006 and have been a vocal teacher since 2005. I can’t wait to see all of you at our Reunion.” Jessica Terpstra sends this message:

“Hello, everyone! After six years of living in Washington, DC, and working as a school counselor for Fairfax County Public Schools, I am ready for a change. Natalie, my 4½-year-old daughter, and I will be moving to Los Angeles in August! We are excited for the new opportunities and adventures this will bring us and of course the warm weather! I recently visited Noelle Soto in Virginia Beach and met her fiancé, Matt, and adorable son, Garrett, who are all doing well. I

Leo David and Bruno Epifanio, the children of Lindsay Martin Mancuso ’98

1999

REUNION

Vivienne Felix 113-33 201 Street St. Albans, NY 11412 484-597-0633 Viviennefelix@hotmail.com

Meaghan McLean Boisfeuillet will celebrate one year with Diagnostic Endoscopy at the end of May. She also writes, “August will be my five-year anniversary with Jonathan. In September of 2013, we will finally go on our honeymoon! School and starting new jobs prevented us from doing it the first time. I cannot wait for that! In March, I had a sweet 16-times-two ’80s-themed birthday and met up with Brooke Berescik-Johns ’98 and Ipsita Das ’98 along with another friend in NYC.” Shannon Lenz Guidotti is also doing

well: “I am still teaching biology at Taft and I am a class dean as well. In August I cruised in the Galapagos with my husband, which was an amazing trip! This fall I caught up with Lesley Northrop-Nelson when she was in town. I am excited to share that in March we welcomed the arrival of our daughter, Alexis.” Vivienne writes: “Ladies, I’d love to hear from more of you. Also, I want to remind you that Meaghan Boisfeuillet and Rebecca Sherlock-Shangraw took over as Class Agents in November 2012. Unfortunately, there were a lot of bad numbers and old addresses for our class. Please send your new contact information—new names, mailing addresses, and email addresses—to genie_lomba@ethelwalker.org. This will ensure that we are all invited to our 15th Class Reunion next year!!!! We can’t wait to see you!”

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Take Note 2000 Allison Quigley 151 Bunker Hill Avenue Stratham, NH 03885 603-247-0784 abatw@yahoo.com

2001 Alicia Little Hodge 142 Hampton Avenue West Hartford, CT 06110 860-970-9156 alittlehodge@gmail.com

2002 Holly Jackson 76-01 113th Street, Apt. 3A Forest Hills, NY 11375 Hjackson17@gmail.com From Emily Stone comes this news: “I got a job teaching math at a high school in Sonoma County, so my husband and I moved up here at the end of the summer and are enjoying lots of wineries. If any

Walker’s girls come to the area, we’d love to see them!” Melissa Scully writes, “It has been an exciting year, with quite a few milestones achieved. I received my Master of Arts in Public Policy from Trinity College in May 2012. I completed my first marathon, The Marine Corps Marathon, in Washington, DC, in October 2012, which was an exciting goal to achieve and am so excited to say that now I am a marathon runner. I was able to meet up with classmate Ruth Clymor at the marathon. I have been working in the field of study abroad for the past few years and have had wonderful experiences traveling throughout Europe for work. I am looking forward to 2013 and seeing what adventures are ahead and what EWS alumnae I will run into.”

2003 Your class needs a Class Correspondent! Contact alumnae@ethelwalker.org

THE SUNDIAL

she received her MA in Theology and Ministry from LaSalle University and is currently pursuing a career in nursing. Winton “Windy” Black Jansen

Megan Rosidivito Lyczak married

Peter Lyczak, a police officer and Navy veteran, in March 2011. The same year

Brittany Coons Noble ’02, her son, Nicolas (Nico, 4 months), Rory Harrington (4 months), Seamus Harrington (2 years), and EWS faculty member Jill Wagner Harrington on campus in February 2013.

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Megan Rosidivito Lyczak ’03 and her husband, Peter

shares, “Life has been pretty busy with the arrival of our newest addition, Hayes Holt Jansen, born January 22, 2013. Flynn loves his new role as a big brother. It was so much fun to catch up with Brittany Coons Noble ’02 and little Nico this winter. It was Hayes’ first play date, although he slept through the whole thing!”

Windy Black Jansen ’03 holding her son Hayes with her husband, Dustin Jansen, holding son Flynn

Take Note 2004

REUNION

Your class needs a Class Correspondent! Contact alumnae@ethelwalker.org

Angela Henderson writes, “2013 is

going to be a very busy year for me. I am finishing up my MBA at George Mason University and will also be getting married on October 12 in Virginia. I am very excited and anxious for the upcoming months!”

that present themselves. I encourage any students reading this to study abroad if possible as I’ve found it to be some of the most powerful education I’ve experienced. To all my friends and teachers from Walker’s, thank you all for being an extraordinary learning community whose imprint still informs my actions today. If anybody is interested in collaborating with conCiencia or grabbing a coffee, get in touch! feelflowfree@gmail.com.”

2005 Your class needs a Class Correspondent! Contact alumnae@ethelwalker.org

2006 Alle Shane 9609 Mockingbird Trail Jupiter, FL 33478 561-309-6883 Alle.colen@softrock.org

2007 Emily Casey feelflowfree@gmail.com Carter Margison 227 East 89th Street, Apt. #3C New York, NY 10128 860-839-0770 Carter.margison@gmail.com Emily Casey writes, “Hola from Peru! At the moment I am touring the North Coast of Peru with a team of environmental educators and facilitators scouting locations for a pilot school to integrate Progroma conCiencia into their curriculum. conCiencia is a nonprofit I’ve been collaborating with for the last few months. This past February, we spent a month in Lobitos holding a naturebased summer camp for 7-10 year olds. I am feeling very engaged, inspired and extremely grateful for all opportunities

Emily Casey ’07 in Peru

Taylor Davis sends this news: “I’m currently teaching preschool for the Capital Region Education Council at Reggio Magnet School of the Arts in Avon, CT. I love the diversity of this elementary school and am enjoying my first year there very much. I’m living in West Hartford, and loving my little apartment in the Center. I miss everyone so much and can’t wait to see what you are all up to!” Samantha “Samie” Staubitz writes, “I am finishing up my term working with AmeriCorps in Northern California, based out of Santa Cruz. AmeriCorps is a program that gets people ages 18-25 to help restore and protect our environment using conservation work. I have worked on many conservation projects up and down the coast of California doing trail work, fuels reduction, trail maintenance, biology and ecology work, and finally pulling invasive species. I am currently on my last project, which is on Santa Catalina Island. In April I will be moving to Yarmouth, MA, to work for Nature’s Classroom as a science and

math teacher for 4th-6th graders! I have been enjoying my life on the West Coast and am so sad to be leaving this beautiful place! I love and miss all of my Walker’s friends and teachers and can’t wait to reunite soon!” Sarah Barton writes, “I graduated in 2011 from Occidental College in Los Angeles with a BA in Economics and a BA in Urban and Environmental Policy. Then I moved to the south of France for a year to teach English in an elementary school, work towards fluency, and travel. I ended up taking trips to Budapest, Croatia, Morocco, Egypt, Turkey, and a few other amazing places. Now that I’m back from France, I live in Newport Beach, CA. Here, I’m an associate at a “Cleantech” venture capital firm, which lets me pursue my passion of promoting environmental and social justice through the private sector. I’d love to meet up if any of you are ever in the SoCal area. I was lucky enough to see Jeanette Claire Pelizzon and Emily Pintauro recently and reminisce about our amazing Walker’s days, so much fun. Anyway, hope you all are well!! Hit me up if you’re headed this way!” Sarah Diedrick says, “I am writing this from southern Spain. I am here visiting my boyfriend for a couple of weeks. He teaches English in Priego de Cordoba. We have visited Granada, which is beautiful, and will be going to Sevilla for Semana Santa. Then it’s off to Northern Italy for two months where I will be living with a family and teaching them English. I will be right near the border of Switzerland, so I hope to travel there and also become more fluent in Italian. I was just in Costa Rica for six weeks getting my yoga teaching certification! It was such an unbelievable experience and now I can’t wait to get started as a yoga teacher. I am moving to Burlington, VT, this summer to try and teach some yoga as well as get into the food culture there. I don’t know what’s next for me after that, but hopefully it will involve travel, yoga, food, and teaching of some sort! I just started a new blog; check it out if you get a chance: plantyourroot.wordpress.com.”

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Take Note Jeanette Claire Pelizzon writes, “I

am currently working for Abercrombie & Fitch as a store manager. The company moved me from San Francisco down to the beautiful beach town of Monterey. I love living on the beach and being so close to Big Sur! I am working towards joining the New Stores Opening Team and open stores internationally for my company, I miss travelling all the time, but I get to see Samie Staubitz a lot, which is fun! I also got to spend some time with Sarah Barton in the O.C. making our high school dreams a reality.”

Samie Staubitz ’07 and Jeanette Claire Pelizzon ’07 reunite in California

2008 Kathleen Kirby kathleenangelinekirby@gmail.com

2009

REUNION

Katherine “Katie” Reid 18 Hillyer Way Granby, CT 06035 860-810-7519 ReidK09@highpoint.edu

Melody Altschuler ’12 in Las Mesas, Costa Rica

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Caitlin Moss writes: “I absolutely cannot believe that time has gone by so quickly, but I will be graduating from Gettysburg College with a BS in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in May. I spend about 80 percent of my time in the science center, and this semester I have been volunteering as a lab assistant for my molecular genetics professor. I kept up with music in college and played flute/piccolo in the concert band every year. I was also in the marching band for three seasons, which was a fun new experience! Another recent highlight was my semester abroad in South Africa last year, which was hands-down one of the best choices I ever made. It was such a beautiful country, and I got to meet so many wonderful people (and saw Desmond Tutu speak at my dining hall!). After graduation I will be headed back to Connecticut, where I hope to gain some lab experience in medical research before I go back to school. I can’t wait to see everyone at our fifth-year Reunion (May 2014)!”

2010 Sydney Satchell 25 Hawthorne Lane Bloomfield, CT 06002 860-922-9034 sydneysatchell@gmail.com Marianne Pettit 10 Flagstad Road West Hartford, CT 06107 860-521-7029 12pettit@cardinalmail.cua.edu

2011 Kelsey Ballard 80 Pilgrim Road Windsor, CT 06095 860-688-9589 Kelseyballard11@gmail.com

2012 Jordana “Monet” Clarke 81 Brewster Road Windsor, CT 06095 860-683-4079 Clarke@college.harvard.edu Melody Altschuler has been living in

the community service village in Las Mesas, Costa Rica, as part of a gap year. She had been to Las Mesas on a language immersion and community service program three summers ago. She wanted to return for an extended period of time to contribute to the town in an ongoing and significant way. “I fell in love with the culture here and hoped to experience first-hand what it is like to live as a tica in the Costa Rican countryside. Through an opportunity that Clarissa Basch (EWS Director of College Counseling) presented, I applied for and was awarded a scholarship to study in Argentina from August through November 2012. Rather than starting at Bates in January 2013, I decided to take a gap year, utilizing the remaining months of the academic year to live in Las Mesas and develop community projects of my own. I am so grateful for the unique opportunity to live and volunteer here before starting at Bates College in September!”

Take Note Births & Adoptions

In Sympathy

1994

Kelly Richards Reuell Alexandra Richards Reuell, September 29, 2012

ALICE ZIPPORAH BROWN, Grandmother of Alicia Little Hodge ’01

1996

Lauren Rizzi Crawford Flynn Peter Crawford, October 18, 2012

WINIFRED REYNOLDS CHASE, Former EWS Staff

1999

Shannon Lenz Guidotti Alexis Isabela Guidotti, March 28, 2013

2003

Winton “Windy” Black Jansen Hayes Holt Jansen, January 22, 2012

Marriages & Unions 2003

Megan Rosidivito To Peter Lyczak, March 5, 2011

JAMES CHESTON CONSTABLE, Father of Pamela Constable ’70 THE REV. DR. A. EDWARD COUCH III, Grandfather of Alicia “Liss” Couch-Edwards ’07 and current EWS Faculty Meghan “Mega” Couch-Edwards ’10, and father of Gwendolyn “Gwen” Couch, Former EWS Faculty MERRILEE PATTERSON CRAIN, Grandmother of Ramsay Hanson ’10 and Emery Hanson ’13 GLORIA FINNERTY, Aunt of Erin Ross Moses, EWS Staff

BRYAN NASH GILL, Son of Elizabeth “Liz” Nash Muench ’55 ANNA “PEARL” PARYLAK GLANOVSKY, Former EWS Staff

In Memoriam 1932

ELSIE LOWRIE DARLING

1933

MARY COE LYNCH

1934

JANE EWART McCALL Daughter: Jane McCall Politi ’64 BARBARA WILEY BACON

1941

ELIZABETH “BETTY” CARPENTER DAVIS Granddaughter: Emily Knight Davis ’80

1944

PATRICIA LeBLOND CLASGENS Daughter: Cynthia Clasgens ’70

JOHN HAMMONS, Husband of Susan Gay Hammons ’48 GORDON A. HARDY, Husband of Lillian Studebaker Hardy ’42 JAMES J. HENEGHAN, Father of Kerry Heneghan Tharpe ’91 and Tara Heneghan Law ’96 JOSEPH RAMSAY McGREGOR, Father of Marjory Lindsay Redmond ’68 PHILIP ROSS NEUHAUS, Father of Lacey Neuhaus Dorn ’65, Elizabeth “Betts” Neuhaus Armstrong ’73, and Joan Neuhaus ’76; Uncle of Catherine “Cappy” Clark Shopneck ’72 and Margaret Neuhaus Weekley ’68 RANDOLPH PITTER, Uncle of Marissa Pitter ’15

MARGARET HUDSON VAN ALSTYNE

JANE COOK RAFTERY, Mother of Anne Raftery, EWS Staff

1945

LUCILE CHAPMAN RICHARDS

JOSEPH STANTON, Husband of Caryl Tompkins Gove ’48

1948

DEBORAH FLAGG SCOTT Daughter: Suzette Scott Hearn ’74 Nieces: Deborah Scott ’85, Julia Flagg ’87

WILLIAM TOMOLONIUS, Father in law of Susan Knapp Thomas ’80

1953

LIGIA BONETTI Daughters: Ligia Reid de Vela ’75, Annabelle Reid ’78 Nieces: Cynthia Vega ’82, Monica de Geraldes ’83, Paula Vega ’89

1956

MARY LAIRD SILVIA

1957

MARION CORREA BEDRICK

1958

MELINDA FARRIS WORTZ

1962

ANNE STRONG Step-sister: Sylvia Brooks ’64

1969

LYNN HOWARD MAXWELL Mother: Helen Livingstone Bogle ’44

1978

NORA COONEY MARRA

2010

ELIZABETH GRIFFITHS

CATHERINE WALTON NEAL WILSON, Former EWS Faculty

Liz Muench ’55 and her son Bryan Nash Gill (who died in May)

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109

In Memoriam Celebrating the Life of Former EWS Board Chair Deborah “Debbie” Flagg Scott ’48, P’74 Deborah “Debbie” Flagg Scott ’48, former President of the Walker’s Board of Trustees, died in Lyme, CT, at the age of 83, on April 13, 2013. Debbie served as President from 1975-1980. Debbie was a Dial who attended Walker’s for three years. She was involved in many aspects of the School community, as head of Athletics, a participant in theater productions, and a prefect. Beverly “Bea” Vander Poel Banker ’60, P’82, who followed Debbie as President of the Walker’s Board of Trustees, remembered Debbie as a leader and mentor: “Debbie was an extraordinary leader. She grasped situations quickly. She never failed to meet a challenge. She knew when to take the road that would be best for Walker’s and not necessarily the easy road. Debbie was fun to be with, a good friend to all who served with her, and a shrewd observer of human nature. We shared laughter and late night phone calls and met many difficult situations head on. Debbie was my mentor at Walker’s. I absolutely loved her! Whatever I learned about independent schools, I learned from Debbie. We held the fort together and had fun doing it. I will miss her and am grateful for her intelligence, her courage, and her sense of humor. May God bless her and keep her.”

She is survived by her brothers, Dr. Stephen V. Flagg of Hamden and Thomas R. Flagg of Redding; her children, Dr. Samuel Spencer Scott III of Cumberland Foreside, ME, Steven Flagg Scott of Lyme, and Suzette V.S. Hearn ’74 of Fort Washington, PA; her eight grandchildren, Carter Scott, Story Miraldi and S. Spencer Scott IV, Cameron and Caroline Scott, and George, Louise, and James Hearn; and two great-grandchildren, Oliver Scott and Alex Miraldi. Debbie grew up in Oradell and Englewood, N.J. After graduating from Walker’s, she attended Smith College and earned her bachelor of arts degree from Manhattanville College. In 1951, she married S. Spencer “Bud” Scott, Jr., who predeceased her in 2002. In addition to her loyal service to Walker’s, Debbie was board chair for the Dynamy Program (MA), the Hurricane Island Outward Bound School (ME), and CORO (NY). She also served on the national boards of Outward Bound and CORO. In 2008, she received the prestigious Kurt Hahn Award from the directors of Outward Board for outstanding service to the Outward Bound community and was honored in 2007, by CORO (NY) with the Lewis Rudin Award.

Elizabeth Kearney West P’64, ’74, ’77 Betsy West Sneath ’74, John P. West, Nancy West Hannah ’64, Wendy West Brenninkmeijer ’77, and Tom Speers P’16 gathered at the Phelps Mausoleum in the Simsbury Cemetery for the internment of Elizabeth Kearney West, mother, wife, and friend.

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Betty Davis with Bessie and Tom Speers P’16 in Arizona, March 2013

Elizabeth “Betty” Carpenter Davis ’41, GP’80 BY TOM SPEERS P’16

When Head of School Bessie Speers P’16 first met Betty Davis at her farm in Clinton, NY, she was immediately impressed. At that point, Betty was in her late eighties and she was still riding every day; she took Bessie up a ladder into the hayloft of her barn and then hopped into her car to lead Bessie from the farm to Vassar College where Bessie was meeting the president of Vassar. This past March, Betty invited the Speers family to join her at Elkhorn Ranch in Arizona, and again we watched as she rode across that desert countryside every morning and “held court” at meals with friends of all ages. One friend of mine once told me that the secret of life is to die young, as late in life as you possibly can. Betty knew that secret! At Walker’s, Betty was President of Student Government and a member of the Varsity Riding Team. She was awarded the Prize for Faithfulness and Dependability, however, because she contracted the chicken pox, she was unable to march with her class in their Commencement Exercises. Bessie and I had hoped that she might be able to attend graduation this year and march with the Class of 2013! She died before that could happen, but I liked thinking of her smiling down upon us all that sunny day. Across the years, Betty kept in touch with classmates, including Barbara McClurg Potter with whom she traveled, rode, and skied often. She was proud that her granddaughter, Emily Davis Knight ’80, attended Walker’s. Betty was active in her community, helping many people in many ways. She spearheaded the restoration of the Clinton Town Hall, including a wing in honor of her late husband, Town Magistrate Putnam Davis. Betty was an accomplished equestrian. She was a Master of Foxhounds for both Rombout and Stone Valley Hunts for many years and she continued riding until three weeks before her death. A dignified, determined, and strong woman, Betty will be missed by her family and many friends.

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F R O M

T H E

A R C H I V E S

Old Cluett In 1918, the flu epidemic took the life of student Emily Cluett. The death rocked the school’s tight-knit community. The following year, her family donated a building in their daughter’s honor, which became a student residence hall for seniors located on the ridge line above campus.

The old English manor house, which was owned by the Phelps-Dodge family, was originally built in England and then dismantled and reconstructed in Simsbury. Sitting atop the newly named Cluett Hill, the 17th-century edifice featured leaded glass windows, beautifully carved oak paneling, the “Bishop’s” door, as well as blue-andwhite Delft tiles. By the mid-1960s, Cluett had begun to show its age and was razed. The current Cluett, a more modern dormitory bearing the same name, was rededicated in 1965 on a different campus site.

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TH E

C HARITABLE IRA ROLLOVER E XTENDED Good news! The charitable IRA rollover has been extended through December 31, 2013. The criteria for this gift are as follows: • • • • •

PL AN NE D

GI VI NG

CO RN ER

The donor must be age 70½ or older The transfer must be made directly from the IRA company to Walker’s The gift amount may not exceed $100,000 Required minimum distributions may be used to make this gift Several weeks are needed to execute this transfer after your letter is mailed

For your convenience, here is a sample Charitable IRA Letter:

Date __________ Dear IRA Manager: I hereby request that you make a direct charitable distribution from my Individual Retirement Account # ___________________________ in the amount of $ ___________________, payable directly to: The Ethel Walker School ATTN: Jane Rae Bradford 230 Bushy Hill Road Simsbury, CT 06070 The Ethel Walker School’s tax ID number is 06-0689699. I intend to make this gift in the 2013 tax year; therefore it is imperative that this gift be postmarked no later than December 31, 2013. These funds are to be used for ________________________________. In your transmittal letter to The Ethel Walker School, please mention my name and address as the donor of record in connection with this transfer. If you have any questions, I may be reached at ___________________. Thank you for your assistance with this transfer. Sincerely, IRA Donor Name IRA Account #

Jane Rae Bradford Senior Director of Gift Planning and Major Gifts

If you are interested in making a planned gift to The Ethel Walker School, please contact Senior Director of Gift Planning and Major Gifts Jane Rae Bradford at 860-408-4260 or jbradford@ethelwalker.org. Also, visit our planned giving website at www.ethelwalker.org/ support-walkers/ planned-giving.

cc: Jane Rae Bradford, Senior Director of Gift Planning and Major Gifts, The Ethel Walker School, 230 Bushy Hill Rd. Simsbury, CT 06070. Phone: 860-408-4260 Fax: 860-408-4436

When making any philanthropic commitment to Walker’s, please be sure to include your attorney and/or financial advisor in the conversation to ensure the transaction is arranged with respect to your individual requirements.

230 Bushy Hill Road • Simsbury, CT 06070

The Ethel Walker School

Walker’s Launches Alumnae App!

The SUNDIAL

NONPROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE PAID SIMSBURY, CT PERMIT NO. 21

Features include: • A searchable alumnae directory • A map of alumnae near you • Alumnae event information • News from campus • Instant access to Walker’s social media channels • LinkedIn networking

It’s free, secure, and easy to download to your iPhone, iPad, or Android.

UPCOMING EVENTS August 16 3rd Annual EdCamp

September 6 Preseason begins September 9 Classes Begin, Opening Chapel and Banquet

September 20 Alumnae Event, Ribbon Cutting for New Dorm September 28 Admissions Open House October 14 Admissions Open House October 18 Family Weekend November 11 Admissions Open House

November 21 Thanksgiving Vespers and Banquet December 5 Middle School Holiday Concert December 6 Upper School Holiday Concert December 13 Holiday Vespers and Ride

May 16-18, 2014 Ending REUNION Classes in 4s and 9s

Summer 2013

August 28 Alumnae Event, US Open

Dates may be subject to change. Check the website for final information. Alumnae events are listed in yellow