The Forman Letter

F O R M A N L E T T E R

THE BENEFITS OF EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING Report on Annual Giving

FALL 2013

Winterim students learn the art form we know as graffiti.

Sochi Moghalu ’15 documents the process with his iPad.

Head of School: Adam K. Man P’15 Director of Institutional Advancement: Justin Solomon Director of Annual Fund: Deborah Beach Director of Alumni and Parent Programs: Elizabeth Bellingrath Director of Database & Technology Management: Susan Reis P’07

Editor: Jennifer Christensen, Director of Strategic Marketing & Communications Photo editor: Kerry Durkin, Communications Assistant Class notes: Elizabeth Bellingrath, Director of Alumni and Parent Programs Designer: Julie Hammill, Hammill Design Photography: Jennifer Christensen, Kerry Durkin, Tony Rinaldo, Richard Schultz, Alex Shepack, Chris Whittaker and Friends

Forman School Board of Trustees President of the Board Louise Hoppe Finnerty P’11 Rye, NY

Vice-President Thomas G. Sorell P’12 Greenwich, CT

Secretary Jeffrey L. Liddle P’13 New York, NY

Treasurer Robert D. Patch P’10 Cos Cob, CT

Jennifer N. Budlow P’15 Boca Raton, FL

Michael L. Cook P’15 New York, NY

Elizabeth Garber Daniels ’93 New York, NY

L. Laird Davis

F O R M A N L E T T E R

Washington, CT

Kenneth I. Deane ’93 New York, NY

Margaret Warner Field New Preston, CT

Annette R. Jenner-Matthews, Ph.D. ’87 Skaneateles, NY

Preethi Krishna P’16

2 Head of School Message

4 Critical Thinking is Critical to the Rainforest 8 Around the Green

12 Transformations 18 Transition

24 Alumni Events 26 Graduation 28 Growing 30 Giving

29 Class Notes

New York, NY

Frederick M. Lione, Jr. P’91 Rowayton, CT

Adam K. Man, P’15, Head of School Litchfield, CT

Beatriz G. Sanchez P’15 Coral Gables, FL

Martha M. Small P’14, ex officio Darien, CT

Nancy L. Snyderman MD P’13 Princeton, NJ

Scott M. Sutherland, ’69 P’93 Middlebury, CT

David D. Walter ’69 Seattle, WA

Trustees Emeriti J. Seward Johnson, Jr. ’49 and Joyce Johnson Hopewell, NJ

Diane F. Kessenich P’86, Chairman Emerita Westhampton Beach, NY

John A. Meyers P’84 Vero Beach, FL COVER: James Whatley ’12, Megan Layman (Wamogo High School) and Ella Ciufetti ’12 catch grasshoppers for bio-accoustical data analysis in the Costa Rican Rainforest. This data is supplied to Cornell University.

Peter L. Phillips ’65 Charlotte, VT

Monroe B. Scharff ’42, P’69 Exeter, NH

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HEAD OF SCHOOL LETTER

Some would say it was not seaworthy. Made of little more than cardboard, tape, string, sheets, and paper tubes, it certainly did not look much like a ship that would travel around the globe, but for my two children, on that afternoon in my living room, it was a ship that could take them anywhere. They were on a grand adventure that would take them far away to discover new lands. Their imagination provided whatever the ship lacked, and for that day, they were world travelers, regardless if they left the living room or not.

The curiosity and imagination our children possess are truly amazing. Spending time with any kindergartener will always remind us of just how wonderful the mind at play is. Our children have an incredible drive to learn. Their unbridled energy to know more about the world fuels fanciful, imaginative trips to discover far off lands, as well as deep interest in more “academic” pursuits such as mathematics, reading, and science. But today, when a school’s success is measured by test scores, teachers are obligated to construct lessons toward these tests’ objectives, and there is no value placed on fostering imagination. Children who memorize facts easily do well on these tests, and their experience in school is positively reinforced, but children with vivid and active imaginations who struggle with rote memorization do not do as well, and their experience in school is negatively reinforced. Perhaps you already know this from watching your own daughter or son through elementary and middle school. It is painful to watch your child’s excitement for learning dwindle.

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You are not alone. Studies confirm that by third grade, the average student has made the statement: “school is boring.”

How is it that in the few short years between kindergarten and fifth grade, many children digress from imaginative, eager explorers to students who equate school as a place of boredom? I believe it comes down to our stripping the “experience of learning” out of formal education. By “experience,” I mean the process of discovery, the inclusion of real world problem solving and the fostering of natural inquisitiveness. This is what makes learning exciting.

Experiential learning is the most natural way of learning and the best foundation upon which all other learning experiences are built. There are times when a lecture is entirely appropriate, as well as, at times, there is a need to drill basic facts through memorization. But these should not be the default techniques used in classrooms. It is essential that we continually engage our students’ imaginations, which will result in learning environments that

Experiential learning is the most natural way of learning, and the best foundation upon which all other learning experiences are built.

foster connections to deeper meaning and challenge students to think in creative and novel ways.

Forman values the imagination, and our teachers, dorm parents and coaches foster this through creating experiential learning opportunities. At Forman, the crown jewel in our experiential learning environment is the Winterim program. Started just five years ago, this program allows students to engage in forms of learning not seen in most high school curricula. We suspend normal classes for two weeks and students instead spend their time engaged in just one class. This requires students to immerse themselves in a subject and challenges them to focus on subjects that require active experiential learning. For example, students might study Darwin’s ideas by retracing his steps in the Galapagos, or learn about Medieval warfare by building siege engines, or meet with traditional blues musicians in New Orleans to understand their influence on

popular culture and music.

We strive to bring the Winterim experiences and ideas back into our everyday classrooms. We keep students active, we engage them in real world problem solving and we focus on the learner. At Forman, we know that by promoting experiential classrooms we help our students reengage with their curious nature and limitless imagination.

Our former Board member, Albert Einstein, once said: “Logic will get you from A to Z; imagination will get you everywhere.� This is the essence of what guides us here at Forman, and we are grateful to our teachers, staff, students and their families who join us in this adventure.

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Critical Thinking

is Critical to the Rainforest Forman’s 20 Years in the Mountains of Costa Rica Copyright Š 2013 Leesa Lawson

In a remote, mountainous region in central Costa Rica, local sustenance farmers clear and burn the forest. Once the land is cleared, farming depletes the soil. Here, crops and cattle can only be sustained for three to four years, and then the farmers move on to the next tract of land and repeat the process.

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Charlie Myers ’13 recording data on tropical orthoptera sounds

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T H I N K I N G

Concerned about both the lives of the farmers and the health of the rainforest, students and teachers from Forman School have been searching for sustainable alternatives— environmentally and economically—to these clear-cutting and cattle-farming practices.

Although the student work taps into all the skills deemed necessary for success in the 21st century, for 20 years, Forman students and teachers have conducted valuable research on behalf of the broader scientific community — including the Audubon Society and Johns Hopkins. Student research has also earned two important U.S. patents.

A Cognitive Quest The search for solutions to protect the rainforest, while offering local farmers a sustainable means of making a living, started at Forman School as a search to fully engage its students in learning. Forman School is an independent college preparatory school for students with language-based learning differences. Since its founding in 1930, the school has been committed to best research-based practices. Albert Einstein was once a board member and he helped shape the curriculum. While experiential learning has always been a part of the School’s curriculum, twenty years ago, the School created an experiential learning program designed to develop

Equally important, real-world experiential learning turns out to be an ideal model for solving some of the societal and environmental challenges of the new century that impact us all. When learning is linked to life, students are capable of incredible creativity and achievement.

John Bolus, Zach Bitan ’13, Sara Simiatus, Billy Cicio ’13, and Wendy Welshans

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critical thinking, problem solving, creativity, collaboration, communication, cognitive flexibility and persistence.

Today, the Rainforest Project in Costa Rica is the centerpiece of Forman’s experiential learning curriculum, which also includes a Boatbuilding Program and Winterim. The Boatbuilding Program incorporates math, science and history skills as students learn how to build a traditional wooden boat. Winterim is three weeks of immersion in a single course of study. It takes students out of the classroom and onto the beaches of Normandy to study history; to New Orleans to experience the history of jazz; or to the Disney Institute to hone leadership and entrepreneurial skills, for example.

The Rainforest Project traces its roots to environmental activist Chico Mendes’ work to protect the South American rainforest in the 1980s, combined with Forman science teacher Wendy Welshan’s research on climate change.

Cognitive neuroscience confirms why experiential learning is so effective for students who learn differently. But what makes experiential learning ideal for LD-learners—the full engagement of body and mind in applying learning to real-world problems—also makes it ideal for all learners.

Critical thinking, problem solving, creativity, collaboration, communication, cognitive flexibility and persistence are qualities experts say that all of our students need in order to thrive in this century. It’s a century dominated by information, and one that requires students to have the analytical and reasoning abilities to focus on the right information and then make new connections that lead to breakthroughs.

Equally important, real-world experiential learning turns out to be an ideal model for solving some of the societal and environmental challenges of the new century that impact us all. When learning is linked to life, students are capable of incredible creativity and achievement.

Building Brain and Body “Neuroimaging shows that the brain changes as we learn,” says Helen Waldron, Associate Head of School at Forman.

“And the more regions of the brain that we use, the more it changes.” Research confirms that learning experiences that use all four areas of the neocortex—sensory, back integrative, front integrative, and motor—boost learning and retention.1 These parts of the brain are commonly known as areas for gathering, reflecting, creating and testing. “The new century requires multiple kinds of thinking: critical and creative,” adds Waldron.

The Rainforest Project taps into all four areas of the brain and engages all the senses. The goal is to convert experience into deep understanding. “It’s learning that lasts a lifetime because it engages both the brain and the body,” says Welshans, director of the program. “That’s why it’s also an ideal education for the 21st century.” Research confirms that exercise primes the brain to learn. In the physically challenging rainforest, students’ brains are constantly primed.

This program is not a romp through the rainforest or a laidback eco-tour. Nor is it simply dabbling in science. The program uses real science based on a scientific research model similar to doctoral research. Students must formulate a hypothesis, test and investigate the hypothesis through direct observation, record data, test their own biases, and analyze results. This model pushes students to think deeply and critically. Throughout the program, students are surrounded by experts and interact with doctoral candidates. They use a university-level curriculum and gather data and specimens for major universities.

Collaboration and Communication The program also requires a long-term commitment, with extensive time in the classroom, the lab, and remote regions of the Costa Rican rainforest. In addition to building their science skills and knowledge, students must also communicate verbally and in writing. They exchange ideas daily, document data, write and present their research results, all as part of a research team.

The process starts in the beginning of the academic year with interviews to select 12 students who are inquisitive, collaborative and able to keep up with their regular academic work. Then the work begins in the fall as five teams of students develop a hypothesis in the research lab. They begin

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C R I T I C A L

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T H I N K I N G

by culling through all the research related to the questions they are asking. They also review the previous year’s work.

For example, one year students determined from past research that they needed to discover how to extract spider silk more efficiently, why spider silk is so strong, and particularly, when it is most strong. They took the previous year’s data to the rainforest to correlate it with what they saw in the field.

That led to breakthroughs on what color the silk is at time of extraction and how temperature and barometric pressure impact extraction.

The work demands both collaboration and self-directed

Creativity and Perseverance

learning. The questions are often student-initiated, with Welshans posing probing questions at critical times. For example, is global cycling forcing species to move from the lowlands to the highlands? Is the five-degree temperature difference for every 1,000 feet in increased elevation changing with global cycling? “This model means students are motivated to think and work independently,” says Welshans.

Welshans notes, “The initial sound chamber didn’t work the first time, so students reinvented it on the fly.”

The program fosters flexibility as students learn to anticipate problems and think through alternatives. Problem-solving techniques are applied to everything. “Students must be willing to fail,” says Welshans. She sees students become more effective problem-solvers as a result of trying something new— such as building an orthopteran recording device—and failing on the first attempt. Each day in the rainforest ends with brainstorming sessions that reflect on how students might do things differently the next day.

Initially, the students in the program created an inventory of endangered species and harvested the venom of the bullet ant for medical purposes, such as a neurological agent. Today, the program focuses on harvesting the golden orb weaver’s spider silk, the strongest natural fiber on earth. Spider silk has the potential to be used in a variety of products, including sutures and bulletproof vests, for starters.

The students’ innovative work has paid off: to date, they hold two U.S. patents, one for a method of reinforcing a fiber with spider silk and one for new farming techniques.

The latter has become a viable alternative to cattle farming, as students teach local families the new techniques; like how to use the new silk extractors and how to keep accurate data on the weather and time of extraction. Most importantly, Forman students teach local families the reasons why they need to keep local spider populations viable and allow them to colonize, with the goal being to turn the work over to ethical companies that will use the spider silk for medical sutures.

Over the school’s spring break in March, the students travel to one of two research facilities in private Costa Rican reserves.

The daylong trek deep into the rainforest—over rocky, muddy terrain—is mentally and physically demanding. A tractor loaded with supplies makes the 2,500 foot climb, too.

Students learn quickly that not everything they designed in the classroom works in the field as planned. They rethink and reinvent new ways to collect data on a daily basis. In 2012, for example, students designed and built a sound chamber to record rainforest grasshoppers and crickets (orthopterans). As

The Power of Partnerships “All the science fills a real need,” says Welshans. “We only work on projects that help to improve the knowledge base of tropical science.” Last year, Welshans talked to scientists at Cornell University. That conversation led to two projects: an inventory that found a new grasshopper and cricket species and a student-designed sound chamber that, through much trial and error, safely recorded these orthopterans.

“We’re working hard to get 100-percent identification to go along with each recording, so that these can be added to the database of animals sounds at the Macaulay Bioacoustics Lab at Cornell University,” said Welshans. “Our hope is to develop a database of orthopteran sounds so future scientists can do a species inventory by hearing their call and not have to capture and preserve.” One student’s detailed sketches of these orthopterans will help with identification. For that student, whole-brain thinking occurred the entire time; recording orthopterans by night and sketching by day.

There have been many other projects and partnerships over the past 20 years of the program: bird banding and fly zone data are now part of the Audubon’s national database in Maryland. This was critical census data since climate change is altering migratory routes and bird populations. Students sent a species inventory of tropical moths, the major pollinators, to Yale University. They also worked side-by-side with a doctoral student to complete a reptile and amphibian inventory. This is the first reptile and amphibian inventory ever taken in the Rara Avis Reserve in Costa Rica. Today, 99 percent of the data for the Costa Rican Reserves comes from the research done by Forman students in the Rainforest Project.

Welshans’ partnerships are dual ones: First, she partnered with Northwest Connecticut high schools, so their students can participate alongside Forman students. Secondly, she continually partners with universities, research facilities and private companies to help fill their research needs. A few of the present and past partnerships include the Minnesota Research Fund, Rara Avis Reserve in Costa Rica, Johns Hopkins University, Royal Ontario Museum, University of Connecticut, and Cortland Company.

But while the projects and partnerships are varied, every project over the past 20 years teaches the same skills: critical thinking and problem-solving, creativity, collaboration, communication, cognitive flexibility, and persistence—all fueled by the desire to do the right thing for local farmers, the rainforest and the planet.

In Service to a Greater Good – Feeling Knowledge Welshans sees that, as students transform the rainforest, they too are transformed. Part of that transformation, she believes, comes in service to something greater. “Students want to help the world solve the big problems of deforestation, species decline, and climate change; they want to be engaged at a deep level,” say Welshans. “This emotional connection of serving something larger than themselves helps cement the learning process because students are emotionally invested.”

In the spring, the whole school, not just the students in The Rainforest Project, attends Dissertation Day, when students work as teams to prepare presentations on their scientific discoveries. They use their evidence skillfully, organize the research and articulate their results. Communicating concisely is central to each presentation. Parents from all over the world watch online.

Senior Jacob Ratkevich says, “The bird team I was on caught eight migrants—which is a record—and recaptured one, proving they do come back to the same location in the rainforest each year. If the rainforest disappears, these migratory birds may be in danger.” Ratkevich summed up the whole experience: “Knowing that you’re making a difference, made a difference for me.”

“To be able to live and learn and help people living in the rainforest, well, I knew I was part of something that can change the world,” says senior Ella Ciuffetti.

Leesa Lawson writes for Forman School.

This article is reprinted with permission from Independent School Magazine, Spring 2013 issue.

1. Zull, J.E. Key Aspects of How the Brain Learns. (Wiley Press, 2006. Pages 3 – 9)

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1 Students raised $10,000 for the CT Special Olympics with a January dip known as the “Penguin Plunge.” 2 Kevin Mott ’13, Jenna O’Dell ’13, Nick Bartlett ’13, Megan O’Hora ’13, Maureen Harris ’16, Max Bales ’14 in the winter musical, “Jesus Christ Superstar” 3 Tori Juster ’15, Levi Breier ’14, and Jenny Marcus ’14 4 Danielle Wilkinson ’16, Monique Robinson ’16, Clare Sannini ’16, Syd Fisch ’16 and Lacey McCaw ’16 5 Peter Newmark ’14 and Max Romanoff ’14 enjoy cotton candy. 6 Forman boys test their strength with a tug o’ war.

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7 Girls lacrosse 8 Nick Risola ’13, Joseph Fore ’13, Chris Kelly ’13, Andrew Eisner ’14 built an igloo during a particularly snowy stretch. 9 Justin Kronemer ’15 10 The football team sports the new logo. 11 Jonathan Goldstein ’14 and Zack Bitan ’13 12 David Wiskind ’15, Olivia Shelbourn ’14, Joelle Notkin ’13, and Johnathan Goldstein ’14 at Strawberry Fest 13 Charles Laffitte ’13, Gregory Lyall ’14, Chris Moehringer ’13, Bryant Carbone ’15 look dashing at the prom.

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Trans forma tions 12

Christina E. BodineAysseh ’95 with her husband, Nick Aysseh

“I am part of all I have met.” ~Alfred Lord Tennyson

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P R O F I L E S

Christina E. Bodine-Aysseh ’95 A Legacy of Giving; Leading into the Future Not only does Christina Bodine-Aysseh have philanthropy in her DNA, she is personally determined to make a difference in the world.

It’s not surprising when you consider her ancestry: Christina’s parents first met because their own families were intertwined in the history of philanthropy in Bridgeport. Her paternal grandmother, Barbara Bodine, was on the board of the Bridgeport Hospital for many years and her maternal grandmother, June Felis, was involved in the Ernest and Agnes Kaulbach Foundation, an organization that helps mothers and children at risk. Her grandfather, Richard Bodine Sr., and father, “Flip,” were past board chairs for the United Way, and her father also served two terms as its campaign chair.

“Community service is in my blood,” she explains. “Philanthropy is family business, and I can’t imagine not helping — so many people need help.”

Despite the family heritage, her mother is still surprised at the path Christina is taking. “It’s as if she is from a different generation — her values and sense of community responsibility are uncommon today,” said Mary Jo Felis-Davies.

Today, Christina is very much a woman of the new millennium. She juggles a full-time career in banking, a busy married life (including a baby-on-the-way), her third term on the board of the Coastal Fairfield County United Way, and coordinating the 32nd annual golf outing for the Kaulbach Foundation and Coca Cola that will benefit the cancer center at Bridgeport Hospital.

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She loves the opportunity that her volunteer work gives her to meet other kinds of people. From the neediest of children to the CEOs of Sikorsky and GE (both Jack Welch and Jeff Immelt), she gratefully absorbs all the experiences that come her way.

A Bankable Profession Christina was a four-year Forman student who thrived in the small classes and dynamic exchange with her teachers. She went on to Wheaton College but did not find the accommodations she needed, so she transferred to Fairfield University, which was better equipped for exceptional students like Christina.

After college, her dad tried to steer her into finance, but Christina was skeptical since she wasn’t particularly interested in math.

She decided to give it a try and got a position in the management training program at People’s Bank. “I knew I wasn’t meant to sit in a cubicle,” she explains. The opportunity at People’s allowed her to be out in the field interacting with customers in the local community. While working full time, Christina decided to pursue an MBA at Sacred Heart University. “Having an MBA gives you a much bigger view of many industries.”

Christina became an assistant branch manager for People’s

Bank, and went on from there to the Bank of New York and Bank of America. In 2007, she landed at Fairfield County Bank as an Assistant Vice President and Cash Management Officer working with small-medium business customers on electronic banking products and solutions. “I happened on this role quite by accident.

Business management led me to cash management; but electronic banking is really a growth area now.”

Christina is frankly surprised at her success in banking. She just likes to visit customers to see how their businesses operate and how they utilize E-Banking services.

Finding Forman By all accounts, Christina has always been a very determined young woman.

In junior high, she was a bright student who was put off by the mind-numbing, busy work her classes required. According to family lore, Christina hated school so much that she actually lay down in the driveway in front of her mother’s car to avoid going!

Her ambivalence was understandable. Back when she was four years old, a teacher at her Montessori school picked up on her different learning style, but it wasn’t until she started working with an educational consultant that her family learned about something called Visual Motor Perception Weakness. This means that Christina struggled to integrate things that she saw with the coordination of her muscles. For some children, that might mean difficulty cutting on a dotted line because of the inability to integrate the visual image of the dotted line with the muscles movements required to cut along the dotted line.

The consultant encouraged her to look at small, independent schools and Christina found Forman. In looking back, her mother gives the School a great deal of credit for her success. “The foundation that Forman gave her has set her up for life,” she said.

Christina had never slept away from home before and the first week was especially tough. She had been down on the fields at preseason soccer practice when she was overcome with homesickness.

Coach Scott McCarty scooped up the sobbing freshman in the dusky evening and delivered her to the office of Lea Dmytryck in the back of Carpenter. Lea had been the Math Department Chair and was the Academic Dean when the two met.

Lea opened her door and her heart to the girl, and a friendship began that lasts to this day. “I let her know that she could always come to my office if she needed a quiet place. There were many afternoons when Christina and Michelle Jordon (Bartram) ’95 would sprawl on the rug of my office to do their homework.”

Forman teachers quickly figured out why she was struggling and her confidence soared. “I thrived in the pace of classes at Forman. I could ask as many questions as I wanted!”

Her relationships with teachers had a big impact on her life. She did community service with Sandra Garcia at a soup kitchen in Torrington and with Helen Waldron at the Pegasus Farm therapeutic riding school. As her confidence grew, her innate leadership skills emerged. She became an Admission Ambassador and excelled in the National Honor Society.

“One of my fondest memories is working with Christina on a special Earth Day event,” remembers Helen Waldron, Associate Head of School. “We had very little time and almost no resources, but with her help, we created a great event that involved the whole campus.”

“Her success doesn’t surprise me. She wouldn’t do something unless she could do it perfectly,” remembers Lea. “What always struck me about Christina is her deep-seated kindness and her willingness to take action to make the world a better place. In her time at Forman, she was a student who possessed strong leadership skills and she routinely jumped in to be part of the community,” said Lea. “Her strong moral compass combined with her admirable work ethic opened many doors for her here.”

Future Plans Today, Christina is a poised and beautiful young woman.

She married Nick Aysseh in June, 2012 and enjoyed a romantic honeymoon in Italy. Nick grew up in New Canaan and owns Costal Canines, an in-home pet care company. The couple has a very full life that keeps them active in their community.

While motherhood looms in her near future, she doesn’t necessarily envision a long-term career in finance. “Although I love what I do for a living, I would change careers for a non-profit opportunity in a heartbeat,” she said. Our guess is that it won’t be long before that happens!

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P R O F I L E S

Luke Bornheimer ’06 Staying Relevant in the World of ‘New Media’ Luke Bornheimer takes pleasure in telling people that he has a learning disability. Diagnosed with dyslexia in eighth grade, today he revels in the idea that people who may not be skilled in one area can be brilliant in another.

Luke is a software user interface designer in the San Francisco Bay Area with a different point of view about success. Instead of locking in a long-term job to build security, his mission is to seek interesting projects that leave him enough time to pursue an active personal life.

Wendy Welshans remembers Luke as a mathematical genius with an insatiable desire to learn. “He loved to interact with data, make correlations and optimize systems according to his findings.”

These skills made him a perfect candidate for harvesting spider silk in the Costa Rican Rainforest, except for one thing: Luke hated spiders. Nevertheless, he went along, lured by the opportunity to test numerous variables in the silk extraction and strength testing processes. In fact, he went three times: twice as a student and once during college as an intern.

Luke lived in Hamilton for his first three years and in Beecher as a senior. He was a Dorm Leader for his last two years at Forman and all-school President as a senior. While he didn’t get into trouble much, he did enjoy pushing boundaries — particularly when it came to the dress code.

Unfortunately he pleaded the ‘fifth’ when asked to reveal stories that might incriminate his friends.

Luke attended Bryant University in Rhode Island on 16

a merit scholarship. “College was a challenge at first,” he admits. But his skills in math carried him through.

During the summer of his junior year, he had a great opportunity to intern at the Hanover Insurance Group in Worcester, MA, and they offered him a full-time position upon graduation. The stability might have been tempting to some, but Luke only had eyes for the tech sector: “I just wanted to work at Apple or Google.”

True to form, Luke networked his way into an interview at Google, eventually receiving an offer to work at the company’s Mountain View, CA headquarters.

Soon after, his girlfriend, Emily Glick, found a job in the Bay Area and the couple moved across country. Luke liked the work/life balance that Google allowed and he and Emily were able to explore and enjoy all that San Francisco has to offer.

Luke’s first job was product support/operations in the Enterprise Division — working with large corporate clients and educational institutions. “These are unique customers because they are paying for our services.”

Most of Google’s revenue has come from advertising that appears on its search engine pages. Google is growing its presence in the service area: Gmail, Google calendar, Google

docs — bundled with more storage and support.

After two years at Google, Luke felt stuck. “I outgrew my role there. I had the opportunity to move elsewhere in the corporation but I just wasn’t passionate about the product offering.”

Optimize for Success Now, Luke is an entrepreneur focused on building his own brand. Luke’s perspective on personal branding is to “focus on what you are brilliant at and build your reputation from there.”

While he admits to missing the perks of Google’s health insurance and paid vacation, he has managed to maintain a steady flow of projects through his networking efforts. “It’s important to be very clear about what you are doing and what you are good at.”

Part of that brand building work is maintaining a commitment to be constantly learning. “I try to be forward looking, to stay relevant.” He admits that this requires a lot of self-discipline, and the competition is tough: “There are tons of smart people working in this space.”

It’s not surprising that Luke is all over social media. You can find him on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Quora, Dribbble, and About.me (LukeRB.com). He works the networks and frequently attends Meetups where people share business ideas and look for investors, designers and developers.

Luke is particularly interested in Mobile Design. He describes his ideal project as one that would involve working for a well-funded consumer technology start-up with a strategic

focus on building out mobile applications.

“The future will bring increased market penetration of smart devices, like the tablets we see now,” he explains. “Size is always an issue. People want a usable keyboard, but they want the advantage of mobility. Unfortunately, voice-activated software has not reached its full potential yet.”

“There are two kinds of apps: utilities and lifestyle,” he says. His favorites? Path, Square, Moves, Prismatic (a news aggregator) and Quora, a Q&A site.

He’s excited about Forman’s grant from the Hearst Foundation that will enable the School to develop software to assist students who learn differently. “There are so many ways in which the School is leveraging technology to help students develop confidence and be more productive.”

Back to Balance Today, while doing freelance mobile app design, Luke is working on his own service, YourLocalMe, which will have a mobile app. The service connects travelers to a local resident who is similar to them for personalized advice and recommendations as well as real-time answers. Networking again.

As for the ‘life’ part, Luke and Emily have been together for more than four years and are living happily in the heart of San Francisco. Emily works as a sales trainer at Sunrun, a home solar services company. She, too, is clearly in the right place at the right time — the market for energy-efficient home systems is booming. Brilliant and beautiful, Emily is Luke’s running/ cycling/hiking/yoga and traveling partner. “She is my number one fan, friend, advisor and source of encouragement; much of my success is thanks, in large part, to her!”

When reflecting on his time at Forman, Luke firmly believes that the School helps students find the things they are brilliant at and grow them into success. He heard entrepreneur, Eli Gesner’s (’88) 2012 graduation speech online (www.ustream.tv) and was moved by Gesner’s message about perseverance. Like Gesner, Luke is determined to succeed. “Every day, I believe that I am going to become one of those people who accomplishes something extraordinary,” he says. “Things may not always go according to plan, but they have a way of working out — you just need to adjust the variables!”

Luke and Emily at Yosemite National Park in September, 2012

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W E E K E N D

Forman welcomed alumni back to campus in late April. Friends, old and new, enjoyed a reception hosted by Adam and Beth Man at The Cottage, explored campus and shared stories on the sidelines of sporting events. Saturday evening featured a dinner party at the historic Litchfield Inn with heartfelt tributes to those alumni who are no longer with us.

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1 Nancy Walton Marikar ’68, Carrie West ’68 and Dave Walter ’69 2 JW Avedisian ’08 and Nigel Daniel (faculty) 3 Michelle Gephart Schwartz ’93 with Elizabeth Garber Daniels ’93 and Helen Waldron, Associate Head of School 4 JW Avedisian, Christina Pivirotto (guest), Chelsea Kinsella ’03 and Perry Vaughan ’03 5 Gilah Gersten ’03 with Bob and Michelle Gephart Schwartz and Bob Stewart ’63 6 Eileen Hill ’92 chats with Scott McCarty ’76 and Tammy Grella (faculty)

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BOSTON HOSTS FORMAN ALUMNI 1 James Hopkins ’77, Holly Weisenburger ’87, Lori Davis P’15 2 David Thorn ’89 & Michael Berstein P’16 3 Victoria & Sean Maguire ’89 4 Curt Pfannenstiehl ’89, Lori Davis, David Thorn, Sean McGuire; 5 Holly Weisenburger ’87 & Curt Pfannenstiehl ’89

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RAINFOREST DISSERTATION DAY Stephen Dewey ’96, Emily Allen (Kent), Alex Shepack (Wamogo), Fay Curran (Wamogo), Nick Manzella ’11, Sam Lazer ’12, Lauren Morrow ’12, and Chris Friedman

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Kneeling: P. Phillips ’65. Seated: B. Riley ’68, K. Weyl ’70, S. Prettyman.

Standing: D. Bartlett ’67, B. Mallory ’65, W. Mosch ’67

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Transition Peter L. Phillips ’65

In John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address on January 20, 1961, he called on all Americans to “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” Service has been a hallmark of the generation that came of age during the 1960s, and many Forman students and alums heeded the call. For some, that service took them far beyond Forman, beyond their hometowns, and even beyond this country. For one Alumnus, Peter L. Phillips ’65, that call to service led him back to his School.

By Beth Man, Archivist and Special Events Coordinator

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T R A N S I T I O N

Peter arrived at Forman in the fall of 1961 as a 14-year-old freshman from suburban Philadelphia. He and his parents had applied to several other Connecticut boarding schools, but when Peter’s mother, Betty Phillips, met John Newton Forman, she instantly knew that he would take care of her young son. With their strength of character and steadfast faith, John and Julie had that immediate effect on families. At that time, dyslexia, dyscalculia, ADHD and other diagnosed learning differences were not common terms as they are in the profiles of Forman students today. Forman was and always has been a school that emphasizes the boundless potential in each and every student that goes beyond labels of ability.

clothing and hairstyles. Despite this influence, John and Julie were steadfast in their example; styles of dress and hair remained the same as they always had been for Forman students.

Though fashion maintained its status quo on campus, the status quo of music was about to undergo a radical change thanks to Peter Phillips. Peter’s good friend and classmate, Peter Hayes ’65, described the time they first met in Haggart Hall, “During the evening meal in those days, they piped in music over the new sound board that Dan McAuliffe had just installed…it was like elevator music.” Hayes explained that Peter had listened to a DJ back home in Philadelphia and he thought the kids at Forman were ready for a different kind of music.

When Peter Phillips started school, it was the beginning of a new era for Forman as well. The School had received a Ford Foundation Grant to pioneer the use of air structures, or “bubbles,” so students could participate in athletics during the winter months. During Peter’s tenure as a student, three bubbles would be built to house an Olympic-sized swimming pool, a sports arena with skating rink that featured an air-freeze system for making ice, and a tennis court with the first artificial grass. Peter’s freshman year was also the dawn of a new era for the American teenager as seen through dramatic changes in

Phillips, along with his DJ collaborators, Peter Hayes and Mike Euying, brought the latest music to Haggart Hall and to the weekly socials in Baillie House’s common room. Thanks to “Killer Phil,” one of many names Phillips used as DJ for School events, the elevator music was replaced by Billboard’s Top Hits of the day like “Sugar Shack,” “Surfin U.S.A.,” “He’s So Fine,” and “My Boyfriend’s Back.”

From 1961-1965, Peter developed many other interests and talents, especially photography. From his freshman year through senior year, he was a member of the Photography

Peter’s senior page of The Shield reads: “‘Hi-Ski,’ photographer emeritus; number one Forman Announcer and emcee for all occasions; he hopes to be a photographer or radio announcer.”

Right: Peter Phillips (center) with Trustee Emerita Diane Kessenich P’86 (left) and Peter’s wife, Leigh

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Club and served as Photo Editor for The Shield. Peter teamed up with good friends, Bill Mallory ’65 and Bill Riley ’68, and the trio parlayed this interest in photography, and their access to the darkroom, into an entrepreneurial opportunity.

Alums from those days will remember that it was not easy for students to date, due to “The Pledge” which was so strictly enforced that even the act of holding hands could lead to solitary confinement for a week. Peter and his pals created “Couple of the Week” photos — sold by R.P.M. (Riley, Phillips and Malloy) as priceless mementos. It allowed couples a rare chance to pose together and generated a small income stream for the young entrepreneurs.

effort.” That year, Peter also served as the Alumni Chairman for the Annual Fund, and he again accomplished much success for the School.

In 1991, when the School was in need of sound financial guidance, Peter was invited to join the Board of Trustees, where he served on both the Finance and Development committees.

Once again, a new dawn on the horizon for Forman coincided with Peter’s arrival on campus. Peter’s mission that first year was to focus on building the School to meet new challenges. And once again, his timing was perfect. The School had begun examining a newly-termed learning disability called Attention Deficit Disorder, and it was the first year the school

John Newton Forman died the year after Peter graduated.

Stowell Mears became Forman’s first head to succeed its founder.

Over the next several years, the School adjusted to the changing tides of the late 1960s and the tumultuous 1970s. During that time, Peter graduated from Nathaniel Hawthorne College and went on to earn both a CLU and CHFC from American College.

After serving with the National Guard at Fort Dix, New Jersey, he started his distinguished career in financial services, beginning with Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company in 1969, where he ultimately became Managing Partner. Less than ten years after that, Peter founded PLANS, Inc., his own financial planning firm. Most importantly, during the early 1970s, Peter met Leigh Keiser, his future wife. Mutual friends in Philadelphia introduced them, and Peter invited Leigh to help paint his boat the “Yar;” a trick that would have made Tom Sawyer proud as it turned out to be their first date. The couple married in 1974. After Leigh finished law school at Villanova, Peter’s company transferred him to Burlington, Vermont, where they’ve lived ever since, raising three children, Hally, Brent and Stewart, and enjoying visits from their grandchildren, Clara and Lucas.

In the course of distinguishing himself in his professional career, Peter also began his distinguished service to Forman.

He had stayed in contact with his closest friends and classmates after graduating, so when their 20th reunion year rolled around in 1985, Peter’s natural charisma united his classmates in a celebration that was a huge success by all accounts. Charles Saxon Tidd, then acting Director of Alumni Affairs said, “I would never have believed that so many people would show up after 20 years, but it just goes to prove what can be accomplished with some determined

discussed using computers within the curriculum. That year was also the very first expedition of the Costa Rican Rainforest team, and Haggart Hall was re-dedicated as the Johnson Art Center.

In his first three years on the Board, Peter was elected Vice Chair. Ultimately in 1995, he was elected Board President, the first Forman alumus to hold that seat. Peter remarked that he was honored to be part of “taking the School into the 21st century.” As part of that mission, he brought on board two new heads of school: first Mark Perkins in 1995, and then, in 2008, Adam Man. In his tenure as a Forman Trustee, he served as Vice Chairman, Chair of the Development Committee, Member of the Finance Committee, and Annual Fund Committee Chair, endowed the Perkins Commencement Award, and presented workshops on how to be a good class agent.

On April 19, 2013, 52 years after first coming to Forman, and countless board meetings later, Peter came back for a celebratory dinner honoring all he has done in service to the School. The Johnson Art Center, festooned with antique nautical flags from the 19th century schooner, Andrew Jackson, provided a fitting backdrop for the festivities. Sixty friends, family, faculty members, classmates and Board colleagues gathered to celebrate Peter and thank him for his vision, leadership and dedication to Forman. As the tributes flowed, it was not hard to reflect back to the year 1961 when the 14-year old Peter Phillips first set foot on campus and John F. Kennedy inspired a nation to service. For this extraordinary man, that quote might better read: “Ask not what your school can do for you, but what you can do for your School.”

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T R A N S I T I O N

Louise Hoppe Finnerty

President, Board of Trustees

This summer, Louise Hoppe Finnerty stepped up from her role as Vice President to lead the Board of Trustees.

Louise is a past parent (Will ’11) and an accomplished professional who retired after a 35-year career in the federal government and as an executive at PepsiCo, Inc. Among her many accomplishments, she was a staff assistant to National Security Advisor Henry A. Kissinger, the first female professional staff member on the Senate Armed Services Committee, and a Deputy Assistant Secretary of State during the Reagan Administration. Needless to say, she knows a lot about diplomacy.

Her son, Will, found Forman after attending the Windward School. When they arrived on campus, the family was immediately impressed with the inviting and inclusive educational environment. As the school years progressed, they experienced supportive relationships with faculty members that continued well into Will’s first year of college at Roger Williams.

A professional woman with her knowledge and experience has many prestigious volunteer positions from which to choose. What draws Louise to serve Forman is its commitment to being a leader in the field of education. “Forman is 24

constantly evolving as an institution that incorporates into its curriculum the most up-to-date research on teaching adolescents who learn differently,” she explains. “This is the kind of organization I want to help shape.”

Will arrived at Forman in 2008, when Adam Man became Head of School. Louise is excited about the momentum that the School is experiencing under his leadership — with its unparalleled professional development program, strong academic offerings, winning sports teams and rich campus life.

Still she freely admits, “There is a lot of work ahead to ensure that the School continues to build on its successes.”

Louise and her husband, Dr. John Finnerty, divide their time between Rye, NY, and Sea Girt, NJ, where she is renovating their retirement home; fortunately, Litchfield is not too far from either.

We at Forman are immensely grateful for her dedication, her enthusiasm and her calm presence on the board; we have every confidence that, as President, she will lead us well into the future.

THE FORMAN SCHOOL ANNUAL FUND Make a difference today and help us build a foundation for the future!

Your gifts make the difference between an excellent education and an outstanding one.

Resources to fund teacher training, experiential learning opportunities, assistive technologies, and financial aid all come from your gifts to the Annual Fund.

Every gift counts towards making Forman the best it can be – so join the many people who support Forman in so many ways.

Call Deb Beach, Director of the Annual Fund (860.567.2939) or visit www.formanschool.com/giving

C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S

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Charlie Myers, Talin France ’14, Billy Cicio, Blake Coehlo

2 Joelle Notkin with her sister, Ava, and mom, Cindy Frischman 3 Travis Block with his parents, Jodi and Richard 4 Dimitri Habib, Reed Hatcher, and Charles Laffitte 5 Nick Risola and Morris Kraft 6 Senior Class President Mark Malburg 7 Nick Bartlett with his parents, Kristen and David 8 Vicktoria Rinaldini and Courtney Travin 9 Isaiah Grooms and his mother, Kathy 10 Head of School Adam K. Man 11 Abie Friedman and Mark Blohm 12 The Class of 2013 posed in Baillie to keep out of the rain.

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Growing.

Our Shield is carried into the future.

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Letter from John Forman,

The 1944 shield

New logo and wordmark

April 13, 1938

This summer, the School unveiled a new look for the traditional shield and the response on campus has been very enthusiastic.

The process of refreshing a school logo involves many conversations — with alumni, parents, students and other schools — about what the School stands for, how it has evolved over time, and how to portray its strengths with an eye toward the future.

It started with a deep dive with Beth Man into the archives, where we found a shield from 1938 on a letter from John Forman to parents about a roof fire in an upper school dorm.

An interview with Glen Grimm ’44 revealed that the shield many recognize was the result of a project that Glen worked on with John Forman in 1943-44. They spent a year studying traditional heraldry and integrating the popular image of a lion with biblical elements reflective of the School’s then Christian heritage.

In John Forman’s 1956 graduation speech, he underscored the significance of the lion as a symbol for moral courage, the green and white as representing growth and purity respectively. The gold, he wrote, stood for the greatest worth: character.

When the School moved into the 1970s, and religious education was phased out, the Crusaders Cross in the lower part of the shield became less relevant. Over time, the font of the School name and the lion morphed into many different appearances depending on the needs of the situation (or the whim of the user) and inconsistencies were seen across print and electronic media.

Fast forward to the fall of 2012 when discussions began about the need to better define the symbol and its uses. Alumni from different decades were interviewed; students and faculty were

drawn into the discussion groups as we assessed which elements of the traditional logo resonated and which did not.

At last, the unveiling: The shape of the original shield was preserved and our lion was redrawn to be unique to Forman.

The gold of earlier days was brought back as an accent to our official Green and White. The cross was eliminated in favor of restoring the “F/S” from earlier days. While the biblical quotation in its entirety seemed long and less applicable to a diverse, non-denominational community, the essence of its message still resonated. For students who may learn differently, the idea of knowing oneself (“Truth”) and using that knowledge for success (“Freedom”) has never been more applicable.

Excerpt from John Forman’s 1956 graduation speech

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Giving.

Parents and grandparents from the Class of 2013 joined hands last spring to honor their graduates by supporting a naming opportunity in the Student Commons of the new Science Center.

As Senior Class Representative to the Parents Association Executive Committee, Mike Walters P’13 had many conversations with families over the course of the year about the transformative power of a Forman education. As the building rose, it seemed that its foundation and growth were analogous to their students’ experience.

“While graduation is certainly the capstone of their time at Forman, it’s really just a step along a continuum that will bring them closer to attaining their goals than many thought possible,” said Mike. “We wanted to tell our sons and daughters how much we respect their hard work and dedication.”

The families hope that the new Student Commons will become a space where today’s students can relax, laugh and learn together. And hopefully, it will be a place to which they can return as Alumni to reflect and refuel in the years to come.

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Forman Alumni Serve on the Board of Trustees

Ken Deane ’93, Elizabeth Garber Daniels ’93, Dave Walter ’69, Peter Phillips ’65, Annette Jenner ’87, and Scott Sutherland ’69 pose at the Peter Phillips celebration last April in front of a banner created by the Class of 1965.

Alumni E-Newsletter

Are you getting it?

The Office of Alumni and Parent Programs sends out a monthly e-Newsletter with alumni news and information about upcoming events. You can also catch up on faculty, campus activities, sports scores and other goings on around the Green.

If you have not been receiving our e-Newsletter, please send us your current e-mail address: alumni@formanschool.org.

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CLASS NOTES

Please contact your Class Agents with news, photos and updates. You can also send updates to the Alumni Office at alumni@formanschool.org or call Elizabeth Bellingrath at 860.567.1810.

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42 Monty Scharff and his wife, Edwina, have welcomed their first great granddaughter, a little girl. Monty says, “She’s got lots on the ball!”

The Forman family sends condolences to the family of Col. Louis Red Howell LaMonte who passed away on June 12, 2012. See page 47.

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Class Agent: Walter B. Roberts, Jr. ’44 vanb22@aol.com 763.475.2072 _____________________________

Our sympathies go out to the family of Glenn Grimm who passed away on June 23, 2013. See pages 29 and 47.

Ken Latham ’48 with Head of School Adam Man

48 Lucinda Weil Bunnen showed her collection and work at The High Museum of Art in Atlanta, GA, in October, 2012.

Ken Latham reported, “After Storm Sandy hit Long Island, we lost power for 16 days. We came up to Lakeville, CT, and stayed several days. During that time we visited Forman School and had a nice tour of the whole campus.”

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Class Agent: S. Sherman Clark Jr. shermclark@aol.com 513.247.9337 _____________________________

53 Robert K. Bell Jr. reported, “I moved to Orlando in 1972, and have lived in The Villages for the past 9 years. It is the greatest retirement “city” in 3 counties! My book, Ask & Accept, has personal stories about Mr. and Mrs. Forman, my experiences there, and what I did after Forman with Rollins College, the Navy, etc. I had a real estate office in Ocean City, NJ, for 10 years and then worked in appraising in Florida for 30 years. My book tells all about the influence Forman had on my education.

I started Forman at 14 with the reading ability of a third grader. Later I built an office in Orlando with 16 appraisers with a total staff of 20 doing work from Jacksonville, FL to Key West.” (The book is in the Forman School library, noted as an alumnus author)

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Class Agent: Michael N. Cohen 860.242.2110 _____________________________

Joan Waxgiser Goodstein wrote: “Sometime this year I will sell my condominium and move into an independent living community. I am 76 this year and feel that the timing is right. Prior to that, I will be taking a ‘bucket list’ trip to the Galapagos Islands with two friends. I majored in zoology, so this will be a fulfilling trip!”

55 In January, the Alumni Office learned of the passing of Patsy Cannon on December 30, 2011. To read Patsy’s obituary go to 46.

Charles “Phil” Allen has been married to his wife, Sally, for 46 years. He has two grown children, Jay and Robin. Jay and his wife live in Oxford, CT, and have two children, Cooper (8) and Carter (5).

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Class Agent: Richard P. Barker msb463@msn.com 401.849.2182 _____________________________

Paula Eyerly Gilbert sent an email that she could not attend Alumni Weekend 2013, but would have liked to! She was in Longboat Key, FL, until the end of April and then returned to Bloomsburg, PA. If anyone would be interested in getting together, her cell phone is 570.594.2116.

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Class Agent: Edward T. Marks Ted@AtwaterVineyards.com _____________________________

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Class Agent: George K. Allison gallison70@gmail.com _____________________________

Jim MacCormac and Carol Aubry MacCormac reported, “Both of us are doing well. We live in Victor, Montana, outside of Missoula. We now have a great granddaughter. We both love Montana and our home!”

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Brenda Luquer is happy and moving to Brigham House assisted living in Watertown, MA.

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Class Agent: Alfred C. Body Jr. skibumal@aol.com 440.543.8971 _____________________________

A group of 1965 graduates “practicing” for the class reunion. They can’t wait to see everyone in 2015 for their 50th! Fritz Gohl ’65, Larry Culleton ’65, Wendy Waller ’65, Jeff Whipple ’65, Ann Pemberton Mallory ’67, Peter Phillips ’65, Bill Mallory, Bill Pryor, Sally Fliess ’65, Peter Hayes ’65.

Ace Body wrote, “Since I graduated Forman I have been in the U.S. Navy, skied a lot, graduated from KSU, married, and had three children: Acey (31), Bridget (29), and Chrissy (24). My wife passed on in 2004. I had lots of jobs. The best one I worked for was a newspaper as district manager. I am now retired and turned 70 years old on April 15, 2013.”

Megan Moore Eno is the grandmother of three children, Gretchen (2) and William and Brooke (4 year-old twins).

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Class Agent: Eric D. Murray ericdmu@netzero.com 610.678.8163 _____________________________

Brewster Barnard retired in 1993. In 1998, he and his wife went sailing, enjoying the East Coast, Bahamas and Bermuda before moving permanently ashore on Bald Head Island, NC, in 2006. They enjoy the peace of island living, except during the summer months when the island is invaded by tourists and summer residents. Brewster works part-time in the hardware store and still does IT work on

the side. His wife, Trisha, keeps busy with many of the committees and clubs the island of 200 residents offers.

Elizabeth Pfleger Victor published a book entitled Smart Paws about her first service dog.

John Wells says he is the “same old single guy living one day at a time in the warm Florida sunshine. I love to hear from friends when they come to Florida.”

Our condolences go out to the family of Dennis Shor who passed away in January and the family of Bob Tompkins who passed away in April of this year. See page 47.

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Class Agents: Sara L. Fliess sallyfl47@pubgames.com 203.445.9851 Jeffrey T. Whipple 508.627.6622 _____________________________

Fritz Gohl informs us that he is alive and well, living in Illinois, Colorado and Canada.

Peter Phillips was named Trustee Emeritus in April after serving many years on the Board of Trustees. See article on page 18.

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Debora Gould Petersen Hugs38@aol.com 727.343.9562 _____________________________

Eleanor “Misty” Toby Gundeck mentioned, “I have two sons, Parker (33) and Jordan (36). Parker is living in Hoboken, New Jersey, working for Merrill Lynch and Jordan is living in Boston with his girlfriend and is a waiter at a very famous restaurant! I also have a beagle dog, Harley, whom I adore!”

Dr. David Randall Emery is married to Dr. Linda Goldberg Emery. They have four children, three daughters and one son, and live in West Lafayette, IN.

Class Agents: Bartow S. Curtis Jr. bart4sound_fx@yahoo.com 607.767.6445

Sally Dunham Taylor wrote: “Our 50th reunion is in 2016. I would ‘love’ to see a joint reunion for classes of 1965-1969. If we joined our reunions, I hope that more would attend to see their old friends.”

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Class Agent: Carla McKay Lucey CLucey@unimin.com 203.834.2241 _____________________________

Gregory Baecker reported, “From my Sundays and weeknights at Forman, to this day, I continue to watch CBS News and read the New York Times, especially section 4. I remember the view of the hills from my door in Hopkins House. I recall throwing basketballs up to knock off the ice of the bubble roof in the winter. I have retired from public education after 38 years. I presently manage and promote the Elephant’s Trunk Flea Market in New Milford, where I have been since 1976.

I live in Brewster on Cape Cod with my wife and two young children, Maddie in grade 2 and Tate in Kindergarten.”

Class Agent: Nancy Walton Marikar rakiram@aol.com 860.644.8066 _____________________________

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45TH REUNION

Class Agents: Davis A. Dewey davis@netsprinter.net 401.247.2518 Scott M. Sutherland jms208@aol.com 203.758.2949 _____________________________

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Class Agent: Susan Spadone Holmes 203.259.4964 _____________________________

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in Argyle, NY, on 58 acres. Each year, we look forward to maple syrup season.

My husband, Mark, makes about 40 gallons of syrup. Yum!” Kevin Weyl is a DP and Cameraman for networks and Fortune 100 corporations. He keeps in touch with classmates; Bob Zimmerli, Tom Fletcher, Mike Finely and Carla McKay Lucey ’67.

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Class Agents: Craig J. Hanson craigjhanson@yahoo.com 203.237.8481 Andrew Krens Jr. drew_krens@yahoo.com 413.743.2420 _____________________________

Nancy Arnold Collins and her husband, Kevin, live in Park Ridge, NJ, where they raised their two sons. Nancy splits her busy schedule between family, her job as Corporate Director of Public Relations and Marketing for a large northern New Jersey healthcare system, and relaxing with family and friends on Cape Cod. Margaret Emery Swingle is married to Kenneth Earl Swingle III and they have two children, Ruthanne (29) and Kenneth Earl Swingle IV (26). She is taking it easy while living in a log cabin that her husband had previously built. After this year they will both be retired.

Debra Pardridge St. Jacques stated: “I would love to get together with my classmates, as some could not make it to the Alumni Weekend. Would anyone like to get together in Albany, NY? I live about an hour northeast of Albany

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Class Agent: David E. Swift not_too@hotmail.com 850.496.0808 _____________________________

Robert MacMillan lives in Cambridge, VT, with his son, Alex. He owns the Cambridge Village Market.

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Class Agent: Joan G. Bielizna joanrealtor@snet.net 203.743.6179 _____________________________

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Class Agent: Paula Nichols-Dille 401.463.5569 _____________________________

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Class Agent: Diana Curtis Price Dcprice2000@aol.com

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Class Agents: Peter G. M. Roberts pgmroberts@hotmail.com 303.437.8664 Kendra R. Van Pelt sassyk105@gmail.com 919.519.6230 _____________________________

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Malcolm “Chuck” Davidson is living in south Florida and loving it! He is enjoying college and recently got married and is thriving in the role of a husband. He would be interested in hearing from any and all from the classes of 1976 and 1977.

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people in recovery from addictions.

James Rueding Jr. passed away in June, 2012. See page 47.

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Class Agent: Hilary L. Taylor Hilzo@aol.com 978.692.6962 _____________________________

Lyne Saul Evanson and her husband, 35TH REUNION

Lee Robinson is happily married since 1996 to his wonderful wife, Carna. He is retired in South Florida, where they do a lot of scuba diving, deep sea fishing and boating, whenever they get the chance.

He loves to travel and visit family and friends all over the U.S. from upstate NY at their summer home on upper Saranac Lake, to the Bahamas.

The Alumni Office learned that “KC” Kathryn Campbell passed away in March, 2013. She was 52. KC will always be remembered as a fantastic soccer player, captain of the team and a dorm manager. To read more see page 47.

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Class Agent: Gardiner S. Mulford gardiner@mulfordrealty.com _____________________________

Barbara Colegrove Bravo is still in Hoboken, NJ, working as a TV graphic artist. Her family is well and looking forward to a peaceful year.

Barney Straus has launched a new adventure therapy program called “Recovery Adventure Day.” It is designed to support

Eric, have two children. The family resides in Florida.

Kimberly Slenker King writes that her daughter, Annabelle, is in her second year at The New School in NYC. Kim lives in Greenwich, CT.

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Class Agent: Matthew L. LaFlamme matt_laflamme@msn.com 502.767.4751 _____________________________

David Maier and his wife, Donna, just celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary on June 18, 2013.

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Class Agent: Andrew Y. Covert andrewycovert@gmail.com 858.353.0256 _____________________________

Lisa Thomas Herndon has been married to her husband Brian for 22 years and has two beautiful children. Their oldest, Lyndsey, just graduated from Brighton High School and will be attending Olivey Narazene University in the fall of 2013.

Geoffrey will be a sophomore at BHS this coming fall. Lisa is a nurse at the

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University of Michigan Health Systems.

She works in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Lisa sends her “thanks” to all the amazing faculty and staff at Forman.

Gus Covert moved back in San Diego, CA, after 13 years in Maryland. He works at Stepping Stone of San Diego as a drug and alcohol counselor. Gus lives at the beach with his dog, Molly. “Life is simple.

Always great to hear from old friends at andrewycovert@gmail.com.”

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Class Agents: Jennie Alexandre Bono jenniebono@yahoo.com William L. Freeman freeman.will@gmail.com 301.587.6916 _____________________

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the timely identification, sourcing and transportation of all DLA managed classes of supply to a multi-national force of 31 naval ships and 394 aircraft in the European and North African theater. Rick and his family expect to return to the United States in 2014 for his final tour, before retiring from active duty and concluding his

Rick Buell is still Rick Buell ’85 embarking serving in the U.S. the USS ENTERPRISE, the Navy as a commander Navy’s oldest aircraft carrier, 25-year naval career around the in the bay of Naples, Italy for assigned overseas in a reception with the local spring of 2017.

Naples, Italy. He U.S. Ambassador currently serves as the direct Defense Logistics Agency Europe & Africa liaison, to the U.S. Naval Forces Europe, U.S Naval Forces Class Agent: Lisa Richardson Palmer Africa, and Commander 6th Fleet, worklarfal@aol.com ing as the joint plans and operations 508.548.9614 _____________________________ officer. Rick’s family includes his wife Late last year the Alumni Office learned of 18 years, Kimberly Buell, who is of the death of Christopher Ferrebee. an Ohio native and is currently workChristopher died in Old Lyme on July 8, ing as a dental technician at the U.S. 2010, at the age of 42. Our sympathies go Naval Hospital in Naples, Italy. They out to his family and friends. have two children, Alexis (17), who Alec Chorches stopped by with his will graduate from her high school next daughter, Lily. This was his first visit back June, and Evan (14), who will begin to Forman since graduation and he rehis freshman year at the same school. membered when Henderson was a boys’ The family has taken advantage of their dorm. There used to be a phone booth overseas assignment in Italy by travelwhere the broom closet is now and he ing throughout Europe. During this

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The architectural wonder of Simon Jacobson ’84, an all-glass home in ‘Hurricane Alley,’ Stuart, Florida

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Class Agent: Peter M. Ahlfeld ahlfeld@vermonttel.net 802.325.2451 Nancy Robinson Swift nancysunnyswift@yahoo.com 732.741.4711 _____________________________

Simon Jacobson is an architect living in Washington D.C. One of his designs was featured on HGTV’s “Extreme Homes.”

Simon was quoted in The Georgetown Dish: “A special feature is that the house can be quickly sealed off in the event of serious weather, ‘like a turtle ducking its head back in its shell’ … One of the home’s engineering achievements is that even though it is primarily glass with custom Jacobsen doors and windows, it meets the new strict Florida hurricane code.”

assignment, Rick was awarded a Defense Meritorious Service Medal for his service as the Defense Logistics Agency Support Team Commander for Joint Task Force Odyssey Dawn. JTF Odyssey Dawn was established to lead the operational and tactical international military response to unrest in Libya.

He was a pivotal member of the joint logistics team demonstrating initiative and supply chain expertise by directing

Alec Chorches ’86 visited with Scott McCarty ’76 in Henderson.

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could hear it ringing from his second floor dorm room. He spent hours on that phone with his girlfriend (now wife), Sandra, when she was a student at Boston University. Alex went on to the University of Colorado at Boulder, along with classmate Eric Abramson. He still stays in touch with Eric and former board member Mark Lemons. Alec is a film producer in Los Angeles, having recently finished the movie “Any Day Now.”

She is the mother of four children: Shea (13), Reston (8), Reza (6) and Stacia (4).

Sean Maguire and his wife, Victoria, have welcomed a son, Bennett.

Jennifer Brown Anzelone is doing well, living in Providence, RI, with her husband and two kids, Sam (6) and Abbie (3). She is in the process of returning to work after seven years at home with kids. Jennifer is taking over her mother’s wholesale brush (artist and in-

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dustrial) business.

Class Agent: Holly Jones Weisenburger holly@theweisenburgers.com 603.382.8387 _____________________________

Eloise Ribisl Stager is still practicing massage therapy. She is also raising three busy kids and enjoying life in Sherman, CT.

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Class Agent: Neesha Nicks Allen _____________________________

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Class Agents: Sean P. Maguire smaguire21@comcast.net 781.395.0880 Curt F. Pfannenstiehl curtpfan@baystate.edu 508.785.9969 W. David Thorn Jr. dthorn30@yahoo.com 508.429.6658 _____________________________

Drey Berry Benson is an executive chef and lives in Ohio with her family.

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Class Agent: Jennifer Winkler Balzi jenrwink@gmail.com 203.775.1961 Karine Opdyke Lawrence karinelawrence@yahoo.com 864.242.8891 _____________________________

Emily Juster graduated with her Associate’s Degree in Liberal Arts this past June, 2013, from Greenfield Community College in Greenfield, MA. Patrick Noone helped prepare the sound systems and staging for the Presidential Inauguration, in January of 2013, at the National Mall’s Washington Monument. He said it was a great experience.

He was one of the six people hired of the 400 applicants for this job. Recently Patrick worked on a leg of the Bon Jovi: Northeast tour.

Eric North stopped by Forman with his two daughters and two nieces. He was in Connecticut visiting his sisters who live in Waterbury and wanted to show his children where he went to school. It was his first trip back since he graduated in 1990. Eric resides in Kentucky and is an Army Reservist.

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Class Agents: Amy Owen Stettner aostett@hotmail.com 303.761.0399 Rob P. Tarantino Rob_Tarantino@ML.com 860.528.5255 Jenny Virgopia jennyvirgopia@aol.com 212.706.2165 _____________________________

Joel Kingston and his wife Bridget recently moved from San Francisco, CA, to Granby, CT, after 18 years on the west coast. The couple enjoys gardening and living in the country. Bridget is a massage therapist and Joel works for CT Physicians Services, a comprehensive Health Care IT Support company as a technical support specialist. Joel would welcome contact from any members of the Forman community: joel.kingston13@gmail.com Debra Brandt MacDonald moved her family from Sandy Hook, CT, in Newtown to Fairfield, CT. Sadly, her children lost a number of teachers and friends from

Eric North ’90 and his family

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the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary this past December, but she and her husband continue to remind their children that life continues and hearts will heal over time.

Cornelia Ulman Whelan has used some of the things that Forman taught her to help her daughter, who graduated in June 2013 from the local high school.

Her daughter took classes at BOCES, got good marks in “Advertising and Animation,” and made honor roll. She is a very proud mother!

Amy Owen Stettner and her husband, Rob, were pictured with their four beautiful children: Tula (3), Willy (7), Owen (5) and Henry (5).

Jen Soderberg Straub ’92 with one of the

Gilah Gersten ’93 observed a dentist and two den-

horses she rescued

tal students while on a service trip to Honduras.

horses. The plan is to focus on slaughter-

had just recently lost my father. I knew he

bound and neglected horses that have ended up in a horse auction, where the meat buyers go to buy the unwanted and forgotten horses. Many of these horses were family pets or show horses that the owners could no longer care for. “It is my belief that horses have earned a higher respect in our society. They have plowed our fields, carried us through war and deserve a second chance at life.”

would be proud to see me taking risks and helping others.

“On Memorial Day weekend, we set out to Honduras for 10 days. While in this small, Central American country, the dental team saw over 300 patients in five days and performed over 1,000 procedures. We had approximately $16,000 in cases and did all the work free of charge.

One girl had four root canals, four posts, and four crowns all in one sitting! I had the good fortune to meet some of the most wonderful and caring people on this trip. What I experienced will be cherished forever and without question, it was a healing process for me. Unfortunately, I do not have many pictures of myself while in Honduras, but if you look at the picture, you can see through my eyes what I captured on this missionary excursion.

After all, one picture tells it all.”

Jason Byrne left his job at the UN in Tanzania at the end of March for a career in filmmaking. After leaving Tanzania, he was at an artist-in-residence program at the Macdowell Colony in New Hampshire for five weeks and then visiting family and friends for a month in California.

Amy Owen Stettner ’91 with her family

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Gilah E. Gersten gilahg@gmail.com 860.589.5355 _____________________________

William H. Davis is currently a Senior Price Analyst with Delta Airlines. He lives in Tucker, GA, with his wife, Deidre, and son, Cameron.

Jen Soderberg Straub is in the very beginning stages of starting a non-profit organization called ‘The Dorset Equine Rescue’ in Dorset, VT. This organization is trying to rescue horses strictly on donations alone. She is currently in the process of getting a 501C3 so all of the donations they receive will be tax deductible and go directly to rescuing and caring for the

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Class Agents: Kenneth I. Deane kenneth.deane@gmail.com

Gilah Gersten reported, “Who would have known that hearing a professor speak at the Connecticut Dental Assistant’s annual meeting about the dental needs of impoverished people in Honduras would lead to such a life-changing experience for me. The administrators at my job agreed that this experience of helping the less fortunate would be a very rewarding opportunity for me and agreed to the time off. I also believed that it would be beneficial to take an adventure because I

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Degree in school counseling.

To read about what Christina BodineAsseyh has been up to since graduation, see page 13.

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Class Agents: Christopher D. Kellogg 908.782.2413

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Brooke Labriola Shephard bhlabriola@gmail.com 203.570.3045 Drew S. Weinstein weinstein.drew@gmail.com 917.620-5376 _____________________________

Class Agents: Marikay Geib marikaygeib212@msn.com 601.329.6404

Drew Weinstein welcomed a little girl this past March. Her name is Emily Goldie Weinstein.

Lauren Patton lauren@cutiecelli.com 203.326.0628

Kyle and Brooke Labriola Shephard ’94

Emily Weinstein on July 4, 2013

Libby Frank McQuarie ’94 with Neal and daughter Emma McQuarie

Congratulations to Libby Frank McQuarie ’94 and her husband, Neal, who welcomed their first daughter, Emma Elizabeth McQuarie, born May 22, 2013 at 6 lbs and 10 oz and 18 inches.

Brooke Labriola Shephard is the Director of Marketing and Events at Serendipity Magazine, a lifestyle magazine that covers Westchester, NYC and Fairfield County. She writes: “We have three signature events a year: a Fashion Show, Opening Day at Greenwich Polo called Horsing Around for Charity and 40

our 3-day Greenwich WINE+FOOD Festival which attracts over 4,000 people.

We have a very strong focus on nonprofits; all our events benefit different non-profits — we support over 150 non profits throughout the year.” Brooke was married on Nantucket on September 7, 2013 to Kyle Shepard. They currently live in Greenwich CT.

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Class Agents: Christina E. Bodine-Aysseh ChristinaBodine@msn.com 203.521.4022 Allison Herron Gsell allison_herron@hotmail.com 860.354.9937 Elizabeth G. Thomas lizgthomas@yahoo.com 817.731.2777 _____________________________

Jessi Meyer will be attending graduate school this summer to get her Master’s

S. Tyler Renn strenn@hotmail.com 404.308.0053 _____________________________

Tyler Renn is working at Renn Wealth Management in a new advisor-training program. He is licensed to sell life, disability, and long term care insurance to individuals. In his free time, he serves on the Board of the Buckhead Lions Club. In the fall, Tyler enjoys coaching nine- and 10-year-olds in football. He is still playing lots of golf recreationally and competitively. He also tries to go back to Ole Miss for football games as much as possible.

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Class Agent: Abbie Graham Durkin abbiedurkin@gmail.com _____________________________

Abbie Graham Durkin looks forward to receiving your updates!

Ian Shouse is working as a network lab assistant at Heartland Community College in Normal, IL.

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Susan A. Schonfeld suzy195954@aol.com 609.683.7818 _____________________________

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Class Agents: Elizabeth A. Hanway eahanway@gmail.com 484.832.1300 Jessica Davis Raitz jessica.raitz@gmail.com _____________________________

00

Class Agents: Alexandrea Van der Tuin aquapink1@gmail.com 973.376.5454 Jesse J. E. Resnick jesse.res@gmail.com 646.360.0043 _____________________________

Our thoughts are with the family of Eric Justin Shay who died on January 14, 2013. To read more see page 47.

Jesse Resnick is an entrepreneur and creative technologist with over ten

Jesse Resnick ’00

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years of industry experience. For seven years, Jesse served as creative director at the digital agency, Special Ops Media.

There, Jesse oversaw creative, technology and project management for clients that included: Coca-Cola, Universal Studios, Stoli Vodka and many others.

In 2010, Special Ops Media was sold to the global agency, LBi, and Jesse left the company. Then in 2011, Jesse founded a boutique agency called Experience-

Park City, Utah, where he and his partner started the Rocky Mountains Elite 150, an organization which gives high school athletes an opportunity to be seen by collage coaches. Not only did local kids in Utah participate but also kids from other states. Jason moved back home to Philly in 2010. “I have stopped coaching but still like to play. Being back has been great because it has allowed me to reconnect with Forman and come up to

Interaction, focusing on offering his clients’ high-level strategy, creative and technology services. Jesse is still an avid outdoors enthusiast (thanks to the OLS Center) and tries to get out of the city at least a few times a year for a wilderness adventure. Jesse currently lives in Brooklyn, NY, where he is working on growing the clients and team at Experience-Interaction (www.eidigital.com).

help Coach Kowalchick with the Forman Lacrosse Team. Mike and I went to the same college and share some of the same friends.” Jason works for Evenlite (Life Safety Lighting Solutions Company) and continues to compete in triathalons.

Matthew Berman works in search and rescue. He has worked in a lot of disasters including Haiti, Katrina and Superstorm Sandy. He provides medical services on a mobile hospital for those affected.

Sam Caine works as a visual affects flame artist at Smoke and Mirrors New York. Over the past seven years, Sam has worked with some of the industry’s

01

Class Agents: Matthew A. Bonzagni 413.636.5224 Leith T. Sharp tennis315@yahoo.com _____________________________

Michelle Martello Andrasi is married to James Andrasi and they have a one-year-old son, Jace. Her email is martello22@hotmail.com. Michelle and her family live in Norwalk, CT. Jason Balmer made a guest appearance on campus for the spring sports awards. After Forman, he was recruited to play lacrosse at Ohio Wesleyan where he won two NCAC championships.

After graduation in 2005, he moved to

Jason Balmer ’01 with MVP, Patrick Charles ’13 during the spring sports awards

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most prolific advertising agencies and directors. In 2010, Sam’s visual effects involvement garnered the production company an Oscar win for Best Live Action Short for “The New Tenants.”

He currently resides in Brooklyn, NY. Rachel D’Avino died in the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting last December. See page 47.

02 Julia Barron Strobos has started working as a veterinary technologist in an Emergency Clinic in Milwaukee, WI.

05 Class Agents: Cyril P. Thornton thorntcp@gmail.com 610.209.6261

03

Class Agent: Elizabeth A. Monroe lizmonroe@comcast.net _____________________________

Chelsea Kinsella graduated from Post University this past May, where she earned her Master’s Degree in Human Services with a concentration in clinical counseling.

Celia Marie Strobos has started to teach horseback riding.

04

Thomas. Congratulations!

Jessica Gallagher lives in Massachusetts with her husband and 10-month-old daughter. She is working as a substitute teacher at Barnstable High School while working toward her teaching certification.

Congratulations to Elizabeth (“Beth”) Breininger and Michael Kristopher Laba on welcoming their daughter, Addison Elizabeth Laba, into the world on September 28, 2012.

Pearse P. Matthews pmatthews@hillhooks.org 917.596.5303 _____________________________

Kyle Halloran shared the back story of his wedding proposal to Amanda Horn at the Litchfield Road Race: “I had a triathlon that morning in Bridgeport at 6:00 am, then the Litchfield race at 1:00 pm which I do every year.

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Class Agents: Laura J. Goodkind LJGoodkind@msn.com 973.539.1539 Kathryn S. John john.katie@gmail.com 412.963.0917 _____________________________

Olga French and her husband, Stuart Kriendler, welcomed their first son,

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Kyle Halloran ’05 and his bride, Amanda

The idea was that Amanda would not expect anything. My uncle went with me at the start and held the ring so I would not have to run 7 miles with it.

On the last turn, I met my uncle at the post office and grabbed the ring. The announcer was in on the secret and announced that I was coming down ‘the chute’ towards the finish line but did not look too good. I pretended to be hurt and struggled towards the crowd as a volunteer grabbed me and helped me to the side in front of our family where I proposed to Amanda. It was nice because it made the paper and was a big story for that week, and the Litchfield Road Race crew was incredibly supportive in making it a special day for us.

All the more reason to love the town of Litchfield!” Kyle graduated from Fairfield University and has been a teacher at Forman since 2011. He and Amanda live in Beecher.

Courtney Powell Lupold got married on December 1, 2012 to an amazing man she has been with for five years, Michael Lupold. The couple vacationed in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Michael will be work-

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ing in Omaha, NE. Courtney is currently a chef at Tamarack Brewing Company.

06

Class Agents: Ian C. Hayward barret12.7mm@gmail.com 254.251.0317

David Rublin ’06 with his band mates

Charles A. Phillips 239.498.6369 _____________________________

University in May of 2012. She is currently going to school for her Master’s

Luke Bornheimer is a software user interface designer who specializes in mobile apps. He and his girlfriend, Emily Glick, live in San Francisco (see story on Page 16).

Andrew Gares graduated from East Carolina University in Greenville, NC, this past May. He got his degree in communications with a concentration in public relations. Andrew would like to go into the hospitality field, either in restaurant or hotel management. He worked at a restaurant on Nantucket this summer.

Keaghan Hamilton recently moved back to New Hampshire after graduating from Southern Connecticut State

in public health and hopes to find a job in the field soon!

Natalie Hammond and Ry Sanderson are living together in San Francisco with their dog, Denver, and loving life!

Olivia Hanson reported, “After four years of living in Manhattan, I moved out to Brooklyn, NY, and love it! I work as a childcare provider for five different families while continuing to balance out my acting career.”

David Rublin is part of a Brooklynbased band called American Authors that performs around the New York area and recently made an appearance on Jay Leno.

Their first songs “Best Day of My Life”

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and “Believer” are available on iTunes.

Check out their website: http://weareamericanauthors.com/ Ian Hayward had re-enlisted in the Army to go to Afghanistan but instead will be going to Egypt in late 2013 and then on to Fort Bliss, TX. Ian will be part of the Multinational Forces and Observers who help ensure the peace between Israel and Egypt after the last war they had. He is also working on putting on his sergeant’s stripes.

07

Class Agents: Shannon W. Hallenbeck shannon.hallenbeck@gmail.com 203.394.1787 Katherine G. McFadden kmac203@gmail.com 203.857.0087 _____________________________

Shannon Hallenbeck is currently living in Wilton, CT, and working as a preschool teacher for the NEON Child Development Program in Norwalk.

This August will make the comple-

Great holiday gifts for the Forman student or alumni in your life.

Vintage Logo Vineyard Vines Ties Special Sale: $42 Contact: bookstore@formanschool.org

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tion of two years of teaching, which proves to be a daily joy, challenge, and constant learning experience. He hopes everyone is doing well!

Iain Magown is living in Fairfield, CT, and working in search engine optimization and social media management for The Voice, an advertising agency.

Since graduating college in 2011, Andrew Carter has been lucky enough to work on several feature films as well as balancing his own creative portfolio in his spare time. One of the films he was fortunate enough to be a part of is Fox Searchlight’s upcoming comedy, “The Way, Way Back,” where he served as the assistant to writer/directors Nat Faxon and Jim Rash. This past February, Andrew directed his third short film and he really thinks he can actually show this one to people without getting embarrassed!

Currently, he’s working at Sony Pictures Television Production.

08

Class Agents: Anne Marie Mete Anniemete3@yahoo.com Hannah Dodd Morton hmorton1008@gmail.com _____________________________

Pepper Baumer just finished working at a non-profit company called Idea Village. Now he is working at the New Orleans convention and visitors bureau and New Orleans tourism and marketing corporation. Eventually, Pepper will head his father’s marketing department at Baumer Foods, Inc. Tristan Church and his wife Lisa are

44

busy raising a family of two in Wilmington, NC. Son Lucas is four and daughter Kaleigh is two.

09

5

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Class Agents: Justin W. DeCausey justin.decausey@yahoo.com 203.846.8326 Candice R. Earlington wacky_candy@hotmail.com Ms. Kelly Solk nicolita5@aol.com 203.746.2914 _____________________________

Emory Cooper ’09 with her collage of the Teton Mountains at the senior Art Show in April 2013

Emory Cooper graduated in May from Keene State College, NH, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Studio Arts. Emory lives and works in Jackson, WY, where she finds an abundance of inspiration from the beauty of the Teton Mountain Range and the Snake River Valley.

Justin DeCausey visited campus this past February. He reported, “I am creating an artistic nature video of ‘Winter in New England’ for my television production class. As you know, one of the things that New England is known for is the winter and how beautiful it is. It is a three

minute film that is part of a bigger project.

The big project is called the AVA Awards, and award show at Norwalk Community College. I was nominated last year in two different categories: best supporting actor and best new director. Sadly, I lost in both but I was still one of three people to be nominated. This year I am probably not going to be in front of the camera but instead behind it.” Justin is aiming for the top honor of best director.

Kelly McGuire graduated from Chapman University and now resides in Southern California.

Gabe Krengel was at Camp Pendleton in Marine boot camp for 13 weeks; graduation was in late April.

Alex Revson graduated from Savannah College of Art & Design, majoring in graphic design. He studied abroad for a term in Hong Kong.

Michael Yormark graduated from Syracuse University on May 12, 2013.

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Class Agents: Cameron S. Billik 203.762.5538 Gretchen G. Conyers ggcony10@stlawu.edu 441.295.8433 Douglas F. Patch doug.patch@american.edu 203.461.0129 Dayne J. Price dayneprice@gmail.com Joshua S. Sacks jsacks28@gmail.com 617.964.4773 _____________________________

Jake Douville is studying at Keene State University. He is a double major in

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math and education. Jake wants to be a private school teacher in the near future.

Alumni Class Agents Needed

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Class Agents: Rachel C. Hafer rchafer@roanoke.edu

Do you have contact with many of your classmates from Forman?

Do you enjoy reaching out to your friends to find out what is new?

If so, you may be an ideal Class Agent for Forman! Class Agents are

Nicholas V. Manzella 203.263.4033 Michael D. Satalic michael.satalic@gmail.com 281.713.2854 _____________________________

Kareem Cope finished his sophomore year at Mount Ida, a small liberal arts college outside of Boston. His mother writes: “He’s working hard at his studies, majoring in criminal justice, with a minor in hospitality. Kareem has played two years of football as a running back.”

needed for the following classes: Nigel and Spencer Daniel ’11 during the NCAA

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New England division three championship at Westfield State University in November 2012.

Spencer recorded a time of 31.05.36.

and participated in an acting workshop over the summer.

Steve Iannotti is currently attending the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, CA. He is enrolled in their Department of 3-D Digital Animation. He is doing well, loves school and San Francisco!

Class Agents: Lauren A. Morrow lauren.morrow1993@gmail.com 978.939.8842 Shelby L. Pierce shelby.pierce93@gmail.com 860.489.2425

Ben Ferguson finished his sophomore year at Hofstra University in May

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1962 1977 1978 1979 1988 1992 2003

If you are interested in serving as a Class Agent, please contact Elizabeth Bellingrath, Director of Alumni and Parent Programs, at 860.567.1810 or alumni@formanschool.org.

Be sure to include your full name, class year, mailing address, email address, and telephone number(s).

We would so appreciate your help!

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Kareem Cope ’11

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Daniel S. Sotherland dsotherland81@gmail.com 860.644.5013 _____________________________

joring in marketing and management. This summer, he worked as a sales manager for Paramus New Jersey’s Divisional office.

Jared will continue at Hofstra in the fall.

Jared LaVergne finished his first year at Hofstra University, where he is double ma-

Drew Gregory spent his first year at the University of New Haven and is

WAYS TO STAY CONNECTED 45

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FACULTY ---------------------------

Amelia Rose Bender

Hannah Camerota ’12 and David Buckley 13 visited campus during the summer.

transferring to Morrisville State College in upstate New York this coming fall.

Austin Iverson will be starting his sophomore year at Oregon State University in Corvallis, OR. He is currently a history major and enjoying it. Austin is also on the ultimate frisbee team at OSU, playing many other Division I schools around the Northwest and in tournaments throughout the country.

Lauren Morrow transferred from St. Joseph’s in Maine to Southern Vermont College this past spring and will be taking classes this fall at a local community college. She spent her summer with family and visiting friends in Connecticut.

Shelby Pierce spent her first year attending Keene State College and working in the athletic department. She is transferring to Tunxis Community College this fall and will be studying to be a physical therapy assistant.

46

Congratulations to English department chair Matt Bender and his wife, Amanda, on the birth of daughter Amelia Rose on January 5, 2013.

13

Class Agents: David R. Buckley davidB21@gmail.com 317.733.0562 Francis R. Fiore fffiore27@gmail.com 847.235.2037 Mark A. Malburg mmalburg@elon.edu 203.834.2573

Lea Dmytryk

Lea Dmytryk, a former faculty member, visited campus during the summer to share stories of Christina BodineAysseh for the Profile Piece (see page 13).

Genn Giuliano, Adam Haynes and Nolan welcomed baby Stella this summer.

Six department chairs (pictured below) completed certification in the Strategies Instruction Model by the University of Kansas: Hilary Barhydt (former faculty), Diane Lucarelli, Missi Boyer, Chris Ford, and Brooke Crossman.

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IN MEMORIAM ---------------------------

Alumni: Louis “Red” LaMotte ’42 Glenn Grimm ’44 Patsy Cannon ’55 Dennis Shor ’64 Robert “Bob” Tompkins ’64 Kathyrn Cambell Christianson ’79 James Ruedin, Jr. ’80 Christopher Ferrebee ’86 Eric Schay ’00 Rachel D’Avino ’01 Former Staff: Barbara “Bobbie” Givan Donald Mordecai

42

Col. Louis “Red” Howell LaMotte III of Hilton Head Island, SC, died on June 12, 2012. He attended the Indian Mountain School, Forman School and George Washington University.

Colonel LaMotte served in the military for more than twenty years, first with the United States Army Air Corps and then in the United States Air Force. He was a private pilot and avid boater that many referred to and knew as “Red.” He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Anne Shryock LaMotte, two daughters, Elisabeth (Libby) LaMotte-Moore and Lee LaMotte Anderson, and four grandchildren.

His brother Peter LaMotte ’47 passed away in 2007.

44

Glenn E. Grimm, 87, of Avon, husband of Ann Dyson Grimm, passed away peacefully on June 23. Born in Chicago, IL, Glenn proudly served his country with the U.S. Army’s 10th Armored Division in Germany and Austria during WWII where he fought in the Battle of the Bulge and the Battle for Bastogne. Besides his wife, Glenn leaves behind five children: Peter Grimm and his wife, Brenda; Susan Weiner ’71 and her husband, Bruce; Anabel Rylance and her husband, James; Jonathan Grimm ’78; and Timothy Grimm ’83 and his wife, Elizabeth; six grandchildren; and one brother, Richard H. Grimm. Glenn was predeceased by a brother, Charles Grimm ’46.

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Patsy Cannon passed away on December 30, 2011. Patsy was born and raised in Cleveland Heights and Shaker Heights, OH. Patsy enjoyed knitting, card games, children and dogs.

For many years, Patsy was honored as an outstanding volunteer of the year at the Benjamin Rose Institute.

64 Dennis Shor was born on

October 12, 1945 and passed away on Saturday, January 26, 2013. Dennis was a resident of Irvine, California.

Robert “Bob” Tompkins, 67, passed away on April 12, 2013. After high school, Bob attended Fort Lauderdale University, where he met the love of his life, Mary Lou. Upon graduating, he returned home to pursue a career as a golf professional, working in Connecticut and later at the Ponte Vedra Club. Bob was

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called into active duty in 1970. While in the Army, Bob enjoyed a special duty assignment as golf professional at Fort Hood. Bob married Mary Lou, joined his father in business and had a family.

For the last twenty-three years, he and his family devoted their love and energy into running a miniature golf course as a true family entertainment establishment.

Bob leaves his beloved wife of 42 years, Mary Lou, and son Ryan; daughter Katy LeClair and son-in-law, Greg LeClair and grandson, Connor, of Groton, CT;

79 Kathryn Campbell Christian-

son, 52, of Bend, OR, passed away on March 21, 2013. Kathryn attended college at Jacksonville University in Jacksonville, FL, and majored in interior design. Kathryn was an accomplished designer of furniture and interiors of homes. She is survived by her husband, Michael Christianson, three children, Taylor Smith, B.J. Christianson, and Mattea Christianson, three grandchildren and her father, Breckinridge Campbell, of Little Rock, AK.

80 James M. Ruedin Jr., 51, died

unexpectedly at his home in Saline, MI, on June 8, 2012. Jim was a loving husband and father. He was vivacious, kindhearted and had a great sense of humor.

He was survived by his wife, Jodi, children, Greer and Mary, his mother, Doris, and sister, Nancy Snyder.

86 Christopher Ferrebee, 42, of Old Lyme, died on July 8, 2010, at Yale-New Haven Hospital.

47

a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. Her passion was working with children within the autism spectrum. She had worked in various positions throughout her career providing behavioral therapy to children with hopes of helping them develop into happy and healthy adults. Besides her parents, she is survived by her best friend, Anthony J. Cerritelli, of Bethlehem. Anthony had planned to propose to Rachel on Christmas Eve. Former Faculty & Staff

Eric Shay ’00

00 Eric Justin Stock Schay died

on January 14, 2013, from Kearns-Sayre Syndrome, the rare disorder that caused him to get a cardiac pacemaker during his freshman year at Forman. Eric graduated from Bentley University in 2004 with a B.S. in Finance.

Barbara Rose Givan, 82, passed away on April 4, 2013. Barbara attended Clark University where she met and married James Alexander Givan Jr.. Barbara was an English teacher at Forman. She is survived by her three children, Debbie Cate and her husband, Tom, of Knoxville, Tenn., Betsey Conner and her husband, Wayne, of Harwinton and Jim Givan and his wife, Micaela, of Shelton; five grandchildren, Jonathon Lynn of Torrington, Cora Lynn of Harwinton, Jordan Cate

01

Rachel Marie D’Avino, 29, of Deerwood Drive died Friday, December 14, 2012 in Newtown, CT, protecting the children at Sandy Hook Elementary School. She attended Forman for her sophomore and junior years, and graduated from Nonnewaug High School in 2001. Rachel received her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Hartford, her Master’s Degree from Post University, and was working towards her Doctorate degree from University of St. Joseph. Just a week before her death, Rachel completed the final requirements to become

48

Rachel D’Avino ’01

and his wife, Jennifer, Whitney Cate and Bailey Cate, all of Knoxville, Tenn.; and many loving relatives, supportive friends and compassionate caretakers.

Donald DeCosta Mordecai, 73, of Scarborough, ME, died on July 23, 2012.

Don graduated from Colby, received his M.A. from Cornell, and went into the Navy. Don joined the family food brokerage business and completed the MBA program at Babson College. Don went into the independent school world, where he worked for 16 years as Assistant Head of School for Finance and Administration at Forman School, Maret School, and Trevor Day School. He married Patricia Carson Nason in 1985, and they retired in 2006 to Castine, ME, where they had maintained a house since 1998.

Don was a life-long sailor; he was also an itinerant cabinetmaker, boat builder and photographer. He leaves his wife, Pat; two children, Dan and David of NW Connecticut; two step-children, Barbara Nason and her fiance, Peter Sherman of Dedham, MA, and Thomas Nason, his wife Jennifer Martin, and grandchildren Marshall and Leeland Nason Martin, and Emmelina Bales of Weston, FL.

12 Norfolk Road P.O. Box 80 Litchfield, CT 06759-0080 Change Service Requested

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony The Forman School community celebrated the opening of the new Science Center with a ribbon cutting ceremony on September 27, 2013.

Pictured: Adam Man, Head of School; Louise Finnerty, Board President; Fred Lione, Trustee; Parker Broadnax ’17; Denni Williams ’58; Olivia Shelbourn ’14; and Melissa Boyer, Science Department Chair

IMPORTANT DATES Winter Musical February 21 & 22, 2014

Spring Parents Weekend April 25 & 26, 2014

Alumni Weekend May 2 & 3, 2014

Commencement May 24, 2014