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

TRADITION, TRADITION!

A look at the customs that define our culture

SUMMER/FALL 2019

Mission Statement Forman School is an independent, coeducational, college preparatory school for boarding and day students with identified learning differences. Forman develops the whole student, based on his or her unique learning profile, so that every graduate becomes an educated, confident, self-advocate throughout life.

Forman School Board of Trustees

F O R M A N

President of the Board Jon E. Zagrodzky P’18, P’19

L E T T E R

Vice President Anne Q. Buckley P’13, P’20

2 Head of School Letter

Vice President David H. White ’71

4 The Sound of Victory

Treasurer Thomas G. Sorell P’12

8 Head and Heart

Secretary Michael L. Cook P’15

11 Commencement

Barbara Chace ’87

14 A Smooth Transition

Elizabeth Garber Daniels ’93

16 Faculty Profile: Matthew Bender

L. Laird Davis

18 Around the Green

Elena A. Ford P’18

Eric R. Ebbert P’16 Annette R. Jenner-Matthews, Ph.D. ’87

20 Alumna Profile: Sarah Auch ’15

William S. Kies Jr. P’21

22 Alumnus Profile: Toni Roger Fishman ’88

Preethi Krishna P’16

24 Alumni Weekend 2019

Adam K. Man P’15, Head of School

26 Events

David A. Shaggy ’85

Frederick M. Lione Jr. P’91 Dennis J. Manning P’00 Michael B. Yormark ’09

30 Lion’s Pride 32 Giving

Trustees Emeriti

33 Class Notes

J. Seward Johnson ’49, P’91 and Cecelia Johnson P’91

43 Faculty Notes/In Memoriam

Diane F. Kessenich P’86, Chairman Emerita Kenneth R. Latham ’48 John A. Meyers P’84

Head of School: Adam K. Man P’15 Assistant Head of School for Operations and Enrollment: E. Michael Kowalchick Assistant Head of School for Institutional Advancement: Justin B. Solomon Director of the Annual Fund: Sean Maguire ’89, P’22 Director of Database Management: Susan Reis P’07 Address corrections and Class Notes: alumni@formanschool.org

Editor: Kerry Conroy, Director of Communications Photo Editor: Kerry Conroy, Director of Communications Class Notes Editor: Liz Funk P’12, Director of Alumni and Parent Programs Designer: Julie Hammill, Hammill Design Photography: Adam K. Man P’15, Richard Schultz, Steven Valenti, Annalise Yurgelun, and Carter Walker P’14

This page: Student Leaders take a break while helping new students move in on September 5, 2019. Cover: 2019 Housatonic Valley Athletic League (HVAL) All-Star and 2019 New England All-Star Brady Garrity ’20, at bat.

Peter L. Phillips ’65 Monroe B. Scharff ’42, P’69 Scott M. Sutherland ’69, P’93

HEAD OF SCHOOL LETTER

Our Customs Bring Us Closer Traditions feed the lifeblood of a school in a way that few things can. Nothing can bind a student body like a shared ritual or common experience, and that same experience can also connect current students with alumni. Traditions are a wonderful starting place for a conversation that leads to a friendship.

For example, at my own alma mater, in one of the main hallways on campus, the school crest was embedded in the floor under an archway. Only seniors and alumni could walk on that crest. It lent an air of mystery to that area and provided a tangible, if modest, goal. You wanted to be able to walk on that crest some day. Due to the long history of boarding schools, dating back to different times and standards, some traditions are no longer acceptable. For instance, I recall a rule at some schools that allowed only seniors to smoke. Other traditions that have rightfully fallen away are those that involve hazing. As much as I am in favor of traditions, some do need to be put to rest. Good traditions are positive, enrich the school, and honor its history. During my time at Forman, some traditions have slipped away, phased out either deliberately or due to waning interest. The best traditions are the ones that have the full support of the students. When a freshman sees a senior who loves participating in a tradition, that

freshman is likely to catch the fever and be a part of keeping that tradition alive. For this reason, I am always open to hearing from students about any ideas they have for starting a new custom at Forman. Forman has so many outstanding traditions. The Green and Gold color competition, a yearlong exercise in school spirit, was suggested to me by a student early in my tenure at Forman. She had seen a similar contest at another school and thought it would work well at Forman. She was right. The Strawberry Fest, which goes back to John Forman himself, is a wonderful day on our campus and brightens everyone’s spirits. Fresh strawberries herald the arrival of spring and the departure of winter. Graduating seniors now present me with a dollar coin as they receive their diplomas, thus beginning their time as alumni by giving back to the School, one of the many wonderful ideas Athletic Director Scotty McCarty ’76, P’02, P’05 has brought to our campus. The first year we did it, I did not know what

The first Green and Gold competition of the year.

was happening and found myself stacking coins up on the commencement stage. Scotty makes sure it happens every year and the money goes straight to the Annual Fund. Another tradition that started early in my tenure at Forman is the Green Box. The year it started was a particularly hard first semester; the weather was rough and the sports teams did not fare well. The morale that fall was the lowest I have ever seen on any campus. As we headed into Thanksgiving break, I spoke to many students and they were very down. I knew I needed to make a move to raise our collective spirit. Upon return from break, there was a Green Box in a dorm every day, delivering a special treat for the students. It might be a food truck, an impromptu dance party, a sleep-in, or cookies in each dorm for study hall.

By winter break, morale was up considerably. Now, we don’t do it every day as we did then, but we pick spots when we feel the kids could use a lift. It is gratifying to me that Forman’s Victory Bell tradition has been revived, after some years in decline. Through the combined efforts of alumni and current students, a strong Forman tradition has made a wonderful comeback. See pages 4-7 for the full story. I’m sure many alumni will be glad to know that the bell is back and will ring many times this year.

Adam K. Man P’15 Head of School

F O C U S

The Sound of Victory Team Effort Revives the Victory Bell by Edit Barry

The Forman Victory Bell is the newest illustration of the School’s capacity to bring people with different talents together to realize dreams.

The combined efforts of visionaries, donors, architects, and builders made the Forman campus. In recent years, these efforts turned bold visions into inspiring realities in the form of the Science Center, the Visual and Performing Arts Center and Jake Cloobeck ’16 Theater, and the Malcolm G. Chace Student Center. Even newer than these signs of successful collaboration is an object which — quite literally — signals achievement: the Forman Victory Bell. Ringing the bell is a memorable and visceral Forman tradition that dates back to the 1970s. The sound sets off the annual procession of seniors toward the commencement stage. The moment they hear it, students walk single-file

into the commencement ceremony, which transforms them from Forman students into Forman alumni. For many parents, that day represents an exceptional victory — a resounding triumph over adversity which they may never have believed possible for their children. More frequently, the clang of the bell announces success in competitive sports. Especially in the fall and spring, when there is no ice to block their paths, jazzed student-athletes have streamed off their buses after away games and charged toward the bell. The peal of the Forman Victory Bell tells the whole campus community that the Lions have chalked up another “W.”

Many alumni, particularly former varsity athletes, associate the bell with a sense of pride. Scotty McCarty ’76, P’02, P’05, Director of Athletics and Head Boys’ Soccer Coach at Forman, played soccer and baseball as a student. “For me, the bell was always special,” he says, “because we didn’t win a lot of games! So when we did win a game, it was pretty special to ring the bell. I’d try to be the first one to get there. School spirit is really important,” he adds, putting on his athletic director hat, “and we try to instill that when we can.” Sean Maguire ’89, P’22, a former cross-country runner, returned to Forman in July 2018 in the role of Advancement Officer and now serves as Director of the Annual Fund. He first arrived at Forman as a quiet 15-year-old kid. Since kindergarten, he had avoided participating in class. “It’s no surprise that I was held back in first grade and no matter which school I transferred to, I never found much success. Forman kids almost always have a story like this, but that’s also why the Victory Bell project carries so much importance,” Maguire writes.

Forman was a refuge. When Forman challenged him to pick a sport, he chose cross country. To him, it was “the least intimidating choice.” He writes, “I was terrified of being singled out, of being noticed for being less than adequate, so I ran my heart out. Before I knew it, I was part of a team where we laughed and encouraged each other and built on each other’s strengths.” “The Victory Bell made an early and lasting impression on me,” Maguire continues. “The sound of the bell rang out clear and beautiful across campus and was followed by prideful shouts of excitement from our team. So many feelings accompanied it. For the first time in my life, I felt like I belonged, like I was good enough, like I was not worthless. It was a life-changing time. It was a celebration of victory. It was belonging. It was success.” Since McCarty’s and Maguire’s student years, the bell has been worn by time and weather. When Maguire returned to campus last year, he was struck by the fact that the bell was “no longer in working order and somewhat hidden by shrubs.”

F O C U S

“For me, the bell was always special because we didn’t win a lot of games! So when we did win a game, it was pretty special to ring the bell. I’d try to be the first one to get there.” — Scotty McCarty ’76, P’02, P’05, Director of Athletics

Moved by his emotional attachment to the piece, by its personal meaning to him and its meaningfulness to so many alumni, Maguire decided to take action. He would assemble a team to repair the bell, relocate it in front of the new Malcolm G. Chace Student Center, and revive the school spirit it is meant to evoke. “Forman has so many talented students and grads that it only made sense to collaborate with them,” he says. By the end, even teachers and current students had a hand in its revival. To rehabilitate the bell, Maguire turned to alumnus Eduardo Amaral ’87. Remarkably humble, Amaral describes himself as “just a metal fabricator.” But images of his work on his website and in a feature story in the January 2019 issue of Boston magazine attest to the fact that he is an artist whose medium is iron. The son of an architect, Amaral came to Forman from Puerto Rico, having struggled with language-based learning differences. He always communicated better through drawing than through writing, he explains, so he gravitated toward art. He remembers spending hours in the old art classroom in the basement of Hopkins. “I took Studio Art 1 and 2,” Amaral recalls. “We learned how to draw, use watercolors, and oil paint. Cecilia Marshall did Studio 3 and 4, where we learned printmaking. It was nice because the schools that I went to in Puerto Rico didn’t have much

The old, usable Victory Bell before its upgrade.

except Math, English, Spanish, and so on, so it was nice to be in a place an hour a day doing something you like doing, that other people didn’t think was a waste of time.” After graduating from Forman, Amaral majored in art at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. “I got involved in sculpture,” he says, “started working with metal, and welded for three and a half of four years.” He met his wife, Alaine, at UMASS, and in 1997 they founded Amaral Industries Inc., creating custom ornamental metalwork out of an historic mill in Bellingham, MA, on Boston’s outer belt. The family-owned business is committed to solid craftsmanship and honest pay for honest work. Amaral was an obvious choice in Maguire’s eyes, and his instincts were right. “Eduardo donated his time and materials to restore the bell,” Maguire says. “He took the bell to his shop, disassembled it, seamlessly repaired the cracked metal, constructed a new base, and restored function to the striker.” Proving that it pays to treat employees fairly, Amaral Industries’ metalworker Christian LeCour didn’t hesitate to agree when asked to volunteer his time for the project.

Even LeCour’s father, a machinist, chipped in. He helped fix the part of the bell that holds the clapper. Without it, the bell would not sound. Amaral also designed a steel banner to arc over the bell. It includes the Forman motto and crest. When the time came to cut the lettering and the seal into the metal, Amaral relied on the technical expertise and resources of Forman’s Ingenuity lab. Director of Ingenuity Chris Ford explains: “The Ingenuity lab was tasked with converting Eduardo’s hand-sketched design of the upper arch to CAD [computer-aided design] software. This software can create code that can communicate with the lab’s CNC [computer numerical controlled] plasma cutter to make the actual cuts in the metal.” Ford, Amaral, Maguire, and Head of School Adam K. Man P’15 discussed several variations of the shield design in the arch before settling on the final version. “The collaboration was a wonderful opportunity to connect the artistic talents of Forman alumni with the current technological advancements of the Forman of today,” Ford says. “Eduardo was a joy to work with, and his beautifully scaled design as well as the execution of

its construction was wonderful to be a part of.” Students also joined in the effort, which became a profound hands-on learning opportunity in teacher Zakiyah Scaramuzzino’s elective art class, Maya 3D Animation. In this class, students learn the basics of a 3D graphics and animation program, Autodesk Maya, that was crucial to producing realistic characters, scenery, and special effects for blockbuster films such as Pixar’s Finding Nemo and Marvel’s Iron Man. Amaral provided Scaramuzzino with his hand-drawn designs. Using Autodesk Maya, three students translated different parts of the bell design into impressive 3D renderings. The final step for Maguire, wearing his advancement officer hat, was to identify a donor to back the project. He turned to Dean Cafiero ’88, a former Forman basketball player who owns Car Vision, an innovative car dealership in Norristown, PA, that helped pioneer online car sales. Cafiero donated the new bluestone patio base and the plantings that surround the refurbished Victory Bell. With the help of a dedicated team, the Victory Bell has been restored, and “it’s a masterpiece,” McCarty says. It has been moved from its perch outside the Peirce Dining Hall to the front of the Malcolm G. Chace Student Center, increasing its visibility to students and prospective families alike. Its chiming is a triumph of vision, collaboration, generosity, and heart.

Drawings provided by designer Eduardo Amaral ’87 for students to render using Autodesk Maya.

Head and Heart Jamie Dwan, Director of Studies, Retires by Leesa Lawson

A mind-boggling memory for details allows Director of Studies Jamie Dwan to carry the grades of every student in her head.

When she retired last July, after 24 years at Forman, she took with her memories of her first years as the School’s Librarian, then as an English teacher, and finally her last 14 as Director of Studies. Dwan made sure the academic classes and programs that unlock what different learners need for college were a reality. For that to work, she had to understand what worked for parents and teachers too. “She consistently did her job so well because of her excellent communication skills, her attention to detail, and her follow-through with students, parents, and faculty,” Director of Counseling Charlene Halloran P’05, P’07, who’s worked with Dwan for 24 years, says. “No matter how busy Jamie was, her approach was caring and supportive.”

Dwan remembered what it felt like to be a teenager, a teacher, the parent to two teenagers — one who was a different learner. She tapped into all those experiences as Director of Studies. “She’s the most effective educator I’ve met,” English teacher Bill Bucklin says. “She understands what parents want and what’s best for students. She’s the person who had the educational traction to make a class or a program happen.” Total Immersion of Head and Heart Dwan worked closely with faculty, especially on one of Forman’s most popular programs — Winterim, a two-week immersion in a single topic that takes students out of the classroom. Whether studying history on the beaches of

Normandy or new ecosystems in Costa Rica, she worked with the Head of School to make sure every course was academically challenging. And she’s crossed many time zones, from Asia to Greece, to study alongside students. When Head of School Adam K. Man P’15 shared his vision for a Culinary Arts Program one July, Dwan had the academic classes in place by the fall. She’s also worked on many other hands-on programs that are ideal for different learners, such as Ingenuity and Robotics. “Jamie has been an essential member of the team,” Man says. “She moved our

“ She understands what parents and students have gone through before they arrived at Forman.” — Laurie Chamberlain, Dwan’s Assistant and Registrar

curriculum forward in a thoughtful and measured fashion. She helped students become their very best and acted as a counselor to countless parents every day.” Her days were sometimes a workout for head and heart. When she met with new families, she often saw students and parents who were distrustful of the educational system, but hopeful. “Students want to succeed,” Dwan says. “But they couldn’t; they were being pulled out of class and couldn’t even take a foreign language. They were thrilled they could take Spanish here.” Dwan didn’t just plan the curriculum, she oversaw an office that’s involved in nearly everything. Her office supervises grades and exams; determines eligibility for the National Honor Society; offers disciplinary support; and coordinates mentoring, awards, family weekends, and commencement. She also interviews teachers. Laurie Chamberlain has worked alongside Dwan for nine years as her Assistant and Registrar. “Jamie combines intelligence and kindness,” Chamberlain says. “She understands what parents and students have gone through before they arrived at Forman.” Both women are known for deflecting intense moments with their humor. Individual Learning Equals Being Prepared for College Dwan is most proud of Forman’s focus on the individual student. In the spring, she met with every student to explain the courses they needed for college. “Yes, you have to take history, but let’s find something that you can shine at,” she would say. And she’s made sure students can choose between European, Modern, or Asian History. She’s been guided by a belief she encountered years ago by Maria Montessori: “Follow the child, and they will lead you where they want to go.” Dwan adds, “Our students want to succeed. I’m just along for the ride.” And what a ride it’s been. She loved seeing the looks on parents’ faces. “They’re amazed at how quickly their kids experience a turnaround at Forman,” she says. The inside of Jamie Dwan’s head is like a card catalogue, filled with students, parents, and faculty. She remembers them all, and she carries them all with her — in great detail.

C O M M E N CE M E NT 2 0 1 9

“Sometimes ... we have to work harder at things than other people … but if you put in the time ... and you put in the effort … what comes out on the other end will always be better than anything those other people could have done.” — Michael Gluck ’06 11

CLAS S OF 2019 C O L L E G E AC C E PTA N C E S

Clockwise from top left: Roger and Elizabeth Insley with daughter, Harriet; Christopher Matta with family; Lawrence and Jacqueline Lavine with daughter, Yiselina; Jake Walsh with family.

2 0 1 9 AWA R D R E C I P I E NTS The John N. Forman Award Jackson Graham Beers ’19 The Julie Ripley Forman Award Josephine Ann Azzara ’19 The Richard G. Peirce Award Daniel Philip Vasile ’19 The Jay W. Gilmore ’61 Award Robert Bryd Goodwin ’20 The Seniors’ Choice Award Eliot Henry Moser ’20 The Avis Halsey Award Camille Elise Anderson ’20 Holden Asher Phipps ’20

The Peirce Merit Scholarship Award Cameron Li Hua Robert Tichy ’22 Michael William Early ’21 Brady Anne Garrity ’20 The Headmaster’s Award Kendall Heather Beladino ’19 Kobe Ahlon Harkness ’19 The John Rogers Reinicke ’86 Award Jesse Milad Gharabawi ’19 The E.D. Hale Award Clare Alona Shurtleff ’19 The World Languages Award Jake Benjamin Schinasi ’19

The Ingenuity Program Award Harris Adam Goldstein ’19 The Arts Award Visual: Morgan Elizabeth Yanni ’19 Music: Henry Alexander Lautch ’19 Theater: Rory Chandler McRae ’19 The Petrek-Halloran Science Award Josephine Ann Azzara ’19 The History and Social Sciences Award Henry Alexander Lautch ’19 The Anne R. Talcott Book Award Anna Olivia Kennedy ’20

The Mark B. Perkins Mathematics Award Josephine Ann Azzara ’19 The English Award Harris Adam Goldstein ’19 The Athletic Award John Welles Blake II ’19 Hailey Xiao Xia Strauss ’19 The John N. Forman Award for Excellence in Education Jamie S. Dwan Allie L. Maxwell

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A Smooth Transition The unprecedented Forman alumnus career of Scott M. Sutherland ’69, P’93 ends as Jon E. Zagrodzky P’18, P’19 begins his tenure as President of the Board of Trustees. Trustee Jon E. Zagrodzky P’18, P’19, handing his daughter, Maggie, her diploma on Commencement Day in 2018.

By John Hassan

In 1984, Scott M. Sutherland ’69, P’93 joined the Forman School Board of Trustees, a major step along a path of service to the School that is unmatched in its 89 years of existence. At the time, Sutherland had been working to establish Forman’s Alumni Association and was its first President.

“We’d been trying to launch the Alumni Association for a while,” he says. “As part of the building process, I stepped into the role and joined the board in an ex officio capacity in 1983 and was elected to it the next year.” Sutherland has also served as a Class Agent, was on the Alumni Council, and was Chairman of the Annual Fund. But being President of the Board of Trustees is a particular role that Sutherland defines very clearly. There are longterm and big picture considerations but the job also has a very immediate and short-term impact on the School. “You are there to support the Head of the School,” says Sutherland, who became President of the Board in 2016. “It is a team effort of course, and you have obligations to the board as a whole, but you are working in tandem with the Head of the School on its operation.” The President of the Board of Trustees also interacts with

students in a special way. One of the duties of the job that Sutherland considers a perk is shaking hands with students on commencement day as they come to the stage to receive their diplomas. “Looking at the smiles on their faces as they pass by provides a level of satisfaction that you can’t get from any other aspect of serving Forman,” says Sutherland. “Having made that walk myself, it is especially meaningful to greet them as they join me in becoming Forman alumni.” Sutherland has also added a new tradition to commencement day at Forman. After signing Forman diplomas, Sutherland started to give the pen he used to the last student to walk across that Commencement Day stage. “It’s a nice, small gesture that creates a meaningful memento for that student,” says Sutherland. Board President Jon E. Zagrodzky P’18, P’19 plans to continue Sutherland’s new tradition. “I may not give it to the last student necessarily, but I think Scott’s idea is well worth continuing,” says Zagrodzky. Sutherland is very supportive of an immediate past parent leading the Board of Trustees. “It has happened organically on our board and I think having a mix of alums and past parents as trustees is very beneficial to Forman,” says Sutherland. “Parents and alums have different but complementary perspectives that provide a healthy resource for Forman.” Zagrodzky, Chief Operating Officer at Rhone Group, a private equity firm, and his wife, Sara, are the parents of Maggie ’18, a sophomore at DePaul University, and Jack ’19, a freshman at Drexel University. Jack’s transition to

Head of School Adam K. Man P’15, Trustee Emeritus Peter L. Phillips ’65, Louise Hoppe Finnerty P’11, Trustee Emeritus Scott M. Sutherland ’69, P’93, and Trustee Jon E. Zagrodzky P’18, P’19.

“Our children are now confident and have bright futures. I can’t say that I saw that in them before they came to Forman.” — President of the Board of Trustees Jon E. Zagrodzky P’18, P’19

college will be made smoother by his Forman roommate, who is also attending Drexel. “This is the fifth year in a row they will live together,” says Jon. “They’ll support each other as they move into this next chapter.” The Zagrodzky family was introduced to Forman by Trustee Frederick M. Lione, Jr., P’91 and his wife, Nancy. Zagrodzky met the Lione family through his work as President of the Darien, CT, Historical Society, where Nancy also served on the Board. After some conversations about the challenges that Maggie and Jack were having in school, Nancy told Jon he ought to reach out to Fred, who quickly arranged a tour of the School. It was already late spring 2014, but Maggie arrived in Litchfield that fall. And after watching his sister blossom, Jack told his parents he wanted to join her at Forman the next year. “Our children are now confident and have bright futures,” says Zagrodzky. “I can’t say that I saw that in them before they came to Forman. In addition to their academic success, Maggie and Jack have a renewed and positive sense of self-worth which is a blessing to see. As I stated in a speech at Parents’ Weekend in 2017, Forman

has redefined the word ‘miracle’ for me.” Zagrodzky, who became a Forman Trustee in 2016, is a busy man with a host of responsibilities, both professional and personal. So he did not take the request to serve as board President lightly. In fact, had it been any other institution, he would have likely declined. “But given all that Forman has done to transform the lives of our two children, giving back to the School in this way is the least I can do,” says Zagrodzky. Zagrodzky is second to no one in his admiration for Sutherland. “Scott has a strong combination of skills and attributes that made him a great board President, not the least of which is being an alum with a 50-year history with the School,” says Zagrodzky. “I learned a lot by watching him conduct board meetings and listening to him share his vast institutional knowledge.” While we don’t know the name of the student to whom Forman’s new President of the Board of Trustees will give his first diploma-signing pen, in a turn of fate that is almost too perfect, the names of the last two recipients of graduation pens from Sutherland may sound familiar: Maggie and Jack Zagrodzky.

F A C U L T Y

P R O F I L E

Matt with his daughter, Amelia (6), at the top of Cannon Mountain in New Hampshire.

F A C U L T Y

With wife and Assistant to the Assistant Head of School, Amanda, and son, Liam (10), at Edinburgh Castle in Edinburgh, Scotland.

A Forman Family English Department Chair Matthew Bender sees a bit of himself and his family in his students, which has helped him to see teaching at Forman as much more than a job. By John Hassan Matthew Bender, born and raised in Simsbury, CT, is the second of three boys. When Matt was in junior high school, both of his brothers were diagnosed with learning differences. As for Matt? “I refused to go in for testing,” says Bender. “I told my parents that I was doing fine in school and we didn’t need to investigate any further.” So he was never diagnosed with anything. But after teaching at Forman and gathering information about learning differences, Bender feels his family shows tendencies of executive function issues. “Myself included,” he adds. “But we have all developed our own strategies to overcome it.” “Like so many Forman students, my brothers blossomed 16

once they got to college,” says Bender. “They got past general education principles and could concentrate on something that interested them.” His older brother, Karl, studied sports medicine and by his senior year was doing 500 hours of hands-on work with athletic teams and loved every second, Bender’s first look at hands-on, experiential learning. Watching what his brother went through showed Bender that, for some students, the traditional methods of disseminating information and skills do not work. “It applied to me, too,” says Bender. ”When I was in a math class, I was just reading a book. I wasn’t learning math as I sat there. I did better when I got home and worked out the

problems myself. I was teaching myself in a different way as my brothers did.” After high school, Bender enrolled at the University of New Hampshire. As a freshman, he was one of 20 students selected for the wildlife management program. His plan was to end up in wildlife law enforcement, as a park ranger or game warden. By the end of his sophomore year, however, Bender was looking elsewhere for inspiration. The Matt teaching Honors program wasn’t as hands-on as Dystopian Literature. he had expected. Instead of being out in nature, learning through experience, he was “sitting in dank basement classrooms looking at dead animals.” Goodbye Smokey the Bear, hello Shakespeare. Bender switched his major to English. He had always done well in English and was a very strong reader from a young age. In fact, Bender started to think that he was looking at wildlife management from a literary standpoint more than anything else, a philosophical approach inspired by Henry David Thoreau and Aldo Leopold. Upon his mid-year graduation from UNH in 1998, Bender spent some time working in retail in New Hampshire and eventually moved back to Simsbury. Before leaving, however, he worked as an eighth grade English teacher at a public school in rural New Hampshire. “I co-taught with a math teacher. While she was teaching math, I was going around the class and helping students,” he says. “It was an inclusionary model school so you had LD kids, behavioral-issue kids, and mainstream kids all in the same classroom. It was a very nontraditional setup for a public school but gave me important insights for my next job.” At home, Bender applied to be a substitute teacher but never got called in (probably for the best, as his younger brother, Seth, was a senior at Simsbury High School). He worked with a placement agency and was hired by Forman in August of 2000 to work in the Learning Center, now the Cognition and Learning Department.

P R O F I L E

Bender dove right into the Forman experience. He worked with students on their writing one-on-one or in very small groups. He coached football and lacrosse and was a dorm parent in Commons. In 2003, Bender met Amanda Roberts, and they were married in 2004. They lived in Baillie and eventually moved to Hamilton before leaving dorm life in 2014. After five years in the Cognition and Learning Department, Bender spent the next five years in the Thinking and Writing Department. In 2010, Bender requested a move to the English Department. “I loved teaching writing. But I also liked the analysis of literature with kids,” says Bender. “Thinking and Writing was more instructional, and in an English class there is more exploration. In a general sense, there are rules for writing, grammar, punctuation, and organization. But when you are talking about literary analysis, there are guidelines, but they don’t always apply. There’s a freedom of approach and of thought that I enjoy. “It is like reading a map with the kids. You show them the various ways to get from point A to point B. But you don’t give them specific directions. You let them figure it out for themselves.” Bender has seen the department change in positive ways over the years. When he started teaching English, juniors read American Literature and seniors read British Literature. “There’s nothing wrong with students reading classic, traditional works,” says Bender. “But there is a big difference between having to read Beowulf and choosing to read Beowulf.” Today at Forman, upperclass students choose from a variety of electives, which increases engagement. “Every year, students will read a book I’ve taught many times,” says Bender. “And those students will come back to class having read something into the text that I had not picked up before. It sparks a lot of very interesting discussion.” Bender became Chairman of the English Department in 2013, and Amanda joined the Dean’s Office in 2016. Matthew and Amanda are the parents of Liam, 10, and Amelia, six. Their children have known no other home than the Forman campus. It’s in their blood. And while no formal diagnoses have been made, Bender feels his children would thrive as students at Forman. “To be honest, I’d love it if they went to school here,” says Bender. “And I wish my brothers had the chance to attend a school like Forman.” 17

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1 Forman’s 2019 seniors proudly pose for a photo while wearing gear from their respective colleges during Senior Swag Day 2 Brian Blum ’20 shows off his award-winning photograph after receiving the Gold Key award at the 2019 Scholastic Arts Awards Exhibition 3 The Girls’ Varsity Soccer team rings the Victory Bell after a 7-1 win over Marvelwood 4 Maya Ellin ’22 and Stephania Bendek ’22 having fun in art class 5 Jaylin Hopkins ’19, Rachel Mittelman ’19, Rene Burkert ’19, and Kendall Beladino ’19 pose for a photo on the Forman Green 6 Zoe Schwartz ’21 and Hannah Levy ’21 adjust gears during robotics class 7 Gabrielle Luckenbach ’21, Austin Phipps ’22, Helen Cirimele ’21, Joel Puckett ’22, and Douglas Baker ’22 smile for the camera during 2019 Prom 8 Assistant Head of School Mike Kowalchick, Justin Henges ’19, Ryan Langan ’22, and Jack Stanzione ’22 collect clothing donations for the second-annual Forman Holiday

Coat Drive 9 Zoe Bonovitz ’23 and Gia Catalan ’23 attend the ninth-grade ice cream social

A L U M N A

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The Power of Relationships Sarah Auch ’15

“... When I think of my time at Forman, I don’t think of my LD. I think of how I grew in my ability to interact with people and the world. I think of how I began the process of getting to know who I am and what I want.”

by John Hassan

Attending Forman taught Sarah Auch ’15 how to

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Sarah hiking last year on Rattlesnake Mountain in Willsboro, NY.

— Sarah Auch ’15

relate to other people and the world. In doing so, she began the journey of discovering herself.

Sarah at Camp Pok-O-MacCready, located in Willsboro, NY, where she was Director of Riding this past summer.

Stories with happy endings often begin with struggles, challenges, and doubt. “To be honest, I arrived at Forman a bit despondent. It wasn’t my choice to go,” says Sarah Auch ’15. “I was happy at home and didn’t want to leave.” Home is Old Greenwich, CT. Auch had been diagnosed with dyslexia in the first grade and ADHD in the fifth. Auch attended the Windward School in White Plains, NY. Windward is a school for children with language-based learning disabilities but only goes up to the ninth grade. Auch arrived in Litchfield unsure of what to expect and was homesick before her bags were unpacked. “But that feeling didn’t last. People were the key for me,” says Auch. “I came to love Forman early on. I settled in because there was always something to do, and I made a lot of friends quickly.” When asked who in particular made Forman so special for her, Auch has a long list. Ms. Crossman, Mr. Renehan, Ms. Bass, Mr. Ford, Mr. McCarthy, Mrs. Davis, Mr. Davis. “I’m sure I missed a few!” Ms. Boyer, her house parent in Childress that important sophomore year, took special care of Auch to make sure she got the most out of Forman and could see all that the School offered her. “Ms. Fenton has always supported me,” says Auch. “To this day, she never lets me fall out of touch.” The transition was not a complete and instant success, however. “It seems funny to say this now but I didn’t especially like my roommate at first. But Allie Gluck ’15 is now one of my best friends. We have traveled all over

the world together. We talk all the time.” Auch says that she and Gluck know each other fully, from their learning differences to how to compliment each other. “Dyslexia can make it hard to relate to other people. But we’ve been there for each other and have cared about each other’s struggles.” Another positive Forman experience for Auch was being a prefect in Lewis dorm her senior year. Being a gateway for students to the dorm parents, administration, and faculty was an opportunity to grow more comfortable socially as well as contribute to the School. “A prefect can be a good bridge between the rules and the students who have to follow them,” she says. “You can take the time to explain, and the students come to understand what is being asked of them.” By the time Auch was a senior and it was time to leave Forman, the girl who didn’t want to come now didn’t want to leave. She didn’t want anything to do with the college application process and could not make a decision about the 12 acceptances she had. On the day of the deadline, Ms. Davis had to chase her down and force her to make a decision. “I had no idea where I wanted to go,” says Auch. “I called my mother and asked her to make it for me. But she refused and told me I had to make the call myself.” Auch chose St. Lawrence University for a variety of reasons but one in particular. “St. Lawrence offers a great experience for students with learning differences, though it is not something they are necessarily known for,” says Auch. “I could go there and get the support I needed without being labeled. I also wanted a school that would

challenge me but also allow me to have a life.” While at St. Lawrence, Auch had the opportunity to study abroad — a goal she had set for herself while at Forman. She did not let her dyslexia stand in her way: she spent a semester in Copenhagen, where she lived with a Danish family, took a full course load, and visited 13 other countries. Auch, a math major, made a good college choice based on the results so far. She graduated in 2019 as a member of Phi Beta Kappa and several other national honor societies. After spending this summer working at a camp in the Adirondacks, Auch is poised to apply for internships and explore her career options. “For a long time, I just did what was expected of me and moved through the system. It didn’t seem real to me,” says Auch. “But graduation made it very real. I am going to choose what happens next in my life.” Auch has the support of her family in this important transitional time. She feels fortunate not to have the financial pressure to jump right into a job. Lessons learned at Forman will help Auch navigate this passage in her life. “A lot of kids go to Forman for help with their learning differences. I did too. But I’d done that before and it was just part of my life at that point.” says Auch. “So, when I think of my time at Forman, I don’t think of my LD. I think of how I grew in my ability to interact with people and the world. I think of how I began the process of getting to know who I am and what I want. I may be playing a little catch-up with that now, but Forman got me started.” 21

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Gearing Up Toni Roger Fishman ’88

by John Hassan

Toni Roger Fishman’s friends and family have been calling him “Tone” for as long as he can remember. It’s a fitting nickname for a man who has become a leader in the world of sound and music production.

During his childhood in West Hartford, CT, Toni Fishman struggled in school. By the fourth grade, he was taken out of regular classes and worked with a teacher one-on-one. “As my education began to develop, it became harder and harder to concentrate,” says Fishman. “I was eventually diagnosed with dyslexia and attention deficit disorder.” After attending several elementary schools in West Hartford, Fishman made strong progress at the Greenwood School in Putney, VT. “This was the first time music and arts were a key part of my education,” says Fishman. “There were small classes. I already liked music, but those years helped me to appreciate music on a new level.” Fishman graduated from Greenwood in 1983 and enrolled at Forman. Life in Hopkins dorm as a freshman was a positive and eye-opening experience. One of Fishman’s dorm parents was interested in many kinds of electronic equipment and in recording music. That teacher also worked with Fishman on sound production for Forman theatrical efforts. “Those were the beginnings of my interest in what I’m doing now,” he says. “At Forman, I learned about the gear.” What he’s doing now is running a company called Telefunken Elektroakustik, a world-class producer of microphones and other audio equipment. By the time Fishman got to Forman, he was already a seasoned collector and trader of legitimate and bootleg music tapes. “There was a community of Grateful Dead

“ I saw that there were too many people taking pictures of musicians and not enough people recording the music.”

fans on campus,” says Fishman. “I really embraced sharing music, and I’ve never stopped.” Both recording and listening to tapes piqued Fishman’s interest in sound quality. How could you make it sound better? “I play guitar,” says Fishman. “But I always felt I was better with the equipment that makes the sound than I was at making the music.” Fishman found a way to pursue his talent at Forman. Back then, there was a little performance area in the basement of the Forman library. The School often booked bands to play there, and legendary jazz drummer, Gene Krupa, once found his way to Litchfield. During Fishman’s time at Forman, he helped with the sound at shows and worked on recording them as well. “I had so much trouble with all of the reading, writing, and arithmetic that I really gravitated towards anything that was hands-on learning and put me in more of a social setting,” says Fishman. There was another part of Forman life that helped shape Toni Fishman. For insurance reasons, it helped Forman to have a volunteer fire department on campus. Communication is a key part of fire fighting, and Fishman worked to maintain and operate scanners and walkietalkies. More time with gear. After leaving Forman, Fishman made a bold choice. Forgoing college, he got jobs at a camera shop and a stereo shop in the Hartford area. Fishman was also doing a lot of concert photography in night clubs and other small venues for a local newspaper called The Scene. This time proved important, as it led Fishman deeper into the world of music and recording music. “The visual led to the auditory,” he says. “I saw that there were too many people taking pictures of musicians and not enough people recording the music.” The bands Max Creek, the Grateful Dead, and Phish opened doors for Fishman as they were happy for their music to be shared informally, taking Fishman back to his days of trading tapes at Forman. Fishman shot and recorded those bands for years until he built a mobile recording unit and branched out to record music festivals like the Dead-inspired Gathering of the Vibes. Next up for Fishman’s expanding interest in capturing music was building a recording studio in his home on

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Talcott Mountain in Simsbury, CT, in the early 1990s. After establishing a good business and finding success, a 1998 flood destroyed the studio. “What I had taken five years to build was gone in five days,” says Fishman. Undaunted, Fishman moved his recording operation to a building his family owned in South Windsor, CT. In 1998, Fishman started a small company in his house called Vintage Tones, which made microphones and microphone parts. Over time, he realized that he knew enough about microphones to make his own and recreate classics. Telefunken is a fabled German electronics company that was founded in 1903. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Telefunken’s business declined greatly, and control of some of their intellectual property and trademarks lapsed, scattering them around the globe and there for the taking. Which is how Toni Fishman acquired the North American rights to the name as well as its diamondshaped logo in 2001. In producing his new line of microphones, Fishman was able to use original Telefunken blueprints and tooling. “We reverse-engineered everything from scratch,” says Fishman. He named his company Telefunken North America and began making microphones for the U.S. market. After winning wide praise for his restorative and reproductive work with Telefunken microphones, in 2009 Fishman’s company was renamed Telefunken Elektroakustic and he was given rights to manufacture many professional audio products bearing the Telefunken name in more than 27 countries. His South Windsor operation occupies 30,000 square feet for production, warehousing, recording, and a sound stage. Fishman married his wife, Yukiko, in 2004 and their son, Ethan, is nine years old. At 50, Fishman sees a bright future and how it will be shaped by his past. “Most aspects of learning and academics were challenging for me, but when I found something that I was passionate about, it all stopped feeling like work,” says Fishman. “At Forman, I got the chance to be creative and started to feel that anything was possible.”

2019

Alumni Weekend The weekend of May 3-5, 2019, was a sunny and pleasant time in Litchfield for Forman School alumni to return to campus and reconnect with old friends, make new ones, and take stock of the many changes that have occurred at Forman since their last visit. Many alumni got a chance to see yet another new addition to campus, the fire pit outside the Malcolm G. Chace Student Center, itself a refurbished gem whose walls feature a wonderful display of photographs of musicians and singers as well as many vintage instruments. The Student Center also houses the Lion’s Den Bistro which provides great food as well as learning opportunities for students in the Culinary Program. An ongoing highlight of the weekend was seeing all the smiles on alumni faces while catching up and basking in the glow of old friendships, perhaps Forman’s most wonderful gift to all alumni. An alumni tour of nearby Litchfield Distillery reminded all that as Forman has changed and grown over the years, so has the surrounding area. In addition to the Sunset Soiree around the fire pit, alumni got a chance to mingle at the cookout on The Green, many choosing to eat their lunch under the welcoming, comforting Graduation Tree. The weekend, full of laughter, hugs, and remembering, provided yet another example of what Head of School Adam K. Man P’15 means when he says that Forman is a family.

1 Connor Clancy ’12, Ariel Blouin ’11, and Emily Johnson ’11 2 Hannah Dodd Morton ’08, Ella Cox ’14, Athletic Director

Scotty McCarty ’76, P’02, P’05, and Kelly Solk ’09

3 George Winkler ’89, Nick Kraus ’89, and Joel Griffith ’89 4 Ella Cox ’14 and Melissa Lipset ’14 5 Krit Singh ’09, Bo Titcumb ’09, Kelly Solk ’09, and Hannah Dodd Morton ’08 6 Reunion Class of 1989 7 Ben Coffin ’69, Carla McKay Lucey ’67, and Carrie West ’68 8 Alumni lacrosse game

SAVE THE DATE!

ALUMNI WEEKEND May 2-3, 2020

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PARENTS’ WEEKEND

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On October 3, 2018, almost 200 guests were happily welcomed onto campus for Forman’s Grandparents’ and Special Friends’ Day. This event is always a favorite for the Forman community because visitors get the opportunity to attend classes and sporting events. Forman also hosted student presentations in the Visual and Performing Arts Center, as well as a steam bending demonstration by our talented Forman Boat Works students.

Visitors arrived on the Forman campus for Parents’ Weekend ready to recognize student achievement and enjoy everything the School has to offer. The event started off with a seminar for new families headed by LD expert Rick Lavoie, followed by two days of parent-teacher conferences, education sessions led by Forman faculty, an exciting Fall Festival complete with student musical performances, and athletic competitions.

GRANDPARENTS’ AND SPECIAL FRIENDS’ DAY

1 Paul Biondo, Kelise Biondo ’22, and Peg Biondo 2 Robin Branstrom, Celia Sherrill ’22, and Bill Branstrom 3 Donna Satow, Jackson Satow ’19, and Phillip Satow

ALUMNI HOCKEY GAME

1 Emme Woolley ’20 with Audie and Allyson Woolley 2 Dr. Kim Saal, Florence Colantino ’21, and Kristen Colantino 3 Dennis Holtzapffel, Jack Holtzapffel ’22, and Christine Lyons-Holtzapffel 4 Laura Milde ’22, right, with her family 5 Alexander Gardner ’21 with Ben and Karen Gardner

The annual Alumni Hockey game was held on Sunday, January 13, at the Rumsey Hall School rink. Alumni and faculty suited up in Forman jerseys and hit the ice to battle against the Varsity Boys. The game was action-packed, with breakways, slap shots, and body checking. Once again the alumni celebrated their win, beating the students 11-7.

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DARIEN

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Sara and Trustee Jon Zagrodzky P’18, P’19 graciously welcomed Forman at the Country Club of Darien, CT, on December 6, 2018. In attendance were alumni, faculty, and staff, along with current, past, and prospective parents.

BOSTON

FLORIDA

Beth and Head of School Adam K. Man P’15 held a gathering at Boston’s Liberty Hotel on February 21, 2019, where alumni and parents reunited and connected with new friends.

Jason Regalbuto ’91, P’20 and Wilder Regalbuto P’20 hosted a cocktail reception celebrating Forman of yesterday and today on March 28, 2019, at their beautiful home in Palm Beach, FL.

1 Donald and Anne Kilburn P’19

1 Trustee Emeritus Peter L. Phillips ’65 and K. Doran Smith ’88 with guest Debbie Speciner

2 Athletic Director Scotty McCarty ’76, P’02, P’05, Peter Hanson P’06,

2 Wilder Regalbuto P’20, Jason Regalbuto ’91, P’20, and Trustee Elizabeth

Jim Gray ’90, and Joan Halpert P’06 3 Eduardo Job ’12, Jared LaVergne ’12 with guest, and Tim Leveroni ’05

1 Alison Loop P’19, Mary Beth Sears, Catherine Gedney P’22,

Garber Daniels ’93 3 Todd and Hope Blum P’20, Charles Lipset P’14, P’19, Head of School Adam K. Man P’15, and Debra Lipset P’14, P’19

Maggie Zagrodzky ’18, Sara Zagrodzky P’18, P’19, David Carter P’22, and Laura Quine P’22 2 Sean Maguire ’89, P’22, Dana Stein ’90, and David Heineman ’89

3 Mal Brooks P’20 with Chris and Kimberly Van Munching P’19 4 Nancy Lione, Trustee Fred Lione P’91, Nigel Russell P’22, and Alissa Gaines P’22 5 John Papa P’17, John Small P’14, and Steve Wright P’19

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L I O N ’ S

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2018-2019

Athletic Highlights FALL Boys’ Soccer Boys’ Varsity Soccer played in the quarterfinals of the Housatonic Valley Athletic League (HVAL) tournament, where they lost in a shootout during overtime. One player was nominated to the HVAL All-Star First Team. One player made HVAL All-Star Honorable Mention. Girls’ Soccer Girls’ Varsity Soccer had a great season, and every girl improved throughout the fall. One player was named Housatonic Valley Athletic League (HVAL) AllStar and another was HVAL All-Star Honorable Mention. Two players participated in the All-Star game. Crew Crew tackled races against King School, the Litchfield Hills Rowing Club, and the Gunnery this fall with a competitive spirit. The athletes improved considerably and look forward to successfully building the team even more next season. Cross Country Cross Country successfully competed in many Housatonic Valley Athletic League (HVAL) meets and had a great season. One of the memorable highlights was a win against the Gunnery. The team is looking forward to another successful season in 2019, as there will be many returning runners.

Boys’ Eight-Man Football Football had a strong season, building on the foundation of effort, consistency, and discipline in their approach to the game. The team continues to grow and find success in the New England EightPlayer Football League. Sailing Sailing enjoyed another successful fall season, propelled by a host of challenging practices and competitive regattas that took the team to Martha’s Vineyard, Newport, and New Haven. The future of the program continues to be bright, fueled by Forman’s invested athletes. Volleyball Varsity Volleyball showed tremendous growth, as they were able to implement complex plays after the first few games. Two players were honored with the title of Housatonic Valley Athletic League (HVAL) Volleyball All-Star Second Team. Most notably, the team was honored with the HVAL Sportsmanship Award. This is a big honor for the team and the School.

WINTER Girls’ Basketball Girls’ Varsity Basketball had one player named to the Housatonic Valley Athletic League (HVAL) All-Star Second Team, as well as one player who received HVAL All-Star Honorable Mention. These recognitions are well-deserved honors for both of these athletes.

Boys’ Basketball Boys’ Varsity Basketball had a record of 7-11 this past season. They made it to the Housatonic Valley Athletic League (HVAL) quarterfinals, where they lost in a very close game. One of the new players from the team was named to HVAL AllStar second team. Alpine Ski Alpine Ski steadily improved every race. Unfortunately, the snow was never perfect and the conditions varied drastically, as temperatures went from dangerously cold to springlike. Despite facing weather challenges, three of Forman’s skiers placed in the top 15 and the team finished fourth out of seven in the Giant Slalom Championships. Wrestling Wrestling had one of the largest and most dominant teams Forman has had in a while. The team won seven consecutive matches, beating Salisbury School, Chase Collegiate, Canterbury School, Marvelwood School, New York Military Academy, the Woodhall School, and Storm King School. This team was also one of the youngest, with six freshmen and three sophomores competing on the varsity team. Hockey Hockey faced a challenging season, although they had some great highlights. Most notably, in the last game of the season, the team had a big win over South Kent School with a 4-3 victory in overtime.

SPRING Ultimate Frisbee Ultimate Frisbee enjoyed a very successful season. The players worked well together to create a unified, co-ed team. The team made it to the semifinals of the Housatonic Valley Athletic League (HVAL) Tournament with a winning record. Baseball Baseball had some exciting moments, one of the most notable being winning their game against the Masters School for the first time in four years. Also, this season, they had more extra-base hits than they have had in a very long time. One player from the team was named Housatonic Valley Athletic League (HVAL) All-League, and one player was HVAL Honorable Mention. Softball Softball came roaring back for the 2019 season, winning the 2019 Housatonic Valley Athletic League (HVAL) Championships. The team was ranked number one in the New England Tournament and lost in the final game. Three players made the Western New England Preparatory School Girls’ Softball Association All-Star game. In addition, three players made the HVAL Softball All-League team, one received HVAL Honorable Mention, and two were honored with the title of Western New England All-League.

Golf Golf had a very successful season, playing to a 6-4 league record, and 7-4 overall record. The Forman players earned five of the sixteen spots in the HVAL Individual Championship, including the number one and number two spots. One of our Forman players brought home the bronze, finishing just one stroke behind the winner. Boys’ Tennis Boys’ Varsity Tennis had one of its best seasons in years. The whole team went down swinging in the Housatonic Valley Athletic League (HVAL) tournament, losing to the eventual champion. Two players were HVAL All-League. Girls’ Tennis Girls’ Varsity Tennis had one player receive Housatonic Valley Athletic League (HVAL) All-League honors. Two players were honored with HVAL Honorable Mention. Crew Crew competed in five regattas this spring. One of the key highlights was a regatta at Lake Quassapaug, where they competed against South Kent School and Westover School. During this regatta, the boys’ first boat beat both teams, and the second boat had a win over Westover School and Forman’s third boat.

Girls’ Lacrosse Girls’ Lacrosse faced a rainy season, getting them off to a slow start. The first three games were canceled, and many more followed. However, the team kept a positive spirit and continued to grow. Despite many canceled games and practices in the mud and rain, this group of young women came together to produce the best season they could. Boys’ Lacrosse Boys’ Lacrosse saw the return of a strong nucleus of players this year and was able to work together for a successful season, culminating in an immensely hard-fought Housatonic Valley Athletic League (HVAL) final game. The team earned the title of Runner-Up in the 2019 HVAL Championship. Three members were chosen for HVAL All-League First Team and two for HVAL All-League Honorable Mention. White Water Kayaking White Water Kayaking had a brand new crew, which made for an exciting season on the Housatonic River. Heavy rains began this past spring, generating huge rapids and waves and creating challenging practices. Forman’s kayakers came in second and third in the K1 rec boys’ race, and second and third in the K1 rec girls’ race.

G I V I N G

Why Give?

CLASS NOTES

Monroe B. Scharff mbscharff@aol.com _____________________________

When I sat down to write this letter, I was excited to thank the entire community for helping us achieve a record-setting, first-ever million-dollar Annual Fund. It was indeed a community effort from current parents to graduates from the 1940s. But would everyone feel included and valued as part of

S. Sherman Clark Jr. shermclark@aol.com _____________________________

this thank you even if they had not donated?

I always speak of the Forman community as an entirety, but sometimes I am asked if that includes non-donors, and that question is often followed by, “why give?” The first part is easy; all community members are valued and appreciated, whether they make a donation or not. The question of why some people choose to give and others don’t, however, is a far more personal and complicated discussion. I would like to handle the “why give” in simple, broad strokes, and I am always happy to meet in person and go into much greater detail. Some myths dispelled: Forman is so rich it doesn’t need my money — False. Forman has a modest eight-million-dollar endowment. The School supports more scholarship funds alone than our endowment can underwrite. Forman’s tuition is so high, there must only be rich kids there who don’t need my support — False. More than one-third of our student body is on some form of aid, and we are a tuition-driven school. That means all of the tuition goes directly to present operating costs. My small contribution is nothing to a school that can raise millions of dollars — False. We need everyone’s support and the percent participation of our constituents factors into all of our grant applications and can make a difference to most of our leadership donors. The reality of “why give” is always personal, but the needs of Forman are clear and varied. Be it capital dollars for our current construction projects, endowment dollars for scholarships, or unrestricted Annual Fund for the

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budget, Forman has a myriad of needs for your support. For hundreds of years, private schools have been built on a tradition of anticipated support and “paying it forward” — everyone is expected to give what they can, when they can. Today’s Forman is built on that accumulated generosity and tradition. There is a role for each of us, from the five-dollar donor to the leadership donor, in this tradition of giving. Tradition alone is not why you should support a school. Your donation is about belief in what that school does for students and the vital role we play in students’ lives. It is to help offer an opportunity to those who need scholarship support. It is to ensure our faculty are well trained and cared for. It is a belief in ensuring the future of the School. I hope this helps you understand the needs and some of the “whys,” but I strongly suggest that if it has been a while since you have been on campus, you should come back for a visit. The answer is on all of the students’ faces and the beautiful setting they benefit from.

Michael N. Cohen _____________________________

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_____________________________

Alfred C. Body Jr. skibumal43@gmail.com _____________________________

As a Class Agent, Ace Body Jr. would like to get everyone together for a very special 60th-year reunion in 2023. He would like all members of the class of 1963 to contact him via his cell phone at 216.832.2084 or skibumal43@ gmail.com. Ace asks that, if you know of a “lost classmate,” please tell him or her about this event and ask them to share their contact information with the School. Ace visits campus regularly and knows that there have been lots of changes to the School and the programs. “For those of you who have

not been back on campus in a while, you would be amazed at what you would see!” Please keep in touch, and Ace will make sure you get the details as the date gets closer.

Eric D. Murray ericdmu@netzero.com _____________________________

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Sara L. Fliess sallyfl47@pubgames.com Jeffrey T. Whipple jtwhip55@gmail.com _____________________________

Richard P. Barker msb463@msn.com _____________________________

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Edward T. Marks ted@atwatervineyards.com _____________________________

Justin B. Solomon Assistant Head of School for Institutional Advancement 860.567.1896 justin.solomon@formanschool.org

Ted Marks is selling Atwater Estate Vineyards this fall and has sold his restaurant, GRAFT, in Watkins Glen, NY. He continues his new project as the publisher of Edible Finger Lakes magazine.

Ted Marks ’60 with his family.

C L A S S

N O T E S

C L A S S

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Susan Spadone Holmes _____________________________

Duncan Marshall ’67 and his family celebrating daughter Lindsay’s wedding on the beach in Lewes, DE.

Bartow S. Curtis Jr. bart_curtis65@yahoo.com Deborah Gould Petersen _____________________________

Duncan L. Marshall dlmarshall@optonline.net _____________________________

A week before his surgery, Duncan Marshall walked his daughter, Lindsay, down the aisle at her wedding ceremony; an opportunity that every father cherishes. In this case, the “aisle” was a beach in Lewes, DE, where Lindsay Marshall and Bryant Liggett were married in May in the company of their two families. Pictured above are members of the Marshall clan, including Duncan’s grandchild Hazel Marshall, age two.

Nancy Walton Mariker _____________________________

Davis A. Dewey davisdeweysr@gmail.com Scott M. Sutherland jms208@aol.com _____________________________

Seth Vose moved from the Boston area and currently lives in New Hampshire, in the Dartmouth-Lake Sunapee region. He would love to see Forman friends, should they be in the area. He inherited his mother’s family cottage when she passed in 2011 at the age of 94. The cottage has been in the family since 1912, and Seth made some changes to the place and now lives there year-round. At one time, Seth worked for the Massachusetts Historical Society in Boston, the nation’s oldest private library. One of the proudest moments of his life was when he held in his own hands a letter from George Washington to John Adams. In this letter, Washington was asking Adams’s advice on how to behave when receiving diplomats, seeing that Adams was an experienced diplomat himself.

In June, Peter Forte sailed in the Marion-Bermuda Race, winning first place in Class A, as well as first place trophy for his team of three boats (first in Class A and D, plus a fifth in Class A). The race was quick, finishing in three days, ten hours, with 35 mph winds from the start through the second day. The Abigail has a crew of four, plus the skipper and navigator, operating on three hour watches — three hours on, three hours off for sleep. They sailed about 40 miles west of the rhumb line (the straight line to Bermuda), in an effort to get favorable Gulf Stream current, and also to duck behind an easterly moving high weather system that typically is associated with dead calm winds. Celestial navigation was quite interesting, catching sights as the weather permitted.

Craig J. Hanson craigjhanson77@gmail.com Andrew Krens Jr. drew_krens@yahoo.com _____________________________

David E. Swift not_too@hotmail.com _____________________________

Joan G. Bielizna joanrealtor@snet.net _____________________________

Paula Nichols-Dille _____________________________

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Diana Curtis Price Dcprice2000@aol.com _____________________________

Peter G.M. Roberts pgmroberts@hotmail.com

Peter M. Ahlfeld pahlfeld@gmail.com Scott A. Brady skbrady1117@gmail.com Christopher D. Gaynor cdgaynor@gmail.com Nancy Robinson Swift nancysunnyswift@yahoo.com _____________________________

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Jennie Alexandre Bono Kendra R. Van Pelt sassyk105@gmail.com _____________________________

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_____________________________

Hilary L. Taylor hilzo@aol.com _____________________________

William L. Freeman freeman.will@gmail.com _____________________________

Brothers Trey Wills ’84 and Tim Wills P’21 recently celebrated their 25th year of being in business together. Trey spends a lot of time in Key Largo, FL, fishing and socializing with Mike Rich ’84. They are planning a boat trip to Montauk, NY, to fish with Jeff Nichols ’84 while visiting Chris Gaynor ’84 and others from Forman.

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“I look forward to Alumni Weekend this year and expect a great turn out from the 80s alumni.” Ginger Penney is working with International Cultural Exchange Services that deal directly with high school exchange students and place them with wonderful appropriate families. They then place them in a nearby high school for a couple of semesters, or for a year.

Lisa Richardson Palmer larfal@aol.com _____________________________

Amanda Thorndike has been very busy with work she loves! She also loves being a very proud mom to her 22-year-old son, William. William and Amanda made a move to Louisville, KY, earlier this summer to live with her longtime boyfriend, Brian High. Amanda is looking forward to the second half of her life with Brian and their children. Life is great!

Matthew L. LaFlamme matt_laflamme@msn.com _____________________________

Andrew Y. Covert andrewycovert@gmail.com _____________________________

Holly Jones Weisenberger ’87 and Henry Harris ’86 got together with their families this summer at the fair.

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Holly Jones Weisenberger holly@theweisenbergers.com _____________________________

Holly Jones Weisenberger has been busy at home taking care of her two boys in southern New Hampshire. They are both growing up very fast. Joseph is 14 and going into high school, while Andrew, 11, is going into the 6th grade. She is very lucky to get to see Paul Dowd and his family every once in a while, as well as talk to Kim McIlvaine every few months. Most recently, she spent time with Henry Harris ’86.

Neesha Nicks Allen _____________________________

Sean P. Maguire sean.maguire@formanschool.org Curt F. Pfannenstiehl curtpfann@gmail.com W. David Thorn Jr. dthorn30@yahoo.com _____________________________

Sean Maguire, his wife, Victoria, and their family have enjoyed this past year back at Forman School. Sean continues

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to work hard in Advancement as well as in his role as a dorm parent in Hamilton. Victoria is the manager of the school bookstore and was a dorm parent for the Forman Summer Program. Olivia ’22 is a sophomore at Forman, and Mason, 14, and Bennett, 7, both attend Rumsey Hall School. Sean looks forward to seeing everyone at Alumni Weekend this year on May 2nd and 3rd!

Kenneth I. Deane kenneth.deane@gmail.com

Gilah E. Gersten gilahg@gmail.com Amy E. Love alove0410@comcast.net _____________________________

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Jennifer Winkler Balzi jenrwink@gmail.com Karine Opdyke Lawrence karinelawrence@yahoo.com _____________________________

Michael Kernan is a Life Skills Associate for patients with traumatic brain injuries. He provides personal care, essential life skills, and maintains the overall health of his patients. Michael is happily married to his wife, Amanda, and they enjoy family time with their three children (ages 15, 11, and 4).

Rob P. Tarantino rob_tarantino@ml.com Jenny Virgopia jennyvirgopia@aol.com _____________________________

Christopher D. Kellogg christopher.kellogg@icloud.com

Jessica Davis Raitz jessica.raitz@gmail.com _____________________________

Brooke Labriola Shepard brooke@monogrammary.com _____________________________

Meredith McClean Fontaine mmfontaine12@gmail.com

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Christina E. Bodine-Aysseh christinabodine@msn.com Allison Herrone Gsell allison_herron@hotmail.com Elizabeth G. Thomas lizgthomas@yahoo.com _____________________________

Jenn Brown Anzelone ’89 and Joel Griffith ’89 went to Fairlee, VT, to visit Kelly Smith ’89 who owns Samurai Soul Food, an Asian Bistro in town. They had a delicious meal and a fun evening reconnecting over wonderful Forman memories.

Amy Owen Stettner aostett@hotmail.com

Brian A. Eisenberg brianadam11@comcast.net _____________________________

Kimberly B. Ertag

91 Sean Maguire ’89 with family.

Gilah Gersten ’93 graduated manga cum laude from the Goodwin College dental hygiene program.

Gilah Gersten graduated from the dental hygiene program at Goodwin College magna cum laude and on the dean’s list. Gilah says, “It just shows it is never too late to learn new things or pursue new interests.” Gilah travels around the world and gives back by giving people beautiful smiles; locally, she volunteers with CT Mission of Mercy. She is looking forward to continuing educating and helping people with their oral health care. Gilah continues to enjoy her role as Class Agent and is looking forward to working with fellow agents, Amy Love and Kenny Dean. She welcomes classmates to contact her through email at gilahg@gmail.com or on Facebook.

Marikay Geib marikaygeib212@msn.com

Elizabeth Hanway Johnson ehjohnson100@gmail.com

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Chelsea E. Kinsella squidmail@aol.com

Jesse Resnick and his wife live in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, and have a boy, Theo, who turned two in September. “He’s an awesome little guy and brings us a lot of joy.” Professionally, things are going well at Jesse’s creative and technology agency, Experience-Interaction, which will be going into its ninth year. “Time just flies by and definitely moves faster as you get older!”

Kevin T. Smallwood smallwkt@gmail.com _____________________________

Adam Grabish recently moved back to St. Louis, MO, and accepted a job as a structural analysis engineer with Boeing Defense, Space & Security. His group is responsible for the strength-analysis work done on the center- and aft-fuselage sections of the F-15 Eagle.

Kathryn John Blume john.katie@gmail.com Laura J. Goodkind ljgoodkind@msn.com

James J. Hamilton jhamilton8492@yahoo.com _____________________________

Abbie Graham Durkin abbiedurkin@gmail.com _____________________________

Susan A. Schonfeld suzy195954@aol.com _____________________________

Mark M. Roscio gradywhaler@gmail.com _____________________________

Elizabeth A. Monroe lizmonroe@comcast.net

Tyler Renn tylerrenn@rennwealth.com _____________________________

Jesse J. E. Resnick jesse.res@gmail.com _____________________________

Lauren Cuticelli Patton lauren@cuticelli.com

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Jesse Resnick ’00 and his wife, Hannah, with son, Theo, live in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn.

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Pearse P. Matthews Cyril P. Thornton thorntcp@gmail.com _____________________________

Matthew A. Bonzagni mattbonzagni232@charter.net Leith T. Sharp leithal29@gmail.com _____________________________

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Ian C. Hayward ianhayward88@gmail.com _____________________________

Last fall, after five and a half months, Olivia Hanson summited Mount Katahdin and completed 2,190.9 miles of the Appalachian Trail. Olivia was hiking for cancer research, and her goal was to raise $2,190.00. The total amount raised was $4,256.00, and she donated that to the Movember Project. Olivia also worked alongside the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride, a prostate cancer-research ride, and the research programs at Mass General Hospital, where her mother received treatment for breast cancer. Olivia intends to take on the Pacific Crest Trail in 2020. Ry Sanderson and Natalie Hammonds Sanderson are doing well. They moved from San Francisco to New York City this summer for Ry’s new job. He is now working at Z Capital, a privately held global investment firm in midtown Manhattan. Natalie is currently still working as a wedding and events coordinator for her San Francisco company, Floramor Studios, finishing

Ry ’06 and Nat Sanderson ’06 take a summer selfie.

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up her wedding and events she had booked for this year. Once this year’s events are done, she plans on moving on from Floramor and finding a job in the same field in New York. Natalie says, “New York is certainly different from San Francisco, pros and cons, and we did have a rocky start to our move. We lost our dog, Denver, to cancer in July, and the pain of that loss is only just starting to ease.” But they are having a nice time meeting new people and exploring the massive and lively city. It’s also been great to be back on the east coast, closer to Ry’s family and their old high school and college friends.

Parker W. S. Beard pwsb87@sbcglobal.net Shannon W. Hallenbeck shannon.hallenbeck@gmail.com Audrey Stout Micca micca.audrey@gmail.com _____________________________

Oliver Kyle Gacek was born on January 17, 2019. He is pictured here with his mother, Katherine, and her husband, sister-in-law Amanda, and brother, Kyle Holloran ’05.

Katherine Halloran Gacek ’07 (left).

Kelly Solk ksolk90@gmail.com _____________________________

Gretchen G. Conyers gretchc23@gmail.com

Many young alumni came back to help at Forman Summer School this year. Jordan Bates and Eric Opperman ’11 were dorm parents; Kyle Budlow ’15, Jon Cook ’15, Tucker Fry ’16, Allie Gluck ’15, Thomas Puffer ’15, and Samantha Rebholtz ’14 were all back on campus as counselors. One evening, during a community event, students got to hear Thomas and Peter talk about their respective high school

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Cameron S. Billik csbillik@gmail.com

Dayne J. Price dayneprice@gmail.com _____________________________

Shannon Hallenbeck ’07 enjoys the sights at the Colosseum in Rome.

Shannon Hallenbeck moved to Greenville, SC, to be closer to his new job as a Senior Living Advisor at RealPage Inc., assisting senior citizens in finding retirement communities that offer different options, from independent living to skilled-nursing care. He also continues his work as a life coach with clients, specializing in stress management and personal empowerment. He traveled to Rome in April and enjoyed plenty of good food and amazing architecture. Shannon says he made some of the most amazing friends at Forman, and considers himself so fortunate to still be in touch with them to this day.

has traveled to far off and exotic places such as Cuba, Indonesia, and Qatar, to name a few.

Candace R. Earlington wacky_candy@hotmail.com

Justin W. DeCausey justindecausey@gmail.com

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Jordan Bates ’07 slaying dragons with a Forman Summer Program student.

and college experiences. Thomas recently graduated from Curry College in Milton, MA, with a degree in management. He hopes to one day manage an athletic facility or sports team. Peter is entering his senior year at Whitman College in Walla Walla, WA, where he majors in studio art. After college, Peter hopes to attend a graduate program to study creative arts therapy or education. Both young men did a fantastic job communicating the life lessons they have learned thus far.

Hannah Dodd Morton hmorton1008@gmail.com _____________________________

STAY CON N ECTED

Trustee Michael Yormark ’09 on Europe’s highest peak, Mount Elbrus, in southern Russia.

Michael Yormark still resides in New York City and as of spring 2019, is a Forman School Trustee. He also recently traveled to Europe to climb Europe’s tallest peak, Mount Elbrus, in southern Russia. Michael and his group had to turn around just below the summit (247 meters below the summit), as they walked into a serious storm: 60 mph winds, heavy snow, whiteout conditions, water had completely frozen, face mask iced up, three-foot snow drifts, etc., but the trip was wonderful! Lindsay Eldredge lives in New York City working for a PharmaTech company. Over the past few years, she

Isabel Rollo moved to Aurora, CO, in July to begin a new job in social work, working with preschoolers at a public school. She is super excited about the potential of the job. She received her Master’s Degree in Social Work from Salem State University in August 2017, before becoming restless in Massachusetts and applying to jobs across the U.S. She still keeps in touch with Chandi Byrne ’12, Bryan Perkins ’11, Becca Domal ’09, Maddie Bova ’12, Vince Romei, Chrissy Hoffberger, and Ben Ferguson ’11. They are all an awesome group of adults that she is thankful to have met at Forman.

Rachel C. Hafer rcatharinee@gmail.com Nicholas V. Manzella nv.manzella@gmail.com Michael D. Satalic msatalic@saic.edu _____________________________

Rachel Hafer just started a position as a program assistant for Free Arts for Abused Children of Arizona, a nonprofit that delivers free art-therapy programming to children out of foster 39

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homes and homeless and domestic violence shelters. She also works with unaccompanied minors who have recently come across the border. She stays in frequent contact with many of her Forman friends. Ariel Blouin has been working for a nonprofit organization that helps young adults with learning differences get job experiences. She also works freelance for the Virtual Museum of Canada as a project manager and editor on the first multidenominational cemetery in Canada. She recently traveled to Morocco and had a fantastic time. Her next trip is to Finland for a wedding. Ariel has recently reconnected with Michael Satalic, Chris Bang, Emily Johnson, and Jane DeMenocal at Forman’s 2019 Alumni Weekend. “My time at Forman made me appreciate my differences and be my own advocate. I see that I was lucky to go to Forman. I wish more kids with learning differences could have the same opportunity that I had. I hope to share what I learned at Forman with my employees to help them accomplish their own goals.”

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Connor C. Clancy connor.clancy@formanschool.org Lauren A. Morrow lauren.morrow1993@gmail.com Shelby L. Pierce shelby.pierce93@gmail.com Daniel Sotherland _____________________________

This upcoming school year will be Connor Clancy’s third year working in Forman Admissions. Connor says, “It has been such a joy to be back and a part of the Forman community again!” The town of Litchfield has been a wonderful place to live in, and it is here where he has had the good fortune to meet his beautiful girlfriend, Caroline Rindos, a lifelong resident. Aside from being an admissions counselor, Connor is also the Varsity Boys’ Lacrosse Assistant Coach. The team enjoyed an incredible lacrosse season that saw the boys make their way to the

BECOME A CLASS AG E NT! Contact Liz Funk P’12 in the Alumni Office at liz.funk@formanschool.org Connor Clancy ’12 with his girlfriend, Caroline Rindos.

HVAL championship game. Although Forman lost, he was able to witness a special group of talented young men. As they took to the field every day, it reminded him of how proud he is to be a Lion! Connor looks forward to the rest of the year and to a fruitful admission season, and he hopes his entire class is doing well and hopes to see everyone at Alumni Weekend. Lauren Morrow has been working in a specialty clinic for veterans affairs as a nursing assistant. She will be starting evening classes in the fall working towards her RN degree. Outside of work, she has been spending time with her family and friends, enjoying the outdoors as well as traveling in and out of the states. Christian Freylinghuysen began filming his first feature film in Stockbridge, MA. It is a coming-of-age comedy about Nathan, who is sent to his dad’s horse farm in order to learn about responsibility. His last two shorts (both dark comedies) have gotten into festivals. Doodle Funk lives in NYC and works parttime for the New York Road Runners in Youth Events and Community Services. She also works for NYC Social, which is an intramural sports league for young professionals as a league host. Part of their mission is to raise money for kids to be able to play sports regardless of where they live or their economic means. In August, she attended their company retreat in Baltimore. She is currently working for Valentino as a receptionist, so it is safe to say she works a lot. However, sports remain her passion, and she attends as

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David R. Buckley davidb21@gmail.com Francis R. Fiore fiorefr@mx.lakeforest.edu Mark A. Malburg mmalburg20@gmail.com _____________________________

Doodle Funk ’12 and Becca Domal ’09 at a Rangers game.

Doodle Funk ’12, Lauren Morrow ’12, Rick Stingel ’12, and Tyler Patchell ’12 reunited in Litchfield, CT, this summer.

many Rangers games as possible with fellow Forman alum and Rangers fan Becca Domal ’09. Doodle is working towards a goal of having a career in the sports industry full-time at some point. Rick Stingel is the lead of Wireless Automation at Cree Lighting. He and his fiancé live in Raleigh, NC, with their Pomsky dog, Kairi. Sami is an executive assistant at SBM Life Sciences. They are getting married on November 9, 2019. Rick and Sami visited Doodle Funk in Litchfield over Memorial Day weekend and got to see Tyler Patchell and his girlfriend, Sabrina, as well as Lauren Morrow and Kevin Mott ’13. While at Forman they spent many good times at the Funk house, and this time was no exception.

girlfriend of six years. “We have attended every Alumni Weekend since graduation because I consider my friends and teachers a part of my family. The experiences, lessons, and accomplishments I have made in my life after Forman are a perfect representation of what Forman taught me. I look forward to attending future Alumni Weekends in hopes of seeing faces I haven’t seen in years. I hope to continue to see people write their stories here as a way for all of us to stay connected.”

Mark Malburg has moved to Los Angeles and is working at a tech company called Laserfiche as a sales engineer. He looks forward to getting back on campus one day, as soon as his schedule allows. Chris Kelly teaches surfing at Flying Point Surf School and at the Ross School, an independent day school K-12, both on Long Island, NY. His art career has taken off, as Chris has been in three shows this summer in the Hamptons, including Guild Hall in Easthampton. He has sold pieces and is having a blast as an “up-and-coming”

Tyler Patchell has been successfully working at his family business for eight consecutive years. While traveling the United States, he is also accomplishing renovations of his home of three years in Litchfield, CT. He recently proposed to his Tyler Patchell ’12 got a big “YES” from his now fiancé, Sabrina Machado, in June.

Chris Kelly ’13 spends his summer on the beach in the Hamptons teaching surf lessons.

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BBC. “The summer 2019 rainforest trip was an absolute success. We saw amazing things (as we always do in Costa Rica) and met some amazing people. The BBC crew was fabulous. They are so good at what they do and possess endless bouts of creativity. I am lucky to have been given the opportunity to accompany Wendy on another journey to the Costa Rican rainforest and hope to go back soon.”

Catharine Garbo ’13 with brother David Garbo ’15.

artist! Chris firmly believes that his teachers at Forman gave him the skills and confidence to “make it happen.” Catharine and David Garbo ’15 completed a half marathon in Niantic this summer. David did it in 1:25 and Catherine in 1:40!

Natalie R. Canterbury nataliecanterbury386@yahoo.com Grant A. Oslan grant.oslan@comcast.net Logan C. Rice logan.rice96@yahoo.com Jacob H. Sussman jacob.sussman33@gmail.com Coleman C. Walker cole.walker1995@gmail.com _____________________________

Natalie R. Canterbury spent a week in the Costa Rican rainforest with Director of Outdoor Leadership Skills and Rain Forest Project Wendy Welshans, filming spider silk with the

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Sarah E. Auch sarahauch@aol.com Emily C. Cross emilycross9@gmail.com David N. Shaw davidshaw1213@gmail.com Dominic L. Weir domweir@gmail.com _____________________________

Davis W. Ebbert davisebbert@yahoo.com Allison C. Herdje aherdje@gmail.com Lacey O. McCaw lmccaw03@gmail.com _____________________________

Davis Ebbert has completed his second season as a skydive pilot and is now in the process of applying for corporate and commercial pilot opportunities. He completed his commercial multi-engine check ride in January, which allows him to fly a more complex aircraft; this was his final license needed to apply for these opportunities. He is a senior at Samford University in

time as an EMT and firefighter for the college township.

with his professor from Georgia Tech, and their paper is hopefully going to be published in a journal soon.

Annabelle Ford-Ripplone afordrip@highpoint.edu Davis Ebbert ’16.

Sophia H. Gadsden sophiahgadsden@gmail.com

Birmingham, AL, studying geography, geographic information systems, and environmental studies.

Samantha J. Novick samchop1031@me.com

This past semester, Lacey McCaw completed her junior year at Roanoke College as a communications major with a minor in Spanish. “My time at Roanoke has been wonderful, and I have met some amazing people! I recently completed my May semester with some classmates backpacking in Spain, as well as attending school! It was by far one of the most challenging yet rewarding things I have done.”

Brendan A. Wilson brendan.wIlson.a@gmail.com _____________________________

Annabelle Ford-Rippolone ’18 plays soccer at High Point University, where she is going into her sophomore year.

Jackson G. Beers jacksonbeers99@gmail.com Garret N. Grier garretgrier@icloud.com

Caitlin C. Lorenz caitlincathrynlorenz@gmail.com

Parker D. Broadnax parkerbroadnax@gmail.com Mee Mee Filan filanmeemee@gmail.com Emma M. Forrester emma.forrester@me.com _____________________________

Attending Kenyon College, Zac LaRocca-Stracavalle just completed his sophomore year majoring in biology with a focus on computational biology. This summer he earned a position on a nine-week research project with his Kenyon professors compiling genomic research. Zac is thinking about going for his Ph.D. or an M.D./Ph.D. Zac also volunteers his

Otti Logan ’17 and Brendan Wilson ’18 at the Eye to Eye conference at Brown University in Providence, RI.

This summer, Brendan Wilson has been working at a cafe in town, but more importantly, he’s begun coordinating events for his fraternity at Georgia Tech and is now on the social committee there. Furthermore, he’ll be attending the Eye to Eye conference with Otti Logan ’17 because they are both chapter leaders at their respective universities. He’s been keeping up with many other Forman alumni as well. Additionally, he’s been doing research

Odessa M. Slauson omslau19@stlawu.edu _____________________________

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to 12 p.m. at Dunkin’ Donuts, then 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Carmen Sol Pop-Up boutique (an Italian designer of fun, colorful sandals, wedges, and bags). In August, she interned at the Child Mind Institute, where she once again participated in their Brave Buddies program, working with children diagnosed with selective mutism. Then she is off to Rollins College in Winter Park, FL. Go Tars! This summer, Odessa Slauson continued her research project of improving literacy in prisons, which has been a passion of hers for two years. She also works at a store near her home, assisting customers. However, most importantly, she has managed to see her good friends from Forman, Caitlin Lorenz, Brenna Radice, and Celia Tucker ’20, to catch up before they all part ways.

FACULTY NOTES --------------------------

Don Levinsky and his wife, Stephanie, welcomed their first child, Natalie Rose, on April 1, 2019.

Rene Burkert had a busy summer while working two jobs. From 7 a.m.

Rene Burkert ’19 worked an internship this summer at Child Mind Institute’s Brave Buddies Program.

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

Sam and Shannon Fowler were married at the Farmington Club, in Farmington, CT, on June 29, 2019.

Zach Zampaglione and his wife, Lindsay, welcomed their second child, Scarlett Tina, on August 14, 2019.

Duryea Morton ’43 died in Williamsburg, VA, on May 6 at the age of 94. Duryea was born in Bronxville, NY, and was the son of the late Roger and Helen Royce Duryea Morton. Duryea grew up in Hingham, MA, and graduated from the Forman School. Upon graduation in 1943, he volunteered for the 10th Mountain Division (Ski Troops) of the U.S. Army and served in northern Italy during World War II. He was awarded the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, the Purple Heart, and the Bronze Star for meritorious service. After the war, he graduated from Albion College in Albion, MI, where he was a member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity and Omicron Delta Kappa. In 1950, Duryea was a pioneer in teaching natural history at private schools before “ecology” was an accepted science. After years at both the Forman School and the Potomac School in McLean, VA, Duryea joined the staff of the National Audubon Society as the Director of the Audubon Center and the Audubon Camp of Connecticut in Greenwich. Duryea later directed the Audubon Camp in Maine, supervised all the Audubon Nature Centers and adult Audubon Camps, and directed the Educational Services Department in the New York City Headquarters. He retired from National Audubon as the Vice President of Education. His final teaching position was at the St. Francis School in Goshen, KY. Duryea always felt he was most fortunate in

his choice of career, for through his outdoor teaching he constantly sought to inspire and encourage adults and children to open their eyes to study, to appreciate and to protect the natural world. In 1979, the owners of Harbor Island in Muscongus Bay, ME, and the National Audubon Society dedicated the northern tip of the island as the Duryea Morton Audubon Sanctuary. Duryea is survived by his loving wife of 58 years, Peggy Wilson Morton, a daughter, Leslie Morton, a son, David Morton (Cynthia), and two grandsons, William Duryea Morton and Stuart Emil Morton. In 1990, Duryea and Peggy retired to Williamsburg. Duryea was a member of the Middle Plantation Club. Lewis Bronson ’68 passed away on March 24, 2019. Lew worked for more than 30 years at 60 hours a week. His one son has the family name, Lewis H. Bronson IV. Lew received two degrees after Forman, an associate’s degree in mechanical engineering technology from Cuyahoga Community College and a bachelor’s degree from Cleveland State University. Reynolds Crews Reed ’87 passed unexpectedly on June 22, 2019. He will be deeply missed by his family. They remember Forman being a very happy and special time in Reed’s life.

JULY 6 – JULY 31, 202 0 Coed • Boarding & Day • Grades 7–11 Forman School’s four-week summer program offers students who learn differently a taste of the Forman experience. Students entering grades 7–11 receive individualized attention from highly trained teachers, bond with peers who can relate to their challenges, and take advantage of Forman’s beautiful 125-acre campus for art, athletic, and recreational activities.

For more information, please visit formanschool.org/summer or email admission@formanschool.org.

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

IMPORTANT DATES Fall Parents’ Weekend October 25-26, 2019 Parents’ Forum April 24-25, 2020 Alumni Weekend May 2-3, 2020

Commencement May 30, 2020 Summer Program July 6-31, 2020

Printed on recycled paper.