Peck News Fall 2016

PECK NEWS FALL

Peck students enjoying the shade of our very own Linden tree.

(L-R) Ajun Hoshing, Peter Ramsey, Quinn Abbott, and Samantha Heck

The Peck School

247 South Street, Morristown, NJ 07960-7381 • (973) 539-8660 www.peckschool.org

PECK NEWS FALL

Ode to the Linden Tree The fall season gets its name from the annual turning and tumbling of foliage. As the season of cooling days and colorful leaves draws us closer to winter, our thoughts are drawn to the trees.

Some are evergreen. They will hold their shape and complexion throughout the colder months. Others are deciduous. They will empty themselves of their splendor and baldly brave the coming snows. Unlucky representatives of the former class may end up as props for holiday ornaments. Unlucky ones of the latter may be hacked into logs to warm us in living room fires Whether animate or deceased, the trees in our world are stirring icons. They have inspired poems and protests. They are both hugged and hewn. They are by most accounts, powerful symbols.

For this inaugural issue of the Fall Peck News, we have chosen the Linden Tree as a symbol for the essence of design thinking. The Linden Tree has been said to be a symbol of honesty and the seeking of truth. The leaves of the Linden are unique. Asymmetrical and glossy on the inner side, the Linden leaf asks us to look further, dig deeper, and see the underside.

Design thinking is a process of discovery, questioning, reframing, and looking for the unconventional truth. What better symbol of this quest than our own beautiful Linden tree— the namesake of Lindenwold mansion.

FEATURES Seeing Problems Through the Lens of Possibility 8 he ec chool is o ering students a new lens through which they process problems and learn collaboratively– design thinking–a tool to tackle the unknown.

Where Did the Library Go? 14 Visit The Peck School library today and you are far more likely to hear the hum of collaboration than the hush of a subdued student slowly thumbing through a card catalog.

Mastering the Peck Education 16 An interim report on the vital work of Peck’s STEAM and Humanities task forces as the wor to actuali e the goals o our trategic lan

Putting Collaboration on the Table 17 How you learn is just as important as what you learn. The Harkness Method places the intellectual growth of young people at the heart of a school.

PECK VOICES Little People. Big Ideas 18 In her second year of teaching at Peck, Anna Kimtis is an energetic advocate for introducing student-centered teaching and STEAM concepts in early education.

From a Messy Desktop to a Software Start Up 22 mil avlini never thought she d end up in a tech field he e plains how her successful new venture Meta Search was born from one of Peck’s deepest values,

A French Immersion 36 Peck’s new Upper School French Teacher, Tyler Moseley, took a seven week pledge this summer to immerse herself completely in the language and culture of France.

A Teacher’s Story 38 Katie Bruno, Third Grade Homeroom Teacher, takes us on the journey that led her to The Peck School - from a diagnosis of a learning disability in the 5th grade to almost enrolling in a Managerial Program at Enterprise Rent a Car.

DEPARTMENTS Letter from the Head of School

The Peck School does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or family composition in the administrative policies or operation of the school.

Faculty Notes

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24

A Reunion of Peck Families

40

Campus News

27

Alumni Internships

42

Athletics Update

30

Class Notes

44

Philanthropy Thrives at Peck

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FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

Letter from

THE HEAD OF SCHOOL Dear Peck Community, Welcome to our latest edition of Peck News, which highlights many of our current academic initiatives with a specific focus on “Design Thinking and STEAM.” This issue is a true collaborative effort, led by our Advancement Office but supported by a number of faculty and staff who contributed thoughtful articles illuminating the exciting work happening at Peck. I have every bit of confidence that you will enjoy and be inspired by the stories woven within these pages.

We educators love academic jargon, from catchy acronyms (is it STEM or STEAM or STREAM?) to ambiguous titles (what is a Makerspace, anyway?) to overused phrases like 21st century skills and student-centered learning. But what’s lost in the acronyms and titles and phrases is that they’re not entirely new. Here’s a case in point: at this year’s Welcome Back Dinner, we awarded longtime woodworking teacher, Mark Mortensen, with our Disciplina ad Vivendum award, given for excellence in teaching. As Mark was receiving his award, his wife and current Peck parent, Irene, leaned over to me and said, “Mark’s been running a Makerspace before there ever was a Makerspace!” How right she is! For years, Peck has boasted our woodshop, where students learn skills, do some tinkering, and are ultimately “making” great products. Our challenge now, though, is to build on the great work already happening and continue developing programs that challenge our students to use design thinking, to think critically, to problem solve, and to collaborate meaningfully.

As a result of our 2015 Strategic Plan, we made a commitment to STEAM education, which is an effort to break down the silos that have long plagued our academic institutions. It should come as no surprise that students learn better when they see the connections between disciplines, and a good, thoughtful STEAM program forces students to use skills and knowledge acquired in science, math, technology or art to solve problems.

Ideally, the problems are solved using some form of design thinking, which gives students the framework to think through complex problems, which we know is an essential skill in our exceedingly complex world. You will see examples within these pages of the STEAM and Design Thinking work happening at Peck.

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Likewise, we’re asking our English, history, and language arts teachers to take a Humanities approach to their work – we will still teach English and history separately, but if we can build curriculums that complement and enhance each other, we strongly believe it will result in better learning outcomes. Our 7th and 8th grade English and history teachers have adopted the Harkness method in their classes as a way to foster meaningful dialogue. The Harkness method has been around since 1930, yet it’s the perfect complement to the student-centered classroom, a place where the teacher facilitates robust student learning.

A common question I receive when I talk or write about the exciting initiatives underway at Peck is about the basics – you’re still teaching reading, writing, and math, right? The answer is an emphatic yes! The basics are the cornerstone of our program as they always will be. You can’t teach complex skills without a mastery of the basics. A sophisticated STEAM solution isn’t attainable if a student doesn’t have a strong math background, nor can a class engage in a Harkness discussion if students haven’t been taught critical reading and communication skills, nor can STEAM or Humanities students effectively communicate their work if they can’t write artfully, thoughtfully, and clearly. What we’re aiming to do now is to build on the basics and to make sure our students are primed to thrive in the changing world beyond Peck.

Happy reading, and I look forward to seeing you on campus during the Holiday season.

Andrew C. Delinsky

Head of School

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A “Pecktionary”

of Educational Terminology “Pecktionary”

Your handy glossary of terms for the educational lingo often heard when discussing new and best-practice teaching methods.

Brainstorming:

Design thinking:

One of many ideation techniques used in design thinking: deferring judgment (of both the ideas of others and your own!), encouraging all ideas, building on the ideas of others, go for quantity over quality, be visual, be succinct, and stay focused—one conversation at a time.

A strategy to develop the mindsets that promote creative confidence.

Be Mindful of Process Mindset:

Prototyping is not simply a way to validate an idea—it is an integral part of the innovation process. We build to think and learn.

Know where you are in the design thinking process, what methods to use in that stage, and what your goals are.

Bias Toward Action Mindset: A reminder for designers to avoid a quagmire of discussion, and move toward actions such as field research, creating/prototyping, and testing. Design thinking is more about doing, and making, than about just thinking.

Craft Clarity Mindset: Produce a coherent vision out of messy problems. Frame your vision in a way that inspires others, and fuels the creation of ideas.

Define Stage: This is where focus becomes narrow in the design thinking process—articulating observations and data in such a way that allows for the creative generation of ideas.

(One way to do this is to produce a Point of View, which is one or two sentences that define a user, a need and an insight.) The ‘define’ stage is often collaborative, and is not only important for creative brainstorming, but also essential for the cohesion of a design team.

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Embrace Experimentation Mindset:

Empathize Stage: A centerpiece of design thinking, this is a stage in which designers take time to truly consider the human experience of real people. This is the work a designer does to understand people within the context of a design challenge. Designers empathize by observing, by engaging, and by watching and listening.

Focus on Human Values Mindset: A reminder to practice empathy for your users (the people you are designing for). A fundamental key to good design is to listen thoughtfully to feedback.

Harkness Method: A collaborative, interactive strategy that challenges students to actively discuss (rather than passively digest) ideas; to challenge these ideas and defend conclusions. Typically students are arranged in a circular group around a table, where the teacher facilitates open-ended conversation, rather than exclusively delivering information.

Ideate Stage: Ideate is a verb! During this active step in the design thinking process, designers generate ideas, brainstorm, seek solutions to users’ needs, and innovate new things and processes.

Makerspace: A collaborative workspace to think, to create, to take risks, to share, to discover and explore—essentially, to learn by making. As in Peck’s Kindergarten and Grade 1 Makerspace, this is a physical place where design thinking focuses on problem solving, and develops empathy with the needs of a user in mind.

Project-based Learning: A dynamic teaching method in which students learn by actively exploring authentic, engaging problems and challenges; acquiring deeper knowledge and making meaningful connections across disciplines and in the real-world. Project-based learning allows students to bring their own unique gifts to a collaborative effort.

wide variety of teaching methods that shift focus away from the “traditional” one-size-fits-all front-room delivery, and onto creating a collaborative atmosphere where the students’ needs are at the center of instruction.

Prototype (noun):

Show Don’t Tell Mindset:

At its most fundamental, a prototype is a tool for testing and discovery—more than just an “early version” of a design. Usually, prototypes often look completely different than the final design, so, it is useful to reframe student understanding by asking: “What are you trying to learn from this prototype?” Prototypes can be products, services, or experiences.

Designers must communicate vision in an impactful and meaningful way, using illustrative visuals and telling good stories.

Prototype (verb): To test the above.

Test: (No, not that kind of test!) The testing stage of design thinking is when users interact with a prototype. Many cycles of iteration, prototyping, and testing can occur as prototypes uncover new insights about users.

Radical Collaboration Mindset:

User:

A method of working that relies on building teams from extremely diverse disciplines with the goal of producing pattern-breaking innovations.

A person for whom a product or service is designed.

Student-Centered Learning: Inclusive classroom learning that engages students in decision-making and leadership. The term refers to a

User-Centered Design: Much like student-centered learning, the end goal of design thinking strategy is to always keep the user— wants, needs, concerns, and feedback—at the center of problem solving.

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The Peck School will be introducing students to the concept of design thinking, a paradigmshift in educational philosophy that touches all aspects of teaching and learning. By re-framing or considering problems using a design thinking mindset, students apply their creativity to develop meaningful solutions for the classroom, for the community, or the world at large. An active process, design thinking carries the confidence that everyone has the power to create a more desirable future.

Beginning this year, eighth grade students are taking a deep dive into design thinking processes through a new, yearlong Capstone Lab class.

Seeing

PROBLEMS Through The Lens of POSSIBILITY IT IS A RADICAL THOUGHT PROCESS: a new way of thinking intended to foster innovation. Practitioners describe it as a tool to tackle the unknown. Like going on an expedition without a map or destination, but having the confidence you will end up somewhere really great.

It is a problem solving approach—or rather, a problem finding approach—that can be used to generate solutions to a variety of challenges at school, on the job, and throughout our students’ lives. It is “design-thinking” and it is perhaps one of the most potentially transformational proficiencies The Peck School can offer its students.

Over the coming year, The Peck School is formally introducing students to the concepts and process of design thinking. This is a recommendation that arose from the school’s STEAM Task Force, which was formed as a result of the school’s ambitious and exciting 2015 Strategic Plan. Specifically, one pillar of the strategic plan commits the school to an invigorated academic curriculum, through the creation of “authentic learning experiences that allow meaningful connections between each other and across disciplines.”

So what, exactly, is design thinking and why is Peck infusing it throughout the curriculum?

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Why is the school going as far as to consider a master plan for campus modernization that will better accommodate design thinking? How is design thinking being introduced to our students, and what will it enable them to do?

Design thinking refers to a formal series of cognitive activities that designers apply as they seek to create something—but in a particular way that combines the inventive with the systematic; the artistic with the logical. It is an active, meaningful, and empathic process that asks students to “define” and “do,” rather than simply “solve.”

This applies to any design process: for a product, for a public space, for a community service, or just about anything that is being created for a stakeholder—even if that stakeholder is you.

It is, at its definition: “a methodology for innovation that combines creative and analytical approaches and requires collaboration across disciplines,” according to the d.school: Institute of Design at Stanford University, one of the country’s premier design schools.

Because design thinking is focused on creating a solution for a stakeholder, the designer must start by underunder standing and listening to their audience. Key to doing this is the practice of empathy—a funfun damental principle, in that whatever you are making, needs to make the lives of the people who will use it better.

“ ...we have chosen the Linden Tree as a symbol for the essence of design thinking.

The Linden Tree has been said to be a symbol of honesty and the seeking of truth.

The leaves of the Linden are unique. Asymmetrical and glossy on the inner side, the Linden leaf asks us to look further, dig deeper, and see the underside.

”

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The Five Basic Actions of Design Thinking

These five steps are based on seven guiding mindsets: Show Don’t Tell

Focus on Human Values

Be Mindful Of Process 10

Craft Clarity Bias Toward Action

Embrace Experimentation Radical Collaboration

EighthGrade Capstone Lab Although the concepts behind design thinking have been in play for a while in universities, businesses, and think tanks, they are relatively new to the Peck curriculum. While Peck students have long engaged in collaborative activities and project-based learning, this semester a new Capstone Lab class for eighth grade students will introduce them to the five basic actions involved in design thinking: empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test.

The five steps are based on seven guiding “mindsets”:

Show Don’t Tell

Communicate your vision in an impactful and meaningful way by creating experiences, using illustrative visuals, and telling good stories.

Bias Toward Action

Design thinking is a misnomer; it is more about doing than thinking.

Bias toward doing and making over thinking and meeting.

Radical Collaboration

“ Design Thinking: Like going on an expedition

Bring together innovators with varied backgrounds and viewpoints.

Enable breakthrough insights and solutions to emerge from the diversity.

without a map or

This may sound very lofty for a K-8 school. However, the beauty of the design thinking process is that it is very accessible. The fundamentals of design thinking can be applied at all levels of learning, and as a method to attain any goal or objective.

end up somewhere

destination, but having the confidence you will really great.

”

Focus on Human Values

Practice empathy for the people you are designing for. Thoughtfully listening to feedback from these users is fundamental to good design.

Craft Clarity

Produce a coherent vision out of messy problems. Frame it in a way to inspire others and to fuel the creation of ideas.

Embrace Experimentation

Prototyping is not simply a way to validate your idea; it is an integral part of your innovation process.

We build to think and learn.

Be Mindful Of Process

Know where you are in the design process, what methods to use in that stage, and what your goals are.

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Collaboration, Coding and Intellectual Adventure Apropos to The Peck School’s increasing focus on design thinking and robotics, members of our Technology Integration team and our Art Department Chair attended a week-long course entitled Constructing Modern Knowledge. A progressive learnin e perience created speci cally for teachers, the course ives rst-hand e perience in what it feels like to work in a fully collaborative student-led learning environment.

Gary Stager and Sylvia Martinez, authors of Invent to Learn: Making, Tinkering, and Engineering in the Classroom, organize the annual event.

The Ionian philosopher Heracletus declared that, “the only thing that is constant is change.” More than 2500 years later, this statement could easily describe the teaching and learning landscape at The Peck School. With rapidly changing technologies and amazing new teaching resources available, faculty must be in perpetual learning mode themselves in order to keep their subject matter engaging and their courses evolving with the times.

Faculty at The Peck School spend a large amount of time outside the school day and beyond the school year in professional development—acquiring new competencies, exploring new options for project-based learning, and maintaining their professional teaching skills at the highest level.* These professional development opportunities are generously funded through the establishment of endowed funds donated by members of the Peck community.

This summer, Jen Garvey, Bruce Schwartz, Kevin Grieshaber, and Mark Mortensen joined with teachers from all over the world at the annual Constructing Modern Knowledge program. In self-selected groups, they worked on a variety of individual projects; designing, building, and developing a working prototype of their ideas. They also attended presentations at IT, hearin from renowned scienti c and computational innovators Mitch Resnick and Stephen Wolfram.

Jen Garvey and Mark Mortensen’s team set out to create a trash can that would reward people for being green and placing trash in an appropriate receptacle. Through the process, they learned how to use a Hummingbird Robotics Kit to pro-

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ram their trash can’s movement and voices. The trash can rewarded recyclers in several languages and voices.)

Kevin Grieshaber worked with a Technology Integrator from the Meadowbrook School to create a modern day Etch-aSketch for collaborative artistic expression. They used the open source Arduino Microprocessor to control hardware knobs that allowed the artist to select color, shape, transparency, size, and position of a virtual art brush to create collaborative computer aided paintings on a laptop screen.

Bruce Schwartz worked on a team project to develop a scale model of an intersection that used sensors and wireless communication to re ulate the ow of traf c between two autonomously driven toy cars.

Our faculty—like our students—are stretching the bounds of what is possible when ideas and invention meet collaboration, coding, and intellectual adventure. * Our faculty attended an impressive list of professional development events over the summer months. See Faculty Notes on page 34.

Starting Small, Growing Large Although the eighth grade’s Capstone Lab is only in its first trimester, the students are already in the midst of a mini-capstone project incorporating the principles of design thinking. The project involves third and fourth grade students working in groups to agree upon a series of “problems” that they want their eighth grade counterparts to solve.

Each eighth grade team will then chose a particular problem and work through the phases of design thinking to develop a prototype that might solve the problem.

Once the teams complete the mini-capstone project, they will undertake individual capstone projects to work on during the remainder of the school year. They will use

design-thinking concepts to achieve an individual goal or objective.

These projects can fit into one of the following buckets:

A PERSONAL PASSION: Aspire to

do something inspiring that you and others can learn from and grow from

A BETTER COMMUNITY: Develop

a project that solves a problem at Peck, the wider community or the world

INDEPENDENT STUDY: Take a

deep dive into a subject you love

AN ENTREPRENEUR: Develop,

innovate, market, and launch

Chris Weaver, Director of Curriculum and Faculty Development and the leader of the Capstone Lab, encourages students to consider the lab as a place for providing opportunity for experimentation, observation,

and practice. Students are asked to consider some essential questions such as, “How do you make a difference? How do you solve a problem?

How do you grow?”

Tine Seelig in her book What I Wish I Knew When I Was 20, writes that, “Most people approach problems as if they can’t be solved and, therefore, don’t see the creative solutions sitting right in front of them.”

Design thinking, on the other hand, encourages students to see problems as opportunities.

“We want our students to see problems as fun things to solve,” says Mr. Weaver. If The Peck School can inspire students to view problems through the lens of possibility, then we have perhaps given them two of the greatest gifts education can bestow—a growth mindset, and the courage to change the world.

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In addition to serving as an innovative teaching and learning center, the Higgins Library houses our annual Parents’ Association Book Fair

Where did THE LIBRARY Go BLACK SPECTACLES. Hair drawn backwards into a bun. Stern and unapproachable. Often seen with finger held to pursed lips, snarling shush, to overly enthusiastic children.

Such is the stereotypical image often rendered of the “older generation’s” middle school librarian.

Now, fast-forward to the present, and the modern librarian is the polar opposite. Libraries across the country have replaced yesteryear’s dowdy enforcer of silence with the modern library sciences professional: a technologically savvy people-person, eager to connect curious individuals to a world of information.

Visit The Peck School library and you are infinitely more likely to hear the hum of collaboration than the hush of a subdued student slowly thumbing through a card catalog. Gone are the endless rows of bookracks and book spines dotted with Dewey Decimals.

In their place, we see groups of comfy armchairs, IdeaPaint on the walls, computer workstations, and collaboration rooms.

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over the years. Especially as it relates to research and reference materials, digital resources are far more preferable than printed ones. Why spend thousands of dollars on printed encyclopedias, when they become out of date so quickly as newer research and theory comes to light?

“Not all the books are gone,” explains Mary Kate MacVicar, Peck’s librarian for the past 15 years. “But we need to make sure the print collection is relevant and appropriate for the curriculum. We also need to make sure our library spaces evolve to meet the demands of 21st century learning.”

Mrs. MacVicar cites Pluto as an example: In 2006, Pluto was stripped of its planetary status and this reclassification instantly rendered printed materials irrelevant on the issue. At Peck, students have online access to publications such as the World Book and Encyclopedia Brittanica, which can keep current with the latest academic publications. (Though scientists are still debating Pluto’s unique composition following NASA’s 2015 flyby, it remains technically classified as a “dwarf planet.”)

Mrs. MacVicar has seen the needs of students and teachers evolve

“We have re-invented the library space.” Mrs. MacVicar explains.

“We prefer to call it a ‘Learning Commons.’” The notion of a learning commons will continue to evolve as Peck transforms its curriculum to highlight design thinking, project-based learning, and new pedagogical styles.

A learning commons, unlike a traditional library, is not simply an archive of books. While the space still houses these resources for research and exploration, it also has become a place where students can make meaningful connections with a world of information. Where they can collaborate, push creative-thought boundaries, and become proficient with information literacy.

LeVar Burton of Reading Rainbow fame once said, “it is through stories that we define our world, and discover our place in it. Stories help us understand the world we live in, teach us about where we came from, and help us see possible futures. Stories are our education and our escape. They lull us to sleep and inspire us to action! Indeed, it is through the stories we tell each other that we literally create the world as a reflection of who we are.”

Indeed, inspiring a lifetime love of reading—for pleasure, for research, for growth of mind and soul—is a crucial aspiration held by the faculty at Peck. And at the Higgins Library, Mary Kate MacVicar has hit upon an intriguing solution to keep Peck students connected with literature, and their school, over the summer months.

Our fourth annual “Postcards to the Library” program at Peck is ‘proof in the pudding,’ so to speak, for just how engaged Peck students are with their love of reading. Each year students are invited to send Mrs. MacVicar a postcard while on their summer travels—sharing what they have been reading, and a little about what they have been doing.

This year we received 219 cards from as close by as the Jersey shore, and as far away as Asia!

The postcards are on display in the library each fall.

As an article entitled “The New School Library,” in Independent School Magazine states, “A forward-looking library needs to include multifunctional spaces that facilitate studying, researching, meeting, creating, collaborating, and sharing of final student projects. Its strength lies in the relationships it supports, whether these are student-to-student, student-to-faculty, student-to-staff, student-to-equipment, or student-to-information.

Effective learning commons are alive with the voices of students working together, establishing the kinds of connections that promote active, engaged learning.”

Although the teaching and learning happening in our actual Higgins Library is being transformed, Peck’s librarian is still firmly at the helm of our learning commons. In fact, Mrs. MacVicar has never been more important—she is key assistance for students and faculty as they navigate a vast array of tools and resources, technologies and databases, to access an entire world of academia. (She lives up to the challenge; meeting routinely with Peck’s technology team to ensure learning spaces are flexible enough to meet changing needs.)

Mrs. MacVicar also sees her mission as two-fold: In addition to facilitating exploration and research, she is also committed to inspiring a lifelong love of reading in Peck students from a young age. From Kindergarten through second grade, our youngest students travel to the library once a week and are encouraged to see it as a place to read for pleasure, as well as research.

Eventually, as students mature into third and fourth graders, they begin to learn basic research skills and techniques for information literacy.

By the time students are in the upper school, they are using the library for group projects, 3D printing, robotics exercises, and a host of other collaborative activities.

There will be no more fingers to pursed lips in The Peck School library. It is a vibrant, flexible, and enthusiastic place; punctuated by the sounds of learning at its most active.

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Mastering the Peck Education “The Master Plan thoughtfully creates new and activates existing spaces to fulfill the authentic learning initiatives of the strategic plan while also enriching the Peck community experience.”

HOLLY BROWN, Trustee Master Planning Committee Member

IT’S BEEN OVER A YEAR since

the Peck Board of Trustees confidently ratified the Strategic Plan, Continuing Excellence: Explore, Excite, Engage.

The core of the 2015 Strategic Plan is grounded in three pillars of focus—integrated and inspirational learning, a culture of teaching excellence, and a transformative community. Peck trustees, faculty, staff, administrators, and committee members are diligently working to enact the plan’s action steps.

During the 15-16 year, two faculty/staff task forces for STEAM (Science, Tech-

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nology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) and Humanities focused on evolving our curriculum: looking at multi-disciplinary problem-solving, design thinking and robotics, the Humanities’ Essential Questions, and engaging students even further with an inspiring program. A third task force examined processes for ongoing faculty growth and reflection, with the goal to institutionalize metrics for building and measuring the progression of teaching excellence.

A vital complement to the work of our task forces is the ongoing collaborative work regarding campus master planning.

In order to successfully realize these strategic initiatives, an examination of campus facilities—a belief that every place, as well as every one in the Peck community is crucial to delivering on our mission—also lays at the core of envisioning our standard of excellence for the years to come.

The goal of Peck’s campus master planning—as it relates to the objectives of our strategic plan—is to discover ways to enrich and reimagine existing facilities to support a deep and robust engagement with teaching and learning, and community bonds. Historically, master plans for independent schools look to create the physical environment that invites meaningful connections among teachers and students, fosters community, and inspires pride of place. Peck’s last master plan, in 2002, focused attention on the need for indoor/outdoor athletics facilities, a multi-purpose auditorium, and the

improvement of existing classroom and library spaces. The Campaign for Peck, launched in 2002, successfully brought to campus a new athletic center, the Eckert-Huff Academic building, and the Higgins Library.* Peck’s 2015-16 Master Plan charts an exciting path for our campus and our program. Central to the Master Planning Committee’s charge are a rejuvenation and modernization of spaces to support innovative learning, advance and celebrate the arts, and promote collaboration. An emphasis on student-centered and project-based learning, especially in the STEAM disciplines, will ensure that dynamic learning takes place every day for every student. In addition, stateof-the-art science labs, interconnected classrooms, and an innovative information center in the Higgins Library are essential components to achieve the strategic goals for teaching and learning at Peck in the 21st century. Additionally, the Master Plan envisions the creation of an appropriately sized auditorium/dining hall that helps create a campus quad and maintains Lindenwold as the heart and soul of 247 South Street.

In the years ahead, The Peck School aims to further ignite connections for our students and faculty, strengthen an already vibrant Peck community, and ensure that pride of place has never been stronger. *While the multi-purpose auditorium was part of the 2002 Master Plan, it was not part of the Campaign for Peck goal.

Putting Collaboration “On the Table” In 1931, a relatively obscure philanthropist named Edward

THE HARKNESS METHOD is just

support. (A bracket in which he

one arrow in The Peck School’s

included himself.) Harkness was

academic quiver, but it is emblem-

drawn to what he called ‘confer-

atic of a school that seeks to inspire

ence’ pedagogy—groups of about

in students that in order to become

ten students, gathered around a

lifelong learners, how you learn is

table, and engaged much more in

just as important as what you learn.

conversation than in ‘recitations.’

however, his request has resulted in a radical evolution in

Over time, Harkness’ idea has

His idea is now known as the Hark-

classroom dynamics.

altered the relationship between

ness Method. It is most broadly

student and teacher in hundreds of

used in private schools, as it re-

schools and universities across the

quires small class sizes to be most

thinking, it is also the key to mean-

world. It has placed the intellectual

e ective he oble cadem in

ingful discussion.

development of young people

Chicago (which now partners with

Over the past two years, upper

at the heart of a school, and has

Phillips Exeter Academy to bring

school students have been intro-

the method to a wider group of

particularly suited to The Peck

changed the notion of information

duced to the basic conventions

students) states that, “The method

School’s dynamic curriculum.

of Harkness-style discussion in

While seated around the Harkness

dissemination and rote learning into a model of discovery and collaboration.

Edward Harkness’ desire to change the classroom dynamic

fosters learning through discussion and discovery, the development of a student’s individual voice and academic confidence

ith

Harkness, students are chal-

stemmed from his own experience

lenged to actively discuss rather

as a student; a shared experience

than passively digest, to discover

held by thousands of students

answers and defend conclusions.

Harkness donated the current equivalent of $60 million dollars to Phillips Exeter Academy. What he requested they do with the money seemed simple at the time. Since then,

Teacher Magazine.

The Harkness table is a symbol

some history and English classes: exchanging ideas with each other in an encouraging, open-minded environment—one that o ers teacher facilitation, and not necessarily direction. Essentially, the

of inquiry-based learning and is

table, no student can hide and no one student can dominate the discussion. Because there is no front row or back row, everyone must come to class prepared.

method encourages students to

While the actual ‘Harkness Table’ is

become the active leaders in their

the traditional icon for this method

own learning adventures.

(and, thanks to the generosity of

since: Attending to a teacher at the

While hard math and English skills

front of the room, while sitting solo

are learned, so are soft skills [such

in front-facing desks.

as] communication and poise. The

Bringing the Harkness Method to

Whether by accident or design,

Harkness Method creates creative,

Peck means students are “making

first o cial ar ness table will be

Harkness felt that this arrange-

confident and articulate learners

meaning of new information

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confidence or who wanted more

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or desks grouped together.

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Peck Fund donors, the school’s

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In her second year of teaching at Peck, Anna Kimtis is an energetic advocate for introducing design thinking, student-centered teaching, and STEAM concepts to early education. While also serving as a fourth grade Associate Teacher, she oversees Peck’s Makerspace program for kindergarten and first grade with Lower School Technology Integrator Jen Garvey.

Kindergarten students created this prototype as a solution to the playground problem, “everyone wants a swing.”

make my own decisions and mistakes. I could try things out; learn what worked, and what didn’t.

I still wonder what it would have been like for my classmates and me, if we had been entrusted with the ability to try—even to try and fail— more in our K-12 educations.

Today, educators have learned how to better prepare their students for an unknown future. They are supplanting the old educational paradigm of the “one right answer” with a flexible, engaging, and meaningful process encouraging students to discover, do, and grow. These practices encourage students to think for themselves and solve their own problems. One of the best ways to teach those skills is using design thinking.

Even our youngest learners can benefit from the principles of this thoughtful investigative process. At The Peck School, our kindergartners are already engaged in the act of design thinking.

The day I graduated public high school in Albuquerque, New Mexico, I was sitting with 500 other students who were more than ready to escape school. We collectively hoped the days of memorizing facts for tests, reading textbooks, and sitting through lectures were over. I actually enjoyed school—though, I know deep down it was because I had learned to like pleasing teachers by providing them the “one right answer” they seemed to expect. Many of my classmates didn’t like school, and were disengaged and apathetic about learning.

I saw my entry into adulthood as the beginning of a more authentic education, full of challenges more complex than a textbook or a multiplechoice test. I didn’t feel at all prepared, but I did feel proud to be entrusted for the first time to

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Early Learning with Design Thinking Design thinking—a method for engaging with complex problems that don’t have one clear solution—is crucial to early childhood development. It is an active, empathic process that students can use to identify, ponder, and solve problems through iterations of trial and reflection, both in the classroom and in the real world as they grow throughout childhood.

An example of design thinking in action happening during the early years at Peck revolves around our kindergarten and first grade Makerspace. In a recent project, Kindergartners interviewed their homeroom teachers about problems they have in their classrooms, relying on their empathy and active listening skills to identify how they want to help. The students then chose a problem their teacher has and worked through the design process to solve it—using tools in the Makerspace to build a solution. For example, if a teacher has trouble with pencils falling out of desks, a student could build a better way to hold pencils. If their first design doesn’t keep all the pencils from falling, they will reflect on why it didn’t work, and what they could do to improve it. Then students will return to planning, creating, and testing to refine the solution.

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Design thinking is a powerful process for changing a child’s mindset for growth. It: Helps children find collaborative solutions to problems, instead of waiting to be told the answer.

They become more autonomous thinkers and doers, who have ownership over their education.

Encourages children to take risks, and to learn from failures. In the old paradigm of education, it was uncommon to be granted a chance to go back and try again. This often causes children to attach their self-worth with the idea of perfection, and discourages risk taking. Design thinking encourages failure as a path to growth, and increases a child s con dence and resilience in the face of challenges.

Builds empathy. Solving problems for others allows children to actively practice putting others’ needs before their own. In order to solve a problem they have to ask good questions and truly listen to answers, in order to understand the needs and viewpoints of their users.

Working through and completing projects can even help children feel more closely connected to their users, and their community.

Helping students stretch their understanding of how others think and feel is a valuable life skill, and an important part of our mission at Peck as we foster the child’s whole development.

Design thinking can be a framework for lifelong problem solving,

as it allows for deep engagement and meaningful connections. When it is time for our Peck students to graduate, they will not say that the challenges of life are about to begin. Rather, they will be able to speak intelligently about the challenges they have faced with a confidence that they have the skills they need to change the world.

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From A Messy Desktop to a Software Start Up

PECK ALUMNA EMILY PAVLINI ‘06 has learned to love a messy desktop.

It all started in college, when she and a college friend entered a business competition that didn’t go so well. Their product was a software application designed

to routinely “clean up” a computer’s desktop by automatically creating folders and filing away documents.

The whole idea was motivated by their empathy for their mothers, who struggled with cluttered computer screens and

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missing documents. Unfortunately, their product placed third in the competition—and even though they temporarily helped their mothers unclutter their computers, within weeks, their respective desktops were awash with files again.

Knowing that good design thinking focuses on reframing problems before attempting to solve them, they went back to the drawing board. Their guts told them there was a bigger problem at stake. What they ended up creating not only offered a solution for their mothers, it blossomed into a Boston-based technology start up that has raised over a half million dollars in angel funding and now employs almost a dozen people.

“My biggest memory of Peck is the emphasis on respect, listening, and consideration.

Listening is so important in software development. It is respecting the user.”

Emily refers to Meta Search, the company she co-founded with Jason Briggs in 2014, as a “Google for your files.” Their application locates files across multiple platforms, such as desktops, Google Drives, DropBox, Gmail, Trello, and more. Instead of creating a product that would only really work if users ultimately changed their behavioral patterns, they created a product that makes life easier without compromise on the user’s part.

Rather than focusing on file organization and storage, they focused on file retrieval across all of a user’s platforms and devices.

Meta simplifies life for both the organized and the disorganized.

Prior to creating Meta, Emily was only generally familiar with design thinking concepts. She decided to formally train herself, however, once the product entered beta release and some obstacles emerged.

“You spend so much time building your product and adding features. You want it to be perfect. Then you release it, and within minutes, people are finding problems. You get feedback, comments, and criticism. It can be very discouraging,” explained Emily.

After her design thinking training, she approached feedback and testing in a much more positive light. “If you look at the criticism differently, you become happy. One user in our beta test found a problem that

might have been a huge issue. Now I feel it’s awesome when people contact us with problems,” she said.

Emily’s advice for budding designers is, “If you are never happy until it’s perfect— that’s a challenging mindset. Be comfortable with what you don’t know. You don’t have to have an answer for everything. Just continue to take small steps until you figure it out.”

She also attributes her empathic and listening skills to her years at The Peck School.

She recalls the family dining experience and its contribution to those traits. She also states, “My biggest memory of Peck is the emphasis on respect, listening, and consideration. Listening is so important in software development. It is respecting the user. It’s easy when a user complains to say, ‘Oh they just don’t get it.’ The smarter approach is to listen, empathize, and make it better.”

For more information on Meta, visit their website at www.meta.sc. The product is in beta, and will be available in personal, professional, and enterprise versions.

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Philanthropy Thrives at Peck Last year we introduced The Peck Fund, and our “family” of five funds (Faculty Development, Fine & Performing Arts, Physical Education & Athletics, Financial Aid, and Where the Need is Greatest) to bring our donors ever closer to Peck’s mission of delivering the very best education to elementary and middle school children.

The results for the 2015-2016 Peck Fund were tremendous: a record number of donors gave a record number of dollars to The Peck Fund.

Interestingly, the most chosen fund for donors was “Where the Need is Greatest,” allowing the school to use these designated funds where necessary.

Annual giving dollars represent almost 9% percent of the School’s operating budget, as tuition accounts for just about 85% of Peck’s operating budget (with income from endowment draws and auxiliary program revenues contributing the remaining dollars). We rely on your annual contributions for the special resources and programs that distinguish our school from any other in K-8 education. Through annual giving, you safeguard an extraordinary education for our students of today, and tomorrow.

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Contributions to The Peck Fund make a di erence You helped us • Expand our Teacher Associate Program in the Lower School. Begun in 2015, this initiative places an additional teacher, with a mentoring Homeroom Teacher, in K-4 classrooms—increasing individualized student attention, and positioning Peck as an invaluable career resource for teachers.

• Add a Lower School math coordinator, to further impact our robust math program for K-4 students.

• Hire an additional security officer to work alongside Officer Tim Cooney (Director of Safety and Security).

We also installed additional security cameras, ensuring that our campus remains a safe place for families and faculty.

• Send a record number of faculty and staff “back to the

GIVING LEVELS FOUNDERS’ COUNCIL* ................. $20,000 and above LORRAINE T. PECK SOCIETY*..... $10,000 – $19,999 1893 ASSOCIATION* ....................... $5,000 – $9,999 LINDENWOLD CIRCLE* ............... $2,500 – $4,999 DOWNY-REDHEAD CLUB ............ $1,500 – $2,499 SECOND CENTURY DONORS ...... $750 – $1,499 SUPPORTER.................................... Gifts up to $749 ALUMNI SOCIETY ......................... recognizes Alumni

who have given consecutively for 5+ years * Leadership Giving

classroom,” so to speak, to tweak curriculum and programs over the summer to reflect best practices, strategic initiatives, and the latest brain-development and learning research.

• Fill the classroom environment with engaging tools and resources that will enable new teaching and learning methods in design thinking, robotics, Harkness discussion, and further igniting students’ curiosity and love for learning.

We hope we demonstrate to you the value of a Peck education and why financially supporting the school is a very good investment.

Once again, we ask that you please consider a gift to The Peck Fund for the 2016-2017 school year—our campaign begins right now!

With appreciation, Joan Smith Myers Director of Advancement

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CAMPUS NEWS

We are excited to welcome you to the new Peck website:

www.peckschool.org!

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Our new website has a fresh look with new and engaging content, an expanded Parent and Alumni Portal, and is fully mobile-responsive, replacing the need for last year’s Peckapp.

As with any adoption of a new technology for our

Our goal for this new site is to not only offer a rich, deep look into the Peck culture for prospective families, but also to enhance our ability to offer the kind of realtime, easy-to-access information upon which our community relies on a day-to-day basis. The site is full of Peck News stories, videos, and information about what makes our school, we believe, so very special.

platform for the best experience

full community’s use, we hope that you will partner with us in offering your feedback, your suggestions, and your time and patience, while we adapt this new possible. If you can’t be on campus, the Peck website is the very next best place to be and a wonderful way to stay in touch!

pring

all vents

CAMPUS NEWS ROBIN ROSS ASSEMBLY THE ROBIN ROSS ASSEMBLY

(held each May) honors our fourth graders’ growth within Peck’s character education program as well as their “graduation” from the Lower to the Upper School as they ascend to the fifth grade. The Robin Ross Fund is the principle sponsor of Peck’s Individual Development and Community Responsibility (InDeCoRe) character education program.

Shivani Shah received The Sheila S. Slutsker Creative Arts Award for her talents in the creative arts and for serving as inspiration to other students.

Colin Pryma and Ellie Kintiroglou received the Andy Gaffney Sportsmanship Award for their outstanding qualities of leadership, consideration, teamwork, and sense of fair play. Nomi-

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nated by his peers, Matthew Mastrangelo received the John J. Kowalik InDeCoRe Award for the example he sets by living Peck’s six core character values both in and out of school.

The Peck School Award for Community Service is also presented, on an annual basis, at the Robin Ross Assembly. The award recognizes a member of the greater Morristown community who exhibits the values and qualities represented by the InDeCoRe initiative. A nominating committee of Peck administrators and teachers consider individuals in the local area (who are typically unaffiliated with Peck) that exemplify Consideration of Others and Peck’s core values, that serve and improve the Morristown

John J. Kowalik InDeCoRe Award winner Matthew Mastrangelo with Lower School Head Nina Sharma and Head of School Andy Delinsky

The Peck School Community Service Award winner Shaun Ananko with Advancement Director Joan Myers, Head of School Andy Delinsky, and Grow it Green Executive Director Abby Gallo

community, and who stand as a moral example to young people.

Mr. Shaun Ananko (affectionately known as Farmer Shaun) received the 2016 award.

A Morristown native, Farmer Shaun shares his knowledge of food cultivation through Grow it Green Morristown—a local nonprofit that strives to create sustainable farms and gardens, providing equal access to fresh

Sheila S. Slutsker Creative Arts Award winner Shivani Shah receives her award

l

foods as well as community education for health and environmental stewardship.

Grow it Green transforms abandoned or under-utilized areas of Morristown into beautiful and useful green spaces, and provides equal access to fresh foods as well as community education for health, wellness, and environmental stewardship.

dy aff ey Sp ts a s p ad es y a a d ll e t l u t l p aff ey a d a et aff ey

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CAMPUS NEWS

In

ay, 201

0

inutes nd $2 ,000

Peck Students Raise Funds For BlinkNow in Ravi’s Run

Downy vs. Redhead

201

o Pride

A FAVORITE PECK TRADITION, Grandparents & Friends Day (with the Spring Sing, Art Show, and ever-popular Downy-Redhead Field Events) is brimming with family joy and school spirit. During the 2016 field events last May, Downy and Redhead teams gleefully accrued points during all manner of races and the traditional grade-level tug of wars. By a slim margin, the Downies won the day!

OUR PECK COMMUNITY feels a deep friendship for Maggie Doyne, founder of BlinkNow, and the Kopila Valley School in Surkhet, Nepal; creating a family-like connection that spans the globe, with all of the shared joys—and shared sorrows— that connection entails. Last May, Peck students organized a half-hour race to honor the life of Baby Ravi, Maggie’s adopted son, who had tragically passed away in the winter of 2015. From grades Kindergarten through eight, students garnered support from their families and friends to sponsor them for laps run or walked during the race. Pledges came in from throughout the wider Peck community. When the results were tallied, the half hour event generated an amazing $25,000 toward BlinkNow and the Kopila Valley School.

Maggie and her BlinkNow family are thrilled with this incredible gift, which will go directly towards the students in Nepal.

PECK RECEIVES NATIONAL AWARD FOR CHARACTER EDUCATION PECK RECEIVED RECOGNITION from the 2016 National Forum on Character Ed-

ucation during their annual meeting in Washington DC, October 14-15, 2016.

The award was given to Peck in the ‘Promising Practices’ category for the school’s Kairos Nights and corresponding assemblies which are programmed under the auspices of the school’s character education program known as Individual Development and Community Responsibility (InDeCoRe).

“Kairos” is an ancient Greek word for ‘everlasting’ time; which is commemorated during the fall, winter, and spring terms with an evening dedicated for families to power down, spend time in conversation or play, and foster closer familial bonds. To signify the beginning of a Kairos Night, student-led assemblies focus on one of Peck’s six core values.

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Caring For Morristown’s Robert J. Tracey Park 6, The Peck School officially “adopted” the Robert Tracey Veteran’s Memorial Park on the corner of South Street and Madison Avenue. In keeping with the school’s emphasis on Consideration of Others (and of our environment), as well as a student-led initiative last year to support our veterans, students and administrators partnered with Morristown’s Clean Communities Adopt-A-Spot program to maintain this beautiful location for years to come. Students, faculty, parents, and staff members will be making routine visits to the park to help with litter patrol and beautification plantings. A recognition plaque is on display at the park to acknowledge Peck’s efforts.

IN THE SPRING OF

Peck Students Raise Nearly $20,000 for Morristown’s Community Soup Kitchen and Outreach Center 8, over eighty members of the Peck community took steps (literally) to end hunger during the Community Soup Kitchen and Outreach Center’s annual Hunger Walk fundraiser on October 16, 2016.

LED BY THE CLASS OF

For over thirty years, the local nonprofit has provided nutritional meals and assistance in a warm, safe, caring environment to anyone seeking help; no questions asked, and all in a manner that emphasizes the dignity, worth, and unique experience of each individual. Along with service to a value near and dear to our students’ hearts (Peck holds several food drives throughout the year), the walk held the dual purpose for the seventh grade class of raising funds in support of their “signature” educational experiences to Boston and Washington DC. An anonymous donor generously pledged to match funds raised by Peck during the hunger walk for the Class’ excursions.

Honoring ‘Honor’ at Peck’s First Honor Code Assembly KICKING OFF THE SCHOOL YEAR with the

formal recognition of the school’s Honor Code, representatives from each grade pledged and signed to uphold the practice of high ethical standards, to conduct themselves according to our community’s values, and to act honorably and with personal integrity. The school-wide assembly featured three student speakers: fourth graders Shyla Kohli and Sophie Cheng, and eighth grader Ryan Cheung. “Whatever you learn about honor, let it inspire you to make positive change,” said Ryan.

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CAMPUS NEWS

Peck Welcomes Kopila Valley Exchange Student Krishna Shahi

Krishna Shahi with Suzy Becker, Zan Struebing, and host, the Bolton family

OUR LONG-STANDING FRIENDSHIP with the Kopila Valley School (KVS) in Surkhet, Nepal, and with BlinkNow.org founder Maggie Doyne, is again providing a rich cultural exchange and face-to-face global friendships for Peck students. We are thrilled to welcome Krishna Shahi to the seventh grade, Class of 2018. Krishna is studying at Peck this semester—staying with his hosts, the Bolton family, through the winter holidays.

This immersive experience puts Krishna with the same rigorous class schedule as any other seventh grader—and the Peck athletic program also has the benefit of his skills on the soccer field! In prior years, Peck has hosted exchange student Nisha Gharti, and welcomed Anjali Kharki for a shorter visit (Anjali also spoke at the renowned DO Lectures Encouragement Network during her time in the states). Curricular and teacher exchanges have also been a component of our relationship with KVS—as Peck teachers have traveled to Nepal to assist with technology and character education curriculum development, and KVS teachers also have spent time teaching and learning at Peck.

Athletics Update It’s only natural that teamwork and sportsmanship be as te al t

ec

de ac ss u play

elds as t ey

are within our classrooms. The 2016 Fall Athletic Season is no exception: regardless of win-loss records, all Peck teams displayed hard work, mental toughness, and extraordinary character.

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Field Hockey Peck’s 7/8 Girls “A” Field Hockey Team has had a banner season!

Undefeated—and un-scored-upon—they were ultimately champions in the Greater Morris County Junior Schools Conference Finals held on November 1st at Boonton High School. Led by a dynamic and impressive group of eighth graders, the team has out-

scored their opponents 46 to 0. The team’s Captains have been stellar players and role models, the forward line held by a talented group of athletes, and the defensive unit has been incredibly strong. Peck’s goalie— Charlotte Villano—has performed as one of the best goalies The Peck School has ever had! This team, in particular, has had a strong and close-knit group of girls who have excelled in skill, heart, determination, and strength on a daily basis throughout the season.

Cross Country Cross Country ran a great season, finishing in the top half of our competition. Despite having a less experienced team than most years, the runners trained hard together every day to reach new personal bests.

From the first run to the last, most runners cut 2 to 7 minutes off their time for our 2.08 mile course, a truly phenomenal feat.

After training hard for two months, the top boys have brought their times down between 13 and 14 minutes for our home course, and the girls are down in the low 14 and 15-minute range.

Most impressive, though, is how the team came together to push each other to new heights on the course and to consistently watch out for each other.

Soccer The 5th and 6th grade boys soccer team had successful seasons this year. The boys were split into a 5th grade team and a 6th grade team. During the season, the boys learned new skills and the coaches were proud of the effort they put forth. They often practice against each other, and while the competition is fierce, they display excellent sportsmanship.

improve their execution of game strategy, and they look forward to facing highly skilled teams throughout the remaining season. As the team heads into the county tournament, it is with a characteristic blend of optimism, grit, and hard work that distinguishes our Peck athletes on the field, in the classroom, and for years to come.

Similarly, Peck’s 7/8 “B” team has displayed the same positive attitude in every game from beginning to end. Currently holding a 3-3 record, our athletes support each other and show genuine enjoyment while playing regardless of the situation. The team captains have been excellent role models, and key players have distinguished themselves with determination. GO PRIDE!

The coaching staff looks forward to coaching the current 5th grade next year and seeing the current 6th grade play at the next level.

Peck’s 7/8 Boys “A” soccer team has shown extraordinary perseverance despite disappointing results. Their 3-4-2 record doesn’t accurately tell the story of a remarkable season to this point, as three of the four losses were by a single goal. While Peck retained possession of the mid-season Delaporte Award (vs. Gill St. Bernards), our team faced a last-minute penalty kick—forcing what would have been a Peck-dominated game to a 1-1 tie. The team’s second tie came with incredible resilience against a talented Newark Academy team. Undaunted, our players continue to

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CAMPUS NEWS

O as creators and community-builders, leaders and lifelong learners, and contributors to a better world on almost a daily basis!

Here are a few highlights of outstanding student achievements from the 2015-2016 school year.

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Sim ’16, Cheung ’17, Patrick ‘17 Students Compete at the June 2016 National History Day Contest

Julia Dubel ’16, Zelie Dolan ’16, Owen Patrick ’17, and TJ Parekh ’16, with Science Teacher Liz LaRosa, represented Peck at the regional “You Be the Chemist” challenge.

e re o n n ric e re en ec “You Be the Chemist” Com e i ion T

, and current eighth grader O T C , joined with other schools to participate in the Morristown regional “You Be The Chemist” challenge held last school year at the BASF Headquarters on Park Avenue on March 19, 2016. BASF is a national sponsor of the challenge, which is organized by the Chemical Educational Foundation. This was a national academic Q & A competition that motivates fifth through eighth grade students to test their knowledge of chemistry concepts and their real-world applications as they compete to represent their state at a national level. Julia and Zelie made it to the championship round and acted as alternates during the state competition.

Owen Patrick represented Peck at the State Competition in April, 2016.

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Students from The Peck School joined other middle and high-school students from across the globe to st y epa t e t a y t yS a d cu e t compete at the Kenneth eighth grade students Ryan Cheung and Owen Patrick, who won top E. Behring National Hishonors last year during the New Jersey History Day state competition. tory Day contest this past June. Abby Sim ’16, Ryan Cheung ’17, and Owen Patrick ’17 earned top honors at the May 2016 New Jersey History Day state competition with their respective projects, and were invited to exhibit their work at the week-long national event, held at the University of Maryland in College Park, MD. Abby represented our home state for the Individual Website Category (“The Evolution and Impact of Chinese Migration”), and Ryan and Owen represented for a Group Website (“Exchanging Science and Technology; Encountering the Unknown; Exploring the Space Race.”)

Each year nearly 3,000 students gather and exhibit their work at the event, after spending months on project research and preparation, and earning honors at their respective local and state competitions.

Young Inventors Cheng ’21 and Liftin ‘21 Won ExploraVision Regionals Last year Scarlette Liftin and Sophie Cheng, Class while still in their third of 2021, shared their regionals-winning vision for a grade year at Peck, Sophie Cheng and personal Interactive Picture Frame Scarlette Lifton secured first place for their inventive idea to create a personal Interactive Picture Frame (affectionately known as the “IPF”) in the Toshiba ExploraVision Contest. The contest, sponsored by the National Science Teachers’ Association and Toshiba, is the largest science competition in the world. Under the mentorship of Lower School Technology Integrator Jen Garvey, the Peck duo worked long hours outside of school to design their IPF, which uses artificial intelligence, digital footprints, and cloud-based data storage to bring pictures to life in a high tech frame.

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A Guided by Values Blog Excerpt:

Entrepreneur: At the Crossroad of STEAM and Empathy

Andrew Schneider, Director of Finance and Operations We’ve all experienced the feeling of “getting in the zone” at some point; that heightened sense of focus, a blissful tunnel vision that drives us when creating something that we’re passionate about. It’s a wonderful feeling. But it’s this same passion that blinds us from how our creations might be received by the world around us.

So often the final hurdle to clear when turning an idea into a business is empathy; putting yourself in the shoes of others in order to help solve their problem, not your problem.

For that reason, we must strive not just to teach STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) in our school curricula, but STEAM with empathic social awareness. More specifically, we need to teach our students to be entrepreneurs. Engineers solve problems, but entrepreneurs go a step further, solving problems for others.

Entrepreneurship is the convergence of engineering and empathy, and teaching it through a STEAM curriculum offers our students an opportunity to have an immense impact on the world around them

Read more at guidedbyvalues.org

Guided by Values is The Peck School’s new community blog.

Weekly posts reflect the unique voices and collective wisdom of our talented community members – their passions, their values, their research, and their visions for inspirational education and a caring community.

Visit guidedbyvalues.org, and sign up to follow by email or RSS. 33

FACULTY NOTES

FACULTY NOTES

Disciplina Ad Vivendum award winner Mark Mortensen with Head of School Andy Delinsky and Board President Jamie Foley.

Sue Sweeney (28 yrs of service) gives a thumbs-up for the engraved chairs

Woodworking Teacher Mark Mortensen was honored with Peck’s annual Disciplina Ad Vivendum Award for Teaching Excellence at the Welcome Back Dinner on September 9, 2016. The school presents this top honor to a faculty leader who demonstrates in principle and in practice a personal commitment to Peck’s ultimate goal—the education of the whole child.

James V. Cross, 33 years; Suzanne Sweeney, 28 years; Mark A. Mortensen, 25 years; Jeannie S. Brown, 24 years; Nina Sharma, 23 years; Ricardo L. Dixon, 22 years; Bronagh M. Coakley, 21 years; and Laura J. Caruso, 20 years.

Another annual tradition at Peck’s Welcome Back Dinner includes recognition for faculty and staff members who have served the school for twenty years or more. Engraved, personalized Peck School chairs were presented to the following faculty and staff members: Donald J. Diebold, 43 years;

Twenty-year service award winner Laura Caruso with Head of School Andy Delinsky and Board President Jamie Foley

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Librarian Mary Kate MacVicar, recipient of the Peck Faculty Summer Grant, traveled to London to explore the origins of some of her favorite children’s books.

In addition to visiting many historic London landmarks, she attended a performance of “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” a new play by J.K. Rowling, in London’s East End.

Librarian Mrs. MacVicar takes a seat at Paddington station

Learning for Life Reading Director Carolyn Vallario and Reading Specialist Janine Finnegan explored ways to enhance the Peck reading program during summer conferences.

Carolyn attended the International Literacy Conference in Boston, with workshops on differentiated instruction, multi-sensory teaching practices and targeted instruction. Janine participated in the Institute for Multi-Sensory Education Advanced Continuum Orton-Gillingham training program, where she learned about advanced encoding and decoding with morphemes, greek and latin roots, along with vocabulary, writing and spelling.

In her mission to continue to enhance the performing arts program at The Peck School, Upper School Drama Teacher Yvette Lopez-Grieshaber participated in a Broadway Teachers’ Workshop— exploring promising practices in theater education (where everybody plays and everybody learns) for class and stage.

Second Grade Teacher Jane Attah attended a summer conference at The Nueva School in San Mateo, California, where she studied design thinking, a studentcentered approach to teaching, fostering empathy in children, and encouraging a growth mindset.

English Teacher Virginia Savage and Latin Teacher Will Harvard attended the Stanley H. King Counseling Institute (for Independent Schools) conference this summer. The conference centered on deepening relationships with students and listening to them in ways that support their growth and learning. As students face increasing challenges navigating their lives socially, academically and spiritually, teachers learn to reframe from judgment and trying to “fix” their students’ circumstances to instead guiding them to articulate and reflect upon their feelings.

It’s been a busy season for new arrivals at the Peck School!

Head of School Andy Delinsky and his wife Julie welcomed their third child, Will Brady Delinsky, on August 19, 2016. Will weighed 8 lbs., 2 oz., and siblings Eve, ’25 and Finn have proved to be a great big sister and big brother! Word has it that Will is a very happy and content little guy. Congratulations to the Delinsky family!

Suzy Becker, Technology Support Specialist/Registrar/ Mindfulness Teacher, is thrilled to be a grandma again. Wyatt James Bardakjian was born on July10, 2016 in California.

Suzy is already using her “tech” skills to keep in touch.

L to R: Baby Will Delinsky with siblings Eve ’25 and Finn, Baby Neeley Loveday, Mrs. Becker skypes with new grandson Wyatt Bardakjian, and Timothy James Corica

Congratulations to Upper School Science Teacher Tim Loveday, his wife Sarah, and their son Bobby (age 2) on the arrival of their newest family member, Neeley John Loveday! Neeley entered this world on May 26, 2016, weighing in at 9 lbs., 6 oz.

Director of Communications Jen Cleary and husband Matt Corica welcomed a baby boy on October 27, 2016. Timothy James Corica weighed 6 lbs., 14 oz. and joins big sister Sofy (age 2).

Congratulations to the Cleary/Corica family!

Math Department Chair Stewart Wilkinson attended a Phillips Exeter summer program on ways to strengthen Peck’s math program. Examples of coursework included the study of student-centered and problem-based approaches to teaching Algebra as well as ways to engage students in STEM. Our Lower School Head, Nina Sharma, and Director of Curriculum & Faculty Development, Chris Weaver, attended a weeklong conference on transformative leadership and fostering a growth-focused and student-centered culture.

This summer, three of Peck’s new Associate Teachers (Willa Gustavson, Casey Miller, and Alysia Slocum) attended the NJAIS Instructional Skills workshop hosted by The Pingry School. The motivational workshop, for both new and seasoned educators, focused on three elements: teaching to an instructional objective, methods of using active participation, and lesson planning for differentiated instruction.

Spanish Teacher Adriana Sykora attended the NJAIS Innovation Symposium 2016: Transforming Education with Technology.

The symposium focused on learning how to create a more engaging, student-centered

classroom where students are able to relate their personal interest with what they are learning in the classroom. Some examples of innovative technology include Padlet (on-line bulletin board), Newsela (Spanish and language resources), Google Classroom, and drones.

Faculty & Staff Updates With her extensive background in reading instruction and student learning styles, Carolyn Vallario (MSEd Elementary Education, BA Social Sciences/Child Family Studies, Certificates in Reading Recovery and Orton Gillingham) will lead Peck’s Reading Department, following the retirement of Julie Skinner. Janine Finnegan (BS Business Administration, MA Liberal Arts, Certified Academic Language Therapist) joins Carolyn as a full-time Reading Specialist.

Officer Tim Cooney has assumed the title of Director of Safety and Security, and is overseeing our Safety and Emergency Response Team, and campus security drills and protocols. Prior to joining Peck, Officer Tim spent 4 years in the U.S. Army and the next 29 years in law enforcement as a police officer and detective.

Annette Worthington (MA Educational Psychology, BA Psychology), a former Peck parent of four, a past Peck PA President, and an experienced Admissions Officer, joins Peck as a part-time Admissions Counselor.

Tyler Moseley (BA French) takes over the Upper School French Program following the retirement of French Teacher Mme Claire Fawzi. Tyler has worn many hats while at Peck, and brings her trademark creativity and passion to her French classroom.

Our alumni weigh in on inspirational faculty and favorite Peck memories: “Certainly Mrs. Frazier [inspired me many decades ago! Peck was very small when I was there in the days of Mr. And Mrs. Peck and I loved it.”

SERENA SAVAGE BAUM ‘47 “Mrs. Sweeney taught me to love sports not for the thrill of winning but for the spirit of friendly and respectful competition.”

JENNIFER COYNE ‘14

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FACULTY NOTES

A French Immersion

By Tyler Moseley, Upper School French Teacher As I recently watched our Peck students sign the school’s honor code, I was reminded of upholding a different kind of honor code: L’Engagement d’honneur, or “The Pledge,” an honor code I personally signed this summer while attending an intensive summer language study in French with Middlebury Language Schools.

Along with my cohort of other lifelong learners (who became like family at the end of my program) I pledged to communicate only in the French language while at Middlebury. So, for seven weeks, I lived, ate, studied, and dreamed in French. Complete linguistic immersion, intensive classes, and extracurricular activities pushed me to an even higher level of proficiency in this beautiful Romance language.

Though I lived in the French quarter of campus, I was surrounded by the music of many world languages (Russian, Hebrew, Spanish and Chinese to name a few) while biking or walking to class. The environment itself was stimulating—like Peck students, I attended four classes per day, and filled the rest of my time with inspiring activities and unforgettable moments. I joined the tennis team— experiencing the sport with a French perspective, learning how to win and lose in a different language. I attended conferences held by French Canadian journalists and Moroccan professors. I explored the mountains of Vermont, tested out my French on the streets of Montreal, and gleefully squealed (yes, in French) as I jumped off waterfalls with my new friends. My culminating experience was performing in a play, Tumultes, by French comedian Marion Aubert. I relished the opportunity to act in an authentic production where—through perseverance and memorization of foreign text—I was able to perform a challenging role and walk away feeling proud of my accomplishment.

As I sometimes struggled to find the words I needed to express myself in French on such a granular level, especially while analyzing themes in a French novel discussion or staying up to write a five page essay on pollution, my empathy for our students here at Peck grew. While experiencing failure was discouraging at first,

36

the Middlebury teachers created the kind of welcoming and safe learning environment that I am determined to re-create in my own classroom at Peck. I felt—as I want my students to feel—safe and welcomed to make mistakes, and willing to repeatedly try for a successful outcome. As my comfort level increased, I found myself reframing the idea of “mistake” or “failure” as instead an opportunity for growth.

My time at Middlebury gave me a unique perspective of what students must accomplish today balancing their academics with extracurricular activities as well as social commitments. Not only do I better understand the learner’s mindset in my class, I strive to provide a program that teaches to the whole child and sparks a passion for the language both inside the classroom and out.

Tyler Moseley (AKA Mademoiselle Moseley), a faculty member at Peck since 2011, began teaching French to Upper School students in the fall of 2016 following the retirement of French teacher Claire Fawzi. Tyler has worked with, and is much-loved by, students of all ages at Peck; having taught in the indergarten, rst grade, and summer program; directed Peck’s AfterSchool program; acted as guest and substitute teacher, and assisted with the Winter Musical

SPOTLIGHT: Hitting The Ground, Running Peck’s success is predicated on the continued strength of our faculty. Delivering a meaningful and dynamic program requires creative teachers who are inspired to innovate and who model the best pedagogical practices in their fields— and we’re very excited to have welcomed an excellent cohort of new teachers and associate teachers for the 16-17 year.

Upper School Art Teacher Scott Beil (BA Art Education, MFA) is infusing art and tech throughout his fall classes—such as the fifth grade’s Optical Illusion project, where students are drawing and digitally adding color to their designs using iPads. The eighth grade is also using digital drawing tablets for a digital-story telling elective class. He’s also running an Upper School Friday activity known as the Artist Experimenter’s Club, where each week students explore a theme or a prompt using a variety of mediums. (The “Speed and Motion” prompt had participants exploring in ink, pastels, and paint.)

In addition to building a solid science foundation with his students, Michael Karosen (BS Meteorology), Lower School Science Specialist, brings his expertise and passion for weather to the classroom. The current hurricane season has enabled him to teach students about the components, stages and lifecycle of tropical weather, including using the latitude/ longitude provided by the National Hurricane Center to plot/track the actual path versus the forecasted track of each Hurricane. The students also engaged in an iPad assignment where they learned the various lists of names used for hurricanes/tropical storms, along with an interactive tutorial that revealed a 3-dimenensional view of the structure of hurricanes.

As our new Lower School Math Coordinator, Jennifer Hogan (BA Elementary Education, MA Urban Education) is changing the way students are talking about math. “Math Talk” is an opportunity for deeper understanding through communication: articulating ideas and vocabulary, analyzing reasoning, and reframing math as a dialog beyond simple pictures, numbers, or words. She has also brought SmartPAL to math classrooms—dryerase worksheet sleeves that let students actively follow along with lessons, and make and correct mistakes, rather than passively watching and listening.

Peck’s Lower School Associate Teaching Program is an immersive opportunity designed for emerging teachers who are ready to take the next step toward becoming world-class educators in elementary education. This year long program has expanded to allow for the placement of highly creative and energetic associates in each Lower School grade under the mentorship of our Master Homeroom Teachers. In addition to the numerous benefits for our students—such as increased individualized attention and new, vibrant student-teacher relationships—the program positions Peck as an invaluable career resource for teachers. We are fortunate to welcome five new Associate Teachers to our community this year: Jessica Busk, Fourth Grade, (joining second-year Associate Anna Kimtis); Casey Miller and Alysia Slocum, Third Grade; Willa Gustavson, Second Grade (joining second-year grade Associate Megan Adair); and Leanne Zaug, Kindergarten. First Grade Associate teachers Sara (Wheeler) Ruark (faculty member since 2013) and Julie Castaneda have also been invited to return for their second year in the Lower School Associate Teaching Program.

37

FACULTY NOTES

A Teacher’s Story

By Katie Bruno, Third Grade Homeroom Teacher Peck traditionally asks one teacher per year to share his or her story with the greater Peck community so that we may truly know each other as friends, as colleagues, as family. Katie Bruno (BA St. Lawrence University) joined Peck in 2008.

A former teaching colleague once asked me over lunch if I always wanted to be a teacher. I paused, not knowing what to say.

I then realized that the answer was not as simple as yes or no.

When I was little, I wanted to have many different jobs: First, I planned to be a ballerina. That dream stayed alive until I saw my first pair of point shoes…ouch! My next choice was to become a doctor. When I realized that blood was a major factor in that career, I crossed it off the list. Then, I wanted to be an actress—until I learned I had stage fright during a middle school production.

But teaching never really crossed my mind.

Perhaps that was because school represented an uphill battle for me. In fifth grade, I was diagnosed with a learning disability involving tracking.

My eyes needed to be trained to go from one line to the next.

Prior to receiving eye therapy, I would read a paragraph over and over again and never be able to comprehend it.

So, school was a challenge for me. Summers were a welcome break from the academic rigor.

From the age of 8 to 14, I attended an excellent summer day camp on Lake George, which led directly to my first ‘teaching’ role. At 15, I became a Group 1 Counselor working with 6 and 7 year olds... and I loved it! I enjoyed leading my group, having that level of responsibility, building

38

relationships with my campers, and guiding them throughout the summer. I spent four fantastic summers doing this.

Meanwhile in high school, I spent my study halls in the library where—ironically—over time I became the go-to person for other students seeking clarification and support. ME! I was told that my explanations “just made sense.” Little did I know that between my experiences as a counselor and helping others during study hall, my path as a teacher had begun.

For my senior high school project, I was encouraged to investigate something outside my comfort zone. Reflecting on my time as a camp counselor, and my love of literature and Spanish, I chose to apprentice for two of my high school teachers— and I realized just how much I enjoyed every aspect of teaching.

I decided in college I’d double major in English literature and Spanish, and minor in education.

During the summer after my sophomore year of college, I participated as a faculty member in Summerbridge, a six-week academic program offering a tuition-free enrichment experience for underprivileged sixth and seventh graders. Our goal as teachers was to ignite the students’ love of learning and provide them with the skills to propel them into a successful high school career.

I adored teaching my kids; I learned a tremendous amount, and I was pushed farther

than I thought I could go. I received positive feedback from my colleagues and was encouraged to pursue teaching as a career.

The director, however, wasn’t as supportive.

Her divisive approach and lack of positive reinforcement negated all of my peers’ sentiments. By the end of the summer, I was convinced that I couldn’t, and shouldn’t, be a teacher. That’s when my life changed course. I needed to find a new profession.

As I discussed other career areas with my parents, including marketing, advertising, public relations, and sales, my mom asked me to keep teaching in mind. After much debate about whether I could ever be a successful teacher, I appeased her by agreeing to work with an education placement service. Throughout my senior year in college, I received a few postcards in my mailbox inviting me to contact a school that had received my file. I never reached out to any of them. That spring, I accepted a position in Boston in the Managerial Program at Enterprise Rent a Car. Then one day in mid-June, my mom announced with great excitement that Princeton Day School had called. She insisted I call back immediately hoping that this profound news would reignite my passion for teaching. Out of respect for my

mom, I begrudgingly agreed to spend a day at PDS. I remember nervously walking across campus looking for the correct building wondering what the school was thinking by calling me. I wasn’t meant to be a teacher.

parents for their honesty and guidance. Also, I would be amiss if I didn’t mention several educators who influenced me, both as a student and as a teacher.

After a day discussing my teaching philosophy, my experience working with children, and what the teaching job entailed, I secretly allowed myself to consider just for a few minutes the possibility of becoming a teacher. It felt right. But my lack of confidence quickly reminded me that I couldn’t be a teacher, dredging up memories of my old Summerbridge director.

In first grade, Miss Pearl exposed me to the magic of teaching. I had received a magic wand for Christmas, which was definitely real, no matter what my siblings said!

Miss Pearl wanted to try it out: one afternoon during show and tell, she gathered our class around a phone in the hallway. She asked me to stand on a stool, tap the phone three times, and ask Mr. Coash—our headmaster—to call. And guess what?

The phone rang! My magic wand worked! (Miss Pearl was the real magic, though.)

A few days later, PDS offered me the job.

I was shocked and asked for some time to think about it.

That night, my parents sat me down and laid all of the cards on the table. They explained that they tried to support my desire to enter the business world…but it was time to be honest. They told me that I was meant to be a teacher, and I was the only person who didn’t see it. After extensive deliberation, my dad said, “Katester, this is who you are. I know you don’t trust the feeling, but teaching is your vocation. Please believe in yourself and follow your passion.”

After a few days and a great deal of soul searching, I accepted the position—taking the greatest leap of faith of my life.

Now, I can’t imagine not being a teacher; it’s part of my core. But I wouldn’t be here today without the support of many individuals. I am incredibly grateful to my

Ms. Pisani

Mr. Dick

Mr. Dick was my eleventh and twelfth grade math teacher.

He instilled in me the values of perseverance and patience, and dedicated every lunch period to offering extra help to his students. (Needless to say, I was his number one customer.) Mr. Dick never let me give up and would explain a concept in countless different ways until I understood.

I am in awe of the amount of time and effort he put into my growth as a mathematician and a person.

Lastly, my English teacher Ms. Pisani proved her belief in me as a writer and leader by appointing me to be Editor-in-Chief of the school newspaper. Ms. Pisani saw something in me that I didn’t know existed, as I’d never imagined myself in that position.

These selfless teachers had a profound impact on my development as an individual. They inspired me to shoot higher, dream bigger, and always believe in myself. When I think about, “Who is Katie Bruno, the teacher?”

I see parts of Miss Pearl, Señora Pozzi, Mr. Dick, and Ms. Pisani in me.

Señora Pozzi

From Señora Pozzi, one of my high school Spanish teachers, I learned the importance of bringing your subject matter to life. One day she asked each child to act out a Spanish verb; mine was aspirar. My mind went blank, and all I could think to say was no comprendo. All of a sudden, Señora Pozzi left the room and returned with a vacuum cleaner. She proceeded to plug it in and vacuum the classroom as we all acted out and chanted aspirar, aspirar, aspirar. I will never forget that moment or that word!

This year, I am celebrating my twentieth year of teaching. It is a proud milestone for me. I am extremely honored to be an educator. As I reflect on my career, I know I made the right choice back in June of 1997.

Thank you.

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ALUMNI UPDATES

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OUR MOST RECENT REUNION too a di erent spin than in previous ears—as the alumni o ce invited not onl alumni rom all the classes through bac to campus but also their amilies including their children their parents ast but not least acult rom then and now were a great addition to the estivities lumni couldn t miss rs aw i rs inner and r illis wearing their etirement oc s sashes n a bree aturda a ternoon in a our pla ground bas etball area was filled with three o ew erse s award winning ood truc s classic eapolitan pi a rom i a ita rom in and oo and umm health ro en banana ice cream rom manda ananas ur oungest guests sported their speed and stamina in the bounc castle sat or wild and antastical ace paintings and glee ull pla ed with a menagerie o on demand balloon animals he light blue tablecloths billowed and the balloon centerpieces danced in the wind—in some cases dancing right o the tables ll in all it was a per ect spot to reconnect with amiliar aces rom ec da s o the past ith a health dose o ec ride alumni own and edhead children competed in oam hoc e races prompting the reunion to end as onl a ec reunion should end—with an announcement b thletic irector on iebold o who emerged victorious at the end o the da the ownies or the edheads n true ec ashion each side gave their all ending the races with a dead even tie

Mark Your Calendars: Our next reunion cycle will begin in October 2017, with a celebration of the Classes ending in a “2” and a “7.” (While the exact date is yet-to-be-announced, alumni will be treated to a special tour and dinner on Peck’s campus the Friday evening before the annual Far Hills Races.)

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41

ALUMNI UPDATES

During our spring term, Peck graduates can take advantage of our internship program while in their senior year of high school. Alumni Jackie Jakimowicz and Adam Magistro, Class of 2012, were placed with Lower and Upper School teachers, respectively, in May 2016.

A KINDERGARTEN INTERNSHIP

INTERNING WITH THE PECK UPPER SCHOOL

By Jacqueline Jakimowicz ’12

By Adam Magistro ’12

Boston University ’20

Medical Leave of Absence from the USNA, and a member of the Brigade of Midshipmen

In May, it is the privilege of all Pingry seniors to embark upon six weeks known as the Independent Senior Project (ISP). Students apply to take part in a project of their own choosing by presenting a proposal to the ISP Committee. The experience is designed to give students the opportunity to acquire a new skill, engage actively in real-life environments, and continue to expand their understanding of the world in a more practical situation.

In the last three weeks of my project I decided to work with Peck’s Kindergarten—as I felt it would be a wonderful way to give back to a community that has given so much to me.

My responsibilities in the “K” varied from day to day. As I arrived in late May, I spent a lot of time practicing with the students for the Spring Sing and their annual play. In addition to preparing for these important events, I would also help with day-to-day tasks, like assisting the teachers with daily projects and handling various social situations.

One of my favorite experiences was being a part of Grandfriends’ Day again. I love the long-standing tradition of the Spring Sing and Downy-Redhead Day and feel it fosters a unique Peck school spirit. Every year when I was a student, I really looked forward to this day and how the whole community comes together to celebrate such an old, cherished tradition. Another highlight was watching the students perform their play, The Day the Crayons Quit. (They did a great job of remembering their lines, projecting their voices, and putting on a wonderful performance!)

My internship at Peck taught me a myriad of skills, which I may not have acquired behind a classroom desk at Pingry. It showed me how to interact with children in a more formal way; something I had not done before. They considered me an adult—and I could see how teachers really shape their young lives. I learned how to deal with various social situations among the children, and made sure everyone felt like they belonged. In addition, it made me appreciate the beauty of innate knowledge and how bright young minds are. Teaching is very challenging at any grade, and working with Peck’s Kindergarten made me appreciate and respect my own teachers that much more.

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I came back to Peck because I was hoping to give back to a community that has helped me and given me so much over the years. My hope was that I could make a difference in the world by educating the younger generation and assisting their mentors as much as possible.

My responsibilities varied greatly over the course of the project, from simply grading papers with Mr. Wilkinson to actually teaching sections of seventh grade math with Mr. Cross. This is one element that made the project so exciting—I never knew what the day would bring, and I always had to be on my toes.

(For example: the social dynamics of an Upper School lunch table! Though I am only a few years older, I needed the students to understand that they should treat me as another teacher and authority figure…all while keeping some semblance of order!)

I definitely noticed a lot of change since I was at Peck. As a lover of science and math I was very impressed how the curriculum had progressed, with more science being taught as well as some engineering in the robotics section. I also felt that the environment was much more inclusive and diverse than when I was a student there.

I’m grateful that my time back at Peck confirmed that, while rewarding, I still want to stick on the path to becoming an engineer. My fantastic experience definitely made me appreciate teachers more than I ever had—because I realized they have one of the most difficult jobs on the planet, and Peck teachers take that to another level! I learned how to truly use peer leadership, something that has helped me already, and will continue to help me as I go forward in my career. Overall the experience was amazing and one I will truly never forget.

#StayConnected

facebook.com/peckschool

Instagram (@thepeckschool)

Peck places a high value on global aware-

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CLASS NOTES

CLASS NOTES EDITOR’S NOTE: We depend on our readers to “write” this part of the Peck News. With the magazine’s new bi-annual publishing timeline, our alumni have opportunity to share news in a timely manner! Send in your news and photos at any time (day or night) to the lumni ce at malone pec school org and remember

eren e m It is wonderful to get news from the Peck School. I went through Peck when it was on Elm Street and of course knew Mr. and Mrs. Peck. There were a number of other amazing teachers then: Miss Frazier will never be forgotten. It was and still is a particularly good school. I finished there in 1947.

Now I am 82 and am well and now live in Baltimore. My husband died nearly 3 years ago, and I enjoy thinking on those early years. I have three children and seven grandchildren. My youngest son has twins who go to Morristown-Beard—I think that is the right combination!

Taz Brower, Peck coach starting in the early 1950s, former trustee, and past parent, is the co-author of Noe Pond Club: 60 Years of Family Fun: 1955-2015.

Taz, along with her husband Bailey and friend William Westhoven, “wrote about the unique haven for families in the local area who sought a safe, and clean place to swim.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: One never knows how a story may affect a reader, but it was a great day when I read the following email from Meredith Tilp ’64 after she read the May issue of our e-newsletter, the Alumni Beacon, which featured one of her former Peck teachers, Mrs. Betty Emory. Here is the original article:

in Santa Fe, New Mexico to largely Hispanic students.

One of my classes is AP Human Geography. We keep interactive notebooks of all our maps and map projects, population pyramids, cultural artifacts, demographic and health statistics. In honor of Mrs. Emory I have labeled my book: teacher Mrs. Emory. So interesting that you have an article about her right now. A teacher is truly one who inspires!

It is no coincidence that she sparked a fire in me of geography and travel. I spent 30 years doing International Development and public health work.

I am still really good friends with Tim O’Donnell my Latin teacher. He also inspired me to widen my horizons.

Tom Green taught me the beauty of writing and how so much of it is a puzzle. Leland T. Johnson gave me so much confidence in math. It was all about the inspiration these teachers gave us. We were so lucky to have such caring end positive educators.

No news…maybe next time!

Congratulations to Alexis Maybank McClusey on the success of her fourth start-up company, Project September—which is a new mobile app ‘with the goal of ‘making the visual world shoppable.’ Meaning, in practice, users now have the first visually immersive app with a clean, almost-wordless interface that lets them both share and shop from their smartphones.

Follow style leaders and shop directly from photos, post original content and share your personal style with followers, and even earn a commission if someone shops from your photos. Visit projectseptember.com to download the app.

e er in lets his son, Gray Malin, hang out of helicopters! In reality, it is all part of Gray’s work as a professional photographer who just so happens to lean out of a helicopter to get “the shot.” Gray’s new book Beaches was recently reviewed in the Wall Street Journal.

Mrs. Betty Emory—whose grateful students to this day remember their countries and capitals—taught social studies from 1960 to 1980. “With patience, understanding and persistence, Betty Emory dedicated herself to fine tuning the minds of her students. She taught them how to gather material, organize it, distinguish the important from the trivial; memorize important facts, use judgment, draw conclusions (and)… she enlarged the minds of her students, making them aware of the world around them.” Mrs. Emory was also the mother of four Peck graduates: Bruce ’57, Hugh ’59, Richard ’60, and Carol ’63. (Information gathered from the 1980 Peck News and Because They Cared.)

With permission from Meredith, here is her email: My name is ere i Ti and I was one of the lucky ones who learned countries, maps and geography from Betty Emory. Today I teach Public School

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An Amazon #1 bestseller in aerial photography, Beaches (from alumnus Peter Malin’s son, Gray Malin) features stunning, summery images from more than twenty cities over six continents, Alexis Maybank’s Project September app is a visually immersive shopping experience, Noe Pond Club was recently published by former Peck coach Taz Brower, Class of ’64 Meredith Tilp poses with her students and shares her “book” named after Peck teacher Betty Emory

C ri n and Catherine Jacola were married on August 2, 2016 near Mt. Rainier, Washington. o r er and his wife Alicia are the proud parents of daughter Orly Annabelle born on May 7, 2016. i er o e and her husband Jonathan are officially outnumbered in their household with baby #3! Daughter Brooklyn joined big brothers Benjamin and Samuel on May 4, 2016. The Sobels live in Far Hills, NJ. e ic ee yer and her husband Donald welcomed a son, Theodore Wright Sawyer, on June 28, 2016. Big sister Madeleine is ready for her new role!

C ire o rne

is teaching at Penn State in

the English Department.

e Co r em nc e and wife Liz proudly announce the birth of daughter Emerson “Emmy” Davenport Courtemanche on August 24, 2016.

Emmy is keeping her parents busy in Baltimore! i om married Anthony Dilonno on July 2, 2016 in New York City. They arrived to their reception at the Loeb Boathouse at Central Park in a gondola! ie

o nin

married Marc Bidder on April 9, 2016 at her parents’ home in Green Pond, SC.

And Now for Something [just a little bit] Different!

It’s all about the 2s and the 7s!

Peck is excited to announce that the next reunion will highlight classes ending in or This new model—which is also used by high schools and colleges across the country—allows us to not only celebrate these classes, but also shower th and th special attention on the milestone classes celebrating their th reunions!

We’re planning a festive Friday night on Peck’s campus, with plenty of time for alumni to reconnect with their Peck classmates and teachers. Reunion will be held in October 2017; the Friday evening before the Far Hills Races. (At the time of this printing, we are still waiting for the Far Hills Race Committee to announce the date for the October 2017 races) In addition, a few extra-special activities and events are being planned to help celebrate the lass o s th reunion: a pen-pal program with current students, a Friday lunch ‘sandwiched’ between classroom visits, and more. (And we need your help with the “more!”)

For those of you eager to contribute to a heartwarming and memorable milestone reunion chec out this abridged version o eter alin s e cient steps to a successful reunion.* Thank you for the guide, Mr. Malin!

e

o

cce

th

Reunion

STEP ONE: THE BEGINNING… obtain a contact list from Peck and then spend countless hours tracking down the email, phone, and physical address for classmates.

STEP TWO: THE MEMORIES… build a Facebook page where photos of former teachers and other events from Peck archives can be shared including stories from alumni’s days as Peck students.

STEP THREE: UP TO SPEED… ask classmates to write short biographies, including photos, to share with fellow classmates before seeing each other at reunion. The Class of 1965 created a bound volume of their class biographies!

e er C ro n had a busy summer. He was featured in the Wall Street Journal (June 13, 2016) as one of the five “Wealth Managers You Need to Know.” In July 2016, he married Katelyn Systrom at the Durham Ranch in St. Helena, CA. e er Co r em nc e

wed Jessie Lustgarten on June 5, 2016 at the Rainbow Room in New York City. The wedding guests included some ie inner r familiar Peck faces: r

in n

rm r r C ro e O

ei er ey—all former col-

leagues of Peter’s mother, Mary Courtemanche, from her teaching days at Peck.

STEP FOUR: MAKE QUALITY TIME… in addition to events on ca pus pla a class d e ff ca pus at a clu estau a t ell classmate’s home for another evening. Other ideas may include getting a group together for an informal game of golf or a picnic.

STEP FIVE: T

TO C connecting with former classmates at the reunion provides the opportunity to reconnect and to stay connected.

Invitations will be sent once the Far Hills Race event date has been announced, and we will share details and updates through Facebook, the Alumni Beacon, and on our website. If you would like to be a part of the planning process for your class, please contact Associate Director of Alumni Kay Malone at kmalone@peckschool.org or phone e t *Original article appeared in Peck News

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CLASS NOTES

When Morristown-Beard girls’ lacrosse played Peck in April 2016, the coaches of each of the teams knew each other quite well. Peck’s Girl’s Athletic Director, Coach Sue Sweeney, a member of the class of 1972, and her daughter, Susie Sweeney ’01 found themselves on the opposite sides of the field. A day to remember for the Sweeney household!

Courtney Gillis Brillon ’02 and her husband Peter welcomed daughter, Cayleigh Dawes Brillon on June 10, 2016 – at the same time as Courtney’s dad, Mr. Kevin Gillis, was attending his last Peck commencement ceremony as a member of the Peck faculty. Congratulations to all. (We know Kevin will enjoy his retirement days and his new duties as a grandfather!)

ni rm , and Reshema Patel were married on July 2, 2016 in New Jersey.

During the 2015 spring semester at Colby College, rc one helped raise money for the Maine General Cancer Center as part of Colby Cares for Kids weekend.

rici ore kept busy during her freshman year at Goucher College. She tutored kindergartners and first and second graders in the Read-A-Story and Write-A-Story programs by Community-Based Learning. co m er n o io was recently honored by the Association of Fundraising Professionals at the organization’s Excellence in Philanthropy Awards celebration at Pines Manor in Edison,

NJ. Malcolm, a pediatric cancer survivor, raises funds to support pediatric cancer research through his foundation Make Some Noise. (makenoise4kids.org) He was selected as AFP’s Outstanding Young Fundraiser for his efforts: Make Some Noise has collected nearly $2M, and Malcolm was honored as the first recipient of this special award that acknowledges the contributions and efforts of young people.

r on received an Honorable Mention (Short Story Category) by the 2016 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Brad is a student at Pingry. i e er worked on the yearbook for her senior year at St. Paul’s, in addition to being a member of the Chapel Choir and the Madrigals.

en y me ye begins his Master of Public Administration program at Rutgers University in the fall of 2016. o

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Following their brilliant years at Peck, our newest graduates from the Class of 2016 are bringing “The Pride” to the following boarding and day was selected to serve secondary schools this fall:

o

on the Board of Directors as the Philanthropy Chair for Georgetown’s well-known organization, The Corp, which is the largest entirely student-run non-profit in the world.

en o n

was accepted into Villanova’s Five Year B.A./M.A. Program in Political Science - which means that she will graduate in 2018 with her Masters’ degree!

Zarah Bari (Kent Place), Sara Blanchard (Morristown-Beard), Alec Bliemel (Pingry), Trip Brown (Lawrenceville), Ryan Bush (Pingry), Nicolette Decker (Choate), Zelie Dolan (North Hunterdon High School), Julia Dubel (Choate), Christian Finlay (Hotchkiss), Caitlyn Foley (Pingry), Eve Gilbert (Pingry), Lizzie Gilfillan (Pingry), Jack Hepp (Pingry), Shaye Herman (Choate), Emma Jaskolski (Deerfield), Jacob Lamb (Pingry), Ruqaiyyah LucasCaldwell (Newark Academy), Meghana Maddali (Morris Knolls IB Program), Luke Mortensen (Gill St. Bernard’s), Allie Moss (Pingry), Hunter Moss (Gill St. Bernard’s), Olivia Nugent (Pingry), Burke Pagano (Pingry), TJ Parekh (Delbarton), Gianna Porcek (Newark Academy), Sahil Reddy (Blair), Abby Simm (Hotchkiss), Evan Song (Montclair Kimberley Academy), Sam Stitt (Choate), Patrick Uket (St. Paul’s), Jack Wilkin (Montclair Kimberley Academy), Sydney Wolfe (Blair Academy)

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Jaydee Figueroa ’13 , along with being a student at the George School, is also working in the “culinary side of the world.” This past term Jaydee was hired by the food service company that feeds the students, faculty and guests of the George School. Among her duties are taking out the trash, doing dishes, serving food, making cookies, and seasoning foods. As Jaydee wrote: “I have learned several important lessons from working. One of them is that no job is too small.”

Congratulations to the following Peck graduates who have matriculated to an impressive list of colleges across the country this fall!

Prince Adablah ’12 (Fordham University), Luke Bedell ’12 (Case Western Reserve University), Krysta Bennia ’12 (University of Miami), Devin Blanchard ’12 (Western New England University), Abigail Bodner ’12 (Wake Forest University), Harrison Byers ’12 (University of Pennsylvania), Jonathan Coffey ’12 (Amherst College), Alexander Cohorsky ’12 (University of Miami), Kirby Comizio ’12 (Duke University), Amanda Cosentino ’12 (University of Virginia), Kathryn Coyne ’12 (Yale University), Ethan Czerniecki ’12 (Duke University), Anthony

Six members of the C

i n e on en n

o (Michael e ey riec er r ory no m n n Oric e r n ) took a moment for

Farinacci ’12 (Tufts University), Shoshana Geller ’12 (Dartmouth College), Isabel Gibbons ’12 (Cornell University), Philip Hettinger ’12 (Trinity College, Ireland), Jackson Hoit ’12 (Emory University), Brad Hong ’12 (University of Pennsylvania), Jacqueline Jakimowicz ’12 (Boston University), Zachary Katz ’11 (Babson

a photo before they headed off to the Pingry Spring Prom.

College), Rita Keazer ’12 (Princeton University), Mark Kowalik ’12 (University of Notre Dame), Hunter Kronk

The Delbarton Ice Hockey team was honored by the Morris County Board of Freeholders for winning the 2016 NJSIAA Non-Public State Ice Hockey Championship in March 2016. Members of the team included nPeck alumni n ony rin cci

Diego), Adam Magistro ’12 (US Naval Academy), Elizabeth Merrigan ’12 (Columbia University), Riley Nees

er cy Co on

Westerhold ’12 (Vanderbilt University)

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’12 (University of Miami), Salvatore LoBiondo ’12 (Villanova University), Cole Lumby ’12 (University of San ’12 (Stevens Institute of Technology), Lauren Nyamekye ’12 (University of Maryland), Gabriella Parlapiano ’12 (Oberlin College), Julia Schmuckler ’12 (University of Louisville), Malcolm Sutherland-Foggio ’12 (University of Rochester), Samuel Vazir ’12 (Boston College), Liam Villano ’12 (Santa Clara University), and Thomas

From Your Closets to Our Display Shelves!

st for e u q e R A ilia b a r o m e M

As we look forward to celebrating Peck’s 125th birthday in 2017, all alumni, family, and friends are encouraged to look through their closets, attics, basements, and storage bins for items from their Peck days!

We are looking for items such as photographs, yearbooks (the early 1980s editions are particularly rare), programs from class plays and other events, awards, sports paraphernalia, uniforms—a big thank you goes to Greg Saunders ’85 for the vintage Peck baseball uniform— certificates boo bags and more Be a part of this permanent exhibit that will be on display in the front room of the Lindenwold Library by donating or lending your Peck treasures.

lease contact ay Malone in the Alumni at kmalone@peckschool.org

ce

to discuss your memorabilia and to schedule a time to drop o the item s or to send them in to the school.

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CLASS NOTES

In Memoriam Peck extends its sympathies to the families and friends of the following members of our community: Elizabeth “Betty” Delaporte, March 2, 2016; mother of Lee “Chip”’ 71, and grandmother of Gus ’01, Jack ’03, and Katie William D. O’Brien, April 2, 2016; grandfather of Caitlyn ’16, Charlie ’18, and Teddy ’19 Foley Myron J. “Mike” Bromberg, April 30, 2016; father of Kenneth ’73, Eric ’76, and Bruce ’80 Matthew Giaquinto ’12, May 5, 2016; son of Monica and Michael Giaquinto, and brother of Adam, a member of the Class of 2016 Wynne McKay Marschalk ’38, June 9, 2016; mother of Karen Marschalk Viener, a member of the Class of 1963, and Peter Marschalk, a member of the Class of 1966

Sarah Pferd Martin ’77, June 10, 2016 Dr. Alice “Betsy” Manning ’54, June 30, 2016; sister of Patricia Manning Doggett ’44 and Carol Manning Mahnke ’48 Maude Thomas Katzenbach ’34, August 12, 2013 Daniel T. Scott, September 21, 2016; father of Daniel ’91, Tom ’92, Katie Scott Old ’95, and husband of Darby Scott, former member of the Board of Trustees Michael Brown ’98, September 30, 2016; brother of Meredith Brown Snook ’94 and son of Pat and Kevin Brown

Are you receiving the Alumni Beacon?

If we have your email address then you are automatically on our mailing list for the Alumni Beacon monthly e-newsletter. (If you haven’t seen the e-newsletter, try checking your spam folder!)

If you’ve accidentally unsubscribed or aren’t getting the Alumni Beacon, contact kmalone@peckschool.org so we can keep you up-to-date on the latest news and announcements!

48

Alexis Maybank Peck Class of 1989 Founder, Gilt Founder, Project September Revolutionized the landscape of luxury ecommerce and online shopping MBA from Harvard University Member of the Council on Foreign Relations A member of The Peck Pride

The journey begins in kindergarten at The Peck School.

A K-8, co-educational private day school in Morristown, NJ.

247 South Street, Morristown, NJ 07960. www.peckschool.org. (973) 539-8660.

PECK NEWS PECK NEWS 2016-2017 The Peck School 247 South Street Morristown, NJ 07960-7381 (973) 539-8660 www.peckschool.org

Leadership 2016-2017 ADMINISTRATION

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Head of School

Edward J. Foley IV ’85, President

Andrew C. Delinsky

Keeneh M. Comizio, Vice President

Director of Admissions and Financial Aid

Janet S. Pearce, Vice President

Erin Ceder Director of Athletics

Donald J. Diebold Director of Technology

John S. Dubel, Treasurer Holly P. Brown, Secretary Andrew Delinsky, Head of School*

Kevin Grieshaber

Andrew C. Delinsky

Director of Advancement

Head of School adelinsky@peckschool.org

Joan Smith Myers Head of the Upper School

Daisy Savage

Mark C. Bush Brian D. Crosby David Hepp Daniel Honeker

EDITORIAL STAFF

Director of Finance and Operations

Director of Advancement

Andrew Schneider

Marc M. Manahan

Joan Smith Myers

Head of the Lower School

jmyers@peckschool.org

Jennifer F. Moss

Nina Sharma

Souren G. Ouzounian

Director of Communications

Jennifer Cleary

Director of Curriculum and Faculty Development

Jai G. Parekh

jcleary@peckschool.org

Christopher Weaver

Director of Marketing and Community Outreach

Chris Starr cstarr@peckschool.org Associate Director of Alumni Relations

Kay Malone kmalone@peckschool.org Advancement Associate

Sue Yuhas

Anne LeBuhn MacCowatt ’73

G. Michael Pendy Thomas J. Pryma Patrick C. Ramsey

PARENTS ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Megan Rogers, PA President*

Megan Rogers, President

Subhadra Shah

Christina Melchionni,

Melinda Vieser

Vice President

David T. Welsh

Elliston Hensler Siedem ’82

Shannon Riley, Secretary

syuhas@peckschool.org

Amber Leach, Treasurer

Photography: Steve Allen Photography, The Peck School, The Peck School Archivess Contributing Writers: Katie Bruno, Andrew C. Delinsky, Jennifer Cleary, Anna Kimtis, MaryKate MacVicar, Kay Malone, Tyler Moseley, Joan Myers, Emily Pavlini, Virginia Savage, Chris Starr, Chris Weaver, Susan Yuhas Printing: J. S. McCarthy Printers Art Director: Greta G. Chinnadurai

This publication was printed with 100% renewable Green-e certified wind power

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Carter Marsh Abbott ’89

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Peck has a long history seeing problems through the lens of possibility!

From 1985-1986: Mark Dixon, Ben Fraser, Neha Patel, and Carter Marsh Abbott explore a microscopic world during t ade sc e ce class Alumni, do you have photos from your time at Peck? or our quasquicentennial th anniversar coming ne t ear we d love to have or borrow our old photographs class earboo s per ormance programs sports accessories and other vintage memorabilia or our displa in indenwold ibrar ontact a alone in the lumni malone pec school org or

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