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THE ROEPER SCHOOL COMMUNITY MAGAZINE

KEEPING

VUCA 2020 VOLUME 14: 1 FALL 2020

TOUCH

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TABLE OF CONTENTS David Feldman Head of School david.feldman@roeper.org Denita Banks-Sims Director of Development denita.banks-sims@roeper.org Keeping in Touch Editorial Committee Katie Buchmann Editor Bonnie Schemm Art Director

Contributors Denita Banks-Sims Carolyn Borman Katie Buchmann Brian Durst David Feldman Dave Fluent Juliette Olejnik Marcia Ruff Brian Wilmers Emily Wine

THE ROEPER SCHOOL 41190 Woodward Avenue Bloomfield Hills Michigan 48304 248/203-7300 www.roeper.org

The Roeper School is an independent coeducational day school for gifted and talented students preschool through grade 12 and an equal-opportunity institution

EDUCATING AND INSPIRING GIFTED STUDENTS TO THINK AS INDIVIDUALS AND TO ENGAGE AS A COMMUNITY WITH COMPASSION FOR EACH OTHER AND THIS WORLD

FEATURES OUR YEAR OF VUCA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . David Feldman, Head of School

NEW FACES ON THE STAFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Carolyn Borman, Communications Assistant NEW FACES ON THE BOARD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Emily Wine, Assistant to the Head FAREWELL TO TWO LONG-TIME TEACHERS . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Marcia Ruff, School Historian RESPONDING TO THE PANDEMIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Dave Fluent, Associate Head for Finance & Operations Brian Durst, IT Manager Brian Wilmers, Architect & Owners Representative ROEPER AS STUDENTS SEE IT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Marcia Ruff, School Historian ALUMNI PROFILE: AN INTERVIEW WITH PAM VICTOR ’84 . . . . . 18 Juliette Olejnik, Director of Alumni Relations & Annual Fund ALUMNI LEADERSHIP COUNCIL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Juliette Olejnik, Director of Alumni Relations & Annual Fund ALUMNI UPDATES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Juliette Olejnik, Director of Alumni Relations & Annual Fund PASSINGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Marcia Ruff, School Historian Denita Banks-Sims, Director of Development & Publications PARTING THOUGHTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Denita Banks-Sims, Director of Development & Publications

COVER ART Sara Puzey Mendez’s ’96 Middle School Experimental Sculpture class did a month of outdoor nature sculptures. This one is by Lauren Mattison, Grade 8.

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David Feldman Head of School

OUR YEAR OF VUCA We received a phone call recently from a woman who was driving down Adams Road, saw our students in the park, and witnessed mask-wearing Upper School Students maintaining physical distance and enjoying each other’s company. The woman said she just had to call the school to let us know how impressed she was with the responsible behavior she witnessed.

As we continue both our in-person and home learning classes, I am heartened by the seriousness our students and faculty are taking to be responsible community members. We know that it takes care and effort to maintain the health and safety necessary for in-person learning to continue. The pandemic is serious, present, and not very discerning when it comes to the impact it can have on individuals. Throughout Oakland County and the greater Southeastern Michigan area we are being challenged. We will both do our best to be safe, and to be prepared should we need to address cases of coronavirus within our community. Our families have agreed to a covenant, not a legal document, but rather a moral agreement, a statement that acknowledges our interdependence. We know that the health and safety of our community, and our ability to be together in-person rests on the behavior of each of us in school and out of school every day. Earlier this year I shared with our faculty and staff an acronym shared with me by independent school leaders to describe our times, it’s unique origin actually comes from the US War College and I think truly describes our world today. I said we are living in the days of VUCA — Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity. I think we can all viscerally feel this VUCA moment coursing through our veins, permeating our skin and leaping from our bodies. It is like some alien presence that has taken hold of us, reshaped our thinking, and overwhelmed our sense of perspective. I feel a little bit like my daughter sitting in the back seat of the car continuously asking, are we there yet, is this pandemic over, can we just go back to normal? I believe that we must reach a new understanding and a new level of coexistence with VUCA. Perhaps within a paradigm shift we can reimagine VUCA and take ownership of the moment.

I challenge you during this year of the unknown future to see VUCA from a different point of view. A new VUCA — our own VUCA. Where the V stands for our Values — compassion, respect, and responsibility. The U represents Understanding — for each other — that we are all trying our best to do our best. The C is about Caring. I asked our teachers to spend more time in their classes and with their families thinking about Maslow (hierarchy of needs) and less about Bloom (taxonomy of questions). We owe it to each other — all of us — to lift each other up, acknowledge the work being done, and seek each other out when we need to problem solve. Our focus must shift to basic human needs and not dwell on constructing the perfect question necessary to deliver the ideal academic content. More Maslow and less Bloom. And the A must stand for Agility — we need to be nimble; school is not going to be the way it was when we started last year. Our lessons and teaching methods will not be the same as they were last year. We need to give ourselves and each other the grace to adjust, change, struggle, and to be fully present. Time feels like it is moving at a different rate during this pandemic. Everything feels faster, and the need to respond feels more immediate and pressing. Being nimble means taking action to address critical needs. We are a community that likes to take its time and ponder questions, issues, and decisions. The unknown future we are facing will not always give us that luxury. In the end, we have to have the trust in one another necessary to come through this pandemic stronger than when we entered. That’s the goal — that’s the vision. We will not be the same school we were last year, and we will not be the same school we are today a year from now. What will it take to be stronger — not how do we add more students, build more buildings, or create more programs — stronger. More committed to our mission and our values; clearer in our pedagogy; unified in our sense of purpose. Living as a community with respect, professionalism, and joy. That is our vision for this year of challenge and VUCA. F

We know that the health and safety of our community, and our ability to be together in-person rests on the behavior of each of us in school and out of school every day.

Carolyn Borman

Communications Assistant

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NEW FACES ON THE STAFF ON THE BIRMINGHAM CAMPUS SCOTT CARMONA is the Athletic Director Assistant working with Ed Sack.

Roeper welcomes an exciting group of new faculty and staff.

1. Describe your life in six words. Blessed with great family and friends. 2. If you could live anywhere in the world for a year, where would it be? Maui, Hawaii 3. If you could invite three guests, dead or alive, to dinner, who would they be? Marcus Aurelius, William Shakespeare, and Barack Obama. 4. What are some things you’d like to share about yourself, your family and birthplace? My family means the world to me. I was fortunate to be born in the great city of Detroit to my amazing parents. Lee & Pat Carmona instilled in me confidence, curiosity, and manners. They taught me sound principles, to treat others as you would like to be treated, and when you assist others, two people benefit — that person and yourself. I try to instill those with my amazing daughter, Hope, with the help from my caring wife Heather. 5. What are your hobbies and interests outside of working at Roeper? I am an avid golfer and try to maintain my fitness. 6. What is a topic or skill that you love to teach and why? If I were a teacher, I would like to teach either journalism or Spanish. 7. What is it that appealed to you about Roeper when you took the job? The sense of community Roeper has is what has appealed to me for these past eight years. Watching my daughter evolve into a complete citizen with a moral compass and compassion for others. I feel the need to share my skills and contribute to this. ROZ GIROUX is teaching English in the Middle School. 1. Describe your life in six words: creative, mater nal, adventurous, musical, traveled, empathetic 2. If you could live anywhere in the world for a

year, where would it be? On a houseboat in Denmark. 3. If you could invite three guests, dead or alive, to dinner, who would they be? Amy Poehler, Kurt Vonnegut, and Oprah. 4. What are some things you’d like to share about yourself, your family and birthplace? My two amazing children have joined me in this new adventure at Roeper. Isaac is in Stage III and Pearl is Stage I … I have never seen them happier than coming home from school these past couple of weeks. 5. What are your hobbies and interests outside of working at Roeper? Before becoming a teacher, I was a traveling dueling piano player. Music has a leading role in my life. I feel passionately about inclusivity and love learning about what makes people tick. When I need to take a break from the intensity of our times, I love consuming comedy in any form. 6. What is a topic or skill that you love to teach and why? My practice has been centered on fostering creative confidence and using the design thinking process as a guide to innovation. 7. What is it that appealed to you about Roeper when you took the job? Roeper’s foundation, philosophy, and mission are aligned with my own personal worldview. In addition, I love that students call me by my first name. PATRICK HARRIS is an English and Humanities teacher in the Middle School. 1. Describe your life in six words. A Never- Ending Journey Towards Light 2. If you could live anywhere in the world for a year, where would it be? If I could live anywhere in the world, it would be Mexico. I’ve visited the country many times for vacation, and I always struggled getting on the return flight. I would love to explore the country’s diverse terrain, education and political system, and soak in the sun for an entire year. 3. If you could invite three guests, dead or alive, to dinner, who would they be? If I could invite three guests to dinner, I would invite John Willis Menard, Jackeé Harry, and Jordan Peele.

4. What are some things you’d like to share about yourself, your family and birthplace? I’d like to say that I had the best of both worlds. During the summer and on weekends, I spent time with father who lived on the east side of Detroit, where I spent time playing kickball in open fields, riding my bike farther than I was allowed, and hanging out with my cousins at the local community center. During the week, I spent my time with my mother and grandparents, living in Southfield. I was deeply involved in school life in Southfield Public Schools. I spent my evenings preparing for DECA and BPA competitions and participating in school plays. I took piano for eight years and spent several hours playing The Sims, Rollercoaster Tycoon, and Sim City. Having dual experiences of growing up in the urban city of Detroit and the suburbs has certainly been a highlight of my life. I am very close to my parents. I have three brothers and one sister. 5. What are your hobbies and interests outside of working at Roeper? Outside of school, I am always looking for the latest scary movie! My family and I have always bonded over horror films. Additionally, I also enjoy finding strenu- ous hikes with incredible views. (Michigan has so many of these.) Also, I have a deep obsession with WWE. Since I was a kid, my family and I ordered pay-per-views and watched Raw and Smackdown with Little Caesars in our living room. I still watch wrestling today! Most impor- tantly, I am deeply invested in liberation for historically oppressed people. You may find me in the streets protesting or utilizing my digital platform to advocate for justice and equality for all. 6. What is a topic or skill that you love to teach and why? My specialty is teaching “Hidden” history. I enjoy teaching the “Science” of Race. There are many curriculums, units, and lessons surrounding race and racism in our society, but not many students have wrestled with what race is and where and how the concept was birthed. Understanding this complex history can help students think differently about the ways in which race and racism evolved. 7. What is it that appealed to you about Roeper when you took the job? First and foremost, Roeper’s Philosophy appealed to me. I share Roeper’s commitment to human rights and equality for all. Further, bonding with the faculty during the interview process showed me the

values of the Roeper community. I knew I wanted to be a part. Lastly, the amount of creative electives and commitment to student choice inspired me! I’m thrilled to be a part of this community. GLORIA DESPARD Although not new to Roeper, Gloria has changed roles and is now not only an Administrative Assistant for the Fine Arts Department, but also taking on a variety of functions at the Birmingham Campus. 1. Describe your life in six words. Unpredic- table, Active, Always interesting, Blessed, Simple, Good 2. If you could live anywhere in the world for a year, where would it be? There’s no place like home, but I wouldn’t say no to living up in the Austrian Alps where I could wander the hills all day. 3. If you could invite three guests, dead or alive, to dinner, who would they be? Abe Lincoln, Franklin & Eleanor Roosevelt, Queen Victoria. 4. What are some things you’d like to share about yourself, your family and birthplace? Born in Detroit and, except for an 11-year stint in West Michigan, I’ve lived in and around the Detroit area in seven different cities. My son Ben attended Roeper in his early elementary years. He currently runs a prop and costume rental business in addition to providing costume direction for several of the Roeper Theatre Company productions, as well as handling props, costume and art direction for several community theaters. Mike, my life mate, masquerades as an IT guy, but his passion is truly given to the baritone horn, which he plays in a 38-piece, British style, brass band. 5. What are your hobbies and interests outside of working at Roeper? Tennis, gardening, art fairs, farmers markets, walking, entertaining, attending band concerts, game nights with friends and “noodling” in the lake. 6. What is it that appealed to you about Roeper when you took the job? The opportunity to tap into so many aspects of my past professional and personal experiences; the assurance that I would be treated with respect and valued for my work; to continue working in education; that everyone was so relaxed and friendly, and the no-cut policy for athletes.

ON THE BLOOMFIELD CAMPUS AHMED BITAR is teaching both French and Spanish in the Lower School part time. 1. Describe your life in six words. Educator, student, traveler, vegetarian, inquisitive, inspiring. 2. If you could live anywhere in the world for a year, where would it be? I would like to live with my extended family in Beirut, Lebanon. 3. If you could invite three guests, dead or alive, to dinner, who would they be? Albert Camus, Frida Kahlo, Shakira. 4. What are some things you’d like to share about yourself, your family and birthplace? I was born in Fort Worth, Texas, but Michigan is home. I am fortunate enough to have traveled the world and I am always awaiting my next adventure. I was raised bilingual, in Arabic and English, and I strongly believe that my up- bringing provoked my great interest in foreign languages and cultures. 5. What are your hobbies and interests outside of working at Roeper? I enjoy swimming, reading, writing, and traveling. I am a graduate student at Wayne State University pursuing my Ph.D. in Spanish Literature. I am interested in medieval studies, art history, comparative literature, and foreign language pedagogy. 6. What is a topic or skill that you love to teach and why? French and Spanish! It is my passion to use language as a tool to make students more empathetic, sensitive, and aware of the diverse cultures of our world. 7. What is it that appealed to you about Roeper when you took the job? From the moment I saw the job posting, I said to myself, “This is the perfect job for me.” After graduating with my BA degrees in French and Spanish, I taught English in an elementary school in Madrid, Spain, for three years and absolutely loved that experience. I was not expecting to enjoy working with young children so much and was sad when I returned to the US and no longer had that role. I learned a lot about child development, and I am glad to have found this opportunity. Roeper is a good match for me, and I am excited to get to know the campus, staff, and the students and their families.

AMY ROMANO is not new to Roeper, but she has made the transition from Roeper alumna (Class of ’13) and permanent substitute teacher to Stage III Team Teacher working with Cynthia Harris. 1. If you could live anywhere in the world for a year, where would it be? Cinque Terre, Italy 2. If you could invite three guests, dead or alive, to dinner, who would they be? Abraham Lincoln, Annemarie Roeper, Eleanor Roosevelt 3. What are some things you’d like to share about yourself, your family and birthplace? My mother works at Roeper. I was born in Iowa City, Iowa. 4. What are your hobbies and interests outside of working at Roeper? I like to knit and cook. I play soccer, and I’ve recently started playing disc golf. 5. What is a topic or skill that you love to teach and why? I love to teach math because there are always specific correct answers, but so many ways to get to them. 6. What is it that appealed to you about Roeper when you took the job? The incredible community that makes Roeper more than just a school. CIARAN McQUISTON is a team teacher working with Michelle McEvoy in Stage III. 1. Describe your life in six words. Loyal, family, nature, creative, adventure, educator 2. If you could live anywhere in the world for a year, where would it be? I would live with my great aunt in Florence, Italy! 3. If you could invite three guests, dead or alive, to dinner, who would they be? Sarah Kendzior, Kara Walker, Sylvia Plath, Mary Cassatt (sorry, I couldn’t pick just three …) 4. What are some things you’d like to share about yourself, your family and birthplace? I am originally from Indianapolis, Indiana.

I moved to the Greater Detroit area to attend Cranbrook Academy of Art for my MFA, but I have lived in and traveled to many different places. I love it in the Midwest! I live in Hazel Park with my husband, dog and cat. I have two sisters who live in the Boston area 5. What are your hobbies and interests outside of working at Roeper? I am an artist, with my focus being on paper making and sculptural installations. I also do painting commissions. I love making, creating, learning new things, and meeting new people! I love to travel; since I could not go overseas (or even very far away!) due to the pandemic, I started backpacking and did a lot of great camping this summer. 6. What is a topic or skill that you love to teach and why? I love to teach reading! My mom is a writer, and I grew up reading a lot of wonder ful books. I love having book clubs, book dis cussions, and teaching kids that there is so much to learn about ourselves and the world through reading. I believe reading can lead to greater empathy, imagination, and self-awareness (and so much more!). 6. What is it that appealed to you about Roeper when you took the job? I feel so lucky to have the opportunity to teach in a school that so thoughtfully values intentionality, kindness, justice, wonder, play, and fostering a love of learning in every child. I feel very philoso- phically aligned with The Roeper School, and I am excited to be supported in this new role by an amazing team of teachers and mentors. PAULINE NAGLE is a Head Teacher in Stage III working with Lori Talbott. 1. Describe your life in six words. Mom, wife, educator, books, simple joys. 2. If you could live anywhere in the world for a year, where would it be? I would love to live in the beachside village area in Stoupa, Greece, where my father grew up. 3. If you could invite three guests, dead or alive, to dinner, who would they be? Michelle Obama, Albert Einstein and Betty White. 4. What are some things you’d like to share about yourself, your family and birthplace? I grew up here in the Metro Detroit area. My parents

immigrated to the US from Greece, before I was born, in pursuit of a life with more opportunity. Their hard work and dedication to giving us the opportunities that the “American Dream” offers is what drove me to become a teacher. My husband, Tom and two children, Landon and Calvin continue to give me strength and joy in pursuing my dream to make a difference through education. 5. What are your hobbies and interests outside of working at Roeper? I learned how to play ice hockey as an adult and really love playing with a fantastic group of women. I love going on nature walks with my family, reading a good book and relaxing on the weekend with my family for a great movie. 6. What is a topic or skill that you love to teach and why? I love to teach reading. It’s a foundational skill that launches you towards enjoyment, but mostly understanding yourself and the world around you. It’s my great passion to ensure all children are able to read and write fluently so that they may use it as a tool to grow exponentially in life. 7. What is it that appealed to you about Roeper when you took the job? We have been a Roeper family for three years. As an educator that also happens to have a gifted child, I have been drawn to the “magic of Roeper”, particularly its philosophy of teaching social justice alongside the understanding and caring for gifted education. The way Roeper continually respects each individual and their needs, as well as the care provided as a whole family community has led me to not only have my children attend here, but also to utilize my own gifts and skillset as an employee too! ELISABETH LAWRENCE STAYER ’00 is a Stage II Team Teacher working with Brenda Wilke. 1. Describe your life in six words. Family, friends, adventure, learning, exploring, reading. 2. If you could live anywhere in the world for a year, where would it be? Italy 3. If you could invite three guests, dead or alive, to dinner, who would they be? John Lewis, Malala Yousafzai, Ruth Bader Ginsburg. 4. What are some things you’d like to share about yourself, your family and birthplace? I’m a Michigander through and through. My husband,

Doug, and I have two children, Matilda (Stage III) and Elliot (Stage II), and an Australian Shepard called Penny. I first joined the Roeper community at the age of three when I was in Rick & Faith’s class in the Hill House. The allure of the yellow school bus took me to the local public-school district for first through fifth grade, but I returned to Roeper for middle and high school. After graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from the Uni- versity of Michigan, I was a Stage III teacher for four years; and with a Master’s Degree in Library and Information Science, I worked as the Lower School librarian for two. After 10 additional years of teaching as a school librarian, I am happy to be back at Roeper as a Stage II team teacher. 5. What are your hobbies and interests outside of working at Roeper? My hobbies include reading and recommending children’s literature, travel ing, baking, trying new restaurants, and spending time with my family. Together we enjoy the outdoors while hiking and exploring, biking, visiting parks, swimming and going to the beach, as well as picking fresh fruit at Michigan orchards. On the weekends, we love to make homemade pizzas, play games, and watch movies. We look forward to being able to visit museums, attend local events, and travel outside of Michigan again! 6. What is a topic or skill that you love to teach and why? I love to teach children skills that will equip them as lifelong learners: the ability to recognize their passions, curiosities, and wonder ings; the skills to further explore these; and resiliency to persevere through challenges. I also love to teach children how to read and any opportunity to connect children with great books! 7. What is it that appealed to you about Roeper when you took the job? As an alum, parent, and former Roeper teacher — returning to Roeper feels like coming home! MELISSA MESA is teaching Lower School Science. 1. Describe your life in six words. Educator, mother, easygoing, inspiring, fun, learner 2. If you could live anywhere in the world for a year, where would it be? Israel — I love

the history and culture. I also have family there I would love to spend time with. 3. If you could invite three guests, dead or alive, to dinner, who would they be? Abraham Lincoln, Albert Einstein, Alexander Hamilton 4. What are some things you’d like to share about yourself, your family and birthplace? I was born in Miami, Florida, and grew up in sunny South Florida, where I gained my love of Disney. My family — my husband Daniel, two children, Elan and Jordana, and two dogs, Lexi and Lacy — moved to St. Louis, Missouri, before finding home in Michigan. 5. What are your hobbies and interests outside of working at Roeper? I enjoy learning history, all things Disney, hiking, kayaking, and just spending time in front of my bonfire with my family and friends. 6. What is a topic or skill that you love to teach and why? Science! I love teaching hands-on topics where children can inquire and explore. 7. What is it that appealed to you about Roeper when you took the job? The ability to teach without having assessments and time restraints being the most important aspect of the classroom. I am so happy to be here and hopefully have found my home away from home here in Michigan. JENNIFER (JENN) CARLSON is teaching Lower School Science. 1. Describe your life in six words. Four words that describe my life: optimism, love, nature, sunshine. 2. If you could live anywhere in the world for a year, where would it be? If I could live anywhere in the world for a year, I would live either in the Keweenaw (I love Lake Super- ior and mountain biking in Copper Harbor) or in a rainforest doing ecological research. 4. What are some things you’d like to share about yourself, your family and birthplace? I have an amazing family — my partner, Josh, and our seven-year old son just bought a new house in Hazel Park with our two kitties. I grew up in Royal Oak and have been part of blended family for 20 years — I have four brothers (I’m the oldest) and am an Aunt x5! 5. What are your hobbies and interests outside of working at Roeper? When I’m not at school, I love to mountain bike, trail run & hike, read

fantasy, and spend time outdoors with my family and friends. 6. What is a topic or skill that you love to teach and why? I love teaching all sciences, but in parti- cular, my passions are environmental education and teaching students to think like scientists! 7. What is it that appealed to you about Roeper when you took the job? My last school had 2400 kids and 120 staff — so I’m really looking forward to being part of a smaller community and getting to know everyone! I’m also excited to work with gifted learners, as I was one myself. BRITTNEY YUILLE is the new Administrative Assistant helping out the Enrollment Management (aka Admissions) Department and sitting in the prime seat at the front desk in the Hill House. 1. Describe your life in six words. Mother, wife, outdoorswoman, foodie, compassionate, inquisitive. 2. If you could live anywhere in the world for a year, where would it be? Anywhere with mountains or access to the ocean, or both! 3. If you could invite three guests, dead or alive, to dinner, who would they be? My mother, my grandmother (both have passed on — they were magnificent women), Lin-Manuel Miranda. 4. What are some things you’d like to share about yourself, your family and birthplace? I grew up in the northern suburbs of the Detroit Metro area, the second oldest of four. My husband, Bora, was born and raised in Turkey and came to the United States for university. Thankfully, he stayed. We met through the “Team in Training” philanthropic triathlon program — even though we literally lived around the corner from each other at the time. We have created a beautiful life together, which includes two amazing daughters: Leyla (she is 10) and Dilara (she is seven), a very spoiled Golden- doodle named Sparky, and two guinea pigs. 5. What are your hobbies and interests outside of working at Roeper? I love hiking, bike riding, swimming, running, kayaking, reading, and exploring with my family. I am an avid cook, and I love baking with my kids (I love to experiment and replace traditional ingredients with healthier substitutes). I also love to relax on the couch with a good movie after a full day.

6. What is it that appealed to you about Roeper when you took the job? I have two daughters in the Lower School (Stage III and Stage IV). This is our third year as a Roeper family. The school has made an incredible impact in the lives of our daughters and our family overall. We were drawn to the child-centered education, the mission, and the philosophy. I am looking forward to sharing my passion for Roeper with prospective families.

OUR PERMANENT SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS This year, we have on staff six permanent Guest Teachers (aka Substitutes) who will be in our buildings every day. This has been done as a safety measure in limiting the exposure of our students and other faculty to more people. There are three teachers assigned to each campus. Since they are permanent fixtures on our campuses, we wanted you to get to know them and have asked each to tell us a little bit about themselves. DONIVAN ABRAHAM ’08 is at the Birmingham Campus Hello there! My name is Donivan Abraham, a Roeper Alumnus ‘08, and I’m thrilled to be back here. In 2014, I graduated from Oakland University with a Bachelor’s in mathematics and a minor in physics. For over seven years I have been working as a math tutor at several different tutoring centers, as well as private practice, and I absolutely love it. I originally studied music theory in college, but I decided to keep it as a hobby; I still enjoy playing piano, guitar and drums. I am also a fledgling YouTuber for my channel, Nerd Rage, which explores amazing math principles and various nerd culture topics with a comedic twist. My other hobbies include playing video games, card/board games, and keeping up with my studies. I’m currently living in Troy with five cats and my girlfriend, Sydney Parus, who works as an Occupational Therapist. With the Roeper philosophy still coursing through my veins, I’m excited to help the students, which includes my sister, Melanie Roop ‘23, in any way I can at the school that shaped me into who I am today.

ANGELA CHAPMAN is working on the Birmingham Campus. I graduated from Oakland University in 1977. My degree is in Psychology. I have one son, and I became a grandma in December. I love to travel, especially to Europe. I run, hike, cycle & kick box. I enjoyed a 30-year career as a parole/probation agent for the State of Michigan. My last seven years were spent as a lead agent, traveling throughout the state, teaching employees about Prisoner Reentry & how to operate the new software computer programs for recidivism testing. I became familiar with Roeper many years ago when the school was recommended for my son. I completely embrace the Roeper philosophy. I was a coach/team manager for Odyssey of the Mind and Destination Imagination, creative problem-solving programs for all grade levels, for seven years. We competed in both state & international levels. The philosophy of these challenges are very similar to Roeper’s teaching methods. KAREN LAKKIDES is working at the Birmingham Campus! Although originally from Kalamazoo, I have been living in Milford for the past 20 years. I have three daughters — one a graduate of U of M, one a junior at MSU, and one a junior in high school. My husband is Brian Lakkides ‘88, and he has always shared with us many great memories of his years at Roeper. I’ve been a guest teacher for various schools for the past seven years, first with Cranbrook Schools and Huron Valley Schools, and with Roeper for the past four years. My education is in biology and biochemistry, from both Kalamazoo College and MSU, and I’ve been fortunate to cover long-term guest teaching positions in several science and math classes. I enjoy hiking, supporting Detroit City FC, cooking, true crime, and crosswords. I truly enjoy guest teaching at Roeper, and supporting this community of students and faculty. LOIS SHULMAN is working on the Bloomfield Hills Campus! I was born and raised in South Haven, Michigan. Growing up in South Haven I enjoyed my extended family living close and exploring nature

surrounded by beautiful miracles. To this day, my walks in the wetlands near my home quiet and regenerate my mind, body and sprit. In middle school I attended the National Music Camp, located in Interlochen, Michigan, practicing the violin and piano. I received a B.S. degree from Kalamazoo College, and a J.D. from Cooley Law School. I am married. I have four daughters and four grandsons. My husband has a daughter and a son and three granddaughters. We live in West Bloomfield Township. My work history continues to blend my skills with what brings me joy. Currently, I am Editor of Community Mental Health Association of Michigan’s Connection Magazine; Chair of Oakland Community Health Network’s Citizens Advisory Committee and a member of its Recipient Rights Committee. I serve on the Michigan Protection and Advocacy Service’s Protection & Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness Council. I volunteer at the Freedom Centers at Metro Airport serving those that serve us. I am a volunteer driver for Freedom Road Transportation and sit on their Eligibility Determination Committee. I am a State of Michigan Volunteer Ombudsman advocating for those in long-term care. As a substitute teacher at Roeper, I have fun learning from students and staff. Each day I awake excited to embrace the day ahead knowing, with an abundance, I will be the best I am able. JOE TERRANOVA is working at the Bloomfield Campus. I’ve been associated with The Roeper School for many, many years. I’ve had three children graduate from Roeper, with my two sons attending the school all the way from Stage I, and my daughter for her high school years. I am retired from a career in the IT industry and have been substitute teaching at Roeper for about 2.5 years. Also the last few years I was working part-time with Olympia Entertainment as an usher, so it’s possible you saw me at Little Caesars Arena for a game or concert, or at DTE or Meadowbrook during the summer. At least up until that all went on hold last March! For recreation I am big into sports. I do a lot of running, play softball, and took up soccer about five years ago, partly on a dare.

I have pretty weak foot skills but learned to play keeper, and I love it and play year round now. I really enjoy getting to know and working with so many Roeper kids of all ages. I look forward to the opportunity to work with the kids daily this year. FÂ

Emily Wine

Assistant to the Head of School

KIT

NEW FACES ON THE BOARD This year, the Board welcomes the following new trustees: KEVIN CARLSON

Roeper welcomes five new Trustees to its Board.

The Board welcomes Kevin as the new Bloomfield Campus Parent Representative. Kevin and his wife, Stephanie, have three children — Lydia (8th grade), Mia (Stage IV), and Lia (Stage I Domes). The Carlson family joined our community in 2011 and now refer to Roeper as their “second home.” In his professional life, Kevin is a civil rights attorney and has worked as an adjunct clinical professor at the University of Michigan. Kevin shares that his personal and professional experience, along with his deep connection to the Roeper community, will help guide his trustee work. JOY LAWSON DAVIS, PhD Dr. Joy Lawson Davis is a career educator with over 40 years of extensive experience as a practioner, scholar, author and consultant. A graduate of the College of William and Mary, Dr. Davis holds both Master’s and Doctorate degrees in Gifted Education. In addition to district and university experience, she served for five years as the Virginia State Specialist for K-12 gifted services and has also served on the Board of Directors for the National Association for Gifted Children. Joy mentors parents and educators of culturally diverse students and has partnered with The Roeper School on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice (DEIJ) initiatives. Joy brings extensive knowledge and wisdom to many relevant areas of Board work, and we are honored to welcome her.

RUBY McKEEVER

Ruby, Class of 2023, joins the Board as the new Student Representative. Before her term on the Board, Ruby served as Class President during her freshman year. She is a very active member of the Forensics program and plays piano for the Upper School Jazz Band. Outside of Roeper, Ruby nurtures her creative passions through classes in acting, music theory, piano/composition and classical voice. STEVE MILBECK The Board is pleased to welcome back our former Board Chair, Steve Milbeck. Along with his previous Board experience, Steve has extensive financial experience and currently serves as Chief Trust Officer of Auto Club Trust. Steve and his wife, Danita, are parents to two Roeper alumnae, and we are grateful for Steve’s continued dedication to the Roeper community. BETH VENS Beth is a familiar face at Roeper. Beth and her husband Jim have four children who have attended Roeper. Since joining our community more than 20 years ago, Beth has been an active community member serving as RPC President, Mosaic Auction Chair, and volunteering in countless other capacities. Beth has truly been a guiding force for the Roeper community. In her professional life, Beth is a Senior Environmental Quality Analyst for the Department of Environmental Quality. We are thrilled to welcome Beth in her new role as Trustee. F

KIT

Marcia Ruff

School Historian

FAREWELL TO TWO LONG-TIME TEACHERS

MICHELLE LANE When Lower School Science Teacher Michelle Lane was 13, she applied to Roeper and had an interview with George Roeper. The details of their conversation are hazy “because I was a teeny bit intimidated,” but she still remembers the sense of his presence, his kindness and curiosity. Sadly, her family couldn’t afford to send her, but Michelle always kept Roeper in the back of her mind. Michelle grew up to become an educator. She was teaching at Friends’ School in Detroit when, in 1999, she applied for a Team Teacher opening at the Lower School with Carolyn Borman in Stage IV. In those days, Head Teachers hired their own Team Teachers. Carolyn chose someone else for her Team Teacher but recommended Michelle to Mary Windram in Stage III, who also needed a Team Teacher. Michelle taught alongside Mary for one year and then the next year, long-time Lower School Science Teacher Emery Pence moved over to become Middle School Director. Michelle became a Science Teacher for Stages III and IV, the position she held until she departed last summer. Both of her daughters, Abby ’10 and Ruthie ’12, were “lifers” at Roeper. The goal of teaching science for Michelle is to “help kids uncover their questions about the

world, figure out how to ask those questions and how to pursue answers to those questions,” she said. “Also, I felt like I was mission-driven to connect children with the world. I really firmly believe the world needs people who love the world, and particularly the natural world.”

As a teacher at Roeper, Michelle made extensive use of the possibilities contained on the Lower School campus, frequently taking students to the creek and exploring the grounds in other ways. She offered a wild foods elective, teaching students about the edible plants to be found around them (the ones without confusing poisonous look-alikes!), such as burdock root, wood sorrel, dandelions, purslane, and apples from a gone-wild tree near Tire Mountain that produced fruit every other year that she and her students made into applesauce. A meticulous scientist herself, Michelle approached science from multiple perspectives. She frequently had students create botanical drawings to sharpen their powers of attention. One memorable crossdisciplinary unit came after she, Art Teacher Jarie Ruddy, and Spanish Teacher Sara Mendez attended a Monarch Teacher Network training on monarch butterflies. That fall all the Stage IV students devoted their elective time to studying monarch butterflies — the butterflies’ relationship to Mexican culture, an artistic perspective through creating a monarch ofrenda that was displayed at the Detroit Institute of Arts, and the science of observing and nurturing monarchs through their lifecycle. Early in her teaching career, Michelle realized that independent schools were the right setting for her because the small class sizes allowed her to be more responsive to each student and she could have the freedom as a professional to develop her curriculum and electives. “One of the things I really, really appreciated at Roeper is the absolute freedom that I had to design learning experiences for my students,” she said. “That gave me the opportunity to both follow their passions and mine, and that kept it fresh and interesting. “

The goal of teaching science for Michelle is to “help kids uncover their questions about the world, figure out how to ask those questions and how to pursue answers to those questions.”

“To see these children … realize that all they had to do was be who they are, it was a gift to be part of that process and be able to provide that for them.”

“Roeper has changed in many ways over the years, but you can still see (the childcentered, strengthbased approach) in the classrooms,” said Dianne. “I came with these values, but being at Roeper allowed them to be nurtured over the years.”

After 21 years at Roeper, Michelle will miss the “quirky, hilarious kids” and the chance to watch students grow and change all the way through high school. She’ll also remember the process of watching children come to Roeper and adjust to this “somewhat disorienting but freeing kind of atmosphere. Some of them go through this tough time when they’re kind of gnarly, where they’re testing everything. I think that was a fairly common kind of syndrome, especially with kids who had been wounded in previous experiences,” she commented. “But to see these children come and acclimate and realize that all they had to do was be who they are, it was a gift to be part of that process and be able to provide that for them.” Several years ago Michelle started an online Master of Arts in theopoetics and writing at Earlham College’s Quaker seminary, a program she’ll now pursue full-time. While she doesn’t see herself back in a classroom, Michelle recognizes that being an educator is who she is. “I’m always about uncovering things and then sharing whatever I can,” she said. “I’m recognizing that more about myself now, I think, than I even saw it when I was a day-to-day teacher, when I was completely immersed in the process and the work.” Reading and writing intensively as a graduate student again, Michelle sees her writing as a new way of educating. “I see writing as an opportunity to touch people in ways that finds a place inside of them that’s growing,” she said. “I feel this sense that what I most want to do with my writing is to help people grow hope, to be able to step back, to be able to look at a larger piece of who you are or where you are in the world and get perspective and to not become too swallowed in the agony of existence that we are all encountering, now more than maybe we ever have in a collective sense.” Michelle is publishing on medium.com, where you can follow her work. Here are two earlier essays she has written: one on taking Roeper students to the creek, and one on monarch butterflies: https://medium.com/age-of-awareness/ calling-all-earthlings-34284dac890c and https:// berrywoman08.medium.com/pilgrimage-of-themonarchs-130c18040221 F

DIANNE O’CONNOR Lower School Science Teacher Dianne O’Connor, a knitter by avocation, also knit together a long career as a teacher, drawing together strands from her childhood, her education, and the many collaborators she found over the years. All were in service to her goal as an educator, which is to instill “a sense of wonder in the world and a lifelong interest in asking questions and finding answers.” As someone for whom collaborating is a way of being, it’s not surprising to hear Dianne describe her path to Roeper by describing the people she met along the way. The first is her father, a farmer, an engineer, an inventor, and a naturalist, with whom she roamed the woods as child, asking questions and learning a careful way of seeing nature. As an early childhood education student at Wayne State University, Dianne was inspired by mentors at the school’s lab nursery school, which was affiliated with the Merrill Palmer Institute, Detroit’s famed child development research center that was an important contact for Annemarie Roeper when she came to the city in 1941. From those contacts, Dianne learned about the summer camp at Roeper, where she taught for several years and had her interest in Roeper heightened by directors Bill Booth ’71 and Barbara Van Oast and their way of relating to children. At a summer workshop on teaching math to young children, Dianne found that the other teachers she connected with were Roeper teachers, including Stage II teacher Margot Biersdorf. Together, all these educators presented a way of teaching children that is the foundation of Dianne’s philosophy: a child-centered, strengthbased approach that commits to seeing each child for who she or he is. Realizing that was the philosophy at Roeper led Dianne to apply to the school in 1980 to become a Team

School Art teacher Mary McGeehan taught Art and Science classes. Dianne reached across campuses to Upper School Physics Teacher Dennis King, whose students came to Dianne’s Stage III class to teach a Physics of Toys class. Several students did Senior Projects with Dianne’s classes, including a Nature Trails class by Charlie Krysinski ’10 and a physics class called Moving Things by Ben Fallert ’09. The equity work pioneered at Roeper by Diversity Director Carolyn Lett also enlarged Dianne’s frame. She felt a profound shift after attending the People of Color Conference that elevated her interest in educational equity. Dianne became involved with Brilliant Detroit, a program that establishes neighborhood centers in the city to provide educational and social support services for families of young children.

Teacher with Pam Doyle in Stage II and then a Head Teacher in Stage III and later back in Stage II. “Roeper has changed in many ways over the years, but you can still see this (approach) in the classrooms,” said Dianne. “I came with these values, but being at Roeper allowed them to be nurtured over the years.” Dianne stepped away from Roeper in 1992 when she and her husband, Patrick O’Connor ’78, adopted their son, Leland ‘10, and then daughter Lily ‘12, from South Korea. Dianne took five years off while the children were young, although she also worked part-time during that time as a case worker for the adoption agency she used, became a Master Gardener, and landscaped and knit for clients. In 1997 Dianne returned to Roeper as a Lower School Science Teacher, which she has been teaching until retiring before this school year. Over the years, Dianne has continued her habits of collaborating with other teachers and students at the school. She and the other Lower School Science Teacher Michelle Lane taught cross-Stage outdoor education classes, and she and Lower

At first, Dianne taught science classes in the summer. “I wondered if I would have to do things differently there, and what I found was that I could operate the same way,” said Dianne. Brilliant Detroit’s Co-Founder and CEO is Cindy Eggleton, a former Roeper parent whose son Zach attended Roeper for a time. The organization is based on the same child-centered, strength-based approach that Dianne finds inspires every child to ask questions and find answers. Having retired from Roeper after 35 years, Dianne will spend more time with Brilliant Detroit. She is currently teaching remotely and she is hoping to be able to develop a science curriculum for the organization. In addition, Dianne is on the Board of the Roeper Institute, the non-profit organization within the school whose mission is to expand the reach of the Roeper model. Its largest focus right now is A Matter of Equity, a project to provide professional development in gifted education for Detroit public school teachers. While knitting, gardening, and walking will continue to fill Dianne’s time after Roeper, she also has her eye on outdoor activities like snowshoeing to help her pass through the pandemic winter with grace. F

Having retired from Roeper after 35 years, Dianne will spend more time with Brilliant Detroit — a program that establishes neighborhood centers in the city to provide educational and social support services for families of young children — based on the same childcentered, strengthbased approach that Dianne finds inspires every child to ask questions and find answers.

Dave Fluent

Associate Head for Finance & Operations

Brian Durst IT Manager

Brian Wilmers

Architect & Owners’ Representative

KIT

RESPONDING TO THE PANDEMIC

We asked five questions of Dave Fluent and Brian Wilmers with respect to physical spaces on our campuses and also Brian Durst, who answered them from the standpoint of technology about necessary changes in the way we operate due to the pandemic. Here’s what we asked and learned: 1. What drove your decision making?

Dave Fluent

Brian Durst

DF&BW: The Decision-Making Task Force (which included administration, facilities personnel, faculty and medical consultants) was entirely based on the safety of students and staff in our buildings. We also needed to research what virus safety protocols were already successful worldwide in preparing indoor and outdoor environments for our community that would have the most effect over the long term. BD: We quickly realized that the complexity of our technology systems could get out of hand if we weren’t mindful of how we implemented them. We had to consider things like hardware compatibility, network bandwidth requirements, integrations between systems, etc., and to make sure that we built systems that work and that we could sustain. It was vital to include a variety of voices in our summer technology task force. This included faculty members from both campuses (Amber Webb, Andrew Blechman, and Julie Nemchik) as well as a parent/board member (Linda Ban) and myself. Having these different voices was integral to creating a solid plan.

Brian Wilmers

2. What were the challenges you faced and the most satisfying changes? DF&BW: Asking our close-knit community to begin using corridors as divided highways, stairs as one-way up or down, etc. presented a challenge that we were not sure would be successful in dayto-day activities. Some of these decisions needed to be adjusted during actual use due to different age groups’ behaviors, etc. One of the satisfying changes was the upgrading of the air filtration systems at both campuses as that could be done with little to no impact on the building occupants, but a major impact on the health and safety of the users.

BD: The timeline was challenging. The end of last year was extremely busy, and as soon as it was over we started planning how we would use technology for the next year. We needed to be ready for in-person, at-home, and hybrid learning. We had to decide which equipment we would need to set up in every room and had to purchase it as soon as possible. There were shortages, long lead times, and delivery issues which didn’t leave us much time to test out setups before school started.

It was satisfying to see our technology skills increasing so quickly. We all needed to learn new things out of necessity. Some of the goals of the Technology Strategic Planning task force over the past couple of years were to increase technology engagement wherever it serves learning and to increase innovation. Those things are all happening at an accelerated rate because of the challenges we’ve faced. The most satisfying thing though has been seeing how this community sticks together, especially when times are tough. There is a strength and positive energy that exists here that I don’t often see in other environments. 3. What specific decisions were made that supported the school’s mission? DF&BW: If you consider that keeping the community’s health and safety intact during a pandemic and trying to offer in-person attendance for those who wanted it as primary to the school’s mission, then all of these decisions were certainly supportive. BD: We wanted to make home learners feel as included as possible. From a technology perspective, this meant including views of inclass students on conference calls and increasing internet bandwidth to allow for more one-on-one conversations between in-person and at-home students. We also worked to make sure that every student had access to the technology they needed to fully participate in the new learning environment.

4. Were there any special considerations for faculty & staff working both virtually and in the classroom? BD: We made sure that every faculty member had their own device that they could use to teach both at the school and from home. To accommodate teachers teaching exclusively from home, we took into consideration the additional demands on our network and have continued to make improvements. 5. What are some changes that now appear to be very successful and will continue going forward? DF&BW: Certainly, the filtration systems upgrade will continue going forward. Hopefully, the buildings can get back to normal usage eventually and not have the burdens that some of the safety protocols have brought. Also, the heightened cleaning standards that needed to be analyzed to figure out the most efficient way to accomplish them will allow us to keep better cleaning protocols in place. BD: I think the increased engagement and level of familiarity that we now have with technology has been a big success that we can leverage in the future. Our faculty members stepped up in a big way to figure out how to manage technology in a new environment despite all of the other challenges they had to deal with. We still have plenty of opportunities for improvement. There is work to do. But we also have a good opportunity to model to our kids that we may not have all the answers now but we can stay curious and keep searching until we find them. F

Our faculty members stepped up in a big way to figure out how to manage technology in a new environment.

Marcia Ruff

School Historian

KIT

ROEPER AS STUDENTS SEE IT The regular appearance of a Roeper yearbook began in 1969, the year of the first graduating senior class. One of the most appealing Roeper traditions first appeared in the 1969 yearbook — the tradition of giving each senior a page of their own to design. Throughout the years, Roeper’s yearbooks have been singularly, intensely individual, thanks to the independence the student editors have been given to create a theme (always kept secret until the yearbook’s reveal on Founders’ Day) and to carry it out.

1965 Yearbook Cover

Current families and alumni can see all of Roeper’s yearbooks online at Vidigami.com, the school’s private and secure media management system. Check out the charming earliest yearbooks from 1953 and 1954, with literally old-school captions, George’s remembrances, and photos of the young and indispensable Mariann Hoag. Check out the 1965 yearbook, Hinstrum, celebrating (with dueling spellings — Hinstrum vs Hindstrum) the school’s beloved creek. And then settle in with the 1969 and on yearbooks, watching as pop culture shapes the themes. There’s the lightly supervised and eyebrow-raising 1977 edition where teachers shared their honest impressions about teaching at Roeper; the 1999 wildly funny National Enquirer-style edition; the 2006 maddeningly (to librarians) horizontal Pop Art edition; the 2010 elegant and exact MacBook aesthetic and many, many more imaginative themes. The yearbooks can be accessed under the Library tab at Vidigami. Current families and alumni with an email on file with the school have received invitations to open their Vidigami accounts, but if you need another invitation contact Carolyn Borman at carolyn.borman@roeper.org. Alumni may contact Juliette Olejnik at juliette.olejnik@roeper.org for their invitation or with any questions. Once you have activated your account, the Vidigami app can also be accessed through a mobile device. Plans are underway to allow access for additional Roeper community groups.

1969 Yearbook Cover

Beyond yearbooks, all Vidigami account-holders can peruse current and historical photos and identify individuals by tagging them. Account-holders can also upload or download photos. At least one photo for each graduation year has already been uploaded, but you can add photos to your class year folders and albums too. Just be sure to upload photos within the appropriate year. F

1999 Yearbook Cover

KIT Alumni Profile

Juliette Olejnik

Direcotr of Alumni Relations & Annual Fund

AN INTERVIEW WITH PAM VICTOR ’84 Pam Victor attended Roeper in the 7th and 12th grades, graduating in 1984. She has made her home in western Massachusetts for the last 21 years and has remained an active member of the Roeper Alumni community.

What led you to pursue the profession you are in?

I started my career as a teacher, but left that career to homeschool my children. When my older kid started college, and my daughter transitioned to public school in 2012, I was out of a job! I decided I would try an experiment to see if I could make a living doing what I love. The experiment was creatively named “The ‘Can I Make a Living Doing What I Love?’ Experiment”. I approached the experiment as an improviser, which means nothing was off limits, and fear wasn’t a good enough reason to say no to a potential opportunity. I did anything improv related and made my dollar goal in six months! After my one-year experiment was complete, I founded a comedy theater and training program called Happier Valley Comedy. (The region where I live is nicknamed The Happy Valley. I chose that name because we make the Happy Valley happier!) Has the COVID-19 pandemic affected your work? How have you adapted?

What is your current job position and title, or current passion project? I am currently the Head of Happiness at Happier Valley Comedy, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that brings laughter, joy, and ease to western Massachusetts (and the world) through the principles of improvisation. We serve up the happy through comedy shows, classes, workshops, and professional and personal development services. Before the pandemic, we were running nine weekly classes, mostly in improv, but also in storytelling, standup, and musical improv, and were also doing a weekly mainstage show and a community-led show.

Thanks to the pandemic, we didn’t get to celebrate the two-year anniversary of opening the first and only comedy theater and training program in western Massachusetts in quite the way we were envisioning. The physical theater remains closed, unfortunately. But never in my life have I been more grateful for my improv training! I have always been really interested in happiness, and obviously people are in need of happiness, resilience and self-care right now. So I began thinking, “How can I help with that?” which led to a new project. I’ve pivoted to presenting online professional and personal growth events based in the tenets of improv and the science of happiness. This fall, our biggest online program, Resilience Training Through Joy: Happier Valley Comedy’s 30-Day Happiness Experiment officially debuted.

Has your life taken any interesting or surprising turns? What impact has Roeper had on your life? Back when my kids were still little, I saw a flyer on the bulletin board at my local grocery store advertising an improv class. I decided to try it out just to get out of the house, and that’s when I discovered just how much I enjoyed it! At the time, I never imagined I could make a living doing improv, especially in a small town. I am so grateful that I am able to make a living doing what I love!

Roeper taught me that I am in charge of my own education, and I have the power to figure things out on my own. I learned that I can manifest what I’m interested in, and that there doesn’t need to be a structure in place or a specific path that I must follow. That has not only influenced

Pam as a Roeper 7th Grader

Roeper taught me that I am in charge of my own education, and I have the power to figure things out on my own.

what I do now and how I run my business, but also how I have educated my own kids. Roeper unquestionably empowered me to follow my passions.

Bonus Question: How would you finish this sentence: “You know you went to Roeper if…” You know you went to Roeper if … when you picture a school, you picture a home.

Do you have any favorite Roeper memories? Pam’s Links

You know you went to Roeper if … when you picture a school, you picture a home.

Godspell during my senior year in 1984! Dean Acheson was the Director, and it cemented my love for theatre. I think it was a magical experience for everyone who was involved, and I remember crying through the final song of the last performance because it was coming to an end. Also, I love that the first time I ever did improv was in 7th grade when Tyne Turner ‘80 led an improv class as her senior project!

Link to Happier Valley Comedy’s Resilience & Happiness Program: https://www.happiervalley.com/happiness_tips.html Link to Pam’s TEDx Talk: https://youtu.be/-Lk41coL8To F

Are you in touch with any Roeper folks? If so, who? The first time I ran the happiness experiment two of my BFFs from Roeper, Michelle Tenner Cantor ‘84 and Lisa Glenn ’84, signed up! It was fun to reconnect, and I loved the opportunity to share happiness and resilience-building tools with them. I’m also in touch with many old friends on Facebook.

Pam (center) performs in the 1984 RTC production of Godspell.

Alumni KIT

Juliette Olejnik

Direcotr of Alumni Relations & Annual Fund

LEADERSHIP COUNCIL

In the fall of 2017, a small group of Roeper staff and alumni came together to brainstorm ideas for launching an alumni council. This initial brainstorming meeting formed the foundation for what was to become the Roeper Alumni Leadership Council, an organization designed to cultivate and steward alumni engagement for The Roeper School. Now in its third year, the mission of the Roeper Alumni Leadership Council is to develop, encourage, and grow alumni support for Roeper’s mission and to maintain and promote lasting and meaningful connections between the school and its alumni. Roeper alumni, individually and collectively, are critically important members of The Roeper School community. Beyond representing the outcomes of a Roeper education, our alumni are a continuously expanding source of wisdom, talent, and financial support for the school and its mission. Over the last two years, the Alumni Council organized Roeper’s first virtual Alumni Spirit Week, coordinated alumni-hosted Mariann Hoag Scholarship Dinners in major cities across the country (unfortunately these were cancelled due to COVID-19), launched an online alumni directory and a secure photo-sharing site, and shared their expertise in a multitude of ways. Input from members of the Alumni Council has been invaluable for the Alumni Office and the School. Each year, the Alumni Council strives to evolve and grow in ways that support a strong alumni base and strengthen the school, and this year is no exception. During a time when traveling and in-person gatherings are limited, the Council is eager to explore meaningful ways to expand our virtual connectivity. Since Roeper alumni are spread out all over the country, and the world, virtual events have the potential to be more inclusive than ever before. Exciting things are in the works for 2021!

MEET THE ALUMNI COUNCIL The Roeper Alumni Leadership Council seeks a membership that reflects the Roeper alumni community and encompasses a broad spectrum of viewpoints and experiences. Members are invited to serve for a two-year term, and may serve two terms. Bios for each of our Alumni Council members can be found within the Alumni News & Events section of our school website www.roeper.org.

Steven Scott ’74

Brad Rourke ’83

Miranda Beebe ’84*

Anika Murphy-Wellere ’93

Roeper alumni, individually and collectively, are critically important members of The Roeper School community.

The Roeper Alumni Leadership Council seeks a membership that reflects the Roeper alumni community and encompasses a broad spectrum of viewpoints and experiences.

Eric Peterson ’95

Olacoy Robinson Lawyer ’95

Tegan Jones ’01

David Golden ’06

Victoria Moore ’08

Alexandra Dickinson ’04

Special thanks to our inaugural Alumni Council members who served on the Roeper Alumni Leadership Council during 2018-2020: Arthur Ensroth ‘68* David Shapero ’71 Lori Lutz ’75 Herman Marable, Jr ’80

Geoff Armstrong ’84 Alana Glass ’97 Charlaé Washington ’04

Charlie White ’05 Alex Sims ’06 Shani Yapa-Kimpson ’08 Aaron Appel ‘12

Alumni

UPDATES

The Roeper Review, a professional journal on gifted education, includes a series called “Ask the Expert,” in which a Roeper alum, who excels in their field, is interviewed. The mission of the Roeper Review is to publish thought-provoking, informative articles that deal with research, observation, experience, theory and practice as they relate to growth, emotions, and education of gifted and talented learners and to the cultures in which they live. An article featuring ALEX SIMS ’06 >, was published in July 2020, “Promoting Equal Opportunity and Preserving Democracy: An Interview With Public Affairs Consultant Alexandra Sims.” Access the full article at https:// www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02783193.2 020.1765457 < Another article, published in October 2020, featured JAMES BALMER ’70* — “Heroic, Ethical Recovery Support: An Interview with James Balmer, President of a Nonprofit Addiction Treatment Organization.” Access the full article at https:// www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02783193.2 020.1815120

David Jaffe ’74 at the Birmingham Campus.

^ From MIKE TILCHIN ’72: At some point in my junior or senior year at Roeper, age 16 or 17, I

would have noted a thoughtful, organized, missionoriented schoolmate who was much, much younger (Class of 1974!!) and thought, “Someday maybe I’ll be working for that guy.” Forward 50 years and indeed, I was working on the Michigan election protection effort under DAVID JAFFE’S ’74 leadership. David did a great job, and after the counting of absentee ballots at the Detroit TCF Center wrapped up, we got together to catch up a bit and talk about Roeper as we walked around the Birmingham campus on a 70-degree November day. < JONATHAN TUKEL ’78 was re-elected as judge of Michigan’s 2nd District Court of Appeals in the November 3rd general election. Congratulations, Jonathan!

Through his work as President and Founder of Equity Schools, RICHARD MURRAY ’74 > is working to make meaningful and systemic change. The Academy of Warren (AOW) was a struggling K – 8 charter school serving some of the lowest income families in Detroit. Located in a former strip retail property (a former supermarket, and former nursery, surrounded by asphalt) on a largely empty stretch of East Eight Mile Road. AOW offered relative safety for its students, but virtually no school amenities or co-curricular or extracurricular programs. Rick is helping to transform AOW’s programs and facilities into a high-quality community school with stimulating and varied learning environments. The groundbreaking happened in August 2020, and the incredible new facility is scheduled to open in September 2021.

< JOHN MARSHALL JONES ’79 is a hero! Although John is arguably best known for portraying Floyd Henderson on the The WB sitcom Smart Guy, he was featured in a September TMZ article for rushing out of his house in his underwear to douse a fire, and for chasing down the alleged arsonist behind the blaze. The article states that he instantly reacted — bypassing any pants — and ran out to grab a garden hose to put out the flames. While he was out there, John saw a man wearing a ski mask and heavy jacket run up to the porch and try to grab something before fleeing. Once again, Johnny-on-the-spot bolted after the mysterious guy, wrestled him to the ground, and held him until police arrived. While you’ve probably seen John in action in plenty of movies or TV shows ... little did we know he was such a hero off the set! CHERYL BLAU ’80 > was elected for a six-year term on the Farmington School Board of Education. Congratulations, Cheryl! The Board of Education serves as a trustee for the Farmington Public School District. Board members express and represent the views of the community in matters affecting education. They set policy, approve educational goals and curriculum changes, and act on recommendations of the Superintendent of Schools. < Congratulations to HERMAN MARABLE, JR ’80 and QIANA LILLARD ’94 who will be leading the Association of Black Judges of Michigan (ABJM) for the next two years as incoming President and President-Elect! ABJM’s mission is to seek the eradication of race and class bias from all aspects of the judicial process, to promote the continuing judicial education of its members, to improve public confidence in our courts, and to advocate for the appointment of Judges of color to all courts throughout the state.

RONALD LEVI ’81* ^ released his first memoir on November 2nd titled Spitting Image: A Foundling’s Memoir of Faith and Gratitude. Ron is a family historian, genetic genealogist, and certified Project Management Professional who has helped hundreds of researchers build family trees and interpret their own DNA test results. “Chapter One — The Announcement” contains a section about Ron’s Bus 9 ride to Roeper, and mentions of Tom, Karen, the Yellow Submarine. From PENELOPE TREAT ’88 > I work for Cleveland Clinic (Florida) in the electronic health information department. I live in Palm City, Florida, with my tuxedo kitties, no spouse, no kids, and about a million ideas. I’m looking to enter into any art shows anyone has going! Drop me a line if you want to at penelopeanntreat@gmail.com and put Roeper Alumni in the subject line pretty please. Take care everyone! < ELISABETH LAWRENCE STAYER ’00 has returned to The Roeper School as a Stage II Team Teacher! After graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from the University of Michigan, Elisabeth was a Stage III teacher for four years, and then, with her Master’s Degree in Library and Information Science, worked as Lower School Librarian for two. After 10 additional years as a school librarian in public school, she is happy to be back at Roeper. Her two kiddos are also at Roeper as current Stage II and Stage III students. As an alum, parent, and former Roeper teacher, she said returning to Roeper feels like coming home!

Congratulations to RACHEL COSTELLO BOMPHRAY ’03 > for winning the 2020 DTE Energy Foundation Educator of the Year Award! The award recognizes and celebrates educators who value the importance of arts education and create a culture for the arts to flourish in their school communities. Rachel has worked over the past four years to grow a poetry program at Thurston High School, organizing opportunities for her students to work with the University of Michigan on collaborative creating writing sessions. Using the creative arts as a catalyst, she organizes trips to the UM campus where her students get to work on projects with UM students, learn to attend performances with a critical eye, and imagine their future as college students. The press release announcing her as the winner stated, “Ms. Bomphray goes above and beyond her call of duty, not only helping her students learn writing skills, but developing the whole person and widening their view of the world, themselves, and their place in it.” ALEX DICKINSON ‘04 has recently launched SpotlightDC (spotlightdc.org), a nonprofit dedicated to funding investigative journalism projects in the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia region. They launched with a cover story in the Washington City Paper in July and have already raised more than $100k to support local journalists! ALI ROSE VAN OVERBEKE ’08 > was featured in Hyundai’s Young Entrepreneurs video series as an innovator in fashion. With her company Genusee, Ali turned an environmental crisis in Flint into an opportunity for sustainable innovation. Genusee is a direct-to-consumer brand that recycles Flint’s single-use plastic water bottles to create fashionable eyewear named after Genesee

County, where Flint is located. To learn more visit https://hyundaiyoungentrepreneurs.com/episodes/ genusee University of Michigan’s School of Public Health featured Roeper alumna CACHET COLVARD ’11, > writing about her work in a recent U of M post. From Roeper, Cachet went on to the University of Michigan to earn her MHSA ’17 and MBA ’20. She is now Department Administrator at the Cleveland Clinic in Abu Dhabi where among other things she recently “spearheaded our department’s COVID-19 response by introducing telemedicine options and organizing caregiver deployment to support the local community.” Visit https://sph.umich.edu/stories/2020posts/ cachet-colvard.html to read more about the amazing work Cachet is doing in Abu Dhabi. < ALISON ALBRECHT ’18 made the most out of the shelter-in-place order and built a home studio with her brother and current Roeper student, ANDREW ALBRECHT ’21, sitting in the producer’s chair. The result is her latest single, Right Thing, Wrong Time, which can be streamed by visiting her website alisonalbrecht.com. A screenshot > from a recent Roeper alumni “gathering” — JOE ALLEN ’17, CHARLIE UCHNO ’18, and ERIC PETERSON ’95 connected with AVERY LONG ’20 on Zoom. As Roeperians who are attending (or have attended Yale), they wanted to welcome Avery as he begins his Yale College journey. It’s not easy to form a community in these unfamiliar circumstances, but they are trying!

Clockwise from upper left: Avery Long ’20, Joe Allen ’17, Eric Peterson ’95, and Charlie Uchno ’18.

< JOAN LUBY ’77 was honored with the Ruane Prize for Child & Adolescent Psychiatry from the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation. Joan L. Luby, MD, is the Samuel and Mae S. Ludwig Professor of Psychiatry (Child) and the Director and Founder of the Early Emotional Development Program at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The prize honors important advances in the understanding and treatment of early-onset brain and behavior disorders. Her landmark studies have demonstrated that even preschoolers can be clinically depressed and that depression in the very young could indicate that such children may have difficulty in school, during adolescence and throughout life. Her team also has developed and tested an intervention to treat preschool depression in hopes of avoiding continuing or worsening problems later. Her studies also have identified behavioral and biological markers of risk for depression and demonstrated that stress in a child’s environment is linked to altered brain development. However, her team also has found that nurturing from parents can counteract some of those negative effects. The winner of the Ruane Prize normally delivers a lecture at the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation’s awards dinner in New York. Because of the pandemic, however, Luby’s lecture was delivered online. Reprinted from https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/luby-honored-for-advancingunderstanding-of-brain-behavior-disorders/. < Dietz Property Group recently announced the addition of CARLY DIETZ ’09 to the DPG team as a Principal. Carly will focus on business development. She joins DPG with over 10 years of real estate experience. Carly earned her Juris Doctorate from Notre Dame Law School and will complete her Master of Business Administration and Commercial Real Estate Development Certificate at the University of Michigan in May 2021. F

Alumni

AN ENGAGEMENT, A WEDDING & TWO BABIES Alex Dickinson ’04 & Joe Weeks were married on

SEPTEMBER 26TH YPSILANTI, MICHIGAN

Jordan Veillette ’12 & Allie Woodburne WERE ENGAGED ON OCTOBER 31, 2020 GARDEN OF THE GODS IN COLORADO SPRINGS THE WEDDING IS PLANNED FOR 2022

they held a small, socially-distanced and masked, outdoor wedding. they plan to host� a bigger event at some point in the future

ROEPER FRIENDS IN ATTENDANCE WERE ERIN MILBECK WILCOX ’04, HER HUSBAND JON WILCOX ’03 AND THEIR YOUNG SON THEO, SADE BENJAMIN ’04, ANNIE MAGID-BEALE BLAAUW ’04, JENN MARTIN MOORE ’03, AND MARY WILCOX ’06

Conor Mendenhall ‘06 & Sarah Allyn welcomed their first child

Judah Michael Mendenhall August 10, 2020

Beaumont Royal Oak

Jenna Slaughter Davis ’04 & David Davis welcomed daughter

Congratulations to All!

Kamryn Valentine Davis October 15, 2020 8 lbs 13 oz 20.5” Baby, mom & dad are doing great!

KIT

Marcia Ruff

School Historian

Denita Banks-Sims

Director of Development & Publications

PASSINGS

It is with great sadness that we share news of the recent passing of seven Roeperians. Each was a vibrant member of the Roeper School community, and we know that many of you will recall the wondrous impact they made on our lives.

JOHN BURDICK ’76

John Burdick passed away July 4 of cancer at the age of 61. A professor at Syracuse University, John’s remarkable humanity and commitment to peace, justice, and social change were warmly acknowledged by the university: “As a professor of anthropology in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and College of Arts and Sciences for nearly 30 years, Burdick deeply engaged his students in working toward the betterment of communities and neighborhoods, from the west side of Syracuse to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In all of his work he led by example — listening deeply and living his values.” The full memorial from the university can be found at https://www.maxwell.syr. edu/news/stories/Professor_John_Burdick_remembered_for_his_teaching_and_advocacy/

BARCLAY PALMER Former Upper School English teacher Barclay Palmer passed away on September 27 at the age of 88 in Brunswick, Maine. Barclay taught at Roeper in the early 1970s and left a lasting impression through his passion for literature, especially Shakespeare, poetry and myth; his style (handsome and dashing enough to be a model); and his wicked softball skills. Barclay was the advisor for the Dubious Muse, as the school’s literary magazine was called then, and an ardent advocate for the Roeper Philosophy and the challenges of living it. In online tributes from Roeper alumni, the most common remark was what “a huge presence” Barclay embodied while he was here. A lifelong educator, Barclay taught at independent schools in New Jersey and Manhattan after leaving Roeper. He became active with the National Association of Independent Schools and helped propel a nationwide shift from memorization and testing toward critical and creative thinking, and moral, racial and social awareness. Barclay’s very full life is described at https://www.pressherald.com/2020/10/16/ obituarywilliam-barclay-livingstone-palmer/

PAUL REEKIE ’89 Paul Reekie passed away suddenly on October 2 as the result of an accident while he was working outside his home in Boca Raton, Florida. Paul was 48 and a beloved figure in the South Florida theatre community as the musical director and arranger for countless productions, cabaret performances and other musical shows. When he was at Roeper, Paul played Mozart in Amadeus and Seymour in A Little Shop of Horrors; as a junior he played piano for the appearance of Pope John Paul II at the Pontiac Silverdome. Paul earned a degree in computer programming at Michigan State University and worked for EDS in Florida, playing piano largely for himself. In 2004, he began to move full-time into the theatre world. He was particularly admired for his ability to reduce large orchestral arrangements to a few instruments while still maintaining the complex aural nature of the original score. Paul was a generous mentor and quiet philanthropist. http://www. floridatheateronstage.com/news/paul-reekie-beloved-musical-director-arranger-dies-at48/?fbclid=IwAR33Y9U_69J1sVmseF8Cl1_3QNcxAfzBsD1xwIZUA4nuYvvll-StLRTFRjE

BOB EDGERTON Bob Edgerton, who taught physics at Roeper from 1971 through 1982, passed away at the age of 85 on November 27 in Seattle. He had three children who attended Roeper, Eric ’80, Nina ’83 and Sylvia ’86. In a message, Nina said, “My father passed away peacefully. This was the culmination of two years of declining health due to a lung condition (Bronchiectasis). He brought his enthusiasm for life, curiosity, and kind heart to teaching as well as parenting. He was a musician, lover of nature, birder, cyclist, and all-around curious, thoughtful guy. As I write this, I hear his laughter and sense his big smile.” Dr. Bob was a gifted teacher. “He always answered questions with questions. It drove me crazy, but really made me think,” said Carolyn Graham Tsuneta ’78. A long-time favorite story entailed the way he challenged physics students to solve the echo problem in the Big Dome. As recalled by Patrick O’Connor ’78, “It was the first year the Domes were open and the Big Dome had an echo in it because it was slightly off center. Dr. Bob brought his physics class into the dome, walked around stomping and clapping his hands. “Get it?” he says. “Now fix it.” An outdoors enthusiast, Bob and his wife, Elizabeth, also chaperoned school camping trips to the Smoky Mountains.

SANFORD COHEN ’66* Sanford Cohen passed away on December 4 at the age of 71. Sanford was an early student at Roeper, a member of the classes that graduated before the school extended to 12th grade. A successful Quiz Bowl contestant at Roeper, Sanford graduated from Wayne State with a BA and MA in History. He then taught Social Studies at Detroit’s Southeastern High School for more than 30 years and led the after-school Southeastern Chess Club to national levels many times. Former Roeper history teacher Dick Halsey recalled that Sanford was a 7th grader in Dick’s first year at Roeper: “His father, Herb Cohen, owned and ran the Raven Gallery, a kind of art gallery, coffeehouse, and music venue in Detroit and later Southfield. Sanford was a brilliant student and funny kid. It pleases me no end that he was a social studies teacher in the Detroit Public Schools.” You can read more about Sanford’s life at https://www. legacy.com/obituaries/freep/obituary.aspx?n=sanford-allen-cohen&pid=197235816&f bclid=IwAR1kfSCUaXDeL2wztngjFafvkpOVW9ymdAMEExkuTKuv9_FSDN-xqhEywuk

ANNA M. McNEIGHT Anna M. McNeight, 75, a former Stage III and IV Teacher at Roeper from September 1979 through 1985, passed away Monday, December 21 at her home. Her sons, Neil and Mark attended Roeper and Roeper Camp for several years. Born March 21, 1945 in Lincoln, Illinois, she was a daughter of Winfield Bates, Sr. and Julia (Blum) Bates. Anna spent many years as an educator. She taught biology in Richmond, Michigan, sat on the school board in East China, Michigan, and in 1995 she went to work for the Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, Michigan, as an engineer, retiring in 2008. She loved animals and was a powerful advocate for the environment. A celebration of her life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Partners for Pets.

JOHN FREEMAN Former Upper School English teacher John Freeman passed away unexpectedly on January 7, 2021. John taught at Roeper from 1983 – 1987, and then taught at the University of Detroit Mercy for 33 years. His students at Roeper all remarked on John’s gentleness, quick humor, endless patience and kindness, and his dazzling and ever-growing array of passionate interests that ranged from Hamlet to Tupac. “He was such a magical creature and a beautiful soul. He was a favorite teacher and mentor to so many — myself included,” said Deirdre Wade ’87. Josh Silverstein ‘86 remembered how touched he was when John showed up unexpectedly at Josh’s mother’s funeral — and how typical that was of John’s thoughtfulness. “John is one of the gentlest souls I have ever been blessed to come to know. Pure love,” said Jeff Groulx ’84. F

KIT

Denita Banks-Sims

Director of Development & Publications

PARTING THOUGHTS My Hill House neighbors are some of our youngest community members. It is a prized and treasured proximity that seamlessly informs my perspective of the Roeper community and our mission. It is a present reminder … always. The other source that reaffirms my outlook — even in these continuing days of challenge and distress — is embodied in a colleague that possesses a grace and strength beyond measure and that serves the entire school. She is a “sister” in all ways, and she is the one and only Carolyn Lett. Carolyn has a special way about her. Roeper alumnus James Balmer ’70* made an observance in the “Ask the Expert” Roeper Review feature that perfectly describes my sentiments about Carolyn’s significance: … I learned some years ago that really great nonprofits are led by people who have what I call “Irrational Optimism” — a way of seeing challenges that is always wedded to the mission and values of their organization — and a passionate belief in their cause. Mission and values have kept us alive, along with people who are willing to stay true to our ethos. With her characteristic blend of near-spiritual attention to your “whole being” and a precision and aptitude that sets a place for all of us at the table, Carolyn has led some of the most significant advances for diversity, equity, inclusion and justice at The Roeper School. We have witnessed the evolution of programming that expands our commitment to the Roeper Philosophy under Carolyn’s watchful eye and impeccable integrity. In fact, there are very few occasions where she does not remind us of George and Annemarie’s legacy while cementing her own. Resiliency demands perspective. How lucky for us that it can be found in the promise of our Stage I Roeperians and fully realized in the wisest among us … Sister Carolyn Lett. Stay safe and well and please, Keep In Touch.

We have witnessed the evolution of programming that expands our commitment to the Roeper Philosophy under Carolyn’s watchful eye and impeccable integrity.

KIT

UPCOMING EVENTS MARCH 5

MARCH 15 â€“ 19 For information, contact juliette.olejnik@roeper.org

APRIL 21

MAY 1

MAY 7

MAY 13 & 19

SATURDAY, APRIL 17, 2021 The premier fundraising event for The Roeper School,

MOSAIC Auction features outstanding LIVE and SILENT AUCTION items in an exciting VIRTUAL EVENT. This ROEPER STRONG “party with a purpose” is an evening of celebration and community. PROCEEDS WILL BENEFIT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT for our beloved Roeper faculty and staff and the Mariann Hoag Financial Aid Grant Award Program!

WE NEED YOUR HELP! WE HAVE A WISH LIST! Can you donate or connect the Auction Committee to any of the following? v Peloton Bike or Home Exercise Equipment v v Professional Chef for a small, In-home Cooking Experience v v Access to an RV or a Yacht for a Family Trip or an Evening Cruise v v A Weekend or Week at a Vacation Home/Condo in Northern Michigan — or Anywhere v v Meal Service Delivery v

IS YOUR COMPANY INTERESTED IN A CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP? Receive fantastic advertising and tickets to the event! If you have any ideas for our “wish list” or would like details on a Corporate Sponsorship, let us know! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Katie Buchmann at katie.buchmann@roeper.org

THANK YOU! HOPE TO “SEE” YOU THERE!

THE ROEPER SCHOOL

NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION

U.S. POSTAGE

PAID PERMIT NO. 16 BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MI 48304

41190 WOODWARD AVENUE BLOOMFIELD HILLS â€¢ MI 48304-5020

Save the Date! ROEPER STRONG SATURDAY, APRIL 17, 2021