Unquowa School Annual Report 2022-2023

Annual Report 2022-2023

Thank You for your Support!

Annual Report for 2022-2023 School Year “The mission of The Unquowa School is to develop, educate and prepare our family of children with an unafraid spirit to achieve their personal best in a changing world.”

Annual Report 2022-2023

from the Board President ~

Over the past year, Unquowa School has continued to shine brightly, driven by a relentless pursuit of educational excellence. Our dedicated faculty, staff, and administrators have shown remarkable resilience and adaptability, navigating the challenges of an ever-changing world with unwavering commitment to our mission. Our academic programs have thrived, as we have cultivated a dynamic learning environment that empowers our students to not only excel academically but also to develop critical life skills, character, and a sense of social responsibility.

One of our proudest achievements this year has been our commitment to fostering a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We believe that every student is a unique individual, and their distinct experiences and perspectives enrich our school community. Our efforts to create a more inclusive environment have led to meaningful conversations, educational initiatives, and a stronger sense of unity among our students and faculty.

Our commitment to fostering a love of learning and innovation is evident in the numerous accomplishments of our students. Whether it’s in the arts, athletics, or academics, Unquowa students continue to excel. Our academic teams have consistently achieved high honors in regional and national competitions, and our student artists and athletes have showcased their talents at local and state levels.

Furthermore, the Unquowa experience extends beyond the classroom, nurturing the whole child. Our students have demonstrated a deep commitment to community service and philanthropy. They have organized charity events, volunteered their time to local causes, and shown compassion for those in need. These actions reflect the strong sense of empathy and responsibility instilled in our students, making them outstanding citizens and leaders of the future.

Unquowa School’s future is indeed a bright one. Our commitment to innovation in education, fostering a strong sense of community, and instilling values that transcend the classroom will continue to set us apart as an institution of excellence. Our students, the heart and soul of our school, are the embodiment of our mission, and I have no doubt that they will go on to achieve great things in life.

As we reflect on the past year’s successes and look toward the future, I am deeply grateful for the unwavering support of our parents, our dedicated faculty and staff, and the entire Unquowa community. Together, we can ensure that Unquowa School remains a place where students not only excel academically but also grow into compassionate, responsible, and innovative leaders.

In closing, I want to express my profound pride in our school, the incredible culture we have nurtured, and the exceptional students who continue to inspire us all. With your continued support, I am confident that Unquowa School’s journey to excellence will only get better in the years to come.

Joan Panagos, Board of Governors President Mother of Lucy’16, Lola’17 and Lily’19

from the Head of School ~

The late Miller Williams wrote the poem “Of Hope and History” in the late 20th century and, while I haven’t committed his poem to memory, I have never forgotten the gist of it - that we as a democracy have not yet accomplished our founders’ goal of equality and justice for all, but that, as we work towards it, our “long gift” to our children, whose “eyes are already set on a land we can never visit” is to see that they get there. I have always loved William’s expression “long gift” because, as a concept, it’s such a warm companion to the “unafraid spirit” we aim to instill in each young person who comes through Unquowa, the spirit they will need to use that “long gift” well.

The past year upon which we report this evening marked five years from our school’s centennial - an occasion that we marked by launching a centennial endowment campaign and by forming a clear and achievable strategic plan, both of which we aimed to complete over the following five years. Our plans for neither of these included dealing with a pandemic, but we did so quite effectively and still arrived at the five year mark during the 2022-23 school year having completed all commitments to our endowment campaign

The Future is in Our Care

Annual Report 2022-2023 AND situated to focus on the last of the four strategic initiatives we defined in 2017-18, just two years before the COVID pandemic arrived at our doorstep.

Hung just two weeks ago outside my office door, the Centennial Campaign plaque, beautifully illuminated by our own visual arts faculty member Alice DesGranges, attests to the commitment of our community to plan for our children’s future.My thanks go out once more to David and Beth McKinnis, parents of Willow class of 2018, for chairing this campaign and to David for his service to our board prior to and through these five years. This plaque hangs opposite one that commemorates the Campaign for Unquowa, a building and endowment campaign completed in 2015 and chaired by Joan and Steve Panagos, parents of Lucy, ‘16, Lola, ‘17 and Lily ‘19 and Paul and Ellen Greenberg, parents of Amy ‘10. These families led a campaign that built an athletic field, a dining room, a performing arts stage and a series of classrooms that changed our campus and were fully funded, completed on time and came in under budget. The leadership of these two families and their confidence in our school encouraged others to join them in that momentous campaign and Joan Panagos and Paul Greenberg, as our current chair and vice-chair of our board of governors, along with long-serving board treasurer Karl Martone, father of Max class of ‘09 and Secretary Steve Jones, father of Brooke, class of ‘18, Kelly class of ‘19 and Michael class of ‘22 have, as executive board members, continue to model the commitment and partnership that I as head of school could not succeed without.

This brings me to the second initiative launched five years ago and on target to be completed in the same five year span. The 201718 Strategic Plan, crafted by our senior leadership team and board after a year-long series of retreats identified four initiatives for us as a school: • First, to know who we are: that is, to articulate Unquowa’s unique identity and value as a “blue ocean” school in our region.

Focusing on continuing to build a mission appropriate community of students, families and faculty/staff and ensuring that each community member feels valued and enriched.

• Secondly, to say who we are: that is, to develop a culture of fierce pride throughout our community and to promote that culture through clear and consistent messaging both internally and externally. To help us with that goal, we have been working with the Sacks Agency over this past year to crystallize this messaging both verbally and visually and to launch a marketing and branding campaign that will allow us to move from being a “hidden gem” to a known one.

• And most importantly, to continue to be who we are: by identifying and practicing the principles that spark intellectual curiosity and innovative programming, promoting a culture of communication, collaboration and professional growth for our school leaders, faculty and staff and to broaden and intensify our efforts to build community engagement.

Having worked diligently to accomplish these first three lofty initiatives over the past five years, we are now positioned as a school to address our final strategic priority, which is to grow who we are. My very dedicated board and I have been identifying and, supported by my senior leadership team, have strategize how to protect and grow the resources of time and money to heighten, first of all, our institution’s financial stability and then to align our culture of philanthropy with our vision for the school’s future to nurture and grow new program ideas that resonate with Unquowa’s “blue ocean identity, that is, to be an independent school like no other in the region.

Our school is at an exciting inflection point in its history and I am both delighted and energized to be part of the next step in its journey, having accepted the Board of Governors’ invitation to lead our school for another five years. I continue to be committed because, as you can see, I have had a longstanding core of dedicated and talented board members behind me and they continue to be joined by new board members with equal commitment and talent that make it possible for me to attract and retain the very talented and committed faculty and staff who spend each and every day with our children.

As we do that, however, we must still ask the question, “How do we fashion the future for our children?” Where does the answer lie except, as poet Miller Williams says, in the minds of those who will call that future Now? Our children, our students.

Our job here at Unquowa as we imagine and realize “Unquowa Next” is to craft that long gift for our children, the path that leads to their better future, by continuing to build a learning institution that will prepare them to live in and lead the world that will be theirs. I look forward to our working together to do so and to returning to this stage next year to report on our continued progress towards that goal.

Sharon Lauer, Head Of School

The Future is in Our Care

Annual Report 2022-2023

from the Board Treasurer ~

I am pleased to report another successful year financially for the Unquowa School. For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, we continued multi-year improvements both financially and physically.

Revenues from all sources nearly covered all expenses, while net cash flows continue to grow. This gave us the ability to invest $90,000.00 in the building and grounds to make the school a healthier and happier place. Excellent attention to keeping expenses within budgeted ranges was evident across most parts of the Unquowa Community.

The Unquowa School’s leadership team took action to address changing realities of the economy and demographics both to area independent schools and the State of Connecticut. We funded a new PR and marketing initiative to enhance the school’s brand awareness and target marketing to our prospective families. In addition, the Admissions Office continues to improve the closing statistics for the enrollment of new students. As always, the Finance Committee continues to focus on key variables and risks so we can identify potential challenges to Unquowa’s financial foundation, while developing the best solutions for our community.

The Second Century Campaign for Endowment has enhanced the school’s endowment net assets along with reserves are now nearly $1.96 million. Parent giving via The Fund for Unquowa and the remarkable support from the Unquowa Parents’ Association continue to play a vital role in bridging the gap between tuition and what it costs to provide an Unquowa education for all our students.

Building on the experience and know-how of its 106-year run, our school remains excited to execute our strategic plan. With your support, Unquowa will remain well positioned for continued success and financial growth in a changing and challenging world. I would like to thank everyone in our community and hope you will continue to help us achieve our goals.

Karl Martone, Board of Governors Treasurer Father of Max’09

UNQUOWA SCHOOL Statement of Operating Activities

YEAR END - JUNE 30, 2023

Total Operating Revenues:

Total Operating Expenses: Salaries & Benefits (60.8%)

Tuition & Fees (93.6%)

Financial Aid (17.0)%

Annual Giving (2.4%)

General & Administrative (7.1%)

UPA & Other Fundraising (2.8%) Investment Income (0.2%)

Facilities *(7.2%)

Grants (0.6%) Other Sources (0.4%)

Instructional & Student Services (7.9%) * Includes depreciation

The Future is in Our Care

Annual Report 2022-2023

Annual Giving ~

The Fund for Unquowa not only provides vital support for programming, financial aid, student activities, professional development and salaries. It also supports socio-economic diversity, artistic exploration and updates to our campus and technological resources, not to mention helping to bring inspiring musicians, artists and other leaders to our children.

Last year, our community generously embraced the shared responsibility that hangs over the school door: “Cura Futuri Nobis. The Future is In Our Care,” donating over 172,000 dollars, reaching 88% of our goal. Please accept our gratitude and keep us as your philanthropic priority.

Robin Pompa & Melody Waterhouse, 2022-2023 The Fund For Unquowa Co Chairs

Total $172,898 - From July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023

CENTENNIAL CIRCLE

(25,000 AND UP) Michelle Vendley and Peter Sullivan

LEADERSHIP CIRCLE

(15,000 - 24,999) Athena and Daniel Adamson Philipp and Melody (Waterhouse) Kusche Alexander and Katie (Shields Thomson) Thomson David and Heather Winkelmann

1917 FOUNDERS’ SOCIETY ($10,000 TO $14,999) Paul and Ellen Greenberg Richard McKinley IV Steven and Joan Panagos Peter and Jo Toolan

THE WINTERFEST SOCIETY ($5,000 TO $9,999) John and Anna Acunto Adrian and James Hendershot Shane and Patricia (Caira) Herlet Sharon Lauer and Jerome Joseph Kerry and Maggie (Lehnerd) Reilly Will and Alison Roberts

THE BROOK SOCIETY

($2,500 TO $4,999) Peter and Bridgett diBonaventura, Intercontinental Exchange John and Sarah Freeman Foundation David and Elizabeth McKinnis Robin and William Pompa Alan and Debbie Steckler Gregory and Hilary Tanner

THE GARDEN CIRCLE

($1,250 TO $2,499) Bridgewater Associates Melissa and Reed Balmer Fairfield County Community Foundation

Ariana and Luke Ferrandino Principal Financial Group Foundation Christopher and Melissa Howe Matthew and Rachel Kelley Andrew and Angela (DeRose) Lerner Ryan and J. Bing (Tien) Mathis-Tien James and Maria Mulvehill Scott and Laurie Renzulli Alison and Mark Smith

THE MAYPOLE SOCIETY

($750 TO $1,249) Eric and Lisa Broder Trisha and Mark Doyle Charles and Margaret Farinella John Freeman Google Inc. MacAllaster Family Foundation Constance and James McClellan Saral and Heidi Mehra Brian and Sharon Miles Jane T. Muhlethaler Foundation, Inc Nor’ Easter Foundation (Henry duPont ‘81) Tim and Alisyn (Camerota) Lewis, Sara and Frank (Lin) Parks Mike and Vicki (Hornbostel) Scotto George Wheeler Seeley Matt and Gail Smith Sandra and Michael Srihari Moira and Timothy Warren Karen and Dan Williamson Jenah and Jack Yeung

THE GATOR SOCIETY

($350 TO $749) Ashesh and Yamini (Menon) Bakshi Janice and Dick Cerone Michael and Kusumarn Fleming Tarell and April Floyd Carlene and Paul Gordon Frank and Jennie Gulden Gilbert and Penny Herlet Maria and Peter Karayiannis

Samantha and Brendan Kelley Deirdre and Eric Kurzenberger Peter and Rachel Kushel Susan Lotty David and Sharon Mack Sasha Mack ‘05 Susan Maklari ‘90 Karl and Lynn Martone Catherine Mathis Michael and Alison (Bevan) McCormick Jacqui and John Mudre Lily Panagos ‘19 Lola Panagos ‘17 Lucy Panagos ‘16 Goldman Sachs Rev. Cecily Stoddard Stranahan ‘47 Bojana and Michael Weatherly Joel and Eden Werring

FRIENDS OF UNQUOWA

(UP TO $349) Steve Aikenhead ‘54 American Online Giving Foundation Christopher Anderheggen ‘70 Ernesto and Faith Barbuto T. Brooks Barrett ‘47 Emily and Noam (Paransky) Bernstein Phillip Bettencourt Elizabeth W. Brew Boyd ‘70 Christian and Sara Brebbia Jonathan Brew ‘72 Barbara Brookes Pamela Brown Ebru and Ari (Halper) Buluc-Halper Norma Castro Anna Panagos-Chandler Donald and Janet Christie Brandon and Brooke Clark Robert and Deborah Colantuoni Carlos Esteves and Corti Cooper David and Charis (San Antonio) Cooper Whitney and Tobias Crawford Jasmine and Shawnta Smith-Cruz

The Future is in Our Care

Annual Report 2022-2023 Dana Hall School Eric Dawson ‘76 Maureen and Djibril Diallo Craig Drake Joan duPont ‘50 M.F and Mary Dutro Dion and Rachelle Ehrlich Michael and Lauren Ehrlich Helene Rousseau Epifano ‘67 Adam and Jennifer Epstein Ryan and Marianna Erenhouse Elizabeth and Harris Falk Susanna Carrillo Foote and Andrew Foote Eleanor and Peter Frechette Steven and Sandra Frost Jonathan Galassi Diane Galasso Chriss and George Gombos Jessica and David Gray Richard T. Harriss, III ‘52 William Harriss ‘79 Diana Haskell Charles Haviland ‘10 Sandy and Kate Haviland George and Amy Helmer Michael Higgins Kelly and Ofer Holtz Frascatore, Jennifer Stephen and Gina Jones Aidan Kavanaugh ‘21 Gerard and Shannon Kavanaugh Tré and Hannah (Onchak) Kayumba Sarah Frassinelli Keenan ‘68 Robert and Sharon Kelly Lisa and Michael Kirsic Barry and Leslie (Miller)Kresch Lara Kusche Maximilian Kusche Evan Lawrence ‘68 Debbie and Brian Leidlein Susan and Tom Lenci Lou Leszczynski Shelley and Kevin (Sorhaindo)Levi Lauren Rocheleau and Mark Lotty Violet and Emirson Lumani Max Martone ‘09 Rachel McDermott ‘09 Jones, Hay, Marschall, & McKinney P.C Michael and Marissa Mesiya Madison Mitchell ‘22 Lloyd and Kathy Mitchell Paula Moloney Ralph and Laura (Babala) Money Erin and Ryan Morris Paul and Megan Mountcastle Brendan and Kirsten Murphy Michael and Monica Murray Ashley Nechaev David and Amber O’Connell Patricia O’Hara Brian O’Connor ‘50

Celiane and Marcos (Borges) Oliveria Elisha and Oliver Page Ann Palm Lysandra Pamias Ned Pearce Vivian Perez Laura and Bob Petit Danielle and David Pitts Tim and Krissy Ponden Ruth Powell Lillian and Matthew Raben John and Patricia Randolph Philip and Ruth Reed Alexander Renzulli ‘21 Samantha Renzulli ‘18 Natalia Rojas-Restrepo and Alexander Rojas Mark and Loren Rubino Carolyn Gaines Ruckle ‘53 David and Susan (Breen) Ryan Joe and Elizabeth (Hayes) Saint Katharine and Michael (DiOrio) Schafer Mary Jo Scott Gianina Serrano Olivia Seymour ‘14 Madeline Shantz ‘19 Andrew and Andrea Shantz Charles and Syesha (Tyson) Sheffield William Shelton ‘55 Michael and Karen Speller David and Alicia (Levy) Spiecher Byrne Pozzi and Dan Spinner Lindsay Stavnes ‘68 Harald and Stephanie Stavnes Alice Stokes Lee Streett ‘51 Andrea and Brian Theodore Mary Ann and Shawn Thomas Yei and Ying Tien Harry Tompkins Stanley and June Topar John Richard Turner ‘48 Anthony and Jenna Venditto Lesley and Lauren (Coakley) Vincent Lucinda and Thomas (Kelley) White Natasha Auguste-Williams Chester Williamson Sandra and Bryan Wilson Jessica Wolf

ALUMNI

Steve Aikenhead ‘54 Christopher Anderheggen ‘70 T. Brooks Barrett ‘47 Jonathan C. Brew ‘72 Elizabeth W. Brew Boyd ‘70 Eric W. G. Dawson ‘76 Henry duPont ‘81 Henry duPont(Joan)‘50 Helene Rousseau Epifano ‘67 Sarah Frassinelli Keenan ‘68 Richard T. Harriss III ‘52

William Harriss ‘79 Charles Haviland ‘10 Aidan Kavanaugh ‘21 Evan Lawrence ‘68 David MacAllaster ‘73 Sasha Mack ‘05 Susan Maklari ‘90 Max Martone ‘09 Rachel McDermott ‘09 Madison Mitchell ‘22 Brian O’Connor ‘50 Lily Panagos ‘19 Lola Panagos ‘17 Lucy Panagos ‘16 Krissy Ponden ‘95 Alexander Renzulli ‘21 Samantha Renzulli ‘18 Carolyn Gaines Ruckle ‘53 George Wheeler Seeley ‘53 Olivia Seymour ‘14 Madeline Shantz ‘19 William Shelton ‘55 Lindsay Stavnes ‘98 Rev. Cecily Stoddard Stranahan ‘47 Lee Streett ‘51 John Richard Turner ‘48

COMPANIES & FOUNDATIONS

American Online Giving Foundation Bridgewater Associates Dana Hall School Fairfield County Community Foundation John and Sarah Freeman Foundation Goldman Sachs Google Inc. Intercontinental Exchange Jane T. Muhlethaler Foundation, Inc MacAllaster Family Foundation Nor’ Easter Foundation (Henry duPont ‘81) Principal Financial Group Foundation

IN KIND

1754 House A Spiraling Body Studio Alina’s Cakes & Cookies American Ballet Theatre Apotheke Arogya Holistic Healing Arslan Otchy Athletic Shoe Factory Aux Delices Bake Me Up Cakes Barry Seroff BE Chocolat Beach Bake & Dessert Benebone LLC Benson Ferguson Hockey and Lacrosse Club Blow Dry Blue & Berries Bojana Jankovic Weatherly MD Brendan Muldowney

The Future is in Our Care

Annual Report 2022-2023 Brick Walk Tavern Bridgett diBonaventura Capri Clothing Catch A Healthy Habit Café Cellobrations Entertainment & Events Centro Claire Dresselhuis Coco Nails Fairfield Cold Stone Creamery Colony Grill Connecticut Audubon Society Country Cow Crumbl Cookies Cruvinel Bro Training Center CycleBar Cycleology Bike and Ski Dave’s Gourmet Paletas Deisy Amador Party Designer Deisy Amador Professional Home Organizer DGN Custom Guitars Diana Haskell Photography LLC Dog Gone Smart Doorbell Barbers Dr. Lynelle Schneeberg DUCALM Skincare Early Childhood Skills Earth Place Elements Massage Fairfield Cheese Company Fairfield Ice Academy Fairfield Performing Arts Studio Fairfield Theatre Company Fairfield University Stags Basketball Finley’s Fiction Fit Club Jiu-Jitsu Get your Karate On! Goldilocks Farm Golf Lounge Eighteen Grand Isle Resort and Residences Greg and Tony Ouidad Salon

Grit Ninja Norwalk Gruel Britania Gymnastics and Cheerleading Academy Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Il Pellicano Infinite Roots Cultural Drum and Dance Jarosa Yoga Jess Stafford Katie Thomson Kelley Family Kindred Spirits & Wine Kumon Layla’s Falafel Levitt Pavilion Linda Stone Lisa Fay Little Pub Magpie Home Organization Maiones Pizza Mercedes-Benz of Fairfield Mrs. London’s NATIVE LLC Nordic FIsh Ocean Club Hotel - Cape May Ole Soccer Pamela Einarsen Photography Pane e Bene Patti Jonker Paul Einarsen Phil’s Guitar Shop Reverend Vanessa Rose Riko’s Pizza Robert Hurwitz Rock Climb Fairfield Rosebud Slumber Parties Rosie Bonura Salko Farm Salon Marlene Sara Robbin Writing Coach School of Rock

Shelton Woods Soap Company Skin by Kataryna SKYN LUXE Hyperrealism & Beauty SoNo Baking Company Soul by Maggie Stretch Lab Sun Kissed Glow Sunswell Clothing Taegun Moon The Adventure Park The Adventure Park at Long Island The Cooper Family The Davidson Family The di Bonaventura Family The Howe Family The Learning Consultants The Manfro Family The Pantry The Pitts Family The Roundtree Amagansett The Stand Vegan Cafe The Studio at Penny Lane The Studio Fairfield The Thomson Family The Winkelmann Family Trisha Doyle Turtle Moon Health Two Oh Three Vicki Hornbostel Vineyard Vines Violet Lumani Vita Pasta Lab Wag Central Westport County Playhouse WildBloom SkinCare Wondrous Roots Woodstock Inn and Resort Yoga Synergy Your Lasting Health

GRANDPARENTS ...............................IN HONOR OF Barbara Brookes.......................................................................................................................................................Wil Falk ‘23 Norma Castro......................................................................................................................................Ethan Perez ‘25 (Grade 7) Dion and Rachelle Ehrlich.................................................................................Beckett Ehrlich, Cassidy Ehrlich ‘29 (Grade 3) John Freeman..............Addie Mulvehill ‘24 (Grade 8), Eleanor ‘26 (Grade 6), Charlotte ‘28 (Grade 4), Maeve ‘31 (Grade 1) Diane Galasso..................................................................................................................................Ava Sylvestro ‘24 (Grade 8) Gilbert and Penny Herlet.....................................................................................................................Cole Herlet ‘25 (Grade 7) Sharon Lauer and Jerry Joseph........................................................................................................Vivian Kelley ‘25 (Grade 7) Shelley Levi and Kevin Sorhaindo...................................Anthony Venditto III ‘26 (Grade 6), Archer Venditto ‘30 (Grade 2) Susan Lotty......................................................................................................................................Harlow Lotty ‘30 (Grade 2) Catherine Mathis...............................................................................................................................Blythe Tien ‘30 (Grade 2) Constance and James McClellan.........................................................................................Jojo Williamson ‘32 (Kindergarten) Brian O’Connor.....................................................................................Connor Rosow, Keilan Rosow ‘18, Maggie Rosow ‘22 Patricia O’Hara...........................................................................................................................Olivia Weatherly ‘26 (Grade 6) Anna Panagos-Chandler........................................................................Lily Panagos ‘19, Lola Panagos ‘17, Lucy Panagos ‘16 Philip and Ruth Reed................................................................................................Ashlee Kirk ‘26 (Grade 6), Ethan Kirk ‘23 Mary Jo Scott.............................................................................................................Alex Renzulli ‘21, Samantha Renzulli ‘18 Alice Stokes..............................................................................................................................Channing Malkin, Steele Malkin Yei Lung and Ying Lan Tien...............................................................................................................Blythe Tien ‘30 (Grade 2) Lucinda White and Thomas Kelley............................................................................................Graham Kelley ‘28 (Grade 4) ChesterWilliamson.................................................................................................................JojoWilliamson ‘32 (Kindergarten)

The Future is in Our Care

Annual Report 2022-2023

2023-2024 UNQUOWA BOARD OF GOVERNORS JOAN PANAGOS - President • PAUL GREENBERG - Vice President • *KARL MARTONE - Treasurer • STEPHEN JONES - Secretary ATHENA ADAMSON • MELISSA HOWE • DAVID MCKINNIIS • ROBIN POMPA• *ALISON ROBERTS • ALISON SMITH ALAN STECKLER • HILARY TANNER • *ALEXANDER THOMSON • *PETER TOOLAN • MELODY WATERHOUSE HEATHER WINKELMANN • JENAH YEUNG

*not in photo

Unquowa Parents’ Association ~

During the 2022-2023 school year, countless parent volunteers in the Unquowa Parents’ Association came together to raise funds to support their children’s school while promoting events and activities to strengthen the connections among our students, families and faculty.

Their extraordinarily successful fundraising efforts supported both traditions and innovation and impacted every child and every classroom.

Funds raised by the UPA helped to underwrite a wide range of activities and events throughout the year - Winterfest, & spring musicals, teacher appreciation, commencement, yearbooks for every student, custom sweatshirts for 8th grade & much more.

A Giving Tree Challenge from the Board of Governors at the Spring Gala & Auction raised an additional $25,000 for financial aid.

Total UPA Net Profits July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023 - $108,506 Unquowa Autumn Wine Event.........................................$2,495 Celebrate Unquowa Gala & Auction...............................$119,910 Gator Goods Gift Shop.....................................................$1,657

The Future is in Our Care

Annual Report 2022-2023

Unquowa’s founding Headmistress, Virginia Birdsall (second from left) with the school’s

first faculty in 1917.

The Unquowa School Endowment ~ Total as of June 30, 2023 $1,955,549 When Unquowa celebrated its first 100 years during the 2017-18 school year, the Board launched the Second Century Campaign for Endowment in an effort to dramatically strengthen the school’s financial foundation.

A strong endowment is vital to every independent school. Endowment funds, some of which are restricted, are carefully invested so that a portion of earnings each year will provide critical resources to the school and it’s students.

A healthy endowment protects against the potential impact of future market or enrollment fluctuations and ensures unwavering support for curriculum, innovative programming, financial aid commitments and faculty.

NAMED ENDOWMENT FUNDS AT UNQUOWA Created with endowment gifts of $25,000 or more Proceeds from family funds may be directed by the donor towards an area of interest at the school or may be unrestricted for the school’s leadership to determine where they are needed most.

We are so grateful to these donors who have already established Named Funds in Unquowa’s endowment.

~ The Brewer and Beach Family Fund ~ Friends of Maria Taylor Fund ~ The Alan ‘53 and Arthur ‘54 Kornblut Endowed Fund for Tuition Support ~ The Russo Family Fund ~ The Jean Carpenter Winton ‘34 Endowment Fund ~ The Richard S. and Alexandra B. McKinley Head of School Fund

The Future is in Our Care

Legacy Giving Society ~

Annual Report 2022-2023

Our celebration of The Unquowa School’s first 100 years was a chance to look back...and to look ahead.

As alumni, parents, grandparents and faculty came together to mark this historic milestone, we had both the opportunity and responsibility to launch Unquowa’s second century from a position of financial strength.

Established in 2012, Unquowa’s Carl Churchill Legacy Giving Society is named for the school’s longest sitting headmaster. Mr. Churchill’s twenty year tenure shaped the early years of Unquowa’s history and laid the firm foundation for its progressive philosophy.

Legacy giving offers a unique level of long-term security that strengthens Unquowa’s financial foundation for the future.

As with all giving to the school, donors have the option of directing a legacy gift towards an area at the school that they are passionate about or leaving it unrestricted for the school’s leadership to determine where it is needed most.

We are so grateful to these dedicated families who have made a bequest to Unquowa in their wills or whose family has established a legacy gift in their name to support the school for years to come. Please let us know if you have made a bequest to Unquowa so that we can thank you and recognize you as a member of the Carl Churchill Legacy Giving Society. ~ Steve Aikenhead, ‘54 ~ Georgiana Brewer Beach,* ‘26 ~ Kate and Sandy Haviland, Charlie ‘10, Grace ‘13 ~ Craig Knebel, * former faculty ~ Bruce G. Lockhart,* ‘48 ~ Norman Morse,* ‘33 ~ Joan and Steve Panagos, Lucy ‘16, Lola ‘17, Lily ‘19 ~ Ruth Powell, former faculty ~ Carolyn Gaines Ruckle, ‘53 ~ Jean Carpenter Winton,* ‘34 A variety of legacy giving methods are available at Unquowa and each offers a different path that can be taken to support the school while providing possible tax and inheritance benefits to the donor and their family. Since the school is not in a position to provide financial advice, if you are considering making a planned legacy gift, we strongly urge you to discuss these options with your financial advisor.

Together we are making Unquowa stronger for the students who are here now and for those who will join the Unquowa family in the future. On behalf of all of them, thank you.

To learn more, visit the Giving section of the school’s website or contact Janice Cerone in the Business Office at 362-2561 or janice.cerone@unquowa.org. * deceased We have carefully reviewed the names listed in this report but recognize that errors may still occur.

Please accept our sincere apology if your name has been omitted, misspelled or incorrectly listed.

So we may correct our records, please notify Jacqui Mudre, Director of Communications at jacqui.mudre@unquowa.org

The Future is in Our Care

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