The Compass Fall 2014/Winter 2015

The Compass

A Magazine for The Windward School Community Fall/Winter 2015

The Compass

A Magazine for The Windward School Community Fall/Winter 2015

THE COMPASS Fall/Winter 2015 Dr. John J. Russell Head of School Jonathan Rosenshine Associate Head of School

Fall/Winter 2016 Calendar Highlights

Barbara Drayer Director of Institutional Advancement Editor Bonni Brodnick Director of Publications

Sunday, January 31 5-8:00 p.m.

The Windward School Winter Ice Skating Party Winter Village at Bryant Park, NYC

Editorial Staff Christie Borden Associate Director of Advancement

Monday, March 21 – Friday, April 1 SPRING BREAK (School opens on Monday, April 4)

Meighan W. Corbett Associate Director of Advancement

Saturday, April 9 6:30 p.m.

The Windward School Benefit

Cipriani 42nd Street, NYC

Marilyn Csaszar Executive Assistant Evelyn Poy Database Manager Writers Jeremy Bletterman Bonni Brodnick Betsy Duffy Jason Steiker Photography Allison Armstrong Johnny Angelillo Erik Bennett Jeremy Bletterman Bonni Brodnick Heckler Photographers Megan Kieltyk Nicole Lawi Jon-Paul Maurin Robert Norman Photography Design Design for Business Printing Graphic Management Partners The Compass is published twice each year by the Office of Institutional Advancement (advancement@thewindwardschool.org) The Windward School 40 West Red Oak Lane White Plains, NY 10604 (914) 949-6968 Visit us at The Windward School website: thewindwardschool.org Note: At The Windward School, a student’s class year is the same as his/her high school graduation year.

Wednesday, April 13 7:30 p.m.

Robert J. Schwartz Memorial Lecture Speaker: Fumiko Hoeft, M.D., Ph.D.

Westchester Middle School Thursday, May 5 9-11:15 a.m.

Grandparents and Special Friends Day, Grades 1-3

Westchester Lower School Friday, May 6 9-11:30 a.m.

Grandparents and Special Friends Day, Grade 4

Westchester Lower School Monday, June 6

Windward Classic Golf and Tennis Outing

Quaker Ridge Club, Scarsdale, N.Y. Thursday, June 9 11:30 a.m.

WPA Opening Meeting and Closing Luncheon Shenorock Shore Club, Rye, N.Y. Wednesday, June 15

Grade 4 Moving Up Ceremony

Westchester Lower School Wednesday, June 15

Grade 4 Moving Up Ceremony Manhattan Lower School Wednesday, June 15 7:00 p.m.

Graduation

Westchester Middle School On the Cover: Westchester Middle School 5th grade science students built and raced junk cars to complete their unit on simple machines.

Photo: Robert Norman Photography

Letters 4

From the Head of School 2 From the Board President 3

features Homecoming 2015 14 Windward’s Program: The Windward School Reading Program 22 14

30

40

42

Campus News Graduation 2015

Alumnae Speaker: Eva Phillips ’14

Independent School Acceptances 2015 Moving Up Ceremony

Stone Master Teacher Award Winner: Lisa Rainey

4 5 11 12

Faculty Profile: Amanda Rathbun

18

Faculty Profile: Reflections on my First Year at The Windward School 20 News from the Windward Parents Association

Yale School of Management Special Event

Opening Breakfast

24 25

2015 Windward Classic at Quaker Ridge Golf Club

26

Major Donor Party at New York Yacht Club

30

All-School News: Back-to-School Picnic

32

Book Fair

38

News from Westchester Lower School

Exciting Trips and Activities

42

News from Westchester Middle School

Activities Throughout the Day

44

News from Windward Manhattan Lower and Middle Schools

Building a Windward Community in Manhattan

46

Vikings: Fall Sports Review (Go Vikings!) 48 Faculty and Staff News 50

Alumni News Alumni Notes

52

From the Advancement Office From the Archives

64

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From the Head of School Dear Friends, In this edition of The Compass, there is a great deal of Windward news to share with you. Both alumni and faculty have been involved in a myriad of notable activities that you can learn about in the Alumni and Faculty Notes sections. You can also read about the amazing accomplishments of last year’s commencement speaker, alumna Eva Philips ’14, who is a junior at Tufts University, majoring in biomedical engineering. Her keynote address to the graduates and their 800 guests was nothing short of inspirational.

Windward Manhattan is off to a great start at our temporary home on West 97th Street. The recently refurbished school building is serving the 107 eager students and a dedicated faculty extremely well. Aside from the few very hot days in September, parents, students and teachers are pleased with the building and agree that the educational program being delivered there is meeting Windward’s exacting standards.

John J. Russell, Ed.D.

Despite extraordinary efforts on the part of all involved, the opening of Windward’s new campus at 212 East 93rd Street has been

postponed until September 2016. This is not the decision I was hoping for, but it was an easy one to make when presented with all of the construction delays and a lengthy approval process. My administrative team and I—with the support of the Board of Trustees—are convinced that this is the best course of action for our students and the School. With this new schedule in place, we can all look forward to a safe, comfortable transition into our outstanding new home on the Upper East Side in September 2016.

As you read this edition of The Compass, I hope that you take justifiable pride in the accomplishments of our alumni and faculty and share the sense of community that was so evident at Homecoming. I am confident that the overwhelming gratitude that our school community has for the dedication of Maureen Sweeney is evident in the article about the naming of the auditorium in her honor. Even as Windward continues to grow in enrollment and facilities, it is experiences like these that bind us as one school with one mission.

Best wishes for the holiday season.

John J. Russell, Ed.D. Head of School

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From the President of the Board of Trustees Dear Windward Community, It is with great pleasure that I am able to write you with the continued good news of the success and growth of our beloved School. In short, The Windward School is thriving. Most importantly, the School continues to be vigilant and faithful to its mission every day and, in so doing, serves to transform lives in record numbers.

With the hard work of our dedicated administration and faculty, coupled with the generosity of so many members of our community, the School was able to provide seats for 227 deserving new students at our three campuses, including an additional 107 new seats at our temporary space in Manhattan. When we move to our permanent home of the Manhattan campus on East 93rd Street in 2016, the number of new seats will exceed 200. In two years’ time, the Manhattan campus will serve 350 deserving Windward students, and our three campuses will be able to educate a record 920-plus students!

Thomas E. Flanagan

We have many other reasons to be proud and appreciative. Our graduates benefit from their Windward education every day and continue to go on to great success – you can read about some of these accomplishments on the pages that follow. On a joyous note, we recently dedicated our impressive auditorium in the Teacher Training Institute in honor of Maureen Sweeney. I can’t think of an honor more deserving to bestow upon our Director of Admissions who has served Windward for more than thirty-five years and has helped so many students and their families over this time.

Looking forward, the Board of Trustees will meet later this month for its annual retreat as we try to anticipate future challenges and needs of the School. While this exercise can be daunting, we embark on this exercise with the knowledge and confidence in the strong foundation of our School and the proven success it brings for so many every day.

I wish you well and look forward to being able to share future success stories of The Windward School.

Thank you!

Thomas E. Flanagan President, Board of Trustees

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graduation

Graduation 2015 Eva Philips ’14 attended The Windward School from September 2007 through June 2010. She recently completed her sophomore year at Tufts University, where she is a Biomedical Engineering major.

As the featured speaker at the 2015 graduation ceremony, Eva addressed more than 800 attendees under the tent on Garry Field. The text of her remarks follows:

Graduation Speaker 2015, Eva Philips ’14

Thank you. I want to thank Dr. Russell, Ms. Daddino, Ms. Sweeney, and the Windward administration and community for inviting me to share this special day with all of you.

Welcome graduates, and congratulations. You made it! You made it to your final moments at Windward. Take a look around at your classmates, because this is the last time you will all be together.

You have supported and encouraged each other. You have created a cohesive and collaborative community of learners.

Welcome parents, grandparents, friends, siblings, teachers, and administrators. You, too, have made it. These graduates are here today because of your unwavering support.

Nine years ago, my parents sat me down and told me I would be changing schools in the fall to attend Windward. This information turned my world upside down. However, soon after I arrived at 4 The Compass Fall/Winter 2015

Windward, I realized what a gift my parents had given me.

On that note, can I ask the graduates to all take a moment and give a round of applause to all the parents, grandparents, friends, siblings, teachers, and administrators who have guided you to this day.

Thank you.

I graduated from Windward in 2010. Well, I never actually sat where you all are sitting today. In fact, I missed my own Windward graduation. My mother is a bit calendar-challenged. She thought that my graduation ceremony was during the day, so she planned a family trip with a flight leaving JFK that evening. So I was flying overhead in an airplane during my graduation. I can tell you that the view is much better from here.

It is quite surreal coming back to Red Oak. As Yogi Berra would say, “It’s déjà vu, all over again.”

Sure there are aspects that are different: there is a new building across the way, some new faces roaming the halls, and new art work hanging on the walls. Yet so much has remained the same. The familiar faces of Ms. Gay, Ms. Hutchison and Ms. Ralph bring me right back to the time in my life where I began to see my true potential as a student.

I have always been interested in science.

Actually, I am surrounded by scientists. My father is a physician-scientist and a cancer researcher. My sister and brother are both in medical school. My passion for science flourished in biology class here at Windward, continued in high school, and led me to Tufts Engineering where I am a Biomedical Engineering major.

My sophomore year of high school, I signed up for a three-year independent science research course and entered my findings in the New York City Science and Engineering Fair. At Windward, I learned to be an independent thinker, so for this class, I created my own research project. I chose a topic that interested me. I decided to look at nutraceuticals, which are relatively unregulated. My

Independent School Acceptances 2015 Allen Stevenson School

Iona Grammar School

American Heritage School (FL)

Iona Preparatory School

Archbishop Stepinac High School

King & Low-Heywood Thomas School

Bergen Catholic School

Leman Manhattan Preparatory School

The Berkeley Carroll School

Lighthouse Point Academy (FL)

Berkshire School

Loyola School

Birch Wathen Lenox School

Lyford Cay International School (Bahamas)

Brewster Academy

The Masters School

Brooklyn Heights Montessori School

Millbrook School

Brunswick School

New Canaan Country School

The Calhoun School

Packer Collegiate Institute

Canterbury School

Poly Prep Country Day School

Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School

Porter-Gaud School (SC)

Convent of the Sacred Heart (CT)

Proctor Academy

Cristo Rey Brooklyn

Rippowam Cisqua School

Don Bosco Preparatory High School

Riverdale Country School

The Dwight School

Rumsey Hall School

Dwight-Englewood School

Rye Country Day School

Eagle Hill School

Saddle River Day School

Elizabeth Irwin High School

Salesian High School

Fairfield College Preparatory School

Salisbury School

Fordham Preparatory School

SAR High School

The Forman School

School of the Holy Child

The Frisch School

Solomon Schechter School of Westchester

Good Counsel Academy

Storm King School

Grace Church School

Suffield Academy

Green Farms Academy

Trevor Day School

The Gunnery School

Westchester Hebrew High School

Hackley School

Westover School

HAFTR High School

Winston Preparatory School

The Harvey School

Wooster School

The Ideal School

York Preparatory School

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graduation

Graduation 2015 question was: Are these nutraceuticals genotoxic? In other words, could they be carcinogenic? The research was slow and messy. A lot of what I tried did not work, and in the end, my results were not all that conclusive. Nevertheless, I got First Prize, along with about 20 other students. I think I got a First Prize because mine was one of the few projects originated by the student herself and not connected to an established lab. So, it pays to be original, to follow your own curiosity, and to ask your own questions.

While at Windward, I became very interested in the brain and how our brains are wired differently from others. A few years ago, I worked in a neuroscience laboratory at NYU and studied how sleep helps the consolidation of memories. We taught mice a cognitive task and then allowed one cohort to sleep but forced another to stay awake before allowing them to repeat the task. The mice that were sleep-deprived fumbled, but the ones that got sleep performed the task more efficiently. So always remember to get a good night’s sleep before an exam!

This summer, I am working at another neuroscience lab, using engineering techniques to understand how the brain chooses relevant information to be stored in memory. Maybe some of you will similarly be interested in studying the brain, but all of you are brain-savvy and brain-aware. You have all thought about how your brain processes language and how your brain learns. And that gives you a huge advantage over the students you will encounter next year.

You have another advantage over the students you will encounter next year. You have the best study skills! I discovered this early on when I went for my high school interview at Poly Prep in Brooklyn.

While waiting for my scheduled appointment outside the admissions office, I used the time to look over my Study Skills folder. When my interviewer came to get me, she sat down next to me, mesmerized by the organization of my folder. She ended up bringing the entire admissions staff over to learn from me how Windward teaches Study Skills.

If any of you in the Class of 2015 are entrepreneurs, here’s a new business idea: Start an after- school program at your new school, teaching your fellow students the Windward Study Skills … the other students’ parents will pay top dollar for the help!

As a freshman at Tufts, I was selected to be a member of STOMP, which stands for Student Teacher Outreach Mentorship Program. In STOMP, 6 The Compass Fall /Winter 2015

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graduation

Graduation 2015 we go to public schools in Boston and teach the children STEM education. With the kids, we create projects like building flashlights or developing a new app for an iPhone. I am always amazed by the diversity of approaches that the students take and how, by collaborating and learning from each other, they always arrive at new and original solutions. I think Windward gave me an advantage here as well.

I think we all have an acute awareness and sensitivity to the fact that we all learn differently, and your classmates next year will be grateful for your consideration and understanding.

LD stands for “Learning Disability.” But I heard another phrase that LD can stand for that gives it a whole new meaning. It was coined by David Flink, one of the founders of Eye to Eye, who is also dyslexic. He thinks LD should also stand for Learning DETERMINED, and I think that is a great way to think about who we all are as learners and how being at Windward has given us all that extra drive to succeed in whatever we do.

A few weeks ago, I was interviewed by a friend of my mom’s, Peggy Stern, who is dyslexic, and who is launching a website called Dyslexiaville that aims to help LD kids celebrate their strengths. I learned from Peggy that while 15% of kids all over the U.S. are dyslexic, only a fraction of these kids are diagnosed and, only a tiny fraction of those get anything close to the education that you have received here at Windward.

With one out of eight students dyslexic, you all have the opportunity to become vocal advocates at your respective high schools, making sure other students get the help they need, and raising awareness with teachers who are not as trained as the teachers here at Windward. And that would be the most wonderful use of your Windward education.

But, this is a time to celebrate what you have already accomplished here at Windward, and to share your gratitude for the remarkable education and learning skills you have acquired. Finally, this is a time to convey the excitement we all have about the unlimited possibilities that await your future, in academics and beyond.

Congratulations to the Windward Class of 2015! Ask interesting questions. Be super organized.

Advocate for yourself, and for others. And most important, stay Learning Determined! n 8 The Compass Fall /Winter 2015

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graduation

Graduation 2015

8th grade graduates

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Moving Up at Windward Avenue The Windward Lower School Moving Up Ceremony was an exciting day for students and their families. The Westchester Lower School gymnasium was filled with parents, grandparents, and siblings as they watched their Windward student shake hands with Dr. Russell, Mr. Rosenshine, Ms. Sweeney, and Mrs. Zuckerwise. The audience was led in the Pledge of Allegiance by a student and then treated to the first graders performing “The Star Spangled Banner.�

The event was especially poignant for Mrs. Zuckerwise, who moved from Westchester Lower School to become the first Division Head of Windward Manhattan. n

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graduation

Isabel Greenbaum Stone Master Teacher Award Winner:

Lisa Rainey

G

ood evening, Dr. Russell, the Stone family, Board of Trustees, graduates, faculty, parents, friends and family. I am so honored to receive the Isabel Greenbaum Stone Master Teacher Award and I’d like to thank Mr. Stone and his family for continuing to support our school in such a meaningful and significant way.

Today is an ending. I’ve never liked endings but, as in all of our favorite books, without endings there are no beginnings, and I love the sense that anything is possible. Something new and beautiful that you have never seen before may be just around the corner. Wonderful and exciting things to learn about that you’ve never even imagined—ideas that

“I can honestly say that each and every student I have come to know over the years has been changed by Windward’s academic program and the expertise and commitment of my dedicated and talented colleagues.” can open your hearts and minds—are all waiting for you.

A little over 10 years ago, I stumbled upon an unexpected beginning of my own. I was standing in a Westchester public middle school classroom, watching students struggling to begin a social studies essay. One student raised his hand and asked the teacher for a “Quick Outline.” The teacher handed one to the boy and the rest of the students, and I looked on in awe as he immediately began to tackle the essay with a smile on his face. When I asked the teacher for more information about the outline, she spoke about the expository writing 12 The Compass Fall/Winter 2015

program at The Windward School and the extensive professional development opportunities available at Windward Teacher Training Institute.

It was at that moment that I knew I wanted to be a Windward teacher. I wanted to give other students the power to achieve their goals with the same level of skill and confidence as the young man in that classroom.

I began my career at Windward nine years ago as an assistant teacher, and I dedicated myself to learning

Windward’s language-based curriculum and instructional methodologies. In my time as an assistant and lead teacher, I have witnessed the transformative power of a Windward education firsthand. I can honestly say that each and every student I have come to know over the years has been changed by Windward’s academic program and the expertise and commitment of my dedicated and talented colleagues. I am privileged to have had the opportunity to learn from extraordinary master teachers, some of whom I know are in the audience tonight.

Just as I am looking out at this year’s graduating class with pride, I know my colleagues are brimming with pride as well.

Graduates, your time at Windward has ended, but all the things you’ve learned here–every bit of information, every vocabulary word, every strategy that you have learned–these are the tools that you will use throughout the rest of your life. You take them with you to your next beginning. All those moments when you wanted to give up but didn’t. All that effort, strength, and determination that Windward demanded of you, and that you found within yourself, got you to this ending. And that’s what you will take with you to make your next beginning so full of promise.

You are all truly amazing. I know how hard you work every day. I’ve seen how far you’ve come. Albert Einstein said, “It’s not that I’m so smart; it’s just that I stay with the questions much longer.” I know that Windward has given all of you that fortitude “to stay with your questions longer” than anyone else.

Yes, the “Book of Windward” has ended. But it’s given you everything you need to find your next great book and begin it.

Congratulations, Class of 2015! n

The History of Isabel Greenbaum Stone In 1926, Isabel Greenbaum Stone, the mother of three sons – Donald, Robert and James – discovered a small boarding school in Mamaroneck, N.Y. that had been struggling to establish itself. Mrs. Stone, together with a group of parents, formally incorporated the school, calling it “Windward” because sailing windward requires more skill, effort, and persistence than sailing before the wind to leeward.

In the next four years, under Mrs. Stone’s careful guidance, student enrollment increased from the initial 21 students to the point where the school outgrew its old farmhouse on Quaker Ridge Road. She then mobilized parents to purchase the property on Windward Avenue in White Plains, N.Y. and built a new school. The original structure is now the “Old Schoolhouse” wing of Windward’s main Westchester Lower School building.

During her tenure as Head of School, Mrs. Stone developed a personal philosophy of learning and instruction that was comprehensive and visionary. She was keenly aware of the significance of family-school collaboration, the quality of specific classroom teaching methods, and the benefits of hands-on learning, long before they were accepted in mainstream education. At a time when graduate schools were not yet aware of its importance, Mrs. Stone had established an innovative constructivist educational program. The Windward School of today is the direct beneficiary of her vision.

To honor her, the Stone Foundation created the Isabel Greenbaum Stone Master Teacher Award, which is presented each spring to an outstanding Windward faculty member. n

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Homecoming 2015 “Ms. Sweeney is NOT Retiring!”

T

his year’s Homecoming kicked off with a special ceremony dedicating the Judith C. Hochman Building auditorium at Westchester Middle School in honor of Windward’s legendary Maureen A. Sweeney, Assistant Head of School and Director of Admissions. Although Ms. Sweeney is not retiring, naming the auditorium was one small way to recognize all that she has done on behalf of Windward students and their families. The auditorium, which has a seating capacity of 250, is used for drama and choral productions, guest speakers, and many other Windward events.

With more than 120 alumni, alumni parents, faculty, and staff in attendance at Homecoming, the beautiful October day also included a BBQ lunch, music, and a boys’ soccer game against Iona Prep Lower School.

“Returning to Windward was a great opportunity to catch up with classmates and, best of all, with the wonderful Ms. Sweeney,” said Graham Werner ’11.

Alumni parent, Tracy Limpe, returned to campus with her two alumnae, Emily ’16 and Alex ’18.

“I remember Maureen Sweeney as one of the first people to really ‘get’ our children and what they needed, educationally,” wrote Mrs. Limpe. “How exciting to see her recognized at Homecoming for the impact she’s had on so many families!”

As Dr. Russell spoke of Ms. Sweeney to the alumni, their parents, faculty, and staff, he used direct instruction and had the group repeat back to him, “Ms. Sweeney is not retiring!”

Fortunately for the School, she is not, and we will all continue to benefit from Ms. Sweeney’s wisdom and expertise for years to come.

We look forward to seeing you next year at Homecoming 2016! n

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Homecoming 2015

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Faculty Profile

Amanda Rathbun

New Assistant Division Head of Westchester Lower School: The Tradition of Excellent Leadership Continues on Windward Avenue

By Bonni Brodnick

A

manda Rathbun, the new Assistant Division Head at Westchester Lower School, took an interesting journey from college to a big city law firm before landing at The Windward School.

She attended The Loomis Chaffee School and graduated from Amherst College. Upon graduation, she considered following in the footsteps of both her father and brother and began working in a law firm. For one year, Ms. Rathbun worked as a paralegal at a large corporate law firm in NYC. She quickly realized law was not her calling.

Instead, she considered teaching, a profession she had contemplated for years. “It was actually a big ‘Told You So’ moment,” she recalls. “My now-husband had always thought I would love teaching and that I should have gone into law immediately after graduating college.”

Ms. Rathbun decided to leave the Edward Law firm and sent out applications to independent and charter schools throughout New York City. She was happy to accept an assistant teaching position at The Buckley School in New York City. While teaching at Buckley, Ms. Rathbun attended The Bank Street College of Education, where she achieved a Masters in Special and General Education.

18 The Compass Fall/Winter 2015

With a new degree in hand, she landed a third grade teaching position at Saint David’s School in New York City. She taught homeroom, math, reading, writing, and social studies. Ms. Rathbun’s demonstrated leadership skills quickly led to increased responsibilities as a mentor teacher and team leader. To enrich the school’s extracurricular offerings, she founded and supervised The Community Club, an activity focused on helping students in grades 1-4 build connections among their peers and teachers.

Over the course of her career, she diversified her experience and polished her skills by working at Horizons at Saint David’s, The West End Day School, and P.S. 138. All of these commitments helped Ms. Rathbun hone her leadership skills and learn more about how the administration of a school operates.

“When you’re a teacher, you become an expert in your classroom,” she says. “You know your students and your program. But there’s a whole other world going on outside the walls of the classroom that helps to keep the school running.” When she learned of an opening at The Windward School for the Assistant Division Head position at Westchester Lower School, she knew it was the job for her. Ms. Rathbun was aware of Windward’s powerful language arts program because Phyllis Bertin, the lecturer,

teacher trainer, school consultant, and Director of Reading at Windward Teacher Training Institute, conducted many workshops for teachers at Saint David’s. “She came to Saint David’s on a regular basis to train teachers in PAF and reading comprehension,” Ms. Rathbun continues. “In my six years at the school, I took many courses with Phyllis. She’s amazing!”

Ms. Rathbun was ecstatic to be offered the position in 2015 (one week after her daughter Willow [who is now 9-months old] was born).

The Rathbun family decided to uproot from Manhattan. They moved to Westchester in June, and Ms. Rathbun started at Windward the first week of August.

“I love the students,” she says. “I find particular satisfaction in reaching the students who need extra support. That is a true sign that I am teaching.” In addition, Ms. Rathbun enjoys forging relationships with families and working closely with them to support students’ learning and social development.

While she misses being in the classroom, Ms. Rathbun enjoys having the opportunity to know many more students and having them pop into her office to see photos of Willow. She is thrilled when students take a moment to check out the bulletin board outside her office where daily jokes or language games are posted. (Is it “catch up” or

“ketchup”?)

Students are surprised when Ms. Rathbun calls them by name during lunch or at recess.

“They’ll ask, ‘How do you know my name?’ and I’ll say, ‘Are you kidding me? It’s my job to know your name!’”

As Ms. Rathbun spoke with The Compass, she expressed her gratitude to Jon Rosenshine (Associate Head of School) and Alexis Pochna (Division Head, Westchester Lower School) for their invaluable assistance in helping her learn the “Windward Way” and making her feel welcome.

“I love that Windward has a very clear vision and that it takes that vision very seriously,” she says. “The mission is student-driven. It is ‘if this isn’t proven to be effective, then we aren’t going to waste our time on it.’ The school has such a clear expectation for their students and the instruction they need to learn effectively. It has been really powerful for me to hear parents say that their children are starting to enjoy reading at home and starting to feel like they are being taught how to learn for the first time.

“Faculty and administrators do their work very well here,” she concludes. “As a new administrator, I want to learn as much as I can by doing my best and living up to the Windward standard.” n

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Faculty Profile

Reflections on my First Year

By Erin McNiven Windward Manhattan Lower School, Second Year Assistant Teacher

* Editor’s Note: The following speech was delivered August 2015 at the New Staff Orientation meeting.

H

ello, everyone, and welcome to Windward! I am very excited to be here talking with you today, and I look forward to getting to know you over this upcoming year. My name is Erin McNiven, and I am a second year assistant teacher in the Lower School at the Windward Manhattan campus.

I came to teaching through a variety of experiences. The first was in Massachusetts, where I worked as an outdoor educator leading groups of children and adults in experiential science education. My next significant experience was teaching in South America. After South America, I moved to New York City and taught at a public charter elementary school in the South Bronx.

Each of these experiences informed how I thought about children and the process of learning. In Massachusetts, I learned that teamwork is essential to successful problem solving. In both South America and the South Bronx, I observed the devastating way illiteracy subjugates human beings. I also learned that showing up and being caring and hardworking are worth something significant.

However, in each of these experiences, though I felt I had an impact on individual lives, I knew there were others out there doing it

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better by educating in a more systematic and informed way. They were making a bigger impact than just showing up and caring about others. It was this realization that lead me to graduate school and then to Windward.

While teaching in the Bronx, I began my graduate degree at Columbia University’s Teachers College. I studied in the clinical reading specialist program. I loved my graduate program, but the deeper I got into the research, the more disheartened I became.

Professors often reminded me of the gross disconnect between educational research and application within schools across the country.

I was empowered with knowledge but felt incapable of making a difference in the backwards system of education in the United States.

Though my graduate program was unique and inspiring, it was only a foundation for what I have learned and will continue to learn here at Windward. Being passionate about children and research-based education is very important, but Windward ensures that its teachers are educated from the basics to mastery of, as Phyllis Bertin says, “from soup to nuts.” From the first day you arrive to the day of your retirement, you are supported and challenged. This is the real deal. We have been offered a rare and exceptional opportunity to work here.

This rigorous yet nurturing environment for teachers is an extension of what Windward offers to its students. Our students are taught in a way that they can learn, in an

at The Windward School

environment that maintains high standards for them both academically and emotionally.

Windward gives our students – just like it gives our teachers – the opportunity to succeed both here and in the greater world.

This hit home for me last year when we read a book about a child with dyslexia and ADHD. Many of the students I worked with related to the main character of the book as he was made to feel inadequate both by others and his own self, yet at this point, our students had been at Windward long enough to have made unbelievable gains in reading and writing, and they knew it. Their renewed sense of confidence in themselves and their skills was palpable and tremendously moving.

Although in theory I understood that our students had struggled in their previous schools, seeing their renaissance of hope and ability as they completed this deeply personal unit made my understanding tangible. I saw real change and positive growth in a group of fourth grade students who were brand new to Windward. I understood both the reality of their prior experiences and how profoundly they had internalized a sense of failure, and I could see the incredible impact Windward had made not just on their academics but on their own interior world.

Working at Windward is a commitment to be a part of a community that exists to empower each of its members. You will be amazed by the amount of passion, dedication, and skill each person brings to this school. I have never worked in a place where I was so valued for my individual strengths and supported in my individual weaknesses. I have never received such thoughtful feedback regarding both my instruction and my interactions with students. I have also never been so profoundly inspired intellectually on such a consistent basis. When you work here, you are doing so much more than just showing up and trying to help children; you become an integral part of an exciting and essential educational movement.

I will conclude by offering this advice – come to this year with an open mind, a growth mindset. Allow yourself to be a learner as well as a teacher. Take advantage of all of the incredible resources offered to you: your mentor teachers, your fellow first-year assistants, administrators, the library, Friday staff-development meetings, and Windward Teacher Training Institute. Every day you come to work, you will have the opportunity to grow, to be challenged, and to contribute. Seize the opportunity.

Welcome. n

The Compass Fall/Winter 2015 21

Windward’s Program

The Windward School

Reading Program

By Betsy Duffy, M.S. Ed.

“To learn to read is to light a fire; every syllable that is spelled out is a spark.” ~Victor Hugo

T

he Windward Reading Program is a carefully designed course of study central to the cornerstone of the curriculum, the Windward School Language Arts Program.

Based on validated research, the Windward School Reading Program includes instruction in phonemic awareness, phonics, accuracy, fluency, vocabulary development, reading comprehension and writing, which further enhances comprehension.

The program is distinctive in providing students with three periods of language arts instruction daily. In the language arts block, students are grouped homogeneously according to their reading level. During instruction, spelling, decoding skills, advanced morphology for students in upper level groups, reading, and writing are explicitly taught and mastered. Students read orally in language arts at all levels and grades, so teachers can offer immediate feedback and assess student progress.

For beginning readers of any age, the Windward Reading Program includes an Orton-Gillinghambased program, Preventing Academic Failure (PAF). This program integrates reading, spelling, and handwriting into cohesive and carefully sequenced lessons. Lessons include the introduction of a skill such as a spelling pattern, spelling rule, syllabication, or grammatical concept. Students then practice reading words, phrases and sentences that incorporate the skill taught. Finally, with teacher guidance to further improve reading accuracy and fluency, students read stories aloud. (Pic 1) Students at this level are instructed using the Merrill Readers, which contain decodable text. Students are exposed only to phonetic patterns that they have been directly taught. The decodable text corresponds to the reading group’s level of phonics instruction until the students develop the skills that enable them to transition to trade books. When Windward students complete the beginning sequence, decoding instruction is continued through advanced work in multi-syllable words, spelling patterns, and a study of Greek and Latin roots, prefixes, and suffixes.

Read-alouds and current events discussions as well as exposure to challenging and exciting

22 The Compass Fall /Winter 2015

(Pic 1) A third grade student at The Windward School is reading aloud in the Merrill Linguistic Readers. The language arts teacher is strategically guiding the student to read accurately and fluently while monitoring comprehension.

social studies, science, math, and arts curricula provide sources of background information for the beginning readers and for students who are moving ahead to read trade books. The high interest trade books are carefully chosen to match the students’ decoding levels and language needs. The materials are also chosen to foster an awareness of cultural diversity and to broaden the students’ knowledge of the world around them. The titles include a wide variety of popular fiction books, as well as classics, historical fiction and non-fiction. Improving word and world knowledge and developing comprehension strategies are emphasized in all lessons at all reading levels. Reading materials often coordinate with content area topics in social studies and science in order to teach how concepts relate to other academic areas. Long-term retention of knowledge and information ensues because students better grasp concepts when cross-curricular teaching

(Pic 2) Cross-curricular teaching – In 8th grade social studies, students read a unit on the industrialization of the United States. The unit covers material on human rights, child labor, sweatshops and, specifically, the Triangle Shirtwaist Company tragedy. Cristina Skamangas, an eighth grade language arts teacher, integrates social studies content to provide background knowledge about today’s garment industry and its effect on impoverished people worldwide. Subsequently, the class will be reading the novel, Iqbal, a fictionalized account of the real Iqbal Masih, a Pakistani activist and martyr for child labor who was forced into bonded toil at a carpet factory at age four.

takes place. (Pic 2) Additionally, teachers place a strong emphasis on developing vocabulary, word retrieval skills, grammar competence, and writing in order to promote accurate comprehension as well as receptive and expressive language abilities.

In addition to the decoding strategies and comprehension supports, the Windward Reading Program utilizes a multiple-strategy approach to teaching reading as supported by research. Within the multiple-strategy approach, teachers explicitly teach the structure of stories and expository text.

Teachers carefully plan questions and comments and also involve students in generating their own questions. Summarizing and paraphrasing information are important skills our teachers directly teach to the students. These skills help students discern the most important ideas in a text from less relevant information. Additionally, students who learn to summarize and paraphrase effectively can take the central ideas from a text and express that knowledge into their own words. This process is another strategy that improves memory of what is read, which is important for all content learning. All of the components of the reading program enable students to improve their literacy skills by learning to think, speak, read and comprehend with precision and understanding.

Recognizing that teacher quality is the most important school-related factor in a student’s academic success, teachers at The Windward School are intensely trained in the research methodologies necessary to deliver the reading program with fidelity and expertise. Assistant teachers enter a comprehensive two-year course of study, leading to primary teaching responsibility. In addition to the core literacy and language programs, professional development sessions are scheduled each week for new teachers to learn about the instructional program, culture, and philosophy of the School. The entire Windward faculty espouses a

collaborative coaching model, a framework in which administrators, curriculum coordinators, and master teachers give and receive continuous support in lesson planning, instructional delivery and researchbased teaching strategies. The Windward faculty embraces a culture of continuous improvement and learning, not only in reading but in all areas of education. n

Betsy M. Duffy, M.S. Ed., is the Director of Language Arts and Instruction at The Windward School and former Director of Curriculum and Instruction at The Graham School in Hastings, N.Y. She has worked in the field of special education for over 25 years as a classroom teacher in mainstream and special education settings.

She uses multisensory techniques for teaching reading and writing and presents staff development in both Teaching Basic Writing Skills and Preventing Academic Failure (PAF). Additionally, Ms. Duffy provides professional development courses on vocabulary development and the integration of the Common Core State Standards. She has presented courses for the New York City School system, the Reading Reform Foundation, New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS) and the International Dyslexia Association (IDA) annual conferences. In addition to holding a Master’s Degree in Learning Disabilities, Ms. Duffy is certificated in Advanced Graduate Study of Staff Development and has earned a Master’s Degree in School Administration and Supervision.

The Compass Fall/Winter 2015 23

Special Events

Summary of a Special Event at the Yale School of Management

Photo: Harold Schapiro

Slow Readers, Fast Thinkers: It Takes a Dyslexic Brain

S

ally Shaywitz, M.D. and Bennett Shaywitz, M.D., Co-Directors of the Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity (http://dyslexia.yale.edu/), extended an invitation to Windward families, faculty and staff to a very special event, “Slow Readers, Fast Thinkers: It Takes a Dyslexic Brain.” The event took place on October 9th in Zhang Auditorium at the Yale School of Management.

Moderated by Dr. Sally Shaywitz and with opening remarks by Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to President Barack Obama, the panel included renowned attorney David Boies; premier cardiac surgeon and President and CEO of the Cleveland Clinic, Toby Cosgrove; CEO of the William Morris Endeavor agency, Ari Emmanuel; TV and film producer, Brian Grazer; and Chief Economist of Mesirow Financial and advisor to the Federal Reserve Board, Diane Swonk. Additional speakers included Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy and Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy.

After attending the event, Jon Rosenshine, Associate Head of The Windward School, remarked how the panel spoke about their experiences growing up and living with dyslexia.

“They spoke with seriousness about how each of them faced struggles growing up (and still do today), but their senses of humor shone through as one of their most effective coping strategies. It was a powerful experience to hear from such inordinately successful people about how much they had suffered as unremediated (usually undiagnosed) dyslexics and about how they felt that their dyslexia contributed to their abilities to see the world differently and become the successful people they are.

“While panelists’ shared stories with themes of resilience and eventual success, the night never lost its focus on the far greater number of children and adults whose dyslexia has blocked them from achieving their full potential.

“We were thrilled that Dr. Shaywitz spoke to the audience specifically about The Windward School as one of the rare educational environments truly helping students with dyslexia,” Mr. Rosenshine said. “There are few people working today in the fields of education and science who have done as much as Drs. Sally and Bennett Shaywitz to help individuals overcome their dyslexia and take full advantage of their special gifts. We at The Windward School are indebted to their research and to their friendship.” n

24 The Compass Fall/Winter 2015

Windward Parents Association

Opening Breakfast

M

ore than 140 parents attended the Windward Parents Association (WPA) Opening Breakfast at Willow Ridge Country Club. Susan Emery, president of the WPA, welcomed parents as she spoke about how the school truly transforms lives. Jon Rosenshine, Associate Head of School, shared with guests his own experience as a Windward parent. His son, a 3rd grader at the Manhattan campus, misses his teachers from the Westchester Lower School, but he still loves going to school every day.

At the gathering, Dr. John J. Russell, Head of School, thanked the WPA volunteers for their support of events throughout the year, including the Back-to-School Picnic, Book Fair, author visits, ice-skating in Bryant Park, Dream Big, and the many parent seminars. He encouraged new families to become WPA volunteers and group parents and mentioned how these were excellent opportunities to build the Windward community.

“This academic year opened with 683 students from three states and 65 towns, but we are one school on three campuses,” Dr. Russell said. “We are also thrilled to announce that 107 students make up the first-ever Manhattan cohort. Welcome to a historic and promising new school year.” n

The Compass Fall/Winter 2015 25

Special Events

O

n an early-June morning, Windward parents, alumni parents, grandparents, and friends gathered at Quaker Ridge Golf Club in Scarsdale, N.Y. for the annual Windward Classic. On the links were 25 foursomes, and on the courts, 20 players joined women’s tennis. We proudly announce that the first-ever Windward Women’s Championship Tennis trophy went to May Burke.

The golf tournament was co-chaired by Trustee Mitch Katz and parent Nick Finn. Tennis was co-chaired by parents Lizzie Bommer and Sally Cantwell. The day included silent-and live-auctions. There was even a bidding war for a Master’s Golf package donated by “Wheels Up.” Thank you to the chairs and committees for all they did to help coordinate the most successful golf and tennis events in the School history.

Their collective efforts helped raise $208,000 for Windward Teacher Training Institute.

Next year’s Windward Classic takes place on Monday, June 6.

Save the date!

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The Windward Classic 2015

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Special Events

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The Windward Classic 2015

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An

Evening of Thanks

T

he Model Room at New York Yacht Club on West 44th Street was the backdrop as more than 100 guests attended Windward’s annual October gathering for leadership donors to the Annual Fund and the capital campaign, Windward 2020: Share the Vision. Guests enjoyed the nautical ambiance provided by the club’s notable collection of ship models and a scale model history of New York Yacht Club America’s Cup challenges.

30 The Compass Fall /Winter 2015

Special Events

to Windward’s Generous Supporters at New York Yacht Club

Dr. Russell acknowledged the generosity of the evening’s hosts, former trustee Michael Bruno and his wife Meg. Thomas Flanagan, president of the Board, reported on the success of the 2014-15 Annual Fund and thanked the group for their support of the Windward 2020 campaign, which has raised over $21.5 million.

Windward is fortunate to have such generous supporters and dedicated volunteers.

Congratulations on such an impressive and successful year in fundraising. n

The Compass Fall/Winter 2015 31

All-School News

WPA Back-to-School Picnic

I

t was blue skies and sunshine at the Back-to-School Picnic last September. This always anticipated community event had a record-breaking attendance with more than 1,130 Windward students, parents, grandparents, faculty, friends, and alumni.

Along with a terrific barbecue lunch and DJ, activities included hoola hoops, freeze dance, electric slide and musical chairs, photo booths, zipline, a suspension-bridge obstacle and Kong Adventure courses, electronic basketball, ping pong, air hockey and Wacky Baseball with Ms. Hunt, Director of Athletics.

The school extends many thanks to the Windward Parents Association and to the many volunteers who helped to make this annual launch of the new school year another Windward success. n

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All-School News

WPA Back-to-School Picnic

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All-School News

WPA Back-to-School Picnic

38 The Compass Fall/Winter 36 Fall /Winter2015 2015

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All-School News

WPA Book Fairs Bring

Pages and Pages of Fun Westchester Lower School

T

his November it was books galore from Windward Manhattan on the Upper West Side, to Westchester Lower School on Windward Avenue. to Westchester Middle School on West Red Oak Lane.

Students were delighted with the selection of books that ranged from history, to humor, to science fiction, and more! The Windward Parents Association will realize $10,000 for upcoming projects and events.

Thank you to the WPA, volunteers, faculty, and staff for another great book fair. In its wake, there are hundreds of happy readers!

38 The Compass Fall /Winter 2015

Reading

The Compass Fall/Winter 2015 39

All-School News

WPA Book Fairs Bring

Pages and Pages of Fun Westchester Middle School

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Reading Windward Manhattan

The Compass Fall/Winter 2015 41

School News

News from

Westchester Lower School

I

t has been a busy first semester at Westchester Lower School.

Since the opening of school in September, children have participated in a variety of exciting activities and trips, including:

• Make a Friend/Be a Friend Day – All students at Westchester Lower School participated in afternoon activities designed to help children make friends and join together as a community.

• G reenburgh Nature Center – First and second grade students experienced a taste of fall as they learned about Colonial America and how to make cider with an old-fashioned apple press.

• B ronx Zoo – Westchester and Manhattan Lower School students enjoyed a fun afternoon exploring the zoo and reconnecting with former classmates and teachers.

• T eatown Reservation – First and second graders participated in the “Keepers of the Earth” program, which introduced them to the daily life of the indigenous people of the Lower Hudson Valley.

• A nnual Halloween Parade – Students and teachers alike enjoyed this annual all-school event. After a costume parade on the back field, students returned to their classrooms for Halloween treats.

• T he Daffodil Planting Project – In November, fourth grade students planted daffodil bulbs in the school’s outdoor flowerbeds. The project supported a science unit on the origin of plants and seeds.

• T hird Grade Thanksgiving Feast – This annual tradition featured poems read to parents by each language arts class.

• W inter Concert – For this festive schoolwide assembly, students sing and enjoy popular seasonal melodies.

Other activities include community meetings and community service projects throughout the school year. In November, a food drive was held to benefit the Food Bank for Westchester. This month, students will collect pajamas for the Pajama Program, which provides warm sleepwear and books to children.

“Fall is an exciting time at Westchester Lower School,” says Alexis Pochna, Division Head. “The events and activities of the past few months have fostered community building among the children. The sense of belonging and purpose that students feel at The Windward School is evident in every classroom I visit.” n

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School News

News from

Westchester Middle School

By Jason Steiker Activities Coordinator

O

nce again, the activities program at the Westchester Middle School campus is off to a fast start. In September, over 100 students traveled to Chester, N.Y. to race go-carts, play mini-golf and rollerblade at The Castle Fun Center. This outing was followed by a trip to Yankee Stadium where forty Windward middle school students rooted the Yankees into the playoffs.

Each year we develop a variety of trips, primarily after-school on Fridays, so that the bonds forged among Windward students can grow stronger. The large geographic area served by Windward makes socializing outside of school difficult. With this in mind, Windward is committed to creating opportunities for students outside of the classroom to develop new relationships with peers who might live far away. The origins of this program date back to the Windward Upper School when then Head of School, Dr. Judith C. Hochman, sought to bring a greater sense of community to the high school. The Friday After-School Activity program has grown every year since then.

Our trips are designed to be fun and accommodate wide-ranging interests. In October, students traveled to New York City to see the new Vietnam exhibit at the Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum. We also toured the fighter jets and the bridge and successfully navigated the flight simulator.

At the end of October, hockey fans enjoyed watching a close game at Madison Square Garden when the New York Rangers defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs, 3-1. In November, we hiked through Black Rock Forest in Cornwall-On-Hudson, N.Y. and skipped rocks at one of the local reservoirs as the last of the autumn leaves hung from the trees. Most recently, WE CARE, Westchester Middle School’s community service organization, collected hundreds of cans for food banks. Along with delivering the School’s donation to Canstruction, an organization that raises awareness by sponsoring large and creative “sculptures” out of cans, some of which are 15-feet high, the group also visited the African Burial Ground in Lower Manhattan. In December, we will attend a Broadway show. The after-school trips often include a leisurely dinner at area restaurants so that students can relax and spend time getting to know their classmates and their faculty chaperones.

Another important component of the Activities Program are trips designed to support the middle school curriculum. In the fall, each class takes at least one trip related to something they are learning about in the classroom. Fifth graders visited Pell’s Point for a Revolutionary War reenactment at Old Saint Paul’s Church in Yonkers. They were also able to learn about life in the early 19th century when they traveled to Museum Village in Monroe, N.Y. The 6th grade class toured the Egyptian exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art while 7th graders learned about the world of the movies when they visited the American Museum of the Moving Image. In December, the 8th and 9th grade classes will visit the Tenement Museum on the Lower Eastside. End-of the-year grade level trips, including a joint 8th and 9th grade trip to Washington D.C., helps the students form life-long bonds and memories with their fellow classmates. n 44 The Compass Fall /Winter 2015

Hangar deck of the Intrepid

Simulated flying on the Intrepid hangar deck

Hiking in Black Rock Forest

On Storm King Mountain

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News from Westchester Manhattan

Building a

Windward Community in

By Jeremy Bletterman Activities Coordinator, Windward Manhattan

O

n September 8th, Windward Manhattan opened its doors for the first time, and I was reminded of a childhood experience of my own. When I was a kid, my father’s career led our family to relocate often. The most difficult transition for me took place during seventh grade, when we moved from New Jersey to the San Francisco Bay Area over winter break. Arriving at a new school mid-year as the only new student was terrifying. As The Windward School welcomed our students to their new school in Manhattan last September, it resonated with me that we weren’t expecting one new student … we were expecting 107!

As school began, I was curious to see how social dynamics would develop.

Over the days that followed, this group of newcomers proved so willing to include rather than exclude, accept rather than reject, aspire rather than coast. In mere weeks, 107 individuals coalesced into a tightly knit community of peers, who conduct themselves as though they have been part of our school for years.

Manhattan boasts the ideal environment within which to offer a broad range of clubs and activities that afford our students opportunities to become further ingrained in their school community – and the children are taking advantage of it.

Each day, recess clubs meet under the supervision of faculty members who augment students’ highly structured instructional time with mindful, creative pursuits. On Mondays, Student Council convenes to discuss community service projects. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, lower and middle school chorus groups learn to sing in beautiful harmony. Wednesdays are reserved for Yoga Club, where students are inspired to remain centered throughout the day, and Fridays are saved for Scrapbook Club, where students compile photographs and other memorabilia in order to document the evolution of our Manhattan campus. Each week, roughly half of our student population participates in these clubs.

Traditional after-school activities have played an equally vital role in the cultivation of our cohesive school community. This fall, students filled more than 90 openings across nine afterschool programs. From Monday’s Chess Club to Friday’s tennis program on Randall’s Island, each week is replete with opportunities for students to grow socially and emotionally as they learn not only the skills they need to excel at their hobbies but also those skills essential to becoming strong self-advocates, making friends, and positively affecting social situations.

Field trips have also helped fortify the spirit of inclusiveness and camaraderie that has come to define Windward Manhattan. Academic field trips complement our lower and middle school curricula and offer students firsthand experiences of what they learn in the classroom. In September, lower school students visited The Bronx Zoo and reconnected with their peers from Windward Westchester Lower School. In October, seventh graders witnessed a colonial reenactment near the Battle of Pell’s Point, and sixth graders toured the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Ancient Egypt collection. In addition to academic field trips, middle school students have also taken advantage of several social outings designed to provide unique cultural experiences and foster interpersonal relationships.

Overall, it has been an outstanding start to the school year, and the students provided the spark. Windward Manhattan is up and running, and the future looks bright. n

Windward Manhattan is up and running...

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Manhattan

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Go Vikings!

Fall 2015 Sports Review

By Marilyn Hunt, Director of Athletics, Physical Education, and Health

48 The Compass Fall /Winter 2015

SOCCER The fall sports season at The Windward School got off to an excellent start this September. The weather was great and the teams enjoyed the friendly competition offered by the Fairchester Athletic League. The FAA, which Windward commits to for all three seasons, consists of many of the independent schools throughout Westchester County, N.Y. and Fairfield County, Conn. The 8th and 9th grade boys’ soccer team had an exciting season. The core of the team were returners, and the new players had only strengthened the existing squad. Most of the games were very competitive and the team ended the season with a 6-2 record. The soccer team played in the 3rd annual Homecoming game, held on October 24 at the Westchester Middle School campus and had a great game against Iona Prep Lower School with many alumni, friends, and family cheering them on. The 7th grade soccer team was a determined group of young men, small in number but difficult to defeat. They came to each game ready to play and had many hard-fought victories over tough rivals.

Midway through the season, the team was 5-2-1.

Meanwhile, the 5th and 6th grade boys’ teams, composed of 26 enthusiastic athletes, were divided into two squads so that all the boys could get plenty of time on the field.

Between the two squads, they worked hard to improve their skills and competed in many exciting games.

Representing the Lady Vikings this season were 25 7th and 8th girls who competed with enthusiasm, teamwork, and great sportsmanship. The team was composed of a core group of returning players as well as many 7th graders who moved up this season. A hard-working, fun squad, they improved throughout the season and had a great time on the Windward soccer field. The 15 players on the 5th and 6th grade girls’ team also made quite a mark this season.

They had some very exciting games that were decided in the last minutes of play. Enthusiastic, determined and committed, the team worked very well together and were exciting to watch.

CROSS COUNTRY Again this season, many of Windward’s cross country runners finished in the top five at meets, and everyone worked hard at improving their times. There were 30 dedicated runners on the team this year, composed of students in grades 5-9. Our 7th and 8th grade runners were leading the team, and many of the runners were in the 5th and 6th grade, which guaranteed an experienced x-country team for the next few seasons! Our runners usually competed against 100 fellow athletes from across the Fairchester League. “Hard working,” “persevering,” and “motivated” are words that describe our team this year. Each one of them improved throughout the season and the coaches were very proud of this season’s x-country team.

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL In our second year of play, the Windward Interscholastic Girls Volleyball have improved in leaps and bounds! The girls came into the season with some experience, and it showed on the court. The Vikings 10 young ladies are doing a great job representing Windward against competitive teams in the Fairchester League. Our girls’ record at the end of the season was 5-1. The coaches and players had a fun and exciting season.

INSTRUCTIONAL TENNIS Instructional tennis has once again proven enormously popular. Thirty-four students from both Westchester Lower School and Westchester Middle School campuses spent the fall season learning the basics of proper tennis technique from the professionals at LIFETIME FITNESS, a tennis club located a few minutes from the Westchester Middle School campus. Under the direction of these professionals, the students have improved their athletic skills and come to enjoy this lifetime sport.

5th/6th grade Fall Sports Awards Ceremony Again, this year we recognized our 5th and 6th grade studentathletes at an assembly during the school day on November 18th.

The coaches were very proud of their team’s accomplishments and were excited to recognize the time, effort, and improvement that they had seen in our athletes this season.

The students came together in the Maureen A. Sweeney Auditorium for a recognition/celebration ceremony that was followed by a pizza party.

7th-9th grade Fall Sports Awards Evening The Fall Sports Awards Evening was held in November at the Westchester Middle School gymnasium. The coaches gave a few highlights of the season and then honored each player with encouraging words about their athletic contributions. It was a wonderful celebration of the season and parents were invited to attend.

The Compass Fall/Winter 2015 49

Faculty and Staff NEWs

Congratulations to Judith C. Hochman, Ed.D. and Betsy Duffy, M.S. Ed., Director of Language Arts, on the publication of their paper, Effective Writing Instruction: Time for a Revolution in the IDA journal, Perspectives on Language and Literacy.

Their article was also featured in the fall issue of The Beacon.

(Go to http://www.thewindwardschool.org/windward-beacon-2015)

Judith C. Hochman, Ed.D. and Betsy Duffy, M.S. Ed.

Christina Lee, teacher’s assistant (6th grade) Westchester Middle School, is currently pursuing a Masters Degree in secondary special education English at Manhattanville College. She is compiling research regarding dance education and its affect on a student’s working memory. Ms. Lee is also preparing a presentation that she will give to her graduate class that explains the prevalence, symptoms, and treatments for PTSD.

Christina Lee

Jonathan Rosenshine, Associate Head of School, is in the process of starting his Ed.D. dissertation research through the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education on the subject of digital reading. His projected date of completion is spring 2017.

Jonathan Rosenshine

Carrie Minio

Gavin Michael

Andrea Tolliver, (front row, third from left)

50 The Compass Fall/Winter 2015

Dhoomstudio Photography

Carrie Silverstein, Westchester Lower School music teacher, married James Minio on Sunday, November 1 at The Davenport Club in New Rochelle, N.Y. Christine Gavin Teahan, Westchester Middle School classroom teacher and assistant director of The Windward School summer program, and her husband Bobby welcome their first child, Gavin Michael, born on August 13, 2015. Baby, mom and dad are happy and healthy!

Andrea Tolliver, Westchester Middle School art teacher for grades 5-9, renewed her New York State Art Teaching Certificate, grades K-12, last May. She spent the month of July traveling the island of Bali, Indonesia. The extended visit gave her the opportunity to submerge into the culture and study the art of Balinese mask making and woodcarving. Ms. Tolliver also visited a small middle school in Sudaji where she was introduced to students and given a tour of their three-room schoolhouse.

By studying the artwork of the people of Bali and interacting with the children of Indonesia, Ms. Tolliver became inspired to use the knowledge gained last summer to influence future lesson plans at Windward.

The Windward School is proud to announce that the following faculty and administrators presented at the NYSAIS Conference for Special Education that took place in November at The Gaynor School in New York City: “Grit and Resilience: Essentials to Success” Jonathan Rosenshine, Associate Head of The Windward School Danielle Scorrano, Windward Manhattan Language Arts and Math Teacher Grounded in the latest research on motivation and performance, Mr. Rosenshine and Ms. Scorrano discussed the importance of grit and resilience to the academic and personal flourishing of students.

“Teaching Research Using a Direct Instruction Multi-sensory Approach” Lisa Bambino, Coordinator of Library Services and Social Studies Stephanie Dunn, Education Media Specialist Ms. Bambino’s and Ms. Dunn’s presentation focused on classroom strategies to teach students the means to locate reliable resources to support their study of social studies and language arts.

Their unique multi-sensory program utilizes a teacher-driven direct instruction model to guide students through the research process with the ultimate goal that they will be able to independently complete research tasks.

“The Teacher’s Voice” Diane Happas, Coordinator of Language, Speech/Language Pathologist Teachers place a heavy burden on their voice, speaking loudly for long periods without sufficient time to rest or time to recover. Ms. Happas’s presentation reviewed the impact of teachers’ voice problems on classroom instruction and offered simple techniques to achieve optimal vocal performance.

“Expository Writing: Meeting New Standards through the Grades” Betsy Duffy, Director of Language Arts and Instruction The cornerstone of the new writing standards begins with the ability to write a basic form of opinion and advances to logical, well-evidenced arguments in the later grades. The strategies presented in Ms. Duffy’s presentation, from Teaching Basic Writing Skills by Judith C. Hochman, discussed how to ensure student success in reaching new expectations as they enter college and the workforce.

“Analyze That!: Teaching Students with Dyslexia How to Analyze Informational Text and Documents” Lisa Bambino, Coordinator of Social Studies and Library Services Jill Fedele, Coordinator of Language Arts The ability to analyze informational text is vital to the development of college- and careerready youth. Students with dyslexia often become lost in the myriad of words and graphics that informational text contains. This joint-presentation by Ms. Bambino and Ms. Fedele featured effective strategies that educators can use to teach students how to analyze and evaluate documents presented in a range of media formats. n The Compass Fall/Winter 2015 51

Alumni Notes

Note: At Windward, a student’s class year is the same as his /her high school graduation year.

Windward is attempting to go paperless for all invitations.

To add your name to our invitation list, please send your e-mail address to Christie Borden at cborden@thewindwardschool.org.

1987

2000

Theodore Moy Ted moved into a two-bedroom co-op in Manhattan this past summer.

Michael Davis Michael is enjoying living in Austin and recently welcomed his first child, a son named Ethan.

1997 Aimee Reyes-Bamberger made a welcome visit to the Advancement Office last summer with her two children, Brayden (age 1) and Alex (age 3).

2002 Tracey Lemle Tracey is a certified holistic health coach, and in addition to individual and group coaching, she gives lectures, workshops, and cooking demonstrations to help spread the word on healthy living and the importance of wellness, especially to children. She teaches simple but effective tips and tricks on health and nutrition.

2003 Elizabeth Cook Elizabeth’s personal training business based in New York City continues to expand. Her clients range in age from 22-82 years old. She is getting certified to work in pre- and post-natal fitness training and hopes to work with her new “mommy” clients soon.

Alexandra Blaser Pawlowsky Ali and her husband Will welcomed a daughter, Jessa Miriam Pawlowsky, on December 12, 2014.

Marilyn Hunt (Director of Athletics), Aimee Reyes-Bamberger ’97 and Jessica Palushaj (Assistant Teacher). Brayden (age 1) and Alex (age 3) Bamberger.

52 The Compass Fall/Winter 2015

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2004 Michael Shain, general manager at Porchlight (http://porchlightbar.com/), was recognized by Zagat, New York City in the “30 Under 30” section. He was lauded as one of the “Rock Stars Redefining the Industry.” The write-up goes on to state, “Creating the cocktail menu for Danny Meyer’s first-ever stand-alone bar is a lot of pressure for any barman, let alone a 29-year-old. But by this ripe old age, Shain was a hospitality veteran, having worked his way up through all the FOH posts at Blue Smoke to beverage director. Shain actually never planned to work in hospitality — he studied marketing and communications and hoped to go into entertainment or media. Now he’s running one of the most popular cocktail spots in town alongside mixologist Nicholas Bennett, concocting eye-opening drinks such as the cyan-hued Gun Metal Blue.”

section of iTunes. James and his partners have launched a Patreon and he has almost 500 listeners who contribute financially to his efforts. He produces “Critical Success” where he discusses ways to improve play tactics, and he interviews people in the RPG industry. James also produces “The Overshare,” a podcast of Chicago-style improv.

2007 Tyler Zolt Tyler and his sister Alana are in the process of opening a wholesale rug company called S&Z Rugs and Carpets.

2008 William Larzelere Will graduated from Union College in 2012 with a degree in economics. He followed his time at Union with a year of Chinese language study at the Taiwan National Training Center. After returning to the U.S. and living in Denver for one year, he moved to China. Will lives in Yi Wu which is an ancient city famous for being a major trading center. He works in engineering inspections for U.S. suppliers and is busy building virtual storefronts for large accessory supplier companies on Alibaba.

Photo by Liz Clayman

2005 Brian Boehlert Brian just moved back to New York after living in Canada for several years.

2006 James D’Amato James lives in Chicago where he produces four podcasts. Two weekly podcasts, ”Oneshot” and “Campaign,” are live-play formats for Role Playing Games (RPGs).

They each have over 5,000 weekly listeners. He is consistently in the top 150 podcasts in the “Games and Hobby” Visit us on Facebook at The Windward School and become a fan!

Will Larzelere ’08 and his sister Juliette Larzelere ’10

Michael McCann Michael has his license issued by the United States Coast Guard as a Maritime Officer, 3rd assistant Engineer.

Adam Weiner Adam married Bailey (née Johnson) in August 2015, and they live in Bangor, ME. Adam graduated from Dickinson College in 2012. He then received his teaching certification from University of The Compass Fall/Winter 2015 53

Maine. He is now teaching technology and physical education to elementary school students in the Palermo Central School District.

2009 Matthew Dolan Matthew graduated from Princeton with honors and a B.S.E. degree in computer science in 2013 and has been working at Square in San Francisco since graduation.

Square’s CEO is Jack Dorsey who is also the co-founder and CEO of Twitter.

Matthew is a software engineer for Square and is enjoying life in California.

John Ongaro John graduated from High Point University in 2013 and moved to Arlington, VA where he worked for Nestlé Waters. In July, John was promoted to the role of Communications Analyst at Nestlé Waters headquarters in Stamford, Conn. where he now lives.

Sarah Tanzer Sarah received honors in political science at Hobart & William Smith Colleges.

2010 David Annunziato David graduated from Westchester Community College summa cum laude (GPA 3.8) in 2014 and achieved an A.S. degree in engineering science. While at WCC, he was inducted in to Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. David is pursuing his mechanical engineering B.S. at Manhattan College, where he is in his last year and continues to excel in every subject with a 3.4 GPA. He will be inducted into the mechanical engineering honors society (Pi Tau Sigma) in January.

David writes, “I am excited for what lies ahead, and I will be continuing to search for a position in the ‘aerospace and automotive design’ field. My current aspirations are to work for NASA or Space X in their design division.”

Jeffrey Kempler Jeffrey graduated from Franklin and Marshall College with honors. He is currently at the London School of Economics for a one-year Masters degree in history, specializing in the Cold War period.

Juliette Larzelere Juliette graduated from Union College in 2014 with a degree in anthropology. After a summer off in Lake Placid, she moved to Boston and began the job hunt. After working as a semi-paid volunteer, she landed a sales director job with TAB, Inc., a manufacturer and wholesale supplier of office supplies and data filing systems.

Juliette is now starting her second year at TAB.

2011 Austin Engros Austin graduated from Hamilton College in May. He is currently working at UBS in their Wealth Management Graduate Training Program.

Ryan Gottfried Ryan graduated from the University of Michigan in May. He is living in New York and working for an internet start up.

While in college, he developed his own tutoring business platform, connecting students with tutors in the university environment.

Harley Landsberg Harley graduated from S.I. Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University with a degree in public relations in May. She is currently employed in New York City at EVINS Communications.

Alejandro Lazare Alejandro will release his first documentary called, “Adaptive Sport Foundation: Where All Abilities Shine.”

David Annunziato ’10 54 The Compass Fall/Winter 2015

Hannah Meisenberg Hannah graduated cum laude in May from American University in Washington, D.C. with a degree in art history. She recently completed an Visit us on Facebook at The Windward School and become a fan!

internship at The Foundation for Art and Preservation in Embassies, a private, non-profit organization dedicated to providing permanent works of American art for U.S. embassies worldwide. She was also elected by the art history faculty as the senior class representative for the Art History Association at American University.

Aaron Schwartz Aaron attended the Abraham Joshua Heschel High School in New York City.

Aaron graduated summa cum laude from Syracuse University in May with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in finance.

As a student, Aaron was an active member of the student body, serving as treasurer for one student organization and secretary for another. In addition, Aaron spent a semester living in Hong Kong where he was able to intern at an international wealth management firm.

He has now begun his professional career working in New York City in PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Financial Advisory practice with a focus on banking and capital markets.

2012 Carter Anatole Carter is entering his senior year at Cornell University in the School of Hotel Administration, with a minor in real estate. Last summer, he interned in Dallas with a real estate capital management firm.

Alexandra Jankousky Alexandra is a senior at Franklin Pierce University pursuing a marketing and business major. Last spring, she spent a semester abroad in Austria and traveled to Thailand earlier this year. She has had two internships over the past two summers with a hedge fund and a luxury brand leather goods company.

Austin Kallman Austin is a senior at University of Miami with a double-major in real estate and management.

Daniel Norman Daniel is in his junior year at Tufts University where he is majoring in physics and philosophy. He is spending this semester in London and continues to thrive in school.

Emilie Pollack Emilie graduated in three years from George Washington University with a B.A., majoring in political science and minoring in sustainability. Emilie is currently working on Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign staff in Des Moines, Iowa.

2013 Danielle Chapro Danielle attends Muhlenberg College where she made the spring 2015 Dean’s List.

Aaron Schwartz ’11

John Steers J.P. recently graduated from Elon University. He currently resides in New York City and works for Medialink, LLC. Harli Thau Harli graduated from Ramapo College and started graduate school at Columbia University this fall.

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Thomas Erdmann Tom had a great summer working hard and squeezing in plenty of fun and travel with family and friends. This fall, Tom began his sophomore year at High Point University where his grades are solid, and he is an active and contributing member of the university and club rowing organization.

Stormjames Lipton Stormjames is currently a junior at SUNY Maritime College where he is a member of the Regiment of Cadets, studying for his B.S. degree in marine transportation The Compass Fall/Winter 2015 55

and pursuing his United States Coast Guard (USCG) Merchant Mariner’s License. All cadets must have 180 days at sea to earn the USCG Merchant Mariner’s License. This past summer, Stormjames and his fellow cadets underwent their Summer Sea Term ’15 aboard the school’s 565-foot training ship Empire State VI. Stormjames was on the ship for 45 days. Ports of call included Northern Ireland and Spain. He also sailed through Gibraltar and the Mediterranean. Storm looks forward to Summer Sea Term ’16 and all that it has to offer both in the classroom and at each port, which has yet to be determined.

take a break from education and explore the world, so he traveled to Nepal and climbed in the Himalayan mountains, studied Buddhism in a monastery, studied Nepali the language in Kathmandu, and apprenticed as a goldsmith. After a few months in Nepal, he traveled to Israel where he worked on a kibbutz (Israeli farm commune); learned to read, write, and speak Hebrew; and continued to make jewelry.

Gardner Tregellas Gardner graduated from St. Luke’s School in New Canaan in June 2014. He is in his second year at University of Virginia.

2014 Bradley Browne Brad is president of the Union College class of 2018.

Jack Frank Jack continues to room at Emory University with Ben Polinsky ’14. They are fraternity brothers at Sigma Alpha Mu. In October, Jack was accepted into the Goizeta School of Business at Emory.

Charles Hinnant Charlie is attending the College of Charleston, where he was invited to join the National Honor Society. Charlie is a sophomore and a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.

Stormjames Lipton ’13

Larke Nimocks Larke is doing well, and this past summer she worked for GC Savvian, a small boutique investment advisory firm in San Francisco. She is at the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California. She is very excited to study next semester at the Copenhagen Business School. Eli Rattner ’15 is now a freshman at USC and recognized Larke on campus; they hadn’t seen each other since 6th grade at Windward!

Jacob Silberstein Jacob is a sophomore at Columbia University and is pursuing a dual degree at the Jewish Theological Seminary-List College. The year prior, he decided to 56 The Compass Fall /Winter 2015

Kendra Scotti Kendra’s goal of running the NYC marathon once she turned 18 came true (and she gave updates along the way)!

Kendra is now a freshman at Boston College.

Lorenzo Soo Lorenzo is in his sophomore year at Wake Forest University. Last year, he was on the Dean’s List and achieved an A in writing.

Teresa Tregellas Tess graduated from St. Luke’s School in June. She is in her first year at Elon University and was accepted into the B.F.A. acting program.

Dylan Ziegelbaum Dylan is a freshman at Muhlenberg College and made the Dean’s List last spring. She recently joined and pledged the Phi Mu sorority on campus.

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2015 Stephen Bliss Stephen attended Benilde-St. Margaret’s High School in St. Louis Park, Minn. and graduated in May. He is a freshman at Ohio State University where he was the recipient of both a Trustees Scholarship and the National Buckeye Scholar Scholarship.

was a starter from sophomore to senior year. The Bruins had four spectacular lacrosse seasons during Charlie’s high school years. In 2014 and 2015, the team had top Lax-Power rankings nationwide.

Charlie is now playing Division I lacrosse at University of Vermont with some buddies from Brunswick School. He keeps in touch with good friends from Windward and is always grateful that he was fortunate enough to have attended the School and to have had amazing and supportive teachers while he was here.

Charlie Cobb ’15 playing for UVM at their first tournament this fall.

Stephen Bliss ’15 (left) with Troy Smith, 2006 Heisman Trophy winner from Ohio State University who went on to play for the NFL.

Megan Chan Megan graduated from Scarsdale High School and entered St. Michael’s College in Vermont this fall.

Dalis Chavers Dalis graduated from Cornwall Central High School in June. She is now attending the University of Rhode Island and enrolled in the College of Human Science and Services. She is studying kinesiology and physical therapy. Dalis received the President’s Award at URI. Charles Cobb Charlie enrolled at Brunswick School in seventh grade after a wonderful education at The Windward School. Since fourth grade, Charlie has loved playing lacrosse.

Though he also loved playing varsity football at Brunswick, his passion is lacrosse. He played on the Brunswick varsity lacrosse team as a freshman and Visit us on Facebook at The Windward School and become a fan!

Benjamin Cohen Ben is at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn and is majoring in jewelry.

Samuel Fogel Samuel is a freshman at Indiana University, studying business. His summer was a whirlwind of accomplishments including earning some medals and awards. This past year, he focused on track cycling on the velodrome. He is the Colorado State Kerrin Champion and a gold medalist for the U.S. on the track. Samuel was

Samuel Fogel ’15 The Compass Fall/Winter 2015 57

selected to represent Team USA in Kazakhstan at the Junior World Championships where he earned a ranking of 14th and 25th in the world for two different track disciplines. He was also an award finalist for the International Dyslexia Association’s Remy Johnston Award.

Alexandra Hannover Alexandra graduated from the Harvey School in 2015 where she received an award for academic excellence. She is now a pre-med student at Connecticut College.

Zoe Graham Klein Zoe graduated from The Dwight School in NYC this past May. At graduation, Zoe was awarded The Radomir Kovacevic Award, which is presented to a senior who is willing to place herself in difficult and unconventional situations and to confront significant challenges. The award honors the memory of Olympic medalist and World Champion Radomir Kovacevic, who for 20 years taught Dwight students that “to be the best, you have to be extreme.” Zoe started Skidmore College this fall and is enjoying her freshman year.

Alison Maybaum Alison is currently attending Muhlenberg College.

John Mooney John and Alexander Calder ’17 were oarsmen on the Fordham Prep 1st Varsity boat, which won the first Senior Eight New York State Championship in the school’s history. The boat then went on to compete in the Scholastic National Championship and the U.S. Rowing National Championships.

Matthew Nabi Matt returned to Scarsdale Middle School in seventh grade and excelled academically throughout middle school and high school, graduating in June. He was inducted as a member of Scarsdale High School’s Signifer Honor Society. He served as a high school mentor for Eye to Eye, a program where students with learning differences mentor younger students with similar disabilities through the use of art projects. Matt is currently a freshman at University of Michigan where he hopes to introduce a chapter of Eye to Eye on campus. He is planning to study business or economics.

Caroline Ricke Caroline is a senior at Suffield Academy.

She attended Zoe Graham-Klein’s ’15 high school graduation last spring. The Windward alumnae continue to remain fast friends.

Zoe Graham Klein ’15

Juliette Loubiere Juliette has her own apartment in Venice, Calif. with three roommates. Every morning after her run on the beach, she attends Santa Monica College, and she completed a statistics class at UCLA. Every afternoon Juliette is auditioning, modeling, and taking acting classes while working hard on her career as a model.

She also works four evenings a week at a local restaurant, and she’s meeting lots of great people.

58 The Compass Fall /Winter 2015

Caroline Ricke ’15 (far left) with her co-captains.

Danielle Schwartz Danielle graduated from Blind Brook High School. She entered the University of Delaware this fall and is majoring in neuroscience.

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Melissa Strauss Melissa is a freshman at Dickinson College and is a sprinter and hurdler for the school’s varsity track and field team.

Her first introduction to running was through Windward. In spring 2015, Melissa was thrilled to have the opportunity to intern with Ms. Hunt (Director of Athletics), fulfilling Melissa’s love for sports, children, and Windward.

Last spring, she went to Poland to join over 10,000 people from around the world as they participated in “March of the Living,” a memorial to those who perished in the Holocaust. The excursion was followed by a trip to Israel to continue her enrichment.

Simon Brooks ’18, Seth Brooks ’16 and their sister Anna

Katrina Garbin Katrina and Ali McWalters ’16 had a great time last summer traveling with the Garbins in Europe. They visited Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, and London and got to see many of the major sights and experienced lots of local flavor. Mrs. Garbin writes, “Katrina and Ali have an amazing friendship that all began in fourth grade at Windward!!”

Melissa Strauss ’15

Benjamin Stilwell Ben is happily thriving as a freshman at The College of William & Mary in Virginia.

2016 Seth Brooks Seth was inducted into the National Honor Society at Westchester Hebrew High School and will graduate in 2016.

Charlie Erdmann Charlie had a great summer working hard and having plenty of fun and travel with family and friends. He is thriving at Berkshire School and has many leadership positions in his senior year. Last summer, Charlie committed to play Division I lacrosse at The University of Vermont in 2016.

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Katrina Garbin ’16 and Ali McWalters ’16 in Jardin des Tuileries with the Paris Eye in the background

Eric Greenberg Eric is attending Lehigh University where he will play lacrosse.

The Compass Fall/Winter 2015 59

Conor Hughes Conor is in honors pre-calculus and honors physics at Fordham Prep. He is running cross country track and is president of the 3D Printing Club.

Alison McWalters Alison is in the middle of college applications and plans to study communications.

Samuel Peluso ’16

second year of German with great aplomb. Oliver is a student who is soundly equipped with his own personal academic arsenal.

William Turner Will will graduate from Rye Country Day School in 2016 and has committed to Georgetown University for crew.

Katrina Garbin ’16 and Ali McWalters ’16

Landon Miller Landon is a senior at Mamaroneck High School. His interests are physics and photography. He was accepted into, and participated in, the NYU Tisch Photography Summer Program this past summer and did some amazing work.

Last spring he was elected to the National Honor Society and he continues to work actively on the school yearbook.

Samuel Peluso Sam is a senior at Croton High School and has done exceptionally well after spending seven years at Windward.

William “Oliver” Randon Oliver spent seven years at Windward and is now a high honors student at Episcopal High School, a boarding school in Alexandria, VA. As a sophomore, he is in honors English and delving into his 60 The Compass Fall /Winter 2015

William Turner ’16 (far left)

2017 Lauren Blum Lauren spent the summer on a camping trip where she hiked through the Alaskan back-country with only what she could carry on her back. It was an amazing and life-changing experience.

Alexander Calder Alexander and John Mooney ’15 were oarsmen on the Fordham Prep 1st Varsity boat which won the first Senior Eight New York State Championship in the Visit us on Facebook at The Windward School and become a fan!

school’s history. The boat then went on to compete in the Scholastic National Championship and the U.S. Rowing National Championships.

Elizabeth Chirls Liz made honors and high honors as a sophomore last year at Birch Wathen Lenox School. Last summer, she worked as a program aide at Ramapo Country Day Camp. She is currently volunteering for Boost! at the JCC Manhattan, a program in which she spends time each week with teens who are on the autism spectrum.

Matthieu Delay Matt is now living in Paris and is in eleventh grade at the American School of Paris. He is taking International Baccalaureate courses and doing very well.

Several Windward alumnae led The Dwight Girls varsity soccer team. (Left to right) Elizabeth Topper ’17, Rachel Shaerf ’19, Serena Korchak ’18, Maxine Jamison ’19, Maya Schatsky ’18, Emma Moinian ’18, Caroline Adler ’18 and Maya Bhak ’18.

2018 Lilliann Berretta Lilly is doing well at her first year at boarding school. She is a sophomore at Forman in Litchfield, Conn. and is a member of the girls’ JV volleyball team.

Christopher Celli Chris is a sophomore at Walsingham Academy in Virginia. He has excelled academically and is a varsity athlete, playing both soccer and lacrosse.

Jack FitzPatrick Jack is enjoying Fordham Prep.

Matthieu Delay ’17 (far right) at his older brother’s graduation in summer 2015.

Sophia LaSala Sophie is in her junior year at Brewster Academy in New Hampshire. She is a dorm proctor, taking AP English and pre-calculus, running varsity cross country, and of course, preparing for the college application process. Sophie had a great summer that included a trip to Mexico and a five-week internship at the Storefront Academy Harlem.

Theodore Little Teddy is in the process of being recruited for college football.

Caroline Toal Callie left Greenwich High School and is now a sophomore at Blair Academy, a boarding school in New Jersey.

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Olivia Gravier Olivia is currently attending Bronxville High School where she is on the soccer team.

James Kelly James is a sophomore at Archbishop Stepinac High School and is doing well.

He is on the swim team at Stepinac.

Reese Kennedy Reese is enjoying his sophomore year at Packer Collegiate in Brooklyn. He loves all of his teachers and hasn’t decided what his favorite class is yet. For activities, he has continued acting and singing, a passion he developed as a student of Ms. Hooper at Windward. Last summer, he was “Mr. Wickham” in Pride and Prejudice at Stagedoor Manor. He also takes an acting workshop at the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute in Manhattan on Saturday mornings. Reese is on the Upper School chorus at Packer Collegiate and will tour with them to Italy during the first week of spring break this year. He continues to grow and is The Compass Fall/Winter 2015 61

currently 6’3’’. He has joined the novice team at Row New York and four days a week rows with them out of the Peter Jay Sharp Boathouse on the Harlem River.

He was turned on to Row New York by a Sparks Rowing camp at Wesleyan University, which he attended last summer.

a dance minor four days a week, participating on the varsity field hockey team with her two sisters and is developing a community service opportunity for Masters students at the Sharing Community soup kitchen. To create a new volunteer opportunity, Ariella had to speak to the entire Masters community and bring in a speaker.

Thankfully, she relied on her Windward preparation as she wrote her speech and contacted the director of Sharing Community.

Reese Kennedy ’18, Christmas 2015

Thomas-Liam Levinsohn Tommy had a great first year at Birch Wathen Lenox School. The learning strategies he acquired at Windward have proven invaluable. Tommy continued his passion for lacrosse by joining the Birch Wathen Lenox School team and participating on a local New York City team.

Olivia Linnartz Olivia is at School of the Holy Child in Rye. She has made many friends and loves being at school with Schyler Gardner ’18.

Olivia is taking Latin and doing well. She is still skating, and the synchronized skating season is off to a good start. She also received The Coaches Award for golf last spring.

Sophie Moses Sophie is doing well at the Hewitt School in New York City.

Christian Ruf Christian had a great freshman year at Brunswick School. He ended the year achieving recognition on the Headmaster’s List. Additionally, a poem he wrote in English class was published in The Oracle, the school’s literary magazine.

His efforts and results for the crew team are also a great source of pride.

Ariella Rusoff Ariella is thriving at The Masters School.

In addition to academics, Ariella is taking

62 The Compass Fall /Winter 2015

(Left to right) Samantha Jordan and Ariella Rusoff ’18, last August during a family trip to China.

Heather Smith Heather is a sophomore at The Masters School where she is singing in the a cappella group, “Dobbs 16,” playing JV volleyball, and enjoying school.

Emmanuel Soto Ruiz Emmanuel is doing well at Harrison High School.

Caroline Stemerman Caroline successfully finished her freshman year at Scarsdale High School last year. She continues to excel with her singing. Last year, she was a semifinalist in the national Classical Singer contest and performed with the Manhattan Girls

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Chorus at the “Women in the World Summit” at Lincoln Center. At the end of last year, she was accepted to the Manhattan School of Music pre-college division where she attends this year.

commencement for the most academic progress during the year for his grade.

Francis “Tim” O’Hare Tim is enjoying being on the crew team at Fordham Prep.

Jonathan Vicalvi Jonathan is enjoying meeting new people at Greenwich High School.

Jonathan Vicalvi ’18 at The Palmerias Futebol Club in São Paulo, Brazil.

2019 Avery Egerton-Warburton Avery loves Millbrook and made the riding team.

Kelly Hughes Kelly is doing well at Fordham Prep and enjoying cross country track. He is a member of the 3D Printing Club and Youth Ministry.

Francis “Tim” O’Hare ’19 (left)

Carlton Rochell Charlie has transitioned seamlessly and is fitting in well at Dwight School.

Tyler Shiffman Tyler entered King Low Heywood Thomas this fall.

Maxine Jamison Maxine plays varsity soccer for Dwight School with fellow alumnae Maya Schatzky ’18, Rachel Shaerf ’19, Maya Bhak ’18, Serena Korchak ’18, Lizzie Topper ’17, Emma Moinian ’18 and Caroline Adler ’18. This fall, they played in the Division Championship finals!

They lost in the New York Independent School Athletic League (ISAL) division finals but had a remarkable season and look forward to next year.

Luca Villani Luca is a freshman at Rye High School.

He takes geometry and took the Regents.

He is in honors history, and taking Spanish.

Jeffrey McKee Jeff is enjoying King Low Heywood Thomas School in Stamford. He has joined the Debate Club and loves his French course. Currently a freshman, he had a terrific eighth grade year and was awarded the Hermanson Award at

Lucas Macaya Lucas is attending Rumsey Hall boarding school in Washington Depot, Conn. He is loving his time there and has found that his four years at Windward prepared him well for his launch into a mainstream school. n

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2020 Owen Reed Owen is doing well. He’s headed to Riverdale next year after two great years at Dwight-Englewood.

2021

The Compass Fall/Winter 2015 63

From The Archives

Who? When? Where?

We’d love to know more about this photo. If you recognize yourself, or can identify a classmate, let us know!

Contact Christie Borden, Associate Director of Advancement cborden@thewindwardschool.org (914) 949-6968, ext. 2270

Many thanks to alumni parent Holly Oliphant and Mike Davis ’00 for contacting the Advancement Office to identify students in the “From the Archives” photo on page 48 of the spring/summer 2015 issue of The Compass.

Front row (left to right): Josh Sofer ’00, Kenny Eilen ’00, <??>, Lachlan Oliphant ’00 Middle row: Brian <??>, Marin George ’01, Robert Gerster ’00, Alec Rabuse ’00, Collette Powers ’01 Top row: Adam Garber ’00, Michael Davis ’00, Nicky Nichols ’00 64 The Compass Fall/Winter 2015

Philanthropy at The Windward School Three Campuses. One Mission. One School …The Windward School A gift to The Windward School Annual Fund helps to transform almost 700 students’ lives. Your support of the 2015-16 Annual Fund is crucial to the mission to remediate children’s language-based learning disabilities and to provide the students with the tools and confidence they need to succeed and excel in life.

A gift to the Annual Fund supports many areas of Windward: • Continuous Professional Development • Low 4:1 Average Student/Faculty Ratio • Financial Aid • Parent Education and Resources Contact: Meighan Corbett, Associate Director of Advancement mcorbett@thewindwardschool.org (914) 949-6968, ext. 2207

Jenny Nichols, Associate Director of Advancement jnichols@thewindwardschool.org (212) 222-8628

For more information, go to thewindwardschool.org/give

The Windward School 2015-2016 Annual Fund Committee Dina Alessi Susan Adams Jen Barr Meg Bausano Sharon Berger Jon Breckenridge Pete D’Avanzo Pat Donohue Moran EizenbergerBrown Patrick Flynn

Katrina Froman Alex Gendzier Meg Greenberg Tracy Grey Kawai Amy Hogan Ed Hogan Joseph Iacono Kate Iacono Elliot Jacoby Kevin Kelley Sylvie LeFloch-Brown

Staci Marlowe Michael Mesard Magdalena Miguens Richard Miller Cindy Musoff Dawn Ostroff Mark Ostroff Jaime Overman Jeffrey Overman Gisela Perl Michael Petrizzo

Judy Pincus Shari Platt Scott Robinowitz Fiona Schaeffer Jorge Solares Steve Stuart Craig Unterberg Neely Vanneck Cynthia Weber Stuart Zgodny The Compass Fall/Winter 2015 65

The Windward School 40 West Red Oak Lane White Plains, NY 10604 Address Service Requested

The Windward School Benefit April 9, 2016 Cipriani 42nd Street New York City

Event Chairs

Hugh Jackman and Deborra-lee Furness Raul Martinez

Corporate Creative Director of CondĂŠ Nast Design Director of Vogue

Alex Gonzalez

Creative Director for Elle

Honoring

Orlando Bloom Actor

Maryanne Wolf

Professor, Cognitive Neuroscientist, Dyslexia Researcher, Author For more information, contact Christie Borden at (914) 949-6968, ext. 2270

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