The Compass Spring/Summer 2022

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THE

COMPASS A MAGAZINE FOR THE WINDWARD SCHOOL COMMUNITY

Introducing Robotics and Coding: An Evolution of the Computers Curriculum

Spring/Summer 2022

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THE

COMPASS A MAGAZINE FOR THE WINDWARD SCHOOL COMMUNITY

Jamie Williamson Head of School

Board of Trustees 2021–22 Patricia L. Wolff

Stephanie Huie

Chair

Editor and Associate Director of Digital Communications & Publications

Mitchell J. Katz

Contributing Editorial Staff Jana Cook and Nicole Vitale

Contributing Writers Jana Cook, Stephanie Huie, and Jamie Williamson

Contributing Photographers Angeline DiSante, Angel Francis, Stephanie Huie, Victoria Jackson, and Susan Nagib

Akeela Azcuy, PhD Reed Brodsky Arthur Ceria Elizabeth A. Crain Peter A. D’Avanzo George P. Davison Jeffrey B. Goldenberg Meredith Jenkins Timothy M. Jones Joseph Lorono Staci Marlowe Janice Meyer Magdalena Zavalía Miguens Denis J. O’Leary, III Katie Puris Sandip Singh Jonathan Steingart Nicholas Van Amburg Anike Wariebi

1st Vice Chair

Jenny Price 2nd Vice Chair

David Friedland Treasurer

Maria Reed Secretary

Thomas J. Coleman Member-at-Large

Design

The Blank Page, NYC

The Windward School does not discriminate in admissions, employment, or administration of programs on the basis of gender, race, religion, age, national or ethnic origin, or sexual orientation.

The Compass is published twice a year by the School’s Communications Office.

It is a magazine for The Windward School community.

Note: At The Windward

School, a student’s class year is the same as their high school graduation year.

SPRING/SUMMER 2022

The Windward School Westchester Lower School 1275 Mamaroneck Avenue White Plains, NY 10605 (914) 949­6968 Westchester Middle School 40 West Red Oak Lane White Plains, NY 10604 (914) 949­6968

Manhattan Lower & Middle Schools 212 East 93rd Street New York, NY 10128 (212) 222­8628

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10 Introducing Robotics and Coding: An Evolution of the Computers Curriculum

CONTENTS 3 4 8 10 18 24 27 28 30 36 40

From the Head of School Looking Ahead for Windward DEIB Deep Dive Introducing Robotics and Coding: An Evolution of the Computers Curriculum Honoring Retirees Meryl Laub, Diana Rossi, Marsha Finkelstein, and Roberta Plotycia Faculty & Staff News and Milestones Spring Benefit 2022 Faculty & Staff Profile: Danielle Scorrano News Around the School Alumni News & Notes In Memoriam

On the cover: Pictured is Westchester Lower School fifth-grade

student Rodney C. during a robotics lesson led

by Ms. Karger.

On this page: Students across Windward campuses have

been using the Matatalab bot during their robotics classes.

Stay connected

thewindwardschool.org TheWindwardSchool TheWindwardSchool Windward_School TheWindwardSchool

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Pictured are faculty and staff spectators cheering on their colleagues during a basketball game to mark the WLS gym debut.

The Windward School’s Vision

A world where every child with a language­based learning disability is empowered to achieve unlimited success Difference is Power

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From the

Head of School

By Jamie Williamson Head of The Windward School

L

ately, our community—and our society as a whole— has been existing in a state of paradox. On one side, we are reckoning with more than two years of real loss, of upheaval that has presented the challenge of our generation.

On the other side, there is a palpable sense of hope, of possibility for the future, as we gradually resume connecting with each other in person. In the process of enduring hardship and emerging from it, how do we ensure that we hold space in our hearts for both the sorrow and the joy?

These seemingly contradictory states of being are inextricably linked, and we cannot fully experience one without the other. As Brené Brown noted aptly in an episode of her podcast Unlocking Us, “Hope is actually a function of struggle. People with the highest levels of hopefulness have experienced, embraced, and understand struggle.”

Our Windward community embodies this concept in a way that can only come from authentic experience. As parents/guardians and educators of children with learning disabilities, we live this reality daily, that of struggle and of hope. But it has certainly been heightened in the last couple years. Some members of our community have experienced unfathomable loss, while others have experienced major changes to their work and their home lives. Yet, we have still shown up for each other, for our students, and for our teachers.

The paradox of struggle and hope, of them co­existing simultaneously, is what creates the resilience that is the hallmark of our community. We witness it in our students regularly, this tenacity that drives them to continue to put in the work, to keep striving, to practice new skills again and again until they master them. It is a resiliency born of struggle.

Sometimes the knee­jerk reaction can be to compartmentalize emotions around struggle—to pack away these feelings of discomfort, to not acknowledge

them when we feel them within ourselves or see them in others.

I know that I can tend to do that, to compartmentalize, and I always notice when it’s happening. In these moments, I feel out of balance. But I’ve found that when I lean into this discomfort, when I “face into the wind” instead of turning my back to it, it gives space for those around me to acknowledge their own struggles and be vulnerable.

Embracing vulnerability becomes a catalyst for growth, because it signals a desire to remain open to change, to expand our perspectives, both of ourselves and of one another. We cannot expect our students to lean into this mindset unless we model it for them. We cannot expect our faculty to do this unless leadership models it for them. We cannot expect our children to lean into growth if we’re not willing to do that work ourselves.

As we’ve seen in our community, when this level of trust is born, when we are truly connected, it can be transformative. I have a great deal of gratitude for our community, for its willingness to hold its members close throughout difficult times and for its willingness to step into joyful moments worth celebrating, such as the return of a joint eighth­grade graduation ceremony, the first time in three years.

Honoring the balance between acknowledging struggle and embracing possibility is at the heart of what we do. It is the reason we feel such a sense of urgency in the work we do, and it is what gives our work meaning. We only need to look to our children to see how powerful it can be to achieve this state of balance.

Jamie Williamson Head of School

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Looking Ahead for Windward Note from the Chair of the Board of Trustees As we come to the end of the 2021–22 school year, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Mr. Williamson and our incredible faculty, administration, and staff for all their tireless work this year. Once again, the Windward team delivered an outstanding academic program while navigating through a challenging environment. You all make Windward a truly special place for our students and families. Simply put—you are outstanding at what you do each day. Thank you for giving the lifelong gift of a Windward education to our students.

I am also encouraged by the fact that we are slowly returning to in­person events to build community and connection at Windward. A huge thanks to all the Windward

families for your patience, confidence, and commitment during this time.

You believe, like I do, that Windward provides a transformational experience to its students and gives them the confidence to achieve unlimited success.

Respectfully,

Patty Wolff Chair of the Board of Trustees

Farewell to Departing Trustees At their May meeting, the Board thanked four outgoing trustees for their combined 34 years of service to The Windward School.

Timothy M. Jones, 2010­2022 Served as First Vice President and on the Buildings and Grounds/Real Estate Committee During his time on the Board, Mr. Jones provided an incredible breadth and depth of knowledge to help Windward identify and evaluate a number of real estate opportunities.

He was critical to the purchase of the new WLS campus at 1275 Mamaroneck Avenue and ensuring the successful opening of the building in Fall 2021. He also served as a “sounding board” for the Head of School and Board Chair, providing sage advice and a thoughtful viewpoint on many strategic issues.

George P. Davison, 2016­2022 Served on the Program/Strategic Planning and DEIB Committees Mr. Davison played a critical role in the development and ratification of the 2019 Strategic Plan. His experience as Head of School at a NYC independent day school was invaluable as Windward navigated the global pandemic, and his work as a member of the Board’s DEIB committee enabled him to provide much­needed input based on practical experience within a school setting.

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Joseph Lorono, 2003­2011 and 2018­2022 Served on the Building and Grounds/ Real Estate Committee During his most recent Board term, Mr. Lorono was instrumental in the planning, building, and opening of the new WLS at 1275 Mamaroneck Avenue. He worked tirelessly to ensure the building was constructed according to the highest standards, and he personally attended construction meetings daily and went above and beyond to open the building a year earlier than expected. Windward is fortunate that Mr. Lorono agreed to return to the Board to ensure the success of the WLS campus project, which would not have been possible without his dedicated work.

Jonathan Steingart, 2018­2022 Served on the Finance and Development Committees Mr. Steingart was a calm and kind presence at all Board meetings. His creative spirit and focus on the student experience during the development of the 2019 Strategic Plan helped shape The Windward School vision statement. Mr. Steingart’s unique point of view was critical to the development of the four pillars of the Strategic Plan.

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Westchester Lower School Gym Debut and Grand Opening Set for Fall 2022

A

major milestone for the construction project of the new Westchester Lower School campus at 1275 Mamaroneck Avenue was reached this spring. The gym was officially opened on April 8 for the WLS community with great fanfare.

To commemorate the gym’s opening, the students in Grades 1­5 participated in various activities during their physical education classes. Hot Shot Basketball was a special school­wide challenge, where students completed as many basketball free throws as possible within a short time period.

If students exceeded the school­wide goal of 1,000 baskets, the WLS would win a surprise treat. Over the course of the day, the students reached that benchmark and earned a special dessert for lunch. After dismissal, faculty and staff had their own celebration and held the first basketball game on the court, followed by a happy hour sponsored by the HR Office.

Permanent landscaping around the exterior of the building began in the spring as well, including a garden and patio. Over the summer, The Windward Institute lecture hall and teacher training rooms will be completed, and permanent signage will be finalized. Lastly, the additional parking lot and bus loop by the gymnasium will be paved and accessible to vehicles.

Windward looks forward to having the full architectural vision of the campus realized—serving nearly 450 students, faculty, and staff—in its 110,000 square feet of state­of­the­ art facilities. The official grand opening and ribbon­cutting ceremony of the Westchester Lower School is planned for September to celebrate the latest addition to The Windward School campuses.

Pictured are Westchester Lower School faculty and staff who gathered in the gym for the grand opening, with the new Windward Athletics logo at center court.

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Looking Ahead for Windward Windward Partnership with NYC Department of Education

Then DOE Chancellor-Elect David Banks visited the Manhattan campus on December 14. Pictured are: Kenita Lloyd, Brad Hoylman, Robert Carroll, David Banks, Jamie Williamson, and Carolyne Quintana.

U

nder the tenure of Chancellor David Banks, The Windward School has been identified as a model for the New York City Department of Education (DOE) to follow in serving students with dyslexia in its public schools. Chancellor Banks and other leaders in his administration have twice visited Windward’s Manhattan campus to learn more about the School’s proven methodology. During the visits in December and March, the NYC DOE leaders met with Windward leadership, listened to presentations specifically on the language arts curriculum, and observed a number of reading classes.

In his first major policy speech in March, Chancellor Banks outlined his vision for the NYC public school district to have a greater emphasis on phonics­based literacy instruction and universal screening to identify students at risk of reading failure. He said, “That will include adopting approaches that have proven effective at The Windward School that uses multisensory approaches to remediate dyslexia and related challenges.”

Windward looks forward to an effective relationship with the NYC DOE to scale its program to serve the city’s 1.1 million public school students.

Chancellor Banks during his December 14 visit to the Manhattan campus 6

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Leaders in Literacy and Education Learning About Windward’s Pedagogy The Windward School has welcomed several members of the NYC Department of Education, the Literacy Academy Collective, New York State government, and more to share details of Windward’s program and its teaching methods for remediating language-based learning disabilities.

Rafael Alvarez

Community Superintendent

Akeela Azcuy Chancellor Banks with Carolyne Quintana, Beth Foltman, and Betsy Duffy

Windward Trustee and leader of Literacy Academy Collective

David Banks

NYC DOE Chancellor

Jason Borges

NYC DOE Executive Director of Literacy and Academic Intervention Services

Robert Carroll ’04

Windward alumnus and New York State Assemblymember

Ilia Edwards

Windward alumni parent and leader of Literacy Academy Collective Visitors observing a Manhattan Lower School language arts class

Senator Hoylman with Head of the Manhattan Campus Danny Kass

Andrew Fletcher

NYC DOE Senior Executive Director of Early Literacy

Ruth Genn

Windward alumni parent and leader of Literacy Academy Collective

Brad Hoylman

New York State Senator

Devin Kearns

Associate Professor of Special Education at UConn

Kenita Lloyd

NYC DOE Deputy Chancellor for Family Engagement Representatives from the NYC DOE, the Literacy Academy Collective, and academia joined Windward leaders at the Manhattan campus on March 30.

Pictured are: Jon Rosenshine, John J. Russell, Jason Borges, Annie Stutzman, Devin Kearns, Andrew Fletcher, Akeela Azcuy, Jamie Williamson, Ilia Edwards, Carolyne Quintana, Betsy Duffy, Rafael Alvarez, and Ruth Genn.

Ben Powers

Head of The Southport School

Carolyne Quintana

NYC DOE Deputy Chancellor of Teaching and Learning

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DEIB Deep Dive

The Importance of Observing Juneteenth From Romina Pacheco, PhD, Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging

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n June 2021, the U.S. government began to recognize That is, “mirrors” where everyone can see themselves Juneteenth as a federal holiday. Starting this school reflected in the books we read, the language we use, the year, The Windward School adjusted its own calendar symbols we see, and the way we treat each other; and to include the observance of what is considered the oldest “windows” that help us gain perspective of the experiences celebrated commemoration of the ending of enslavement of people who are different from us. We want everyone at in the United States. Though the Windward to develop a sense of Emancipation Proclamation belonging to their school, and this “By observing Juneteenth, became law on January 1, 1863, it begins by creating space for all of us was not until two and a half years to be seen in our various identities. that also means that we later, on June 19, 1865, when By observing Juneteenth, that enslaved African Americans in also means that we are a school are a school that strives Texas learned the news that the that strives to prepare young to prepare young people Civil War had ended and that they people to be active participants were free. From that point forward, in a multicultural democracy by to be active participants June 19 has been known amongst providing them with the skills, in a multicultural African Americans as Juneteenth, tools, and language to advocate or Freedom Day. for themselves and others, as well democracy...as well Growing up in Venezuela, I had as engage in meaningful dialogue learned about the Fourth of July as about our similarities and as engage in meaningful the U.S. Independence Day; thus, it differences. Although the school dialogue about our came as a surprise when I migrated year concludes before Juneteenth to the United States and learned occurs in 2022, Windward is similarities and differences.” about “Black Independence Day” demonstrating to its students that from my African American friends. our community is one that believes Perhaps it was expected that as a new immigrant I would in inclusion and belonging even when they are not physically not know all the historical facts of my new place of in school. residency; however, a Gallup survey conducted in 2021 To honor Juneteenth, I invite you to take the time to confirmed that I was not alone in my unfamiliarity with learn more about the history associated with the holiday, Juneteenth, as 60% of Americans knew nothing or very little uplift the stories of Black people, and reflect on what it about the holiday. Social scientists have documented how means to you. Here are three recommendations to learn the legacy of enslavement lives with us today. They have more about Juneteenth: also pointed out that while we have come far, there is still 1. Visit the virtual programing organized by much left to go to achieve true equity amongst all people The Smithsonian National Museum of African living in this country. The recognition of Juneteenth as a American History at nmaahc.si.edu/juneteenth. national holiday is an important step towards reconciling 2. Read the book On Juneteenth by the Pulitzer with our past and moving forward as a nation.

Prize­winning author Annette Gordon­Reed.

Observing Juneteenth at Windward is more than taking a 3. Read The Juneteenth Story by Alliah L. Agostini day off. This move represents the acknowledgment that at with younger readers.

The Windward School we are committed to providing Happy Juneteenth! “mirrors and windows” for all members of our community.

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SUMMER LEARNING LIST Read Watch Listen

Are you interested in diving deeper and learning more about the largely untold stories within the United States? Below you can find a sample of books, websites, podcasts, social media accounts, and more to engage in this summer and beyond. Additional recommendations around a broader range of DEIB­related topics can be found online at www.thewindwardschool.org/DEIB. Thank you to Windward’s DEIB Office, SEED facilitators, and librarians who helped compile these resource lists for children, teens, and adults.

For Children

For Adults

BOOKS

BOOKS

Worm Loves Worm by J. J. Austrian Bowwow Powwow by Brenda J. Child Hello Goodbye Dog by Maria Gianferrari Eyes that Kiss in the Corner by Joanna Ho Beautifully Me by Nabela Noor You are Enough: A Book About Inclusion

by Sofia Sanchez

Glory in Their Spirit: How Four Black Women Took on the Army during World War II by Sandra M. Bolzenius Ordinary Girls by Jaquira Díaz Minor Feelings by Cathy Park Hong Listening is an Act of Love by Dave Isay

Grandad’s Camper by Harry Woodgate

Demystifying Disability by Emily Ladau

MOVIES AND TV SERIES

The (Other) F Word: A Celebration of the Fat and the Fierce edited by Angie Manfredi

Hidden Figures (PG)

For Teens BOOKS

Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger The Pants Project by Cat Clarke Starfish by Lisa Fipps Darius the Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram

Bring this to your library or local bookstore!

Manzanar by John Armor and Peter Wright

Unsinkable: From Russian Orphan to Paralympic Swimming World Champion

by Jessica Tatiana Long Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan

GRAPHIC NOVELS El Deafo by Cece Bell

New Kid by Jerry Craft Gaijin: American Prisoner of War

by Matt Faulkner

MOVIES AND TV SERIES 13th (TV­MA)

Rise: Standing Rock [Parts I & II] (TV­MA) When They See Us (TV­MA)

PODCASTS

Code Switch (NPR) The Disability Visibility Podcast Seeing White (Scene on Radio)

SOCIAL MEDIA

Densho Project (@denshoproject).

Documents the Japanese American past to promote justice and equity today Them (@them). Through the lens of today’s LGBTQ community, Them provides news and commentary on topics ranging from culture and politics to style and entertainment.

WEBSITES AND BLOGS

MOVIES AND TV SERIES

Crutches and Spice (written by Imani Barbarin, a Black woman with cerebral palsy)

On the Basis of Sex (PG­13)

Disability in KidLit (reviews children/teen books that have representations of various disabilities)

CODA (PG­13)

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Introducing Robotics and Coding:

An Evolution of the Computers Curriculum

By Stephanie Huie, Associate Director of Digital Communications & Publications

T

echnology has become enmeshed into the fabric of our society, emerging as a defining feature of the 21st century. A teenager in New Zealand can video chat with their family in New York at the touch of a button.

A commuter can add notes to a meeting agenda in real­

time while they are crossing the sidewalk on their way into the office. If a child is interested in how to build a bicycle, a simple search will bring them access to limitless videos and articles within seconds.

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Meet Charles Vergara, Director of Educational Technology Beginning during the 2021­22 school year, Mr. Vergara joined the community as Windward’s first Director of Educational Technology. He is a native New Yorker, born and raised on the Upper West Side, and a graduate of the Bronx High School of Science.

Mr. Vergara taught kindergarten and second grade at The School at Columbia

A Strategic Commitment to Growth

before focusing on educational technology.

Above all else, Windward is a mission­driven organization that is committed to being a leader in educating children with language­based learning disabilities. The School’s evidence­based curriculum and its proven direct instruction model are two pillars of the Windward Way, and expanding the computers curriculum is a significant step forward in ensuring that the program continues to provide the absolute best educational program for the remediation of language­based learning disabilities.

In 2019, the Board of Trustees developed its latest iteration of the Strategic Plan, Writing the Next Chapter, to guide the school for the next five to seven years. One key focus area identified in the Strategic Plan is investing to support growth, specifically to “leverage technology to advance the mission of The Windward School.”

To begin meeting the benchmarks outlined in Writing the Next Chapter, Windward created the role of Director of Educational Technology to lead the School’s innovation, integration, and implementation of technology within academic programs. Under the director’s guidance, Windward will ensure that its educational technology program affords students the full range of skills they need for success at the next level of their academic careers.

He was the first lower school technology integrator at Ethical Culture Fieldston School before working as the technology coordinator at The Bank Street School for Children.

In his role at Windward, Mr. Vergara collaborates with faculty, staff, and families to ensure that educational technology needs are met. He oversees how instructional strategies and applications will be applied in the classroom and provides the accompanying training so teachers can successfully integrate technological methodologies.

Education BA in English, University of Wisconsin, Madison MA in communication and education, Teachers College, Columbia University EdM in private school leadership, Teachers College, Columbia University

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While the benefits of its impact have been mitigated at times by well­known drawbacks, there is no question that technology has radically improved efficiency, performance, and creativity across all sectors.

The Windward School, recognizing the value of technology and how it can better the world, introduced a pilot program this year that incorporates robotics and coding into the computers curriculum for all fifth­, sixth­, and seventh­grade students. These classes not only help develop students’ computational thinking muscles but also reinforce other important skills such as problem solving and teamwork.

No matter the path that Windward students hope to pursue—becoming tomorrow’s engineers, historians, journalists, professional athletes, or designers, to name a few—the evolution of The Windward School’s computers classes to advance technological literacy will strengthen students’ computational thinking skills to help solve any problem they may face in the future.

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Since beginning his role as Director of Educational Technology in July 2021, Charles Vergara has been driving the pilot program of robotics and coding across all three campuses. In addition to developing the foundation of this evolution of the curriculum, he has also been a critical technology teaching expert to the faculty members who are delivering the lessons.

“Students need a range of learning skills, and what’s exciting about coding is that it is offering another type of learning that Windward students are used to, which is direct instruction,” said Mr. Vergara. “Coding is an iterative model, meaning there is more than one way to solve a problem. In computers class, students have the opportunity to face an open­ended challenge, have the agency to apply unique strategies with the tools they have been taught to use, and find solutions.”

Broadening the Technology Toolkit

The evolution of The Windward School’s computers classes to advance technological literacy will strengthen students’ computational thinking skills to help solve any problem they may face in the future.

Although the curriculum expanded this year for Grades 5–7, the computers class has been one of the “specials” on rotation at Windward since the early 1990s. Historically, the once­a­week class has focused on computer proficiency—keyboarding lessons, the Microsoft Office suite, Teams, file management, Zoom, navigating websites, and shortcuts—with the goal that students would be knowledgeable about operating commonly used tools for all their classes.

“Our students still need to learn practical basics, but we are looking at how computers class can grow to teach more than productivity skills,” said Mr. Vergara. About a third of this year’s computers classes were dedicated to introducing the core ideas of programming, through robotics and coding, to the fifth, sixth, and seventh graders. In its pilot year, the lessons across the three grade levels were similar but adapted to be developmentally appropriate for the students’ abilities.

Because coding can be particularly difficult for students with learning disabilities to access, Mr. Vergara acquired Matatalab coding robot sets as an initial tool for the computers classes. “The bots follow command sequences that the students create, like forward, backward, left, right, and so on,” said Mr. Vergara. “This is a tactile way for students to get immediate feedback, because they see a direct correlation between their code and what the robot does. This is harder to see with computer­based programs, so the robot is an entry point of representing programming in a concrete way.”

The computers classes later progressed from an unplugged screen­free environment with the robots to interacting with coding language on student laptops using the web­ based software called Scratch. The Scratch website allows students to create digital designs, animations, games, and stories with a highly visual and block­based interface.

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Two of the teachers at Westchester Middle School who led the computers classes, Mike Freedman and Tim Lucas, emphasized how Scratch was an excellent learning tool for their students. “The instruction set increased from the bots to Scratch, so the students were able to create complex and creative ideas. It’s not just an elementary level program, as I saw my students performing quite sophisticated sequences,” said Mr. Lucas.

Agreeing, Mr. Freedman said, “From a teaching perspective, we still follow the direct instruction approach, as we introduce these coding concepts in a similar manner to how we introduce concepts in every other class at Windward. We reinforce the vocabulary that students see in Scratch, and we have a sequential way of introducing the material in manageable portions throughout the year. Following the Windward methodology is critical to the success of the computers classes.”

An Inside Look at the Computers Curriculum Multisensory Learning Approach For her Westchester Lower School fifth­grade students, Sara Jo Karger leaned on Windward’s multisensory methodology with every class. Before she even introduced the Matatalab bots, Ms. Karger first led her young learners through a kinesthetic lesson to demonstrate the concept of coding, which is simply directing a computer what to do.

“My classes created a map of the Westchester Lower School floor plan, with starting and ending points,” said Ms. Karger. “We created directions that said how many steps forward before making a turn or how many stairs to go down in order to walk through the building.

So when we went to use the bots, the students clearly understood they were mimicking the same process but giving a sequence of commands for the robot to perform.”

Creative Problem­Solving Mr. Lucas described how his Westchester Middle School seventh­grade students often work together to figure out a problem they’re facing. For example, Scratch operates on a coordinate plane, and one student might be confused about why their animated character is appearing in a different quadrant than intended. “I see the students say things like ‘Let’s try this’ or ‘What if we switched out that’ or ‘We can test this and see what happens.’ It’s encouraging to see how they have this environment with computers to experiment and find solutions together.” Manhattan Middle School Teacher Derek Kirk also added, “This exposure to computational thinking processes will not only give students skills that will enable them to perform robotics and coding activities well, but also instill in them confidence in their approach to problem solving across other content areas as well.”

Cross­Curricular Applications Teachers repeatedly noted how there were a number of crossover opportunities between what they were teaching in computers classes and students’ other academic courses, particularly science and math. In conjunction with their math classes where the Westchester Middle School sixth graders were studying angles, Mr. Freedman demonstrated how the Matatalab robots could be another tool for understanding the topic.

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He placed the bot inside a large, printed clock face, and the students would create sequences so the bot would draw various angle degrees. “The sixth graders used the degree tiles to create code sequences so the bots would draw the angles for different times, such as a 90­degree angle to represent 3 p.m. on a clock. It was fun to see the students recognize how the coding they learned could be applied to have a secondary understanding of angles, and it’s not just a math problem.”

Strengthening Language Strategies No matter the subject area, language is always intentional and reinforced for Windward students, and the computers classes are no exception. Manhattan Middle School Teacher Derek Kirk explained how language was consistently underscored in his classes. “Shortly after reading a lesson aim, every class begins reading aloud a pre­selected list of pertinent key terms and definitions. They refer to them throughout the lesson to check for comprehension and mastery.” Some examples of new vocabulary words that were introduced included debugging (correcting a problem), parameter (modifier), function (a block of code), and event (something that starts an action). Additionally, the fifth, sixth, and seventh graders were familiar with the strategy of tracking text in a book with their finger to help them decode complex language, so they were encouraged to do the same when reviewing their written code in Scratch to look for errors.

Innovative Computational Thinking When using the bots, the students would be challenged to write an accurate code to direct the bots to move across their map landscape to reach its destination. Through their self­directed explorations creating various sequences, the students soon realized that there are always multiple paths to reach the same outcome. “The fifth graders had so much fun with the freethinking that came with seeing there were several different sequences that would move their bot to the correct ending point,” said Ms. Karger. “As we advanced, I would challenge them to perform a sequence with the least amount of tiles to highlight working as efficiently as possible. They would then have to step back and think if they could do the same thing but in an even better way, which, as a teacher, I want as a mindset for my students.”

Emerging Technologies at Windward Launching the pilot program of robotics and coding this past school year was an exciting step for The Windward School in meeting its charge to leverage technology to advance its mission. Looking ahead, Windward plans to formalize a three­year sequence for robotics and coding for the fifth, sixth, and seventh grades in Manhattan and Westchester.

Computer literacy is a modern­day necessity, and the continued growth of the computers curriculum at Windward will be designed to equip students with practical knowledgeability and, moreover, with a greater capacity for sequential, logical processing of problems and solutions.

“The computers classes offer another type of learning environment for students to be confident in and succeed,” said Mr. Vergara. “Our hope is that teaching computational thinking will support students so they can thrive at their next school and in their adult lives, with whatever path they choose.”

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Honoring Our Retirees The Windward School is immeasurably grateful for the combined 83 years of service by retirees Meryl Laub, Diana Rossi, Marsha Finkelstein, and Roberta Plotycia. Enjoy tributes and photos of all our exemplary retirees in the following pages.

Meryl Laub Retires After 26 Years of Dedicated Service to Windward Years ago, Meryl Laub had an a­ha moment that changed the entire trajectory of her professional life. As a product manager for 13 years, Ms. Laub enjoyed the dynamic nature of her work, which emphasized both the creative and analytical sides of business. “At the time, I was working with a large company on a line of fragrances,” she shared. “I reached the point where I just couldn’t feel the urgency of getting the consumer to buy another bottle of fragrance. I said to myself, ‘All right. It’s time to make a change.’”

“Watching [students] light up when the concept clicks— it’s a great feeling to actually see them learning.”

Ms. Laub knew from an early age that she would enjoy teaching, so it was a natural path to pursue. She went back to school for education with a concentration in secondary math, and she never looked back.

Ms. Laub had already received an offer from another school when she interviewed at Windward, but she was so impressed by Windward’s program and the professionalism of the faculty and staff that it felt like an ideal fit. Her instincts were spot on, as she immediately felt a sense of camaraderie with her Windward colleagues and excitement about helping students reach their potential.

Ms. Laub joined the School when there was still a separate high school, which was a rented space in a church with a 1960s design. “The building was quirky, and those of us who were there during those days still joke about how we had to dress for the elements indoors. There were a lot of beautiful, large glass windows, but very little insulation,” Ms. Laub laughed. “But it was a wonderful environment. There was a collegial atmosphere

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among the teachers, and the program served our students so well.”

Ms. Laub’s passion for the Windward Way of teaching eventually prompted Dr. Russell, Head of School at the time, to invite her to fill a newly created role of Team Leader for the eighth grade. Ms. Laub served in this position for four years, and she enjoyed coordinating activities and assisting with all the graduation rituals and events at the end of each year. For a number of years, Ms. Laub also led an after­ school class to help students prepare to take math regents exams. Her commitment to Windward extended through summers, as she collaborated with fellow faculty members on writing the curriculum maps for upcoming school years.

The most gratifying part of Ms. Laub’s work at Windward, she shared, was partnering with her students in their educational journeys. “I have thoroughly enjoyed teaching my students. Watching them light up when the concept clicks—it’s a great feeling to actually see them learning.”

Her enthusiasm for teaching was infectious, as long­time colleague ToniAnn Hutchison shared: “Meryl’s thoughtfulness and compassion consistently shine through. Her sincere dedication to her work along with her strong knowledge of the content is evident every single day as she is always willing to learn and try new techniques, lend a helping hand, and just go the extra mile.”

As she looks toward her retirement, Ms. Laub plans to enjoy pursuits such as playing tennis and taking coursework in design, and, most importantly, spending more time with her family, namely her husband and three children who live nearby. “Of course,” she added, “I can’t just leave math and helping students, so I also plan to tutor occasionally.”

Windward Bids Farewell to Diana Rossi After 20 Years of Care for Students Growing up in the Bronx, Diana Rossi wasn’t sure what her career path would look like.

Of one thing she was certain: she loved helping people. It occurred to her that she could pursue a graduate degree in nursing, and so she enrolled at The College of New Rochelle.

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1. Retirees Diana Rossi, Marsha Finkelstein, Meryl Laub, and Roberta Plotycia 2. Meryl Laub during a math lesson

3. Marsha Finkelstein at the 2010 back-to-school picnic 4 Meryl Laub (front, second from left) at the 2019 Platinum Circle dinner

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1. Meryl Laub and Roberta Plotycia (center) at the 2018 Benefit 2. Meryl Laub (left) with Marilyn Tralongo and Julie Liebman 3. Diana Rossi at her desk in the WMS nurse’s office

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4. Marsha Finkelstein with assistant teachers during the 2011 SIP 5. Marsha Finkelstein with Marc Schrieber

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Post­graduation, she accepted a position at Sound Shore Medical Center, first as an RN for the Coronary Care Unit and then as an ER nurse. She shared, “ER work is challenging, busy, and every day is different.” However, Ms. Rossi found that the schedule was taking its toll as she managed her growing family.

“In order to balance childcare needs, I had been working nights and my husband was working days. Eventually, I decided that it was time to look at working more of a school schedule.”

“I feel that I’ve been able to help in the development of someone’s precious child.

It’s been very rewarding to take that role.”

She acted as a substitute nurse in White Plains for about a year, “just getting to know school nursing and to see whether it was something I wanted to pursue,” she explained. “It was a great experience.”

When Ms. Rossi heard about an opening at Windward, she applied and felt fortunate to land the position. After 10 years of working in an ER, she brought strong triage skills to the table, which came in useful. She noted, “You can spot something emergent and definitely know if someone is not as sick as they may think.

You have to judge that carefully and still be human about it.

Sometimes someone just needs a break and that’s fine!”

The best part of working for Windward, in Ms. Rossi’s eyes, has been the feeling that it is more than a job. “I feel that I’ve been able to help in the development of someone’s precious child. It’s been very rewarding to take that role.” Nurturing long­ term relationships with students was a new experience for her as a nurse, and one that she found fulfilling. She said, “It’s been wonderful watching students throughout their stages of growth, as they come into their own, and their confidence and independence blossom. One year, I may see a child multiple times a day, but the next year I don’t. I always feel proud of their independence, but I also miss seeing them!”

Marilyn Hunt said of Ms. Rossi’s tenure, “The students, staff, faculty, and parents at Westchester Middle School have been blessed to have such a professional, caring nurse looking after our health and safety. Always willing to go above and beyond, Ms. Rossi has shown a strong commitment to our community, chaperoned many eighth­grade overnight trips, and fostered a feeling of security, knowing that the door to the health room was always open to anyone in need.”

Her colleague Colleen Iodice shared, “Diana has been a valued member of the health office at WMS since the campus opened its doors. Throughout her years at Windward, her

warmth, compassion, and dedication to the students, faculty, and staff have been exceptional. She is an excellent nurse and a delightful person, and it has been an honor and a privilege to work with her and call her a friend.”

Ms. Rossi has many reasons to celebrate as she enters her retirement. Her oldest son Chris is expecting his first child this October, and Ms. Rossi and her husband of 33 years, Ronnie, look toward the arrival of their first grandchild with great excitement. Her younger son Mike just got engaged, so wedding festivities are in their future, as well. Finally, Ms. Rossi anticipates spending more time with family, enjoying get­togethers with her husband’s large extended family, traveling to tropical destinations, and doting on the new baby as much as possible.

Windward Salutes Marsha Finkelstein After 20 Years of Educating Students and Teachers Assistant Director of Windward Teacher Training Program Marsha Finkelstein took a meandering path to Windward, but her interests always aligned with education.

After earning her undergraduate degree in sociology and elementary education, Ms. Finkelstein’s first job opportunity was with the Westchester Department of Family and Children’s Services. There, her focus on early education was fitting, and she found the job both challenging and eye­opening.

“Marsha’s incredible energy and passion has supported the creation of a nationally recognized professional development program of excellence.”

Ms. Finkelstein remained in the foster care unit at the Department of Family and Children’s Services until she started her family, shifting her focus for several years to raising her children. When she returned to the workforce, she opened a travel consulting business, which she ran for 10 years.

“Ultimately,” she shared, “I found it less fulfilling than working with children. So, I enrolled at Manhattanville College to pursue my master’s in education.”

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assistant teacher. She explained, “Course work at Windward offered more strategies and foundational knowledge than I ever could have gotten solely through grad school.” She began at Windward as an assistant teacher for seventh grade, and, after one year of training, assumed lead teaching responsibilities. The following year, she moved to fifth grade, an age group she took great delight in teaching. She shared, “Working with Windward students at this developmental stage made every day joyful, despite any challenges.”

Gradually, Ms. Finkelstein gravitated toward facilitating the process of training teachers in Windward’s methodology, first as an Assistant Teacher Staff Developer, then as a Language Arts Coordinator, and finally as Assistant Director of the Teacher Training Program. “I’d never thought I would want to leave the classroom,” she said. “But I realized that I could impact so many more students through developing meaningful and productive relationships with teachers and supporting their learning.”

Under Ms. Finkelstein’s direction, the Summer Intensive Program took on increased importance and became the capstone of the first­year assistant program. She also became an IMSLEC Certified Teacher and, in 2013, was awarded the Greenbaum Stone Master Teacher Award.

Ms. Finkelstein expressed gratitude for the opportunity to work with colleagues who are hard­working, never defeated, and always looking for another Windward strategy to successfully develop a skill for a child. “I truly believe that my role rests on the shoulders of very dedicated Staff Developers in each division and our school’s leadership that whole­heartedly embraces our mission.” She continued, “I have deeply appreciated working closely with Sandy Schwarz and have benefitted from her guidance and encouragement, as well as the daily support of Kim McCrea. And I can’t imagine doing my work without the tremendous support of Betsy Duffy, Lindsay Kennedy, and the language arts coordinators as well as our WI, DEIB, and tech teams.”

Ms. Schwarz shares these sentiments, noting, “Marsha’s incredible energy and passion has supported the creation of a nationally recognized professional development program of excellence. Her determination to ensure that every new member of the Windward faculty feels respected and welcomed has enhanced the inclusive culture of our school.”

Betsy MacDermott­Duffy added, “A longstanding and integral member of the Language Arts team, Marsha exemplifies the dedication, expertise, and hard work that goes into every teaching and supervisory position at the School.”

Lindsay Kennedy shared, “A teacher’s teacher, Marsha always brought her compassion and firm belief in the innate abilities of others to bear in every professional interaction.”

In her retirement, Ms. Finkelstein and her husband Lou plan to visit their son and his family in California and relocate to Boston to be closer to their other children living in that area.

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Roberta Plotycia Gratified by a Career of Twin Passions—Research and Teaching Although known to the Westchester Middle School community as a master language arts teacher, Roberta Plotycia came to education as a second career. In fact, she began her career in the healthcare sector, first as a research technician at Rockefeller University, where she worked in a lab.

She then earned her master’s degree in public health from Columbia University before managing a clinic in the Bronx for the NYC Health + Hospitals Corporation.

Ms. Plotycia soon met her husband, and together they moved to the West Coast as newlyweds, as her husband continued his ophthalmology training. Relocating to San Diego was a major change for the lifelong New Yorker and proud Pelham resident, but Ms. Plotycia returned to the research world within the biochemistry department at The Scripps Research Institute. The couple welcomed their first son while living in California, but before long, the family of three moved back to her hometown in New York.

“Everything that Windward does is a research approach to education, and I have enjoyed the scientific basis to how we teach reading.”

The family grew to five as Ms. Plotycia became a mother to three boys, and she stayed home to raise her children. “During that time, I began doing volunteer work at the Pelham School District at every level,” said Ms. Plotycia. And she certainly did it all! “I published the newsletter for the elementary school. At the high school, I was head of fundraising, helped with interviewing teachers, was PTA president, supported the guidance office, was a nominated member of the Board of Ed Citizens Committee, and a participant in the accreditation for the Pelham schools.”

As her sons grew older and after being immersed in school life for many years, Ms. Plotycia decided to pursue her long­held interest in education. She attended graduate classes at night and earned her master’s degree in education from the College of New Rochelle.

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When considering where she might look to teach, Ms. Plotycia had heard about one school in particular—The Windward School. “My neighbor had gotten a job at Windward’s lower school, and my sons’ best friend went to Windward as a student. I then saw an ad in the newspaper for Windward teachers.” Ms. Plotycia smiled as she recalled thinking at the time, “Maybe I’ll be a temp,” not realizing then that she would call Windward home for the next 17 years.

In September 2005, Ms. Plotycia started her teaching career as an assistant working in eighth grade language arts with Jill Fedele. “I took to Windward’s program really quickly, and it was interesting to me that the methodology was a great fit for someone like me with a science background.” Ms. Plotycia explained that the expository writing techniques that Windward teaches are logical and highly structured, which she likened to the orderly formatting of a science report with which she was familiar. “Everything that Windward does is a research approach to education, and I have enjoyed the scientific basis to how we teach reading.”

Ms. Plotycia was recognized for her outstanding teaching in the classroom and her high level of devotion and was named the Isabel Greenbaum Stone Master Teacher Award winner in 2019. Colleague and friend Meryl Laub echoed similar sentiments and said, “Roberta relates well to students and is devoted to helping them succeed. She dug in, always giving her work a meaningful effort.”

There were many highlights, but Ms. Plotycia said, “I will miss this population at Windward. The teachers I work with are fantastic—everyone is incredibly bright—and this has been a stimulating environment and place to work.”

In her retirement, Ms. Plotycia plans to return to her volunteer roots. She is an avid animal lover, so she intends to dedicate time to the Bronx Zoo and the Humane Society.

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1. Marsha Finkelstein (third from left) with the former Windward Teacher Training Institute team in 2019 2. Roberta Plotycia in 2019 3. Roberta Plotycia being named the 2019 Stone Master Teacher

4. Diana Rossi with her son, Chris 5. Roberta Plotycia (second from left) with a former student, Oliver Jacobi (center)

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Faculty & Staff News and Milestones Pierce Yamaoka Entertains and Inspires as Activist Musician WMS Teacher Pierce Yamaoka is smashing conventions around classical music, all while raising funds for worthy causes, as an activist musician and organizer with Protestra. Founded in 2017, this cohort of mainly orchestral musicians is based in New York City but receives donations and support from all over the country. Protestra aims to “use [their] art to speak out against injustice and speak truth to power.” As part of their mission, the non­profit organization holds benefit concerts for like­minded charities, programs their repertoire with a lens toward highlighting diverse composers, shares resources, and invites guest speakers for panel discussions on timely topics.

Mr. Yamaoka is an accomplished trumpeter, and he earned two music degrees before arriving at Windward.

He was invited to join the group as an organizer and trumpeter in 2020, and he participated in their first concert on September 10, 2020, for the event series Take a Stand, titled A Concert for Black Lives. The concert was fully virtual, live streamed from musicians’ homes, and included a panel discussion organized by Mr. Yamaoka about current issues related to race. Intended to raise funds for the NAACP legal fund and Black classical music educators, the concert had an impressive turnout and raised $3,000. “Our goal with these pop­up concerts is to create an interactive experience for the audience, inspiring activism by utilizing multimedia education and engaging in dialogue about the theme of the show,” Mr. Yamaoka explained.

In May 2021, Protestra presented their first in­person concert for their Music in Action series, titled Heritage Against Hate. Timed to coincide with Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) month, the concert featured works by AAPI­ identifying musicians and included an accompanying art show and a discussion hosted by Asian Musical Voices of America.

The majority of the proceeds were donated to Café Maddy Cab and Heart of Dinner, two local organizations supporting the AAPI community in New York City.

“Our ultimate goal is to effect positive change by inspiring engagement in the community by showcasing diverse classical music selections,” said Mr. Yamaoka. “In the coming years, the organization hopes to move away from our current spontaneous, pop­up concert model and toward planning seasons that center around a social justice topic.”

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Fifteen Represent Windward at Annual NYSAIS People of Color Dinner

On March 10, faculty and staff members representing all Windward campuses attended the yearly gathering of NYSAIS professionals of color at Horace Mann School. Attendees gathered for a networking dinner followed by a keynote presentation by Dylan Marron. Pictured are: (standing) AV Production Coordinator Harri Ramkishun, WMS Teacher Atolani Ladipo, MMS Teacher Shirley Hwang, The Windward Institute Administrative Assistant Erikka Ramkishun, MMS Teacher Ilana Sinay, WMS Teacher Katherine Kaneko, WLS Teacher Allie Amazan, Benefits Administrator Isabel Hernandez, WLS Teacher Cortney Stanley, (kneeling) WMS Teacher Michelle Gonzalez, Associate Director of Digital Communications & Publications Stephanie Huie, MMS Teacher Karen Jimenez, Outplacement Director Tanya Ehrlich, and Director of Human Resources Jada Jones. WMS Teacher Andrew Tan was in attendance but not pictured.

Read Aloud Series for AAPI Heritage Month To honor Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, the language arts department hosted a special read­ aloud series for students across campuses. MMS Teacher Shirley Hwang read Playing at the Border: A Story of Yo-Yo Ma by Joanna Ho to grades 6 and 7. Grade 6 also participated in a read aloud with Director of Information Technology Dr. Kwamé LaBassiere, who read Mop Rides the Waves of Life by Jaimal Yogis. WMS Teacher Katherine Kaneko read aloud Niki Nakayama: A Chef’s Tale in 13 Bites to grade 3.

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First March Madness Read Aloud Tournament When people think of March Madness, they most likely think about the popular college basketball tournament. But this March, Windward held its very own March Madness bracket... with read alouds! The idea for the read aloud tournament was suggested by WLS Teacher Kelly O’Neill, the books competing in the bracket were selected by WLS Librarian Joan Girardi, and Coordinators of Language Arts Jessica Sorna and Sarah Golden organized the effort across the lower schools.

Over the span of three weeks, special guest readers joined Manhattan and Westchester Lower School students in Grades 1–4 during their read­aloud period. Each special guest read a book to the group. After every two books, the students voted for their favorite story to ultimately select a March Madness Read Aloud Tournament champion for their campus. The special guests who participated in the tournament were: MMS Assistant Division Head Jeremy Bletterman, Director of Language Arts and Instruction Betsy Duffy (pictured), Assistant Head of School for Enrollment Management Beth Foltman, Head of MLS and MMS Danny Kass, Director of DEIB Romina Pacheco, Head of WLS Alexis Pochna, WLS Assistant Division Head Amanda Rathbun, Associate Head of School Jon Rosenshine, MLS Assistant Division Head Lori Squillante, WLS Nurse Claudia Toledo, and Head of School Jamie Williamson.

At MLS, If Kids Ruled the World, read to the students by Mr. Bletterman, was the tournament champion. At WLS, the tournament champion was The Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors, which was read by Ms. Toledo.

Laura Bellizzi Inspires Student Action Through Community Service

A true embodiment of living by example, Manhattan Coordinator of Social Studies and Student Council Advisor Laura Bellizzi gives back to her community in her free time as a volunteer for BUILD NYC, an entrepreneurship program that serves high school students in under­resourced communities throughout New York City.

The BUILD NYC program teaches students how to establish and operate a successful business, with mentorship spanning from product development to manufacturing to sales. During sales pitches, students share their business proposals with a panel of volunteers in hopes of securing an investment (Imagine Shark Tank for teens.). “As a panelist, my role is to listen to student presentations, provide positive, constructive feedback, and determine who will receive an investment to grow their business,” Ms. Bellizzi explained.

As evidenced by her work with this program, Ms. Bellizzi is passionate about helping students find their voices and share their ideas with confidence. “BUILD helps students prepare for a future career in the business world by developing their communication, collaboration, problem solving, executive functioning, and innovation skills,” she noted. “One of the organization’s biggest goals is to promote social equity and create more diverse work environments in the field of business.”

In fact, Ms. Bellizzi’s commitment to BUILD NYC has inspired two of her colleagues, MMS teachers Liz Cerabino and Casey Amos, to volunteer for the organization as well.

In her role as advisor to the MMS student council, Ms. Bellizzi imparts upon students a drive to serve their community, both internal and external to Windward. “Our primary goals within the Student Council are to promote kindness, to teach students how to be good citizens, and to give students a platform to share their voices,” Ms. Bellizzi shared.

As pandemic­related limitations have lifted, Ms. Bellizzi has helped the MMS student council resume community service initiatives. By modeling service to others, Ms. Bellizzi inspires her students to do the same, empowering them to effect positive change within their communities.

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Faculty & Staff News and Milestones Tomas Endter Wins 7th Annual Yale Young Native Playwright’s Contest In April, the Yale Indigenous Performing Arts Program (YIPAP) announced that Manhattan Middle School Assistant Teacher Tomas Endter was one of two winners of the 7th Annual Yale Native Playwright Contest for their play Built on Bones. As one of the contest winners, Mx. Endter was paired with a professional Native playwright mentor and director to further develop the play before a staged reading performance at the YIPAP Festival in May. The entire cast of the staged reading constisted of Indigenous actors, and the performance is available on YIPAP’s Facebook page.

Built on Bones is set in the Saskatchewan province of Canada, where police are targeting Indigenous locals by picking them up in their vehicles and dropping them off miles outside of town in the middle of the harsh Canadian winter, leading to many freezing deaths. This practice, known as “starlight tours,” comes to the forefront as the play highlights how a couple— an Indigenous woman and a White male attorney—navigate their own relationship when the lawyer is called to defend a police officer who perpetrated one of the killings. Built on Bones explores the history of this specific type of police brutality towards Indigenous people and the moral dilemmas posed when confronting the complexities of integrity, justice, and truth.

Mx. Endter began writing Built on Bones during the Summer of 2020 but has developed several other plays over the years, all with a focus on telling Indigenous stories.

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“I want to write Indigenous stories with majority Indigenous characters. They are hard to get staged, but I want to define the narratives for the stories that I want to do. My ultimate goal is to get something staged on Broadway that is Indigenous written, directed, or acted,” said Mx. Endter, who is a member of the Nehithaw Nation, from Lac La Ronge.

Although playwrighting is their preferred medium now, Mx. Endter has also acted and was a founder of the Fair Verona Shakespeare Company at their high school in Wisconsin. In fact, it was during a performance of The Tempest that Mx. Endter realized that theater was what they wanted to pursue in earnest.

“There’s something wonderful about how theater is temporal in nature, in that each individual performance brings something new and will never be the same,” said Mx. Endter. “The next day’s show might be similar, but every performance will be its own exciting capsule that can’t be repeated. Something can always go wrong or go brilliantly, and that is what’s so exciting about the stage.”

Mx. Endter graduated with a BFA in dramatic arts from The New School of Drama shortly before joining The Windward School as a non­instructional aide in November 2020 at the Manhattan campus. They were struck by Windward’s care for language as its core mission, sharing, “The ability for someone to have the capacity to tell their own stories is one of the most important things someone can have for self­determinism in life.

Learning how to tell your own narrative and advocating for yourself is critical, and those skills have helped me become someone who can choose who I am and what I do. I wanted to get into education to facilitate that for anybody who might need it.”

This school year, Mx. Endter began a new role as a Manhattan Middle School assistant teacher, working in both language arts and drama classes. Although there have been some COVID­related restrictions for the drama program, Mx. Endter is looking forward to contributing to future performances at the Manhattan campus soon.

Please note that they/them pronouns and gender-neutral honorifics are used in this article.

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1. Kofi John Glover was born on February 4 to Associate Director of Development Alana Clemente­Glover.

2. Maxwell Aaron Fulco was born on March 7 to Manhattan Lower & Middle Schools Guidance Counselor Lauren Fulco. He weighed 7 lbs. 14 oz. and was 20 ½ inches tall.

3. Manhattan Lower School Teacher Kate Sullivan celebrated the birth of Vaughn Margaret Sullivan on April 16. She weighed 7 lbs. 13 oz.

4. Ethan Joseph Litvinskiy was born on May 7 to Westchester Lower School Assistant Teacher Loredana Foti. He weighed 7 lbs. 7 oz. and was 20 inches tall.

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Faculty & Staff Compete in Basketball Game for WLS Gym Debut For the grand opening of the Westchester Lower School gym on April 8, the faculty and staff played an inaugural basketball game to mark the occasion. Players from all three campuses competed on the two team—Sailors and Anchors—with coaching support from Head of School Jamie Williamson and Associate Head of School Jon Rosenshine. The matchup was played with professionalism and competitive spirit, with dozens of colleagues cheering from the bleachers. It was a close game, but the Anchors ended up with the win after a final score of 28­24. Players and spectators then enjoyed a post­match happy hour gathering in the WLS lobby.

2022 Spring Benefit Raises $876,000 for Tuition Assistance and Teacher Salaries & Benefits On April 30, Windward hosted its Spring Benefit at Cipriani 42nd Street.

The event honored former Board Chair and alumni parents, Devon Fredericks and Eli Zabar, and President and Director of Research at Haskins Laboratories, Dr. Ken Pugh. The evening's program was hosted by the Master of Ceremonies and alumni parent, Peter Hermann. Guests enjoyed hearing stories from the honorees, alumni Hayven Green '20 and Reed Switzer '19, and Windward teachers Matt Bloom '13 and Alexandra Frelinghuysen.

The evening also included a live and silent auction and paddle raise, which totaled $876,000 in funds raised. Special thanks to the event co­ chairs, Stephanie Mack and Anike Wariebi, and the auction committee, Francesca Breheney, Cris Carofano, Anna Lansberg, Blaine Peck, Joanna Rego, Tara Rodriguez, and Amerika Williamson, for all their efforts in making the night a success!

Steve Marlowe, Mike Wariebi, Benefit Co-Chair and Trustee Anike Wariebi, and Trustee Sandip Singh

Peter Hermann and Head of School Jamie Williamson

Axel Getz '14, Daniel Tanenbaum '16, Harry Zimmerman '12, Evan Cygler '06, Denis O'Leary III '06, Melissa Strauss '15, Corey Feldman '06, Grace Halvey '16, and Emily Walsh '16 Honoree Ken Pugh and Hayven Green '20

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Faculty & Staff Profile

Danielle Scorrano

and Her Limitless Curiosity for the World of Reading

By Stephanie Huie, Associate Director of Digital Communications & Publications

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doctor. A politician. An international spy. These were all different paths that Danielle Scorrano had considered following (some more seriously than others) as a young woman. “As a kid, I had an insatiable natural curiosity for everything I encountered, and I’ve always been inspired by strong women to explore the world around me.”

Ms. Scorrano believes her sense of curiosity was due in part to her upbringing. She was born in Orlando, Florida, where her mother’s side of the family resides, and she recalls many trips in her early years to the zoo and the Sea World theme park, where she learned about natural wonders of the Earth. However, her family moved to Westchester when she was in the third grade, so Ms. Scorrano fully considers herself “a ride or die New Yorker.” In school, she was a keen soccer player who was never more joyful than when she was on the field. She also started coaching others herself at the young age of 10.

“But I also had this quality about me as a kid, which I can now align with Susan Cain’s concept of bittersweet,” said Ms. Scorrano. “While I appreciated the beauty and joy of life, I felt deeply about the loss, grief, and uncertainty that comes with being human. So I wanted to pursue a career that enabled me to do something about it.” This perspective led Ms. Scorrano to follow through on one of her earliest ambitions —politics. In college, she majored in political science and international business and worked for a senator, focusing on health care and social issues. Later, Ms. Scorrano focused on environmental lobbying.

Although she enjoyed the thrill of politics, she missed the community and learning brought by education. She reflected on her values of curiosity, community, and service, and looked again to the strong women she admired and examined why.

“Many women in my family are teachers, and I found so much joy coaching soccer, so I thought that teaching would better align with my passions.”

Following her undergraduate studies at Loyola University Maryland, Ms. Scorrano worked with AmeriCorps in Baltimore, teaching high schoolers and coaching soccer. She next moved back to New York and taught social studies at a charter school, while starting courses for her master’s degree in education at Manhattanville College. But then 28

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Ms. Scorrano took a pause. In these pursuits, she wanted to learn in a school community that provided the tools for her to be a more deliberate teacher, and she found Windward.

“Windward was the perfect school for me that offered on­the­job training. I was able to learn all about the theories and concepts about what it meant to be an effective teacher and apply those immediately in the classroom. The layers of classes and comprehensive deep dive into the Windward student population were exceptional, but the real secret sauce was the relationships.”

Ms. Scorrano shared that her mentors Tanya Ehrlich, Colleen McGlynn, and Diane Schonberger, as well as members of her cohort like Jeremy Bletterman and Katherine Kaneko (“the dream team” as she called it), made her first years at Windward so memorable. Additionally, Ms. Scorrano recalls that being a part of the cohort of lead teachers to open up the Manhattan campus, under Leslie Zuckerwise’s leadership, were “the best times.” She said, “The first year we were on two floors at the 97th Street building on the Upper West Side. In those days, we knew what we had to do to make the year a success, despite its challenges. There was no hesitation to help each other because we were in it together.”

The Manhattan team moved into its permanent campus location on the Upper East Side the following year, and Ms. Scorrano continued teaching in the middle school. She was in the classroom for seven years, but, over time, her journey progressed more towards studying the research behind Windward’s methodology. She said, “As a teacher, I knew that what I was doing was working, but I wanted to understand why this instruction was so effective.” Ms. Scorrano was

Ms. Scorrano’s Top 3 Inspirational Women 1. Brené Brown 2. Robin Roberts 3. 1999 US Women’s National Soccer Team

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gratified by the opportunity to be the Windward’s first research associate, where she could dedicate time to directly translate her teaching experience to research, a position which was created by Dr. Jay Russell and Sandy Schwarz.

“I caught the research bug after connecting with Jon Rosenshine, an important mentor for me, after my first year as an assistant,” said Ms. Scorrano. “I had asked Jon for book recommendations about character education, and we met for lunch every week afterwards to discuss socioemotional learning and resilience.” They initially talked about what it meant to educate students from a character perspective, which led to unpacking the potential of how research can inform educators. Ms. Scorrano and Mr. Rosenshine developed their findings first into an internal professional development presentation before being asked to jointly present at the 2018 Fall Community Lecture.

During the 2020–21 school year, Ms. Scorrano transitioned to becoming a full­time staff member of The Windward Institute team as the Research & Development Director. In this role, she has taken the lead with planning the professional development opportunities offered by the WI, from organizing the scope and sequence of courses to creating new classes. This past year alone, The Windward Institute developed 15 new WI courses, which involved Ms. Scorrano coaching new instructors and creating class materials.

She also has coordinated Windward’s tutoring project with the Promise Project Clinic and collaborated on the in­school neuroscience study with Haskins Laboratories. Ms. Scorrano is a lead content creator as well, writing articles for The Beacon, the monthly WI newsletters, and various learning tools.

Of course, Ms. Scorrano also successfully launched and is the host of the READ Podcast, which has amassed nearly 30,000 downloads from listeners in 85 countries across the globe. “The idea for READ came up because I was interested in connecting science and story to illuminate the research related to advocacy and education.”

The past couple of years have been a period of reinvention for Ms. Scorrano as she, along with The Windward Institute team, boldly stepped in to lead a rebranded division of The Windward School and navigate through a pandemic.

“Working with Annie Stutzman, Najah Frazier, Erikka Ramkishun, Asante Robinson, and Harri Ramkishun has

been exceptional. The support we have given each other and the way we have challenged each other to fulfill our mission has been second to none.”

The road ahead will be busy for Ms. Scorrano, as she looks to complete her doctorate studies at the Johns Hopkins University School of Education this year. As for The Windward Institute: “Our team has surprised itself in the impact we have made, as we have already surpassed our initial benchmarks in our second year.

But I’m hopeful that we can build upon our momentum and continue to be a bridge and facilitator between the research and the educational community. So long as there are children in need of reading support, we will remain steadfast in our work as advocates and disruptors of the educational status quo.”

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NEWS AROUND THE SCHOOL A brief recap of some of the many activities that happened across all four campuses January 3

MLS Blubber Experiment Fifth­grade students in Ms. Kao and Ms. Simon’s science class studied the effects of blubber on animals’ body temperature by placing their hands into a tub of ice water. Their hands, placed inside a premade bag of Crisco to simulate the effect of an animal’s blubber, stayed warm!

February 2

WLS Studies Inuit Culture After reading the book The Gift of the Inuksuk

by Michael Ulmer, third graders in Ms. Belgrove’s class made their own inuksuit, which are stone figures that mark guideposts, hunting grounds, fishing locations, travel routes, and more for the Inuit.

January 25

Mr. Eberhard Joins WMS Basketball Team for Drills It’s always important to warm up before games! Before one of their match­ups, Coach Eberhard joined the eighth and ninth­ grade boys’ basketball team for some drills in the gym.

January 31

MMS Lunar New Year Door Couplets Throughout the month of January, MMS sixth­grade students in Ms. Hwang’s art classes worked to create Chinese door couplets to hang up for the Lunar New Year. Traditionally, they are poetic lines, but Windward’s door couplets include Chinese characters that convey the sixth graders’ wishes for 2022— strength, courage, happiness, love, and good luck!

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February 4

Lower School Dresses Down for Winter Olympics Day Students, faculty, and staff in both Manhattan and Westchester were invited to dress in the colors of their favorite national flag. Thank you to Ms. Simon for sharing this photo of her MLS students.

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February 4

WLS Artists Share “We Are Hard Workers” Each of Ms. DiGiacamo’s fifth­grade students was responsible for coloring in one of a number of pre­ printed designs. The class assembled their designs to reveal the message “We are hard workers,” a motto for their homeroom.

February 11

MMS Participates in JelloQuake Lab

February 8

Black History Month at Windward

February 14

Live Theater Back at Windward!

WMS sixth­grade drama students delivered knockout performances in Curtain Call, an original production that featured selections from a number of favorite musical classics like Guys and Dolls, Matilda, School of Rock, and more.

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NEWS AROUND THE SCHOOL

In honor of Black History Month, students across Windward campuses attended community meetings hosted by DEIB Campus Advisors. The meetings included the history of Black History Month, contributions of notable African­American figures, and ways to support and celebrate throughout February. Pictured are the WMS student presenters, along with Ms. Ehrlich and Mr. Eberhard.

Sixth­grade students had a blast with a JelloQuake lab in Ms. Van Voorhis and Mr. Valenzuela’s science class. Students learned about earthquake­proof architecture and built their own earthquake­proof structures with raw spaghetti and marshmallows. Structures were tested by an earthquake simulation using a handheld back massager!

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February 17

WLS Grade 5 Adopts a Turtle

NEWS AROUND THE SCHOOL

After reading The Poison Frog Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner, a story about an endangered species protection program, Ms. Cohen’s language arts class virtually adopted a loggerhead turtle named Eau­lympia from Loggerhead Marinelife Center.

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February 17

WPA Sponsors Author Visits for Windward Students

Windward students participated in virtual author/illustrator visits hosted by the Windward Parents Association (WPA).

Lower school students were visited by illustrator Rafael Lopez, while middle school students were visited by author Kwame Alexander. Thank you to the WPA for making these visits possible for our students!

February 25

Lower School Students Virtually Visit the NY Chinese Cultural Center Lower school students participated in a virtual field trip with the NY Chinese Cultural Center to celebrate Lunar New Year. Pictured are MLS fourth­grade students in Ms. Nordgren’s class using colorful scarves as they enthusiastically learn the choreography for ribbon dancing.

February 27

WMS Raises $1,000+ for American Heart Association Each February, students across Windward campuses participate in different activities for Heart Healthy Month. At WMS, students brought in donations to participate in a Hoops for Heart basketball challenge with a surprise teammate Head of School Mr. Williamson.

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March 2 & 3

Two MSAL Championships for MMS Boys & Girls Basketball After incredible seasons, both the Grades 7 & 8 Boys and Girls MMS basketball teams won the 2022 Middle School Athletic League (MSAL) Championship! On March 2, the girls claimed the first­ever MSAL title given to the Manhattan campus. The next day, the boys team were also awarded the title. Congratulations to both teams and coaches for making Windward history!

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March 4

WLS Makes Heart Art

March 7

WMS Recognizes Women’s History Month

NEWS AROUND THE SCHOOL

Inspired by the work of Keith Haring, WLS artists created their own illustrations of active healthy hearts in art class. The fifth graders were guided by their teachers, Ms. Adams and Ms. DeLuca.

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Seventh­grade students in Ms. Ewing’s WMS language arts class read A Strong Right Arm, the biography of Mamie “Peanut” Johnson, the starting pitcher for the Indianapolis Clowns from 1953–1955. Peanut Johnson was one of only three women to ever play professional baseball alongside men, and the first woman to pitch in the league formerly known as The Negro League.

March 10

WLS Scientists Dissect Squid Pictured are fifth­grade students using dissecting tools to examine the internal and external features of a squid.

March 15

First­Ever March Madness Read Aloud Over the span of three weeks, seven special guest readers joined MLS and WLS students in Grades 1–4 to read a book to the group. At MLS, If Kids Ruled the World, read to the students by Mr. Bletterman, was the tournament champion. At WLS, the tournament champion was The Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors, which was read by Ms. Toledo. Pictured is Head of School Mr. Williamson during his read aloud.

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March 29

Lower School Students Learn About Maya Lin for Women’s History Month For Women’s History Month, fifth­grade students at both MLS and WLS researched Maya Lin during their library class. Students created PowerPoint presentations and presented them to their classmates. Pictured are students from Mr. Arnold’s MLS class.

April 8

WLS Celebrates New Gym Opening

April 23

Westchester Students Participate in CommUNITY Service Day

May 9

WMS Delivers Knockout Drama Performances

Thanks to the Windward Parents Association for hosting CommUNITY Service Day and the annual book fair for Westchester families at the WMS campus.

After months of preparation and rehearsals, WMS drama students produced an exhilarating rendition of the play Peter and the Starcatcher. Bravo to the cast and crew!

May 15

WPA Hosts Manhattan Spring Fair Extravaganza The Windward Parents Association hosted a spring fair for MLS and MMS, which included the book fair, carnival games, community service projects, and other activities for the community.

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With the WLS gym doors open for the first time, students were thrilled to play basketball games and relay activities during PE class (with some teachers joining in on the fun).

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Alumni News & Notes 2007 Samantha Leavitt sent her regards and the following message for the community: “Windward changed my life in the best way possible. I am so happy to see it continues to have the same impact on other students year after year.”

2011 Ryan Gottfried is a co­founder of the company UtilizeCore, which he launched with two fellow University of Michigan alumni in 2016. In November, Ryan (pictured in middle) and his co­founders received the Forbes 30 Under 30 Award in enterprise technology for bettering the business­to­business world. UtilizeCore is the leading technology company for the service delivery industry, matching companies with repair and maintenance subcontractors, and the company has seen contracts worth a total of over $1 billion completed on its platform.

2012 Tyler Karow quit his job in September 2019, with the objective of free climbing El Capitan (El Cap) via the Golden Gate route in Yosemite National Park. He accomplished the ground­up free ascent of El Cap successfully last spring, and the feat was highlighted by Outside Online in the article “Big News on El Cap: First New Route in Years, and a Fast Free Golden Gate Ascent.” That mission of Tyler’s turned into two years of living on the road in a van and climbing full time. He shared, “Climbing has brought me to some of the most beautiful places on Earth and allowed me to meet so many incredible humans. I feel absurdly lucky and grateful that I have been able to pursue this passion.” Although Tyler’s life on the road is taking a pause, he has been documenting his adventures in big wall climbing on his YouTube channel and highlight videos can be viewed there (search for Tyler Karow). He suggests taking a peek at the Krygystan and Alaska expedition videos, as those are two of his favorites.

Zoe Stein co­founded a political consulting firm called Relentless. The firm is focused on helping Democratic campaigns and organizations build creative, data­driven relational­first programs at scale. In April,

Zoe and her partners were featured in a Politico article “‘If we do this right…’: The new Dem organizing strategy catching fire ahead of the midterms” where Zoe discusses how her experience working as a director on Senator Jon Ossoff’s campaign to win Georgia in 2021 has fueled Relentless’s mission. Last year in July, Zoe was also a guest on The Great Battlefield podcast in the episode titled “Organizing, Civic Engagement and Climate Justice with Zoe Stein.” She reflected on how her time at Windward has supported her in becoming an excellent staff trainer and creative problem solver.

“Before Windward, not only could I not read but I couldn’t advocate for what I needed. I was really lucky to have people advocating for me at a young age. This is a privilege not every kid gets, and I am immensely grateful and feel a responsibility to provide that opportunity to others.”

2013 Chris Licata graduated from Southern Methodist University in 2017 with a major in real estate finance. He is now living in Manhattan, where he works in real estate finance.

Jacob Silberstein attended Windward for three years before ultimately graduating from Columbia University. He is now working in sustainable real estate development.

2015 Matt Licata graduated from Bentley University in 2019 where he studied sustainability science and business.

He then received an MBA in sustainable innovations from the University of Vermont in 2020. Matt is now an analyst at Deloitte.

Melissa Strauss graduated from Dickinson College in 2019.

She is passionate about sports and youth development and began working with the nonprofit Up2Us Sports as an AmeriCorps VISTA member in the fall of 2019. Following that role, Melissa was offered a fellowship in a graduate program for sports management, with a focus on sports­based youth development. Her ultimate goal is to develop youth programs or a junior development program for a major league sports team.

Melissa credits her Windward coaches like Ms. Hunt, who encouraged her to take risks and step outside of her comfort zone.

At Windward, she ran track for the first time, which is the sport she was recruited

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

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for at Dickinson. She shared, “As an alumna, a special place in my heart will always be reserved for the education, the teachers, and the Windward community of which I will always be a member. Without Windward’s strategies and community, I wouldn’t have emerged into the student I am today, nor have become the confident person pursuing my passion.”

Peter Sweeney was working at Goldman Sachs when he took note of an emerging trend, which led him to co­found a private investing platform called ALAO Invest. ALAO stands for Act Like an Owner, an homage to one of his dad’s favorite pieces of advice. This platform connects influencers with promising young companies, allowing them to invest in and facilitate long­term equity­based partnerships. But Peter’s journey started many years before at Windward’s Westchester Middle School, where Windward provided him with the foundational skills to set in motion everything that followed.

He learned to outline before writing, read the story twice, always annotate, and ask for help when in doubt. The theme underlying all these lessons, and the one Peter has returned to again and again, is to have confidence in his own abilities.

2019 Grace Desiderio began working as a non­instructional aide at Windward’s Westchester Middle School campus in February. She said, “I have always wanted to work at Windward, as it has been my dream for a very long time. I have been able to interact with faculty and students again, which has been so amazing!

Windward will always be a big part of my life and will ALWAYS be my home.”

Reed Switzer returned to the Windward as the 2022 Dream Big event speaker on March 1. Hosted by the Alumni Office and Windward Parents Association, Reed presented to both the Manhattan and Westchester Middle Schools. He shared the story of his journey from Windward student to CEO of Fintech company Hopscotch before a Q&A session with the audience. The entire Switzer family and former administrators came out to support Reed, including his brothers who are also Windward alumni. Pictured are Head of WMS Chris Eberhard, brother Clay Switzer ’20, dad and former trustee Lou Switzer, mom Gina Switzer, Reed, brother Ty Switzer ’21, grandmother Teri Abandonato, former Head of School Dr. Jay Russell, Associate Head of School Jon Rosenshine, and former Director of Admissions Maureen Sweeney.

2017 John Cunniff attended Windward from fourth to eighth grade before heading to Fox Lane High School in Bedford.

He attended New York University, where he was president of the NYU Cybersecurity Lab and earned a degree in computer science. John is now working as a software engineer in NYC.

To submit a note, share your Windward memories, or give notice of a deceased alum/na for the next issue, please email alumni@thewindwardschool.org.

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Alumni News & Notes 2019 Axel Whamond is a standout forward on the Johns Hopkins men’s soccer team. His athletic accolades include: Honorable Mention All­Centennial Conference (2021), First Team CoSIDA Academic All­District (2020), and Centennial Conference Academic All­Conference (2021). Axel is in his junior year, and he is studying applied mathematics. He earned academic honor roll in both 2020 and 2021.

2021 Charlie Dillon is graduating from Choate Rosemary Hall.

In the fall, he will be attending the University of Chicago.

Ty Switzer was recruited to play for the men’s tennis team at the University of Virginia.

Adina Weinbaum attends Quinnipiac University and is majoring in nursing. In high school, she received the Social Studies Faculty Award from the history department, and she was a member of the honor society. Adina said, “Windward was a huge part of my success in high school, as I learned that no matter my learning struggles I can succeed with the right tips and tricks.”

academic potential. Edukate began as a project for a 10th grade class at the Dwight School, as Mina “wanted to help children like me get access to the resources they need to have the best possible education.” In terms of creating her nonprofit, Mina explained that her own Windward journey provided important background knowledge for her project, including an understanding of the requirements to get a formal diagnosis of dyslexia, having an IEP, and transitioning from a special education environment to a mainstream school. Her firsthand experience and additional research helped Mina create a business plan and website to form the nonprofit. Upon reflecting on her experience as a Windward student, Mina said, “I was so excited to be able to learn in a way that made sense to me and to have friends in my classes going through the same struggles with learning like me. Windward taught me how to enjoy learning, advocate for myself in and out of school, and to be confident with my work.

This is what I’m trying to do with Edukate.”

2023 Will Coale, Andrew Greenspan, and Will Erdmann have continued playing lacrosse together as teammates for Brunswick School. Their former Westchester Middle School teacher, Alex Frelinghuysen, cheered them on during their team’s victory at a game in April.

2022 Douglas Forbes is graduating from Salisbury School. He had a signing ceremony to confirm his intent to play football for Kenyon College.

Mina Karsevar started a nonprofit called Edukate, whose aim is to positively impact middle school students with dyslexia by supporting their academic career in high school and beyond by providing access to resources that will help them meet their

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

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Become an Alumni Ambassador Co-chaired by Denis O’Leary ’06 and Grace Desiderio ’19, Windward’s Alumni Ambassador Program will comprise passionate alumni representatives who will deepen engagement with the Windward alumni community through an array of initiatives that supports, strengthens, and increases our alumni community worldwide.

Our alumni ambassadors will be involved with:

The success of our alumni validates

• Contributing to the bi­annual alumni newsletter

Windward’s teaching methodology and

• Making thank you calls to alumni donors

pedagogy to reaffirm that students with

• Fundraising for the Windward Fund • Planning and hosting alumni events

dyslexia and other language­based

• Networking with fellow alumni

learning disabilities, if given the right

• Speaking opportunities with current students/families

support, can accomplish great things.

If you are interested in becoming an alumni ambassador, visit www.thewindwardschool.org/ambassador or email alumni@thewindwardschool.org.

2024 Jordan Canedy invited former Windward classmates and teachers to join him in attending the New York City film premiere of A Journal for Jordan on December 9. Pictured at the film premiere are Assistant Division Head of Manhattan Middle School Jeremy Bletterman, Haydon Lucas, Phill McConnell, Max Sidberry, Jordan Canedy, Ash Brophy, and Manhattan Athletic Director Dan Smith. The movie is an adaptation based on the best­selling book of the same name by his mother, Dana Canedy, and it was directed by Denzel Washington and starred Michael B. Jordan. A Journal for Jordan depicts both the messages that were written for 7­month­old Jordan by his father, First Sergeant Charles Monroe King, who was serving in Iraq during the war and of his parents’ love story. All of the Windward alumni in attendance ran track and cross country and played basketball before graduating in 2019. Jordan and Max currently attend The Dwight School and continue to play basketball together on the JV team.

To submit a note, share your Windward memories, or give notice of a deceased alum/na for the next issue, please email alumni@thewindwardschool.org.

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In Memoriam The Windward School received the sad news of the passing of the following individuals. The Windward community extends its condolences to the family and friends of the deceased. Please email alumni@thewindwardschool.org if you receive notice of a deceased community member for inclusion in the next issue of The Compass.

Arlette Belkin Former faculty member Tara DeWitt Mother of Amelia Rosalia ’31 Jayson Hairston ’00 Carol Leahy Former faculty member Carol Nardo Mother of John Nardo ’93 Michael Price Father of Teddy Price ’23 and Grace Price ’23 Susan Weyburn Former faculty member

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2022 Matriculating Schools Note: The schools represented are accurate as of the time of printing.

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40 West Red Oak Lane White Plains, NY 10604­3602 Return Service Requested To be added to The Compass mailing list, please email communications@thewindwardschool.org